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W5 award

The W5 Foundation, the group put together to host and organize the annual World Cup ski races in Whistler, has won the Economic Development Association of B.C.’s Community Project Award for 1997.

The W5 Foundation, the group put together to host and organize the annual World Cup ski races in Whistler, has won the Economic Development Association of B.C.’s Community Project Award for 1997. The W5 Foundation — which consists of the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Whistler Resort Association, Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation, the Whistler Chamber of Commerce and the Vancouver Ski Foundation — was presented with the award last weekend. Whistler Mayor Hugh O’Reilly presented the award to W5 members David Anderson, Don McQuaid, Bill McNeney and Gord Ahrens prior to Monday’s council meeting. Six other community projects, in the District of Elkford, City of Langley, two from New Westminster, and Pitt Meadows, were also in the running for the award. O’Reilly said he believed it was the huge volunteer effort that goes into putting on the World Cup event that pushed Whistler over the top. An EDABC summary of the nominees noted "The World Cup of Skiing at Whistler has been quite successful in ensuring that the event’s benefit "flow" leads in the right direction — to the community and its residents." Former Sea to Sky economic development officer Robert Fine was also honoured as Economic Development Officer of the Year at the awards last weekend. Fine’s work on bringing the Eco-Challenge to the corridor, establishing the Sea to Sky Film Directory and other initiatives were sited as factors in his winning the award. Fine resigned from the Sea to Sky Economic Development Commission late last year to take a similar position in Kamloops.