Council Roundup from Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Looking to get caught up on the Tuesday, September 24 Council Meetings? We’ve pulled together some key stories from Committee of the Whole and the Regular Council Meeting, including:
- Whistler Annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Action Progress Report
- Borrow a Councillor initiative launches
- Second quarter financial report
- Council advances expropriation of land on Alpha Lake
For all the details, check out the recording of the full meeting on whistler.ca.
Whistler climate update a call to action for community

The entire community needs to be a part of our climate action, according to the 2023 Whistler Annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Action Report.
Greenhouse gas emissions are up two per cent, year over year, as traffic volume continues to drive local emissions.
“Research shows that while people are concerned about climate change, that concern does not always translate into meaningful actions. Either they don’t know what to do, don’t know how to start or determine that it’s someone else’s responsibility to act,” said Maria Thorlakson, climate action coordinator.
At 53 per cent of the total emissions, passenger vehicles are one of the greatest impediments to progress, followed by residential and commercial natural gas consumption for heat and hot water.
Whistler aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 50 per cent of 2007 levels by 2030, in line with municipalities pursuing the aims of the Paris Accord and has established six Big Moves it reports on annually to affect change.
This year several proactive measures were noted before Council, including increased local transit hours, an active transportation plan and more electric vehicle chargers. The community also adopted the Zero Carbon Step Code and higher steps of the BC Energy Step Code, and BC Transit announced 15 new electric buses.
“One thing which I don’t think was mentioned in the presentation was that the per capita emissions are going down. I think that’s important to note… we’re making sizable steps there in a positive way,” said Coun. Arthur de Jong.
In 2023, GHG emissions per population equivalent (PE) were 3.35 tCO2e/PE, a decrease when compared to 2022. With this said, an absolute reduction in GHG emissions is required to achieve the climate goals, regardless of population and visitation.
On another positive note, the municipality’s own carbon footprint has improved as well, in part due to lower natural gas use in a warm winter, and in part due to switching diesel vehicles to gas and electric.
Overall there is still much need for improvement, and Council asked what they could do to make a difference moving forward. Provincial advocacy on GHG-reducing initiatives, like regional transit and local transportation, and support for all efforts targeting energy efficiency in buildings was the guidance given by staff.
The annual update also highlights the three key measures to help the community adapt to the changing climate:
- Minimizing threats from wildfires
- Increasing the resilience of infrastructure
- Protecting ecosystems and biodiversity
The report notes recent efforts around wildfire and emergency planning, water conservation, stormwater improvements and natural assets management are increasing community resilience to extreme weather and environmental events.
It also highlights progress on environmental monitoring, invasive species management, and the early implementation of a new Priority Habitat Framework and draft improvements to environmental bylaws to protect local ecosystems and biodiversity.
Borrow a Councillor initiative gets underway

What do a pocket loom, bat detector, microscope and Whistler’s Councillors have in common? They’re all available at the Whistler Public Library in the Unusual Items Collection.
At Committee of the Whole Meeting, a program was presented to encourage community members to book one-on-one meetings with members of Council through the Unusual Items collection.
Sessions with Councillors can be scheduled for up to 30 minutes and since the Borrow a Councillor initiative launched on September 16, there have been five requests and one meeting with Coun. Jeff Murl.
“It went really well,” said Murl. “We only had half an hour, we sat in the sun outside the library. I did notice one problem, which is that I don’t fit into the return slot.”
Mayor Jack Crompton has also been booked. “I think this is a great idea and I’m excited about it,” he said. “I think one of the interesting aspects that (Murl) did was to actually meet at the library, showing up and being a part of what’s going on.”
Tourism revenues slowing, according to Second Quarter Financial Report
The quarterly state of the budget noted several trends that could impact Whistler’s overall financial picture in this fiscal year.
Tourism revenues are continuing to slow, which in turn has an impact on municipal revenues through the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) — also known as the Hotel Tax. Revenues were down 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, then down by 10.1 per cent in the second quarter.
Fortunately, that decline was offset by increased revenues in other areas, like pay parking and Meadow Park Sports Centre, so total revenues in the first half of the fiscal year are on target. Expenses are generally on track, at 97 per cent of budget. Municipal project expenses were $11 million in the first half of the year, out of a total project budget of $43.5 million.
One area of potential concern is related to recent interest rate cuts, according to Carlee Price, the Chief Financial Officer for the Resort Municipality of Whistler. While lower interest rates mean lower payments on debts, it also means less interest earned on savings and capital reserve funds. Second quarter interest earned was close to $1.2 million.
Councillor Cathy Jewett asked if the summer visitor traffic could make up for lower numbers in the first and second quarters.
“We won’t know for a while yet,” said Price. “July and August, as noted in the report, are critical months for MRDT, but we don’t yet have those figures. We do see, from Tourism Whistler, the room nights and booking information, and we also see the ADR (Average Daily Rate for hotel rooms). So, it doesn’t look terrifically encouraging, but it’s certainly not devastating either.”
Councillor De Jong noted that while visitor numbers may be down, it could have been worse. For example, Whistler wasn’t as affected by wildfires and wildfire smoke as other areas of the province. “We were very lucky there,” he said.
De Jong also noted that early forecasts for the winter season were generally optimistic, and good snow conditions should help to turn around the current downward trend.
Council considers expropriation of land on Alpha Lake

Council voted unanimously to move forward with the process of expropriating a parcel of strata land on the northwest edge of Alpha Lake under the provincial Expropriation Act.
The land currently has limited development potential, due to a BC Hydro right of way, CN Railway and riparian setbacks, sanitary sewer lines and a covenant restricting its use to parking and recreation.
The municipal plans include creating more public lake access and connecting the Valley Trail network between Alta Lake Road and Alpha Lake Park. The RMOW has tried to purchase it in the past but was not successful. If the expropriation is successful, the owners will be paid the assessed value of the parcel, which is estimated at $105,000.
Connecting this section of the Valley Trail will have a positive effect on Whistler’s climate change mitigation efforts by fully connecting the southern section of trail and giving people another alternative to driving, Councillor Arthur De Jong noted.
Mayor Jack Crompton agreed, saying: “This is obviously the first step and there are many more to take – and there’s money to spend if we end up actually building out this trail – but I think this first step is really important. Securing that land and doing the minor upgrades… is pretty exciting, so I’m grateful for this direction.”
To attend an upcoming meeting, check out the Council Meeting Schedule. Agendas and Minutes are available online. To connect with Council, consider Presenting to Council, or get in touch with them individually by phone or email.