Before we get to the history of Green Mountain itself, we need to wind back a little bit and take a closer look at two earlier ski clubs that were part of Nanaimo: Mount Brenton and Little Wolf Mountain.

Mount Brenton operated as a site for the Victoria Ski Club from around 1948 to 1961. The first rope tow lift was installed in the early 1950s along with a small cabin. The ski club changed names to the Snowbird Ski Club in 1951. Over the decade Mount Brenton operated, it slowly grew in popularity, with the ski club installing a second rope tow up the mountain. However, from 1958 to 1961 low snow levels plagued the mountain, which led to a significant drop in new memberships. This all led to the Snowbird Ski Club deciding to relocate operations to a new spot.

Like Mount Brenton, Little Wolf Mountain operated on Blackjack Ridge, commencing operations in 1950. The ski club was built and run by the Nanaimo Ski Club. In its heyday the ski club had a 700-foot long rope tow and a cabin. Ultimately two acts of vandalism and poor snow years forced the closure of the site. The Nanaimo Ski Club merged with the Snowbird Ski Club in 1961 to build and operate a new location. This finally brings us to Green Mountain.

In May of 1961, a new A-frame cabin was built on the upper slopes of Green Mountain. This lodge was prefabricated and flown in by helicopter. The club secured a lease to the mountain from the Crown Zellerbach logging company, utilizing existing logging roads up the mountain. All three ski rope tows were brought up the mountain and all were initially installed by January of 1962. The Snowbirds had opened all three rope tows on Green Mountain with the lodge near completion.

Green Mountain exploded with popularity in the early years, with the Snowbird Ski Club doubling new membership sales in the first few years. Green Mountain became a destination known throughout British Columbia for its superb snow quality.

In 1963, the Snowbird Ski Club reorganized their operations, creating a new corporation titled Green Mountain Recreation Company that would operate, run, and lease the resort. The new company quickly unveiled grand plans to install a T-bar in time for the 1964 ski season and a chalet the following year. While the Dopplemayr T-bar was indeed installed in 1964, a lack of funds prevented a chalet from ever being built.

The access road was always a challenge for Green Mountain as it was an active logging road and conditions could be treacherous in the winter. This led to several creative solutions, including the ski hill purchasing two Bombardier snowmobiles that were converted into buses of sorts, with many people parking at the bottom of the mountain and hitching a ride to the top.

Throughout the 1970s it became obvious that Vancouver Island did not have the skiers or capacity to handle all the new participants attracted to the sport. While Green Mountain drew up plans to install a second T-bar lift in 1969, the inhospitable access road was a major hurdle for the ski area. In 1972, to help boost tourism, the government proposed funding a new ski area on Coronation Mountain. The new ski area would have had a low elevation and predominantly beginner terrain. This proposal drew significant ire from the three operating ski hills on the island, who thought the government should instead fund significant expansions at their existing resorts. Ultimately a ski resort on Coronation Mountain was never developed.

To combat low attendance during weekdays, Green Mountain introduced a new program where the entire mountain would be rented out Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. This program was met with success, with the ski area charging around $40 to $85 per person depending on the size of the group. The second T-bar was finally built in 1973, which gave the ski area two brand new trails and greatly enhanced the appeal of the mountain.

The area operated throughout the 1970s, sparring with the provincial government over who should pay for the access road, along with fighting the Coronation Mountain ski development. Though the access road continued to plague the resort, Green Mountain had a strong skiing culture on the mountain, hosting carnivals and pond skims frequently. Additionally the mountain boasted the best snow on the island, frequently staying open until May.

In October of 1983, the bottom mechanical shack for the Dopplemayr T-bar was deliberately set on fire. This was bad news for Green Mountain as the ski hill had no insurance whatsoever. Green Mountain suddenly found itself with a $50,000 bill and no operating lower T-bar in time for ski season. While they were able to use a backhoe's power supply to temporarily fix the T-bar, a road washout in December forced a later opening of the mountain. By March of 1984, rising expenses and lost revenue from that ski season left Green Mountain insolvent.

The club hoped to reopen the mountain with the help of a $75,000 government grant. However, the club only received half of that money. The ski hill asked the Nanaimo City Council for financial help, which was outright rejected. By October of 1984, both ski lifts were sold and the mountain was finally abandoned for good.