All images are courtesy of the Whispering Pines Ski Hill.

Whispering Pines, Alberta

Northern Alberta’s Best Kept Secret!

Ski Hill: Whispering Pines (Worsley, Alberta)
Map: Location
Vertical: 140 m (466 ft)
Snowfall: 80 cm (31.5 in.)

Skiing is the consummate top-down, family sport. Visit almost any ski hill and you’ll likely see Moms and Dads introducing their children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren to the wonders of skiing. Of course, there are exceptions. In northern Alberta’s Peace Country, it was the kids who got their parents so excited about alpine skiing that Dads and Moms from nearby Worsley built a ski hill: Whispering Pines.

If our children are the lifeblood of skiing, then community ski areas are its heart and soul. Often small and remote, they’re where most of us once learned to ski. And where we’re now introducing our children and grandchildren to the lifelong joys of our favourite winter sport. Community Ski Areas examines the past, present and future of Canada’s community ski areas. Writer: Dave Fonda | Creative Director: Gordie Bowles

From The Mouths of Babes

Hans and Lily Peters and their children loved cross-country skiing. Says Lily, “When we came to a hill, the children always wanted to go back up so they could ski back down. One year, we organised a trip and took some youth groups to Jasper.” They all had such a great time that the following winter, the Peters assembled a search party and went looking for a suitable site. The higher elevations in the nearby Clear Hills meant that the snow there was more bountiful. It also fell sooner and lasted longer.  After scouting the area on X-C skis, snowmobiles and an old Bombardier ‘snow coach’, the group settled on a large horseshoe-shaped basin at the edge of Webster Creek some 25 kilometres north of Worsley. The partially logged slope was neither too short nor too flat. It was, to paraphrase Goldilocks, “just right.”

The Peters family and friends out scouting for a site for the ski area.

Hans Peters and a small team assemble the first lift, a handle tow.

The Birth of Whispering Pines

In 1984, the group formed the Worsley Clear Hills Ski Club and registered it as a non-profit society. Lily was elected secretary treasurer while Hans became a director. The club then applied for a recreational lease so they could develop their ‘Ski Hill’ on Crown Land. For the first year, volunteers cleared the lower half of the slope which had been logged-off in 1971. Says Lily, “By starting small, we received more support from the local people and the government for startup and further development. The access road was more a winter trail through the bush, but it got us where we wanted to go. Later, the government built a proper road which is maintained by the county.”

“We are still a family-oriented ski hill in the Clear Hills with all-natural snow. We mostly concentrate on beginner skiers and boarders and have many schools coming for day trips. And lessons are always offered.” 

– Lily Peters, Former General Manager, Whispering Pines

Now Open for Business

The ski hill opened in 1984 with a few trails and a 1,200-foot-long handle tow. To keep skiers toasty warm and outfit them with proper ski equipment, the club moved an old Caterpillar shed and converted it into the ski area’s first chalet and rental shop. In 1985, they applied for a Municipal Recreation Area Grant so they could purchase a used T-bar. They also expanded their Crown Land lease to include the upper half of the slope. Once again, club volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got down to work. They cut and cleared additional trails and used the logs to build a beautiful new chalet. In 1986, the club held a contest to choose a name for their ‘Ski Hill’. In honour of the magnificent pine forest that still cloaks the surrounding area, and that provided the wood for the chalet, they named it Whispering Pines.

The Right Honourable Peter Trynchy, Alberta Minister of Parks and Recreation presents a cheque for a government grant to support the Orange T-Bar installation.

Opening day for the Orange T-Bar.

Whispering Pines Grows and Grows

Whispering Pines kicked off the 1986 ski season with the grand opening of its ‘new’ Orange T-bar. Word immediately spread throughout the community. So many skiers and would-be skiers showed up, that the club had to cut more trails and use the logs to build an even bigger chalet. They then converted the old lodge into the ‘new’ rental shop. As demand continued to grow, more trails were added and the club set its sights on a second lift. When the new Green T-bar opened in 1994, it quickly became evident that their new chalet and rental shop were simply too small to accommodate everyone. But this time, a private contractor was brought in to complete the expansion and equip the ‘new’ lodge with a caretaker’s suite.

“There are too many volunteers to mention, but who stands out the most is Willie Stanley. A local welder, Willie served as president of the ski club for a good many years. He had a vision as to how the ski club and the area could best progress.” 

– Lily Peters, club director and volunteer

How To Accommodate Snowboarders 

The 1990s saw snowboarding make its way from the coasts to Whispering Pines. Unlike many ski areas that were quick to ban snowboarders, Whispering Pines was only too happy to welcome them. The problem was that most novice and beginner riders had enough trouble learning how to ride down the hill. Learning how to ride a T-bar up the hill was downright dangerous. Both for them and for anyone else sharing their lift. Following lengthy discussions, in 2007, the club agreed that there was only one way to appease and accommodate all the new and local snowboarders: Whispering Pines had to have a chairlift. That summer, the club removed the old Orange T-bar and hired Doppelmayr to come in and install their new triple chair. At long last, everyone was happy.

Construction of the chairlift drive station.

“Worsley is a favourite destination for camping, fishing and hunting. For accommodation we have a good hotel in Worsley. We also invite youth groups to bring their sleeping bags and stay overnight in our chalet. We move the tables to the side and make them a pancake breakfast.” 

– Lily Peters

The sign at the entrance (left) of Whispering Pines and the Doppelmeyer Triple Chair.

Whispering Pines Today

Today, Lily Peters is a club director and volunteer while Hans, who retired from his service station business in 1997, continues working as the Director of Mountain Operations. Whispering Pines now boasts 19 trails, a triple chair, a T-bar and a Sunkid conveyor lift that serves the Bunny Slope. The club’s greatest challenge is finding workers with the specialised skills that some jobs here require. Last year, Whispering Pines welcomed 11,000 visitors. 

Since Worsley only has a population of about 130, most hailed from Hay River, Northwest Territories, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Fort Saint John, British Columbia and Alaska. A good 90% of them drive over 100 kilometres just to get here. And then there are the students at Northern Lights College in Fort St. John who come from Brazil, Germany, Nigeria, India and all points beyond or in between. Which just goes to show you what Mom and Dad can accomplish when they watch and listen and learn from their children.

Whispering Pines – in photos

Hans Peters and Brother Herman cutting firewood. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.
Scouting for ski area site (Bombardier in background) in the 1970s. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.
Lily Peters (centre) and family stop for lunch on the cross country ski trail. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.
A newspaper clipping announcing the new chalet opening.
Autumn on the Prairies surrounds the triple chair. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.
The official opening of the new chairlift. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.
Inside the chalet. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.
Family fun at Whispering Pines. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.
Hans Peters giving a helping hand during a load test. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.
The rental shop. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.
Northern Alberta powder. Image supplied by Whispering Pines Ski Hill.