Recognition

Whistler Olympic Plaza. Photo by Justa Jeskova

Nestled in the Coast Mountains, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is an active community of about 10,000 people with a vision to be the premier mountain resort community. The RMOW has received the following recognition and awards for its excellence and commitment to achieving its vision and goals.

2016

  • CHAPTER IN PLANNING CANADA – In the new university textbook PLANNING CANADA, published by Oxford University Press, an entire chapter discusses the Whistler Housing Authority and highlights its successes in meeting the housing needs of the workforce. The textbook is the first of its kind in Canada.
  • CARBON NEUTRALITY AWARD – The joint Provincial-Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Green Communities Committee recognized the Resort Municipality of Whistler for achieving carbon neutrality in 2015. 

2014

  • BC PASSIVE HOUSE AWARDED SHIFT SUSTAINABILITY AWARD – This award recognizes excellence in GEMS around North America, including the ability to to produce a measurable contribution in increased efficiency and decreased toxicity. The Passive House (PH) Standard is a European concept and international performance based building standard that defines the total annual amount of energy that can be used for heating and cooling of a structure and for primary energy usage.
  • WHISTLER COMPOST FACILITY AWARDED SHIFT SUSTAINABILITY AWARD – This award recogizes excellence in GEMS around North America, including reduced consumption and decreased toxicity. The compost facility is cutting edge and produces a number of high quality soil amendments.
  • GOOGLE eTOWN AWARD – Once again Whistler was awarded the Google eTown award, which recognizes towns where small businesses build their online presence to find new customers, grow their business, and succeed in a connected world.

2013

  • GOOGLE eTOWN AWARD – The Google eTown award recognizes towns where small businesses build their online presence to find new customers, grow their business, and succeed in a connected world.

2011

  • 2011 BC TOP EMPLOYERS – This special designation recognizes the British Columbia employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. The RMOW received this award consecutively from 2008-2011. 

2010

  • ​2010 BC TOP EMPLOYERS -This special designation recognizes the British Columbia employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. The RMOW received this award consecutively from 2008-2011
  • BILL CURTIS TECHINICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – The RMOW and Games partners were recognized for the Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Plan.  
  • CANADA’S GREENEST EMPLOYERS – This special designation recognizes the employers that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness in their organizations.  The RMOW received this award in 2010.

2009

  • Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
  • Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators Environmental Award – Development of a one-of-a-kind heating and cooling system that uses ambient heat from treated wastewater has earned national recognition for the RMOW
  • 2009 Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards – Two RMOW employees received the 2009 Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards.  Heather Beresford, Manager of Environmental Stewardship, accepted on behalf of the Black Bear Working Group, and Bill Barratt, RMOW’s Chief Administrative Officer, accepted on behalf of the Fitzsimmons Creek Land Slip Hazard Resolution. Both were recognized in the Partnership Category. 
  • Whistler Public Library awarded the 2009 Lieutenant-Governor of B.C. Award in Architecture – This award recognizes excellence in architectural projects and is judged based on a number of criteria including sustainability principles.  The library is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified. The building incorporates passive solar design principles, a geothermal heating and cooling system, high efficiency baseboard heaters, compact fluorescent light bulbs, all of which earn LEED credits. 
  • 2009 BC TOP 50 EMPLOYERS – The RMOW was selected as one of BC’s Top 50 Employers. The municipality was singled out for some of its more innovative employee benefits. 

2008

  • 2008 CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS & BC’s Top 40 Employers ­- The RMOW was selected again as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and among BC’s Top 40 Employers.
  • 2008 Canada’s Most earth-friendly employers – The RMOW was designated one of the ten most environmentally friendly workplaces in Canada.
  • Wood Works Community Award for New Library – Whistler received a community recognition award on behalf of Wood Works BC and the Canadian Wood Council at the Union of BC Municipalities Annual Convention. The award recognized the RMOW for its support of the B.C. wood industry and its commitment to use wood in the construction of the new Whistler Public Library. 
  • 2008 Energy Action Award – The RMOW won an Energy Action Award in the Community Planning and Development category for development of the Whistler Athlete Village (WAV) as compact, low-carbon, resident-restricted housing with an innovative, district based alternative energy heating system.
  • 2008 Smarty Award – Whistler’s citizens, who have committed their passions, vision, time and energy to design and develop the Whistler 2020 strategies and get stuff done through annual task force action planning won a 2008 Smarty Awards in the “People” category for communities under 50,000 at the 2008 Smart Growth BC Awards.
  • SKIING MAGAZINE – WHISTLER BLACKCOMB NO.1 OVERALL RESORT IN NORTH AMERICA – SKIING Magazine readers have named Whistler Blackcomb No.1 ski resort in North America for the 12th year in a row. SKIING’S Best Après Scene award went to Whistler Blackcomb, with the Garibaldi Lift Company receiving accolades for its great food and variety of live concerts. Whistler Blackcomb also received a Top 5 ranking for Backcountry Access, Steeps, and Park; as well as a Top 10 ranking for Trees.
  • OUTSIDE MAGAZINE – NOVEMBER 2008 – Whistler Blackcomb ranked No. 2 Best Ski Resort in North America by Outside Magazine. The November 2008 issue named the Top 15 best resorts, as judged by Marc Peruzzi, a Colorado-based ski reporter, former outside staffer, and editor of SKIING magazine from 2003 to 2008.

2007

  • 2007 GREEN CITY AWARD ­– Whistler was one of seven outstanding communities selected as recipients of the provincial government’s inaugural Green City Awards for demonstrating leadership and action in a range of sustainability initiatives.
  • 2007 SILVER EAGLE AWARD FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTION

2005

  • United Nations LivCOm AWARD – Whistler was declared one of the most livable communities in the world – and the best in the world in planning for the future – at the UN-endorsed International Awards for Livable Communities (LivCom) in La Coruna, Spain. 

In addition, each year, snow sport industry, travel and other publications and visitors review the top resorts in the world. Whistler is consistently rated one of the world’s top year round destination resorts.