It’s no surprise that Whistler draws visitors from all over the world. No surprise that some never leave - they just move their homes and businesses to the mountain. The mountain that used to belong mainly to the whistling marmot.

Making the Gold List

In a way, it’s like winning a gold medal - being selected by Conde Nast Traveler as Canada’s top resort on the magazine’s Gold List of hotels, resorts, spas and cruise lines. That’s what happened for Chateau Whistler in 1997, the same year it was tagged #1 by Travel Leisure.

Chateau Whistler is one of the Canadian Pacific chain of hotels, with 558 guest rooms (56 suites), three ballrooms, two restaurants plus lounge (usually with fine jazz-toned pianist), rooftop garden terrace with gazebo and outdoor fire pits, indoor-outdoor pool, lap pool and whirl pool, health club and spa, three tennis courts, and such charming amenities such as fluffy white terrycloth robes for guests and bell hops in plus fours to park your car and juggle your skis/golf clubs/Louis Vuitton bags.

Particularly striking: Chateau Whistler’s Great Hall, with inlaid stonewalls and pioneer wooden artifacts, reflecting traditions of life in the Coast Mountains.

And, it’s only a pleasant stroll to the Village, with its shops and bistros and galleries.

Where else could we send our adventurous couple for a memorable millennium New Year’s Eve?

The Blessing of Totems at Akasha

This Christmas, the totem poles at Akasha on Whistler’s Sunridge Plateau will be blessed at a Squamish drum ceremony. The three-floor, 29.5 room house, named for the spiritual dwelling of the higher realms, is marked by Squamish tradition. The entire house is encased in basalt, the principal healing stone of this Coast Salish community. Within, red cedar represents the gate way to Akasha. Throughout there is sculptured rock, fused glass, tumbled marble, wrought iron, knotty fir, and copper.

Akasha is the creation of Andy Munster, who arrived at Whistler in his sporty MG thirty years ago, traveling the ski circuit. He had started in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and was headed for Aspen, but when he arrived at Whistler, thought: “Why would I want to go anywhere else?” and built himself a cabin on Fitzsimmon's Creek.

Bonnie Munster, part of the Akasha design team with her husband and David McColm, was born in Vancouver, but didn’t know where she wanted to live until she woke up in a youth hostel in Europe, looked out at the mountains and remembered Whistler. Akasha, which has not yet had residents (it won’t be considered complete until the blessing of the totems) is offered for sale at ? million CDN, ? Million US.

And what will Andy Munster do then?

"Andy always dreamed of a house like this,” says Bonnie, but “now he has a new dream in his head.” We can’t wait.