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Whistler starts over with a new approach to New Year's in the village

Although it’s not necessarily news that First Night in Whistler Village will switch its focus from stages filled with musicians to special interactive entertainment designed for families, it remains unclear how the hordes of young New Year’

Although it’s not necessarily news that First Night in Whistler Village will switch its focus from stages filled with musicians to special interactive entertainment designed for families, it remains unclear how the hordes of young New Year’s Eve revellers will be persuaded to take their act elsewhere.

Because after all, Whistler is a place to party, isn’t it?

Depending on you’re perception of party, the answer is yes. But Whistler’s mayor might have a point when he says if the city of New York can have an alcohol-free event in Times Square where two million people gather each year, surely it can be done in Whistler.

"I think one of the problems is the high iron gates," said Mayor Hugh O’Reilly. "I mean, kids have the thought that if there’s gates keeping them out, there must be something worth crashing on the other side. We’re only dealing with 20,000 people yet we experience near riots."

Whistler RCMP, Tourism Whistler and chief organizers Douglas and Associates, along with a small army of volunteers and a private security force, aim this year to change the New Year’s Eve focus from the relatively small Village Square, to a more crowd-friendly space at the Town Plaza Gazebo. A press release dated Nov. 14 referred to the change of venue, but not how the iron gates or "friendly fences" would play a role. Since then some have begun to fear that with access to the older part of the village unchecked, partiers might take over the area. But there is a plan.

"There will be fences but not as many as last year," O’Reilly said. "It’s more like a soft-filter. Even if people get into the village unchecked, the same rules apply: You can’t walk around with an open beer. But the idea is not to cordon off both villages. There will be a high security profile though.

"The thing that people have to understand is that you can’t come into Whistler and dump your kids in the village and expect us to look after them," O’Reilly explained. "I’ve actually seen people send their 14-year-old girls up here in mini-skirts. It’s ludicrous. We know that kids will stash booze in the village and all the sneaking-in that goes on. We know what we did in the past is not right, so something’s wrong and we’re hoping that the research we’ve done this year will correct that."

Maureen Douglas has taken on the challenge as the head organizer for festivities in the village. Working with Tourism Whistler, which produces the event, Douglas says there is one simple change people may not have realized. Douglas was busy wrapping up the Telus WinterStart Festival earlier this month when she spoke.

"WinterStart was awesome. And I’m really doing things in tandem, as far as the First Night organizing goes. But my focus was on WinterStart and we got a very good response from the family theme. I think that’s the way people should be looking at First Night.

"It’s a New Year’s Eve celebration, not a New Year’s party," Douglas said. "It’s all about people coming to us in the First Night frame of mind. We’re filtering out people who are there for a different reason."

Douglas says she’s hoping this will be the year Whistlerites and regular weekend visitors take more responsibility for their teens and that they also become involved in the festivities themselves, taking back the village from under-age drunks and others who see it as their private playground.

Between 10,000 and 15,000 well behaved people are expected to celebrate New Year’s in the village, and with greater participation by locals, Douglas says it shouldn’t be hard to carry the zero alcohol message to everyone.

"By nature of the way the village is set-up, people look at the old village as a place to linger, so alcohol becomes part of that. And we do want people to party in Whistler. But that’s for the clubs and restaurants, which is never really a problem because they all stay indoors, mostly.

"I think everybody in the community has to take some responsibility – especially for their kids," Douglas added. "We’re trying to turn this thing around, as a community, and that means the second homeowners who might be less directly effected."

Douglas says she has the impression there will be a stronger local showing in the village if themes similar to WinterStart’s are carried over to First Night.

And the clear message of eliminating alcohol from the celebration rather than "managing" the illegal consumption by teens and rowdy young adults is helping to pave the way for First Night’s to come. Interactive entertainment will help, she said, because people will be doing something, rather than standing around looking at a stage.

"There’s a lot or people who have caught on to that and mentioned they might be coming in," Douglas says of Whistlerites who have stayed away from the village for First Night.

"What’ we’re saying is it’s the unacceptable behaviour of people – not the people themselves – is what we don’t want to have to deal with. Everybody’s welcome."

Tickets for First Night are $15 for individuals or $30 for a family, available from the activities and information desk at the Whistler Conference Centre.