On June 1, 1911, Mayor William McNeish broke ground for the Grouse Mountain Scenic Incline Railway project near the Capilano View Hotel. According to the prospectus for the project, approximately 11,000 people undertook the climb up the mountain in the year prior.
The railway, a childhood dream of Billy McGuigan, one of the scheme’s directors, was to be powered by electricity supplied by the BC Electric Railway, and travel 1,200 metres up the mountain to an extravagant alpine inn and gardens.
The project did not receive enough shareholder interest and ultimately fell apart during the First World War.
Visit the MONOVA website for more information about the history of the North Shore and to plan your visit to MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver, now open at 115 West Esplanade in The Shipyards.
Currently, MONOVA: Archives of North Vancouver, at 3203 Institute Road in Lynn Valley, is open for drop-ins on Monday and by appointment Tuesday-Friday, 12:30-4 p.m. Contact: [email protected]
Navigate culture on the North Shore by using the North Shore Culture Compass.
