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: This one seems pretty self explanatory, so we think we’ll leave it there.
Question: What do you think of the shoulder season lull in Whistler?
Christine Maloughney – Owner – The Country Store
I would certainly like to see more people at this time of year but every business has its slow period. I just think it’s one of those things you have to deal with in every business. I really think that Whistler does a tremendous job of advertising.
Nancy Treiber – Owner – Nancy T’s
I think I enjoy the quiet period. It’s not as exciting or as vibrant without all the people around in the village. This is supposed to be the heavy month for conventions. I have mixed feelings about the shoulder season as a retailer trying to make ends meet.
Lisa Knight – Manager – Carlbergs
Personally, I think it’s a nice break but I would prefer to have more business. I think the Conference Centre will bring it. I’d like to be busy 365 days a year. I feel pretty optimistic that things are going to pick up. This is the important time to be open.
On April 1, 1982, the front page of the Whistler Question announced “2 million win donated to community,” accompanied by a photograph of Drew Meredith, the supposed donor. Prank headlines in newspapers are nothing new, ranging from the obviously foolish to the almost believable, and headlines designed specifically for April 1 have graced Whistler newspapers since the 1980s. Some of the article have been lighthearted, while others have turned out to be prophetic.
The front page of the Whistler Question for April 1, 1982.
According to the Question, Meredith, a Whistler realtor, won $2,304,197.16 on Fools Rush In in the Irish Derby after purchasing the ticket on a dare from Debbie Tiegan. Upon receiving word of his luck, he decided to donate his winnings to the municipality to finish community projects and facilities, such as the construction of municipal hall and the Whistler Health Care Centre. His only stipulation was that it also be used for a “permanent hot-air balloon in the parking lot at the Blackcomb Day Lodge with a MacGregor-Pacific sign on the side.” A ceremony was allegedly planned to take place in Village Square on April 3 where Meredith would hand the cheque over to Mayor Pat Carleton.
The recession of the early 1980s came just as the development of Whistler Village was beginning to boom. Though some properties were completed, work on various lots was halted for a period, including the partially constructed Whistler Resort Centre (today the Whistler Conference Centre). Municipal budgets were reduced, municipal staff took a pay cut in 1982, and in July 1982 only 60% of property taxes were paid on time. In this economic climate, a large donation to the municipality would probably have been very welcome.
Drew Meredith was named Citizen of the Year in 1980 at the Chamber of Commerce Dinner. Whistler Question Collection, 1980
The April 1 front page also featured two more stories that, especially looking back, don’t seem all that plausible. One claimed that the Ministry of Transportation had announced an experimental snow removal system for Highway 99 called Operation SNO (Surface Nuisance Obliteration) that would use solar heating to melt snow off the highway as it fell. A prototype of the system had reportedly been installed in Mayr Pat Carleton’s driveway for the 1981/82 winter.
The other claimed that Colorado experts had solved the problem of snow falling off of the Whistler Resort Centre roof, which had become a public safety concern in March when large slabs of snow began shifting. The proposed solution was to “hyper-energize” the roof by installing a 20’x20′ fireplace in the middle of the building to heat the roof, thought it was still to be determined how the fireplace would be incorporated into the arena floor.
This slab slid off the roof in March after the municipality was warned of the danger it posed. Whistler Question Collection, 1982
Of the three stories, only that of Meredith’s donation was followed up on in the next edition. Few people appear to have been upset by the story, though quite a few readers were willing to accept it, despite claiming that they would never be so altruistic themselves. According to Meredith, he “thoroughly enjoyed the escapade,” which he had not known about ahead of time, and was getting interesting responses from community members.
In the Question’s “Whistler Answers,” where six people were asked for their response to the story, Jack Cram claimed that he initially believed it because he “thought Drew is the kind of person to do something like that” and was very busy when he read it, “so it took a while to sink in.” Ross Tocher thought that if it was true then either Meredith wanted a mountain named after him or he wanted to be mayor (Drew Meredith was elected as mayor, but not until 1986). Some, like Lisa Knight, believed the headline but then recognized it as a joke as they read the article. According to Bob Currie, “It was just too much of a coincidence to have a story like that April 1.”
