Lack of vaccine mandate at B.C.'s Whistler ski resort concerns local doctor, residents

Whistler, B.C. -

With cooler weather on the way, and snow already falling in the mountains, skiers and snowboarders are looking forward to the upcoming season — but some say they won’t be hitting the slopes at British Columbia’s most famous resort.

Chief among their concerns is that many of the resort’s ski lifts are enclosed gondolas that are often tightly packed.

“There is no other place that we are shoulder to shoulder, leg to leg, breath to breath, with other people in such a closed air space,” said Cathy Zeglinski, a Whistler resident and medical doctor.

She’s concerned about riding the gondolas at Whistler Blackcomb because the company will not be requiring proof-of-vaccination for guests this season.

Vail Resorts, which operates Whistler Blackcomb, notes masks are mandatory on lifts and gondolas.

“We will continue to monitor and follow all local and provincial public health orders,” the company said in a statement to CTV News Vancouver.

Long-time Whistler resident John Konig doesn’t think that’s good enough.

He usually skis 80 to 90 days per year but only went twice last season because of concerns about COVID-19.

This year, he doesn’t know if he’ll go at all.

“I’m 69 years old. My vaccine (immunity) will be waning this winter. It’ll be six months once we start skiing. So, I think a lot of people have concerns,” he said.

Konig started a petition hoping to get the company to reverse course.

It has garnered nearly 9,000 signatures.

Whistler Blackcomb had to close early last year, as the resort municipality became one of BC’s COVID-19 hotspots, prompting the province to offer immunization to all adults in the community very early in the vaccine rollout.

“People here were so excited to get vaccinated because they all want to get back to normal,” said Zeglinski.

Meanwhile, Grouse Mountain, a much smaller ski hill close to Metro Vancouver, will require all guests to be fully vaccinated for the upcoming ski season.

In Whistler, given the limited number of open-air lifts and ubiquity of enclosed gondolas, Zeglinski said she can’t understand why the company operating the slopes doesn’t follow Grouse Mountain’s lead.

“Any of us that have skied know that you don’t spend five minutes on a gondola,” she said. “You spend, 20, 30, 40. Lifts break down. You may spend an hour.”

Whistler Blackcomb plans to open for the season on Nov. 25, but unless the company updates it’s vaccine policy, neither Konig or Zeglinski will be lining up.