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New museum exhibit draws rave reviews

Facility's reopening a long time coming, but worth the wait

It's almost impossible not to get shivers when you watch the video of Whistler's Village Square on July 2, 2003 as the International Olympic Committee's Jacques Rogge announces Vancouver — and by extension, Whistler — as the community that would host the 2010 Winter Games.

The video screen with footage of the packed square with people jumping up and down, cheering and waving Canadian flags, is one of the first things people encounter at the newly expanded and redesigned Whistler Museum, which opened its doors to the public last Thursday (Dec. 17).

Powerful and inspiring in and of itself, the video is put into greater context as museum visitors continue along the new Whistler's Olympic Journey exhibit. That moment in 2003 was actually more than 30 years in the making, with the goal to host the Olympics in Whistler first having taken shape with a bid for the 1968 Games. Five separate bids were launched before the successful one for 2010.

But as visitors to the museum wind their way around display cases, information panels full of old photos, video and listening stations and more, it's clear there's more to Whistler's story than the Olympics and even skiing. The museum is a chance to learn about the people who helped shape the resort, see pictures and artifacts, and find out about the natural history of Whistler's black bears and other wildlife. There's even a panel dedicated to Whistler architecture — "The Ski Cabin: A Whistler Icon."

Most agree the opening of the "new" museum — which is now located in the former library building next to the old museum — was a long time coming. The museum closed its doors in February 2008 to prepare for the move and develop the new exhibit.

But based on feedback in the first few days of operation in the new space, the museum's reinvention has been worth the wait.

"Everyone that's come has had nothing but kudos," said Alex Kleinman, museum board member and former president.

A steady stream of locals, seasonal residents and visitors flowed through the museum during last Thursday's free opening day.

Terry Woodyard and his son Ellis, 8, from North Carolina, were determined to check the exhibits out, having returned on Thursday after finding the museum closed the previous day.

"It's great," Ellis said while exploring the displays.

Longtime Whistlerite Mark Beaven brought his two children to the open house. Seeing the video of Rob Boyd winning the World Cup in Whistler in 1989 brought back memories, he said.

"It was shortly after I moved here that I got to watch that race," he said. "We all just went crazy when he won."

Though the old museum was great and achieved what it could in such a small space, the new space and displays are a "great improvement," Beaven said. Preserving Whistler's cultural heritage is important for the community, he added.

Rachael Goodall, a New Zealander who's living in Whistler for the season, was captured by the panels that pay tribute to the people who helped shape the resort's development. Their vision was "pretty sweet," she said.

"If it wasn't for these guys, we wouldn't have what there is today," Goodall said.

The museum's reopening represents the end of a long chapter during which the Whistler Museum and Archives Society explored and pursued several possibilities for a new facility. The new Whistler Public Library building was originally envisioned as a joint library and museum, and when that fell through a master planning process identified the need for a new 22,000-square-foot museum building.

A future joint building with the Whistler Arts Council and Centre for Sustainability is still possible, but for the near future the renovated library trailer provides the museum with a presence for the 2010 Games.

Mayor Ken Melamed was part of the ribbon cutting ceremony at the museum last Wednesday (Dec. 16) and said the new exhibit is "a quality show." He's looking forward to taking visiting dignitaries and others through the museum during the Games in February, he said.

The municipality kicked in about $367,000 towards the building renovation and new exhibit. Melamed said despite the desire to have a bigger local presence for the museum, he thinks the money was well spent.

"I regret that as a municipality, we haven't been able to fund the museum to the level that we would like," Melamed said. "It's important to have a museum even if it isn't more permanent than a trailer."

Though the new exhibit was supported by a variety of donors including the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, Community Foundation of Whistler, American Friends of Whistler and the Province, funding is another ongoing challenge for the museum. The organization was one of many arts and culture groups in B.C. to suffer from cuts to provincial gaming grants in August — representing a $40,000 loss for the society.

But according to the founder of Whistler's museum, the new exhibit is the group's best production to date. Florence Petersen founded the Whistler Museum and Archives Society in 1986 and served as a consultant and fact checker for the new displays.

The ambiance, design, layout and comprehensive content of the exhibit is "very impressive," she said.

"They did an excellent job in portraying the development of the valley," Petersen said. "It's a good story."

The Whistler Museum is open daily from 1 to 6 p.m. and is located behind the library.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, $4 for youth age 7 to 17, and $20 for families. Kids under 6 are free. Call (604) 932-2019 for more info.

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