After 2 rounds of sabotage, Sea to Sky Gondola reopens once more

After twice being sabotagedby a cable-cutting vandal or vandals thefreshly-repaired Sea to Sky Gondola will reopen again to the public on Friday after months on the ground.

The tourist attraction in Squamish, B.C., will beup and running witha new steel cable,two dozen replacedcable cars and, perhaps most notably,an extensively updated security systemthat includes an in-house security team with tech foraround-the-clock surveillance.

"Our security architecture is extraordinary in the lift industry and has evolved after extensive consultation with security experts," read a statement from the gondola company.

"We will not be disclosing all of the details of our security system; however, by design, we will provide a safe experience for everyone."

The reopening comes eight months after the green gondola cars came crashing down into the mountainside for a second time in September 2020. A vandal, or vandals, had deliberately severed the steel cable, baffling officials and the public.

The gondola had been destroyed for the first time just 13 months earlier. Again, someone had cut the cable in the middle of the night.

Both cases are unresolved.

A $250,000 reward hasbeen offered to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandalor vandals.

Reopening welcomed by tourism sector

The gondola draws roughly 400,000 visitors every year. The 39-car gondola takes passengers up a steep mountain ridge just south of the Stawamus Chief, offering unobstructed views of Howe Sound.

The attraction is also one of the largest employers in town and a significant feature in the$95-million local tourism sector, according to Tourism Squamish.

"We're pretty excited about having the gondola reopening, for sure," ToranSavjord, vice chair of Tourism Squamish, told CBC's The Early Edition on Friday.

"I think you're going to see a lot more people coming to town, we're going be experiencingpeople stick around and have an opportunity to experience the activity."

He said local businesses see a boost from gondola traffic, too.

"It's really in the summer when the gondola brings a ton of extra people up in those mid-week days when we're not as busy, that really helps us. We're hopeful for the gondola this time around," said Ben Reeder, marketing manager for BackcountryBrewing.

Repairing the attraction the first time took six months and at least $5 million, according to the company.