These photos from the Whistler Question show a much smaller Whistler, where everything from a visit by the Governor General, to a snowblower surviving an encounter with a train, to a visiting Rotary exchange student, to a mysterious explosion in a Longhorn toilet are recorded together in the paper.
1979
Whistler as it should be – Doug Read gets into it on “Upper Insanity” on Friday.
An RCMP under-ice diving training school was held on Alta Lake during the past week. Scott Alpen photo.
A view of the Whistler Vale complex with the old Cheakamus Inn in front and the new units to the left and behind.
1980
Squaw Valley Crescent takes some of the overflow parking from Lake Placid Road.
Bob Matheson works on the new Superior Muffler pipe bending machine.
Sunshine and good skiing – the way it has been on the top of Whistler for the past week.
CKVU’s Ralph (Raccoon) Carney interviews Tom Jarvis, Beau Jarvis and Peaches Grant at Beau’s on Sunday evening.
Nicholas Busdon heads across the finish line in the Elementary Boys race.
1981
Chef/owner of the Black Bear Geoffrey Howes and Patty Harvey at work in the kitchen.
The vehicle Steve Podborski was driving and the Toyota driven by Kathy Rollo after the February 14 accident.
Rotarian Frank Satre and Whistler’s exchange student, Teresa Delgado from Chihuahua, Mexico.
Franz and Annette Wilhelmsen (front) and Debbie and Hugh Smythe (rear) enjoy dinner at the opening of Stoney’s restaurant last week.
1982
With the reddest of heart and the fleetest of foot, a be-winged Cindy Woods turned into cupid for a day (guess which one) to deliver flowers throughout the valley for Valley Vines & Petals.
All bagged up and ready to go – Sue Spurrell, Dave Barnes and Leslie Christmas, all from Newfoundland, try out the x-country skiing at Whistler Village wearing Blackcomb bags for protection.
Kermit joins the happy gang at Stoney’s who celebrated their first birthday Monday, February 15. Ball team members are (l to r) Bruce Fox, manager; Jack Cram and Lance Fletched who co-own the restaurant with Dick Gibbons; and Fetah Benali, chef.
Fire in Alpine! It was nearly one month to the day since fire raged through the Whistler Village Inn, when Whistler’s Volunteer Fire Depart. was called out to a blazing cabin in Alpine Meadows. The fire fighters subdued the blaze at 8340 Needles Drive in about 35 minutes.
Testimony to the durability of the Toro snowblower. One wheel points to the sky but the machine is still in one piece after being struck and dragged 200 metres by a BCR train.
1983
The Japanese version of Johnny Carson was being filmed at Blackcomb Mountain Monday, February 14. Akiko Kobayashi, a TV personality, and Sachiko Sakulay, an actress, are on Willie Whistler’s right and Miss Ski Japan Yukali Yamada and host Tommy Yakota stand on his left.
Shovelling snow outside the Hearthstone Lodge (before the advent of heated steps).
Let’s get Springfit! Adult Education classes in fitness continue with instructors (l to r) Debi Mitchell, Jan Alsop and Shelley Cerasaro. These ladies will take you through a vigorous program of warm-ups, aerobic workouts, calisthenics and stretching.
Canada’s Governor General Ed Schreyer (second from right) hit the slopes of Whistler Mountain Tuesday. Both he and Mrs. Schreyer received some tips from Bob Dufour and Dave Murray while enjoying their five-day vacation.
A sound “like someone dropping a huge sheet of metal” turned out to be an explosion which destroyed cubicle number three in the women’s washroom of the Longhorn Pub Thursday, February 10. A similar explosive device was used to blow up a garbage can in the Longhorn Saturday, February 12 and a 31-year-old New Westminster man, Clifford Michael Balkwill, has been charged with use of a dangerous explosive in connection with the second incident. The explosives, known as “fish salutes”, are manufactured for anglers to scare seals away from their prey.
1985
Firemen and residents were able to rescue some possessions from burning condos at Alpine Village Saturday, but losses were heavy and by the next day insurance investigators were already on the scene.
Whistler Mountain celebrated 20 years with some familiar faces (as well as cake, clowns and more).
Whistler Mountain created a new sport Saturday: Gondola stuffing!
The kids’ team stuffed the most bodies into the gondola with 27, while the counterweights (a minimum of 200 lbs each) could only manage nine.
Mike Davidson of the Alta Lake Sports Club will even spend time in the brig if it means hanging onto his hobby cannons. The one-pounder above was made by Great West Cannon Co. of Granville Island and is authentic in size and workmanship to the original, Davidson says. It was often hoisted into a ship’s rigging and used to fire nails and other shrapnel at the enemy. Davidson uses the cannon to proclaim open the various sporting events but two years ago found himself in RCMP lock-up for four hours when a policeman arrested him for discharging a firearm in the municipality. But it’s all in good fun, and the only thing fired is paper.
New signs recently put up in the area of the new Whistler Village by the Whistler Village Land Company.
Powder snow and sunshine – the way it was at Whistler several times during the past week.
1980
Work continues on the town centre buildings despite the snow and cold temperatures.
The new ski shop located in the Roundhouse addition at the top of Whistler.
All that remained of the BC Hydro Ski Club cabin at 7:30 on Saturday morning. Not only was the large cabin reduced to a heap of burning rubble, but the trees in the area caught fire also. Lack of access prevented the Whistler Fire trucks from getting close to the fire.
A group of happy skiers zips down one of the new Blackcomb runs. (Blackcomb did not officially open until the beginning of Winter 1980/81.)
1981
Bob Ainsworth, Whistler Mountain area manager (left), and Peter Alder, Whistler Mountain Vice-President (right), celebrate the first new snow at base level in over a month with the photographer as a target for some hefty snowballs.
Two of many skiers that made use of BCR (BC Rail) passenger service last week.
Volunteers transport federal mail after BCR dropped it at Whistler Station.
An aerial view of the winding Highway 99.
1982
Dogs have been sprouting up all over the place – including this planter at Tapley’s.
Get Lucky! Take a chance like Vicki Larson-Rodgers and Susan Gestrin are! Get your Lot-tery ticket from Rita Knudson who will be selling them in front of the Grocery Store Fridays and Saturdays 2-6 pm and Sundays 1-4 pm. All proceeds go to the Whistler Health Care Society – and you might win a $100,000 lot in Whistler Cay Heights.
Looking as though he is kneeling on his skis, a racer heads through a gate during the recent telemark dual slalom on Blackcomb. For every gate that the racers pass through when not in the telemark position, they are assessed a penalty point.
Jan Holmberg and Ted Nebbeling keep the dough moving at the new Chef & Baker.
1983
A podium finish at the Fleischmann Cup held on Whistler Mountain.
Sue Worden of Body Works puts a group of Corporate Cup die-hards through the paces in Village Square Saturday.
Ah, for the delectable treat of glaced salmon, especially when it’s been served up through two hours of hard work by the Envirocon team during Saturday’s Corporate Cup. This jaunty fellow was the first-place finisher out of 27 entries in the ice sculpture contest.
Here’s a race we can get behind! Inner tube pullers are put to the test in another fun contest – Sliding Inflation.
Does anyone remember the rules for this race? If so, can they please explain?
A more easily recognized competition – a game of volleyball in the Myrtle Philip School gym.
1985
First you pick it up… “Now how do I put this thing on?” wonders five-year-old Troy Hansen-Wight of Vancouver. Young Troy was seen Sunday at Whistler Mountain’s Ski Scamps program trying to figure out just how to fit on a racing helmet – it’s not easy.
Construction continues on the Conference Centre in Whistler Village.
Belly up to the bar, for 2400 shooters at The Longhorn’s Silverstreak party Saturday, compliments of the one and only Silverstreak himself. The lively host picked up the tab, while Longhorn bartenders Delmar Page (left) and Gerry Heiter poured the honours.
Staff at Pemberton Secondary played against the Senior Girls team last Friday and the lunch hour game ended in a 12-12 tie. School board officials expect to replace the gym floor sometime this summer at an estimated cost of between $30,000 and $40,000.
Whistler base from the Gondola Run, as it looked on January 14, 1980.
Paul & Jane Burrows added a bit of warmth to the paper with more travel photos, this time from New Orleans.
Cars got buried in snow in Alpine Meadows.
1981
Paul Burrows holds a copy of the winter edition of Whistler Magazine. The magazine is still published today.
Fuel-soaked cardboard ignites as Bentham (far right) readies to run. (If anyone knows why this stunt took place or has any further details, please let us know at the Museum.)
Bursting through the blaze as crewmen with fire extinguishers head towards Bentham.
Getting the treatment from four extinguishers including brother Harry Bentham (wearing the ski toque).
In the aftermath, Bentham is bandaged by his brother Harry.
1982
A weekend snow storm effectively buried many cars and had many people heading out with shovels.
“Through the hoops” – a Myrtle Philip Kindergarten student shows their form during the school ski program at Blackcomb. The students go skiing once a week for four weeks.
Dennis Waddingham, North Side Ski Shop Manager for Whistler Mountain, Resident of Whistler Cay.
Dogs enjoy playing in the snow in Village Square.
1983
Cross-country skiers kick out over the new trail system around Lost Lake on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The same trail was the scene of a 20 km race earlier in the day.
Have you cleaned your chimney lately? If not, these fellows may pay you a visit shortly. Fire Inspector Gerry Fosty reports there have been four chimney fires at Whistler since the New Year – all of them preventable.
Over 200 applicants turned out at the Keg Monday, January 17 for a variety of jobs being offered by the restaurant. The Keg is scheduled to open its doors sometime in early February.
All hands were on deck for the first series in the third annual Boat Race between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains Wednesday at the Longhorn Pub. Crowds cheered the Blackcomb team on to victory in the Women’s and All-Star (mixed team) events. Whistler Mountain personnel were the top tipplers in the men’s division and will have a chance to regain the All-Star title Wednesday, March 2 at the Bavarian Inn.
1985
Divers prepare for a plunge into Nita Lake.
An RCMP E-division diving trainee prepares to climb out of the frigid water of Nita Lake at last week’s training session held in Whistler. The divers combed the lake bottom in pairs learning how to recover lost objects such as vehicles, weapons and bodies.
The shaken occupant of a van that was struck at the Lorimer and Nesters intersection last Thursday morning leaves the upturned vehicle. About $4000 damage was done to the two vehicles, but there were no serious injuries. The accident occurred when a car turning off Nesters Road collided with a second vehicle, which was travelling on Lorimer Road. The driver of the first car was charged with driving without due care and attention.
