Pictures taken last week of the unsightly mess left by the receding waters of Alpha Lake.Mud, water and more mud threaten to engulf this worker at the bottom of the new sewer line. Casano Construction ran into difficulty last week when an old creek hidden underground was unleashed.The heavy equipment preparing the site for the Whistler Vale Condominium site. Approval for this 36-unit development was given on Monday night, July 31.Stella and Murray Coates’ party over the weekend produced a fine turnout of locals in the balmy weather.
1979
The largest ballroom in town! – the completed A building of the Town Centre parking structure.The group at the Sailer Fischer Ski Camp party catered by the Keg. (L to R) Wayne Wong, Wayne Booth, Schultz, Nancy Greene, Toni Sailer, Rookie, Alan White.Some of the headlines recently appearing in the Vancouver newspapers about Whistler.Gulf Oil truck pumps gas into the Husky tanks during the gas shortage due to Trimac dispute.Vicki Vogler and Laura McGuffin with the new Whistler hiking book they produced – now on sale at the Information Centre for 75 cents.Four excited kids take part in the 3-legged race at the Summer Recreation sports day. P. Hocking photo.
1980
Mountain Inn – as it’s been for two months. New construction should start soon.Blacktop was laid along the Blackcomb Mountain access road from top to bottom. Reports are that a skateboard contest may be held there.Pacific Blasting is currently at work carving out the rock in the Bayshores subdivision. Whoever buys this lot will have a magnificent view of the valley all year long.
1981
Alta Lake Beach is crowded with sun-seekers on Sunday, August 2.Don Wildfong, project manager of Pemberton airport, takes a moment off work to pose in front of sign that welcomes recreational fliers to Pemberton.The Ham/Murphy residence in Alpine Meadows that was damaged by fire on July 30.Axes fly at Squamish Logger Days.Sails flapping, windsurfers in the first heat of the men’s Triangle races skim away from the starting line during the BC Windsurfing Championships.Ms. Sue Christopher, the new teacher at Myrtle Philip School who will be teaching the primary grades, replacing Mrs. Alexia Turner. Ms. Christopher previously taught for 5 years at Signal Hill Elementary in Pemberton.Elisa Wilson, Anton Deduluc, Melanie Busdon and Samantha O’Keefe test out the new playground equipment at Myrtle Philip School. Built by Industrial Arts students at Howe Sound Secondary School with lumber donated by Garibaldi Building Supplies, this structure is just the first phase of the facilities. The Whistler Parent/Teacher Group has raised the funds which will raise the equipment.ON YOUR MARKS… GET SET… and the 90 participants in the Whistler Rotary Fun Run were off. Men and women, boys and girls of all ages took part in the race on a sunny August 2nd, Sunday. The Rotary Club hopes to make it an annual event.
1982
They’re off and running at the Rotary Fun Run which started at Myrtle Philip School Saturday, July 31. Runners registered for a 2.5km or 7.5km run around the Lost Lake area.Willie Whistler strikes up the band to celebrate their third-place ribbon received in the Squamish Logger’s Sports Parade held Sunday, August 1.These three answered the question of the week: Jenny Busdon, Housewife, Whistler Cay resident; Larry Gunn, Whistler Courier, Alpine Meadows resident; Dave Kirk, Alta Vista resident.They were swingin’ in the rain throughout the slow-pitch tourney, but Chris Streatham, with his dry sense of humour, came up with this catchy solution.Andrew Stoner, owner of Whistler Windsurfing, now has to take a definite step up in the world to jump the gap between his docks on Alta Lake. The two docks, one floating and one stationary, were at equal levels one month ago.Dave Phillips and Doug Hoy go through one of their routines during the Great West Ski Show in Village Square Saturday, July 31st. Phillips executes a somersault – one of many freestyle manoeuvres he displayed for appreciative audiences.A grader sets to work levelling roads in the Alpine Meadows subdivision, where paving operations will begin shortly.
1984
Steve Martin? No, this wild and crazy guy is parks worker Ted Pryce-Jones who was out last week painting arrows and yellow lines on Valley Trail curves and bends. The new lines and arrows are designed to give cyclists and pedestrians warning and keep users to one side.Swimmer Shelley Warne was one of 36 swimmers who participated in the Sixth Annual Molson’s Fun Swim on Alta Lake Sunday. Warne swam from Wayside Park to Alta Lake Inn and back under the watchful eye of Marilyn Moore, who dusted off her bathtub derby craft for the occasion. Fun swim organizers report the event went off without a hitch. Other competitors in the swim included Sharon Daly, Joan Parnell, Mike McCroden, Leslie Bruse, Molly Boyd, Shawn Hughes and Daryl Stone. Men’s and women’s winners were John Puddicombe and Shirley Fay, who completed the three-mile course in times of just over a half-hour.George Kelly of Seattle was the 10,000th golfer to tee off at the Whistler Golf Course this year. Kelly, a food service distributor, played his round July 24. Bookings on the course are at 100 per cent most weekends and 80 per cent weekdays. Numbers are up considerably from last year when the 10,000th player came through in the second week of September. The only problem the course is having now is that players are having a hard time getting tee times.Members from the Alta Lake Community Club officially opened one of its five benches last Wednesday that it recently donated to the municipality. The club donated $1000 and parks planner Tom Barratt used the money to build the benches located along the Valley Trail. Trudy Gruetzke cut the ribbon opening the benches with other ALCC members, Heather Gamache, Nancy Treiber, Louise Zinsli, Evelyn Cullen, Marg Fox and Suzanne Wilson.
This week, like last week, we’ve got photos from every year of the Question Collection! From windsurfing to dentists, Doug and the Slugs to puppet shows, these photos represent what was going on in Whistler (and Pemberton) this week, many years ago.
1979
Windsurfers and sunbathers enjoy the Alta Vista dock.Dr. Ann Crowley, the new Pemberton Dentist.The chow line at the Ski Camp barbecue.Doug and the Slugs perform at the Ski Camp barbecue.The roads around Whistler Vale got paved this week.Terry Minger shows the Resort Association chart to the Whistler Rotary Club.
1980
The Husky gas station in Creekside sees steady business no matter the season.Arnold Palmer, former PGA Champion, explains some of the ideas intended for the course at Whistler, with diagram posted behind him.The Resort Centre doesn’t look like much but it will eventually have an Olympic-size ice rink. Something to look forward to during the late hot weather.
1981
Flag footballers take advantage of a sunny Sunday to show off some of their moves.Former Mayor Wendell Watson and Mayor Shirley Henry cut the Pemberton Village 25th Anniversary Cake.It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s super skier!Rain Coast Puppet Theatre group captivates an audience of young and old in Whistler Village Square on July 24.A sunny summer day and lush new landscaping – Mayor Pat Carleton and his wife Kay take advantage of Whistler at its finest to enjoy a stroll through Town Centre.One innovative sunbather found a unique way to beat the heat of Saturday, July 25 at the Rotary Wharf on Alta Lake.Bob Daly, recently of Surrey, has been appointed the new principal for Myrtle Philip Elementary School. Daly has 12 years teaching experience as well as experience as the head of a science department. In addition to his administrative functions, he will be teaching Grades 6 and 7 at MPES.
1982
One of the first customers makes an inquiry at the reception desk of the newly opened Delta Mountain Inn last Friday.Mayor Pat Carleton pushing lawn mower.“Surviving A Personal Financial Crisis” – a handbook.Competitors take aim during the First Annual International Dart Tournament held at the Longhorn July 23 – 25.
1983
Terry Booth, an electrician with Whistler Mountain (left), graduated at the top of his class at Pacific Vocational Institute and is presented a certificate by Peter Alder, vice president and general manager of Whistler Mountain. Booth studied electrical work at PVI in four two-month sessions over two and a half years. He is one of eight EMSC employees being sponsored for an apprenticeship program.Spanking new span over Culliton Creek is due to open by July 29 according to Vern Dancy, structural co-ordinator for Goodbrand Construction.Al Davis heads out for a sail on what he described as a “classic day” for windsurfing on Alta Lake. The weekend sun gave way to rain by Monday.Diane Eby, of Inge’s Hole in the Wall Gallery, has a wide selection of limited edition prints, reprints and posters for sale. The present collection, which includes pieces from $18 to $600 include works of Markgraf, Bateman and Lansdowne. The works on display will change at least once a month, Eby said.After the lesson on infant nutrition during the Mother-Infant Program, this group of mums headed over to the Sundial Restaurant to see to their own nutrition. (top row, l – r) Public Health Nurse Marilyn McIvor, Sheila Peters and Colin, Annie Sanderson and Patrick, Lezlie Lock and Jessica, Sandy Epplett and Patricia; (bottom row, l – r) Merrilyn Hoffmann and Christina and Karen Martin and Robyn.
1984
Master of Ceremonies Tom Thomson talks to Glenn Carlsen, the winner of Saturday’s 57 km Molson Lite Whistler Triathlon organized by the Alta Lake Sports Club.For thirsty triathletes competing in 27+ weather Saturday, watermelons in Village Square were a needed source of water for dehydrated competitors.Yes, the water was a bit cool Sunday morning for the first leg of the Junior Triathlon in Lost Lake.If the hydro’s going in to the new municipal hall, can the staff by far behind? Construction is advancing quickly as the staff at Function Junction tidy their desks in anticipation of the move back to the village scheduled for mid August.
Power lines dip treacherously after Sunday’s strong winds knocked large pieces of deadwood onto the line.The district track meet in Squamish got lucky with its weather.Someone was practicing their glass breaking at the liquor store last week. RCMP are investigating.A new BBQ ready to be installed at Alta Lake Wayside Park.Sarah, Wendy and Sid try to decide what to do with that nosy photographer during a party Friday.
1980
Arnold Palmer chats with the crowd towards the close of the official ceremony at the Whistler Golf Course.A chopper spins and dips above Whistler benchlands as the lowest lift of the three chair north face lift system is installed from top down.Casey Simpson, Eric Bredt, Devin Turner, Rachel Roberts, Corinne Valleau & Stephanie Simpson head out for their sprint with Terry Alway & Alex Marshall officiating.Phase II Parcel 16 takes shape with Whistler Chairlift N-14 rising through the trees on the left.Heavy Duty flat deck pulls out the last of two trailers that served as council chambers before Town Centre road construction forced the move.
1981
With a landscaped area, seed for lawn and new curbing in, Sunshine Place takes on a new look. Paving will add a finishing touch and should be completed by the end of July.Myrtle Philip looks on as Greg Beauregard receives the first ever Myrtle Philip Award. Mother Pat smiles proudly.Not to be outdone by the Myrtle Philip staff who were in last week’s paper, the staff from Signal Hill Elementary School in Pemberton pose for The Question.Contestants for the Miss Pemberton Contest look on as BC Minister of Highways, Alex Fraser, explains the provincial grant for Pemberton Airport.Madeline Domries and her pal Curly Jones wait with great expectations for their fourth prize at Dog Days in the Village Square.Dressed up at the Alta Lake Community Club Roaring Twenties Pot Luck Dinner, left to right: Max Maxwell, Kelly Maxwell, Diane Smith and Ken Domries.Susan McCance will run Whistler’s new daycare program.
1982
A chopper heads out with a bucket of water to help squelch the recent forest fire in Cheakamus.Jan Naylor displays some of the strawberries now ready for picking at the Naylor Berry Farm 3 km north of Pemberton.Stubborn as a mule! In spite of the efforts of the ‘D’Arcy Prospectors’ this donkey refused to cross the BCR tracks during the Pemberton Parade in celebration of Canada week.New stop signs often get ignored so the municipality placed reminders in front of this sign on the intersection of Rainbow, Matterhorn and Camino Drive.Not even the rain stopped these kids from a practice paddle on Alta Lake for the Whistler Country Guides Kids Races. Bad weather postponed the races to Saturday, July 3 at 9:30 at Wayside Park.
1983
Long-time Whistler residents Paul Mathews and Margot Sutcliffe shared a smile on their wedding day Saturday, June 25 at Whistler. Over 150 guests joined the celebration at the Sundial Restaurant.This house has found its new home on the streets of Whistler.Round and round and round they danced in celebration of summer. Whistler’s first Midsummer Fest, June 25-26, caught the imagination of hundreds, whether they were Scandinavian or not.Toni Sailer, six-time Olympic gold medalist, comes to Whistler from Austria every year to run the ski camp.Dave Murray and Floyd Wilkie have a pre-session consultation at the base of the t-bar.The Tapley’s Pub softball team poses for a group photo.Ken Harrop of Singapore Airlines showed his staff and took to the air Saturday during the obstacle race – part one of the three-part Battle of the Travel Stars. Thirty-seven travel agents took part in the two-day fun-filled FAM tour of Whistler.
1984
Scandinavian dancers and musicians filled the village over the weekend for traditional Midsummer festivities. Saturday and Sunday afternoon dancers in garb of the old country whirled about Village Square to folk tunes.Pemberton Mayor Shirley Henry officially opened the Pemberton Museum Saturday with help from West Vancouver-Howe Sound MLA John Reynolds and his wife Yvonne. Museum curator Margaret Fougberg says most of the collection, which features artifacts dating from the 1860s until the 1950s, was donated by townspeople. The museum building itself has a long history. It was built around 1895 and has been moved twice. It’s permanent location is on Prospect Street in Pemberton.Whistler Mountains’ miniature golf course at the gondola opened last week and immediately attracted a steady following. The 18-hole course costs $2 a round for adults, $1 for children and is open all day.Grade seven students went on a computer tour Friday, visiting municipal computers, Twin Peaks Property Management computers and the phototypesetting systems used by the Whistler Question. Pauline Wiebe, Question typesetter, shows students how the machine works.
This week in the 1980s was apparently all about the kids of Whistler, with the majority of the photos having to do with the Myrtle Philip School sports day, ballet recitals and the Whistler Children’s Art Festival.
1980
Refuse lies scattered all over the Rainbow substation bin site as a result of crows, people and bears. Council has promised to put a compactor in this location.The buildings and chairlifts on Blackcomb begin to take shape. The mountain is set to open for skiing this winter.The female half of the 58-member Kildala choir from Kitimat. The school group sang a number of popular tunes.Carol Fairhurst (left) and Cathy McNaught plan to continue their education – one in Mexico and the other in Calgary.A classic example of the Gothic arch home. Though not as common today, houses like these can still be found throughout Whistler.It’s not clear if this is a Whistler Question staff meeting or staff meal. The best part, however, may be the “No Smoking” sign on the table that threatens those who try will be hung by their toenails.
1981
Whistler’s new mascot (the as yet un-named marmot) shows off for students.John Reynolds, co-owner of Tapley’s Pub, presents Robert Miele, treasurer of the Whistler Athletic Association, with a cheque for $1000. The donation will go towards funding amateur athletics in the valley.Myrtle Philip Elementary School principal Alex Marshall is surrounded by his Angels at his ‘roast’ on Wednesday night.Whistler Ballet students who performed in Garibaldi School of Dance production of “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” and “Little Matchgirl”. The performance on Sunday, June 21 at The Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver was a complete sell out. Left to right: Brie Minger, Corinne Valleau, Jodi Rustad, Rachel Roberts and Melanie Busdon; Peaches Grant sitting.Hot Wheels – Students at Myrtle Philip Elementary School show off their creative talents in the bike decorating contest. The event was scheduled in conjunction with Sports Day which was moved inside because of the weather.A beer bottle was thrown through the window of the information centre.
1982
Competitor in the First Annual Whistler Off-Road Bike Race soars over a bump en route to Lost Lake and 25 miles of heavy pedalling.
1983
Captain Beckon rings out the good word on the Children’s Art Festival.Isobel MacLaurin shares her sketching talents with larger artists during one of the many workshops.Martial arts are also included in the Children’s Art Festival at Myrtle Philip School.The Pied Pear duo, Rick Scott and Joe Mock, perform with a little help from some members of the audience.Three Whistler divas (l – r) Melanie Busdon, Jodi Rustad and Corinne Valleau took part in the Garibaldi Shcool of Dance performance of “The Sleeping Princess” in Squamish and North Vancouver June 17 and 18. All shows, directed by Lynnette Kelley, were sold out.Clearing in by a mile Sean Murray (11) heads back to each leaving the high jump pole standing at 100 cm. It was a dripping wet sports day for students at Myrtle Philip School Wednesday but all events went on without a hitch under the eaves and in the school gym instead.Champion of the Tournament of Champions Brian Sandercock (right) accepts the trophy for low gross score from organizer Don Willoughby. The match first competition on Whistler Golf Course, which opened three days earlier, was held in drizzling rain June 17 and drew 140 swingers.
1984
The Extraordinary Clown Band was one of the highlights of this year’s Children’s Art Festival held Saturday and Sunday. While the band entranced youngsters with feats of juggling and slapstick, 65 workshops featuring pottery, break dancing and writing as well as many other artistic pursuits took place in Myrtle Philip School.Harley Paul and Bryan Hidi were just a ‘hanging’ around Friday in between events at the Myrtle Philip School sports day. Sports day events included a three-legged race for parents, nail-banging contest, long jumping and, of course, balloon sitting.A team of BMX freestyler cyclists added to the weekend’s festivities and gave Whistler just a taste of what things will be like here next summer when the BMX World Championships come to town. Two young performers on BMX bikes travelled from Pitt Meadows to represent the Lynx factory team.Staff of The Whistler Question, who recently received word that the newspaper has won a first-place national award for the second year in a row, are: (bottom row, l to r) Janis Roitenberg (office manager); Shannon Halkett (typesetting and graphics); Pauline Wiebe (typesetting and graphics); (top row l – r) Stew Muir (reporter); Glenda Bartosh (publisher); Kevin C. Griffin (editor).
