Tag: River of Golden Dreams

Emerald Forest: the final link in Whistler’s green belt

Emerald Forest: the final link in Whistler’s green beltEmerald Forest: the final link in Whistler’s green belt

December 29, 2025 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 4 Comments


 Top Image: Alex Philip with guests from Rainbow Lodge heading down the River of Golden Dreams. 1941.  Philip Collection.

“Protecting biodiversity and fighting climate change takes more than isolated efforts: it requires a living network of protected and conserved areas that are deeply interconnected”. – Parks Canada 

Our last nature article was about Whistler’s remaining wetlands and how important it is for Whistler to protect them. However, protected areas in isolation are not enough; they also need to be connected by green belts, defined as open land where development is restricted or banned. This allows for ecological connectivity, which is the ability for animals on land or in water to move freely from place to place. This is essential because it allows wildlife to find food, breed, and establish new home territories.

 In 1985, when the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) expropriated what is now Rainbow Park near the north end of Alta Lake, the RMOW also recognized the value of protecting a wetland corridor along the River of Golden Dreams (ROGD) from Alta Lake to Green Lake. Over time, the RMOW protected the Whistler Nature Reserve (Rainbow Park wetlands), Golden Dreams Conservation Area, Meadow Park, and Dream River Park. The last piece of the puzzle was the establishment of the Emerald Forest Conservation Area in 2000. It was a huge win for ecological connectivity, but acquiring what was previously private land was a complex, lengthy and intriguing process.

 In the late 1970s the 139-acre Emerald Forest property was purchased by Decigon Corporation and zoned for residential development. Even though the RMOW wanted to protect the land, it didn’t have the money to buy it. For several years, Decigon sought rights to their land that exceeded the allowed development or included subdivision. Over time, a large group of dedicated community members advocated to protect this critical ecosystem and recreation area. So, with community support, the RMOW renewed its efforts to safeguard the land.

In August 1999, it was finally announced that a deal had been made for the Emerald Forest lands. In a surprising twist, Intrawest had been brought in as a third party to make the deal happen. In the three-way agreement, Intrawest purchased the Emerald Forest lands from Decigon for an undisclosed price. In exchange for the Emerald Forest, the RMOW paid Intrawest $1 million and granted Intrawest approval for additional development rights in the Benchlands and other areas.

The Emerald Forest Conservation Area (2 on map) is a vital link in the protected
River of Golden Dreams corridor.

 In 2000, the Emerald Forest Conservation Area was permanently protected through a legally binding agreement between the RMOW and The Land Conservancy of BC. Emerald Forest ecosystems include wetlands, which connect to the much larger ROGD corridor, as well as upland forest, which connects to wetlands on most sides and is significant habitat for many species. Much of the upland forest is unlogged, and some of the biggest trees are almost 400 years old!

 I hope you have a renewed appreciation for the work done by the RMOW, Intrawest, and the community at large to protect the Emerald Forest for recreation and, more urgently, as an essential link in a protected wetland corridor. The ROGD green belt is vital for protecting Whistler’s biodiversity and resilience against climate change, a basic need for both people and wildlife.  

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Planning for Adventures on Alta LakePlanning for Adventures on Alta Lake

May 27, 2025 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

When we hear stories about Adventures West at the Whistler Museum, most of them tend to centre on the Keg Restaurant and the memorable hours that people spent there. The restaurant, however, was just one part of a much larger plan for the area that began development in the early 1970s.

Construction began on the Adventures West Village (AWV) development in mid-September 1971, though planning started much earlier. According to a 1972 article in The Vancouver Sun, Richard Street and Alta Lake Ltd., the company that was developing Adventures West, spent years researching the Alta Lake area and potential markets before taking seven months to select the site for the project. They reportedly chose the 52 acre site at the north end of Alta Lake because of its location along the shore of the lake and the banks of the River of Golden Dreams. Finally, they drew up plans and started the first phase of the proposed $5 million complex (just under $40 million today when adjusted for inflation).

Concept drawing for the Adventures West Village. Adventures West Collection

The original plans for AWV were grand, including 250 condominium units, a playpark for children, sports fields, tennis courts, a swimming pool, beach, boat harbour, novice ski hill, toboggan chutes, skating ponds, snowmobile course, and the Adventure Inn, which would include a sports shop, equipment rentals, “groceteria,” bar, lounge, and administrative offices. The first phase, which they expected to have completed by December 1971 and operational in January 1972, included the first 30 units, utilities and roads, and the ski hill, beach and playpark. The rest of the units and facilities were planned to be constructed over the following three years.

Its affordability was one of the main selling points featured in articles and advertisements for AWV. The tagline on a promotional booklet proclaimed it as “the possible dream” and claimed that “Adventures West condominiums are the complete family vacation home package… offering carefree vacation living at low cost.” Along with low purchase prices beginning at around $12,000 (about $96,000 today), AWV offered a rental program that owners could choose to take part in to recoup some of the cost. AWV would handle all of the administration, supplies, marketing and cleaning and units would be rented out while not in use by the owners; revenue would be split between the company and the owner.

The site plan for Adventures West Village covered a lot more property than was developed. Adventures West Collection

The first units of Phase I were completed on schedule and available for owners and visitors in early 1972. To encourage mid-week visitors, AWV, like quite a few of the lodges in the ski area, offered a ski-week package. For $75, the ski-week included five nights accommodation at AWV, lift tickets for Whistler Mountain, two meals each day, transportation to and from the ski hill, and apres ski activities such as a wine-cheese-pizza party, singalongs, and moonlight snowmobiling, all kicked off on Sunday night with a “get-acquainted party” open to guests and Alta Lake residents. Jim McConkey, who ran the ski school at the time, would even make an appearance at these parties with some of his ski instructors. They would show ski films and answer any questions guests might have. A $65 ski-week was almost the same, except that the ski days were divided between Whistler Mountain and the small novice ski hill beside AWV.

Adventures West’s location on Alta Lake also made it a popular summer option and in 1972 it also began serving as the accommodation for the Toni Sailer Summer Ski Camps, which had previously been housed at the Highland Lodge, Cheakamus Inn and Christiana Inn. Though the development was not complete, they had built a beach area from which campers and other guests could go swimming, windsurfing, and more. As a resort, AWV offered various summer excursions, including trail rides up Rainbow Mountain, lift rides up Whistler Mountain and lunch at the Roundhouse, and boating down the Green River.

Over the next few summers, AWV announced plans to build more units and some of the other promised features, such as the boat harbour and swimming pool, as part of Phase II. The Adventure Inn building opened in the summer of 1974, including Whistler’s first Keg ‘N Cleaver restaurant. While some more units were built, the entirety of the AWV development was never realised.

One section of the Keg Restaurant building is moved from Adventures West up Lorimer Road to its current home on Blackcomb Way. Whistler Question Collection, 1981

The creation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler in 1975 and the subsequent planning of the Whistler Village focused development at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains and over time the rest of AWV’s 52 acres were sold off. In May 1981, the Keg building was broken into three parts and moved to its current location on Blackcomb Way, where it still serves today as Municipal Hall.

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Lake Fun in WhistlerLake Fun in Whistler

July 2, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

Whistler’s lakes offer a variety of water-based activities and are a great place to cool off during the summer heat. From sailing regattas and floating art galleries to swim races and a quadrathlon, Whistler’s lakes have seen it all!

The Alta Lake Sailing Club’s annual season end “Regretta” included sailing races as well as land-bound activities for participants of all ages. The first ever “Regretta” was hosted in the summer of 1965 and was named after the regret the community feels as the summer comes to an end. Today, the Whistler Sailing Association offers sailing programs, rentals, and races throughout the summer. Alta Lake and Green Lake permit motorized boats; however, on Alta Lake they must be kept under 10 horsepower. Non-motorized boats such as pedal boats, kayaks, canoes, and standup paddle-boards are welcome on all of Whistler’s lakes.

Participants in the Great Snow Earth Water Race rush out of the water. Whistler Question Collection, 1980

On Victoria Day, 1975, the Great Snow Earth Water Race first started. The first leg of Whistler’s version of the relay race included skiing from the top of Whistler Mountain, then running the remaining distance to today’s Creekside where the first baton pass-off took place. The next leg was a bike ride around Alta Lake where the baton was passed to the group’s canoe team. The canoeists then paddled through the River of Golden Dreams to the first weir and passed the baton to a runner who completed the race by running all the way back to Creekside. The 2014 revision of the race included an extra three components: ski or snowboard touring, downhill mountain biking, and cross-country biking. Unfortunately, the last Great Snow Earth Water Race took place during the 1990s.

Windsurfers on Alta Lake in August 1981. George Benjamin Collection

Through the 1970s and early 1980s, windsurfing at Alta Lake became very popular. Whistler was home to multiple windsurfing regattas as well as a weekly race night. Participation eventually declined due to lack of availability of the equipment and legal issues. Windsurfers on Alta Lake were a concern for those participating in the Fun Fitness Swim Race in the 1980s. After a swimmer and windsurfer collided (both were ok!) the swim race was moved to Lost Lake. The Fun Fitness Swim Race was roughly a mile and a half long and was offered as a community fitness event rather than a competitive race. The swim race took place from 1979 until the early 1990s.

Today’s water-bound activities include paddling across Alta Lake and through the River of Golden Dreams. This route takes visitors past old growth trees, through lush scenery, and offers breathtaking mountain views. A round trip takes roughly 3 hours and can be completed in a kayak, canoe, or on a paddle-board. Tours can be booked or self-guided depending on skill and comfort level. Alta Lake is also home to Art on the Lake, which includes local artists, live music, and a floating art gallery. One of Arts Whistler’s more recent annual undertakings, the first Art on the Lake event was organized four years ago as a way to host an arts event during the pandemic. This event takes place in August and is accessible by boat, kayak, canoe or paddle-board.

A group (who appears to have forgotten their lifejackets!) paddle down the River of Golden Dreams. Whistler Resort Association Collection

Keep an eye out more more information on local lake activities to participate in this summer. Remember your sunscreen and towel for every lake day adventure!

Ella Healey is the Summer Program Coordinator at the Whistler Museum through the Young Canada Works Program.

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Whistler’s Most Unpredictable RaceWhistler’s Most Unpredictable Race

June 1, 2021 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

The Great Snow Earth Water Race was one of the many events that took place over the Victoria Day long weekend in Whistler during the 1970s and 1980s. The event contributed to the influx of tourists that arrived every May to participate in the festivities. The race was created by Bryan Walhovd in 1975 as a community event aimed at attracting all skill levels.

The event took different shapes depending on the year, and was far from predictable. In some years, the race had a cross country skiing portion that required more team members, and in other years the race switched between Whistler and Blackcomb. The state of the course varied from year to year as well. In his interview with the museum, Bryan said that in the years he or other volunteers were unable to clear out the River of Golden Dreams prior to the race, it was like an obstacle course for the competitors. Similarly, he said that some years competitors complained about the unruly state of the trails for the running segment.

When the first race took place in 1975, there were over twenty teams competing. Every team had to include both men and women. While the race was never known for its regulations, in its first year there were remarkably few. The first year, the only requirement was that competitors reach the bottom of the ski hill with all of their ski equipment, but once the snow ended, how they got down the mountain was entirely up to them. The lack of regulations led to all kinds of opportunistic tactics. A few enterprising teams even used things like trucks and motorbikes to get the skiers to the exchange point. Needless to say, after the first year a rule was added that competitors had to get down the mountain on their own two feet.

Skiing segment of the Great Earth Snow Water Race. Whistler Question Collection, 1978.

In only a few years the number of teams competing had nearly tripled; by 1978 over sixty teams competed in the race (only fifty-eight completed it), and from there the race continued to grow and attract larger and further reaching audiences. The races were full of mishaps and complications. Due to lack of government involvement, navigating traffic during the cycling portion could be quite complicated, and one year the Whistler Question referred to this endeavour as “an interesting experience.”

Competitors in the cycling segment of the Great Snow Earth Water Race. Whistler Question Collection, 1981.

As the race became more notorious, by necessity it also became more organized. By the 1990s, matters of logistics and insurance made the race increasingly difficult to execute, and it came to an end.

The Great Snow Earth Water Race took place at the same time as Mayday Madness, a series of events organized by the Chamber of Commerce for community members and tourists. Local sentiment toward the festivities of the long weekend was similar to what we see today: some looked forward to the fun-filled weekend, while others braced for what they saw as inevitable chaos. The events were geared toward different age groups, and some were more family friendly than others. They included everything from wind-surfing to belly flop contests to mini-marathons and family sports.

Belly flop competition at the Christiana Inn. Whistler Question Collection, 1978.

If you are interested in learning more about the race, the Whistler Museum recently hosted a virtual speaker series with some of the original competitors and organizers, and a recording of the event can be found here.

Keely Collins is one of two summer students working at the Whistler Museum this year through the Young Canada Works Program.  She will be returning to the University of Victoria in the fall.

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