Tag: Expo 86

The Spirit of WhistlerThe Spirit of Whistler

February 27, 2024 Whistler 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.

Expo 86 – Putting BC on the MapExpo 86 – Putting BC on the Map

August 9, 2022 Whistler Museum 2 Comments

Expo 86 is widely credited as turning Vancouver from a sleepy regional city into the international destination that is it today, while also increasing the awareness of surrounding areas including Whistler and Victoria.

*Expo 86 was a big deal throughout BC. Here Expo Ernie, the Expo astronaut mascot, is being paraded through Whistler in March 1984. Whistler Question Collection.*

In 1986, Vancouver threw a party and the world accepted the invite. The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, usually just called Expo 86, ran from May to October and had a visitation of over 22 million people, far exceeding original estimates. Many hopes for the region were pinned on Expo, which also far exceeded its initial budget. Full colour brochures were distributed extensively to encourage Expo visitors to travel to Whistler. According to the Whistler Question ahead of the opening of Expo on May 3 1986, the brochures were to be as ‘ubiquitous as the Gideon bible in Lower Mainland hotels and information centres this summer.’

World Expo is a long-running exhibition designed to highlight global achievements. Over 40 nations from around the world descended on Vancouver with their pavilions centred around the theme of transportation and communication.

Opening week of Expo saw over 55,000 people join the celebration in Vancouver, including hundreds of Whistlerites, and special guests the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and Diana. In the first week a group of talented Whistler locals, including the Whistler Singers, performed Whistler – Let the Spirit Grow, a song, dance and comedy production created for Expo and performed in the BC Pavilion. They had previously performed the witty well-orchestrated theatre piece for the community at Rainbow Theatre in the lead up to Expo, finishing with a standing ovation.

Despite the visitors flocking to Vancouver, Whistler did not initially receive the influx of guests that it had anticipated. At the beginning of July, two months into Expo, visitor numbers were down for Whistler when compared to May/June 1985. At this time, summers were already quiet, and this was not the world-stage premiere that Whistler had been hoping for. Additionally, visitors who booked accommodation in Whistler expecting to commute to Expo daily were often sadly mistaken, wiping their brows as they arrived after the long and windy drive. However, the nice weather eventually arrived and visitation picked up with August and September becoming the busiest summer months yet for Whistler.

While the visitor numbers were not dramatically different, the Expo in Vancouver brought a different clientele. The usual visitors from the Lower Mainland enjoyed the Expo atmosphere, playing host and tourist closer to home, while the guests visiting Whistler over the summer were coming from further away and staying longer. Traffic from the USA in particular increased. Studies commissioned at the time found that awareness of BC had increased more than 60% amongst people in California due to Expo.

Additionally, having Expo in Vancouver was pushing lots of conventions to Whistler because there was more accommodation. The Convention Centre had finally opened in June 1985 and many conferences made Whistler their home for the first time in 1986, including the Social Credit Party Leadership Convention, spreading the word throughout a population who might not otherwise visit.

*The finale of Whistler – Let the Spirit Grow in the BC Pavilion, May 7 1986. *Expo 86 Collection*.*

According to Drew Meredith, who became mayor in 1986 after Expo ended, until this time when people heard ‘Whistler’ they thought of pot-smoking hippies and a ski resort. Expo 86 changed that. “You had to get the right people and get the right message out, and I think Expo 86 did that. Expo was such a huge showcase of BC in the summertime. It was all killer whales, forests, mountains, and waterfalls. It was an amazing advertising campaign around the world.” Whistler went on to host another big party, the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010, and today visitors come from all around the world in both summer and winter.