Whistler Mountain Ski Club Receives $2.2 Million in Funding

The Government of Canada is investing heavily in the country’s competitive skiing future, with a recent announcement that up to $2.2 million in funding will go to the Whistler Mountain Ski Club in British Columbia. The club’s new funding comes as part of the government’s $51 million Build Communities Strong Fund, aimed at supporting housing, public transit, health facilities, education, and sports organizations and facilities across Canada. The funding also comes via Alpine Canada, the country’s governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing.

So far, the Government of Canada has used the fund to invest in various sports programs across the country. Of the $51 million, the government is putting $33.6 into key sport infrastructure projects, including the Whistler investment.

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The Whistler Mountain Ski Club plans to use the funding to make big-time upgrades to its Dave Murray National Training Center (DMNTC) in Whistler. On the mountain, the improvements include a “significant increase” in snowmaking capacity and changes to improve terrain. Off-hill, the club will convert the existing Garbo Hut storage facility into an Athlete Center with space for athletes and coaches to meet for film review, dry-land coaching, and race preparation.

The training center is already prepared for the upgrades, and they are expected to be completed in 2027. 

“Together, these upgrades put Whistler in a position to host high-level alpine training and events for many years to come,” the club wrote in its announcement. 

Alongside the new upgrades, the Whistler Mountain Ski Club and Dave Murray National Training Center have launched their joint Vision 2050 Capital Campaign to further assist with facility overhauls. To speed up the funding process, Whistler Blackcomb has agreed to extend its existing agreement with the club and training center for an additional 10 years, to 2040. The partnership between the club, training center, and Whistler Blackcomb dates back to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

“Today’s announcements represent a huge step forward for the Dave Murray National Training Centre,” DMNTC Board of Directors Chair Rob Toole said. “We have terrific legacy assets from the 2010 Winter Olympics, but they need investment and upgrades to provide for more consistent conditions across the whole season. We’re very appreciative of the support from the Government of Canada and Alpine Canada, as well as our fantastic partners at Whistler Blackcomb, and we’re thrilled to launch the Vision 2050 Capital Campaign with WMSC today.”

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In addition to funding for the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, other ski and snowboard organizations and facilities are getting funding from the Government of Canada as well. Canada Snowboard, the sport’s national governing body, received $4 million in Build Better Communities funding. Canada Snowboard will use its funds to conduct upgrades at the WinSport Halfpipe in Calgary, the Nakiska National Ski Cross Training Centre, and the Olympic Oval from the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Build Canada Strong funding will also be used to support athletes across the country. Each year, the Government of Canada will be investing an additional $3 million through the Athlete Assistance Program (AAP). The AAP is designed to assist athletes with the finances associated with competing in international events, and additional investments into the AAP will help raise allowances for athletes.

For athletes balancing their sports with academic or work careers, increased allowances can relieve financial pressures that come with training and competing at a high level. 

With its new investment, the Government of Canada looks to continue to produce top skiers and snowboarders as the 2030 Olympics slowly creep closer. World-class skiers like Jack Crawford, Marielle Thompson, and Brodie Seger have all made their way to Olympic competition with coaching and training provided by the Whistler Mountain Ski Club. By investing in the club and its facilities, the Whistler Mountain Ski Club will have all the tools it needs to produce the next generation of elite alpine skiers.

“The quality of our training facilities is a key part of our success as a Club, and we’re excited to continue to develop the next generation of alpine skiing athletes in British Columbia,” Chair of the Whistler Mountain Ski Club’s Board of Directors Duncan Reid said.