Whistler has been granted approximately $1.1 million in additional Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) funding for 2024, off the back of last year’s “strong tourism performance,” the municipality said in a recent report.
At the Sept. 24 regular meeting of council, elected officials were updated on the boost to RMI funding, allocated by the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport to 14 small, tourism-based municipalities to enhance their tourism infrastructure, visitor experiences, and sustainable tourism practices and products. A crucial funding stream for Whistler, along with Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT), the RMI program already handed out approximately $6 million to the resort this year. That’s on top of $7.8 million in MRDT funds, which is based on overnight hotel stays.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) said 90 per cent of the extra RMI money—which comes to $1,029,438 exactly—will be received this year, with the remainder earmarked for 2025.
Municipal staff laid out how the increased funding would be spent: $311,000 for recreational trail bridges; $300,000 for Whistler’s recently upgraded Rainbow Park; $151,000 for Whistler Transit’s Village Shuttle; $40,380 for interpretive panels; $10,000 for a bear awareness program; and $4,400 for the RMOW’s alpine ranger program. The balance, $212,718, will be transferred into Whistler’s RMI reserves.
WHA equity support
In July, Whistler council approved a staff recommendation to allocate $3.2 million from its Employee Housing Reserve Fund and Tourism Whistler contributions to the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA). That money was to purchase Lot 5 in Cheakamus Crossing, a centrepiece of the southern neighbourhood’s Phase 2 expansion and the future site of additional employee housing.
The transfer resulted in minor proposed changes to the RMOW’s financial planning for the year, including a small reduction in incoming MRDT revenues, totalling $100,000. This reflects the fact a portion of Tourism Whistler’s commitment to employee housing will now flow directly to the WHA, a municipal subsidiary, to support the purchase of Lot 5, along with the contribution from employee housing reserves funds in 2023.
Invictus investment
Whistler is preparing to welcome more than 500 adaptive athletes from across the world this February for the inaugural winter edition of the Invictus Games.
In July, Whistler council voted in favour of handing out $240,000 to the Games from the RMOW’s MRDT reserves, part of municipal hall’s annual Festival, Events and Animation investment.
At the Sept. 24 council meeting, officials gave initial readings to a proposed amendment to its Five-Year Financial plan to accommodate the dip into MRDT reserves.
In all, the totality of the RMOW’s financial plan amendments will result in a reduction of approximately $940,000 in contributions to its general operating reserve.
Meanwhile, the total proposed increase of funds to be drawn from all municipal reserves is approximately $4.1 million.
