Enjoy Rainbow Park while you can. Starting at the beginning of June, the popular lakeside hangout will close for significant upgrades and reopen in June 2024.
The closing date was announced at the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) May 16 council meeting, at which mayor and council also approved a $2,738,910 contract to Wilco Civil Inc. to complete the second phase of Rainbow Park upgrades.
According to RMOW parks planner Annie Oja, Phase 2 of construction is scheduled to start on June 5, and be substantially complete by June 2024.
“Rainbow Park will have limited access for the duration of the construction period, with some periods of no access,” Oja said. “Closure to the beach and lawn area is necessary to complete construction as efficiently as possible during a favourable weather period.”
During construction, the park’s main beach and Valley Trail will be closed, along with the parking lot. The pick-up/drop-off area will remain open for now, although Oja noted it might also close if it proves problematic for construction. Parking on Alta Lake Road will also be limited.
Pedestrian access from Alta Lake Road to the off-leash dog park, heritage cabins and watercraft storage racks will continue via the Valley Trail section upgraded in the first phase of park improvements; the dog park will not close during construction.
The RMOW will redirect visitors to other Whistler parks during construction, such as Wayside, Lakeside, Blueberry, and Meadow, as well as encourage visitors from the Lower Mainland to find other things to do in town, like head into the alpine rather than the valley parks.
Some parks will also host more amenities this year, such as food offerings, to encourage dispersal across the municipality.
“Meadow Park is our best alternative option to redirect users to, for those needing to drive will be encouraged to park in an underutilized parking area behind the ball diamonds at the end of Camino Drive,” Oja said. “We’ve added a Park Eats program that will start last week in June that will be located adjacent to the tennis courts and washroom building, as well as additional picnic tables.”
Lost Lake’s free shuttle program will continue throughout the summer and, due to Rainbow Park’s closure, will double its service, running daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Saturday, June 17, until Labour Day. Transit will also be free on weekends and holidays to further encourage visitors and residents to avoid taking vehicles to municipal parks.
Bylaw enforcement personnel typically stationed at Rainbow Park will now be redirected to other parks.
Within the park itself, the upgrades include an expanded beach area, a relocated Valley Trail, and a new connection to the beachfront that will provide better access for all.
The improvements originally envisioned the Valley Trail relocation for the beachfront, creating a waterfront promenade; however, following a substantial wave of opposition from residents and a petition that gathered more than 3,000 signatures, the RMOW went back to the drawing board. Revised designs remove the planned promenade, while featuring less pavement overall and a smaller food truck plaza.
Other changes to the park include altering the irrigation system from potable to non-potable water; creating another dock at the south end of the beach; and adding 59 trees to give shade and create buffers between different areas of the park.
Other upgrades will also begin construction over the next year, including sewer improvements in the parking lot area and a railway crossing safety update.
Those projects are estimated to cost $506,000 and $349,000, respectively. Contracts have yet to be awarded, and the RMOW is still working out the details of the railway crossing with CN Rail and Transport Canada. The provincial Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) is funding 100 per cent of the project.
If all goes according to plan, construction will be complete by June 2024, and Rainbow Park will reopen in phases once the new lawn is fully established, which will depend on the weather.
Councillor Jeff Murl noted that a significant portion of the community felt like their opinion wasn’t heard regarding the Rainbow Park upgrades, and encouraged those interested in future improvements to Whistler’s parks to let their concerns be known.
“A lot of community members felt that they weren’t consulted on this project. And I’m glad it’s moving forward, and it’s a great plan,” he said.
“I want to bring focus to the next park we’re working on, which is Meadow Park, and the ample opportunities people have to contribute and offer their opinions on those, and I hope they take them.”
Read more at whistler.ca/rainbowpark.
