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Feature - In search of Whistler’s soul

What do people find in Whistler once they get past the pretty face?

By Lisa Richardson and Stella L. Harvey

The mercury drops and we’re wrapping up the International Year of the Mountains waiting for the snow to fly. Recruiting season arrives with an influx of starry-eyed travellers. They’re so green they would photosynthesize if they got a little sun. They come, devoted pilgrims, though housing and jobs are elusive before Christmas. They come for the Whistler experience.

So too will the tourists. At two million skier visits a year, Whistler is still on the podium for North American ski resorts. The tourism industry shouts a consistent message, "People come for the Whistler experience." Packed hills and trails provide compelling evidence to support the rhetoric. Of course they come. Why wouldn’t they? To say the place is beautiful sounds trite. Take a look around. We have a stunning, accessible unlimited year-round playground with friendly people who provide exceptional customer service. This is the paradise tourists dream about. This is the place they flock to in search of tranquility, solace, fun and excitement. And, they must be finding it because they keep coming.

Visiting a place is one experience. Staying and making it home is another. Those who came to Whistler and settled here were drawn into an alternative lifestyle. Were seduced by the yawp-over-the-rooftops experiences – snorkeling through freshies, cruising on our bikes, relaxing by the lake, quaffing drinks on the Citta’s patio with your mates – the people, the vibe, the wide sky.

Kara-Leah Grant is a typical case: "I was 22 when I arrived in Whistler. I'd been travelling for a year and a half and came to Whistler for just a few days. That was in 1998. And despite having tried to leave a few times I've stayed because I feel connected here, I feel like I’m part of something. It’s a feeling I never got living in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, or London. I stayed because I love the mountains and the trees and the lakes and the rivers and the rocks. I think our dependence on the outdoor lifestyle and the movement of the seasons makes us feel connected to the Earth and to each other far more than in other towns and cities."

It’s beautiful, and we’re seduced by beauty. But after a time, the glamour turns out to be a little bit of light and mirrors. The sheen starts to fade away. Like all myths and magic, a little reality starts to chew holes in the fabric. Properties bought as rustic cabins 20 years ago suddenly net a million dollars, and locals who succumb to curiosity – "let’s just see what we can get for this place" – suddenly find themselves homeless when a too-good-to-refuse offer lands in their lap.

Staff come and go in the revolving wheel of fortune – lack of professional opportunities or stimulating well-paying jobs, lack of affordable housing, lost lottery tickets in the great employee housing lotto. We’re the servants of the service industry – the providers of goods and services who grease the wheels of tourism.

For one long-time resident, there’s a difference between our soul and being sold: "Whistler’s soul is in everything that is not marketed, traded, sold and pitched as ‘the best.’ It’s in the people we never see who run the food banks and do hospice work and keep this place running. It’s the old man who doesn’t speak a word of English who goes to the restaurant every day to hang out with his family while they work, and the owners who don’t mind him there. It’s a gymnasium full of people together showing their support of the family who has lost a loved one to the mountains."

What is the Whistler experience for the local – the person who is scratching out a living, raising a family, starting a business or retiring here? Why do people choose Whistler? What is it they find in the place, aside from its beauty, that makes them want to stay? Long-time resident and Whistler Museum and Archives founder, Florence Petersen believes people come for the beauty and the skiing.

"But, what if you don’t ski?" she’s asked, on behalf of those of us who do more tumbling than skiing.

"There are a great deal of activities available now," Florence says, "for all ages and interests. Seniors are staying because the community has other activities besides skiing. Churches and the arts have all developed over time in Whistler so people have other ways to participate. Seniors, in particular, stay because they have found a community they can reach out to. They find a way to contribute. People need to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves."

These elements – a sense of community and a need to contribute – must be part of the essence of living in Whistler. But, does it make Whistler unique? Does it help define Whistler’s soul? Thomas Moore writes in Care of the Soul, "We know intuitively that soul has to do with genuineness and depth. It is closely tied to life in all its particulars – good food, satisfying conversation, genuine friends, and experiences that stay in the memory and touch the heart. Soul is revealed in attachment, love, and community, as well as in retreat on behalf of inner communing and intimacy."

For registered psychologist, Dr. Stephen Milstein, there is no question that this type of soul is in Whistler. Since his teenage years, the love of the mountains has run deep. A weekend place in Whistler bought in the early ’80s began to draw more and more of his time, and he finally surrendered to the lure of being here full-time in 1995, starting a practice and relocating his family.

"I grew up believing that I am my neighbour’s keeper," says Milstein. "A community of this size offers a unique opportunity for people to get things done, get their needs met. It’s a well-resourced community, in the sense that there are a lot of skilled people here, with a high educational level. My belief as to what a healthy community needs comes in part from my practice and in part from my sense of community. I don’t believe that the mental health issues for the age catchment group are different from people in general. Although, I probably see more physical trauma related problems – life here involves more risk, and Whistler attracts a more risk-oriented personality. I have a son, and for him, to ensure his healthy growth, it was important to me that the community has a venue to develop its creative, cultural, intellectual and spiritual side. That was my personal motivation for being involved in MY Place. It’s becoming a place, a vessel, for the community to create and meet their needs."

Another long time resident, Kris Shoup has been in Whistler since 1976. With three teenage daughters, a menagerie of dogs, cats and fish, and two jobs, as Executive Director for the WMAS and a library assistant at the school, Kris has dirtied her hands in the engine rooms of nearly every community group in Whistler. She served as the town clerk from 1979 until 1987, and bought her first house in Alpine in 1977 with a heart thumping loan of $50,000 and a thumbs-up from her dad. Kris believes the people who live here pay a huge price, but they love it.

"There’s soul here. There’s soul everywhere. You just have to find it."

Kris has seen many changes in her 20-plus years in Whistler. The biggest changes?

"The cosmopolitan nature we have now; that didn’t exist before. We were a teeny tiny little ski town, with two gas stations and a deli. There was nothing here. We had a doctor who worked on the mountain in the winter. But you went to Pemberton for the dentist. And if you had to do your banking, your groceries, your laundry, you went to Squamish. You moved around a lot because people were constantly upping the rent or selling houses. It was a big deal to finally buy a house. At the time, I had a good job; I could afford a mortgage on a $50,000 house. It was manageable. People had some leeway. They don’t anymore. Now they’re selling million dollar homes in an employee subdivision, but how do you pay $15,000 a year in property taxes on a teacher’s salary?"

Kris knows she doesn’t want to retire here.

"I want to live on the water, somewhere quiet and peaceful."

The soul of Whistler for Roxanne Chappell, who first lived here in the mid-70s, is tied to its history.

"Whistler was developed by people who came to enjoy themselves and who later stayed to start businesses, families – a life. Their enthusiasm, commitment and vision built this community," she says.

Roxanne and her partner Van Powel run Mind-Body Fitness. They fell in love with the mountains and the green space and came back to Whistler in the ’90s to get away from city living. They stayed because they found a community receptive to young entrepreneurs and big enough to support their business venture. They continue to make Whistler their home because they’ve made friends here, enjoy the inner peace of living in beautiful surroundings and because nature is easily accessible to them.

When writer Laurie Cooper and her husband lived in Whistler in the ’80s and early ’90s, they were two young ski bums just concerned about the quality and depth of the snow. When their children were born, their priorities changed. They weren't certain Whistler had what they wanted for their young family. That concern, combined with job opportunities, took them to Vancouver for five years.

"If I thought Whistler wasn't much of a community, boy was I surprised by life in Vancouver," Cooper says. "I have never felt so lonely and isolated as I did during those five years we spent in Vancouver – a city of over 1 million people."

Two years ago, Laurie and her family had the opportunity to move back to Whistler.

"While I wasn't exactly thrilled with life in Vancouver, I wasn't sure that Whistler would be any better."

Laurie sat down and made a list of what she thought Whistler could offer her family.

"While I was making my list, it suddenly dawned on me that maybe I was asking the wrong question. Maybe I should be asking what my family could bring to the community. Once I flipped the question over, I looked at things from a completely different perspective. We did decide to move back to Whistler and since our return two years ago we have all become very involved in the community. And guess what? It's a great community!"

New residents to a community often find it difficult to find a way to fit in, meet friends, and make connections. It can be even more intimidating when you’re surrounded by phenomenal wealth and the multi-sport jocks. Pina Belperio moved to Whistler five months ago for work and a relationship. She wasn’t keen on Whistler in the beginning and thought it was sterile, "an artificial place to live."

"Although I have only been here five months, I can already feel a change coming over me. I finally have time to expand my creative abilities and I'm dabbling in all sorts of new activities. Most people I have met are friendly, accommodating and very interesting to talk to. For me the biggest struggle is justifying whether living in a wilderness paradise is balanced by the significantly lower wages, lack of culture (films, shows, concerts), and higher cost of living. I guess only time will tell."

Twenty-five-year-old, Stacey Gaff, an esthetician in the village, came to Whistler to escape the rush of city living. She stays because it offers her small town living without the closed minded attitudes.

"We’re all in the same boat here. We adopted Whistler because of the scenery and the lifestyle. The fact that we left our homes to come here means we’re open to new possibilities, new beginnings."

And what does that mean in terms of finding Whistler’s soul?

"The soul of Whistler is young, adventuresome, open to new experiences and new people. I felt welcome here. Even though I didn’t come for the skiing I was able to make friends, define a community for myself."

Local ski pro, entrepreneur and council candidate, Ralph Forsyth, echoes this sentiment. A brief move away after nine years in the valley to take up an opportunity at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort clarified how much he and his family actually wanted to be in Whistler.

"A friend gave me the best advice when I first came here, he said: ‘Decide you’re going to live here right away.’ I was living, thinking, seasonally. When I fell in love, we committed to being here full-time, no more travelling, and I fell in love with the place. Moving away clarified what a great place Whistler is. I’m more involved now in community things, not complaining from the sidelines anymore. There’s something about this place. Everyone here is young, whether they’re 18 or 80."

At 22, Jarrod Au is the poster-boy for this young Whistler spirit. He came to Whistler two years ago from Calgary for the "big mountain experience."

"I’ve been living in staff housing the whole time, and for me, it’s a benefit. It’s the cheapest rent that you can get in Whistler and it’s ski in and ski out. It would be hard to buy a house here, and that’s what I really want to do, but that’s in the five-10 year plan."

For Jarrod, the soul of Whistler is the mountains.

"When it comes down to the meat and bones of why people are actually here, it’s the mountains. All we dream about, me and my buddies is pow days; all we talk about, it all comes down to riding. Being out there, with your friends and having a good time. That’s what the snowboard community is about. People work shitty jobs and are grateful just to be here. I can feel myself becoming more interested in what’s going on, but I can’t be bothered paying attention to politics at this time of my life."

Nevertheless he’s cut his teeth at public meetings concerning the old Alpenrock space. Au is the proponent of an indoor skate park and is negotiating a lease with the investment company and financial backing to create a place for youth to skate in any weather.

"The youth have nothing and I want to give them something. There are not a lot of options for anyone under 19."

He’s passionate about creating this space, and brims with creative enthusiasm.

"Whistler’s the best place in Canada. It’s facing some big challenges right now, the Olympics, sustainability. This is where the people that run Whistler and the community can make or break it. But ultimately, whatever they decide is not going to affect how many days on the hill I get."

A soulful community reassesses itself like a practitioner on retreat. The sustainability discussion is Whistler’s way of questioning and coming to terms with who we are now and what we want to be in the future. It’s our way of seeking balance between economic imperatives of a world-class resort and our need for a sense of community. The interest these discussions have spawned shows that there is substance behind the glamour, or at least a hunger for it. Our values are constantly being shaped and debated in facing down the issues of sustainability, Olympic bids, Highway 99 upgrades, Nita Lake proposals. The decisions we make on these issues will become a manifestation of our values for the world to judge; will impact on the "Whistler experience" for locals and visitors alike. Without the engaged debate, without the toil and vision and passion of individuals and groups like WORCA, WAG, AWARE, SAR, Whistler Naturalists, the PAC, the writers group, the museum, the library, the Weasel Workers – Whistler is just an elaborate movie-set, a postmodern ghost town.

Some people will choose to leave. Opportunities lure them away from the valley. Or people surrender when it is no longer affordable. For Rebecca Wood Barrett, this is one of the harder things about living in Whistler, watching people flow out of her life.

"What do I think about soul? The Soul of Whistler is what people also call community, and I think that could be defined as ‘doing activities you enjoy with people you like.’ Whistler has great activities but it seems many of my good friends have left. There's definitely an ebb and flow to the soul."

Whistler is a strange petri dish, a microcosm brimming with all the issues that face the planet at large. Here, in our little mountain playground, the big issues of this era’s global politics parade through the town, the Pique, the council meetings. We can’t escape issues such as over-consumption, heritage being swept aside for new developments, squatters being turfed out by property barons, the strange confrontation of the rich and the poor, by leaving. It’s the world – globalization, development, and capitalism – batting up against the human soul. It’s strangely magnified when it happens at the grassroots in your community, when it impacts you as an individual. And yet, it’s only the individual banded with other individuals who will tackle these issues and make a difference.

The people who have made Whistler their home now, and in the past, have defined the soul of this community. It’s both an individual and a collective experience. Collectively, most agree the beauty of the place and the advantages of a small-town lifestyle draw them here. What keeps them here is an individual matter – a chance to contribute, connection to friends, an adventuresome spirit, and an opportunity to make a life here on their own terms. Kara-Leah Grant said it best:

"You find in Whistler what you seek in Whistler."



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