Two upstanding members of the Whistler community are in line to receive recognition for their contributions over the years.
Community builder Hugh Smythe and former Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden will receive the Freedom of the Municipality at the Oct. 22 regular council meeting.
In inviting the community to attend, Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton described both Smythe and Wilhelm-Morden as integral to what Whistler is today.
“The freedom of the municipality honours citizens for their outstanding contributions to the community. It's the highest honour that a municipality can award a resident,” he said at the Sept. 10 council meeting. Previous recipients include former mayors and council members and pioneers of Whistler.
“Hugh is recognized for his visionary work positioning Whistler as a world leader in the ski industry, he is on the wall in the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame, and he’s recognized around the world as a real leader in the ski business,” said Crompton.
“Nancy has gone from Whistler squatter to being awarded Queen’s Counsel as a lawyer. She was Whistler’s first female mayor, she was the recipient of the YWCA women of distinction award, she was a big part of starting the community foundation of Whistler and so many other things that make this town a better place.”
Responding to the news they’d be getting the awards, both recipients expressed gratitude for the recognition.
“I’ve lived in Whistler for 50 years,” said Wilhelm-Morden.
“My husband and I have worked our entire lives here; raised our children here. Along the way I have tried my best to give back to the community I love. It is a great honour to receive this award. I hope it inspires future community leaders and in particular young women to know they can make a difference,” she said.
Smythe said the news he would be getting the award came as a surprise.
“It actually took a while to fully sink in,” he said in a statement to Pique.
“I am incredibly humbled to be joining this esteemed group of people who have shaped so much of Whistler in such a variety of ways since its very earliest beginnings. This deeply appreciated recognition really belongs to all the people I worked alongside over the years, at both mountains, going all the way back to 1966.
“Everything we contributed in making Whistler such an amazing place to ski, work, live and play was a team effort among a whole lot of people passionate about our wonderful mountains and the opportunities for our community.”
Both Smythe and Wilhelm-Morden will receive the Freedom of the Municipality at the Oct. 22 regular council meeting, held at the Maury Young Arts Centre, in the Franz Wilhelmsen Theatre. Council meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. (Franz Wilhelmsen was another recipient of the award.)
“You’re all invited,” said Crompton. “Please come out, we’re going to celebrate them well on Oct. 22.”
