Looking to get caught up on the latest from Council? We’ve pulled together some key stories from the April 29, 2025 Regular Council meeting, including:
- E-bike share program extended another two years
- Community Enrichment Program scholarships for local First Nations, Waldorf grads
- Wastewater Treatment Plant roof replacement tender awarded
For all the details, check out the recording of the full meeting at whistler.ca.
Council approves two-year extension of community e-bike share program with BCAA
On Tuesday, April 29, Whistler Mayor and Council approved a two-year extension of the community’s electric assist bike share program and heard about the initiative’s growth since launching in 2023.
In May 2023, after a successful tender bid, we entered into an agreement with the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) to deliver the Evolve e-bike share program over the following two years, with an option to extend the contract another two years.
The goal of the program is to create greater opportunities for active transportation in Whistler and move us closer towards achieving our greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals as a community. After a successful two years that saw significant user uptake and an expanded e-bike fleet, resort officials voted to extend the contract with BCAA until 2027.
“It’s exciting to see this become a fundamental part of our overall transportation strategy,” said Mayor Jack Crompton.
Starting with 55 e-bikes stationed in nine locations, the program expanded last year to 95 bikes and several additional locations, such as Whistler Blackcomb Base Two staff housing, Brio staff housing, Nester’s Market, and Your Independent Grocer in Rainbow. Plans for 2025 are to further expand the fleet to 125 bikes, as well as adding more parking zones. BCAA also intends to grow its inclusive mobility program this year.
Trips grew by 82 per cent in 2024, while kilometres traveled through the program increased by 28 per cent. Thirty-nine per cent of riders last year indicated they would have used a motor vehicle for their trip if the e-bike share program was not available, representing a total distance of 73,518 km.
The median trip duration was 23 minutes, while the median distance travelled was 4.1 km last year. Seventy-seven per cent of trips were one-way.
Read the report here.
Lil’wat Nation, Whistler Waldorf grads now eligible for scholarships through Community Enrichment Program
Every year, we financially support not-for-profit organizations and societies that contribute to the betterment of Whistler through the Community Enrichment Program (CEP) and Fee for Service agreements.
Historically, the CEP has also earmarked scholarship funds for Whistler Secondary School graduating students. On April 29, Council voted to amend the CEP Policy (PDF) to also include graduating students from the Lil’wat Nation, Squamish Nation and Whistler Waldorf School. Applications from Lil’wat Nation and Whistler Waldorf School students have been received for the 2025 graduating class. Staff will continue to work with Squamish Nation to include their graduating students for 2026.
A total of $6,000 is available for scholarships. Announcements for the recipients will be made at the schools’ graduating ceremonies.
As part of this update, staff also took the opportunity to make several minor edits to the CEP Policy, intended to clarify program requirements for applicant organizations.
Read the report here.
Learn more about the Community Enrichment Program here.
Contract awarded for roof replacement at Whistler Wastewater Treatment Plant
Whistler’s Official Community Plan (OCP), which guides the long-term vision of the resort, requires minor updates by the end of 2025 to align with provincial legislative changes.
On April 29, Council awarded a contract to replace the aging roof at the Whistler Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Cheakamus Crossing.
Originally constructed in 1986, the WWTP houses infrastructure critical to the safe and efficient treatment of the community’s wastewater. In April 2022, a consultant was hired to assess the roof of the primary treatment building after leaks were noticed by staff. Several issues and defects were identified, which informed recommendations for future improvements.
The roof replacement is necessary to:
- Replace the waterproof membrane.
- Repair an aging wall along the roof’s edge that has failed in certain locations.
- Remove moss, which can compromise the roofing membrane and accelerate deterioration.
- Insulate two sections of the roof that were missing insulation.
- Protect critical equipment that supports the plant’s operation.
An Invitation to Tender was posted from March 6 to March 27, 2025. Two compliant bids were received, and staff recommended awarding the contract to the lowest bidder, the Langley Roofing Company. The winning bid, for $746,326, was seven per cent lower than engineers’ pre-tender estimate.
The work is scheduled to begin in June, with a substantive completion date of September 29, 2025.
As the work will be within the WWTP operations area, no disruptions to the public are anticipated.
Read the 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.