Housing, employee housing, is and has been the No. 1 issue in Whistler for as long as most of us can remember. In the past five years, the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) has completed four new rental apartment buildings for our community's workforce. These buildings represent a 50-per-cent increase in employee-restricted rental beds and are providing secure homes for 275 of our neighbours.
Unless you read the fine print on the signage at construction sites you have no idea who's behind this effort, and even then, so many people remain unsung. I'd like to acknowledge the men and women who have worked so hard to bring so much housing to so many people. Our community is enriched by their hard work.
Sam Mendl, WHA's Development Manager, and Project Manager Rob Laslett, with the help and guidance of WHA staff and Board of Directors, were the main agents bringing these projects out of the ground and into the community. That being said, the construction of these apartment buildings would not have been as successful as they have been without very adept construction and site management, design and skilled work provided by key individuals.
Our construction site and project managers were: Dan Cave and Chad Wood (1310 Cloudburst Drive); Bob and Cam Baker (8350 Bear Paw Trail); and Matheo Durfeld, Davis English and Liam Revell (1020 Legacy Way & 1330 Cloudburst Drive).
The architectural firms were: AKA architecture + design (1310 Cloudburst Drive); Integra Architecture (1020 Legacy Way); and Murdoch & Company Architecture and Planning (8350 Bear Paw Trail & 1330 Cloudburst Drive).
These individuals and firms successfully managed skilled crews of carpenters, drywallers, painters, roofers, plumbers, electricians, concreters, landscapers, cleaners, and other trades to construct this new housing safely, swiftly and efficiently, often in very challenging weather conditions and more recently under COVID-19 safety protocols.
Together we learned much building these projects, and take pride in completing the first certified Passive House apartment building in the Sea to Sky corridor and one of only a few in B.C.—1020 Legacy Way. And working through the pandemic, our most recent employee housing development, 1330 Cloudburst Drive, finished four months ahead of schedule and nearly $2 million under budget!
The WHA has forged strong partnerships with, and is grateful for, the financial investments provided to these projects by our provincial and federal governments and our very supportive municipal government. Their combined contributions provided more than $11 million of the $40 million it took to build this much-needed housing—secure housing that will be available to Whistler employees and retirees in perpetuity.
Leveraging these partnerships, the WHA will continue to address Whistler's No.1 issue and pursue additional innovative housing initiatives to build on our existing inventory of 6,600 employee-restricted beds in Whistler.
So, a big thanks to all our partners, all our designers, managers and trades who created this vital housing. You have left a lasting legacy for our community. Thank You.
Marla Zucht, General Manager, Whistler Housing Authority
