In the 1980s the Whistler Question began posing a question to three to six people and publishing their responses under “Whistler’s Answers” (not to be confused with the Whistler Answer). Each week, we’ll be sharing one question and the answers given back in 1986. Please note, all names/answers/occupations/neighbourhoods represent information given to the Question at the time of publishing and do not necessarily reflect the person today.
Some context for this week’s question: This one seems pretty self explanatory, so we think we’ll leave it there.
Question: What do you think of the installation of pay parking in the Village?
Val Jazic – Owner/Manager – Alpine Meadows
I think it will decrease the community atmosphere in the village, in that locals will go elsewhere. People don’t want to pay $3 to drop in for an ice cream. Cabin people coming up from Vancouver will get their supplies before they come. It will leave the village more for the tourists, because the hotels have their own parking. But it’s a resort, not a downtown urban centre where you expect to pay. It’s a bad first impression for visitors.
Bob Madiuk – Land Developer – Whistler Cay Heights
It stinks, I think there should be one-hour parking. But it’s not going to have much impact, people will pay when it comes right down to it. People will be bothered by it – pulling in for a quick stop is important. But deficit financing is no good, and it will save on taxes. It’s good that people want to make money and anything that keeps my property taxes down is good.
Doris Carey – Owner – Whistler
I think it’s very bad for us. If people want a cup of coffee or loaf of bread, they don’t want to have to pay. I think they should allow one or two hours before people have to pay, or there should be some place where people don’t have to pay every time. I think the Keg VIP lot should definitely be free. It’s bad for Whistler overall, it’s going to give us a bad name. I don’t think they understand what’s happening, they don’t live here. I think they should’ve had a forum beforehand.
In the 1980s the Whistler Question began posing a question to three to six people and publishing their responses under “Whistler’s Answers” (not to be confused with the Whistler Answer). Each week, we’ll be sharing one question and the answers given back in 1986. Please note, all names/answers/occupations/neighbourhoods represent information given to the Question at the time of publishing and do not necessarily reflect the person today.
Some context for this week’s question: A general election was called for British Columbia on October 22, 1986. Just a few months before, the Socred party had chosen Bill Vander Zalm as their new leader at a convention in Whistler following the resignation of Bill Bennett. In this election, the Socreds won their fourth (and final) consecutive majority government despite winning less than 50% of the popular vote.
Question: What do you think are the issues in this provincial election?
Peter Thomson – Construction Worker – White Gold
Gambling is an issue, especially to Whistler residents. And the labour movement. The Socreds are union busting a bit, and I think that’s good, though a lot of people think it’s bad. I like the looks of the Socreds better, because they want to promote big business. If the economy is doing good, everybody will make money. Whistler people especially should be Socreds. Gambling has negative aspects. You will get the kind of people who come for that.
Diane Pingle – Legal Stenographer – Vancouver
I think they could improve on education. They talk about people doing poorly in university, but they haven’t had a chance because they haven’t been taught well in the schools. And those are the people who will be making the decisions in the future. Meanwhile, they’ve been pumping money into Expo. We’re becoming non-competitive in the resource industries. Other countries all over the world can now produce the natural resources for less. Whoever is elected has to step in and resolve the lumber dispute as soon as possible.
Gary Crook – Supervisor, Lumber – Emerald Estates
I guess the employment situation is probably the most important thing. There are some major problems with lumber tariffs, and we need reforestation. We need diversification i our industry and business. Tourism is one field, but there are lots of others. They should promote foreign investment and create tax breaks so the locals will invest, too. And if old Bill can guarantee snow for the first of November, he’ll get my vote.
Though Whistler Mountain opened for skiing in January 1966 with no Roundhouse and few on-mountain amenities, when Blackcomb Mountain began its operations in December 1980 the Rendezvous Lodge and the daylodge at Base II were both already up and running. Over the years, as Blackcomb gained more customers, these facilities were added onto and more were added, including the Glacier Creek Lodge in 1993.
In 1980, both the Rendezvous and the daylodge offered food services run by the Parsons family and were fulling equipped with running water and washroom facilities. According to Hugh Smythe, president of Blackcomb Ski Enterprises, his experiences with washrooms at Whistler Mountain led him to believe that these facilities were not going to be enough. He recalled discussions with the architects where he tried to convince them to add more washrooms to the plans but both the design of the buildings and the budget prevented adding more facilities. As Blackcomb skier visits increased, more washrooms were added to the Rendezvous through the addition of construction washroom trailers that were bolted to the bottom floor. When the building was expanded and Christine’s Restaurant was added, the bottom floor was also expanded and more washrooms were included in the building, replacing the trailers.
Blackcomb Mountain didn’t just advertise its women’s washrooms, it also took promotional photos of the men’s room. Blackcomb Mountain Collection, Randy Lincks
Blackcomb Mountain decided to take no chances when it came to planning the washroom facilities for the Glacier Creek Lodge, though the building itself did come close to looking entirely different than it does today. Smythe remembers that the team at Blackcomb, then owned by Intrawest Resort Holdings Inc., originally asked the architects for a shed roof design, similar to the Bugaboo Lodge and the daylodge at Sunshine Village. Situated at the bottom of the Jersey Cream Express and the Glacier Express, the 1,000 seat restaurant was designed to look up the lift lines and capture as much sunlight as possible and featured industrial elements such as metal beams. As they neared the construction window, however, Blackcomb asked for an architectural rendering that they could put on display. According to Smythe, despite having seen all of the plans and being involved in the process, one look at the rendering was enough to realize that the design was all wrong.
Glacier Creek Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain. Insight Photography Collection
Blackcomb engaged new architects, a husband and wife team called Lutz & Associates, and got to work on a new design. Smythe recalled one presentation at which the architects had something under a sheet in the middle of the table. Throughout the presentation, Smythe kept getting distracted by the mysterious object until finally they pulled the sheet off to reveal a model of Glacier Creek Lodge. Like with the architectural rendering, one look was enough for Smythe to say, “That’s what we need.” Metal beams were switched for large log posts and there was even money in the budget to commission root chandeliers from Eric Skragg.
By October 1993, the 30,000 sq ft Glacier Creek Lodge was nearing completion. It included 1,000 seats spread out over two levels, an additional 600 seat patio, and ten food court stations. According to the Whistler Question, the building also included “one of the largest washrooms in North America, complete with 38 stalls.” The size of the washrooms was even used in the marketing for the new facility. In November 1993, the Question featured an image captured by photojournalist Bonny Makarewicz showing a line of toilets before the partitions were installed and captioned “OK! Who left the seat up? Toilets in the ladies room sit awaiting stalls in the new Glacier Creek restaurant, Tuesday. The women’s can will feature 38 toilets.” A similar image and caption was also used in a ski magazine.
A line of stalls in the Glacier Creek Lodge washroom. Blackcomb Mountain Collection, Randy Lincks
Whistler Mountain renovated Pika’s restaurant that same season, doubling the size and increasing the women’s washrooms from nine to 26 stalls. By the 1990s, both mountains had come a long way from the amenities and outhouses offered to early skiers on Whistler Mountain.
In the 1980s the Whistler Question began posing a question to three to six people and publishing their responses under “Whistler’s Answers” (not to be confused with the Whistler Answer). Each week, we’ll be sharing one question and the answers given back in 1986. Please note, all names/answers/occupations/neighbourhoods represent information given to the Question at the time of publishing and do not necessarily reflect the person today.
Some context for this week’s question: Vancouver hosted the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, usually referred to as Expo ’86, from May to October 1986. With over 40 nations participating, it was expected that Expo 86 would increase international awareness of Vancouver and the surrounding areas and many hoped that tourism would increase as a result. Find out more about Whistler’s contribution to Expo 86 here.
Question: Do you think Expo has been worth it?
John Noldner – Municipal Labourer – Parkhurst
Yes, I do. It has gotten people’s minds off the problems of BC, for one thing. And a good part of North America is more aware of what BC has to offer, tourism-wise. I’m sure that in the long run we will reap much more than has been spent on Expo. I think it’s laying the foundation for tourism and investment. The money is all coming from the lotteries, anyhow.
Sandy Belczyk – Bartender – Emerald Estates
Yes, I do. It’s been especially a bonus for the people in Vancouver, and I think it has even helped up here. Many of people don’t think so, but it brought a lot of people up in September. Where I work, it kept the place busy. Through the summer it was people from all over, now it’s more people from southwest BC because it’s past the part of the year when people make long trips.
El Gordon – Collector – Alpine Meadows
No. For what it amounts to, it was money that could have been better spent. Of course, they will argue that what it brought in in tourism will make up for any deficit. But I think BC is already a bit of a gold mine. They could have spent a lot less and still promoted it. I found with my three-day pass, I went the first time and that was basically enough.
