Category: Whistler: A Town

As well as being a resort, Whistler is town (kind of) like any other.

Fool Me Once…Fool Me Once…

April 23, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

As far as we know, Drew Meredith never did win the lottery, as discussed in last week’s article about the Whistler Question‘s April Fools article of 1982. Other prank articles published by the Question, however, were far less far-fetched, such as the ones published in 1984.

The banner headline of the Question on March 29, 1984 read “SoCreds OK User Tax.” In the article, editor Kevin Griffin described how the provincial government had “set a Canadian precedent” when it made changes to the Municipal Act allowing resort towns with a population under 10,000 “to levy a local sales tax of up to two per cent” on liquor sale “by the drink,” day ski passes, meals, hotels, short term rentals, and retail goods. The revenue would be collected by the province and then redistributed back to municipal governments of resort towns.

SoCred Premier Bill Bennett is led on a tour through the Whistler Village by Mayor Pat Carleton in 1980. The SoCred party was in power during much of the early development of Whistler Village. Whistler Question Collection

In the article, Minister of Municipal Affairs Bill Curtis was reported to have said that the government recognized that resort towns often “unduly tax local ratepayers to provide needed resort amenities” and that this change was meant to address that tax burden.

Whistler’s Mayor Mark Angus was also quoted in the article pointing out similar taxes used in American ski resorts such as Sun Valley and Aspen. He and the Whistler Resort Association were both described as in support of the new tax and expected tax money to go towards park maintenance, snow clearing, a free bus system, and other projects.

Like in previous years, the front page of the Question included other articles along the same line, one detailing the proposed free bus system and another about a fountain that would be built with money from the new tax to improve Village Square, which was described as “a ‘black hole’ and a place without a focus.”

Landscape architect Eldon Beck shows off the features of Village Square in the early 1980s, though some people supposedly thought that the area could really use a fountain. Beck Collection.

Those who read these stories would have quickly realized that there was no such new tax, and therefore no free buses or new fountain in the works (though there had been a shuttle bus operating the previous year funded by a municipal grant, advertising, and passenger fares). Towards the end of the main article, quotes from Al Raine were followed by the statement that “Raine also added that he didn’t mind being quoted in an April Fool’s story because he agreed with the thrust of the article anyway.”

According to the accompanying editorial, the topic of a user tax was chosen because the Question decided to write articles that they would like to see in the paper and to generate discussion among the community and levels of government. The paper also asked visitors to the resort what they thought of a municipal sales tax for their “Whistler’s Answers” feature. Though most were against paying more for their visit, one visitor from San Francisco said, “I wouldn’t mind at all. A lot of American visitors look at the exchange rate and it’s not too bad. If they can take two per cent and turn it around to make it work for the community, it’s all right.”

Whistler’s Answers: March 29, 1984

The following week, three residents were asked what they thought of the April Fool’s stories and Mark Angus was quoted (truthfully this time) to say “As long as you take it lightly no damage is done,” and one resident said that it was made more believable because they had seen user taxes in other resorts. Not everyone appreciated the joke articles, however. One letter to the editor the following week was unimpressed and claimed that it was “presumptuous” to assume that readers would read the complete story and explanatory editorial rather than just the headline and that such a headline could prevent visitors from returning.

Throughout the month of April the Question published other articles about how such taxes worked in various American resorts, where Whistler’s funding currently came from and more. In 1987, the provincial government established the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT), which applies to short-term tourist accommodations. While not exactly like the tax proposed by the Question in 1984, the MRDT has similar aims and the paper was able to report on the story without having to create their own quotations.

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Fools Rush InFools Rush In

April 16, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

On April 1, 1982, the front page of the Whistler Question announced “2 million win donated to community,” accompanied by a photograph of Drew Meredith, the supposed donor. Prank headlines in newspapers are nothing new, ranging from the obviously foolish to the almost believable, and headlines designed specifically for April 1 have graced Whistler newspapers since the 1980s. Some of the article have been lighthearted, while others have turned out to be prophetic.

The front page of the Whistler Question for April 1, 1982.

According to the Question, Meredith, a Whistler realtor, won $2,304,197.16 on Fools Rush In in the Irish Derby after purchasing the ticket on a dare from Debbie Tiegan. Upon receiving word of his luck, he decided to donate his winnings to the municipality to finish community projects and facilities, such as the construction of municipal hall and the Whistler Health Care Centre. His only stipulation was that it also be used for a “permanent hot-air balloon in the parking lot at the Blackcomb Day lodge with a MacGregor-Pacific sign on the side.” A ceremony was allegedly planned to take place in Village Square on April 3 where Meredith would hand the cheque over to Mayor Pat Carleton.

The recession of the early 1980s came just as the development of Whistler Village was beginning to boom. Though some properties were completed, work on various lots was halted for a period, including the partially constructed Whistler Resort Centre (today the Whistler Conference Centre). Municipal budgets were reduced, municipal staff took a pay cut in 1982, and in July 1982 only 60% of property taxes were paid on time. In this economic climate, a large donation to the municipality would probably have been very welcome.

Drew Meredith was named Citizen of the Year in 1980 at the Chamber of Commerce Dinner. Whistler Question Collection, 1980

The April 1 front page also featured two more stories that, especially looking back, don’t seem all that plausible. One claimed that the Ministry of Transportation had announced an experimental snow removal system for Highway 99 called Operation SNO (Surface Nuisance Obliteration) that would use solar heating to melt snow off the highway as it fell. A prototype of the system had reportedly been installed in Mayr Pat Carleton’s driveway for the 1981/82 winter.

The other claimed that Colorado experts had solved the problem of snow falling off of the Whistler Resort Centre roof, which had become a public safety concern in March when large slabs of snow began shifting. The proposed solution was to “hyper-energize” the roof by installing a 20’x20′ fireplace in the middle of the building to heat the roof, thought it was still to be determined how the fireplace would be incorporated into the arena floor.

This slab slid off the roof in March after the municipality was warned of the danger it posed. Whistler Question Collection, 1982

Of the three stories, only that of Meredith’s donation was followed up on in the next edition. Few people appear to have been upset by the story, though quite a few readers were willing to accept it, despite claiming that they would never be so altruistic themselves. According to Meredith, he “thoroughly enjoyed the escapade,” which he had not known about ahead of time, and was getting interesting responses from community members.

In the Question’s “Whistler Answers,” where six people were asked for their response to the story, Jack Cram claimed that he initially believed it because he “thought Drew is the kind of person to do something like that” and was very busy when he read it, “so it took a while to sink in.” Ross Tocher thought that if it was true then either Meredith wanted a mountain named after him or he wanted to be mayor (Drew Meredith was elected as mayor, but not until 1986). Some, like Lisa Knight, believed the headline but then recognized it as a joke as they read the article. According to Bob Currie, “It was just too much of a coincidence to have a story like that April 1.”

Whistler’s Answers: April 8, 1982
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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 out 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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The Spirit of WhistlerThe Spirit of Whistler

February 27, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

While reorganizing artefacts in the collection recently, we came across a mounted model of a SkyTrain car that had been presented to the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) on September 5, 1985. While it wouldn’t seem like Whistler had much to do with a transit system built in Vancouver, the plaque attached to the models tells us that it was presented by Grace McCarthy (then the “Minister Responsible for BC Transit”) to Terry Rodgers (then the mayor of Whistler) “on the occasion of the naming of car number 053 in the SkyTrain system the ‘Spirit of Whistler.'”

A train on a plaque, part of the Whistler Museum & Archives artefact collection.

Vancouver’s SkyTrain began as a legacy project of Expo 75, which had the theme “Transportation and Communication: World in Motion – World in Touch.” While there had been other transit projects proposed for Vancouver in the past, such as a light rail line proposed by the NDP in 1974, none had come to fruition. Construction of the Advanced Light Rapid Transit (ALRT) SkyTrain, a new technology from the Urban Transportation Development Corporation in Ontario, began on March 1, 1982, under the Social Credit government of Bill Bennett.

Not everyone was a fan of this project, with some politicians such as Vancouver Mayor Mike Harcourt preferring cheaper technologies that had already been tested. Some of the objections to the project came from the fact that the new system did not have a driver, though many rested on the expected cost.

Telemark Skiers, Luise and Pascal, and the Whistler Singers during a performance of Whistler – Let the Spirit Grow during Expo 86. Expo 86 Collection.

Despite this opposition, the first kilmetre of track was ready to open as a demonstration line in the summer of 1983. While riders wouldn’t get all that far from Waterfront Station, they could try out the train and get an idea of what it would be like to travel on when it was finished. The rest of the original Expo Line out to New Westminster Station was completed in 1985 and began running free weekend service on December 11, 1985. Full service (with fees) began on January 3, 1986, just a few months before Expo 86 opened.

According to the Whistler Question, the 114 SkyTrain cars were all going to be named after towns and places in British Columbia, though they questioned who of the 136 municipalities would not get to see their name on a car. We don’t know if each municipality received a model car on a plaque from a government minister, but it is possible that part of the reason Whistler did was because the provincial cabinet was having their annual retreat in Whistler at the time. This meant that ministers and Premier Bill Bennett were on hand as the RMOW celebrated ten years and for the official opening of the Whistler Conference Centre on September 8, 1985.

Sandy Boyd, the “downhill comedian” in Whistler – Let the Spirit Grow. Expo 86 Collection.

The name of the “Spirit of Whistler” is similar to the name of the production the Whistler community created for Expo 86: Whistler – Let the Spirit Grow. This song, dance and comedy show featured the Whistler Singers and a group of Whistler characters (including Sandy Boyd dressed as a downhill skier, complete with racing skis and helmet) and, after premiering to the community in the Rainbow Theatre, was performed at Expo in the BC Pavilion.

Today the Expo line has been extended past New Westminster and more lines have been added to the SkyTrain system. While it is unclear whether individual cars still have names, you might find yourself thinking of Whistler if you happen to find yourself on car 053.

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