Tag: Charlie Doyle

Whistler’s Answers: August 7, 1986Whistler’s Answers: August 7, 1986

August 7, 2025 Whistler MuseumWhistler 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: Questions about commercial use of Garibaldi Park arose in August 1986 after a fishing guide applied for a commercial park use permit and was told that it was policy not to issue such permits. According to the district manager of lands, parks and house, the policy was intended to preserve the park as a wilderness. There was also some confusion both as to which office would be allowed to issue such as permit and to existing commercial use of the park that may or may not have had permits.

Question: Do you think commercial operators should be allowed to use Garibaldi Park?

Robert Milne – Maintenance Worker – Whistler Cay

I see commercial use of the park as an asset to the community of Whistler. I don’t find anything wrong with it. It doesn’t bother me when someone lands in a plane and I’m hiking nearby. It enhances Whistler because it permits people – especially seniors – to get up there when they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do so.

Linda McCall – Lift Operator – West Side Road

It’s a two-way street because it’s good for people to be able to get up there who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance, but it’s not good for hikers who don’t like the noise of the planes. I wouldn’t personally object to someone flying into the park, but it’s a really hard question. I can see why it’s controversial.

Charlie Doyle – Artist – Tapley’s Farm

I’m against motorized use of the park but I don’t think all commercial use should be banned. Planes landing in the park might detract from the aesthetic experience but I think hikers should realize their own pride and enjoyment in doing the trip. They shouldn’t be overly concerned with someone landing there.

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Looking for Answers in WhistlerLooking for Answers in Whistler

May 14, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Fifteen years after the Whistler Answer released its first issue, the Answer returned as a monthly magazine in April 1992. The first run (April 1977 to 1982) had ended as those involved gained new priorities (such as mortgages and kids) or left town and, for some, the Answer became part of Whistler’s past. According to publisher Charlie Doyle, he “more or less forgot about it” until Answer editor Bob Colebrook (Bosco) returned to Whistler and talked him into a second run.

The first issue of the Answer featured a photo of three canoeing individuals “lost” on Alta Lake.

In some ways, the Answer of 1992 looked very different than that of earlier years (as Doyle put it, “We were dragged kicking and screaming into the computer age, so we got a computer and someone to teach us how to use it”) but it featured quite a few familiar names. The first issue brought back comics including The Peak Bros. and Localman while continuing to focus on stories about things that affected the people living in Whistler alongside fiction pieces, sports profiles, music reviews and more.

At first it appeared that the return of the Answer, or “The Second Coming” as it read on the cover, was going to be a relatively quiet affair. In the Whistler Question‘s “Notes From All Over” of March 26, 1992, readers were told to “watch for the return of The Answer next week on April Fool’s Day” and an official opening party was planned for April 13, but there doesn’t appear to have been a lot more publicity in the lead up to the publication. This quickly changed, however, following the release of the first issue.

The Whistler Answer issue that prompted talks of protest and quite a few headlines, April 1992.

Not long after the first issue went on sale, businesses that advertised or sold the Answer began receiving phone calls from a group calling themselves Mothers for Morality warning them about the content of the magazine. According to the spokesperson for the group, they were offended by instances of nudity and glorification of drug use found in the issue, specifically the image of a nude male skier used on the subscription form and the mention of marijuana use by a skier in a fictional story by Peter Vogler. Though it appeared that the telephone campaign met with little success (Hazel Ellsi, the owner of Armchair Books, reportedly told them that she would not be removing the magazine from the shelves and their advertisers continued to support the publication), there was also talk of a demonstration outside the opening party by the group.

Colebrook contacted a reporter he knew with The Province (a former Questionable) who thought it was an interesting story. On April 13, the same day as the opening party, The Province ran a headline that read “Angry Moms on Rag, Say New Mag” and reported that the group was “livid” and “planning a full-scale protest tonight.” Colebrook reportedly spent the day fielding calls from CBC, Maclean’s, Reuters and other news outlets, taking subscription orders from across the country, and hearing from some large advertising agencies. Thanks to the Mothers for Morality and a phone call made by Colebrook, the Answer received a ton of free advertising over the next few days as the story appeared in other newspapers throughout Canada.

Charlie Doyle, Robin Blechman and Tim Smith present the very first issue of the Whistler Answer along with a new sign on Charlie’s truck, spring 1977. Photo courtesy: Whistler Answer

As it turned out, there was no demonstration against the Answer made at the opening party, which, from the photos in the May issue, appeared to have been thoroughly enjoyed by those who attended. Though the spokesperson for Mothers for Morality claimed to represent 27 Whistler mothers, only two members of the group were ever identified. The Answer kept on publishing its second run through August 1992 and continued to include some nudity alongside interviews with politicians and local groups, news about World Cup races, profiles of Whistler athletes, artists and musicians, articles on local issues, and some more satirical features.

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Whistler’s Answers: May 10, 1984Whistler’s Answers: May 10, 1984

May 11, 2023 Whistler MuseumWhistler 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 1984.  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: On Monday, May 7, about 50 people attended a meeting at Myrtle Philip School to discuss Whistler’s parks and recreation facilities. The meeting reviewed the work done so far and included a “before and after” slide show of completed and under construction parks projects. Lost Lake Park had been officially opened in September 1982, sections of the Valley Trail had been paved and more were underway, and more parks were planned.

Question: What do you think of Whistler’s parks and trail systems?

Peter Xhignesse – Ski Patroller – Tapley’s Farm

I use it. I think it’s nice to have an area off the highway for bikes to go through. They’ve done a fabulous job with Lost Lake Park, it’s a big facelift. I am a little disappointed at the lack of recreational things like baseball backstops.

Charlie Doyle – Commercial Artist – Alta Vista

It’s okay. It’s fun. I live in Alta Vista, so the bike trail’s right out my front door, so it’s a good way to avoid using the car. The parks I find I don’t use. I used Lost Lake prior to it being a park, although I recognize the improvements. Obviously they need more lakefront.

Joan Richoz – Homemaker – Alpine Meadows

I use the bike trails. They need to be a little wider or have a white line down the middle for safety. I use Lost Lake in the summer for swimming and in the winter for cross-country skiing. More beaches are needed – we don’t have waterfront property. I prefer Lost Lake Park, but you can’t get there in five minutes, as the neighbourhood parks are necessary.

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Dusty’s Infamous Opening and Closing PartiesDusty’s Infamous Opening and Closing Parties

November 29, 2022 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

The events at Dusty’s are legendary; staff parties with the band playing from the roof, the celebration after Rob Boyd’s World Cup win in 1989, end of season parties, dressing up for theme nights, and scavenger hunts. Even amongst these events the opening and closing parties at Dusty’s stand out.

Dusty’s opened in 1983, after Whistler Mountain took over food and beverage on the mountain and redeveloped and rebranded L’Après. The massive opening celebration aimed to show off the new facility to the community, with a guest list stacked with ‘local dignitaries’ including Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain management, the RMOW, and local clergy.

Sue Clark serving cold drinks at Dusty’s. Whistler Mountain Collection.

Throughout the night the celebration ended up showing off a lot more than just the facility. As one version of this now-infamous event goes, right as the Reverend was blessing the new venue, Lady Godiva jumped ‘bareback’ onto the stuffed Dusty’s horse, shirt waving in the air like a lasso. With that, a legend was born and the new Whistler was open for business.

Dusty’s went on to become a popular spot for live music and a testing ground for up and coming entertainment, including the Poppy Family, and Doug and the Slugs. In 2000 it was announced that Creekside was to be redeveloped, including the demolition of Dusty’s. In honour of the incredible music scene, live music played each night in the week leading up to ‘Dusty’s Last Stand’ in April 2000.

Local rock band Foot in the Door at Dusty’s in 1984. Whistler Question Collection.

The final weekend brought with it a disco party, retro fashion show, a prize for the person with the most Whistler Mountain passes, and of course, more live music. Local favourites who took the Dusty’s stage ‘one last time’ included Guitar Doug, Steve Wright, Dark Star, Pete and Chad and the Whole Damn County, and the Hounds of Buskerville.

Starting early in the afternoon, the crowds built until servers were required to walk a hundred metres up the base of Whistler Mountain to deliver orders. Once the sun set, the eager crowd dispersed or relocated inside. With the saloon packed with over 2000 people it was a sight to be seen, the mosh pit and stage diving like no other. The crowd was so wild that management nearly stopped the last band from taking the stage. Even with the twenty additional security personnel brought in specifically for the event, it was still difficult to manage the crowd intent on sending Dusty’s out in style.

Crowds also spilled out of Dusty’s during Whistler Mountain’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. Local legend Seppo can be seen on the far left. Whistler Question Collection.

With so much of Whistler’s history made in L’Après and Dusty’s, everyone was encouraged to record their memories before and during the event. Those with particularly fond memories were stealing tables and chairs as souvenirs, and there were some arrests in the afternoon and evening, including a snowboarder carrying on the local tradition of celebrating sans clothing. Rumours had been swirling that people were planning on burning the building down before it could be demolished but thankfully the gas canisters were found outside before anything happened.

Despite these few hiccups, according to David Perry, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Whistler Blackcomb, “It was probably the best party this valley has ever seen”. For a party town like Whistler, that is a big call. Within hours of the party ending the area was fenced off for demolition.

The story of Dusty’s does not end there. Only eight months later the modern Dusty’s had it’s ‘grand re-opening’ and playing on the new stage was none other than Guitar Doug’s band, the Hairfarmers.

Now that Dusty’s has reopened for the winter season the Hairfarmers will again be gracing the stage on Tuesday and Saturday each week, continuing the live music tradition.

Do you have any photos of L’Après or Dusty’s? We would love to add to our archives!

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