Tag: Drew Meredith

Whistler Museum celebrates busiest year ever (again!)Whistler Museum celebrates busiest year ever (again!)

January 14, 2025 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Continuing with the trend started in 2022, the Whistler Museum celebrated its busiest year ever in 2024. Exhibit visits increased by an impressive 20 per cent, reaching a total of 19,735 visitors, while an additional 9,713 participants attended our events and external programs. Altogether, the museum recorded an incredible 29,448 interactions this year. We’re thrilled to see so many people engaging with our exhibits and programs!

Our 2024 Speaker Series began in February and explored the History of Nordic Skiing with Tom Barratt, Keith Bennett, and Stephanie Sloan. This sold-out event at the Lost Lake PassivHaus delved into the development of early nordic trails, the role of the Resort Municipality of Whistler in their creation, and the formation of the Whistler Nordic Ski Club. In April, historian and ski enthusiast Alex Douglas, better known as Uncle Al, took us on a journey through the connections between Mount Seymour and Whistler Mountain in the 1960s. Then, in June, at the Whistler Public Library, we hosted a discussion on the origins of Tourism Whistler’s origins as the Whistler Resort Association (WRA) with Al Raine and Drew Meredith, moderated by Barrett Fisher. Their detailed recounting of the 1980s – a formative era in Whistler’s history – highlighted the creation of the WRA, its legislation, and the marketing of Whistler as a ski destination.

Drew and Al speak at the Whistler Public Library in June 2024.

Thanks to generous funding from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation in 2021 and 2024, the museum expanded its digitization capabilities with the acquisition of 16mm film digitization equipment and a new slide scanner. The 16mm film equipment allowed us to digitize our George Benjamin and Jim McConkey film collections in stunning 4K resolution. We hosted two film screenings to showcase these archives. In March, we presented a vignette of George Benjamin’s footage, offering a glimpse into Whistler’s 1970s ski patrol, avalanche safety measures, and the counterculture of the era, including iconic locations like Tokem Corners and Toad Hall. In June, at the Maury Young Arts Centre, we screened highlights from the Jim McConkey collection, including films such as The Snows of Garibaldi (1974). This special event featured a Q&A session with 98-year-old Jim McConkey himself, alongside freeskiing legend and filmmaker Mike Douglas. McConkey shared captivating stories of his time in Whistler, including heliskiing adventures and film projects over the years.

Jim speaks with Mike Douglas and the audience in June 2024.

The museum also continued its beloved summer programs in 2024. The Valley of Dreams Historical Walking Tour, now in its 27th year, and the Discover Nature program at Lost Lake Park, now in its ninth year, remained highlights of our outreach efforts. These outdoor programs allow us to connect with audiences beyond the walls of the museum.

In 2024, the museum unveiled two temporary exhibits. Off the Lip: The Rise of Snowboarding in Whistler opened in January, showcasing the emergence of snowboarding in Whistler during the late ’80s and ’90s. The exhibit highlighted the shops, camps, athletes, coaches, terrain, photographers, and filmmakers that established Whistler as a key destination in the global snowboarding movement. Special thanks to Jeff Patterson and Graham Turner for their invaluable contributions to the development of this exhibit. Then, in June, we launched Pedal to the Medal: The History of Mountain Bike Events in Whistler. This exhibit delved into the early mountain biking events that shaped Whistler’s vibrant mountain biking culture, from the first race in 1982 to the creation of the Crankworx festival, which continues to this day.

Whistler has hosted numerous mountain biking events over the decades, many of which were included in Pedal to the Medal over the summer. Blackcomb Mountain Collection

Throughout 2024, the Whistler Museum staff and board of trustees have been hard at work refining plans for a new facility. In 2025, we’ll be seeking public feedback on its design and the exhibits and subjects the Whistler community would like to see. Stay tuned for more information, including the launch of a formal capital campaign this spring. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletter here.

We would like to express our gratitude to the individuals and organizations that make documenting and preserving Whistler’s history possible. This includes the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada, the Aqueduct Foundation, the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, BlueShore Financial, the Whistler Community Foundation, and The Whistler Grocery Store. To everyone who reads our column, attends our events, and visits our exhibits – thank you for your ongoing support. We can’t wait to welcome you back in 2025.

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Marketing Early WhistlerMarketing Early Whistler

October 29, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Distributing a brochure to market your business or product might seem commonplace today, but for the Whistler Chamber of Commerce in 1976 the production of a pamphlet was a significant decision and undertaking.

At a speaker event in June, Drew Meredith, who joined the Chamber shortly after getting his real estate licence in 1975 and was later appointed as president of 1978, recalled operating the Chamber on a very small budget and even said, “I think it had a bank balance of 27 cents.” Meredith may have exaggerated, but in the late summer of 1976 the Chamber was reported to have a bank balance of $592 (adjusted for inflation that would be just over $3,000 today), which was not a lot of money with which to promote a ski resort.

Prior to 1977, the Chamber had produced rate cards for accommodation and services as well as other informational materials but had so far only talked about creating a ski area pamphlet. At the November 1976 meeting the production of a Ski Area Map was discussed and a committee was formed to look into it further ahead of the 1977/78 ski season. The Chamber was also working to promote Whistler as “a nice place to come to, with friendly people” by hosting special events such as WinterFest and May Day Madness and had a special committee to encourage all the businesses in the valley to participate in the Chamber and work together.

May Day Madness included quite a few events over the years, such as the Great Snow Earth Water Race, three-legged races, casino nights, and much more. Whistler Question Collection, 1983

On May 19, 1977, the brochure committee held a public meeting to promote the Whistler Rea Brochure. The brochure was going to be designed for both summer and winter and plans were to include a ski trail map, valley trail map, subdivision layouts, and general information about Whistler, alongside advertisement for businesses who chose to pay between $225 and $450 for a space. About twenty people attended the meeting and it was made clear that the brochure could only go ahead if enough businesses chose to advertise. The committee planned to print 200,000 brochures; one half would be distributed by the lift company, hotels, and at the Information Centre while the rest would be distributed at various ski shows and tours throughout North America. The committee described the project as “the only real multi-purpose and multi-season brochure to ever be attempted here.”

By mid-June, the committee was still chasing down businesses to advertise and was considering contacting businesses in Squamish and Vancouver in order to fill about 25% of the space that had not yet been spoken for. The Chamber also reached out to businesses for photos for the brochure, asking for “scenic and action shots” depicting Whistler in all four seasons as well as images of lodges, restaurants and other buildings.

The Whistler area is represented at the Vancouver Ski Show by the Whistler Resort Association in 1981. The Chamber of Commerce attended similar ski shows in the area prior to the formation of the WRA. Whistler Question Collection, 1981

At the August Chamber meeting, the committee drew advertising layout positions for those who wanted to be included in the brochure and floated the idea of an insert that would include advertisements for services available in the Whistler area. The insert, however, had very little interest from local service businesses who told the brochure committee that they “were so busy that they did not need the advertising.”

The goal of the committee had been to have the brochures printed and ready to go for September 17, when the first ski show of the season was held in California. 20,000 copies were sent by CP Air for distribution in the Los Angeles and San Francisco area, with distribution at ski shows in Portland and Seattle following soon after. In October, the Chamber attended the Vancouver Ski Show, sharing a booth with the Cheakamus Inn/Christiana Inn group, where they gave out 6,000 of their new brochures. Unfortunately, we do not currently appear to have a copy of the brochure in the archives but would love to take a look if anyone were to come across one!

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Whistler’s Information StationWhistler’s Information Station

October 22, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

In 1974, a booth appeared on the side of Highway 99 near the base of Whistler Mountain and began providing visitors and passes-by with information about the area. According to some sources, the booth had once been a ticket booth for the lift company that was moved “under the cover of darkness” as its location had not been officially approved. At our Speaker Series event in June looking at the origins of the Whistle Resort Centre (WRA, now known as Tourism Whistler), Drew Meredith described the “gravel parking lot at Whistler where we built an uninsulated plywood information centre,” located across the highway from the gas station. This booth was operated by the Whistler Mountain District Chamber of Commerce, which was founded in 1966, nine years before the formation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

Puzzled? The Whistler Information sign and map took a tumble Friday, October 22 during high winds, just missing the info centre. Foundation posts had apparently rotted. Whistler Question Collection, 1982

In the early 1970s, the Chamber was involved in a wide variety of activities, from sponsoring the annual Easter Parade to supporting the building of trails to advocating for train station stops in the valley to presenting Whistler’s “Citizen of the Year” award at their annual dinner/dance (which they continue to do today). The Tourist Booth was a new venture to provide information about accommodation, activities, travel and more. At a meeting of the Chamber in September 1974, director Jack Bright presented the idea of an area reservation service which could be located with the tourist booth and during the 1975/76 winter season the Information Centre also gave out information on which hotels and lodgings had bookings available. The Chamber continued to operate the Information Centre from this spot into the 1980s, though its schedule varied depending on the year.

During the summer of 1976, the Information Centre was open on weekends and holidays from 12-4pm under the care of Judy Johnston. As of the Labour Day weekend in September, Evelyn Cullen took over the running of the Centre, which offered rate sheets from the 1976/77 winter, information about the different specials offered by various hotels throughout the week, and a booking service. At a September meeting, Evelyn reported that the Centre had brought in $22,380 in the past year, which was about three times the cost of the operation of the Centre, which was supported in part by a grant from the BC Department of Tourism. Despite what would appear to be a small budget today, the Chamber had difficulties funding the Centre on fees from the relatively small business community. In 1977, the Centre received a total of 5,823 phone call enquiries and spoke with 5,143 walk-in customers.

Viv Jennings outside the Information Centre. Philip Collection

Over the years the services and staff of the Information Centre expanded, partly due to programs such as the Canada Works Grant. The Centre continued to offer brochures, as well as local publications such as a Whistler hiking guide produced by Vicki Vogler and Laura McGuffin that was sold at the Centre in 19979 for 75 cents. The building was also used to distribute community news, as in 1984 when a banner reading “It’s a girl” was hung outside to announce the birth of Chamber employee Sonya McCarthy’s daughter and in 1986 when the Chamber used a similar banner to wish Myrtle Philip a happy 95th birthday.

In 1984, the Chamber purchased an 1836 BC Rail caboose for $1,500 with plans to restore it and connect it to the Information Centre as an expansion. These plans were never completed, however, and the building remained quite small.

Caboose 1836 rolled into Whistler last Tuesday and was promptly lifted off the BC Rail track onto an abandoned sidetrack at the Sabre Trucking yard at Mons. Once refurbished the caboose becomes the new home of the Chamber of Commerce Information Centre. The Chamber purchased the old car at the bargain basement price of $1,500. Whistler Question Collection, 1984

It is unclear when exactly the Information Centre was shut down, but the duties and focus of the Chamber changed significantly as the WRA became more established and took over projects such as the marketing of Whistler and distribution of information, though the Chamber of Commerce continues to support and promote businesses and organizations in the area, as it has done since 1966. The building of the Town Centre also shifted many activities from the Creekside gondola base to the site of the Whistler Village. Today, the Whistler Visitor Centre and central bookings are operated by Tourism Whistler and see far more than the 11,000 visitors that had questions in 1977.

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Skiing with Al RaineSkiing with Al Raine

June 11, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 4 Comments

In 1971, the Alpine Program Director of the Canadian National Ski Team penned an instructional book for skiers, from beginners to experts. The book was titled Skiing with Al Raine and was written, as you might have guessed, by Al Raine. It was a continuation of the nationally syndicated newspaper column, “SKIING with Al Raine,” which he began writing in 1969 and, like the other instructional skiing books found in the Whistler Museum’s resource library, is a guide for those looking to improve their skiing long before the internet made such information so easily accessible.

Nancy and Al Raine on Blackcomb Mountain. Greg Griffith Collection

Similar to both Ski with Toni Sailer from 1964 and Greg Athans’ Ski Free from 1978, Skiing with Al Raine offers skiers information about choosing ski equipment, how to prepare the body for skiing, and different techniques for turns and maneuvers, while also encouraging more formal instruction with a ski instructor as well. In the introduction, Raine acknowledges that there have already been multiple books written about ski technique, but claims that most do not emphasize one of the most important parts of learning to ski: “developing your own style.” He also makes a point of knowing when to stop skiing, skipping a run when you are tired, and the importance of taking a hot chocolate or coffee break.

Written specifically for the Canadian skier, Skiing with Al Raine also includes brief descriptions of the different ski areas across the country. Of the Whistler ski area of 1971, it says “Whistler Mountain is certainly renowned for its Olympic bid, summer skiing potential, tremendous scenery, and the honeymoon of Pierre Elliot Trudeau” and that “each year skiing and skier atmosphere improves greatly.”

Jogging and running was encouraged as a way to stay in shape for skiing. Whistler Question Collection, 1980

Al Raine and his wife Nancy Greene (1968 Olympic medallist and Canada’s Female Athlete of the 20th Century) moved to the Whistler area in 1973. Raine then became the Ski Area Coordinator for British Columbia and when the Resort Municipality of the Whistler was formed in 1975 was appointed to the Whistler council, a position he held until 1982.

The Whistler Museum will be joined by Al Raine and Drew Meredith (Whistler Mayor 1986-1990, realtor, and supposed lottery winner of 1982) to discuss not skiing but the origins and early years of the Whistler Resort Association (WRA) tomorrow (Wednesday, June 12) for our next Speaker Series. The WRA, better known today as Tourism Whistler, began as an amendment to the Resort Municipality of Whistler Act in 1979, a time when a lot of change was happening in the Whistler area. We’re looking forward to learning more about its history and a time when Whistler’s future was, to many, anything but clear.

Al Raine discusses the planning of the Whistler Village. Whistler Question Collection, 1980

On Saturday, June 15 the Whistler Museum will be talking about skiing with Jim McConkey, who instructed countless people to ski through both the written word and as the director of the Whistler Mountain Ski School. This will be the second film screening of 16mm films from the Whistler Museum’s archival collections, which have recently been digitized on new equipment thanks to the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation. You can find out more about both events here.

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