Whistler is the number one ski resort in North America and number one golf destination in Canada. This beautiful resort will also be the home of the 2010 Olympics.
Whistler is the place to go for the holidays. Whether it is for the 2010 Winter Olympics (February 12th-28th, 2010) and Paralympics (March 12th–21st, 2010) or for your winter or summer holidays, you will find lots to do and lots to see.
Whistler and Vancouver, in beautiful British Columbia, are the proud winners of the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics bid. This was Whistler’s third try. In 1968 they lost the bid for the Olympics to Banff, Canada and in 1976 they lost the bid to Innsbruck, Austria.
Now this small community, population 9258, is making up for lost time and opportunity.
Whistler Resort
Whistler Resort will hold the Olympian team sports, which include Nordic, Alpine Speed and Technical Skiing, and Ski Jumping events plus all the Paralympic Games.
Athletic Venue
The athletic venue will have a variety of housing available for athletes, indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, retail services and public transit. This venue will house 2,400 athletes, including support staff.
Nordic Venue
The Nordic Venue will have 14 kmof competition trails for cross country skiing, 8 km of training trails, two ski jumps, a biathlon facility and three temporary stadiums. Keeping with Whistler’s green program, sustainable measures will be taken to protect old growth forest and wetland, consolidate venue footprint and reuse site materials and resources during construction.
Sliding Venue
Whistler’s Blackcomb Mountain will be the venue for the Bob Sled, Luge, and Skeleton events. There will be 1,450 metres of concrete track with an 11,650-spectator capacity, refrigeration facilities and an access road. Whistler will be using green sustainable practices, which include tree tagging, wood chipping and composting onsite, sediment control measures and remediation of aged storages areas.
Paralympic Games
Athletes with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities will be competing from over 40 countries. This ten-day competition includes Alpine and Cross Country Skiing, Sledge Hockey, Biathlon and Wheelchair Curling.
Sea-to-Sky Highway Journey
The drive from Vancouver to Whistler is 140 km long and takes approximately two hours. Along the way you will see 30 “point of interest” signs introducing you to the Squamish Lil’wait history and culture.
Winter and Summer Activities
Winter activities at Whistler consist of skiing, dog sledding, fishing, skyline Eco-Tours, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, back country tours, avalanche courses, ice climbing, sno-limo rides, and bald eagle viewing, just to name a few.
Summer visitors will also find a wide variety of activities to keep them busy. Visitors can ride the Whistler Gondola, play golf, visit the Adventure Zone, take a brewery tour or souvenir class, attend live theatre performances, go sight seeing, fishing, mountain biking, rafting, bungee jumping or try the dog-sled camp.
The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre is opening in the Spring of 2008. There you will see Salish canoes, weavings, monumental spindle whorls, a Squamish long house and a Lil’wat ‘Eshkin’ (pit house). You can also take part in a Cultural Forest Walk, which teaches visitors about local ecosystems, traditions and history.
Accommodation
Whistler has 15+ hotels, 20 + condominiums, 30+ town homes and 15+ executive homes available. Amenities include a variety of the following; fireplaces, pools, saunas, hot tubs, slope side, restaurants, kitchen, etc.
If camping is more your style Riverside RV Resort and Campground is open year round and is the only RV resort and campground in Whistler. Here you will find log cabins, fully serviced RV sites, private tent sites, a putting course, licensed café, market, wireless internet access and a shuttle to Whistler Village.
Seeing Whistler Before You Visit
References & Sites of Interest:
Resort Municipality of Whistler
20 Things to do in Whistler Under $25
