| The first pioneers to live on the land
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| | fishing, allowed the Philip's to expand
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| that the Resort Municipality of Whistler
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| | Rainbow Lodge with cabins until it could
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| now inhabits arrived in the 1880s. The
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| | accommodate 100 people. It soon became
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| Squamish and Lil'wat people have been the
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| | known as the most popular resort west of
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| stewards of these lands and to this day
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| | Banff and Jasper. The Philip's operated
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| these two First nations people follow in
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| | the Lodge until 1948 when they sold it to
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| the footsteps of their ancestors.
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| | Alec and Audrey Greenwood. The main Lodge
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| Alta Lake, BC was the original name of
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| | burnt down in 1977, but today the area
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| Whistler. The lake itself was originally
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| | has been preserved as Rainbow Park. Some
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| called Summit Lake as its creeks flow out
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| | of the original cabins and a replica of
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| of both north and south creating a chain
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| | 'the Bridge of Sighs' are still standing
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| of four connected lakes (Alpha, Nita,
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| | at the park.
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| Alta, and Green). The valley was part of
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| | Alex Philip, an incurable romantic and
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| the traveling route known as the
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| | writer of fiction novels, named the
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| Pemberton Trail. The area was first
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| | 'Bridge of Sighs' and the 'River of
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| surveyed and documented in 1858 by
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| | Golden Dreams and Romance'. The Philip's
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| Hudson's Bay men looking for an alternate
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| | both remained in the valley until their
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| route into the Caribou area. In the
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| | deaths. Alex died in 1968 at the age of
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| 1860's British Naval Officers and
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| | 86, and Myrtle died in 1986 at the age of
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| Surveyors named what is now Whistler
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| | 95. Many other lodges were built around
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| Mountain as 'London Mountain.'
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| | the lakes due to the summer tourist
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| London Mountain soon became locally known
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| | trade.
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| as 'Whistler' because of the shrill
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| | By 1965 the Provincial Government had
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| whistle made by the Western Hoary Marmots
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| | completed a narrow gravel road from
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| who lived among the rocks. One of the
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| | Vancouver. It followed a rough service
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| first settlers was John Millar, a trapper
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| | road under the large Hydro towers leading
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| who ran a stopping house on the Pemberton
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| | to Bridge River. Electricity in the Alta
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| Trail near today's Function Junction. In
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| | Lake community was not realized until a
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| 1911, John Millar met Alex Philip on a
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| | substation was built to power the ski
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| trip to Vancouver to sell furs. He
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| | lifts in 1965. GODA made a total of
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| invited Alex and his wife Myrtle to
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| | four separate bids for the Winter
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| experience the superb fishing on the
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| | Olympics. In 1968 Vancouver/Garibaldi won
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| chain of lakes near his cabin. Myrtle and
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| | the Canadian nomination for the 1976
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| Alex Philip, both from the state of
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| | proposed site. However, Montreal was
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| Maine, had moved to the west coast and
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| | bidding for the 1976 Summer Olympic
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| dreamed of opening their own fishing
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| | Games, which they were awarded and the
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| lodge and resort.
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| | International Olympic Committee would not
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| In 1914 the Pacific Great Eastern Railway
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| | allow both summer and winter games in the
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| (PGE) reached Alta Lake and opened the
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| | same country. On August 27, 1965 London
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| valley to the outside world. The
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| | Mountain's name was officially changed to
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| legendary hospitality combined with a
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| | Whistler Mountain.
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| spectacular setting and excellent
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|
