Can Whistler still be 'the Aspen of the North'?
Broadcast Date: Jan. 6, 1983
Beginning in 1978, construction on Whistler's town centre was supposed to turn a ski bum's paradise into an Aspen or Vail of the north. But by 1983 the formerly fast-developing resort town of Whistler is feeling the pains of a recession. Now, a sports and convention centre remains unfinished because money has run out, and expensive condominiums are up for sale – cheap. In this 1983 report from CBC Radio's Morningside, correspondent Hal Wake explains the dashed dream of Whistler: "It was going to be a very high-class development while maintaining the fact that local skiers would be able to go up for a day's skiing without having to pay an arm and a leg," he says.Can Whistler still be 'the Aspen of the North'?
• In 1977 the site where Whistler and Blackcomb mountains converge was still a community garbage dump when a community plan was outlined to overhaul the area.• In January 1978 the municipality received 53 acres of Crown land to develop a town centre. The Whistler Village Land Company was formed to oversee development.
• Blackcomb Mountain was opened for skiing in December 1980, and suddenly the area was home to one of North America's largest ski complexes with the continent's two longest vertical ski drops.
• One sign of the ambitious development was the expansion of Blackcomb's lift service in 1985. It was lengthened to 5,280 ft, making Blackcomb North America's only "Mile High Mountain".
Can Whistler still be 'the Aspen of the North'?
Medium: Radio
Program: Morningside
Broadcast Date: Jan. 6, 1983
Host: Peter Gzowski
Reporter: Hal Wake
Duration: 6:26
Last updated:
Feb. 12, 2010
Can Whistler still be 'the Aspen of the North'?.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: Feb. 12, 2010.
[Page consulted on Aug. 19, 2010.]