Last weekend, with its event-packed schedule, may have been a defining moment for Whistler in the summer of 1995. The weekend showed some of the best of Whistler's community spirit, but perhaps also some of the frustrations that come with Whistler's popularity. It began Friday night with the opening of the Whistler Museum and Archives Society's new facility in Village North. If ever there was a community-based organization it is the Museum and Archives Society. The volunteer group has worked tirelessly to help preserve Whistler's heritage and to make it known to others. The society is now taking a very ’90s approach to future plans, seeking corporate sponsors, initiating a lend/lease program and making the new facility available for private receptions — all initiatives that will help the society and museum become more economically self sufficient. The scarcity of parking spaces, which was to be an obstacle all weekend, was evident at the museum opening. Why the graded parking lot on Lot 5 couldn't be made available — even if only for the weekend — is a mystery. Saturday the Canada Day Parade was another big success, attracting dozens of floats and impressing locals and visitors alike as it wound its way from Marketplace, through the village and Upper Village. Saturday night's 26th annual Chamber of Commerce dinner and dance was another affair for locals. Kris Shoup and David Roberts were honoured as Citizen of the Year and Businessman of the Year respectively, based on their contributions to the community over the years. Unfortunately, less than half the Chamber directors managed to attend the affair. There are probably many reasons for the poor turnout of directors, but the suspicion is that a busy long weekend is seen by some as a good time to get out of town. Sunday was the more successful of the two Function Junction Days. Originally conceived as an event to create awareness of Function Junction among locals and weekenders, Function Junction Days now draw a surprising number of visitors. Whether that says anything about visitors' interest in activities outside the village area is open to interpretation, but it would appear the simple, homegrown events like Function Junction Days and the Canada Day Parade still appeal to visitors and locals alike. All in all, the first long weekend of the season provided an interesting portrait of what locals and visitors are looking for in Whistler in the summer of 1995.
