A look back at the local census 105 years agoA look back at the local census 105 years ago
Featured Image: Alta Lake’s original general store and post office, located at Rainbow Lodge, 1920s. Philip Collection
In 1921, fewer than 100 people lived in the place now known as Whistler.
That’s according to the 1921 census, which recorded just 98 people living here.
In 2021, one hundred years later, that number would jump to 13,982 living in Whistler.
This year is a census year in Canada—that federal survey conducted regularly to shed light on the Canadian population.
One-hundred-and-five years ago, the area now known as Whistler had 84 adults residing between McGuire to the south (the since-abandoned logging camp near Brandywine Falls, with its own Pacific Great Eastern Railway stop) and Green River to the north.
In 1921, there were 14 people living in the valley under 21 years old (the then age of majority). The oldest members of the community were three 67-year-olds, the youngest was a one-year old. The bulk of the population was focused around two hubs: Alta Lake being the primary, followed by Green Lake and River area. All mail was received and sent through the Alta Lake Post Office at Rainbow Lodge, established in 1915.
Fifteen different countries were listed, at the time, as peoples’ birthplace, already hinting at the diverse demographic that makes up Whistler’s population today.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of the census is the list of jobs in 1921. From miner to woodsman, labourer to teamster, cook to carpenter: resource-based livelihoods dominated. The highest reported income, by far, was that of Alex Philip: co-proprietor of Rainbow Lodge along with his wife Myrtle Philip. His annual income was recorded as $3,000. Nothing was recorded for Myrtle.
Three people reported incomes of $2,000: two were engineers for the railway and one a purchasing agent.
Twenty-six of the 98 were female, representing 26.5 per cent of the population. Only three women recorded income. A nurse reported earning $1,000, a cook $600 and a housekeeper $150.
In 2023, Pique Newsmagazine reported: “In 2020, women in Whistler made a median annual wage of $41,200, or about $22.64 hourly, while local men earned a median total income of $47,600, or $26.15 per hour,” Pique Newsmagazine reported in 2023. “About 56 per cent of Whistler’s population of 13,983 took home a total annual income of $50,000 or less in 2021, or $27 per hour with a 35-hour workweek.”
Forty-four of the 84 adults, more than half, reported their marital status as single in 1921. Thirty-three reported themselves as married and seven as widowed.
The detailed information gathered in the 1921 census was released following a standard 92-year privacy waiting period.
Census records have been an important source of information in Canada used for research and policy-making. The first census was conducted in New France (modern day Québec) by Jean Talon in 1666. The Constitution Act of 1867 later established the requirement for a national census every 10 years.
Census data can reveal population trends, occupations, family structures and patterns of settlement. In the context of museum work, when combined with archival and research sources such as newspapers, photographs and oral histories, census data can help build a broader understanding of a community’s past.
However, census records are not without limitations. They capture only a single moment in time and can reflect the biases, omissions, and record-keeping and gathering practices of an era. As a result, they necessarily must be considered alongside other sources.
Present-day Whistler represents a dynamic social and cultural mosaic. On Friday, June 12, the resort will celebrate its diversity through the Whistler Multicultural Festival. The event takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. in Florence Petersen Park by the Whistler Public Library. Museum staffers will be on hand to greet guests with an activity tent. For more information visit festival.wmsociety.ca.
