The Whistler Parks and Valley Trail Strategy will guide the future of Whistler's parks and Valley Trail over the next 10 years.

The Strategy guides how we engage, plan, prioritize, design and construct parks and Valley Trail projects. It will consider local and regional demographic forecasts, Smart Tourism principles, as well as local, regional, provincial and national park trends.

The Strategy will be founded on topics of climate change, ecological integrity and stewardship, equity, diversity and inclusion, First Nations reconciliation, ageing infrastructure, and current fiscal realities. The Strategy will define the direction, philosophy, policies, and actions and create a framework for future decisions.

Whistler’s parks and Valley Trail system are a cornerstone of the Whistler experience. Many of the parks are in outstanding locations, have a full suite of typical park amenities, and they provide diverse outdoor recreation opportunities.

Visitation at municipal parks in the summer season has grown significantly in recent years, particularly at waterfront parks. This has been placing pressure on infrastructure and maintenance, as well as creating capacity and conflict issues.

In some of Whistler's parks, infrastructure is approaching the end of its lifespan, infrastructure technology and operational approaches have changed, and new parkland has been acquired. Additionally, the community’s demographic needs and perspectives on tourism have evolved since the parks were built over 30 years ago, and the municipality is faced with new financial realities.

With the Whistler resident and visitor populations growing and the needs of the community changing, the strategic planning of parks and trails has also changed including new programming opportunities and a shift to reinvestment over new development. As well, important context needs to be considered such as climate change, ecological integrity and stewardship, First Nations rights, title and stewardship of these lands since time immemorial, accessibility and inclusivity, active transportation, complete communities, refuge from tourism busyness, and the uniqueness of Whistler.

Having completed the second round of community engagement (Parks and Valley Trail Strategy - What We Heard Report), we are now weaving feedback into an initial draft Strategy. This will include Objectives and actions, as well as a 10-year prioritized list of potential park and valley trail projects.

Phase One

From June 4 to July 4, 2025, more than1,350 people participated in Phase 1 of engagement for Whistler’s new Parks and Valley Trail Strategy. Of those, 370 individuals shared their input through the online survey and the June 4 in-person Add Your Voice event at Nita Lake Lodge.
Here’s what we heard...

Phase Two

Phase 2 engagement focused on collecting community feedback to validate and refine the proposed Vision, Guiding Principles, and Supporting Statements.

Participants were invited to provide input on one or all of the six Guiding Principles, each of which included a set of ‘We Will’ statements outlining how the Strategy would be put into action. Input was gathered through an online survey was available during the month of October and at an in-person Add Your Voice event at the Whistler Conference Centre on October 4. Here’s what we heard...

A draft Strategy will be presented to Committee of the Whole this spring. Be sure to check this space, the Whistler This Week municipal e-newsletter, and social media channels for updates.