Park History
Cypress Provincial Park (CPP) is located within the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Archaeological evidence in the form of middens at Whyte Lake adjacent to the Provincial Park shows that the area was used by the First Nations people.
Early Days on Hollyburn
1900-1909
The Vancouver Mountaineering Club (now the BC Mountaineering Club) made the first ascent of Mount Vaughan (now Hollyburn Mountain).
1910-1919
During a plant survey of the area, John Davidson, BC's first Provincial Botanist and founder of the Vancouver Natural History Society, gives Hollyburn Mountain its permanent name.
In 1918 James Nasmyth started a logging operation on Hollyburn. A shingle bolt mill was built adjacent to Rodgers Creek, near what is now the last bend at the upper end of Cypress Bowl Road. The Nasmyth mill was shut down in 1923.
Shingle bolts were transported down the mountain in a flume. The remains of the dam, at the head of that flume, are still clearly visible inside the bend in the road, at El. 750 m. But the water supply in Rodgers Creek was insufficient. To augment the water supply, water was diverted from the upper reaches of a Cypress Creek tributary, below Hillstrom Peak, and from Brothers Creek. Using existing gullies and wetlands, a series of channels was excavated to link these natural features and divert water toward Rodgers Creek via Sixth, Fourth, Third and First lakes (Fifth and Second lakes were not part of the diversion).
Some of these channels still operate today. From Sixth Lake to a point about 500 m northward, this active section of channel now defines “the western boundary of the watershed of the Capilano River”, which in turn defines the Park Boundary.
The uppermost diversion was at El. 1080 m, on a Cypress Creek tributary which flows from Hillstrom Peak. The dam is no longer there but the diversion channel is clearly visible. The channel carried the water from the Cypress Creek watershed to the south east, over a divide to the upper edge of the Capilano watershed. An earthfill dam diverts the water 90° into another channel, which leads over a second divide to Sixth Lake (El. 1040) and the headwaters of Brothers Creek. This part of the channel system is still functioning today.
50 m below Sixth Lake, there was a third dam (now removed) where a channel leads to Fourth Lake. A dam at the outlet at Fourth Lake diverted water to a channel leading to Third Lake.
A dam at the outlet of Third Lake controlled the flow into Marr Creek. From here the water flows to First Lake. The dam at First Lake is now spanned by the Nasmyth Bridge. A flume carried the water from the dam/outlet to a point about 70 m south of the dam. The flume is gone but the clearing through the trees is still visible. From here a 50 m long excavated channel leads south west, crosses under the Main Trail, spanned by a small bridge. The channel discharges into a natural gully and creeks which flow, via a culvert under Cypress Bowl Road, into Rodgers Creek.
BC TRIM mapping still incorrectly shows some of the old Nasmyth channels as watercourses, but this has been corrected on the FCPP Hiking Map. All of the channel system can still be seen today, although some of it can be difficult to find.
The B-P trail, just above the Warming Hut, runs along the crest of the old dam at the outlet of Fourth Lake, with a bridge over the breached section.
On the Nasmyth Bridge, at the outlet of First Lake, there is a display of heritage photos provided by the Hollyburn Heritage Society.
1920-1929
Hollyburn became a popular recreation area when hikers and skiers began making use of old West Vancouver logging roads to reach the mountain.
The Nasmyth camp was dismantled and hauled up to the west side of First Lake. Built with salvaged logs, planks and shakes, this temporary building was named "Hollyburn Ski Camp". It was a combined lodge, restaurant and dance hall, complete with a gramophone player. It opened in January 1927.
Although the intention was to replace the temporary structure with a more elaborate lodge, it was never replaced. Hollyburn Lodge, as it is now known, still stands beside First Lake. The welcome sign above Hollyburn Ski Camp's door still greets hikers and skiers as warmly as when it was first installed in 1930.
The Hollyburn Heritage Society has been actively involved in efforts to restore the Lodge. It was officially reopened on January 15, 2017. This renewal of Hollyburn Lodge was made possible because of the collection and sharing of the compelling history of the Lodge, the political journey, the hard work of Cypress Mountain Resort staff, outside trades, and services and a strong community of volunteers.
The cookhouse at the abandoned Nasmyth Mill, is opened as "The Restaurant," becoming the first commercial "ski camp" on the North Shore mountains. In 1926 this building was transported up to First Lake to become Hollyburn Ski Camp, and was officially opened in January 1927.
1930-1939
West Lake Ski Camp was built at West Lake. In 1938 it was moved 500 metres downhill to become the ski shop for a new lodge which remained in use until it burned in 1986.
In the late 1930's, much of Hollyburn and the Cypress Bowl area was identified for logging by the Heaps Timber Company of Los Angeles. Eventually the Provincial Government exchanged timber leases on Vancouver Island for the Heaps' interest but not before over 40 hectares were logged. In 1944, as a result of this controversy, the Province set aside Cypress Bowl as a park reserve.
1940-1959
Hollyburn Aerial Tram (HAT) and HAT Inn built below present Hi-View Lookout on the Cypress Bowl Road. Hi-View Lodge constructed at the tram's upper terminal (850 m elevation). The lodge and upper terminal burned in 1965. Hi-View was named after Hi Colville, who formed the Hollyburn Aerial Tram Company in 1948.
Read More: Hollyburn Mountain History
From 1927 to the mid-1960s, many ski competitions took place at Hollyburn, drawing huge crowds despite the long hike up trails from West Vancouver. Nearly 300 cabins were built on Hollyburn Ridge during this period, some using timber from flumes and other material left from the Nasmyth logging operation.
Hollyburn Ridge Association is the community hub for owners and friends of the historic cabins on Hollyburn Ridge in West Vancouver, BC. 100 cabins are still in use today, representing a unique mountain community in the Lower Mainland.
1960-1969
In 1964 a proposal was put forward by private enterprise to develop commercial ski facilities in Cypress Bowl. At that time, MLA Dave Barrett pressed the Minister of Forests to honour the 1944 commitment to preserve forest land in Cypress Bowl, and to save it from development.
Unfortunately logging resumed in 1966, which resulted in the clear-cutting of portions of Black and Strachan mountains. Logging continued until public outrage obliged the Province, in 1971, to take over development of winter recreation in the area. In 1972, B.C. Parks began developing the Alpine and Nordic skiing facilities. Construction of Cypress Bowl Road was completed in 1973.
1970-1979
The park was officially created in 1975, following a turbulent history.
In 1975 the southern section of the park was granted Class A Provincial Park status. Dave Barrett, as Premier of BC, finally realized his dream when his government established Cypress as a Class A Provincial Park, by signing Order In Council #3209 dated 9 Oct 1975.
1980-1989
In 1982, CPP increased by approximately 1000 hectares in size with the addition of the Howe Sound Crest Trail, following the ridge which runs from Cypress Bowl north to Deeks Lake. Traversing a number of mountain peaks, including St. Marks Summit, Unnecessary Mountain, The West Lion, David Peak, Mt. Harvey and Brunswick Mountain, this narrow strip provides hikers access along a 29 km trail to Brunswick and Deeks Lakes. Trailhead access off Highway 99, just south of Porteau Road, also provides hikers trail access to the more remote northern backcountry of the Park. This area adjacent to Porteau was owned by the BC Government though BC Rail, and in 2001, Friends of Cypress Provincial Park (FCPP) proposed that it be added to the park when BC Rail was sold, extending the provincial park and trail all the way to Porteau Cove.
Although BC Parks was amenable to this addition, title was transferred to the Squamish Nation in a land swap a year later through negotiations, and a new town of 1400 residences was to be built by their development partner, Concord Pacific. This would have included 4km of road that hikers would have been able to use, but no construction followed, and in 2017 BC Supreme Court decided that Concord Pacific could use a little-known buyback clause in their partnership agreement with the Squamish Nation that allowed them to gain title of the entire 2,200 acre parcel of land for $1.
In 2018 a local stonemason, unaware of these land tenure issues, applied for a Mining Permit to start quarrying near Kallanhe Creek, and this work under the Mining Act prevented all access to the area in 2019, including the Howe Sound Crest Trail. FCPP worked closely with BC Parks to open the old hiking trail around this work, which required an access corridor agreement be put in place though this private land in Fall 2019 to allow hiking access between Porteau Road and the Deeks Lake area of the park.
In 1984 the ski facilities in three Provincial Parks which were operated by BC Parks employees – Cypress, Seymour and Manning - were privatized for $500,000 each. This was a government decision with no public input, prefaced by the statement by Financed Minister John Reynolds “There is nothing the public sector can do better than the private sector.” [Hansard] Ownership of BC Parks’ ski operation and facilities in Cypress Bowl and on Hollyburn was sold to Cypress Bowl Recreations Ltd. under Park Use Permit #1506 as a 50-year renewable permit. No land was included in this arrangement. Almost immediately there were problems with public access.
Downhill ski facilities built by the government as part of park establishment were sold to Cypress Bowl Recreations, Ltd. (CBRL), in 1984 through a 50-year renewable Park Use Permit. The Nordic ski facilities and Hollyburn Lodge were included in this sale.
In 1986 the ski area closed off winter access to Hollyburn except for their paying customers, citing their Park Use Permit 1506, resulting in a Ski-In protest organized by the Save Cypress Bowl Committee, during which lawyer John Beltz was arrested and driven off in a Snow-Cat. He was then released by the West Vancouver police without charges. Subsequent negotiations resulted in the ski area being expanded to the top of Mount Strachan, with a recycled lift from another ski hill being installed as the ‘Sky Chair’. Public winter access to Hollyburn was restored at this point, and this was followed by BC Parks rangers cutting a 20 ft wide “Hikers Access” trail on Hollyburn from the park roadway to the ‘Water Board Cabin Site” for winter access, and this was enshrined in the wording of the CPP Master Plan, so that access to Hollyburn could continue unhindered, with this access never to be groomed as a ski trail.
1990-1999
In 1990 a new CPP Master Plan process was initiated and Cypress Bowl Recreations Ltd. (CBRL), the private ski company in the park, was interested in expanding downhill ski operations onto Hollyburn Mountain. By 1992 the CPP Master Plan process was well underway with options being developed for commercial ski area expansion, including onto both Hollyburn and Strachan mountains. A well-attended Open House to outline the ski area expansion plans was held at Robson Square in 1992.
Over the next few years, the planning process became increasingly contentious. In 1994 the ski area employed the same pressure tactics as outlined above, and blocked access to the Yew Lake area in winter unless a full ski lift Day Pass was purchased. This attracted considerable media attention as vocal seniors protested their access to this popular snowshoe area being arbitrarily cut off. Once again there were public protests which included members of the FCPP.
In 1995 the Province established the CPP Special Planning Commission (“Williams Commission”) in response to a lawsuit launched by CBRL against the Province and several BC Parks officials. The Commission recommended against expansion of CBRL’s Controlled Recreation Area (CRA) onto Hollyburn mountain, but supported increased development within the CRA. Proposals for the new development still included cutting new ski runs through old-growth forest and building a gondola and restaurant on Mt. Strachan’s south peak. In total, some 70 acres of Old-Growth forest would have been cut for the Gondola line and ski runs.
In June 1997 BC Parks completed a new CPP Master Plan incorporating the Special Commission’s recommendations. Highlights of the revised CPP Master Plan included abandoning plans made by the previous ski facilities owner to build a gondola lift and mountaintop restaurant on Mt. Strachan, and dropping plans to cut new ski runs through exceptionally important old-growth on Strachan's southwest slopes. Instead, new development, including the 2010 Venues, was built on Black Mountain's east-facing slopes in second-growth forest in an area logged more than thirty years ago for ski area construction.
As part of the new CPP Master Plan agreement, the Permit Area was increased by nearly 40 hectares on Black Mountain’s east-facing slope, mostly in second-growth forest. Also an equal or greater area on Hollburn and Strachan was deleted from the existing Permit Area. This included some important areas of old-growth forest and subalpine meadow. Plans were also dropped for further expansion of tubing chutes in Hollyburn Ridge old-growth.
2000-2009
In February 2001 the ski operation run by CBRL was sold to resort corporation Boyne Resorts of Michigan, and now operates under the name “Cypress Mountain Resort”.
In June 2002, Cypress Mountain Resort proposed a significant amendment to the 1997 Cypress Ski Area CPP Master Plan to accommodate the 2010 Winter Olympic Venues. After a full public process, this amendment received approval from the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection (now Ministry of Environment) early in 2004. In the context of a 2010 Winter Olympics Bid, Boyne’s owners began to rethink the previous proposal for logging on Mt. Strachan for the gondola, ski runs and mountaintop restaurant. In 2002 a Province newspaper article reported that Boyne Resorts had abandoned the previous owner's plan. Boyne’s new plan was to install ski runs with a new lift on the eastern side of Black Mountain, and build new Alpine and Nordic base lodges.
Cypress Mountain Resort became the Official Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, awarded to Vancouver in July 2003. Under a 2004 CPP Master Plan Amendment, ski area expansion was moved to the previously logged slopes of Black Mountain and the gondola and restaurant plans for Mt. Strachan were abandoned.
In 2007 the Raven Ridge Quad Chair and 9 new ski runs were built on Black Mountain. The venues for the Olympic Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard events were also completed. This included a snowmaking system and reservoir as required for hosting the Olympics, with the funding for the entire system coming from VANOC as part of their $16.2 million Venue Construction budget. (Originally $8.4 million in the 2002 Bid submitted to the IOC.)
In 2007 the Cypress Mountain Resort ski operation and facilities within the park were sold by parent company Boyne Resorts to CNL Income Properties Inc, a US Tax Shelter. When CNL was wound up, the ski operation was sold to Och-Ziff Capital Management, but Cypress Mountain Resort was then bought back by Boyne Canada in March 2018. Boyne continued to run the ski area with the same employees throughout this time of ownership changes.
The FCPP and the Hollyburn Heritage Association were able to get $100,000 in Olympic Legacy funding after extended negotiations with VANOC in 2007, as initial seed money for a $1 million rebuilding of Hollyburn Lodge. Although this was fraught with design delays and legal difficulties, the rebuilding of the Historic 1927 Hollyburn Lodge was finally completed by a major joint effort in November of 2018 after three years of construction.
Cypress Creek Lodge was opened in 2008. Construction of the lodge, as well as the adjacent parking area – the Lodge Lot - was funded and is owned as part of their facilities by Cypress Mountain Resort under their Park Use Permit 1506, so they can charge visitors to park in this lot in winter.
2010-Present
In September 2021, the International Advisory Committee for Biosphere Reserves officially designated ATL'KA7TSEM Howe Sound Biosphere Region as Canada's 19th UNESCO Biosphere Region after a 5 year planning and application process.
