Collecting, preserving, documenting and interpreting Whistler's natural and human history.
Want to learn more about Whistler's culture and history? We showcase Whistler's history: pioneers, skiing on Whistler & Blackcomb Mountains, Olympics and black bears. Family fun, interactive exhibits, children’s activities. Great for a rainy day!
In the 1980s the Whistler Question began posing a question to three to six people and publishing their responses under “Whistler’s Answers” (not to be confused with the Whistler Answer). Each week, we’ll be sharing one question and the answers given back in 1986. Please note, all names/answers/occupations/neighbourhoods represent information given to the Question at the time of publishing and do not necessarily reflect the person today.
Some context for this week’s question: Following the passing of an omnibus bill in 1969 that allowed federal and provincial governments to run lotteries, BC joined with other western provinces to form the Wester Canada Lottery Foundation in 1974. In 1985, BC established the BC Lottery Corporation, a Crown corporation, which continues to manage commercial gambling in BC, including lotteries.
Question: Do you buy lottery tickets? Why or why not?
Bo Skapski – Businessman – Vancouver
I buy them once in a while. Why do I buy them? That’s easy. I’ve never heard of anyone winning who didn’t buy a lottery ticket.
Brent Kirkpatrick – Electrician – Whistler
I haven’t bought them in the past but I’ve been thinking about it more because I’m now unemployed. I just bought a Lotto 6/49 yesterday. I grew up in Quebec where all these lotteries started in Canada, but I just never thought of it before this.
Janice Trenholm – Fitness Consultant – Ottawa
I’m from Ontario. I rarely buy lottery tickets because the odds of winning aren’t very good. Of course, you always hope to win. I’ve known people who have won small amounts in the past.
As we start 2025, the Whistler Museum is looking ahead at some fairly significant anniversaries for the Whistler area. The 2025/26 winter season is the 60th season of lift operations on Whistler Mountain and the 45th season for Blackcomb Mountain. This February will mark fifteen years since Whistler and Vancouver hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. Off the mountains, the Resort Municipality of Whistler turns 50 in September, marking five decades of what some have called the “Whistler experiment.”
Though merged into one company these days, opening day for Blackcomb Mountain took place fifteen years after the opening day for Whistler Mountain. Greg Griffith Collection, 1980
The RMOW, Canada’s first resort municipality, was created through the Resort Municipality of Whistler Act, a piece of provincial legislation separate from the British Columbia Municipal Act and one that (with some changes) still governs Whistler today. Previously, the Whistler area had been governed as part of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and local interests were supported and championed by organizations such as the Whistler Mountain District Chamber of Commerce (formed in 1966, today the Whistler Chamber of Commerce) and the Alta Lake District Ratepayers Association (ALDRA).
Late in the summer of 1975, property owners and residents of the Whistler area (there were about 500 residents of all ages at the time) had a chance to elect their first municipal council and on September 6, 1975, five representatives were sworn into office at the gondola base of Whistler Mountain: Pat Carleton, Bob Bishop, John Hetherington, Garry Watson, and Al Raine.
Whistler’s first municipal council: Bob Bishop, Al Raine, Geoff Pearce (administrator), Mayor Pat Carleton, John Hetherington, and Garry Watson. Watson Collection.
Pat Carleton, Whistler’s first mayor, came to Alta Lake in 1956 for the fishing and retired to his home on Alpha Lake in 1971. Bob Bishop and his family moved to the Whistler area from Squamish in 1968. Bob, along with his partner Bernie Brown, developed the Whistler Cay neighbourhood, as well as the beginnings of the Whistler Golf Course. John “Bushrat” Hetherington, like many over the years, came to Whistler Mountain to ski and worked for the pro ski patrol while living in the original Toad Hall and later Tokum Corners. Garry Watson was first introduced to the area through the Garibaldi Olympic Development Association and the idea of hosting the Olympic Winter Games here.
Al Raine at work. Whistler Question Collection, 1982
Unlike the other members of the Whistler council, Al Raine was not elected to his position in 1975 but was appointed by the provincial government. A ski coach and consultant who advised on ski area development projects, Al worked for the BC Ministry of Lands as the provincial ski area coordinator where he was responsible for creating and implementing ski area policies and overseeing the development of ski areas. Through this position, he worked with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to make Whistler a resort municipality and, for his efforts, was appointed to council from 1975 to 1982 (after Al stepped down to focus on his role as executive director of the Whistler Resort Association, his seat on council became an elected position).
Described by Garry Watson as “the energy” and “the innovator,” Al was deeply involved in the creation of the Whistler Village, the development of a ski area on Blackcomb Mountain, and much more. After leaving Whistler, he and his wife Nancy Greene continued to advocate for the importance of skiing, ski area development, and tourism in BC. Al served as Mayor of Sun Peaks from 2010 (when it became a municipality) to 2024, stepping down just before he sadly passed away last month.
Over the next year, we’re sure to hear and share many stories from the early days of the RMOW and we look forward to learning more about the people, organizations, and events that have shaped Whistler over the past five decades.
In the 1980s the Whistler Question began posing a question to three to six people and publishing their responses under “Whistler’s Answers” (not to be confused with the Whistler Answer). Each week, we’ll be sharing one question and the answers given back in 1986. Please note, all names/answers/occupations/neighbourhoods represent information given to the Question at the time of publishing and do not necessarily reflect the person today.
Some context for this week’s question: The first legislation concerning impaired driving in Canada was introduced in 1969. The 1970s and early 1980s saw many calls for increased enforcement and stricter penalties, led largely by grass-roots organizations similar to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) in the US (no group in Canada was officially affiliated with MADD until 1989). Such campaigns focused a lot of public attention on the issue and in December 1985, Bill C-19 amended the Criminal Code of Canada and introduced two new impaired driving charges: impaired driving causing bodily harm and impaired driving causing death. It also raised the minimum fine for driving while impaired from $50 to $300 and authorized longer sentences for convictions.
Question: Do you think new heavier penalties will discourage people from drinking and driving?
Rick Flebbe – Photographer & Stylist – Whistler & Vancouver
I think it will discourage some people, but not others. But every little bit of enforcement helps. People are more aware of the problem now than they were in the past. Tougher laws have made a difference.
Mac Jones – Pilot – Surrey
I think so. In fact, I’m sure they are. We went to a couple of parties over the holidays and people were serving a lot less liquor than they used to. And people were carrying in a lot less. People aren’t serving it so much anymore. It’s helping a lot.
Barry Waefer – Musician – Vancouver
Oh, definitely. Yes, people are drinking and driving less because of the new laws and because of all of the media coverage. I think they should make the laws even tougher.
Whistler Mountain has seen quite a few races over the past six decades, but only one (as far as we’re aware) involved pitting a Crazy Canuck on 2×4 planks against a novice skier who had first skied around a gate just the month before. On Monday, April 22, 1985, however, crowds gathered to watch Dave Murray and Doug Sack go head to head, or, at least ski to plank. (Find Part I and Part II of this story)
After issuing the challenge in December, Sack used his column in the Whistler Question to build up interest in the race and keep the readers updated on his progress as he learned to ski. Various rumours were in circulation by the day of the race, including one that Murray could complete the race course on the 2x4s in only thirty seconds, and as the fateful date approached Sack was head to say “As far as I’m concerned, there are presently seven wonders in the world. If I beat Murray Monday, you can make that eight.”
Doug Sack’s approach to training, as reported in the Whistler Question on April 18, 1985. Whistler Question, 1985
The day of the race, Sack headed up Whistler Mountain at opening, describing the journey as “the longest, loneliest ride of [his] brief skiing career.” After a couple of runs down to the Orange Chair to calm his nerves, Sack ran into Murray on his way up and the two decided to take a run together. Murray hadn’t skied much on his “Crazy Canuck Demos” but the run proved that a Crazy Canuck on 2x4s was equal to a rookie racer, promising an interesting race. According to Sack, “We knew the race was a toss up and we also knew that we were doing something totally hilarious because everyone was laughing when we got back up the Orange to the race start.”
Dave Murray’s “Crazy Canuck Demos” made their debut at Whistler Mountain’s Media Appreciation Day at the end of the 1984 ski season but did not become a regularly used piece of equipment. Whistler Question 1984, photo courtesy of Rob McQuade
The race consisted of three runs. As the pair waited at the starting gates, Sack heard Murray say, “Have a goof run, Doug,” just before the countdown and then they were off. In his recounting of the race, Sack wrote “It doesn’t matter what level skier you are, when you go for it, you go for it. So I went for it… and fell down trying to make the third gate.” Not disqualified, Sack got back up and managed to catch up with Murray, who tried to gain speed ahead of the flats and wiped out. The first run went to Sack.
Riding up the chair together before the second run, Murray and Sack discussed the pressures of the second run and what it felt like on an international stage with much higher stakes. Feeling more confident having completed a run, Sack made an aggressive start to the second run, made it through the first two gates, and lost a ski in the third, somersaulted, and passed the fourth gate on his back. The second run went to Murray.
Tied heading into the third run, Murray and Sack spent their ride up discussing their ambivalence about winning and their determination to have a clean run where both made it to the finish line. Following Cate Webster’s advice not to worry about speed until after the third gate, Sack was in front as the skiers approached the first waterfall. Assured by the crowd that Murray was right behind him, Sack managed to maintain the lead. He was officially proclaimed the winner of The Great 2×4 Race and was presented with a pair of national ski team racing gloves and a gold ski pin from Murray, though Sack still have Murray a gold nugget because “there were no losers in the race.”
Doug Sack and Dave Murray shake hands following the race. Whistler Question, 1985
While reporting on the dedication of Dave Murray Downhill in April 1991, Sack looked back on the race and credited Murray with the development of his alpine race reporting. Following the race, Sack spent a couple of years covering local and Nor-Am races with the support of Murray and then in 1987 Murray set Sack up with national team coach Glenn Wurtele who arranged for him to go to Europe and cover the World Cup circuit. According to Sack, the 2×4 race remained “the funniest thing I’ve seen on skis” and a feat that only Dave Murray would have attempted.
