When Jan Jansen first came to Whistler from Toronto some 30 odd years ago, there were just 2,400 people living in the resort.
There was also no Meadow Park Sports Centre, no Whistler Olympic Plaza, and little in the way of summer business.
"I actually came out for a 10-day ski vacation, and the intent was to find a job," recalled Jansen, who is set to retire from his role as general manager of resort experience at the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) next month.
"I think I showed up in (then-chief administrative officer) Bill Barratt's office on day nine, because I was too busy enjoying Whistler, and lo and behold, they were advertising for a parks technician at the time."
The RMOW needed someone to see it through the planning and development of an arena and pool, and Jansen, with experience in facility construction from back east, made a good fit.
Three months later, he had his own desk at municipal hall.
"Those were obviously really exciting days at the time; it was the construction period for the parks department building, a lot of the destination and the local parks and the various trails, and of course there was all the development of Village North occurring at that time," Jansen said, adding that the parks team at the time worked out of a trailer in the back of municipal hall.
"The medical clinic was where the planning department was, and the library with Joan was where the engineering department was. Municipal hall was a relatively small affair at that time."
And, relative to today at least, so was Whistler. The focus at that time was to bolster summer business, and turn Whistler into a bonafide two-season resort, Jansen said.
The arena project ended up representing one of Jansen's biggest early disappointments (that eventually turned out to be a major success).
"When I came on, [we were] trying to determine where to locate the arena and the pool, and the Village North master plan of course included that facility right where we've got the Whistler Olympic Plaza right now," he said.
"I remember taking that to council in the very early '90s; I started working on that immediately in the late '80s when I came, and I think we had a $15-million price tag to build both of those in the village."
The council of the day voted against the proposal—a decision Jansen concedes was the right one—which led to the Meadow Park Sports Centre's current location just south of Alpine Meadows.
The arena was built first, and "we built the pool right after that as a second phase, and Sharon Audley didn't have to give swim lessons in her backyard pool over in Nordic Estates anymore," Jansen said. "I think that was a huge success for the community and I think something that still functions well now, and we continue to add to it."
Jansen's initial disappointment in not building the facility in the village ended up as a major opportunity for the resort: the space was eventually turned into Celebration Plaza for the 2010 Games, and today represents a lasting legacy that hosts concerts, festivals, ice skating and more.
Jansen left his RMOW role for 10 years to work on the Games, serving at various times as director of Whistler venues, project manager of the Whistler Sliding Centre and executive director of Games operations before returning in 2009.
In 2011, the RMOW began to focus its efforts on developing a Festivals, Events and Animation program—an initiative that would prove wildly successful in the following years, driving record-breaking visitation and Whistler's emergence as a four-season resort.
"I'm really proud of how the team and everyone has put that together, and we rely on it," Jansen said.
Some of his more recent career highlights include working on Whistler's Official Community Plan, the purchase of the historic Parkhurst lands along Green Lake, and a land swap deal that added the 44-hectare Prism lands to the municipal portfolio (to name just a few).
What stands out about Jansen to chief administrative officer Mike Furey is his deep commitment to the community.
"He always put the community's interest first and foremost, and was always thinking to the long term in terms of what decisions we are making today, how that was going to impact the future," Furey said, adding that he and Jansen had "one of the best collaborative working relationships" that Furey has known in 33 years of public service. "We really, on quite a regular basis, tackled a lot of tough problems that are facing the community, and more often than not came out with some really creative ideas on how we might move forward."
The general manager of resort experience role will be filled internally on an interim basis, and recruitment for a permanent replacement will begin once Whistler's new chef administrative officer is in place.
For the time being, Jansen plans on enjoying some free time.
"I'll just take it easy for now, and I know that we've got a really talented team here, a really capable, passionate team, and things will be left in good hands, so I have no worries in that regard," he said.
"For me it's been an unbelievable journey, and I feel incredibly fortunate being given the opportunity to play a role in the evolution of the community."
