Mountain Highway Car Pass
The Grouse Mountain Scenic Highway wound its way from the top of North Vancouver’s Mountain Highway, across Fromme Mountain and up to the Grouse Mountain plateau. This private road was built in sections, each with its own work camp. To offset the costs, the owners charged a car with up to six passengers $1.50, motorcycles $1.00, equestrians $1.00 and pedestrians $0.35. The highway opened to a limited number of cars in October of 1926, and a patrol kept a watchful eye on all traffic. It was now possible to drive from downtown Vancouver to the chalet in an hour and a half. In 1935, however, the highway and chalet were closed to the public after the Grouse Mountain Highway and Resort failed to pay its taxes. The property reverted to the District of North Vancouver until 1945, at which point it was sold to a private company.
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WHAT
This painted brass badge functioned as a pass, giving its owners the right to use the Grouse Mountain Scenic Highway.
WHERE
The badge would have been attached to the bumper or radiator of a car.
WHEN
The badge dates to 1945, four years after the District of North Vancouver had taken over the chalet, which had gone bankrupt in the Depression.
WHO
The owners of this badge were likely regular uses of the toll highway–chalet staff or avid skiers.
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