It’s a winter wonderland in the Whistler Village as skaters start enjoying the ice on the seasonal skating rink at Whistler Olympic Plaza.

The skating rink opens for winter and early spring today. Jordan Sturdy, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky was on hand for the official opening.

The skating rink was made possible with support from the provincial government’s Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) program. Provincial funding worth $127,922 has been provided to cover total operation of the rink until early April.

MLA Sturdy toured some of the other RMI projects that have received funds from the B.C. government. A total of $7,749,244 of RMI funding has been provided to Whistler this year. Money also went toward a range of other recent projects. The list includes:

• $480,000 funding to for Rainbow Theatre renovations.
• $440,000 provided for completion of Lost Lake Park North Bridge replacement.
• $272,000 went toward creating new trails through the Alpine Trail Network.
• $125,000 provided full funding for Whistler gateway signage.
• $79,000 toward attracting internationally acclaimed film industry personalities to promote the Whistler Film Festival.
• $77,000 provided for improvements to the Whistler Conference Centre.
• $55,000 went toward Cornucopia, Whistler’s celebration of wine and food.
• $20,000 funding for various public art projects.

This funding is part of the more than $60M Whistler has received since the RMI program began in 2006. It has supported many infrastructure advancements such as trail development, a village square rejuvenation and an outdoor ice rink as well as cultural celebrations, festivals and events. Whistler’s Festivals, Events and Animation strategy which focuses on arts, culture, heritage and Village Square amenities, ensures that tourism products are attractive to a wide range of visitors.

B.C.’s tourism sector is one of the eight key sectors identified in the BC Jobs Plan, creating more than 132,300 jobs and over $13.9 billion in revenues across the province in 2013. Since RMI inception in 2007, over $87.6 million has been invested in tourism infrastructure and programs to support local and regional tourism economies in the 14 participating communities.

RMI is a $10.5 million-a-year program that addresses the unique circumstances of resort-oriented municipalities to develop and enhance local tourism related infrastructure and amenities. The communities eligible for the RMI initiative are Fernie, Golden, Harrison Hot Springs, Invermere, Kimberley, Osoyoos, Radium Hot Springs, Revelstoke, Rossland, Sun Peaks, Tofino, Ucluelet, Valemount and Whistler.

Quotes:

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour -

“Whistler has been at the receiving end of significant RMI funding since the program started eight years ago. The money spent on the seasonal ice skating rink as well as the other projects such as the Rainbow Theatre renovations and new trails through the Alpine Trail Network ensure it remains a world class mountain getaway attracting visitors from around the globe.”

Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State Tourism and Small Business -

“RMI funding helps resort municipalities find ways to draw tourists into communities across British Columbia. The seasonal ice skating rink at Whistler Olympic Plaza is another great example of how the province supports the development of resort activities for tourists and jobs for residents. It’s also a fun and exciting way to spend quality time with friends and family in the heart of Whistler.”

Jordan Sturdy, MLA for West Vancouver - Sea to Sky -

 “The seasonal ice skating rink at Whistler Olympic Plaza is another great example of how the province supports the development of resort activities for tourists and jobs for residents. It’s also a great way to spend quality time with friends and family in the heart of Whistler. RMI funding helps resort municipalities find ways to draw tourists into communities across British Columbia.”

Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, Mayor, Resort Municipality of Whistler -

"Through provincial RMI contributions the Resort Municipality of Whistler has invested in a variety of projects, such as the ice rink at Whistler Olympic Plaza, and a wide range of programs to grow tourism. RMI funding promotes Whistler’s goals of delivering positive economic impact to the resort and to the province, and directly supports Whistler’s provincial GDP contribution of $1.3 billion annually."

Quick Facts:

• Since 2006, through RMI, more than $87.6 million has been invested in tourism
  infrastructure and programs to support local and regional tourism economies.
• Tourism is one of the largest industries in the province with over 19,250 businesses
  and accounting for $7.3 billion (4%) of BC’s overall GDP in 2013.
• Since 2003, tourism revenue in B.C. increased by 44.3%.
• B.C. continues to grow its tourism sector throughout the province using the 'Gaining the Edge' tourism strategy.  Gaining the Edge is the province’s five-year overarching plan for increasing tourism revenues, businesses and jobs through partnership and coordination with industry and communities, focussed marketing, creation of world-class visitor experiences, and actions to enhance tourism industry competitiveness and sustainability. It focuses on developing key tourism products such as touring vacations, city experiences, skiing and snowboarding, Aboriginal tourism, conventions and meetings, as well as outdoor adventure/eco-tourism.
• Total tourism wages and salaries were $4.5 billion in 2013, an increase of 3.8% since 2012.

Learn More:

To learn more about the RMI program, please visit: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=30A40BDA6D8346798E15C6050063F719

Resort Municipality of Whistler: https://www.whistler.ca/business/grants-funding/resort-municipality-initiative

Skating at Whistler Olympic Plaza: https://www.whistler.ca/culture-recreation/recreation/skating

BC Jobs Plan: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
and Responsible for Labour
250 387-2799