Join us Friday, November 2 to celebrate the opening of Coast Mountain Gothic: A History of the Coast Mountain Gothic Arch Huts with special guests Karl Ricker and Jayson Faulkner! Our latest temporary exhibit complements our online exhibit developed with the Virtual Museum of Canada.
Gothic Arch Huts are modest yet iconic structures that played a major role in the exploration of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia over the past 50 years. Discover the stories behind the design and construction of these shelters and meet the people and organizations that brought them to life. Along the way, you’ll learn how networks of hiking trails help protect the sensitive alpine environments and support outdoor educational activities.
Doors open at 6:30 pm. The exhibit will run through December 31.
For more information on our virtual exhibit, take a look here.
In the past we’ve covered the building of various backcountry huts situated around Whistler, beginning in the 1960s. Gothic arch huts have a place in much more recent history as well, as the Watersprite Lake Hut proves.
After the completion of the North Creek Hut in the fall of 1986, the British Columbia Mountaineering Club (BCMC) took a hiatus from building backcountry huts. Over the next two decades, the BCMC focused their efforts on outdoor education, environmental protection, trail building and trail maintenance and mountaineering training.
In the mid-2000s, attention was brought back to backcountry huts when David Scanlon took on the task of acquiring legal tenure from the Provincial Government and First Nations for the BCMC huts built at both Mountain Lake and North Creek. The BCMC gained full legal tenure of these hut sites in 2009.
Following this achievement, the BCMC surveyed their membership about backcountry access and building more backcountry huts. Scanlon formed a committee that investigated sites for a new hut and after careful study they chose to build a backcountry hut near Watersprite Lake. Watersprite Lake is located just outside the southwestern edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park and is close to Mamquam Mountain and Icefield.
The Watersprite Lake Hut covered in snow this past winter. Photo by David Scanlon.
Prior to the construction of the hut at Watersprite Lake, the BCMC built trail access to the site that opened in the spring of 2016. BCMC members noticed heavy foot traffic to the lake on the newly built trail. The BCMC used space at Fraserwood Industries, thanks in part to a club member, to pre-fabricate the glu-lam arches required for the hut. Scanlon calculated that committee members spent over 1000 man-hours in pursuit of constructing the new hut.
In the fall of 2016, construction of the Watersprite Lake Hut began. The hut design includes a wood stove for use to heat the hut in the winter, a dedicated cooking area and enough room to accommodate ten people. In the end, four additional arches were made by Fraswerwood Industries, which enabled the BCMC to built a seven-foot overhang to provide an emergency shelter and prevent snow build up around the front entrance. Unlike other huts built by the BCMC in the late 1960s, early 70s and mid-80s, the Watersprite Lake Hut is locked to the general public and only accessible to registered users of the hut. After seven years of planning and construction, the Watersprite Lake Hut opened in the winter of 2017.
The cozy interior of the hut. Photo by David Scanlon.
You may have noticed that, over the past couple of years or so, the museum has had backcountry huts (specifically those of the gothic arch variety) in mind. You may even have seen a dancing hut as part of this year’s Canada Day Parade float. This summer the Whistler Museum and Archives Society launched Coast Mountain Gothic: A History of the Coast Mountain Gothic Arch Huts, a virtual exhibit with the support of the Virtual Museum of Canada, which can be seen here.
The museum will be opening a physical exhibit to complement our new online exhibit in November 2018. Keep an eye on our social media or subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming news about opening night!
Over the past year the Whistler Museum and Archives Society, with the support of Virtual Museum of Canada, has been working on the release of a new online exhibit entitled: Coast Mountain Gothic.
Gothic arch huts are modest yet iconic structures that played a major role in the exploration of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia over the past 50 years. Discover the stories behind the design and construction of these shelters and meet the people and organizations that brought them to life. Along the way, you’ll learn how networks of hiking trails help protect the sensitive alpine environments and support outdoor educational activities.
The Himmelsbach Hut under construction, 1967. Photo: Chambers Collection
The online exhibit is now live and available in both official languages on the Virtual Museum of Canada’s website.
This online exhibit was developed with the support of the Community Stories Investment Program of the Virtual Museum of Canada.
The Virtual Museum of Canada, managed by the Canadian Museum of History with the financial support of the Government of Canada, is the largest digital source of stories and experiences shared by Canada’s museums and heritage organizations.
The Community Stories Investment Program helps smaller Canadian museums and heritage organizations work with their communities to develop virtual exhibits that engage online audiences in the stories, past and present, of Canada’s communities.
Stay tuned to our social media or subscribe to our newsletter for updates on a physical exhibit to complement Coast Mountain Gothic coming late fall at the Whistler Museum.
This week in the 1980s was apparently all about the kids of Whistler, with the majority of the photos having to do with the Myrtle Philip School sports day, ballet recitals and the Whistler Children’s Art Festival.
1980
Refuse lies scattered all over the Rainbow substation bin site as a result of crows, people and bears. Council has promised to put a compactor in this location.The buildings and chairlifts on Blackcomb begin to take shape. The mountain is set to open for skiing this winter.The female half of the 58-member Kildala choir from Kitimat. The school group sang a number of popular tunes.Carol Fairhurst (left) and Cathy McNaught plan to continue their education – one in Mexico and the other in Calgary.A classic example of the Gothic arch home. Though not as common today, houses like these can still be found throughout Whistler.It’s not clear if this is a Whistler Question staff meeting or staff meal. The best part, however, may be the “No Smoking” sign on the table that threatens those who try will be hung by their toenails.
1981
Whistler’s new mascot (the as yet un-named marmot) shows off for students.John Reynolds, co-owner of Tapley’s Pub, presents Robert Miele, treasurer of the Whistler Athletic Association, with a cheque for $1000. The donation will go towards funding amateur athletics in the valley.Myrtle Philip Elementary School principal Alex Marshall is surrounded by his Angels at his ‘roast’ on Wednesday night.Whistler Ballet students who performed in Garibaldi School of Dance production of “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” and “Little Matchgirl”. The performance on Sunday, June 21 at The Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver was a complete sell out. Left to right: Brie Minger, Corinne Valleau, Jodi Rustad, Rachel Roberts and Melanie Busdon; Peaches Grant sitting.Hot Wheels – Students at Myrtle Philip Elementary School show off their creative talents in the bike decorating contest. The event was scheduled in conjunction with Sports Day which was moved inside because of the weather.A beer bottle was thrown through the window of the information centre.
1982
Competitor in the First Annual Whistler Off-Road Bike Race soars over a bump en route to Lost Lake and 25 miles of heavy pedalling.
1983
Captain Beckon rings out the good word on the Children’s Art Festival.Isobel MacLaurin shares her sketching talents with larger artists during one of the many workshops.Martial arts are also included in the Children’s Art Festival at Myrtle Philip School.The Pied Pear duo, Rick Scott and Joe Mock, perform with a little help from some members of the audience.Three Whistler divas (l – r) Melanie Busdon, Jodi Rustad and Corinne Valleau took part in the Garibaldi Shcool of Dance performance of “The Sleeping Princess” in Squamish and North Vancouver June 17 and 18. All shows, directed by Lynnette Kelley, were sold out.Clearing in by a mile Sean Murray (11) heads back to each leaving the high jump pole standing at 100 cm. It was a dripping wet sports day for students at Myrtle Philip School Wednesday but all events went on without a hitch under the eaves and in the school gym instead.Champion of the Tournament of Champions Brian Sandercock (right) accepts the trophy for low gross score from organizer Don Willoughby. The match first competition on Whistler Golf Course, which opened three days earlier, was held in drizzling rain June 17 and drew 140 swingers.
1984
The Extraordinary Clown Band was one of the highlights of this year’s Children’s Art Festival held Saturday and Sunday. While the band entranced youngsters with feats of juggling and slapstick, 65 workshops featuring pottery, break dancing and writing as well as many other artistic pursuits took place in Myrtle Philip School.Harley Paul and Bryan Hidi were just a ‘hanging’ around Friday in between events at the Myrtle Philip School sports day. Sports day events included a three-legged race for parents, nail-banging contest, long jumping and, of course, balloon sitting.A team of BMX freestyler cyclists added to the weekend’s festivities and gave Whistler just a taste of what things will be like here next summer when the BMX World Championships come to town. Two young performers on BMX bikes travelled from Pitt Meadows to represent the Lynx factory team.Staff of The Whistler Question, who recently received word that the newspaper has won a first-place national award for the second year in a row, are: (bottom row, l to r) Janis Roitenberg (office manager); Shannon Halkett (typesetting and graphics); Pauline Wiebe (typesetting and graphics); (top row l – r) Stew Muir (reporter); Glenda Bartosh (publisher); Kevin C. Griffin (editor).
