Joan Richoz says her husband Marcel likes to think of the couple as Whistler pioneers. When they moved here in 1972 there were only 300 residents, including only one child that they knew of, and there was little in the way of amenities and infrastructure.

She remembers moving into the log house they built in Alpine Meadows during a snowstorm in November — they couldn’t even drive their truck all the way up the road to the house, so they abandoned the vehicle and walked the rest of the way with their belongings, she said.

Almost 40 years later, Joan and Marcel Richoz still live in the same house. They raised two kids in Whistler as they watched the little town turn into an international resort. While Marcel has inside information about various hotels and the Conference Centre as a former construction worker, Joan was instrumental in starting the Whistler Public Library and is still active in the community as the chair of the Whistler Arts Council.

It’s such first-hand stories of Whistler’s past that will be on offer at Storytelling at Dusk, one of the latest additions to the Whistler Live Olympic programming. Each afternoon starting Saturday (Feb. 13) from 4 to 6 p.m., local characters will gather around a cozy fire across from Rebagliati Park to share stories, myths and legends of the Sea to Sky corridor.

“Really, our stories are about what it was like being here in 1972,” Joan Richoz said. “It’s always fun to remember way back when — what it used to be like.”

The couple had to go to Vancouver for basic shopping needs and the two were thankful for their health because there were no doctors or medical clinics. When the first school finally opened, there were only 35 students and the library, kitchen and staff room were all in the same room, she said.

There are more recent stories from the Richoz memory banks as well. Joan wouldn’t give too much away, but hinted she’ll likely share the tale of the black bear that found its way into the couple’s kitchen.

“Bears are part of the community, too,” she said.

Fourteen local writers, First Nations storytellers and Whistler personalities are slated to share their stories around the fireside until Feb. 27. Marcel is scheduled to tell his tales on Monday (Feb. 15) and Joan will be on deck Feb. 23.

Other storytellers include Stephen Vogler, author of books such as Only in Whistler: Tales of a Mountain Town, artist Isobel MacLaurin, and Lil’wat Nation storyteller Tanina Williams. Joan said two storytellers will be on hand each afternoon to share tales and chat with the people who come to listen.

She said the informal, relaxed setting of the Storytelling at Dusk program will foster an ambiance of talking with a new acquaintance about what it’s like to live in Whistler. The storytelling gatherings give visitors a chance to meet the “regular people” who call the resort home, she said.

“It’s a way for people to connect with the community,” she said.

Storytelling at Dusk gets underway Saturday (Feb. 13) at 4 p.m. beside the Blackcomb bridge across from Rebagliati Park. Settle in beside the fire as local musicians play acoustic sets, then listen to the storytellers’ tales unfold.

The program runs daily from 4 to 6 p.m. through Feb. 27 and it’s free to participate. For a full schedule of Whistler Live entertainment, visit www.whistler2010.com.