THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO WHISTLER
- A quick look at the who, what and why behind Whistler, offering tips on where to dine, drink and play
Living in Whistler – from a few weeks to forever
Whistler’s population is a melting pot of nationalities. Canadians from Coast to Coast call Whistler home as do transplants from all over the globe. From all continents, folks travel here and stay for various periods of time – some for a few weeks or months and some who call Whistler their forever home. In any of the shops, cafes, spas, nightclubs and amenities, you will find staff from all walks of life, from all parts of the world. Whistler Blackcomb, the community’s largest employer, hosts recruiting fairs on four continents. And in Whistler, no matter where you hail from, age is merely a number. A large portion of the population is under the age of 35 and the rest are young at heart and youthful in spirit!
And Whistlerites don’t just apply their energy on the slopes. Here, we take sustainability and the environment seriously too. Check out the library’s sod roof and geothermal heating – it’s home to Whistler Canada Olympic House during the Games. Whistler streets are clean and garbage-free, and it’s easy to recycle here with bear-proof recycling and garbage bins readily available. Bear-proofing is essential in the summertime, when spotting an Ursus Americanus (black bear) ambling through a Whistler neighbourhood is not an uncommon sight.
The 35-kilometre paved Valley Trail system links all Whistler neighbourhoods and provides both a green and great way to get around. Bike to work in the summer; cross-country ski to work in the winter.
The spirit of Whistler also extends to the arts. Artists from all mediums call this place home. Around the Village, look for the bold oil paintings by Vanessa Stark and the acrylic landscapes by Chili Thom, who finds his inspiration while hiking the surrounding mountains. Also watch for images by Blake Jorgenson, Whistler’s most revered photographer, and visit his gallery at the Westin Resort and Spa.
Drinking in the scenery – or just drinking
Après is taken seriously in this town. A day on the mountain isn’t complete without sharing a post-ski or post-ride pint or two with your mates. Winter isn’t an obstacle for patio lizards: most patios around town have heaters. Places like the Longhorn Saloon (burgers and beer), the GLC (great nachos), Citta’ (a long-time local hangout) or the Dubh Linn Gate (pints of Guinness and Celtic music) are packed long before the mountain closes. Get in before 3 p.m! If one après is good, two can only be better. If you watch the flow, you’ll see how it works. First the skiers (or bikers in summer) end their day on the hill with après. When that winds down, it’s time to carry the fun forward to the many nightclubs. If you like to stay out late, Whistler’s your town. The clubs, bars, restaurants and patios are packed with visitors as well as locals. Each club has a distinct scene, but all are casual. The nightlife scene in Whistler is dominated by local DJs: watch for local favourites Mat the Alien playing at Maxx Fish or DJ Tim Livingstone playing at Tommy Africa’s. A night at the GLC isn’t complete without listening to the retro tunes of DJ Foxy Moron and up-and-coming DJ Andreas Morel’s electro house at Garfinkel’s will have you dancing the night away. Watch for Whistler’s legendary house band, the Hairfarmers.
Chowing down, haute cuisine, and in between
Whistler boasts an amazing number of award-winning chefs and restaurants. Sabre a champagne bottle with the Guinness World Record sabreing champion, Andre Saint Jacques, at the Bearfoot Bistro and check out 20,000 bottles of grape in his cellar. See if you can catch a glimpse of Hell’s Kitchen winner Dave Levey at Araxi and make sure you pick up a copy of Araxi executive chef James Walt’s new cookbook, full of Whistler-inspired recipes. Lastly, no visit would be complete without a visit to Rimrock Cafe – specializing in seafood and game, this restaurant has been voted best restaurant by locals for eight years running. You cannot leave without putting down a portion of the sticky date pudding.
Java is everywhere, and you’re tripping over great places to get caffeinated before heading up the mountain. Mogul’s, in the heart of the Village, offers raspberry chocolate chip cookies big enough to put your back out if you lift them wrong. They are also purveyor of the town’s best lattes, as voted by the locals. The hearty soups, chili and chowder at Gone Bakery are legendary, and they get the locals’ nod for best spot for a quick lunch.
The Brewhouse is Whistler’s only brewpub, and supplies our town with an ever-changing selection of lagers, bitters and stouts. They source ingredients internationally. Dave the brewmaster takes his work very seriously, and sitting at the Brewhouse bar, you can see him upstairs conjuring up new beers. And the chicken wings fried with beer are seriously good.
Splitz Grill is the local pick for the best burger in town. Ingrid’s has been serving a variety of delicious burgers for 20 years and they won’t diss you if you’re a vegetarian. And the deal that even the locals can’t get over is the burger for five bucks available after 6 p.m. at Merlin’s in the Upper Village.
For powderhounds the way to go for breakfast is Fresh Tracks on Whistler Mountain. Head up the mountain ahead of the crowds, do a few turns around the big breakfast buffet in the Roundhouse, then get prime access to the new snow before the masses do. Be warned: tickets are limited to the first 650 people and this breakfast does sell out!
In and around the Village popular choices for breakfast include Wildwood (French toast banana bread), Elements (delicious eggs benny), Ciao Thyme (killer omelettes), Crepe Montagne (divine crepes) or Southside (big plates, diner-style). Good thing we’re an active community!
It’s all about the fresh
Whistler Blackcomb has enough snowy terrain to seriously test your leg muscles; to make the most of it join a free daily mountain tour (lead by chatty and very knowledgeable local volunteers), or take a lesson. More people learn to ski and snowboard on these two mountains than any other North American resort. Local history is written in the names of the ski runs: Pony Trail, which was cut for pack horses during the 1965 machinery ban; and Burnt Stew and Jimmy’s Joker and others.
People come here in summer too?
For all that snowy glory, more people visit Whistler in the summer than the winter. Biking and golfing are king: growing numbers of riders travel here each summer for the downhill alone, and a bunch more come for road biking and cross-country. Whistler’s Mountain Bike Park is widely considered the best downhill bike park in the world. When you catch the Fire and Ice Remix in Skiers Plaza during winter, you’d never know that chunk of slope becomes the Bone Yard every summer, with tracks that twist and turn their way down into the Village with big air jumps, drops and more.
Starting with the 10-day TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival, Whistler’s summer event schedule is jam-packed. The Kokanee Crankworx mountain bike festival is huge with gearheads. We also have several high-intensity mountain bike ride challenges including the Cheakamus Challenge and the Test of Metal. We’ve got everything from Whistler Wellness Week, to the Children’s Art Festival, to ArtWalk and the Canadian National BBQ Championship.
Hiking Whistler’s alpine in the summer is a sublime experience, and the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, connecting Whistler and Blackcomb, has changed the summer profile of Whistler by whisking you to all sorts of new alpine terrain.
If a Downward Dog or a Sun Salutation is a daily kick for you, Whistler won’t disappoint, with some 20 gyms and spas and over 100 yoga classes on offer each week. Enjoy free yoga in Whistler during the Games, thanks to Vancouver-based companies Lululemon and YYoga.
Getting in touch with your inner paparazzi
Celebrities enjoy the Whistler vibe just as much as the rest of us. Justin Timberlake enjoys Whistler Blackcomb’s terrain parks, while Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher have skied its bowls. Pamela Anderson has strolled the Village and Katie Holmes has been spotted on the Solar Coaster chair. Robin Williams has entertained guests on the PEAK 2 PEAK, Paris Hilton recently danced all night at Buffalo Bill’s and High School Musical’s Zac Efron ziplined and bungee jumped here last summer. Seal proposed to Heidi Klum in a private rose-petal-filled ice grotto. Gene Simmons bought a family home here and a trio of kings-in-waiting – Charles, William and Harry – have carved up the slopes here too.
Now go explore!
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