Whistler will soon sport a new wildlife and wetlands viewing platform thanks to a joint project between the municipality and the Whistler Rotary Club.
The new platform, at the northern end of Function Junction on the Millar Creek section of the Valley Trail, will be designed and placed to allow a view of the nearby Millar Creek wetlands between Function Junction and Highway 99.
“The viewing platform will be three metres above the Valley Trail, putting viewers above vegetation and allowing them to look out to spot birds as well as our very active local beaver population,” said a Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) communications official in an email to Pique.
“We chose the location for its great views and also because we didn’t need to remove any trees or vegetation.”
The platform—which was previously described by municipal staff as being similar to the existing platform north of Rainbow Park—will go together with interpretive panels to share Squamish Nation and Líl̓wat Nation perspectives on the importance of the wetlands.
For cost, the project currently has $30,000 directed towards its completion: $10,000 from the RMOW from the MRDT (hotel tax) funding stream, and $20,000 from the Whistler Rotary.
Treasurer of the Whistler Rotary, Ken Martin, explained the club’s involvement was part of the Rotary’s long-standing role in the community.
“Rotary clubs historically have done lots of community amenities in towns all across North America—in every small town you go to there’s a rotary park, a rotary trail or a rotary fountain,” he said.
Prior to hopping on board the partnership with the RMOW for the new viewing platform, one of the most visible projects credited to the Whistler Rotary was the Olympic Plaza adirondack chairs—which sadly have been retired by the municipality as of this year after a decade of appearing in visitor photos of Whistler.
The viewing platform is the next amenity the club is a part of, raising $10,000 from community events, and directing another $10,000 from the local Rotary district towards the project.
Martin explained some members of the club will be getting their hands dirty with the project by helping source materials, and offering labour where it is welcome.
“That’s the essence of Rotary. Rotary is an old school service club, all the members work together to raise money to give to organizations, or physically build stuff and contribute,” said Martin. “We don’t do a lot of that physical building anymore, but in this particular case we’ll end up doing landscaping and touch-up painting and that kind of stuff. Everybody wants to be involved.”
According to the municipality, the project has had its development permit submitted for internal review, and if approved, construction is expected to start in the fall.
The platform is another portion of the development of the Millar Creek section of the Valley Trail, which was completed in 2019 and connects Function Junction to Alta Lake Road. The trail in that part of the community follows the existing municipal sanitary line and Fortis BC gas line rights-of-way to avoid the Millar Creek wetlands, which the viewing platform will be built to view.
