Discover Vancouver

History of Skiing in Vancouver

Historically, Whistler is a place turned inside out. Once one of the most isolated spots north of Vancouver, it's now only two hours away by car. Once a summer resort known as Alta Lake, it's now a winter resort (although summer is again coming on strong) named after a rodent. It once offered remote wilderness for a handful of residents; now it's a mecca for more than one million skiers annually. With a permanent population of 7,000, Whistler swells to nearly 30,000 people at peak times.

The original inhabitants of the area were Coast Salish people to the south and Interior Salish to the north. They criss-crossed the area via an overland route, the basis for today's Highway 99. In 1858 Hudson's Bay Company employees J.W. Mackey and Major William Downie were the first Europeans to travel this overland route.

After the Fraser Gold Rush of 1859 subsided, some prospectors stayed on, establishing a farming community in Pemberton, north of today's Whistler Resort. By 1873 a horse trail was hand-cut to Pemberton along the Pemberton Trail. Upgraded in 1877 by the B.C. government for $38,000, the route was only a metre wide along rocky cliffs. It was soon declared a failure.

In 1885 Norwegians, the first European settlers in the Squamish Valley, were flooded out. In 1885 the first homes were built in Brackendale and, in 1902, the Bracken Arms Hotel opened. Logging soon surpassed farming as the area's main industry.

Development was slow, and attracted hardy men who liked to hunt, ride and fish. Women also made their mark. Decked out in the ankle-brushing skirts of the pre-World War I era, Myrtle Philip hiked, rode and fished better than most men. Together with husband, Alex, the 22-year-old Myrtle left Vancouver in 1912 in search of untrammelled wilderness.

When the couple arrived at Alta Lake—site of present-day Whistler—there was no road and no railway. The trip began aboard the ferry Bowena to Squamish, then by two-horse buckboard stage to Brackendale. Hiking north, it was two days before they reached Alpha Lake and John Millar's one-room cabin. Millar, an eccentric Texas-born cowboy, put up the Philips for $1 each including room and board. Millar Creek Road in Whistler's commercial suburb, Function Junction, is named after him.

The Philips settled at Alta Lake, 1.5 kilometres north, the highest lake in the valley. In 1914 they opened Rainbow Lodge, soon recognized as the most popular summer resort west of the Rockies. Along with the lodge, Myrtle ran a general store for more than 30 years before retiring. Husband Alex was noted for his romance novels.

Sadly, Rainbow Lodge was destroyed by fire in 1978. Myrtle (1890-1985) remained active in the community. The Myrtle Philip Elementary School and Myrtle Philip Recreation Centre are named in her honor.

Until the early 1960s Whistler Resort was the dream of a few. Back-country cabins marked the small community of Alta Lake, where condos and resort homes now crowd. Only the most devoted made the arduous seven-hour journey over rugged B.C. Hydro access roads. The area had its first paved road in 1964, fifty years after the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (now BC Rail) blasted its way through.

The resort was born in 1965, when the first lift was introduced on London Mountain. Lacking the zing of a Vail or Aspen, the name was soon changed to Whistler Mountain, inspired by the whistler marmot that frequents its rocky outcrops. Inaugural ski runs at Whistler Creek opened in 1965, built by the Garibaldi Lift Company, later renamed the Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation. Franz's Run, named after founder and first president Franz Wilhelmsen, still exists.

Investors originally planned to develop the north side of the mountain with gondola and facilities, where Whistler Village is today. Mineral claims forced the lift company to develop Whistler Creek on the west side instead.

At the site of today's Whistler Village, a dump existed, visited primarily by black bears. Bears are still numerous in the area, and are often relocated or shot when their numbers grow too large.

By the 1970s line-ups of 500 skiers, queuing for hours at the lifts, were commonplace. Whistler was a haphazard place, with shacks patched together to accommodate ski fanatics. Soon modern pioneers like Al Raine, former head coach of Canada's ski team and husband of Olympic gold medallist Nancy Greene, pointed out the obvious: Whistler was heading for disaster without a long-term development plan.

The plan was soon a reality. The Resort Municipality of Whistler, British Columbia's first and only resort designation, complete with a long-term planning vision, was created in 1975.

The north side of Whistler Mountain, as well as Blackcomb Mountain, opened in 1980. Two friendly rivals, the Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation and Intrawest Development Corporation (which manages Blackcomb Mountain), now compete for skiers.

Since 1975 more than $1.5 billion has been invested in the development of Whistler Resort. Intrawest has invested more than $70 million in Blackcomb Mountain amenities since 1986. In 1992 Nippon Cable purchased a 23 per cent interest in Whistler Mountain for $25 million. Also in 1992 Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation invested $600,000 in trail development, removing 40,000 cubic metres of rock. Five kilometres of new trails resulted, serviced by Redline chair on Whistler Creek. Further development included high-speed gondola systems for both mountains. The payoff? Whistler Resort is consistently ranked the number one ski resort in North America.

In addition to Whistler Village (opened in 1980), with its hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops, Whistler Conference Centre, banks and tour companies, a second adjacent "village" is now being built. Whistler North began construction in 1993. It will take to years to complete expansion of the 60-acre site with condominiums, shops, grocery, liquor store, medical clinic, library, chapel, two hotels, three lodges, offices and recreation cultural centre.

In 1982 work was begun on Blackcomb Benchlands, the area around the base of Blackcomb Mountain. It is now a mix of hotels, shops, restaurants, condominiums and golf course. The Black Market, centred in and around Chateau Whistler and the base of Blackcomb Mountain, is Blackcomb Benchlands' shopping area.

Whistler has more than a dozen residential "neighborhoods," including Alta Lake Road, Bayshores, Whistler Creek, Whistler Highlands, Nordic Estates, Alta Vista, Blueberry Hill, Brio, Whistler Village, Whistler Village North, Blackcomb Benchlands, Horstman Estates, White Gold Estates, Nesters Square, Whistler Cay, Alpine Meadows and Emerald Estates.

With the growth of the year-round population, schools, recreation complexes, medical, fire, library and postal services have been added. Given its proximity to Vancouver, the pressures of year-round residency are already adding to the stresses of development and tourism.

Also important to the community is Function Junction, a retail/industrial area three kilometres south of Whistler. Taking advantage of its proximity to the Village, Function Junction offers everything from cappuccinos to Canadiana furniture to cellular-telephone sales and leasing. Whistler Resort attracted more than 1.3 million visitors in the 1993/94 year—590,000 visitors in summer 1993 and 715,000 visitors in winter 1993-94. It generated $440 million in tourist expenditures, making it third only to Vancouver and Victoria in terms of expenditures generated by a provincial tourism destination.

With the most ski in/ski out accommodations of any mountain recreation resort in North America, it has 16,800 bed units situated within 365 metres of the lifts. Ski in/ski out accommodation represents more than 52 per cent of all existing bed units within the boundaries of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

With 32,000 bed units now developed, the resort has reached 61 per cent of total construction levels approved by the 1988 Comprehensive Development Plan. As of 1995, more than 20,000 bed units remain undeveloped within municipal boundaries.

Active advertising campaigns over the past decade have also made Whistler an increasingly popular summer destination.

Total 1994 summer season accommodation occupancies moved to an average of 54 per cent, a growth of seven percentage points over the record 1993 summer season levels. Peak season occupancy (July 1-August 31, 1994) grew to an average of 73 per cent, a nine per cent gain over 1993 peak season levels. These record summer occupancy levels resulted in the generation of more than 235,000 room nights. Whistler is now in the midst of a construction boom that some feel is turning the resort into a skiers' Disneyworld. Its very success is forcing the resort to face a host of tough issues—from labor and housing shortages to crime control and the provision of adequate community amenities. At the top of the list is the urgent necessity to provide adequate, affordable housing for its thousands of minimum-wage seasonal workers. How it handles this and other issues will determine its continued popularity and prosperity.