Whistler council zeroes in on key priorities as 2026 election looms. - By Braden Dupuis
06
OPENING REMARKS Everyone could use a laugh every now and then, writes editor Braden Dupuis—and the most reliable route to a laugh is often through satire.
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers weigh in on Canadian politeness, a new fundraiser for a Whistler Secondary School fitness centre, and more.
22 RANGE ROVER No European ski experience ranks higher for ease of travel, efficiency, and high-grade food and sleep than epic Switzerland, writes Leslie Anthony.
46 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Not usually a single-issue voter, Andrew Mitchell is zeroing in on one red flag in particular this election: Pierre Poilievre’s contempt for the media.
12 DRASTIC DROP
Whistler’s Q4 financials showed a sharp decline in hotel tax revenue, a signal of shifting tourism trends.
15 VOTE FOR ME Federal election candidates were making tracks throughout the riding in the first week of Canada’s 45th federal election campaign.
28 CUP RUNNETH OVER The Whistler Cup returns for its 32nd instalment from April 9 to 13, with more than 500 skiers from 16 countries slated to compete.
32 UP AND AWAY The World Ski and Snowboard Festival looks to reach new heights when it returns to the resort from April 7 to 13.
COVER In my well over 40 years of sliding down slippery slopes I’ve managed to safely unload a chairlift most of the time save for that one time my backpack got tangled and dragged me around the bullwheel like a child in a jolly jumper. I’m still a little apprehensive whenever I’m close to reaching the top! Did I forget something? - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
Fool’s gold
IT’S BEEN INTERESTING to watch the cadence of Pique’s online web traffic in the wake of Facebook’s ban on Canadian news.
As with every other news organization in the country, there were questions about how well our stories would do once we couldn’t shove them in front of everybody’s face while they were sitting on the toilet or
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
In the before time, in the long, long ago, there were certain stories you always knew would “go off,” so to speak, once they hit
Unusual crimes, quirky headlines, offbeat characters or quotes, engaging photos, anything to do with Whistler Blackcomb, and of course, anything tragic.
If it bleeds, it leads, as the old saying goes, and with the viral properties of social media, a good story could rack up thousands of clicks in no time.
Would that all go away once we couldn’t actively share our stuff?
Fortunately, wonderfully, magically, eternally gratefully, the answer is no—people are still finding our stories. And the stories that used to “go off” on social media are still going off on our website, thanks to Pique’s incredible, loyal readership (seriously, thank you).
In fact, Pique has enjoyed its best months ever in terms of digital traffic to start 2025, topping 800,000 monthly pageviews for the first
time (thanks in large part, it should be said, to the news apps on an untold number of devices putting Pique stories in people’s faces while they’re sitting on the toilet. Thank you, random news aggregation apps, and God bless you).
But even without the aggregators, it’s our local readership driving engagement on our local stories, boosting us presumably entirely by word of mouth.
We saw it again this week on Tuesday, April 1—April Fool’s Day.
Pique ’s silly, made-up story about Whistler annexing Pemberton, complete with a plethora of repurposed Donald Trump quotes about Canada, racked up more than 6,000 views in its first 12 hours on Pique’s site,
readers conveyed to Pique after reading the story on April 1.
And the most reliable route to a laugh is often through satire.
Done well, satire is both silly, childish fun and a blistering weapon of opposition, all at once. It can take the most powerful and awful of men and boil them and their bullshit down for all the world to point and laugh at. It strips the brazen, absurd insanity of being a human being down to its studs—and suddenly it doesn’t seem so big and scary.
But maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise to see a satirical story do so well on Pique’s website.
The concept is as old as civilization itself, dating back to at least Ancient Greece.
feeling of being “in on the joke,” while the high and mighty are on the outside looking in, for once.
And satire has always had a place in newspapers. Joseph Pulitzer, possibly the most famous newspaperman ever, once said “what a newspaper needs in its news, in its headlines, and on its editorial page is terseness, humour, descriptive power, satire, originality, good literary style, clever condensation, and accuracy, accuracy, accuracy!”
Ironically, Pulitzer would become a target of some cutting satire himself during his famed circulation war with fellow publisher William Randolph Hearst (the primary inspiration for the main character in Orson
Done well, satire is both silly, childish fun and a blistering weapon of opposition, all at once. It can take the most powerful and awful of men and boil them and their bullshit down for all the world to point and laugh at.
blowing every other story out of the water.
It’s fun to watch any story do so well, but it’s admittedly a bit disheartening to consider that people seem to really love silly, made-up nonsense more than actual news. Or maybe it’s just the novelty of it all—seeing the local newspaper do its one goofy, satirical story for the year, and maybe even getting taken for an unexpected ride. And then sharing the fun with a friend or two.
Or, more likely, maybe we all just need a good laugh every now and then, as many
Thisbrightupgradedone-bedroom townhome isaquintessential Whistlerproper ty! Withitsprimelocationin Creekside,skiersand bikerswilllove the two-minute walk to access thegondola,whileashortstrollwillput you infrontofthebustlingshopsand restaurants Creeksidehas to offer. Thenewwindows offer plenty ofnaturallight andsouthwestmountain viewsintheopen-conceptmainlivingareas. Unlimited ownerusewithnightly rentaloption Asking-$745,000 2-2150 Sarajevo Drive
Aesop’s Fables (c. 600 BCE) may well be the first known example of satire. Writers like England’s William Shakespeare (1564-1616) and France’s Voltaire (1694-1778) were key in refining it, sharpening its edges so they cut just that much deeper, while novelists like George Orwell arguably perfected it. But satire has always been there, as humanity chugged along, serving as a reminder that none of us—not kings, or clergy, or presidents, or billionaires—are truly beyond ridicule.
There’s a sense of camaraderie in that—a
Welles’ 1941 film Citizen Kane—though Welles might have also thrown some Pulitzer into the character) during the notorious “yellow journalism” period of late-1890s New York. But perhaps the late American columnist Molly Ivins put it most succinctly when she said satire is “the weapon of the powerless against the powerful”—something to inspire some hope where it may not previously exist. Even if it’s just a glimmer (at first).
Or maybe we just like dumb jokes about nudity, and being taken for a ride sometimes. n
Canadians are so polite on the hill
Whistler Canadians are so polite; on the hill season after season, I notice this seemingly entrenched sincere and polite attitude towards others.
Daily when loading on the chairlift you often wave or pass a friendly thank you to the lifties in acknowledgement of their work. It’s a noisy job, repetitive and at times, from my perspective, a little dangerous, but in the end, despite busy days of misloads and unfilled chairs, we all survive. No requirement to be angry at the lifties when there is a stoppage, it achieves zero. Just chill and reflect, for example, how polite Canadian drivers are to pedestrians when crossing the road.
Ever notice when in the lift line there is a polite and logical etiquette of how the ski school entrance line and the general lift lines integrate? There is a subtle Canadian politeness to the way the ski school filters its students into the general lift line. It is a welloiled gated marriage of skiers and ski-school students. You do not see this in Europe!
The polite Canadian lift lines alternate when lines merge, skiers form into the required numbers of four, six or eight, and singles either alternate from either side or filter from one side. Young ski school students who must load with an adult are always welcomed into the line.
Typically, three chairs of public go before the next ski class moves in. Classes of children (who do not need to be paired with an adult) will ideally load together to avoid congestion and separation at the top. How polite and logical is that?
It is always interesting to observe how you Canadians handle those awkward moments on the chairs when chatting with guests from over the border. I have never in hundreds of chair loads encountered a hostile reaction by a Canadian when discussing U.S./Canadian
relations. I take my hat off to all Canadians, you do diplomacy and the little things that in my opinion make a polite but impressive impact instead of all that bluff and thunder that seems to be the way others conduct themselves at times. As an Australian I am impressed with your politeness and general friendly attitude. I thank you for allowing me to be a guest in your great country and on your hill.
Elbows up.
David Sadler // Australia
Whistler Secondary PAC launching fitness centre fundraiser
On behalf of the Whistler Secondary Community School’s Parent Advisory Council, we are excited to formally announce the launch of our $250,000 fundraising campaign to support the transformation of an existing classroom into a new fitness and training centre aimed to increase opportunities for student physical and mental wellness at school. The project is slated to be developed in the summer and opened in September when the 2025-26 school year begins.
Unlike other schools in our district, Whistler Secondary School (WSS) lacks a dedicated fitness and training space for students. With the support of School District 48 and WSS, our goal is to create a space that can serve our 490 students and help alleviate weekday demand at Meadow Park Sports Centre.
The new Fitness and Training Centre will focus on equipment to support cardiovascular health, strength training, and balance, recovery and rehabilitation. It will be supported with curriculum and training programs developed by WSS’ Physical Education department staff. The space will also be available for rental by the community outside of school hours.
The project’s $250,000 capital campaign is launching with $76,000 (30 per cent) of funds already committed by the WSS Parent Advisory Council’s Capital Projects Committee ($50,000), as well as generous donations from Whistler Secondary School ($20,000), the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Community Fund ($5,000)
Backcountry Update
AS OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2
It’s heating up in the mountains. Over the weekend, freezing levels will soar up to 3,500 metres, bringing long sunny days and limited overnight refreeze. The snowpack doesn’t respond well to rapid change, and this kind of temperature spike is a classic recipe for instability.
Expect avalanche danger to rise and stay elevated throughout the heat. Each day freezing levels remain high, warmth and melting will creep deeper into the snowpack. Without an overnight refreeze to recover, stability is going to deteriorate more rapidly as daytime temperatures climb.
Several persistent weak layers still lurk in the snowpack, and the last warm up triggered very large avalanches (up to size 4) on these layers. It could happen again on those layers during this warm up, especially on slopes that haven’t already avalanched. On top of that, widespread avalanche activity has made the snowpack more shallow, allowing heat to penetrate even deeper. While we could speculate on which layers will react and when, the uncertainty alone is reason enough to step
back and avoid exposure to avalanche terrain at this point.
Even conservative terrain choices may not be appropriate for this warming event. Avalanches could run further than expected, reaching the end of their runout zones and threatening areas that are typically considered low risk. Strong sunshine will amplify warming, especially on southfacing slopes and around rocky outcrops, accelerating snowpack instability. Cornices are large, weak, and prone to sudden failure—not only are they dangerous on their own, but they can also trigger large, destructive avalanches on the slopes below. Additionally, wet avalanches can release on slopes as low as 15 degrees, meaning even low-angle terrain is not reliably safe.
With sloppy riding conditions (think wet cement) and an unstable snowpack below, save your big-mountain missions for when conditions improve. On the upside, seasonal temperatures and snow are forecast to return. Play the long game—there will be better backcountry days ahead.
CONDITIONS MAY VARY AND CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY Check for the most current conditions before heading out into the backcountry. Daily updates for the areas adjacent to Whistler Blackcomb are available at 604-938-7676, or surf to www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountain-info/ snow-report#backcountry or go to www.avalanche.ca.
and the WSS graduating class of 2025 ($1,000). Applications for funding from local government (RMOW CEP) and other non-profit foundations and organizations (Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, Whistler Healthcare Foundation, Real Estate Association of Whistler, etc.) as well as fundraising from local businesses and the school community are well underway.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support the WSS Fitness and Training Centre at sd48seatosky.schoolcashonline.com/ Fee/Details/1682/211/false/true by selecting Whistler Secondary School (as the applicable school) and Fitness and Training Centre (as the applicable initiative). Donation receipts will be issued by SD48.
We are grateful for the funding that we’ve received to date, and are hopeful this project will generate additional support from our community to ensure it is ready for our students this fall.
Shauna Hardy // WSS PAC, Capital Projects Lead
WSS Hoop-A-Thon a success
On March 4, Whistler Secondary School (WSS) and the Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium hosted their first Hoop-A-Thon fundraiser. Close to 30 students and adults each had one minute to sink as many baskets as possible.
Josh Tricco was the top scorer with 23 baskets, with Mayor Jack Crompton scoring a respectable nine baskets. All in, $1,500
was raised for the Whistler Food Bank, as represented by Whistler Community Services Society executive director Jackie Dickinson.
It was a wonderful event made possible with the support of WSS and athletic director Dillan Karst.
Thomas Christensen // Whistler
Pemberton students grateful for
‘lifechanging’ experience
A huge thank you to our amazing community for your support in making the Pemberton Secondary School Peru trip possible!
We’re back home, our hearts and minds filled with incredible memories from this lifechanging experience.
Special thanks to Pemberton Valley Supermarket, Mile One Eating House, Lima Bakes, Ultra Trail Whistler by UTMB, Pemberton Recycling Centre, Village of Pemberton, Pemberton Secondary School and all its staff, Lil’wat Nation, EF Tours Canada and everyone who supported us by buying chocolates, raffle tickets, and oranges, or helped in any way to make this happen. Your generosity and encouragement made this unforgettable journey possible!
We are so grateful, thank you!
Alexandra Alain-Leblanc // Pemberton
But what about Vail Resorts?
Last week I wrote a letter focused on skiers’/riders’ role in on-hill safety. But what about Vail Resorts?
Since purchasing Whistler Blackcomb, Vail has dramatically increased lift capacity with no corresponding increase in trail capacity. This is particularly evident at choke points (i.e., top pitch of Harmony Ridge) and when weather keeps many out of the alpine or concentrated on few runs.
Obviously there are many factors which contribute to on-hill injury rates (weather, conditions, amount of terrain open, grooming, guest competence) and trail congestion is only one variable. Ski areas collect data about injuries and report it to the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA) as number of injuries per 1,000 skier/rider days. In the absence of data transparency, perhaps the CWSAA could spearhead an initiative looking at the role of trail congestion in relation to injuries, and provide insights to the public. Is it time to establish the equivalent of room capacities for Whistler Blackcomb, which fluctuate with the amount of terrain open?
At Whistler Blackcomb, loading and unloading accidents seem to be increasing. Lots of people either can’t count to six or don’t pay attention. I’m aware of at least one serious accident that resulted from seven people trying to load a chair. Mountain Hosts used to act as line monitors and assist with queues and loading, and lifties used to be more attentive. Improved training and on-hill monitoring of lifties might address their attentiveness, and lines staffed by either Mountain Hosts or safety staff during busy times could reduce loading
accidents. A little signage (here I’m thinking T-bars) encouraging those unfamiliar with lifts to ask a lift attendant for guidance might help.
Although I’ve heard they’ve been trying to bring safety staff (“yellow jackets”) back, I didn’t see any all season until this last weekend, when three appeared together in the Emerald Chair lift line. One had a drill (perhaps staffing the event in the terrain park?). Yellow jackets used to be posted at high crash areas during busy times to deter speeding and outof-control guests. I’ve heard they also helped set up slow zones and family zone signage, merge signage and fencing, too. And they could pull passes and tickets. Although over time I’ve seen some signage return, there is far less safety signage than previously—and merge signs in particular are small. I haven’t heard of suspensions in ages.
Whatever happened to signage on lifts, towers and bathroom doors that reminded mountain users of the mountain safety code? Bringing those back too might help. This could be supplemented by offering a discount on pass/ticket/food prices for skiers and riders that pass an online safety quiz prior to hitting the mountain.
Skiers and riders need to be aware and respectful of what is happening around them to avoid injuring themselves and others. But Vail Resorts—it’s time for you to take a long hard look at how the changes you’ve made have impacted on-hill safety, too.
Ellen Balka // Whistler/Vancouver n
Spring flavors areinbloomatTheGrillRoomand The Wildflower. We invite you to joinus to indulge inChefCliffCrawford’s culinarycreations,inspired by thevibranttastesofspring
Whistler sees sharp drop in MRDT revenue
MUNICIPAL REGIONAL DISTRICT
BY LIZ MCDONALD
THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler’s (RMOW) fourth-quarter financial report showed revenue and spending were in line with budget expectations—but a notable decline in hotel tax revenue is raising red flags.
Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) revenue dropped by 11.9 per cent in Q4, the largest quarterly decline since the pandemic, according to preliminary, unaudited information in the RMOW’s financial system.
In a March 25 presentation to council, Carlee Price, the RMOW’s chief financial officer, pointed to hotel tax revenue and parking income as indicators of shifting tourism patterns in Whistler’s economy.
“At the time of the third-quarter report, I noted that both lines appeared to be rolling over. What had been an upward trend appeared to be slipping and potentially heading down. The fourth quarter got even more interesting,” Price said. “MRDT continues to hook down, and parking is continuing up. These trends can indicate an underlying trend in the overall economy, with less tourist visitation from international visitors.”
Price hesitated to identify a definitive
TAX WAS DOWN BY $1M IN 2024, A SIGNAL OF SHIFTING
cause, but expressed concern because excess MRDT revenue supports employee housing initiatives—a funding model approved by the province in 2023.
“The fact that the excess is what supports employee housing means that the total revenue amount is vitally important,” she said.
Price likened the MRDT model to a tower of champagne glasses: the top tiers are filled first—with funding going to tourist activations such as the Whistler Summer Concert Series, then to projects like
TOURISM TRENDS
5 in Cheakamus Crossing last year.
“Based on the current economic outlook, it seems that another decline in contribution in 2025 is possible,” the report said.
Councillor Ralph Forsyth asked how many quarters of decline it would take before council should start worrying.
“I’ve been worried for a while,” Price replied.
When asked what data might explain the decline, Price suggested the municipality reach out to Tourism Whistler.
“I’ve been worried for a while.”
- CARLEE PRICE
lamppost banners and, in 2024, Whistler’s contribution to the Invictus Games.
“Only when those glasses are full does the money—or champagne—flow to employee housing initiatives,” Price said.
If the trend continues, Whistler’s employee housing program may soon be parched. According to the unaudited report, only $1.4 million was transferred into the employee housing reserve this fiscal year, down from $2.4 million in 2023. Price’s report noted MRDT funds were “critical” to the Whistler Housing Authority’s purchase of Lot
In an email to Pique, Tourism Whistler’s Research Department attributed the decline in MRDT and Online Accommodation Platform (OAP) revenues (which also hand over MRDT), to several overlapping factors.
The department said combined revenue from hotels and OAP was down by $1.3 million year over year, and approximately 80 per cent of the decrease occurred during the winter season.
The 2023-24 winter season brought below-average snowfall, which led to lower occupancy and average daily rates.
Meanwhile, international room nights declined by four per cent. Tourism Whistler said global inflation and economic uncertainty are reducing discretionary travel spending, and that overall visitor spending in Whistler fell below 2023 levels.
Independent vacation rentals were hit harder than hotels, with MRDT payment from OAP providers down 13 per cent, compared to a seven-per-cent decline among traditional hotels and property managers.
Tourism Whistler also noted strong pentup demand in 2023, particularly from key markets such as Australia, had inflated that year’s numbers following the post-pandemic reopening of global travel—making 2024’s softer performance starker by comparison.
FORWARD OUTLOOK INCLUDES IMPACT OF U.S. TARIFFS
In the second half of her presentation, Price addressed the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on RMOW operations.
“There are lots of reasons to think the RMOW’s spending will not be affected,” she said, noting most goods the municipality purchases are not directly impacted, and many supplier contracts include clauses that lock in prices.
“Ultimately, however, no corner of the economy—no good or service—is truly immune.”
GoFundMe launched for family of Whistler’s
Jeff Keenan
PRO SNOWBOARDER AND TWO OTHERS WERE KILLED IN AN AVALANCHE NEAR NELSON ON MARCH 24
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
A FUNDRAISER FOR the family of Whistler pro snowboarder Jeff Keenan, who was killed in an avalanche near Nelson on March 24, has already surpassed its original target of $300,000, prompting organizers to bump up the benchmark.
“We are beyond grateful for the incredible
raise Khyber in Whistler. This fund will help Leanne stay in the home she built with Jeff, honouring his dream and providing the stability and support Khyber needs. This journey is far from over, and every contribution—big or small—makes a real difference. Let’s continue to rally together and show what the power of community can do! Please keep sharing, donating, and spreading the word. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
“The outpouring of love and support has been truly inspiring...”
- DOMINIQUE VALLEE
generosity shown for Leanne and Khyber. The outpouring of love and support has been truly inspiring, and because of this momentum, we are raising our goal to $500,000,” wrote GoFundMe co-organizer Dominique Vallee in a March 27 update.
“One of Jeff’s only life dreams was to
Price compared the potential fallout from tariffs to a train: the first cars—companies buying tariffed goods—are hit first, but impacts eventually reach every car behind them.
Higher costs for materials like steel could trickle down to pipes, appliances, laundry equipment—and eventually restaurant meals.
“The RMOW needs to be prepared for and mindful of this potential outcome, while recognizing the effects will not be immediate or necessarily quantifiable,” Price cautioned.
She noted while tariffs can drive up inflation, interest rates often rise in response. In 2024, the RMOW benefited from high interest rates on reserve balances and relatively low inflation.
The contrast was stark compared to 2021 to 2023, when inflation soared but interest earnings lagged.
“So, on the interest income side, for 2024, cause for celebration—and also cause for concern. Maybe less of a silver lining, or a bronze lining—potentially aluminum,” Price said.
REVENUE AND SPENDING HIGHLIGHTS
Overall, municipal revenue slightly exceeded expectations, reaching 101 per cent of the annual budget. Operating spending came in at 100 per cent.
Property taxes and user fees were higher
Keenan, 44, a co-founder of gear brand Dinosaurs Will Die, was riding in a group of four when tragedy struck.
Police said in a March 25 release the avalanche occurred in the alpine area on the
than anticipated, while parking revenue jumped 24 per cent over 2023, suggesting increased local visitation. Meanwhile, MRDT revenue dropped 11.9 per cent year over year.
Recreation and transit fares posted strong gains.
On the expense side, departmental spending rose 10.7 per cent year over year.
RCMP, the Whistler Fire Rescue Service and the building department saw increases of about 30 per cent, and together make up 19 per cent of total departmental spending.
“On the other side of the coin, we have departments that are growing quite slowly. These tend to be the low single digits year over year, or even down year over year,” Price said.
“These categories together represent seven per cent of total spending. It is very difficult, obviously, to offset fast rates of growth in large categories by constraining growth in small categories, and so overall, expenditures rise when the big departments grow.”
In 2024, the RMOW spent $30 million on projects, including upgrades to watermains in Creekside and Emerald, improved heating at the Meadow Park Sports Centre, and replacement of aging parts of the water system and tech infrastructure.
Long-term investments held by the RMOW totalled $59,199,121 in 2024, primarily in low-risk government bonds and investment funds. n
east side of Kootenay Lake just before 1 p.m. on March 24.
Jason Remple, 53, from Kaslo, and Alex Pashley, 45, from Idaho, also died in the incident. A fourth skier, Clay Mitchell, 40, from nearby Nelson, is in critical condition.
“Jeff wasn’t just known for his incredible decades-long influence in snowboarding, for co-founding Dinosaurs Will Die, or for his talented work behind the lens. He was known for his heart, his smile, humour and generosity. His deep love for Leanne, his joy in fatherhood, his passion and curiosity for exploring the world, and the warmth brought to every space he entered. He was kind. He was present. And he was so deeply loved by so many,” reads the GoFundMe’s original description.
“Leanne and Jeff shared more than 20 years of life together, building a home, a family and a creative legacy side by side. Their lives were completely intertwined. They were both self-employed, working in the mountains and raising Khyber with their shared love of life. And now, Leanne is facing the unimaginable. In a moment, she lost her partner, her co-parent, her teammate in life. She dug Jeff out herself and performed CPR for over 30 minutes. She did everything, and she was with him in those final moments, telling him how loved he was. That is something none of us should ever have to live through.
“Leanne now needs time to grieve, to heal, and to show up for Khyber without the immediate pressure of returning to work, especially when her work is in the same backcountry that just took the love of her life.”
A fundraiser was also launched for Mitchell, with a $90,000 target to help his recovery.
“By the incredible efforts of the rescue team Clay survived and was transferred to Trail ICU. He sustained a massive amount of damage in his legs, and, after multiple surgeries, he is looking at a long road to recovery,” wrote organizer Simon Shave.
“As one of Clay’s closest friends I’ve been receiving so many requests on how people can help him and his family through this difficult
time. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to realize how much love and support you have. Thank you all.”
Mayor Jack Crompton offered condolences to Keenan’s family at the March 25 Whistler council meeting.
“I just want to recognize and honour Jeff’s kindness, passion and his empathy. Jeff really was the personification of kindness,” he said.
“Jeff’s contributions to snowboarding were immense, but they were overshadowed
by the love and generosity he shared with his family and friends and community. The news of Jeff’s passing feels too tragic to be true and our hearts go out to those closest to him. As we reflect on his legacy we’ll do our best to follow in his tracks that embody those qualities to live with kindness, dedication, love and authenticity.”
North Vancouver’s Mount Seymour posted a tribute of its own on social media.
“Jeff was a huge part of the snowboard community at Mt. Seymour and the wider landscape. His younger days were spent here as part of the Skids (Seymour Kids), a crew of snowboarders that helped define snowboarding in the ’90s and ’00s,” it read.
“More recently, Jeff was part of the group of riders that spawned the Baked Salmon Banked Slalom, hosted on Mt. Seymour. Jeff and his friends worked tirelessly to bring that event to life and create a space for the snowboard community to thrive.
“Jeff will be missed, but his spirit will ride on!”
According to police, on March 24, “two groups of skiers had just finished skiing the bowl and were waiting in a staging area below the treeline of Clute Creek water shed. A transport helicopter was nearing the group when the pilot observed an avalanche and sounded the siren.”
One group of skiers was able to get out of harm’s way, while the other group of four was swept away into the treeline, the release said.
Kaslo RCMP will continue to assist the BC Coroners Service in the investigation, the release said. n
TRAGIC LOSS Jeff Keenan with wife Leanne and son Khyber.
GOFUNDME PHOTO
WHISTLER
Recapping the first week on the federal campaign trail
CANADIANS HEAD TO THE POLLS ON APRIL 28; ADVANCE VOTING PLANNED FOR APRIL 18 TO 21
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
THE FIRST WEEK of Canada’s 45th election campaign is officially in the books, and candidates in the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding wasted no time hitting the campaign trail.
Here are just a few notes from the first week of campaigning, presented in no particular order of importance. Be sure to follow the candidates on social media, or stay tuned to their websites for all the latest announcements—and check back with Pique next week for another weekly roundup of all the latest rumblings from the campaign trail.
• Green Party candidate Lauren Greenlaw took a unique approach to getting her campaign message out, taking the stage at Trickster’s Hideout in Squamish on March 26 for a storytelling event. A few days later, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault joined Greenlaw for a March 30 campaign event in Squamish.
• Liberal candidate Patrick Weiler made tracks up and down the riding in the campaign’s first week, holding campaign launches in Pemberton on March 27, on the Sunshine Coast and in Whistler on March 28, and in West Vancouver on March 29. The incumbent landed in Squamish for an event at the Brackendale Art Gallery on Monday, March 31.
• Conservative candidate Keith Roy was the first to erect election signs in Whistler once the writ dropped, followed shortly after by Weiler—and the Conservative candidate’s first week was an eventful one, judging from his social media channels. Roy held a grand opening for his Sechelt campaign headquarters on March 22, and was also busy knocking doors throughout the riding in the first week. “Knocked on every door in Lions Bay today and heard loud and clear: people are ready for change,” Roy posted on
Facebook on March 29. “They want common sense, affordability, and leadership that listens. I’m ready to deliver. Let’s bring it home.”
• Eighteen-year-old Jager Rosenburg, the NDP’s candidate for the riding, hadn’t erected signs in Whistler by the end of the first week. In a statement on April 1, the NDP candidate said he spent the first week primarily doorknocking, meeting supporters, going to community events and making social media/ printed election content. “I spent Sunday at a press conference and rally with Jagmeet Singh in Port Moody and Burnaby. Appearing on almost all major news networks. I have also been doing several interviews with BCIT news, Ipolitics, Radio-Canada, etc.,” he said. “By no means has it been a quiet start, even if we’re still waiting for signs to arrive.”
• On his Facebook page, People’s Party of Canada (PPC) candidate Peyman Askari, who also has signs up throughout the riding already, posted a series of interviews with fellow PPC candidates and party brass on March 21. Askari is active on X and other social channels, and has been making tracks up and down the riding knocking doors and handing out signs.
• The candidates will have ample opportunities to engage with one another as the campaign progresses. All-candidates debates are currently being scheduled in communities across the riding, including the Sunshine Coast (April 7 at the Elphinstone Secondary Library and April 9 at the xwesam–Roberts Creek Community Hall) and Squamish (April 8 at the CapU Squamish Campus). Whistler’s all-candidates meeting will be held towards the end of the campaign, on Tuesday, April 22.
• Candidates will be confirmed April 9, with advance polling taking place across the country from April 18 to 21. Election day is Monday, April 28.
Stay up to date with all the latest election news at piquenewsmagazine.com. n
TRICKS OF THE TRADE Green Party candidate Lauren Greenlaw took the stage at Trickster’s Hideout in Squamish on March 26 for a storytelling event.
PHOTO BY LIZ MCDONALD
Whistler Housing Authority shares strategic plan and financials
WHISTLER’S MAYOR AND COUNCIL HEARD DETAILS ON THE COMMUNITY’S HOUSING NEEDS, WHA’S FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND THE NEXT PHASE OF WORKFORCE HOUSING
BY LIZ MCDONALD
THE WHISTLER HOUSING Authority (WHA) delivered a detailed update to Whistler’s mayor and council on March 25, showcasing major accomplishments, new housing targets, and financial health—while acknowledging the continuing challenge of high demand for employee housing.
The WHA presented its new 2025–2028 Corporate Plan, centred on three strategic priorities: increasing employee housing inventory; providing robust portfolio management; and delivering innovative housing programs and services.
“This plan largely continues the trajectory and growth of the organization and builds upon the evolution of the work underway to address the employee housing needs of the workforce,” said WHA general manager Marla Zucht.
Highlights from 2024 include the opening of 48 new rental homes at the Hemlocks, a $12.7 million provincial grant, and $27.3 million in low-cost financing to support 104 more units currently under construction. Another 125 units are planned at 1600 Mount Fee Road.
The WHA now manages nearly 7,500 beds reserved exclusively for Whistler’s
workforce—almost 50 per cent of the town’s permanent population. However, the need remains acute.
“There have been over 1,000 new employee beds created in the last seven years, and close to 900 more are progressing,” said Zucht. “But we know it is still not enough, and nor will the additional 900 beds be enough.”
As of March 2025, there were 684 net applicants waiting to purchase housing and 560 for rentals. These net numbers reflect individuals not currently housed in WHA units.
The total number of applicants on the waitlist, which includes ones already housed by WHA, is 750 for rental units and 1,100 for ownership. Zucht highlighted that while the waitlist is long, people already housed in WHA units often wait for their preferred option and pass up initial offers, which then go to those further down on the waitlist.
“Employee housing has given many the ability to move forward with building their lives in Whistler with confidence and stability,” she said. “It can be life-changing.”
The WHA is also working with municipal staff on new enforcement tools and refining housing regulations to improve compliance and unit utilization. Enhanced digital systems are being implemented to manage inventory and eligibility.
The WHA reported its financial position, with an accumulated surplus of $41.4 million as of December 2024. However, finance director Flora Ferraro cautioned: “I don’t want people to walk out of here thinking we have $41.4 million in cash.”
Most of that surplus is tied up in assets and debt obligations, with actual unrestricted cash reserves at $875,000. The WHA posted an
$11.2 million annual surplus for 2024, buoyed by government grants and the completion of new rental developments.
Debt stands at $39 million and is projected to rise to $55 million in 2025 with the completion of the 1475 Mount Fee Road project.
Councillors expressed concern over the modest size of capital reserves—just over $1 million—relative to the scale of WHA’s housing portfolio.
“That seems kind of low,” noted Councillor Cathy Jewett.
Ferraro highlighted a solution to low reserves is a new contribution model introduced in 2024, allocating different reserve levels based on building age and condition. Older properties now see 25 per cent of revenues earmarked for reserves, with 10 per cent and four per cent contributions for mid-aged and newer buildings, respectively.
Still, balancing reserve growth with new development remains a challenge.
“We’ve done 10- to 20-year cash flows… at this stage, it all pencils,” Ferraro said. “It’s so critical [to have] government support for … future builds.”
When asked if the WHA looks to other communities for innovation, WHA staff said Whistler remains the leader in this space. n
BUILD IT An initial rendering of what the next WHA building at 1600 Mount Fee Road will look like when finished.
IMAGE COURTESY OF THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER
PearlSpace launches campaign for sexual assault awareness and prevention
24/7 SERVICE AND PUBLIC INITIATIVES AIM TO REACH SURVIVORS ACROSS THE SEA TO SKY CORRIDOR
BY LIZ MCDONALD
PEARLSPACE IS MARKING Sexual Assault
Awareness Month this April with a public campaign to inform, support and empower survivors of gender-based violence throughout the Sea to Sky corridor.
The organization, which offers crisis response and support for survivors of sexualized violence, is leading a multi-pronged effort to raise awareness, prevent violence and connect community members with services in Whistler, Squamish Pemberton and the Stl’atl’imx/Lillooet region.
“We’ve seen year-over-year increases in people accessing services,” said Ashley Oakes, executive director of PearlSpace. “That’s tied to rising population and turnover, especially in Whistler, which means we constantly need to re-educate people about what supports are available.”
In 2024, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) had a 14.2-per-cent rise in reported intimate partner violence, according to the Whistler RCMP. While the rise is notable, most calls came from out-of-town visitors staying in hotels. For Squamish, there was almost a 30-per-cent decline in calls for service last year.
Data from 2017 published in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing showed 23 per cent of residents in the Sea to Sky region had
experienced sexual violence, but only nine per cent reported it to police—highlighting the importance of alternative support systems.
A GROWING NEED AND A GROWING RESPONSE
In 2023, PearlSpace launched a 24/7 sexual assault response program funded by the provincial Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. The service offers confidential support via phone, text or online messaging, as well as in-person accompaniment to hospitals and police.
“Sometimes people just want to talk with an experienced person, other times they
want action … we are there to advocate and support,” said sexual assault service worker and drop-in coordinator Jazz Lewis.
Lewis emphasized support looks different in every case, but the organization always provides the same level of care—including access to clean clothes, food, water and referrals for counselling. Survivors can engage with the service for as long as they wish.
PREVENTION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
April’s campaign will include bus ads, social media outreach, news media, posters, and a series of public installations, including a
clothesline project featuring handmade shirts with messages from survivors in local businesses and the Squamish Public Library. One initiative invites people to create bracelets with words promoting consent and healthy relationships.
The campaign also aligns with National Prevention of Violence Against Women Week in mid-April, and leads into Crime Victims Awareness Week from May 11 to 17.
The 24/7 sexual assault service is free to access for everyone, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, residency, or immigration status. While most services are fully funded, some counselling may carry a small fee based on a participant’s means.
“The sexual assault line isn’t just for people who have recently experienced sexual assault. It’s also for people who have historical sexual assault,” Oakes said.
PearlSpace also recently received a federal Department of Justice grant, enabling it to expand outreach through marketing— something Oakes said many non-profits struggle to fund.
In the lead-up, PearlSpace will be distributing rape whistles and informational materials across the corridor—small but tangible tools to help community members feel safer and more informed.
Anyone in need of support can call PearlSpace’s 24/7 line at 1-877-890-5711 or visit their website for more information. n
AT YOUR SERVICE
PearlSpace’s Whistler drop-in location is at 1519 Spring Creek Drive.
PHOTO BY LIZ MCDONALD
Whistler Elders Enrichment Society gains charitable status
NEWLY REGISTERED AS A CHARITY, SOCIETY AIMS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR WHISTLER SENIOR SERVICES AND DEMENTIA SUPPORT, ENSURING ELDERS CAN AGE IN PLACE
BY LIZ MCDONALD
THE WHISTLER ELDERS Enrichment Society has officially achieved charitable status, marking a major milestone for a group that began with a simple, heartfelt goal: to make life better for Whistler’s aging population—without asking them to leave town to find support.
After years of raising tens of thousands of dollars for the Alzheimer Society of B.C., Wendy Barber, Erika Durlacher, and Cheryl Waters, a small but determined team, made a tough call. Despite repeated promises that some of the funds raised would support local programs, and an attempt to start programming last year by the Alzheimer Society, appropriate space was unavailable.
“We were raising a lot of money,” said Barber. “Over $70,000 in recent years, and at one point, a benefactor matched $35,000. But each year we were told a program would be launched in Whistler, and each year—nothing happened. It was a very difficult decision, but we decided if we were raising the money, we wanted it to go to the people in Whistler.”
So, they pivoted.
The trio formally stepped away from the Alzheimer Society’s Walk for Memories
and began laying the groundwork for their own initiative. A letter was sent, respectfully bowing out of future participation, and the seeds of what would become the Whistler Elders Enrichment Society were planted.
Their mission? To keep seniors connected, supported, and most importantly—here in Whistler.
originally thought MAC had charitable status and that the two groups could work together seamlessly. When she realized that wasn’t the case, the society decided to pursue it independently. Now that they’ve secured it, they’re ready to take action.
While MAC continues to focus on social programming—largely funded through
“Having that sense of belonging, of continuity—it’s critical. We just want to make sure our elders can thrive, right here in Whistler.”
- WENDY BARBER
The society was officially incorporated in May 2024. From there, it was a clear next step: gain charitable status, which would allow the group to issue tax receipts for donations. “That’s huge,” Barber noted. “When you’ve got generous donors, being able to provide tax receipts really makes a difference.”
Barber, who also sits on the board of the Mature Action Community (MAC),
grants—the Whistler Elders Enrichment Society is positioning itself as a fundraising arm, helping support MAC’s offerings while also developing its own initiatives. “Grants are always a worry,” said Barber. “You might not get them again, or you’re limited in when you can apply. Now, people can donate directly to our fundraising efforts and know the money is staying in Whistler for our seniors.”
And staying in Whistler is a key concern. “A lot of seniors are going to Pemberton or Squamish for services,” Barber said. “They have municipally funded buildings, dedicated staff. We don’t. We want to find a facility that can serve our seniors—a space that’s accessible and reliable.”
In the meantime, grassroots efforts have kept the community connected. A weekly “Coffee and Conversation” series at the Spruce Grove Fieldhouse has been well attended in the summer, providing an anchor for those beginning to experience symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s. “Socialization is huge,” Barber emphasized. “Having a regular, familiar space helps people stay connected, and that connection can make all the difference.”
The society is now planning its first major fundraiser—a walk scheduled tentatively for May or June.
“We’re excited. This will be the start of something we hope will grow,” Barber said. Their focus remains clear: keep Whistler’s seniors here, supported and surrounded by community.
“Having that sense of belonging, of continuity—it’s critical. We just want to make sure our elders can thrive, right here in Whistler.” n
332-4370LorimerRoadWhistler
Social Venture Institute marks 30 years by launching Sea to Sky event
ENTREPRENEURIAL CHANGEMAKERS TO GATHER FOR THREE DAYS OF COACHING, CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY-LED INNOVATION
BY LIZ MCDONALD
The Social Venture Institute (SVI), a longstanding incubator for social impact leaders, is setting down roots in Whistler with its firstever Sea to Sky event this spring.
Running April 30 to May 2, the event marks the 30th anniversary of SVI and aims to bring together purpose-led entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the region for a hands-on experience of peer mentorship, realtalk case studies, and community-centred business solutions.
SVI director Laurel Dault, who also leads the non-profit Hollyhock Leadership Institute, said the time was right for the gathering to extend into the Sea to Sky, a region already home to a vibrant community of impact-minded entrepreneurs.
“SVI started at a time when being a mission-driven entrepreneur was weird,” Dault said. “Over three decades, we’ve built an ecosystem that’s had a ripple effect—a force for good, not just for profit. Alumni of Hollyhock moved here during COVID, and folks living in the Sea to Sky saw the need for this kind of gathering.”
With guidance from Whistler locals Diana Chan, Diana Mulvey and Cheeying Ho, and partnerships including the Squamish Lil’wat
Cultural Centre, the event will showcase homegrown talent. Local businesses like Ziptrek Ecotours, FireSwarm Solutions and Save Da Sea are set to share the behind-thescenes stories of navigating the bumpy road of running a purpose-led company.
Save Da Sea founder Aki Kaltenbach, a returning participant from the early Cortes Island days, is one of several entrepreneurs
returning to present a live case study. “It’s terrifying to think about sharing all the tough and ugly details behind running a business,” she said in a release. “But I’ve seen first-hand how supportive this experience is, and I can’t wait to be part of it again.”
More than just a speaker series, SVI’s format puts collaboration front and centre. Participants will dive into one-on-one
coaching sessions on everything from HR to fundraising, take part in peer coaching circles and small-group strategic workshops, and bring their toughest challenges to the table for real-time feedback. Topics range from navigating conflict to sourcing financing, with a full agenda designed for practical, actionable takeaways.
“This isn’t a sit-and-listen conference,” said Dault. “We serve anyone who wants to make change through their business. Whether you’re running a restaurant or working in HR, how you care for your employees or source your materials are decisions that shape your impact.”
Networking remains a cornerstone of SVI’s legacy, with participants consistently rating relationships formed through the institute among the most valuable aspects. According to Dault, even virtual versions of the event foster deep connections. “I continue to hear about relationships that last years after the fact,” she said.
As the B Corp movement and demand for purpose-driven businesses continue to grow, Dault hopes this first Whistler edition of SVI could spark an annual tradition and help solidify a region-wide network for social and economic transformation.
Scholarships are available to support participation. Interested attendees can find more information at hollyhock.ca/svi-sea2sky. n
SOCIAL CIRCLES More than just a speaker series, SVI’s format puts collaboration front and centre. PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIAL VENTURES INSTITUTE
ADVENTUR EBYD AY
Report reveals Pemberton families struggling to access community services
THE COMMUNITY-LED COLLABORATION REPORT IDENTIFIES WAITLISTS, COST AND A LACK OF INFORMATION AND TRANSPORTATION AS KEY BARRIERS TO SERVICES
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A NEW REPORT details the state of community services in the Sea to Sky region.
The report, released by Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCS), emphasizes that while most Pemberton residents are satisfied with the programs on offer, childcare availability, specialized services for neurodiverse children and transportation and access to services remain barriers to care.
“Families in Pemberton often struggle with the burden of travelling long distances to Squamish or Vancouver, which is both timeconsuming and expensive,” according to the report. And even when programs are offered locally, a lack of transportation options can prove a barrier.
The Community-Led Collaboration Project is an effort to evaluate the strengths and service gaps in community services across the province. Between September 2022 and December 2024, 17 communities received Community Engagement Grants and worked with more than 130 organizations to evaluate the state of community services.
As of 2023, SSCS served 1,661 people in Pemberton and in the surrounding areas— including D’Arcy and the Lil’wat Nation. The team behind the report spoke with 36 families in the area to develop its findings
for the Valley.
“Meaningful service delivery is only developed through consultation with community,” said Chelsie Brubacher, director of service delivery at SSCS. “And so it was really important for us to hear from people with lived experience and from other service providers as we’re just taking a look at opportunities to improve our services.”
The report flags scheduling conflicts— such as offerings during the workday or at inconvenient times like near a child’s bedtime—as a hurdle for working parents hoping to access services.
Respondents also expressed concern about the lack of information about programs for neurodiverse children, including the lack of availability and affordability of assessments for their children, leaving families to wait years for a formal diagnosis and children to miss out on “critical services during their developmental years, a time when support could be preventative and have a lasting positive impact on their growth and well-being.
“There is a lack of available programs locally, with many families reporting a need for play therapy, childcare, child psychologists, social workers, pediatricians and especially an occupational therapist for neurodiverse children,” according to the report. That extends to consistent support for neurodiverse children as they age, including in-school support.
Parents also expressed a desire for more diverse programs at school—in particular, arts programming to combat “limited music, drama or language options.”
Those struggles aren’t necessarily unique to Pemberton; rural communities across the
province reported similar barriers to care associated with remoteness and a lack of available funds.
“We did hear similar themes throughout the more rural communities around large barriers being the lack of services for neurodiverse children, and then, of course, the barriers that we know that individuals in smaller communities face [like] transportation,” said Brubacher. “But then in Pemberton, there’s the added complexities around housing costs and affordability that families are facing.”
The report didn’t just focus on the negatives; 67 per cent of those surveyed reported being satisfied with the programs, and 70 per cent reported satisfaction with staff. The report also highlighted popular programs like Supporting Parents Along the Road to Kindergarten (S.P.A.R.K.), StrongStart, Supported Child Development, Out of School Care and the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program.
The report suggests a six-pronged approach to improving community services in the Sea to Sky: raising awareness of the programs and services on offer; increasing access to services—both by removing transportation barriers and increasing programming to suit families; inclusive training for staff; building out support groups and respite options for families; funding to retain staff and support families during a needs diagnosis and beyond; and providing more spaces to support the community.
Some of those recommendations, like increasing transportation options, are outside of SSCS’ director scope. Brubacher said the organization can advocate for better
transportation options, but the recommendation is moreso for the provincial government.
Other recommendations, like increasing information about available programs and services, and bringing those services into the communities that need them, are more within the scope of SSCS and other service providers in the corridor.
“We’re looking at a number of different options around how we can better communicate to families about not just the services that we provide, but about the services that are available, in general, in community, that are free and low barrier for individuals to access,” Brubacher said.
Part of the report highlights the need for respite services, providing a break for families who are caring for children and youth with really high needs. In the Sea to Sky corridor, that service can be limited, potentially forcing families to travel for the service.
Brubacher also noted the Community Hub at the Harrow Road development in Pemberton will help provide new spaces for programs.
“Space is at a premium. And it’s hard… we’re having to share group spaces with other programs,” she said. “But our new Harrow Road site will have a specific child development room, a therapy space for these services to be offered out of there, along with just much more flexible and available spaces for us to offer all of our programs and services.”
Fundraising for the Community Hub is ongoing. Completion of the Harrow Road project is anticipated for fall of 2026.
A province-wide final report was shared with the Ministry of Children and Family Development in January 2025. The Sea to Sky version was released in February 2025. n
SERVICE STRUGGLES The report highlights six areas for community service delivery improvements across the Sea to Sky.
PHOTO BY MAUDE ASH
Capilano University celebrates Lil’wat’s Qátsya7 Mason DuCharme with an Alumni Award of Excellence
‘WHAT CAN YOU DO TO RETAIN THAT SENSE OF YOUR INDIGENOUS SELF?’
BY LUKE FAULKS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
QÁTSYA7 MASON Ducharme knew he was going to end his acceptance speech with Yoda’s famous words, “Do or do not. There is no try.”
He just wasn’t sure if he was going to do the voice.
In the end, he swung for the fences, imitating Frank Oz’ classic tone for the tiny green Jedi. The crowd laughed.
Ducharme, now Lil’wat Nation’s secondever PhD, was onstage at the Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver to receive the Dedicated Alumni Award of Excellence from Capilano University. He studied at the school from 2010 to 2014, graduating with a bachelor of business administration. He went on to earn a master’s and PhD in public administration at the University of Victoria.
Ducharme was honoured alongside artist and reconciliation advocate Irwin Oostindie, musician and entrepreneur Reuben Avery, neuro-oncologist Susan Chang and general manager of BC Place Chris May on March 26.
“It felt cool to be included with that group of people,” he said. “You know, maybe what I’m doing doesn’t feel as fancy as what they’re doing, but for me, it feels just as meaningful.”
Ducharme saw his CapU business degree
as a way to help lift himself, his family and his Nation out of poverty.
“Growing up both on-reserve and offreserve, you realize that a lot of Indigenous people are living in poverty compared to nonIndigenous people,” he said. “So when I grew up noticing that, I thought, ‘what can I do to kind of help us address this?’”
But at CapU, Ducharme realized research and advocacy, rather than the corporate world, would be his vehicle to help build capacity and reduce poverty.
He was inspired by one of a number of “colourful profs” at CapU. One professor in particular, with whom Ducharme would transit off campus and grab the occasional slice of pizza, stuck out.
At the time, Capilano was a college, and didn’t require a PhD to teach. Still, this prof had a doctorate.
“So I just thought, ‘this guy’s just going to school for the sake of going to school,’ and I was like, ‘I want to have all those acronyms after my name,’” Ducharme recalled.
He successfully defended his thesis, Turnover and the Retention of Indigenous Executives in Indigenous Organizations, in December 2024, earning his PhD.
During his acceptance speech, Ducharme spoke to the crowd about the balancing act between being Indigenous and navigating academia, when the latter comprises some of
the oldest colonial institutions in the world.
“In the Indigenous academic community, they call it walking in two worlds,” he said “Sometimes when you’re Indigenous and you’re going off to school, it feels like you’re a bit ‘too res’ to be in this new environment. But then you go back home to your community, and it almost feels like you become too colonized.”
So it’s important for students to consider, he added: “what can you do to retain that sense of your Indigenous self?”
Ducharme remembered calling to chat with a group of Lil’wat elders as a way to keep in touch with his roots.
He also acknowledged that, while immersing himself in academia with a professorship is a valuable pursuit, the skewed work-life balance isn’t something he’s interested in. After raising two daughters— Riel and Macy—during his PhD program, he places family time first.
“Maybe one day I’ll get there. Maybe when my kids are teenagers, I’ll be like, ‘yeah, I think we could both use a break,’ then I’ll become a professor,” he joked. “But right now, I have an awesome job.”
Ducharme wears plenty of hats. He’s the co-executive director of the Centre for First Nations Governance and national community research director for the Rebuilding First Nations Governance Projects. In both
Pemberton Chamber of Commerce welcomes new president
capacities, he carries out application-based research on how Nations can transition out of the Indian Act and towards genuine selfgovernment.
He’s also looking ahead to new research exploring lateral violence—oppression between members of an oppressed group—in Indigenous communities. The incidence of lateral violence was a key part of his findings from interviews with Indigenous executives during his PhD.
Ducharme’s hypothesis for future research is that lateral violence occurred much earlier in the colonial project than currently understood, rather than the current theory that residential schools are mostly to blame.
For Ducharme, it’s deeply personal research. At 23, he became the youngest band administrator for the Nuchatlaht Tribe. After three years on the job, he left, burnt out—in part due to the effects of lateral violence. It inspired his PhD research into Indigenous executive turnover and retention.
“This is depressing stuff,” he said. “It’s across all of Canada. But I know if we don’t talk about it, nothing’s going to happen.”
Ducharme is set to take the stage again to present his thesis research at the upcoming Feeding our Fire event at Carleton University in May.
Read the full story at piquenewsmagazine. com. n
SIERRA TOWNLEY WAS CONFIRMED AS THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE PEMBERTON & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON MARCH 13
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
DURING ITS ANNUAL General Meeting (AGM) on March 13, the Pemberton & District Chamber of Commerce (PDCC) confirmed Sierra Townley and Graham Page as its new president and vice president. Townley succeeded Adam Adams in the position after three years on the job.
“Adam built some really great momentum with the board, and I would say we’re miles ahead of where we were,” said Townley. “Our membership is growing.”
Townley is the general manager of Whistler Welding Society, which is named after its former location in Whistler’s Function Junction. The company has operated out of the Pemberton Industrial Park since the mid’90s. She started working with the company in 2018 after earning a business degree from the University of Victoria and BCIT.
Townley was recruited to the PDCC board three years ago by Adams, who stepped down this year to serve on the board as a director—providing an element of continuity and offering a resource to tap for directors in new positions. To help boost that continuity, the 2025 PDCC AGM also moved ahead with a bylaw change that will see the PDCC president serve a two-year term, instead of the
previous one-year tenure.
Per PDCC bylaws, the president is elected by the directors of the board. Instead of a formal campaign, the process involves a nomination followed by a vote.
Townley laid out key issue areas to tackle as part of the PDCC’s work during an interview with Pique; providing educational resources to local businesses, advocating on members’ behalf to government and other stakeholders and running events.
Townley repeatedly underscored the educational role of the PDCC. With Pemberton growing, the local business community has questions about key issues like infrastructure, zoning and taxation.
“If people are looking for resources or they have specific issues, that’s why we’re here,” she said. “Reach out. I think a lot of people don’t realize that’s what we’re there for.
“People can reach out and ask specific questions, whether that’s about transit or ‘what’s this law being used for? What’s the plan for the village the next 10 years, seeing the amount of homes that we’re building ... are we gonna start saving for a hospital or for a school? What’s the plan here?’”
Townley highlighted the changing nature of the Pemberton Industrial Park as evidence of the quickly changing environment for businesses.
“So the Industrial Park is zoned for specific business use, but it’s growing rapidly, and a lot of businesses want to know [whether]
they are allowed to operate out there,” she said. “Ten years ago, they wanted to keep the professional businesses in town, [but] there’s not available space in town. But there is now out in the Park. So they wonder, ‘Can I get a variance to work and put my business out there?’”
With agricultural tariffs in effect as of April 2 and a 25-per-cent tariff on goods, including building materials, already in place since March 4, she said farmers and construction workers are both “waiting to see what happens.”
“We export a lot in Pemberton,” Townley noted. “I know the farming community is nervous, and [while] our construction industry is usually crazy, everyone’s waiting this year because they’re not sure what the building materials are going to cost.”
In addition to providing education for businesses, Townley highlighted the advocacy role the PDCC plays.
“We do have some power to get some responses or help people push through certain issues they may be having, with the Village or with other parties,” she said.
She singled out BC Hydro’s substation as the exemplar, saying business owners in the valley have expressed concern the substation might not have the capacity to accommodate current and projected growth. The Chamber is also advocating for planned outages to land during more convenient times for business owners. Townley noted there’s been better
communication between the utility and the Chamber of late.
She highlighted the PDCC’s relationship with nearby chambers of commerce, including those in Whistler, Squamish and Lillooet, as well as the Lil’wat Nation and local governments.
“We as the board of directors represent the members,” Townley said. “So our main goal is to advocate on their behalf, figure out what they want to do. So we advocate to local government [and at the] B.C. government level.”
Townley is looking forward to seeing the PDCC grow. After Adams’ successful outreach saw the Chamber’s membership increase, she’s looking to keep the streak alive.
“There is definitely massive room for growth,” she said. “And every year there’s more and more business licenses in Pemberton, so hopefully we can keep ramping up those numbers.”
The other side of the PDCC’s work is to foster links between businesses. Townley hopes to host more events in the years ahead to help build that value for members.
“Our members also really want to just have a mixer with each other; they want to communicate with each other, they want the opportunity to advertise, they want the opportunity to interact with people,” she said. Find the full story at piquenewsmagazine. com. n
Epic Switzerland
WHILE ASPECTS of the Epic Pass have precipitated everything from awesome to awful in North American resorts, its best feature is the invitation to international travel. Being able to use the Epic Pass in Japan, Italy, France and Austria has opened up awesome options for North Americans looking for a cultural ski experience in storied mountains. The best overall is Switzerland, with one partner and two destinations to tempt the savvy skier. And no European ski experience ranks higher for
BY LESLIE ANTHONY
ease of travel, efficiency, and high-grade food
To begin, in 2025-26, various Epic Pass products will include five days at a new partner—Verbier 4 Vallées. This is an insane get—six resorts and 410 km of runs in Switzerland’s largest ski area, nestled in a natural snowbelt. Then there’s two actual Epic Pass resorts. First, venerable Crans-Montana, known for 300 sun-soaked days each year, glamour, World Cup speed events, and views of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. And next, the new colossus of Andermatt-SedrunDisintis, from which I recently returned. For adventurous Whistler skiers used to moving through large mountain landscapes the latter is your place. It was certainly mine.
On a mid-March day, Andermatt’s fabled Gemsstock felt strangely spacious. An
unexpected 30 cm of fluff had yet to pack the peak’s two linked trams, which ran half-full to the 2,961-metre, glacier-rimmed summit.
As I debarked, a handful of out-of-theirleaguers stared with eyebrows raised down steep, off-camber pistes toward the manicured embrace of lower chairlifts, while the ranks of giddy freeskiers normally scrambling off the Gemsstock were today as thin as the rarified air.
As I aimed for Felsental, an off-piste descent I’ve favoured over a quarter century of visiting, I was trailed by those with similar ambition. One was a guide leading an elder but capable woman, his hardened face resembling the crust of the Earth itself—molten fire
and new lifts linking Andermatt to the oncemoribund ski areas of Sedrun and Disentis, revitalizing all into the most changed resort in the Alps over the past 20 years. Call it a coda of economic salvation after the town’s main employer, the Swiss military, pulled up stakes after the Cold War, followed by the opening of a new train tunnel in 2016 that bypassed the valley.
Though nominally a ski resort, Andermatt also presents a realm of myth, legend and fantasy spun with Satan himself, Benedictine monks, a Russian army general, treasure-laden Irish earls, William Tell, Goethe, Elvis Presley, James Bond, and, most recently, Egyptian
Though originally smallish by Swiss standards, Andermatt had always seemed vast...
bubbling beneath flinty eyes, creases at their corners a convolution of outdoor experience laid down over the years. As I stopped at the entrance, he leaned forward to tap a hidden rock with his pole, a universal gesture of caution. We flashed each other knowing grins and disappeared into our respective voids, certain it would be a long, wary—but rewarding—way down.
In an age of soft adventure, it’s hard to imagine a gnarly concatenation like the Gemsstock standing as centrepiece for yet another mega-resort, but happily for Epic Pass holders, such is the case. Locals, too. Stoic, long-resistant traditionalists, Andermatters were not only tolerating a sea-change in village life, but genuinely starry-eyed over the arrival of luxury hotels, moneyed clientele,
property developer Samih Sawiris, who opened the town’s transformation set-piece—the almost ethereal five-star Chedi hotel—in 2013. Clearly, it’s a town with tales to tell.
Despite the legion of comings-and-goings over the area’s history as a geographic and cultural crossroads between the four language and cultural areas of Switzerland, a highend future is rapidly descending, raising the perennial question of whether the drive to get big or perish will leave powder-hounding guides and ski bums—who kept Andermatt afloat through the bad times—poor men in a rich man’s world, or beneficiaries of the renaissance.
The latter seemed the only thing on people’s radar when the next morning donned sunny with more new snow. Leaving
my comfortable nest in the stylish Radisson Blu Reussen, a modern-Swiss-meetsScando property anchoring a plaza of new development on the north end of town, I walked a couple minutes to the train station then strolled underground to an escalator that lifted me directly to the NätschenGütsch gondola. Past Nätschen mid-station at 1,842 metres, skiing is all above treeline and, despite some southern aspects, snow and grooming typically good—the reason even beginners find the straightforward zig-zag of lifts and pistes that now carry you up and over the Oberalppass intoxicating.
Though originally smallish by Swiss standards, Andermatt had always seemed vast, mostly because you could ski off any aspect of the Gemsstock to land in a different valley, something best appreciated in sightlines from the Gütsch top station; another was the reverse view, from Gemsstock to the expansive Oberalp, the frequent intrusion of a tiny, sinuous, red train winding its way through the pass like a snowy model diorama delivering required perspective. Now that it’s all one ginormous ski domain, the feeling is only multiplied.
At Gütsch, I was greeted by a contemporary stone building containing two restaurants— The Japanese and Gütsch—that represent a new approach to on-mountain dining (beyond the country’s quotidian pizza, spaghetti and würst) to compliment the town’s growing gourmet scene. But I had other lunch plans, and it took me two more lifts and three wideopen runs to reach the Oberalppass, where I cradled a beer on the sun-soaked deck of Restaurant Piz Calmot contemplating a morning of a half-dozen empty powder runs that seemed, well, very epic indeed.
Leslie Anthony is a Whistler-based author, editor, biologist and bon vivant who has never met a mountain he didn’t like. n
EPIC INDEED A high-end future is rapidly descending in Switzerland.
PHOTO BY LESLIE ANTHONY
Fixes to Eby’s controversial tariff bill don’t go far enough, say business leaders
BY ROB SHAW
PREMIER David Eby’s decision to back down on the most contentious clause of his antitariff legislation has deflated what was a crisis situation into a throbbing political headache. Yet his government still faces a rough ride on the remainder of its proposal.
Three of the business groups that helped push back on Bill 7 say it’s not good enough for government to simply drop the clause that gave cabinet unfettered power to bypass the legislature and change any law for two years (known as part four of the bill), because the remainder of the legislation also contains problematic overreach.
The bill enables cabinet to do three additional things: End any government contracts with American firms and protect the officials who do so from legal ramifications; enable B.C. to tax American supply trucks that use B.C. highways and ferry terminals, with fines and details to be set later by cabinet order; and lower interprovincial trade barriers by treating products in other provinces like they were created in B.C.
All come with two-year sunset clauses.
“We remain concerned about the board powers over procurement and infrastructure pricing,” wrote the Business Council of B.C.
“Part two allows the Cabinet to issue procurement directives that are arbitrary, without legislative scrutiny, bypassing financial controls, and shielding officials from
Community Benefit Agreements were an NDP policy set in 2017 that required workers on designated government projects, like hospitals, to be members of certain unions. It added significant costs, and critics say it was a taxpayerfunded giveaway to NDP-friendly unions. Eby has mostly backed away from the policy.
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade called on the premier to simply push forward the interprovincial trade measures and leave everything else in Bill 7 behind.
“We continue to call on the government to only advance the measures related to removing barriers to trade within Canada and not pursue the other parts of Bill 7,” wrote CEO Bridgitte Anderson.
The BC Greens also say they aren’t satisfied with the changes to Bill 7, with MLA Rob Botterell calling it “a work in progress.”
“We have been critical of this bill, and have introduced a variety of amendments to the government,” he said in a statement. “Still, we have serious concerns.”
The reason Bill 7 remains such a mess can be traced squarely back to the NDP’s decision to cram four separate policy proposals together into one piece of legislation.
It could have made them four individual bills, and likely garnered unanimous support for the interprovincial trade measures alone.
But the party wanted to use legislation as a wedge to paint anyone with concerns— mainly the Opposition BC Conservatives—as anti-Canadian, Donald Trump sympathizers.
It was an overreach. And the premier’s initial defence, to suggest an election on the
“These broad powers raise concerns about transparency, oversight, and the potential for unintended financial impacts...”
- BUSINESS COUNCIL OF B.C.
liability. Part three enables cabinet to impose new tolls, fees, and charges on provincial infrastructure without debate or consultation.
“These broad powers raise concerns about transparency, oversight, and the potential for unintended financial impacts on businesses, workers, and consumers.”
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business agreed.
“Significant problems remain with the legislation,” it wrote. “Part two allows the cabinet to issue arbitrary procurement directives while shielding officials from liability. This has the potential for the province to repeat the mistakes it made with Community Benefits Agreements, which increase costs and delays for public projects.”
issue, compounded the mistake.
Now, the government is left with a mess. One provision of the bill is widely supported. Two provisions are widely opposed. A fourth was such a disaster it tainted everything else before it was removed.
All of which makes a pretty compelling case for the government to withdraw Bill 7 entirely and start over from scratch.
Rob Shaw has spent more than 17 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for Glacier Media. He is the co-author of the national bestselling book A Matter of Confidence, host of the weekly podcast Political Capital, and a regular guest on CBC Radio. rob@robshawnews.com n
WHISTLER COUNCIL ZEROES IN ON KEY PRIORITIES AS 2026 ELECTION LOOMS
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
There are any number of metaphors, sporting or otherwise, one might use to describe Whistler council’s push to the next municipal elections in 2026.
The fourth quarter. The back nine. The home stretch. The final act. The waning hours. The third trimester.
In this case, we went with the one most conceptually pleasing to Pique’s art director, Jon Parris. He has to design 52 or so of these covers every year, see, and often we don’t give him much stylistic direction, or even lead-time (as is the case this week). So it’s good to throw him a bone every now and then.
So yes, take your pick of metaphor—they all apply.
However you wish to say it, Whistler’s mayor and council is in the later stages of its term, with a new council set to be elected in the fall of 2026.
Whistler’s elected officials took stock of progress made and what’s left to come by way of a strategic plan update in late March, covering all four of council’s key priorities: housing, climate action, engagement and smart tourism.
What comes next for new housing in Whistler? How is the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) approaching Donald Trump’s trade war? And which global pop superstar ruined Christmas for hundreds of Whistlerites?
All these questions and more will be answered in the next three pages or less.
But make no mistake: we’re in the endgame now (of the council term).
HOUSING
If you had to choose one priority to be held above all others—both for council and the community at large—it would be housing. And Whistler’s current council has made steady progress on that front during its term.
Since council’s election in the fall of 2022, the RMOW has completed three new buildings in Cheakamus Crossing’s Phase 2, with a fourth in the final planning stages. The RMOW completed its Housing Action Plan in May 2023, advanced some projects through the private sector employee housing initiative, and also worked to incorporate new provincial legislation, such as the Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) bylaw, into municipal processes.
Looking to the final stretch of council’s term, there are some notable “to-dos”: continuing to support and prioritize private sector affordable housing projects as they come in the door; reviewing potential social housing levers and options; finalizing a financing model for Cheakamus’ Lot 3, “and then work with the housing and strategy committee as well as our subsidiaries to identify the next housing site past June 2026,” said municipal chief administrative officer Ginny Cullen in a presentation to the COW.
Having shovel-ready sites has been a key component in Whistler’s success building housing in recent years, noted Councillor Cathy Jewett.
“Going beyond Cheakamus Crossing 2, is there a view down the road to what’s next? Is that part of the plan going forward?” she asked.
One of the RMOW’s priorities is to work with the Whistler Housing Authority and Whistler Development Corp (WDC) to identify future housing sites, but there’s no firm answer to that question just yet, Cullen said.
Seeking continued urgency on the housing front, Mayor Jack Crompton introduced a resolution, supported by council, stating the RMOW will work with its housing subsidiaries “to identify, pursue funding for and initiate permitting of a comprehensive development site for WDC development by or before June 2026.”
The target is not “unreasonably audacious,” said GM of climate action, planning and development services Dale Mikkelsen, noting the RMOW’s planning team is working to determine the resort’s total land inventory, cross-referencing it with protected areas and habitat priority areas, and waiting to confirm Complete Communities funding from the Union of BC Municipalities.
“So all of those will coalesce this year in 2025 and give us a really good lens on what development footprint we have within our municipal boundaries,” Mikkelsen said. “And then [we can] look at, with the Cheakamus Community Forest, where we are well-served in terms of community-based retail, commercial opportunities, etc., transit, that speaks to a good place to identify a comprehensive development zone against the lands that we have access to.”
RED-TAPE REDUCTION
On the housing front, Crompton noted Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to cancel the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), and wondered about potential impacts to Whistler. The federal government and the RMOW announced more than $2.5 million for local housing initiatives through the HAF in February.
“If for some reason it got canceled, it’s not going to be catastrophic,” Cullen said. “But this is obviously very helpful for being able to advance and accelerate initiatives that we already had on our list.”
Part of the HAF funds will be used to modernize Whistler’s building bylaw and fee schedule as a means of cutting down on red tape, Mikkelsen said.
“Part of that fee schedule will also be itemizing the types of application as well as the digitization of building records,” he said, noting as far as workflow efficiencies, the modernized bylaw will “help accelerate” the front-end experience.
“So right now, when you submit an application, it really doesn’t matter what kind of building renovation, scale, magnitude, it’s very confusing for applicants,” Mikkelsen said. “So it will be streamlined in that if you’re just doing, say, a simple renovation versus building a new single-family home, you’ll have a different application process, and it would be clear what your submissions are.
The HAF is also helping facilitate an accelerated approval and permit process for affordable housing projects, “and we’re just working on that document right now, so it’ll be in front of you in a few months,” Mikkelsen said.
“Anything providing affordable or employee housing would have some level of prioritization in the building permit process.”
Another big project underway is the Creekside West Neighbourhood Plan, which seeks to envision future proposed land-use and development changes in Whistler’s original neighbourhood through the lens of provincial SSMUH legislation.
Council will hear a report on the first round of engagement at an upcoming council meeting.
“Our concern, as was raised in the public engagement process around that, is if we don’t do this work now, then the SSMUH bylaw could supersede opportunity in Creeskide West,” Mikkelsen said. “So we want to make sure we have the neighborhood plan in place, and then the OCP considered so that folks that do own property in Creekside West, that do want to deliver projects with employee- or resident-restricted housing have more variety of forms where we get actually more units.”
PHOTO BY
RAPID RESPONSE Whistler’s Emergency Operations Centre was activated after a landslide near Lions Bay in December.
Photo by Matt Gunn
CLIMATE ACTION
On the topic of climate action, another of council’s key priorities, the biggest focus is likely wildfire protection and mitigation—particularly after the disastrous L.A. fires in January that scorched more than 24,000 hectares, and the catastrophic blaze that levelled Jasper last year.
Mikkelsen noted the RMOW was able to conduct fuel-thinning work “at a much higher level of pace” recently, allowing for up to five areas to be thinned per year.
“The original program was not as aggressive as that, so that’s the core piece of work,” Mikkelsen said, adding local FireSmarting efforts have also accelerated.
“I believe we had about 28 community workshops, or neighbourhood workshops, on FireSmarting. We had, I think it was almost just over 80 tree-chipping events, community based events, and several thousand tons of wood chip removed from the forest floor.”
Mikkelsen noted an update to the Community Wildfire Resilience Plan is expected at council on May 13.
Referencing the L.A. fires, Jewett wondered about the status of Whistler’s evacuation plan.
Reviewing regional-level evacuation plans to ensure they sync up with neighbouring communities is a top priority, Cullen said, noting the RMOW wants to take a “team approach” to the update.
“As we saw at the Emergency Operations Centre activation in the landslide incident at Lions Bay [in December], we had really amazing coordination between Tourism Whistler and the hotels, ourselves and others,” she said. “So we’d want to continue to build off those models and what’s working, and look at all options.”
Further to the climate/environmental file, the RMOW will continue incorporating its Big Moves Climate Action Plan in all council decisions, while also continuing work on active transportation initiatives (a dedicated bike lane on Village Gate Blvd., or secure bike parking for example).
There’s also implementation of the RMOW’s updated priority habitat framework, which Cullen said will be incorporated into the 2028 Official Community Plan update.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
As far as community engagement, council’s third key priority, the “big flagship project” is the municipal website redesign, for which council budgeted more than $100,000 this year.
The upgrade is important for connecting with the community, said GM of community engagement and cultural services Karen Elliott.
“What we’re finding from research on building trust in local government is that about 30 per cent of residents will judge or base their trust in government based on their digital experience, which is really interesting,” Elliott said.
“So if we’re hard to navigate or they can’t find the information they’re looking for, their automatic inclination for 30 per cent of them is to kind of write us off. And so later this spring, launching this new website becomes really important and really the foundation of connecting with our community.”
The RMOW wants to refine some recently launched programs like coffee with a counsellor, or borrow a counsellor, Elliott said, while also looking at ways to allow residents to provide feedback in ways they might not expect.
But looking ahead to 2025, one event stands above all the others: the RMOW’s 50th anniversary celebrations, for which plans are still being finalized.
“So that’s exciting, and there’ll be a number of different ways where the RMOW and others will be engaging with the community,” Cullen said.
Winter will also see the return of Whistler Winterlight, and the fan-favourite Ferris wheel that mysteriously hung around for just two days leaving dozens, perhaps hundreds missing out.
To hear it from Cullen, the Ferris wheel was spirited away down the highway after just two days as it was needed in Vancouver for a different, slightly larger event.
“It’s likely Taylor Swift will not be in town to steal our Ferris wheel away,” she said. “So that one will be back.”
DENSITY DECISIONS
An early conceptual design of how new provincial legislation may impact Creekside.
Image courtesy of the RMOW
RAINBOW REFLECTION Whistler’s upgraded Rainbow Park incorporates smart tourism principles, according to the RMOW.
Photo by Scott Tibballs
SMART TOURISM
On smart tourism, council’s fourth key priority, Cullen held up the redevelopment of Rainbow Park as a comprehensive example.
The park’s redesign incorporated climate-resilient landscaping, improved access to water and the park itself, and created opportunities for local food trucks, she said.
“So I think that continues to be a really good example of what we mean. And how do we expand this to the whole resort?” Cullen said.
“Looking forward, we have a number of items under smart tourism, so finalizing some of our parks and trail strategies, looking at whether there’s opportunities to do phased park improvements to sections of parks, rather than full closures that happened with Rainbow Park … and then looking for ways for us to make progress on [expanding cultural education for residents and visitors].”
As far as tourism and business in Whistler goes, the spectre of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs continues to hang over all of Canada.
In an emailed statement, the RMOW said it is “looking in detail” at how the tariffs could impact costs, and taking a “measured and cautious” approach.
The risk of recession has increased, which could be impactful for Whistler, the statement noted.
“When assessing our own budget, the primary concern for the municipality is that a trade war could increase prices. The RMOW appears to be in a good position to weather uncertainty for 2025. Infrastructure Services has already signed contracts representing 44 per cent of the value of its 2025 projects—which is ahead of schedule—and several contractors have also locked in material prices for 2025,” the statement said.
“While minimal impact is expected this year, there is nonetheless long-term risk. Contract renewals are likely to be more costly in a tariff scenario and there is uncertainty around our procurement decisions. As such, we are contacting suppliers and reviewing our existing contracts, and making adjustments, to be as proactive as possible.”
The RMOW will continue to monitor procurement costs as it works to stay on budget, the statement added.
“We will delay work or maintenance costs to absorb inflation wherever possible and will communicate any changes as part of the 2026 Budget process,” it said.
While local officials will continue focusing on balancing visitation, the shoulder seasons will be an increasing focus.
“There was an interesting insight from an external consultant recently, which is, why are you doubling down on winter?” Cullen said. “Winter is shrinking, so your opportunity is in the area that is expanding, and so I think there needs to be more discussion around October and April.”
THE HOME STRETCH
As council stares down the final year and a half of its term, Cullen made an appeal for local officials to look beyond even the next election.
“What do we need to leave behind so that those who come after us have the tools and resources that they need?” she said. “So when we stretch our thinking out 20 to 25 years, we see a greater number of needs in the community as Whistler becomes a more diverse town with a range of ages and demographics and more likely a higher population. So what do we need to have in place?”
Climate impacts will become more visible in the years ahead, and future councils will have hard choices to make around what gets funded and what falls to others.
“Either way, the importance of ensuring care and maintenance is ongoing and priorities and reserves are kept healthy will be an area of key focus. So too will be finding ways to increase revenue to the organization, and to decouple from some user-based costs, from property tax,” Cullen said.
“So I would say that one of the roles of this council is to start signalling what will need to take shape in the next council’s term. That should be part of what we are communicating as well.” n
FULL TERM Whistler’s mayor and council on election night, 2022. Photo by David Buzzard / davidbuzzard.com
Whistler Cup to be held from April 9 to 13
MORE THAN 500 SKIERS FROM OVER 16 COUNTRIES ARE EXPECTED TO COMPETE
BY DAVID SONG
THE WHISTLER CUP (WC) is a globally recognized youth alpine ski race, and there’s no other contest quite like it in North America. Now going into year 32, the Whistler Mountain Ski Club (WMSC) and key sponsor O2E Brands are prepared to welcome 500 athletes from across Canada and 16 nations—with more yet to be confirmed as of this writing.
All of these skiers are about to grasp a rare opportunity to compete against the best of their respective age divisions on an international stage. Numerous World Cup veterans, some Olympians and even a few all-time greats have participated in this event before furthering their successful careers: Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn, Marcel Hirscher, Tina Maze and Thomas Mermillod Blondin, to name a few.
“I am honoured and excited to accept the co-chair position of the O2E Brands Whistler Cup. Many great visionaries have done a lot of heavy lifting to bring this incredible event to the level it currently enjoys, and I’d like to recognize and thank them for their
contributions,” said Canadian Ski Hall of Famer Rob Boyd in a press release. “There are some big shoes to fill going forward. Through the many partnerships, supporters, parents and athletes, we can build on that momentum and ensure the Whistler Cup evolves and thrives for generations to come!”
Just as thrilled for what lies ahead is Broderick Thompson, a two-time Olympic athlete who recently returned to snow after a debilitating 2023 crash in Beaver Creek, Colo.
the Whistler Cup, I would not have had the vision and focus that helped me to my World Cup success.”
‘CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THIS NEXT GENERATION SHRED’
Broderick is by no means the only homegrown skier who views the WC as a vital part of their development.
More than just a series of races, the WC is
“You’ll make friends that, if you stick with it, you’ll race for your whole career...”
- BRODERICK THOMPSON
“Whistler Cup is a huge step into the diverse world of ski racing both at a competitive and community level. You’ll make friends that, if you stick with it, you’ll race for your whole career—right from these U14 races all the way to the Olympics,” Broderick said. “Embrace all the moments at Whistler Cup, from the race course to the banquets and even the fresh tracks, the early morning load.
“I have to say: without insight from
known for generating a favourable environment for interpersonal connection. Broderick’s older sister Marielle, a four-time Crystal Globe winner in ski cross, remembers the team meals as the highlight of an event she describes as “a lot of fun both on and off the slopes.”
Canadian alpine speed demon Brodie Seger found this melting pot of cultures gave his younger self a little extra fuel out of the start gate.
“My memories of Whistler Cup were all
about the excitement of meeting the best athletes from around the world in my first real taste of international competition,” he remarked. “Friendships and rivalries were born that would push me for years to come. I loved seeing how many nations were willing to come all the way to our home turf to celebrate that same experience, and I hope to see it continue for a long time still.”
Six-time Paralympic medallist and WMSC alum Mollie Jepsen added: “Whistler Cup was such a highlight of my ski racing journey! It’s so amazing to see the community come together and to meet and compete against racers from all over the world! Can’t wait to see this next generation shred!”
Local World Cup talent Stefanie Fleckenstein also spoke of how her WHC days granted lifelong friendships with women who are now her athletic rivals. She looks forward to helping inspire the next generation.
Brian Scudamore, founder and CEO of O2E Brands and 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, told the media: “O2E Brands is proud to sponsor the Whistler Cup again this year. Having seen first-hand how this sport is shaping the futures of young athletes globally, I am continually inspired by WMSC’s philosophy of ‘developing champions in life and sport.’ Supporting this cause through O2E Brands’ sponsorship—where we strive to elevate the everyday experience of home services—feels like a perfect fit.” n
HOT PURSUIT A young skier races at a Whistler Cup event.
Garrett Milan enjoying late-career resurgence with Athens Rock Lobsters
THE WHISTLERITE’S CURRENT TEAM HAS SECURED AN FPHL PLAYOFF SPOT
BY DAVID SONG
A BACK INJURY last year had Garrett Milan questioning his future in professional hockey. Showing up to practice with three herniated discs is no fun, and being in his early 30s Milan knew he was on the back nine of his career anyway.
Offseason back surgery helped, but the Whistlerite still needed to make a choice. That’s when an unexpected suitor rang him up: the newly-established Athens Rock Lobsters of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL).
First of all: “Rock Lobsters” is a truly legendary name on par with gems like the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), Capital City Go-Go (NBA G League) and Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Minor League Baseball). The team logo pictures a crustacean wearing sunglasses and playing an electric guitar. What’s not to like?
The FPHL debuted in 2010 under the name “Federal Hockey League,” but adopted its current moniker nine years later. As a single-A minor league, its franchises are located in the Midwestern, Northeastern and Southern United States: including Athens, Ga. This energetic college town lives and breathes University of Georgia (UGA) football, but hockey is beginning to take off as well—and Milan loves it.
“You never fully know how it’s going to go as a first-year team in the league, but I think our coach, Steve Martinson, did a really good job recruiting players,” he said. “I saw some names who have been playing in a higher league, but decided to come here for various reasons so it’s definitely been a good surprise for us. We’re getting about 4,500 fans a night, sometimes 5,000, and packing out the brandnew rink [at Akins Ford Arena].
“You’re going to community events and people are recognizing you, and a lot of people are wearing Rock Lobsters uniforms and apparel around town. It’s definitely gotten pretty huge, to be honest.”
Milan is having an impressive statistical campaign: 35 goals and 62 assists for 97 points in just 52 games. At +34, it is his first positive plus-minus outing since 2021-22 when he played for Sweden’s Halmstad Hammers, and he’s contributed to a roster that leads the Continental division with a 30-8-3-4-7 record to date.
‘A
BREATH OF FRESH AIR’
It’s safe to say Milan relishes playing hockey again.
At 5-7 and 165 pounds, the experienced forward’s best tools remain his quickness, soft hands and offensive versatility. He also tries to finish every check and make sound decisions in his own end. Milan even picked
ROCK STEADY Garrett Milan signed with the Athens Rock Lobsters of the Federal Prospects Hockey League in 2024-25.
up an assistant coach role after a certain hiring failed to materialize.
“There have been a couple guys on the team helping out in somewhat of a coach role, and I think it’s been good for me to do some drills in practice, look at some videos and see what the team needs,” remarked Milan. “It’s a breath of fresh air when your coach likes to communicate and see everyone’s different views. Steve was a great hockey player himself, he played [49 NHL games as a winger] so he sees it from a different perspective than most coaches would.”
Milan definitely hopes to win an FPHL title, but beyond that he’ll listen to his body when contemplating retirement. In any case he wants to spend another summer giving back to Whistler’s hockey community: running his own youth programs and/or helping Mike Borelli operate local academy Shift Hockey. Milan credits Borelli for helping to amp up the game’s growth in the Sea to Sky.
“Whistler is tremendous for athletes, whether it’s skiing, biking or snowboarding,” Milan said. “Hockey when I was growing up wasn’t the biggest sport in Whistler, but it’s obviously transitioning to being a lot better now. Guys like myself, Nolan Welsh and Tyler Welsh have done a good job showing [kids] that … if you are really passionate about this sport and you want to make somewhat of a living at it, you don’t have to move to Vancouver or different high markets to get into that kind of hockey.”
Check out rocklobstershockey.com/home to follow Milan and the Rock Lobsters on their playoff stretch run. n
‘Food helps us to connect with each other like family and friends’
BRIDGING CULTURES OVER VAGHARELO BHAAT AT WHISTLER’S MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY KITCHEN
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
ON A RECENT overcast Thursday evening, Whistler’s Multicultural Community Kitchen (MCK) met to catch up over a home cooked meal. I was the first guest to arrive, meeting organizers from the Whistler Multicultural Society, a volunteer, and the couple sharing a meal with attendees that evening.
The meal at hand was vagharelo bhaat, or Indian-style fried rice.
It’s a quick meal—combining rice, a base spice or sauce, and fast-cooking veggies.
I started cutting some green beans. Volunteers filed in, and set about slicing onions, cutting up peppers, and dicing carrots (a task my uncoordinated paws were uniquely ill-suited to). Guests from all over—Australia, France, Italy—mingled and chatted. Some were old friends. Others, like me, were brand new to the kitchen, but were welcomed nonetheless.
Nisha Kalsi, one of the two cooks leading the evening, noted aged basmati rice is best to use; it’s a white, long-grained rice that grows in the foothills of the Himalayas in India and Pakistan.
The rice was cooked in salted water and then drained, reducing starch and giving it
a fluffy appearance. Kalsi gave a breakdown of the significance of the dish as she and her husband, Happy, served it to the assemblage.
“It reminds us of home, like we have those family kitchens, so many people coming in,” she said. “That’s like the same feeling to us. So very happy to be here with all of you today.”
MCK dinners are part tutorial, part social event. Volunteer immigrant cooks
single item which is present here,” Kalsi said. She also emphasized the importance of spice in Indian cuisine; not just for the taste, but for the ancillary benefits, too. The day’s meal uses soy sauce as a base, because the salt acts as a natural preservative. Meanwhile, cumin and coriander—”best friends of the liver,” said Kalsi—help make digestion easier, slowing down the process and allowing you to
“[W]e offer food to our company, irrespective of their past, ethnicity, financial background... nothing else matters.”
- NISHA KALSI
prepare and share stories over meals to bring cultures together.
The vegetarian nature of the dish is a further reminder of home; Roughly 38 per cent of India identifies as vegetarian, making it the country with the highest percentage of vegetarians in the world.
“The region [this dish] comes from… It’s not close to the sea or anywhere like where you need to hunt, or you will find fish, but we had so many ancient rivers [that] the land is so fertile and it gives you the opportunity to grow every
fully digest your meal.
The significance of the meal mirrors the WMK’s wider mission.
“It represents how we can integrate the food with the culture, such a combination of Indian and Chinese culture,” Kalsi told the assembled diners.
It’s a deeply personal task for Kalsi. She pointed to her own marriage as example of reaching across cultures; she’s Hindu, Happy’s Sikh.
“His religion and my religion, we offer
food to our company, irrespective of their past, ethnicity, financial background... nothing else matters,” she said.
“Food helps us to connect with each other like family and friends. That’s what we do. Like, even If you come to my house at like, say, 7 p.m. you’re not going without food.”
An attendee quickly, only half-jokingly, asked for the address.
With plenty of basmati rice on the boil and more than 10 mouths to feed, three different types of the fried rice were made: the pure vagharelo bhaat pictured above, one infused with coriander and one with two different types of chili.
The coriander version is my standout favourite. The herb introduces a sweet, citrus-y flavour to the meal that complements the soy sauce base used for the rice.
The spicier version of the fried rice is a close second; pepper, paired with two types of chili, gives the vagharelo bhaat some zip, but not enough to overpower it or render it not do-able for a spice-averse diner like yours truly.
Towards the end of the evening, Kalsi notes it’s best to eat the vagharelo bhaat fresh, instead of letting it sit in the fridge for a while, to avoid upsetting your stomach. It’s a good excuse to dig in and eat ‘til we’re stuffed.
Looking to share a traditional meal? Get in touch with the MCK at info@wmsociety.ca. A list of past recipes tackled by the kitchen can be found on their website at food.wmsociety.ca. n
COMMUNITY COMFORT Vagharelo bhaat is Indian-style fried rice.
PHOTO BY LUKE FAULKS
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
CLASS SCHEDULE
World Ski and Snowboard Festival looks to reach new heights in 2025
FESTIVAL DIRECTOR BRITTIA
THOMPSON
SAYS THE GOAL IS TO KEEP BUILDING A ‘GLOBAL SIGNATURE EVENT’
Stage for Ruby Waters.
BY DAVID SONG
EXCITING NEW ITEMS and a plethora of well-known favourites are on deck from April 7 to 13 at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF).
Multimedia events will shift to the Whistler Conference Centre (WCC), which offers roughly three times as much capacity as previous venues at the Westin Resort and Spa. Organizers are partnering with Red Bull to set up daily video gaming tournaments featuring Riders Republic and Street Fighter 6, while local artists and pro athletes contribute to an art exhibit made up of old skis and snowboards. Expect performance brands DUER and Ruroc Helmets to spearhead an array of pop-up stores.
Free local speaker series Coffee + Creatives will be part of the lineup, giving action photographer Blake Jorgenson, Magnafire Media founder Darren Rayner and Pro Photographer Showdown entrants a chance to share their experiences with guests of all ages and backgrounds.
Also new for 2025 is the Battle of the Bands. Sea to Sky punk rock outfit Last Reminisced Heroes (LRH), who released their debut album in July 2023, overcame Rivers in Violet in the final and earned their chance to open an April 10 concert on the Skullcandy
“There’s so many talented local musicians in the Sea to Sky … and we did want to provide a platform for certain bands,” says festival director Brittia Thompson. “When we launched this contest, we weren’t expecting to see all the newer bands and the names come through, but we’re more than thrilled because this could be one of the biggest performances
the first time will split its prize purse evenly amongst all contestants. The overall winner is getting some extra boons nonetheless: a featured spread in the September 2025 issue of Forecast Ski Magazine, Arc’teryx gear and a trophy carved by Redmond Q ’ áwam ’ Andrews of the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC).
“This year, there was such a demand to bring back the Pro Photo [Showdown],” explains
“There’s so many talented local musicians in the Sea to Sky ... and we did want to provide a platform for certain bands.”
- BRITTIA THOMPSON
for some of them and they’re really just making their way onto the scene.”
Sports fans reading this won’t want to miss out on The Grind: a new street-style snowboard and ski competition between April 10 and 12 that promises to deliver elite athletic talent.
SIGNATURE EVENTS
Novelty is great, but time-honoured classics shall continue to form the core of WSSF programming.
Aaron Schwartz, Paris Gore, Zoya Lynch, Morgan Maassen and JB Liautard are featured in the Pro Photographer Showdown, which for
Thompson. “It’s really established itself as a platform for mountain culture photographers specifically to come and show their work. Historically, a lot of photographers have [slingshotted their careers] after winning this.”
If motion pictures are what’s up your alley, check out the 72-Hour Filmmaker Showdown and Intersection. The former asks participants to craft a three- to five-minute movie within three days and 100 kilometres of Whistler, and it currently remains to be seen if Two Dontas, One Proctor will attempt a third straight victory.
Intersection, meanwhile, is an electrifying highlight reel of action short films. The
Reserves, led by Joey Kraft, are back to defend their overall and People’s Choice titles from incumbent runner-up crew Shmobb and other worthy challengers like Airtime, Friendly Fire, Baked Goods and the Buck Hunters.
“With 72-Hour, you get all levels of people competing. You get people who just want to try and make a film with their friends, and you also have people who’ve graduated from internationally-known film schools. We never know what we’re going to get—the ideas that emerge are just all over,” Thompson remarks. “Intersection is just wild. You have some of the most talented athletes, filmers … and there are quite a few new up-and-coming crews in this one. Some of these crews have athletes that just threw down in Natural Selection.”
Providing the soundtrack to all of the aforementioned fun and more is a star-studded Live Outdoor Music Series featuring local legends (A Whole Lotta Led), Canadian content (Shred Kelly, Waters) and international musicians (Fort Knox Five Live).
Thompson elaborates: “Kristen Robinson, who also produces the [Resort Municipality of Whistler] concert series, was crucial in creating the lineup. I think this lineup is a really good mix of tying in mountain culture with global names.
“I always like to say we’re putting the ‘world’ back into the ‘World Ski and Snowboard Festival’ and making it a signature event not only for Whistler, but for all mountain culture enthusiasts, athletes and artists. Our goal is to have it become a global signature event one day.”
For more details, visit wssf.com. n
WELCOME THE WORLD Intersection is one of the staples of each year’s World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler.
PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH
‘Spaced
Out’ touches down in Whistler April 11
THE DAVID C. JONES IMPROV SHOW COMBINES HILARIOUS COSMIC HIJINKS WITH HEARTFELT THEMES ABOUT PROCESSING
ONE’S OWN EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE
BY DAVID SONG
ON APRIL 11, decorated comedian, actor, filmmaker and writer David C. Jones is bringing an eclectic new show to Whistler.
Spaced Out is being billed as an improv comedy adventure that casts viewers as a group of interstellar passengers and Jones as their vibrant captain. Together they’ll embark on an unscripted narrative journey that features humour, off-the-cuff acting and audience participation.
Engagement is, of course, optional.
“Nobody is required to participate in the show,” Jones explains. “You only play with people who want to play, and at the very end, we do a whole group audience thing … but if you’re not doing it, I can’t tell. The audience will always side with [one of their own], so if I make an audience member feel bad, the audience hates me. I have enough trauma in my life without having an audience turn on me.
“But what I’ve found is, with my performance energy, I get people so giddy and so playful that they all participate. You see that I’m not very scary, and even when I’m intense and going like, ‘oh my God, we’re all gonna die,’ it’s more humorous, rather than threatening.”
Jones did not expect Spaced Out to take off the way it did (no pun intended). Its content falls directly into his wheelhouse as an experienced improviser who has travelled around the globe, but he was still pleasantly surprised when Arts Whistler executive director Maureen Douglas—an old friend— asked him to put the show on in Whistler.
Another individual named Kevin Bruce requested that Jones adapt Spaced Out into a kids’ program, which Jones was happy to do.
“I’m quite excited that my love of making people laugh and having fun, but also being truthful about my own issues, have come together in this very imaginative, really coollooking steampunk space adventure that people find hilarious and playful,” he says.
‘IN THE PERSONAL IS THE UNIVERSAL’
Despite his whimsical personality, Jones’ life has not been all sunshine and rainbows. He was once bullied and abused as a young man, but eventually became a caregiver and performer who tries to lighten up the world around him.
Jones once poured “so much blood, sweat and tears” into a TV show called Eviction Conniption: a decade-old, sixepisode program that simply did not catch on the way he wanted. He’s thrilled with the reception of Spaced Out today, but was initially hesitant to create anything about his own mental-health tribulations.
T.J. Dawe, a former improv classmate and student of Jones, offered a different perspective.
“In the personal is the universal,” Jones remembers Dawe saying. “When you reveal your struggle—as long as it’s not an indulgent, ‘poor me, poor me’ kind of way—people will be able to see themselves in it. Who’s going through a lot right now? Everyone.”
You’ll find lots of wild twists in Spaced Out: an alien monster, an android programmed for sarcasm, plus a fever-dream alternate universe where Earth has been plunged into chaos by an A.I. revolution and a war for Greenland. However, the narrative also includes thoughtful elements about processing one’s own emotional baggage (or “heavy feelings” in the case of the youth version).
Jones has MCd and toured with a William Shakespeare show in Whistler before. He looks forward to his imminent return.
“I’m super excited to be back and see how much Whistler has grown and changed, and I want to share this fantastically fun show with them,” says Jones. “I know Whistler people—maybe because you’ve got so many Australians mixed in with your population— are like a fun, wild party group.”
Spaced Out runs on April 11 at 8 p.m. in the Maury Young Arts Centre. For tickets and more details, visit artswhistler.com/ calendar-upcoming/spaced-out-an-improvcomedy-adventure. n
*Applicable taxesand service charge extra Savorastress-freeholiday withour expertly prepared feast, featuring your choiceofa delectablemain cour se,amedley ofseasonalsides, andatruly irresistible dessert.
SPACE CASE Spaced Out is a space-themed improv show created by David C. Jones. PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKY SMYKALA / ARTS WHISTLER
PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE
Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events
The SelectStanding Committeeon Financeand Government Serviceswillbevisitingthe following communitiesin June2025:
As the sun casts its final golden hues across Whistler’s peaks, the Mallard Lounge Patio transforms into the heart of Alpenglow Après. This limited-time event invites you to revel in an elevated après-ski experience. Live DJ tunes fill the sun-soaked patio, while fireside warmth and shareable culinary delights create a vibrant atmosphere in the Upper Village. Sip Kettle One cocktails, including signature tap espresso martini, and let the magic of Alpenglow illuminate your evening.
> April 4-5, 3 to 6 p.m.
> Mallard Lounge
> Prices vary
ALTA LAKE BIRD WALK
Join the Whistler Naturalists on the first Saturday of the month for a walk to Rainbow Park. Open to anyone interested in learning about birds and contributing as a citizen scientist. Connect with experienced birders who are happy to share their knowledge.
> April 5, 8 a.m.
> Bottom of Lorimer Road
BY ROBERT DIVITO
performed for sold-out performances around the world.
> April 6, 5 p.m.
> Maury Young Arts Centre
> Tickets start at $22
WSSF PRESENTS COFFEE + CREATIVES
A World Ski & Snowboard event, this live speaker series aims to bring together the creative community to learn, be inspired and make new connections. Different topics are presented at each event and feature Blake Jorgenson on the Psychology of Success, Darren Rayner with Storytelling in Motion and a Behind the Lens Panel Discussion with the Pro Photographer Showdown contestants. Free to attend and everyone is welcome.
> April 7-9, 9 a.m. to noon
> Whistler Conference Centre
72-HOUR FILMMAKER SHOWDOWN
Part of the World Ski & Snowboard Festival, this captivating competition challenges teams to shoot,
share their favourite images that capture the essence
Purpose: Thepurpose oftheproposedbylaw is to amendtheResidentialMultiple–Comprehensive DevelopmentTwo (RM-CD2) zone to add‘ApartmentforEmployeeHousing’asan allowableland use, to increase themaximumGross FloorArea(GFA),FloorSpaceRatio(FSR),buildingheightand site coverage,toreducetheminimumbuildingseparation,andtorequire aminimumofoneparking stallperapartmentuniton1600Mount FeeRoad(Lot3).Theproposedbylaw also updatesthe zoningonLot4 (RiverRun) to account foraccessory residentialdwellingunits(ARDUs).
SubjectLand: Thelandsthat arethesubjectoftheproposed bylaware shownonthemapattached to thisnotice,andarelegally describedasSTRATA LOT1 TO 23DISTRICT LOT8073
GROUP1 NEWWESTMINSTERDISTRICT STRATA PLANEPS7860, LOT3 DISTRICT LOT8073
SCANTHEQR CODE FORACOPYOFTHE PROPOSED BYLAW AND BACKGROUND DOCUMENTATION
Retrospective and a new perspective
BY INDIGO DIPPLE
IN THE FALL of 2011, Greg Eymundson was kind enough to donate the prolific archive of Whistler-related photography from his company, Insight Visual Solutions, to the Whistler Museum and Archives Society (WMAS). Through the Young Canada Works program, I was recently given the opportunity to arrange and describe the materials in greater depth as part of a five-month internship.
I had recently returned to Whistler after graduating with my bachelor of fine arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, but found myself adrift and directionless after moving home. I was in desperate need of community and a sense of purpose. I found this and more during my time working at WMAS.
The material donated by Insight Visual Solutions primarily consists of more than 25,000 35mm photo slides created from 1996
childhood in the mountains. As someone born and raised in Whistler, I’m embarrassed to admit how easy it was for me to take the life I’ve had to this point for granted.
When this lifestyle is all you’ve ever known, you don’t understand how exceptional it truly is. For example: “What do you mean other kids don’t go to ski school on Mondays?” It was only upon leaving the bubble that I could truly appreciate the gift I had been given by my parents, and by notable Whistler citizens Jane and Paul Burrows.
When the Burrows listed their classic A-frame in Alpine Meadows for sale more than 20 years ago, they met a young couple expecting their first child. The Burrows told my family they wanted this baby to be brought up in their home and, rather than accepting a higher offer upfront, Jane and Paul waited for my parents to scrape together a down payment. If it weren’t for their selflessness, my family would likely have had no choice but to move elsewhere to raise me. It seems only fitting I now find myself devoted to
through 2006. Content of the photo slides ranges from thrilling sports photography and documentation of nostalgic events and locations, to stunning aerial and landscape shots capturing the natural beauty of the valley. As the assistant archivist, I was tasked with preserving the original order imposed by Eymundson, while also making the collection intuitive for future researchers to navigate. This involved an extensive process of assigning codes, physically labelling materials, and recording transcriptions and descriptions in a digital database.
The Insight collection has now been comprehensively arranged and described, preserving the record of a time in Whistler history that was previously under-represented in our archive, and one that shall remain forever golden in my memories of an idyllic
the preservation of local history that Jane and Paul Burrows influenced so heavily, considering I would not be here without them.
Since completing the Insight Fonds, I have been cataloguing recent accruals from the estate of Jane and Paul Burrows. These include family scrapbooks, Myrtle Philip School photographs from Jane’s time as a teacher, and promotional posters from Paul’s election campaign.
My time at the Whistler Museum has given me a previously unprecedented level of gratitude for my home, my family, and those who have come before me.
Indigo Dipple was this winter’s Assistant Archivist at the Whistler Museum through the Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations (YCWHO) program. n
INSIGHTS FROM THE PAST Families at the Meadow Park splash pad, sometime around 2004.
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
WEEK OF APRIL 4 BY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Have you ever been part of an innovation team? Its goal is not simply to develop as many new ideas and approaches as possible, but rather to generate good, truly useful new ideas and approaches. The most effective teams don’t necessarily move with frantic speed. In fact, there’s value in “productive pausing”—strategic interludes of reflection that allow deeper revelations to arise. It’s crucial to know when to slow down and let hunches and insights ripen. This is excellent advice for you. You’re in a phase when innovation is needed and likely. For best results, infuse your productivity with periodic stillness.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Barnacles are crustaceans that form vast colonies on rocks, pilings, whales, and boats. They may grow so heavy on a ship that they increase its heft and require as much as a 40-per-cent increase in fuel consumption. Some sailors refer to them as “crusty foulers.” All of us have our own metaphorical equivalent of crusty foulers: encumbrances and deadweights that drag us down and inhibit our rate of progress. In my astrological opinion, the coming weeks will be a favourable time for you to shed as much of yours as possible. (I’ll be shedding mine in June.)
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1088, the Chinese polymath and statesman Shen Kuo published his book Dream Torrent Essays, also translated as Dream Pool Essays. In this masterwork, he wrote about everything that intrigued and fascinated him, including the effects of lightning strikes, the nature of eclipses, how to make swords, building tall pagodas resistant to wind damage, and a pearl-like UFO he saw regularly. I think the coming weeks would be an excellent time for you to begin your own version of Dream Torrent Essays, Gemini. You could generate maximum fun and self-knowledge by compiling all the reasons you love being alive on this mysterious planet.
ROB BREZSNY
in part because he didn’t conform to conventions. According to music writer Tarik Moody, Monk’s music features “dissonances and angular melodic twists, and are consistent with his unorthodox approach to the piano, which combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of switched key releases, silences, and hesitations.” Many of Monk’s most innovative improvisations grew out of apparent mistakes. He explored and developed wrong notes to make them into intentional aspects of his compositions. “His genius,” said another critic, “lay in his ability to transform accidents into opportunities.” I’d love to see you capitalize on that approach, Libra. You now have the power to ensure that seeming gaffes and glitches will yield positive and useful results.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author Richard Wright said people “can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.” That’s rarely a problem for Scorpios, since you are among the zodiac’s best sleuths when exploring your inner depths. Does any other sign naturally gather more self-realization than you? No! But having said that, I want to alert you to the fact that you are entering a phase when you will benefit from even deeper dives into your mysterious depths. It’s an excellent time to wander into the frontiers of your self-knowledge.
Resort Municipalit y of Whistler
April 1–22 , 2025
BC Transitand the Resort Municipality of Whistler areconsidering changes to the fare structure in your local transit system.
We’d like to hear from you.
Member s of the public are invited to take a 5-minute survey at: engage.bctransit .com/ whistler-fare or scan the QR code.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The mimosa is known as the “sensitive plant.” The moment its leaves are touched, they fold inwards, exposing the sharp spines of its stems. Why do they do that? Botanists say it’s meant to deter herbivore predators from nibbling it. Although you Cancerians sometimes display equally extreme hair-trigger defense mechanisms, I’m happy to say you will be unlikely to do so in the coming weeks. You are primed to be extra bold and super-responsive. Here’s one reason why: You are finely tuning your protective instincts so they work with effective grace—neither too strong nor too weak. That’s an excellent formula to make fun new connections and avoid mediocre new connections.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): While sleeping on a recent night, I dreamed of an old friend I had lost touch with for 20 years. It was wonderful. We were remembering mystic breakthroughs we had while younger. When I awoke the next day, I was delighted to find an email from this friend, hoping for us to be back in touch. Hyper-rationalists might call this coincidence, but I know it was magical synchronicity— evidence that we humans are connected via the psychic airways. I’m predicting at least three such events for you in the coming weeks, Leo. Treat them with the reverence they deserve. Take them seriously as signs of things you should pay closer attention to.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A star astronomers call EBLM J0555-57Ab is 670 light years away. Its diameter is the smallest of any known star, just a bit larger than Saturn in our solar system. But its mass is 250 times greater than Saturn’s. It’s concentrated and potent. I’ll be inclined to compare you to EBLM J0555-57Ab in the coming weeks, Virgo. Like this modest-sized powerhouse, you will be stronger and more impactful than you may appear. The quality you offer will be more effective than others’ quantity. Your focused, dynamic efficiency could make you extra influential.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk was an influential musician
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Andean condors hunt for prey while flying through the sky with their 10-foot wingspan. They’ve got a good strategy for conserving their energy: riding on thermal currents with little effort, often soaring for vast distances. I recommend that you channel the Andean condor in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. Always be angling to work smarter rather than harder. Look for tricks and workarounds that will enable you to be as efficient and stress-free as possible. Trust that as you align yourself with natural flows, you will cover a lot of ground with minimal strain. Celebrate the freedom that comes from embracing ease.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): While hiking in nature, people often rely on their phones to navigate. And what if their battery dies or there’s poor cell service out in the middle of nowhere? They might use an old-fashioned compass. It won’t reveal which direction to go, but will keep the hiker apprised of where true north lies. In that spirit, Capricorn, I invite you to make April the month you get in closer communication with your own inner compass. It’s a favourable and necessary time to become even more highly attuned to your ultimate guide and champion: the voice of the teacher within you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “It is advisable to look from the tide pool to the stars and then back to the tide pool.” Aquarian author John Steinbeck wrote that. I think it’s useful counsel for you in the coming weeks. What does it imply? Here are a few meditations. 1. Be tuned in to both the small personal world right in front of you and the big picture of the wider world. Balance and coordinate your understandings of them. 2. If you shift your perspective back and forth between the macrocosmic and microcosmic perspectives, you’re far more likely to understand how life really works. 3. You may flourish best by blending the evaluative powers of your objective, rational analysis and your intuitive, nonrational feelings.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The earliest humans used bones and pebbles to assist in arithmetic calculations. Later, they got help from abacuses and crude mechanical devices. Electronic calculators didn’t arrive until the 1960s. All were efforts to bypass tedious reckonings. All were ingenious attempts to manage necessary details that weren’t much fun. In that spirit, I encourage you to seek time-saving, boredom-preventing innovations in the coming weeks. Now is an excellent time to maximize your spacious ability to do things you love to do.
Homework: Did you know I write books? Here are some: tinyurl.com/3BrezsnyBooks.
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates
In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com
Where locals look
CALL OR PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED WITH OUR ONLINE SERVICE FOR EITHER PRINT OR ONLINE...OR BOTH! Get the
DEADLINE FOR PRINT ADS Tuesday 12pm
Î Secure & scamless
Î Fully searchable
Î Targeted online community
Î Categorised listings
Î No reposting
Î Trusted by locals
Î Make your listing stand out with featured locations
SeniorPolicyAnalyst
(Regular,Full-time)
Looking tocontribute toyourlocalcommunity? Consider a careerinlocal government.Jointhe SLRD’s team ofdedicatedstaffwhoworktogethertomakeadifferenceintheregion.
We sincerelythankallapplicantsfortheirinterest,however, onlythoseshortlistedwillbecontacted.
CardinalConcrete,A DivisionofLafarge CanadaInc isthe leadingsupplierof ready-mixconcreteinthe Sea to Sky Corridor. We are currentlyseekinga careerorientedindividualtofill the roleofCommercial Transport/Heavy DutyMechanicatour HeadOffice LocationinSquamish, BC
Î Packages start with 4 lines of text. Additional text ...................................$1/line
Î Add one image in print and up to three online as per package level.
Î Bolding ...........................................50¢/word
Î Border ..........................................................$2
* Rates are based on using Pique’s selfserve online application at classifieds. piquenewsmagazine.com
Free ad design, colour options, incentives for ad frequency. Contact a sales rep today. Advertising Options
Thisis a skilledpositionwhich primarily involve s preventative maintena nceandrepairof a largefleet of commercia l transpor t vehiclesincludingconcrete mixe r trucks,dum p trucks,trailers,forkliftsan d light-dutytrucks.
Minimum Qualifications:
• B.C.CertificateofQualification,and/or Interprovincial Ticketas a Commercial Transpor t Mechanic, and/orHeavyDutyMechanic Ticket
We promotefromwithinandarelookingtostrengthenouramazingteam.Opportunities for advancement intomanagementpositionsalways exist for the right candidates.Don’t missout onbeingabletobuildwiththeteamthatbuildsthemostsignificantprojectsinWhistler
Send your resumetoinfo@evrfinehomes.com We lookforwardtohearingfrom you!
ThePemberton TransferStationManagerworks closelywiththeGM/MinesManager, managing the delivery of a broad rangeofservicesfrom transferstationoperations,tosubcontractors,and maintainingacleanyard.
Experience:
• Minimum of 2 Years ofmanagement/supervisory experiencean d preferencefo r management experienceinaconstructionenvironment.
AS SOMEONE who worked as a journalist for 15 years and remains journalism “adjacent” vis-à-vis this column, I have always tried to be objective during elections. I always remind everyone to read all the platforms, attend the debates, ignore the negative ads, check in with their own core values, ask honest questions, and make educated decisions who to vote for.
For myself, the actual vote is always less
BY ANDREW MITCHELL
important than being fully informed before making your choice. You should always be able to justify it with serious, well-thoughtout reasons. Nothing is worse for democracy than people casting ballots based on biased information, misinformation, or a narrowminded focus on a single issue.
This election, however, may be the exception.
Our country’s economy and sovereignty is actively under attack by the United States of America, by the same Americans who have vocally backed the Conservative Party of Canada in the past. The leader for that party has also used the same culture war playbook as the Republicans—i.e., “radical woke ideology, fake news, the country is broken, our cities are infested with crime”—right up until the point Canadians rediscovered their patriotism and that American support became toxic.
And yes, I know Trump said he would rather work with Liberals, but it was pretty obvious to me that he was trying out a little reverse psychology to help the Conservatives,
who have shed a 24-point lead in the polls because of the underlying ConservativeRepublican association. Forgive me for not taking a man who infamously told more than 20,000 documented lies in his first four years in office at his word on this.
If I’m being honest, I have to say I made up my mind a long time ago about this election, long before Justin Trudeau stepped down and Jagmeet Singh knuckled—pretty much since the Conservatives made Pierre Poilievre the party leader. He is all the reason I need to park my vote elsewhere.
Before you dismiss me as a radical Marxist loony leftist woke cuck, this is 100-per-cent a Poilievre thing for me. It’s not the party, it’s the man. If it were anyone else in his position, I’d be listening.
I’ve always been a proponent of proportional representation in Canada and I’m still angry Trudeau broke that promise back in 2015.
If he kept that promise then it’s likely the previous Conservative leader Erin O’Toole would be our prime minister at this moment. And I would be fine with that. I wouldn’t have agreed with all of his politics and policies, but he wasn’t out to defund and destroy the CBC and he didn’t sneer at journalists and call media fake news. He would have let reporters onto his campaign bus.
I could dedicate pages to Poilievre’s few policies, his voting history and legislative record, his lack of a security clearance or a believable reason not to get it, his career of negativity and bullying, and the fact that he’ll gladly accept the support of anyone—antivaxxers, anti-abortionists, religious extremists, climatechange denialists, misogynists, racists, fascists, and even pro-American Canadians—for a chance to get elected. Poilievre is also the most relentlessly bitter, angry and negative politician I’ve experienced in my lifetime.
But for me the biggest red flag has always been his naked contempt for media. On that topic it seems I can be a single-issue voter after all.
Whatever you might think of the media yourself, a free press is essential for democracy. The chief role of reporters and journalists is to champion the public interest by A) paying attention and B) asking tough questions of governments, corporations and others who have power over us—but only by our consent. It’s about speaking truth to power, afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted. Sometimes there’s a Sudoku.
That important democratic role is precisely why journalism is under attack around the world and in Canada.
Outside of the Canadian bubble, there’s a global far-right movement that seems to be following the same anti-democratic playbook. One of the key plays in that book is to sideline the media—buy it, defund it, discredit it, staff it with feckless partisans, and/or intimidate anyone who won’t play along. As awesome as they believe their ideas are, they also don’t want people to question anything they’re doing or saying.
It’s not safe out there for the truth. There were 124 journalists killed on the job last year, the most in three decades.
In Argentina, the Javier Milei government shut down the country’s biggest news agency. In Hungary, private media monopolies are backing Viktor Orban. In the U.S., Trump’s administration is attacking media, threatening reporters with prison, and defunding both public broadcasting and National Public Radio—at the same time billionaires are buying up media and social media channels.
In Canada, we have a dire situation where about 90 per cent of our daily newspapers are owned by Postmedia, which in turn is owned by a Trump-supporting hedge fund. At the same time, the leader of the Conservative Party is calling for defunding our national broadcaster.
That should set off alarm bells for everyone, regardless of your political views. First of all, newspapers are not a profitable industry so the only reason why an American
fund would buy so many of them is to control the narrative. They can make more money controlling the narrative than they lose by owning our newspapers.
Secondly, whatever you may feel about the CBC, it is an important cultural institution in this country. It gets criticized for being left-leaning, which has some merit in certain contexts, but most of the time it’s pretty balanced outside of panel shows and opinion pieces.
Most of the criticisms of CBC have to do with perceived bias rather than actual bias. Sometimes the facts do lean left or right.
Take an issue like climate change. Overwhelming scientific evidence shows it is happening and that human activities are accelerating the problem. This has become an established fact rather than an opinion that needs to be balanced against other opinions so everybody feels represented in every climate change story. People who still don’t believe in climate change, or are inconvenienced by it—many of whom tend to be on the political right—will look at that story as left-wing biased.
It also works the other way. For example, the recent well-meaning experiment to decriminalize and destigmatize hard drugs and provide a safe supply has objectively failed—people are still dying in insane numbers, and addiction-related crime and homelessness are happening. People who live in cities don’t feel safe. But some on the left feel it’s a right-wing take to say the experiment has failed and it’s time to try something else rather than a reasonable conclusion based on the facts.
There are a lot of other issues at stake in this election, aside from freedom and independence of the press. All parties make some good points. But only one party leader is taking a page from the authoritarian playbook and treating the free press as the enemy of the people.
We’ve seen where that road leads. I hope we don’t take it. n
ENGEL & VÖLKERSWHISTLER
Followyourdream,home.
1545 TynebridgeCourt, Whistler
4Bed |4.5Bath |3,511sq.ft.
NEWTOMARKET
$4,950,000 604-910-1103
ConnieSpear connie.spear@evrealestate.com
NEWTOMARKET
3366LakesideRoad, Whistler
3Bed |3 Bath |2,412sq.ft.
$3,888,000 604-938-3815
RonMitchellPREC* ron@resortwhistler.com R&RGroup
91GaribaldiDrive,Whistler
3Bed |2 Bath |1,350sq.ft.
$1,649,000 604-902-3309
PeterLalor peter.lalor@evrealestate.com
1360CollinsRoad, Pemberton
3.5Bed |3.5Bath |4,404 sq.ft.
$3,320,000 604-719-7646
CarmynMarcanocarmyn.marcano@evrealestate.com
11-4661BlackcombWay,Treeline$2,399,000
Beautifullyrenovatedmountainescapethatisbeingsoldturn keyandisreadyfor you tomoveinandstar tenjoying. Whistlerisopentotheworld -foreignBuyers welcome.
