The Sea-to-Sky Corridor has its own fair share of history and goings-on. We have all sorts of information for you. From rectivities available between and around Squamish and Whistler, to Squamish and Whistler attractions, and Squamish and Whistler Clubs. We love the Sea-to-Sky area, and want to share with you all the great stuff available here.
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The first inhabitants of the Squamish area were the Squohomish tribes. In Coast Salish, Squamish means, “Mother of the Wind”, which is testimony to the winds that pick up from the north before noon and blow steadily until dusk. The Indians had their first visitor in 1792 when Captain Vancouver came here to trade with them near the residential area of Brackendale, which is where the original Indian Reserve was first located.
During the 1850’s gold miners came to find gold and an easier gold route to the Interior. After this, a cattle trail was built from Lillooet to the Lynn Valley. Although the trail was only used for about one year (because it was just too dangerous), Van Bremner staked land on the old townsite to pasture his cattle. The beef that he raised was used to feed the newly formed town of Moodyville (now known as Vancouver). During this time he traveled by boat up and down the sound.
Next the Norwegians tried farming in this area. When they were flooded out they retreated to a different area to try again.
In 1888 the Robertson family settled on the banks of the Mamquam River. The route of Mamquam River at the time was quite different from what you see today because three floods drastically changed its original appearance. The Robertson family encouraged the Ray family to come out from the prairies to settle. It was from the Ray family that the first white child was born in the Squamish Valley. Supplies for these families had to be brought in by boat from Vancouver (Moodyville).
In 1889, Henry Judd built a home in the residential area of Brackendale. After this, many other settlers started to relocate to the Squamish Valley. The Magee’s took over the area that is now downtown Squamish, and operated a hay ranch.
Mr. Mashiter came and built the first store. He was also the first postmaster. Generally speaking, all the settlers that came to the valley were farmers.
The first school was built in 1893 and was located just north of the Mamquam Bridge. There were only nine children enrolled in the school at that time. A second school was built in Brackendale in 1905 just north of Leskie’s crossing. You can still see the large Beechnut Tree that was planted by one of the pupils.
In the early 1900’s Mr. Bracken moved to the residential area which became known as Brackendale. The Thorne family settled just north of the Easter Seal Camp where they established a hop farm. A row of hardwood trees can still be seen from the highway where their farm originated. The majority of people at that time lived in the Brackendale area rather than the downtown area of Squamish.
In 1902 Galbraith established the first Hotel, which was built on the old dock in Squamish. At that time the upper Squamish Valley began to open up. It was a hard way of life for the settlers that came to the area.
During the 1900’s logging began up in the Diamond Head area. Using oxen, they skidded logs into the Squamish River, which was their only way of transporting the logs at that time. The name of this logging company was Norton & McKinnon. Logging was and still is the primary industry in Squamish.
In 1927 the Pacific Great Eastern Railway connected Prince George to Quesnel. Years later, in 1954 the rail line was opened from Vancouver to Prince George. Until that time, the people which settled in the Squamish Valley had to rely on boats that regularly came up the Howe Sound carrying passengers and supplies.
In 1958, Highway 99 was opened and shortly thereafter it continued on north through to Whistler and Pemberton. Squamish was no longer an isolated community.
Squamish has continued to grow and prosper. As of 1998 Squamish's population is approximately 15,000 people.
The Eagle - Winter Attraction The bald eagle is a fairly common site here in Squamish. Each winter, from November through February, thousands of bald eagles gather here in the Squamish Valley. The eagles can often be seen feeding on river gravel bars, perching on giant cottonwood trees, and soaring through the sunny, blue sky. Along the dikes in Brackendale (a part of Squamish) you can pull out your binoculars and zoom in one of these wondrous birds of prey. Each winter volunteer interpreters are present at the Eagle Run viewing site near Brackendale to answer questions. Programs run December through mid February, weekends only, 9:30am until 3:30pm.
Alta Lake, BC, was the original name of Whistler. The Lake was previously called Summit Lake as its creeks flowed out both north and south creating a chain of four connecting lakes (Alpha, Nita, Alta and Green). The valley was mainly used as a travelling route where the Squamish-Pemberton trail stopped going up and started going down. The area was first surveyed and documented in 1858 by Hudson's Bay men looking for an alternate route in the Caribou.
1860's marks the original naming of Garibaldi and London Mountain (now Whistler Mountain) by British Naval Officers and surveyors. One of the first settlers, was John Millar, a trapper, who ran a stopping house on the Pemberton Trail at today's Function Junction. John Millar on a trip to Vanocuver in 1911 to sell his furs met Alex and Myrtle Philip and enticed them to come and try the superb fishing on a chain of lakes near his cabin. Myrtle and Alex Philip, who were both from Maine, USA, had moved to the west coast to open a restaurant, but with the dream of opening their own fishing resort. They visited Summit Lake for the next three years. Their journey took them two days to arrive in the valley - Steamer ship from Vancouver to Squamish, over night in Brackendale, rent pack horses and hike up the very rough Pemberton Trail. In 1913 they had saved up $700 to purchase 10 acres of land on the northwest corner of Alta Lake with the plans to build a fishing lodge. Myrtle's family came to assist and by 1914 had completed the main lodge, which had 4 bedrooms, a large living/dining room and a kitchen.
1914 the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) now BC Rail, reached Alta Lake and opened up the valley to the outside world to bring many travellers.
The legendary hospitality combined with spectacular setting and excellent fishing allowed the Philips to expand Rainbow Lodge until it could accomodate 100 people. It soon became known as the most popular resort west of Banff and Jasper. The Philips operated the Lodge until 1948, when they sold to the Greenwoods. The main Lodge burnt down in 1977, but today the area has been preserved as a park (Rainbow Park) and one can still see signs of the original cabins and a replica of the Bridge of Sighs, named by Alex Philip who was quite the romantic and writer of fiction novels.
The Philips remained in the community until both their deaths - Alex died in 1968 at the age of 86 and Myrtle died in August of 1986 at the age of 95.
Other lodges sprang up around the lakes to handle the influx of summer tourists. (Few people today realize that Whistler was a very popular summer resort for 50 long years before it was considered a winter destination).
Alta Lake Hotel owned by Russ Jordan from the early 1920's til 1930 when it burnt down. He left the valley for 3 years only to return to purchase land at Nita Lake to build and operate Jordan's Lodge. The main building still stands today.
Bert and Agnes Harrop built cabins and a floating tea room known as Harrop's Point during the 1920's. They sold to Dick Fairhurst, in 1945-1958, who renamed the property Cypress Lodge and built new cabin and a main lodge. In 1972 the property was purchased by the Canadian Youth Hostel Association and today is still the Whistler Hostel. The original main lodge and surrounding cabins remain.
Cecilia and John Mansell moved to Alta Lake in 1945 and started Hillcrest Lodge near today's Wayside Park. They sold in 1965 to the Manson Syndicate who operated the Mount Whistler Lodge for skiers. The property now houses a few of the original cabins; the main lodge was burned in a fire practice by the fire department.
Tourism was not the only industry in the valley during this time. Logging was also very profitable especially with the arrival of the railway. For several years there were a few sizable mill and lumber operations on Green and Alta Lakes. Parkhurst Mill, on Green Lake and Rainbow Lumber Company on Alta Lake were operated by the Gebharts.
Other enterprising businesses included a mink and marten farm, trapping and prospecting, which lead to mining surveys up Fitzsimmons Valley. The shafts can still be found on the Singing Pass trail.
During the early 1960's events took place that would change the sleepy little valley. A group of Vancouver Businessman and members of Canada's Olympic Committee formed an association, Garibaldi Olympic Development Association (GODA), to look for and develop a site to host a future Winter Olympic Games. A site was narrowed down to London Mountain in Garibaldi Provincial Park. Despite its many positive attributes, these men must have had considerable vision to develop a resort in an area that was basically wilderness, had no road, no hydro, no water and no sewer system. A total of four separate bids were made but each one lost out. The Garibaldi Lift Company was formed in 1960 with Franz Wilhelmsen as President. It had two main objectives: 1) Finance and supervise required studies and 2) Erect and operate lifts on Whistler Mountain. 1962-65 the group pressed ahead to raise money and begin development of the ski area on the south side of Whistler Mountain (Creekside). By the end of the summer of 1965 they had completed a four person gondola to the mountain's mid point, a double chairlift to the treeline and 2 T-bars along with a number of runs and a day lodge.
At the same time the government had completed a road from Vancouver which followed the old Hydro service road--it took 5 hours!
August 27, 1965, London Mountain was officially changed to Whistler Mountain . The name Whistler was a nickname used by the early 1900's settlers because of the shrill whistle made by the Western Hoary Marmots who live among the rocks.
On Febrary 15, 1966 Whistler Mountain opened to the public and grew quickly in popularity withmany skiers from Vancouver.
Whistler was experiencing much faster growth than normal communities, so in 1974 the NDP government, who was interested in developing tourism in BC, took a number of steps affecting Whistler including a land freeze and a development study to identify the important community issues. The result of the study was the creation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler in September 6, 1975. The first and only Resort Municipality in Canada.
In 1977, two events occured: first, was the call for development proposals on Blackcomb Mountain, second, a community plan visualizing the town centre at a site where the two mountains converge.
January 1978, 53 acres of Crown Land was given to the municipality to develop the town centre. The Whistler Village Land Company was formed as a subsidiary company with the mandate to manage, develop and sell land within the Town Centre.
The first sod for the village was turned on Aug. 21, 1978 by first mayor, Pat Carleton.
Blackcomb Mountain opened the winter season of 1980/81, thus creating one of the largest ski complexes in North America with the two longest vertical drops on the continent.
The rest is history with the growth and development of the Upper Village and Village North areas. Whistler has become an internationally known year-round destination resort, offering activities in both winter and summer.
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