The Whistler Peak High Elevation Research Site, a research station located at the peak of Whistler Mountain, is one of only a few high elevation air quality sites in North America. 

The mountain site was established in 2002 and is operated year round, providing valuable information on the composition of air with little influence from local or regional pollution sources.   This is an important feature when studying air transported across the Pacific Ocean and entering Canada at its west coast.  Continuous sampling of particles and trace gases at the site not only provides information on intercontinental transport of pollution but also offers a unique environment for the study of clouds, and the emissions from forests and forest fires. 

This location serves as a base for collaborative studies with several Canadian and international university and government partners.  Studies have included the 2006 NASA-led Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment and most recently the 2010 Whistler Aerosol and Cloud Study.  The aerosol measurements also provide continuous support to Environment Canada’s Canadian Aerosol Baseline Measurement Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Global Monitoring Division Aerosol surface network.

For more information visit the recently updated Whistler Peak High Elevation Research Site web page. The new web pages provide a description of the station, including its location, instrumentation, observations, special studies, and publications resulting from the research.

Contact: Anne Marie Macdonald, 416-739-4465, Air Quality Research Division