COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

The health and safety of RMOW staff and the Whistler community as well as continued delivery of essential municipal services are top priorities during these uncertain times. The RMOW's internal Emergency Operations Centre has been operating daily since March 15 to effectively manage municipal response efforts to the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 26, the Province of British Columbia announced new steps to support for the ongoing response to novel coronavirus (COVID-19). One measure will enable municipal bylaw officers to provide additional assistance as may be required to support the enforcement of the provincial health officer’s orders for business closures and gatherings, in line with offences under the Public Health Act. Whistler Bylaw, as well as RCMP and Whistler Fire Rescue Service have been doing community outreach for the past week across the community to build awareness, educate and encourage social distancing.

In terms of Council meetings, the organization is working on virtual meetings going forward. We are planning to hold the Council meeting on April 7, as scheduled and are working through the details of how this will be made available to the public. More information will be shared soon.

Work is underway to make additional municipal services available gradually, as the RMOW adjusts to provide these through our workforce working remotely. The organization is looking at all expenditures, including projects, carefully and making informed and thoughtful decisions.

It is an unprecedented time resulting in unprecedented changes to our organization and on March 24 the difficult decision was made to temporarily lay off all casual and auxiliary employees effective April 13. The layoff timing was made to align with new provincial and federal government benefits and aids available to British Columbians and Canadians.

These employees work sporadic and varied hours, not a regular shift each day or week. Some examples of positions include some staff in these areas: Meadow Park Sports Centre and other recreation programs, Whistler Public Library, and other miscellaneous positions across the entire organization. These staff are valued members of the RMOW team and play an important role during normal operations. The organization looks forward to a time when the organization is back to more normal operations and can welcome them back.

Municipal facilities and services update

The Resort Municipality of Whistler has closed all non-essential facilities and suspended all programs and events until further notice.

This includes Meadow Park Sports Centre, Whistler Public Library and municipal hall. The following outdoor areas are also closed until further notice to encourage social distancing and discourage groups from gathering, including:

All playgrounds
Train Wreck trail
Rainbow Park
Bayly Park
Alta Lake Park
Lost Lake beach area
Skate park
All gathering areas in other parks (Alpha Lake, Lakeside) such as beaches, lawns and picnic areas, tennis and basketball courts.

Continued delivery of essential services including RCMP, the Whistler Fire Service, Bylaw, water, sewer, roads, communications, waste management and internal facilities maintenance is ongoing.

Transit is operating on a spring schedule and fare payment has been suspended to allow passengers to board using the rear bus doors. View current transit information at bctransit.com/whistler.

Pay parking is still in effect, as the Day Lots are a significant source of revenue for transit.

March 25, 2020

March 24, 2020

Province of British Columbia closes certain parks, recreation areas

March 23, 2020

Province of British Columbia announces financial support for people and businesses

March 22, 2020

News Release: RMOW closing all playgrounds, skate park, tennis and basketball courts and gathering areas in parks

March 20, 2020

Message from Mayor Jack Crompton

March 19, 2020

March 17, 2020

In response to the BC Ministry of Education's decision to indefinitely suspend all public schools until further notice, the RMOW will continue to offer full-day Kids on the Go programming for the children of parents who are required to attend their workplace to provide essential community services.

March 16, 2020

Message from Mayor Jack Crompton
News Release: RMOW closing all non-essential facilities and programs

March 14, 2020

Mayor Jack Crompton has shared a statement on the temporary closure of Whistler Blackcomb.

The RMOW has activated its Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) to ensure we can continue to provide important community services during these challenging times.

Social services

There are a variety of programs and resources available to support the health and wellbeing of the Whistler community throughout the COVID-19 situation. For more information about local, provincial and federal resources, visit the Community health and social services page.

RMOW operations and facilities

All non-essential RMOW facilities are closed.

It is important to note that the RMOW takes direction from Vancouver Coastal Health when it comes to decisions on public health issues. They are the lead agency on all public health matters in Whistler and are responsible for ensuring the health and safety and providing direction to the community if there were to be an outbreak. VCH works in concert with the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Public Health Agency of Canada and is the best organization to respond to questions about efforts to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Emergency planning

Emergency planning is core to the work a municipality does to ensure we can continue to provide services to the community, whether planning for a pandemic, flood or wildfire. We are required by provincial legislation to have a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan in place that outlines how we would continue essential municipal services if facing a hazard in the community. We encourage all residents to visit whistler.ca/emergency to find out how to prepare for any emergency that may affect our community.

Public health

If you are concerned about COVID-19 symptoms, do not go to the Whistler Medical Centre. Call 8-1-1 and follow the directions you are given.

VCH advises the most important steps residents and visitors can take to protect themselves and our community from COVID-19 are:

Wash your hands often and avoid touching your face.
Stay home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms.
Limit contact with people who appear to be ill.

Additional information is available at:

Vancouver Coastal Health: www.vch.ca
BC Centre for Disease Control: www.bccdc.ca
Public Health Agency of Canada: www.canada.ca/en/public-health.html

Stay informed

Visit whistler.ca for the latest news from the Resort Municipality of Whistler including advisories and notifications or follow the RMOW on social media. View the channel directory at whistler.ca/GetInvolved.

Whistler Alert
Whistler Alert is Whistler’s emergency notification system. It is used only during emergencies where there is an immediate threat to lives or property. For example: an evacuation alert or order, shelter in place order or boil water notice.