CBT Whistler

COVID-19 update. We regret to inform you that this year's Whistler summer workshop has been officially cancelled. All registrants have been given their choice of either a complete refund, or credits for two future workshops (live and/or online). 

Earn 36.0 Mainpro+ credits from the winners of the CFPC's National CME Program Award—and have an absolutely fantastic summer getaway!

Summertime in Whistler

July 27-29, 2020

36.0 Mainpro+ credits

Earlybird tuition $895.00 CAD

Register now and you save $300

  • $895.00 tuition until May 31
  • $1,195.00 tuition starting June 1
  • $1,495.00 tuition at the door on July 27

If you prefer Whistler in winter, please join us for CBT for Anxiety from March 15-17, 2021. For further details about the workshop, click here. 

Whistler—summer and/or winter—is a terrific treatment for today's screen-time addictions. The six-minute documentary called The Tech Trap is well-worth viewing on your screen. 

The 19th CBT Whistler will be held Monday, July 27 to Wednesday, July 29 at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. Workshop hours are 8:00AM to 12:15PM. You're free each afternoon and evening to join your family in exploring Canada's #1 resort destination.

The CME is the "triple strength" CBT Tools module (12.0 hours / 36.0 Mainpro+ credits). Join us and you'll learn a multitude of ultra-brief CBT techniques to make your work much easier with both medical and psychiatric patients (cases).

Lead instructor Greg Dubord, MD is limber like a monkey from giving over 500 CBT workshops, and a recent University of Toronto CME Teacher of the Year. Assistant faculty includes UBC's Naved Ali, MD, CCFP, CSAM, DABAM, FASAM, who will be speaking on CBT tools for addictions. 

Can't make the CBT Tools module in Whistler in July? No worries! CBT Tools is held in Whistler every 3 years. But if you can't hang in there until July 2023, there are many other groovy locations. 

This CME respects your time. This workshop is certified at the highest level (three-credits-per-hour) by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Our 3:1 CME saves you a terrific amount of time (and therefore money) over 1:1 CME. Just have a look at the five-year benefit calculations. 

Vacation CME has many advantages over local CME. See what your colleagues are saying, and explore the case for it being four-credit-per-hour CME. 

Many physician leaders have been trained by CBT Canada over the past twenty years. Alumni include CFPC presidents (both national & provincial), department chairs, residency training program directors—and even a few doctors who are comfortable using drills & saws. For a compilation of testimonials, click here. 

No shirt, no shoes, no CME. However, what you do during non-CME hours is entirely up to you. The CMPA now refers to physician well-being as "the missing quality of care indicator" because it powerfully predicts patient outcomes. Physician, recharge yourself! 

CBT Canada won the National CME Program Award from the College of Family Physicians of Canada for the combination of this CBT Tools workshop, along with the CBT for Anxiety and CBT for Depression workshops (details, including video).

Canada's top summer resort

Few places in the world match the adventure of Whistler in the summer:

For more ideas see Alyssa Schwartz's Globe and Mail article, "Pack a summer of fun into one weekend" (August 31, 2017). 

Whistler’s summer wildflowers include white & pink mountain heathers, mountain buttercup, alpine fireweed, mountain arnica, western pasqueflower, Sitka valerian, arctic lupine, Indian paintbrush, mountain monkey flower, and partridge foot (PDF guide). 

Exciting news in 2016 was the opening of the $100M Audain Art Museum, nestled in the forest at Blackcomb's base. The Audain is BC's 2nd largest gallery, with haunting Northwest Coast masks, and wonderful paintings by BC-favorites EJ Hughes & Emily Carr, including her record-breaking Crazy Stair. The Audain is one of "five Canadian architecture attractions you have to see", according to June 2019 Forbes Magazine.

The highly-anticipated Vallea Lumina opened on July 18, 2018. Whistler's old-growth forests are transformed into a world of adventure and enchantment. The family-friendly multimedia night walk takes about an hour. Visitors experience a mystery that unfolds in chapters (video).

Dining

Whistler has 168 restaurants (and counting), some of which are among the best in Canada. Here are some suggestions to kickstart your culinary explorations:

  • Araxi has received more accolades than some minor deities. The patio is ideal for people-watching (assuming you're tall enough to peer over your three-tier seafood tower).
  • Bearfoot Bistro has BC's largest wine cellar (over 20,000 bottles), making it a wonderful place to learn to saber champagne. Even better, a dozen oysters are only $9.95 during Happy Hour.  
  • Creekbread bakes the best pizzas in town in their primitive wood-fired oven. They work very hard to ensure ingredients are as fresh & natural as possible. 
  • Crêpe Montagne is making friends. The decor is modest, but it's the place for breakfast these days. Unfortunately, Whistler's crêperie extraordinaire doesn't take reservations.
  • RimRock Café is currently rated #1 in Whistler, according to the paroxysmally-reliable TripAdvisor. The rustic RimRock's specialties are seafood & game, often including caribou, duck, and venison.

Mountain biking

Whistler is justifiably famous for its mountain biking. Some trails seem better constructed than the average road in pot-holey Toronto. Choose the level(s) that will satisfy your adrenalin requirements:

  1. The Valley Trail consists of over 40km of easy-going paved paths meandering throughout Whistler. If you remember how to ride a bike, you can ride the Valley Trail. 
  2. Single track consists of hundreds of kilometres of paths cut into the forest. They range from easy (e.g., Tin Pants in the Zappa Trails area), to fitness-challenging but not terribly technical (e.g., Green Lake Loop), to novel ways of dislocating your shoulder (e.g., Pinocchio's Furniture).  
  3. Downhill, which requires a special bike, special "body armour", and a very special attitude. The GoPro-documented antics of this version of mountain biking keep the local ER docs (& air ambulances) very busy.
  4. Slopestyle has to be seen to be believed. The event of the year is Whistler's annual Crankworx Red Bull Joy Ride. The date of the 2020 Joyride will likely be Saturday, August 16. An electrifying crowd of 30,000 will line the slopestyle course at the base of Whistler Mountain to watch riders doing double back-flips & cork 1080s off 30 foot drops. The two to beat are always BC's Brandon Semenuk & Ontario's Brett Rheeder. See the 2017, 2018, and 2019 highlights. 

Whistler Mountain Bike Park added 21 kilometers (13 miles) of new biking trails in the summer of 2018, representing the single largest new terrain opening in the history of the park. For a video report, click here. 

Like lakes?

Whistler has five crystal-clear lakes, all readily accessible by walking or cycling along the Valley Trail. You can splish, splash, canoe, kayak, paddleboard, and more. There's even a water-ski boat for hire on Green Lake.

  1. Alpha Lake (sandy beach, docks, kids' playground, volleyball, tennis, BBQs)
  2. Nita Lake (dock, rainbow trout fishing, picnic tables, pebble beach)
  3. Alta Lake (sandy beach, kids play area, picnic tables, BBQs, volleyball, canoe & watercraft rental, concession stand)
  4. Lost Lake (sandy beach, picnic tables, BBQs, kids area, docks)
  5. Green Lake (water craft rentals, boat launch, wakeboarding, picnic tables, floatplane dock)

New for the 2016 summer season was the insane Sasquatch zipline. The 2km span roughly parallels the Peak 2 Peak Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb (map). When you're moving at 120 km/h over Fitzsimmons Creek, it really hits you that it's not just another day at the clinic. 

Got kids?

Enough "screen time" already? Whistler is Canada's top destination for activity-based summer camps. What skill(s) would you like your child(ren) to develop? Here are a dozen options for your family's consideration:

  1. BRICKS 4 KIDZ (ages 6-13+) offers a range of LEGO-based activity camps, including Angry Birdie, Bat League Heroes & Villains, Brick City Engineers, Comic Creator, EV3 Fun with Science, Mining & Crafting, Pirate's Quest and Space Adventures. Options will vary depending on the length of your stay in Whistler.
  2. DFX (ages 5-14) offers world-class mountain biking instruction through their Daily Kids Program (max 6 per group) and five-day DFX Camp. 
  3. LB Productions (ages 5+) offers acting, dancing, filmmaking, improv comedy, musical theatre, singing, and storytelling camps in Millennium Place in the heart of Whistler.
  4. Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) (ages 4+) offers 5 camps based out of Myrtle Philip School, including Camp Action Adventure, Camp Summer Sunsations, Camp Breakout, and Summer Baseball Camp.  
  5. Whistler Golf Club (ages 4+) offers four-session Birdie's, Eagles, and Aces Clinics and four-day Nike Junior Golf Schools, all with CPGA Teaching Pros.
  6. Whistler Gymnastics (ages 4mo+) hosts a Baby Play Gym, Exploration Gym, and a KinderGym, as well as parkour, gymnastic, and trampoline camps. 
  7. Whistler Public Library (newborns+) has a wide variety of drop-in programs, including Preschool Story Time, Singing with the Babies and Craft Club. The gorgeous building is located just across the street from the Delta. 
  8. Whistler Tennis Academy (ages 4-17) has Red Court, Orange Court, Green Court, and Junior Team Programs. Their Progressive Tennis uses modified balls, racquets, nets and courts to develop skills quickly.
  9. Whistler Sailing (ages 5-18) on Alta Lake offers a wide range of summer camps, starting with the five-day Wet Feet Camp (ages 5-7). Other camps include Optimists 1-5, Laser Performance Camps, Pirate Basic, and Pirate Advanced. 
  10. Whistler Sports Academy (ages 3-18) offers a variety of Combo Camps that include watersports on Green Lake. Options include Adventure Camp, Circus Combo Camp, Dance Combo Camp, Improv Combo Camp, K2 Combo Camp, Kiddy Combo Camp, Leadership Camps, Mountain Bike Combo Camp, Paddle Combo Camp, Sailing Combo Camp, Tennis Combo Camp, and Warrior Combo Camp.
  11. Whistler Youth Soccer Club (ages 5+) offers a wide variety of four- and five-day camps with some nationally-known coaches.

The resort itself hosts one day, three day, and five day Summer Adventure Camps. Minis (ages 3-4), Juniors (ages 5-7), and Youth  (ages 8-12) each get their own custom adventures:

  • Monday = Lost Lake Adventure (for Minis) or Paddle Board Adventure (for Juniors) + Blackcomb Adventure Zone (for both)
  • Tuesday = PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola +/- Fossils, Fur, & Fire Geological Experience
  • Wednesday = Lil’wat Cultural Centre +/- scavenger hunt
  • Thursday = Meadow Park Waterpark +/- Alta Lake Adventure
  • Friday = Family Adventure Zone +/- archery
  • Saturday = Sports & Games Day +/- Frisbee golf
  • Sunday = Art & Nature Day 

There is now also a camp for Teens (13-16):

  • Monday = Ghost Town Hike / Blackcomb Ascent
  • Tuesday = Lost Lake Nature Trail / High Note Trail 
  • Wednesday = Train Wreck / Decker Loop  

Whistler Kids Twighlight Adventure Camps includes hikes, archery, Adventure Zone activities, movies, arts & crafts, and organized camps (plus dinner). 

Blackcomb's Family Adventure Zone includes 14 activities: Westcoaster Slide, Mario & Friends Mini Golf, Bungee Trampoline, Human Gyroscope, Hot Wheelz Electric Go Carts, Rope Zone, Batting Cage, Balloon Slide & Bouncy Castle, Water Rollerz, Mighty Jump Airbag, Water Wars and Glitter Tattoos (relax, they're temporary). WARNING: After you bring your kids to the Adventure Zone, you may end up feeling sorry for yourself about your relatively deprived childhood.

Feeling adventurous? An unforgettably-beautiful way of getting to Whistler is by float plane. You can fly direct from Vancouver's Coal Harbour ($214) or Victoria's Inner Harbour ($296). Bring your camera!

Fairmont Chateau Whistler will be our home for the week. "The Chateau" is Whistler's landmark hotel, and is among the top 10 in Canada according to the influential Travel+Leisure (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). Notably, Travel+Leisure has also declared the Chateau Whistler the World's Best Family Hotel on two occasions (2012, 2013). 

 

Combining classic elegance and a modern alpine setting, Fairmont Chateau Whistler showcases exceptional dining and full resort amenities, including a par 72, 18-hole Audubon-certified championship golf course. For guests seeking authentically local, off-the-beaten-track experiences, the Whistler Experience Guide offers tailored excursions and daily scheduled tours—the perfect opportunity to explore Whistler’s natural mountainside setting.

 

Happily, we’ve negotiated some fantastic rates, including Fairmont Rooms ($289), Deluxe View Rooms ($319) and Suites ($439). BUT NOTE: these room rates are only while supplies last. Reserve today.

Call the Fairmont at (800) 606-8244 (code TBA) or reserve online. Alternatively, if you're a busy doctor and would like a simple turnkey package put together for you (e.g., airfare-auto-hotel-CME) at no extra charge, please call our awesome Arlene at (877) 466-8228 x 333 or email vacation@cbt.ca. Quote CBT Canada and you’ll qualify for our group’s discounted rates—including for up to three days before and after the conference. Please join us in Canada's #1 resort this summer for a terrific family vacation!

CBT Canada Refund Policy

You may transfer 100% of your tuition to another workshop (free)
or receive a full refund (minus a 25% processing fee)