Whistler Blackcomb Canada
Client
Year
1975, 1977, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018Work Completed
Services Rendered
Media
Ecosign is especially proud of our long and positive relationship with Whistler Blackcomb, where we have been responsible for most of the master planning work on both mountains.
Originally two independent and competing operations, Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain merged under common ownership in 1996. Together, Whistler Blackcomb became one of North America’s top rated, largest, and most frequented mountain resorts, welcoming three million guests annually.
For five decades, Ecosign has provided planning and consulting assistance with projects large and small from individual lift grading plans to major terrain and facility expansion plans. The following highlights the key projects Ecosign has participated in, outlining our contribution to the continued success of this spectacular mountain resort.
1970s
Ecosign’s first project for Whistler Mountain was in 1975, when we conducted a Parking and Skier Staging Analysis. Commissioned by Franz Wilhelmsen, president and founder of the Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation, we studied the parking lot and queuing areas for the Gondola and Olive Chair. This project was the first application of Paul Mathews' 'Diamond Maze,' a lift line queuing system that provides orderly movement of the guests through the ski lift line ups, resulting in efficient lift loading without the need for lift line control personnel. The Diamond Maze is still in use at all Whistler Blackcomb Lifts, and many other resorts around the world as it contributes to a high lift loading efficiency.
In 1977, Ecosign prepared the first Comprehensive Master Plan for the development of a new ski area on Blackcomb Mountain, collaborating with Hugh Smythe on behalf of the Aspen Ski Corporation, for a bid to the Province of BC to obtain the operating licence for the Blackcomb Ski Operation.
In 1978, we completed Whistler Mountain’s first Ski Area Master Plan including the design of the lift and ski terrain on Whistler’s north flank to provide access to Whistler Mountain from the new Whistler Village site. The north side access consisted of 3 successive chairlifts to get skiers high enough to connect with Whistler’s existing ski terrain and a network of new ski runs to the village site.
1980s
Blackcomb Mountain opened in 1980 with five triple chairlifts and Whistler Mountain completed its connection to the village site by for the 1981/82 season. Ecosign’s Paul Mathews participated in planning and design review sessions for the new village site and its first accommodation projects.
Ecosign completed the second Whistler Mountain Master Plan for the Garibaldi Lift Company ski corporation in 1985, which included plans for replacing the Village Chair with the two stage Village Gondola and enlarging the Roundhouse to incorporate the new gondola; it opened for the 1988/89 season.
In 1986, Ecosign prepared a new Master Plan for Blackcomb Mountain Resort, which influenced the Intrawest Corporation’s decision to purchase Blackcomb Mountain. In 1987, Intrawest built Canada’s first three detachable chairlifts: the Wizard, Solar and & 7th Heaven Express.
1990s
In 1992, we updated Blackcomb Mountain’s Master Plan, which outlined replacing the triple chair access from Whistler Village to Blackcomb Mountain’s ski area. The plan included North America’s first two-stage, eight-passenger sit down gondola, the Excalibur Gondola; two detachable high-speed quad chair lifts (Excelerator Express and Glacier Express); and the 1,000-seat on-mountain restaurant, Glacier Creek.
In 1992, Ecosign was the lead consultant in the Site Planning and Development Permit Application for the Phase 5 real estate at Blackcomb, an Intrawest development in Whistler. The 11 HA site was designed to take advantage of the site's afternoon sun, views to the west over the neighbouring golf course, and ski-in access from the mountain. Our plan included two condotel projects, three stacked townhouse parcels, townhouses and single-family lots. In the siting of the low to medium density development, environmental conditions were respected through preservation of existing trees and watercourses. For each building site, grading plans as well as site sections were included to prove out the road access and building locations. These developments remain some of the most sought-after real estate in Whistler due to their quiet setting and close proximity to the ski area, village, and year-round recreational assets. Nearby Lost Lake Lost Lake Park offers summer swimming, fishing, and an extensive trail network that is used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter and mountain biking and hiking in the summer.
In 1997, Ecosign incorporated new designs for Whistler Mountain’s Master Plan, including the Symphony and Flute bowl ski areas, Franz’s, Peak, Fitzimmons and Garbanzo chairs, and Pika’s restaurant site plan and grading at the old Roundhouse Lodge.
2000s
As Whistler grew in size and visitation over the decades, Ecosign has frequently updated the resort’s master plans to respond to the changes in the market while adapting to new lift, grooming and snowmaking technology. We have prepared detailed alignment and grading plans for most ski lift terminals at Whistler Blackcomb. We supported Whistler Blackcomb with a breadth of projects and sizes, from the south base evaluation and heli ski tenure analysis, to lift permitting, restaurant patio expansions, bed density analysis and terrain park analysis. Additional projects of note include:
2003 – Prepared the general Olympic Master Plan that informed the construction of the Alpine Skiing Venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
2005 – Symphony Chair (new detachable quad chairlift in alpine bowls)
2006 – Kadenwood Pulse Gondola
2007 – Base II Parking, Circulation & Tubing Zone
PEAK 2 PEAK
In 2003, Ecosign updated Whistler Blackcomb’s Master Plan, which included a major addition to the Roundhouse Lodge and the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Stations. Construction on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola began in 2007, and in 2008 the two mountains were connected at the alpine level with the installation of a three ropes (3S) gondola spanning 4.4 km over the Fitzsimmons Creek Valley. The PEAK 2 PEAK attracts over 500,000 foot-passengers year-round, dramatically increasing business for the resort in the spring, summer and fall seasons.
2010s
2012 – Upgrades to Harmony Express (quad chairlift to a six-pack high speed detachable chairlift) and Crystal Ridge Chair (three-pack fixed grip to a high-speed detachable quad chairlift)
2013 – Worked in partnership with Gravity Logic to prepare a long-range Bike Park Master Plan
2016 – 2018 – Upgrades to Catskinner Chair (three-pack fixed grip to a high-speed detachable quad chairlift), Emerald Chair (quad chairlift to a six-pack high speed detachable chairlift), and Blackcomb Gondola Terminal Grading
2017 – Whistler Blackcomb Renaissance Site Plan
In 2018, Ecosign worked with Whistler Blackcomb to evaluate several options for replacing the Wizard and Solar Chairs with a gondola. This work resulted in a $66 million renovation of Blackcomb Mountain replacing the two chairlifts with a 10-person gondola, decreasing the travel time from the base to the Rendezvous Mountain Lodge from 55 minutes to just 14 minutes. The Blackcomb Gondola completes a 13.4 km continuous gondola system for Whistler Blackcomb, enabling sightseers to ascend one mountain, crossover the Fitzsimmons Creek Valley and descend the other mountain, a very popular year round sightseeing experience allowing non skiers and those afraid of heights to enjoy the alpine environment.
2020 +
Ecosign continues to provide Master Planning and Creative Design services to Whistler Blackcomb. While current projects remain confidential, we look forward to sharing them here as they come to fruition.
