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Walking history of Whistler

Exploring Whistler’s history on foot, en masse
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Peak Pioneers Alex and Myrtle Philip (in dark clothing) with guests of the Rainbow Lodge at the peak of Whistler Mountain. Photo courtesy of Whistler Museum, wma_p89_0671_philip

It’s a typical sunny summer afternoon in Whistler — people are wandering out of the Visitor Information Centre, fresh off the tour buses, their arms laden with brightly coloured brochures offering thrill-seeking adventures to be found around town.

But if you want a real taste of Whistler, what you seek is just beyond of the doors of the info centre.

An innocuous sign posted outside signals the starting point of the Whistler Museum’s daily walking tour of Whistler, an hour-long adventure into the heart of the origins of this now-famous little ski resort.

Carol Guinn, one of the guides, is also a village host volunteer. She was one of the first people to ski Whistler back in 1966, and while she wasn’t a permanent resident until about four years ago, she’s been around for long enough to see the town morph from a small, hidden gem filled with hippies and squatters to the refined international ski destination that it is today.

This is the third year that the Whistler Museum has offered the daily walking tour of Whistler, which departs from the Visitor Information Centre at 1 p.m. At a mere $10 per person, it’s a great way for anyone to learn more about where Whistler came from, and hear about some of the bumps and bruises it’s been through along the way.

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived here, there always seems to be some odd fact about Whistler that have escaped you. Like the fact that Blackcomb is made of granite, while Whistler is actually volcanic rock, or that the land beneath the village used to be the town dump. With a laugh, Guinn recalls a time when dumping your trash in the evening was something of a social event, an opportunity to see who had made it up to ski on the weekend.

Accompanied by a family of five, Guinn starts the tour in Village Square, and begins her tale of Whistler with a story of the first people — the First Nations people of Squamish and Pemberton, who would gather in the area during the summer.

It wasn’t until a trapper by the name of John Millar told an ambitious and adventurous couple about the area’s plentiful fishing that Whistler — formerly known as Alta Lake — was “discovered”. That couple was Alex and Myrtle Philip. The Philips came to the area in 1914 to build a fishing lodge, purchasing a 10-acre parcel of land on Alta Lake for $700, where the original Rainbow Lodge was built. After a few years, their fishing lodge business grew to include 45 cabins that they rented out for $2 per night. Wow, even with inflation, Tourism Whistler can’t come close to that!

Guinn tells the story of the founding of Whistler with the help of notes and a handy binder of visual aids, complete with photos of the area, the Philips and their lodges. She also shares personal insights and quirky facts about the founding of the town. For example, did you know that the Philips actually adopted an orphaned bear cub? Go on the tour if you want to find out what happened to the cub once it grew up.

The tour moves throughout the village, and you’re simultaneously taken through time, transported to the 1960s, when Dave Mathews first envisioned the area as a future Olympic site, and Franz Wilhelmsen decided that London Mountain, as Whistler was formerly known, would be the best location for the event. A gondola, chairlift, and two T-bars were installed, and Whistler ski resort was born in 1966.

The Garibaldi Olympic Development Association (GODA) made four bids for the Winter Olympics, but it would take almost 40 years before the community would succeed in achieving its Olympic dream. Particularly now, with the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games right around the corner, it’s interesting to hear that, while some people aren’t all for the event, Whistler’s founding fathers have been gunning for the Games for over 40 years.

One of the lucky few who had the opportunity to ski Whistler Mountain when the ski runs first opened in February 1966, Guinn recalls the bitterly cold ride up the mountain, which was immediately followed by a session of thawing out around the fireplace in the Roundhouse. With a proud smile, she boasts that she taught her children how to ski on these hills, and is now giving her grandkids lessons.

The photos of the lift lineups from back in the early ’70s will make you think twice about complaining about that 10-minute wait you “endured” at the Red Chair on a busy Saturday afternoon in January.

In 1980, Blackcomb Mountain was opened, but it wasn’t until 1997 that the companies that operated Whistler and Blackcomb merged their operations under the Intrawest banner.

The best part of the museum tour is the insight offered up by the guide. Guinn clearly has roots in the community, and for someone visiting Whistler, or even someone new to the area, it’s pretty clear that she loves this town.

The next time you’re looking for something different to do on a sunny afternoon, try taking a trip back in time with the Whistler Museum.