MARCH 26, 2020 ISSUE 27.13
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The power of
PERSEVERANCE
W E ’ R E AT T H E F O R E F R O N T O F B R I N G I N G D I V E R S I T Y T O W I N T E R S P O R T S . F I N A L LY.
16
COVID-19
Whistler’s community steps
up to look after those in need
20
BUSINESS HELP
Chamber offering to
lend a hand to businesses
42
SWAN SONG
Animal Nation’s Garnet
Clare shares the stories of his new album
THANK YOU To all paramedics, hospital staff, grocery store employees and all essential business services that are out there doing all they can to protect and serve our community during this time, thank you for your hard work. It is times like these that our compassionate, dedicated, Whistler-spirit shines through – do your part and check on your neighbours, friends and family and please follow the recommended guidelines as outlined by the Government of Canada. We will get through this together!
whistlerrealestate.ca
*Personal Real Estate Corporation
NESTERS IS OPEN TO OUR ELDERLY AND PEOPLE OF HIGH RISK
Daily 8am -9am Please give them the space and time to shop Where possible please have one person per household shopping. Practice social distancing. Please bring a list and shop quickly … get in get out. To help with social distancing, we are limiting how many people are in the store at any given time.
“SHOP & DROP” NESTERS WHISTLER // WE WANT TO HELP! If you are elderly or your loved ones are in self isolation, quarantine, high risk, or are concerned about being in public, The team at NESTERS MARKET can help.
// HOW IT WORKS Orders groceries at www.nestersmarket.com/whistler. Click on the “SHOP ON LINE” icon. Follow the instructions on the next page. Please be patient, we will get orders out to you as quick as we can. Our team is working hard to help you. We will contact you by phone and e-mail to confirm payment and a deliver or pick up day. We can deliver or you can pick it up outside Nesters Market. We will bring to your car. We have parking spots closed off specifically for order pick ups.
// WHO IT’S FOR This service for elderly people and for people who are quarantined or self-quarantined and unable to leave their homes at this time.There will be no guaranteed delivery times and we ask that you give us 24 hours’ notice. Orders will done on a first come first serve basis
// FOR EVERYONE ELSE Those able to move about freely, the regular shop and deliver rate of $20 plus GST will apply.
AVAILABLE 7 DAYS A WEEK
2019
We will do our best with all requests, but can never guarantee that an item will be in stock on your day of delivery. We will send the closest substitute if not available. ALL items sent are non-returnable and non-refundable unless defective.
604.932.3545 Pharmacy 604.905.0429
7019 Nesters Road
nestersmarket.com
(Just 1 km north of Whistler Village)
Nesters Market
MyNR account numbers will NOT apply to these orders. THIS WILL BE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Sale limited to stock on hand. Some items subject to Tax, plus deposit, recycling fee where applicable.
THIS WEEK IN PIQUE
36
42
28 The power of perseverance We’re at the forefront of bringing diversity to winter sports. Finally. - By Magdalena Bokowa
16
SINGING FOR SUPPERS
The
36
ALL-WORLD
Whistler cross-country skiers Benita
Hairfarmers hold a garage concert to raise funds for the Whistler Food
Peiffer and Michael Murdoch look back at the FIS Junior World Ski
Bank, as well as spirits in our community.
Championships, where Peiffer had earned her first World Cup start.
23
FARMING IMPACTS
Travel bans and isolation
37
HALF OFF
The Whistler Half Marathon won’t run this
requirements are set to take their toll for temporary foreign workers on
year, but organizers are still looking to find ways to ensure that it can still
farms.
do some good in the community.
24
BACKCOUNTRY BAN?
Search and Rescue
42
SWAN SONG
Animal Nation’s “Tall Man” Garnet
groups are gravely concerned about responding to calls for help as
Clare shares the stories behind his forthcoming—and possibly final—
COVID-19 virus spreads into population.
album.
COVER We may not be skiing right now, but the issues facing the industry haven’t disappeared. How do we ensure diversity in winter sports, proving once and for all that there is room for everyone in the outdoors—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or body type?- By James Edward Mills 4 MARCH 26, 2020
SENIORS’
ShOPPInG hOuR EVERY WED & FRI 7 AM – 8 AM
H O T P R IC E !
$4.99
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Every Wednesday and Friday morning, we will be holding an early morning shopping hour for SENIORS AND HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS that are most vulnerable in our community. We will provide a clean and low stress environment to ensure we take care of our community in the best way possible.
Breyers
CREAMERY STYLE ICE CREAM
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1.66 L
Locally Raised lb
BC FRESH CHICKEN BREAST TENDERS family pack 12.10/kg
$4.99
Snowcrest ea
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500g –600g
California lb
2 $5
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Ocean Wise
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/100g
ea
2 $7
for
99¢
156 mL
540 g – 620 g
$3.99
100% SPROUTED POWER BREAD 430 g – 613 g
ORGANIC BEAN PASTA ea
Efferve
200g – 227g
$4.49
ea
$4.99
750 mL plus deposit & recycle fee
Made Good
ORGANIC GRANOLA MINIS 100 g
ORGANIC SOUP ea
2$5
for
1L
113g
Sol Cuisine
Uncle Dougie's
VEGAN BURGERS
BARBECUE SAUCE
$ 4.99
meatballs, tenders or falafel 300g
ea
$4.99
ea
The GFB
GLUTEN FREE BITES
& marinade 474 mL
Summer Fresh ea
$ 2.49 4PK
GOURMET DIPS selected 227g
Baked Fresh In-Store
MINI STRUDELS
SEE IN-STORE FOR HUNDREDS OF MORE SPECIALS
FRESHSTMARKET.COM • 8 AM – 8 PM DAILY
Pacific
SPARKLING LEMONADE
previously frozen
ARTISAN MUESLI
Explore Cuisine
TOMATO PASTE
WILD PACIFIC SOCKEYE SALMON FILLETS
Dorset Cereals
Silver Hills
Hunt's
5.49/kg
Snowcrest
for
$4.99
FRESH OJAI PIXIE TANGERINES
$ 4.99 $ 4.99
ea
* Promotional voucher must be
presented at time of purchase. Excludes applicable taxes, bottle deposits, tobacco, eco-fees & gift cards. This voucher has no cash value so we cannot give cash back. One voucher per person, per household, per purchase, per day. promotional voucher valid for in-store purchases only. This voucher is only valid at Fresh St. Market in Whistler.
4330 Northlands Blvd Whistler, BC V8E 1C2 Expires april 2, 2020 ea
PR ICES E FFECT I V E F R I DAY, MARCH 27 – T HUR SDAY, APRIL 2
LOCATED IN WHISTLER MARKETPLACE VILLAGE NORTH
THIS WEEK IN PIQUE
Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS Practising physical distancing is no longer optional—our very lives
#103 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9. PH: (604) 938-0202 FAX: (604) 938-0201 www.piquenewsmagazine.com
depend on it.
10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter writers this week call for a larger healthcare centre for
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com
Whistler and give thanks to WB for allowing skinning on some slopes.
Editor CLARE OGILVIE - edit@piquenewsmagazine.com Assistant Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@wplpmedia.com Production Manager KARL PARTINGTON - kpartington@wplpmedia.com Art Director JON PARRIS - jparris@wplpmedia.com
14 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Writer Alyssa Noel laments the loss of office life as Pique’s reporters work from home because of COVID-19.
54 MAXED OUT This is the time to hunker down and live simply—and it’s important to know that
Advertising Representatives AMY ALLEN - aallen@wplpmedia.com TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com
Whistler will get through this.
Digital/Sales Coordinator AMELA DIZDARIC - traffic@wplpmedia.com Digital Sales Manager FIONA YU - fiona@glaciermedia.ca Production production@piquenewsmagazine.com LOU O’BRIEN - lstevens@wplpmedia.com WHITNEY SOBOOL - wsobool@wplpmedia.com Arts & Entertainment Editor ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sports Editor DAN FALLOON - sports@piquenewsmagazine.com Features Editor BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com Reporters BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com JOEL BARDE - jbarde@piquenewsmagazine.com MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@wplpmedia.com
Environment & Adventure
26 SCIENCE MATTERS Even trees practise physical distancing, writes David Suzuki, who reminds us that healthy forests mean healthy people.
27 ODD JOB Writer Leslie Anthony has the tables turned on him as Andrea Helleman’s The Lawless Podcast makes Pique’s intrepid columnist her latest subject.
34 TRAVEL Travel writer Tim Morch describes the surreal adventure of experiencing the progression of
Classifieds and Reception mail@piquenewsmagazine.com Circulation and Accounts PAIGE BRUMMET - pbrummet@wplpmedia.com Office and Accounts Manager HEIDI RODE - hrode@wplpmedia.com I.T. and Webmaster KARL PARTINGTON Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, MICHAEL ALLEN, FEET BANKS, LESLIE ANTHONY, ALLEN BEST, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY, LISA RICHARDSON President, Whistler Publishing LP SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com
COVID-19 in France.
Lifestyle & Arts
38 FORK IN THE ROAD Glenda Bartosh reaches out to dozens of Sea to Sky community friends and asks them, “How are you doing?”
Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of Whistler Publishing Limited Partnership, a division of Glacier Media) distributed to over 130 locations in Whistler and to over 200 locations from Vancouver to D’arcy. The entire contents of Pique Newsmagazine are copyright 2019 by Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of WPLP, a division of Glacier Media). No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the Publisher. In no event shall unsolicited material subject this publication to any claim or fees. Copyright in letters and other (unsolicited) materials submitted and accepted for publication remains with the author but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms. Letters to the Editor must contain the author’s name, address and daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 250 words. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine.
40 EPICURIOUS Restaurants are getting creative with take-out options and home delivery companies are helping out.
44 NOTES FROM THE BACK ROW This week, Feet Banks provides a guide of where to find some under-the-radar and classic flicks to check out at home.
Pique Newsmagazine is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact (edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil. ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. This organization replaces the BC Press council (and any mention of it).
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Dear friends and family, We hope you are all safe and well during these unprecedented times. Us humans are resilient, keep up communication with those close to you, listen to the health experts and we will get through this together. We are blessed with a plethora of activities in the Sea to Sky, most of which carry some inherent injury risks, so please think twice about your activities, our health care system can only handle so much. Please do call if you have any questions or just need someone to talk to, we are here for you, always.
In these difficult times, I’d like to give thanks to our dedicated healthcare personnel & other essential workers keeping supplies readily available.
Friendly isolated regards, Doug and Jacob
Be well & stay safe.
DOUG TRELEAVEN 604-905-8626 www.dougtreleaven.com doug@myseatosky.com
JACOB PALLISTER 604-352-9736
De live ring the Dream – Whistler
CAROLYN HILL
jacob@myseatosky.com
PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION
Sea to Sky Real Estate Whistler INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED
Office: 604.932.2300
6 MARCH 26, 2020
Toll Free: 1.888.689.0070
WHISTLER, BC
604-907-0770
chill@whistlerbuyer.com ~ whistlerbuyer.com
SPECIAL THANKS TO LA CANTINA AND CREEKBREAD FOR FEEDING OUR FRONT LINE WORKERS. Feeding the Spirit of Whistler Since 1988
COVID-19 ADVISORY PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT CREEKSIDE MARKET’S STORE HOURS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC EFFECTIVE TUESDAY,
MARCH 26, 2020 WILL BE
9 AM TO 8 PM THE ELDERLY AND HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS MAY COME IN FROM
8 AM TO 9 AM PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE OF THIS HOUR FOR THEM TO SAFELY SHOP IN OUR STORE. WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO PROTECT OUR STAFF AND CUSTOMERS AND HAVE HIRED A PROFESSIONAL CLEANING COMPANY TO DO NIGHTLY DISINFECTING AND SANITIZING OF THE ENTIRE STORE. WE AND OUR SUPPLIERS ARE DOING OUR BEST TO KEEP THE SHELVES STOCKED AND AT TIMES WE WILL BE LIMITING AMOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE OF CERTAIN ITEMS. PLEASE HELP US PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 BY PRACTICING GOOD HYGIENE AND PLEASE REFRAIN FROM SHOPPING FROM THE STORE IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL. PLEASE SHOP ALONE AND NOT IN GROUPS OR WITH FAMILY MEMBERS. PLEASE USE DEBIT OR CREDIT INSTEAD OF CASH. THE CREEKSIDE MARKET MANAGEMENT & STAFF APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING.
THANK YOU AND STAY SAFE! LOCATED IN
CREEKSIDE VILLAGE - 604.938.9301
OPENING REMARKS
Keep your distance, save some lives YES, IT IS HARD to physically distance ourselves from people. We are social beings and we are used to being able to hug each other, pal around in groups, go to the movies or dinner, or take off together to enjoy the outdoors. But right now, we have to keep our distance from others—an action that could literally save lives by its very execution. Last weekend, most of us were shocked
BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com
to see hordes of people out enjoying the weather in our parks with no regard for physical distancing. Could these thousands of people not
They heard ‘Go outside in the fresh air in groups of less than 50’ and didn’t hear the two-metre rule or anything else. While, yes, of course, some of the fault lies with the people themselves, some of it also lies with the message. If B.C., indeed if Canada, wants to “flatten the curve” of infection, the message needed to be far more robust. In fact, I would have made some of the harrowing videos coming out of Italy and Spain a must-watch for B.C.ers. How about the news story this week of the discovery of elderly patients in a Spanish care home abandoned and struggling to survive alongside the dead bodies of other seniors dead from COVID-19? Keep that image in your mind when you feel like disregarding the physicaldistancing practice. Let’s be clear about what is happening
In an open letter to Dr. Henry on March 20, some doctors at Royal Columbian Hospital said they feared B.C. is on the same trajectory as Italy, which at press time had 6,820 deaths (69,176 confirmed cases)—one third of all deaths worldwide. understand the message shared by our capable and calm provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, or our Health Minister Adrian Dix, or Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or the hundreds of scientists chiming in on this issue? I think they did hear it, but selectively.
here. It is understood that COVID-19 is going to infect most of us, but what we don’t want to happen is for the number of patients with infections that require hospital care to outpace the healthcare facilities we have in place. This might be impossible—in fact it seems totally unrealistic given the number
of ICU beds in Canada. According to sister publication Business in Vancouver, Canada has a total of less than 4,000 intensive-careunit beds and about 6,000 respirators in our hospitals. At Vancouver General Hospital, for instance, there are 27 beds. St. Paul’s has 19. Royal Columbian in New Westminster has 16, and the entire Fraser Health Authority has 80 for a population of 1.9 million. Let’s say to be conservative that one third of us contracts the virus and 10 per cent of those need hospitalization—that means that more than 1 million people will need to be admitted to a hospital and half of those will need a respirator. Keep that image in your mind when you feel like disregarding the physicaldistancing practice. Canada does have a National Emergency Strategic Stockpile with equipment including ventilators, medicine and socialservice supplies, such as beds and blankets, though officials won’t disclose the stats on this. But it is obviously not enough if the PM is asking for, and funding, car manufacturing plants and others to re-tool to produce medical equipment. In an open letter to Dr. Henry on March 20, some doctors at Royal Columbian Hospital said they feared B.C. is on the same trajectory as Italy, which at press time had 6,820 deaths (69,176 confirmed cases)—one third of all deaths worldwide. “We need to act now to prevent a catastrophic number of preventable deaths,” the letter stated. “At our current rate of spread, our hospitals will be overwhelmed within a few weeks without drastic action.” Keep that image in your mind when you feel like disregarding the physical distancing practice. n
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8 MARCH 26, 2020
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CONTACT JAMES FOR AVAILABILITY THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING? CALL JAMES FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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CALL JAMES, THE LEGENDS & EVOLUTION SPECIALIST Direct: 604-902-0132 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0070 james@whistlerrealestate.net www.whistlerrealestate.net
Kudos to our reporters – Alyssa, Braden, Brandon, Dan, Megan and Joel – for bringing the community ‘round-the-clock news as it happens. Thanks for keeping Whistler informed.
An opportunity to share a note of thanks, greetings or celebration for a frontline health care worker, helpful friend or colleague, or celebrate a birthday in print! Or a personal reminder to donate to the foodbank or another worthy Whistler cause.
We will be dedicating a full page to these love notes from the community of Whistler, and in turn you’ll be helping us to “keep the presses” running. At an affordable cost for you to share some thoughts of compassion: 1/16 Page
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We got this The COVID-19 situation has developed rapidly. As we look at an extended stay in our homes, now is the time to think ahead in ensuring the physical and mental well-being of those of us who live in the Sea to Sky, not just now but well into the future. At the time I write this, all parks and recreation sites have been closed, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unequivocally told us to “stay home.” But we still need to get out—otherwise we’ll go stir crazy. I urge RMOW council to act swiftly in devising a permit system, based upon house number, allowing selected households to use parks during allotted times. We will need bylaw officers and police to enforce these permits. We’ll be able to get out, say twice a week to a park, on a rotating basis. While at the park, this means one must maintain two metres of distance to other folks. We’ve got this, folks. We can do this. Which is why I also urge all citizens to be aware, informed, and inquisitive of government decision-making. I likewise urge local elected officials to demonstrate leadership by addressing—and not silencing—critical questions. Transparency is needed more than ever. Democracy must not become a casualty, and elected public officials need to show courage by addressing, and not suppressing, the facts. B.C. has the highest number of cases yet has had the slowest response. These cases are
already in our community. This is not a “city problem.” We are an international tourist destination with limited health care resources and no overnight beds. Positive test cases have been reported throughout B.C. at heli-skiing and tourism operations. We should be asking why our provincial health authorities responded so slowly, and in such a piecemeal fashion, especially compared to other provinces—not to allocate blame, but because we need to realize we can do better. Right now we need folks in charge capable of the task ahead of them.
How did we get here? The unfortunate development of closing parks has arisen because of poor messaging from federal and provincial governments around the term “social distancing,” which as a new, abstract concept, didn’t mean much to many of us. And so many folks gathered in parks, treating the situation like a vacation. We thought the number of people in the group mattered, but really, it’s not about numbers, it’s about who is in the group, and where they are from. Meeting up with friends from different households breaks quarantine.
As the Prime Minister has reiterated, we must limit contact to folks only in our household. If we don’t do this, we will find ourselves ending up like Italy, where folks didn’t follow these rules. Small towns there are being devastated by deaths. Don’t become a statistic. Right now, we need concrete directions from government, and elected officials have to realize they need to be specific, not vague, in their directives. At least for now, the core message is: “Stay home, only shop for groceries once a week.” Yes you can go out for a walk. No, you cannot meet up with folks outside your household. Eventually, we will see these restrictions eased, but this will require a coordinated response from elected officials working in tandem across regions and levels of government. It will require vision. The same will go for economic measures. Now is the time to think of future-oriented solutions to our society’s woes. We need a permanent Universal Basic Income that covers all gig-economy workers, not just those who are considered employees; we need to support and enhance progressive taxation; we need an economy oriented towards clean energy, so that we stop bailing out big oil; and we need a massive reinvestment in our beloved Canadian health care system. On the local level, our ask is now simple: we need a small hospital in Whistler with overnight beds. Since when did it become “normal” to heli-vac patients on the daily to Vancouver? Save all that jet fuel, and build
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Stay Safe, Stay Home, Keep Social Distancing, Be Good to Each Other
10 MARCH 26, 2020
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 35 WINTERGREEN a bigger, better, Whistler Health Care Centre. Do it now. Long-term investment in our society’s wellbeing is needed, not down the road, but now. Our parents and grandparents once did this, in the aftermath of the Second World War, building the foundations for Canada’s social safety net and health care system. Over the decades, we have forgotten what it took, and we’ve let ignorance and greed eat away at the institutions we need most. Now is the time for our living generations to shine, to contribute once again to a positive vision of Canada, as we feel the weight of this
pumps in the day skier parking lots. The quote from the Whistler Question that 400 litres of water was poured on the building over seven hours is somewhat underestimated. I think the firefighters probably drank that much water during the battle. Back then, the well pumps could deliver 1,200 gallons per minute. That would total almost 2.3 million litres over the duration of the event. It should also be noted that the attack was ably directed by then fire chief Lindsay Wilson assisted by deputy chief Gerry Fosty. Our municipal treasurer and volunteer firefighter Gary Raymond was brought into
Now is the time for our living generations to shine, to contribute once again to a positive vision of Canada, as we feel the weight of this historical moment... - TOBIAS C. VAN VEEN
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historical moment—which is precisely why we now need strong, positive, morale-building visions, as we look to the future of our society. We’re all in this together, folks. We can do this. We got this. tobias c. van Veen // Visiting professor, Quest University
Keg fire, one to remember I read with interest the “Museum Musings” article (Pique, March 19) about the Keg fire in January 1982. This was probably the biggest fire that the Whistler Volunteer Fire Department had to fight up to that date. This was also one of the low points of the recession that we endured at the time. As the municipal engineer, I spent the evening working with Cliff Jennings to ensure a continuous flow of water from the well
the firehall after being completely submerged in a water-filled stairwell of the Keg building. I remember well the image of him shivering under a blanket, “sans” uniform. I don’t think after that he ever complained at work about being up to his neck in a swamp full of alligators. As a result of the experience working on this fire, I joined the fire department volunteers shortly after and enjoyed six years with the group. Doug Wylie // Whistler
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Thanks to WB for a nature break I just wanted to give a shoutout to the management at Whistler Blackcomb for allowing access to the mountain even though it is closed. This has allowed many people to spend time outside and maintain physical distancing. Thank you! Dan Tyndall // Whistler n
Write to us! Letters to the editor must contain the writer’s name, address and a daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 450 words. Pique Newsmagazine reserves the right to edit, condense or refrain from publishing any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine.
Engel & Völkers Whistler
MARCH 26, 2020
11
OPINION As this Covid-19 pandemic continues to evolve, please do everything you can to ‘Plank the Curve’! Stay home, practice social distancing, and be safe! Chris and I want to shout a huge THANK YOU to our tireless health care professionals and our brave essential front line staff. We’ll get through this!
Laura Wetaski Engel & Völkers Whistler
Phone: 604-938-3798 Email: laura@wetaski.com
Only bold, immediate action can keep economy from plunging off pandemic’s cliff BY KIRK LAPOINTE Business in Vancouver
LAURA WETASKI
Nick Davies, Whistler local and experienced family lawyer practising across BC and Yukon.
Call at 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca Maclean Law is headquartered in Vancouver with offices across British Columbia.
IT IS TIME for big decisions from governments of all sizes and stripes in Canada. One week of workplace hemorrhaging from COVID-19 has punched a sinkhole into the economy, with a half-million Canadians going onto employment insurance. This, next, and the weeks to follow will see monstrous displacement of workers across sectors. Canada can learn one of two lessons: the ravages of some countries whose economies have sunk and stand to stay so, or the staunching of the wreckage in Denmark, Sweden and Britain to keep people in place with unprecedented wage subsidies in the hope their economies will recover much more swiftly. The latter course is basic common sense. Why make people idle, detach them from their work, and make any rebound more remote, when they can lend their hands to the hardship but also creatively contribute to a company’s crisper return to form? For 20 or 25 percentage points atop the employment insurance benefits, this is the price of a still-producing, still-retained workforce. We don’t need another Great Depression. We need a Great Expression. We can quarrel on whether the strategy to suppress COVID-19 was the right one. Might we have averted this walk
take weeks and months from transferring into businesses. Other countries enacted their measures in relative light speed. Ours can, too. It was heartening to see what the John Horgan government was able to do this week to apply funds now and later, to defer taxes now and later, and to make clear that it will be listening now and later. But this is a Justin Trudeau matter of national employment consequence; his is the treasury with the extra zero at the end of the budget, so the order of magnitude is his order to give. We know that many businesses are pressed with staffing levels that will be hurt by sickness in the weeks and months to come. They need the flexibility to operate, to find people to backfill if the numbers we expect of those afflicted come true, and they will often need to step in that morning from home and not that week from recall. Moreover, the brightest ideas to regenerate our economy are going to come from workplace teams in collaboration. We are a small country with a finite talent pool and can’t afford to sideline experienced, committed workers to the monumental tasks that await businesses that will need to get on their feet quickly. A displaced workforce will be a distanced workforce when it returns, with its relationships in need of repair. There is no need for that when you examine how little additionally is needed to preserve it. We have the strongest economy of any of the G7 in entering the COVID-19 crisis. We can emerge as the strongest, too, if we are
We know that many businesses are pressed with staffing levels that will be hurt by sickness in the weeks and months to come.
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off the cliff had we shut the country down earlier for a couple of weeks, quarantined the most vulnerable beyond that, and dealt with the emerging cases as part of a mitigated health problem that didn’t take the economy down? It’s too late to be the Monday morning quarterback—we are where we are—but in moving ahead, our economy cannot be in permafrost when the thawing can resume. We have to think far enough ahead to be where we need to be when the world opens again for business. It’s important that these funds not be captured by slow-moving task forces to
able to regain that form months, even weeks or days, faster than other jurisdictions. So, yes, accept that the economy is roughly at a standstill. But give it a standing start when it has to start running again. Keep the country on the payroll. We want a successful operation that doesn’t unduly hurt the patient. As miserable as this time feels, the time will come when we have to reignite. We won’t regret doing too much as we will too little. Kirk LaPointe is publisher and editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver and vice-president, editorial, of Glacier Media. n
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PIQUE N’ YER INTEREST
When will I be able to eat my coworkers’ candy again? BEFORE SELF-ISOLATION sent us sadly toting our laptops to makeshift home offices, we had a little tradition in the Pique newsroom. In fact, it was more like an unofficial commandment: If thou buys a bag of mixed candies from Delish next door, thou must
BY ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com
share with thou fellow journalists. Most often, that meant the person who procured the candy (usually a mix of Dinosours, Swedish Berries, Coke Bottles, and Sour Keys), would reach their hand into the little plastic bag, select whatever flavour they like least, and toss it across the room to a reporter whose mouth was opened wide, like a baby bird waiting to receive a prechewed worm from Mother. A successful catch happened about one in 10 tries. (I believe sports editor Dan Falloon’s stats are slightly higher with features editor/news reporter Brandon Barrett trailing slightly behind.) Usually, the compact sugar treat would
thwack sadly on the hardwood floor and the unsuccessful recipient would pick it up, examine it, lightly dust it off, and eat it. Why do I share this insight into just how juvenile our office can be? (Besides the fact that I miss them already.) To illustrate one simple thing: CAN YOU IMAGINE EATING ANYTHING ANOTHER HUMAN HAS TOUCHED RIGHT NOW, LET ALONE OFF THE FLOOR?
newsroom floor (even the yellow ones, which are hardly worth it) without a second thought. I’ve also snacked in the car without thinking twice about the germs on my steering wheel, eaten with absolutely filthy hands while hiking, and I’ve gone, like, years without washing my computer keyboard. On Tuesday night, this whiplash led to a bit of a breakdown. I returned
I have eaten Dinosours off the newsroom floor (even the yellow ones, which are hardly worth it) without a second thought.
Those good old days that I already long so desperately for were a mere two weeks ago and my relationship to hygiene has done an absolute 180 in that time. I mean I’m a grown woman who has always washed her hands frequently, used a very specific face cleanser every night without exception, and occasionally even double scrubbed office cutlery. But I have eaten Dinosours off the
home from the drug store where I picked up some essentials, along with a couple boxes of crackers for our pandemic stash. I immediately washed my hands, Lysol’d the dog leash, and then looked at my cloth grocery bag. Should I wipe down the purchases? Put my bag in the wash? Scrub my keys? Contemplating all of this—and the fact that there is no end in sight to this new
paranoid normal—I started to cry. I don’t know how much effort is enough to protect myself, my fiancé (the future of our wedding is a whole other tear-filled column), and the community. What if I’m responsible for passing this on to my elderly neighbour because I didn’t wash my box of crackers? It’s too much. It’s all too much. And I worry about the lasting impact this new over-the-top obsession with hygiene will have on all of us. Will we ever again be able to go back to carefree candy tossing? Or will this experience forever impact the way we interact with the world around us? How long will we have to stand far away from our neighbours to have a little chat? How long will we have to grimace at every doorknob we have to touch? How long are my hands going to feel like breeding grounds for a virus? No one seems to know. I haven’t quite crawled out of this paranoid spiral yet, but my conclusion is this: do the best you can. Follow the rules set out for us by experts for the time being and hope that it’s enough. And, for now, I’ll be eating my candy alone in my living room. ■
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DUE TO COVID-19 WHISTLER CLASSES MAY BE POSTPONED OR MOVED ONLINE. SEE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.
MARCH 26, 2020
15
NEWS WHISTLER
Livestreamed concert raises more than $40k for food bank CONCERT SHOWS HOW WHISTLER PULLS TOGETHER IN THE FACE OF HARDSHIP
BY ALYSSA NOEL AND DAN FALLOON LAST WEEK, Whistlerites gathered for one of their favourite activities, après—only the music, drinks, and conversation weren’t at their typical watering holes in the village. Instead, locals—and people as far away as Australia—tuned in from the comfort of their own living rooms to see The Hairfarmers play from a Tapley’s Farm garage. Organized in just a few days with technology from Whistler Live, the livestreamed concert not only had the intended effect of bringing a community together remotely, but it also raised more than $40,000 for the Whistler Food Bank in a mere hour and a half. (Organizers left the video up for 48 hours after the livestream, which drew additional funds, bringing the total closer to $50,000.) That will add up to 1,100 emergency food bags that are desperately needed as locals continue to face layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It exceeded all of our expectations,” said Andrew Bacon, one of the three people behind Whistler Live and the show’s MC. “I was hoping for a couple hundred people to go online.” In the end, more than 900 people tuned in—many opening up their wallets and
FOOD FUNDS The Hairfarmers and Whistler Live hosted a livestream concert last Friday, March 20, that raised more than $40,000 for the Whistler Food Bank. The video was left up for 48 hours, bringing the total donations closer to $50,000. FILE PHOTO BY ALYSSA NOEL
16 MARCH 26, 2020
commenting in real time with requests, hellos, and well wishes. “I never expected that many people to watch or that much money to be raised,” said “Grateful” Greg Reamsbottom, one half of the band. “It goes to show what an amazing community Whistler is—whether you live here or you’ve lived here and gone back home, this place leaves a positive mark on people and they bring that positivity with them.” Buried in one of the hundreds of comments: a message from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation. On the fly, they offered to match donations up to $22,000. “We had no idea that was going to happen,” Bacon said. The Hairfarmers kept one “Joey Ramone” apart as part of their social distancing and cranked through songs by Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, and The Tragically Hip. (Only four people were in the garage, they all kept far apart, and disinfected equipment, Bacon was careful to add.) Lori Pyne, interim executive director of Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS), which runs the food bank, and her team were also tuned in. She sent screenshots to Bacon throughout the show of the donations rolling in. “We were for sure surprised,” she said, adding food bank visits in the last week have gone up about 30 per cent. “We were all texting each other. It was really fun, actually. It was an uplifting time in our week.” In the end, the livestream brought together the community, created a sense of normalcy amidst uncertainty, and showcased just how generous Whistlerites can be.
“We all needed it,” Pyne says. “For sure.” The giving hopefully won’t stop after the show as, in a recent release, WCSS detailed the increased demand for its services. The food bank is looking for donations of both cash and food to help serve more people—cash donations (which can be made online at mywcss.org/ get-involved/donations) go further, as the food bank receives wholesale prices. Currently, the food bank is low on food high in protein such as canned fish and meat, as well as nut and seed butters. Donation bins are available at all Whistler grocery stores, which is where Pyne would prefer to see people donate. Compounding the food bank’s current challenges is that several of the mostneeded items are among the items members of the public are stocking up on, too. “What’s tricky is the things we need for the food bank are the things that households need, so all the staples,” she said. “It’s the things people are hoarding, quite frankly. “We’re confident there’s enough supply, it’s just the distribution of the supply. Because everyone is double-buying things, they’re having to distribute it doubly as fast and that’s just logistically impossible.” Business owners looking to make bulk donations can contact foodbank@ mywcss.org. Among businesses that have made contributions are Whistler Blackcomb, which distributed its perishable food across all three food banks in the Sea to Sky corridor when it closed, Hy’s and the Longhorn Saloon, which also donated perishables, and Gordon Food Service, which donated the use of a refrigeration truck. Meanwhile, Nesters Market provided a pallet of pasta and sauce.
Nesters general manager Bruce Stewart has observed the generosity of the community in person, noting that donations at their store are exceeding even Christmas-time levels. “Right now, it’s tremendous. That bin is getting filled up several times a day,” Stewart said. Those looking to access WCSS outreach services can call 604-932-0113 or make an online booking through mywcss.org. Outreach workers and frontline staff can “advocate for the community’s wellness needs and direct clients to a range of social and financial services,” according to a release. “We’re seeing really good uptake on the outreach services we’re offering. It’s support for community members that have lost a job, or are feeling lonely, or can’t get home,” Pyne said. “We’re doing all our services via telephone or video conference, and we have outreach [workers] out in the community, in the village, just making sure that we’re connecting with the vulnerable people that don’t even have phones.” Meanwhile, Bacon is hoping that any local musicians who are interested in working with the company—which initially launched as a channel to showcase all Whistler videos in one place, and livestream local venues and hotspots—will reach out. “For now, we’re all in this together,” he says. “We’re not here to make money. We’re here to help in any way we can. This is a positive experience for us. It’s good karma and sharing a lot of good vibes for people. We need that now more than ever.” Find Whistler Live at facebook.com/ WhistlerLiveStream/ or whistlerlive.ca. n
NEWS WHISTLER
Stay away from healthcare centre unless urgent, docs say PATIENTS CAN STILL ACCESS PRIMARY CARE THROUGH FAMILY DOCTOR OR NEW VIRTUAL CLINIC
BY BRANDON BARRETT STAY AWAY FROM the Whistler Health Care Centre unless it’s for urgent care—and phone ahead before you arrive, when possible. That’s the message from the medical director of the Whistler Health Care Centre (WHCC) and a family physician at the Whistler Medical Clinic, as the two facilities seek to look after Seato-Sky patients in the most effective way possible. “We really want to reassure Whistler residents that all of the local physicians have a system in place for everyone to access medical care during this uncertain time,” said Dr. Karin Kausky, who is part of the Whistler Medical Clinic, located in the WHCC and co-chair of the Sea to Sky Division of Family Practice. Emergent care will continue to be offered at the WHCC. If possible, those requiring urgent care are asked to contact the centre before arriving at 604-9324911 for guidance. Emergent care patients will be screened at the door and directed appropriately. Patients will still be able to access non-urgent, primary care through their family physician or a newly set-up virtual clinic. “We’re looking to decrease the number of people who show up banging on the doors asking for care. That has to be counter-balanced with the reality that Whistler Health Care Centre is open for emergencies. I don’t want people staying at home with chest pains because they don’t want to burden the system,” explained Dr. Bruce Mohr, medical director at the WHCC. “People can call the ambulance and people can call us at the usual number and they will be given advice over the phone. Sometimes that further screening we’re able to do will allow them not to have to come in. But there will be those that will have to come in.” Mohr noted that all medical services, such as lab work and medical imaging, will continue, but will be prioritized for “the patients who really need them.” “Otherwise, there is some triaging being done so that elective lab, elective medical imaging, these are things that are being postponed and will be done in the future. But urgent tests, whether it’s outpatient testing or inpatient testing, those are being completed,” he added. “Patient care shouldn’t end up being compromised.”
FOR THOSE REQUIRING NON-URGENT CARE As a way to manage the influx of patients and reduce the strain on local resources, patients in need of non-urgent, primary care are asked to first contact their family physician by phone as they normally would. “For most people, this means calling the office and now booking a virtual or phone appointment,” Kausky said. For those without a family physician, a virtual clinic has been set up by the Sea to Sky Division of Family Practice at www. divisionsbc.ca/sea-sky for patients to consult with a GP remotely. If, after consulting a physician, a patient requires an in-person visit, it will be arranged—with the necessary precautions in place to prevent the spread of infection. “Our reason for doing this is for physician safety, patient safety and to try to be good stewards of scarce resources,” noted Kausky. “It’s been very busy and we’re all operating in new systems, but I think we really have a pretty robust system in place that’s going to ensure that we can look after everybody.” For the time being, Mohr said there are enough supplies and staff at the WHCC to accommodate the growing demand for care— although the situation is constantly in flux. “It’s been fine,” he said of managing the strain on resources. “There are emergency operations centres being set up at many different levels. That’s how we deal with the flow of materials and staff so that we can be prepared.” On the frontlines of the pandemic, both Mohr and Kausky said staff at the WHCC and medical clinic are dealing with the additional stress through maintaining clear and open lines of communication. “[They’re dealing with it] like the professionals they are,” Mohr said. “What we’re finding is our anxiety levels are going down simply by really communicating effectively, indicating what our concerns are, and getting together virtually to express our concerns and then deal with them in a collective fashion.” Kausky reiterated that members of the public also need to do their part in order to minimize the stress on Whistler’s healthcare system. “We’re working tirelessly to make it safe for you; now we need you to work tirelessly to keep yourselves and us safe,” she said. “Please continue to abide by the requests of the provincial health officer around social physical distancing and staying home.” Information on physical distancing and COVID-19 can be found at vch.ca, or at bccdc.ca. n
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OPEN TUESDAY – SATURDAY 8 AM to 10 AM for Elderly and Immune Comprimised 10 AM to 6 PM for General Public CLOSED SUNDAY/MONDAY OUR COVID-19 ACTION PLAN We are doing our best to help keep our community safe in these difficult times. Please see the following tips and updates. If you are sick STAY HOME! Follow the rules of social distancing. We are currently limiting the amount of customers to 20 people at a time. This will allow for plenty of space for shoppers to keep the 2 meter distance separation required. In-Store Changes Our deli is currently closed for your safety until further notice. PLEASE SEE OUR IN-STORE NOTICES AND OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR CHANGES AND UPDATES.
PEMBERTONSUPERMARKET.COM 7438 PROSPECT STREET 604.894.3663
MARCH 26, 2020
17
NEWS WHISTLER
‘The virus is in the community,’ medical health officer says VCH WARNS IT WILL NOT ISSUE ADVISORY FOR EVERY LOCAL CASE OF COVID-19 AND LOCALS SHOULD PROTECT THEMSELVES
BY BRADEN DUPUIS WHILE VANCOUVER Coastal Health (VCH) announced last week that some recent visitors to Whistler have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), it remains to be seen exactly how many confirmed cases there are in the community. “We know that there’s a few labconfirmed cases, but we’re still waiting for that data to be collated. I think what you can be sure of is that there are cases through most communities, in the Lower Mainland and up the coast, with many lab confirmed, but a lot more likely clinical cases,” said Dr. Meena Dawar, VCH’s medical health officer. “So the virus is in the community, and I think it’s important for people to know that we just need to protect ourselves, we need to do all the right things which have been talked about—hand washing, hand washing, hand washing, staying home if sick, of course … and [physical] distancing.” In a release on March 19, VCH warned of potential exposure at three Whistler
locations: Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb (March 9 between 1 and 2 p.m. and March 10 between noon and 2 p.m.); the Dubh Linn Gate Pub on March 10 between 12 and 3 p.m.; and Escape Whistler on March 13 between 1:30 and 4 p.m. “All of us who are healthy, I think we’re in this for several weeks, so it’s important to be checking in on our neighbours, being physically active, getting out, getting some fresh air—just not in large groups,” Dawar said. “The virus is here, it is going to spread, but what we’re really trying to do is decrease the ... spread in order to protect the vulnerable individuals.” To that end, VCH’s COVID-19 testing strategy is now focused on those with severe illness, healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities, Dawar said. Living accommodations for many in Whistler involve more than one person to a room—are officials concerned about rapid spread of infection in tight living quarters? “I think Whistler generally tends to have a healthy population, so I’m not overly concerned. I think the concern,
again, is greater for seniors,” Dawar said. “The bottom line is it’s not the cramped quarters that I’m concerned about, it’s more focused on who’s vulnerable and making sure we protect them from being introduced to the virus.” Meanwhile, the Whistler Health Care Centre is “connecting very closely” with other health care centres in the region, Dawar said. “They’re following the protocols that are evolving about providing urgent and emergent care, and appropriate infection control practices etc.,” she said. “So I’m quite sure that things are working very well in Whistler in coordination with other urgent care and emergency departments in [VCH].” Dawar said she fully expects individuals with COVID-19-compatible illnesses to be presenting at the Whistler Health Care Centre at some point, but pointed out anyone needing intensive care would be relocated. “[The Whistler Health Care Centre] does not run an intensive care unit, so if people needed further levels of care they would be moved appropriately, and those
plans are in place,” Dawar said. The March 19 release was the first public advisory of its sort that VCH has issued for Whistler, and it may well be the last, Dawar said. “I think the idea is really to just alert the public that the virus is there, and to just take precautions, but we certainly will not be making an advisory every single time,” she said. “We’re in the curve, it’s taking off—just practice the usual precautions. Stay alert, and in the next month or two hopefully we can be reassured that we’re on the down curve and everything’s winding down as it should.” As of March 24, there were 422,652 confirmed cases globally, 2,792 COVID-19 cases in Canada and 26 deaths. B.C has 617 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C. Thirteen people have died. Find more info here: vch.ca/ about-us/news/vancouver-coastal-healthstatement-on-coronavirus Find the latest from the RMOW at whistler.ca/covid19. Check piquenewsmagazine.com for updates as this story continues to develop. n
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18 MARCH 26, 2020
NEWS WHISTLER
RMOW to lay off all casual and auxiliary staff COUNCIL MEETINGS TO RESUME (ONLINE) ON APRIL 7
BY BRADEN DUPUIS LIKE THE VIRUS itself, the impacts of COVID-19 continue to spread. On Wednesday, March 25, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) announced it would temporarily lay off all casual and auxiliary employees effective Monday, April 13. The layoffs will affect more than 200 part-time employees in the resort, said chief administrative officer Mike Furey. “When we’re talking casual and auxiliary, you think of Meadow Park staff such as lifeguards; we have casual staff in the library. The vast majority are part time,” Furey said. “We are working to keep the RMOW as operational as possible, and we still have our full-time permanent staff [and] parttime permanent staff in place … we look at those as temporary layoffs, and we look forward to a time when we can welcome those staff back to our organization—it was a very difficult decision to make.” Other positions affected include (but are not limited to): fitness instructors, program leaders, village hosts, facility maintenance, labourers, environmental coordinators, parking and bylaw enforcement, and youth leaders.
KEEP OUT Workers fence off a park in Whistler Village on Tuesday, March 25, as the effects of COVID-19 continue to take their toll on the community. PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS The RMOW’s emergency operations committee has had a busy week responding to the developing crisis, with about 40 municipal staff now connected on a remote basis to keep operations running. “As we get further, we keep anticipating new changes, like for example, what happens if there is a significant outbreak of COVID-19 in Whistler? We need to plan for that. What happens if there is an outbreak amongst staff? We need to plan for that and have backups on backups,” Furey said. “We also have to keep critical utilities in place—water, sewer and waste management, and keeping our roads [maintained] etc., so
that has really expanded.” The municipality also has staff working on the resort’s eventual economic recovery. “Obviously we want to come out of the gate and hit the road running,” Furey said. “We’re also wanting to make sure we are on top of and avail ourselves of any federal [or] provincial funds that might come out in terms of tourism recovery.” In the meantime, municipal staff is trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy amongst the swirling chaos of COVID-19. Plans are in place to host council meetings online (with only the mayor and key staff physically in attendance) starting
on April 7, while director of finance Carlee Price is working to update the resort’s financial situation on a daily basis. Municipal and Regional District tax (or hotel tax) income is set to take a hit with the steep drop in visitation, which will have an impact. “Fortunately, we entered this crisis in a sound fiscal position … but we’re planning that this could go on for some time, and it’s a real challenge to plan for the unknown,” Furey said. “We’re looking at all our current vendors, including projects, making very careful and informed, thoughtful decisions.” On projects in particular, the crisis presents itself as multi-faceted. “We want to save carefully for this unknown future; at the same time, our projects inject funds into the community’s economy … if we can do it in a socialdistancing manner, that keeps some money flowing in the community,” Furey said, adding that it may be a good time to do some projects given disruption is often a challenge in any normal spring and summer period. “So yes, we are looking at all and any projects, and Carlee Price is doing an amazing job of keeping that up to date. I can’t tell you of any specific decisions we’ve made so far, but that is top of mind.” n
IMPORTANT COVID-19 INFORMATION: Whistler Residents:
The physicians of Whistler are united in their efforts to keep you safe and treat you if you become ill. We're working tirelessly to make it safe for you. Now we need you to work tirelessly to keep yourselves - and us - safe.
Stay home unless absolutely necessary. No dinner parties. No non-essential shopping.
No group sports, not even outside. Instead, have coffee with a friend online.
Keep six feet or two metres away from everyone at all times. That’s about
the width of a car. Call your loved ones and tell them to do the same.
Remind young people in your life that they can get sick from this virus.
More importantly, they can be carriers without symptoms and cause a lot of harm to family, friends and community.
To access your family doctor, call their office. If you do not have a family doctor,
click on the virtual care button at divisionsbc.ca/sea-sky for access to virtual care during this time. Please do not just show up to clinics. We can do this, but we can’t wait one more hour or one more day. Let’s save lives, together. The time is NOW.
MARCH 26, 2020
19
NEWS WHISTLER
Whistler Chamber working ‘around the clock’ advocating for business BUSINESSES NAVIGATING RELIEF PROGRAMS DURING COVID-19 CAN CONTACT CHAMBER FOR ASSISTANCE
BY BRADEN DUPUIS WHISTLER BUSINESSES in need of help navigating federal and provincial COVID-19 relief programs can contact the Whistler Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a tough time. I don’t even have the words to describe it,” said Whistler Chamber CEO Melissa Pace. “We’re really seeing what the greatest needs are in our community right now—HR is one of them, financial assistance is the other one, and how do they get it—so we’re starting to really pool together some resources.” Governments have announced several measures to help ease the pain of small businesses, including tax deferments, access to capital and wage subsidies. The chamber is hosting webinars on relevant topics for businesses—most recently on HR support, Pace said—and compiling resources at whistlerchamber.com. “I would just say that if there’s any businesses out there that are not seeking support—either they don’t know what to do or haven’t had to lay anyone off, or if they’re
really hitting the financial wall—they need to reach out,” Pace said. “And that could be to a colleague, it could be to the chamber; we can give you the resources whether it’s online or you need to speak to a human being.” The BC Chamber of Commerce is also compiling resources at www.bcchamber.org/ node/1777. “Just know that we’re working around the clock to advocate on your behalf,” Pace said, adding that the Chamber was excited to hear the province will defer Employer Health Tax payments to Sept. 30. As business across the province remains frozen in place due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19, B.C. everyone is predictably feeling the pain. According to survey results published March 19 by the BC Chamber of Commerce, 90 per cent of businesses are currently being impacted by the virus, with 83 per cent of those impacted seeing a drop in revenue, business or deal flow. The survey, which garnered almost 8,000 responses from across the province, found that 91 per cent of respondents anticipate a further drop in revenue in the near term,
OPEN DAILY 8AM TO 8PM
while 73 per cent expect revenues to fall by 50 per cent or more (and nearly a quarter saying their revenues will drop by 100 per cent). Half of the respondents said they will temporarily shut down their offices, and 64 per cent expect to reduce their staff by more than half (and a quarter saying they will reduce staff by 100 per cent). While the responses are concerning across the board, the tourism industry fears it will be hit especially hard, with some operators saying they’ve already seen cancellation of 90 per cent of their bookings. “We are worried about bankruptcy if the summer does not go as planned—we really rely on overseas travellers,” one respondent said. Self-employed and/or contract workers are also particularly concerned, the survey found, due to their ineligibility for Employment Insurance (although Ottawa announced a plan Wednesday that would support the selfemployed and those ineligible for EI.) “I am the only full-time employee, and I may need to close my business, potentially go bankrupt and lose $100,000 investment,” a respondent said. Public health must be the primary
concern during the early days of the pandemic, said Val Litwin, CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, in a release. “We commend the federal and provincial governments for prioritizing the health and safety of its citizens above all else,” Litwin said. “We have also been reassured that government is strategically and thoughtfully looking at ways to mitigate impacts to businesses of all sizes and are working tirelessly to soften the economic impacts to British Columbians. Businesses in B.C. are saying that a combination of tax cuts, flexibility around tax remittances and enhanced credit access will help them weather this unprecedented storm in the short term.” The BC Chamber, along with Small Business BC, The BC Economic Development Association and Community Futures BC, has already made a number of recommendations to government based on the results, including: that government provide flexibility for tax remittance; allow for delayed property tax payment; and encourage financial institutions to provide zero interest loans, lines of credit and deferred payment terms. n
SNOW MELTS. POOP? NOT SO MUCH. Bag it & Bin it Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/dogs
20 MARCH 26, 2020
NEWS WHISTLER
Some Whistlerites failing to heed physicaldistancing practices RECENT PARTIES, LARGE GATHERINGS CAUSING CONCERN
BY DAN FALLOON WINSTON PARTRIDGE had just finished enjoying some warm, slushy snow just above the Coca-Cola Tube Park during a quick post-work snowboard session when he heard the chatter. Any other time, it wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow, but on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and with near-constant reminders from health officials on the importance of practising physical distancing, the party at Base II around 6:30 p.m. that night was a shocking sight to behold. Ensuring that he kept his distance, Partridge posted photos and videos to Instagram. His stories depicted a large group congregating near Base II, some revellers climbing onto the roof of a storage shed with a ladder, clambering up the ladders on the Magic Chair’s support towers, and two people riding down a bright yellow Big Boggan before jumping out. While unsure of the exact number of people there, Partridge felt confident saying it exceeded the ban
on gatherings of more than 50 people instituted by health officials on March 16. “I was just hiking just above the tube park and I could hear a bit of a commotion from probably about a half-hour before. When I got down there, I just saw that situation. It didn’t seem too wild when I first walked down, but when I started walking away and people started taking ladders, that’s when it really seemed to get out of hand,” he said. Also on St. Patrick’s Day, Whistler RCMP caught wind of a gathering of roughly 200 people at Alta Lake and showed up around 5 p.m. Officers consulted with the Ministry of Health, and in addition to being concerned about the lack of physical distancing, were also wary of the warm weather and thinning ice. RCMP Sgt. Sascha Banks said responding officers remained onsite until the partiers dispersed. “They were trying to deal with a large, large group of people and then [also had] people who were intoxicated,” she said, adding that some partiers had set beer boxes on fire. While police are able to recommend physical distancing, at this time, they cannot
enforce it, Banks said. However, she added that police foot patrols have increasingly been attempting to disperse public crowds through the recommendations. The RCMP will take its cue from the ministry if any further steps need to be taken. While RCMP did not respond to the Base II party, Banks said police have recently been called to “multiple large gatherings,” including several on St. Patrick’s Day, with no concern other than for the number of people in attendance. Banks requested that any member of the public who is feeling symptoms or has other risk factors such as having travelled recently discloses that information on the call so the responding officers can adequately prepare by donning personal protective equipment. As well, RCMP offices in the corridor are currently closed to the public. Meanwhile, the Village of Pemberton announced on March 22 that the skate park, as well as all public playgrounds would be closed from now on. It encouraged strata playgrounds to close as well. “While there was quite a number of people from out of town coming into our area, using
the parks and trails and campgrounds, they were doing so not with the recommended social distancing measures from the health authority,” Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman said, noting that visitors were also buying up supplies from local stores that might be required by locals. Social-media postings show that it’s not just the Sea to Sky failing to get the message, as sun-seekers pack beaches everywhere from Vancouver down to Miami, Fla. “One of the key challenges is that despite all the public health announcements and media coverage that people should selfisolate, there are still people with cold symptoms going out in public or mixing with friends and family spreading a highly contagious virus,” wrote Stephen Hoption Cann, a clinical professor at the UBC School of Population and Public Health’s Faculty of Medicine, in an email. “Thus, knowing that those carrying the infection are out there, one must be on their guard to avoid the illness. Any situation where there is a density of people—meetings, social gatherings, line-ups, sporting events, etc.— place one at risk.” -with files from Joel Barde n
The Resort Municipality of Whistler has closed all non-essential facilities and suspended all programs and events until further notice.
Please visit www.whistler.ca/covid19 for the latest updates from the RMOW. Resort Municipality of Whistler www.whistler.ca/covid19 MARCH 26, 2020
21
NEWS WHISTLER
WE KNOW PEMBERTON INSIDE & OUT
Whistler’s rental market is finally approaching affordability UNCERTAINTY REMAINS AROUND MORTGAGE PAYMENT DEFERRALS
BY BRANDON BARRETT
To all paramedics, hospital staff, grocery store employees and all essential business services that are out there doing all they can to protect and serve our community during this time, thank you for your hard work. It is during times like these that our compassionate, dedicated, Pemberton community spirit shines through – do your part and check on your neighbours, friends and family and please follow the recommended guidelines as outlined by the Government of Canada.
* Denotes Personal Real Estate Corporation
604 894 pembertonvalleyrealestate.com 5166 | WHISTLERREALESTATE.CA 22 MARCH 26, 2020
THE NEXT FEW MONTHS are shaping up to be prime time for locals looking to land cheaper rent or upgrade to a better living situation—it only took a global pandemic and the resulting blow to tourism to get there. That’s the impression from the administrator of the Whistler Housing Rentals for Locals Facebook group, which counts more than 32,000 members. “I think all the locals are going to really maximize on upgrading their places, getting a better place to live, having a more affordable place if they’re stuck in tight situations right now,” said administrator Jen Biberdorf. While Biberdorf said rents remain high in many cases, there are landlords who have already slashed rates to encourage occupancy at a time when Whistler’s seasonal workforce is leaving in droves. According to an informal poll of the group, of the 407 respondents at press time, roughly a quarter said their monthly rent had already been dropped, while 75 per cent said they were either denied a rent reduction, hadn’t asked for one, or are still awaiting confirmation. With the blow to visitation, Whistler might also begin to see homes that have historically been reserved for nightly rentals move into the long-term supply—but it hasn’t happened in significant numbers quite yet, said Matt Hick, CEO of legitimate vacation rental service, alluraDirect. “It does make sense to switch to longterm, but I don’t believe you will see that happen en masse yet. The majority of annual income is generated between December 15 and March 31 in Whistler, so if people are moving to long-term, it will only be until November 30th,” he wrote via email. “However, depending how long it takes the international consumer confidence to come back to travel, this winter season may see an increase in long-term rentals.” Hick, who noted that alluraDirect is dealing with “immense losses” and booking cancellations, said that even though Phase 1 owners have flexibility to rent short- or long-term, he advises them to wait at least a few weeks to see how things pan out before making a decision on their property. “Consumer confidence towards travel, especially international tourism, will take some time to recover—it may even take years to recover to 2019 numbers, so today is not the day to make important decisions with your rental asset,” he wrote. “For alluraDirect, we are estimating that by late summer, the local tourists will be driving the vast majority of accommodation rentals at B.C. ski resorts this coming winter and
our marketing initiatives will reflect that.” With nearly half of Canadian renters living paycheque to paycheque, according to a report this week from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, experts have called on Ottawa to institute rent freezes and eviction deferrals during the crisis. In B.C., Premier John Horgan promised on Monday, March 23 that no one in the province will lose their apartment due to the pandemic, adding more details about a $5-billion aid package would come this week. The province is looking at several options to help renters, including expanding the Rental Assistance Program. (As Pique was going to press, Ottawa announced up to $900 biweekly, for up to 15 weeks, for workers and the self-employed who don’t qualify for paid sick leave or employment insurance.) But of course it’s not just renters feeling the pinch amid the fallout from COVID-19. Tricia Curmi owns and lives in a house in Alpine that is rented to several other tenants. Curmi said her and her partner reduced the rent by a third this week before two of their tenants broke the lease without notice. “The problem, I think, that landlords are going to start seeing is that people are going to want to start taking advantage of the situation. So even if they have family support or money set aside, they want to stay in Whistler and keep partying,” making it difficult to know who really needs support the most, she said. “Then landlords are going to be painted as the evil ones and we are going to get stuck for not paying our mortgages.” Federal finance minister Bill Morneau has asked Canada’s big banks to allow people to defer mortgage payments for up to six months, which the banks have said would be decided on a case-by-case basis for those experiencing pay and childcare disruption, or are facing illness from COVID-19. But there still appears to be a lack of clarity for frustrated Canadians looking for answers. “We haven’t been given any kind of guidelines for what qualifies,” said Eileen Craig, owner-broker for Sea to Sky Mortgages. “I think what happened is … the actual information hasn’t travelled all the way down to the frontline person. So people might be calling or speaking to somebody [at their bank] who isn’t quite aware of what they should be doing yet.” Craig said she has heard of clients who have successfully deferred their mortgage, but they have had to be persistent. “Just be patient, because everybody is going to have to get through and get processed. It’s taking that time,” she said. “The last thing Canada wants is for people to lose their homes; that doesn’t make sense on any level, so the banks are going to work with us.” n
NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY
Farm workers to be exempted from COVID-19 travel ban OBSTACLES REMAIN FOR FARMERS TO ACCESS WORKERS
BY JOEL BARDE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC is set to have a major impact on Canada’s farming sector, as many of the country’s farms rely on seasonal workers from abroad. According to the BC Agriculture Council, about 13,000 seasonal workers come work at B.C. farms on an annual basis. And while just last week, the federal government announced an exemption to its travel ban for temporary foreign workers, farmers said that it will still be difficult to bring workers here. “They’d normally be here pretty much by now, but we’re not expecting to see them until mid-May, if at all,” said West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy, of the six workers he is seeking to bring to his Pemberton Valley farm. Sturdy said that the challenge with agriculture is that you can’t delay
DIFFICULT TIMES Organic farms are often extremely labour intensive, with skilled migrant workers helping with the seasonal work on some farms. PHOTO BY CLARE OGILVIE
production for a month or two. “If you don’t get seeds in the ground, you don’t get a crop—period,” said Sturdy of North Arm Farm. He added there needs to be more clarity in terms of the 14-day mandatory
Over the years, migrant workers have provided a crucial resource to B.C.’s farming sector, filling in seasonal jobs that have been undesirable to B.C. residents, he said. The BC Agriculture Council is currently asking farmers not to make travel
“They’d normally be here pretty much by now, but we’re not expecting to see them until mid-May, if at all.” - JORDAN STURDY
quarantine that workers will be subject to. “What are the conditions that this needs to happen in?” he said. “It’s confusing enough to have a quarantine in your own house, let alone with six or eight guys from various other locations.” Reg Ens, executive director of the BC Agriculture Council, said the organization is currently working with the province to address these questions and others.
arrangements for their workers and is waiting for more clarity from the federal government. “The uncertainty that all of us, as residents, are wrestling with right now is the same thing that every farmer is wrestling with,” said Ens. Asked about food security, Ens said that he understands that B.C. is in good shape. “What I am told is that we have a very
robust food supply system in Canada, in B.C.,” said Ens. “I’m told by our commodity groups that there’s still lots of food in the supply chain.” Sturdy added that the provincial health minister and premier have assured the public that the food supply chains are strong. That said, Sturdy raised concerns about what will happen if there is a reduction in California’s output. “If [policies] are very restrictive at all, it will impact the ability of that part of the country to produce food, which will have an impact on us as Canadians—and certainly on prices,” said Sturdy. He added there is a misconception in some corners that migrant farm workers are unskilled. “It’s complex, complicated work,” he said. Asked if he wanted to highlight anything else, Ens said it’s important to note that Canada’s food system is safe. “We’ve heard from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that food is safe,” said Ens. “There have been no reports of any contamination of food. “So as long as you’re following good food-handling protocols, there aren’t any additional risks from our food system.” n
MARCH 26, 2020
23
DISPATCHES OUT OF RANGE
Pressure mounts for the province to ban backcountry recreation PROVINCE TIGHTENS RESTRICTIONS IN PARKS, BUT DOESN’T FOLLOW FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BAN
BY JOEL BARDE WHISTLER SEARCH and Rescue (WSAR) is calling on the provincial government to consider banning backcountry recreation, as its members do not have access to the specialized equipment needed to guard against COVID-19. “Our ability to respond is being considerably restricted,” said WSAR manager Brad Sills. Sills likened the current situation in the Whistler backcountry to that of a municipal pool that no longer has lifeguards on duty. “You have a decision to make. The pool is still there—you can still swim—but if you get in trouble, it may be a long time before somebody comes to you,” he said. “The government has to make some serious decisions here and put on their bigboy pants and do what’s required.” Longtime WSAR member and avalanche forecaster Wayne Flann is also voicing concerns about responding to calls given the lack of access to protective equipment for rescuers. “I personally will not go out on a call until I am supplied with the proper
BACKCOUNTRY BAN? The Alpine Club of Canada’s Wendy Thompson Hut is pictured here (preCOVID-19). It’s currently closed to the public, and only available for emergency use. PHOTO BY ALYSSA NOEL
24 MARCH 26, 2020
[personal protective equipment] if I need to make contact with a patient,” said Flann. “I have been practising social distancing and minimizing my contact with people in general … Volunteers should not be exposing themselves to any situation where there is a chance of contact.” The prospect of a blanket closure has polarized the backcountry community. Some say it’s time to do so given the current stresses on the province’s healthcare system, while others maintain that backcountry recreation can be carried out in a safe manner—and offers a way for people to maintain their physical and mental health during this difficult period. On March 24, Parks Canada announced that it will suspend vehicle access to all of its national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas, with Jonathan Wilkinson, federal minister of the environment, telling the public to cancel their trips and “stay at home” in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. While it is restricting access to backcountry recreation, the province is not following suit with a ban. On March 24, it announced the immediate closure of 14 busy provincial parks. In the South Coast region, these include Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, Murrin Provincial Park, Shannon Falls Provincial Park, Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park, and Stawamus Chief Provincial Park and Protected Area. In addition, the province announced the closure of remote campgrounds managed
by the Recreation Sites and Trails BC (RSTBC) branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. RSTBC campgrounds are generally located in remote areas and provide basic facilities—for example, Levette Lake and Cat Lake in Squamish, and the series of campsites located on the shores of Lillooet Lake past Pemberton, such as Strawberry Point and Driftwood Bay. While backcountry trails will remain open, all maintenance services, including grooming, have been suspended. The province is encouraging trail users to use only local facilities and to avoid travelling for recreation purposes. Prior to these changes, the province announced that washrooms and day-use facilities would be suspended until further notice and camping opportunities would be suspended until at least April 30 at provincial parks. Avalanche Canada is joining the ranks of those that want to see the government close the backcountry to ski touring for the rest of the season. Due to a “drying up” of information points, and concern that it is encouraging people to ski tour, it will offer its final avalanche forecast for the season on March 28, said Gilles Valade, executive director of Avalanche Canada. “We know that by providing information, it’s enabling and empowering people to go in the backcountry and recreate,” he said.
Hospitals and healthcare workers are “maxed out,” preparing and responding to the pandemic. “So why do anything that would add to that burden?” The 2019-20 season has been an alarming one for many in the backcountry community, with a marginal start to the season leading to a deep, faceted layer of snow that was compounded by a cold spell with relatively little snowfall. (Faceted snow refers to snow grains that have transformed into larger, angular grains. These facets have weak bonds with neighbouring snow grains and are often referred to as “sugary” snow.) According to Jayson Faulkner, head of the Spearhead Huts Society, there is fear that this layer could “wake up” going into the spring. “It’s been sitting there since the end of November, and we also know that that thing was expected to wake up in the spring potentially,” said Faulkner. “Yeah, that’s definitely worrying.” The concerns come at a time when many people in the Sea to Sky region are heading into the backcountry as a way to stay physically and mentally strong amid a deluge of dire COVID-19-related stories. According to Sills, if you do go, he recommends taking a conservative approach, and ensuring you have the ability self-rescue if things go sideways. “If a call comes in, we are going to be evaluating it very precisely in terms of risk to our responders,” he said. “We’ve never responded to a pandemic before.” n
PRACTICE PHYSICAL DISTANCING: • Avoid nonessential trips into the community • Avoid gatherings • Stay at least 2 metres (6 feet from others in public
Public No�ce
Ques�ons? We’re Listening.
604.894.6135
Please visit www.whistler.ca/ covid19 for the latest updates from the RMOW.
www.whistler.ca/ covid19
admin@ pemberton.ca
No�ce to Amend Council Procedure Bylaw No. 788, 2015 In accordance with sec�on 123 (3) of the Community Charter no�ce is hereby given that the Council of the Village of Pemberton intends to amend Council Procedure Bylaw No. 778, 2015 at the Special Council Mee�ng to be held on Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. In par�cular, Section 10 Electronic Participation at Meetings will be amended to add the following clause: Despite (b) and (c) above, in the event of a health, environmental or safety emergency, where it is not possible to have a quorum or the Mayor or Ac�ng Mayor physically present for a mee�ng, all or any por�on of the members may par�cipate in a Council mee�ng by means of electronic or other communica�on facili�es, so long as they comply with the remaining requirements of this Sec�on.
The proposed amendment will provide the opportunity for all members of Council to a�end electronically in the event of a health, environmental or safety emergency in which it www.pemberton.ca is not possible for quorum to be achieved through the physical presence of the Mayor some or all Council Members. A copy of the proposed Council Procedure Amendment (Electronic Par�cipa�on) Bylaw No. 875, 2020 is available on the Village of Pemberton website. Ques�ons and comments can be directed to Sheena Fraser, Manager of Corporate & Legisla�ve Services, at 604-894-6135 ext 228 or sfraser@pemberton.ca.
VillageOfPemberton
www.pemberton.ca MARCH 26, 2020
25
Public Open House - POSTPONED Alta Vista Neighbourhood Service Upgrade Design is near complete for Phase 2 of the project to be implemented in the summer season of 2021 and 2022. The scope of this project will include upgrades to sewer and water services, drainage, road infrastructure and the Valley Trail in the Alta Vista neighbourhood. Please note that the following open house is postponed Tuesday, March 31 – 4:30pm - 7:30pm Delta Hotel Whistler Village Suite – Whisky Jack B Now scheduled on: Tuesday, June 16 – 4.30pm - 7.30pm Location will be confirmed closer to the date. Learn about the project at the public open house and come share your thoughts. whistler.ca/AltaVistaUpgrades Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca
Thank you to Pemberton’s
Doctors, Nurses, First Responders, Lab Technicians, Healthcare & Support Staff, Transit Workers, Grocery Store Staff, Pharmacy Staff, Postal Workers, Gas SSta�on Staff, Phone & Internet Providers, Delivery Companies & Drivers, Hardware Store Staff, Restaurants/Coffee Shop Staff, BCLC Staff and Volunteers
We need to help our essen�al service workers and volunteers remain healthy. Do your part: Make only needed trips for supplies and stay home.
VillageOfPemberton 26 MARCH 26, 2020
www.pemberton.ca
SCIENCE MATTERS
Healthy forests mean healthy people IF YOU LOOK AT a forest top from above or below, you might see a pattern of nicely spaced pathways twisting between the trees. This phenomenon is known as “crown shyness.” Attempts have been made to explain it, with most experts concluding it’s due to many factors. Initially, it was thought to be wind making the upper branches rub against each other, damaging them to the point where they stop growing. But one study found no difference between windy and sheltered forests.
BY DAVID SUZUKI One hypothesis is that light levels allow the growing tree tips to detect when another is too close, causing them to stop growing in that direction. Others think it could be natural adaptation to help trees maximize access to resources like light and minimize competition. Despite their crown “social distancing,” many trees communicate with each other through underground fungal networks, or “mycorrhizae.” As Peter Wohlleben explored in The Hidden Life of Trees and Wayne Grady and I in Tree: A Life Story, these “wood-wide webs” allow fungi to derive sugars from the trees, while providing trees with water, nutrients and better conditions for root expansion. They also facilitate transmission of warnings between trees about threats from insects, drought and more.
Let’s take a lesson from the trees and recognize that we are stronger together. Both books illuminate how much we have to learn about trees and forests. Once you start exploring their complexity—the ways in which they interconnect to be stronger as a whole than their constituent parts—you’ll never see them in the same way. We can’t live without trees and forests. They provide oxygen, food, wood and other resources, and sequester carbon. Forests— and all natural spaces—are also beneficial for our physical and mental health. Numerous studies illustrate how much forest walks can do for heart and respiratory health, immune system function and lowering stress levels. Studies based on Japan’s long tradition of shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing” found
people who spend time in nature inhale “beneficial bacteria, plant-derived essential oils and negatively-charged ions” that interact with gut bacteria to strengthen the body’s immune system and improve both mental and physical health. One Japanese study of 585 participants found walking through forested areas decreased depression, anxiety, anger, fatigue and confusion, and increased vigour and other positive feelings compared with walking through city areas. A UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine article describes scientific findings that “walking in trees lowered people’s blood pressure, cortisol levels, pulse rates, and sympathetic nervous system activity (related to stress), while increasing their parasympathetic nervous system activity (related to relaxation)”—all good for heart health. Studies have also found proximity to forested areas improves respiratory health. Some research even found just looking at images of forests can improve your state of mind! Reducing stress and anxiety and boosting immune systems and respiratory health are all important in these troubling times—keeping in mind the current rules and recommendations about social distancing and hygiene. Forests are also a critical defence against disease outbreaks. A Nation article notes 60 per cent of microbial pathogens that have emerged or re-emerged into new areas since 1940 (including HIV, Ebola, Zika and a number of coronaviruses) originated from animals—two-thirds from wildlife and the rest from pets and livestock. Wild animals become more susceptible to pathogens if their habitat is damaged or destroyed, and this also puts infected animals in closer contact with people. The illicit wildlife trade is another area that needs to be brought under control to keep pathogens from spreading from one species to another. Industrial agriculture, where many animals are kept together in close quarters can also increase disease spread, as we saw in 2014 when millions of poultry had to be slaughtered to contain a virulent form of avian influenza. Another argument for shifting to a plant-based diet! Now and always, we need to protect, conserve, plant and restore forests, wetlands and other natural areas—to help in the fight against climate disruption and disease spread, and to ensure more people have access to areas that keep us mentally and physically well. Regardless of whether or not you can get out into nature, it’s important now that we take care of each other and ourselves. Let’s take a lesson from the trees and recognize that we are stronger together. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Editor and Writer Ian Hanington. n
ODD JOB
The podcaster IN A BYGONE ERA (last summer) where you welcomed people to your home, Andrea Helleman shows up with a vintage hardcover vanity case, like a door-to-door salesperson of yore. But this is no Avon calling or Fuller Brush dude. The case holds recording equipment and cameras. Helleman is setting
BY LESLIE ANTHONY up for an episode of her popular online listen, The Lawless Podcast—and I’m honoured to be its latest subject. An open, breezy manner has us chatting immediately, her manifold curiosity pulling in numerous directions. By the time she unspools all the wires, sets up the mics, and plugs into her board, we’ve already been yapping for half an hour. Is there anything left to say, topics left to cover? Doubtless. After all, this podcast is lawless—no rules, no real formula, no set length, no regular release dates. It just happens. Not only that, but she gets it done off the side of a very busy business desk that sees her working with entrepreneurs and small businesses to develop their brand. “I like when people have an idea and then I create the branding and it becomes real to them,” she summarizes. Originally, she’d looked to create a podcast focused on the business, but when she sat down to do so, wasn’t that inspired.
LAW OF THE LAND Andrea Helleman records an episode of The Lawless Podcast. PHOTO SUBMITTED
“It just didn’t feel right. I wanted to put something out into the world that was pure passion. I’m most passionate about where I live and the people I know, and I like conversations and stories, so it seemed a better medium to explore the fabric of the Sea to Sky—athletes, wellness types, creatives.” Although technically proficient in graphic design, photography, and filming, wading into audio was different. For tips, Helleman dug into YouTube and talked to Whistler-based Mark Warner, creator of the excellent ski-related Low Pressure Podcast. And the ear-grabbing name? “A therapist once told me I was lawless, a word that seemed the perfect catch-all for a platform with no direction and where I don’t have to justify anything.”
sense of him, but those who don’t know him didn’t understand the interview.” This early dichotomy highlighted the diversity and challenge she was about to encounter. “They’re all so different, but before those two, I’d never conducted an interview and had to grow into it. The biggest thing I’ve learned to do is relax. After a busy day, sitting down to make a podcast is a kind of relief. They typically start out slow and maybe a bit stiff, but eventually— usually when I run out of questions—a real conversation begins.” The list of Sea-to-Sky photographers, athletes, polymaths, yogis and others she has chatted with in the past year is now some 40-some deep, a watershed after a slow start. “I had five episodes ready before I launched because I was hesitant, anxious
“A therapist once told me I was lawless, a word that seemed the perfect catch-all for a platform with no direction and where I don’t have to justify anything.” - ANDREA HELLEMAN
For her first recording, she sat down with snowboard icon Jonaven Moore in his trailer. Sponsored from a young age, as the stakes of the pro game rose, the shrinking sphere of what Moore loved provoked an existential crisis that saw him walk away from it all, a story that intrigued Helleman. Where Moore was measured and thoughtful, a calm ride on a smooth trail, her second interview—Rory Bushfield—was more bucking bronco. “People who know Rory thought I made
and questioning the whole thing.” Then she just did it and realized it wasn’t that big of a deal—like most things in life. “But now that I have a bit of a system,” she muses, “my brain wonders if I should switch it up a bit, add a different element. Is that human nature or an artist’s thing? I don’t know. Some interviews are difficult, some therapeutic, and many of them inspirational. Overall, it has been a freeing experience. As a person, I’ve become more
open-minded and a little less critical— especially with myself.” My own time with Helleman is easy, stimulating, wide-ranging, and as much about her interests and knowledge as mine; true conversation—two hours’ worth. How does that work in a time of short attention spans? “Everyone consumes things in different ways,” she notes. “I’ll listen to a three-hour podcast in parts and be doing different things while I listen.” During her last few years as a long-time server, Helleman stopped looking at what she was being tipped, feeling that doing the math undermined her approach to the job. With Lawless, she likewise doesn’t bother with analytics. “I don’t want to change my relationship with it—it’s still a passion project. I’m surprised and happy when people tell me they listen, but what’s really cool about this platform is that you can just put it out there and whoever finds you, finds you.” The last person she interviewed was Murray Siple, director of Carts of Darkness. “He said I should have a party and invite everyone I’ve ever interviewed. Great idea—but a ways off now.” With the value of podcasts increasing many-fold in recent weeks, what of the future? The same as for most of us: remote. “I have to figure out distance recording; I’ve only done one before.” Since podcasts are about both perspectives in the moment and creating an historical record, these are bound to be even more intriguing. Leslie Anthony has never had a real job— which is why he writes about them. Would yours make a good story? Let him know at docleslie@me.com. n
MARCH 26, 2020
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FEATURE STORY
28 MARCH 26, 2020
FEATURE STORY PHOTO BY JAMES EDWARD MILLS
The power of
PERSEVERANCE
W E ’ R E AT T H E F O R E F R O N T O F B R I N G I N G D I V E R S I T Y T O W I N T E R S P O R T S . F I N A L LY.
BY MAGDALENA BOKOWA “There’s a quote I really love by Maya Angelou, ‘If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude about it.’ And I’m not ready to change my attitude.” - JUDITH KASIAMA COLOUR THE TRAILS FOUNDER, MEC AMBASSADOR
PERSISTENCE.
The act of doing something in spite of it all. It can be found when you’re knee-deep in the backcountry preparing to go off-piste or wobbling at the top of Magic Chair, steadying yourself for your very first run. In the case of those forging the path to truly diversify the outdoors, perseverance is the backbone, the foundation, to which these pioneers fall back on. But in an industry that is predominately white-centred, heterosexual and cis-gendered, who is driving diversity forward? And in what ways? There are 2.5-million skiers and snowboarders in Canada, according to the Canadian Ski Council with the average median household income at $100,000. The National Parks Service (NPS) reports that 78 per cent of those who visited U.S. parks were white (numbers were unavailable in Canada) and only seven-per-cent black. In a time when Whistler Blackcomb experienced its lowest snowfall in over 30 years through Dec. 31, 2019 and had “very poor results through the early season and critical holiday period,” according to CEO Rob Katz in a secondquarter earnings report, opening skiing initiatives across all sectors, ages, genders and ethnicities should be at the forefront for every resort operator and industry insider.
But it isn’t. Keeping the sport robust is a must. Reaching new skiers and snowboarders, lowering the barriers of entry and making it more accessible should be a driving force for inclusion. As is making it clear that there is room for everyone in the outdoors—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or body type. Historically, these conversations have been muted, meaning the path forward can be nuanced and the conversations uncomfortable.
THE ADVENTURE GAP: JAMES EDWARD MILLS “As a person of colour, I spent the majority of my earliest days as a professional in the outdoor industry not noticing very many people who look like me,” says James Edward Mills, a journalist who authored the book, The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors, and who chronicled the first all-African-American ascent of Denali. Mills says that as a child of the ‘60s, he believed that by the time the new millennium rolled around,
MARCH 26, 2020
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FEATURE STORY
“WE’VE SEEN AN INTEREST IN NATIVE AMERICAN EXPERIENCES IN THE OUTDOORS, ALSO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY HAS MADE A HUGE INCREASE IN THEIR PRESENCE AND AWARENESS ABOUT OUTDOOR RECREATION, SO THINGS HAVE DEFINITELY CHANGED. THE QUESTION NOW IS, how can we take the next step?
”
- JAMES EDWARD MILLS
PHOTO BY PAVEL BOIKO PHOTOGRAPHY
RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
conversations surrounding race and the outdoors wouldn’t be necessary. “I assumed that the divides that prevent people of colour and other underrepresented segments of the population from engaging in outdoor activities, especially winter sports would change ... but that wasn’t the case.” In turn, he’s dedicated himself to reframing those stale conversations about a lack of diversity into new narratives, propping up emerging role models within the industry and sharing success stories. “Over the last six years since the expedition, we’ve actually seen quite a bit of positive change,” reports Mills, who says that grassroots organizations are beginning to emerge such as Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors and Brothers of Climbing. “You know, we’ve seen an interest in Native American experiences in the outdoors, also the LGBTQ community has made a huge increase in their presence and awareness about outdoor recreation, so things have definitely changed. The question now is, how can we take the next step?” Mills defines that as making the jump from not just creating recreation opportunities but career and public advocacy positions within the industry. “So that people of colour are working in the industry both as designer of product, as guides, as ski instructors, lift operators, in all forms of different types of employment that are part of the outdoor industry.” Increasing higher levels of interest and enthusiasm is what he calls “broadspectrum participation” and where the movement needs to go next. Outdoor brands such as Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) are rolling out ad campaigns featuring people of colour enjoying the outside, spearheaded in part by Amil Reddy, a transgendered person of colour, who is driving conversation not only within the organization but at a leadership level. Smaller grassroots initiatives are beginning to emerge, such as the Vancouver-based Colour the Trails, founded by Democratic of Congo refugee and avid athlete, Judith Kasiama who just started skiing last year at the age of 29 but brought out 20 or so participants to a Never Ever Day at Whistler this year. Even Vail Resorts is pledging to expand its services to underserved youth in urban areas for the upcoming
2020-21 season, announcing an overall US$10-million contribution from CEO Katz and his wife Elena Amsterdam to be matched to Vail Resort’s annual $5.6-million contribution—though it pales in comparison to the tens of millions planned for overall park improvements at its resorts. Marjory Elwell, corporate communications manager at Vail Resorts. says the programs currently reach 4,500 kids annually but hopes to boost that number up to 10,000. These kids receive free lift tickets, ski and ride lessons, equipment rentals and lunch at no charge. The cash injection, spread out over 19 resorts, would further support Sea to Sky non-profits such as Zero Ceiling, Kids on the Move, and the First Nations Snowboard Team.
SOARING HIGH: FIRST NATIONS SNOWBOARDING TEAM The First Nations Snowboard Team (FNST) is not only marking 16 years in existence but thriving with growing numbers, mentorship programs and new initiatives, spearheaded by Court “Blackbird” Larabee, FNST’s executive director and also the Indigenous Relations Specialist for Whistler Blackcomb. “We’ve grown immensely,” says Larabee of the team, which rattles off an impressive list of Indigenous youth members stretching from resorts from Whistler to Cypress, Grouse, Sasquatch Mountain Resort, Kamloops, and all the way over to Mount Washington. When speaking about diversity and the First Nations, particularly regarding the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations, Larabee is passionate. “You know, it’s not as bad as crosscountry skiing,” he laughs, “But alpine skiing and alpine boarding has always been a very non-diverse sport so it’s great to see these groups, really the new generations of people, all on the mountain.” The organization aims to reduce socioeconomic barriers by providing a season pass, at least 10 days of coaching, youth mentorship and leadership opportunities so that the younger generations can be role models for other First Nations athletes. “This is their own traditional territory so it’s beneficial to them and it’s huge to celebrate their culture themselves,”
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FEATURE STORY Judith Kasiama. PHOTO BY PAVEL BOIKO PHOTOGRAPHY Larabee adds. “The leaders are really happy that the kids are back on their own mountain plane and it’s good to see healthy young leaders and success stories, because there’s too many negative tales and it’s time to change stigmas.”
COLOUR THE TRAIL’S JUDITH KASIAMA AND MEC’S AMIL REDDY Changing stigmas is exactly up Judith Kasiama’s alley. In 2018, she posted a photo of herself in the outdoors and called out MEC for failing to diversify their advertising, perpetuating the myth that only white people frequent the outdoors. The retailer responded with CEO David Labistour acknowledging the issue and pledging to diversify their marketing. “When you look at skiing, you don’t really see a lot of black people in advertising whatsoever,” says Kasiama, who notes too that “when you buy gear, you rarely see a person of colour. So we’re not being represented visually.” Asked if she’s seen an increase in diversity within advertising, even after the callout, Kasiama remarks, “Not really. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” but adds that she’s not counting on brands to represent her community. “At the end of the day, brands just want to showcase diversity to sell a product.” Instead her focus is on grassroots initiatives such as her own Colour the Trails, where she organizes group outdoor outings and film screenings. She’s also focused on changing the narrative by sharing her and other Black, Indigenous and People of Colour’s (BIPOC) stories. “I know for myself, seeing the feed of me going skiing has inspired a lot of people both black and white and of various ages to try skiing on their own because I started out really late and I’ve come to love it,” she says. By doing this, Kasiama is hoping to fight the underlying stigma that as she puts it, “black folks don’t do this kind of sport,” adding that the stigma itself can paralyze newcomers to trying out a new outdoor activity because, “in some ways, people may not be doing it because they’re being told that they don’t do it.” Amil Reddy, the Organizational Development Manager at MEC, knows
these challenges well and has done their part in advocating for diversity within MEC’s marketing materials. “As a trans person of colour, I know the importance of welcoming spaces. The retail sector is binary and MEC operates within those constraints,” says Reddy, who notes that apart from diversifying their ad campaigns, supporting pride events, displaying rainbow flags at their retail stores and having universal washrooms, MEC has been steadily highlighting universal and unisex products. Reddy even wrote a “gifts for them” guide during the holidays. Reddy can be seen as a force within the outdoor community in that they have the unique ability to drive change from within. Managing the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee and promoting a culture of inclusion, Reddy says they have four main focus areas: “POC Representation, LGBTQ2S+ Inclusion, Indigenous Allyship, and ALL abilities, ages, sizes, and genders.” This extends out to hiring: both staff, executive and board members and includes “creating training to address unconscious bias, and leading initiatives to foster a culture of inclusion in the organization.” Part of bridging the gap is to ensure there is diversity within executive and leadership roles at organizations such as MEC and other outdoor brands. When asked what could be done to further propel organizations to diversify from within, particularly at the executive level, Reddy recalls that at a MEC event celebrating International Women’s Day, CEO Phil Arrata said that the expectation of any hiring committee should be to ensure they meet with a diverse pool of candidates, then hire the best person for the job. Reddy agrees with Arrata, stating, “This first step—of ensuring that the pool of candidates is diverse—is a game-changer. We need to get that right, no matter if it feels like it will take a bit more time or be a bit more difficult; those are excuses. We know that diversity of thought and experience create better teams, more innovative companies, and drive growth.” How to get candidates into that pool, however, is a path not yet clearly formed, but growing mentorship and activity within the community certainly will help. “Outside is for everyone and it’s my goal
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MARCH 26, 2020
31
FEATURE STORY
“As a trans person of colour, I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF WELCOMING SPACES. THE RETAIL SECTOR IS BINARY AND MEC OPERATES WITHIN THOSE CONSTRAINTS ...” - AMIL REDDY
National Brotherhood of Skiers members pose for a group photo at a recent summit. PHOTO SUBMITTED Amil Reddy. PHOTO SUBMITTED
National Brotherhood of Skiers founders Ben Finley, left, and Art Clay. PHOTO SUBMITTED that we see our stories and experiences reflected and valued at MEC,” Reddy says.
NATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF SKIERS SOLDIERS ON It turns out, however, there’s been steadfast momentum. Firstly within groups such as the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS), founded in 1973. Its members recently celebrated their 46th summit just this past month. Founders Art Clay and Ben Finley are being inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame on March 28, the first African-Americans to be welcomed into the esteemed establishment. “Well, 40-plus years ago there weren’t many folks like me on the slopes,” says Finley, who started NBS just after the Black Power movement had taken off and used it as a way to build community as well as ensuring group safety for members on an otherwise whitewashed mountain. “There was a need for us to move in groups.” The duo decided to bring together the handful of African-American ski groups at the time and, as he puts it, “invade Aspen, Colorado.” The town, in part, took it as an invasion, and the National Guard was deployed on standby for the first ever summit held in 1973. That event had 350 skiers, and in its heyday in the 1990s, the summits would draw between 5,000 and 10,000 attendees, according to Clay. The summit, a vibrant multi-day skiing and party extravaganza full of old friends reuniting and at times, dancing in the streets, is most importantly a fundraiser to support young NBS skiers, offering
32 MARCH 26, 2020
free tickets, coaching and support as they move through their skiing journey. And though annual attendance to the summits is down, at just 600 this year in Sun Valley, the NBS says they bolster a “high retention rate,” once they have members committed. For them, the challenge will be enrolling millennial skiers, and figuring out a revamped marketing strategy that speaks to them.
and language throughout the resort and a custom bereavement policy when Nation members pass away, they have created opportunities to educate the public of the territory’s rich cultural history by, for example, renaming and recreating Squamish and Lil’wat pictographs on the old staff buildings and hosting an elder day full of storytelling. This year, both Nations were scheduled to come back next month for a mix of elder storytelling and tubing to be offered to the kids in care of the Lil’wat communities. One can’t speak about the lack of diversity in But back to persistence. It’s the critical winter sports, particularly in skiing, without When Larabee from the First Nations component here that nearly every leader acknowledging a pretty big barrier of entry: Snowboard Team is asked what he owes his mentioned when speaking of their work in cost. With Whistler Blackcomb’s day-of pass success to, his answer is simple. trying to make the outdoors truly inclusive. soaring to a high of $161 at the ticket window “Perseverance.” Because through that perseverance, they’re this year, it’s enough to curb the appetite “I think that I see a little bit of myself in safeguarding the fact that the outdoors are of any enthusiastic newcomer. “Pricing is a a lot of these youth. I grew up in care myself truly for everyone. And it’s a long road ahead. huge issue,” says Kasiama. and I saw these different challenges that are Above all, ensuring that everyone can “It kind of bothers me that a lot of these so evident in the community around us.” enjoy that freedom, the genuine tranquility resorts or people want to talk about diversity, He notes not having role models that could and peace of mind that being in nature can but we’re not talking about, you know, speak to or understand his situation as a bring is what diversity brings to the table. what’s stopping people from entering those big barrier to his eventual internal growth. “Just kind of being that example is important,” spaces? I think [when] you say diversity “So that’s why I positioned myself to be says Kasiama, “And hopefully, as we move and inclusion, you actually have to work someone that I never had growing up and forward as a society it no longer becomes in a way that invites everybody to the table that’s what keeps you going. It’s definitely something to be amazed at since it becomes and supports local groups who are making not the paycheque, but it’s most certainly normalized. Everybody has accessibility.” the effort.” the smiles and just knowing that you’re And for those wanting to get outside but Kasiama acknowledges her own doing good,” he notes. are unsure of where to start, Reddy notes, financial burden in creating the Colour Nominated for the Rising Star Award “the first thing I would say is just get outside the Trails group, often ferrying people by the Whistler Chamber for the third and move. That doesn’t necessarily mean around and paying for gas or spending her time, Larabee has also fostered changes at a hike up a mountain and tons of gear. It own money for out-of-pocket costs. She Whistler Blackcomb, a place that he says can be a walk with a friend in a park with says it’s tough to continuously try to find hasn’t felt like home for many Indigenous nothing more than good walking shoes and organizations to help fund her initiatives, youth. “They didn’t feel comfortable at comfortable clothes. Or a bike ride. Find but she herself is trying to be creative in Whistler, they didn’t feel like it was a home, out what you enjoy doing and when you getting people outside, at a lower cost. so that was a problem for me.” Larabee says are ready, explore ways you can challenge Her motive to keep going? “Seeing that along with using Indigenous imagery yourself.” ■
THE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE BARRIER: COST
community members join us for the first time, and then a year later seeing their confidence ... and then seeing them willingly try different things and then seeing them excel,” she says. “It’s great to see that transformation and then the ability to just say ‘yes’ to a lot of the crazy adventures that I pose. People are like, ‘yeah!’ They take that risk because they trust me and we developed that kind of trust.’”
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MARCH 26, 2020
33
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
TIM MORCH
TIM MORCH
ANATOMY OF A LOCKDOWN BY TIM MORCH
34 MARCH 26, 2020
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE When visiting my daughter in Nice, France, I often run my van up Mont Chauve to park for the night overlooking the city and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a short drive down to walk her to school, pick her up, or go to the park. I have a favoured hairpin curve that offers the longest hours of sunlight before the glorious orb dips behind the mountain, all the while giving up the strongest mobile signal around. On Thursday, March 12, the French government announced schools would close the following Monday, crowds over 500 were prohibited, people over 70 were recommended to stay home, yet, for some bizarre reason, voting in municipal elections would go ahead Sunday. We closed school immediately and I spent Friday with my daughter. Around noon, her mom called to request I go to the supermarket for staples as her lunchtime walk revealed shelves in Monaco emptying out. I admired the choices of the senior in front of me (correct physical distancing practiced): a four-year supply of laundry detergent, a six-month supply toilet paper, and bottled water—as if clean drinking water does not flow from the taps. I confess to taking the last five bags of the preferred pasta from the local Bio-Coop. COVID-19 has had Italy on its knees for weeks, yet the French seemed cavalier as recently as March 14, when the market was packed, and cafes were full of people paying zero attention to social distancing or proper cough/sneeze techniques. And let’s not forget the bise—the perfect French double cheek kiss of microbial migration. I walked the tram tracks, distanced from the mob, snuck to my favourite vegetable vendor, loaded a basket and left out the back. Further up the hill, the clientele in the bakery were joking with the server about her gloves. “Do you change them for every customer?” asks one. The server feigns to scratch her armpits in reply. Again, no distancing, with 10 people crammed into just over three square metres (35 sq. ft). A friend of mine at MSF in Geneva recorded an official communique that Switzerland is two to seven days behind France, pleading for everyone to stay home for the weekend and noting the teens and young adults appeared to be “super-carriers.” Not surprisingly, that same demographic arrived on the mountain late Saturday afternoon, three cars full,
and proceeded to share drinks and joints. Saturday night, the government closed all bars and restaurants. As Saturday’s closures began to sink in, Sunday saw a remarkable number of visits to Mont Chauve, probably more people than voted, as turnout, not surprisingly, was abysmal. My daughter and I hunkered down Monday, drawing, playing Pirate Attack and making up stories. I walked to the supermarkets but chose not to enter the fray, noting lineups of 50 people and more. By end-of-day, the government had issued new regulations, effective noon Tuesday. Remaining in Nice on Tuesday, March 17, I watched morning movement reduce to near nothing in the afternoon. The occasional bus buffeted my van, random joggers went around in circles and dog walks were shortened as people are required to stay close to home and—theoretically— carry a signed “Attestation de Deplacement Derogatoire” to justify one of four allowable reasons to be out of the house. Midday on March 18, I have returned to Mont Chauve where I have become accustomed to sounds of barking dogs and crowing roosters nearby getting drowned out by the din of the city as sirens sound, traffic tangles, horns blare and tempers flare. But this is Day 2 of the French lockdown, barely 24 hours since application of Article 1 of the government decree, March 16, and the animals have the stage. There is an eerie silence from civilization below and birds create the cacophony in the nearby grasses. Nature has ascended as barking dogs seem loud and, if the crowing is an indicator, the roosters have no idea it is not dawn. Impressive. Meanwhile, the entire EU has reacted with varying levels of decrees, most borders closed and all but essential travel prohibited. This is a critical moment in history. Time will tell how people react and what happens as there is a fortnight remaining in the French decree. It is my sincere hope that people will be able to come together (at a distance of two metres) and support each other and those in need. Meanwhile, my daughter is safely in her home and her mother working remotely to isolate while I survey the city from above. n
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Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca MARCH 26, 2020
35
SPORTS THE SCORE
Whistler skiers reflect on Junior Worlds PEIFFER HAD QUALIFIED FOR FIRST WORLD CUP
BY DAN FALLOON OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS, the world changed really quickly and forced pretty much everyone to adapt. Some of those alterations were major, and proportionally, some were a little more minor. In the span of just a few days, Whistler cross-country skier Benita Peiffer went from the joys of qualifying to make her FIS World Cup debut, to discovering that the Canadian team was pulling itself from the Quebec City race to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19, to the contest ultimately being cancelled for the same reason. Competing at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships at Oberwiesenthal, Germany, the 19-year-old finished 25th in the sprint race on Feb. 29 to lock in her spot at the Quebec World Cup, which was scheduled for March 13 to 15. “It was incredible to get top-30 at World Juniors and finish in 25th,” she said. “That was one of my goals going into World Juniors, and I wouldn’t have been disappointed if I hadn’t accomplished that, but it was definitely one of my biggest goals and I’m really happy that I was able to place top 30.” Peiffer said the qualification unfortunately will not carry over for when racing resumes in the future, but while selfisolating in Calgary, she said it’s the least of her concerns at this time. “We won’t have any World Cups in Canada next year, so that won’t even be possible, but I’m sure there’ll be another opportunity like that in my future,” she said. “I’m not too worried.” Peiffer said that a gap still exists,
POWERFUL PEIFFER Benita Peiffer, shown here in a 2018 race, qualified for her first-ever World Cup while at the Junior World Ski Championships in Germany.
PHOTO BY MARTIN KAISER COURTESY OF LAKEHEAD NORDIC SKI ASSOCIATION
36 MARCH 26, 2020
generally, between Canadian skiers and those from the top countries, but she and her teammates are eager to train and try to narrow that void. “It’s a reality check to see where we are as Canadians and where we can place in such a large field. Sprint is my best race, so I was definitely counting on that if I was going to qualify for the World Cup, so there was definitely a little more pressure on that race,” she said. “In those circumstances where the competition is so tough, you just have to focus on what you can do.” Peiffer acknowledged that she was lucky to have made the sprint finals as she qualified in 30th, just on the cutoff line. Though she didn’t advance from her first heat, she was glad to at least have risen a few spots. “My first heat was very challenging and I was up against some of the best girls in the world,” she said. “I did make up a few spots, but it was definitely very intimidating to race against such fast skiers. In Canada, we’re definitely not used to that tough level of competition. It was different race tactics,
30-km mass start on March 4, finishing 45th. While he enjoyed being at the championships and taking on the world, the format was admittedly a little frustrating for Murdoch, as he watched his teammates line up while he had to wait and warm up for his lone shot.
“In those circumstances where the competition is so tough, you just have to focus on what you can do.” - BENITA PEIFFER
a lot more aggressive. I just had to learn how to ski behind some of those faster girls. “As soon as I finished, I just wanted to do it again because I’m just not used to racing against that level of competition.” Peiffer placed 49th in both of her other events, the five-km classic and 15-km mass start. Meanwhile, fellow Whistlerite Michael Murdoch competed in just one race, the
“I wasn’t super excited on my performance. I don’t really know why I didn’t have a great race, but I know that that just isn’t what I’m used to, especially in comparison to some of the other Canadian guys who were there, who I’m normally competing with,” he said. “It was a little hard. There was a lot of time leading up to it and I hit one race and that was it. “I didn’t get much prep for the actual
racing scene. I had a lot of training time, but just not a lot of race prep.” Murdoch said it was initially difficult to plan what distances they were going to race, as there were low-snow conditions in the region. However, Ullr stepped up and provided 15 centimetres before the first race and the championships proceeded as normal. Murdoch, 20, also appreciated having extra support from the Canadian national team, such as a wax tech, in attendance. The big encouraging moment for the Canadians was seeing the junior boys’ team of Xavier McKeever, Olivier Leveille, Thomas Stephen and Remi Drolet come away with the silver medal in the 4-by-5-km relay on March 6. While Murdoch would have loved to have been part of the quartet that was chosen to race, he was proud to see what the crew accomplished. “We always talk about the American team [which won], how you watch them go and it seems like they’re about to die for their country on the ski trails and we always wished that Canada had that,” he said. “Watching those guys ski out there, it looked exactly like the Americans.” n
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ON TO 2021 The Whistler Half Marathon cancelled its 2020 race due to COVID-19 concerns, but plans to come back next summer.
FILE PHOTO BY DAN FALLOON
Whistler Half Marathon cancelled VIRTUAL RACE BEING OFFERED IN ITS PLACE
BY DAN FALLOON THE 2020 WHISTLER Half Marathon will not go on. The race, originally scheduled for June 6, will be cancelled as a precaution related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, race founder Dave Clark announced on March 24. Clark said that making the decision with more than two months to go before race day allowed some flexibility in how the participants will be taken care of, as they have four options of what to do with their registration dollars: receive a refund less a 15-per-cent administration fee; defer to either 2021 or 2022; or donate it to a newly launched Community Recovery Fund. “It just feels like the right thing to do at this point in time. We really felt it was best to make the decision a little earlier than later and that allows us the ability to help take care of the people that have registered to give them some options,” Clark said. While Clark is looking to make arrangements with the Whistler Community Services Society to help support it, at this point, the Community Recovery Fund is planning to work directly with Nesters Market to help provide gift cards to those who need them. Clark added that BlueShore Financial has pledged to match donations up to $3,000. “For anyone who registered and gave their registration fee of $80 or $100, they know that it’s actually getting doubled and it’s going to help twice as many people,” Clark said. The race always took a financial approach of operating based on cash in hand rather than on credit, so it is in good position to weather the storm, Clark said. “We pressure-tested a bunch of different scenarios as far as viability with the cancellation and from the very beginning, we were always very conscious
of working on a cash basis,” he said. “In the very early days, we worked to a point where we felt we had a bit of a nest egg to cover anything unexpected and certainly, this is well beyond anything unexpected.” And while the race itself won’t happen, Clark said there will be a virtual race in early June. Participants will register online and can post their times and distances. There will be a random drawing for door prizes provided by presenting sponsor Smartwool. “Hopefully, for some people, it will
“We really felt it was best to make the decision a little earlier than later and that allows us the ability to help take care of the people that have registered to give them some options.” - DAVE CLARK
keep them motivated,” Clark said. “We feel that staying motivated to exercise—as much as we need to be social distancing and in isolation if we have to be—there’s still opportunity to maintain your physical health, which will, in turn, assist your mental health. “The mental health aspect of this is going to be tough for a lot of people and we think that exercise and running, specifically, is so good for your mental health.” n
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a public health emergency in our Province. Our priority is to keep Canadians safe and healthy while responding to quickly-evolving challenges. We face, among other things, an unprecedented: ■ public health challenge to mitigate the worst impacts of COVID-19, ■ economic and financial challenge to support workers and businesses through a prolonged downturn, ■ peacetime consular and logistical challenge to repatriate Canadians, and ■ immediate collective action challenge to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Public Health Agency of Canada updates its recommendations and directives to respond to fast changing circumstances. We must all follow the directives of federal and provincial public health officials, including Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. The latest information on prevention, preparedness, and travel health advice can be found at canada.ca/coronavirus, by calling 1-833-784-4397, or at the BC Centre for Disease Control: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19, or by calling 811. Our Government established the $1 billion COVID-19 Response Fund to support the provinces and territories to fight the virus, including supplies and support for services, by increased screenings and testing, and enhanced research and coordinated action among all levels of government. The Federal Government immediately set up the COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, which provides $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses, plus $55 billion through tax deferrals to stabilize the economy. We created a wage subsidy for businesses, waived the waiting period to qualify for EI and the Work-Sharing Program, are creating new programs to cover non-eligible workers, allowing for deferred mortgage payments, and much more. Businesses can download the Canada Business App to find tailored support, and they should contact their bank to access the up to $300 billion in loans we have made available. More help is forthcoming for specific sectors of the economy that are suffering as a result of COVID-19. Strict travel restrictions are now in place for foreigners coming to Canada, and countries around the world have enacted strict restrictions on both domestic and international travel. We continue to request that Canadians come home so that they can be safe here. All Canadians abroad should register with the Registry of Canadians Abroad (https://travel.gc.ca/ travelling/registration), seek commercial flights home, and check the entry/exit requirements of the countries through which they will transit. An emergency loan is available to help Canadians abroad, and our team is working hard with consular services to help get all of our community members get home. The only way we avoid the worst effects of the pandemic is if we all play our part. That means observing good hygiene practices, keeping two metres of social distance from others, and completely isolating yourself for two weeks if you show any symptoms. All Canadians returning home from abroad must go straight home from the airport and isolate for two weeks. Be kind and help one another. We will get through this together. Our office is here to help you through this difficult time. Please reach out to us: 6367 Bruce Street, West Vancouver, Patrick.Weiler@parl.gc.ca or by phone at 604-913-2660. Our website www.patrickweiler.libparl.ca should be operational by Friday April 3rd for immediate updates, and please visit my social media platforms @PatrickBWeiler on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Patrick.Weiler@parl.gc.ca | 604-913-2660 MARCH 26, 2020
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FORK IN THE ROAD
Life in COVIDian times WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE TO KEEP CALM AND NOT QUITE CARRY ON IRONICALLY, the term “quarantine” came to us from our dear, now-beleaguered friends in Italy. The Italian quarantina, meaning “40 days,” is from the Italian quaranta for the number 40, and refers to the biblical narrative of the temptation of Christ—the 40 days when Jesus fasted in the wilderness and was tempted by the devil. Ergo the 40 days of Lent. In the 17th century, “quarantine” was first used to describe a time of precaution to keep travellers away from others so they wouldn’t spread disease, especially if they came from certain places. Although there are some specific contexts
BY GLENDA BARTOSH for using “quarantine” in these COVIDian times, iterations of “isolation” are the popular lingo. But quarantine, it remains in my mind. After all, it feels like an odd sort of quarantine when we’re walking about in familiar places, avoiding each other like the plague—ahem. (Note: To the oblivious ones who refuse to stay home when we still have the choice to, or can’t give me a two-metre berth on the path: Smarten up or you’re going to get us all into a mandatory lockdown, and that will be something, indeed.) And so it is that we’re all in some sort of quarantine right now, with 40 days in the wilderness having a certain resonance.
AT PEACE Is a calm moment in nature just the ticket for our new COVIDian world? Yes, it’s a blackcapped chickadee, and Whistler naturalist Kristina Swerhun is feeding it in a special nature area in Ontario where chickadee feeding is allowed. PHOTO BY RENATE SWERHUN
38 MARCH 26, 2020
So how’s everybody doing? I contacted nearly 70 friends and colleagues in Sea to Sky before I wrote this column asking just that, and for their tips for sustenance—both real and metaphoric—to keep the COVIDian blues at bay. As usual for Whistler and its extended family, if I can use the term loosely, the warmth and wit and breadth of stories and suggestions were outstanding. So here they are, at least the start of them. I know there’s a pandemic infovalanche out there (that’s “information avalanche;” sorry, I keep making up words with all this time on my hands), and that we’re all good at sourcing good, reliable info at sites like the RMOW, Tourism Whistler, and right here at Pique. But I also know we’re hungry for personal stories from friends and neighbours so we can feel like we’re holding each other’s metaphoric, dried-out hands as we pull together. So stand by, troopers, for more lovely tips and tales to come in the coming weeks. Like what Simone McIsaac and her good crew at Rootdown Organic Farm in Pemberton Valley are doing differently—and reassuringly the same, like starting those precious little seedlings in their heated greenhouses. Or what farmers’ markets are facing across B.C. In the meantime, Whistlerites near and far are taking the time to do things they’ve put off for ages: Mending pants they’ve meant to repair for weeks. Figuring out jigsaw puzzles. Pulling out old recipes. (Simone learned to make South Indian masala dosa 10-plus years ago, but it wasn’t until last week that she actually took the time to make it. “It was delicious.”) We’ve got locals like Pauline Wiebe and “Max the G.D. Maxwell” relying on tried and true methods they’ve used for years to whip up nourishing dishes for next to nothing, starting with freezing things
most people just toss out. Those chicken bones and vegetable peelings and parmesan rinds? They can be the start of something beautiful. More on that later, too. I love Simone’s thoughtful observation: “It seems like these times have great potential to move us in different ways.” And we are. We’re planking our carbon emissions as we stop all that bizarrely taken-for-granted travel. (Another nod to our poor friends in Italy: bizarro is Italian for “angry.”) We’ve got people like Marika Richoz, Joan and Marcel’s lovely daughter, who grew up way up on the ridge there in Alpine Meadows, “Cooking with COVID” on-line—one-on-one cooking classes to help people figure out how to cook with limited ingredients, get more creative and improvise with their recipes. We’re donating those Nesters points we’ve been accumulating to our very grateful local food banks, like Pauline does. Or we’re simply taking time and “making do,” as my nan and grandad used to say on the prairies. We’re also feeling unusually grateful to the many, many people we usually take for granted who are working their butts off, being creative and taking things in stride to keep things as good as they can be right now. The folks in our grocery stores, our hospitals and care centres, our pharmacies, communications streams, post offices, waste disposal services, and police stations and fire halls. The list goes on. We thank you. One other last bright spot of sustenance we can all be so grateful for is something very special right in our own backyards— Mother Nature. “Just being in nature is like meditation, it keeps you in the present,” says Kristina Swerhun, one of Whistler’s finest naturalists who’s done so much volunteering with Whistler Naturalists and Whistler Museum that Canada’s Governor General awarded
her a Sovereign Medal in 2017. “Whistlerites are out in nature all the time, but so much of the time, they’re not paying attention to it, and that’s very different. They’ve got their earbuds in, and they’re running or just screaming down the trail, and you don’t get as many of nature’s huge benefits as when you actually pay attention to it.” It’s a matter of “being,” instead of “doing.” So just sit. And watch. Listen to those birds singing sweetly. Smell the wind in the trees. It will calm you. And when you want a tasty treat, or something delicious to share with your neighbours (remember to wash your hands first, and use a clean bag when you hang them on the door handle), try this easypeasy family recipe from Kristina’s mom, Renate, who hails from Germany. Enjoy! Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who just came in after sitting outside, and watching the trees grow. And, yes, she made up “COVIDian.” n
RENATE’S PECAN BUTTER BALLS 2 CUPS finely chopped pecans 2 CUPS flour 1 CUP butter, softened 1/2 CUP sugar 2 TSP. vanilla 1/4 TSP. salt Icing sugar Chop pecans in blender; combine with flour, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix with fork or hands until well blended. Shape in 1-inch balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 325 F for 20 minutes, until browned. Let cool slightly, and roll in icing sugar. n
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH
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MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE IS CLOSED. THE CLOSURE WILL BE REASSESSED ON APRIL 12. All active passes will be extended in relation to the length of closure.
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whistler.ca/recreation | whistler.ca/notices | 604-935-7529 @RMWhistler | @rmwhistler | @rmowhistler
EPICURIOUS
Victoria encouraging restaurants to use unemployed servers for liquor delivery RESTAURANTS TEMPORARILY ALLOWED TO DELIVER LIQUOR PRODUCTS WITH PURCHASE OF MEAL
BY BRANDON BARRETT AS A WAY to reinforce physical-distancing guidelines and support the restaurant industry, the B.C. Government is temporarily allowing restaurants to deliver liquor products—and is encouraging businesses to use unemployed servers to do so. “In these extraordinary times, more British Columbians are relying on delivery services during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said B.C. Attorney General David Eby in a release this week. “Permitting licensed restaurants to hire their out-of-work servers to deliver liquor products as part of their food-delivery service allows the public to continue to observe social distancing measures and also offers much-needed support to these workers and businesses.” Previously, licensed establishment were only permitted to sell liquor for consumption on their premises, unless a special endorsement licence was in place. Now, restaurants will be temporarily permitted to sell packaged liquor products for pick-up or delivery alongside the purchase of a meal. Delivery drivers will be required to have their Serving It Right certification, which the province is hopeful “will help encourage businesses to use currently laid-off serving staff to make these deliveries,” the release stated. Existing safeguards for safe consumption remain in place, such as verifying identification. This recommendation was made by B.C.’s Business Technical Advisory Panel, which is made up of representatives from the liquor and hospitality industries, as a way to help struggling hospitality workers and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. The changes take effect immediately and expire on July 15, 2020. If required, the province can amend that timeline through a regulatory change. Delivery services continue to operate in
DINING IN The province is now allowing licensed restaurants to deliver liquor products with the purchase of a meal. WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Whistler throughout the crisis—although, like everyone else, they are having to contend with significant losses without the tourist market to draw from. “We’ve gone from close to 100 orders a night to 25, 30. We’re way, way, way down. We’ve cut down three-quarters of our staff,” said Jean-Francois Giasson, owner of Whistler Dine In. Giasson noted the number of participating restaurants has gone from 24 down to eight— and that’s with the recent addition of Earls, Pizzeria Antico and McDonald’s. Whistler Dine In is also looking into delivering alcohol on behalf of restaurants. Earls has already begun. (Pique could not reach an Earls representative by press time.) Trevor Hopkins, who runs Whistler Grocery Service & Delivery, said he’s starting to see more demand for grocery
VILLAGE OF LIONS BAY
delivery from locals in self-isolation or second homeowners quarantining after returning from trips abroad. Restaurant delivery remains a tough sell though. “There’s actually not a huge demand yet for restaurant delivery,” he said. “I think a lot of people have stocked their fridges full of groceries at the moment, but I think once that comes down and people want a little break from cooking and having kids at home all the time … the demand for restaurant delivery will probably get stronger.” Hopkins, who also owns Cranked Espresso Bar in Rainbow, said he hasn’t had too much trouble finding in-demand products, but he often has to travel to multiple grocery stores to find what he’s looking for. The Whistler Grocery Service (whistlerdelivery.ca) is offering free grocery delivery for orders over $100 with the coupon
Specializing in Real Estate Sales & Long-Term Rental Management Services
TAKE NOTICE that on March 26, 2020, at 7pm, Council of the Village of Lions Bay intends to consider adoption of the following amendments to Procedure Bylaw No. 476, 2015, as amended:
Investors wishing to purchase a revenue generating property may contact either of our Sales Agents to discuss properties for sale in the Whistler, Pemberton & Squamish markets.
Section 8 (2) (a) Section 9 (1) Section 11 (3)
LICENSED SALES & RENTAL AGENTS: Duane Kercher
– – –
Section 18 (3) – Section 34 (9) (b) –
minimum requirements for holding of Council meetings date for posting of annual schedule number of Council or committee members who can attend meetings electronically clerical amendment clerical amendment
For further information, please contact admin@lionsbay.ca
Real Estate/Rental Agent
604-932-7849 duane@whistlerproperty.com
Forrest Chittick
Real Estate/Rental Agent
604-902-7178
forrest@whistlerproperty.com
40 MARCH 26, 2020
code “Free Delivery,” and is charging $7.50 for restaurant deliveries. Hopkins has also launched a mobile delivery app for Cranked at crankedcoffee.ca. Whistler Dine In (whistlerdinein.com) has instituted a blanket restaurant delivery fee of $7.50 for all of Whistler, while the fee to deliver alcohol from liquor stores has been reduced from $5 to $2.50. Restaurants Canada estimates that between 70,000 and 100,000 jobs in B.C.’s restaurant and food-service industry will be lost in the next three months. It is also expecting that establishments across the province will lose $2.9 billion over the same period. On Friday, Victoria banned restaurants in B.C. from offering dine-in service, restricting them to takeout and delivery only due to the COVID-19 pandemic. n
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41
ARTS SCENE
Animal Nation bookends music career with Our Time in America GARNET CLARE’S FORTHCOMING ALBUM TACKLES UPS AND DOWNS OF LAST HALF-DECADE
BY ALYSSA NOEL NEED A BREAK from the unending weight of the global pandemic and resulting economic turmoil? “Peach Blunt Sunday,” the first single from Animal Nation’s swan song album just might do the trick. Bathed in a warm, hazy melody, it’s like a sonic balm for your overstressed soul. Lyrically, the track sums up the last few tumultuous years of “Tall Man” Garnet Clare’s life, during which he moved to Portland, got married in Cuba, and was unceremoniously kicked out of the U.S. That narrative thread is a launching point for the forthcoming album, Our Time in America, which Clare said is likely his last as Animal Nation. It was set to be released in April, but with the entire country shut down due to COVID-19, that’s up in the air. “Ten years ago, I would’ve been on the internet 10 hours a day trying to find the way to get it in people’s hands,” Clare says from his Vancouver apartment where he’s been self-isolating for a week. “I just wanted to make it for myself and tell my
WILD ANIMALS Our Time in America is due out some time this spring, COVID-19 pending.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
42 MARCH 26, 2020
story. I wanted to bookend my career with a finished album.” Here’s what happened since Animal Nation’s last album, It’s Good To Be Us, five years ago. Then a Whistler hip-hop duo (with Mike Armitage), they toured the country, made a solid video, and planned to come back home for a “big, homecoming, video release tour in Whistler,” says Clare, who grew up in the resort. Only, it didn’t go quite as planned. “I contacted all the bars and promoters there and no one would book us,” he says.
saw the group when they were still finding their feet and might not have known how much they had grown. But the move south of the border felt right. He met close friends, married his girlfriend, and stepped away from Animal Nation. Before the move, he had a stockpile of music from over the years. But after settling in Portland, lyrics began to pour out. “I was incredibly inspired,” Clare says. “I knew I had something really good. I had about 15 pieces of really, really good music I really
“I just wanted to make it for myself and tell my story. I wanted to bookend my career with a finished album.” - GARNET CLARE
“I was pleading to people. I was like, ‘I’ll guarantee we’ll fill your bar. You haven’t seen us in a few years. We got good!’ It absolutely broke me and that’s when we stopped making music as Animal Nation. I decided to move away from everything and move to Portland. It was super heartbreaking to reach the pinnacle of your career and not have local [support].” At the same time, he adds he understands that some of those same people
enjoyed and I ended up having 12 songs written.” Eventually, he decided he wanted to whittle it down to eight songs and focus on the theme of his and his wife’s time in America, hence the album’s title. “I tried to keep it as focused and about one thing as possible,” he says. “It has a coherence.” Since moving back to Whistler before settling in Vancouver last August, Clare
has started working in the film industry and even expanded his interests to include drawing. It seems the relentless drive to spend all his free time pursuing music has slowed— and he’s OK with that. “Being a 30-something-year-old guy, you want to spend your formative years gaining skills that will help you in your coming years,” he says. “Being good at rapping doesn’t help you much in your 30s. My favourite skill I acquired—besides my beautiful wife—is I can speak in public with no fear at all. That’s amazing.” Likewise, although there have been plenty of bumps along the way—namely being kicked out of the U.S. when they tried to cross the border to head home to Portland—Clare says he’s grateful for where he is now. And he’s happy to have the chance to release one more record for no one other than himself. “My passions have shifted, but over the last few months I was spending five to eight hours a day finishing it up, getting the art work done, I made the website myself,” he says. “I’m really proud of it.” The release date for Our Time in America is up in the air, but stay tuned to ourtimeinamerica.com or instagram.com/ tallmanraps for more information. In the meantime, check out the new single on any streaming platform. n
ARTS SCENE
Profile on: Anna Lengstrand of Simply Sámi MEET THE PEMBERTON JEWELRY MAKER WHO’S KEEPING HER FAMILY TRADITION AND HERITAGE ALIVE
BY ALYSSA NOEL THE COVID-19 pandemic has upended life for everyone in our community, and local artists are no exception. Starting this week, Pique is launching a new series to highlight one Sea to Sky creative—from artisans to painters to jewelry makers—so you can learn more about them, their work and how to continue supporting artists during mass closures and cancellations throughout the community. First up, meet Anna Lengstrand, the talent behind Simply Sámi. What kind of art do you do? ANNA LENGSTRAND: I hand make Sámi bracelets. They’re known in the world sometimes as Swedish bracelets. It is our [the Sámi people’s] traditional way of making jewelry. I’ve been taught by older family members … so this is like a family tradition I do. It’s basically pewter and silver reindeer bracelets with woven thread that I hand weave into different patterns. Then I sew it onto plantdyed reindeer hide. I get all the material from back home in Northern Sweden. I want to support my people back home that hand make thread, and plant dye the leather. How did you get into it? AL: I worked at Whistler Brewing Company for many years and everyone would ask, ‘What are you wearing? Where did you get those?’ So I thought, ‘Maybe I should make some.’ When we bought the farm here [in Pemberton] I wanted to try to work for myself so I didn’t have to commute the whole way to Function and I could be home more—I had two horses at the time and three now. For about four years I’ve tried to make it my full-time job. It took a while. The demand was there and I wanted to teach people what these bracelets really represented. I started this company because I was so inspired by my grandfather and wanted to honour him. He was like a father figure, such a strong mountain man. He taught me everything I needed to know about life. That’s what got me going. He got to see this develop [before he passed away] and he was so proud. I even made them back home on his kitchen table. He was very involved in my business until the very end. What is unique about your art? AL: It’s the fact that it’s my heritage. You have
LOCAL ARTISAN Anna Lengstrand models some of her Simply Sámi bracelets. PHOTO SUBMITTED
to be of Sámi blood, which I am. My family is getting smaller and smaller and smaller. I’m honouring an art form that’s been with my family for so long that I really don’t want it to die. I make it in a traditional way, I’ve learned from the elders. How has this pandemic impacted your art? AL: It’s super slow right now. No stores are taking orders. Everyone has closed the doors and can’t take anything else for we don’t know how long. It’s a waiting game. I just hope if people have the money themselves, they keep shopping local and support everyone they can around. I feel small business owners and artisans will be very, very affected by this. The good news is I don’t have to stop. I’m isolated at home on the farm and the post office promised to keep going. I’m in the situation where I can keep going.
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How can people buy your work? AL: On my website, Simplysami.ca or instagram.com/simplysami.ca. Any other artistic endeavours you’d like to highlight? AL: I got into photography in my late teens, around 2004. Then in 2009, I started taking photos around Sweden. I was doing a Masters in another subject, but I studied photography on the side. That became my art form. That was everything I did for a long time. But then the jewelry took over. I have a website—I model, take photos and make jewelry—annalengstrand.com and it covers that all. n
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MARCH 26, 2020
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NOTES FROM THE BACK ROW
The arts, humanity and the start of Quarantino THERE IS A Winston Churchill quote going around the internet about how the arts are what makes fighting a war worth it. It’s an uplifting bit of phraseology, but unfortunately, Churchill never actually said it, at least not in his 15 million published words of speeches, letters, papers, articles
BY FEET BANKS or books. What Churchill did say, in 1938, prior to the Second World War—was “the arts are essential to any complete national life. The State owes it to itself to sustain and encourage them … Ill fares the race which fails to salute the arts with the reverence and delight which are their due.” And we are seeing that essentiality right now. Amid the uncertainty and chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the arts that are stepping up to bring joy, provide escape,
BINGE WATCH Quentin Tarantino on the set of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. PHOTO BY ANDREW COOPER/SONY PICTURES
educate, inspire, and calm a concerned population. (Ironically, the artists, musicians and filmmakers have been among the first to see their income disappear when this whole shitstorm began.) With a population stuck indoors (and yes, let’s alter the soft-sounding guideline of “social distancing” to the safer and much less wishy-washy “Stay the f*ck home!”), the arts community is stepping up to fill the void and bring meaning to our lives. Free online 3D immersive tours of museums, free audiobooks, unparalleled access to art books and collections, and best of all…free movies. The National Film Board of Canada recently launched an online library of over 200 films by Indigenous directors with flicks dating all the way back to 1968. And they are all free at nfb.ca/indigenouscinema. Spanning everything from animated comedic shorts (Baaad Dream is a hypercolour tale about a farmer’s battle to keep his sheep from tipping over and exploding) to serious documentaries (Foster Child follows trailblazing director Gil Cardinal as he searches for his birth family and Indigenous identity) to visual adaptations of traditional myths (Lumaajuuq is chilling tale of revenge, transformation, and karma
Thank You Community Builders
based on the Inuit epic “The Blind Boy and The Loon”), there’s no shortage of incredible viewing in here. You might learn a thing or two at the same time (hint, hint: homeschool starts on Monday.) Not to be outdone, Openculture.com has posted a list of 1,150 free online movies, mostly sourced from The Internet Archive (which is a crazy wormhole full things like video game speed records—so if you want to see someone completely finish all levels of Super Mario Brothers in five and half minutes, this is the place). This list is primarily made up of public domain classics from cinema’s first golden era (the 1932 adaptation of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms or the original A Star is Born), but there are also plenty of foreign offerings, including all the films of Russian mindbender Andrei Tarkovsky (jump right into Solaris) and a ton of early Hitchcock (1936’s Sabotage), Roger Corman (1955’s Swamp Women) and horror gems like Abel Ferrara’s 1979 cult classic The Driller Killer. This list is absolutely bonkers deep, and we can dig into it more over the coming weeks but for now find it at openculture.com/ freemoviesonline. Personally, I’m following the lead of friends/local legends Ace and Scotty and putting myself under Quarantino, which
means I’m re-watching the entire catalogue of American cinema enfant terrible Quentin Tarantino, mostly in order. And if you’re not too squeamish about language and violence, I suggest you do the same. This week we’ll start at the beginning with From Dusk till Dawn, Tarantino’s first paid writing gig even thought he’d already written the screenplays for Natural Born Killers and True Romance (and was sitting on Reservoir Dogs). What makes Dusk unique is it starts as a crime/road trip saga and then shifts gears into a horror flick halfway through. Not surprisingly, Hollywood couldn’t understand how anything they hadn’t seen before could ever work but producer/effects legend Robert Kurtzman persevered and in 1996, managed to deliver a film that cashed in on the hottest scriptwriter of the ‘90s, renegade-genius director Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi, Spy Kids), about-to-explode George Clooney in the lead role, and pinchme-is-she-really-that-hot newcomer Salma Hayek as one of the top baddies. (Plus, actor/make-up legend Tom Savini with a crotch gun). One of the most underrated flicks of the ‘90s, and of Tarantino’s cadre, From Dusk Till Dawn is the download of the week. Stay safe friends, and stay home. n
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PICTURE PERFECT Michelle Danic handed out postcards with her photos to people unexpectedly moving away from Whistler.
PHOTO BY MICHELLE DANIC
Photographer sends departing locals home with iconic Whistler images MICHELLE DANIC OFFERS PHOTO AND MESSAGE TO THOSE UNEXPECTEDLY LEAVING: ‘COME BACK. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO REBUILD WHISTLER.’
BY ALYSSA NOEL MICHELLE DANIC always has her Canon EOS 7D camera within arm’s reach. “It’s constantly in my bag,” she says. “I love capturing life in any form it may be and freezing it.” That meant over the (shortened) ski season, Danic captured many iconic Whistler images, from the Blackcomb Glacier to 7th Heaven, and Blackcomb Peak. She decided to print some of her favourites at Whistler Foto Source into small postcards. Then, early last week, when she was walking through the village, she spotted a girl who was crying. “I said, ‘Are you leaving?’ She said, ‘No, my friend is,’” Danic recalls. She handed her one of the cards. “I said, ‘Here, take one of these and write on it and mail it to her,” she says. That sparked an idea. With Whistler Blackcomb suddenly closed and all of the resort at a virtual standstill, many people were finding themselves ripped from their lives and suddenly heading back to their homes around the world. She thought if she could give them a small token to remember their season, maybe both the gesture and the image could help a little. “A lot of us [in Whistler] are world travellers,” Danic says. “We come alone and find people and mix with them and they become part of us. To be suddenly ripped apart, it’s heartbreaking on each end. People don’t want to leave and they don’t want their friends to leave … I’m trying to bring out the positive in most situations because you have to, or there’s no moving forward.” So, she set out to spot departing Whistlerites. (This was before the village emptied out as the need for physical distancing ramped up.) “I was at the bus depot and all these
people were there crying. I approached one person and I was like, ‘Are you leaving or staying?’ There were people who were just hysterical. They just said, ‘I don’t want to leave.’ You could see the emotion they had,” she says. She handed them a photo card and offered a message: “Come back. Whistler is still going to be here.” The reactions were instantly positive. “People would see them and be like, ‘I remember going to the glacier!’ ‘7th Heaven is amazing!’ Not everyone takes photos all the time,” Danic says. “I kept telling people, ‘Here’s a photo. Come back. We’re going to have to rebuild Whistler.’” One person was so touched by her effort, they insisted she take a $20 bill and said, ‘You’re doing an amazing job. You’re giving these out for free and it’s an amazing thing.’ People were just grateful for it,” she says. Likewise, Rick Clare, who owns Whistler Foto Source, took to the Whistler Winter Facebook page to share Danic’s story. “I would like to express our sheer gratitude that she is a person who is paying it forward,” he wrote in the post. “Just thought a positive note would be a nice change. Michelle you are a great example of unbiased good.” When she talked to Pique last weekend, Danic had 10 cards of about 80 left. For her too, the photos offer a good memory from a season that ended instantly and dramatically. A few weeks ago, on a perfect bluebird Friday, she wound up landing the first chair on 7th Heaven. “I went all the way to the top,” she says. “I did this amazing run— glistening powder through the trees. Then I … hiked up the face of Blackcomb from the side where 7th Heaven chairlift is to the top. It took an hour and a bit … I was just looking around thinking, ‘Where am I right now? I’m standing on the peak of a mountain, looking over it all on this perfect day and trying to capture it.’” To see more of Danic’s photos visit michelledanic.shootproof.com. n
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PARTIAL RECALL
2
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3
4
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1 STAY HOME Frontline staff at the Whistler Health Care Centre snapped a photo in their personal protective equipment to deliver their message to the community: Stay home. PHOTO SUBMITTED.. 2 WHISTLER STAY-CATION Joelle Tiessen is heeding public health officers’ advice and fully embracing a “stay-cation” at home in Whistler. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 3 BIKE BRIGADE Whistler siblings Hayden and Charlie practice physical distancing outside on their bikes. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4 MARKET MEETING Creekside Market has a “new normal,” with daily manager meetings now held outside, with their hard-working staff spread at least two metres apart to comply with physical-distancing measures. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 5 SNOW-FA Whistler resident Giorgio De Silvo is staying home on his couch–or rather, the “snow-fa” he made, complemented with an “iced coffee table” and beer fridge. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 6 PHYSICALLY DISTANCED GOODBYES Whistlerite Rebecca Smith may have been self-isolating in her Whistler Village apartment, but that didn’t stop her from heading out onto her balcony to say a few physically-distanced goodbyes to her many friends currently leaving town. PHOTO BY REBECCA SMITH.
SEND US YOUR PHOTOS! Send your recent snaps to arts@piquenewsmagazine.com
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ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology WEEK OF MARCH 26 BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your oracle comes from Aries
poet Octavio Paz: “The path the ancestors cleared is overgrown, unused. The other path, smooth and broad, is crowded with travellers. It goes nowhere. There’s a third path: mine. Before me, no one. Behind me, no one. Alone, I find my way.” APRIL FOOL! Although the passage by Octavio Paz is mostly accurate for your destiny during the rest of 2020, it’s off-kilter in one way: It’s too ponderously serious and melodramatic. You should find a way to carry out its advice with meditative grace and effervescent calm. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A century ago, fiery writer Maxim Gorky and hard-ass Taurus politician Vladimir Lenin were listening to a Beethoven sonata together. “I can’t listen to music too often,” Lenin told his companion. “It affects your nerves, makes you want to say stupid, nice things.” This is crucial advice for you to heed in the coming weeks, Taurus. You need to be as smart and tough as possible, so don’t you dare listen to music. APRIL FOOL! Lenin was half-mistaken, and I halflied. The fact is, music makes you smarter and nicer, and those will be key assets for you to cultivate in the coming weeks. So yes, do listen to a lot of music. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): By the time he was 55 years old, Gemini author Thomas Hardy had written 18 novels and many poems. His stuff was good enough to win him two separate nominations for a Nobel Prize in Literature. But during the last 32-plus years of his life, he never wrote another novel. According to one theory, it was because he was discouraged by the negative reviews he got for his last novel. I suspect you may be at a similar juncture in your life, Gemini. Maybe it’s time to give up on a beloved activity that hasn’t garnered the level of success you’d hoped for. APRIL FOOL! The truth is, it is most definitely NOT time to lose hope and faith. Don’t be like Hardy. Rededicate yourself to your passionate quests. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian theologian John Wesley (1703–1791) was a Christian who embodied the liberal values that Christ actually taught. He advocated for the abolition of slavery, prison reform, the ordination of women priests, and a vegetarian diet. He gave away a lot of his money and administered many charities. To accomplish his life’s work, he travelled 400,000 kilometres on horseback and preached 40,000 sermons. Let’s make him your role model for the coming weeks. Be inspired by his life as you vividly express your care and compassion. APRIL FOOL! I lied a little bit. Although most of what I just recommended is a good idea, the part about travelling long distances, either on horseback or by other means, is not. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The neurotic-but-talented French novelist Marcel Proust observed, “Everything vital in the world comes from neurotics. They alone have founded religions and composed our masterpieces.” With that in mind, and in accordance with current astrological omens, I urge you to cultivate your own neurotic qualities in their extreme forms of expression during the coming weeks. You’re due for some major creative breakthroughs. APRIL FOOL! I was kidding. The fact is, you can generate creative breakthroughs in the coming weeks by being poised and composed—not extra neurotic. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo author Leon Edel wrote a five-volume biography of renowned author Henry James. In the course of his research, he read 15,000 letters that were written by James. He came to have a profound familiarity with the great man. In accordance with current astrological omens, I recommend that you choose a worthy character about who you will become equally knowledgeable. APRIL FOOL! I half-lied. It’s true that now is an excellent time to deepen your understanding of people you care about. But don’t get as obsessed as Edel! LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): About 2,000 years ago, a Roman woman named Sulpicia wrote six short love poems—a total of 40 lines—that are still being analyzed and discussed by literary scholars today. I bring
her to your attention because I think that in the next four weeks you, too, could generate a small burst of beauty that will still be appreciated 2,000 years from now. APRIL FOOL! I lied about the “small” part. The burst of beauty you create in the immediate future could actually be quite large, as well as enduring. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): French poet Louis Aragon (1897–1982) was an influential novelist and a pioneer of surrealistic poetry. Much of his writing had a lyrical quality, and many of his poems were set to music. He also had a belligerent streak. Before the publication of one of his books, he announced that he would thrash any writer who dared to review it in print. Success! There were no critical reviews at all. I recommend his approach to you in the coming weeks. Make it impossible for anyone to criticize you. APRIL FOOL! I lied. I would never suggest that you use violence to accomplish your aims. And besides that, the coming weeks will be a favourable time for you to solicit feedback of all varieties, even the critical kind. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I hesitate to be so blunt, but it’s my duty to report the facts. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you should have as many orgasms as possible in the next 15 days. You need to tap into the transformative psychological power that’s available through monumental eruptions of pleasure and releases of tension. (P.S. Spiritual orgasms will be just as effective as physical orgasms.) APRIL FOOL! What I just said is true, but I left out an important component of your assignment: Be loving and responsible as you pursue your joyous climaxes, never manipulative or exploitative or insensitive. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Ancient Greek orator Demosthenes was renowned for his skill at delivering powerful, charismatic speeches. While he was still learning his craft, he resorted to extreme measures to improve. For example, there was a time when he shaved just half of his head. It made him ashamed to go out in public, forcing him to spend all his time indoors practicing his speeches. Would you consider a similar strategy right now? APRIL FOOL! I was just messing with you. It’s true that the coming weeks will be a good time to minimize your socializing and devote yourself to hard work on behalf of a beloved dream. But shaving half your head isn’t the best way to accomplish that. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The coming weeks will be a favourable time for you to tell as many lies as possible if doing so helps you get what you want. I hereby authorize you to engage in massive deceptions, misrepresentations, and manipulative messages as you seek to impose your will on every flow of events. APRIL FOOL! I lied. In fact, everything I just said was the exact opposite of your actual horoscope, which is as follows: You have a sacred duty to tell more of the truth than you have ever been able to tell before. As you dig deeper to discover more and more of what’s essential for you to understand and express, dedicate your efforts to the goal of gliding along with the most beautiful and interesting flow you can find. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Fifteen minutes before the Big Bang occurred, where was the matter that now constitutes your body and my body? And if, as seems to be true, the Big Bang was the beginning of time, what time was it 15 minutes earlier? Questions like these are crucial for you to ponder in the next two weeks. APRIL FOOL! I lied. The questions I articulated should in fact be very low priority for you. In the immediate future, you’ll be wise to be as concrete and specific and pragmatic as you can possibly be. Focus on up-close personal questions that you can actually solve, not abstract, unsolvable riddles.
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Homework: Tell jokes to humourists. Be extra kind to kind people. Sing songs to the birds. Change the way you change. FreeWillAstrology.com
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REAL ESTATE WHISTLER MARKET PAVILION PHASE ONE 0BR/1BA $598,700
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4 Bedroom, 3 Bath Home 5 min walk from Villiage This spacious architectural home is a 5 minute walk to Whistler Village and the ski lifts. From the gourmet kitchen to the under-the-trees hot tub: it is the essence of ease and comfort. Upgraded and clean. New carpet, paint and fixtures. It is spacious, nicely decorated and makes you feel right at home. Available April 1, 2020 - 12 month lease available. Ideal for 6 - 7 professionals or local family. Owner lives in the area. 604-657-1270 weden@telus.net
Due to social distancing I will be holding fun, interactive, informative online parties. Keeping connected, apart! I’ll help you choose products that fit your needs. 604935-0940 christineinwhistler@gmail.com www.christinewilding.norwex.biz
Come and visit Whistler’s funkiest thrift store and get (almost) everything you need for your EPIC season! Winter clothes, skis, boards, boots, bindings, goggles, toques and more! As well as all the usual stuff to make that rented closet feel like a palace. You may even find some hidden treasure you never knew needed. Shopping and Donation hours: 11am - 6pm, 7 days a week 8000 Nesters Road 604-932-1121
Re-Build-It Centre Furniture, appliances, kitchen cabinets, doors, plumbing, tools, flooring, hardware, lumber, lighting and more!
Open 10am-5pm, 7 days a week 1003 Lynham Road, Function Junction 604-932-1125 Recycle, Re-build and Re-invest in your community. All proceeds support 28 programs and services such as the food bank, outreach services, and counseling assistance offered by Whistler Community Services. www.mywcss.org Like us on Facebook @ Whistler Community Service Society
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Sea to Sky RC Flyers - Model Aeronautics Association of Canada Club active in the Sea to Sky Region flying model airplanes, helicopters and multirotors. Contact S2SRCFLY@telus.net Whistler Adaptive Sports Program Provides sports & recreation experiences for people with disabilities. Chelsey Walker at 604-905-4493 or info@ whistleradaptive.com Whistler Martial Arts offers - Kishindo Karate for kids age 4 and up, Capoeira and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for kids and adults. Also Kickboxing, Judo, Yoga and Bellyfit for adults. Call Cole 932-2226 Women's Karma Yoga - Thursdays, 9-10, ongoing by donation and childminding provided. Whistler Women's Centre: 1519 Spring Creek Drive. Drop-in for weekly yoga classes led by an all female team of certified yoga instructors. All women, all ability levels welcome. hswc.ca | 604962- 8711
Duplicate Bridge Club- Whistler Racquet Club reconvenes in late fall. The club meets every week and visitors are welcome. For partner, please call Gill at 640-932-5791. Knitty Gritty Knit Night- Held every Tues 6-8pm. Free evening open to everyone with a love for knitting/crocheting. Beginners welcome. For location and further details email knittygrittywhistler@ gmail.com or find us on facebook.
VOLUNTEERS Big Brothers, Big Sisters Sea to Sky Volunteer to Mentor- just 1hr/week - and make a difference in a child's life. Call 604-892-3125.
Mountain Spirit Toastmasters- Builds communication, public speaking, and leadership skills . Wednesdays at the Pan Pacific Mountainside - Singing Pass Room, 5:30-7pm. Email contact - 8376@ toastmastersclubs.org www.whistler. toastmastersclubs.org
COMMUNITY LISTINGS
Pemberton Women's Institute - Meets the third Mon of each month in the activity room at St. David's United Church at 7:30pm. New members welcome. Linda Ronayne at 604-894- 6580
CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS Donate Used Clothing & Household Goods- To be distributed to local charities by Sharon 604-894-6656 for pick up. Playground Builders: Creating Play Building Hope - Playground Builders is a registered charity that builds playgrounds for children in war-torn areas. Learn more, volunteer or donate at www. playgroundbuilders.org Sea to Sky Community Services running dozens of programs in Whistler to help people through times of crisis and with everyday challenges. www.sscs.ca 1-877-892-2022 admin@sscs.ca
We can help.
Pemberton Valley Trails AssociationMeets the second Wed of each month. 7pm at the Pemberton Recreation Centre. Call 604-698-6158
LEISURE GROUPS
REASSESSED ON APRIL 12. All active passes will be
Griffin Squadron Squamish Air CadetsOpen to youth 12-18yrs at Don Ross Secondary School on Tues at 6:30pm.
Welcome Centre at Whistler Public Library Information, support, community connections and ESL practice groups for newcomers and immigrants. Meet people, make connections, volunteer, build your communication skills in English. Multicultural Meet Up every Friday 9.30-12pm.604-6985960 info@welcomewhistler.com FB: WhistlerWelcomeCentre
THE CLOSURE WILL BE
ACCOUNTING/BOOKKEEPING
SPORTS & RECREATION Alpine Club of Canada Whistler Section - Outdoor club focused on ski/ split board touring, hiking, mountaineering and skills training. More info: accwhistler.ca For meetings, trips and events: accwhistler.ca/Events.html
MEETING PLACE
Call Mike Walsh
604 698 0054
STORAGE BEST PRICES IN WHISTLER FURNITURE, CARS, BOATS & MOTORCYCLES ETC STORAGE AVAILABLE
Website: ashlintippercounselling.com Email: ashlintippercounselling@gmail.com Phone: (604) 916 8979
2 HRS FREE TRUCK TIME
NORTHLANDS STORAGE SPACE
Emotional distress can be difficult to manage on your own. The goal of Ashlin Tipper Counselling is to promote health and happiness by providing welcoming, kind, supportive, non-judgmental, goal-oriented, practical, clinically-based emotional support.
Walk For Alzheimer's Remember and honour people affected by dementia in your community SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2020 Registration 10 a.m Walk 11 a.m - noon Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church 6229 Lorimer Road, Whistler Honouree: Erika Durlacher
Whistler Health Care Foundation raises funds for improving health care resources and services. New board members welcomed. Contact us at info@ whistlerhealthcarefoundation.org or call Karen at 604-906-1435.
Stewardship Pemberton Society and the One Mile Lake Nature CentreConnecting community, nature and people through education, cooperation, and community involvement. www. stewardshippemberton.com
Rotary Club of Whistler - Meets Tuesdays AM & PM www.whistler-rotary.org Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium - Meets every Thurs at 12:15pm at Pan Pacific Mountainside. 604-932-7782 Shades of Grey Painters Meet on Thursdays from 1-00 - 4:00 pm @ the Amenities building, Pioneer Junction, Vine Road, Pemberton. We are like-minded 50+ acrylic painters who get together to paint and learn from one another. No Fee. Whistler Reads - Meets to discuss a new book every eight weeks. Go to bookbuffet. com & click on Whistler Reads for the latest book/event. Paula at 604-907-2804 or wr@bookbuffet.com
MARCH 26, 2020
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COMMUNITY LISTINGS COMMUNITY LISTINGS COMMUNITY LISTINGS LEISURE GROUPS
FAMILY RESOURCES
SOCIAL SERVICES
Whistler Valley Quilters Guild - Meets most 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from September through May. Visitors interested in Quilts and other Fibre Arts are more than welcome to join us. Experience not a requirement. For location and topics of upcoming meetings email: whistlerquiltguild@gmail.com , visit www. whistlerquilters.com or look us up in the Arts Whistler calendar under What's On.
Families Fighting Cancer In The Sea To Sky - We are a non profit partner with Sea to Sky Community Services. We provide financial and practical support to children and parents with dependants diagnosed with cancer. Please contact us on our confidential email: ffcseatosky@gmail. com, visit our Facebook Page or website www.familiesfightingcancer.ca
Pearl's Safe Home - Temporary shelter for women & children experiencing abuse in relationships. Locations in Whistler & Pemberton avail 24/7. All services are free. 1-877- 890-5711 or 604-892-5711
COMMUNITY CENTRES Maury Young Arts Centre - Whistler's community centre for arts, culture & inspiration. Performance theatre, art gallery, daycare, youth centre, meditation room, meeting facilities. www.artswhistler. com or 604-935-8410 Pemberton & District Community Centre - Located at 7390 Cottonwood St. Fitness Centre, facility rentals, spray park, playground, children, youth, adult & seniors programs. For more info 604-8942340 or pemrecinfo@slrd.bc.ca
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY Earthsave Whistler - Providing info & support to people who are interested in making healthier, greener, more peaceful food choices. earthsavewhistler.com Healthy Home, Healthy Planet - Expert in green cleaning offers tricks, info & advice on the best way to green clean your home or work space! Call France 604-698-7479. Free private presentation on request. www.healthylivingwhistler. com Re-Build-It Centre - Daily 10:00am to 5:00pm. Accepting donations of furniture, quality used building supplies & new items. Deliveries and pickups available for $35. Call 604.932.1125, www.mywcss. org, rebuildit@mywss.org Regional Recycling - Recycle beverage containers (full deposit paid) electronics, appliances, batteries, Lightbulbs, drop-off times are 9am-5pm on Nesters Rd. Pick up service 604- 932-3733 Re-Use-It - Daily 11:00am to 6:00pm, Donate all household goods in good shape. Accepting bottles & cans, old electronics, anything with a cord, and light fixtures for recycling. All proceeds to WCSS. Call 604.932.1121, www.mywcss. org, reuseit@mywcss.org. The Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) - Whistler's Natural Voice since 1989. Regular events, project and volunteer opportunities. www.awarewhistler.org info@awarewhistler.org The Mountain Village Social Gathering - Join us at one of our regular social gatherings on the last Wednesday of every month. There is a group of us at The Mountain Village who are forming a sustainable, multi generational neighbourhood based on the co housing model. WHAT IF... Housing wasn't just a place to live, but rather, a way of life? To find out more, visit our Facebook page @ themountainvillage or go to our website www.themountainvillage.ca
FAMILY RESOURCES Baby/Child Health Clinics - Free routine immunizations & newly licensed vaccines for purchase, growth & development assessments & plenty of age appropriate resources avail. By appointment 604-9323202 Camp Fund - Provides financial assistance to enable children of financially restricted families to attend camp. Call WCSS at 604.932.0113 to speak with an outreach worker. www.mywcss.org
50 MARCH 26, 2020
KidsArt - Provides financial assistance to enable children of financially restricted families to participate in arts and culture education. Contact WCSS at 604.932.0113 to speak with an outreach worker. www.mywcss.org. Kids on the Move - Provides financial assistance to enable children of financially restricted families to participate in sport programs. Contact WCSS at 604.932.0113 to speak with an outreach worker. www.mywcss.org. Outreach Services - Free confidential support for adults and families experiencing challenges with mental health, food insecurity, housing insecurity, substance use, misuse or addiction, employment, eating disorders, violence in relationships, roommate conflict or homesickness. Contact our office at 604.932.0113 to speak with an outreach worker or visit www.mywcss.org. Pemberton Parent Infant Drop-In Facilitated by Capri Mohammed, Public Health Nurse. Every Mon 11am- 12:30pm at Pemberton Public Library. Pemberton Strong Start Family DropIn- A play group for you and your under-5 child. Signal Hill Elementary, Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri, 9am-12pm. Thurs only 12pm3pm. Call 604-894- 6101 / 604-966- 8857 Whistler Public Library - Open MonThurs 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-6pm, Sat & Sun 11am-5pm. Music & Words, Mon 10am. Rhyme & Song, Tues 10:30am. Parent & Infant drop-in, Thurs 11am. Preschool Story Time, Fri 10:30am. Singing with the babies, Sat 11am. Call 604-935-8433
SOCIAL SERVICES Access to Justice - Need legal advice but are financially restricted? Contact WCSS at 604.932.0113 to find out more or visit www.mywcss.org. Counselling Assistance - WCSS subsidizes access to a private counsellor depending on financial need. Contact an outreach worker at 604.932.0113 or visit www.mywcss.org. ESL Volunteer Tutor Program - Volunteer one-to-one tutoring for new immigrants & Canadian citizens. For more information or to register, contact the Whistler Welcome Centre info@welcomewhistler. com or call 604.698.5960
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS
FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS
RMOW Rec Credit - If you are financially restricted, you may be eligible for a $127.60 municipal recreation credit. Contact WCSS at 604.932.0113 www. mywcss.org Sea to Sky WorkBC Centre - Provides free one-stop employment services to job seekers and employers. Services available in Whistler, Squamish, Pemberton & Mt. Currie. For more information, call us: 1-800- 763-1681 or email: centre- squamish@workbc.ca Support Counselling - For women regarding abuse & relationship issues. No charge. Call 604-894-6101 Victim Services - Assists victims, witnesses, family members or friends directly affected by any criminal act or traumatic event. Call 604-905-1969 Whistler Community Services Society - Outreach Services Now Available Monday to Saturday at our new location - 8000 Nesters Road (next to WAG) 604.932.0113 www.mywcss.org Whistler for the Disabled - Provides info for people with disabilities on what to do & where to go. Visit www. whistlerforthedisabled.com Whistler Housing Authority - Long term rental & ownership housing for qualified Whistler employees . Visit www. whistlerhousing.ca Whistler Mental Health & Addiction Services - If you or someone you know needs help with a mental health issue or substance misuse or addiction problem, we can assist. Mon-Fri 830am-430pm. 604-698-6455
ResortQuest Whistler is currently hiring:
• Room Attendants • Houseman • Room Inspector Benefits include - activity allowance, extended medical, RRSP match, opportunities for growth and more. To apply for this opportunity, please specify the position and email your resume and cover letter to: beth.fraser@resortquestwhistler.com We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Whistler Multicultural Network Settlement information, social support and programs for newcomers and immigrants living/working in Whistler. 604-388-5511 www.whistlermulticulturalnetwork.com Whistler Opt Healthy Sexuality Clinic - Professional sexual health services at a reduced cost. Free HIV testing. Clinics at Whistler Health Care Ctr, 2nd floor on Tues 4:30-7:30pm. Winter hours Thurs. 5:00pm-7:00pm. Confidentiality assured. Whistler Women's Centre - Provides confidential support, resources, referrals and advocacy for women living in the Sea to Sky corridor. All services are free of charge and include access to emergency safe housing, child/youth counselling, play space and computer access. Drop-In Centre open Mon 12-230, Tue-Thu 12-5. 1519 Spring Creek Drive. You can also access our services at the Whistler Public Library on Mondays from 3-6 p.m. www. hswc.ca or call (604)962- 8711. 24 HR Crisis Line: 1-877-890- 5711
PLAY HERE
Food Bank, Pemberton - Run by Sea to Sky Community Service. Open every second Monday. 604 894 6101 Food Bank Whistler - Located at 8000 Nesters Road, every Wednesday from 10am to noon. For emergency food bags, please call 604.935.7717. www.mywcss. org/food-bank Healthy Pregnancy Outreach ProgramLearn how to prepare healthy affordable meals at this outreach program. Sea to Sky Community Services 604-894-6101 Meadow Park Rec Credit - If you are financially restricted, you may be eligible for a $131.20 municipal recreation credit. Contact WCSS at 604.932.0113 and speak with an outreach worker. www. mywcss.org. North Shore Schizophrenia Society Services for family, friends & community. Mental illness info, support & advocacy. Call Chris Dickenson at 604-966-7334
www.whistlerwag.com
» piquenewsmagazine.com/jobs
FUR & FEATHERS Get Bear Smart Society - Learn more about coexisting with bears. To report a conflict, garbage or attractant issue call 604-905-BEAR (2327) www.bearsmart. com Pemberton Wildlife Association Advocates for the conservation of fish, wildlife & wilderness recreation. Also offering target shooting & archery facilities. www.pembertonwildlifeassociation.com WAG - Whistler Animals Galore - A shelter for lost, unwanted, and homeless cats and dogs. Let us help you find your purrfect match...adopt a shelter animal! For more info 604-935- 8364 www. whistlerwag.com
Resort Municipality of Whistler
Employment Opportunities For full details on current openings and to apply, please visit our website. Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers
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SUPPORT GROUPS
PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS
Are you troubled by someone's drinking? Al-Anon can help. Al-Anon meeting, multi-purpose room, 2nd floor, Whistler Health Care Centre, Wednesdays, 5:30 pm. 604.688.1716
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Are you troubled by someone's drinking? Al-Anon is for you! Pemberton satellite group to Whistler Al-Anon meets every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at St Francis Catholic Church, 1360 Pemberton Farm Rd. Pemberton, BC 6:00-8:00pm. Call 604-688-1716
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Birth, Baby and Beyond - Join a registered counsellor and meet other moms with the opportunity to ask questions and share experiences in a safe, welcoming and non-judgmental setting. Call 604.932.0113 for more information or visit www.mywcss.org.
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Concussion Support Group - WCSS is offering a recurring 8 week program to support people living with persistent postconcussion symptoms. Contact WCSS at 604.932.0113 and speak with an outreach worker about upcoming sessions or visit www.mywcss.org.
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Epilepsy Support Group- For individuals & families seeking guidance or support. # 37 Contact eswhistler@gmail.com Immigrant Peer Educators - Immigrants providing support and information for those who may be experiencing challenges adjusting to a new culture. 604-388-5511 info@whistlermulticulturalnetwork.com Pregnancy and Infant Loss - Facilitated by a registered counsellor, this program is designed for couples and individuals who have experienced loss of a child, either before or after birth. Please call WCSS at 604.932.0113 and speak to an outreach worker for more information or visit www. mywcss.org.
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SMART Recovery Whistler (SelfManagement and Recovery Training) A Cognitive-Behavioural group for individuals with substance abuse con- cerns. Drop-in: Registration is not necessary. Wednesdays 5:30-7:00pm Whistler Health Centre (2nd floor-group room)
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Whistler Alcoholics Anonymous: 12-step support group for men and women who want to stop drinking or are recovering from alcoholism. Evening meetings are held 8:00pm Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays and 7:00pm Monday. Whistler Medical Center, 4380 Lorimer Road, 2nd Floor multiple purpose room; 604- 905-5489, https:// www.bcyukonaa.org
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# 39
Sea to Sky Healing Room - For Blessing/Prayer/Encouragement In the Community Church building, 7422 Dogwood Street, Pemberton. Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday: 4-6 PM
N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre
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6PO BOX 88/64 CASPER CHARLIE3PLACE, 6 DARCY BC3V0N 1L0 9 2 JOB POSTING 2 INFANT 5 TODDLER EDUCATOR POSITION: 5position: Regular, 3 Full-Time7 6 Nature of Term: Ongoing 1 8 7 Start Date: Immediately 8 9 4 3 QUALIFICATIONS: • Valid Early Childhood Educator Certificate and License to 3 of 7 Practice as an Infant Toddler Educator (or in the process obtaining your License to Practice) 1 5 2 8 JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 7 5 • Planning & implementing developmentally appropriate
DRIVE
SELL
PO BOX 88/64 CASPER CHARLIE PLACE, DARCY BC V0N 1L0
JOB POSTING
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR AND/ OR ABORIGINAL SUPPORTED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT WORKER The N’Quatqua First Nation is seeking a qualified Early Childhood Educator and/or Aboriginal Supported Child Development Support Worker to fill a full-time position at N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre. The successful candidate will join our NCFDC team, the function of the Early Childhood Educator and/or Aboriginal Supported Child Development Support Worker is to provide the extra staffing support to a child care center in order for children with extra support needs to fully participate in the child care settings chosen by their families. The Early Childhood and/or Support Worker works as a team member with child care setting staff and with all the children and families providing general support to the whole program to ensure effective inclusion of the children.
curriculum MEDIUMthat supports community inclusion and is culturally # 38 significant for young Aboriginal children. • Understanding and working knowledge of Child Care Licensing Regulations.
The successful candidate will have demonstrated ability in: • Ability to develop and maintain a warm, caring, responsive relationship with the child. • Ability to establish and maintain supportive, collaborative relationships with families and staff. • Ability to maintain confidentiality, positive, professional, nonjudgmental attitude. • Physically ability to carry out the duties of the position. • Planning and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum that supports community, inclusion and is culturally significant for young Aboriginal children • Understanding and working knowledge of Child Care Licensing regulations • Interpersonal, written, oral communication skills and maintaining positive communication with parents • Collaborating with community service providers, Self-directed and able to initiate and complete projects In addition, the Early Childhood Educator and/or Aboriginal Supported Child Development Support Worker will have: • A minimum of 2 years work experience in a child care setting • Valid Early Childhood Education Certificate, Special Needs License to Practice or going to school to take Early Childhood Educator and/or special needs. • Special Needs certificate or relevant experience preferred • Clear Criminal Records Check & Current First Aid • Food Safe, or willingness to obtain • Some knowledge of curriculum and philosophies in First Nations Early Childhood settings Terms of Employment: • Full-time Permanent, Monday to Friday hours to be determined • Start Date: As soon as possible • Wage: (negotiable depending on experience)
• Interpersonal, written and oral communication skills. • Maintaining positive communication with parents. • Collaborate with community service providers. • Self-directed and able to initiate and complete projects
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• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
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REQUIREMENTS:
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immunization and tuberculosis control programs.
Wage: Negotiable depending on experience
2 6 5 8 9 9 position is4filled 7 Closing Date: Until Submit cover letter &resume to: 6 lisa.sambo@nquatqua.ca 4 E-mail: 1 3 Hours of work: 32 hours per week Location: D’Arcy, BC
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# 40
Join us at Whistler Waldorf School! Full or part-time available: • Custodian/Facility Maintenance
• Outdoor Ed. Coordinator / P.E. Teacher - High School 4 2 8 6 5 3 7 9 1
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N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre
• Science Teacher - High School Chemistry & Physics
# 38
WORK
THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS
• Finance Manager (Part-time)
Answers
RENT
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
COMMUNITY LISTINGS
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BUY
# 39• Subject 1 9 teachers 7 3 5 (Part-time) 8 4 2 6
5 6 Fine 4 1Arts, 7 P.E. 2 9 3 8 French, 3 8 2 6 9 4 5 1 7 7 2 3 9 1 6 8 4 5 whistlerwaldorf.com/employment principal@whistlerwaldorf.com 8 1 6 7 4 5 2 9 3 4 5 9 2 8 3 7 6 1 2 4 8 5 6 1 3 7 9 6 7 5 4 3 9 1 8 2 9 3 1 8 2 7 6 5 4
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Cover Letter & Resume to: Title: Lisa Sambo, Manager Agency: N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre Email: lisa.sambo@nquatqua.ca Fax: 604-452-3295/3280 Deadline: until position is filled We thank all those who apply. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
4/11/2005
MARCH 26, 2020
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52 MARCH 26, 2020
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PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 16 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 39 41 43 45 46 49 51 52 55 59 60 62 63 64 66 67 69 71
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LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS
Enter a digit from 1 through 9 in each cell, in such a way that: • Each horizontal row contains each digit exactly once • Each vertical column contains each digit exactly once • Each 3x3 box contains each digit exactly once Solving a sudoku puzzle does not require any mathematics; simple logic suffices.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM
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MEDIUM Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 38
ANSWERS ON PAGE 51
MARCH 26, 2020
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MAXED OUT
We will get through this … “Blow up your TV, Throw away your paper....” JOHN PRINE
ON SEPT. 11, 2001, I woke up with a stiff back, mental dislocation and an overwhelming sense of wonder. Days before, I’d taken possession of what would become Smilin’ Dog Manor, a cabin in the Cariboo on the tranquil shores of Sulphuric Lake.
BY G.D. MAXWELL The morning sun was shining on the deck, eagles circled lazily, looking for their breakfast, herons commuted to the mouth of a nearby creek to try their luck and blessed coffee dripped into its pot. I was sore from sleeping on the floor—I had virtually no furniture and no beds—and from beating back the wilderness from a home not lived in for the past 18 months. I gave passing thought to spooning in a mouthful of coffee beans and sucking them while I awaited the brewed version. And then the phone—landline, the only connection to so-called civilization—rang. “Turn on your TV! Turn on your TV!” the frantic voice, a friend from Montreal, screamed. “We don’t have one. We’re at the cabin.” “Turn on your radio then!” “I’d have to go up to the car... and the reception is pretty spotty. What’s going on?” “They’re flying planes into the World Trade Center!!!” “No shit? That seems weird. Why are they doing that?” “It’s terrorists.” I’ll spare you the rest of the conversation. While I understood the words, I couldn’t relate to the message. Whatever was happening in New York might as well have been happening in another world. I grabbed a cup of coffee and went back to watching the eagles and wondering whether the call was some kind of weird housewarming joke. Let’s-fool-the-rubesin-B.C. kind of thing. Later, checking briefly in with the rest of the world via veeerrrry sloooow dial-up internet—if you don’t remember dial-up, ask someone older to explain it—I found out it was true. I didn’t have the patience to wait the 10 minutes for the New York Times to load and went back to my battle with the slowly retreating wilderness. It wasn’t until two weeks later, when I briefly returned to Tiny Town, that I saw any images of the events that took place that day. While they still seemed to play in a continuous loop on various all-news-allthe-time cable networks, they continued to exist outside my reality. But I noticed friends and family who’d
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had the misfortune of being immersed in media saturation in real time were traumatized, scarred, scared. Thinking back to 1986 when the Challenger exploded just over a minute after takeoff, and even further back to 1963— yeah, I’m that old—when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, I remembered the sense of reality dislocation that grew from prolonged media exposure to those events. That’s when I knew John Prine was on to something. So for the sake of your own mental health, consume news thoughtfully, as though it was the food of which you are most fearful. Stop reading pandemic stories. You pretty much know everything you need
of social distancing. Our bubble just got smaller now that all the tourists have left town and none are coming. We have an abundance of outdoors to enjoy...safely. Now is not a good time to test your mettle. The emergency room is the last place you want to visit right now. There are more kilometres of trails in and around Whistler than you can hike in many months and many—most—of them are pretty empty. Hiking in the mountains is about as therapeutic as it gets, distancing is easy and it can be very social. Join me in thanking Whistler Blackcomb for opening up the mountains to skinners, snowshoers, hikers and people even less prepared to trek up steep, often slippery
Love, kindness and community will see us through this.
to know by now or you already live in an even smaller bubble than the rest of us. And for heaven’s sake, get the f@*k off antisocial media. Or if you just can’t kick the addiction, stick to cute dog and cat things. Count yourself fortunate you don’t live in one of the country’s large urban centres. The probabilistic chances of catching anything in Whistler other than a serious hangover are lower than they are in most places, lower still if you heed the strictures
slopes. Three hours up will get you a handful of minutes sliding back down and a great vantage point for a well-spaced lunch. Very few things calm your mind and feed your spirit like the combination of altitude and the view in every direction from almost anywhere above treeline. Take advantage of your forced hiatus from work and enjoy it. About that, almost everyone shares your pain. There aren’t a lot of people whose jobs haven’t either vanished or been severely
curtailed. If you’ve never bothered in the past, now is the time to discover the Tao of Thrift. Tenet No. 1: You don’t have to make what you’re not going to spend. Thrift has been forced upon us. There is less coming in and there are fewer ways of spending it—no bars, no restaurants, no retail, no personal services. Food, shelter, light, heat, health, that’s about it. With time on your hands, learn to cook...real food. You’ll be surprised how inexpensive it is compared to the alternative. You can approximate that $6 loaf of bread you’re craving for about 75 cents worth of ingredients, time and patience and skill you’ll pick up as you practice. In some small way, it’ll change your life when you learn to make your own bread. Love, kindness and community will see us through this. This is the time to overlook those things that piss you off and draw nearer to those closest to you. Now is not the time to lose control and take it out on your partner, kids, dogs or neighbours. There is help in town—the Whistler Community Services Society continues to operate as best it can—there is generosity as evidenced by the funds raised for the food bank by The Hairfarmers’ streamed concert, and there will be more help from all levels of government. Hell, even the most conservative people in the country have stopped harping about the deficit. It’ll pass. Life will be different. Your outlook on life will likely be different. Most likely, it’ll be better. The things that are important will be the memories burned into your psyche. The rest is so much static. Abide, dude. n
FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, HOME G L O B A L R E AC H , L O C A L K N O W L E D G E
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CYPRESS PLACE 8079 Cypress Place Stunning new home on the 5th tee of the Nicklaus North Golf course. Four bedrooms, 4.5 baths, media room and office. Outstanding quality, gourmet kitchen, three fireplaces and lovely covered decks. 3D Video and floor plans available! $4,995,000
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