From the photos, it looks like snow in the valley this week isn’t a given but certainly a possibility. We hope everyone enjoys opening day today, whether heading up the hill or not!
Looking through Whistler publications from the 1970s, it’s easy to see that building and design in Whistler has changed a lot over the decades. It’s rare today to see a newly constructed A-frame, Gothic arch cabin or a condo advertised using wall-to-wall shag carpeting as a selling point. Like the shag carpeting and A-frames, saunas also seem to be disappearing from town.
Not all saunas built in Whistler necessarily met the criteria of H.J. Viherjurri, one of the founding members of the Suomen Saunaseura (Finnish Sauna Society), to be considered a true sauna. He and other members defined a sauna as a room or hut built of wood and containing stones heated by some kind of stones. These stones heat the air to upwards of 160°F and water can be thrown on the stones to produce steam, called löyly. Viherjuuri explains that, unlike steam rooms, the air in a sauna remains dry as the moisture is instantly absorbed by the wooden walls of the room.
Also important to be considered a true sauna is the multi-round process of alternately heating and cooling, whether by a cold shower, jumping in a lake or even rolling in snow. The process often also includes light beating with leafy birch branches to clean the skin. Without known how saunas built in Whistler were used in the 1970s it is impossible to assume they met the requirements of this definition. The term sauna was, however, used to attract buyers and visitors to various properties.
In advertisements placed in Garibaldi’s Whistler News the Christiana Inn, Highland Lodge, Cheakamus Inn, Ski Boot Lodge and Whistler Inn all featured the word sauna among their various assets. The Whistler Inn, described as “an ultra modern, yet rustic lodge” listed their sauna first among their attractions “available for your added enjoyment and comfort”.
Many of the condominiums built around Whistler at the time also included saunas, whether private or shared, for the use of guests and residents. Blackcomb Condominiums, Telemark Townhouses and Alpenforst condos all had saunas available and the “very deluxe units” of Adventures West included “dishawashers, saunas, washing machines and dryers”.
Perhaps best known is the example of Tamarisk. The first phase of Tamarisk, built in 1973, included 146 units, each featuring a sunken living area, a “massive stone fireplace”, shag carpet and a private sauna.
Saunas remained a popular part of aprés-ski culture into the 1980s. For those who didn’t already have their own sauna Wedge Mountain Construction advertised in The Whistler Answer in December 1980 that they could build one for you. You could also purchase a freestanding sauna kit from California Pool & Spa for $900.
Though houses may still contain saunas, many of these rooms are now used for purposes other than bathing. Growing up in a 1980s house built with one of these wooden rooms, some small children thought sauna was just another word for storeroom. Rather than attract buyers with the promise of their own private sauna, house listings today are more likely to advertise a Tamarisk unit with a converted sauna.
While saunas may not be nearly as prevalent as during their 1970s ’80s heyday, they can still be found in Whistler at Meadow Park Sports Centre, various hotels, the Scandinave Spa and even some private residences.
This week of 1984 includes some photos from Beer League Slo-pitch Banquet. For more photos of the trophies mentioned, take a look here – some of them are quite interestingly crafted.
November has traditionally been a time of arrivals in Whistler: the snow arrives in the valley (we hope) and new faces arrive for the upcoming season.
Over the past week you may have seen some (or been one) of these new residents throughout town getting their scavenger hunt passports stamped, attending classes at Meadow Park Sports Centre or playing board games at the Whistler Public Library.
All of these activities are part of Connect Whistler, a weeklong Whistler introduction put on by Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) and community partners. Though the name may not sound familiar, the idea behind it should be. After all, WCSS has been officially welcoming new arrivals to Whistler for over a decade.
The first Whistler Welcome Week was put on in November 2003 by WCSS youth outreach workers Tessa McLoughlin and Greg McDonnell. The week was designed to resemble “a healthier version of a university frosh week” and offered five alcohol-free events attended by over 1,300 people.
Some events, such as a volunteer fair and scavenger hunt, familiarized attendees with services and businesses available in Whistler. There was also a snowboard film screening and the Moist Pool Party held at Meadow Park. The week’s festivities culminated in Saturday’s Community Welcome Dinner.
Held at the conference centre, the Community Welcome Dinner sat new residents and old at a table together to share a meal provided by some of the town’s top chefs. Whistler’s then-Mayor Hugh O’Reilly and his wife got to know eight young Australians the first year, discussing travel and the upcoming season.
The following year, the dinner was renamed in honour of Jill Ackhurst, a long-time community member and chair of the WCSS board of directors who died in 2003.
With the support of community partners such as LUNA, Whistler Blackcomb, Tourism Whistler and the RMOW, most of these events would remain Welcome Week staples over the next 12 years.
Other events were also added, ranging from a community rummage sale to workshops on tenants’ rights.
In 2016, WCSS announced a rebranding of Welcome Week. The scavenger hunt, which used to be a single afternoon’s activity, has been reformed as a week-long opportunity to find and get familiar with local businesses and services, including the new WCSS building, the Re-Use-It Centre, the Whistler Library and even the Whistler Museum, with the incentive of some pretty great prizes.
Participants are also offered a chance to try out classes at Meadow Park, devour Rotary pancakes and ensure a good winter season by taking a plunge in Lost Lake.
Last night the Whistler Museum hosted Feeding the Spirit, the last in a long list of Connect Whistler events. Thank you to everyone who joined up and we hope you learned something about Whistler’s history (if not, we’re open daily!).
A huge thank you to Creekside Market for their ongoing support of Feeding the Spirit, as well as all the local businesses that generously provide prizes.