After it opened in 1974, the Whistler Centre Building saw several changes in tenants and its appearance over the next three decades, until it found stability with the iconic Southside Diner.
The first business to occupy the building was Le Magasin Du Ski, who moved across the way (from Union 76 station) to increase their capacity. The extra square footage separated their retail and rental space between the first floor and the basement. The shop was later taken over by Dave Kirk and Val Jazic, who renamed the shop to Whistler Creek Ski Shop, as apparently the French name confused patrons.
In October 1975, MacGregor Pacific Realty (which later morphed into the Whistler Real Estate Company) moved into the office space on the second floor, but was soon removed around 1977 and Capilano Highlands moved in. Drew Meredith (of MacGregor Pacific) recalls the removal justified as they were arrears in rent.
Other occupants in the building included Rozell Construction Ltd, Garibaldi Blasting Ltd, The Insurance Shop (Jim Elliott Insurance Agencies), Harry Bullen’s “Mountain Hair”, Norman Minus & Co. Accountants, Syd Young Travel Unlimited, Whistler Office Services, the Whistler Question, and more.
When the Whistler Village was constructed in the 1980s, traffic began to decrease in Creekside. Several occupants opted to move to the new hub of Whistler. The top floors and basement stayed as they were, but the ground floor changed and was revamped for the Rainbow Deli, a butcher shop previously located at the Gulf Station, where Tim Hortons is located today. The grand opening was on November 26, 1983, complete with free hot dogs.
The Rainbow Deli is better known as the beloved Southside Delicatessen and the name changed sometime in 1986. Owned by Cal Schacter and Herschel Miedzygorski, the Southside Deli was instantly a hot spot for locals, and became world-famous, with actors, musicians, and pro athletes enjoying the affordable food options. The Deli also easily integrated into the community, sponsoring events and fundraisers, such as the Fireman’s Ball and the Cheakamus Challenge.
For a time the Deli shared the space with another restaurant. German Chef, Uli Schnur, moved to British Columbia as Umberto Menghi’s corporate chef. In 1992, he decided to open his own restaurant, Uli’s Flipside. He took over the Southside Deli at night, offering family and budget friendly made-from-scratch food until 1:00am. This operation arrangement continued until the early 2000s, even expanding to other locations around Whistler before officially closing the business.
Underneath the Deli/Flipside primarily held businesses dedicated to recreation. Backroads Whistler used the space in 1985 before moving to Mons. Two years later, Tim Mallone, who also owned Pumphouse Fitness Centre (later known as Whistler Creek Athletic Club), opened up the Southside Bike Shop. In the 1990s, the space saw Whistler’s first skateboard shop, Attitude at Altitude, clothing store Board of Authority, and World Pro High Performance Sport & Ski. Board of Authority recently returned to Whistler in the winter of 2023, opening a location in Village North.
After nearly twenty years of service the Southside Deli shut down in 2003. There was a quick attempt to create the space into an oyster bar, the Screaming Oyster; however, in the Spring of 2004, the Deli was reborn into the Southside Diner, with similar operations. The business expanded by opening a laundromat in the basement after the Nesters Laundromat closed in 2008, which is still the only coin-operated laundry around.
The original closure of the Southside Deli was celebrated as part of the Whistler Museum project, Vanishing Places, an effort to recognize places in town that have been lost to time. Thankfully, the spirit and history of the Southside Deli has continued through the Southside Diner.
Whistler is expected to change and grow, and it is important for us to recognize our history and reflect on how far we have come. We are proud to write weekly stories to our community, and are excited to share more about what history you can see around the valley.