2010 Winter Games Legacies
The 2010 Winter Games leave a lasting mark on Whistler in the form of new sports
venues, facilities and housing for locals. These legacies serve as reminders of the
Games, enrich Whistler's vibrant community, and significantly enhance the resort's
tourist experience.
Sporting Legacies
Post-Games, the operation of Whistler's newest sporting facilities has been placed
in the hands of
Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies - a not-for-profit business that will own and operate
three 2010 Winter Games facilities post-Games - the Whistler Sliding Centre, Whistler
Olympic/Paralympic Park and the Whistler Athletes' Centre.
It will be Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies role to preserve the legacy of the 2010
Winter Games by continuing to host national and international sport competitions at the
venues, encouraging high-performance sport development, inspiring youth and First
Nations involvement, and promoting sports tourism in Whistler and British
Columbia.
Whistler Sliding Centre
The Whistler Sliding Centre, site of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games bobsleigh, luge and
skeleton competition, is located on the lushly forested southeast slope of Blackcomb
Mountain, only minutes from Whistler Village. With a 152-metre vertical drop (the
greatest of any track in the world) and 16 corners, it is widely acknowledged as the
fastest, most technical sliding track in the world.
Year-round visitors can enjoy walking tours of the centre, and commencing fall 2010
new passenger ride programs will be on offer allowing the public to try bobsleigh and
skeleton first-hand. The facility also remains operational post Games for athlete
training and youth recruitment to the sport - many local school children have already
been introduced to the sport and development programs are regularly sold out. http://www.whistlerslidingcentre.com/
Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park
Surrounded by towering peaks, glacial lakes and pristine forest, Whistler
Olympic/Paralympic Park will take your breath away. Located 18 km (11 miles) south of
Whistler in the beautiful Callaghan Valley, the Park opened 55 km (34 miles) of new
public Nordic skiing trails groomed for both classic and skating. Opened December 2007
and having already welcomed tens of thousands of recreational skiers, the Park has
created a popularity boom in Nordic sport among both locals and visitors.
Already earning accolades for its superb trails, the Park offers walking tours of
the ski jumps, interactive biathlon and Nordic experiences for visitors, as well as a
full-service facility with day-lodge, rentals and café. In the summer months,
visit Whistler Olympic/ Paralympic Park for mountain biking, hiking, disc golf and
walking tours of the facility. http://www.whistlerolympicpark.com/
Whistler Athletes' Centre
Located within the Athletes' Village development (now known as the new Cheakamus
Crossing neighbourhood), the Whistler Athletes' Centre will become a destination for
Canadian and international athletes in training, offering high-performance athletes a
permanent training facility near 2010 Winter Games legacy venues. The centre includes a
gymnasium, fitness room, low-cost accommodation alternatives, multi-purpose meeting
rooms and lecture space. The facility will also accommodate visiting educational and
cultural groups.
In addition, the Whistler Adaptive Sport Program (WASP), a non-for-profit society
that provides year-round, recreational programs for people of all ages and
disabilities, has found a permanent home base with offices and accessible fitness/
training facilities located within the Athletes' Centre.
Community Legacies
Whistler Athletes' Village - new neighbourhood and housing for locals
Possibly the greatest legacy to Whistler's permanent residential community, is the
purpose built Athletes' Village. Several adjustments and touch-ups are being conducted
on the 220 townhomes, duplexes and condominiums, before the keys are handed over to
their eager new owners in summer 2010.
Under the watchful eye of the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) and its
employee-restricted housing program, a large percentage of the accommodations were
pre-sold in 2008 to Whistler locals on the WHA waitlist. A WHA mandate is to ensure
that 75 per cent of Whistler's workforce is housed in the resort. The cost of
employee-restricted properties is capped to ensure affordability for resort employees
and families. Owning in Whistler is a dream for many Whistler locals, allowing them to
continue living the amazing lifestyle that captured their hearts when they first
arrived.
The new residential community has been named Cheakamus Crossing after the Cheakamus
River that runs alongside the development. Along with the 220 resident-restricted
townhomes and units, the mixed-use neighbourhood will also contain an impressive
180-bed youth hostel run by Hostelling International, 55 rental units managed by
Whistler Housing Authority, and a high performance training centre (Whistler Athletes'
Centre) with athlete accommodations.
http://www.cheakamuscrossing.ca/
http://www.whistlerhousing.ca/
Hostelling International Whistler
Whistler Olympic Plaza
In the spring of 2010, the space that served as Whistler Medals Plaza during the
Games, will undergo final transformations to become a grassy, public space ideal
for picnics, outdoor concerts and performances. The landscaped area will include a
children's playground, terraced seating, public art, information plaques, the Olympic
Legacy Cauldron and the well-photographed Olympic rings and Paralympic Agitos monuments
that resided along Whistler's Village Stroll during the Games. Whistler Olympic
Plaza will become a key social gathering place for Whistler and a way to remember how
the community welcomed the world in February and March 2010.
Sea to Sky Highway Improvement
Prior to be being awarded the Games, it was identified that the scenic Sea to Sky
Highway that links Vancouver with Whistler was in need of major upgrades, due to the
continued growth of the resort and residential communities along the corridor. The $600
million improvement project included widening and straightening the highway, improving
safety and travel times. Regarded as one of the most beautiful highways in the world,
the Sea to Sky Highway takes visitors on a breathtaking two-hour journey of ocean and
mountain vistas. The road hugs the dramatic Pacific coastline past rushing waterfalls
and mountainous islands, then winds through lush, forested canyons on a gradual climb
into the spectacular Coast Mountains of British Columbia.
Passive House - new clubhouse for Whistler sporting groups
Known as a Passive House because of its unique design which essentially allows it to
heat, cool and ventilate itself, this facility was purpose built for the 2010 Winter
Games. The house served as the Austrian Olympic Committee headquarters and daily
broadcast studio for the Austrian Public Broadcaster ORF. The first passive house in
North America, the new facility is a partnership between Austria Passive House Group,
the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation and Sea to Sky
Consulting.
Austria Passive House Group has now generously handed this impressive facility over
to the Resort Municipality of Whistler - specifically to two popular, well-established
sporting groups: the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association (WORCA) and the Whistler
Nordics. Providing a club house for social gatherings and events, as well as much
needed office and meeting space for these clubs - there is no doubt the Passive House
will assist in growing community involvement in these clubs, and the sports of mountain
biking and cross country skiing. Ensuring countless Whistler residents will appreciate
this special Winter Games legacy for many years to come. http://www.worca.com/ l http://www.whistlernordics.com/