Tag: Whistler Resort Association

Fool Me Once…Fool Me Once…

April 23, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

As far as we know, Drew Meredith never did win the lottery, as discussed in last week’s article about the Whistler Question‘s April Fools article of 1982. Other prank articles published by the Question, however, were far less far-fetched, such as the ones published in 1984.

The banner headline of the Question on March 29, 1984 read “SoCreds OK User Tax.” In the article, editor Kevin Griffin described how the provincial government had “set a Canadian precedent” when it made changes to the Municipal Act allowing resort towns with a population under 10,000 “to levy a local sales tax of up to two per cent” on liquor sale “by the drink,” day ski passes, meals, hotels, short term rentals, and retail goods. The revenue would be collected by the province and then redistributed back to municipal governments of resort towns.

SoCred Premier Bill Bennett is led on a tour through the Whistler Village by Mayor Pat Carleton in 1980. The SoCred party was in power during much of the early development of Whistler Village. Whistler Question Collection

In the article, Minister of Municipal Affairs Bill Curtis was reported to have said that the government recognized that resort towns often “unduly tax local ratepayers to provide needed resort amenities” and that this change was meant to address that tax burden.

Whistler’s Mayor Mark Angus was also quoted in the article pointing out similar taxes used in American ski resorts such as Sun Valley and Aspen. He and the Whistler Resort Association were both described as in support of the new tax and expected tax money to go towards park maintenance, snow clearing, a free bus system, and other projects.

Like in previous years, the front page of the Question included other articles along the same line, one detailing the proposed free bus system and another about a fountain that would be built with money from the new tax to improve Village Square, which was described as “a ‘black hole’ and a place without a focus.”

Landscape architect Eldon Beck shows off the features of Village Square in the early 1980s, though some people supposedly thought that the area could really use a fountain. Beck Collection.

Those who read these stories would have quickly realized that there was no such new tax, and therefore no free buses or new fountain in the works (though there had been a shuttle bus operating the previous year funded by a municipal grant, advertising, and passenger fares). Towards the end of the main article, quotes from Al Raine were followed by the statement that “Raine also added that he didn’t mind being quoted in an April Fool’s story because he agreed with the thrust of the article anyway.”

According to the accompanying editorial, the topic of a user tax was chosen because the Question decided to write articles that they would like to see in the paper and to generate discussion among the community and levels of government. The paper also asked visitors to the resort what they thought of a municipal sales tax for their “Whistler’s Answers” feature. Though most were against paying more for their visit, one visitor from San Francisco said, “I wouldn’t mind at all. A lot of American visitors look at the exchange rate and it’s not too bad. If they can take two per cent and turn it around to make it work for the community, it’s all right.”

Whistler’s Answers: March 29, 1984

The following week, three residents were asked what they thought of the April Fool’s stories and Mark Angus was quoted (truthfully this time) to say “As long as you take it lightly no damage is done,” and one resident said that it was made more believable because they had seen user taxes in other resorts. Not everyone appreciated the joke articles, however. One letter to the editor the following week was unimpressed and claimed that it was “presumptuous” to assume that readers would read the complete story and explanatory editorial rather than just the headline and that such a headline could prevent visitors from returning.

Throughout the month of April the Question published other articles about how such taxes worked in various American resorts, where Whistler’s funding currently came from and more. In 1987, the provincial government established the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT), which applies to short-term tourist accommodations. While not exactly like the tax proposed by the Question in 1984, the MRDT has similar aims and the paper was able to report on the story without having to create their own quotations.

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WSSF: The BeginningWSSF: The Beginning

April 9, 2024 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

April is the last month for our temporary exhibit Off the Lip: The Rise of Snowboarding in Whistler. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, make sure you stop by before it closes to allow for the installation of another new exhibit. Although Off the Lip is the first exhibit dedicated to snowboarding in our current facility, the museum’s first snowboard display took place in April 1996 and was developed to coincide with the very first World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF).

According to festival director Doug Perry, the organizers of the WSSF had two goals when they began planning: to increase activity in the resort at a traditionally quiet time of year and to attract as much media attention as possible. To this end, they planned 22 events over ten days with 1,500 athletes participating.

Insight Photography Collection, 1996

The 1996 festival brought together established events that already took place in the spring such as the Couloir Ski Race Extreme, the Whistler Cup, and the WestBeach Classic and added more events both on the mountain and throughout the Whistler Village. These included family events, related arts and culture events such as the snowboard exhibit at the Whistler Museum, industry displays and demos, more ski and snowboard competitions, and performances by nearly a dozen bands in various venues over three days with Vancouver’s 54•40 closing out the festival. By the end of the ten days, Perry had head the festival described as “the single most important happening in the ski and snowboard industry” and organizers were already looking ahead, promising an even bigger and better festival next year.

The WSSF returned in 1997 from April 4 to 13, including many of the same events. Additional events were planned as well, including two biking events meant to take place on the mountains. The Grinders Cup Dual Eliminator Mountain Bike Snow Race was scheduled to run on Blackcomb Mountain under the Magic Chair but was canceled due to lack of interest by competitors. The Norco Challenge did go ahead and featured Norco factory riders trying to gain as much speed as possible down Whistler Mountain’s Saddle.

WestBeach events were incredibly popular during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival. Insight Photography Collection, 1997

Some of the snow events also raised money for various causes, such as the Backbone Enduro Vertical Challenge coordinated by Chris Kent. Teams and individuals competed to see who could finish the most runs over an eight-hour period while uploading only the Creekside Gondola and the Red Chair. Competitors collected sponsorships and the money raised went to a rehabilitative medical research centre proposed by BC Rehab and to the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre.

This appears to be the only photo we have found of Heaven at the Conference Centre so far. Insight Photography Collection, 1997

Other organizations also got involved in the festival through partnerships and by creating their own tie-in events, increasing the number of arts and culture events within the WSSF. The Whistler Resort Association (WRA) offered a new “Stay for Free” promotion where buying three days of dual mountain skiing got you two nights in a hotel for free. Heaven, advertised as a “full-on all-night interactive rave,” planned to turn the Conference Centre ballroom into a dance club with DJs from Toronto and Los Angeles. 23 bands were scheduled to play throughout the festival and, for the first time, film was introduced as a component of the festival with the Moving Pictures film festival featuring “some of the hottest and most controversial Canadian films from the past year.”

The Air Canada Whistler Cup was incorporated into the WSSF from 1996. Though no longer part of the festival, the Whistler Cup continues to run each year. Insight Photography Collection, 1997

According to statistics gathered just after the WSSF finished, the festival was a great success for the resort. Over 2,000 athletes came out that year to participate in the various events and the audiences for most events also increased, with over 8,000 spectators gathering at the base of Whistler Mountain to watch the WestBeach Invitational Big Air competition. Both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains reported their highest single-day skier numbers for the month of April on April 5 and the WRA reported bookings exceeding the 1996 WSSF by about 80% and an increase in package bookings of 200%. Though not all businesses reported their numbers, the Longhorn and McDonald’s both reported record sales days during the WSSF.

The WSSF is back again this year from April 8 to 14 and, though it has changed in many ways since it first began in 1996, will still include some familiar aspects.

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Circles of W’s and a Marmot Named WillieCircles of W’s and a Marmot Named Willie

December 19, 2023 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

In the 1980s and 90s, two trademarked symbols of the Whistler Resort Association (WRA, now doing business as Tourism Whistler) could frequently be seen around the town: a circle of W’s and a marmot named Willie Whistler.

The circle of W’s was originally developed for the Whistler Village Land Company (WVLC) in 1978 by Robert McIlhargey (an architectural illustrator) and his colleagues Dave Clifford and Lori Brown. The Whistler Village had not yet been built at the time, but the logo was soon in use around the valley, such as on signs at the Whistler Village site. In 1979, Don Willoughby and Geoff Power of Willpower Enterprises were given permission to produce 1,000 t-shirts using the logo as souvenirs of the World Cup race that didn’t end up going ahead on Whistler Mountain. Similarly, the WRA later allowed full-members, corporate supporters, and members-at-large to use the logo. Though they did charge for commercial use, it cost nothing for members to add the circle of W’s to to their business cards and signs.

Signs put up in the area of the Whistler Village site by the Whistler Village Land Company. Whistler Question Collection

Though the WVLC did not survive the recession of the early 1980s, the logo did and was used widely by the WRA. In the January 3, 1985 issue of the Whistler Question, the circle of W’s was referred to by Stew Muir as “the official Whistler insignia” and it had become so popular that the WRA was beginning to “clamp down” on its unofficial use by other parties.

Looking back on his work in 1985, McIlhargey described the concept behind the logo. The design team reportedly decided to work with a circle because it was “a neat and tidy way of doing a symbol.” According to McIlhargey, the result was ideal for a four season resort because “it could be winter or it could be summer. In one sense it’s a snowflake, and in another you see a sunburst.” For the typeface of any words beneath the W’s, they chose Frankfurter because “it’s friendly, soft and looks a bit like a cornice or snow.”

The W’s and Frankfurter fonts were used on many signs throughout Whistler. Whistler Question Collection

The design guidelines developed with the logo suggested that in the “best circumstances,” the logo would be red with a silver background; however, most people are probably more familiar with it in white against a contrasting background, such as the wood of highway and Village signs.

By 1985, the circle of W’s could be found on signs, turtlenecks, letterheads, and the t-shirt and hat of Willie Whistler. Willie Whistler was developed as the WRA’s mascot in 1981. The marmot was named by eight-year-old Tammi Wick in a naming contest (she won a Blackcomb season pass for her idea) and introduced to the public at the first Fall Festival. From then, Willie Whistler could be found at most events in the resort. The mascot was reportedly trademarked in order to “prevent a doll manufacturer from reproducing mini-Willies without permission.”

When listing ideas for dolls of Willie Whistler, suggestions included “Willie golfing, Willie playing tennis, Willie meeting Barbie,” and more. He did, in fact, do most of these things (or close to them) during his time as Whistler’s mascot. Willie Whistler golfed with Arnold Palmer, competed in ski races, presented awards, and met visiting celebrities and dignitaries, including touring the Village with then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his son Justin in 1982.

Willie Whistler poses in his WRA logo wear with a ski class on Whistler Mountain. Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation Collection

Both the circle of W’s and Willie Whistler were still in use into the 1990s, though Willie Whistler’s appearances were becoming less frequent. Today, the Willie Whistler costume has been lost to the landfill and both the logo and the name of the WRA have changed. You can still find circles of W’s throughout Whistler, however, whether on a few original signs in the Village (take a look up at the buildings on Skiers Approach), now-vintage clothing, or some bridges on trails throughout the valley. You can find more recent productions of the logo on mugs and shirts available at the Whistle Museum or, this past summer, on hats from the Whistler Golf Club to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

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Whistler’s Annual Chili Cook-offWhistler’s Annual Chili Cook-off

July 11, 2023 Whistler MuseumWhistler Museum 0 Comments

There are many different ways to fundraise, whether asking for donations, applying for grants, or hosting events. Though some of Whistler’s fundraiser events have continued for decades, others lasted only a few years, such as the Annual Chili Cook-off hosted by the Whistler Resort Association (WRA; today known as Tourism Whistler) and the Whistler Health Planning Society.

The Society had formed in 1982 to fundraise for a dedicated medical facility in Whistler. The Whistler Medical Centre opened in a double-wide trailer in September 1982, but the Society continued to fundraise for a larger permanent facility and more equipment. Their Annual Chili Cook-off took place as part of a larger program events over the first weekend of July in the early 1980s.

Craig McKenzie of the Whistler Health Planning Society inspects the trailer brought into position adjacent to the Sports & Convention Centre for Whistler’s new medical clinic. Whistler Question Collection, 1982

The First Annual Chili Cook-off was held in Village Square on July 3, 1983. Teams were given five hours to cook enough chili to feed all the judges and some spectators. According to the Whistler Question, there were a lot of theories floating around Village Square about what made a good chili and how to win, including “bacon fat gives flavour,” “cubed beef is the meat to use,” and “beer is the secret ingredient.” The real answer, however, was probably to try to appeal to the six “celebrity” judges: Whistler Mayor Mark Angus, Monica Hayes of Westin Bayshores, Glen Tolling of Molson, restaurateur Umberto Menghi, summer ski coach Toni Sailer, and John Creelman. According to Ted Nebbeling, head cook of the “Gourmez” team who took first place, the real secret was to surprise the judges by using 60 different spices. Nebbeling, along with teammates Susan Howard, Val Lang and Wendy Meredith, were awarded with a spot at the Canadian Chili Championship taking place at the Westing Bayshores Hotel in Vancouver later that summer.

The Gambling Gourmet of Whistler got a first for costumes but placed out of the money for their chili during the 1983 Canadian Chili Championship at Westin Bayshore Saturday. It seems a picky judge didn’t like vegetables in chili. Oh well, there’s always next year. Congratulations to the Gambling Gourmet Team! Pictured here: Chef Ted Nebbeling, Susan Howard and Valerie Lang. Whistler Question Collection, 1983

Chili cooking wasn’t the only activity on offer in Village Square. There were also games for spectators such as apple bobbing, a fishing pond, and a seed spitting contest. By the end of the day, the First Annual Chili Cook-off raised almost $1,000 for the Whistler Health Planning Society.

The Annual Chili Cook-off was back in July 1984 to raise $700 for the purchase of medical equipment. The judging panel featured six Vancouver broadcasters, returning judges Mark Angus and Toni Sailer, and Canadian Chili Championship organizer Mike Murphy. Six teams competed with varying levels of skill. Angus described one entry as “like a spaghetti sauce” and another as resembling “a famous brandname of cat food.” The “Gambling Gourmez” won for the second year in a row and went on to compete again at the Canadian Chili Championship.

Making good chili wasn’t the only way to win a prize that year. There was also a prize for “best showmanship,” which went to the “Medics” team. Teams competed in costume and with props, each trying to outdo the other. As a fundraiser for the Whistler Medical Centre, the “Medics” fully embraced the cause and featured surgical gear, patients and a puppet while creating their chili.

It’s not just what you make, it’s how you make it! Winner of showmanship laurels for Sunday’s chili cook-off went to the Medics, whose chili didn’t go down well with the judges, but at least stayed down. Whistler Question Collection, 1984

By the summer of 1985, the Whistler Health Planning Society had restructured as the Whistler Health Care Society and were continuing to fundraise for their 1986 move into the Municipal Hall basement. The third Annual Chili Cook-off raised $600 towards this goal, despite moving from Village Square to Myrtle Philip School. The event had a Gold Rush theme and featured cancan dancers, the Sweet Adeline Quartet, and gold panning demonstrations.

It appears that this was the last Annual Chili Cook-off, as we can’t find any record of one in July 1986. However, the Whistler Health Care Society and now the Whistler Health Care Foundation continue to fundraise for health services in Whistler today.

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