Nothing could be more Canadian than strapping on a good old pair of ice skates and hitting a rink in the great outdoors for a little healthy fun and recreation.

In addition to every other winter sport imaginable, Whistler has always offered ice skating options – indoors at Meadow Park Sports Centre, and outside (weather and ice permitting) on Green Lake. But this year, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) transformed the Whistler Olympic Plaza’s Great Lawn and Pavilion into brand new skating rinks for the winter season.

Games-watchers will remember the Whistler Olympic Plaza was where cheering crowds gathered every night for Victory Ceremonies and hot outdoor concerts during the 2010 Winter Games. Located right in the heart of Whistler Village, these new outdoor rinks offer great views of the ski hills and surrounding mountain ranges, and are just steps away from a hot beverage or snack at a local coffee shop or restaurant.

Best of all – and in true Canadian outdoor rink tradition – the skating is free! However, if you don’t have a pair of your own skates, rentals are available for $5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.

The rink itself is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. – with an hour for ice maintenance between 5 and 6 p.m.

Whistler Mountain Bike Park and Giant Bicycles are excited to announce they will be working together for the 2012 bike season. Giant, one of mountain biking’s top bike manufacturers, will become the official bike partner of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. Additionally the Whistler Mountain Bike Park is pleased to announce they will be working with RockShox suspension and AVID brakes this year, while continuing their partnership with SRAM and TRUVATIV.

“Giant Bicycles is one of the biggest, and arguably best, mountain bike manufactures in the world, and the Whistler Mountain Bike Park is stoked to work with them. Giant’s line of gravity mountain bikes are second to none, and we are extremely happy to partner with Giant, RockShox and AVID to supply premium mountain bike products to our customers. - Bike Park Manager Brian Finestone”

More…… @Pink Bike News

With significant wins in December and January and with February and March pacing well ahead of last year, this winter is shaping up to be one of - if not the - best winter season in recent years (post the 2008-recession) with regards to room night volumes.

Please note some highlights below:

Business Levels in Whistler:

• This past December was our busiest December on record in terms of room nights and saw a double digit increase over last winter.

• January is looking very strong compared to last year, and February, March and April are all pacing ahead.

• This winter is on track to be more than 10% ahead of last winter in terms of room night bookings.

Several factors affecting the positive results include:

• The success of Tourism Whistler’s efforts, which include:

• Enhanced Whistler profile from increased investment into brand marketing in key target markets - aimed at leveraging the global awareness garnered from the 2010 Winter Games.

• Gains in early bookings through a resort-wide early-booking program in partnership with our in-resort mountain and hotel stakeholders and our in-market tour operators.

• Significant interest generated by the Whistler Sabbatical Project - Tourism Whistler’s 2011/ 2012 winter marketing campaign.

• Whistler’s snow advantage - particularly compared to many major U.S. ski resorts.

Considerations:

• The volatility in the international economic climate has resulted in a shift in consumer behavior which experts suggest is permanent. How people spend has changed and travellers are seeking greater value for money than ever before.

• Regardless of budget - from moderate to luxury - people are looking to get the biggest bang for their buck - and Whistler is continuing to work hard, ensuring we deliver upon that.

We recognize how fortunate we are. Mother Nature has been very kind to Whistler this season - and we’re pleased to see other resorts starting to receive snow, as that is good for the entire ski industry for the long-term.

Barrett Fisher
President & CEO
Tourism Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. (WB-T9.950.151.53%) says it booked net earnings of $15.1-million in period from Nov. 9, 2010 to Sept. 30. 2011.

The ski and mountain resort earned 40 cents per share during that period, when Whistler Blackcomb became a public company.

Total visits returned to pre-2010 Olympic levels by rising 15 per cent in the year ended Sept. 20 to 2.5 million from 2.2 million.

Revenue increased by 20 per cent over the prior year from $179 to $216-million, which represented a return to pre-Olympic Winter Games levels.

Whistler Blackcomb, about 125 kilometres from Vancouver, was the main alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

“We continue to be pleased with our post-Olympic recovery and we ended fiscal year 2011 on a solid financial footing,” said Dave Brownlie, the president and CEO of Whistler Blackcomb.

“From a visitation perspective, we drove record regional skier visits, we saw a recovery in destination skier visits and we had strong year-round visitation” added Brownlie.

Source = Globe & Mail

And more throughout today… winter has arrived in full force - its going to be a great season!

Photo by Mike Crane Nov 2011

Momentum is building for Blackcomb Mountain’s opening day on Thursday, November 24. Come and celebrate the start of the winter season with a Winter Kick-off Concert at the Olympic Plaza and much more.

Photo by Mike Crane Nov 2011

If you’ve got an appetite for gourmet fare, inspired wines and chilled soirees, Whistler’s Cornucopia is simply a “must-attend” event.

Now in its 15th year, Cornucopia is the world-famous resort’s annual festival celebrating exemplary wine and food.

Featuring stunning and sumptuous winemaker dinners, interactive seminars, gala wine tastings and sizzling after parties, this extravagant epicurean feast is four days and nights of the best from local and regional restaurants, producers, breweries and wineries.

Cornucopia runs November 10 to 13, 2011 and tickets are available now at whistlercornucopia.com

This morning Whistler residents had the pleasure to wake up to fresh snow falling in the village. The snow has been falling on the peaks for some weeks now but this is early for the village to receive any snow.

Although we always love snow and our winter season, it can be a tough transition from the summer sunshine .. as locals always say “we came for the winter, and stayed for the summer”

Below are a couple of our favourite shots from this summer - it’s been an incredible year and we’re expecting an even better winter with La Nina weather systems coming our way - get ready for endless powder

Thanks to heavy lobbying by a number of concerned citizens and Whistler Real Estate Co Ltd, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) will accommodate mail-in voting in upcoming Whistler elections.

This will allow all taxpayers who qualify under sections 50 and 51 of the Local Government Act (must be 18, a Canadian citizen, a resident of BC for at least six months and a property owner for 30 days) to vote. To qualify, you must be absent from Whistler on voting day (November 19, 2011) and either of the advanced voting days (November 9, 2011 and November 12, 2011).

To receive a mail-in ballot-voting package, you must fill out a Vote By Mail application form to the Chief Elections Officer, who will then mail out the ballot package. The elector must return the package before the close of voting on November 19, 2011.

The next election will be important in determining the future direction of Whistler. Many of our second homeowners have recently indicated concern about current policy and processes at the municipal level.

This will be the first time that the voice of the second homeowner has an opportunity to be heard to elect someone who represents his or her interests.

The important date to remember is September 9, 2011, which is the date the application to vote will be available. Go to www.whistler.ca to download the form or got to the front desk at Municipal Hall to pick up a package.

If you are interested in Whistler, don’t let your distance work against you.

SUMMER IN WHISTLER IS FRESH, FREE, FUN

There’s plenty to celebrate in Whistler this summer such as the best new concert venue in BC — Whistler Olympic Plaza — hosting the free, outdoor Whistler Presents Concert Series.

August 12
Hairfarmers, 7:00 PM
Tom Cochrane with Red Rider, 8:15 PM

August 13
Gonch Messiah, 7:00 PM
Colin James, 8:15 PM

August 20
Key of Zee, 7:00 PM
Northern Pikes, 8:15 PM

August 21
Brother Twang, 7:00 PM
Barenaked Ladies, 8:15 PM

August 27
Grand Opening Weekend Celebration
Whistler Olympic Plaza official opening, 7:00 PM
Join in celebrating the completion of Canada’s newest and most spectacular outdoor live music venue with performances by Sam Roberts Band and Kathleen Edwards. Hosted by CBC’s Jian Ghomeshi.

September 2-4
Jazz on the Mountain at Whistler
Free and ticketed indoor and outdoor shows. Come interact personally with jazz greats
such as Kevin Eubanks.

September 10
RBC GranFondo Whistler
Celebrate at the finish line with live music.

FREE CONCERT SERIES

Photo: Steve Rogers

People may only conjure up images of gorgeous alpine and world-famous ski hills when they think of Whistler, however there’s a lot more to do in the resort than just hitting the slopes.

Name a winter sport and Whistler likely offers numerous ways you can enjoy it. From snowmobiling to skating and sleigh rides, to ice fishing and snowshoeing – Whistler has it all.

If you happened to have watched the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, then you also know Whistler is home to some of the most amazing cross-country skiing trails and facilities around.

Over in the Callaghan Valley, site of all the 2010 Nordic events, the superb Whistler Olympic Park offers visitors more than 90 kilometres of expertly groomed trails for both classic and skate skiing. There are also a great section of lighted trails for those who prefer to ski under the stars. The Olympic Park also offers 20 kilometres of wilderness snowshoe trails, as well as a selection of both Nordic and snowshoe trails that are dog-friendly. Families will love the new Toboggan Hill right near the Day Lodge, offering great views of the Olympic ski jumps and surrounding mountain range.

Closer to Whistler Village, Lost Lake features more than 32 kilometres of trails that afford spectacular views of both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. As with the Olympic Park, Lost Lake offers cross-country skiing for classic and skate styles, as well as some snowshoe trails, and about four kilometers of lighted trails for night skiing.

So while many people may only consider Whistler the ultimate in alpine skiing, the fact is it’s also very much a Nordic paradise as well.