Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
A2024.000.052.076 |
Object Name |
Transparency, Slide |
Tagline |
Colour slide of people milling around outside the Red Mountain Ski Club Lodge, circa 1950s. |
Collection |
MS 90 - Photograph & Negative Collection |
Description |
Colour slide of people milling around outside of the Red Mountain Ski Club Lodge. The Lodge consists of a three-story wood building with white detailing throughout. The front of the building has three rows of windows, marking the different floors, while the left side has the main entrance. "RED MOUNTAIN SKI CLUB" is in large white lettering on the front of the building. Dozens of people are milling around the exterior of the building and there are lots of skis leaning up against the building. There are three boys sitting on the snow bank on the lower right side of the scene and there is a large amount of skis and poles stuck into the snow bank to the right of them. |
Photographer |
John Svarich |
Date |
/ / |
Medium |
Photograph Slide |
Provenance |
In 1947, the Trail and Rossland ski clubs amalgamated and formed the Red Mountain Ski Club (RMSC). The immediate objectives of the new club were to build a chairlift up Red Mountain, a lodge at the base, and to extend the base area. The first chair lift on Red Mountain was built in this same year, and ran until 1973 when it was replaced by a Mueller lift. The Red Mountain Ski Lodge was built in the fall of 1947 using the timbers from the Black Bear Mine compressor building. More area for skiing was cleared in the 1950s, and during this decade some of the prominent organizations to come out of the ski club were organised as well. This includes the ski patrol, the ski school, and the start of the Red Mountain Racers. In 1960, a poma lift was installed from the lodge to the Back Trail on Red Mountain. The Granite Mountain chair was installed in 1965 which opened up even more terrain for skiing, including longer runs which enabled the RMSC to host larger competitions. The RMSC has hosted many large events. These include the first World Cup race to be held in Canada (the du Maurier International) in 1968, the Export "A" Cup, and the Shell Cup. Another World Cup race was held at Red Mountain in 1988 (The Husky World Downhill). Additionally, the Red Mountain Racers held many different events at the ski area over the years; such as smaller local events in the West Kootenays and high school ski meets. Many highly successful athletes have trained and competed on Red Mountain and with the RMSC. Two of the most notable being Nancy Greene-Raine and Kerrin Lee-Gartner. In the 1980s, it was decided to sell the ski club as it was becoming much too large of an operation for volunteers to run, and the club had accrued a large debt. The RMSC and its facilities were sold to Eric Skat-Petersen and his Ontario-based backers in 1989, though the ski club still operated until 1995. |
Search Terms |
Red Mountain Red Mountain Ski Club Red Mountain Ski Club Lodge |
Subjects |
Photography Ski Lodge Parking Lot Ski Resort Winter Sports Skiing Ski Club |