The hill at the heart of the village

Ski Vorlage turns 75

Ski Vorlage isn’t just at the heart of the village of Wakefield, for many, it is the heart of the village.

Its humble beginnings as a cleared hill behind the Shouldice Farm, which once stood where Vorlage’s parking lot is now, is where Wilf Harris installed the first rope tow on the side of the mountain in 1947, allowing local skiers easier access to the small cabin that stood at the top of the hill near the site of the future Wakefield Hospital.

Happy birthday, Ski Vorlage! For 75 years locals like Sue Smith (#4) and Ellise (Bub) McVeigh (#18), circa 1951, have been barreling down the hill that has become the heart of Wakefield. Take a nostalgic trip with us back to 1947 when our little alpine gem was just a small, snow-cleared hill. Photo courtesy of Suzanne Smith