Category: Arts & Artists

Art and artists made in Whistler.

The Sound of “Music ’91”The Sound of “Music ’91”

September 10, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

From May to September 1991, towns and cities across British Columbia hosted large-scale performances with acts such as Rita MacNeil, Colin James, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Joan Baez, John Denver and more drawing crowds around the province. These performances were all part of Music ’91 RoadShow weekends, one of which took place on Blackcomb Mountain in July.

From July 12 to 14, 1991, the mainstage on Blackcomb Mountain next to the Rendezvous Lodge saw headling performances by Linda Ronstadt, Smokey Robinson and Natalie Cole, and Boz Scaggs. The mainstage, however, was just one part of the Music ’91 RoadShow. RoadShows also included two BC Tel Centennial Community ShowCase stages featuring amateur and lesser-known acts, Musicians’ Workshops with some of the performers, merchandise and food vendors, and the KidsOwn area, which included the DRUMASAURUS (a dinosaur made of drums), workshops, storytelling, face painting and a “Walk-On-Synthesizer.” RoadShow attendees could also take part in Blackcomb’s summer activities and go hiking, biking, or skiing on the glacier.

Boz Scaggs performs on the RoadShow mainstage on Blackcomb Mountain. Blackcomb Mountain Collection, Unknown Photographer, 1991.

Despite less than ideal weather, a ticket price that some people thought was too expensive ($36), and a few stopped chairlifts while downloading, Blackcomb Mountain named the event a success, with over 14,000 tickets sold to the three mainstage performances, and one Blackcomb spokesperson even said that “the RoadShow has given the mountain a number of new ideas about similar events in future summers.” Those who attended also praised the staff and management for their work hosting the event.

Todd & Laurence offer a Musicians’ Workshop after performing at one of the smaller stages. Audience members show off their Music ’91 merchandise. Blackcomb Mountain Collection, Unknown Photographer, 1991.

Music ’91 was not without controversies, both centred on the Whistler RoadShow and the program as a whole. Music ’91 was a tourism marketing initiative put on by the province that aimed to increase tourism and encourage residents to stay and spend money in BC instead of going across the border after the introduction of the GST at the beginning of the year. That spring, the Social Credit party leader and premier Bill Vander Zalm resigned amidst a conflict of interest controversy surrounding the sale of his Fantasy Gardens flower garden and theme park. Following this, some saw Music ’91 as an effort to gain support for the SoCred party in the upcoming election, though the program had been in development for quite a while.

The location of the Music ’91 RoadShow on Blackcomb Mountain also raised some questions. According to Whistler Mountain president Charles Young, the RoadShow was originally supposed to take place on Whistler Mountain not far from the gondola-accessed Roundhouse Lodge. However, as the mountain and Music ’91 were finalizing the details, Whistler Mountain switched its food-service taps from Pepsi to Coca Cola. As Pepsi was a sponsor of Music ’91, the venue was soon switched to Blackcomb Mountain, a move that was confirmed by Music ’91 executive vice-president James Conrad. Though Whistler Mountain was “surprised” at the change, Young told the Whistler Question that they did not regret switching brands as “Pepsi has never shown the initiative in working with us that it’s shown in working to take Music ’91 away from us.”

Mainstage audience members watched with umbrellas and ponchos. Blackcomb Mountain Collection, Unknown Photographer, 1991.

Across the province, Music ’91 was connected to around 700 summer concerts and festivals; co-produced additional events such as First Night on New Year’s Eve, the DuMaurier Jazz Festival, and the Labatt’s Canada Live concert series; sold about 129,000 tickets; and, according to the report of Auditor General George Morfitt, cost $26 million to put on, with $19 million coming from gaming profits. Some did not consider Music ’91 as a whole to be success, with questions about tendering and contracts, the use and costs of international contracts, and the increase in budget from the original estimate of $12 million.

In the provincial election that fall, the SoCred party won only seven seats, 40 fewer than they had held previously, and the NDP became the governing party of BC. In May 1992, the new NDP Tourism Minister Darlene Marzari stated that Music ’91 had been a failure in its goal of increasing tourism. In his report, Morfitt wrote that “The government did not effectively monitor or control the scope of the project” and recommended that “any future commitment of public money be preceded by an assessment of risk and a cost-benefit analysis” and “that any project have a clear definition of objectives and how those objectives will be achieved and assessed.”

The crowd on Whistler Mountain for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Blackcomb Mountain Collection, Unknown Photographer.

Despite these criticisms, Blackcomb’s Music ’91 RoadShow seems to have been well received in Whistler. While it was certainly well advertised, the RoadShow was not, however, the only musical performances taking place in Whistler in 1991. In August, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performance on Whistler Mountain drew just over 5,00 attendees and both the Arts Council and the Whistler Centre for Business and the Arts had performances lined up throughout the year, including the Music in the Mountains concert series.

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Whistler’s Artistic OriginsWhistler’s Artistic Origins

March 12, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

The 1980s was an exciting decade for arts and culture in Whistler. As this article first came out in Pique Newsmagazine on International Women’s Day (March 8), we wanted to highlight a few of the women who sparked the arts scene at this time.

Whistler was in its early stages of development, dominated by sports and a lively bar scene. There were some theatre groups, dances, and musicians, and events such as the Alta Lake Community Club’s Fall Fair, a fundraiser that featured local goods and crafts. The Squamish Arts Council, which was established in the early 1970s, had a column in the Whistler Question advertising their offerings. And there were many artists in the area, including Isobel MacLaurin – Whistler’s first professional artist.

Isobel MacLaurin taught workshops at the first Whistler Children’s Festival in 1983. Whistler Question Collection.

The community recently came together to celebrate the life of Isobel. A true ski bum, she was a strong advocate for the growth of arts in the community. Her artwork is seen across the valley through murals and trail signs, she inspired others to spark their own creativity, and she was involved in almost every artistic effort that came about throughout her life (Arts Whistler/Whistler Arts Council, the Whistler Singers, The Point Artists Run Centre, and more).

After moving to Whistler in 1979, textile artist Inge Nielsen became involved in the adult education craft workshops at Myrtle Philip School, as well as hosting her own knitting workshops at the Blackcomb Day Lodge. Inge also sold her own goods at the 1980 Fall Fair, and that same year, opened Whistler’s first dedicated local artisan store, “Inge’s Gift and Craft Store,” in the Clocktower building. It was not a regular souvenir shop; all items on display were created by artists within Whistler or around British Columbia. She continued workshop offerings once her shop was opened and became further involved in the arts once Whistler’s first arts council was created.

At an art exhibit showcasing the works of Roy and Olga Tomlinson, the couple present Inge Nielsen and Glenda Bartosh a stone lithograph to be the first artwork added to WCAC’s permanent collection. The event was sponsored by Inge’s Gifts and Crafts and was held at the Delta Mountain Inn. Whistler Question Collection, October 1982

In 1981, fresh out of journalism school, Glenda Bartosh became a reporter for the Question. A year later, she bought the newspaper and became one of the youngest publishers in Canada. That same year, Glenda and other community members started the Whistler Community Arts Council (WCAC), now known as Arts Whistler. Their goal was to fulfill local needs for more artsy events.

Tuesday night craft class, part of the Adult Education courses that were offered at Myrtle Philip School. Left to right: Inge Nielsen, Jenny Busdon, Ruth Howells, Marilyn Willoughby, and Kelly Fairhurst. Whistler Question Collection, 1979.

WCAC’s introductory event occurred in the summer of 1982. It was an art exhibit at the Blackcomb Lodge and featured seventeen local artists. According to Glenda, they received an overwhelmingly positive response that showed the need for this type of organization.

By the end of the decade, the arts council had established many programs that are still running today. Margaret Long led the first Whistler Children’s Festival. Joan Richoz and Tamsin Miller organized the first Performance Series (now Arts Whistler Live!). Gail Rybar organized the first Bizarre Bazaar (now the Arts Whistler Holiday Market).

At the close of the 1980s, our own Florence Petersen opened the Whistler Museum, and Anne Popma founded the Whistler Centre for Business and the Arts. This organization further grew the cultural sector in the following years. Thanks to foundations laid in the 1980s, Whistler’s arts scene continued to grow in many ways through the 1990s and continues to thrive today.

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A Ski Coach’s R&RA Ski Coach’s R&R

June 20, 2023 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Before Whistler became a year-round destination resort there were few visitors and events throughout the summer. Residents made their own fun with regattas on Alta Lake, softball, fishing and hiking all popular pastimes. Along with mountain biking, today golf is a very popular activity in the summer with the local golf courses often booking up well in advance. However, before Whistler’s first 18-hole golf course officially opened in 1983, the Squamish Valley Golf Course was the closest place to tee off. Still, summer residents would make their way along the narrow and windy highway to have a hit.

Although skiing is not thought of as a summer sport, summer ski camps in Whistler have kept athletes on the snow year-round since the resort opened. The first summer ski camp was run by Roy and Jane Ferris and Alan White in 1966 with Art Furrer as a guest coach. Alan and Roy owned Highland Lodge and the summer camps were initially conceived as a way to bring visitors to Whistler during the quiet summer season.

The summer ski camps became known as the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camps in 1967, after Toni Sailer was recruited during a ski demonstration at the Seattle Center. Toni Sailer was an Austrian skiing superstar who had won gold in all three alpine events at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Toni would coach the Austrian ski team during the winter months then disappear to Whistler where he enjoyed living in relative anonymity, rarely being swamped for autographs like when he was back home in Austria.

Toni Sailer (right) and Tim Ferris on the t-bar in July 1978 during the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camp on Whistler Mountain. Alex Douglas Collection.

A legend in his own right, Jim McConkey moved to Whistler the year after Toni Sailer to take over the Whistler ski school and ski shop. He became good friends with Toni, who said that he took the job in Whistler specifically so he could play golf in Squamish. Before Whistler had its own golf course Toni would coach each day until noon, then go to Squamish Valley Golf Course which also opened in 1967.

Jim McConkey still comes to the Sea to Sky to golf today; however, before there was the pick of local golf courses he was a member of the Capilano Golf Course. Toni Sailer was a big name in sport, and the Capilano Golf Course said everything would be on the house if Toni visited. Jim and Toni started golfing together at Capilano on the days between summer ski camps. One particularly memorable visit was a trip that they took with Earl Noble. Earl owned a big lumber mill in North Vancouver and had a helicopter. They golfed together at Capilano in the morning, then they flew to the Victoria Golf Club for another round in the afternoon. According to Jim, “Toni never forgot that, he just thought that it couldn’t get any better. 36 holes!”

Don McQuaid teaching tricks during the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camps in 1977. Alex Douglas Collection.

The Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camps were ahead of their time and quickly began to offer four types of instruction – Advanced Racing, Intermediate and Novice Racing, Recreational and Freestyle. Along with Toni Sailer and Jim McConkey, personalised instruction was offered by internationally renowned skiers, including Nancy Greene Raine and Wayne Wong.

In 1984, ski racer, Crazy Canuck and former camper, Dave Murray took over the summer camps and they became known as the Atomic Dave Murray Whistler Summer Ski Camps. Campers continued to be coached by internationally renowned athletes, having a blast and creating lifelong memories. This continues today with Momentum Ski Camps on Blackcomb Glacier, run by Olympic skiers John and Julia Smart and their talented coaches.

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A Well-Oiled RoadA Well-Oiled Road

June 6, 2023 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

You may spend the day breathing in dust while you are riding in the Whistler Bike Park, but it is unlikely you have to worry about dust every day while hanging out in your yard. However, when Whistler’s roads were all gravel, dust was a major problem throughout the Valley.

Brent Wallace grew up spending weekends at his family cabin in Alta Vista throughout the 1960s and 1970s. When describing the oiling process he said, “Here’s something that people will not believe – used motor oil from cars, trucks and buses was spread on the highway to keep the dust down. Oil trucks would go up and down the highway and through the subdivisions spreading oil to keep the dust down. It was done on an industrial level, you would hire a company or the highways department would oil the highway.” Drivers on Highway 99 would feel lucky when the road had been recently oiled before their trip.

Highway 99 before it was paved. Leidal Collection.

Highway 99 was paved during the summer of 1966 from Squamish to Mons. However, the paving of local roads came far later. You can imagine the mess that the oil would make for cyclists and pedestrians. In 1979, the Whistler Question wrote, “By now, those of you who have dogs, small children, baby strollers, 10-speed bicycles, fast cars and white jogging shoes will have realized that the recently-gravelled shoulders of Highway #99 have been liberally laced with oil from Cheakamus Canyon to Alpine Meadows.”

Despite following the spirit of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, the oiling of the roads was not cheap. In 1979, residents on the west side of Alta Lake were disappointed to hear that Alta Lake Road was not going to be oiled with Whistler’s other residential streets. The municipality decided against it because the process was going to cost $4000 to oil just the residential section of the gravel road.

Even once the town centre was developed, many of the local roads remained dirt. It was not until 1982 that the roads around Alpine were paved to improve access to the newly created Meadow Park. Roads throughout the other local subdivisions followed, while north of Whistler the Duffy Lake Road was not paved until 1992.

You can really see the oil covering the gravel on the side of the road in July 1979. Whistler Question Collection.

It is almost impossible to imagine pouring truck loads of motor oil around Whistler’s pristine lakes and forests today, although this method for dust dampening is still used on dirt roads in some more remote regions of Canada.

While you may come across the odd pothole, dampening the dust on suburban streets is not something we have to worry about anymore. Instead of being poured on the road, used motor oil can be recycled at many of the automotive shops in Function Junction.

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