Tag: Umberto Menghi

Whistler’s Annual Chili Cook-offWhistler’s Annual Chili Cook-off

July 11, 2023 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

There are many different ways to fundraise, whether asking for donations, applying for grants, or hosting events. Though some of Whistler’s fundraiser events have continued for decades, others lasted only a few years, such as the Annual Chili Cook-off hosted by the Whistler Resort Association (WRA; today known as Tourism Whistler) and the Whistler Health Planning Society.

The Society had formed in 1982 to fundraise for a dedicated medical facility in Whistler. The Whistler Medical Centre opened in a double-wide trailer in September 1982, but the Society continued to fundraise for a larger permanent facility and more equipment. Their Annual Chili Cook-off took place as part of a larger program events over the first weekend of July in the early 1980s.

Craig McKenzie of the Whistler Health Planning Society inspects the trailer brought into position adjacent to the Sports & Convention Centre for Whistler’s new medical clinic. Whistler Question Collection, 1982

The First Annual Chili Cook-off was held in Village Square on July 3, 1983. Teams were given five hours to cook enough chili to feed all the judges and some spectators. According to the Whistler Question, there were a lot of theories floating around Village Square about what made a good chili and how to win, including “bacon fat gives flavour,” “cubed beef is the meat to use,” and “beer is the secret ingredient.” The real answer, however, was probably to try to appeal to the six “celebrity” judges: Whistler Mayor Mark Angus, Monica Hayes of Westin Bayshores, Glen Tolling of Molson, restaurateur Umberto Menghi, summer ski coach Toni Sailer, and John Creelman. According to Ted Nebbeling, head cook of the “Gourmez” team who took first place, the real secret was to surprise the judges by using 60 different spices. Nebbeling, along with teammates Susan Howard, Val Lang and Wendy Meredith, were awarded with a spot at the Canadian Chili Championship taking place at the Westing Bayshores Hotel in Vancouver later that summer.

The Gambling Gourmet of Whistler got a first for costumes but placed out of the money for their chili during the 1983 Canadian Chili Championship at Westin Bayshore Saturday. It seems a picky judge didn’t like vegetables in chili. Oh well, there’s always next year. Congratulations to the Gambling Gourmet Team! Pictured here: Chef Ted Nebbeling, Susan Howard and Valerie Lang. Whistler Question Collection, 1983

Chili cooking wasn’t the only activity on offer in Village Square. There were also games for spectators such as apple bobbing, a fishing pond, and a seed spitting contest. By the end of the day, the First Annual Chili Cook-off raised almost $1,000 for the Whistler Health Planning Society.

The Annual Chili Cook-off was back in July 1984 to raise $700 for the purchase of medical equipment. The judging panel featured six Vancouver broadcasters, returning judges Mark Angus and Toni Sailer, and Canadian Chili Championship organizer Mike Murphy. Six teams competed with varying levels of skill. Angus described one entry as “like a spaghetti sauce” and another as resembling “a famous brandname of cat food.” The “Gambling Gourmez” won for the second year in a row and went on to compete again at the Canadian Chili Championship.

Making good chili wasn’t the only way to win a prize that year. There was also a prize for “best showmanship,” which went to the “Medics” team. Teams competed in costume and with props, each trying to outdo the other. As a fundraiser for the Whistler Medical Centre, the “Medics” fully embraced the cause and featured surgical gear, patients and a puppet while creating their chili.

It’s not just what you make, it’s how you make it! Winner of showmanship laurels for Sunday’s chili cook-off went to the Medics, whose chili didn’t go down well with the judges, but at least stayed down. Whistler Question Collection, 1984

By the summer of 1985, the Whistler Health Planning Society had restructured as the Whistler Health Care Society and were continuing to fundraise for their 1986 move into the Municipal Hall basement. The third Annual Chili Cook-off raised $600 towards this goal, despite moving from Village Square to Myrtle Philip School. The event had a Gold Rush theme and featured cancan dancers, the Sweet Adeline Quartet, and gold panning demonstrations.

It appears that this was the last Annual Chili Cook-off, as we can’t find any record of one in July 1986. However, the Whistler Health Care Society and now the Whistler Health Care Foundation continue to fundraise for health services in Whistler today.

Welcoming Fall to WhistlerWelcoming Fall to Whistler

September 17, 2019 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

In may technically still be (and at times even feel) like summer, but for many people the beginning of September signals the beginning of fall. While many people will have spent this weekend celebrating a certain beverage at the Whistler Beer Festival, in the 1980s this past weekend would have featured a celebration of the upcoming season with the Whistler Fall Festival.

The Fall Festival was first organized by the Whistler Resort Association (WRA, now known as Tourism Whistler) in 1981. At the time, the Whistler Village was beginning to emerge from a craze of construction and Blackcomb Mountain was looking forward to its second season of operations. There was a lot to celebrate in Whistler and the festival featured many of the growing community’s arts, crafts, sports, and activities.

The Fall Festival also included a Paint a Snowflake contest, leaving the fences around construction sites covered in snowflakes. Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation Collection.

One of the local characters showcased at the Fall Festival was Willie Whistler, the new mascot of the WRA. Willie’s name came from a “Name the Whistler Marmot” contest for children in the area in which the winner, eight-year-old Tammi Wick, won a Blackcomb season pass. The mascot was created to promote Whistler at local and other events and the Fall Festival, which included time each day to “Meet Willie Whistler,” was his first big event.

Willie Whistler takes a ride with Bo Bo the Clown during the Fall Festival in Village Square. Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation Collection.

The festival also featured local artists and artisans who demonstrated their crafts in the village, including pottery, fibre spinning, stained glass, and painting. Performers over the weekend included acts such as Evan Kemp and the Trail Riders, the Alpini Band, and local favourite Doc Fingers, as well as dance performances and Bo Bo the Clown.

For visitors and residents alike, the Fall Festival offered different ways to see the Whistler valley. Snowgoose Transportation offered free 50 minute bus tours, showing off everything from residential areas to the gondola base in Creekside to the Blackcomb daylodge. To see the valley from above, participants could enjoy a flight from Okanagan Helicopters, take advantage of Blackcomb Mountain’s offer of free chairlift rides, or, subject to wind conditions, go up in Chuck Bump’s hot air balloon, billed at the festival as the “World’s Largest Hot Air Balloon.”

Evan Kemp and the Trail Riders perform in Village Square. Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation Collection.

Perhaps not surprisingly, sports and competitions also featured prominently at the Fall Festival. Spectators could take in volleyball, Pro/Celebrity tennis matches that paired pro players with notables from politics, business, and media, a softball game between the Whistler Contractors Association and the Whistler A’s, or even a parachuting demonstration. For those looking to compete, the Waiters Race challenged Whistler’s servers to run a timed obstacle course without spilling a drop, and the Labatt’s Great Whistler Water Race relay covered four lakes and the River of Golden Dreams through canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and windsurfing.

A softball game was fun for participants and spectators. Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation Collection.

Though the Fall Festival was primarily about showcasing Whistler, it also raised money for several different causes. On the Sunday, Whistler hosted a run as part of the first national Terry Fox Run, raising over $7,600. The proceeds from a beer garden hosted by the Whistler Athletic Society that evening were also donated towards cancer research.

Local causes benefited as well. The WRA donated enough funds from the Village Centre beer garden to replace the snowmobile of the Alta Lake Sports Club that had been destroyed in a fire. Umberto Menghi, who was then opening his new restaurant Il Caminetto, contributed to the festival by both providing the firework display for the Saturday evening and hosting a gala dinner at Myrtle Philip School to benefit the Whistler Health Care Society.

If you look really closely, Chuck Bump’s balloon also featured some advertising for local restaurants. Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation.

According to Glenda Bartosh of The Whistler Question, the first Fall Festival was about far more than raising money and generating revenue for the resort. She reported that the festival “created laughter, high energy and a true appreciation of what Whistler is all about.” The WRA must have agreed, as they continued to organize the Fall Festival for at least three more years.

This Week in Photos

This Week In Photos: September 20This Week In Photos: September 20

September 20, 2018 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

While we have information for the photos we share here, we have many more photos that we have questions about. That’s why tonight we’ll be hosting Naming Night at the Museum – we provide 100 photos (tonight’s edition focuses on the 1990s and ’80s) and ask community members to help add names and stories to the images.