Tag: Whistler Conference Centre

40 Years of Conferences40 Years of Conferences

June 10, 2025 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

This year, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) will be recognizing a significant milestone when it turns 50 on September 6. The following day will also mark a pretty big milestone; September 7 will be 40 years since the official opening of the Whistler Conference Centre.

Although construction began on the site in March 1980, an economic downturn meant that it was five years before the facility was completed and the finished product was very different from the plans of 1980. The original plan for a Resort Centre included an Olympic-sized ice rink, 3×20 metre swimming pool, whirlpool, saunas, racquetball courts, squash court, locker rooms, Golf Pro Shop, and restaurant. After the project was taken by Whistler Land Co. Developments (WLC; the Crown corporation that took over the liabilities and assets of the Whistler Village Land Company) in 1983, studies reportedly found that it would be more profitable to run the facility as a conference centre than a resort recreation centre.

Drawings of the original Resort Centre design. Whistler Question Collection, 1980

Architects Edward Friederichs and Don Jewel were brought in to design “a building within a building” and reconfigure the partially built structure into a conference facility. Although construction had previously stopped in 1982, work resumed in June 1984 when WLC hired Smith Bros. and Wilson Ltd. One of the first things they did was remove the shake roof that had been put on and replace it with a steel roof with fourteen dormers, which were reportedly meant to help distribute the snow and make the building blend in more with the rest of the Village. The project was expected to be completed by June 1985.

As the completion date approached, expectations rose that the Conference Centre would bring in more visitors during Whistler’s slow months; in May 1985, three Whistler employees told the Whistler Question that they thought the Conference Centre would “even out trade throughout the year,” especially in the fall months that were “always dead.” With the ability to host events for up to 2,000 people, the Conference Centre was one of the largest such facilities in British Columbia, topped only by the Peach Bowl in Penticton. In addition to the main ballroom area, it also boasted break-out rooms on the lower level, an attached theatre, a full-service kitchen, the offices of the Whistler Resort Association (today Tourism Whistler) and a memorable atrium.

The Conference Centre atrium set up for an event in January 1990. Insight Photography Collection, Greg Eymundson

The Whistler Conference Centre opened, as expected, in June 1985 with a performance by the Anna Wyman Dance Theatre on Saturday, June 8 followed by its first convention, a 175-delegate meeting of Fibreglas Canada, beginning on Sunday, June 9. The public was invited to look around the building in early July and, according to the editorial in the Question, “they came, they saw, and they liked.”

Though it had hosted events and meetings throughout the summer, the official opening ceremony for the Conference Centre did not take place until September 7, 1985. That weekend Whistler hosted the retreat of provincial cabinet ministers, meaning that government officials were on hand for both the opening ceremony and the tenth anniversary of the RMOW.

A meeting takes place in part of the Conference Centre ballroom. Whistler Question Collection, 1995

In his address, premier Bill Bennett told the crowd that “Today, the opening of the Conference Centre is more a tribute to your optimism, your vision, and to knowing the kind of community you want” and describing the importance of Whistler as an introduction to British Columbia. His speech was followed by remarks from Chester Johnston, the chairman of WLC Developments Ltd., who thanked those who had worked on the project. The ceremony also included a performance by the Beefeaters Brass Band and a salmon barbecue.

By the time of the official opening ceremony, the Conference Centre had 50,000 delegate-days booked in 1985 and 120,000 booked for 1986, with expectations that those numbers would grow. Today, though it looks a little different than it did at its opening, the Whistler Conference Centre continues to be operated by Tourism Whistler and welcomes conferences, meetings and events to town.

Fools Rush InFools Rush In

April 16, 2024 Whistler Museum 2 Comments

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.”

Whistler’s Answers: April 8, 1982

Whistler at 22% Interest – Part 1Whistler at 22% Interest – Part 1

June 28, 2022 Whistler Museum 4 Comments

In the early 1980s, just as the development of Whistler Village was starting to boom, the economy bottomed out and interest rates skyrocketed. Whistler Village was left with 27 unfinished lots as owners, developers, and contractors were going bankrupt at unprecedented levels. Remembering the mess left behind as construction halted, Drew Meredith said, “Imagine standing in Village Square looking up towards Mountain Square and all you see is half finished concrete foundations with rebar sticking out of it. Rusty, dirty rebar. The stroll was there but on both sides of the stroll was just chaos. Very tough to sell that to anybody who wants to come for a holiday.”

*Construction in Whistler Village halted when the economic crisis of the 1980s reached Canada leaving many lots unfinished. Eldon Beck Collection.*

Canada’s inflation had accelerated throughout the 1970s, reaching over 10% in 1980. To curb inflation, the Bank of Canada raised interest rates to a peak of 21%, however inflation remained high. During this time interest rates for home loans reached 22% and Canada went into a recession. To top it off, in November 1981 the federal government ended the Multiple-Use Residential Building (MURB) program of tax credits. With multiple-use residential on the second and third floor of every building, much of Whistler Village was constructed with the understanding that MURB would provide tax incentives for investors. With the MURB program coming to an end many investors poured the foundations quickly to make use of these incentives before it was too late.

While some developments in the new Whistler Village had opened, most were just a foundation as the economic crunch really hit. Whistler had prioritised small developers in the building of the Village and many struggled to continue and could not pay their land taxes.

*Aerial view of the construction in Whistler Village, December 1980. Whistler Question Collection.*

The Whistler Village Land Company (WVLC) was a non-profit arm of the municipality incorporated in 1978 to oversee the sale and development of the Village. As land was sold, the WVLC would use the income to pay their liabilities, including loan repayments and development costs for municipal assets, notably the Arnold Palmer Golf Course and the Resort Centre intended to host a pool and ice rink (eventually the province dictated that the Conference Centre would be built instead). However, in the early 1980s when more lots were placed on the market they would not sell. To further financial woes, in July 1982, only 60% of taxes were paid to the municipality on time and they could charge a maximum of 10% on late payments, less than the bank’s interest rates. Between 1981 and 1982, the municipality’s capital budget was almost halved from $1 million to $650,000 and in 1982 municipal staff took a 2.5% pay cut.

With finances in dire straights, WVLC staff were let go and WVLC operations transferred to the municipality. With debts of approximately $8 million, no way to pay them, and creditors knocking, concerns were mounting that the banks would repossess assets worth far more than the loan amount. Banks could then sell these lands independently to developers, while the government would get nothing for the sale and still have to pay liabilities.

Bringing in the big guns. New Mayor Mark Angus takes Lands Minister Anthony Brummet and Assistant Deputy Lands Minister Chris Gray for a tour of the rebar with WRA Executive Director Earl Hansen in January 1983. Whistler Question Collection.

Whistler went to the provincial government for assistance. On January 6, 1983 it was announced that Whistler Land Company Developments, a new Crown corporation, had acquired the assets and liabilities of WVLC for $1. Government studies showed that all outstanding debts would be paid with future land sales and continued development would create many jobs, plus the expected revenue from tax and tourism. While there was uproar at the time about a taxpayer bailout, the provincial government went on to recoup far more than the initial investment through the land sales of Village North, and today Whistler brings in 25% of BC’s annual tourism revenue.

*Looking at some of the unfinished construction in Whistler Village. Whistler Question Collection.*

Hear how some of the Whistler community dealt with the economic crisis next week in Whistler at 22% Interest – Part 2.

This Week in Photos

This Week In Photos: October 18This Week In Photos: October 18

October 18, 2018 Whistler Museum 0 Comments

As we get further into each year we’re looking forward to seeing when the first snow fell. This week photos of snow in the valley turned up in 1982, 15 days later than 2018’s first snow on October 2.