The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) unveiled its 2025 Corporate Plan and 2024 Annual Report at the June 10 council meeting, highlighting progress on housing, climate action, tourism management and community engagement—while acknowledging fiscal constraints and evolving provincial mandates.
Chief Administrative Officer Virginia Cullen presented the document as both a legislative requirement and a chance to reflect on strategic momentum. “What I like about bringing this forward every year is that you get to look at a corporate plan on a page, but also all the progress that we've made over the last few years,” she told council.
The plan aligns with four strategic priorities: housing, climate action, smart tourism and community engagement. It also integrates the RMOW’s audited financial statements and operational highlights across departments.
Housing
The municipality marked key milestones in its employee housing portfolio. Lot 2 at Cheakamus Crossing Phase 2 is fully tenanted, while Lot 5 is under construction and Lot 3 remains in the final planning stages.
In addition to these developments, the RMOW continues to modernize internal systems to accelerate permitting and align with new provincial housing legislation. “We were actually in a really good position to absorb the ask of that legislation,” Cullen said. “It just meant that we rearranged the order in which we've worked on [tasks].”
The report also notes continued implementation of Bill 44, which mandates small-scale multi-unit housing across B.C., and the use of a $2.6-million federal Housing Accelerator Fund grant to support planning and permitting reforms.
Climate action
Whistler’s climate work in 2024 focused on both infrastructure upgrades and emergency preparedness. The municipality completed Phase 1 of its EV charging station rollout and increased transit hours by more than 10 per cent over 2023 levels.
Cullen emphasized the importance of community evacuation planning, referencing the Fort McMurray wildfire as a cautionary tale. “If you are wondering why we continue to have a renewed focus on evacuation planning and communication around it, this is a good illustration of why it's important,” she said.
A full-scale emergency planning exercise and updated wildfire communication materials were among the actions listed under the Big Moves Climate Action Plan.
Tourism management
Under its “Smart Tourism” priority, the RMOW completed a redesign of Rainbow Park and continued work on a destination management strategy. The municipality aims to educate visitors about Whistler’s culture and environmental values while addressing strain on infrastructure and services.
“Some of it is around our parks,” Cullen noted. “We continue to look for ways to facilitate deeper understanding about Whistler's culture... and communicate areas that may be stressed as population grows.”
Community engagement
In 2024, the RMOW piloted a youth engagement strategy, launched new initiatives like “Borrow a Councillor” and hosted a community budget trivia night.
“These teams have been able to experiment and innovate, which has been really exciting,” Cullen said. “We've been able to understand what works best in the community to solicit feedback and get information out.”
Financial outlook
Following the strategic overview, manager of financial services Ashley Palmer walked council through the audited financial statements. The RMOW closed 2024 with an annual surplus of $14.3 million, driven largely by timing in capital asset development and increased investment income.
However, Palmer noted more than 95 per cent of the surplus was tied to the RMOW’s controlled entities—primarily its housing arms—and should not be interpreted as discretionary funds.
Debt increased by $16 million in 2024, mostly due to housing projects, while reserve contributions also grew. Employee housing reserves rose from $500,000 in 2022 to $5.6 million at the end of 2024.
Council formally received and considered the 2025 Corporate Plan and 2024 Annual Report at a subsequent council meeting June 24.
