Cultural Connector
Cultural Connector
Posted on October 11, 2018
Cultural Connector
The Cultural Connector is a scenic pathway and bikeway that links six significant cultural institutions in Whistler together. Along the way read interesting facts that give you an insight into a different culture or the past while enjoying a walk through some amazing old growth forests.
Explore the Cultural Connector Institutions
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
The Squamish and Lil’wat Nations came together to build a cultural centre that showcases art, history, and culture. The vision is to “share our cultural knowledge to inspire understanding and respect amongst all people”.
This family focused centre allows people of all ages to take part in an interactive experience where you can be apart of a tea offering or learning how to weave a cedar & wool bracelet or learn how to make a drum or dreamcatcher.
While you are there you can take a tour to learn about the legends, art, history and culture. There is also an amazing restaurant, the Thunderbird Café, where you can experience first nations cuisine such as bannock. There is also a gallery and gift shop where you can purchase First Nation’s handcrafted art and merchandise.
Location
The SLCC is located in the upper village just past Blackcomb Mountain. It is stop #1 on the Cultural Connector.
Price
Adults – $18.00
Children 6 to 19 – $5.00
Hours of Operation: – 10:00am – 5:00pm Tuesday – Sunday
Lost Lake PassivHaus
Just off the Valley Trail you will find the Lost Lake PassivHaus which was built as the home base for the Austria Olympic Team during the 2010 Winter Olympics. The House was then donated by the Austrian Passive House Group to the community afterwards. Today it is a lodge, café, cross country skiing and mountain biking rental shop. The House itself is a model for sustainable design and uses 90% less energy than a traditional house because it doesn’t have an active heating and cooling system because it was designed to trap the heat in the winter and allow it to escape in the summer.
Location
The PassiveHaus is located just off the Lost Lake Trail and is stop 2 on the Cultural Connector.
Price
This stop has no cost associated with it but there is a small restaurant where you can grab a coffee and sit outside and relax by the Fitzsimmons Creek, sit amongst the old growth forests or watch the bikers or cross-country skiers go by.
Audain Art Museum
The Audain Art Museum opened in the winter of 2016 and is home to one of the world’s finest collections of First Nations masks and works by some of Canada’s most celebrated artists including Emily Carr and E.J. Hughes. The museum also has visiting exhibitions so there is always something new to see.
The building itself is an architectural dream with it’s stunning build from both the inside to out. The building itself is elevated above the Village Stroll that links Whistler Village to Blackcomb Way. Along the way from the Passive Haus you can take in the Skateboard Park and the dirt jumps along with a number of public art murals including the Peace Tiles produced by Whistler Secondary School
Location
The Audain Art Museum is the 3rd stop along the Cultural Connector. It is located between parking lots 3 and 4 across from the Maury Young Arts Centre.
Price
Adult – $18.00
Youth (18 and under) – Complimentary
Hours of Operation: Hours of Operation: – 10:00am – 5:00pm Daily | 10am – 9pm Friday | Closed Tuesday
Maury Young Arts Centre
The next stop along the way is the Maury Young Arts Centre which has a community art gallery, theatre and the Whistler Youth Centre. There is always a class that is happening at the Centre or live entertainment from plays, theatre and movies. This is a hub of the arts community and also the home of the Whistler Arts Council.
Outside the centre is 86 bronze carved sculpture faces that represent the different nations that were present in Whistler during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Also outside is a black bear and her cub sculpture which represents the bear population in Whistler.
Location
The Maury Young Arts Centre is the 4th stop on the Cultural Connector. It is located at lower village just adjacent to the Whistler Olympic Plaza and across the street from the Audain Art Museum.
Price
The Arts Centre runs a number of programs that can run for a series of weeks or nightly workshops all ranging at different prices. For a full schedule of events please click here
Whistler Public Library
The Whistler Public Library is among one of the busiest libraries in the province. It is a community hub for locals and visitors alike. There are a number of community programs that happen there on a daily basis including infant, toddler and preschool programs such as sing with babies, preschool story time and rhyme and song. There are also programs for pre-teens, teenagers and adults. On average there are over 800 people per day that make the library home.
Location
The library is the 5th stop on the connector and is located across the village stroll from the Maury Young Arts Centre just off Main Street.
Price
There is no cost to spend time at the library or for any daily program offered.
Whistler Museum
The Whistler Museum is the last stop on the tour and for good reason. Spend time at this Whistler goldmine of information that tells the story of how Whistler and the surrounding area came to be. Hear the stories of the area starting as far back as the 1800’s. Find out how Whistler and Blackcomb got their names and how many times Whistler bid on the Olympics before they received it. Take the kids and have them explore the Museums activity books, trunks of costumes and artifacts along with interactive exhibits and your chance to get a photo with the Olympic torch.
Location
The Whistler Museum is the 6th and final stop on the Cultural Connector. Located next to the Florence Peterson Park, named after a local pioneer, author and historian who founded the Whistler Museum.
Price
The Museum is entry by donation
Whistler is known for its adrenaline sports but the arts scene is definitely strong in the community. The Cultural Connector is a great way to spend a day exploring our Native ancestors, viewing paintings created by a Canadian icon, learning how Whistler came to be and getting to take in all of the amazing art pieces along the way. Whistler is definitely on any art lovers, culture seekers or knowledge enthusiasts lists as a place to visit winter or summer.
To book your stay at the Crystal Lodge call our Friendly Reservations Team at 1.800.667.3363 or email [email protected]