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Whistler

A Brief History
Alta Lake was the original name of Whistler. The name Whistler was used by the early 1900's settlers because of the shrill whistle sound made by the hoary marmots who live among the rocks. Myrtle and Alex Philip, both from Maine, arrived in Whistler in 1911, eventually building the popular Rainbow Lodge on Alta Lake. In the beginning, the journey to Whistler took three days - a steamer ship ride from Vancouver to Squamish, overnight in Brackendale and a two-day horse trek up the Pemberton Trail. In 1914 the Pacific Great Eastern Railway reached Alta Lake and opened up the valley to the outside world. In the early years, Whistler was a base for logging and mining, as well as tourism.

Whistler's evolution into a world class ski resort began in the early 1960s when a group of Vancouver businessmen sought to develop the site to host a future Winter Olympic Games. The Olympic bid failed, but in 1962 the Garibaldi Lift Company was formed with Franz Wilhelmsen as president. Its goal was to erect and operate lifts on Whistler Mountain. By the fall of 1965 there was a four-person gondola to the mountain's mid-station, a double chairlift to the treeline and two T-bars along with a day lodge. Whistler Mountain opened to the public in 1966.

In 1975, Whistler became a municipality in order to develop a town centre that would become Whistler Village. Blackcomb Mountain opened in the winter of 1980/81, creating one of the largest ski complexes in North America.

Visitors

Whistler attracts approximately two million visitors annually. In 2004-05, approximately 871,000 visitors came to Whistler Resort in the winter (Nov 04 - Apr 05) and approximately 1.1 million came in summer (May 05 - Oct 05). Summer visitors are primarily from the regional market and stay for shorter visits. Whereas, in the winter season a greater portion of winter visits originate from destination markets and stay for longer duration.

The average number of visitors in the resort per day in the winter is just over 14,000 (ranging from a low of 4,800 in November to a high of 18,200 in March). The average number of visitors in the resort per day in summer is 13,287 (ranging from a low of 8,600 in October to a high of 18,600 in August).
(Source: Tourism Whistler Research and Intelligence, January 2006)

A little more about us...

Because of the complex nature of residents, part-time residents and visitors to Whistler we have had to carefully design our product to include readers from all categories. With 10,000 full time residents and many more part-timers, PLUS the more than 2 million yearly visitors to the resort, we have carefully developed a product that reaches ALL of these readers. The Question has been Whistler's community newspaper since 1976, and we now have a product that is colourful and lively, offering local news, sports and activities/events as well as the addition of our entertainment/visitor/activity section Whistler This Week, which doubles as the "where to go"..."what to do"..."where to eat" section of the Question. This piece is also overrun by an additional 4000 copies and distributed to over 180 locations around the resort.

12,500 copies of The Question are printed Thursdays and distributed through racks in Whistler, Squamish and Vancouver and home delivery and rack distribution in Pemberton.

Pemberton

Pemberton is one of BC's oldest communities but has maintained a friendly atmosphere and rural flavour. Just 25 minutes north of Whistler, the Pemberton Valley is rich in both land and history. If you want to know more about Pemberton's history, stop by the Pemberton Museum, which is open daily from May until December

Known as the first commercial seed potato area in the world, the valley's natural isolation and careful crop monitoring ensures the continuing success of the industry. Pemberton is also a great place to find organic produce and farmers who grow a variety of vegetables and berries. Much of the produce is in high demand among fine dining restaurants based in Whistler and Vancouver.

Pemberton's backyard includes vast tracts of backcountry. As a result, Pemberton morphed into a recreational paradise that hosts a variety of wilderness inspired activities including hiking, skiing, mountain biking, snowmobiling and horseback riding. Pemberton is easily accessible by air or road. Highway 99 is a well maintained provincial highway and the local airport provides access for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter traffic. Still with a small population, Pemberton is a more relaxed alternative to Whistler. Mayor Jordan Sturdy said the growth means more friendly faces in a town that's a little different from the average urban centre.

Agriculture and forestry are still major drivers of the local economy, but tourism and related industries employ the majority of residents.

For more information, stop by the Pemberton Visitor Centre across from the Petro-Canada station on Hwy 99.