I recently returned from a trip to Alaska where I visited countless historic buildings connected to the gold rush of 1898. The experience was inspiring, thought-provoking and a reminder of the hardships many endured in the pursuit of a solid living. None of this would have been possible if local organizations and governments had not had the foresight and gumption to preserve those old, rickety and rotting buildings. You see, more than dust mites and restoration costs, preservationists saw profound value and opportunity in keeping the past alive. They had more than anything a kindness and curiosity towards history that, evidently, fails to extend as far south as council chambers in the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
I’m speaking of course about the recent news that the Gebhart/Hillman cabin is likely to be demolished. As mentioned in the Sept. 27 edition of Pique, a municipal report citing “extensive costs, limited functionality, and challenges with its preservation” likely means the cabin will soon be no more. In other words, finding a way to preserve, protect and promote Whistler’s history isn’t worth the financial cost.
The report states the cabin must be moved in order to make way for staff and market-value housing—ironic, as one of the reasons given for the need for demolition was its remote and inaccessible location. Look, I’m not here to argue all development needs to stop, nor am I against change. But it has become increasingly evident the rate, scale and type of changes occurring in Whistler have come at mounting and shortsighted costs to its own legacy.
Let’s be clear. With the Hillman cabin we aren’t talking about an old building; we are talking about one of the oldest buildings. A building without which Whistler may not have grown to be the community it is today.
At the very least, council owes the past it stands on its due respect. Surely there is a way to preserve the most precious parts of Whistler’s history while pushing into the future. But this will take a council that can find the courage to stand up to the status quo. A council that has some imagination. A council that can see past the narrow trap of restoration cost. If they succeed in this, the community will be all the richer for it now and into the future.
