Where

Live it up in the host mountain resort for the 2010 Winter Games

By Lucas Aykroyd

In Whistler Olympic Park, ski jumps form the backdrop for an inukshuk rock sculpture. Photo courtesy Tourism British Columbia

Whether you visit Whistler before, during or after the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, you’re in for a gold-medal experience. It’s been a jam-packed calendar since July 2, 2003, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose Whistler to co-host the 2010 Winter Games along with Vancouver, beating out Pyeongchang, South Korea and Salzburg, Austria. With Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and sliding events on the menu, Whistler has solidified its reputation as a must-visit sporting destination. Remarkably, all three Whistler competition venues—Whistler Creekside, Whistler Olympic Park and the Whistler Sliding Centre—were completed years early.

Key dates? The Olympic Torch Relay lights up Whistler on Feb. 5. If you’re arriving in time to catch the world’s top winter athletes, go to the official Vancouver 2010 website (www.vancouver2010
.com) for tickets to Olympic events (Feb. 12 to 28) and Paralympic events (Mar. 12 to 21). The Cultural Olympiad (Jan. 22 to Mar. 21) features several free concerts in Whistler Village Square.

All winter long, participate in downhill skiing and snowboarding at Whistler, enjoying the 88 lifts, 200-plus runs and 3,307 ha (8,100 acres) of diverse terrain—over 90 percent open during the Games. See it all from a bird’s-eye perspective in the recently launched Peak 2 Peak Gondola, which offers a magnificent trip between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.

Alternatively, go cross-country skiing amid the snow-dusted spruce, fir, hemlock and cedar trees of Whistler Olympic Park, where about 55 km (34 mi) of trails will remain open, along with 42 km (26 mi) of the adjoining Callaghan Country this winter (Nov. 21 to Jan. 31 and Mar. 1 to May 2). Or check out the Whistler Sliding Centre, where daredevil lugers and bobsledders exceed speeds of 150 kph (93 mph).

The great thing about visiting the host mountain resort any time of year is that you don’t need to be a world-class athlete to have fun. Those who prefer culture or shopping are in for a treat, too.

Fascinated by aboriginal culture? Two of the official Four Host First Nations, the Squamish Nation and the Lil’wat Nation, have their traditional territories overlap in Whistler. The spectacular Squamish-Lil’wat Cultural Centre, which seamlessly blends glass, Douglas fir timbers and Native artwork in its three-storey, 2,824-sq-m (30,400-sq-ft) layout, offers a great introduction and provides special programming during the Cultural Olympiad.

Shoppers can attempt to set a world-record pace. Buy Olympic souvenirs such as jewellery, clothing and mascot toys at The Olympic Store, The Trading Post, The Bay stores, Zellers stores, Vancouver International Airport (www.yvr.ca) and online (www.vancouver2010.com). Head to local liquor stores to pick up 2010-branded Jackson-Triggs wines or Tribute, the commemorative sparkling wine by Sumac Ridge. Games-themed stamps and coins are available from Canada Post (www.canadapost.ca) and the Royal Canadian Mint (www.mint.ca), respectively.

Long after the Olympic flame has been extinguished, retooled competition venues open to the public will foster a lasting legacy. For instance, the Whistler Sliding Centre has already been chosen to host the 2013 FIL World Luge Championships. So beyond golden memories, there will always be Olympic-calibre reasons to keep coming back.