Author: museumwhistler

When traveling to a new place, or even exploring your own town, interpretive panels are a great way to learn about local history, wildlife, and the natural environment. These little pop-ups of information can feel a bit like VH1’s Pop-Up Video from the 2000s, which offered quick, engaging insights that added depth and context to a song or music video, much like how interpretive panels help you better understand your surroundings or see a familiar place in a new light.

Over the Whistler Museum’s 38-year history, we’ve had the opportunity to help develop many of the interpretive panels throughout the Whistler Valley. Most recently, we’ve been involved in the creation of the panels that have appeared along the Valley Trail network and throughout the Village starting in 2018, in collaboration with the Resort Municipality of Whistler. These installations have become a wonderful way to share Whistler’s stories in the very places where they unfolded, such as the history panels in Rainbow Park.

Beyond traditional panels, newer forms of interpretation have used technology to share stories in different ways. A great example is the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre’s Cultural Journey, a self-guided audio tour and series of kiosks along the Sea to Sky Highway. Developed in 2010, it weaves together oral histories, traditional place names, and cultural knowledge from the Líl̓wat Nation and the Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh Nation. By pairing the region’s views with first-hand stories, it turns the drive between Squamish and Whistler into a richer cultural experience. More information about the tour can be found here: https://slcc.ca/cultural-journey/

Whistler’s first interpretive panels date back to 1987. Created by accomplished artist Isobel MacLaurin for the Whistler Rotary Club, these early works depicted Whistler’s landscapes, flora, and fauna. While simple in scope, mostly identifying local species, they set the foundation for what would become a long tradition of place-based interpretation in the valley.

Isobel and her husband Don MacLaurin moved to Whistler in 1961. Don, a forester and educator at BCIT, was instrumental in preserving several of Whistler’s cherished recreational areas, including Lost Lake Park. When timber licenses in the area were set to expire, developers were poised to move in. Recognizing its ecological and community value, Don worked with BC Parks to ensure the area was protected for public use, a vision that continues to benefit residents and visitors today.

Don also helped establish the Whistler Interpretive Forest (WIF) in the Cheakamus area during the late 1980s and 1990s. With Isobel’s distinctive artwork, the pair developed and installed interpretive signage throughout the forest. Some of these original hand-painted panels can still be found along the Riparian Trail, which was later updated and expanded with support from the Whistler Rotary Club in 2018.

At the Whistler Museum, we continue to enjoy contributing to interpretive panels throughout the valley. Each panel is a chance to build on the work started by the MacLaurins and the Rotary Club, helping residents and visitors alike deepen their understanding of this place and the stories that shape it.