Bob the Dog and Whistler's 1993 Municipal Election: A Look Back at the 'Sleepy' Race
Whistler has seen a total of nine mayors over the past 50 years, with elections occurring nineteen times. As the next election approaches, the Whistler Museum revisited the 1993 mayoral race that initially featured uncontested incumbent Ted Nebbeling. Bill Duff entered the race, alongside several former councillors, including Bill Murray and Hugh O'Reilly. Campaigns focused on key issues, with Duff calling for transparency on a $2.5 million project and Ken Melamed pushing for growth sustainability. Ultimately, Nebbeling secured his position again, along with Murray, O'Reilly, Thelma Johnstone, and newcomers Kristi Wells and Max Kirkpatrick. Meanwhile, a dog humorously entered as a write-in candidate.
Key facts
- The Resort Municipality of Whistler has had nine mayors over nineteen elections in fifty years
- Ted Nebbeling was the incumbent mayor in the 1993 municipal election
- Bill Duff entered the race to avoid an acclamation, calling acclamation 'not democracy'
- Ken Melamed argued Whistler needed to cool down development and think more strategically and sustainably
- Duff criticized the Village Gate Boulevard realignment as inadequate for a $2.5 million+ project
- Nebbeling was re-elected with councillors Bill Murray, Dave Kirk, Hugh O'Reilly and Thelma Johnstone; Kristi Wells and Max Kirkpatrick were new to council
- Grant Lamont told the Question the result meant 'another three years of dictatorship'
- Bob the Dog, adopted around 1990 by Toad Hall Studios owner Jorge Alvarez, became the election's fluffiest unofficial candidate
Entities
Artists
- Ted Nebbeling
- Bill Duff
- Bill Murray
- Gordon Tomalty
- Dave Kirk
- Hugh O'Reilly
- Thelma Johnstone
- Paul Fournier
- Ken Melamed
- Grant Lamont
- Kristi Wells
- Max Kirkpatrick
- Ted Ralfe
- Jorge Alvarez
- T.J. Grabowieki
- Bonny Makarewicz
Institutions
- Resort Municipality of Whistler
- Whistler Museum
- Whistler Question
- Myrtle Philip Community School
- Toad Hall Studios
- Citta'
- Forecast Coffee
Locations
- Whistler
- Canada
- Rainbow subdivision
- Function Junction
- Garibaldi Park
- Black Tusk
- Panorama Ridge
- Squamish
- Village Gate Boulevard