Whistler Stories That Need To Be Told: Recent Episodes
Bruce Watt
Oral history is important and this podcast captures the confidence and culturethat shaped Whistler into a #1 world class resort ... it captures the people andtheir history from 1969 to now and what it took to develop a unique Western Canadian resort that draws mountain enthusiasts from all over the world for a “quick visit that lasts years”. “I want a record of what happened here and why it happened in such a short time and how successful we were. I want to interview people that lived here through the development of Whistler.” ~ Bruce Watt
Living, working and recreating in Whistler is a lifestyle choice for Karen, a two-time Olympian in Alpine Skiing. Her love for Whistler began as a young girl where, even before the first chair lift was built, she was featured in promotional material to attract investors in the development of Whistler Mountain. Her family had a long history and love for skiing with her father owning the very first ski shop in Vancouver.
Following a successful ski racing career Karen went on to university where she received a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture. She practiced landscape architecture in the Vancouver area for 20 years before moving to Whistler with her family in 1995.
On any given day you can find Karen skiing, playing golf, riding her road bike or hiking in the mountains.
Cathy Jewett was in the forefront on many social issues in the 70s & 80s and still is as a Councillor on the Resort Municipality Of Whistler council. She was one of the first females (3 in the 60s & 70s) to become a Professional Ski Patroller with Whistler Mountain and created the conditions for equality for future female ski patrollers at Whistler/Blackcomb Mountains.
It wasn't was an easy, gentle journey but with endless energy and tenancity, she achieved many of her career goals plus having two children and volunteering.
In 2016, the Whistler Citizen of the Year Award (https://youtu.be/0w2_kFE6Z20?si=EwoBEfUwRPRssoo2) was awarded to Cathy for demonstrating extraordinary leadership and community service outside of employment. Well-respected in the community, Cathy inspires others with her caring and positive attitude and spirit of cooperation.
Cathy's Volunteer Contributions
- Chair, Communities that Care Whistler
- Chair, Sea to Sky District Parents Advisory Council
- Docent, Audain Art Museum
- Member Board Of Trustees - RMOW Appointee, Audain Art Museum
- Board Member - RMOW Appointee, Arts Whistler
- Board Member - RMOW Appointee, Whistler Museum & Archives Society
- Board Member - RMOW Appointee, Whistler Community Services Society
- Board Member - RMOW Appointee, WORCA - Whistler Off Road Cycling Association
- Chairperson of the Board, Whistler Valley Housing Society
Part two of the interview with John Hetherington, Bruce's Ski Patrol Boss from back in the seventies plus so much more. John was and is an integral part of Whistler’s history and development. An original Whistler Counciler. An original Search and Rescue volunteer. An original Whistler Heli Ski Owner and Guide. John has done so much for Whistler as a voluneer that he was the recipient of the Governor General’s Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers in 2017. A well deserved honor John!
Introducing John Hetherington, Bruce's Ski Patrol Boss from back in the seventies plus so much more. John was and is an integral part of Whistler’s history and development. An original Whistler Counciler. An original Search and Rescue volunteer. An original Whistler Heli Ski Owner and Guide. John has done so much for Whistler as a voluneer that he was the recipient of the Governor General’s Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers in 2017. A well deserved honor John!
In Episode 12 I continue my conversation with Cliff Jennings - A Man with a lot of Whistler History to share starting from 1965.
Cliff has had an Epic Whistler Journey of Being the First...
- Employee for Garibaldi Lift Co. - Groomer and Builder of the 1st Gondola Barn and T-Bars
- Employee of Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW)
- Hotel Manager
- Search and Rescue Volunteer
- Climbing Guide
- Heli-Ski Guide
- Home sold over $1M
He documented his love of Whistler and the outdoors with his passion for photography by sharing all that he could then and now.
Background of the early days at Whistler
https://drive.google.com/open?id=10u7qCesfJ1MURtYO5jfFYqRwr6j9BBqj&authuser=cliffjennings44%40gmail.com&usp=drive_fs
Videos that have been on Shaw Channel 4
https://vimeo.com/showcase/9753602
Linkedin Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliff-jennings-974488252/
You can reach Cliff via his LinkedIn profile - send him a direct message
Introducing Cliff Jennings - A Man with a lot of Whistler History to share starting from 1965. He was one of the first for many things ...
- Employee for Garibaldi Lift Co. - Groomer and Builder of the 1st Gondola Barn and T-Bars
- Employee of Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW)
- Hotel Manager
- Search and Rescue Volunteer
- Climbing Guide
- Heli-Ski Guide
He documented his love of Whistler and the outdoors with his passion for photography by sharing all that he could then and now.
Background of the early days at Whistler
https://drive.google.com/open?id=10u7qCesfJ1MURtYO5jfFYqRwr6j9BBqj&authuser=cliffjennings44%40gmail.com&usp=drive_fs
Videos that have been on Shaw Channel 4
https://vimeo.com/showcase/9753602
Linkedin Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliff-jennings-974488252/
You can reach Cliff via his LinkedIn profile - send him a direct message
Chris Stethem - Honorary Member of The Canadian Avalanche Association
Chris Stethem is a retired avalanche protection consultant living in Canmore, Alberta. A graduate in Geography from Queen’s University, Chris spent the 1970s overseeing the avalanche program at Whistler, BC, and completing research projects for the National Research Council of Canada and Environment Canada. This work included a compilation of the first two volumes of Avalanche Accidents in Canada (Stethem and Schaerer 1979, 1980). From 1979 to 2011 Chris worked as a consultant in planning, operations, and training for avalanche programs in the Americas and overseas.
Chris was also a member of the founding Board of Directors for the Canadian Avalanche Association in 1981 and President of the CAA from 1988-1992, During this time, the Canadian Avalanche Centre in Revelstoke was formed to provide Avalanche Training Programs, the InfoEx, and the Public Avalanche Bulletin. In 1998 Chris and a group of like-minded members of the community formed the Canadian Avalanche Foundation (now Avalanche Canada Foundation), a registered charity that raises funds to support public avalanche bulletins, education, and research. Chris sat as President of the CAF for 12 years.
https://www.avalancheassociation.ca/page/Honorary_Members
https://avalanche.ca/foundation
https://www.avalanche.ca/en/map
Chris Stethem - Honorary Member of The Canadian Avalanche Association
Chris Stethem is a retired avalanche protection consultant living in Canmore, Alberta. A graduate in Geography from Queen’s University, Chris spent the 1970s overseeing the avalanche program at Whistler, BC and completing research projects for the National Research Council of Canada and Environment Canada. This work included compilation of the first two volumes of Avalanche Accidents in Canada (Stethem and Schaerer 1979, 1980). From 1979 to 2011 Chris worked as a consultant in planning, operations and training for avalanche programs in the Americas and overseas.
Chris was also a member of the founding Board of Directors for the Canadian Avalanche Association in 1981 and President of the CAA from 1988-1992, During this time, the Canadian Avalanche Centre in Revelstoke was formed to provide Avalanche Training Programs, the InfoEx and the Public Avalanche Bulletin. In 1998 Chris and a group of like-minded members of the community formed the Canadian Avalanche Foundation (now Avalanche Canada Foundation), a registered charity that raises funds to support public avalanche bulletins, education and research. Chris sat as President of the CAF for 12 years.
https://www.avalancheassociation.ca/page/Honorary_Members
https://avalanche.ca/foundation
https://www.avalanche.ca/en/map
Check out what happens when you believe in your dreams and you DO NOT give up.
1 - get to raise your children on the only island in Whistler - YES! Whistler does have an island
2 - get to bring Scandinave Spa to Whistler
https://www.parkbridge.com/en/resort/resort-detail/riverside
https://www.scandinave.com/en/whistler/
3 - get to grow your business to the benefit of future Whistler generations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAUOvo8wkJI
Listen to part two of Bruce's interview with Nigel Woods, Chairman/Director of Coastal Mountain Excavations Ltd.
https://www.coastalmountain.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/coastalmountainexcavations/
From the humble beginnings of being an owner/operator, Nigel has grown CME over the past 41 years to be the largest and most successful civil contracting firm in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
Coastal Mountain Excavations Ltd has a reputation in the Sea to Sky Corridor for being the most experienced and best equipped heavy construction contractor to tackle any job large or small.
Meet Nigel Woods, Chairman/Director of Coastal Mountain Excavations Ltd.
One of the best employers in the Sea to Sky corridor.
https://www.coastalmountain.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/coastalmountainexcavations/
Listen how Nigel tells of his Whistler beginnings in the early 1970’s and how he quickly realized that he wasn’t leaving. He bought a backhoe and began clearing driveways of snow in the winter and digging holes in the summer.
From the humble beginnings of being an owner/operator, Nigel has grown CME over the past 41 years to be the largest and most successful civil contracting firm in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
Coastal Mountain Excavations Ltd has a reputation in the Sea to Sky Corridor for being the most experienced and best equipped heavy construction contractor to tackle any job large or small. We have been privileged to have some of the best talent from all across the world working for us over our 41 years in business. We are very fortunate to have an average tenure of over 15 years of service, with many having worked for us for over 30 years.
Thanks to our highly skilled and friendly staff, CME has enjoyed many years of great success, and in doing so has become one of the best employers in the Sea to Sky Corridor. Our employees are our number one asset.
Nigel still continues to lead a team of highly skilled construction professionals and will always call Whistler his home. Nigel lives in Whistler with his wife Buff and have three kids, Matt, Carleigh, and Adam and has four grandchildren, Cooper, Olivia, Corden, and Peter.
Bruce continues his interview with Paul Mathews of Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners Ltd from Whistler, BC. Learn how The Peak 2 Peak Gondola was born.
"Creative"
"Innovative"
"Courageous"
Are words used by Ecosign's clients to describe their services and design solutions.
The Peak 2 Peak Gondola is a tricable gondola lift at Whistler Blackcomb Resort in Whistler, British Columbia, linking Whistler Mountain's Roundhouse Lodge with Blackcomb Mountain's Rendezvous Lodge.
Introducing Paul Mathews of Ecosign Mountain Resort Planners Ltd from Whistler, BC
"Creative"
"Innovative"
"Courageous"
Are words used by Ecosign's clients to describe their services and design solutions.
Listen how you start a company with $1 and 10 years later you are designing Blackcomb Mountain Resort and becoming one of the most respected and sought after resort planners in the world.
Hear how you go from operating the Whistler T-bar to becoming one of the most influential executives in the global mountain tourism business.Bruce Watt, our host, and Roger McCarthy are long time friends having met in Whistler 40+ years ago when they first arrived. Roger is described by many as an easy-going, endearing, inquisitive, driven, energetic, focused, and fun figure. Listeners will clearly hear these qualities throughout as Bruce and Roger discuss with great enthusiasm their passion for adventure, friends, Whistler and what it takes to become one of the most influential executives in the global mountain tourism business.
International Years at:
North AmericaIntrawest:
Whistler Blackcomb
Mont Tremblant
6 resorts in the east >> 3 in Canada & 3 in the States
Vail Resorts COO - Breckenridge, Keystone
Europe12 resorts > France & Italy via his time with Intrawest
Russia > Sochi
Hear how you go from operating the Whistler T-bar to becoming one of the most influential executives in the global mountain tourism business.Bruce Watt, our host, and Roger McCarthy are long time friends having met in Whistler 40+ years ago when they first arrived. Roger is described by many as an easy-going, endearing, inquisitive, driven, energetic, focused, and fun figure. Listeners will clearly hear these qualities throughout as Bruce and Roger discuss with great enthusiasm their passion for adventure, friends, Whistler and what it takes to become one of the most influential executives in the global mountain tourism business.
Bruce Watt, the host, is interviewed by Stef Hostetter, CEO of RE/MAX Sea to Sky Real Estate and kicks off his podcast “Whistler Stories that Need to be Told” with funny and emotional stories of his first decade in Whistler as a Professional Patroller on Whistler Mountain and how being buried in 1978 from a large avalanche began his commitment to learning more about avalanche search and rescue which resulted in CARDA – The Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association, a non-profit volunteer search and rescue organization formed in 1982. Listen and learn more!