If you’ve ever played tennis at Taluswood Neighbourhood Park, you may have had a sinking feeling—but not necessarily because of your serve.
Developed in the 1990s by Intrawest Resorts Holding Inc. as part of the Taluswood subdivision, the park includes two tennis courts constructed over a filled-in ravine—then a common workaround for the "problem" of nature. After construction, Intrawest handed over operations and maintenance of the park to the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW).
Intrawest estimated the park’s lifespan at about 30 years. Over time, the fill material beneath the courts has degraded due to gravity, stormwater infiltration, and the natural decomposition of organic debris. A 2022 geotechnical assessment found that fixing the ground and rebuilding a sports surface would cost at least $1 million, which is beyond the municipality’s budget.
Although the RMOW isn’t responsible for the underlying geotechnical issues, it’s still left holding the tennis racket.
The municipality is asking residents of Taluswood, Nordic Estates and the broader community to share ideas for redeveloping the greenspace.
While most ideas are welcome, they must fit within the park’s 8,050-square-metre footprint and cannot include tennis courts or other large hard-surface amenities. According to an FAQ page published by the RMOW, the community already “has more tennis courts compared to other communities of our size,” and the cost to make the ground stable enough for another hard surface is prohibitive.
Parks staff have developed preliminary lists of potential amenities, but public feedback will guide the next steps. Once a preferred use is identified, the RMOW will conduct another geotechnical review to determine whether the proposed plan is feasible. For instance, a nature-based park space may require less structural stability than equipment like a swing set.
Currently, the park is mostly forested, with the existing tennis courts occupying about 15 per cent of the total space.
The RMOW launched its engagement efforts with an Add Your Voice forum on April 23, followed by two pop-up events—one at Eva Lake Park on May 8 and another planned for Bottomless Lake Park from 4 to 8 p.m. on May 14.
Residents can also submit their feedback online until May 31.
Staff plans to present the engagement findings and a proposed concept to council this summer. That concept will inform a capital construction budget request as part of the RMOW’s annual budget planning process, which runs from September to December. While the public can weigh in on the municipal budget at any time, there will also be formal opportunities to provide input.
If council ultimately approves funding, the next step would be applying for a development permit—likely in 2026.
The Taluswood initiative is the latest in a series of park redevelopment projects aimed at improving aging infrastructure and meeting growing community needs. In June 2024, Rainbow Park reopened following a $4.6-million overhaul funded through the provincial Resort Municipality Initiative. Upgrades included expanded beach access, new accessible docks, a realigned Valley Trail, and ecological enhancements. Planning is also underway for a major redesign of Meadow Park, with proposed features such as a spray park, accessible fitness area, riverfront picnic sites, and an off-leash dog zone.
