This year, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) will celebrate a significant milestone when it turns 50 on Sept. 6. The following day will also mark a pretty big milestone; Sept. 7 will be 40 years since the official opening of the Whistler Conference Centre.
Although construction began on the site in March 1980, an economic downturn meant it was five years before the facility was completed, and the finished product was very different from the plans of 1980. The original plan for a Resort Centre included an Olympic-sized ice rink, 3x20-metre swimming pool, whirlpool, saunas, racquetball courts, a squash court, locker rooms, Golf Pro Shop, and restaurant. After the project was taken over by Whistler Land Co. Developments (WLC; the Crown corporation that took over the liabilities and assets of the Whistler Village Land Company) in 1983, studies reportedly found it would be more profitable to run the facility as a conference centre than a resort recreation centre.
Architects Edward Friederichs and Don Jewel were brought in to design “a building within a building” and reconfigure the partially built structure into a conference facility. Although construction had previously stopped in 1982, work resumed in June 1984 when WLC hired Smith Bros. and Wilson Ltd. One of the first things they did was remove the shake roof and replace it with a steel roof with 14 dormers, which were reportedly meant to help distribute the snow and make the building blend in more with the rest of the Village. The project was expected to be completed by June 1985.
As the completion date approached, expectations rose that the Conference Centre would bring in more visitors during Whistler’s slow months; in May 1985, three Whistler employees told the Whistler Question they thought the Conference Centre would “even out trade throughout the year,” especially in the fall months that were “always dead.” With the ability to host events for up to 2,000 people, the Conference Centre was one of the largest such facilities in British Columbia, topped only by the Peach Bowl in Penticton. In addition to the main ballroom area, it also boasted break-out rooms on the lower level, an attached theatre, a full-service kitchen, the offices of the Whistler Resort Association (today Tourism Whistler) and a memorable atrium.
The Whistler Conference Centre opened, as expected, in June 1985 with a performance by the Anna Wyman Dance Theatre on Sat., June 8 followed by its first convention, a 175-delegate meeting of Fibreglass Canada, beginning on Sunday, June 9. The public was invited to look around the building in early July and, according to the editorial in the Question, “They came, they saw, and they liked.”
Though it had hosted events and meetings throughout the summer, the official opening ceremony for the Conference Centre did not take place until Sept. 7, 1985. That weekend, Whistler hosted the retreat of provincial cabinet ministers, meaning government officials were on hand for both the opening ceremony and the 10th anniversary of the RMOW.
In his address, Premier Bill Bennett told the crowd, “Today, the opening of the Conference Centre is more a tribute to your optimism, your vision, and to knowing the kind of community you want,” and described the importance of Whistler as an introduction to British Columbia. His speech was followed by remarks from Chester Johnston, the chairman of WLC Developments Ltd, who thanked those who had worked on the project. The ceremony also included a performance by the Beefeaters Brass Band and a salmon barbecue.
By the time of the official opening ceremony, the Conference Centre had 50,000 delegate-days booked in 1985 and 120,000 booked for 1986, with expectations that those numbers would grow. Today, though it looks a little different than it did at its opening, the Whistler Conference Centre is still operated by Tourism Whistler and welcomes conferences, meetings and events to town.
