Vermont ski resort to change ‘insensitive’ name

By Lilit Marcus, CNN

A popular Vermont ski resort originally known as Suicide Six has announced that it will change its “insensitive” name in the weeks to come.

The resort shared the news in a post on its website on June 28.

“Our resort team embraces the increasing awareness surrounding mental health and shares the growing concerns about the insensitive nature of the historical name. The feelings that the word ‘suicide’ evokes can have a significant impact on many in our community,” the note read.

The post continued: “It is vital that the name better represents and celebrates what makes it a beloved and vibrant part of this community. Though some may find the change difficult, we stand by our conviction that this evolution is warranted for an iconic treasure and, more importantly, necessary to continue its rich history of inclusion and accessibility.”

The ski and snowboard resort is in the Vermont town of Pomfret, about 50 miles (80 km) south of the state capital of Montpelier.

This area north of Woodstock, Vermont, is credited with being the first major ski area in the United States. U.S. Skiing Hall of Fame honoree Wallace “Bunny” Bertram installed a primitive rope tow system on the mountain there, an innovation many cite as the first ski lift.

Bertram, who died in 1981, dubbed the area “Suicide Six,” which he thought was more catchy than the existing name “Hill 6.”

The resort is also a member of Ski Vermont’s Fairness, Equity and Diversity initiative. Forty-eight of the state’s ski resorts signed an open letter supporting the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.

Ski and outdoor destinations throughout North America have been reconsidering their names in the past few years.

Last year, California’s Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows resort, which hosted snow events in the 1960 Winter Olympics, decided to change its name to Palisades Tahoe.

“While we love our local history and the memories, we all associate with this place as it has been named for so long, we are confronted with the overwhelming evidence that the term ‘squaw’ is considered offensive,” Ron Cohen, the resort’s president and COO, said at the time, adding that property ownership had worked with the local Washoe tribe on the name change project.

Meanwhile, in Canada, a collection of mountain cabins inside Jasper National Park chose to change its moniker from Pocahontas Cabins to Miette Mountain Cabins following dialogue with First Nations communities in the area.

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