Captain Richards named Mount Washington as he explored Canada's Pacific Coast in 1860; choosing the name Mount Washington after the Rear Admiral John Washington, who was the Official Hydrographer to the Royal Navy. Mount Washington Alpine Resort was established in 1979 by Henry Norie and Alex Linton, two Campbell River businessmen. The idea originated in 1975 when Linton, an avid skier and local businessman, was impressed by Mount Washington's height and snowpack.
Together with Norie, who owned a helicopter, they surveyed the mountain. Construction commenced in 1977, making Mt. Washington one of the first master-planned resorts in British Columbia, officially opening to the public in 1979.
