Freedom of the Municipality

The Freedom of the Resort Municipality of Whistler is the highest honour a Council can bestow.

The Freedom of the Municipality honours citizens for their outstanding contributions to the community, and in practical terms gives the recipient the right to vote in Whistler elections regardless of property ownership or residency in Whistler.

Past recipients

  • Sue Adams: for more than 25 years, Sue Adams has been an advocate for arts, women in business and small business in Whistler. She is currently the chair of the RMOW Festival Events and Animation Oversight Committee and sits on the board of directors of the Whistler Chamber, Audain Art Museum and Whistler Arts Council.
  • Eric Martin: is the volunteer president and chair of the Whistler 2020 Development Corporation and was instrumental in bringing the vision of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Athletes’ Village, now Cheakamus Crossing, to life. Over the years, he has been involved in many major projects in the resort community contributing significantly to the growth of the municipality.
  • Jim Moodie: has been involved in the development of Whistler since the design of the Village 40 years ago and was a key member of the Whistler 2020 Development Corporate board of directors. He played an integral role in bringing the Audain Art Museum to Whistler and currently serves as the vice chair of the Audain Art Museum board of directors.
  • Joan Richoz: had a vision for the development of the Whistler Public Library, where she was the first librarian
  • Drew Meredith: former Whistler mayor
  • Jim Godfrey: former RMOW chief administrative officer, who served on the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) board of directors and helped secure Whistler’s pivotal role in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
  • Garry Watson: one of Whistler’s original council members
  • Al Raine: one of Whistler’s original council members
  • Florence Petersen: founded the Whistler Museum and Archives and has authored several books about Whistler’s past
  • Myrtle Philip: Whistler’s pioneer settler, established the iconic Rainbow Lodge and the Alta Lake School Board
  • Pat Carleton: one of Whistler’s original council members
  • Franz Wilhelmsen: helped to bring the ski industry to Whistler and was the president of the Garibaldi Lifts Ltd. and Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation
  • Trevor Roote: guided the first phase of the Valley Trail and parks construction
  • Chester Johnson: contributed significantly towards the development of Whistler as Whistler Land Corporation Chairman​