While newspapers have long been a place for readers to express opinions through letters to the editor, the Whistler Question introduced a new feature in 1981 that shared the thoughts and opinions of three to six residents or visitors to Whistler on one specific topic. The very first “Whistler’s Answers” was published on Nov. 5, 1981, and the Question would continue to publish these answers for more than 30 years.
The Question described the new feature as “an opportunity for you, the community, to express your views and opinions” and explained that each week there would be a question “on an issue pertinent to Whistler” and that a “random six Whistler visitors or residents” would be interviewed. Their answers and photos would then be published in the weekly paper and readers would be able to suggest their own questions by contacting the Question office.
It happened that the end of October 1981 was more eventful than the Question had necessarily expected and so their first question was in fact two questions: “What do you think the provincial government can do to make the Squamish highway safe?” and “Do you think the recent floods and the tragedy at M Creek will make people think twice before visiting Whistler?”
On Tuesday, Oct. 27, water, mud and debris washed out the M Creek bridge on Highway 99, resulting in the deaths of nine people. Another rainstorm led to further flooding throughout the Sea to Sky region on Oct. 31, and by the end of Nov. 1 the area was cut off from the rest of the province by washed-out bridges to the south and a culvert washout to the north. Within Whistler, Brio was the hardest-hit subdivision, though the Whistler Creek area at the base of Whistler Mountain was also quite damaged. Ted Pryce-Jones, Helene Moran, Hugh McMillan, Shelley Heidt, Rod MacLeod and Jane MacPhail all had their own thoughts on making the highway safer and whether visitors would be deterred, but most agreed either the wooden bridges should be replaced with stronger concrete ones or the highway should be rerouted.
The topics of the “Whistler’s Answers” questions included everything from local bylaws (there were some strong opinions about neon signs in the 1980s) and global considerations to philosophical debates. Some weeks the questions were specifically meant for visitors to Whistler, asking about their experiences in the resort or how they had heard of it.
While some questions were timeless, such as asking about New Year’s resolutions, others are much more tied to the time in which they were asked. Throughout 1982 and ’83, many of the questions had to do with the economic impact of a recession on Whistler, whether they be about pay cuts or unfinished building lots or what to do with the stalled Resort Centre. Looking back today, the answers reflect a lot of uncertainty and remind us it was not guaranteed Whistler, still a new municipality, would be a success.
In 1982, the six randomly selected interviewees dropped to three and there are some weeks when, based on the photos taken of those who provided answers, it appears the selection was mainly of patrons of Tapley’s Pub and Village Square businesses. Nevertheless, most people who provided answers appear to have given the questions some thought and the feature provided an interesting insight into what was important to those living in and visiting Whistler at the time. Every now and then, however, there was a more tongue-in-cheek answer, such as when Ted Pryce-Jones was asked in 1982 if he thought the Whistler Resort Association should endorse candidates in the municipal election and responded, “I don’t think they should endorse anyone.”
Some topics were repeated often, though from different angles, and some are still discussed in Whistler today, such as questions about affordability and finding accommodations or snow conditions and predictions for the winter season.
For anyone interested in past Whistler thoughts and opinions, each Thursday the Whistler Museum’s Whistorical blog has been posting a “Whistler’s Answers” from the past—we are currently in 1986!
