# II thinks Canmore is near Whistler



## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 17, 2008)

I guess this is funny, but if I wanted to be near Whistler, or Radium Hot Springs (which also pops up Canmore as the surrounding area), I would be upset to find I was nowhere near where I thought I was going. I tried to tell the VC but he seemed unperturbed by their lack of geographical awareness.
Liz


----------



## calgarygary (Jul 17, 2008)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> I guess this is funny, but if I wanted to be near Whistler, or Radium Hot Springs (which also pops up Canmore as the surrounding area), I would be upset to find I was nowhere near where I thought I was going. I tried to tell the VC but he seemed unperturbed by their lack of geographical awareness.
> Liz



Canmore is near Whistler *if* B.C. is about the size of Rhode Island!


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 17, 2008)

Yep, that would do it! Too funny


----------



## barto (Jul 17, 2008)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> I guess this is funny, but if I wanted to be near Whistler, or Radium Hot Springs (which also pops up Canmore as the surrounding area), I would be upset to find I was nowhere near where I thought I was going. I tried to tell the VC but he seemed unperturbed by their lack of geographical awareness.
> Liz



I could KIND OF see Canmore as being "near" Radium...much closer to Radium than Whistler is, that's for sure!  Radium's about an hour drive from Canmore, maybe 1:15, as I recall.

Bart


----------



## calgarygary (Jul 17, 2008)

barto said:


> I could KIND OF see Canmore as being "near" Radium...much closer to Radium than Whistler is, that's for sure!  Radium's about an hour drive from Canmore, maybe 1:15, as I recall.
> 
> Bart



Bart, Radium to Canmore is about 160 KM of mountain driving.  Let me know when you are doing that in an hour to 1:15, I want to be elsewhere!


----------



## Kola (Jul 17, 2008)

I get your point about Canmore but it's not an exception. I bet you most II and RCI employees have never bothered to locate their timeshare resorts on a map. Apparently reasonable knowledge of geography is not a requirement for employment with either II or RCI or SFX. Just try to discuss with them some European destinations and you get a shocking experience. But to be fair, I have experienced shocking ignorance of geographic locations by airline personnel as well. 

K.


----------



## ricoba (Jul 17, 2008)

I would bet most American's couldn't tell you anything about Canadian geography, history, culture etc.

When I lived in Vancouver it wasn't uncommon for someone from the States ask me if I happen to know their friend in Toronto/Montreal/Edmonton/Calgary etc....????!!!! 

When I lived in Canada, as a Landed Immigrant, I tried as much as possible to make Canada my home and learn as much as I could about politics, culture, geography etc.  

I must admit thought that there were times I found out I knew more about Canada than some of my Canadian chums! .....So I guess maybe I am kind of a political/geography/social studies kind of a geek.


----------



## eal (Jul 17, 2008)

Check out the SFX resort directory - they have Canadian resorts listed in all sorts of odd (and incorrect) places.  

They have a Kelowna resort located in Panorama, a Panorama resort listed in Whistler, and nothing listed for Vancouver Island, even though the Island is a choice when making an online request. 

Being the helpful SFX Platinum member that I am, I sent them a detailed explanation of resorts and where they are really located, but nothing changed.


----------



## barto (Jul 18, 2008)

calgarygary said:


> Bart, Radium to Canmore is about 160 KM of mountain driving.  Let me know when you are doing that in an hour to 1:15, I want to be elsewhere!


  Good catch!    I was remembering back to our stay in the Kootenay Park Lodge which was 45 min. (roughly) from Radium, Banff, and Lake Louise.  That makes it 1:30 from Banff to Radium (roughly), and another :15 from Canmore.  And I heard they were going to bring down (and enforce!) the speed limit on 93 south there after a couple of bears were killed on the road, so let's say a solid 2 hours, then...  how does that sound??  Heh.

Bart


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 18, 2008)

We stayed at Fairmont Mountainside and not knowing where I was really going, I had thought we could drive over and spent a day in Banff. We didn't even consider, not being into a 4 hour drive and gas costs. We did have a motel reservation for one night in Banff and now we want to go back, but it will be Banff we go too for that, not Fairmont.
Liz


----------



## calgarygary (Jul 18, 2008)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> We stayed at Fairmont Mountainside and not knowing where I was really going, I had thought we could drive over and spent a day in Banff. We didn't even consider, not being into a 4 hour drive and gas costs. We did have a motel reservation for one night in Banff and now we want to go back, but it will be Banff we go too for that, not Fairmont.
> Liz



Depending upon when you go, the drive between Fairmont/Radium to Banff can be spectacular and well worth doing though.  I used to attend a conference at Fairmont every May long weekend and would regularly see bears, mtn. goats, big horn sheep, elk, deer on my drive along 93.  One year I had 5 different bear sightings.


----------



## gorevs9 (Jul 18, 2008)

calgarygary said:


> Canmore is near Whistler *if* B.C. is about the size of Rhode Island!



Hey...I resemble that remark


----------



## BocaBum99 (Jul 19, 2008)

We drove from Canmore to Jasper and back just yesterday.  Somewhere near Jasper, there was a mountain called "Whistlers" Mountain.  And there is a Whistler's inn.  I wonder if they are talking about that?


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 19, 2008)

No, they're not, because if I put in a search for Whistler, BC it says nothing is available and shows Canmore as a choice for "in the vicinity" or something like that.
Liz


----------



## eal (Jul 19, 2008)

Rocky Mountain marmots make a high-pitched whistling sound and there are several geographic features and areas named after them in the Canadian Rockies.

II is just defaulting to their "western Canada" designation when they list Whistler as in the area of Canmore.


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 20, 2008)

That's scary. Western Canada is pretty large. If I was looking for a resort in Southern California and they offered me one in Colorado, that would be a similar mistake, IMHO.
Liz


----------



## ricoba (Jul 20, 2008)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> That's scary. Western Canada is pretty large. If I was looking for a resort in Southern California and they offered me one in Colorado, that would be a similar mistake, IMHO.
> Liz



The Province of British Columbia alone is larger than Washington, Oregon and California combined.

Now, let's do a "know Canada quiz? can you name the rest of the provinces, territories and their capitals, without googling?


----------



## calgarygary (Jul 20, 2008)

ricoba said:


> The Province of British Columbia alone is larger than Washington, Oregon and California combined.
> 
> Now, let's do a "know Canada quiz? can you name the rest of the provinces, territories and their capitals, without googling?



I would be impressed if people could say how many provinces and how many territories without googling.


----------



## ricoba (Jul 20, 2008)

calgarygary said:


> I would be impressed if people could say how many provinces and how many territories without googling.



When I lived in Canada I used to be able to recite them all.  But I always did get a bit stuck on the Maritimes.  I know that I had one or more Canadian born friend who could not name them all! 

I also have to remember the new territory and its new name and capitol.


----------



## calgarygary (Jul 20, 2008)

ricoba said:


> When I lived in Canada I used to be able to recite them all.  But I always did get a bit stuck on the Maritimes.  I know that I had one or more Canadian born friend who could not name them all!
> 
> I also have to remember the new territory and its new name and capitol.



That is where most Canadians my age would slip up the territory is Nunavut and I believe the capital is Iqaluat (sp?).


----------



## BevL (Jul 21, 2008)

*Well, you got me*

I'm near 50 and was feeling pretty smug until I read your post.  Where the H E double toothpicks is Nunavut!!

So basically they chopped off half of the NWT and renamed it?  Was I out of the country when this happened?  

I think I'll write to Rick Mercer and suggest he do a segment asking Canadians about that.  

As for the original post, when Interval offers Fairmont as an "option" when you search for Whistler, I can see where the problem lies.

Bev




calgarygary said:


> That is where most Canadians my age would slip up the territory is Nunavut and I believe the capital is Iqaluat (sp?).


----------



## ricoba (Jul 21, 2008)

Bev, I even know that NWT was divided in half.  

The Western half is NWT with capitol of Yellowknife and the Eastern Half is Nunavut with the capitol of Iqualiut (sp) or as it was previously known, Frobisher Bay, which as I remember is on Baffin Island.  Nunavut is more of an Inuit territory.  It's been this way for a few years, but I don't remember when it occurred.


----------



## calgarygary (Jul 21, 2008)

BevL said:


> I'm near 50 and was feeling pretty smug until I read your post.  Where the H E double toothpicks is Nunavut!!
> 
> So basically they chopped off half of the NWT and renamed it?  Was I out of the country when this happened?
> 
> ...



You made my morning - I can see it now, "Talking With Canadians"  :hysterical: Maybe we would develop a little empathy for those politicians he embarasses in his Talking With Americans segments.

For our American readers - Rick Mercer is a comedian that will air specials called "Talking With Americans" that features Rick pretending to be a journalist interviewing people about their reactions to Canada getting it's first plane, university, hospital, etc. to highlight the lack of knowledge about your northern neighbour.  I particularly like when Rick interviews politicians (such as then Gov. George Bush) and university professors as their answers to Rick's questions will border on the scary.


----------

