Whistler Village was initially conceived as a built environment carved out of the mountain forest. Mature trees throughout the Village provide shade, introduce a natural element, and are a means to place popular festive lighting. They also serve to add context and interest, frame views, reduce building massing and screen undesirable elements.

Today’s mature trees, many of them 30 to 50 years old, are an important component of the Whistler Village Design Guidelines yet the number and health of mature trees in the Village has been in decline through redevelopment, retail store visibility concerns, and early mortality due to inadequate tree rooting conditions. Wildfire and climate change are new considerations. Coniferous trees close to buildings are now discouraged. Whistler’s summers are expected to become longer and hotter, and use of potable water for irrigation is expected to come under scrutiny.

This project will inventory existing trees in the Village, conduct a SWOT analysis, and develop a long-term action plan to ensure the presence and health of mature trees in the Village over time.

It aims to outline the importance of trees and the various roles they play, identify common issues trees face in Whistler, discuss the future of trees in the Village, engage with interest groups, and outline recommendations for the future management of trees.

Inventory:

• Review and summarize existing bylaws and plans linked to the management of trees.
• Update existing Whistler’s existing Village Stroll Tree Inventory and add additional data.

Analysis:

• Offer rational supporting why trees are important in the Village.
• Review and analyze existing tree management throughout the Village Stroll including staffing and budgets and compare to best management practices for urban forestry.
• Analysis of existing trees in the Village.
• Develop goals, objectives and recommendations for the long-term management of the Village Stroll trees.
• Develop an action plan to implement the recommendations in the Strategy.

Technical Review:

• Develop a preferred tree species list taking into consideration site specific and Whistler conditions, drought tolerance, Fire Smart principles, and wildlife conflict mitigation.

Engagement:

• Consult with interested parties.

The strategy is limited to the Village Stroll only.

The Village Stroll starts at the base of Whistler Mountain and travels north over Village Gate Boulevard before terminating at the Whistler Olympic Plaza just south of Lorimer Road.

The strategy will not consider the Upper Village Stroll located in the Upper Village at the base of Blackcomb Mountain at this time.

There is mixed zoning and land ownership throughout the Village Stroll.

Information collected by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) through Social PinPoint will be used for the purpose of gathering feedback from the business community to develop a Village Stroll Tree Strategy. The collection of this information is authorised per section 26(e) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. By participating in the engagement survey, you are consenting to the RMOW’s use of your opinions shared in a professional capacity, to form part of an anonymized future proposal. All responses will be securely stored by the RMOW on a Canadian server, for the period of two years. Please refrain from submitting responses which include personal identifiable information. No personal information will be collected at any stage, and if submitted, will be deleted upon receipt. For any questions or concerns related to the RMOW’s collection and use of your information, please contact privacy@whistler.ca.