Following on from the stellar success of Icon Gone last week, we hope that we have inspired more of you to attend some of the amazing events we put on here at the Whistler Museum.

This week Ken Melamed will be presenting on habitat protection in Whistler, a subject on which he is very well qualified to speak on.

Since 1976 Ken has been active in Whistler. He was a founding director and president of the local environment group, a municipal councillor, and mayor.

He led the community through a period of intense strategic planning and rigorous pursuit to sustainability principles and guided Whistler 2020, the community’s long term sustainability vision, for which he was a principle champion.

On Wednesday (March 20) Ken will give a short overview of the history of habitat protection in Whistler, highlight a few examples, and engage in a discussion of what the future might hold.

Here are a few words from Ken to whet your appetite:

“Whistler’s history of development, as a purpose built destination resort, necessarily included intensive modification of the landscape and exacted a heavy toll on the natural environment.

The earliest stages of development occurred somewhat haphazardly until the planning for the dual mountain resort began. Credit must be given to the visionaries involved in the Village planning, which lay many of the foundations upon which followed the path of development over the years. The Village has been a critical success factor with its compact thoughtful design, central location, and human interactivity.

As the environmental movement witnessed increasing presence around the world, so did it gain prominence in Whistler, thus shifting emphasis from pure development, to community priorities. Efforts begun in the late ‘80s, have led to many successes, and habitat protection is recognized as a condition of the resort’s continued economic wellbeing. The community has adopted a far reaching, courageous vision for the future, wherein the ethic of stewardship has been deeply entrenched.”

Please join us for this enlightening session at the Whistler Museum next Wednesday (, 20th March. Tickets are $7 / ($5 for members). Doors open at 6 and the presentation starts at 7. There will be a cash bar. For tickets drop by the museum or call 604 932 2019. Best to buy ahead of time as our speaker series often sells out.

Sarah Drewery is the executive director of the Whistler Museum.