Tag: Hugh Curtis

First Steps to Building A VillageFirst Steps to Building A Village

October 8, 2019 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

On October 10 (this Thursday!) the Whistler Museum will be opening Construction of the Whistler Village: 1978 – 1984, a temporary exhibit featuring images of a village in progress from the Whistler Question collection.

The planning and development of the Whistler Village is often referred to as one of the first tasks of the newly formed Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) in 1975. Before a town centre could be constructed, however, a very important (though possibly not as glamourous) facility had to open: the Whistler Sewer Plant.

The Whistler Sewer Plant was one of the first steps taken before constructing the Whistler Village. *Garibaldi’s Whistler News*

Prior to 1977, a small number of condominium complexes had their own private systems to deal with waste, but most of the plumbing in Whistler ran on septic tank systems. Investigations into a sewer system for the area were begun by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and continued by the RMOW when it was created. According to the Garibaldi’s Whistler News, in 1977 Whistler had a year-round population of approximately 800, which increased during peak season to near 7,000. Plans to build a town centre and expand the resort raised concerns about the environmental and practical impacts of continuing to use septic systems.

The Good Shit Lolly Pot on a raft at Alta Lake – some approaches to plumbing in Whistler were rather interpretive. George Benjamin Collection, 1969.

The sewer system in Whistler was planned in phases, with the first phase designed to service areas from the sewer treatment plant located three kilometres south of the gondola in Creekside to almost five km north of the gondola base, accommodating a population of 14,000 with provisions for expansion to 21,000. Thanks to financing from the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation Sewer Program, this first phase and the treatment plant were completed by June 1977. By the fall, the second phase, which extended the reach of the sewer treatment plant from Alta Vista to the site of the future town centre, was underway.

The official opening of the Whistler Sewer Plant was an exciting occasion for the young municipality. It was scheduled for September 17, 1977, and the RMOW hired Lynn Mathews to plan the event. Earlier this year, one of our amazing museum volunteers conducted a series of oral history interviews with the incredible Lynn Mathews, who first came to Whistler in 1966, and one of these interviews included a mention of the opening. According to Mathews, who had previously arranged public relations events in New York City, the opening reception for the Whistler Sewer Plant “went over very, very nicely.” Her claim is supported in The Whistler Question by both Paul Burrows and Jenny Busdon, who reported on the event.

Lonely toilet stands ready to serve Parcel 16 in the Town Centre. Whistler Question Collection, 1978.

The opening of the plant began at Myrtle Philip School, where there was a display of photographs and diagrams showing the plan construction and a brief history of Whistler, tours of the valley by bus and helicopter, and a display of Ice Stock Sliding, a sport that became popular during the winter months when Whistler Mountain had closed due to lack of snow. The main event was a lunch prepared by chef Roger Systad, including roast duck, salmon, imported cheeses and liver pate.

The lunch was accompanied by speeches from Mayor Pat Carleton and special guests including the Honourable Hugh Curtis, Minister of Municipal Affairs, and the Honourable Jack Pearsall, the MP for the area.

The day also included guided tours of the plant facilities with representatives from the engineering firm on hand to answer questions. The review from Burrows said, “The plant is a modern design that provides complete treatment based on the proven extended aeration process. It is quite interesting to see the plant in full operation.”

Though it may seem like an odd occasion to celebrate, the importance of the Whistler Sewer Plant was clearly stated by Mayor Carleton, who concluded that, “The foundation of Whistler’s future is this plant and sewer system.” Construction of the Whistler Village officially began one year later.

Construction of the Whistler Village: 1978 – 1984 will run through November 22.

Whistler: A Town

A New Kind of GovernmentA New Kind of Government

June 9, 2012 Whistler Museum 2 Comments

Ask about the beginnings of municipal politics in Whistler and two things will unfailingly be mentioned: the year 1975 and the name Pat Carleton. In the early 1970s Whistler had yet to gain a local governing body. The area including Whistler was governed directly by the province and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. Change began in 1974 when the province became interested in developing tourism and enacted a land freeze in the area, preventing private land owners from determining the development of the valley for financial gain. Their report concluded that a strong local government was the solution. The result was the Resort Municipality of Whistler Act and the creation of a new kind of government in 1975.

This new resort municipality was to be unlike any other resort or municipality in the country. Canada had resorts, such as Banff, where a local advisory committee provided guidance to the senior level of government with absolute control over the resort. Canada also had municipalities. Whistler’s new governing body was to be unique. Property owners and residents would elect their own mayor and three aldermen. What made Whistler different, however, was the fourth alderman, appointed by the province to oversee financial isssues and maintain the interests of the province.

ACCESS 1975_RMOW_Council-resized — Whistler’s first council. Left to Right: Bob Bishop, Al Raine, Geoff Pearce (municipal clerk & treasurer), Pat Carleton, John Hetherington, Garry Watson

On September 6, 1975, the first municipal council was sworn into office. The three elected aldermen, Garry Watson, John Hetherington, and Bob Bishop, were joined by Al Raine, the provincial appointee, and these four representatives were led by Whistler’s first mayor, Pat Carleton.

Many residents of Whistler gathered to watch the swearing in of their first elected government by Judge C.I. Walker. Some, however, were unable to attend the ceremony due to a last minute change in location. Originally the ceremony was planned to take place at the Roundhouse Lodge on the top of Whistler Mountain. Free gondola and chairlift rides were provided for those who wished to attend, but some Whistler residents decided to take a more active approach. Paul and Jane Burrows had hiked up the mountain with their dog to attend the ceremony, unaware that as they were hiking the ceremony had been moved to the base of Whistler Mountain at Creekside. Paul, president of the Alta Lake Ratepayers Association and founder of the Whistler Question, had run against Pat Carleton for mayor and was looking forward to watching Whistler officially gain a municipal government. Unable to download their dog on a chairlift, the Burrows were sadly unable to get down the mountain in time and missed the swearing in of Whistler’s first aldermen and mayor.

ACCESS patcarleton_8x10-resized2 — Pat Carleton. Whistler Mayor 1975 – 1982.

Like many before him, Pat Carleton, a coffee salesman, first came to Whistler on a fishing trip in 1956. He fell in love with the area and built a house on Alpha Lake with his wife, Kay, which the family used for holidays. Pat and Kay retired to their home in Whistler in 1971 and Pat became an active member of the community through the Whistler Chamber of Commerce and the Alta Lake Ratepayers Association. From 1975 to 1982 he served four terms as Whistler’s mayor.

From the get-go council faced a daunting task: to build a resort. Their plan was to develop a Town Centre on the dump at the base of both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, a goal not made any easier by the valley’s lack of a sewage system and opposition from private land owners who wanted to develop the resort on their own properties. Council had few resources, apart from a gaval presented to the mayor, and no municipal building. Meetings were held in various locations such as the Carleton’s garage and the lunchroom of Myrtle Philip School. Despite these difficulties, the municipal governments under Pat worked endlessly to shape Whistler into the resort it is today.

The early development of Whistler did not progress smoothly. Early in 1976 the community of Whistler and Council agreed upon an official community plan which placed the new Town Centre on top of the dump at the base of both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. This plan was strongly opposed by private land owners who formed the Whistler Development Association. Council waited and became frustrated as provincial approval of their plan continued to be withheld. After less than a year in office, council members voted unanimously to resign if the province refused to support the offical community plan and Pat Carleton, Al Raine, and Garry Watson travelled to Victoria with their resignations in Pat’s pocket. They met with Municipal Affairs Minister Hugh Curtis who had recently received a delegation from the Whistler Development Association including planners and large fancy model. Luckily, Curtis had been unimpressed by this proposal and approval was given for the plans of the community. Whistler’s mayor returned home with the resignations still in his pocket.

ACCESS WMA_P95_043_Raine-resized — Early stages of Whistler Village construction, October 1979.

The first seven years after the incorporation of Whistler as a resort municipality saw dramatic changes to the area. On August 21, 1978, Pat turned the first sod on the Town Centre site and the construction of today’s Village began. By then the problem of a sewage system in the valley had mostly been solved in 1977 with the opening of Whistler’s first sewage treatment plant. At the official opening of Blackcomb Mountain in 1980 Pat was there to do the honours. The early work of Whistler’s first council and its first mayor was instrumental in creating the resort that Whistler is today. In September of 1982 Pat Carleton announced he was not going to seek re-election and was succeeded in December by Mark Angus, Whistler’s second mayor.