Tag: BJ Godson

Join the ClubJoin the Club

September 23, 2025 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

In May 1976, the Alta Lake Community Club (ALCC) announced its first meeting since March 1972 and began recruiting new members. This was not the first time that the club had experienced a hiatus, only to re-activate.

In 1923, Grace Archibald suggested forming a social club. She, Lizzie Neiland, Flo Williams and a few other Alta Lake residents and regular summer visitors met at Rainbow Lodge to plan a picnic; from the resulting picnic, the ALCC was created. The ALCC started holding meetings in 1926 but it wasn’t long before the club took a break. In 1933, after almost seven years of inactivity, the ALCC started up again in order to raise money for a community hall, which they accomplished through weekly dances. Over the next few decades, the ALCC hosted dances, picnics, meetings, concerts, pot lucks, film nights, children’s parties and more.

Community Club Christmas Carol singers. From left to right: Andrew Roberts, Melanie Busdon, Clare Jennings, Rachel Roberts, Jessica Wilson, Sara Jennings, Roger Systad, Christopher Systad, Bishop children, Duncan Maxwell. Whistler Question Collection

The ALCC became inactive over the summer of 1972 and did not have another meeting until 1976 when a group of Whistler residents decided that, with Myrtle Philip School and its community space scheduled to open soon, it was time to revive the community club. They placed a notice in the recently founded Whistler Question to recruit members stating, “This is not a political or ladies only club. It is for single people and family groups interested in community recreational activities.”

About 35 people attended the ALCC’s first meeting of 1976 at the Mount Whistler Lodge. They elected a new executive and, with Frans Carpay as president, Ruth Howells as vice-president, BJ Godson as secretary, and Pat Beauregard as treasurer, the club was ready to plan new activities and events. Thanks to its previous activity, the ALCC already had $7,700 in the bank (just over $40,000 today when adjusted for inflation) and they decided to start by sending out a questionnaire to find out what kind of things people wanted to see from the club.

Dressed up at the Alta Lake Community Club Roaring Twenties Pot Luck Dinner, left to right: Max Maxwell, Kelly Maxwell, Diane Smith and Ken Domries. Whistler Question Collection

The ALCC hosted a “Soccer Ball” dance fundraiser that August to raise money for soccer balls and uniforms for the Whistler team, followed by an “old fashioned family fun and sports day.” In its first year back, the club hosted Halloween and Christmas parties (including a visit from Santa), supported the local Brownies and Cubs, held an Easter egg hunt, cooked pancakes for Mother’s Day, and even formed a drama club. They had used some of their funds to establish an annual scholarship for a graduating student from the Whistler or Garibaldi area and purchased sound equipment and tables that could be used by other groups. The ALCC had also started sponsoring events such as the annual ski swap and dance workshops because the club had the necessary liability insurance and were trusted renters of the school community space.

Margate Kogler ‘hams it up’ with a submarine sandwich in the kitchen at the Community Club Fall Fair. Whistler Question Collection

According to Ruth Howells, some of the most successful adult events hosted by the club were their suppers. These were so popular that they had to limit them to members and guests only and even then often ended up with a waiting list. Ruth summed up the success by saying, “Good food, good company and good music make for very enjoyable evenings.”

The ALCC continued to bring people together through events and fundraisers such as their annual Fall Fair into the 1980s. In 1981, they began hosting a “Welcome to Whistler” tea and in 1984 donated money to the RMOW for benches along the Valley Trail. As Whistler continued to grow, other clubs formed for different activities and interests and over time the ALCC wound down.

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Between (Ski) FriendsBetween (Ski) Friends

December 3, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

In the winter of 1987/88, a new group of uniformed skiers could be found on Whistler Mountain helping to create positive experiences for skiers on the hill. Known as Ski Friends, the program was somewhat modeled largely on the volunteer Ski Friends program at Lake Louise, even borrowing the name.

Over a decade before Ski Friends appeared on Whistler Mountain, many of the roles that they would come to fill were provided by Mountain Hostesses. Developed in 1974 by Leanne Dufour at the request of Jack Bright, the Mountain Hostess program provided twice daily guided tours around Whistler Mountain, helped run special events, and filled some of the roles provided by guest services today. Mountain Hostesses attended ski shows on behalf of the lift company and Dufour even traveled to Japan with Jim McConkey to promote Whistler Mountain to skiers there. Unlike the Ski Friends program, however, Mountain Hostesses were all paid employees of the lift company.

The Ski Friends program was not entirely dissimilar to that of the Whistler Mountain hostesses, which had been a position with the lift company for over a decade. Greg Griffith Collection, 1982

In February 1987, Mary Read, who with her husband Preston was an original investor in Whistler Mountain, asked her sister-in-law in Calgary for information about the volunteer Ski Friends program as Whistler was looking to form something similar. A Ski Friend herself, Dorothy “Dee” Read (member of the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and mother of Crazy Canuck Ken Read) obliged by sending Mary a copy of the 1985/86 Ski Friends reference manual, a daily roster sheet, a Skiing Louise trail map, and a copy of “Amongst Friends,” the Ski Friends newsletter. These documents, along with Whistler Mountain Ski Friends manuals that belonged to Mary, were donated to the Whistler Museum and Archives in the 1990s and together clearly show the similarities of the two programs.

The Skiing Louise Ski Friends was founded in 1977/78 by the wives of ski patrol members who wanted to contribute to the resort. By 1985, Lake Louise had up to ninety members “of both genders, all ages and from numerous walks of life.” The stated aim of the Ski Friends was “to enhance the enjoyment of the skiing public at Lake Louise” and they did this by conducting free guided tours of the ski area, providing skiers with information such as directions and trail maps, and generally being a positive presence and friendly faces on the ski hill.

While Ski Friends had various responsibilities around the ski area, it appears that the guided tours were one of the most important parts of being a Ski Friend. Tours met at the Ski Friends sign multiple times each day and Ski Friends would take groups of 8 to 10 skiers, most of whom were new to the area. According to the manual, “A new area is overwhelming to first-timers, so the tour should be designed to show participants where to ski when they’re eventually on their own.” Ski Friends also pointed out facilities and provided additional information on the area and its history, much of which was outlined in the manual.

The Whistler Mountain Ski Friend jacket. Whistler Blackcomb Collection

The Ski Friends program at Whistler Mountain, as outlined in its 1987/88 manual, included many of the same responsibilities and expectations as the Lake Louise program, though it also involved being a bit of a salesperson. According to the official position summary, “The Whistler Ski Friend is expected to sell to the public the services, programs, benefits and qualities of Whistler Mountain; and to ensure, by dispensing accurate information and generous assistance, that the guest has the best ski experience possible.”

Looking through the 1987/88 manual, some familiar names show up as Ski Friends, including Mary Read, Isobel MacLaurin (who acted as a “float”), and BJ Godson, who led the program before leaving Whistler in the late 1980s.

The Ski Friends used to help Santa out around the holidays. Photo courtesy of BJ Godson

Like in Lake Louise, Whistler Ski Friends led tours of the ski area. They also helped with crowd control in lift lines, handed out maps and brochures, assisted with on-hill races and picnics, and generally worked to make guests’ ski days more pleasant by assisting in any way they could (the manual pointed out that the map at the Alpine Lightboard was “a good place to find confused and lost skiers”). Ski Friends were provided with up-to-date information on grooming, events, and weather conditions, as well as historical and general information about the resort and the mountain.

Today, there are still friendly uniformed faces on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains who lead tours and offer information, though the program is now known as the Mountain Hosts. The Ski Friends program at Lake Louise is still going strong, offering tours and information to visiting skiers and snowboarders.

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A-frames About TownA-frames About Town

October 17, 2023 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

When Whistler Mountain was first being developed as a ski resort in the 1960s, A-frames were a popular design choice, whether building a ski cabin or a Skiers’ Chapel. A-frames could soon be found throughout the valley, partly because of their relatively simple construction and the availability of kits that could quickly be assembled.

In 1996, an inventory of A-frames in the Alta Vista neighbourhood was compiled by Rosemary Malaher, a volunteer for the Whistler Museum. Each A-frame structure that was still standing in Alta Vista at the time was photographed and, where possible, additional information about the building was gathered from its owners, such as when it was built or by whom. Malaher also noted unique or unusual features, such as a stained glass window in the front door, a metal roof with skylights, or modifications and additions. While some of these structures stand today, others have been redeveloped or torn down and replaced over the last few decades.

BJ Godson’s miniature A-frame on Nesters Road. Photo courtesy of BJ Godson.

BJ Godson moved to the Whistler area in 1974 and lived for a time in an A-frame on Alta lake Road. Around 1977, she moved into another A-frame, this one located where Nesters Market it today. In a recent interview, she described this A-frame as a “little hobbit house” with a bathroom at the back that was on “a bit of slant” and said that everything inside was miniature, including the woodstove. Despite the woodstove, BJ recalled that the house wasn’t intended to be a winter cabin and the pipes weren’t insulated underneath the building. This meant that she often had to go under the A-frame with a torch to warm up the pipes, though this turned out to be a good way to save money. When she first moved in, BJ paid $157/month; she remembered that one day, her landlord Rudy Hoffmann (of nearby Rudy’s Steak House) came by and told her, “Ok, your rent is now lowered to $75 a month and I don’t want to hear about frozen pipes. You’re on your own.”

BJ lived in the little A-frame for about four years. When her partner moved in, however, it proved too small for the two of them, their cat, and the guitar, and they moved down to the Garibaldi townsite.

Another A-frame that we have heard stories about was supposedly the smallest house in Whistler in 1988. After sharing a photo of the A-frame, we received more information about it from Rich Miller, who lived in the building in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

This A-frame was once a show home located in Vancouver before moving north to Alpine Meadows. Whistler Museum Collection.

Miller remembered that the A-frame had been used as a display home at the end of Denman St. in Vancouver by Capilano Highlands Ltd. to promote their new Alpine Meadows development in the later 1960s. It was later moved to the corner of Alpine Way and Highway 99 before being moved further into Alpine, where it stood aorund 1978 when Miller was looking for a place to live. He had been renting a basement suite for $125/month, which was a good deal, until his landlord raised his rent to what Miller remembered was the going rate of $450/month. Over a beer with Jack Bright and Peter Soros, Bright suggested that he buy the A-frame and the lot it was on. After figuring out the financing and completing the $6,000 worth of work for Soros for the down payment, Miller was able to call the little A-frame home.

Miller later decided to build a “real” house behind the A-frame and had to come up with a creative solution to keep the A-frame. Bylaws at the time did not allow for two separate dwellings on one lot, but they allow for a workshop. According to Miller, “you were allowed a bathroom in a shop and a sink for cleaning up and storage, but no cooking facilities… so I disconnected the stove and ‘put it in storage’.” The stove would sometimes come out of storage when making a meal and then be returned. Eventually, the A-frame was allowed to stay.

If you’d like to share the story of your favourite A-frame (or other kind of structure), we’d love to hear it!

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The First Fun Fitness SwimThe First Fun Fitness Swim

August 22, 2023 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 4 Comments

After arriving in Whistler in August 1974 on a year’s leave from teaching that became multiple seasons, BJ Godson filled various roles in the growing community, from bartender at establishments such as the Highland Lodge to the creator of the Ski Friends program on Whistler Mountain. During her time in Whistler, she also founded Whistler’s annual Fun Fitness Swim.

According to BJ’s mother, she began to swim at the age of one, even before she started walking. She continued to swim and, in 1979, her boyfriend at the time suggested that she organize a swim in the area because she was “such a good swimmer” and “loved to organize things.” This led to the first Fun Fitness Swim, a fun distance race of about a mile and a half (about 2.4 km) in Alta Lake on August 19, 1979.

A smiling BJ Godson presents a swimming prize to Sheila Peters while Denver Snider looks on. Whistler Question, 1979.

BJ’s time working at the Highland Lodge had introduced her to Roy Adams, a representative of Molson’s, and he agreed to have the company sponsor the event. Thanks to this sponsorship, every participant in the race was guaranteed a t-shirt and drinks, and bananas and chocolate were available to those who needed it during the swim. Local resident Chico made trophies for the first place winners and local businesses donated prizes for a draw.

Rather than focusing on the competition of a race, this event was described by the Whistler Question as “a community event to encourage fitness” and was open to everyone over the age of 19. Thirty-seven swimmers left Wayside Park in one minute intervals, led by BJ and heading for the docks at Adventures West. Volunteers in rowboats and canoes were recruited to help any struggling swimmers and spectators were encouraged to come cheer. The race was followed by an afterparty at the Christiana Inn with refreshments provided by Molson’s and members of the Alta Lake Community Club. The first two winners were Rick McFadden at 41:25 and Meg Fellowes at 44:00, both of whom were reportedly so cold after the race that they didn’t make it to the afterparty.

Participants for one of the early Fun Fitness Swims. Photo courtesy of BJ Godson.

The first Fun Fitness Swim was such a success that the second year went ahead with almost full registration even though the weather was wet, cold and windy. The course changed a few times over the first years until the Fun Fitness Swim moved to Lost Lake in the mid-1980s. According to BJ, one of the main reasons for moving to Lost Lake was the danger of windsurfers on Alta Lake.

Though the windsurfing club and local windsurfers were asked to stay out of the swim course for a couple of hours during the race, there was little they or organizers could do about visiting windsurfers or those who didn’t get the notice. One swimmer in the 1982 event even recalled colliding with a windsurfer. The Question reported his comments, saying “I hit one. He was a beginner. He fell and couldn’t get out of the way. I didn’t see him and – bang – I ran into him.”

Swimmer Shelley Warne heads from Wayside Park to the Alta Lake Inn and back under the watchful eye of Marilyn Moore, who dusted off her bathtub derby craft for the occasion. Whistler Question Collection, 1984.

Though the event continued to focus on encouraging participation rather than competition, swimmers still swam to the best of their abilities and BJ remembered one participant in particular demonstrating their athletic ability. According to BJ, she was swimming around Lost Lake when “all of a sudden, there’s somebody passing me a high clip, swimming so fast they made a little wake.” She soon realized that she had been passed by Dawn Titus, which was particularly annoying as Dawn had had a cast on her leg until just a couple of weeks before the swim.

The Fun Fitness Swim continued to take place at Lost Lake without windsurfers and under BJ’s leadership, with help from other organizations, until 1989, when her friend Cindy took over the organization. Molson’s continued to sponsor the event until the last Fun Fitness Swim was held in the early 1990s.

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