1969
RECREATION PARADISE ON BURKE MOUNTAIN
Its supporters once claimed that Burke Mountain had the potential to rival Whistler. But while Whistler went
from being a low-key skiers' paradise to a world-class resort, the Burke Mountain Ski Village went downhill. In the late 1960s, Burke Mountain Ski Resorts Ltd., offered transportation up the east Coquitlam mountain, a lodge and rope tows for two seasons. But it discontinued service in 19 69. More than 100 fam ilies held leases on tl1e "working class" mountain and built their own cabins, hauling in aiJ the materials themselves. They continued to enjoy tl1e mountain after the official resort closed, although access was made more difficult when the municipality stopped maintaining the road in 1971. The rocky road had originally opened in 1948, when Burke Mountain was declared a park by Coquitlam authorities who leased the land from the province for 15 cents per acre. Burke Mountain is still popular with hikers, mountain bikers, and snowmobile and four-wheel drive enthusiasts, but it has received minimal development as a park and has not grown to be the resort that some dreamed it could become.
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Top: Burke Mountain's search and resctte team dig their snowmobile out ofdeep mom during a practice. Above: skiers arrive by moJllmobile at one ofthe 100 cabins located on Burke Mountain in 1969. Left: A rope tow was set up in Bu1·ke Mountai1t in the late 60s, raising hopes among many local skiers that the motmtain n>otdd be developed into a viable ski resort. The t·esort, ho1veJ'er, ouzv opet'ated for two :vears.