It may (or, more likely, may not) surprise you to hear this, but there was an extended, slovenly, inebriated stretch in my life during which I considered exercise a complete waste of time.
My friends would urge me to join them on their trips to the gym, to which I would wave a sweaty, sausage-fingered palm in dismissal.
What did I need the gym for? I had life all figured out—aside from the fact I was fat, drunk, and horribly depressed. But none of that stuff was related, see? It was simply God’s will, and far be it from me to try to alter the great master plan in any way.
And so I would remain fat, drunk, and depressed for several more years, not really sure about why, until about 2018 or so, when a desire to improve my cardio led me to the Meadow Park Sports Centre (MPSC) for the first time.
And not just the MPSC—any gym, anywhere (see: fat; drunk).
It’s a special brand of anxiety that comes with that first gym visit. It begins with compiling the courage to force yourself through the doors—a triumph in itself, and not just because you are so fat—and only builds from there.
Once inside, you are surrounded by mostly fit, musclebound, attractive people, and all of them seem to know exactly how to use all the weight machines without having to ask anyone.
Little by little, you learn how to use the machines yourself. And before long, the gym is not an anxiety-inducing activity at all, but in fact quite the opposite.
I saw immediate benefits to my mental health and overall outlook on life, and five years later, I am proud to share that I am much less fat, way less drunk, and no longer finding time or space in my life for the existential dread that previously threatened to swallow me whole each night.
Suffice to say, since that fateful day in 2018, I have been a frequent visitor to the MPSC. I cannot say enough good things about the facilities offered there (or the pass pricing), not to mention the always-friendly staff who go above and beyond to keep the place running and visitors happy.
But lately, I’ve noticed a marked increase in the number of people using said facilities.
What is that large, musclebound man doing on my favourite exercise bike? And who are all these children occupying every square inch of the weight room?
It’s not unmanageable yet—I can still walk into the gym at almost any time and get a good workout in, even if sometimes it’s a bit crowded—but the increase in users is notable, prompting me to consider shifting my visits to the late morning, when all the mini meatheads in training are still in school and I can cycle in peace with the seniors.
Wondering if it was all in my head, I turned to the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) communications department for confirmation.
And, surprise, surprise—the numbers validated my suspicions.
COVID of course had an effect on user numbers at MPSC from 2020 through 2022, but the visitation increases are still evident, according to RMOW staff.
“Overall, from 2013 to 2019, estimated visitation rose 28 per cent or a compound annual growth rate of about 4.2 per cent per year,” an RMOW communications official said in an email.
“The numbers are not yet finalized for this winter 2023 season, but we appear to be tracking +10 per cent ahead of 2018 using this methodology. If this pace holds, it will mean we are now at or near record levels of visitation.”
And the volume is up across the board.
“From the swim clubs to birthday parties, ice time to the gym, Meadow Park is busier,” they said. “We are incredibly grateful to our staff for all the excellent work they have done to schedule and reimagine our space to accommodate the interest and we do feel we are accommodating the need at this time.”
This is of course but one example of Whistler’s current growing pains, driven by a burgeoning population both locally and in the Lower Mainland.
You can also see it in Whistler’s parks (where visitation was up 77 per cent between 2019 and 2021), and at the Whistler Health Care Centre (where emergency department visits have steadily increased year over year, rising from 8,977 in late 2018 to 12,166 in late 2022).
These are not new revelations by any stretch—municipal officials are well aware of the challenges the community faces, part of the reason they are hard at work on the so-called Balance Model—a long-term strategic planning initiative created to balance the four “pillars” of Whistler’s vision (community, environment, tourism economy and sense of place).
The RMOW said it is currently working on a “review and refinement” of the model to make sure it is as strong as possible.
“An external consultant has since been contracted to add an additional layer of strength, and we’ve started testing problems to see if it is delivering as expected,” a communications official said. “We are now in the final stages of Version 2 and should be back before council in the next few months.”
Wherever the initiative lands, the Balance Model has already highlighted the need to plan for all sorts of infrastructure upgrades in the resort, the RMOW said, whether it be in recreation, trails, parking, housing, or transit.
“Meadow Park Sports Centre is certainly part of that discussion, and so are the planned projects at Rainbow Park and Meadow Park,” the official said.
So we shall anxiously await more details on the Balance Model and how it might deliver us from the evils of unconstrained growth.
In the meantime, stay off my favourite bike at the MPSC (yes, you).
