Pique Newsmagazine 2714

APRIL 2, 2020 ISSUE 27.14

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THE FIRE THAT SAVED

A Whistler backcountry skier tours the scorched earth of Central Idaho

12

COVID-19

Businesses investigate how

to survive a pandemic

13

MEDICAL CARE Whistler ‘still on the upslope’ of COVID-19 curve

38

BOUNCING BACK Local musicians are tapping into other talents to make a living

I have been in self-isolation since March 11th. Alone. I ‘ve cleaned everything including the ceiling fan blades, walls, and took apart my vacuum and washed all the inside components! Highlights for me have been FaceTime chats with friends near and far. I’m also eating my way through the pantry, one bag of lentils at a time…

I give myself permission to start Happy Hour on FaceTime with friends at 5PM. Painting with acrylics is my new hobby – I have a lovely cow that I am working on now, we might name her Corona!

- Lynne Venner

We had a virtual extended family brunch on Sunday via Zoom- next time virtual waffles!

And we got our core Adventure Moto Riding group together via messenger video chat to dream about our summer riding plans!

- Ray Longmuir

- Lisa Ames

With two kids we are playing a lot of games.

Having Zoom socials with friends. And kids socializing using House Party app!

- Dave Burch

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO BEND THE CURVE? HERE’S WHAT SOME OF OUR REALTORS HAVE BEEN DOING!

My husband and I have created a schedule so we can each work a bit while the other one watches our two preschool aged boys. It’s working well for work/life balance and I’m truly enjoying the daily extra time with my little guys.

I’ve stopped grocery shopping daily, and go a week or longer between trips for food!

- Sharon Audley

My family is on day 22 of physical distancing.

We are staying home to help support our health workers and save lives.

- Danielle Menzel

I’ve been spending lots of time with my guitar, watching online concerts and scrolling through my music library.

- Lindsay Graham

- Amber Mann

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 Starting March 31st Nesters will not be accepting reusable bags, totes and boxes for packing your groceries. Please use a free Nesters plastic or paper bag or please take our cart or basket to your car or to the tables supplied outside nesters to pack into your reusable containers.

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

26

34 38

The Fire that Saved Sun Valley A Whistler backcountry skier tours the scorched earth of Central Idaho. - By Vince Shuley

08

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A Whistler emergency room

24

MASKING IT

Sea to Sky community members are stepping up

doctor provides advice and encouragement for the public to care for others by caring for

to make masks for those at risk—and those who want them—as people cope with

themselves, and a writer reinforces the importance of physical distancing.

COVID-19.

12

34

WAITING AND HOPING

Small businesses are patiently

KEEPING WARM

The Warm brothers, Will and Beck, reflect on

trying to hold on as governments determine financial-aid details, but admit that it’s a

the abrupt end to their junior hockey careers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and

challenging time.

ponder what the future might hold.

19

NEW RULES

The Village of Pemberton council amends its

38

BOUNCING BACK

With concerts cancelled indefinitely, local

procedural bylaw to enable physical distancing, allowing officers to ticket those who

musicians, including Will Ross and Lozen, are tapping into other talents to make a

ignore park closures, during a special meeting held on March 31.

living.

COVER K2 skier Collin Collins samples the scorched forest terrain of Central Idaho. - By Vince Shuley #103 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9.

PH: (604) 938-0202 FAX: (604) 938-0201 www.piquenewsmagazine.com

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com Editor CLARE OGILVIE - edit@piquenewsmagazine.com Assistant Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@wplpmedia.com

Reporters BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com JOEL BARDE - jbarde@piquenewsmagazine.com MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@wplpmedia.com 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

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Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, MICHAEL ALLEN, FEET BANKS, LESLIE ANTHONY, ALLEN BEST, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY, LISA RICHARDSON

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4 APRIL 2, 2020

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SERVICE IS ONLY AVAILABLE AT FRESH ST. MARKET IN WHISTLER.

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SENIORS ShOPPInG hOuR EVERY WED & FRI 7 AM – 8 AM

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.

FRESHSTMARKET.COM • 8 AM – 7 PM DAILY

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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.

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LOCATED IN WHISTLER MARKETPLACE VILLAGE NORTH

OPENING REMARKS

Nature is still our greatest ally AS WE SETTLE into this uneasy existence of life in the time of a pandemic, perhaps it is time to consider some of the unintended consequences we are seeing.

One of the most noticeable is the many fewer cars on the road. Along with this, we have the grounding of airlines and the slowing down of some industrial sectors, as populations globally have to stay isolated to try and break the chain in spreading

BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

COVID-19.

A funny meme going around social media suggested that Mother Earth was giving her kids a timeout in their rooms in the hopes of causing some self-reflection on the ongoing destruction of the environment we are causing.

While raising a smile, the image is also rather thought-provoking if you take a minute to consider the serious side of the message.

You will recall that before the global

problem, some images began to surface quietly about what was happening to the planet as a result of people staying home and industrial and business operations ceasing.

It’s only logical to think that there would be an impact on emissions of pollutants, but as people came to terms with the deaths and the devastation in COVID-19’s wake, the small wins for the environment felt distasteful to acknowledge.

It still feels that way.

But connected to this drop in CO2 emissions in some parts of the world are lingering questions about lessons that might be drawn from the world’s response to the pandemic and how some of it might be transferable to the climate-change fight.

After all, we have seen extreme and rapid responses by nations that lead the world. Could we not expect to see this same type of behaviour to save the planet?

Sadly, Jason Bordoff, a former senior director on the staff of the U.S. National Security Council and special assistant to President Barack Obama says no in this week’s Foreign Policy magazine.

“COVID-19 may deliver some short-term climate benefits by curbing energy use,

“ ... any climate benefits from the COVID-19 crisis are likely to be fleeting and negligible.”

- JASON BORDOFF

economy was stopped in its tracks by this coronavirus, a considerable number of the voting public had placed climate change at the top, or near the top, when it came to issues that needed to be addressed by leaders.

There were protest marches around the world drawing tens of thousands of people demanding action on this front.

It’s hard to imagine that that was just a few weeks ago.

Then in the first few weeks of the global realization that COVID-19 is everyone’s

6 APRIL 2, 2020

or even longer-term benefits if economic stimulus is linked to climate goals—or if people get used to telecommuting and thus use less oil in the future,” he wrote.

“Yet any climate benefits from the COVID19 crisis are likely to be fleeting and negligible.

Rather, the pandemic is a reminder of just how wicked a problem climate change is because it requires collective action, public understanding and buy-in, and decarbonizing the energy mix while supporting economic growth and energy use around the world.”

Still, it was amazing to see that in just five days this month, San Francisco saw a 40-per-cent decrease in particulate matter levels compared to last year’s levels at this time—a result of the city’s shelter-inplace order to control the virus. New York City saw a 28-per-cent drop over the same period of time, and Seattle saw a 32-per-cent decrease.

From Feb. 3 to March 1, CO2 emissions were down from 2019 by at least 25 per cent in China because of the measures to contain the coronavirus, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an air pollution research organization.

As the world’s biggest polluter, China contributes 30 per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions annually, so the impact of this kind of drop is huge, even over a short period.

CREA estimates it is equivalent to 200 million tons of carbon dioxide—more than half the entire annual emissions output of the U.K. Every little bit helps, but as the powerhouse that is China ramps up its manufacturing and coal-fire plants once again, we must all consider what is the take away from what we are seeing.

“At the end of the day, [with] all of these events, nature is sending us a message,” UN’s environment chief, Inger Andersen, said last week.

She went on to point out that the world’s wild spaces are being eroded and that this is increasing the risk of more COVID-19-type pandemics “Never before have so many opportunities existed for pathogens to pass from wild and domestic animals to people,” she told the Guardian, explaining that 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases come from wildlife.

“We are intimately interconnected with nature, whether we like it or not. If we don’t take care of nature, we can’t take care of ourselves. And as we hurtle towards a population of 10 billion people on this planet, we need to go into this future armed with nature as our strongest ally.” n

TO THE KEG FOR DONATING A HUGE PRIME RIB ROAST LUNCH FOR THE TEAM.

SPECIAL THANKS TO LA CANTINA AND CREEKBREAD FOR FEEDING OUR FRONT LINE WORKERS. Feeding the Spirit of Whistler Since 1988

THANK YOU ...

TO WHISTLER – THIS TRULY IS THE BEST COMMUNITY! TO THE ANONYMOUS FRIENDS OF CREEKSIDE MARKET - WE ARE BLOWN AWAY BY YOUR KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY! TO THE CREEKSIDE MARKET TEAM - WE’RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE THE MOST WONDERFUL AND DEDICATED PEOPLE TO WORK WITH!

COVID 19 STORE ADVISORY HOURS OF OPERATION 8AM-8PM DAILY THE FIRST HOUR FROM 8AM-9AM, IS RESERVED FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS.

PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE OF THIS HOUR FOR THEM TO SHOP SAFELY IN OUR MARKET. AS OF MARCH 28TH, THE BC CENTRE OF DISEASE CONTROL HAS BANNED THE USE OF REUSABLE BAGS FOR ALL RETAILERS. SO NO BAGS FROM OUTSIDE ALLOWED INTO THE MARKET AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE PUT UP TWO TABLES OUTSIDE UNDER ONE OF OUR CREEKSIDE MARKET TENTS FOR THE CUSTOMERS TO USE TO PACK THEIR OWN GROCERIES ON IF YOU STILL WANT TO USE YOUR OWN BAGS. CREEKSIDE MARKET HAS ALSO WAIVED THE 5-CENT PLASTIC BAG FEE INDEFINITELY WHILE REUSABLE BAG BAN IS IN EFFECT. WE HAVE “STEPPED UP” OUR DISINFECTING AND SANITIZING IN THE MARKET. BIG TIME! ON TOP OF OUR INCREASED INTERNAL CLEANING ROUTINE, WE HAVE HIRED A PROFESSIONAL CLEANING COMPANY TO COME IN NIGHTLY TO DISINFECT AND SANITIZE THE ENTIRE STORE, PLUS ALL HAND BASKETS AND SHOPPING CARTS. WE ALSO HAVE THE DISINFECTING MACHINE OUT FRONT OF THE MARKET EVERY DAY, TO SANITIZE EVERY BASKET AND EVERY CART AFTER EACH USE! NO BASKET OR CART IS USED A SECOND TIME WITHOUT BEING SANITIZED! WE ARE LIMITING THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS INTO THE MARKET TO 20 AT A TIME. DURING THESE TIMES, WE MAY NEED TO ASK YOU TO LINE UP OUTSIDE. WE HAVE PUT OUT 3 MORE CREEKSIDE MARKET TENTS LINED UP IN A ROW, TO ALLOW THE CUSTOMERS AN AREA TO STAY DRY. PLEASE RESPECT YOUR FELLOW SHOPPERS’ SPACE DURING THESE TIMES, AND WHENEVER POSSIBLE PLEASE JUST HANDLE THE ITEMS AND PRODUCTS YOU PLAN TO BUY, AND PLEASE DO NOT SQUEEZE THE CHARMIN!

THE CREEKSIDE MARKET STAFF APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING.

THANK YOU AND STAY SAFE.

LOCATED IN

CREEKSIDE VILLAGE - 604.938.9301

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Advice from the front lines—WHCC’s medical director Thank you, Whistler, to every single person who is working to keep themselves healthy and safe from COVID-19. This will keep others safe, too.

Our family doctors in Whistler have been very busy providing telehealth advice and care to patients. The combination of you taking care of yourself, and the primary care doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and specialists providing virtual care and telephone advice, has vastly reduced our patient volumes in the emergency department at the Whistler Health Care Centre (WHCC).

In addition, [the effects of] tourists, visitors and seasonal workers going home, public facilities and parks being closed, and even our own mountains being closed, has also contributed to fewer people requiring medical care. And this is so very necessary as we work tirelessly to prepare to be able to deliver the very best care to those who need it in the weeks ahead.

Yes, the coronavirus is here in our community and it is going to get worse before it gets better, just how much worse depends on you.

All the modelling predictions suggest that we are still in the very early stages here in Whistler.

Conversely, there is at least one facility in the Lower Mainland where it seems to have peaked and patients are beginning to recover.

This means your personal behaviour will continue to play a very important part in how hard this virus hits our community, how quickly it spreads, how many people it infects, how sick the more vulnerable people become, how many patients we will have to care for in emergency, how many patients we will have to transport to the city to intensive care, and how many people may die.

This novel coronavirus pandemic is the biggest global threat we have ever faced where the actions of every single person can make a difference every second, minute, and hour of every day.

COVID-19 is a virus. It dies without a host.

You are a potential host. If you don’t let it live in you, it will die. If you don’t pass it on to other people, it can’t hurt them. You can carry the virus and not even develop any symptoms. If

the worst of this over the next couple of months (viruses don’t like summer).

But right now, it is hour-by-hour, day-by-day, week-by-week, so stay tuned.

Innovation and science is learning a great deal from this and applying that learning faster than it ever has.

Hopefully we will all learn personally from this. We will be better prepared for this when it happens again. Perhaps, once we have beaten COVID-19, we can re-direct our collective effort to the more insidious global threat of climate change. Together, perhaps the world really can become a better place.

Bruce Mohr, MD // Whistler emergency physician

Physical distancing on the Valley Trail

you do pass it on to someone unknowingly, they also may not have any symptoms.

Most people, however, will have minor flu-like symptoms and recover completely.

But some people could become extremely ill, requiring intensive care, or even die.

The elderly and people who have underlying medical conditions face higher odds of getting really sick or dying from COVID-19, particularly those with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, lung disease (asthma or COPD), and cancer. If you take the necessary precautions to prevent catching it and carrying it, you keep your community healthy.

There has never been a time when personal stewardship and responsibility can have such an impact on our own health, the health of those we love, and the health of our community. So wash your hands, don’t touch your face, wash your hands. Practice physical distancing and help others do the same. Be careful with surfaces in public spaces—gas pumps, touch pads, mobile phones, laptops, bank machines, door handles.

Don’t pass around a joint; don’t exhale forcefully.

Sneeze or cough into your elbow, or wear a mask if you have a chronic cough. And wash your hands, don’t touch your face, wash your hands.

If you aren’t working, use this time as a gift. Self-reflect about your priorities, meditate (whatever that looks like for you), re-connect with loved ones virtually, or better yet, write them a good, old-fashioned letter or give them a call. Get going on your home to-do list, read that pile of books, learn to cook nutritious,

wholesome foods at home, do sit ups, take good care of your own body joints, practice yoga, sing to yourself or online with others, learn a new language, learn to play the ukulele.

Look after yourself—drink plenty of fluids, practice good sleep hygiene, eat well, stay connected. Take your regular prescription medicines or inhalers. If you need to take a medication for pain or fever, DO NOT take Ibuprofen or Naproxen—take Acetaminophen instead. And if you are a mountain biker, “bike so you can bike tomorrow.”

Self-isolate if you aren’t feeling well. Call someone if you are worried. Get medical help if you need it. And don’t get “COVID-19 tunnel vision.”

Life and death and everything in between unrelated to coronavirus goes on. People will have heart attacks and strokes. They will still get kidney stones, appendicitis and gallbladder infections. Accidents will still happen—people may break their skin and their bones (remember “bike to bike tomorrow”). People will still make babies, lose babies, and have babies.

Call someone if you are worried. Get good advice. Dial 811 for advice, 911 for true emergencies, call your family doctor or Allied Health Care Professional, Whistler Health Centre Centre, check informative websites such as www.divisionsbc.ca/sea-sky and www. vch.ca.

We are all there for you. We will take good care of you.

Hope springs eternal. I hope we get through

Hello fellow community members.

I know our community is going through a challenging time with the impact of COVID19. Yet we are privileged to live in such a beautiful place with easy access to awesome trail networks, allowing us to get out there and enjoy the great outdoors while easily practising physical distancing.

I believe most of us are doing our best to respect the required two-metre (six-feet) distance rule and I thank everyone for that.

But I think we can do better and be more aware of others around us.

On the Valley Trail, there are people who walk side by side, which may be fine for you if you are a family or live in the same household.

But please be aware that the Valley Trail is not that wide.

Many sections of the Valley Trail are less than 1.5 metres wide per side, so we really can only be two metres apart if both directions stick to the right side of the trail (not the centre) and stay in single file.

If you walk side by side with others, please disperse when you are around others to allow for the appropriate distancing.

And to cyclists out there—when you cut through the middle of the pedestrians on each side of the trail, or you pass other cyclists, you do encroach on their two metres. Please stop and allow for the appropriate distancing, or consider using the roads if the Valley Trail is busy (and even then be mindful when you pass others).

Thank you for your cooperation.

I wish all of us the best of health and look forward to welcoming back our visitors when it is safe to do so!

Theresa Walterhouse // Whistler n

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ASKING PRICE $1,280,000

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8 APRIL 2, 2020

Steve Shuster

t: 604.698.7347 | e: steve@steveshusterrealestate.com www.steveshusterrealestate.com

To Braden, Alyssa, Brandon, Dan, Megan, Joel, and the whole Pique team: Thank you for your journalism! Journalists are the unsung heroes.

With love from the prairies, Julia

Even though a cloud of COVID separates us, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to KATHY and HANNAH, a wonderful sister and a precious niece.

May the coming year unveil many delightful surprises!!

With much love and blessings galore, Auntie Doris

WELL DONE, WHISTLER HOOMANS! Congratulations!

You’ve done a great job of being cooped up inside and getting irrationally excited about rodents invading the yard.

Thank you!

-Jaxson & Elvis

STA

Y

HOM

E!

Thank you!

To our Amazing Health Care Staff and Essential Service Workers

You’re our Heroes!

n.org undatio o f e r a c rhealth whistle

TO DO

N AT E :

Many thanks to the fine WMSC coaches for their dedication and incredible energy all season despite a challenging winter!

Responding with Care

APRIL 2, 2020

9

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.

At an affordable cost for you to share some thoughts of compassion:

1/16 Page

1/8 Page

40

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$

1/4 Page

75

115

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*All ads includes colour

Mother Earth, Thank you for this beautiful place we call home. Walking through your emerald forests, I breathe in deeply.

Earthy sweetness fills my body. My mind quiets. I hug my favourite tree.

She’s a magnificent beauty. In this time of crisis, you provide sanctuary.

We are the lucky ones and I am forever grateful. with love, Katrina (Pemberton)

Local Automotive’s Steven Turner wants to thank his incredible staff: Carly Haug, Sean Fisher, Sean Rogers and Tyler Berath during these challenging times.

A big shout-out also goes to Lordco, Functional Pie Pizzeria for fuelling the staff, all the front-line workers in food and other services, and especially those at the Whistler Health Care Centre.

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Lisa

Matt

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604-905-8912

604-966-8678

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604-902-7270

mcallaghan@sutton.com

lashcroft@sutton.com

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Callaghan Personal Real Estate Corporation

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suttonwestcoast.com

10 APRIL 2, 2020

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PIQUE’N YER INTEREST

What kind of world do we want to come back into?

AT BEST, the last couple of weeks have been incredibly weird.

If you’re one of the lucky ones, you’re adjusting to working from home and trying to keep yourself from going stir-crazy without the regular distractions of live sports or red-carpet fashion analysis to pass the time. More likely, you’re crunching the

BY DAN FALLOON sports@piquenewsmagazine.com

numbers, waiting with bated breath to hear what assistance government is planning to provide—whether it’s sending a fleet of lifeboats or just tossing out a couple of pool noodles and calling it a day.

Moving from mostly sports to whatever athletic-adjacent stories I can rustle up and going heavy on hard, COVID-19 news has provided a jarring contrast. Reaching the normally busy athletes has never been easier, as I’ve had several responses directly saying “I have all the time in the world,” while on the news side, the people I’m reaching have likely never been busier in their professional lives. You always strive to be prepared, knowledgeable and respectful of everyone’s time, but these are certainly occasions where you’re acutely aware that 30 seconds spent answering a dumb-ass question is time that could be better spent

while drivers are ensuring that people and products that still need to get around can do so. Then there’s the couriers and warehouse people making online deliveries happen so those who can’t leave the house don’t need to. If you’re working from home, buy your IT person a beer the next time you see them (don’t leave us, Karl—Pique’s indispensible production manager!). That’s just for a start.

If they come out the other side of this and collectively have wage or safety demands, let’s rally around them the way they banded together for us in our time of need.

And if anyone tries to bust out the old and stale chestnut about how some of our service workers deserve what they get, that they should be grateful for any paycheque they get by virtue of being “unskilled,” don’t be shy to remind them of who showed up for risky work while they could comfortably hunker down in their own personal fortresses.

As much as we can, let’s keep watch on which companies are doing well by their workers and working in the public trust.

Of course, no organization is going to be unscathed, but when we see behemoths such as Amazon and Whole Foods owner Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person, encourage employees to share sick time among one another instead of providing it without question, let’s not forget that when we’re deciding where to allocate our tighter budgets. And any large company that receives a dime of public emergency

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Some aspects should return to “normal,” absolutely, but this crisis has provided some insight into how awful the status quo is for many.

helping someone who’s in desperate need.

With much of society slowed to a crawl if not shut completely, it’s a useful time to individually and collectively figure out what we should bring back and what can be left to wilt when the pandemic is under control. Some aspects should return to “normal,” absolutely, but this crisis has provided some insight into how awful the status quo is for many.

One thing that has been reinforced is how dedicated, hardworking and, mostimportantly, brave our doctors, nurses and other medical staff are—and let’s not forget other first responders, too. But some industries, including some that might not have been given another thought before, are being called to the front lines as well. Retail workers in supermarkets and pharmacies are stepping up right now in a big way,

money that could have gone directly to a citizen in need should be scrutinized to no end.

Let’s continue to demand better from our governments, to support health care so that we’re better prepared for when the next pandemic hits, to care for those whose life was a crisis before and will continue to be so afterwards. We must demand paid sick leave for all—its necessity has never been more clear—and better protections for those working in a gig economy. While we don’t know what the marketplace is going to look like in the months to come, it wouldn’t be surprising to see rebuilding juggernauts setting up to offer employees as few guarantees as possible.

Things are brutal for nearly everyone right now. But we’re going to get through it together. Let’s stay united once we’re there. n

Engel & Völkers Whistler

APRIL 2, 2020

11

NEWS WHISTLER

Small businesses feeling effects of COVID-19 FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS LOOKING TO KEEP EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS AFLOAT

BY DAN FALLOON AFTER A slower-than-anticipated 2019 summer wedding season, Kathryn Watters of Pemberton-based Cheese Box Photo Booth was sensing a bounce-back coming in 2020.

But, on March 12, as Watters waited with her daughter to board a plane for a quick spring break visit to Ontario, the dominoes began to fall. With the provincial announcement that day that gatherings of more than 250 people were banned, the Whistler Blackcomb (WB) length-of-service awards ceremony slated for the following week was suddenly off. Soon after, clients postponed or cancelled weddings, while school closures meant planned grad and prom events disappeared as well.

“It happened pretty much all at once,” said Watters, who started Cheese Box in 2013. “This is going to take a toll, probably, through the entire summer. Who knows how long this is all going to go on for?”

While Watters has minimal overhead costs, she recently spent “a small fortune” on printing supplies coming from the United States that are going to collect dust.

Jacki Bissillion of Whistler and Squamish Personnel Solutions, meanwhile, said her

BOXED IN Kathryn Watters of Cheese Box Photo Booth said the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically reduced her business opportunities in the coming months.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHEESE BOX PHOTO BOOTH

12 APRIL 2, 2020

business has dropped by 90 per cent, noticing a decline in early March and pinpointing the closure of Whistler Blackcomb as the moment business started to tumble significantly as employers—primarily in the hospitality and tourism sector—have stopped hiring fulltime and temporary workers.

“We were set for a very successful year,” she said, noting the business typically sends hundreds of people to temporary jobs per week. “We are at the centre of the economy: when the economy’s booming,

doesn’t rectify soon,” she said. “It’s scary.”

Bissillion is confident that she’ll be able to tread water personally and is more focused on accessing the programs to provide as much help to her staff as possible.

WEILER, STURDY PROVIDE CLARITY IN CHAMBER TELECONFERENCE In a teleconference organized by the Whistler Chamber of Commerce on March 30, Weiler

“Who knows how long this is all going to go on for?”

- KATHRYN WATTERS

we’re booming and when the economy’s quiet, we’re quiet.”

At this point, the business has had to lay off more than 300 temporary workers and much of its core staff of 10.

While Bissillion has been impressed with the government response, including a recent Whistler Chamber-led teleconference with MP Patrick Weiler and MLA Jordan Sturdy (see below), as well as the community response, the uncertainty of how business can withstand the effects of a prolonged shutdown is “terrifying,” especially locally.

“Lots of businesses are going to really struggle, including my own, if this situation

and Sturdy provided an update on what the federal and provincial governments, respectively, were doing to help.

After short recaps of existing plans, the pair took about an hour answering each of the roughly 50 questions posed by attendees and moderated by Chamber CEO Melissa Pace.

Weiler said the federal government is in the process of developing stimulus plans for several industries, including tourism, though details were not yet available.

In terms of programs to help business owners, Weiler detailed the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which

would provide $2,000 a month for up to four months for those who don’t qualify for EI, which was first announced on March 25. As well, there is the 75-per-cent wage subsidy and Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA), making loans of up to $40,000 available, first announced on March 27 and given some additional clarity on March 30 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, though more details are still to come.

Sturdy said the provincial government is working to align its programs with its federal counterparts in order to make access as simple as possible.

“The province is trying to find a way to dovetail in to the federal programs,” he said.

With that in mind, Sturdy detailed the $5-billion provincial plan, which provides $2.8 billion for people and $2.2 billion for business. The biggest slice of the $2.8-billion pie is $1.7 billion for critical supports such as healthcare, social-assistance programs, housing, First Nations health authorities, and support for licenced day cares.

Being the start of the month, business owners were concerned about making rent payments, but Sturdy said the province is unlikely to intervene.

“I’m not optimistic that the government will get involved in individual terms of leases in the province,” Sturdy said.

Sturdy added that $1.5 billion has been earmarked for the recovery process, including $20 million for tourism and culture, though details aren’t yet fleshed out.

A full version of this story is online at www.piquenewsmagazine.com. n

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Whistler ‘still on the upslope of the curve,’ says medical director

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LEARN HOW TO ACCESS MEDICAL, DENTAL AND VETERINARY CARE DURING PANDEMIC

Nick Swinburne

Personal Real Estate Corporation

Engel & Völkers Whistler

BY BRANDON BARRETT DESPITE SOME mild optimism from provincial officials that B.C.’s COVID-19 growth rate appears to be slowing down, the medical director of the Whistler Health Care Centre (WHCC) said that Whistler is likely still in the early stages of the crisis.

“We’re still on the upslope of the curve,” said Dr. Bruce Mohr.

Because testing is now limited to patients requiring hospital care and frontline healthcare workers, officials only have so many data points to extrapolate the virus’ prevalence in a community.

“If they’re not in a long-term care home where a breakout has occurred, and they’re not in a hospital, they’re not being tested,” Mohr explained. “We don’t really know, but we’re assuming there is a significant incidence of disease in our community.”

Last week, provincial officials carried out disease modelling based on best- and worstcase scenarios, which suggested the COVID-19 growth rate in B.C. “is being impacted by the measures we put in place in the last couple of weeks,” said public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in a press conference.

Those positive indicators are all the more reason to stick to the physical distancing guidelines that have been implemented— including the younger demographic, explained the Whistler Medical Clinic’s Dr. Karin Kausky, who doubles as co-chair of the Sea to Sky Division of Family Practice.

“There’s been a lot of messaging that young people are much more likely to have a milder illness, but I’d really like to get out there that young people actually can get sick with this.

They can be carriers and they can transmit this virus to family, friends, to community when they’re not even symptomatic,” she said.

Mohr noted that although staffing and medical supply levels have been strained, the WHCC is still adequately equipped to deal with the crisis.

“We’re looking after the people that need emergency care, and we’re continuing to hone our skills for caring for those who may become more sick,” he added.

The WHCC is currently only home to one ventilator, however, and that would be relocated out of the resort if needed. Anyone needing intensive care would also 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,” medical health officer Dr. Meena Dawar told Pique on March 20.

Local doctors continue to urge Whistlerites to avoid the WHCC unless for

urgent care, and to contact their family doctor to set up an appointment by phone or teleconference for non-urgent issues. Those without a family doctor can still consult a GP remotely through a virtual clinic set up last week at www.divisionsbc.ca/sea-sky.

If, after consulting a doctor, a patient requires an in-person visit, that will be arranged—with the necessary precautions in place to prevent the spread of infection.

Emergent care will continue to be offered at the WHCC. Patients are asked to call the centre at 604-932-4911 before visiting the emergency room, if possible.

“I want to make sure that we’re not putting people off accessing the Whistler Health Care Centre for emergent issues, because we need to keep doing that,” Kausky said. “What we’re trying to do is let people know there is a better venue to access nonemergent, primary care and that is either through their family doctor or through this link to the virtual walk-in clinic.”

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DENTAL CARE All elective dental treatments have been suspended until further notice, but Whistler’s dental offices are available for urgent care.

“We’re screening patients by phone to assess their risk of exposure to COVID19 and to determine the urgency of their dental issue. From there we can determine if minimal treatment is required or to refer appropriately,” wrote Dr. Jake Bessie of Alpenglow Dental in an email.

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VETERINARY CARE Coast Mountain Veterinary Services is only allowing pets in the clinic for the time being as a precaution. Hospital manager Elke Ruijters said pet owners can call the clinic at 604-9325391 and a staff member will go over the pet’s medical history and determine if an in-person visit is necessary. Please advise staff if you or a member of your household have flu-like symptoms or have recently travelled out of country so that staff can take the necessary precautions and don personal protective equipment before caring for your pet.

Pets should be dropped off at the clinic’s front door so a staff member can retrieve them. The clinic is also asking that clients remove their pet’s leash at drop-off to help prevent infection.

“We want to take care of everyone’s pets as best as we can while keeping our own safety and our clients’ safety in mind,” Ruijters said A representative for Twin Trees Veterinary Clinic wrote in a Facebook message that the pandemic “has hardly changed anything for us” as a clinic that only deals with emergencies. n

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A huge thank you to all of the amazing health care workers and other dedicated front line staff during this time.

Let’s make those cheers at 7PM even louder!

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13

NEWS WHISTLER

TW suspends paid advertising campaigns MAYOR CROMPTON HAS A MESSAGE: DON’T COME TO WHISTLER

BY BRADEN DUPUIS AS PHYSICAL DISTANCING practices continue to prevent the spread of COVID19, Tourism Whistler (TW) has suspended all paid advertising campaigns, and is now asking visitors not to come to the resort.

“Tourism Whistler is not making any March or April accommodation inventory available on Whistler.com, or accepting any accommodation bookings until after May 1. These dates will continue to be monitored and adjusted as necessary, as the situation with COVID-19 evolves,” said TW president and CEO Barrett Fisher, in an email.

While some were finding bookings through TW’s website as recently as this weekend, the default dates had already been adjusted by then, Fisher said, attributing the error to a “gap” in the website’s booking software.

“A gap was identified in our booking funnel where if an accommodation search was made, but no dates were input, the funnel automatically defaulted to the next day. This software gap was identified and corrected on Friday night,” Fisher said.

“Additionally, and in the spirit of

full transparency, we had another error last week when an automated marketing email did not get blocked as intended, so it released automatically. The glitch was immediately followed by an apology email to subscribers.”

TW expects the resort’s current occupancy is at about one per cent, Fisher added.

The marketing shift is in line with recent messaging from Mayor Jack Crompton, who has used his frequent COVID-19 video updates to ask visitors to stay away from Whistler.

“No, I definitely never dreamed of making videos asking people not to visit our town,” Crompton said with a chuckle.

“Not in my wildest dreams.”

But then, these are wild times.

“Forget about strange—the challenge we face is surreal, and to be able to have a dialogue with other people feels good,” Crompton said, of the drive behind his video updates.

The videos—posted to his personal social media accounts and shared through Resort Municipality of Whistler channels—allow Crompton an avenue to directly communicate with Whistler residents, even as they self-isolate and practice physical distancing.

Meanwhile, a provincial directive announced on March 26 enables municipal bylaw officers to support enforcement of provincial health orders, giving Whistler’s bylaw officers some additional responsibilities.

While local bylaw officers have been actively patrolling parks, parking lots and the Village Stroll, calls associated to big public gatherings have been minimal, a municipal spokesperson said.

“Local awareness around social distancing seems high and only a small percentage of people have required verbal education. If there is an issue of noncompliance in our parks regarding closures we can also enforce our Park Use bylaw,” said the spokesperson.

“Bylaw officers are also monitoring businesses that offer food and drink to ensure they are following social distancing measures and we have seen a positive response from the business community taking their part.”

If you see a large group gathered, call the RCMP’s non-emergency line at 604-9323044 and press “1.”

Though some residents voiced concerns about physical distancing practices at the Nesters Waste Depot in the past week, noting staff was not following the proper

procedures, Regional Recycling (owner/ operator of the Nesters bottle depot) has now implemented new procedures and increased staff training, the RMOW spokesperson said.

These are anxious times, with many in the community feeling the immense stress and strain of a global pandemic—how is the mayor reassuring residents in these dire days?

“I’m comforted by the fact that we’re all in it together,” he said.

“This is going to require a full community effort to rebuild … I expect us to pull together and to come through it strong. That doesn’t mean I think it’s going to be easy by any means. The challenge is enormous, but we’re all in it together.

“Surreal is the best word for it.”

Crompton wanted to thank everyone working in Whistler to keep the community going—grocery store and gas station workers, firefighters and police officers, transit drivers and maintenance workers, and everyone else in between.

“I encourage our community to send a quick text or a note to the healthcare workers that they know thanking them for their commitment to our community, and their work on the response,” he said. 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 14 APRIL 2, 2020

NEWS WHISTLER

“Obviously if there are too many people, we will ask people to leave.”

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wait outside if groups begin to form.

“Obviously if there are too many people, we will ask people to leave. But at the moment, it’s not been an issue for us so we haven’t felt the need to actually put up a specific limit on how many people in the store,” said manager Wallace Barr.

The store has suspended hot food and coffee service, but Barr said an online ordering app is being readied for launch this week.

Some stores have also earmarked special shopping hours for the elderly and at-risk to reduce their potential exposure, and others such as Nesters Market have begun delivering pre-purchased orders for at-risk individuals and those in selfisolation or quarantine.

Deemed an essential service, the 50-person limit does not technically apply to food retailers, but the province has asked that stores follow the “spirit of” the provincial mandate and continue to limit staff as much as possible.

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ALTHOUGH GROCERY stores are not beholden to the provincial government’s 50-person limit on gatherings, stores in Whistler have already taken steps to restrict the number of shoppers coming through their doors.

Most stores in Whistler have recently introduced shopper limits, with the overflow of customers required to queue outside. At Fresh St. Market, staff numbers max out at about 35 during peak hours, wrote VP of retail operations Mark McCurdy in an email, who added that the store has responded to customer concerns when there were between 45 and 50 people in the store at a time and physical-distancing guidelines weren’t being adhered to.

“We are looking at reducing [staff] numbers and moving some restocking to after hours,” he added.

At Forecast Coffee in Function Junction, no specific shopper limits have been implemented but customers will be asked to

“This means that, for example, in large grocery stores where it is feasible to have more than 50 people present at one time, it is permissible to do so provided that appropriate physical distancing can be maintained,” read a government release.

Despite the panic buying of recent weeks, Jerry Marsh, co-owner of Creekside Market, said most products are back in stock—including toilet paper.

“For toilet paper, we’re back in business as far as that goes. We were out for a while, getting whatever we could, but now in the last four days, we’ve got lots of paper in,” he said, before adding that baking ingredients have proven harder to come by in recent days.

“People have also discovered the lost art of baking. Flour, sugar, yeast and baking powder are all hard to get,” Marsh noted.

“It’s very limited. We might order 10 cases of flour and get one.”

Stores have also ramped up sanitation efforts during the crisis. At Fresh St. Market, McCurdy said baskets, carts, pin pads and cash registers are wiped down after every use. The store has also shut down its fullservice bakery, deli and meat counters, and

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Tenants seeking an available discounted rental property while the mountains are closed are requested to view our LONG-TERM RENTAL LISTINGS at www.whistlerproperty.com & contact one of our Rental Agents.

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PROVINCE ASKS FOOD RETAILERS TO FOLLOW ‘SPIRIT OF’ 50-PERSON LIMIT ON GATHERINGS

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Whistler grocery stores managing shoppers for COVID-19 exposure

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switched its bulk department to packaged goods.

Meanwhile, the last day of operations for the time being at The Grocery Store in the village was Saturday, March 28.

“To keep our staff out of harm’s way we have decided to close for the time being,” read a post on the store’s Facebook page.

“We are grateful to all of our loyal customers for their support through this challenging time.”

Store ownership did not return a request for comment by deadline.

In appreciation of its frontline staff, a customer set up an employee fund for Creekside Market last week. Marsh said it was still being worked out how the funds would be distributed. Donations can be made by calling the store at 604-938-9301 or emailing jerry@creeksidemarket.com.

“It’s unreal that people would think of that. It’s very appreciated,” Marsh added.

“Our staff is amazing keeping the doors open and keeping people fed.” n

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15

NEWS WHISTLER

Support for community flows into Whistler FOOD BANK AND COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES RECEIVE FUNDS AND FOOD

BY JOEL BARDE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC continues to have a negative impact on the economic and mental well-being of many Whistlerities, creating a significant need in the community.

But this week, local groups got some significant support with two sizable donations.

On March 30, Vail Resorts announced that CEO Rob Katz and his wife, Elana Amsterdam, will donate $100,000 towards the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) and another $100,000 towards the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation’s COVID relief fund.

The donations are part of more than US$2.5 million the couple will spend to support charitable work in mountain towns that Vail Resorts operates in.

“I cannot recall another moment in my lifetime that has caused so much disruption to our lives—to our work, to our health and to our communities,” said Katz, in a release.

WCSS serves as the community’s main social services provider, running the Whistler Food Bank and employing workers trained to respond to peoples’ needs in challenging times.

The non-profit has been forced to temporarily close down its popular Re-UseIt Centre and Re-Build-it Centre to be in compliance with federal government and medical experts. Traditionally, revenue from these businesses funded about 75 per cent of WCSS’ social services, according to the organization.

“Without our revenues from the stores, we are looking at a net cash outflow of $300,000 in the next three months,” explained Lori Pyne, interim director of WCSS, in an email. “We are so grateful for the contribution from the Katz Amsterdam foundation. They understand we have operational overhead for the food bank and they recognize the importance of our outreach team and how they are positively impacting our community with mental health support during this dynamic and emotional time.”

Pyne added that the food bank is seeing extraordinary use, with 158 visits between March 19 and 25, compared to 55 in the same period last year. “Our food bank has seen larger numbers than others in the province because of our large tourism economy collapsing,” she said.

The Whistler Community Foundation (WCF) also granted $20,000 towards WCSS out of a recognition of the revenue loss

from the temporary closure of the Re-Build it and Re-Use it stores, said WCF executive director Claire Mozes.

The organization drew from its emergency fund—which has traditionally been used to support families that have lost their homes to fires—to support WCSS. “We wanted to direct the funds to an organization that was on the ground working with those in the greatest need at the moment,” said Mozes.

Money, however, isn’t the only way that Whistlerities are stepping up to the plate.

As a way to support frontline healthcare workers, the Whistler Healthcare Foundation is now delivering meals to the Whistler Health Care Centre (WHCC).

The deliveries are a “small thing we can do right now to support them,” said foundation chair Sandra Cameron. “[The medical workers] don’t have to leave the health care centre or worry about making [a meal] the night before.”

Cameron explained that the initiative came about after Dr. Fern von der Porten, who sits on the foundation’s board, casually mentioned a challenge facing healthcare workers: that every time they want to leave, they have to undertake a cumbersome process designed to keep the area sterile.

Samurai Sushi, Ingid’s Village Cafe, La

Cantina and the Upper Village Market have either donated meals or given a good rate on buying them.

Whistler Blackcomb (WB) also donated nearly six metric tonnes of much-needed goods to food banks in Whistler (771 kilograms), Pemberton (363 kg), Squamish (454 kg), and Surrey (4,309 kg) following the closure of the mountains.

“Fulfilling the requests of the different food banks was really inspiring and it was an effort that flowed from the bottom up and then the top back down, so everyone was fully bought into it,” said WB executive chef Wolfgang Sterr.

On Sunday, the province announced that it will provide a a $3-million emergency grant from the Community Gaming Grants program to Food Banks British Columbia, and that the organization will distribute the money among food banks provincewide.

Asked about the possibility of accessing the provincial funding, Pyne said the WCSS is not sure about how the funds will be administered.

“We are hoping to in the future, but at this time the way these funds are being administered is unclear,” she said.

To donate to WCSS, please go to mywcss.org. n

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R A C E A N D C O M PA N Y. C O M 14-07-03 3:20 PM

NEWS WHISTLER

Local distilleries to produce hand sanitizer MONTIS DISTILLING PLANS TO DONATE PROCEEDS TO WHISTLER COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY

BY JOEL BARDE THE OWNERS OF Function Junction’s Montis Distilling didn’t anticipate that they’d be making hand sanitizer when they opened for business in June of last year.

The plan, rather, was to focus on the vodka and gin that the start-up is known for.

But given our new reality—namely, the COVID-19 pandemic that’s ground the country to a halt—they’ve decided to switch it up.

“We’re probably going to produce 15 to 20 gallons [57 to 76 litres] for our first batch [of hand sanitizer], and then we’ll see where it goes from there,” explained Kwang Chen, who runs the distillery with his wife, Bryanna.

They will not charge for the hand sanitizer, but will accept donations, with the money likely going to Whistler Community Services Society—an important lifeline for those most affected by the current crisis.

(Kwang added that there is no requirement to donate—the couple recognizes the “struggle” that many now find themselves in.)

In Pemberton, Tyler Schramm of Pemberton Distilling Inc. said the company

NEW PRODUCT Kwang Chen, left, with wife Bryanna and son Colin at the site of their distillery, Montis Distilling, in Function Junction. The couple is now producing hand sanitizer in support of Whistler’s response to the COVID-19 situation.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

has been producing hand sanitizer for the past seven days and is focused largely on supplying businesses and government.

“The World Health Organization has a recipe that they put out for small-scale production of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and that’s the recipe that most of the craft distilleries are using,” said Schramm.

“It is 80-per-cent alcohol, so it’s stronger than most of the store-bought hand sanitizers.”

According to Schramm—who runs

the company with his brother, Jake—the demand has been extraordinary so far.

Small distilleries are having an easier time producing hand sanitizer thanks to recent changes in legislation brought in by the province.

On March 22, the province sent out a release explaining that it has temporarily authorized distilleries to manufacture the product through an updated policy directive from the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB).

Previously, distilleries and other licensed manufacturing establishments would have required discretionary authorization from the general manager of LCRB to produce it.

While this change is welcome, Schramm, who serves as secretary general for the Craft Distillers Guild of British Columbia, said that he is also looking to the federal government to come through with a clear directive saying that they won’t charge an excise tax on the alcohol that distilleries use to make the hand sanitizer.

If you are looking to get your hands on some Montis Distilling hand sanitizer, Kwang said it’s best to follow the company on social media (Montis Distilling on Facebook and @montisdistilling on Instagram) or email them (montis@ montisdistilling.com).

Pick-up arrangements will have to be coordinated, so as to adhere to physical distancing requirements, explained Kwang.

He added it feels good to be able to give back to the community, given the major crisis it is now facing.

“We’re not medical doctors, and we’re not going to be able to help people get better,” said Kwang. “But if we can do this, we’ll do this.” n

Whistler Transit System

Service Changes

We’ve got you covered.

Effective March 27, 2020 •

Spring/Summer/Fall base service effective March 27.

•

Late Winter Extra Service has been cancelled.

•

Seasonal reduction on all routes.

•

Standard seasonal discontinuation of route 4 Marketplace.

For more information, visit bctransit.com/whistler or pick up a Rider’s Guide on board. @WhistlerTransit

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APRIL 2, 2020

17

ECOLOGIC

PRACTICE PHYSICAL DISTANCING: • Avoid nonessential trips into the community • Avoid gatherings • Stay at least 2 metres (6 feet from others in public

Please visit www.whistler.ca/ covid19 for the latest updates from the RMOW.

www.whistler.ca/ covid19 18 APRIL 2, 2020

Economic Ecology: Opportunity IN A PREVIOUS COLUMN (Pique, March 19) I argued that the current pandemic, though proximally tied to environmental degradation, is more distally symptomatic of rabid globalization and economic hubris, leading most countries to adopt too-tentative measures for a threat they gambled wasn’t the red-alert it seemed. A lack of foresight on both fronts has proved disastrous. But because every crisis also brings opportunity, are there potential positive upshots to these dual failings?

Disease outbreaks are a boomerang effect of the destruction of ecosystems.

With their frequency increasing steadily (from 1980 to 2013, some 12,012 outbreaks

BY LESLIE ANTHONY comprising 44 million cases affected every country in the world), it’s also worth listing the contributing trends that underlie this: turbocharged global travel and trade; highdensity living; climate change; and the habitat and biodiversity loss linked to 31 per cent of outbreaks. As The Guardian rhetorically asked, “Is our destruction of nature responsible for Covid-19?”

Absolutely. And if we don’t change our consumptive course, this may only be the tip of the iceberg. China has shuttered its notorious “wet markets” where trade in endangered wildlife takes place, but the global community must take this opportunity to further stigmatize and criminalize this practice, while prioritizing maintenance of habitat and biodiversity; this could save many species from extinction—including humans.

Still, we knew it was coming. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an epidemiologist you’ve seen and heard from plenty in the past few weeks, is blunt on this front: “We in the ‘business’ have been banging the drum of pandemic preparedness for years. We knew one would eventually overwhelm us—this is it.”

Bogoch compares budgeting for pandemics to war and peace economies. “In peacetime it’s hard to fund something that’s not an immediate threat, so we throw money at cancer and cardio-vascular disease, and ignore outbreaks. We thought SARS would be the lesson and it wasn’t because it was quickly contained. We thought H1N1 would be the lesson and it wasn’t because in North America it wasn’t much worse than a typical flu season. We thought the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak that killed 20,000 would be the lesson ... and it wasn’t.”

“So now we’re back to old-school,” he says, noting that social distancing is all we had to work with during the Spanish Flu—even the plague. “Our best tool right now is to avoid each other, but in 2020 we should have more at our disposal— like antivirals and vaccines. Funding for a coronavirus vaccine got a boost after SARS then fell by the wayside. The same thing happened with [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome]. If those efforts had carried

through we wouldn’t be scrambling from almost Square 1 now. SARS-CoV-2 will have significant socio-political implications and massive economic impact. Hopefully this is the wake-up call and instead of playing catch-up next time, we’ll have proactive policies and funding.”

That’s one obvious public health outcome, but so, too, are pronounced changes in the way it’s delivered—the exams and transactions now conducted online to avoid the risk of transmission in crowded waiting rooms will likely be permanent.

And the economy?

“For years we’ve talked about the economy as if it was alive: it’s ‘ailing,’ it’s ‘recovering,’ it’s ‘on the mend,’” climate activist Bill McKibben recently tweeted. “…

Our leaders believe the world is a subset of the economy, not the other way around.”

Nowhere has this upside-down philosophy caused more damage than in the U.S., where the “political worldview is so obscenely stunted by the worship of wealth it refuses to … respect the common wealth of a healthy society.” Summarizing the resulting dysfunctional healthcare system, the New York Times tweeted “largescale testing of people … did not happen because of technical flaws, regulatory hurdles, business-as-usual bureaucracies and lack of leadership at multiple levels.”

So where do we go from here? As we’ve

Disease outbreaks are a boomerang effect of the destruction of ecosystems.

all seen, only during crises are governments able to enact necessary but painful systemic reform. Over decades, climate change hasn’t been half the crisis SARS-CoV-2 has become in a few short weeks, but every economic shock leaves its mark, and this one might actually result in global cooperation to build economic resilience that can weather both climate and disease, and national makeovers incorporating aspects of a Green New Deal and universal basic incomes. Universities and schools will be better prepared to educate online.

A revamped, more flexible travel and tourism sector could emerge. And tighter border controls, wider insurance coverage, and lasting changes to work, exercise, socializing, supply chains and shopping patterns will all endure long after the virus.

There is no denying this pandemic will—and should—radically change almost everything we do. Everyone wants things to go back to normal quickly, but we must understand one key thing: there will be no normal to go back to. ■

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

VOP council amends bylaw to ticket people who ignore park closures COVID-19-RELATED ITEMS DISCUSSED, APRIL 7 COUNCIL MEETING CANCELLED

BY JOEL BARDE THE VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON council is adjusting to new physical-distancing requirements, holding its March 31 special council meeting via video-conferencing service for the first time.

During the meeting, council passed an amendment to its Parks and Public Spaces Use bylaw so that people who violate closures and restriction can be ticketed $200.

Under a ministerial order passed last week, municipalities around the province have been given the right to adopt a bylaw the same day it receives third readings during the current Provincial State of Emergency, meaning the bylaw doesn’t have to come back for a fourth and final reading.

VOP chief administrative officer Nikki Gilmore advocated for ticketing power, saying that it was important for the VOP to have an enforcement mechanism in place.

People have been ignoring the current closure of the skate park, leaving the VOP with little recourse, she explained.

“I think [bylaw] needs the tools to make sure that our citizens are protected,” said Gilmore.

Councillor Amica Antonelli—the lone councillor to register opposition against the ticketing amendment—said she was concerned about some of the language included in the amendment.

One of the additions allows for the VOP’s

WORKING REMOTELY The Village of Pemberton council held its first meeting via video conferencing on March 31. Sheena Fraser, the VOP’s manager of corporate and legislative affairs, is pictured.

PHOTO BY JOEL BARDE

manager “to provide for rules of behaviour as may be considered necessary to address public health and safety concerns or to respond to public health emergencies.”

“I think we could probably use a close look at the definitions and get some public feedback on this before we rush through it,” said Antonelli.

Council also passed an amendment allowing it to hold special meetings by electronic means in the event of a health, environmental or safety emergency.

and released online, but the public was not able to attend virtually.)

“We haven’t had time to fully explore all of the livestreaming options, but we are working on that and intend by next week to have the Committee of the Whole live streamed and made available for the public to view,” said Fraser.

Council also passed a resolution cancelling its scheduled April 7 regular council meeting.

It will still hold the Committee of the

“I think we could probably use a close look at the definitions and get some public feedback on this before we rush through it.”

- AMICA ANTONELLI

Sheena Fraser, the VOP’s manager of corporate and legislative services, explained that a recent ministerial order allows councils to meet electronically, but that this amendment could be helpful in the event of future emergencies.

“We decided to proceed with this amendment because it may be helpful and useful in the future, but it would only be used in emergency situations such that council members would not be able to all attend the meeting,” said Fraser.

Antonelli said that it is imperative the public be be able to attend any meeting virtually.

(The March 31 meeting was recorded

Whole meeting scheduled for that day.

In his comments, VOP Mayor Mike Richman said that the COVID-19 situation will result in changes to the Village’s proposed budget.

“Obviously, we’re going to see changes in the budget as a result of the ongoing situation,” he said. “The numbers are going to change as a result.”

In an interview with Pique prior to the meeting, Richman said the VOP has moved its staff to working remotely where possible, with the few who remain on premise working in isolation.

“We’re all trying to keep as many normal operations running as possible,”

he added.

“Almost all of our staff is working remotely.

To give you an example, development services is as busy as ever working through building permits and that sort of thing.”

Other departments, he said, are largely focussed on issues related to the COVID-19 situation.

Richman said that while he’s noticed an improvement in terms of physical distancing in the downtown core, it is important that residents keep it up.

“This is good work that we’re doing, and if we keep it up, we will make a difference,” he said.

“The basic recommendations have been coming out for weeks now, which are physical distancing, isolate when you need to, wash your hands a whole bunch, and don’t touch your face. “[It] feels kind of silly repeating them. But we’re hearing from the health authorities that this is making a difference.”

While stressing the importance of physical distancing, Richman highlighted the need for the community to remain united through this difficult time.

“We need to maintain all other levels of connectedness,” he said.

Smile when crossing the street and check in with people neighbours, he suggested.

“Let’s stay connected in every other way.”

As a way to help people learn about the COVID-19 pandemic, and the host of government initiatives related to it, the VOP has put together a list of resources.

These include links to healthcare agencies with the latest information and the various supports available to businesses.

You can see the resource list at www. pemberton.ca/municipal-services/covid19-business-preparedness. n

APRIL 2, 2020

19

EDUCATION FEATURES

SD48 to expand use of online learning tools INITIAL PRIORITY DURING COVID-19 CRISIS WILL BE ON GRADUATING STUDENTS

BY BRANDON BARRETT JUST BECAUSE schools across British Columbia are essentially closed through the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t mean students won’t have the opportunity to continue learning.

In the Sea to Sky School District, many teachers already use a variety of online learning tools, such as SeeSaw, Google Classroom and Zoom, to connect with their students, and the use of those platforms will be expanded in the coming days.

“In order for students to have access to all of these excellent tools, they will require good internet connections and a device at home,” wrote district superintendent Lisa McCullough in an email.

Many Sea to Sky schools already have “close to a 1:1 student-to-device ratio,” McCullough noted, and devices will be loaned out to students who need them. The district has also ordered an additional 250 Chromebook laptops to hand out.

“Every student, regardless of whether or not they are electronically connected, will have a learning plan provided,” she added.

Specialist teachers will connect with parents and students with special needs to develop personalized learning plans.

Those students will also have access to any specialized learning devices, such as voiceto-text and text readers, that they would normally use. Student counselling and mental-health support is available as well.

Some additional onsite programming may be provided to children of families working in provincially designated essential services.

The Learning Disabilities Society this week also launched RISE at Home, an online platform providing students with learning disabilities one-to-one at-home instruction. Learn more at ldsociety.ca.

Communication from the district to both students and parents has been robust, said Whistler Secondary School (WSS) PAC chair Tanya Goertzen, who added that teachers were in constant dialogue with their classes during the spring break.

ONLINE LEARNING School District 48 has committed to expanding the use of online learning tools, including providing devices to any student who needs them, during the COVID-19 crisis.

WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

“We’re super lucky that both our administrative team and counselling team at Whistler Secondary, and even our district superintendent, have been very forward with online initiatives and everything to do with technology,” she said.

The priority initially will begin with Grade 12 students preparing for graduation.

Planning and access to resources will then prioritize students in Grades 10 and 11 before moving down the line to middleyears and elementary students.

Myrtle Philip Community School PAC chair Kelly Hand (who stressed she’s

speaking from her experience as a parent at the school, not on behalf of all parents) said she wasn’t concerned at this early stage that her kids, Grades 3 and 4, would fall by the wayside in favour of more senior students.

“Having kids in the lower grades, I feel like there is more cushion to be able to absorb the disruption in learning,” she said.

“Maybe I’m being too laidback about it, but I do trust our school district, and if I was in their shoes, that decision makes a lot of sense to me. Right now I’m not worried about my kids falling through any cracks, but I think time will tell.”

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20 APRIL 2, 2020

EDUCATION FEATURES School administrators have also recognized the need to support students’ mental and emotional well-being through the COVID-19 crisis, something Goertzen appreciated, particularly as a parent of a graduating student dealing with the added anxiety of preparing for post-secondary school in an uncertain landscape.

“Nobody has a crystal ball to know what it’s going to look like in 11 weeks, which is when their graduation time would be,” she said. “We’ll make sure that it happens, however it looks, when we get to that time, but there’s a lot of learning and a lot to take care of until then.”

Phillip Clarke, director of instruction

“Every student, regardless of whether or not they are electronically connected, will have a learning plan provided.”

- LISA MCCULLOUGH

“Our counselling department … has reached out to our students and given them, at the bottom of all their [communications], links to information on mental health outreach,” she said. “Without having to think too hard about it, the students have access to that and it comes to them regularly.”

The district has also eased some of the stress by extending the March 30 deadline for students to hand in their applications for community scholarships.

Goertzen wanted to reassure graduating students worried about missing out on their traditional senior-year festivities, like prom.

These are challenging times for you.

Stay connected with your teachers, parents and peer groups and don’t lose sight of your academic goals.

Now is the time to dig deep and show your grit and determination!

You will come out of this school year a better version of yourself.

for School District 48, is urging parents to maintain familiar household activities and routines, to monitor their children’s’ physical health and well-being, and to reassure them about their personal safety in an age-appropriate way, while not ignoring that it’s “OK to be concerned.”

“Modelling calmness and resilience is comforting,” he wrote in an email.

“Remember, children are often listening when you talk to others about COVID-19.

Keep this in mind by choosing supportive language and a calm tone. Accept whatever feelings they express.” n

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.”

- WINSTON CHURCHILL

Stay safe, Be well.

From the staff at Pique Newsmagazine

APRIL 2, 2020

21

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APRIL 2, 2020

23

DISPATCHES OUT OF RANGE

Community members step up to craft masks at home for at-risk HEALTH CANADA NOTES HOMEMADE MASKS ARE NOT MEDICAL DEVICES

BY BRADEN DUPUIS AND MEGAN LALONDE LIKE SO MANY others these days, Frances Dickinson has adopted a one-dayat-a-time mentality in handling the stress of COVID-19.

“No plans are being made. I feel like some days are great, some days are terribly dismal,” Dickinson said with a chuckle, from her home in Pemberton.

Thankfully, as the organizer of Pemberton’s Boomerang Bags program, Dickinson has a built-in skill to help occupy some of her time at home—sewing dozens of handmade masks to offer free to the town’s frontline workers. “…Then I just started thinking about all the people working out there in the coffee shops and the grocery stores,” she said. “I went in there and it’s all these young people working, and they had gloves on, and I just thought, ‘Well. maybe I could just make a few masks and put it out there, and see if people want them.’”

Dickinson noted her homemade masks are covers, meant to prolong the life of surgical masks but not replace them.

MICHAELA KUBÁTOVÁ has taken to making

homemade face masks after losing her job due to COVID-19.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

24 APRIL 2, 2020

The response has been positive so far, she said, with several Pemberton businesses reaching out.

The effectiveness of wearing masks in public has been a hot topic since the outbreak began. In an email, a spokesperson for Vancouver Coastal Health said it has not advocated for the public to wear masks, adding that the best protection is to follow proper hygiene etiquette such as hand-washing, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing and staying home when sick.

In Michaela Kubátová’s home country of the Czech Republic, the government made the use of masks mandatory for all—an action now being credited by some for flattening the country’s COVID-19 infection curve.

Seeing the results back home, Kubátová—an interior designer by trade who recently lost her housekeeping job in Whistler because of the virus—opted to make her own masks, too. “[There’s] a lot of information everywhere—some people say that facemasks doesn’t work, some people say that it works very well—I can see that, just in my homeland, it works, so I am doing the same thing,” Kubátová said.

She’s offering the masks by donation, and plans to donate half of the proceeds to the Whistler Community Services Society.

“We are super busy and we are trying to do our best and make as many as possible of them,” she said.

Along with offering the masks free for frontline workers, Dickinson is selling the masks for $10. She’s also encouraging anyone who wants to help sew masks to get in touch. Reach her by email at fran.c.dickinson@gmail.com.

“We can’t work, we can’t go about our day, and so to just be able to help out in any way, it’s a great positive distraction,” she said.

Whistler resident John Ford is making a different kind of mask. He is using a 3D printer purchased a few months ago to make full-face shields.

“There’s lots of designs online,” Ford explained. He found a fairly simple one for a full-face shield from Swedish-based 3DVerkstan, downloaded the design, and “remixed” it, to strengthen a few parts of the visor.

(The design he chose had already been tested and approved for medical use, he added, but Whistler Health Care Centre director Dr. Bruce Mohr clarified, “They have to be linked to someone in the health authority that manages materials to be sure that they meet the standards for use by healthcare workers in public facilities. As far as I know that hasn’t been done.”)

While the 3D printer crafts the halostyle frames, the shields themselves are just repurposed overhead transparencies—think the acetate sheets your high-school teachers used to write on overhead projectors with.

The design’s template is set up to allow

for the use of a standard three-hole punch, Ford explained. Once holes are punched into the plastic sheets, the makeshift masks are easily clipped onto the plastic visors’ pegs.

“I just saw the need and thought I’d see what I could do,” he said, adding that Whistler Hardware stepped up and provided 35 sheets.

Fellow Whistlerite Kash Lingat has been consistently running her printers and working off the same 3DVerkstan design as Ford chose, but “just started ramping up production as the demand is starting to spike,” she explained in a Facebook message on March 31.

“I made about 20 yesterday and plan on making at least 20 a day,” she wrote, adding that she’s expecting two more 3D printers to arrive next week. “Maybe then I’ll be able to make around 200-300 a week!? Sounds insane, but I think I’ll be able to do it.”

Lingat is a member of an organization called “BC Covid-19 3D Printing Group,” which, as she explained, is coordinating requests from B.C. hospitals and health care workers, collecting the printed materials from its members, and then distributing them appropriately throughout the province.

“There’s about 200 of us in the group doing all kinds of things. Some are specialized in 3D printing, some in laser cutting (to make the shield part) and so on,” she explained.

-with a file from Brandon Barrett n

OUTSIDER

The FOMO will fade if we all stay home AS A LOT of you probably know, I like being outside. I like being outside in the mountains even more. Like many of you, it’s the reason I moved here, the reason I stayed here and the reason I’m still trying my darndest to build a nest here, one twig at a time.

BY VINCE SHULEY There’s nothing that kills me as softly in Whistler as not being able to play outside.

All that is compounded by receiving the social media update about how sick the pow day was or how that couloir descent changed someone’s life. Like most Whistlerites, I chalk up missing those best days to three things: incapacitation (sickness or injuries); work (when the flexible schedule just won’t flex); and mandatory life admin (essential appointments you waited weeks or months for). I’d never have thought my solitude in outdoor recreation was going to be threatened by a global pandemic, especially when the best solution we have is to not spend time around others.

I’m one of those people that feel being outside is important for not just my physical fitness, but for my mental health. It doesn’t matter if it rained 10 millimetres during

STAY PUT The fewer people that head out into the

backcountry now, the sooner we can resume our normal outdoor recreation lifestyles.

PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY

the bike ride or I climbed the skin track for four hours to ski down on wind crust. Being in the mountains and/or on the trails just makes it all feel centred, if only for a while.

I’m one of those people who thinks they’ll go crazy if they’re stuck inside for too long without some real mountain activity. My name is Vince and I’m an outdoor addict.

This is (arguably) the best kind of addiction. It keeps you healthy, you develop an elevated appreciation for your natural surroundings, and it has limited impact on your fellow humans.

That may have been the case 15 years ago, when ski touring was still niche with taller barriers to entry. But when your regional user group balloons into tens of thousands in just a few short years and many of those users are sharing their experiences on social media, it becomes much less clear who’s acting responsibly and who thinks they’re acting responsibly.

I’ll admit I took a week or so to start taking the COVID-19 issue as seriously as I should have. I went biking in Pemberton on a sunny Saturday and tried my best to keep

Dr. Bonnie Henry has said that going outside to exercise in small household groups is OK, but I’m certain that mingling in crowded parking lots at trailheads wasn’t what she had in mind.

Think about that last one for a second.

Limited impact on your fellow humans. As skiers, mountain bikers, sledders, etc., we’ve all been looking to the road less travelled to achieve our admirable double whammy of fun recreation and social distancing at the same time (author guilty as charged).

We’ve placed ourselves on a pedestal above the ignorant masses climbing The Chief in droves and drunkenly congregating on frozen lakes, thinking that our small groups of recreationists (who definitely know what’s up) deserve some sort of special hall pass for getting into the mountains.

distance from dozens of other bikers climbing up Happy Trail. I rode in a truck and went backcountry skiing with a friend who’s not from my household. Despite taking it easy with respect to trail difficulty and terrain choice, I couldn’t shake a sinking feeling that my selfish need to get after it was potentially putting more people at risk. That sinking feeling came pretty close to outweighing the euphoria of a fun day in the mountains and allowing me to forget about the global pandemic for a few hours. The discussion came up multiple times with my trip partners on those days, and I’ve read similar thoughts

from outdoor writers both here in the Sea to Sky and other small, outdoor-centric communities in the Colorado Rockies, which are experiencing their own can’t-stop-won’tstop onslaught of commuting ski tourers.

I get the frustration of being told to stay inside when all I want to do is go ski touring outside. I get the reasoning that if I go out solely with members of my household, ski and travel conservatively and keep two metres apart from other parties that I’m limiting the impact on my fellow humans the best that I can. But I also get the fact that every day since COVID-19 got real for Canadians, things haven’t gotten any better.

The light is so far down that long dark tunnel that skiing, biking, sledding or whatever outdoor recreation that cures what ails you does not need to be at the top of your to-do list right now. Dr. Bonnie Henry has said that going outside to exercise in small household groups is OK, but I’m certain that mingling in crowded parking lots at trailheads wasn’t what she had in mind. We can justify ski touring and mountain biking as an essential activity in the name of staying healthy all we want. But until we collectively lay down our backcountry arms and call a truce on getting after it, we’re a part of the problem, not the solution. The sooner we all get that into our outdoor-addicted heads, the sooner we can get back to getting after it.

Vince Shuley is tempering his FOMO by reducing his social media consumption. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince@vinceshuley.com or Instagram @whis_vince. ■

APRIL 2, 2020

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FEATURE STORY

Collin Collins skis the Idaho cold smoke.

Story and photos by

Vince Shuley

I

shuffle forward in the skin track, pulling my neck-warmer up over my nose, the radiating sun my only reprieve against the bitter Idaho cold. Black husks of burned trees rise like porcupine quills out of the landscape, their shadows an endless series of light-and-dark stripes stretching over the glittering snow. Drawing in another deep breath, I top out on the slope, slightly less cold but still feeling the sting of icy, -30 Celsius air in my lungs.

From the ridgetop, our party—consisting of K2 athletes Anna Segal, Collin Collins, Tyler Ceccanti and filmmaker Jeff Thomas— gain a full view of the Smoky Mountains of Southern Idaho. To the west, the steeper and more jagged Sawtooth Range juts from the horizon. To the east, the Pioneers collide with the Boulder Mountains, rounding out the accessible backcountry areas surrounding the town of Ketchum and the historical ski resort of Sun Valley.

Leading our party is career mountain guide Joe St. Onge, a resident of nearby Hailey and owner of local outfitter Sun Valley Trekking. Having spent the majority of his career guiding in Central Idaho, St. Onge has seen many changes in the town and environment over the decades, both human-made and natural. But the biggest of those disruptions occurred in the last 13 years with the sweeping and destructive wildfires of Castle Rock and Beaver Creek, which tore through those valleys in 2007 and 2013, respectively. The aftermath of the burn is our ski-touring venue for this week.

“Both Castle Rock and Beaver Creek [fires] were started by lightning strikes,” recalls St. Onge, pointing out the flashpoints just a few kilometres away from our current position. “They had to evacuate [parts of Hailey] in the middle of the night [during the Castle Rock fire]. We were busy putting soaker hoses on our roofs, then watched [the fire] creep up over the mountain. Like a volcano dripping lava over its edge, it was surreal. I was happy to be here for it, because I don’t think I’ll ever see that again. As destructive as it was, it was a pretty awesome experience.”

A surprisingly beneficial aftereffect of the Castle Rock fire— which was hard for locals to comprehend when their town was threatened by a blazing inferno—is that the resulting burn of excess standing timber actually helped create a fire break for Ketchum, Hailey and Sun Valley from the fiercer, hotter Beaver Creek fire six years later. While it’s taken a while to catch on (some local naysayers still refuse to acknowledge it), 2007’s Castle Rock blaze is heralded as the fire that saved Sun Valley.

26 APRIL 2, 2020

SunV

THE

A Whistler backcountry skier tours

FEATURE STORY

E FIRE THAT SAVED

Valley the scorched earth of Central Idaho

APRIL 2, 2020

27

FEATURE STORY Tyler Ceccanti samples the fresh Idaho air.

The return of

backcountry culture

On a year of lean snowfall and less than 40 per cent of the usual snowpack at Sun Valley Resort, our excursion into the local backcountry is unexpectedly bountiful.

After the 14-hour drive southeast from Whistler, snow continues to pound the highway and coat the mountain passes through Sawtooth National Recreation Area, north of Ketchum. Shiny trucks and rusty Subarus litter the pull-outs, fresh skin tracks slinking into the woods at every opportunity. The locals have wasted no time getting after it.

Approaching Ketchum, the landscape is a stark comparison, with barely enough snow to cover the Nordic tracks and snowmobile roads. These continental mountains are infamous for their distinct microclimates, with 30- to 40-centimetre storms dumping in one area and just a quarter of that falling a dozen kilometres away. Locals are in tune with the regional variances, monitoring the weather patterns like surfers eyeing swells. Our first day skiing at Galena Pass we catch just such a break. Stepping straight off the highway, we are soon yo-yoing laps within eyeshot of the pavement, the perfect warm-up for the week of self-propelled powder skiing ahead. The fires did little damage here, but natural avalanche cycles and storm-catching terrain have done their job of keeping the trees sparse and the skiing fast. Over the next few days, I began to see more clearly why locals like St. Onge choose to make their homes here. Reliable weather; five distinct mountain ranges, all with their own terrain character and weather systems; a network of yurts and huts that let you escape into the backcountry for multiple days at a time. Sun Valley will forever retain its reputation as the granddaddy of ski resorts in the American West, but it’s the return of backcountry culture here that’s fuelling the next wave of adventure

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Touring through the scorched landscape in Ketchum’s backcountry.

tourism. And summer wildfires—for better or worse—are playing their part.

Early the next morning, we park at a highway pull-out near the Baker Creek Forest Service Road, the unrelenting cold snap dictating that we dress in every warm layer we were smart enough to bring to Idaho. Our destination is the Coyote Yurt, Sun Valley’s flagship backcountry refuge here in the south Smoky Mountains.

We double up on snowmobiles and take off down the Baker Creek drainage, but only get about 10 minutes in before pulling over for a brief respite from the wind chill.

Turning onto the east fork of Baker Creek Road and winding up the switchbacks, the wake of the Beaver Creek fire is evident all around us. Fields of branchless, blackened lodgepole blanket the slope, the occasional toasted husks of old-growth whitebark pines looming over like scarecrows in a crop field.

The Coyote Yurt is actually the second structure to occupy this ridgetop perch— the first perished in the Beaver Creek fire six years ago. St. Onge recalls the day he attempted to save it, or at least save as much of it as he could.

“I got the call from Forest Services saying they were closing down the whole Baker Creek drainage, I had to beg for the access to go in,” he says. “I drove up with a smokejumper firefighter from California and piled whatever I could fit into the truck. The whole drive was enveloped in this haze of smoke, you couldn’t see where the fire was or what direction it was heading in.” Escaping back down the road with solar chargers, gas stoves and a pile of other loose equipment, St. Onge was already coming to terms with the loss of his prized backcountry shelter. But the yurt could be rebuilt. He, his family and staff were all safely evacuated. The fire was under control—at least for the moment—and there was no immediate threat to the nearby residents’ property or the towns’ infrastructure. Sun Valley Resort had dutifully turned on their snowmaking guns to increase the humidity to stem the encroaching blaze. The wooden fuel expended during the Castle Rock fire six years earlier had left a healthy buffer around the town. The communities of Ketchum and Hailey had dodged a fiery bullet.

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28 APRIL 2, 2020

FEATURE STORY

MANAGING B.C.’S—AND THE SEA TO SKY’S—WILDFIRE RISK B

ritish Columbia experienced two of its most severe wildfire seasons ever in 2017 and 2018. Longer and hotter summers—as a result of climate change—are a big factor, but so is the abundance of wildfire fuel in forests that have historically experienced natural fire thinning.

To get an insight on the current wildfire environment in B.C., Pique spoke to fire ecologist Robert Gray of R.W. Gray Consulting.

Pique: Fire barriers occur naturally and can be manmade with controlled burning. How have these fire barriers existed in B.C. in the past?

RG: There was a lot of fire activity that went on in B.C. historically with a

combination of lightning and Indigenous peoples carrying out controlled burning based on their traditional knowledge. There were places where fires occurred on top of each other and those became future barriers to fire-spread, what we call “reburn.” It consumes all the fuel and the forests that come back after that don’t burn very readily; they’re a bit like asbestos.

Pique:

Are the province and the municipalities in B.C. doing enough to control wildfire fuel?

RG:

No. The problem of fuel is in the millions of hectares. What we’ve done is basically a drop in the bucket, we’re nowhere nearly as aggressive as we need to be on reducing fuel. It’s a problem of human resource capacity; we don’t have enough people in prescribed [controlled] burning nor enough dedicated funding. You have to have really consistent funding year after year after year in order to build a prescribed fire program.

The other side of it is that when we do harvest, we have to harvest really, really clean. That means a lot of small material such as piles of slash, deadwood and needles on the forest floor needs to go into bioenergy applications or engineered products. That way when the forest does burn, it burns with much lower severity.

Pique: Can harvesting programs such as community forests play a part in helping reduce wildfire fuel near communities?

RG: The problem is that the material that we really do need to treat has

little to no market value, so if we wait for the market to solve the problem, we’re not going to solve the problem. We’re going to have to engineer the market so we can do something with this material. It may offset part of the cost, but in reality, it’s going to be a subsidy.

Pique:

How big is the wildfire threat to the Sea to Sky compared to other parts of B.C.?

RG: The Sea to Sky is still vulnerable, but not as vulnerable as the drier parts of the province. But the reality is that the coast is going to warm up, it’s going to dry out and it’s going to have a longer fire season. Not as long as the Okanagan or the East Kootenays or the North, but the fire season is going to get longer, it’s going to get rowdier, more trees will die

from the drought stress. There’s abundant fuel, these are really biologically productive sites that grow a lot of fuel. So when there is a significant fire season, there will be large, very destructive fires. There’s a lot of stored energy in those high biomass systems.

My concern is on the lee side of the Coast Mountain Range as you head towards Pemberton. Strong winds every day, bone-dry soil with lots of mortality from the mountain pine beetle; if that gets going on a windy day, it could be very, very dangerous.

Pique:

What can be done in these higher risk areas, such as those surrounding Pemberton?

RG: The issue is the landscape. A lot of those sloping hills leading up to Pemberton are not part of the timber-harvesting mandate. But with spring or fall burning conditions, you can start to burn patches of those trees and break up the fuel continuity. Use the topography and reductions in the fuels to start putting roadblocks in the way of future fires.

It’s not going to be cheap and these [controlled fires] are going to produce smoke and change the appearance of the landscape. But ultimately, they’ll derive benefits.

Pique:

Have you seen examples of wildfires helping tourism during the course of your career?

RG: A classic example is the series of wildfires in Yellowstone National

Park (in California) in 1988. The media really did a poor job of explaining to the public what was going on. It was all sensationalism and you got the impression that the geyser Old Faithful had burned up, which is impossible.

Within a year or two, park attendance had doubled. That was due partially to people wanting to see the “car wreck” and go see how bad the fires were, but tourism went up and it stayed up. The parks staff did a really good job of explaining to the public the naturalness of fire and how it fits into the ecosystem. I went down for a photo tour about 20 years after that and there was a prescribed fire in the park with a sign on the side of the road that said the fire was being monitored and was providing ecological benefit and there was no need to report it. People would stop and take pictures of it like they would for a herd of bison. It became natural.

In Canada, the national parks do a really good job of communicating to the public what’s going on. It hasn’t affected tourism at all. People just want to be educated. Wildfire smoke can last for weeks. If we do prescribed burning, then we can control the smoke output versus the wildfire. It hasn’t hurt Banff, Jasper or Kootenay national park attendance.

Pique: What can British Columbians do to stay safe during wildfire season?

RG: Start to think about the fact that summer time is not only about

fun, lakes and heat. It’s also fire season, a regular part of the season that we have in B.C. Be prepared and ready to evacuate. Get educated on BC FireSmart principles and avoid fake news sources.

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29

FEATURE STORY Burnt terrain lessens the bushwack while ski touring and makes for more unobstructed skiing, free of tree wells.

Dinner hour at the Coyote Yurt.

For the

greater good Seated around the pine dining table of the since-rebuilt Coyote Yurt, St. Onge explains that, despite the loss he endured that summer of 2013, in hindsight it was for the greater good. Not just for protecting against future wildfires, but bettering the winter ski experience in Blaine County. “Ultimately, we needed it. We had too dense a forest and tons of bark beetle. In the long run, it’s going to be a good thing,” he says. “From a skier’s perspective, this has been like a gold mine. The forests here are typically a little too tight for good tree skiing, especially on the heavily forested northern aspects.

With the fires coming through here it’s opened up all the northern slopes, creating ski terrain where it didn’t exist previously.”

30 APRIL 2, 2020

The aftermath of 2007’s Castle Rock Fire created a natural barrier against future wildfires.

As the tired skiers peel off to their bunks for the night, a storm rolls in, the first snowfall since we arrived. Rising for coffee and a hot breakfast, St. Onge rallies the team and leads us out towards the Alden Gulch, about an hour skin from the yurt. While only 10 centimetres dropped overnight, the wind has blown over a foot of fresh onto the northern aspects of the gulch. We take turns dropping in and leapfrog down the slopes, while Thomas milks as many shots as he can amidst the deepest snow of the trip. Segal, Collins and Ceccanti are all attempting to outdo each other with the size of their respective powder clouds, the perfectly spaced trees allowing playful turns while still anchoring the slope safely from potential slides. I weave through the scorched trees and duck under deadfall, threading through the tight gaps without a single worry of coniferous branches tearing open my outerwear. Despite everyone’s exhaustion, the skin back to the yurt is alive with chat about the deepest turns of the week.

The storm clears by the next morning,

the crew rising groggily to shoot at first back into the hills to work another guided light. The sun peeks over the Pioneer Range, trip. After almost 20 years of ski touring in bathing treed ridges in a soft orange glow. these mountains, he’s learned to accept— St. Onge drops in, leading our group as and even embrace—the destructive beauty the drone swoops overhead, the buzz of of wildfires near his home and in his propellers drowned out by ecstatic hoots backcountry tenure. and hollers. After breakfast, I stand outside “In many ways [the fire] was a blessing, with St. Onge admiring the panoramic view but a blessing that came with a lot of blood, of the five mountain ranges, coffee in hand. sweat and tears, quite literally,” he says.

He points at them one by one, describing the “The Coyote Yurt is better than the old one five other huts and yurts he operates. While and now we have even more to ski than we our skiing this week mostly took place at could before the burn. If I could magically treeline here in the Smoky Mountains, I can go back and alter the course of history in see formidable couloirs in the Sawtooths, the last 10 years, would I change it? No, basins and alpine bowls in the Boulder- absolutely not. But if you asked me that White Clouds and big mountain faces in the day before I found out the yurt burned the Pioneers. It takes effort to reach these down, I probably would have said yes.” shelters, either by putting in a solid day Global weather changes have forced of skinning or organizing a snowmobile skiers all around the world to adapt, evolve shuttle, but staring at the sweeping terrain and endure in order to keep their sport in front of me, I’d be remiss if I didn’t return alive. But with the grit and determination to make that effort. of stewards like St. Onge and communities On the drive back to Ketchum, I ride like Ketchum and Hailey, skiing in Central shotgun with St. Onge before he heads Idaho seems to be in good hands. ■

Howe Sound Women’s Centre Society would like to thank the Sea to Sky community and all those who attended our 6th Annual Raising our Voices Through Song fundraiser which took place Sunday, March 8th at the Maury Young Arts Centre.

As a result we were able to raise $9,000.00 for our Whistler based Women’s Centre Programs and Services!

Sending a huge thank you to all of the inspiring and talented performers who every year lead us through all of the emotions and make the event so memorable!

Special thanks to Mo Douglas our incredible MC and Susan Holden for her overall organization of the event! And to all the staff and volunteers at Arts Whistler without whom this event would not be possible: Dean Feser, Tom Graham, Amelia Browne, Alice Lambert, Suzanne Gibson, Imogen Osborne, Rebecca MacKay, Anna Lynch, Stafford Euiton, Rosemary Cook, Kate Heskett, Erika Durlacher, Cathi Elsi, Douglas Beard, Lili Daniels, Toni Lochrie, and Jagoda Wachowka.

We would also like to thank our event Sponsors: Race and Company, Dream Team Realty and Suco’s Beauty!

And to our generous community donors we send our utmost gratitude!

Our silent auction alone raised $5,575.00. We are grateful for your continued support!

21 Steps Kitchen & Bar, Arbutus Routes, Armchair Books, Art Junction Gallery & Framing, Audain Art Museum, Canadian Wilderness Adventures, Coastal Culture Sports, Coast Mountain Photography, Creekside Dental, Crepe Montagne, Crystal Lodge & Suites, Earl’s Kitchen & Bar, Ecologist, Elevation Hair Studio, Escape! Whistler, Evolution Whistler, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Forcast Foods, FYI Doctors, Garibaldi Graphics, Home Hardware Whistler, Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar, Jono Hair, L’Occitane, Lole, Lululemon, McCoo’s Excessive Accessories Ltd. Mongolie Grill Whistler, Nagomi Sushi, Natalie Rousseau Yoga Retreats, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Norwex Cleaning Products, Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre, Profile Ski and Snowboard Services, Red Door Bistro Restaurant, Rimrock Café, Roland’s Creekside Pub, Ruby Tuesday Accessories Ltd., Scandinave Spa Whistler, Senka Whistler, Sushi Village, The Adventure Group, Vida spa Whistler, Village Cinema Whistler, Whistler Half Marathon, Whistler Racquet Club, Whistler Roasting Co., Whistler Valley Quilters Guild and Yoga Cara Whistler!

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31

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By Lisa T.E. Sonne

T

his week may not be the time to book a trip for this spring, but it can be great for thinking about what you do want to do when travel restrictions are lifted.

Would you like to kayak past Zebu (water buffalo) and bicycle past fields of banana plants and Buddhist temples?

Would you like to eat tarantulas? Meditate at sunrise while on the Earth’s “Mother Waters” Mekong River? See how silk is made?

Maybe you would rather meet people who are the descendants of a culture, which more than a thousand years ago created what is now considered to be the largest spiritual building on the planet? Or drink lots of wine with fascinating world travellers between spa treatments?

These were just some of my diverse choices last May, when I cruised for several days on the Mekong River from Vietnam to Cambodia. The Aqua Mekong is a beautiful, floating boutique and may have been the most luxurious cruising ship on the Mekong. We enjoyed comfortable views of local life, as well as the passing scenery from the 22 air-conditioned passenger suites with floor-to-ceiling windows. We also had moving vistas from the dining room while eating excellent fresh food and enjoying wonderful service.

During my few days on the Aqua Mekong, we took a skiff to diverse places including a small, anchored flotilla of boats with fruits and wares hanging from their masts. It was a floating market with aerial advertising. Onshore, we walked through village markets, bicycled past a wedding set-up, and waved back to friendly, smiling children as we pedalled through rural villages.

We glimpsed the culture by touring parts of a gleaming royal palace with fascinating architecture and art, and watched a dedicated group of talented youth dance outside a rural community centre. The boys performed the Unicorn Dance, which required a dancer to stand on the shoulders of another wearing an impressive giant mask. We also walked through the home of Marguerite Duras, the author of The Lover and many more creations.

I saw how the tilapia fish for sale in my market back home are farmed, and how the silk in our clothes is made and woven.

At a beautiful temple that was a prison during the Khmer Rouge regime, I met

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE young boys being trained as monks. My fellow travellers and I were each offered personal blessings from the head monk.

While visits ashore were colourful and intense with new experiences, life onboard was full of more restful choices. After each shore expedition, the English-speaking staff pampered us with cool, lemongrassscented cloths.

With welcoming smiles, they collected our shoes to wash off any dirt or mud, then provided refreshing drinks. The hallways smelled of jasmine as we sauntered back in our socks to our rain-head showers or to the ample lounge chairs on our suite’s deck or to the shallow dipping pool on the boat deck.

The comforting craft also offered massage and spa treatments, a small gym, a dedicated movie-watching room with reclining lounge chairs, and a creative bar.

Conversations ranged widely with English as the common language for the nine nationalities among our small group of passengers.

English was also the common language among the guides and crew, who were Cambodian and Vietnamese. The staff’s engaging daily talks educated us about the flora, fauna, and history of their countries.

From the cooks to the guides, they all made themselves available for informal talks.

Each morning on this specially designed boat, a small sunrise meditation/ yoga session was followed with a different offering of fruit smoothie.

At one of the cocktail sunset gatherings in the same section of the boat, we were offered exotic appetizers in addition to local fruits and treats. Yes, I did crunch on baked tarantula and scorpion.

At home now with time to think about past travels, my mind recalls flowers being strung for a lei when I conjure the impressions of the Mekong trip. I think back to when a few of us climbed to a jagged point for panoramic views of bright green, sinewy rice terraces below, curving around the geography.

Now, as we all sit home waiting for the chance to travel again, we can each cull through our recollections of past voyages and make scented strings of memories, like those fragrant leis.

Lisa T.E. Sonne has travelled all seven continents and written travel books. ■

If you go: AQUA EXPEDITIONS offers three-, four-, and 7-night trips on the Mekong.

Some go upriver and others downriver.

Some are in the “high season” when you can go further north on the fuller waterways, and even venture into the famed Tonle Sap Lake, home of more than a million floating homes and businesses. The trip I took was for four days during the transition from low season to high season. Many people opt to take extra days before or after the cruise to explore the great temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, or Hanoi or Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

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33

SPORTS THE SCORE

Warms reflect on abrupt end to junior careers TWINS TRAINING IN WHISTLER, HOPE TO KEEP PLAYING NEXT SEASON

BY DAN FALLOON THINGS WERE LINING UP for Beck Warm to wrap his junior hockey career with a bang.

The 20-year-old Whistler goalie, who carried the load and faced a barrage of shots as the Tri-City Americans’ starter, got a new lease on life after a January trade to the league-leading Edmonton Oil Kings, posting 11 wins in 15 starts with his new club.

But in mid-March, the Western Hockey League paused its season as a measure to contain the COVID-19 virus, and on March 23, the Canadian Hockey League announced that playoffs for the western league, and its Ontario and Quebec cousins, would not be played.

That meant Beck and twin brother Will, a Victoria Royals defenceman, saw their junior careers end in the most abrupt fashion.

“It is a pretty unusual way to end your junior career but Will and I both have had four really, really good years in the WHL and made a lot of good memories. It took a little bit of time to cope with what happened, but we’re super happy with how our careers went,” Beck said.

Sitting second overall in the WHL at the stoppage, however, was a tough pill to swallow for the netminder.

“We were really excited to go for a long

ENDING AS A KING Beck Warm wrapped his WHL career as a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings.

PHOTO BY ANDY DEVLIN/EDMONTON OIL KINGS

34 APRIL 2, 2020

run this year in the playoffs and we had the team to do it,” he said. “It’s definitely really disappointing there, but what had to happen happened, so we’re all good with it.”

Will, meanwhile, was in his first season in Victoria after being traded from Edmonton in the offseason. While not the juggernaut that his brother was backstopping in Edmonton, Victoria was solid in its own right, having clinched a playoff spot when the season stopped.

While it was clear the right choice was

“I loved Victoria. It was a great place to play my last year of junior hockey closer to home. Family was able to visit a lot more,” he said. “It was great for hockey, but also to get outside and go for hikes.”

Will was also thrilled to be part of the Royals’ organization, serving as the player ambassador for the team’s Pink in the Rink night in February. The evening, which supports the BC Cancer Foundation, was especially touching for Warm as his mother, Wendi, was diagnosed with breast cancer in

“It is a pretty unusual way to end your junior career but Will and I both have had four really, really good years in the WHL and made a lot of good memories.”

- BECK WARM

made from a public health perspective, it was a disappointment to have his career end the way it did.

“That’s what makes it harder. We did have a really good team and there was a really good feeling in the room going into playoffs,” Will said. “It’s tough to have it end that way, but it’s bigger than hockey.”

After spending three winters on the prairies, Will was admittedly fine wrapping his career on temperate Vancouver Island.

2019 but is now cancer-free.

“That was a really special night for myself, for my whole family and for a lot of people,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to play for something bigger than yourself, bigger than the team.”

In Edmonton, Beck was thrilled to be in his brother’s old stomping grounds, where he mentored star rookie Sebastian Cossa.

“It was unbelievable. It’s such a firstclass organization. I really appreciated what

happened there, being able to go there,” he said. “They treated me professionally from Day 1.”

At the time when COVID-19 was becoming a growing concern, Beck said team members were undergoing daily temperature checks to ensure no one was ill. The players were soon sent home for what was expected to be a brief time before playoffs before it was understood that no more games would be played this season.

“There was a three-day span where we found out that we weren’t going to play our game that weekend to when we were sent home,” he said. “It all happened really quickly.”

Both Warm brothers are home in Whistler, working out in the family basement by lifting weights and riding stationary bikes.

“It’s nice to have someone who’s likeminded, wants to do everything you’re doing and work out and stay healthy,” Beck said. “We really push each other.”

Both hope to go pro next season, though things are currently quiet.

“It’s more of a waiting game right now.

I’m waiting to see if any pro opportunities come up and hopefully that’s the case,” Will said, adding that he’d register for university using his WHL scholarship if no pro opportunities panned out.

Pique could not reach the third Whistler WHLer, Jackson Leppard of the Winnipeg Ice, before deadline. Leppard, who was dealt from Prince George in an early season trade, was named the team’s defensive player of the year for its first season in the Manitoba capital. n

SPORTS THE SCORE

MORE SKILLS = MORE THRILLS + LESS SPILLS!

Kranjc wraps up ‘rollercoaster’ season WHISTLER SWIMMER FINISHES THIRD YEAR AT WESTERN UNIVERSITY

BY DAN FALLOON EVEN NOT AT HER BEST , Kat Kranjc is in the mix to be an Olympian.

The Whistler swimmer, slowed by a sore rotator cuff at the U Sports Championships in Saanich at the end of February, posted times in the 50-metre butterfly and the 50-m freestyle that bested qualifying standards for the Olympic trials. The event would currently be underway in Toronto if not for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kranjc’s best result came in the 100-metre freestyle on the third day of competition, as she made the B Final and placed 15th overall, a stark improvement from 45th a year ago.

Kranjc won the C Final in both the 50-metre freestyle and 50-metre butterfly to take 17th overall in each. She also helped her Western University Mustangs to a 10th-place finish in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay.

“It was definitely a little nerve-wracking because I couldn’t move my arm without tears coming to my eyes because my shoulder was in so much pain,” she said. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to swim and all I could hope was that two days were enough time for the pain to subside.”

The national meet capped an admittedly wild season for Kranjc, who, on the academic side, started her first year at the Ivey Business School.

“My junior season was a little bit of a

relay, making it the third year in a row she’s been part of a new team record.

“This team record hasn’t been broken for 10 years, so it was really nice to have that experience, and have it with the girls that were in that relay as well,” she said.

Individually, Kranjc made three finals while posting personal bests, including taking a close fourth, 0.11 seconds out of the medals, in the 50-metre butterfly and was 0.13 seconds off the podium in fifth in the 50-metre freestyle.

“My turns and finishes cost me quite a bit of time and the time difference between me and third was less than that,” she said.

“After the morning swim, I was second going into finals [in the butterfly] so I was hoping to podium, but I didn’t. It fuelled the fire underneath of me going forward because we knew that there was room for improvement.”

When the Olympic trials are rescheduled, meanwhile, Kranjc will look to punch her ticket to Tokyo in the 50-m freestyle after qualifying in 2019. Despite feeling confident going into the event as it was originally scheduled, Kranjc feels the additional time will only allow her to increase her odds.

“One more year won’t hurt me. In fact, it’ll probably make me stronger,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to get better.

This season showed me that I still haven’t peaked yet, there’s still a ton of room for improvement on the back half of my races, as well as technique-wise.

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“My junior season was a little bit of a roller coaster but I probably wouldn’t have traded it for anything.”

- KAT KRANJC

roller coaster but I probably wouldn’t have traded it for anything,” she said.

As a result of her commitments as a student, Kranjc often had to train on her own. She shone, however, and gained some additional confidence in the trying circumstances.

“It showed me what I’m capable of.

There’s no one to race against when you’re training on your own,” she said. “It’s only you and you’re training against your best self.”

When healthy, Kranjc posted excellent results, including at the Ontario University Athletics Swimming Championships, the major meet of the year.

Kranjc won three silver medals with different relay teams while helping set a school record in the 4x50-metre medley

“Next year, I’ll have a lot more time to train with a lighter course load.”

And, in light of the current situation with COVID-19, Kranjc feels she’ll adapt just fine to preparing by her lonesome.

“Training this season by myself has definitely given me a bit of a confidence booster going in now, because I know I can train by myself,” she said. “Having the experience of training and racing against your best self is something that’s really going to help moving forward. It’s not ideal, but you’ve got to work with what you have.”

Currently, Kranjc is doing classes online from her family’s vacation home in New Jersey where she’s staying with sister Gigi, who just finished her first year with the Boston College ski team. n

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APRIL 2, 2020

35

VELOCITY PROJECT

The pandemic might not make me a better person DAY 20 of our self-imposed isolation and I have to confess, I haven’t really maximized the opportunity to self-actualize. Not that there’s been any shortage of resources or recommendations shared by beautiful, loving-minded friends—how to work from home, how to be healthy when completely alone, how to learn a second language, spring-clean your house, meditate every

BY LISA RICHARDSON day, practice yoga from your living room, how to make your own cleaning products, how to kickstart home schooling with a ton of resources, how to set up learning games around the house to keep a house-bound kid from tearing it apart…

Are you fucking kidding me?

I haven’t done any of these things.

Like the meme said: “I always said I’d have a cleaner house if I had more time.

Turns out that wasn’t the problem.”

I’ve received the suggestions gratefully, and then felt an increasing sense of Overwhelm (which I asked to go outside and wait for me to meet it there, maybe on Saturday morning, if I can get away for a private little cry, because I’m trying to maintain some psychic equilibrium inside the house for the kid’s sake). I already had quite a long and stale-smelling to-do list (that included plan garden, put will together, get kid’s Australian passport, do reading for online study course on grief, meal plan

TAKING PAUSE We had been living in a rapidly

accelerating world, where the solution for every problem was “go faster.” Now it’s time for a new program.

WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

36 APRIL 2, 2020

for next week, practice Ucwalmícwts, do meditation, be a better person) that wasn’t getting addressed, and now, I’m trapped in a (quite lovely and relatively spacious) house with two (quite lovely and healthy) humans who feel an absurd need to buzz me whenever they’ve done a poo so I can commend them on its size, shape and colour.

(I should NEVER have told them that in Chinese medicine, your poo can tell you a lot about your health. Now I’m the consultant on call. “You’re fine! You definitely don’t have the virus.”) I am trying to work from home.

But I keep “checking Facebook” and getting completely distracted by the thousands of posts of uplifting feeds, science articles, local initiatives—my brain melting into the great psychological cauldron that probably is being turned into an immortality elixir that will keep Mark Zuckerberg alive forever.

About 400 open tabs later, and it’s time to shut things down already and do my best to be a worthy playmate for a seven year old whose imaginative demands are increasingly difficult to live up to.

I’m wondering how long it will take for the work to dry up. I’m wondering what will happen next, how long this will last, if I’ve been too extreme about staying at home and should have been running every day, if I’m going to run out of wine, if the panic is going to get worse, if that whole exponential thing is manifesting already, if I can go back in time and unwatch Contagion. I’m envying people with compost, without kids, with better homesteading skills, with bigger family units, who just posted pictures of themselves at the top of a trail—then hating myself for being petty. I’m hoping there is a great silver lining to this, but I keep checking the virus tracker and updating my stats spreadsheet. I’m reading about grief and caterpillars and the opportunity embedded in this. I’m rationing my

snacking and wishing my husband had taken me seriously when I added 10 blocks of chocolate and 20 tubs of ice-cream to the grocery list. (Not hoarding. Just two weeks of meal planning, as my local grocery store recommended.)

In short, I’m not self-actualizing. At all.

I’m holding it together, for the most part. But I’m having a lot of below-theline thoughts: envy, frustration, longing, irritation.

The emergency handbrake has been pulled on business as usual and life as we know it. (On some levels, on ecological levels, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Pollution is way down. That’s a plus.) But I’m rubbing my neck from the whiplash and staring at a stripped-down dashboard with just two buttons to choose from: PANIC or PAUSE. And I keep coming back to this, in every moment I start to feel stir-crazy, nervous, frustrated, feverish, hungry, thirsty, anxious to check Facebook, anxious because I’m on Facebook, lonely for my friends and that book-club conversation we might not have: panic or pause. Panic or pause. Keeping it that simple (not a list of 10 top tips, but a simple bit of binary code, that even a machine could understand) is what is getting me through.

Panic or pause. OK, I choose pause. How do I pause? I take a breath. A deep breath. I can feel my heart rate slow a little bit. Then I see a picture in my mind of my yoga teacher, a meditation friend, a ton of resources that have been sent my way in the last few days, and it starts to escalate again… and then, panic or pause? Oh yes. Pause.

Breathe.

motion, and make sure you’re ready so when the music stops, you dive for one of the few remaining chairs.

Time for a new program.

We don’t know what’s on the other side of this.

I remember something Ryan Proctor shared with me, a few years ago, when I interviewed him about a mountainbike accident that ended in serious reconstructive surgery on his face. As he was being wheeled into surgery, he surrendered himself into the hands of his doctor, with the thought, “you gotta put your trust in someone.” That stuck with me, as a hard and beautiful lesson. We have learned somehow, in these recent years, to trust no one. To earn, spend, spin, keep moving… and if the shit hits the fan, to look out for No 1. Hoard, and trust no one. I think there’s an aspect of that swirling in the air right now— as much as I see beautiful inspiring gestures online, I can feel it swirling in me too. And yet, my friend in Squamish Danielle Baker has been baking bread to gift people some comfort. #Kindnesspandemic is trending.

Choral groups are singing in 20-part harmony via the internet. The aquarium webcam is adorable. My favourite farmer delivered two boxes of potatoes to my door.

And the surgeon repaired my friend’s face.

You have to put your trust in something.

In each other. In our own capacity to know the appropriate response, to know what is called of us. I can settle into that sense, of stillness, of surrender, of calm—out of which courage and kindness arises. But first, gotta stop the panic. Choose pause.

Take another big breath.

This is a massive pause.

And we’ve been living in a rapidly accelerating world, where the solution for every problem was “go faster.” Stay in

The Velocity Project: how to slow the f*&k down and still achieve optimum productivity and life happiness. ■

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Sea to Sky musicians get creative WITH SHOWS CANCELLED, ARTISTS ARE TURNING TO NEW IDEAS FOR REVENUE AND FULFILMENT

BY ALYSSA NOEL LIKE MANY creative people grappling with COVID-19 upheaval, when Will Ross’ gigs were all cancelled, he turned to the internet.

The Squamish musician—who often performs in Whistler—had long taught a select handful of students guitar lessons to supplement his income, but with no concerts in his foreseeable future, he decided to add more—virtually.

“I only had students in Squamish—I think five—and that’s all I wanted at that particular time because I was so busy with my new show schedule,” he says. “Now, I have so much time on my hands and I have tons of references and the ability to teach kids guitar.”

Armed with new equipment like upgraded mics and a screen, Ross launched his remote lessons earlier this month with about 10 students. “I’d love to pick it up to 20 or 30 a week,” he says. “I tried the first couple yesterday and they went great.”

Ross is not alone. Musicians the world over have gotten creative during self-

NEW BEGINNINGS Meaghan Mullaly—better

known as Lozen—is delving into a range of artistic pursuits during COVID-19.

PHOTO BY ANNA DZICZKANIECE

38 APRIL 2, 2020

isolation, livestreaming sets, selling merch online, and tapping into other artistic realms to try and fill the void left by cancelled shows.

While it might be hard to see the bright side in mass self-isolation (well, aside from flattening the curve, of course), one perk of online guitar lessons for Ross has been its large reach.

enrich people’s creative lives while they’re stuck at home.

“I’m trying to keep it affordable for everyone too,” he says. “If anyone is interested, by all means, feel free to drop me a line.”

Hip-hop artist Meaghan “Lozen” Mullaly not only saw her shows disappear, but also contracts for her burgeoning audio/

“ ... how does it serve me to panic? In my lifetime, I don’t know when we’ve had something tying us together in a strange way. That is actually something we all can really relate to even though we have our own personal experiences with it.”

- MEAGHAN “LOZEN” MULLALY

“I have a few lessons for students now from Ontario that were like, ‘Whoo hoo!

You’re going to [teach online]!’ I grew up in Hamilton, so I’m taking on some students from Ontario at the moment, which is really cool. It’s not something I would’ve entertained or fathomed before.”

The individualized lessons are $20 a session (down from $30 for in-person lessons) and Ross says he hopes it will help

visual career were cancelled.

“It was gig after gig,” she says. “I had five other gigs this month and it was one after the other gone.”

In true Lozen fashion, she took the opportunity to turn inward and reflect on what path she should follow next.

“I’m doing my best to look at it—this might not be other people’s truth—how is this serving me? It might be hard to do that.

That’s not to say I haven’t had my, ‘Holy fuck’ moments … But how does it serve me to panic? In my lifetime, I don’t know when we’ve had something tying us together in a strange way. That is actually something we all can really relate to even though we have our own personal experiences with it.”

To that end, aside from going out (safely) in nature, Mullaly is taking the opportunity to delve into other creative endeavours that she’s long dabbled in.

On March 16, she posted to Facebook outlining all her offerings—from graphic design (posters, albums, websites, and logos) to video (editing, visual treatments, and storyboards), writing (bios, press releases, scripts), voice acting, custom artwork like portraits, crafts like handmade prayer flags, and private dance lessons. And, of course, she listed music as well—from private, remote shows to guitar lessons, and ghostwriting.

“I know a lot of people recognize me first as being a rapper and now more of an artist because I play with a band, and a radio DJ— we get put in all these boxes,” she says. “But I like creating a lot of different media.”

To contact Ross about guitar lessons email willrossmusic@outlook.com. For more on the multi-talented Lozen visit behance.net/lozendesign for graphic design, lozenmusic.com/bio for writing and music, and check out her Instagram at instagram.com/lozenmusic/ for various other creative endeavours. n

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

STREAM ON Some Assembly Required will be livestreaming via Whistler Live on April 17. Frontman Stephen Vogler is also doing a virtual busking show on Friday, April 3, from 7 to 8 p.m. through the Rocky Mountain Underground Facebook page.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Arts Whistler and Whistler Live team up for livestream concert series ARTS ORGANIZATION ALSO COMPILES LIST OF ONLINE RESOURCES FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND EDUCATION DURING THE PANDEMIC

BY ALYSSA NOEL GET READY TO ROCK out in your living room.

Arts Whistler is teaming up with Whistler Live to host livestreaming concerts through April—which is good news, considering the provincial health officer on Tuesday, March 31, said British Columbians could expect self-isolating to continue throughout the month and longer. “(Whistler Live) will manage the feed and we’re coordinating acts and schedules and providing honorariums to the musicians,” says Mo Douglas, executive director of Arts Whistler. “It’s modest, but we want to acknowledge they’re doing what they can during this time too. For a lot of them, it’s meant a significant loss of income.”

First up, The Hairfarmers are returning on Friday, April 3, fresh off a successful virtual show that raised nearly $50,000 for the Whistler Food Bank on March 20. The show will start at 5 p.m. on the Whistler Live Facebook or YouTube page and, this time, money raised will go to the Pemberton Food Bank. The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation has offered to match funds once again, this time up to $15,000.

Next Friday, catch The Railtown Prophets, followed by Some Assembly Required on April 17 and Kostaman on April 24. More shows could be added, depending on the interest from local bands.

“We thought it was an opportunity to share arts and entertainment with the community—and provide a whole other level of exposure for local bands,” Douglas says.

Both Arts Whistler and Whistler Live will ensure the shows are held in a responsible manner with physical distancing.

“Every single one of those [shows] will be subject to ensuring, at the time of the performance, everybody in the band is well.

We’re obviously putting strict restrictions

on that,” she adds.

Meanwhile, Arts Whistler is also working on a few other projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. While their spring events might be postponed and the Maury Young Arts Centre closed, staff is compiling a resource list of remote local events taking place, as well as national and international institutions and companies offering online arts-related resources.

The organization will also post videos from its own past exhibits like The Chili Thom Experience and Don and Isobel— The Life, the Legend, the Laughter, the Leathers.

“We’re curating content we’re finding that’s digital,” Douglas says. “We’re also creating a little bit of our own content.

Someone has created a home-isolation scavenger hunt for adults and families [for example].”

They will continue to add to the resources list as they find new inspiration and entertainment. “We welcome local content and links people would like us to promote,” she adds.

Finally, among the website’s new resources will also be tips for both artists and arts organizations trying to navigate funding and resources to keep themselves afloat. Arts Whistler, for example, is trying to find out if it can redirect funding from provincial grants that was meant for events or projects that are now cancelled or postponed to use for more immediate ideas.

“We’ll also have a portal for creativesector workers, gathering everything we know for resources in the gig economy or the arts sector—what we’re learning about redeploying grant money,” Douglas says.

“That affects more than just Arts Whistler.

We’re trying to be an ongoing resource for people in the sector.”

To see Arts Whistler’s COVID-19 resources, visit artswhistler.com.

To tune into the livestream concerts check out facebook.com/WhistlerLiveStream/. n

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APRIL 2, 2020

39

NOTES FROM THE BACK ROW

Quarantino continues WELL, HERE WE are safe at home, and Hollywood isn’t sure what to do with us.

The idea of “renting” new releases for $20 on the streaming platforms doesn’t seem to be catching on as much as they’d like, and while some flicks are being pushed (Wonder Woman 2 is slated for August now, not June), Sony is the first studio to officially put the entire summer of 2020 out to pasture.

BY FEET BANKS Which means the Spider-Man sidebar movie Morbius is now slated for 2021, as is Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Peter Rabbit 2 (ever get the feeling Sony didn’t have that big of a summer planned anyhow?). The other studios are still in “wait-and-see” mode but at press time, Bill & Ted Face the Music remained slated for a late-August release. Let’s pray for that to hold firm.

In the meantime, streaming/online movies are where it’s at, and now that homeschool has started, an argument

PUSHED BACK Wonder Woman 2 is just one of the big movies with a delayed release.

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES

can be made that since every elementary school library has Tintin comics, there’s really nothing wrong with sitting your kids down in front of all three season of The Adventures of Tintin animated series on Amazon Prime. Or if you need to teach a science class, Night on Earth on Netflix is informative enough to count as science where I come from (Pemberton High!).

Some parents are letting the kids watch whatever they want so long as they write a “review” essay about it afterwards.

For the rest of us, Quarantino continues this week with 1993’s True Romance, one of the best movies of the ‘90s and an interesting watch these days because it’s a Tarantino movie, full of his recognizable style—snappy banter, ultraviolence, casual racism— but it’s directed by Tony Scott.

The story goes that Quentin had a friend who was working on Scott’s The Last Boy Scout and somehow, she got Tony copies of the True Romance and Reservoir Dogs scripts. Scott wanted both, but, as a name-brand director, ended up with the one that required a larger budget; Quentin kept Dogs for himself.

The story is pure movie-dork fantasy (Tarantino admitted lead character Clarence was essentially an idealized version of his dream self)—a hooker with a heart of gold walks into a Sonny Chiba triple-feature, falls in love with a

stoic loner/pop-culture encyclopedia and together they accidentally steal a suitcase full of cocaine and head to Hollywood with the mob on their tails. Then it becomes one of the greatest love stories ever told.

Tony Scott changed the flick a bit, made the narrative more linear, and gave it a happier ending, but what makes True Romance so awesome is how he remixes the genius of a not-yet-formed Tarantino (you can see, even then, that he would be a master of building tension) with the steady hand of a veteran storyteller with full commitment to his cast, one of the greatest ever assembled. And yet, even with Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt and Michael Rapaport, Chris Penn and Tom Sizemore, Gary Oldman and James Gandolfini, Bronson Pinchot and Saul Rubinek, even with Val Kilmer playing Elvis, this whole movie hangs on Patricia Arquette’s portrayal of Alabama—the doe-eyed, open-topped, four-days-fresh call girl from Tallahassee—the face that launched a thousand bullets.

If Alabama doesn’t work, this movie doesn’t work. And it shouldn’t work, but it does. And that’s the magic of the movies.

True Romance is available on Crave if you pay the extra ten bucks for a Starz subscription.

But even without ten bucks you can go deeper down the wormhole because

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40 APRIL 2, 2020

all three of those Sonny Chiba films (The Street Fighter trilogy) Clarence and ‘Bamba watch on their first date are now available for free in that Open Culture link of 1,150 free flicks I ranted about last week.

The aspect ratios aren’t quite right, but that’s the grindhouse style. Hit up openculture.com/freemoviesonline. (And shout out to the Sunny Chibas restaurant in Squamish—great people, awesome food, and they have a meal program to help anyone who’s having a hard time making ends meet during these crazy times.)

We’ll close Quarantino out this week with an interesting side note—the other Tarantino screenplay from this era was Natural Born Killers, which originally sprang from an early version of True Romance, where Clarence was writing a movie within the movie as they drove from Detroit to LA. Killers was eventually made into a visually barraging takedown of the media, violence and the American Dream

by Oliver Stone in 1994.

Tarantino didn’t like Stone’s changes and had his name removed from the movie but there’s definitely a lot of Quentin’s verbiage left in there. No one’s hitting the road any time soon, so maybe these two Tarantino road flicks will scratch that itch.

Stay safe friends, and keep ramblin’.

Next week we’ll do an actual Tarantino movie, I promise. If there is a next week. n

We’ve got you covered.

Pick up the latest issue of your favourite read in Whistler.

EPICURIOUS

MARKET STALL As markets across the province deal with the fallout of COVID-19, the Whistler Farmers’ Market is hopeful to start the 2020 season on June 21.

PHOTO BY MIKE CRANE / COURTESY OF TOURISM WHISTLER

Whistler Farmers’ Market sets sights on Father’s Day opening FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR MARKETS TO TRANSITION TO ONLINE PLATFORM

BY BRANDON BARRETT AS FARMERS’ MARKETS across the province deal with the fallout of COVID19, Whistler’s market has its sights set on Father’s Day to open the 2020 season.

“At this point, we will not know what the full impact of the COVID-19 crisis will be on the market. We do know that our starting date will be later than usual, but beyond that, it is too soon to tell,” wrote market manager Rossanne Clamp in an email.

Typically, the Whistler Farmers’ Market (WFM) would have an initial early-season opening in May to coincide with the municipality’s Great Outdoors Festival before moving to a regular weekly schedule for its “official” opening around Father’s Day, which this year falls on June 21.

In addition to the weekly Sunday market, Clamp said Wednesday markets are still scheduled to go ahead in July and August—but, of course, as with everything COVID-19-related, the situation is fluid.

Just last week, the B.C. Government deemed farmers’ markets an essential service, but restricted markets to selling food products only, a major blow to artisan vendors that rely on markets across the province to sell their wares.

In Whistler, it’s still too early to tell what the vendor makeup will look like in the wake of Victoria’s decision. Clamp said the juried vendor selection process—which moved entirely online this month—is ongoing.

“Farmers’ markets that are currently operating are only permitted to sell food products, but of course, this is an evolving issue. We do not know what next week brings, let alone June,” said Clamp by email. “Right now, we are looking at all the details for various levels of operation.”

As a trusted link in the food supply chain, farmers’ markets are poised to

capitalize on an otherwise devastating situation, explained Chris Quinlan, former WFM manager and founder of market management software company, MarketWurks.

“One of the benefits of a farmers’ market is that you know your producer and you trust them, so you trust the process right from seedling to harvesting to washing it and getting it to the market,” he said.

“The fact that this tragic pandemic has taken place, the silver lining is it reinforces the value of knowing where your food is coming from.”

The province has also encouraged markets to move online as an easy way for customers to buy local groceries, while ensuring physical distancing measures are being followed. The 145 members of the B.C. Association of Farmers’ Markets— which includes Whistler—are eligible to receive funding to transition to an online market platform.

“Going online is an option that many farmers’ markets across the province are examining, and it is one that we will be considering also,” Clamp noted.

Just in the past week, MarketWurks has partnered with Oregon company Local Food Marketplace to assist its clients in making the move online.

“Our concern was to make sure our existing clients have access to it, so that’s what we’ve done and a number of them have taken us up on it,” Quinlan said.

If anything, the pandemic has served as a vital reminder not only of the essential role markets play in our food systems, but in our wider community, Clamp said.

“I think this crisis has got everyone thinking about how important a local supply chain is to our well-being and security,” she said. “A farmers’ market allows the community to care for itself.”

To stay up to date on the Whistler Farmers’ Market, visit whistlerfarmersmarket.org. n

APRIL 2, 2020

41

PARTIAL RECALL

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3

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While Partial Recall is typically a space we use to showcase what happened around Whistler over the past seven days, with the physical distancing measures currently in place to help stop the spread of COVID-19, it turns out community events are few and far between these days. So, this week, we’ve decided to reserve this space for our heroic local health care workers, who are currently putting themselves at risk on the front lines.

1 THE UNSUNG HEROES While doctors, nurses and other frontline medical staff deserve the accolades and praise, they aren’t the only heroes, and theirs isn’t the only frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Whistler Health Care Centre’s cleaning staff also deserves a big shout-out for all their hard work keeping our local Health Care Centre in tip top shape. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 2 PROTECTIVE PRECAUTIONS The Whistler Health Care Centre looks a little different these days.

Staff have set up various precautionary measures to help protect staff and patients as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 3 LISTEN UP While there are many Whistlerites who have the luxury of working from home, our health care workers put themselves at risk each time they show up for their shift. To that end, they’re urging the public to follow public health officers’ advice and stay home to flatten the curve. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4 + 5 SAYING THANKS Every evening at 7 p.m., British Columbians have been standing outside and making noise to show their appreciation for our hard-working health care workers. Well, members of the Whistler Health Care Centre’s emergency staff want the community to know that they hear them. PHOTO SUBMITTED.

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42 APRIL 2, 2020

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ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF APRIL 2 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “If all the world’s a stage, where the hell is the teleprompter,” asks aphorist Sami Feiring. In my astrological opinion, you Aries are the least likely of all the signs to identify with that perspective. While everyone else might wish they could be better prepared for the nonstop improvisational tests of everyday life, most of you tend to prefer what I call the “naked spontaneity” approach. If you were indeed given the chance to use a teleprompter, you’d probably ignore it. Everything I just said is especially and intensely true for you right now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author Knut Hamsun was 25 years old, a doctor told him that the tuberculosis he had contracted would kill him within three months. But in fact, Hamsun lived 67 more years, till the age of 92. I suspect there’s an equally erroneous prophecy or unwarranted expectation impacting your life right now. A certain process or phenomenon that seems to be nearing an end may in fact reinvent or resurrect itself, going on to last for quite some time. I suggest you clear away any misapprehensions you or others might have about it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I invite you to remember what you were thinking and feeling around your birthday in 2019. Were there specific goals you hoped to accomplish between then and your birthday in 2020? Were there bad, old habits you aimed to dissolve and good, new habits you proposed to instigate? Was there a lingering wound you aspired to heal or a debilitating memory you longed to conquer? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to take inventory of your progress in projects like those.

And if you find that you have achieved less than you had hoped, I trust you will dedicate yourself to playing catchup in the weeks between now and your birthday. You may be amazed at how much ground you can cover.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I can’t swim. Why? There was a good reason when I was a kid: I’m allergic to chlorine, and my mom wouldn’t let me take swimming lessons at the local chlorine-treated pool. Since then, the failure to learn is inexcusable, and I’m embarrassed about it. Is there an equivalent phenomenon in your life, my fellow Cancerian? The coming weeks might be an excellent time to meditate on how to correct the problem. Now excuse me while I head out to my solo selfadministered swim lesson at Bass Lake, buoyed by the instructions I got from a YouTube video.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Is William Shakespeare the greatest author who ever lived? French philosopher Voltaire didn’t think so, calling him “an amiable barbarian.” Russian superstar author Leo Tolstoy claimed The Bard had “a complete absence of aesthetic feeling.” England’s first Poet Laureate John Dryden called Shakespeare’s language “scarcely intelligible.” T. E. Lawrence, a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia, declared The Bard had a second-rate mind. Lord Byron said, “Shakespeare’s name stands too absurdly high and will go down.” His contemporary, the poet and playwright Ben Jonson, asserted that he “never had six lines together without a fault.” I offer these cheeky views to encourage you Leos to enjoy your own idol-toppling and authority-questioning activities in the coming weeks. You have licence to be an irrepressible iconoclast.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo-born Jack Ma is China’s richest person and one of the world’s most powerful businessmen. He co-founded Alibaba, the Chinese version of Amazon.com. He likes his employees to work hard, but also thinks they should cultivate a healthy balance between work and life. In his opinion, they should have sex six times a week, or 312 times a year.

Some observers have suggested that’s too much— especially if you labour 12 hours a day, six days a week, as Jack Ma prefers—but it may not be excessive for you Virgos. The coming months could be a very erotic time.

But please practise safe sex in every way imaginable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): How hard are you willing to

Thank You Community Builders

work on your most-important relationships? How might your life change for the better if you gave them your most potent resourcefulness and panache? The next eight weeks will be a favourable time for you to attend to these matters, Libra. During this fertile time, you will have unprecedented power to reinvigorate togetherness with imaginative innovations. I propose you undertake the following task: Treat your intimate alliances as creative art projects that warrant your supreme ingenuity.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I make mistakes,” confessed author Jean Kerr. “I’ll be the second to admit it.” She was making a joke, contrasting her tepid sense of responsibility with the humbler and more common version of the idiom, which is “I make mistakes; I’ll be the first to admit it.” In the coming weeks, I’ll be fine if you merely match her mild level of apology—just as long as you do indeed acknowledge some culpability in what has gone amiss or awry or off-kilter. One way or another, you need to be involved in atonement and correction—for your own sake.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you have been thinking of adopting a child or getting pregnant with a new child, the coming weeks will be a favourable time to enter a new phase of rumination about that possibility.

If you’ve been dreaming off and on about a big project that could activate your dormant creative powers and captivate your imagination for a long time to come, now would be a perfect moment to get more practical about it. If you have fantasized about finding a new role that would allow you to express even more of your beauty and intelligence, you have arrived at a fertile phase to move to the next stage of that fantasy.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I suggest you make room in your life for a time of sacred rejuvenation. Here are activities you might try: Recall your favourite events of the past. Reconnect with your roots. Research your genetic heritage. Send prayers to your ancestors, and ask them to converse with you in your dreams. Have fun feeling what it must have been like when you were in your mother’s womb. Get a phone consultation with a past life regression therapist who can help you recover scenes from your previous incarnations. Feel reverence and gratitude for traditions that are still meaningful to you.

Reaffirm your core values—the principles that serve as your lodestar. And here’s the No.1 task I recommend: Find a place of refuge in your imagination and memories; use your power of visualization to create an inner sanctuary.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Are we just being poetic and fanciful when we say that wonder is a survival skill? Not according to the editors who assembled the collection of essays gathered in a book called Wonder and Other Survival Skills. They propose that a capacity to feel awe and reverence can help us to be vital and vigorous; that an appreciation for marvellous things makes us smart and resilient; that it’s in our selfish interests to develop a humble longing for sublime beauty and an attraction to sacred experiences. The coming weeks will be a favourable time for you to dive deep into these healing pleasures, dear Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): For decades, the city of Sacramento, California suffered from severe floods when the Sacramento and American rivers overflowed their banks. Residents authorized a series of measures to prevent these disasters, culminating in the construction of a 59,000-acre floodplain that solved the problem.

According to my analysis, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to plan an equally systematic transformation. It could address a big ongoing problem like Sacramento’s floods, or it could be a strategy for reorganizing and recreating your life so as to gloriously serve your long-term dreams.

Finn is 7 months old and was adopted from WAG. His lineage is varied and diverse with some Collie on his mother’s side. Finn is happy and zealous with a heart for adventure.

He enjoys truck rides and trail walks and any outdoor spot will do, but the Emerald Forest and Cheakamus River trails are his favourites.

Homework: It’s a good time to think about Shadow Blessings: https://tinyurl.com/ShadowBlessings

Visit a Whistler Happy Pets store to pick up your prize.

Function Junction: #101-1085 Millar Creek Rd.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

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In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com

Let’s keep sharing the love we’ve built.

Investing in a thriving community, together. whistlerfoundation.com/give

Recycle? Yes or no?

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SHAW CARPET & FLOOR CENTRE

The ReUseIt Centre and ReBuildIt Centre are temporarily closed and are unable to accept items for donation at this time.

As a social enterprise, these centres are the main source of funding for WCSS to operate the Food Bank, Outreach Services and many other services.

Please keep donations for a later date, as both centres will happily accept gently used items once business resumes.

Learn about Outreach and Food Bank operations during COVID-19 at mywcss.org Like us on Facebook @ Whistler Community Service Society

A C C O M M O D AT I O N LISTINGS, DEFINED: Monthly rental accommodation that is available to local renters for a minimum of 12 months.

Are Looking for a Local Norwex Rep? I'm here for you Christine Wilding ~ Independent Norwex Consultant

Short Term Rentals

Monthly or seasonal rental accommodation that is available to local renters for less than 12 months, or where the rental price varies throughout the year.

Vacation Rentals

Nightly and/or weekly rental accommodation, available to visitors over a short period of time.

Accommodation

Executive Townhome Taluswood, Ski-in/Ski-out, Spacious Furnished 2-Bedroom, 2.5 Bathroom, Two Story, High Ceilings, Wood FP, Single Garage, Additional Parking Spot, Hot-tub, Pool, Private Patio, Professional Couple or Family only, Absolutely No Room-mates or Pets, Utilities Extra Ghorbab@gmail.com

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REAL ESTATE For a weekly sales report of new and sold listings in Whistler & Pemberton, please go to whistlerrealestatemarket.com or contact josh@joshcrane.ca

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

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WHISTLER CAY HEIGHTS Furnished 2 bedroom Garden Suite This recently renovated garden suite is across from Whistler Village (5 min walk) and the ski lifts. Modern and clean. New carpet, paint and fixtures.

Fully furnished and equipped. It is spacious, nicely decorated and makes you feel right at home. Patio area. One year lease. Driveway parking available.

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Donate Used Clothing & Household Goods- To be distributed to local charities

by Sharon 604-894-6656 for pick up.

Whistler Children's Chorus Rehearsal - Tuesdays at MILLENNIUM PLACE (4 5:30 pm) contact whistlerchorus@gmail. com

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extended in relation to the length of closure. www.whistler.ca/recreation 604-935-PLAY (7529)

GYMS & TRAINERS

CHRISTINE SUTER C2SKYMULTISPORT COACHING AND PERSONAL TRAINING 2019 Female Winner Ultra520 Offering: One on One Personal Training outside or at home Online Run training programs Mental Performance Coaching Endurance Sport Coaching and Home Gym Consultations

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COUNSELLING AND COACHING

Offering individual counselling for adults, young adults and youth

Available for Online counselling,

ECO Counselling- counselling in the outdoors, and Mental Performance Coaching Please contact Christine through; christine@c2skymultisport.com 604-932-0788 Or book online https://app.oncallhealth.ca/booking/christinesuter

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 Register and fundraise at walkforalzheimers.ca

MEETING PLACE 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

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.

COMMUNITY LISTINGS ARTS & CULTURE Arts Whistler - Full arts & culture listings. Comprehensive artist directory & programs, events & performances year-round. For info 604-935-8410 or visit www.artswhistler.com Pemberton Arts Council - Connect with other artists, writers, artisans, musicians & help make Pemberton a vibrant arts community. Call 604-452- 0123 or visit www.pembertonartscouncil.com

REACH, STRETCH, GROW Christine Suter RCC Registered Clinical Counselor

as recommended by:

All active passes will be

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Community

NOTICES GENERAL NOTICES ROTARY CLUBS OF WHISTLER The Rotary Clubs of Whistler are now meeting virtually.

The Whistler Club Tuesdays at 3.

The Millennium Club Thursdays at 12:15.

Contact us at info@Whistler-rotary.org for log in info. All welcome.

Pemberton Writers - Meet with other writers to review and critique monthly.

Opportunities for writing in a comfortable and creative setting. Email crowley7@ telus.net Sea to Sky Singers - Invites new & former members to join us for an exciting new term, the spring & fall terms culminate with a concert. Choir meets Tues, 7-9pm at Squamish Academy of Music, 2nd Ave. Veronica seatoskysingers@gmail.com or 604- 892-7819 www.seatoskysingers.net Whistler Community Band - Rehearsals on Tuesdays 7 - 8:15 pm CONTACT whistlerchorus@gmail.com FOR LOCATION Whistler Singers Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 7 to 9pm at Myrtle Philip School in the Toad Hall room. Everyone is welcome!

Inquiries can be sent to whistlersingers@gmail.com For more info, visit: https://www.facebook.com/whistlersing ers/

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 Stewardship Pemberton Society and the One Mile Lake Nature CentreConnecting community, nature and people through education, cooperation, and community involvement. www. stewardshippemberton.com 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.

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 Griffin Squadron Squamish Air CadetsOpen to youth 12-18yrs at Don Ross Secondary School on Tues at 6:30pm.

Pemberton Valley Trails AssociationMeets the second Wed of each month.

7pm at the Pemberton Recreation Centre.

Call 604-698-6158 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

Whistler/Pemberton Girl Guides Adventures for Girls age 5 & up. Sparks & Brownies (Gr K,1,2,3) Guides (Gr 4,5,6) Volunteers always welcome. coastmountaingirlguides@gmail.com

LEISURE GROUPS 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.

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 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 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 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.

COMMUNITY CENTRES YOUTH ACTIVITIES 1st Whistler Scout Group - outdoor & adventure program for girls and boys aged 5-17. Times and locations vary.

More info: http://1stwhistlerscoutgroup. webs.com.

Contact scoutsatwhistler @gmail.com or 604-966-4050.

Whistler Youth Centre - Drop - in: Wednesdays 3:30- 7:30 PM (Interact Club of Whistler 4:15 - 5pm), Fridays 3:30 - 10 PM & Saturdays 4 - 9 PM for ages 13 - 18.

Located downstairs in the Maury Young Arts Centre (formerly Millennium Place).

We offer: a Ping pong table, Pool table, Skateboard mini ramp w. skateboards and helmets to borrow, Free Wi-Fi, Xbox One, PS3 & PS4, Guitars, Board games, Projector and widescreen TV's. Facebook THEYC Crew, Instagram #TheYC, www. whistleryouthcentre.com or call 604-9358187.

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

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING Whistler Breakfast Club Meets monthly at 6:45-8:30am at Whistler Chamber office. Offering a chance for business owners to meet and "speed network" with other business owners to build their circle of contacts and collaborators in the Sea 2 Sky Corridor. Learn more at facebook.com/ whistlerbreakfastclub

APRIL 2, 2020

45

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COMMUNITY LISTINGS COMMUNITY LISTINGS COMMUNITY LISTINGS PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING

FAMILY RESOURCES

SOCIAL SERVICES

Whistler Chamber of Commerce - Is the leading business association in Whistler that works to create a vibrant & successful economy. Learn more about the programs & services at www.whistlerchamber.com

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

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

Women of Whistler - Group that provides opportunities for Whistler businesswomen to network, gain knowledge & share ideas in a friendly, relaxed environment. Learn more at www.womenofwhistler.com

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

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

FOR SENIORS Activate & Connect - Come join us Thursday mornings 9:30am to 11:00am at Whistler Community Services for a weekly drop in program for seniors 50+. Everyone welcome, in partnership with Mature Action Community. www.mywcss.org Outreach Services - Free confidential support for adults dealing with the challenges of social wellness. Please call our office at 604.932.0113 to speak with an outreach worker.

Pemberton Men's Shed - Weekly social meetings WED. 11-2 in the Seniors/ youth Rec. bldg. beside library. Social meeting with BYO Bag lunch, card games and pool/snooker. Help out in YOUR community, operating the Pemberton Tool Library.

Senior Citizen Organizations - Is an advocacy group devoted to improving the quality of life for all seniors. Ernie Bayer 604-576-9734 or ecbayer2@gmail.com

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 604-932-3202

46 APRIL 2, 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 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

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Support Counselling - For women regarding abuse & relationship issues. No charge. Call 604-894-6101 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 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

SUPPORT GROUPS 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 "Are you troubled by someone's drinking? Al-Anon can help."

Please reach out by email for information about our online meetings. s2safg@gmail.com 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.

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

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SUPPORT GROUPS

PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

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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SMART Recovery Whistler (SelfManagement and Recovery Training) A Cognitive-Behavioural group for individuals with substance abuse concerns. Drop-in: Registration is not necessary. Wednesdays 5:30-7:00pm Whistler Health Centre (2nd floor-group room)

2

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 # 37 Center, 7:00pm Monday. Whistler Medical 4380 Lorimer Road, 2nd Floor multiple purpose room; 604- 905-5489, https:// www.bcyukonaa.org

7

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)

• Collaborate with community service providers.

• Self-directed and able to initiate and complete projects

8 6 7 4 7 9 1 REQUIREMENTS: • Standard First Aid with CPR-C & Clear Criminal Record Check 3 9 • Food Safe certificate, or willingness to obtain • Evidence that the candidate 8 has complied 2 with the Province’s 4 immunization and tuberculosis control programs.

6depending on experience 5 Wage: Negotiable Hours of work: 32 hours per week 1 7 2 Location: D’Arcy, BC Closing Date: Until position is filled 4 2 Submit cover letter &resume to: 2 lisa.sambo@nquatqua.ca 9 3 5 E-mail: 1 5 8 • Ability to work independently and as a member of a team

5 9

FUR & FEATHERS Get Bear Smart Society - Learn more about coexisting with bears. To report a conflict, garbage or attractant issue call 604905-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

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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

HARD

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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.

• Maintaining positive communication with parents.

1 3

EMPLOYMENT # 39

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR AND/ OR ABORIGINAL SUPPORTED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT WORKER

• Interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.

Whistler Church- Join us for worship and fellowship around Jesus. Sunday 10 am at Myrtle Philip Community School, 6195 Lorimer Rd. Nursery, Sunday School to gr.

6, Youth gr. 7 and up. Call Pastor Jon 604798-3861 / Kelvin 204-249-0700 or www.whistlerchurch.ca

4 2 8

# 40

THINGS TO DO THINGS TO DO

Whistler Personnel Solutions We’re still hiring! 604-905-4194 www.whistler-jobs.com

# 38

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Answers 1 8 3 4 2 9 6 5 7

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SELL

JOB POSTING

• Understanding and working knowledge of Child Care Licensing Regulations.

Jesus Rock Of Ages Ministry- A bible based church that holds services at Millennium Place's main floor theatre at 4:30pm. www.jesusrockofages.com

1

DRIVE

PO BOX 88/64 CASPER CHARLIE PLACE, DARCY BC V0N 1L0

curriculum HARD that supports community inclusion and is culturally # 38 significant for young Aboriginal children.

RELIGION

6 5 1

FIX

N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre

7PO BOX 88/64 CASPER CHARLIE8PLACE, 5 1DARCY BC V0N 1L0 9 JOB POSTING 2 9TODDLER EDUCATOR7 POSITION: INFANT 5position: Regular, 3 Full-Time 2 Nature of Term: Ongoing Start Date: Immediately 8 4 QUALIFICATIONS: 8 4 1 • Valid Early Childhood Educator Certificate and License to 2as an Infant Toddler Educator (or 9in the process 5 of Practice obtaining your License to Practice) 1 8 JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 3 7 6 4 • Planning & implementing developmentally appropriate

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.

8 3 1 5 9 1

WORK

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre

1

Epilepsy Support Group- For individuals & families seeking guidance or support.

Contact eswhistler@gmail.com

5

RENT

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

COMMUNITY LISTINGS

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3

BUY

# 39

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# 40 2 1 3 8 1 9 9 8 4 4 2 6 6 5 7 5 3 7 8 9 6 7 5 8 1 7 5 9 6 2 3 4 2 1 4 3 7 6 8insiders’ 6 8 5 the 5 3 9 to whistler 2 9 4 guide 4 2 1 3 7 1

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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

THINGS TO DO

Deadline: until position is filled We thank all those who apply. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

4/11/2005

APRIL 2, 2020

47

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48 APRIL 2, 2020

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PUZZLES ACROSS 1 5 10 16 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34 36 38 39 40 42 43 45 48 50 51 55 56 58 60 61 63 65 66 67 68

Painter Salvador -Guitar sound Strategy Raise, as a question Makes turbid Helga’s husband Minerva, in Greece Once -- a time ...

Els or Kovacs Form a gully Uncut keys Muck or slime First-stringers (hyph.)

Hawk’s hangout Pantry item Creepy feeling Zaniest Unaffected Osaka “yes” Owned Onetime Queens ballpark Nose-bag morsel Sorts out Fruit juices Ballet costume Throw a party Living room piece Shelled, as corn Televises Clinging Old-time oath Vast holdings Club charge Devine or Warhol -- Marie Saint Frog step Oak or sycamore

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Pedro’s friend Place to fish Uh cousins -- ex machina Simple trap Eerie sound Lunch hour Greedy king of myth Evade the issue Intends for a particular effect Sheik’s bevy Centurion’s moon Yeasty brew Jamaican music Apple peeler Helped a borrower Linger Family card game Pineapple island Like a tortoise Mountaineer, maybe Wrap tightly Hide out (2 wds.)

Opera set in Egypt Gliders’ lack Rim Comanche neighbors Quiche base Coffee makers Consume carelessly and thoughtlessly Wall Street deg.

Poster Current meas.

Road map info Frosting Moves out Stevedore

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Auel heroine Daring Existing Theatrical award North Sea structure (2 wds.)

Who gives -- --!

Zip along Ultimatum word Raw Talk on and on Object Shafts of light Weighing devices Adjusted Before, in combos

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Aspiration Ventricle neighbor Like most jackets Trojan War epic Playhouse Article of commerce Where Greek met Greek Lowest ebb Say hi Picturesque groupings Finally (2 wds.)

Sears a steak Mind Shirt-pocket stain Injured soldier Brownish-purple Winfrey of TV The “March King” Got through Course length

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Zilch Lamp cover A great many Robust Red -- -- beet Oceanfront flat Compass pt.

Dos or ocho Border town (2 wds.)

Neaten the hedge Accurate Put into service Gate pivot Pointed arch Broad bean Rodin sculpture Keller or Hayes “Et tu” time Foxes’ abodes Arises from Workshop tools Paris street Polite address Carbonated water -- kwon do TLC providers Pocket change Your Majesty Fresh Old horse Pedro’s aunt Nintendo’s plumber Planet warmer Alteration maker Tribal council Squints at Totes X-rated Bumpkin

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Sooner city Bell Check endorser Superman’s girlfriend -- noire Dull finish Fail to keep up Plato’s last letter Abject Morning moisture Glowing Hypertext documents Washboard -Mountain pass Secured girders -- you asleep?

Illinois city

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Make different Do-re-mi Bright flower Innsbruck locale Not suitable Hindu statesman Pun feedback Beta predecessor Connect (2 wds.)

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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: HARD

1 5 8 2 3 7

7 1 2 9 3 8 1

9 4

8 5 7 2

4 1 9 5 8 6 4

HARD Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 38

ANSWERS ON PAGE 47

APRIL 2, 2020

49

MAXED OUT

An elaborate April Fool’s Day joke?

I HIT A TIME WARP last Friday.

The morning was progressing, as all mornings seem to in this current shelteringin-place reality. I was scanning headlines of a couple of online newspapers I believe mostly still do news—whatever that means these days—studiously avoiding 99.9 per cent of stories about the pandemic. Avoiding those means I can consume virtually all the papers in about 10 minutes.

But then... then... I had to check the calendar. Had April Fool’s Day snuck up on me? Was it already the first? What? Only the 27th of March? How could that be?

BY G.D. MAXWELL My temporal dislocation was compliments of Alberta’s premier, Jason “Thumper” Kenney. I had to read the Globe and Mail article twice to make sure it said what it said. Having always been a pugnacious free marketer, Thumper was advocating a cartelized, socialized, transnational-energy program the scope of which would have made Trudeau The First blush.

Thumper wants Alberta to hammer out a joint oil strategy with the U.S., an OPEC-West if you will, to fight the current production war engaged in by Saudi Arabia and Russia. Naturally, it’s a war Alberta and the U.S. would lose in a free-market-for-all battle generally favoured by conservatives.

But Thumper’s secret weapons would be— hello, Mr. Trump—tariffs on imported oil and government bailouts, the new “free” market strategies of born-again Keynesians.

According to Thumper, what’s going on is “predatory dumping” on the part of the Saudis. Generally, predatory dumping occurs when one country sells its product to another country at a price below the cost of production in order to destroy that country’s competing industry. But under the New Religion definition, it is apparently any trade where a country sells its product for less than the purchasing country’s ability to produce the same product.

For reasons lost in the haze of geological time, Saudi Arabia can produce a highquality form of crude oil for less than $9 per barrel. The current market price for that oil is hovering around $20 per barrel. No dumping there.

Alberta’s form of oil was trading around $8 per barrel earlier this week. Production costs in Alberta seem to range from around $21 per barrel—Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.—to $28.55 for Canada’s largest integrated oil company, Suncor Energy Inc., as reported last month.

Math is hard... but it isn’t that hard.

Faced with those numbers, freemarket capitalists would suggest severely curtailing production in Alberta. Thumper rejected out of hand a government-ordered production cut back. Much as he recently rejected, out of hand, addressing Alberta’s

50 APRIL 2, 2020

DAN BARNES/GETTYIMAGES.CA

budgetary problems by imposing a sales tax, a treat enjoyed by all Canadians who don’t live in Alberta. Busy hands, busy hands.

Of all the reasons he might have put forth and all the strategies for protecting Alberta’s energy sector, a North American cartel is quite possibly the weakest, mostlame proposal imaginable. For starters, the U.S. industry would eat his lunch, even assuming they’d buy into the plan to begin with. They have a production cost advantage and they are currently the largest consumer of Alberta’s product, which they buy at a cheap price. Where’s their motivation?

Playing on lessons we are beginning to learn from the pandemic, a stronger case

the 1973 oil crisis. It was established to hash out ways to counter disruptions to the world’s oil supply. It has since broadened its scope to embrace alternate energy and environmental protection.

In 2001, the 28 member nations agreed it was a good idea for countries to have a 90-day strategic petroleum reserve, something a number of countries have had since well before the agreement. An exemption to this reserve was granted to Canada, Denmark, Norway and the U.K. since those countries were net exporters of petroleum products.

Denmark and the U.K. established their own reserves. Seemed like a good idea.

Norway—why is it always Norway who

Math is hard... but it isn’t that hard.

could be made for Canada finally adopting a strategic, oil-reserve program. What? You didn’t know Canada doesn’t have one?

This country is the fourth-largest oil producer in the world. It is also among the least energy-secure countries. Blame it on geography, population and a political system long on provincial and short on federal authority.

The International Energy Agency is an intergovernmental group formed after

seems to do it right—didn’t bother because they manage to produce and store enough to meet the country’s entire demand. Canada chose not to largely for economic reasons: the cost would have been too high and there was no viable way to establish sufficient reserve capacity for Western-produced oil in Eastern Canada.

There still isn’t. The last proposal to build a pipeline from Alberta to Eastern Canada was declared dead in 2017 with the

Quebec premier delivering the coup de grace.

Don’t get me wrong. I have never been and likely never will be a proponent of Alberta’s oil and gas industry and the province’s stubborn determination to continue to tie their economic well-being to that single industry.

But today’s reality casts the issue of strategic reserves in a more glaring light.

Like many other countries in the world, Canada is learning how important it is to make and/or store some things at home. Medical equipment, and the lack thereof, is top of mind right now, when the world is clamouring for scarce supplies of ventilators, masks, gloves and virtually every other item necessary to fight the good fight and countries are competing against each other to get their hands on them.

Food security is likely to become an intense topic of debate when spring turns into summer and Canadian farmers begin to wonder where they’re going to get the labour to harvest crops.

In the hierarchy of needs, shelter ranks pretty high. In Canada, heat ranks almost as high since shelter only goes so far at staving off the worst aspects of winter. It will always be cheaper to import oil for Eastern Canada from the Middle East. But it might not be the wisest course of action.

Perhaps one of the changes to come out of our collective experience with a global threat will be a renewed interest in exploring what it might take to counteract an even more paralyzing shutdown.

Or maybe this is all just an April Fool’s joke. n

HOME. NOW MORE THAN EVER, THE CENTRE OF YOUR WORLD

From all of our Families to Yours!

Stay home, stay safe . . .

We will get through this together!

As we navigate through these unprecedented times, we remain a community strong!

To our health care workers, grocery store employees and each and every one of our essential service providers.

Your strength & devotion is appreciated beyond words!

Our deepest heartfelt THANK YOU!!!

While our shops are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our advisors and staff are working from home and available to assist with your real estate needs. Please call your personal advisor or Managing Broker 604-938-3815 for assistance.

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