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