Whistler gondola restarts following collapse

The Excalibur Gondolawhich connects Whistler VillagewithBlackcomb Mountainwas slated to reopen Wednesday after crews repaired a tower that collapsed last week injuring 13 people.

A release from Whistler Blackcomb said the gondola had passed a B.C. Safety Authority inspection. The collapse was blamed on water which leaked into the tower,froze and expanded, causing a joint to crack.

Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed said thecollapse wasbad news for Whistler during an already bad year.

The tourist destination had already taken a few shots from the economic slump and a lack of snow this year, and the collapse was another blow to morale in the resort town, he said.

"I think that it wasn't a sense of fear, so much as it was, 'What else can happen in a winter that has already been severely challenged by the economic downturn, the lack of snow?' It was obviously the news that nobody was hoping for," said Melamed.