Visitors’ Guide 2012 - 2013 FREE ateway to Bike 4 Seasons of Fun Golf G er Whistl PembertonGatewayVillageSuites.com Competitive Rates: Day - Week - Extended Stay Fully Equipped Spacious Condos with Kitchens Free Secure Parking with Elevator Pemberton Free Bike/Ski Lockers Gateway Village Suites Award Winning New Licensed Restaurant Ski Whistler Ski Duffy FREE & Cable 7330 Arbutus Play – Work & Meetings – Weddings Sled 604 894 8888 1 877 894 5929 Ride GATEWAY to the BACKCOUNTRY Frontier Pharmacy Toys • Stationery • Giftware • Cosmetics Pharmacy • Toiletries • Bed & Bath Linens & decor 604-894-6416 7437 Frontier St. 2 Pemberton Visitors’ Guide 2012-2013 Welcome to pemberton The pantry of Vancouver and the Sea to Sky region While our incredible valley has traditionally been famous for its elite seed potatoes, it is increasingly varied in its agricultural pursuits. Indulge in our natural beef, organic dairy products and Contents crops from our conventional, artisanal and organic farms. For the horse enthusiast, Pemberton is home to a thriving international Never-Ending Family Fun P4 equine breeding and training industry. The Zero-Mile Diet: Pemberton’s Farms Offer Our recreational offerings lean toward unlimited. Road Cornucopia of Fresh Flavours P6 and mountain biking, golfing, flying and gliding, geocaching, hiking, climbing, skiing, kayaking and more can be experienced Slow Food Cycle Sunday P7 in Pemberton. Be sure to attend the annual Slow Food Cycle The Life and Times of Jud the Spud P9 Sunday, taking place the third Sunday of August, followed by the Pemberton Valley Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off after Thanksgiving in October. Two-Wheeled Workout: Popular Pemberton Road-Riding Routes P10 Drop in to our Visitor Info Center or visit the Tourism Pemberton website (www. tourismpembertonbc.com) for details on food, accommodation, activities and sights that The Mountain Biking Bonanza P11 will ensure a great experience and a culinary adventure. Thrill of the Chase: The Pemberton Valley Jordan Sturdy Fox Hunt P12 Mayor of Pemberton Reviving the Tribe: Lil’wat Culture Thrives in Mount Currie P15 Before the highway was built in 1964, getting to the Getting to the Middle of Nowhere P16 Pemberton region required commitment – and staying meant cultivating self-reliance and a deep connection with the land. Directory and Maps P18 – P19 That spirit of adventure is still alive and well today… the Much More Than Potatoes: amenities are just a lot better. What drew folks to make a living Purely Pemberton Products P21 from the land, in agriculture or forestry, is still drawing people here to ride the trails, ride the thermals, grow the produce that Golf Glory: Two Local Courses Offer Challenge, Vancouver chefs delight over, raise families or run independent Unmatched Views P22 businesses, in clear crisp air at the foot of stunning peaks. These Explore Your Cowboy Side P25 pages give you some ideas about how to experience it for yourself. In wine regions, they talk about “terroir” – the flavour from the soil that infuses Paintings, Pottery and Parties: Pemberton’s everything that’s grown there. The Pemberton region is more famous for its potatoes, beef, Thriving Arts Scene P29 organic vegetables and vodka than vines, but there’s still a flavour to the place that comes Get Active in the Snow: from its unique mix of geography, geology and climate. It tastes a bit like awe. But to Winter Recreation Options Galore P30 5,500 of us, it’s the taste of home. Steelhead, Sockeye and More: The Low-Down We hope you’ll enjoy it. And come back for seconds. on Local Fishing Spots P31 Susie Gimse Chair, Squamish Lillooet Regional District Pemberton Heritage Walk P33 Pemberton Events P34 – P35 PUBLISHER COVER PEMBERTON Stephanie Matches Food and wine lovers gather at Pemberton’s North Arm Visitors’ Guide 2012 - 2013 Farm for a dinner presented by famed Whistler restaurant EDITOR Araxi. Photo by Toshi Kawano / toshikawano.com Jennifer Miller Published by the Whistler Question Newspaper. CREATIVE DESIGN #353-4370 Lorimer Rd, Whistler, B.C., V0N 1B4 John Magill, Holly Walker Telephone: (604) 932-5131 ADVERTISING Web: www.whistlerquestion.com Tessa Sweeney Email: [email protected] WRITERS In co-operation with the Pemberton Chamber of Dee Raffo, Nicole Erika Trigg, Cindy Filipenko, Commerce. Distribution by Tourism Pemberton NO REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN part WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. Kim VanLochem, Eric MacKenzie, Christopher Poon (604) 894-6175. © Glacier Media Group 2010 2012-2013 Pemberton Visitors’ Guide 3 PHOTO BY RANDY LINCKS Never-ending family fun By Dee Raffo arents will never hear complaints of “we’re • Outdoor Treasure Hunt – There are loads of restriction so it’s the best place to take the Pbored!” with this list of the top 25 activities geocaches in the Pemberton area. Using a kids to show them how it’s done. for families in Pemberton. GPS device, the challenge is to find them and • Summertime Swimming – Mosquito Lake is Our three letter discover the treasures inside. • Make Like The Eagles – Soar the mountains small and warm – perfect on a hot day. on silent wings aboard a two-seater glider. • What’s SUP? – Try stand up paddle boarding • A Night Under The Stars – There are two Get the bird’s eye view of the snow-capped (SUP) at One Mile Lake. It’s safe, easy and a provincial parks near Pemberton with great mountains and green valleys below. lot of fun. campgrounds: Nairn Falls along Green River, commitment is YOU • Horseback Heaven – Pemberton’s rushing • Paddle Adventures – Canoe or kayak on any and the more remote Birkenhead Lake. rivers, rolling hills and lush valley were made for of Pemberton’s lakes and view the valley from • Rainy Day Activity – Take the family to the horseback riding. The area even boasts more the waters edge. Pemberton Museum and check out the horses per capita than anywhere else in B.C. • Fast Tracks – Rip up the wild Lillooet River exhibits from the gold rush days dating back • Mountain Bike Mecca – Pemberton is fast by jet boat with a stop at the natural mineral to the 1860s. becoming known for its mountain biking, thanks pools of Skookumchuck hot springs. • Fun in the Forest – Shadow Lake Interpretive to the range of trails suited to every skill level. • Fishing Canadian Style – Hunker down in an Forest has over six kilometres of easy trails • Sea to Sky Skateboarding – Influenced by ice hut and try your hand at ice fishing for within the Soo Valley. the local skateboarding scene, the multi-level rainbow, steelhead and bull trout. Dave Beattie Erin McCardle Stiel Lisa Korthals Maurice Povoden Patrick Saintsbury Tristan Mussett Ursula Morel • Winter Waterfalls – Snowshoe along the Nairn Pemberton Skatepark with a replica swimming (604) 905-8855 (604) 902-0520 (604) 905-8708 (604) 905-8755 (604) 935-9114 (604) 938-3597 (604) 932-8629 • Pump It Up – The Pemberton Pump Track Falls scenic trail towards the ice-covered falls. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] pool has just the right amount of flow and fun. is great for beginner bikers looking for some It’s a picture perfect experience in the snow or • Tandem Toppling – Anyone from age 8 to 108 rolling hills and berm corners to practice on. the sunshine. can take to the skies in a piloted paragliding • Sandy Shores – Strawberry Point along Lillooet • Art in the Mountains – At the entrance to the experience and get the thrill of exploring the Lake is a beautiful spot for a lakeside picnic Big Sky golf course are some very interesting mountains from above. and a dip in the water. sculptures made out of scrap metal and even 604.894.6616 • Wet and Wild – The free water park on the old skis. It’s a great family picture spot. • The Three Lakes – Hiking Joffre Lakes takes community centre grounds is open daily from around five hours. With three stunning lakes • Heli-Magic – Take the family on a picnic 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer for family fun. myseatosky.com sitting in a row, there are lots of scenic places they’ll never forget with a helicopter tour over • At Nature’s Door – The One Mile Lake Nature to stop for a picnic. the glaciers. Centre celebrates the unique eco-system of Pemberton: 1411 Portage Road • Fruit Picking – Head to North Arm Farm to • Spud Valley Loppett – This annual cross- Pemberton’s Coast Mountain setting and is a pick your own strawberries, raspberries and country ski event, held in February, Whistler: 135-4370 Lorimer Road great place to learn about the area’s natural blueberries. Be sure to check out the swings! celebrates Nordic skiing with fun events for Squamish: 38261 Cleveland Avenue history and cultural heritage. the whole family. • Kids Only Fishing - One Mile Lake has an age 4 Pemberton Visitors’ Guide 2012-2013 Our three letter commitment is YOU Dave Beattie Erin McCardle Stiel Lisa Korthals Maurice Povoden Patrick Saintsbury Tristan Mussett Ursula Morel (604) 905-8855 (604) 902-0520 (604) 905-8708 (604) 905-8755 (604) 935-9114 (604) 938-3597 (604) 932-8629 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 604.894.6616 myseatosky.com Pemberton: 1411 Portage Road Whistler: 135-4370 Lorimer Road Squamish: 38261 Cleveland Avenue PHOTO BY TOSHI KAWANO The Zero-mile diet: Pemberton’s farms offer cornucopia of fresh flavours By Nicole Erika Trigg he Pemberton Valley lends itself to food production because of its reusable bags to carry them. The first market of the year is June 20. Trich soil, clean water and hot summers.