LOCAL LINGO: WHICH ‘VILLAGE’ IS WHICH?

The term “Whistler Village” is sometimes used by visitors to refer to the entire resort community. But once you’re here, it’s important to narrow things down a bit, as different terms refer to different places. Whistler Village, or just The Village, refers to the area along the main Village Stroll, from the base of Whistler Mountain to Whistler’s Marketplace. It’s divided into the Village Centre (south of the pedestrian bridge over Village Gate Boulevard) and Village North (north of the bridge). The Upper Village is the smaller pedestrian commercial stroll linking the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the Blackcomb Daylodge, at the base of the Wizard chairlift. It’s accessed from Whistler Village via the Fitzsimmons Trail that passes between Day Skier Lots 1 and 2 and over Fitzsimmons Creek. Initially called Franz’s Trail (named for Whistler Mountain founder Franz Wilhelmsen), the commercial area at Creekside, four kilometres south of Whistler Village, is now more commonly referred to as Creekside Village, and has a unique blend of shops and eateries. In 2016, municipal officials launched a wayfinding program with some 200 new directional signs. “The signage will help people get around Whistler and find some of the hidden gems, as well as the many popular sites throughout the community,” Mayor Nancy Wilhelm Morden said.