Whistler – A Photo Album of Canada’s Real-life Wonderland
Whistler is Canada’s wonderland. It is famous for Whistler Blackcomb, the biggest ski resort in North America and the 9th biggest on earth. Skiresort Service International also named it the best ski resort in North America.
This resort municipality is situated on the unceded territories of the Lil’wat Nation and Squamish Nation.
Whistler is may not be on top of every immigrant’s list of places to live in Canada but it is definitely on many people’s travel bucket lists.
Today, let us learn more about this wonderland.
Travel Options
Whistler is a town 75 miles north of Vancouver. It is a two-hour drive along the scenic Sea to Sky Highway.
Traveling to Whistler from the Vancouver International Airport is easy. There are several travel options such as shuttle buses, private vehicle charters, or helicopter charters.
Frequent shuttle bus services are likewise available between YVR, Downtown Vancouver, and Whistler. Epic Rides, Skylynx, and Whistler Rides offer affordable, direct, and hassle-free services to this beautiful destination.
There is also a seasonal option of floatplane travel from Victoria or Vancouver.
Community
In 1975, the Resort Municipality of Whistler was incorporated as the first resort municipality in Canada. According to the 2016 Canada census, it is home to 11, 854 permanent residents and welcomes around 3.48 million visitors annually.
Whistler is truly a popular destination. The diversity of the people who reside and visit this place reflects this global popularity. There are 47 other languages spoken here aside from English and French. Japanese, Tagalog (Filipino), and German round up the top 5 most widely spoken languages here.
Things to Do
Whistler’s mountain ski area receives an average annual snowfall of around 11 meters. However, its proximity to the coast results in moderate temperatures during the winter season. The average temperature during the winter months is -5 Celsius according to Tourism Whistler. It is then a famous venue for winter sports.
Aside from skiing and snowboarding, this magical place is also revered for other outdoor activities. It is an ideal destination for mountain biking, hiking, and kayaking during warmer months. You can even try unique sports like axe-throwing. However, one thing to note is that its hot and dry summers make it prone to forest fire risks. So, this is something to be mindful of when planning and engaging in summer outdoor activities in this area.
Whistler is likewise perfect for sightseeing, picture-taking, or gastronomical adventures. In this case, a day trip would be enough. Watch this video and join me on one of my day trips to Whistler.
Interesting Facts
Whistler was a proud host of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
According to the municipality’s website, those exciting days of the 2010 Winter Games accelerated the fulfillment of their vision of creating lasting legacies for generations to come.
Cost of Living
As expected, living in a serene, majestic, and exciting place comes with a hefty price. The website livingcost.org rates this municipality in the top 2% of the most expensive cities in the world and first out of 153 cities in Canada. In addition, it states that the average monthly cost of living is $2, 547 while the median after-tax salary is $2, 204. (Yes, you read that right.)
Of course, there are other factors that contribute to your total income and expenses. Many people enjoy living in this slice of heaven so, it can definitely be done. Besides, having snow-capped mountains in your backyard is worth it.
Whistler is a great place to relax and have fun any time of the year. So, what are you waiting for? Come to Canada to see this wonderland.
