Looking to get caught up on the latest from Council? We’ve pulled together some key stories from the April 28 Committee of the Whole and Regular Council meetings, including:   

• Council allocates more than $170K to local non-profits through Community Enrichment Program  

• Council gets first look at proposed shift to volumetric water metering 

• Council approves $200K in tourism funding to UCI World Cup event  

For all the details, find council reports and video recordings of the full meetings at  whistler.ca.     

Council allocates Community Enrichment Program grants to local non-profits  

At the April 28 Regular meeting, Council approved the proposed funding allocation through the 2026 Community Enrichment Program (CEP).  

Each year, we financially support local non-profit groups that contribute to the betterment of Whistler. To be eligible, organizations must operate in one of four categories: Environment, Community and Social Services, Recreation and Sport, or Arts and Culture. The program also awards up to six $1,000 scholarships to local secondary school graduates.  

This year, we received a record 42 applications requesting a combined total of $373,342, the second-highest funding amount ever requested and exceeding the allotted CEP budget for this year.  

Ultimately, Council approved $175,100 in grant funding to 41 local non-profits. Read the whole report here. 

Proposed shift to volumetric water metering would create more sustainable, equitable system  

At the April 28 Committee of the Whole meeting, Whistler’s Council got its first look at a proposed shift to volumetric water metering, which asks industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) users to pay for the actual amount of water they use.   

Currently, most ICI water users are billed a flat fee for water and sewer service, with rates depending on the type of business and size of the property unit. Under the new metered system, a property owner or their agent will receive a bill based on the entire building’s total water consumption and it will be up to them to determine how those costs are distributed among the individual strata properties or tenants.  

A shift to metered rates will create a more equitable system that incentivises conservation and ensures users are paying their fair share for Whistler’s precious and limited water supply.  

“You pay for what you use, rather than under the current structure, where it can be a bit unbalanced,” said Utilities Manager Chris Wike. “There are properties that are paying lower rates, but their usage is high.” 

Whistler’s main water source, 21 Mile Creek, has been impacted in recent years due to lower snowpacks in the region and the community’s population growth and higher visitation rates.  

Water metering for ICI users will be introduced on January 1, 2027, with the system planned to roll out to residential users in the following years.   

Already implemented in many jurisdictions, including in the City of Vancouver, metered water billing has also shown to improve leak detection. Wike said the metered system has already alerted staff to unusual consumption patterns at one commercial building.  

“Staff noticed for one of the top 10 users, consumption didn’t seem logical for the type and size of the businesses in the building. Staff confirmed the accuracy of the meter and found the discharge was directed into the storm rather than the sanitary sewer. Staff alerted the building management to the issues, who found mechanical systems malfunctioning, causing large flows, 24/7, which they are now correcting and are redirecting the drainage to sanitary sewer,” he explained. “These examples support the adage that you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”  

ICI water meter billing has been discussed in reports as a method to improve water conservation in Whistler since 2004, and was also included in Whistler’s 2015 Water Conservation and Supply Plan. Until recently, it was deemed too expensive to implement, largely due to the labour costs involved with regular manual meter reading, which required staff to visit individual properties to record water consumption data. However, with the development of advanced metering infrastructure technology, which collects daily meter reading data, the long-term costs have been significantly reduced.  

Municipal staff will meet with any of the largest ICI water consumers or representative groups that have questions about the program in the next few weeks. Amendments to the Water Fee Bylaw and Sewer Fee Bylaw will be considered by Council on June 23.  

Read the full report here.  

Council agrees to invest $200K in tourism funds to UCI Mountain Bike World Cup event  

At the April 28 Regular meeting, Council approved an investment of $200,000 from tourism tax revenue to one of the world’s largest competitive biking events, slated for Whistler this September.  

Coming to Creekside from September 25 to 27 is the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Mountain Bike World Cup, hosted by Whistler Blackcomb. The world governing body for cycling, UCI oversees international competition standards and major global events.  

The funding will come from accumulated Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) revenues, based on local hotel stays. The fund is intended to support the tourism economy and enhance the tourist experience.  

“Since the event brings together athletes and spectators from around the world and encourages significant visitation, the UCI World Cup aligns with these goals by contributing economically and spreading visitation into a generally quieter period in the calendar,” the Council report stated.  

Each fall, the municipal Festivals, Events and Animation (FE&A) program issues a targeted call for proposals for qualified third-party events seeking MRDT funding. FE&A staff assessed Whistler Blackcomb’s proposal, incorporating input from a range of resort partners and internal staff to determine the appropriate funding level.  

We will also provide in-kind support before and during the event to help ensure its success.  

Read the full report here.

To attend an upcoming meeting, check out the Council meeting Schedule. Agendas and Minutes are available online. To connect with Council, consider Borrowing a Councillor from the Library’s Unusual Items Collection, or get in touch with them individually by phone or email.