Museum Musings

When the mountains open this winter things will look a bit different. Over the summer both mountains have undergone some changes. On Whistler a new six-person Emerald Express chairlift will replace the four-person chair.

We are incredibly lucky at the Whistler Museum to have stories from myriad different people who lived, worked or visited the valley over the past 100 years.

In the past we've covered the building of various backcountry huts situated around Whistler beginning in the 1960s. Gothic-arch huts have a place in much more recent history as well, as the Watersprite Lake Hut proves.

The community of Whistler has undergone many changes in the last 100 or so years, and nowhere is this more evident than in our elementary schools.

Looking back on past summers (even ones that haven't quite ended yet), it's easy to remember the good parts: days at the lake, hiking around the valley and camping under clear skies.

Summertime in Canada, especially for children, is often portrayed as a series of long, carefree days spent exploring the outdoors, playing in and on the water and spending time with friends and family.

When Bob Williamson first arrived at Alta Lake (now Whistler) in February of 1930, he found himself in a valley bearing little resemblance to the bustling resort town of today. Even getting there was a completely different experience.

Whistler's Western toad migration is almost done! If you've been up at Lost Lake recently, you may have seen these tiny toads behind the black barriers in the wetlands or crossing the paths around you.

With all the bands, concerts and events going on in Whistler in the summer, it's easy to forget about the Boot Pub and all its past glory in laying the groundwork for the entertainment scene we know today.

The Whistler Museum houses a permanent exhibition chronicling the growth of Whistler, the journey to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Games, and the history of the ski resort.