Whistler’s Valley Trail will soon once again fill with footsteps in support of seniors and those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia—but this year, the money raised will stay closer to home.
The Whistler Elders Enrichment Society (WEE) is launching its first-ever Walk for Seniors and Those Living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia on Saturday, May 24, with hopes of establishing it as a new local tradition—and fundraising cornerstone. The event replaces the former Alzheimer Society walk and will follow the same familiar route around the Valley Trail and Whistler Golf Club.
Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. at the Myrtle Philip Community School’s Millar Room. The walk begins shortly after and will be followed by a barbecue hosted by the Rotary Club of Whistler, and a silent auction featuring prizes from local businesses.
“It’s open to everybody—families, grandparents, children,” said WEE director Wendy Barber. “This is about celebrating Whistler seniors and keeping them in our minds and our hearts.”
Barber explained while past walks raised funds for the Alzheimer Society of B.C., local organizers felt the benefits weren’t flowing back to Whistler. Last year, they decided to chart a new path forward by keeping the fundraising local.
“All the money raised this year will stay in Whistler,” she said. “It will support programs for seniors, especially those living with dementia, and we hope to earmark some of it for a future facility for elders in the village.”
WEE acts as the fundraising arm of the Mature Action Community (MAC), which provides programs to help local seniors age in place. These include weekly social meetups like Coffee and Conversation, as well as Bike, Hike and Walk, and the increasingly vital Making Connections program.
Led by Charalyn Kriz, Making Connections is a weekly support group for people with cognitive decline and their caregivers. It has become a “lifesaver,” according to attendees, and faces a space crunch due to renovations at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church, where it’s held.
Participants who donate $100 will receive a T-shirt commemorating the walk, and smaller donators can purchase the garment.
Also new for WEE is a website, with a Whistler-inspired logo designed by Barber and her daughter, showcasing a skier, hiker, biker and runner.
No formal fundraising goal has been set this year, but Barber said the broader vision is clear: “We want to find a permanent, safe, easily accessible space for seniors. That’s our main goal.”
Organizers have allotted about two hours for the walk and hope the familiar route will encourage longtime supporters and new participants alike to join.
More details are available at whistlerelders.ca, where donations can be sent via e-transfer. Credit card payments are expected to be available soon, and cash will also be accepted at the event.
“We wanted this first year to feel familiar,” said Barber. “But we’re open to changing things up in the future—different routes, different locations. For now, we’re just excited to see the community come together and show up for our seniors.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that causes memory loss, dementia, and a gradual decline in physical functions, often over several years. It is ultimately fatal.
The Alzheimer Society estimates 771,939 people in Canada have dementia as of 2025 and one million are expected to live with the disease by 2030. That number will grow to 1.7 million by 2050.
As Whistler’s population ages, the challenges associated with cognitive decline are expected to grow. According to Statistics Canada, the number of residents aged 65 and older in Whistler more than doubled between 2016 and 2021—from 555 people (6.3 per cent of the population) to 1,265 (nine per cent).
