Family Time in Whistler

Words + Pictures by Angela Cappetta

Family Time in Whistler! The Hsieh family tasked me to fly me to Vancouver to shoot thier family reunion. It was their biggest, multigenerational reunion yet. So naturally, I said yes (duh).

Then I said “Oh my, this is going to be fun!”

Families are complex units. Their depth and breadth rivals the periodic table. This family, however, had only one goal: to be together. 

To that end I hope you enjoy this Canadian compendium of a fun loving group. They put a pin in the globe and gathered in one of the most remarkable places on earth.

On the last night, the family asked to be photographed together on a glacier. This was our “peak” moment. And I was happy to oblige.

Whister

Naturally, named for the furry marmots that populate the area and whistle like deflating balloons, this gabled alpine village and 2010 Olympics venue is one of the world’s most popular ski resorts.

Nestled in the formidable shadow of the Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, the village has a frosted Christmas-card look in winter.

Similarly, summer visitors now outnumber their ski-season equivalents, with many lured by the area’s scenic hiking, biking and thrill-popping outdoor adventures. And it’s surprisingly easy to get lost walking around the labyrinthine little village. However, you’re unlikely to find yourself too far from your destination.

Whistler was originally conceived as part of a bid to win the 1968 Winter Olympics. Although the bid failed, construction started anyway and the resort opened for the first time in January 1966.

 By December 1980 Blackcomb Mountain opened for business.

Finally, the two resorts underwent a period of intense rivalry through the 1980s and 90s, with constant upgrades and improvements that was unseen at other resorts.

By the mid-1990s the area was repeatedly named the best resort in major ski reports. Intrawest, the BC real estate firm that developed Blackcomb, purchased Whistler in 1997 and, thereafter, merged operations in 2003.