Whistler Museum

Icons Gone — brought back centre-stage!Icons Gone — brought back centre-stage!

April 14, 2026 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

Featured Image: Keven “Big Kev” Mickelsen presents at last year’s Icon Gone. Whistler Museum Collection.

It could be argued that a signpost or a benchmark of a town’s maturity can be tabulated by how many significant symbols/things/happenings/elements-uniquely-local that have come to be associated with it, can now be referred to in the past tense… measuring a community’s forward trajectory by its ‘icons gone’.

Lamenting the legacy of legends-left-behind is the focus of next week’s ‘ICON GONE’ event put on by the Whistler Museum at the Maury Young Arts Centre/Millenium Place. The event began in 2008 and ran for many years up until 2013. It was resurrected last year with yet another all-star cast.

In a lively evening of friendly competition (tinged with debaucherous debate…it is, after all, 19+), six notable locals will take to the stage and argue for what they think is the largest loss in the landmark of Whistler-specific icons. The audience (through applause-and-yell-o-metre) along with a panel of equally notable judges will crown a champion. Nudity was the winner of last year’s debate. Citta’ (pronounced Cheetah’s, for those who don’t know), the runner up.

This year’s panel promises to deliver on all levels, covering the extremes from the raunchy to the contemplatively serious. Past topics have included everything from Fixed-Grip Chair Lifts to A-Frames, Squatters Cabins to The Boot Pub, the Passenger Train and Toonie Races to the Toad Hall Poster; from the Snow, Water, Earth Race to the Party Barge, Mountain Man Beards to Beavers. Gravity – as a topic, as a subject — even won one year.

The purpose of the evening is two, even three-fold. Undeniably, entertainment and community-fun are a major focus. However, the event also serves as a way to highlight the Museum’s local archive – and remind people of its absolute essential relevance. Through the eyes of the present we are given tools to reflect upon our past. ICON GONE serves to illustrate the value of preserving our stories, our legacies, our legends and some of the many ways which we can keep them alive. Humour is one of them, a method of honour. The archive is not a dusty, musty collection – it is active, vital and alive – infused only by our present perspectives.

In a December 5, 2025 editorial titled ‘Who remembers Whistler?’ Pique Newsmagazine editor Braden Dupuis deftly articulated the value of the Museum. ICON GONE offers the opportunity to showcase Dupuis’ points, worth repeating anew:

“If we don’t invest in institutions that collect, preserve, archive, and explain, we lose more than objects and photographs. We lose context. Identity. A sense of place beyond postcards and ski packages.

Left unchecked, the version of “Whistler history” that remains will be curated by marketing budgets: sleek, sanitized and built for outside consumption. It’s cultural erasure in its most casual, passive form.

[…]

By preserving history, we don’t resist change, we anchor it in respect. We ensure Whistler doesn’t forget it is more than a ski-lift and slopes, a playground for the rich or an ATM for faceless corporations—that it is a real community built by people, labour and continuity.”

In the spirit of continuity – through raucous reverence — let us celebrate the cornerstones of this community…

On Friday, April 17 – at 7:00 pm – join judges Ace MacKay-Smith, Julia Murray and Brandon Barrett as together we applaud debaters Feet Banks, Princess Stephanie, Stinky, Laugh Out Live’s Rebecca Mason, lawyer Tanya Kong — as they set to historically hammer home their iconic topic of choice!

For more information and Tickets, please visit www.whistlermuseum.org

Broads on Board: Broadening the Sport, Part IIBroads on Board: Broadening the Sport, Part II

April 6, 2026 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

Featured Image: L – R: Punchy, Nes and Jibber / Photographer Credits: INISIGHT Collection, Shannon Doohan; Dagan Beach; Rich Glass

This article continues on from last week’s first installment featuring the reflections of three pioneering women from the early ‘golden age of snowboarding’ – ‘Punchy’ (Sherry [Newstead] Boyd), ‘Nes’ (Vanessa Stark) and ‘Jibber’ (Jennifer Godbout) – on the progression and progress of the sport, of the culture. These three ladies are all still making their respective marks and all helped carve a track for girls to come.

Punchy — a former member of the National Team, Alpine Dispatch worker and snowboarding stuntwoman for film — recalls “I actually had an older gentleman [skier] chase me down and come up to me as though he was going to assault me. And then I took off my goggles […] to show him that I was a girl. And he stopped. I said, ‘are you going to assault me?’”

In the beginning, there was no women-specific gear. No boards, no boots, no nothing. “I’d just wear extra socks,” smiles Jibber – former snowboarding coach and current member of Whistler Search and Rescue and backcountry split-board guide. Suited up, girls were often assumed to be boys.

“I’ve been whipped by poles. But as soon as I’ve like turned around and they found out I was a girl, they were like, oh my God…,” Jibber recalls. Not only were these women navigating their way through the ‘Boys’ Club’ of their own sport, they were also manoeuvring through the initial tensions of ‘skiers versus snowboarders’ on the slopes.

Punchy reflects on past workplace dynamics where she was blacklisted for being a snowboarder, where it was insinuated and continuously affirmed: “you’re one of them and you are not welcome here.”

Nes — the first female to ever do ‘Air Jordan’ on a board, celebrated visual artist and former snowboard Park Ranger — inserts: “Even now, I ride the gondola and parents will be like, ‘Oh, don’t talk to them, they’re snowboarders!’”

Jibber suggests that a pivoting point for the culture of snowboarding has been parenting: “I think there’s a lot of dads that now have daughters that are competing. And I think that is the huge difference because all of a sudden they’re like, ‘well, my daughter deserves an opportunity.’ No shit, she does. … It’s different now that you have a daughter, eh? Treat them differently, eh? I mean, people have grown up, too. And everything is different. But I also remember.”

And remembering is key. Learning from our histories – and her-stories – are what help us collectively shape our futures.

And it also important to note that the under – or mis-representation of women – is not exclusive to snowboarding. It was, arguably, a pervasive social practice of the time that females (and males) are still trying to overcome. “Women in business, women in all sports, like it didn’t matter the sport, we were all experiencing that same thing,” comments Jibber.

But things are changing. For the better. Much better. Way better.

Punchy, now married to World Cup Ski Race Winner Rob Boyd, recalls “as much as snowboarders always got a bad rap from the uptight skiers, they very much cared for their own. There was a lot of love, a lot of camaraderie.”

And it’s that continued love and admiration that shines through, as these trailblazing women all beam with pride at the upcoming generation of female snow (and skate!) boarding go-getters, carving their own unique courses. Local names like Leanne Pelosi with her Full Moon Film and associated community of projects, the initiatives of Marie-France Roy, Jess Kumera’s The Uninvited film series and the work of the Real Wild Kittens and but a few of the many groundbreaking initiatives spearheaded by women: pioneering powerhouse pivots in the sport embracing multi-facetted inclusion.

Jibber comments on how she wanted to “make a deeper, broader path for the women behind me. And then I hope they do the same. And that’s always something that I really believed in is that you pay it forward.” And the notion of caring for ones’ own is clearly being evidenced in the sport, in the culture. She continues, “I think there’s a lot of incredible women who are forging forward. They’re just stomping down that path and making it better for the generation behind them.”

As Punchy urges: “don’t ever discount yourself. Believe that you are capable.” And that’s exactly what the gals are proving (still and again!)

*

The Museum is hosting an exciting Speakers Series ‘Recording the Scene: The POWerful History of Local Snowboard Documentation’ with an all-star cast on April 13, 7:00 pm. Purchase tickets through www.whistlermuseum.org.

Broads on boardsBroads on boards

March 31, 2026 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

Feature Image: From Left to Right: Nes, Jibber and Punchy (L to R: INSIGHT Collection, Grey Eymundson; Whistler Question Collection; INSIGHT Collection, Shannon Doohan)

“The most exciting thing to watch right now is women’s snowboarding, women’s skateboarding,” exclaims Jen ‘Jibber’ Godbout – one of the original gals who made her mark amongst the 90s ‘bad-boy’ local boarding scene.

‘Broads on Board’ features the reflections of three pioneering women from the early ‘golden age of snowboarding’ – ‘Punchy’ (Sherry [Newstead] Boyd), ‘Nes’ (Vanessa Stark) and Jibber – on the progression and progress of the sport, of the culture. These three ladies are all still making their respective marks and all helped carve a track for girls to come. All three have also been instrumental in helping the Museum develop its snowboarding archive, coming in and recording Oral Histories. This is an important step in helping gather, save, share and honour the rich snowboarding history here in Whistler.

During the early genesis of snowboarding, there is no denying that the focus was on the men of the era. “It really proves the point that we needed a showcase and we needed equal opportunity. […] We just weren’t given the same opportunities. We didn’t get the same exposure,” reflects Jibber: a respected former snowboarding coach and current member of Whistler Search and Rescue and backcountry split-board guide.

There were fewer girls shredding back in the early 90s. There were “not a lot of us,” reflects Nes, but women definitely were there. There were “amazing standout girls,” recalls Punchy; gals who both inspired and defied norms, they just weren’t being featured much in magazines or vids. It is important to note that the under – or mis-representation of women – is not exclusive to snowboarding…and the intention here is not to finger-point, rather to honour and celebrate.

“It was so much harder back then,” comments Nes, for women in snowboarding. Recognized as being the first female to ever do ‘Air Jordan’ on a board, and equally celebrated visual artist, the former snowboard Park Ranger and Camp of Champions coach beams as she says: “I love seeing what’s going on now. Females are so much more supported, so much more, and they’re all in it together…there’s way more community. […] Back then, it was, like, you’re on your own.”

“When you have that equality, it really brings the whole sport back,” remarks Jibber, who was told directly that “they were never going to take a woman to the Olympics as a coach.” At the time, she was coaching Mercedes Nicholl, before her debut at her first Olympics.

And things aren’t entirely equal yet – “It’s much better than it used to be,” qualifies Nes – but, females in snowboarding are getting recognition beyond just the stigmatized status of being ‘pro hos’; rather, as legitimately strong athletes, competitors, coaches and powerhouse “chargers”, as Punchy puts it. “I think there was a certain sense, amongst the boys, that girls were just inherently lame.” Boyd earned her nickname, though affectionately granted, for her noted ability to be able to assert herself as ‘one of the guys’.

Nes recalls, “Back then, I’d be, the token girl on this company, and they’d say ‘Oh, yeah, all the guys are going and gonna hit all these sick pillows’ – which was what I wanted to do — but the girls are gonna do a shoot on the icy mountain.” There simply wasn’t as much funding or willingness to back female riders. “Girls weren’t even allowed to do big air contests.”

But, as Punchy — a former member of the National Team, Alpine Dispatch worker and snowboarding stuntwoman for film – recalls, “if a girl wasn’t lame and actually, you know, like was a charger, then they were welcomed in.”

Part II continues next week …

Whistler Weasels into Business: Mink, Marten and Mountain Movers Whistler Weasels into Business: Mink, Marten and Mountain Movers

March 23, 2026 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

Feature Image: Nita Lake Fur Farm owner Russell Jordan moved to the area in 1915. Photo: Whistler Museum Collection.

One hundred-and-one years ago, the first fur farm was established in Whistler. One hundred years ago, the local industry doubled, with a second business setting up shop.

The currency of furs was always one of the mainstays of early residents. The hills were set with traplines extending into the surrounding ranges, however the establishment of farms where animals were raised in captivity – not caught in the wild – began in 1925.

The Lineham Mink Farm was developed on Green Lake – a half mile from where the Pacific Great Eastern Railway ran past the 40-mile post (signifying 40 miles from the Squamish station). P.D. Lineham was a retired businessman from Vancouver who sought out a simpler life in the vast outdoors. His answer to his wilderness quest-for-quiet was to start farming wily weasels.

Lineham’s breeding animals were registered stock – imported from Québec – that had been bred in captivity for generations. By the following spring, the farm had 40 mink and this number was expected to steadily increase.

“The climate of this district is particularly suited to mink and the best pelts are taken from here. They are very little trouble to raise and the losses among the pups are practically nil,” Alex Philip (of Rainbow Lodge renown, the first visitor destination in the valley, established in 1915) reported to Country Life in B.C. magazine. The year this statement was published was 1926. That same year, The Nita Lake Fur Farm began: the first and only marten farm in the province.

Marten are relentless chewers and diggers. Owner-operator Russell Jordan had his work cut out for him. He rose to the challenge posed by the notorious beasts by constructing pens with 16-gauge wire mesh. The cages were built on the rise of land between Alpha and Nita Lakes and filled with miniature trees. He started with eight pairs of marten, described as being ‘the finest stock that have ever been obtained through careful selection during two trapping seasons.’

Russell first moved to the community of Alta Lake in 1915 with his wife and two children. He worked as a logger and the family purchased the Alta Lake Hotel. In an unusual move for the time, Russell was soon divorced by his wife – and she left for Vancouver with the children. The divorcé continued to operate the hotel (which later burnt down in 1933) while venturing into the pelt-rearing business.

Meanwhile, the Lineham Mink Farm began doing business throughout Canada and Europe. Furs were worth $39 each, while his breeding stock could fetch between $150-$200 a pair. This was a lucrative business at the time.

Both Whistler weasel ventures were proving to be worthy investments…but, their prosperity was short lived. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 marked the end to both local businesses and times turned suddenly much leaner in the valley.

Fast forward to the 1970s and, locally, the name ‘Weasel Workers’ suddenly takes on a much different meaning. No mink, no marten, no furs, no pelts … but, behind every major ski race held on Whistler, it has been said, ‘there was a pack of Weasels’.

The Whistler Weasels were a volunteer organization that began as a group of six, led by Bob Parsons, who prepped the courses for the first World Cup Ski Races on the mountain. The crew earned their moniker – not for being ‘deceitful or treacherous’ as the name implies when referring to a person – but, rather due to their work on the ‘Weasel’ section of the Dave Murray Downhill which was too steep for the snowcats of the time to make it up. These weasels would flatten the course by foot. The organization was formally registered as the Coast Alpine Event Club in 1984, but the name didn’t stick.

What did stick around was the continued volunteer efforts of the group. The Whistler Weasel numbers soared into thousands during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, proving the polecats to be a vital and invaluable component for the execution of the Games.

Weasels, simply put, form an integral part of the historical, community-sustaining efforts of this place.

The Whistler Museum’s current Special Exhibition is titled Building the Spirit: Whistler’s Volunteers of the 2010 Games. The Weasel Workers feature as part of the exhibit. We look forward to welcoming you! The exhibit runs until March 29. More info: www.whistlermuseum.org

Author: Whistler Museum

Icons Gone — brought back centre-stage!Icons Gone — brought back centre-stage!

Broads on Board: Broadening the Sport, Part IIBroads on Board: Broadening the Sport, Part II

Broads on boardsBroads on boards

Whistler Weasels into Business: Mink, Marten and Mountain Movers Whistler Weasels into Business: Mink, Marten and Mountain Movers