Whistler Museum and Archives Society

Time for Tea (treats, tales … and a tow rope!)Time for Tea (treats, tales … and a tow rope!)

December 2, 2025 Whistler Museum 2 Comments

Enjoying a cup of tea is a sanctified ritual for many… and Whistler’s past is steeped in its own lore and tradition with two pioneering tea houses (both with a twist!).

Before the advent of Whistler Mountain being developed as a ski destination (officially opened in January 1966), many early residents of the area predominantly lived on the opposite shores of Alta Lake. The Pacific Great Eastern railway line began running lakeside in 1914 and Rainbow Lodge, the first vacation destination, opened in 1915 as a fishing resort.

Harrop’s Tea Room on Alta Lake, circa 1930.

In the 1920s, Bert Harrop purchased the point of land in the middle of the west side of Alta Lake. He had originally come to the area as a guest of Rainbow Lodge, whereupon his asthma improved greatly during his short stay. Enamored with the place, he and his wife Agnes first moved into a rented cabin and then into their own home – which Bert framed on the shores of Rainbow Lodge (with the help of the proprietor’s father) and floated it on a raft of cedar logs down to his new piece of land. It was secured to the shore and became a floating cottage.

On the water’s edge, Bert built a building with a large porch which was supported by log piles in the lake. Harrop’s Tearoom was born and Agnes went into business.

Every summer, Betty Jane and Claudia visited the Harrop’s tearoom where they had a floating cottage right on Alta Lake.

Guests, made up of visitors and locals alike, would, arguably, come more for the gossip than the tea… and the fortune telling. Agnes had a designated indoor tea-leaf reading room (the accuracy or aftermath of her predictions remain undocumented!), infusing the experience and take-away of customers. Outside, people would gather on the floating verandah, enjoying afternoon tea amidst expansive views.

The Harrops Tearoom came to an end in 1948, when the couple sold the venture and moved on.

Six years later, in 1955, a new tearoom opened in Cypress Lodge (the site of the current Point Artist-Run-Centre). The lodge was built by Richard (Dick) Fairhurst, in the late forties/early fifties as a fishing camp. The buildings boasted electricity supplied by a generator and then later were powered by waterwheel, a novelty at the time.

Dick’s mother, Elizabeth Alice, came up from Vancouver to run the tearoom. Noted as being a ‘colourful character’, Ma Fairhurst was equally famous for her beloved butter tarts. Besides baking, Elizabeth Alice cleaned the cabins, did the laundry and took care of the cooking for guests, while Dick was either tending his traplines in the Spearhead Range or logging with one of the nearby operations.

A trademark of the tearoom was its ‘Hot Dog Friday Night’ which gathered many. Friday was synonymous with the once-weekly delivery of fresh food and meat by refrigerated train car to the community, and the occasion was worthy of celebration.

Cypress Lodge also boasted the first tow-rope in the area. Built in 1960, a Ford V8 motor was used to pull 259 metres worth of rope through four pulleys affixed to four towers. The first downhill-only ski course in Whistler had been created on the slope directly behind the camp of cabins. Guests could come in from skiing for something sweet or grab tea and then go for a tow!

The Cypress Lodge tearoom closed 7 years after its inception, in 1962 to make room for more buildings, much to the dismay of the community.

Cypress Lodge as seen from the lake. Fairhurst Collection.

In the still-standing, main building of the original Cypress Lodge, the tradition of meeting over tea and treats, is being continued by the Point Artist-Run-Centre with its weekend Creative Café (www.thepointartists.com) … where, undoubtedly, here too, a few gems of local gossip get shared in fine, long-standing community fashion!

Whistler's Answers

Whistler’s Answers: November 27, 1986Whistler’s Answers: November 27, 1986

November 27, 2025 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

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: In November 1986, BC Place Ltd. presented three options for the long-term development of Lands North (today Village North) to the public at a public engagement event in the Conference Centre. At the time, BC Place Ltd. owned most of the land slated for development, apart from the section owned by the school district where Myrtle Philip School was located.

Question: What do you think of the three options for Lands North?

Geoff Power – Businessman – Alpine Meadows

None of the options really address the integration of locals, cabin-based and tourists. If you believe the three groups should mix, then you don’t put all the convenience parking in one part of Lands North, you spread it around town. Each option separates the local retail from the tourist-oriented shops. The important thing is that locals and tourists have a chance to mix. The beauty of what we’ve got here is the integration of locals and tourists.

Al Raine – Businessman – Brio

It’s not simply three options, it’s a little bit of each. They really made a mistake just asking people which option they want. But it was a wonderful exercise in stimulating people into thinking about what is possible, and we have an opportunity to go away and think about it. When we get into more detailed planning, we’ll have a better sense of what’s possible. I think there are some options they left out that hopefully will be explored.

Jon Paine – Building Consultant – Tapley’s Farm

As far as a preference, I prefer a combination between two and three. I’m quite excited about the whole thing. The expansion is looking very good and I’m impressed with Norm Hotson’s presentation of the options. My big concern with any of them would be that they don’t deal with convenience parking for the existing village. There’s a danger this could turn into tourist shops, bars and restaurants, and you would lose the mix of locals and tourists essential for a good resort experience.

Looking back on Whistler’s natural historyLooking back on Whistler’s natural history

November 20, 2025 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

By Kristina Swerhun

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

What brought you to Whistler, and why did you decide to stay, or keep coming back to visit? For many, or perhaps most of us, Whistler’s magnificent natural environment is a major reason. As a long-time resident, I am grateful to reside on the unceded shared territory of the Lil’wat Nation and Squamish Nation, who have been stewards of the land and waters in this region since time immemorial.

Whistler is “a community set within the wild,” Liz McDonald aptly wrote in a recent editorial in the Pique Newsmagazine. We have mountains of life-affirming biodiversity that surrounds us, which you can sense by paying attention to the sounds and sights of the outdoors.

Do you see that stringy stuff hanging from trees? That’s Witch’s Hair lichen, indicators of clean air. Hear those frog calls in spring? Those are Pacific Tree Frogs, indicators of clean water. Experience the sights and sounds of beaver activity? The wetlands they create and maintain provide vital habitat and protect against flooding, drought, and wildfires. Do you find peace in old-growth forests? They house species found nowhere else, store massive amounts of carbon, and offer significant cultural and recreational value.

The future site of Whistler Village, c. 1973. RMOW Collection.

In celebration of the 50^thanniversary of the creation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), this is the first in a series of articles that will focus on the impact our resort community has had on nature—successes, challenges, and looking to the future.

In 1914, with the arrival of the railway, Whistler’s tourism, logging and mining industries opened for business. Then, in 1966, with the official opening of Whistler Mountain, tourism began to take priority over the extraction of trees and ore. When the RMOW was established in 1975, it recognized that the local economy was primarily driven by tourism. Indeed, outdoor recreation was recognized as Whistler’s prime resource in the 1976 Official Community Plan (OCP).

OCPs are about setting intentions. I was inspired to learn that in the original OCP, the first of ten community development objectives was “To protect and enhance the natural environment.” In our current OCP, protecting nature is one of the three pillars of our community vision: a place where our community thrives, nature is protected, and guests are inspired.

So, how are we doing? Did we follow up on our intentions to protect nature with actions?

It takes teamwork to protect non-human species that can’t advocate for themselves. These articles will highlight programs, individuals and groups that have worked together to safeguard Whistler’s natural environment.

When the needs of a community cannot be fully met by government or the private sector, non-profit groups fill the gaps. Whistler is fortunate to have numerous non-profit groups guided by volunteer boards of hopeful community members dedicated to protecting nature.

Whiskey Jack / Canada Jay (*Perisoreus canadensis*) Photo Credit: Bob Brett

Some of these groups will be highlighted in coming articles (on the Whistorical blog and in the Pique Newsmagazine) and include the Whistler Museum and Archives, formed in 1986; Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (1989); Get Bear Smart Society (1995); Whistler Community Foundation (1999); Whistler Naturalists (1999); Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council (2009); Cheakamus Community Forest Society (2009); Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative (2013); and Whistler Lakes Conservation Foundation (2022).

This is the first in a series of articles that will focus on the impact our resort community has had on nature—successes, challenges, and looking to the future.

Kristina Swerhun is a biologist who has managed the Whistler Museum’s Discover Nature program since 2015 and provides public nature training. A long-time Whistler Naturalists volunteer, a Certified Interpretive Guide Trainer, and works with the Resort Municipality of Whistler on the Interpretive Panel Project, including writing and narrating the Biodiversity 101 video.

Whistler's Answers

Whistler’s Answers: November 20, 1986Whistler’s Answers: November 20, 1986

November 20, 2025 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

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: In November 1986, voters in Whistler elected Drew Meredith as their new mayor and put Jeff Wuolle, Sonya McCarthy, Paul Burrows, Craig MacKenzie, Diane Eby, and Ted Nebbeling on council. Of those elected, only Paul Burrows and Diane Eby had previously served on council. This was also the first where six councillors (or aldermen as they were then called) were elected, as previous councils had had only four.

Question: What do you think of Whistler’s new mayor and council?

Bill Irwin – Carpenter – Emerald Estates

I would say it’s good. Meredith took a strong stance on gambling, and it will be interesting to see if that remains. I think it’s a good change, generally. I find it humorous that all you have to do to become alderman practically is to run for it.

Colleen Fraser – Registered Massage Therapist – Whistler Ridge

I don’t think the two candidates for mayor were in conflict with each other. Drew Meredith won because of his own popularity, his high profile in the chamber and WRA, not because of a lack of good wok that Rodgers has done. Before one alderman could swing the other three, but now it will be hard for even a strong person in council to swing the others. So, I’m all in favour of a six-person council.

Harry Smith – Store Owner – Black Tusk

I’m glad to see they have some of the old members back and some new, aggressive ones coming in. It’s going to be an interesting session. And Whistler is growing so fast, I think it’s time we had the extra people. I like the idea of having new people, of a change. I think a new broom always sweeps a little better.