Outdoor winter activities return with the opening of Skating at Whistler Olympic Plaza, changes to Family Après and more

Skating opens Friday, November 27 at 11 a.m.

Winter has come to Whistler and the range of fun, outdoor activities launches this week with the opening of Skating at Whistler Olympic Plaza. The Resort Municipality of Whistler has reimagined winter programming to provide memorable experiences for our community and guests, while continuing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

All of Whistler's winter programming is carried out in compliance with current Provincial Health Orders (PHOs) and with measures in place to help slow the spread of COVID-19. British Columbia’s PHOs require masks to be worn in all indoor, public spaces. The Resort Municipality of Whistler strongly encourages everyone to wear mask when on the Village Stroll, especially during busy periods.

The Provincial Health Officer has strongly advised against all non-essential travel in British Columbia until at least December 7, 2020.

“Whistler Village offers a range of fun, festive activities for the community to enjoy with their core bubble. These activities provide a safe option for households to spend time outdoors, enjoying all that the winter season has to offer, while following proper COVID-19 guidelines,” said Mayor Jack Crompton.

Winter activities

Skating: Outdoor skating at Whistler Olympic Plaza opens Friday, November 27. Skating admission is $2 if you bring your own skates. Skate rentals are $8 and includes the admission fee. Masks are mandatory in the lobbies and exit areas, and encouraged while skating. Capacity will be limited in the lobbies, exit areas and on ice surfaces. Spectators will not be permitted in the facility.

The rink is open seven days a week, weather permitting, from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the ice is closed daily for maintenance from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m.  The hours of operation change on December 24, 25 and 31, view the holiday hours here. Strollers are welcome, and helmets and skate aids are available for free. View details at whistler.ca/skating or call 604-935-PLAY and press 3.

Snow Zone: With temperatures dropping, the popular Snow Zone at Whistler Olympic Plaza is being prepared for winter play. Once ready, the free zone will be open to the public for tobogganing, sliding and other winter fun.
 

Explore & Experience Whistler: Family Après will look different this winter. Now called Explore & Experience Whistler, winter animation will follow a similar format to the Explore and Experience Whistler programming piloted this past summer, which included live & local music, a fundraising art project and wellness activities. Winter animation is planned to run from December through to the end of March, pending Provincial Health Orders. The frequency, days of the week, locations and activities will change each month. Local performers, artists and entertainers wishing to be involved are invited to submit an application at Whistler.ca/WhistlerPresents.
 

Festive lighting: Stroll through Whistler Village to view the festive lighting. There are up to 350,000 bulbs in total with around 7,000 bulbs on each tree. The lights celebrate the short days of winter under Whistler’s dramatic dark skies. The lights are put up gradually, so you will notice new lights in the early weeks of the season. 
 

Nordic skiing and snowshoeing: The Lost Lake Nordic Trails are currently under preparation for the upcoming winter season. The trails require further snow accumulation and consistent cold temperatures before they will open for the season, but once operational will offer over 25 kilometres of groomed and track set trails for cross country skiing. There will be 15 kilometres of snowshoe trails for exploration and 4 kilometres of lit trails for night skiing. A series of upgrades were completed at Lost Lake Park this fall, including the widening and re-grading of Old Mill Road, installing new trail signs and maps, and updating trail names. New this year, passholders can sign their season’s pass waivers online at Whistler.ca/NordicWaiver.

Masks are required in all indoor spaces and advised in busy outdoor settings, including the main entrances to the Nordic trail network. Guests will be asked to maintain physical distancing on the trails and to not congregate in groups. The warming hut and PassivHaus daylodge will not be available to the public this season. The Lost Lake PassivHaus will continue to offer rentals, tickets, lessons and Grab n’ go café items. Visit Whistler.ca/Nordic for more information.

The Province of British Columbia helps make these winter activities possible through both the Resort Municipality Initiative funding and the Municipal and Regional District Hotel Tax. This is incremental funding that helps support a significant number of projects and programs in Whistler supporting the tourism economy.