Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A MODERN BOOMTOWN
Although natives took advantage of the abundant natural resources of the Whistler
Valley for thousands of years, the history of Whistler as a resort town doesn't really
begin until the 1960s and is associated almost entirely with the development of the
ski area. At that time, the only development was some ramshackle summer holiday
houses around Alta Lake (which was also the name of the town, with a population
of 300). When the road up from Vancouver was paved in 1964, the first ski lifts
were constructed. Early skiers were impressed, and so were investors, who began
plans for major base area facilities. The idea of a European-style ski-in, ski-out vil-
lagewaspromotedthroughoutthe1970s,butWhistlerVillagedidn'tofficiallyopen
until 1980. The following year, lift capacity doubled with the opening of an adja-
cent resort on Blackcomb Mountain. Lift construction continued unabated on both
mountains throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1997 the inevitable happened: The
two mountains came under the control of one company,
Intrawest,
which created
the megaresort of
Whistler Blackcomb.
Meanwhile, development on the mountains was being overshadowed by con-
struction in the valley below — new base facilities, resort-style golf courses, and
upscale accommodations — and the population there increased tenfold in 20 years.
Through it all, a cap on development has pushed the cost of living skyward, with
some family homes selling for over $10 million. And all this was
before
Whistler
cohosted the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Thebestplacetolearnthefullstoryofdevelopmentinthevalleyisthe
Whistler
Museum
(4333 Main St., 604/932-2019,
www.whistlermuseum.org
, 11am-5pm
daily, adult $7.50, senior $6, youth $4, child free).
Nightlife
Throughout the year you can usually find live evening entertainment in Whistler Village.
In the heart of the action at the base of the mountain,
Garibaldi Lift Co. Bar & Grill
(4165 Springs Ln., 604/905-2220) features live entertainment most nights—often blues
and jazz—and good food at reasonable prices. At
Buffalo Bill's
(4122 Village Green,
604/932-6613), expect anything from reggae to rock. For two decades,
Tommy Africa's
