Pique Newsmagazine 2719

MAY 7, 2020 ISSUE 27.19

WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM

FREE YOUR INNER BADASS

A ski pioneer

from coast to coast

14

COVID CRUNCH The RMOW is changing its budget as a result of COVID-19

18

HOUSING

Resident housing proposals

back before council

44

BASEMENT TAPES

Local musicians

contribute tracks to Quarantunes

Be Aware. Be Mindful. Be Kind.

As things start to relax we want to remind everyone that if you feel comfortable doing so, please get out and support local businesses and remember to be respectful of how everyone is handling the situation.

As members of this community, it’s important to make sure we come out of this stronger so we can get back to enjoying our surroundings appropriately.

We’re all in this together!

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PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WHISTLER FOOD BANK 4 ways to donate

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

32

40 44

A ski pioneer from coast to coast Legendary Canadian Ski Hall of Famer Lorne McFadgen’s legacy looms large over Blackcomb Ski School. - By Dan Falloon

08

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter writers this week

argue that fear should not influence COVID-19 policy, say goodbye to Scotty Hurren and also thank TaeKwonDawn.

14

COVID CRUNCH

The Resort Municipality of Whistler is making

40

RECOGNIZING INNOVATION

Longtime Whistler

Blackcomb executive Rob McSkimming was honoured by the Canada West Ski Areas Association with the Jim Marshall Leadership Award.

44

BASEMENT TAPES

Local musicians PeteCatastrophe

some big changes to its 2020 budget as a result of COVID-19—but not to its proposed

and anonymericans complete tracks from self-isolation for Vancouver compilation

tax increases.

Quarantunes.

28

BUDGET APPROVED

Village of Pemberton council

58

MAXED OUT

Whistler’s community has never faced a challenge

approves its 2020 budget bylaws, including a zero-per-cent municipal-tax-revenue

that has so swiftly impacted the everyday lives of its residents. Max asks that we give

increase, at May 5 meeting.

whatever we can afford to WCSS to help those in need.

COVER I love how Whistler celebrates its citizens. Always nice to have awesome humans inspiring us all to be awesome humans. - By Jon Parris #103 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9.

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4 MAY 7, 2020

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OPENING REMARKS

Reach out for support HOW ARE YOU doing?

No, I really mean it. How are you actually doing?

It’s a question we ask each other all the time—friend to friend, parent to child, sibling to sibling, co-worker to co-worker— but most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, don’t want an honest answer, especially in this pandemic life of ours.

Most of us are barely keeping ahead of the wave of panic lapping at our heels.

Don’t look back. You are not going that way.

BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

We are worried about how far our bank accounts will go, how our parents are doing, how our kids are doing, how our friends and co-workers are doing; will all these people I care about get COVID-19? Will they survive?

Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s pleading to be kind feel hollow and unattainable. Life didn’t used to feel this way.

Don’t look back. You are not going that way.

Perhaps that is why the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) #GetReal campaign, launched to mark the organization’s annual health week May 4 to 10, struck a chord.

“In our society, it’s a cultural norm to ask people how they’re doing, but not to expect, nor provide, a truthful answer,” said Margaret Eaton, CMHA National CEO in a release.

“This Mental Health Week, it’s time to get real about how we feel. It’s clear we need each other more than ever.”

No more shortcuts to connection, said Eaton. Let’s say more than “I’m fine, thanks.” Last month, Eaton warned of an “echo pandemic” facing Canada as the months of living this new pandemic reality drag on.

Eaton appeared as a witness before the House of Commons health committee in

“We won’t know the full picture for some time but given the global reach of COVID-19, our experience tells us the mental health impacts will be significant.”

- MARGARET EATON

How will we survive the loss we are facing and grieve for what was?

If we are still working, there is guilt associated with that. But there is also a form of exhaustion as well—no one working fulltime right now is experiencing anything like a normal work-life balance. There is even jealously sometimes, if we are honest—the grass is always greener…

It feels like a harsh environment, all angles and elbows, making Provincial

April, saying the pandemic had already driven a rise in demand for mental health supports.

She called out the government for failing to deliver adequate mental-health services before the novel coronavirus struck, and warned that officials must act now to prepare for the expected surge in demand.

“We won’t know the full picture for some time but given the global reach of COVID19, our experience tells us the mental-health

impacts will be significant,” she said.

Don’t look back. You are not going that way.

We have to look forward, create new ways to support those in need as we start to live with this new normal, even if we don’t feel like it.

Perhaps that partly explains Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement on May 3 to spend $240.5 million to develop, expand, and launch virtual care and mentalhealth tools to support Canadians.

“While we all do our part to fight COVID-19, it can be a challenge to deal with everything that’s happening around us and to get the help and services we need to feel well. It’s important that we take care of ourselves and our families during these challenging times, and that’s why we’ve introduced more virtual health resources and mental health tools to further support Canadians through this crisis,” he said.

We have all been touched by the stories of healthcare workers who have paid the ultimate price to help those suffering from COVID-19 globally. We have also read stories of frontline workers who died by suicide.

The stress of this pandemic is real and we all have to realize it, understand its insidious nature and seek the support of our friends, family, co-workers and trained professionals where needed.

We can’t go back to the way it was. We can only go forward. If you need a hand, then reach out.

There are many places to find support. To start, go to our own Whistler Community Services Society (mywcss.org), the Canadian Mental Health Association (cmha.bc.ca), www. bouncebackbc.ca, www.anxietycanada. com, www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/ managing-your-health/mental-healthsubstance-use/virtual-supports-covid-19, and Wellness Together Canada. n

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Fear should not influence COVID-19 policy I have been hesitant to submit this letter to Pique, given my profession. For the record, I have a loved one who will likely die of COVID-19. As a physician, I care deeply about the health of all people in this community. I sincerely hope that this letter does not make you think otherwise.

I worry that fear and strong emotions have clouded rational decision-making by our political leaders and public health officials with respect to COVID-19 policy.

Those in charge have chosen to substitute fiscal chaos for healthcare chaos in order to hopefully minimize the death toll from COVID19. Knowing whether this optimizes well-being for Canada as a whole is extremely difficult as the economy, healthcare, education, social welfare and environment are so interconnected.

One area cannot tumble without repercussions to the other. Lowering the death rate, infection rate or healthcare utilization from COVID-19 are not metrics that really embody what we should be trying to maximize, that being the collective well-being of Canadians. These measures only comprise a portion of that well-being today and an even smaller portion when considering how well-being will be affected in the long term.

When humans play Mother Nature on this level, we tend to make inefficient and irresponsible decisions without clearly considering the ramifications of our actions.

This is particularly true when fear and emotion play a role in our decision-making.

I worry that our leaders have not considered what is a reasonable amount to spend to save human lives in this context. Perhaps more relevant would be putting a number on what is a reasonable expense for anticipated years of life saved. Doing this estimate and calculation would certainly be difficult. However, this should be modelled to the best of our abilities.

I do not have the skillset to do this, but I wonder whether the cost of lives or life years gained would be staggering for our current approach. I am not suggesting that a human life is only worth X dollars. If, for example, we had to spend $10,000,000 to save one life, I suspect that the ethical choice as a country is to do it, and have all Canadians collectively throw in 33 cents for the cause.

However, I believe that the ethics change

when we have to make this commitment for thousands of people en masse. In a previous Pique opinion column, Andrew Mitchell stated that the total debt obligation when all is said and done will be $1 trillion, or $24,000 for every man, woman and child, not including provincial debt

hope that our leaders consider allowing for a higher burden of disease, despite the possibility of a higher near-term death rate and hospitalization rate, given the cost and consequences of our current approach.

Many of you will find the notion of placing a dollar figure on human life horrendous. If you

“[C]onsider how many lives could potentially be saved if we deployed the trillions of dollars we are spending for this crisis to some other aspect of healthcare, environmental policy or social policy ... ”

Remembering Scotty Hurren

- DENTON HIRSH

(“The end of the world,” April 10). At this point, I believe that our ethical obligation shifts from only focusing on the victims to the collective wellbeing of the country.

I am not saying that B.C. and Canadian leaders have made the wrong decisions so far. I am not informed enough to make that judgment. As we ease restrictions, we face the possibility of second and third waves of this infection. If this occurs, I

difficulty justifying going into enormous debt for cancer or our environment. The population at large would have a tough time justifying giving up months of their lives for these causes as well. But if we would not do it for those causes, and those causes would save more lives, should we be doing it now? And if we blow the bank on coronavirus now, will there be any money left after it’s all over to address these other issues in the future?

Perhaps the acuity of COVID-19 compels us to act communally now, whereas the chronic nature of cancer or our environmental woes makes us feel as though we can act more slowly in a way that lacks global cooperation.

Dying from COVID-19 in the next two years is actually quite unlikely for most of us.

That any one of us might die from cancer or cardiovascular disease some time in the next 50 years is actually quite likely. Despite this, our brains are hardwired to feel much more fear and emotion for the first possibility.

This fear, based on the timing of possible death and our unfamiliarity with it, should not make a significant difference when guiding our national policy. After all, death is death and tragic no matter how it happens. Our leaders need to be able to look past the fear and emotion to develop policy that will be best for all Canadians in the long run.

Denton Hirsh, MD, FRCPC // Whistler

feel that way, consider how many lives could potentially be saved if we deployed the trillions of dollars we are spending for this crisis to some other aspect of healthcare, environmental policy or social policy, like cancer research or cardiovascular disease. If we could have saved more lives deploying it elsewhere, is what we are currently doing ethically wrong?

Of course, our government would have

Write to us! Letters to the editor must contain the writer’s name, address and a daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 450 words. Pique Newsmagazine reserves the right to edit, condense or refrain from publishing any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine.

Back in the days [when] I was writing “The Inside Edge” for the Whistler Question, people thought I was writing for the masses of readers in Whistler, Vancouver and around the world.

But that wasn’t the case.

I was only writing for about 10 people in Whistler who I thought were important enough to please and didn’t much care about the general public or their opinions. They were, in no particular order except the first: my beloved muse, Cate Webster, Dave Murray, Mike Fox, Harley Paul, Scotty Hurren, Stue Donald, YP, MY, Emmylou Harris and Nancy Greene [Raine] (until she pissed me off).

Emmylou is the only one I didn’t know, but always wanted to, and Scotty Hurren is the only one who ever gave me a case of writer’s block. It happened like this in Tapley’s friendly neighbourhood pub where we all hung out and where Hurren was a local legend for appearing naked on the Toad Hall poster.

(Editor’s note: Hurren passed away last week.)

SEE PAGE 10

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Michael Scott Hurren 1953-2020

“Scotty”, “Plow King”, “Scobbie”, “Mrs Hurren”, our beloved employee, dear friend, purveyor of classic practical jokes, Whistler, Squamish, Pemberton icon and legend, passed away at Lions Gate Hospital on April 29th.

Scotty was a loyal and outstanding employee of Coastal Mountain Excavation for over forty years and was admired and loved by all CME’s past and present employees. He was a huge part of the Coastal Mountain family from the early days in the late 70’s to today. He had so many friendships throughout the corridor and will long be remembered with Love and laughter by all those he touched in his life.

Many thanks to his life long friend Randy Foote, his ex-wife Patty Bram ield and close friend Don Whiteside who did all they could to comfort Scotty during his inal days and during a dif icult time.

Until we can get together to celebrate Scotty’s life, let’s take time to raise a glass and toast our beloved big bear

- “To Scotty”!

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR << FROM PAGE 8 He was a constant source of anecdotal humour for the column, and he also participated in NFL picks, and was a member of the Golden Foursome that opened Furry Creek Golf and Country Club every year. We had a long drive contest worth big bucks on the uphill par 5 on the front nine.

Hitting a fairway was unusual for Scotty, but this time he hit one straight down the middle about 300 yards before the ball took a wicked bounce straight left and trickled onto the long, paved cart path. The ball slowly rolled all the way back down the hill to the tee box and came to a stop about 20 feet (six metres) in front of where he hit it. All he said was, “Damn, I thought I got all of it.”

I also ran equipment with Scotty, who was one of the best hoe operators I ever saw.

He said this one day at coffee break while he was discussing Whistler in the good old days growing up in Squamish: “I remember when Whistler was just a wide spot on the highway where the Squamish boys and Pemberton boys used to meet on Saturday nights to drink and fight.”

All of those quotes made the paper, of course. But the one that made me question my decision to write a sports column in a rowdy ski area was something he said in Tapley’s that no one heard but me. He told me he had read everything in that week’s paper except The Inside Edge, which he never read except in the mornings when he was sitting on the toilet.

Of course, even though I should have known better, I asked him why and he said, “I’ve had

a struggle all my life with constipation and laughing helps keep me regular. Your column is better than Ex-Lax!” For the longest time after that, when I sat down to compose next week’s literary effort, I was confronted with the image of Scotty Hurren having his morning constitutional, which caused me to wonder what magical words I could write to help him have a nice day. As far as I know, I’m the only sportswriter in history who did double duty as a

can be of great assistance to families.

We could not believe this generous offer and her dedication to her students and her sport! Our son has had three classes already and loves it (us, too)!

Virginie Lamarche // Whistler

Thanking our community for its support As our community negotiates the unprecedented changes in our lives, the outpouring of support

“Your contributions to the Foundation will ensure that our dedicated health care team at Squamish General Hospital has the resources it needs ... ” - ALISON HOPKINS

colonic to keep a reader’s enema bill under control.

Thanks for all the good quotes, good times and good memories, Scotty Keep your chin up and your head down.

Doug Sack // Yukon

TaekwonDawn for the win!

I wanted to send a big shout out to Master Dawn, of Whistler Taekwondo.

After several weeks of confinement (and no Taekwondo twice a week for our kid), we got an email from Master Dawn: she missed teaching and her students.

She offered to continue her current students’ classes from a parking lot or patio—at a safe distance—for free, as she is retired and her time

to our healthcare professionals and other essential workers has been overwhelming. From the 7 p.m. cheer, to the food and coffee brought to the staff at our hospital and the monetary donations made to support the highest level of care, our community has stepped up.

The Squamish Hospital Foundation has been working alongside the staff at Squamish General Hospital to best prepare our community for the potential influx of patients requiring care because of COVID-19, coordinating the food donations, identifying potential equipment needs for the hospital and being the conduit to the community for donations of all kinds.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to you for your continued support of the work of the Squamish Hospital Foundation. The

donations that have been made are directly impacting the care that is provided at the hospital during this crisis, but we are also looking beyond this pandemic to ensure that our community receives the highest quality of care while keeping our healthcare workers safe.

From the smallest of donations to the largest, your contributions are helping our healthcare workers. I would like to recognize 100 Women Who Care (Squamish), the Rotary Club of Squamish and the Squamish General Hospital Auxiliary for their quick support of this work, Bob Fast and family for their very significant contribution, and Jaime Morum for her assistance in coordinating with donors and the Foundation.

Your contributions to the Foundation will ensure that our dedicated healthcare team at Squamish General Hospital has the resources it needs to provide the very best care possible at this time. The needs of our hospital are evolving and the Foundation will continue to support our frontline healthcare workers in every way we can. For more information and ways you can help, please visit www.SquamishHospital.com.

Finally, I would like to extend my thanks on behalf of the Foundation to all of the frontline healthcare workers, support workers in our healthcare facilities, grocers, delivery drivers, emergency response workers and all those who are working to keep our communities moving.

Again, we encourage you to take every measure to stay healthy. Thank you for supporting the Squamish Hospital Foundation and those on the frontlines of this pandemic.

Alison Hopkins // Squamish Hospital Foundation President n

We would like to thank the Whistler community for following social distancing, we are making a difference!

Thank you to all the essential workers who are keeping us going with food, health care, mail and transit.

We17-1350 are here to help you any way.

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PIQUE N’ YER INTEREST 30 SYMPHONY

Finding silver linings I’VE ALWAYS BEEN a complainer.

While I try to deliver my grievances with a dose of humour, if we’re moderately close and I’m feeling a feeling, you will know about it.

Stoicism? Mystery? Those are for cowboys and spies as far as I’m concerned.

Needless to say, I’ve shared my emotions liberally and frequently over the last 40-some days in quarantine. Like many people, I’ve spent much of that time riding a wave of feelings—from sad to angry to grateful to hopeful and back again.

But here on the cusp of May, a new

BY ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com

season in front of us, tiny morsels of good news finally on the horizon, I feel a palpable shift in our collective emotions.

People suddenly seem capable of seeing silver linings in this disaster that they couldn’t spot in previous weeks.

Today, we pulled the plug and

of a bad situation,” he said. “When we reflect back on this period I think a lot of music and art that’s been created in this timeframe will be part of a positive legacy that comes out of this.”

It’s hard to see the good in the dark moments and if you haven’t reached the point where you can find your own silver linings or joy, that’s OK, too.

But as we settle into our new normal, it is becoming abundantly clear just how adaptable, resilient, and amazing humans can be. I see it at 7 p.m. when I stand on my balcony banging a tambourine and I look over to spot my neighbour banging her little cowbells. Every night, we look over at each other, smile, and wave enthusiastically. It’s a point of connection with someone in my building I wouldn’t have otherwise had.

I see it in the lovingly painted rocks that are tucked along the trails I run every day.

Kids and adults painted encouraging words— “We’re all in this together,” “Love is all you need”—with the sole aim of brightening up the days of people they might never meet.

Even the people I encounter on those trails have been, for the most part, achingly

“...I think a lot of music and art that’s been created in this timeframe will be part of a positive legacy.”

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- PAUL HUDSON

postponed our July wedding to 2021 and I feel nothing but gratitude that all our Sea to Sky vendors have been so kind and accommodating in what must be a stressful time for their small businesses.

Shortly after officially hitting “send” on that email to our venue (which is Sunwolf, and they have been amazing—on top of contending with so many challenges over the last few years), I interviewed Paul Hudson from Squamish band anonymericans. That band recently contributed a track to a Vancouver compilation album called Quarantunes, made up of songs written and recorded in quarantine.

At the end of our chat, I asked him if the group had gleaned any new skills or lessons from the experience. They had and, in fact, he was able to see a silver lining.

“We almost have to take the good out

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kind in both their greetings and the way they attempt to give as wide a berth as possible to everyone they pass. That is its own act of kindness and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

If you stay off the internet, you find that most people want to be as gentle and pleasant as possible because we’ve all been navigating our dark days and we all know that anyone could be in the midst of one.

And that is my biggest silver lining takeaway from this whole terrible nightmare: we’ve seen the humanity in our own communities and across the globe. We’ve glimpsed the tenderness and vulnerability that exists inside each of us because we were forced to let our guard down in some way at some point during this challenging time.

And, in the end, we can hope that the world will be better for it. ■

Engel & Völkers Whistler

MAY 7, 2020

11

AY ST

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!

Meet Sunni....

a Whistler Health Care Centre Superst

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.

r

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR SUPPORTING THE HEALTH CARE WORKER MEAL PROGRAM!

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

1/16 Page

40 $ 75 $115 $

1/8 Page

1/4 Page

TO DONATE: whistlerhealthcarefoundation.org

Thank You to the Pique Thank You to the teachers and staff at WSS for connecting with our kids!

Thank You to everyone at work in the grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores and anywhere else that is still open!

Thank You to all the "pot bangers" at 7pm, especially my husband, who always tries to make the neighbourhood smile!

Photo: Chad Chomlack

for keeping us all informed!

Pemberton Health Care would like to thank the community of Pemberton for their support and appreciation during the last 7 weeks. Our town continues the nightly 7pm noise, sirens and cheer.

We hear you and we are grateful.

Pemberton Medical staff have been kept well fed, hydrated, safe and caffeinated. We would like to acknowledge the following people who have provided staff with extra masks, caps, meals, snacks and beverages, coffee machine and chocolate. We are overwhelmed with everyone’s kindness, and may have missed some people who have donated items. ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Back Country Pizza Barn Nork Charles the Delivery Guy Collective Kitchen Elaine Graham Jen Cham Mabel Stillwell Dave

♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Tim Hortons Whistler Real Estate Cliff Bars/Nature Bars via Village of Pemberton Grimm’s Deli Fran Dickinson Linda Welsh Meesh Moran Mike

♥

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

♥

Pemberton Valley Lodge (David) Petro Gas Rona Ron Smith Rogers Chocolate Sea to Sky Soils microgreens Molly Reynolds

bricks to the culprit

that stole my 2 fishing rods

We’ve got you covered.

Thank you

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

to all healthcare providers and essential services workers in the Sea to Sky region!

www.skiresortjobs.co

A quick return would be appreciated A truck load of Thanks to all those working and all those

Staying at home. Take care

Mike Suggett

Kukwstumulhkálap!

Front Line Workers Thank you to the dedicated women and men who are working to keep essential services in Lílwat and in Nkúkwma (Pemberton) open.

It can’t be easy to go to work during the pandemic. We appreciate your commitment and efforts.

Together we will get through this.

— Chiefs & Council and Administration

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler council stays the course on 2.8% tax increase $12.7M CUT FROM PROJECT SPENDING; ALTERNATIVE TAX COLLECTION BYLAW ADOPTED

BY BRADEN DUPUIS WHISTLER’S BUDGET is undergoing some big revisions as a result of COVID-19, with reduced spending across the board— but no changes to proposed tax increases.

At its May 5 meeting held over Zoom, council gave first three readings and adopted two bylaws related to the 2020 budget—an alternative tax collection scheme bylaw and an amendment to the five-year financial plan—and did the same with the 2020 tax and utility rate bylaws.

Under the provincial Emergency Program Act enacted by minister of public safety and solicitor general Mike Farnworth on March 26, municipal councils may adopt a bylaw at the same meeting it receives third reading.

By law, all municipalities in B.C. must have their budgets passed by May 15.

While the tax rate bylaws are the same as proposed back in November—a 2.8-percent property tax increase in 2020, along with two-per-cent increases to sewer, water parcel and solid waste fees—staff are proposing drastic changes to the five-year plan and related projects list.

In general, staff and council set four main guiding principles in reviewing the budget, said recently appointed chief administrative officer Virginia Cullen.

“No. 1 was remove as much spending as we can practically manage while maintaining essential and core municipal

BUDGET BREAKDOWN While two out of three new washroom buildings planned for Whistler Village are still on tap for 2020, the facilities at the Gateway Loop will be deferred—just one of many changes to the municipal budget in light of COVID-19.

FILE PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

14 MAY 7, 2020

services; the second one was only remove planned spending that doesn’t expose the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) to unacceptable risk—so that would be either contractual or public safety,” she said.

“The third would be maintaining limited strategic spending which is focused on sustainability, tourism recovery … and then the fourth would be, wherever financially viable, to remain spending on the existing capital priorities, so environment, climate change, those kinds of things.”

The end result is a budget that looks much different than what was first proposed in November 2019.

PROJECT REVISIONS In total, 96 of 164 projects are proposed for amendment, with total 2020 proposed project spending reduced by $12.7 million (from $46.3 million to $33.7 million).

Some projects receiving big reductions include the Village Washroom Project (from $4.5 million to $2.7 million), Valley Trail improvements (one tender pulled and another to be reviewed for a total reduction of $1.7 million) and the White Gold Utility Undergrounding project (from $3.5 million to $1 million).

In regards to the Village washrooms, two out of three will still be constructed this year—at Whistler Olympic Plaza and the Lost Lake PassivHaus—while the third (at the Gateway Loop) will be deferred.

For the most part, the amendments introduce a series of smaller cuts to a wide range of 2020 projects, with no municipal departments spared.

By department, the cuts amount to $7 million from infrastructure services, $4.9 million from resort experience, $632,526 from corporate and community services

and $81,000 from the CAO’s office.

“Many of the projects have been deferred to 2021 or beyond; some will be reviewed again and some have just been removed altogether,” Cullen said. “Because it’s an holistic view of the whole project picture, there’s not going to be impacts in one particular area. I think it’s more spread out across all of them, so it’s hard to say what’s going to be felt the most by the community.”

While the FireSmart program is mostly being maintained by redeploying staff (in lieu of new summer hires), some thinning work on the Valley Trail and around the edges of parks won’t take place this year.

Logistics around physical distancing are proving a challenge for FireSmart crews as well, said general manager of corporate and community services Ted Battiston.

“We think we’ll be able to handle about 60 per cent of what was planned this year, picking up that additional work next year that we will not be getting to this year,” he said.

“But for homeowners, the chipping, the bins and the work that they’ve come to rely on, we will be able to continue to do that all throughout the summer.”

Community wildfire protection work will also continue, noted general manager of resort experience Toni Metcalf, with $800,000 maintained of the original 2020 spend for fuel-thinning work at Spruce Grove, White Gold and other areas, and climate change coordinator Max Kniewasser has been kept on as well (a fact appreciated

by Coun. Arthur De Jong, who voiced his thanks during the meeting).

PAYROLL, RMI AND RESERVES With the closure of local facilities— combined with the frozen local tourism

economy—the RMOW is expected to lose between $6 million and $11 million in 2020 non-tax revenues.

While the single biggest impact on municipal expenses in the general fund is on payroll—the 2018 Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) showed $32.7 million in total payroll costs—there are no plans to lay off any additional staff beyond the 224 casual and auxiliary employees already furloughed, Cullen said.

The 2019 SOFI report is still being worked on, “but what I can say is that the casual and the auxiliary layoffs, as well as deferring the vacancies … results in a $2.2-million difference (to payroll expenses),” she said.

As it relates to the provincial Resort Municipality Initiative program—which pays for improvements to the tourism experience in Whistler and other B.C. resorts—the RMOW is not currently forecasting any changes to incoming revenues.

The provincial government committed $39 million in RMI funding over three years in its 2019 budget; Whistler got about $7.5 million this year.

Contributions to reserves (which are used to pay for project spending) are down $4.4 million this year in light of the pandemic, and forecasted to stay below preCOVID levels into 2024.

“The growth of the reserve balance must necessarily follow growth in assets,” said director of finance Carlee Price, in a presentation to council.

“Maintaining the physical things that exist in our community requires that we set aside money today for their maintenance.”

With that in mind, the RMOW examined what it would look like to wipe out the proposed 2.8-per-cent property tax and go with no increase instead, forgoing the

NEWS WHISTLER

Laura Wetaski

Engel & Völkers Whistler Phone: 604-938-3798 Email: laura@wetaski.com

Nick Davies, Whistler local and experienced family lawyer practising across BC and Yukon.

Call at 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca

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It’s no secret that COVID-19 has universally thrown finances for a loop, and municipalities are taking varying routes to address the new reality.

In Pemberton, officials changed course from a five-per-cent increase in 2020, reworking the budget to keep the increase to zero this year. (See page 28.)

While there are no true comparables for Whistler’s budget—a multi-million-dollar behemoth of projects and spending that far outweighs the resort’s population of about 12,000—municipal officials do look to other communities for benchmarking purposes when working on things like labour negotiations.

In those communities, the trend was to reduce initially proposed tax rates in light of COVID-19: in the District of North Vancouver (from three to two per cent); City of North Vancouver (4.58 down to two per cent); City of New Westminster (from 4.9 to 3.1 per cent); the Corporation District of Delta (from 3.5 to 1.75 per cent) and the District of West Vancouver (from 4.35 to two per cent).

While municipal officials have kept a close eye on what other communities are doing, “each community is unique with differing impacts to revenue, different age of maturity of assets and many other factors,” a municipal spokesperson said in an email.

“While we can’t speak to the decisions by other communities, the multi-year outcomes on taxes in other communities is a consideration.”

Both Pemberton and Squamish had 2019 increases above six per cent, for example, the spokesperson said.

“Pulling single year (low) numbers without a longer horizon context is not the way we typically look at our budgeting,” they said.

“In 2019, Whistler had the eighthlowest (residential) municipal mill rate in the province (162 municipalities) and the third-lowest combined residential tax rates, in 2019. For commercial, we rank 42/162 on municipal mill rate and 17/162 on combined commercial tax.” n

Price $459,000

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While council voted to keep the proposed increase at 2.8 per cent, there was one opposing vote in Coun. Ralph Forsyth.

“I’m really struggling with not going to zero,” he said. “I’m open to your persuasion, but I really feel like, man, I’m taking someone’s last hundred bucks.”

(With a 2.8-per-cent increase, taxes on a residential property valued at $1.5 million would go up about $72, plus a $24 increase to utilities.)

For Coun. John Grills—who sat on the council that delivered three years of zero tax increases after some very high increases in the preceding years—it makes sense to keep things “as level as possible.”

“From a business point of view, that’s a really difficult thing for forecasting, to have things swing around like that,” he said.

“I think a lot of work went into the original budget that had the 2.8-percent increase, and there is going to be additional costs to this municipality going forward with the effects of COVID, so I would rather keep the stability of the 2.8, and potentially avoid higher [increases] down the road.”

While she said she was compelled

by Forsyth’s argument, Coun. Jen Ford also voted in favour after listening to her colleagues’ comments.

“I think it’s important for us to remember that municipal services, they were made public a long time ago to ensure that these services would be available during emergencies just like this,” she said.

“A zero-per-cent increase really is kind of borrowing from our future … whether it’s replacing a major asset that benefits our community and not having that reserve there for that, I don’t think anyone in our community would say that that kind of saving is not important.”

When it comes down to it, annual tax

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SHIFT TO ZERO OR STAY THE COURSE?

increases are “a reality that results from inflation in real costs and the demands of prudent asset management,” Price said.

“We unfortunately cannot wish them away, and we must consider in determining the requisition amount, in any particular year, the consequence of that decision on future years,” she said.

“We understand the community is under pressure, both businesses and individuals, and we ask that the community recognizes the pressures on the municipal financial position as well.”

With the alternative municipal tax collection scheme bylaw introduced and adopted on May 5, the penalty date for all property tax classes in Whistler is now aligned with the provincial date of Oct. 1, providing an extra three months for Whistlerites to pay their taxes before incurring a 10-per-cent late payment penalty.

Taxes will still be due on July 2, however.

N

additional $1.8 million in tax revenues expected this year.

“The first thing to note is that the tax requisition amount for each year of the five-year financial plan has been calculated to deliver the service level and project asks, and to progress the community towards reasonable reserve balances—a change in the tax requisition amount must necessarily be accompanied by a change in one of these balancing items,” Price said.

Reducing taxes by using reserves, for example, can be remedied in future years, but “this remedy approach—an in-year tax cut followed by catch-up contributions in the years that follow—has implications for future tax-rate increases,” she added.

“In our present case, reducing the 2020 tax requisition by $1.8 million, or 2.8 per cent, while continuing to aim for 2024 reserve balances in the $91-million range, would require an additional increase amount in years 2021 through 2024 of 1.4 per cent.

“That’s an amount in addition to what’s required to cover typical annual cost inflation, plus any service level or installed asset growth.”

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NEWS WHISTLER

RMOW, province prep dock strategy CLOSE TO 100 DOCKS ON ALTA LAKE BUILT WITHOUT PROVINCIAL PERMIT

BY BRADEN DUPUIS WITH THE PROLIFERATION of docks and party barges on local lakes, and Alta Lake in particular—and a similar rise in complaints about noise, pollution and safety issues—the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is working on a docks management strategy with the provincial government.

The goal is to improve the experience at Whistler’s lakes while protecting the environment and keeping people safe—and to remove some of the derelict barges and docks littering the shoreline.

But once municipal staff started to tackle the issue, they quickly found the RMOW has very limited jurisdiction over local lakes, said environmental stewardship manager Heather Beresford in a presentation to council at its May 5 meeting, held over Zoom.

While the provincial government manages all foreshores—where most local docks are located—and the feds have jurisdiction over the water itself, the RMOW’s jurisdiction is limited to parkland along lakes, Beresford explained.

Through discussions with the

provincial and federal governments, the RMOW discovered that most of the docks in the valley are not currently authorized by the province.

Through an informal aerial survey, the RMOW estimated there are currently 96 unpermitted docks on Alta Lake alone.

While land adjacent to the foreshore may be publicly or privately owned, construction, placement and use of private moorage facilities (docks, boatways, ramps or boat lifts) on Crown land requires authorization through the provincial Land Act. The RMOW’s major concern with docks are those built on municipal parklands— many cobbled together from scrap material and eventually abandoned, some with motors still attached.

RMOW parks staff will place trespass notices on such docks this spring, and will remove them if the owners can’t be identified.

The municipality has budgeted $25,000 for barge removal this year, estimating that it will cost about $1,000 per dock to haul them out, dismantle them, recycle where possible and dispose of what’s left, said parks and trails supervisor Lorne Russell.

“Some of those docks are multiple sections; they can be up to 40 or 50 feet (15 metres) in length … and there’s some larger

amounts on the foreshore as well where there’s actually deck space being created on parkland,” he said.

“We’re very hopeful that we can engage with the owners where we can reach them and that we can work with them to remove them at their expense.”

Other “unauthorized” docks will also

“We’re very hopeful that we can engage with the owners...”

- LORNE RUSSELL

get trespass notices, and RMOW staff will connect directly with owners to make a plan to remove them.

Waterfront residents who are also upland owners can apply to the province to have their docks authorized; where CN Rail is the upland owner, property owners may need to engage CN Rail directly for approval.

“There is a process that people can go through if they’re the upland owner … We will be helping to give out the information

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about how people can get their docks legalized,” Beresford said.

“That’s not our lead; we’ll be pointing people in the right direction, but we will be taking some action on our municipal parklands.”

The provincial government is also planning a “compliance audit” of Whistler’s lakes this summer (with a focus on Alta Lake), which will inform potential next steps for 2021.

RMOW staff is also investigating the potential for placing zoning over the lakes, similar to what’s been done in the Okanagan and Shuswap, which would give the municipality more tools to manage docks, barges and more.

Further, the RMOW is also looking at making the switch to allow only electric motors on Alta and Alpha lakes—which requires its own federal application process.

“It’s not our decision; we would be talking to the public, sort of taking their temperature on it, and making an application to Transport Canada,” Beresford said, adding that there would be a significant public process involved as well.

The RMOW also plans to submit a foreshore application for a new communal dock on the south end of Alta Lake, with an eye to having it installed in 2021. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Dennehys challenging Whistler to match $50K mental-health donation TEAMING UP WITH ANDY SZOCS, MONEY WILL GO TO WCSS MENTAL-HEALTH SERVICES

BY BRANDON BARRETT GINNY AND KERRY Dennehy’s support for mental health has touched thousands of lives around Canada and beyond through their tireless work at the Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation, named in honour of their teenaged son, who tragically ended his life in 2001 after battling depression.

But as far-reaching as their impact has been, Whistler will always be home to the Dennehys.

“We feel very strongly about giving back because the community has done so much for us and our foundation,” said Ginny.

“There’s so much that is needed in the community to help people who suffer with mental health.”

In light of the COVID-19 crisis, coupled with the strain placed on the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS), which is dealing with an explosion in demand as well as the loss of its main funding source with the temporary closure of the Re-Use-It and Re-BuildIt centres, the Dennehys have teamed up with the Szocs Foundation to donate $50,000 to the social-service provider.

“We just finished our big fundraiser last year with Barney Bentall at Buffalo Bills, and a year later, here we go with a different situation with this pandemic. We wanted to relate the two,” explained Kerry. “We wanted to let people know that we’re still alive and helping out in the mental-health field and giving back some of this money that they did coming to our event. This is what it’s all about: turning it around.”

The money, which the Dennehys are challenging Whistlerites to match, will go towards mental-health programs at WCSS. “This is an amazing boost for the mentalhealth services we provide,” wrote Lori Pyne, interim executive director of WCSS, in an email. “As most of the focus has been on supporting the vulnerable population with food in the last weeks, it is important to recognize that everyone is experiencing some altered form in their mental comfort.

This money allows us to pivot quickly to the needs of the community and offer services that are needed immediately.”

Pyne added that its one-on-one outreach services would continue along with its subsidized counselling assistance program.

A new prenatal support group, as well as support groups for parents of toddler, schoolaged and teenaged kids have also been re-launched alongside a program called “Quaranteenager” offered in partnership with the Whistler Youth Centre.

“While the Dennehy and Szocs

foundations are encouraging everyone to be a part of the resilient recovery for our community, they are also helping to bring an awareness to the fact that ‘it is OK to not be OK’ and that Whistler Community Services Society is here to help,” Pyne added.

Andy Szocs, a West Vancouver businessman who has been a passionate advocate for mental health in retirement through his foundation and partnership with Jack.org, said the donation was one way to get ahead of “the big wave” of mental health issues caused by the pandemic.

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s been covered a whole bunch in the news and I

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“We feel very strongly about giving back because the community has done so much for us...”

- GINNY DENNEHY

think most people underestimate it,” he said. “So this is my way of saying, ‘Hey, let’s get ahead of this as best we can because we’re going to need resources.’”

Szocs said he’s been inspired by the mental-health community’s response to the crisis, and sees future opportunities for remote online care that have been emphasized during this time of self-isolation.

“What I see a trend in, and you’re not seeing much of it yet, is virtual care with groups. In other words, you’ll phone in,” he explained. “Think about the efficiency we can do—and obviously the patient has to agree to this—with [online counselling sessions for] five or six people at a time rather than wait for an appointment that’s three weeks away.”

The Dennehys recognized the need for virtual resources in 2018 with the revamped Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre website, which features streamlined resources for youth, parents, caregivers, health professionals and school personnel.

An online therapy program called Kelty’s Key—which connects youth virtually to trained psychologists—was also launched last year.

Learn more at keltymentalhealth.ca.

Donations to WCSS can be made online at mywcss.org/fundraiser, or by mailing a cheque to local P.O. box 900, postal code V0N 1B0. n

The Szocs Foundation and The Kelty Patrick Dennehy’s Foundations ‘WCSS Community Challenge’ As leaders in mental health in the Sea to Sky corridor for the last 20 years, we want to stress that yes, food for the Food Bank is very important, but help is also direly needed to support councillors and mental health programs during and after this crisis passes.

Our Foundations will contribute now, $50,000 to WCSS

OUR CHALLENGE TO YOU, THE WHISTLER COMMUNITY IS TO MATCH THE $50,000 BY JUNE 3, 2020 Contribute through the WCSS website at mywcss.org/fundraiser/ or mail a cheque to WCSS at P.O. Box 900, Whistler, B.C. V0N 1B0 Whether it’s $10 or $100 or $10,000 it all helps. All contributions over $25 will be issued a tax deductable receipt.

To coin an old phrase, ”In all things necessary - unity. In doubtful things - liberty. In all things - charity”.

Working together,our community will come through this stronger than ever. Now is the time to dig deep and be the difference. We thank you!

MAY 7, 2020

17

NEWS WHISTLER

Council endorses reimagined housing projects PROJECTS IN NORDIC, WHITE GOLD SET FOR FURTHER REVIEW

BY BRADEN DUPUIS A PAIR OF long-discussed private developer housing projects were again endorsed for further review at Whistler’s May 5 council meeting—and both look much different than in prior proposals.

Both projects—one at 2077 Garibaldi Way in Nordic and one at 7104 Nancy Greene Dr. in White Gold—should be familiar to Whistler council watchers, as they’ve made multiple appearances on the agenda since first being submitted under housing guidelines for private developers in late 2017.

The project at 2077 Garibaldi Way has been controversial from the start, amassing a mountain of opposition letters at municipal hall from nearby neighbours.

But proponents hope significant revisions to the project will make it work in the neighbourhood.

The updated application proposes 20 units in four buildings (two seven-plexes and two triplexes)—down from 74 units in the first proposal, and 48 in the second.

Further, the proposal has changed from 100-per-cent employee housing to a mix of market and employee (14 Whistler Housing Authority units, to be sold through the waitlist, and six market), from rental to ownership, and

18 MAY 7, 2020

from apartment buildings to townhouses.

The proponent is now seeking 74 bed units (down from 222 and 144).

“We reviewed the extensive feedback received from the planning staff, Advisory Design Panel and public on our previous two rental building proposals and engaged a small group of Nordic community members to determine if we could align the interests of the neighbourhood and the community’s need for employee housing within the new guidelines,” said proponent Dave Brownlie, who is working with developer Robert Velenosi on the project, in an email.

Through that process, the proponents heard that the key issues were the need for ownership over rental, the density of the site, onsite parking, and traffic.

“The new proposal provides for employee ownership, density consistent with the neighbourhood and much less traffic than our previous submission. We also believe the design is a better fit with the neighbourhood character,” Brownlie said.

All the units have three bedrooms and include laundry, balconies, dining areas, “generously sized” rooms, and garages (double for the six market units).

The remaining parking (of 43 total stalls provided) is at surface level.

One of the primary concerns of neighbours in Nordic—one shared by

RMOW staff—is how the project would impact traffic in the neighbourhood, primarily exiting south onto Highway 99.

While a traffic study completed for the 48-unit proposal “identified an issue” with Highway 99 and Nordic Drive, the study “did also speak to the fact that the 48 units would not generate a big difference in terms of wait times at that intersection,” said planner Roman Licko, in a presentation to council.

The RMOW has been working with the provincial ministry of transportation on identifying priority locations for improvement, Licko added.

“This could be one, and generally when improvements are required, we seek funding and, when necessary, development projects can share costs,” he said.

“But potential impacts have been reduced further from 48 to 20 units, so it will have a fairly low impact on that intersection.”

Proposed unit prices for the employeerestricted units are $520 per square foot, putting the average price per unit at $696,000.

With council’s endorsement (minus Coun. Arthur De Jong, who declared a conflict of interest as a longtime resident of Nordic), staff will prepare a zoning amendment bylaw for the project.

In light of COVID-19 restrictions, an “online information and input opportunity”

will be held, giving residents a chance to share any comments on the written record.

In White Gold, Vidorra Developments is now proposing 38 employee rental apartment units in a three-storey building (down from the original proposal of 65 units and five storeys, and a later revised proposal of 47 units and four storeys).

The units are a mix of one-bedroom, onebedroom with a flex room (a study or storage room), two-bedrooms, two-bedrooms with a flex, and a single three-bedroom unit.

The proponent is now seeking 104 bed units (down from 184 and 122).

All units have in-suite laundry, a balcony, and a dining area.

In response to comments from staff and council, the new proposal reduced the density and height of the building to better align with the neighbourhood; increased landscaping for socializing and building screening; and increased the amount of parking (now one stall per unit minimum, for a total of 42 stalls plus loading).

The building will also be “one of the most advanced buildings in B.C.,” in terms of energy efficiency, said Rod Nadeau of Vidorra Developments, which has refined its energy modelling in buildings in Pemberton and Golden in recent years.

“It’s going to be a great place to live, and the primary focus of the design was actually

LOCAL EXPERTS GLOBAL REACH that we kept in mind the people who are going to live there,” Nadeau said.

As laid out in a development pro forma submitted by Vidorra Developments, proposed rents are $1,307 to $2,277 per month for onebedroom units and $2,236 to $2,742 per month for two-bedroom units (depending on size).

The proposed rate for the threebedroom unit is $3,014 per month.

In a presentation to council, planner Stephanie Johnson noted that at just 378 square feet, some of the one-bedroom units would likely qualify as the smallest in Whistler—a fact that didn’t deter council from voting in favour (minus Coun. Duane Jackson, who declared a conflict as a White Gold resident).

“I hear often from friends and community members who would like their own space, and they don’t intend to spend a lot of time at home, because they’re out biking and skiing and doing all the things that this town enjoys,” said Coun. Jen Ford.

“And so a smaller space that allows them to afford their own space without sharing with a bunch of roommates makes a lot of sense.”

Mayor Jack Crompton agreed, but with a base rate of $1,307 per month, hoped the developer can “sharpen their pencil” to lower the rate on the smaller units.

Like the project in Nordic, an online public information will be scheduled to gather more public input before a bylaw is brought to council.

Both rezonings would also be subject to a full public hearing process before adoption. n

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MAY 7, 2020

19

NEWS WHISTLER

Two grizzly sightings reported in past week BEAR HAS NOT SHOWN DEFENSIVE BEHAVIOUR; RESIDENTS URGED TO SECURE ATTRACTANTS

BY BRANDON BARRETT AFTER TWO RECENT reports of grizzly sightings, Whistler residents are urged to secure possible attractants so that the bear will return to more natural habitat.

The first sighting took place April 29 on Crabapple Drive in Whistler Cay, followed by a second report on May 1 at the Nicklaus North Golf Course.

In a statement posted to its website, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) said the grizzly “appears to be moving throughout the valley and has not displayed any defensive behaviour.”

It is essential the bear does not obtain any non-natural food sources while in the valley, stressed Sgt. Simon Gravel with the Conservation Officer Service (COS).

“We don’t want those grizzlies accessing attractants,” he said. “There’s about eight or nine black bears active in that same area where that grizzly was seen, and it is as important for us to talk about black bears and attractants as it is for our grizzlies.”

While it’s rare to see grizzlies in inhabited areas, Gravel said the COS has been expecting a rise in sightings as the local population has grown in recent years.

NEW

“That’s been a discussion for many years and now we’re starting to see that,” he said.

Johnny Mikes, field coordinator for the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative, added that less human activity due to the COVID-19 crisis could be another factor, emboldening the bear to venture further into the valley than it normally would.

There are an estimated eight adult grizzlies living in the Callaghan area. A 2012 government report estimated there were 59 bears in the larger Squamish-Lillooet grizzly bear population unit, but biologists believe that the population has increased somewhat, with known success of females having cubs.

Last month, Whistler’s council endorsed the RMOW’s grizzly conflict mitigation strategy for the community’s Alpine Trail Network, which opened to much fanfare in 2017. The following summer, parts of the network were closed after two separate groups of hikers had run-ins with grizzly bears.

“The bears are coming back in numbers and then we’re building trails into the alpine, so it’s not surprising that we’re going to see them and we’re going to have to work around them,” Mikes said.

While it’s important to stay vigilant in bear country, Mikes said spotting a grizzly is no cause for panic.

BEAR AWARE A grainy photo of a grizzly spotted in Whistler Cay on April 29.

FACEBOOK PHOTO / COLIN MAY

“It’s prudent to be a little more aware that we have had a grizzly here and we could have it again, but there’s no reason to freak out,” he said. “Fundamentally it is a wonderful sign that we have these wonderful creatures in the wild still living in proximity to us. We just need to keep the town clean, be alert and aware and enjoy the fact that they’re around.”

The COS is asking the community to remain vigilant and manage all attractants around their homes. This includes ensuring that garbage and pet food is properly stored, birdseed is removed from feeders, and outdoor barbecues are properly cleaned—a persistent issue for the COS recently.

“People sometimes are a bit complacent on cleaning their barbecue properly, burning

off all the leftovers in it and removing those grease tins under it,” Gravel said.

Cats should be supervised if let outside, and dogs should be kept on leash outdoors at all times.

“Obviously when we have a bear learning that behaviour, like automatically chasing and attacking dogs—even dogs on leash—then it becomes a huge public safety concern for us, and unfortunately, it’s hard to reverse this learning behaviour for us,” Gravel explained.

Whistler’s Animal Responsibility Bylaw mandates that dogs be on leash, except when in an off-leash park, and owners can also be fined under the Wildlife Act if their dog is found chasing wildlife.

As always, bear sightings can be reported to the COS RAPP line at 1-877-9527277. Mikes urged the community to report a grizzly as soon as it’s spotted to allow for early intervention, if needed.

“The best thing you can do for the bear is call the Conservation Officer Service, call the RAPP line, and through that the word will get out to the muni, to bylaw staff, to everybody that there’s a bear there and hopefully word will get out, education can be done and people can keep that bear safe,” he stressed.

For more info on mitigating conflict with grizzlies, visit wildsafebc.com/grizzly-bear. ■

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NEWS WHISTLER

HOME AND GARDEN

‘We’ve gone from crisis to survival’ WHISTLER CHAMBER PUSHING FOR EXTENSIONS TO LAYOFF, WAGE-SUBSIDY PERIODS

BY BRANDON BARRETT THE ROAD TO post-pandemic life will undoubtedly be a long and challenging one for Whistler’s business community, and the heads of the local and provincial chambers of commerce are pushing for extensions to two government support programs to help ease some of the strain.

“We’ve gone from crisis to survival, and the government … is certainly helping those that can to keep their doors open,” said Melissa Pace, CEO of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce.

Pace, along with her provincial counterpart at the BC Chamber of Commerce, is hopeful Ottawa will listen to the business sector’s requests to extend its Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, which offers businesses impacted by COVID-19 75-per-cent of their employees’ wages for a 12-week period, beyond its June 6 cutoff.

On the provincial side, Pace is also pushing for a further extension to the maximum allowable length of temporary layoffs in B.C. This week, Victoria announced it had extended the layoff period from 13 to 16 weeks, which Pace feels isn’t long enough for companies that heavily rely on tourism. “[After the layoff period], you’re forced to lay staff off permanently and pay their severance. We don’t want that to happen,” she said. “It will put us in a deeper deficit where the government support won’t be sufficient anymore.”

The added concern among resort businesses that have been forced to permanently lay off staff is that they will be unable to recruit and retain sufficient numbers of new employees once restrictions begin to relax, Pace said.

“That could be a challenge because we’re going to most likely end up in a labour deficit,” she explained. “The majority of our labour are frontliners, and had left before the end of March, so we still have lots of people living here, but is it going to be enough to support businesses in a few months?”

So far, Pace said some business owners have filled in the labour gaps themselves or with limited personnel. The hope is that employers will be able to incrementally staff up as business levels gradually begin to return, but it’s difficult to tell what that could look like at this point.

“I can only tell you what we’re going to do for labour when we know it’s going to open,” she reiterated. “How many people are sitting here waiting to go to work that can be put to work? How many people are we going to have visiting? How many hotels are going to open? How many rooms are they going to have? What is the occupancy going to look like? Until we really understand that

then we really don’t understand our labour needs. That’s a big question mark.”

According to the most recent Pulse survey, 63 per cent of Whistler businesses have laid off employees during the pandemic, and 65 per cent have closed temporarily. Nationally, 38 per cent of businesses have reduced staff hours, 41 per cent have laid off staff and 42 per cent said they couldn’t operate longer than 60 days without a revenue source, according to the recent Canadian Survey on Business Conditions.

“I have the real sense that there will be additional support to our industry.”

- JACK CROMPTON

With Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reiterating on Monday, May 4 that B.C.’s new normal likely won’t include non-essential travel for some time, there’s no denying that tourism is likely to be one of the sectors hit hardest and longest by the crisis, something Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton said the federal government is well aware of.

“I have the real sense that there will be some additional support to our industry,” Crompton said during the chamber’s Advocacy in Action webinar, held over Zoom on May 4.

“The prime minister talked about it again today, and my conversations with my federal counterparts are that they recognize the challenges that the tourism sector faces, and how unique those challenges are.

“They’re taking them seriously and they’re preparing supports that will be in addition to what else is out there.”

Christian Thomson, CEO of Squamish-based Marwick Marketing, said tourism-related businesses would do well to bolster their digital presence during the crisis so they can be fully prepared once business resumes.

“For those kinds of providers, including accommodation and transport providers, it’s about getting ready for the tap getting turned on and being present, particularly online, because it’s going to be a scramble to get fully booked to bring those revenues in,” he said, adding that regional drive-through visitation is likely to boom post-pandemic.

“If they’re not operating, now is a good time to re-evaluate their digital presence, the functionality of their website and their competitors to see how they can maximize that return to business—which will happen, it’s just a matter of when.”

-With files from Braden Dupuis ■

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MAY 7, 2020

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HOME AND GARDEN

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THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO DEVELOP A GREEN THUMB, SO HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO GET YOU ON YOUR WAY

BY MEGAN LALONDE HOW MANY YEARS in a row have you glanced at melting snow and promised yourself this is the summer you’ll finally plant that vegetable garden, only to wake up one morning in August, gardenless, vowing that next year will be it?

Well, if that multi-year streak lasted longer than you intended, there’s never been a better time to develop a green thumb than now.

Unsure where to start? Kathleen Mercer, a longtime member of the Squamish Gardeners Club, encourages aspiring gardeners to keep it simple and start small.

“The thing I always think about is, ‘What do you want to eat? What do you want to grow?’” said Mercer, who worked for the Resort Municipality of Whistler as a professional gardener for a decade before earning a journeyman certificate in horticulture. “What’s the point of growing something if you don’t like it?”

New gardeners should also consider starting, “with the basics, like peas, carrots and beets,” added Rachelle Walker, an amateur gardener who shares a tiny home with her partner Elliot Fromowitz, a professional grower, in Birken. The couple’s garden, however, is, “easily six times bigger—maybe 10 times bigger,” than their house, Walker said with a laugh.

She recommends beginning with the aforementioned basics because, “they’re easy to sow directly into the ground—as long as you keep them watered, they should pop up.” For products like broccoli and cabbage, Walker suggests buying veggie starts from the numerous local farmers who sell them.

When it comes time to plant, Mercer advises sticking to raised garden beds.

“The soil heats up faster because it’s above ground and temperature is

the biggest indicator for germination, especially in direct sowing, so the earlier you can get started, the faster you can get your vegetables growing,” she said.

“When you’re [planting] in a raised bed, say 18 inches or higher … that will warm up quite a lot quicker than if you were digging down into the ground.”

Floating plastic row covers could also be used to heat up the garden bed even more, as well as protect your fledgling veggies from harsh sunlight, wind or wildlife, Mercer added. (She recommended against planting berries, as sweeter fruits can attract bears.)

For those living in condos without yard space, “You can also do a lot of really neat things with smaller containers,” she said. “As long as they’ve got good drainage, they’re deep enough and wide enough to accommodate some vegetables, then you can just about do anything.”

Container gardening is definitely trending, Walker agreed. “If you have a deck, it makes your space really beautiful and efficient,” she said. “You can easily plant lettuces and broccolis, and I think we’ve even seen onions in little container gardens before.”

Community gardens are another great option for those with outdoor space constraints, Mercer added.

Another tip: When buying seeds or plant starters, opt for plants with a shorter germination period. With the Sea to Sky’s growing season typically lasting from May to September, “when you’re looking at the seed packet and you see something that says 120 days, you know it’s going to take all summer to get to where it needs to get to,” Mercer said.

If growing veggies isn’t enough to fill the DIY-sized void in your life, follow Walker’s lead and plant a variety of dye flowers— blooms like Dyers Chamomile, marigolds or hollyhocks can be used to naturally colour clothing and textiles. (Physically distanced) tie-dye party, anyone? ■

FEATURE

HOME AND GARDEN

RESET AND REFRESH Bored in the house? Consider rearranging your furniture or swapping out textiles, such as pillowcases, as an easy and cost-effective way to refresh your space.

PHOTO VIA UNSPLASH

Home renos in the middle of a pandemic WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A DIY REFRESH OR HELP FROM THE PROS, HERE’S SOME HOME-IMPROVEMENT ADVICE

BY MEGAN LALONDE UNDER NORMAL circumstances, warmer weather and sunny spring days are motivation enough to tackle those renovation projects you’ve been putting off all winter long.

But this year, it’s understandable if more time spent within the four walls of your home—and a lack of reasons to leave them— has you itching to make a few upgrades.

As you contemplate home improvements, consider how your space supports your lifestyle, suggested Sabrina Smelko, a Sea to Sky-based designer, blogger and former host of HGTV’s Save My Reno.

“Any way that we can individualize our homes to make them more focused and centred around the things that we want to prioritize, whether it’s cooking, spending time with your family—if that means rearranging your living room so that you can all … be together and chat more—think about how you want to live and the person that you want to be, and then have your home support that lifestyle,” she said.

“Putting up things like art and meaningful trinkets on display, I think any way to personalize our homes, especially as we spend more time in them, is just a really nice way to echo the people living in it.”

One easy, cost-effective way to transform a room? Paint, said Smelko.

She also suggested hanging decor (opt for mark-free solutions, such as command strips, if you’re concerned about putting holes in your wall), swapping out textiles, such as pillowcases, seasonally, or “shopping” through your home to rearrange decor and furniture if you’re looking for a DIY-friendly refresh.

While upgrading finishes such as flooring or backsplashes could also make for a doable DIY project, she cautioned that anything structural is better left to the pros.

“If you’re wanting to remove walls, now might not be the best time to do that yourself,” said Smelko, who is in the midst of her own renovation. She’s making the move from Squamish to a cabin in Black Tusk Village.

“It’s more of a rebuild than a renovation,” she said with a laugh. “We got it back in March and it just had not been touched since it was built in ‘87, so everything needed to be removed and replaced so we took it down, basically, to the exterior walls and we’re just starting to put it back together.”

Since construction is deemed an essential service and municipalities continue to grant permits, COVID-19 shouldn’t deter homeowners from moving ahead with more labour-intensive renos, like Smelko’s.

B.C.’s public health authority has issued a list of requirements for workers to safely deal with the virus, explained Chris Bozman, president of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association’s Sea to Sky chapter.

“That information’s out there, it’s being widely practised amongst our members and adhered to. I think if someone is getting anybody in to work on their house, they should make themselves aware of what those additional requirements are right now, but they’re pretty manageable,” he said.

While spring is a good time to tackle maintenance work, or to repairs that may be needed after winter snowstorms, Bozman’s main advice to homeowners embarking on any reno project?

“Get permits, do it properly, get the right people in place … and have your design clearly defined, so that your budget and your design, don’t go in totally different directions when you get going on it, whether you’re doing it DIY or hiring contractors,” he said.

Feel free to reach out to Smelko on Instagram (@sabrinasmelko) with questions, or check out the CHBA Sea to Sky website, where you’ll find a list of their members and advice on proper contracts. ■

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NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

VOP passes financial bylaws TAX RATES, SEWER RATES, WATER RATES AND FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN ALL APPROVED

BY DAN FALLOON THE VILLAGE of Pemberton (VOP) passed all of its financial bylaws at its regular council meeting held virtually via Zoom on May 5.

Residents will find their tax rates down slightly from 2019’s rate as council passed a budget with zero tax-revenue increase. It was a pivot from the initially proposed fiveper-cent increase that had been pitched before the community and its residents started to acutely feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The combined rate for municipal taxes, Squamish Lillooet Regional District taxes and Sea to Sky Hospital District taxes for residential, recreational, non-profit and farm properties will be $2.6043 per $1,000 of taxable value, down from $2.6384 in 2019. Other property land classes—utility, light industry and business—will also see similar decreases.

Though officially clocking in at zero, the VOP calculated a roughly $60,000 increase in tax revenue compared to last year, but CAO Nikki Gilmore pointed to a note in manager of finance and administration Lena Martin’s report to explain that market

BUDGET DONE Village of Pemberton CAO Nikki Gilmore, shown in a 2018 file photo, fielded council’s questions as it approved its 2020 financial bylaws.

FILE PHOTO BY JOEL BARDE

28 MAY 7, 2020

change in construction assessments accounts for the extra money.

“The change in overall assessment value from 2019 to 2020 is 8.33 per cent; which is made up of new construction assessments of 5.34 per cent and 2.99 per cent in market change,” the report noted.

As well, council passed a resolution to increase sewer user fees, with a singlefamily dwelling paying $543.10, which is up from $517.24 last year. The increase is to

than 1,000 square feet, billing them at a rate of $389.45 per unit. In past years, all apartments and duplexes were billed at the same rate as single-family dwellings.

“There are not typically a lot of people in these smaller facilities, so it just allows for a lesser rate for water,” Gilmore said.

As well, council approved rates for unmetered weekly hydrant connections and a connection fee for bulk water metered purchases.

“The sewer rates have been on our books for a rate review for a number of years.”

- NIKKI GILMORE

allow for another $40,000 to be placed in the Sewer Capital Reserve, which council started in 2018.

After a decrease to $5.875 per metre in 2019, the sewer frontage tax rate rose back to its 2018 rate of $6.67 per metre.

The frontage rate changes based on the “retiring or securing of debt,” according to the Martin’s report.

Meanwhile, water rates remained consistent with 2019, as a single-family dwelling will pay $583.45.

Council added a new class for water rates for apartments and duplexes of less

“We will have people wanting to connect into hydrants in larger developments … before their water is all up and running,” Gilmore said.

Looking at the commercial rates, Coun.

Amica Antonelli wondered if services such as beauty parlours and barber shops, taxed at rates of $662.93 and $654.87 per chair for sewer and water, respectively, could be reconsidered considering they have been shut because of COVID-19.

Gilmore responded by saying the VOP has plans to reconsider its sewer rates in the future, and anyone struggling in the

moment should contact the VOP. “The sewer rates have been on our books for a rate review for a number of years,” she said. “Normally, if we hear feedback from them, we’ve been willing to work with individuals such as chiropractors and massage therapists in the past.”

Like the sewer frontage rate, the water frontage rate is also returning to its 2018 level of $4.36 per metre after slipping to $3.88 per metre in 2019.

The bylaws were also amended slightly so the documents include the prior year’s rates so readers can make easy comparisons.

Lastly, council passed the Five Year Financial Plan. At the direction of council from the April 28 special meeting, the plan sported a preamble stressing that the document was developed in the time of COVID-19.

Reads the preamble: “The development of the 2020 – 2024 Five Year Financial Plan was completed during the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Village of Pemberton and its government partners monitor and continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 on our community and local government operations and finances.

This Plan was amended to include cost measures that could assist the financial pressures the community faces, to support the economic recovery, as well as to focus on core service delivery. The Village will continue to work with our Federal and Provincial partners to support a coordinated response to COVID-19.” n

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RANGE ROVER

Flying viruses

BY NOW, most Canadians have either seen or heard Dr. Isaac Bogoch on TV and radio—the lanky, matter-of-fact University of Toronto epidemiologist who answers questions on the SARS CoV-2 pandemic.

But Bogoch has distinguished himself in more academic ways around previous recent

BY LESLIE ANTHONY disease outbreaks—working with travel data and public health officials to model and get ahead of Ebola in West Africa, and Chikungunya in the Caribbean (“Spring Fever,” Pique, Jan. 22, 2015). None, however, compares to the prognostications he and a group of international colleagues tabled prior to the 2015-16 Zika epidemic that swept 56 countries, infecting millions and almost cratering the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Employing airline departure and arrival information from a global database, not only did they predict the full outbreak half a year before it occurred, but also how it would happen and how far it would reach—a feat made all the more remarkable by the number of moving parts. Unlike corona and flu viruses, transmissible only through direct person-to-person contact, the flavivirus responsible for Zika is primarily mosquitoborne, requiring continued interaction of three factors in every new place it erupts:

CRYSTAL BALL Using airline departure and arrival data, Toronto’s Dr. Isaac Bogoch and colleagues model how we move diseases around the world by air.

PHOTO BY LESLIE ANTHONY

1) presence in the bloodstream of humans; 2) point-to-point air travel to carry viremic individuals from one location to another, and; 3) a pre-existing swarm of—usually introduced—mosquitoes of the genus Aedes to transmit it at the destination. Together, these add up to an Age of Globalization story that is both instructive and, in light of the current pandemic, haunting.

Haunting because despite the predictive winning streak of Bogoch & Co.’s models, and the huge lead time of knowing how Zika might roll out, a massive outbreak was nevertheless not prevented.

I unpacked this little-known Zika backstory in my 2017 book The Aliens Among Us: How Invasive Species are Transforming the Planet—and Ourselves (and more briefly here, Pique, Feb. 11 and

the disease-early-warning system ProMED Mail. It being New Year’s Eve, few paid it much heed. But it got Bogoch’s attention.

New Year’s Day 2020, in New York City, eyebrows raised at the previous day’s announcement of potential trouble, and Bogoch and crew convened a digital huddle and decide to model how this as-yetunknown pneumonia virus might move out of Wuhan, a city of 11 million and regional and international business hub. (That same day, Huanan South China Seafood Market in Wuhan, identified as the centre of the outbreak, is shut down and decontaminated.)

Working quickly, on Jan. 8, Bogoch et al. submit the first scientific look at what will become the COVID pandemic— “Pneumonia of unknown aetiology in Wuhan, China: potential for international

[N]ot only did they predict the full outbreak half a year before it occurred, but also how it would happen and how far it would reach ....

18, 2016), but that’s old news. What you’ll read below, however, is not. In fact, it hasn’t been in any news, anywhere—which, as you will see, is astonishing.

On Dec. 30, 2019, Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, sent a chat-group message to fellow doctors in the city warning of a burgeoning outbreak of atypical pneumonia and advising them to wear protective gear to avoid infection. This prompted the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission to release a similar cautionary bulletin, with an English translation distributed internationally, on Dec. 31, by

spread via commercial air travel”—to the Journal of Travel Medicine. (On the same day, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control reports a novel coronavirus has been isolated from a patient in Wuhan.) Peer review and acceptance is equally swift, and the paper is posted to a pre-print website before official publication on Jan. 14. In it, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, and Singapore top a list of 20 cities at risk for direct virus importation. The first known case outside China is confirmed in Bangkok on Jan. 13; Tokyo on the 16th.

At the time, unknown respiratory illnesses

in travellers from Wuhan are also being investigated in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Seoul, as well as several Chinese cities.

These will all turn out to be the newly identified coronavirus, showing a startling prescience of the Bogoch et al. analysis.

It doesn’t end there. With the virus now on the move in China, there are bigger risks.

Analyzing departure information from 10 Chinese cities with high connectivity to Wuhan, the group posts “Potential for global spread of a novel coronavirus from China” to a pre-print website on Jan. 22. This, too, is quickly reviewed and officially published online Jan. 27 by the Journal of Travel Medicine. The top 50 at-risk cities include the usual Asian and Australasian suspects, plus London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Milan, Barcelona, Paris, and Istanbul in Europe, and New York, Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles in North America—all of which, we now know, received the virus directly or indirectly through these routes.

The only African city on the list is Cairo, which also becomes the centre of an outbreak.

This information was all publicly available, and all known before the end of January. Despite their stellar track record, however, the bang-on epidemiological predictions of Bogoch et al. seem to exist in a parallel world to the considerations of politicians, governments and even the World Health Organization: if we know how and even where an unknown virus is going to travel, why can we not do anything about it?

This, of course, has become the trilliondollar question, and perhaps the subject of another column.

Leslie Anthony is a science/environment writer and author who holds a doctorate in connecting the dots. ■

MAY 7, 2020

31

FEATURE STORY

A ski pioneer

from coast to coast

32 MAY 7, 2020

FEATURE STORY

From Wayne Gretzky winding down on Broadway to Michael Jordan taking the last jumper of his career in Washington, it’s fairly common to see legends ply their trade in a new and unfamiliar locale late in their careers.

Such was the case with Lorne McFadgen.

A legend in Eastern Canadian ski circles, with a quarter century at Talisman Resort as its vice president of operations and ski school director, McFadgen made a late move west to serve as a ski instructor at the Blackcomb Ski School in 1990.

Though he didn’t take on any fancy title here, McFadgen’s work in Whistler led to two Westerners—Hugh Smythe and Pique’s own G.D. Maxwell—submitting the nominations that led to McFadgen’s posthumous induction into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.

It was far from the first industry accolade for McFadgen, who was the first inductee into the Blackcomb Hall of Fame and was enshrined in the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA) Hall of Fame in 2000.

The ceremony was officially slated to happen in early April in Collingwood, Ont., but COVID-19 postponed the event.

Still, there’s no time like the present to look back on a Canadian ski legend who made an indelible mark on Whistler.

Early days Born in 1935 on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island, McFadgen’s progression across the continent was far from linear.

Originally drawn to hockey, he learned to skate

on Atlantic Canada’s icy ponds before his family moved west, settling in the Rockies and, eventually, Vancouver. Transferring his skills on blades to skis, McFadgen immersed himself in skiing, earning his certification from the Professional Skiers of America and teaching at Mount Baker.

Though he had steady employment with BC Tel, McFadgen chose to pursue skiing, while it was still in its relative infancy as a recreational sport on the continent. McFadgen moved his wife and daughter to Vermont’s Mount Snow for a season before taking the assistant ski school director job at Mont Tremblant under another big industry name, Ernie McCulloch, who is commonly considered one of the fathers of modern skiing in North America.

In 1965, McFadgen arrived at Kimberley, Ont.’s Talisman Resort, which had only opened in late 1963, as he came to run the ski school and its retail shops.

In a 2004 feature for Pique, Maxwell said this of Talisman: “It is another of the many pimples people in Toronto sublimate their skiing Jones on while dreaming of bigger slopes…”

McFadgen’s daughter Shauna McCabe remembers constantly being on the hill at Talisman in some capacity, eventually progressing to ski racing and teaching as her father’s passion rubbed off on her.

“We had great times on the hill. He taught me, of course, to ski, and when I was too young to be on skis myself, he put me in a backpack carrier and skied with me on his back,” she recalls. “I got the feel of skiing.”

‘He wanted ski school to be more than just ski school’ It was at Talisman that Rob Butler, himself a

CSIA Hall of Fame member, first crossed paths with McFadgen.

Brought to the small slopes roughly 150 kilometres from Toronto, Butler recalls learning under McFadgen, not at a ski school, but at Lorne McFadgen’s Ski College.

“He wanted ski school to be more than just ski school.

That’s why he called it the ski college,” he says.

Butler describes McFadgen as forward-thinking.

He was an early adopter of instant replay at a time, in the late 1970s, when there was an on-hill video station well before smartphones and GoPros.

“You’re talking reel-to-reel,” Butler says. “He put, on the hill, a small wooden box with a TV in it.

“The idea was he would shoot video and instead of you having to go inside, you could stop at this post on the slope, open the doors, and there was a TV and you could see yourself right there on the hill.”

For many, Butler recalls, McFadgen was the face of skiing in Ontario. At the time, instructors owned the ski schools and sought to draw the masses to the slopes to learn.

In addition to serving as the CSIA president, attending Interski—described by Smythe as “the Olympics of ski teaching”—four times as a skier and twice as a delegate, McFadgen was also a tireless promoter of skiing. He would regularly cross the country leading into ski season to promote the sport on behalf of the Canadian Ski Association, wrote a ski column for local and national newspapers from 1964 to 1987, and hosted a show on CBC radio.

“I was finding a way to make a living out of skiing,” McFadgen told Maxwell in 2004. “I’d go into the U.S., Cleveland, Detroit, areas with big ski shows and I’d be

MAY 7, 2020

33

FEATURE STORY

skiing on wet decks, rolling ramps, whatever. While I was there, during the daytime, I didn’t have much to do so I’d make myself available by knocking on doors of radio stations to see if somebody wanted to talk about skiing.

“I did a few tours across Canada, sponsored by Coca-Cola and Air Canada, that were professionally set up. I didn’t have to do any door knocking, just go from interview to interview. We did 24 cities in 24 days.”

Butler likens McFadgen to other ski school instructors like Jim McConkey and Stein Eriksen who were adept at putting feet in boots (rather literally, as he was a renowned bootfitter) and butts on chairlifts, and says the owner-operator system of the day was a major factor in his ability to flourish alongside contemporaries like McCulloch, Réal Charette, André Schwarz, and Mike Wiegele (who last week was awarded the Jimmy Spencer Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canada West Ski Areas Association).

“Lorne was part of the golden age of ski instructing,” Butler says. “They were the big names when being a ski instructor was really significant, and it was the best job on the mountain. It hadn’t been taken over by corporate guys looking to make the snow school into a cash cow delivering a 50-per-cent gross margin, paying nothing.”

In addition to his on-mountain coaching, McFadgen also served as a CSIA evaluator. All told, his coaching tree also included another CSIA president in Peter Schwirtlich, as well as 2001 CSIA Hall of Fame inductee Doug Leeming.

Back out west McFadgen was a Whistler regular, often coming to visit close friend Don Guthrie in the summers after Talisman shut for the season.

Their wives became best friends on those trips, and in 1990, the McFadgens came west.

“He just loved Whistler, adored the place. I could see how a lot of people looked up to him,” says McCabe, who herself spent five years in the resort.

“I’m glad he got to spend so many years there.”

Having McFadgen in the Blackcomb Ski School was a major get by director John Birrell, thenpresident Hugh Smythe recalls.

“He had a phenomenal reputation in the east. He was extremely well known and well thought of, from my memory of it, and John was very excited that he was going to be joining the ski school,” Smythe says.

“It was great for the Blackcomb Ski School to have somebody with his credentials joining the crew.”

One of McFadgen’s contemporaries at Blackcomb, Terry “Toulouse” Spence, says he learned a lot from McFadgen’s example.

Spence notes that McFadgen was regularly the school’s top-rated ski instructor, and while his experience and knowledge played a part, it was his preparedness and enthusiasm as well. McFadgen, he remembers, kept a detailed notebook for each and every client.

“He was an inspiration to me. I saw in him a guy that was willing to go and take care of difficult clients as well as the easy clients,” he says. “He set the bar high for all of us. He showed up for work every day and he always had somebody.

“He never said ‘OK, I don’t want a beginner lesson.’

He took a beginner lesson.”

That attitude and approach tracks with McFadgen’s daughter, McCabe, who saw him follow up with clients—even in the offseason.

“He would spend summers writing cards to them,

34 MAY 7, 2020

keeping in touch and following up on their lessons and what they learned. He immersed himself in ski teaching,” she says.

“He enjoyed seeing people catch onto the sport and improve year after year, get better and better.”

Smythe, meanwhile, still clearly recalls other instructors raving about their sessions with McFadgen, and how strong of an instructor he was until stepping away.

“He was still coming to work, teaching, passionate about the sport. His enthusiasm was infectious and he was so knowledgeable and committed to everything about skiing,” he said.

Apart from his dedication to on-mountain teaching When working on his story on the more experienced during the day, McFadgen was just as committed to ski instructors for Pique in 2004, Maxwell acknowledges the sport in the evenings, taking appointments as that he didn’t entirely know what he was in for when a bootfitter to ensure clients and others could ski sitting down to profile McFadgen, as his humility comfortably. almost cloaked the extent of what he’d accomplished.

“When he had the place [Talisman] back east, “I only knew him as a ski instructor and certification people used to come from all over if they had boot guy, and the fact that he fitted boots at CanSki in the problems and he’d solve them,” Guthrie says.

Glacier Lodge a lot of evenings after he had taught all Guthrie remembers how McFadgen would “level” day,” he recalls, “but after I sat down with him and he people, essentially making the boots work for the few pulled out his scrapbook, I was going, ‘Jesus Christ, people whose feet point in, not out.

Lorne, you’ve been an incredible promoter of skiing “He could take a person’s boot and put it on a since the get-go. This scrapbook belongs in the Hall of grinder and grind off so many degrees,” Guthrie Fame. You belong in the Hall of Fame.’” says. “He levelled them, and their skiing became a After enlisting Smythe, who himself entered the lot easier.”

Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 2011, and having another “heavy hitter” in former Whistler Blackcomb CEO Dave Brownlie lend words of support, McFadgen was set to receive the just reward of official enshrinement McFadgen’s late-career work at Blackcomb, including this spring alongside another Whistler legend in 2010 teaching well into his 70s while battling Parkinson’s Olympic ski-cross champion Ashleigh McIvor-DeMerit.

Disease, showed his true love for and dedication to For his part, Guthrie appreciates that McFadgen skiing, according to Canadian Ski Hall of Fame board finally made it in, but is regretful that his friend chair Stephen Finestone. wasn’t around to appreciate it after passing in 2012.

“That’s a pretty cool circle, to me,” says Finestone, “I’d always felt rather badly that nothing really who is not part of the selection committee. “It’s the was done to remember him, because he did so much epitome of ‘old habits die hard.’” for skiing,” he says. ■

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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. RMOW services now available online include: Building services, Planning services, Finance services, permits and payments Visit www.whistler.ca/virtualservices

Resort Municipality of Whistler www.whistler.ca/covid19 MAY 7, 2020

35

GLACIER MEDIA SPECIAL REPORT

ON B.C.’S ROAD TO RECOVERY

Stores envision phased retail reawakening SALES |

BY JEREMY HAINSWORTH JHAINSWORTH@GLACIERMEDIA.CA

T

he Canadian retail sector w ill see a two-part return to business, with essential retailers getting back to work before their non-essential counterparts, says Retail Council of Canada president Diane Brisebois.

The key question that the sector is trying to answer, she said, is, “How do you try to mitigate and ensure commerce with citizens on a regular basis so you know they’re safe and protected?”

And, said industry watcher Craig Patterson of Retail Insider, that return could be in a few

B.C. could follow Saskatchewan’s plan to reopen sector on May 19

weeks if not a couple of months.

In mid-April, B.C. officials publicly floated the idea of easing restrictions by mid-May. Saskatchewan on April 23 released its Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, which aims to loosen

by May 4 regulations for medical services and low-risk recreation, then to loosen restrictions on retail services by May 19. Dates for further phases of reopening have not been announced.

Whether B.C. follows a similar pattern remains to be seen.

Brisebois said provincial governments reached out to the council for feedback on how retailers could be managed in an overall return to normal.

Even as restrictions ease, Brisebois said, business operators are going to have change the way they operate. The changes most obvious to consumers will be those they’ve already seen – social distancing and the transparent barriers at checkouts.

Store traffic will have to be monitored and staff would have to be ret ra i ned on clea n i ng procedures.

First, Brisebois said, the curve of COVID-19 infection needs to flatten.

“We need increased testing before we move ahead,” she said.

Then, all sectors need to coordinate how they will return to business. Companies will have

to ask, “Is everyone involved?”

Brisebois said, citing the Saskatchewan case. “Is the chain of command singing off the same hymn book so citizens are not confused?”

And, she said, bureaucratic interference needs to be kept to a minimum.

Businesses, she said, need cooperation rather than hindrance from government agencies and bylaw services – “They need to reach out; they need to come together.”

In terms of physical operations, retailers need to deal with rules governing apparel fitting rooms, use of payment keypads and procedures for product returns, as

well as overarching concerns about employees, taxes and rent.

“The greatest challenge for them is to ensure that their employees remain healthy and protected,” Brisebois said.

Patterson said May could be too late for businesses that were already struggling as they came out of 2019.

“We did see a decrease in retail sales,” he said. “We saw a decrease in foot traffic in malls.”

W hat COV I D-19 may have done to the retail sector, Patterson said, is move more people to online shopping. The period may have been long enough to entrench e-commerce habits in some consumers, he explained.■

Personal care sector to remain six feet from normal SERVICES |

From gyms to dental clinics, the ‘new normal’ will likely be continued social distancing

BY NELSON BENNETT NBENNETT@BIV.COM

A

t some point, even Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry – who revealed she cut her own hair during the pandemic, after ordering hair salons and barber shops closed – is probably going to want to have a professional style her hair.

She may have to wait until the end of May, unless she decides hair salons and barbers can reopen sooner than that.

And like so many other British Columbians,Henrymayalsowant to go to a dentist for a teeth cleaning, an optometrist to get her eyes checked or prescription update, and maybe work off some stress at the gym.

Those types of personal care services will likely reopen on a staggered basis, and none of them will be offered in a way that could be described as “normal,” say the businesses that are preparing for a green light – which is actually more of an orange light.

Going to the gym may involve having to make an appointment, not just dropping in, and members may not be allowed to change and shower after their workout.

Your haircut may be more expensive, and you may be expected to wash your own hair before you show up for your appointment, and wait outside until your turn comes, to limit the amount of time you are in the salon.

“Dr. Bonnie Henry’s order for our industry to remain closed is until the end of May,” said Greg Robins, executive director of the Beauty Council of Western Canada, which represents barbers, stylists, spas, cosmetologists and body waxers. “Now, she could shorten that or she could extend it.”

In order to plan for a phased reopening, the council has looked to other jurisdictions that are moving earlier on reopening and to those sectors, like grocery stores, that have managed to operate throughout the pandemic, for ideas on how to serve customers

Laila Testini, owner of Crush Hair in Surrey, has stocked up on face masks, shields and cleaning products | ROB KRUYT

again, while maintaining enhanced health, safety and sanitary measures.

“There are simple things, like tape on the floor people to stay a certain distance apart, hand sanitizers available for customer use, possibly barriers between client and provider, and perhaps the mandatory use of face masks,” Robins said.

Laila Testini, owner of Crush

Hair Co. in Surrey, said all of her 11 stylists have had to take an online sanitization course in preparation for reopening.

“I’ve ordered masks and face shields for all of our employees, and I’ve stocked up on all our cleaning products because I’m worried there’s going to be a run on those,” she said.

In some jurisdictions, a phased reopening will see hair salons and barbers allowed to reopen before other personal care services, like beauty spas and hair waxing salons.

Asked if that may be the case in B.C., Robins said: “I wish not, but I think yes.”

If you need dental work, expect a backlog, even when dentists are allowed to start performing nonemergency dental work, like fillings, crowns and cleanings.

Care Dyck, manager at Aurora Dental Clinic, expects a demand backlog to be exacerbated by expected limits on the number of dentists, assistants and patients in the clinic at a given time.

“If you normally have a full schedule, your full schedule now is maybe half the capacity that it was,” she said. “So there is going to be some backlog I think, for sure.”

The same may go for optometrists. Like dentists, they are currently allowed to deal only with emergencies, like eye infections.

Devin Almond, a partner at Nuvue Optometry in Kelowna, said optometrists had hoped for a phased reopening May 1, but now expect it in mid-May. As for fitness centres, gym owners are brainstorming ways to reduce contact between members and staff.

Club 16 Trevor Linden Fitness centres plan to add cleaning staff and cleaning stations and limit the number of members in the gym at any one time. Linden is hoping for a reopening by the end of May. “We’re really in the ideas stage right now of just figuring out how we keep our members and staff as safe as possible,” Linden said. ■

Delivering Canada’s trade, night and day.

Now more than ever, it’s vital Canadians have what they need to weather the challenges. Rest assured, the Port of Vancouver is open, and trade is moving.

Terminal workers, railroaders, truck drivers, marine pilots, seafarers – and everyone in between – are working to get the goods to you. We want to thank them for helping to keep goods moving for Canadians. portvancouver.com

36 MAY 7, 2020

GLACIER MEDIA SPECIAL REPORT

ON B.C.’S ROAD TO RECOVERY

No easy road back for Canadian exporters TRADE |

Health checkpoints could prevent quick windfall after U.S. economy reopens

BY CHUCK CHIANG CCHIANG@BIV.COM

M

a ny Ca n ad i a n b u sinesses waiting for a reopening of the domestic economy may be anticipating the quickly approaching restart of the U.S. market even more.

With the United States accounting for 75% of Canada’s foreign trade, how exactly the U.S. economy reopens will play a major role in the Canadian recovery. But with reopening businesses falling under state jurisdiction, how each region reopens will differ greatly.

But there are some key milestones that are universal, said New-York-based economic and trade consultant Sean K ing.

Chief among them, he said, is announcements of COVID testing and tracking at state and local levels.

“Testing is key,” said King, an affiliated scholar with University of Notre Dame’s Liu Institute of Asia and Asian Studies. “We’d

The Canadian Trucking Association hands out meals to drivers as they pass through the Nordel Inspection Station in Delta on April 28. An easing of pandemic restrictions might not bring immediate help to Canadian exporters, observers say | ROB KRUYT

have to be on the lookout for a second wave of the virus, which means people could be looking over their shoulders for the foreseeable future…. We can only reopen as much as it’s safe to.”

B .C .’s c lo s e s t n e i g h b o u r, Wash i ng ton state, has been among the slowest to roll out a reopening plan – but that’s not

necessarily a bad thing, said Canada West Foundation Trade & Investment Centre director Carlo Dade.

Wa s h i n g ton gove r n or Jay I nslee has ex tended a stayat-home order to least u ntil M a y 4 a n d s a i d t h e s t a te’s COVID-19 testing capabilities need to go through “enormous

ex pa nsions.” T he state a lso joined a pact with Oregon and California to coordinate their reopening; neither California nor Oregon has specified a date for businesses – only medical procedures and surgeries are being phased back in.

But many other states are playing by looser rules, Dade said.

And in a system where the U.S. and Canadian trucking sectors are essentially integrated, that means another major milestone that needs to be reached is a health-check policy for all truck drivers crossing the border.

“It’s less of a problem for B.C. because Oregon, Washington and California have their heads screwed on straight,” Dade said.

“But for Alberta, for example, trucks pass through Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming.… states with the strongest resistance to public health measures.

Going forward, we have about six million trucks a year that cross the northern border; so how do you then have a border that’s

completely open for six million potential [disease] vectors crossing the border every year?”

A health checkpoint at the border, while needed, will bring with it the type of wait times last seen after 9/11 in 2001, when stricter security measures spurred a traffic crunch. That, Dade said, dents the potential for Canadian exporters to quickly capitalize on a U.S. reopening until a vaccine becomes widespread.

Then there’s the worst-case scenario: A too-swift reopening that causes a second outbreak.

Werner Antweiler, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, said that’s the most worrisome question for everyone in Canada and the United States.

“This may force the economy into a W-shaped rather than Vshaped recovery,” Antweiler said.

“If a quick loosening of restrictions backfires, it could do yet more damage to the U.S. economy.

That is what some call the risk of an L-shaped, non-recovery.” ■

Canada looks for access inroads in China’s reopening ASIA-PACIFIC |

U.S.-China deal could put Canadian agricultural exporters at a big disadvantage

BY CHUCK CHIANG CCHIANG@BIV.COM

W

hile Canadian exporters looking at the U.S. ma rket conti nue to wait on the exact nature of the reopening, the picture is clearer – though not much brighter – for those looking at China.

That’s because China, where the COVID-19 outbreak in January caused its first shutdown of a major global economy, has since been gradually reopening, culminating in the disease epicentre in Wuhan reopening earlier this month.

The concern now, said one Chinese economist familiar with the B.C. situation, is that Beijing’s

worries about a second wave of COVID-19 have prompted China to ban foreign citizens from entering the country. The rule was announced in late March after China reported COVID-19 cases returning to the country by way of travellers from Russia into the northern Chinese province of Heilongjiang. That means that in-person business meetings – vital for securing deals in the Chinese market – simply isn’t possible right now, said Bo Chen, professor of economics at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

“Because of the pandemic, China was in a serious situation two months ago, and the world closed

its doors on China,” Chen said.

“Now, we are seeing the reverse of China closing its doors to foreign visitors. This is actually a big problem for the investment community; and it has led to a big drop in both foreign and domestic investment, because domestic investors also cannot travel across regions before the reopening happened for most of the country in March.”

Chen said that tried-and-true Canadian exports such as seafood and agricultural goods are probably the best bet to recover faster in the Chinese market, especially if the global pandemic subsides and allows for more travel and business to be conducted across

borders.

But even the agricultural sector may not face a bright prospect in China’s reopening, said Canada West Foundation Trade & Investment Centre director Carlo Dade.

The main problem is the U.S.China Phase 1 trade agreement that was announced in January, which gives a heavy advantage to U.S. producers of products like beef in the Chinese market.

For example, Dade said, the deal allows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to give a list of U.S. beef plants to Beijing and demand that China, at short notice, take imports from these plants.

That’s not the case for Canada, which traditionally would submit

a list of potential plants to Beijing, in hopes that it would agree to order from one or more of them.

“The Americans have basically handcuffed the Chinese’ ability to impose non-tariff barriers on U.S. agricultural products, and nowhere is that clearer than beef,” Dade said. “It’s not, ‘You send us a list and we’ll get back to you,’ but ‘We’re going to tell you from which plants you will take our beef, and we’ll tell you how quickly you have to approve them, no questions, no changes.’

So you can see the huge advantage the U.S. has in moving beef to China. You have certainty with a U.S. producer that it’s not going to be stopped by red tape.”■

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

Here to help answer your financial questions in uncertain times It is always emotional to see markets drop significantly. But depending on your personal situation, it may be beneficial to stay invested. Here’s why: Historically, markets have recovered from downturns and produced gains.

Those who stay invested have realized these gains in the long term. Many can benefit from staying invested and sticking to their long-term plan – and we can all benefit from focusing on our health and the health of those around us.

Ultimately, your most important asset is your health. Be safe, stay well and show compassion for those around you.

If you’d like assistance with questions or financial uncertainty, please don’t hesitate to contact me for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation.

Don Brett, MBA, CIM, CFP Wealth Advisor 1-888-612-9566 | don.brett@rbc.com www.donbrett.com

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2020 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 20_90892_SEU_001

MAY 7, 2020

37

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

ARMCHAIR

TRAVELLING:

Escape while staying safely at home through the eyes of others or on your screens | By Virginia Aulin

I

remember my favourite aunt telling me years ago that she travelled along with me from the comfort of her armchair when she read letters I wrote to her from far away.

We all need those letters now, especially Whistlerites, who take pride in being adventuresome.

So, taking a cue from the cover of Anne Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist (in which the protagonist is a travel writer who doesn’t like to travel—insert eye-roll emoji here) featuring an armchair with wings, here are some books that will take you on a journey to other parts of the world while never leaving your home.

There are, of course, the obvious easy-reading memoirs, like Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence and Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun. These are mostly light, airy, accessible non-fiction—perfect to take one’s mind off of our current COVID reality.

For those seeking something a little more literary, consider the following: • In A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway writes of life with his first wife in Paris in the 1920s.

You can almost taste the crisp, chilled Chablis and oysters that Papa consumes as he transitions from journalist to novelist and socializes with some of the art world’s biggest talents.

• Beryl Markham takes us to Kenya (then British East Africa) in the early 1900s in West with the Night, in which she shares her experiences of growing up and becoming a racehorse trainer and bush pilot. Alexandra Fuller provides more recent insights into life in Africa—born in England, she spent more than 20 years in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Malawi and Zambia—in two of her memoirs: Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood and Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness.

• Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Alice Steinbach wrote Without Reservations after travelling in Paris, Oxford and Milan. She takes the advice of Japanese poet Basho, “To learn of the pine, go to the pine” in her second memoir, Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman. Back in Paris, she studies French cooking; she then heads to Scotland to take part in border collie training, to Kyoto to study traditional Japanese arts and finally to Havana to learn all things architecture.

• For something similar but grittier, dip into Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone by Mary Morris, who gets in touch with herself as she leaves familiar ground, “domestic details, work pressures, attempts and failures at human relations” to venture to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

• For more male perspectives, I recommend the entire oeuvres of Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson.

38 MAY 7, 2020

And, to prepare for a time when we can travel again, Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding is an excellent guide “to the art of long-term world travel.”

• If you’re a runner, race through the hot valleys and freezing peaks of North America and along Mexico’s Copper Canyons with journalist and runner Christopher McDougal (with a special appearance by the Tarahumara Indians), who deciphers the secrets and science of barefoot running in Born to Run. • Cycle vicariously from Buenos Aires to Berlin with David Byrne of Talking Heads fame.

In Bicycle Diaries, he shares his thoughts on art, music, globalization and how urban areas are becoming more bike-friendly as he cycles through some of the world’s major cities.

With the library closed, ask Dan at Armchair Books (www.whistlerbooks.com) to help you get them or sign up for the Libby

by Overdrive app to access audio and digital books from B.C. libraries.

Of course, you can also turn to your TV screen for many travel movies. For some levity during these solemn days, watch The Trip movies in which British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play exaggerated versions of themselves as they review restaurants together. The first trip is to the north of England, the second takes them to Italy and, in the third movie, they head to Spain. They’ve filmed a fourth series in Greece, but it won’t be edited into movie form until later this year.

On your computer or iPhone, you can tour more than 3,400 museums and heritage sites on Google’s Arts and Culture site. You can search via artist, museum, city or country, click on what interests you and delve deeply into some of the world’s most incredible collections of art and artefacts at artsandculture.google. com/?hl=en. To get right to the most famous galleries (think the Louvre, the Uffizi, the Met and MOMA), click here: artsandculture.google. com/partner?hl=en&tab=pop.

Finally, summer can’t come soon enough now that the ski hills are closed. Turn to YouTube to tour grand gardens in full bloom as follows: • Claude Monet created picturesque gardens so he could paint them, especially water lilies, which he obsessed over. Go to Giverny here: www. youtube.com/watch?v=rjWx2WNXFF4.

• England’s Kew Gardens grows across 132 hectares and has more than 8 million plants and herbs, not to mention a castle. Tour here: www. youtube.com/watch?v=ioG_Vfh0Kxw. • The Chicago Botanic Garden has not one, not two, but 27 gardens plus four natural areas.

Stroll through some of them here: www.youtube. com/watch?v=aV0Ryaw0hGc. ■

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TRACEY CRUZ MAKING YOUR DREAMS A REALITY

In memory of Cheryl Morningstar, wife, mother and friend whom we lost a year ago May 10, 2019.

You showed us so much love, joy and laughter; your beautiful smile and embracing attitude will be forever engraved in our family’s hearts. On this extra difficult day we will shed more tears not having you here with us. You brought so much to mine and the boys’ lives. I cherish the time we had together. I will always remember your words: “Love, live and have fun” and “our life was a honeymoon.” It sure was.We miss you so much!

- Robbie, Birken and Braden Metza Take me on a ride to a special place Where i touched the waters to my face Take me on a ride to that special place Where the breezes blow through the forest trees And I felt the snow below my knees Take me with you to that special place And remember the smile on my face Of being there not so long ago That special place I loved to know

SUNRIDGE PLATEAU Sunridge Plateau’ is one of Whistler’s most desirable neighbourhoods. This charming “Chateau in the Mountains” at 3850 Sunridge Court is situated on a quiet cul de sac offering expansive mountain views. This home is built of the highest quality, featuring spectacular vaulted ceilings and gorgeous hardwood floors throughout. Exquisitely designed and crafted with families in mind, complete with 6 bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms.

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~ L.R.

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Secure all bear attractants around your home. In Whistler’s it’s the law.

LOCAL EXPERTS GLOBAL REACH The same team that you trust with your print advertising can assist in creating your digital footprint Glacier Digital Services in partnership with Pique Newsmagazine offers solutions in website design, SEM, SEO, social media and so much more.

Bears are attracted to a wide variety of smelly things. Attractants include anything edible, any item that contained food, garbage, pet food, seeds, grease, oil, antifreeze, paint, petroleum products and compost.

Whistler’s Solid Waste Bylaw requires everyone to store bear attractants in a secure building.

Tips for managing attractants: 1.

Ensure garbage, recycling, compost and pet foods are properly stored in a secure building.

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Remove bird feeders.

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Always burn barbeques clean and remove all grease and food scraps after every use.

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Avoid planting bear attractant plants in your yard or garden. (Mountain Ash, blueberries, huckleberries and clover).

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Keep lawns mowed and weeded. (Grasses, dandelion and clover are natural bear foods.)

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MAY 7, 2020

39

SPORTS THE SCORE

McSkimming receives Jim Marshall Leadership Award WHISTLER BLACKCOMB LEGEND RECOGNIZED FOR BEVY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

BY DAN FALLOON MANY OF ROB McSkimming’s most significant accomplishments with Whistler Blackcomb were in the mountain-biking realm, but that hasn’t stopped the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA) from recognizing his all-season vision.

On April 29, McSkimming was announced as the winner of the CWSAA’s 2020 Jim Marshall Leadership Award, which is given to someone who is “recognized for their exceptional skills and dedication to their chosen profession and has made meaningful contribution to the sport of recreational skiing.”

The CWSAA board of directors and past chairs choose the recipient annually and, in normal years, the award is presented at the group’s spring conference.

In its write-up on McSkimming, the board said the approach he took to making the bike park a reality encapsulates his significance to the ski industry.

“This is one of many examples of Rob’s ability to dream, plan and execute big ideas. Rob is one of those visionary leaders and that is why Rob has a loyal team that loves to work for him,” it read. “Rob built a strong team and was a mentor to many— building and developing the park, evolving

CRANKWORX CREATOR Rob McSkimming

was honoured with the Canada West Ski Areas Association’s Jim Marshall Leadership Award.

FILE PHOTO BY FRASER BRITTON/CRANKWORX

40 MAY 7, 2020

trail design to create the first machine-built jump trail, A-LINE. Like everything that Rob does, he never stops at one success, but [looks] for options to drive the success further.”

With the accolade, McSkimming joins a group that includes several Whistler luminaries, including Hugh Smythe, Doug Forseth and Franz Wilhelmsen.

“That definitely put things into perspective,” said McSkimming on April 30 when reached about the award. “You look

“I was totally shocked and surprised, for sure. It came out of the blue. It was not something I had really thought about or expected in any way,” he said.

Among McSkimming’s many accomplishments during his 38 years with WB are: envisioning the potential of liftaccessible mountain biking and helping to create the Whistler Mountain Bike Park; developing the Crankworx mountain bike festival, which has subsequently expanded into a three-stop world tour; and while

“You look at that list and you go at first, ‘I’m not sure that I belong in that club, but it sure is a nice club to be part of.’

- ROB MCSKIMMING

at that list and you go at first, ‘I’m not sure that I belong in that club, but it sure is a nice club to be part of.’

“There are a lot of people I’ve worked with, some closer than others, but who I’ve always had tons and tons of respect for.

“It’s nice to have your name in that sort of company.”

McSkimming got word of the award a few days beforehand from Whistler Blackcomb’s (WB) president of mountain operations, Doug MacFarlane.

director of the ski school, working with Bart Barczynski to host the inaugural Never Ever Days at WB to bring new skiers to the sport.

In its write-up, the CWSAA noted that the bike park’s success in Whistler helped raise the sport’s profile across the continent and served as an inspiration and boon to several of its own member resorts.

“It’s certainly something that has shifted over time and I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of that transition. It’s interesting to see that shift,” McSkimming said. “As

destination resorts started to emerge, and you had the investment that went along with that, with hotels and various retail, rental and commercial operations, it wasn’t too long before everybody figured out that it would make more sense business-wise if you could keep those businesses going, at some level, for as long as possible in the year.”

In addition to seeing his projects in the bike park thrive and Crankworx go international, with events on three continents, McSkimming also looked back fondly at the merger between Whistler and Blackcomb in 1997.

“It’s really being part of the team that helped to see Whistler Blackcomb through its formative years,” he said. “Having the opportunity to be part of that process was a highlight.”

McSkimming retired from WB in 2018, and while he’s enjoyed his time skiing and biking, he has some mixed feelings about not being with the company as the mountain, and industry as a whole, navigates the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In some ways, you feel like you want to be a part of it somehow. Sitting on the sidelines feels kind of weird, to be honest,” he said.

As well, McSkimming is remaining active in the industry as a consultant with Whistler-based Select Contracts.

“We’re working with various other resorts and helping them develop their four-season opportunities,” he said. “It’s been fun to get to know other resorts and see other situations after working so long with Whistler Blackcomb.” n

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JUMPIN’ JOE Cross-country skier Joe Davies made Nordiq Canada’s 2020-21 junior development team.

PHOTO BY DOUG STEPHEN

Pemberton’s Davies takes next step NORDIC SKIER CRACKS NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM

BY DAN FALLOON ONE TOUGH WEEKEND narrowly cost Pemberton cross-country skier Joe Davies a chance at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships this past winter.

As he gets set to make another charge for the 2021 event—pandemic pending, of course—he’ll have some extra support behind him.

Davies was one of eight young athletes named to Nordiq Canada’s junior development squad on May 1.

Nordiq Canada CEO Shane Pearsall was excited about the octet of athletes on the junior development team.

“This is a young group of athletes who we are focused on developing through to the 2026 Olympics,” he said in a release.

Davies, who spent last season based in Canmore, Alta., spent the campaign competing on both the NorAm Cup and U.S. Super Tour circuits, earning two top-20 finishes in the former and four in the latter. He was named as an alternate to Team Canada’s FIS Junior World Ski Championships team, but did not compete.

At the World Junior trials in Quebec in December, though, Davies suffered what he felt was his worst weekend of the season.

While disappointed to not qualify this year, he’s taking the view that even though he wasn’t at his best, he nearly made it anyway.

“It was kind of unlucky that weekend.

The start of my season was the best I ever had, and the one-off, not-quite-as-good weekend that I had was the trials weekend,” he said. “It was good to know that even on a bad weekend, I was still in the mix.

“This year, I’ll be going into it knowing that as long as I’m having a good weekend, it shouldn’t be too stressful.”

Being part of the national program, Davies will receive additional funding and will have more training and coaching opportunities. While he hasn’t yet made a lot of contact with his new coaches, he’s staying prepared for whatever may come when they’re eventually all able to meet.

“It feels really good. It feels like all the hard work is finally paying off,” he said.

“We’re taking things as they come right now with all the social-distancing measures that are in place … because we can’t really have any training camps at the moment.

“We’re still training hard and adapting our training currently.”

The 19-year-old said that he lives close to Canmore’s local Nordic centre and he was able to continue training there until a lack of grooming made it too challenging.

“It’s been pretty much business as usual for me,” he said. “I’m still able to run and bike and everything else, just not with a group like we normally would.

“We have a climbing room in our basement, so I’ve been able to get a little climbing in, even though it’s been a little cold outside.”

Davies enters this summer season with the feeling that increased training in the 2019 offseason was a significant boost to his skiing over the winter.

“I did a couple more camps. I just really put in more hours over the summer, and that really paid off come winter,” he said.

In his first winter in Alberta, Davies adjusted to life away from home, but said having two active and supportive roommates helped the transition.

He acknowledged the financial ramifications of COVID-19 have been stressful, but making the team and qualifying for funding comes at a welcome time.

“The funding I’ll get through the team will be extremely helpful,” he said. n

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GIVE YOUR BODY A TUNE-UP BEFORE HITTING THE SLOPES Before the first hints of winter are in the air, responsible car owners ensure their ride is fit for the snowy conditions with an engine tune up, fluid check and the proper equipment, such as snow tires.

The same goes for your body, skis or snowboard, if you intend to hit the slopes for some safe and injury-free fun.

To help with that, the experts at Lifemark Whistler Physiotherapy have a checklist to get you ready.

Pre-season training Bearing in mind that you have been doing different summer activities, Physiotherapist Anna Greenwood recommends you that you ease your body into things with cardio training, strengthening key muscle groups and adding balance exercises.

“Focus on your quads, glutes and core,” she says.

Add in some exercises - such as hopping, jumping and landing - that mimic what you would do on the slopes.

“Incorporate those movement patterns into your training, and make sure you add exercises that work on flexibility and coordination,” Greenwood says.

Address pre-existing injuries “Make sure you have healed up any previous injuries that may have forced you to develop ways

of compensating for them,” says Greenwood. “The pain or instability you may experience after an injury can become a ‘new normal.’ We can teach you a new and efficient way of moving.”

A visit to Lifemark Whistler Physiotherapy for an assessment can help identify those areas of weakness or tension and get you on a better path to being stronger.

Wearing the right equipment Get your gear out and have it looked over by an expert.

“Lots of people put away their equipment after the season and don’t think twice about what condition it may have been in,” says Zoe Hunt, clinic director.

“So, have things like bindings looked at, and make sure any second-hand items are fine and safe to use.”

“Age and any previous damage, those are the things that tell you that you need a new helmet,” Greenwood says.

“It’s one piece of equipment you don’t want to compromise on.” For more information, check out the guidelines at parachute.org Know your limits After a long layoff from the slopes, ease your way down the hills, work your way up to the more challenging runs, and know the limitations of your skill level.

“Take a step back and go easy on opening day,” Hunt says.

Beginners also need to get appropriate training.

“Get a professional to teach you, not your friends,” Greenwood says.”

For more information on how you can get yourself ready for the slopes, visit Whistler Physiotherapy at lifemark.ca/whistler, or call 604-932-4001.

StandOUT is a content marketing program designed to introduce exceptional local businesses to readers in our community. For more information on how your business can StandOUT, contact Pique Newsmagazine at 604-938-0202.

MAY 7, 2020

41

FORK IN THE ROAD

Still outstanding in our fields REIMAGINING—WITH FEET AND VEGGIES, FIRMLY PLANTED SO HOW’S IT GOING there, bud? Still hunkered down? Waitin’ till you’re down to beans and rice before you venture out to the grocery store because everything’s so strange?

The paranoia, the frustration—anger, even.

It all feels so fraught, as we take hours to shop for what used to take minutes.

Yep, grocery shopping, along with a long litany, ain’t much fun these days. And it’s nobody’s fault. Not the still-smiling cashiers behind their plexiglass barriers,

BY GLENDA BARTOSH who deserve danger pay. Not the poor clerks trying to keep the shelves stocked with whatever. Not the earnest security guards managing all us crazed Coviphobics.

And it’s no fault of our upside-down supply chains. Never mind T.P. and hand sanitizers. Flour factories can’t get enough packaging materials, some meat-packing plants are shuttered, and farms all over can’t access their usual truckers, packers or pickers.

Picture all that lovely, unpicked asparagus in Similkameen Valley going to waste.

We can’t always get what we want. And when we try sometimes, we can’t even get what we need. (Five stores and counting, here, for baking powder.)

FIRE WORK Flame-weeding some early carrots. As carrots are slow to germinate and grow, flame weeding is a weed prevention technique that helps manage the weed pressure on this slow-growing crop.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE LEROUX

42 MAY 7, 2020

The New Yorker says the coronavirus is rewriting our imaginations. That includes rewriting how we imagine our food supply, and our conjoined, post-COVIDian future.

Chris Quinlan, former Whistler Farmers’ Market manager and president/ founder of Marketwurks.com, points out that saying the landscape for farmers’ markets has changed since February is like saying drinking bleach might hurt you. So how have they adapted?

Quite well, it seems: The motivation to have our farmers’ markets operate has never been higher to demonstrate the essential part of farmers’ markets, says Heather O’Hara, executive director for the B.C. Association of Farmers’ Markets, in a Vimeo interview with Chris.

“What’s the core essence of a farmers’ market?” she asks. “It really is just to support local farmers and food entrepreneurs.”

Which doesn’t discount the fact that all the activities and social community aspects of farmers’ markets are really important.

“But, right now, in the absence of being able to do those things … it’s a good reminder to us, as a sector, and also to policy-makers, to go, oh yeah, right, [farmers’ markets] are an essential service. They are important, and they even become more important as the more conventional, more industrial-sized agricultural system is starting to get tested…”

To that end, you’ll be happy to hear that even with all the reimagining required, Squamish Farmers’ Market will be open every Saturday, starting May 9; Whistler Farmers’ Market will open on Father’s Day (see Brandon Barrett’s April 6 article in Pique); and the award-winning Pemberton Farmers’ Market will be up and running

every Friday, 3 p.m., starting June 5 in beautiful downtown Pemberton.

“We’re still planning the first Pemberton Farmers’ Market… although ‘planning’ is an optimistic term as guidelines are constantly updating and it’s challenging to keep our vendors informed and on board,” writes Eileen Keenan from her home in Birken, where she runs a bakery from 100-plusyear-old Birken House, which stands on the site of an old, gold-rush stagecoach stop. There they’re enjoying kale, leeks and carrots that overwintered, and happily expanding the berry patches, anticipating lots of pie demand this summer.

“There’s been a big push towards online sales, which is proving to be challenging … The concept of a farmers’ market where people are discouraged from lingering is strange to us,” she said.

For now, Birken House Bakery is open Saturday mornings for people to safely pick up the yummy macaroons or fresh bread you pre-ordered online. Still a good way to catch up on local gossip, too.

They’re doing much the same at Rootdown certified organic farm in Pemberton Valley—flexing, innovating, contending—for doing more with less has been their motto for years.

Rootdown co-owner/farmer, Simone McIsaac, and crew have been getting the transplants out of the greenhouses and into the fields—and into our hands. Planting and growing things right now is a surefire way to stay sane, and eat what you like.

Rootdown has been good to Whistler’s restaurant community, supplying chefs with specialty items like squash blossoms, and they’re trying to stay supportive. But with

so much in the service industry upended, they’re branching out and innovating, given half their income traditionally comes from restos.

Yes, you can still order a Rootdown harvest box, while 2,000 young veggie transplants in 20-plus varieties—including Simone’s favourite tomatoes, sweet Washington cherries, and mine, Black Krims—are ready for our imaginings. You just order the transplants you want online, then pick them up safely May 9 or 16. (Don’t procrastinate—some varieties have already sold out!)

All very innovative; sometimes trying, even scary—and all causing us to reimagine. As Simone says, it seems like these times have great potential to move us in different ways.

“I think people are having a big shakeup…” she says. “We live in a privileged world where we can get anything at any time, and we have been. Now this is rocking the foundation of that. If you look at the global perspective on things… it’s just nice we’re getting a little of that real-world perspective that you can’t have anything you want any time you want it.

“Everybody’s making sacrifices.”

Eileen sees potential, too: “My biggest fear is actually that things will go ‘back to normal.’ I feel we’ve been offered a unique opportunity to pivot our economy and our lifestyles to address the challenge of climate change, and if we don’t do it now, we never will.”

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who’s now a raccoon—washing my hands and wearing a mask. ■

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH MEADOWSWIMPARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. All active passes will be extended in relation to the length of closure.

All active passes will be extended in relation to the length of closure.

All spring programs have been cancelled and are currently being refunded.

All spring programs have been cancelled and are currently being refunded.

whistler.ca/recreation | whistler.ca/notices | 604-935-7529 whistler.ca/recreation | whistler.ca/notices | 604-935-7529 @RMWhistler | @rmwhistler | @rmowhistler @RMWhistler |

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• • • • • • • •

ARTS SCENE

Quarantunes offers aural snapshot of pandemic HEAR SEA TO SKY TALENT ON NEW VANCOUVER COMPILATION ALBUM

BY ALYSSA NOEL IN THE THICK of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s hard to remember that we’re living history.

But what better way to dig into and capture the current cultural mood than with a compilation album of songs written and recorded in quarantine?

That might not have been the aim of Pacific Sound System’s Quarantunes, released on April 20 with a wide array of songs from Vancouver and Sea to Sky artists, but its certainly one byproduct.

“I’m still working from home, but I was essentially like, ‘People could probably use some music to cheer them up,’” says Ryan Brass, the music promoter behind Vancouver’s Pacific Sound System. “I started messaging people I know in bands and the reception was really good. People were into it.”

His other goal: to check in with the hundreds of musicians he knows, many of whom work in the service industry and suddenly found themselves without

TUNE IN Quarantunes is a new compilation that contains songs created in self-isolation by more than 30 musicians.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

44 MAY 7, 2020

employment.

At the same time, he recognized the value of an aural 2020 time capsule. “I have a couple of young kids,” Brass says.

“I wanted to ensure they had something to look back on and say, ‘This is pretty cool.

This is what happened with that whole COVID thing. Our good ole’ dad did that.’

It’s a tough time for people and it will be

Gambier Island … He and I started talking from there,” says anonymerican’s Paul Hudson. “We all had recording interfaces as home, so we recorded it.”

Both the band and Brass were impressed with the quality of recording for their pop-punk track that, lyrically, offers a straightforward account of the last few months.

“I wanted to ensure they had something to look back on and say, ‘This is pretty cool.

This is what happened with that whole COVID thing. Our good ole’ dad did that.’”

- RYAN BRASS

hard to explain it in the future.”

One of the 32 musicians and bands that took part in the project was Squamish punk outfit anonymericans.

Their unique angle: the four musicians recorded their contribution “WorldoMeter Death Count” from five different locations.

“There are four of us in the band, but Colin [Bates] our singer and guitarist, he was actually in quarantine for the first 14 days because he’d come in from another country. He had to go into quarantine on

“People were able to really produce decent music even though they’re stuck,” Brass says.

Whistler musician Peter Vogler, meanwhile, submitted a track under his solo name PeteCatastrophe that aims to capture the plaintive mood of weeks of self-isolation.

“I thought about it and went, ‘I have so many songs that are not finished,” Vogler says. “I finished that one—‘Soft Around the Edges.’ That one is truly me

in my basement studio, completely solo, a complete quarantine situation … I was on a road trip in my van in the pouring rain and wrote that song on my acoustic guitar. Got back here, did drums, bass, guitar in half a day. The song came out of ... being buried in a place I couldn’t leave, which is what quarantine basically is.”

Initially, Vogler submitted a live track he and his band, Anarchist Employment League, recorded in January when he was sick with what in retrospect he think might have actually been COVID-19.

“I rerecorded it and sent it to [Brass].

He said, ‘Peter, I love this song, except it’s Quarantunes and there are people applauding and it’s about skanking in the dancehall,” he says with a laugh.

In the end, Hudson says his band was happy to take on a new challenge in this time of self-isolation. “[Quarantine] has encouraged me to write more,” he says. “That song never would’ve come about at all had we not been asked to submit it in a short period of time like that. We almost have to take the good out of a bad situation. When we reflect back on this period, I think a lot of the music and art that’s been created in this timeframe will be part of a positive legacy that comes out of this.”

To listen to Quarantunes, visit pacificsoundsystem.bandcamp.com. n

ARTS NEWS

Over $38,200 Raised Thank you, Community Builders, for turning up in style to our Stay @ Home Gala Whistler.

A huge thank you to our event leader, Joelle Tiessen, and to our major contributors: The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, Sushi Village, Arts Whistler, ABC Eats, La Cantina, Town Square Pemberton, Race & Co., Meier Family Foundation, Coast Construction, Ev Kinsella, JennaMae, Monty Biggins, Rebel Appliance, Rachel Lewis, Susan Holden, The Raven Room, Mercedes Nicoll, Dr. Curtis Collins.

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

SUMMER FUN Crowds watch a play on the floating dock as part of The Flagstop Theatre & Arts Festival at The Point Artist-Run Centre in 2018. The festival, along with other summer events at The Point, will take place this summer if it’s safe to do so.

PHOTO BY ALYSSA NOEL

The Point reveals summer plans ARTS NEWS: LOCAL AUTHORS SHORTLISTED FOR AWARD; POET’S PAUSE WINNERS ANNOUNCED

BY ALYSSA NOEL THE POINT Artist-Run Centre will be holding its summer music and theatre camps, either online or in-person, depending on rules around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Josh Suhrheinrich (a.k.a. Papa Josh) will be instructing Into the Groove Band Camp from July 13 to 17 (with the potential alternate onsite date of Aug. 17 to 21) and again from July 20 to 24 (with alternate dates of Aug. 24 to 28).

Meanwhile, Ira Pettle will host The Monologue Project theatre camps in July and August with two one-on-one sessions per week. He’s also set to host five-day theatre improv camps from Aug. 10 to 14 and Aug. 27 to 31.

Registration for all summer camps opens on May 15 at thepointartists.com.

In a release, The Point also said its array of summer programming—from Sundays at The Point to the Flag Stop Theatre & Arts Festival, Sunday Artist Sessions, and its annual fundraiser have been planned, “but will only occur if provincial guidelines deem them safe.”

One activity COVID-19 couldn’t crush?

The annual Alta lake Ice-Break Raffle.

Billed as one of Whistler’s oldest fundraising traditions, the event involves placing a barrel on Atla Lake with residents guessing the time and day the ice will break up and allow it to flow past The Point.

Money raised goes to The Point’s summer art camps.

This year, the barrel was spotted on April 16 at 2:08 p.m. That meant Roshan Beaven’s guess of 3:24 p.m. that day was closest. She won a one-night stay at the Crystal Lodge and a $50 gift certificate to the Beacon Pub.

LOCAL AUTHORS SHORTLISTED FOR AWARD Two authors with ties to Whistler have been nominated for the 2020 Arthur Ellis Awards for Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing.

Whistler’s Loreth Anne White received a nod for her book In the Dark in the Best Crime Novel category. The novel follows eight guests at a secluded wilderness spa as a storm hits the area and they’re cut off from the outside world.

Pam Barnsley’s book River Cage, meanwhile, is up for an award in The Unhanged Arthur Award for Best Unpublished Crime Manuscript category.

Her book is about a well-regarded coach who is murdered in Whistler and the disgraced detective who falls for the main suspect—a stripper-turned-Paralympic athlete.

The winners are set to be announced on, or soon after, May 21, pandemic-pending.

To see all the finalists from across Canada, visit crimewriterscanada.com/ awards/arthur-ellis-awards/currentcontest/shortlists.

r pics u o y e r a Sh with us

e #mypiqu

F

S @M Y O L LO W U

PIQUE

DO THE RIGHT THING.

POET’S PAUSE WINNERS Even a pandemic can’t get in the way of a jury selecting this year’s Poet’s Pause winners.

Last month, the Resort Municipality of Whistler revealed that Vicki Crompton’s “The Eve of Destruction: December 26th, 1980” and Kate Heskett’s “Meet Me at the Lake” were the winners of its annual competition. Both poems will be displayed at the Poet’s Pause sculpture sites in Alta Lake Park some time this year.

For the competition’s 12th installation there were 26 poems from 24 poets.

You can read the winning poems at whistler.ca/poetrycompetition. n

Bag it & Bin it

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/dogs

MAY 7, 2020

45

NOTES FROM THE BACK ROW

Quarantino 7—Hot cars and cool chicks VOCAB time!

Exploitation films—a sub-genre of movies, popularized in the late ‘60s to ‘70s, that generally aimed to profit off current cultural trends, niche genres, or sensationalist content such as sex, violence,

BY FEET BANKS and gore.

Grindhouse—Once home to the “bump and grind’ burlesque crowd, these run-down theatres transitioned to showing B-movies and exploitation flicks, often two or three films for the price of one. In the early ‘80s, the grindhouse theatre was rendered almost obsolete with the rise in popularity of home video.

And these are the kinds of films a movie geek like Quentin Tarantino grew up with, both in the repertory cinemas of Los Angeles

CAR STAR A Dodge Charger is one of the cars featured in Death Proof.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

and from the racks of Video Archives, the shop he worked in for five years. Generally, the grindhouse or exploitation flicks had few redeeming qualities for the average cinemagoer but they had niche appeal: the plot and character arc of Faster, Pussycat!

Kill! Kill! are utterly lacklustre, but does that matter when you have busty, kung-fu go-go dancers racing cars in the desert? Or a shard of wood penetrating a human eyeball in extreme close-up like in Lucio Fulci’s Zombie?

Tarantino had all this in mind when he and his buddy Robert Rodriguez (the master-of-all-trades indie filmmaker prodigy who made his first feature, El Mariachi, with $16,000 he’d made as a medical research guinea pig, and then discovered Salma Hayek) decided to make Grindhouse, a throwback B-movie double feature for 2007 audiences. Quentin’s contribution was Death Proof, unanimously accepted (even by him) as the shittiest Tarantino movie ever made and our subject for week seven of Quarantino.

Death Proof stars Kurt Russell as a washed-up stuntman with souped-up, reinforced “death proof” stunt cars (a ’71 Chevy Nova for the first half, then a ’69 Dodge Charger) that he uses to kill random

women in staged car accidents. And that’s about it, until Mike (Kurt) messes with the wrong chicks, a gang of badasses led by stuntwoman Zoe Bell, playing herself, who just wants to haul ass in a white Dodge Challenger (like the one in Vanishing Point) and do some crazy shit.

The backstory is slim: Tarantino has said he wanted to make a slasher flick where the killer uses a car instead of a knife, and he was reportedly super into the modifications stunt drivers made to their cars at the time.

(A decade later, it would come out that Uma Thurman crashed a car and was injured during the filming of Kill Bill: Volume 2, so it’s possible there’s some subconscious fear/ guilt exorcism shit going on here too—Zoe Bell was Thurman’s double in Kill Bill.)

So here’s Quentin, coming off a huge, long, expensive double-movie project based heavily on genre and exploitation cinema, and it seems he wanted to keep that vibe going, but head back to the low-fi, DIY roots (Death Proof is also the only time Tarantino has shot a film himself as the director of photography).

The result is a very talkative, loose, and gruesome flick about hot chicks hanging out and shooting the shit, with a poetryspouting killer in their midst and some

of the best non-CGI car-chase action to hit screens in decades (really strong work here that will likely be lost on younger audiences).

Add in an iconic B-movie star with Russell, the obligatory foot-fetish shots, a catchy obscure song (“Hold Tight!”), and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in a cheerleader outfit … what more do you really need?

It’s not a great movie (Winstead’s character is literally abandoned by the film), but true grindhouse flicks rarely are. This one also marks a bit of a turning point for Quentin, a punctuation on his trash-cinema roots before he shifts into high gear and drives hard into the third act of his career—a mashup of classic cinema, revisionist history, and lots more revenge. Dude was just warming up thus far.

Alternatively, if you want to stretch your brain muscles beyond cheap thrills, check out the VICE news show on Crave/ Showtime. They’ve got mini docs on a plethora of lesser-covered global stories like the rise of Hindu-on-Muslim violence in India, the world’s worst stretch of drug border in Paraguay, or a check-in with COVID deaths in Italy.

Stay safe as things open up! ■

LOCAL EXPERTS GLOBAL REACH The same team that you trust with your print advertising can assist in creating your digital footprint Glacier Digital Services in partnership with Pique Newsmagazine offers solutions in website design, SEM, SEO, social media and so much more.

Call your sales representative today for a free digital consultation! 604 938 0202

46 MAY 7, 2020

2019

the beach whistler We’re 99 steps from the Olympic Rings on the village stroll

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604-932-7505

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Lost Lake trail closure notice Fuel thinning is underway along the western boundary of Lost Lake Park.

Rotating trail closures will be required May to August, while this important wildfire prevention work is completed: • White Gold Traverse (no access from either end) • Centennial Trail between PassivHaus and Spruce Grove • Tin Pants • Gypsy Drum • Peaches En Regalia • Lost Lake Park entrance by PassivHaus (detour will be available) For safety reasons, please stay off closed trails, follow signs and instructions of wildfire crew, and leash dogs.

Please visit the project webpage for the latest information and closure dates.

whistler.ca/FuelThinning

KFC AVAILABLE EVERYDAY FROM THIS FRIDAY Each full order comes with side salad and 12 pieces of juicy yummy extra crispy Korean Fried Chickens.

Korean Fried Chicken only available at Creekside Samurai Bowl

PLEASE CALL TO PLACE YOUR ORDER PRIOR TO PICK UP

604-935-0055 All of KFC sales from this “Friday and Saturday” will be used to buy masks from Vancouver Aquarium to help their operation, and then those masks will be donated to Whistler primary schools.

TASTE 2018 WHISTLER BEST TAKEOUT RESTAURANT!!!

Creekside SAMURAI BOWL 604 935 0055 Nesters SAMURAI SUSHI 604 935 0006

MAY 7, 2020

47

MUSEUM MUSINGS

EARLY ENVIRONMENTALIST Bill Bailiff (far left) waits for the train at the Alta Lake Station with a group in 1937.

As a contributor to the local Alta Lake newsletter, he often wrote on environmental topics.

CLARKE COLLECTION

Bill Bailiff’s records of Alta Lake

BY PAIGE VONK

ER N N I W 0 2 0 MAY 7, 2

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My name is Theodore (from the chipmunks). I'm 6 and half months old and 90lbs.

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

Function Junction: #101-1085 Millar Creek Rd. Bring a copy of this ad to redeem your prize.

YOUR PET COULD BE NEXT!

Email your pet photo with name & details to tsweeney@wplpmedia.com

48 MAY 7, 2020

LIVING IN A PLACE with such a beautiful landscape, where people spend a lot of time enjoying activities outdoors, environmental concerns are always relevant.

One of the first Whistler residents to voice concern for the environment was Bill Bailiff back in the 1950s.

John William Bailiff moved to Alta Lake from England and lived in the area for 45 years. Reportedly, his fiancée died, leaving him heartbroken, so he picked up and moved from the U.K. to British Columbia.

Bailiff joined a construction crew for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, but in 1913, he had an argument with the foreman over the safety conditions of his work and ended up quitting. He then moved to settle at Alta Lake permanently.

Bailiff kept a whitewashed log cabin near Mons Creek and Alta Lake, as well as additional shelters at each end of Cheakamus Lake. He became an excellent trapper and would spend five weeks at a time out in the wilderness. He also had trap lines in the Spearhead Range and Callaghan Creek areas that he tended to over the winters, snowshoeing between them. The traps would catch wolverine, mink, marten, lynx, and weasel. One continual nuisance was the squirrels that continued to get caught in his traps. In 1928, Bailiff caught 28 squirrels, so he froze them and stored them in his woodshed, where they were stolen by a marten and then hidden in a rockslide.

Bailiff spent the summers putting in railway ties and clearing trails around the lakes for the government. He was also a prospector, looking for copper on the Fitzsimmons side of Whistler Mountain. He and Bill MacDermott were looking for a vein that ran north from Britannia but, despite years of looking, they were never successful.

Surviving on subsistence living, Bailiff

used any food available. He was known to make the best bread using potato water, and Pip Brock, whose family had property on Alta Lake, said he enjoyed his time with Bailiff “sharing his bottled beer and Blue Jay pie.”

Bailiff was often chosen to be Santa Claus at school Christmas parties and the descriptions people remember him by explain why he was a clear choice for that position. Brock said Bailiff “had a large belly which shook when he laughed,” and he was also described as a gentle man with round rosy cheeks.

An active member of the Alta Lake Community Club (ALCC) and even president in 1958, Bailiff wrote an ongoing series about the history of Alta Lake and preserving the environment in the ALCC newsletter. He dedicated his column, which included pieces on geography, forestry, topography and more, to the one-room Alta Lake School.

While describing the topography of the area, Bailiff wrote that, “Before the advent of the Pacific Great Eastern [Railway] in 1914 the only access to [Alta Lake] was by pack horse trail, which ran from Squamish to Pemberton through a virgin forest of magnificent timber as yet unspoiled by human hands.” In the next issue, when discussing progress in the area, he described how the construction of the railway led to the “first despoilation (sic) of the forest.” He also talked about the Hemlock Looper and other insects that attacked the local trees in the early 20th century, the dangers of human-caused fires in the area (including a fire by Green Lake supposedly started by a cigarette butt “thrown carelessly into dry slash”), and the decrease in wildlife sightings as human activity began to destroy habitats.

Although he spent a lot of time on his own in the wilderness, Bailiff was a well-known and well-liked member of the Alta Lake community until his death later in 1958. ■

PARTIAL RECALL

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1 VIRTUAL MARATHON Twenty-year-old Whistler resident Leah Brownlie crosses the finish line after completing her first-ever full marathon last week. However, Brownlie finished all 42.2 kilometres on her own, since mass gatherings typically seen during traditional races don’t exactly comply with physical-distancing orders. “She was so disappointed when the Vancouver Marathon was cancelled, so we have been planning a virtual one since the end of March,” wrote Leah’s mom, Liz. “The support from friends and neighbours to cheer, run and bike with her along the route was amazing.” PHOTO SUBMITTED. 2 HAVE COURAGE Have you spotted this inspiring sign hanging from the Nordic footbridge? PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE. 3 PIGGY BANK DONATIONS Ethan and his five-year-old sister, Elodie, counted her piggy bank money in order to donate it to Whistler Community Services Society’s food bank after hearing an appeal for donations. Elodie donated all $61.70, and has inspired others to match her donation. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4 CELEBRATING MOMS The Howe Sound Women’s Centre Society is thanking a group of anonymous Whistler families, Whistler Baskets, Andrea Mueller Art, Wild Bella and Whistler Coffee who offered help to make up a few Mother’s Day baskets, pictured, for four of HSWC’s clients that are single moms. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 5 BEAR AWARE A bear was caught grazing on grass in a local park last week. Make sure to follow in the example of the Whistlerite who took this shot and give our bears lots of space if you spot one while out for your daily dose of fresh air. PHOTO BY ALBERT CAO. 6 SNACK TIME A local bear earned his snacks last week, climbing high into the branches to access the tree buds. PHOTO BY AL PICKLES.

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS! Send your recent snaps to arts@piquenewsmagazine.com

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MAY 7, 2020

49

ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF MAY 7 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to Aries author

We are navigating a daunting, unprecedented time and our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates you need to keep safe and informed.

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Please email me at cozywhistlerchalet@gmail.com 50 MAY 7, 2020

and mythologist Joseph Campbell, “The quest for fire occurred not because anyone knew what the practical uses for fire would be, but because it was fascinating.”

He was referring to our early human ancestors, and how they stumbled upon a valuable addition to their culture because they were curious about a powerful phenomenon, not because they knew it would ultimately be so valuable. I invite you to be guided by a similar principle in the coming weeks, Aries. Unforeseen benefits may emerge during your investigation into flows and bursts that captivate your imagination.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious,” says businessperson and entrepreneur John Sculley. You Tauruses aren’t renowned for such foresight. It’s more likely to belong to Aries and Sagittarius people. Your tribe is more likely to specialize in doing the good work that turns others’ bright visions into practical realities.

But this Year of the Coronavirus could be an exception to the general rule. In the past three months as well as in the next six months, many of you Bulls have been and will continue to be catching glimpses of interesting possibilities before they become obvious. Give yourself credit for this knack. Be alert for what it reveals.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): For 148 uninterrupted years, American militias and the American army waged a series of wars against the native peoples who lived on the continent before Europeans came. There were more than 70 conflicts that lasted from 1776 until 1924. If there is any long-term struggle or strife that even mildly resembles that situation in your own personal life, our Global Healing Crisis is a favourable time to call a truce and cultivate peace. Start now! It’s a ripe and propitious time to end hostilities that have gone on too long.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Novelist Marcel Proust was a sensitive, dreamy, emotional, self-protective, creative Cancerian. That may explain why he wasn’t a good soldier.

During his service in the French army, he was ranked 73rd in a squad of 74. On the other hand, his majestically intricate seven-volume novel In Search of Lost Time is a masterpiece—one of the 20th century’s most influential literary works. In evaluating his success as a human being, should we emphasize his poor military performance and downplay his literary output? Of course not! Likewise, Cancerian, in the coming weeks I’d like to see you devote vigorous energy to appreciating what you do best and no energy at all to worrying about your inadequacies.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Fortune resists half-hearted prayers,” wrote the poet Ovid more than 2,000 years ago.

I will add that Fortune also resists poorly formulated intentions, feeble vows, and sketchy plans—especially now, during an historical turning point when the world is undergoing massive transformations. Luckily, I don’t see those lapses being problems for you in the coming weeks, Leo. According to my analysis, you’re primed to be clear and precise. Your willpower should be working with lucid grace. You’ll have an enhanced ability to assess your assets and make smart plans for how to use them.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Last year, the Baltimore Museum of Art announced it would acquire works exclusively from women artists in 2020. A male art critic complained, “That’s unfair to male artists.” Here’s my reply: Among major permanent art collections in the U.S. and Europe, the work of women makes up five per cent of the total. So what the Baltimore Museum did is a righteous attempt to rectify the existing excess. It’s a just and fair way to address an unhealthy imbalance. In accordance with current omens and necessities, Virgo, I encourage you to perform a comparable correction in your personal sphere.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the course of my life, I’ve met many sharp thinkers with advanced degrees from fine universities—who are nonetheless stunted in their

emotional intelligence. They may quote Shakespeare and discourse on quantum physics and explain the difference between the philosophies of Kant and Hegel, and yet have less skill in understanding the inner workings of human beings or in creating vibrant intimate relationships.

Yet most of these folks are not extreme outliers. I’ve found that virtually all of us are smarter in our heads than we are in our hearts. The good news, Libra, is that our current Global Healing Crisis is an excellent time for you to play catch-up. Do what poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti suggests: “Make your mind learn its way around the heart.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Aphorist Aaron Haspel writes, “The less you are contradicted, the stupider you become. The more powerful you become, the less you are contradicted.” Let’s discuss how this counsel might be useful to you in the coming weeks. First of all, I suspect you will be countered and challenged more than usual, which will offer you rich opportunities to become smarter.

Secondly, I believe you will become more powerful as long as you don’t try to stop or discourage the influences that contradict you. In other words, you’ll grow your personal authority and influence to the degree that you welcome opinions and perspectives that are not identical to yours.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “It’s always too early to quit,” wrote author Norman Vincent Peale. We should put his words into perspective, though. He preached “the power of positive thinking.” He was relentless in his insistence that we can and should transcend discouragement and disappointment. So we should consider the possibility that he was overly enthusiastic in his implication that we should NEVER give up. What do you think, Sagittarius? I’m guessing this will be an important question for you to consider in the coming weeks. It may be time to re-evaluate your previous thoughts on the matter and come up with a fresh perspective. For example, maybe it’s right to give up on one project if it enables you to persevere in another.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The 16-century mystic nun Saint Teresa of Avila was renowned for being overcome with rapture during her spiritual devotions.

At times, she experienced such profound bliss through her union with God that she levitated off the ground.

“Any real ecstasy is a sign you are moving in the right direction,” she wrote. I hope that you will be periodically moving in that direction yourself during the coming weeks, Capricorn. Although it may seem odd advice to receive during our Global Healing Crisis, I really believe you should make appointments with euphoria, delight, and enchantment.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Grammy-winning musician and composer Pharrell Williams has expertise in the creative process. “If someone asks me what inspires me,” he testifies, “I always say, ‘That which is missing.’”

According to my understanding of the astrological omens, you would benefit from making that your motto in the coming weeks. Our Global Healing Crisis is a favourable time to discover what’s absent or empty or blank about your life, and then learn all you can from exploring it. I think you’ll be glad to be shown what you didn’t consciously realize was lost, omitted, or lacking.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “I am doing my best to not become a museum of myself,” declares poet Natalie Diaz. I think she means that she wants to avoid defining herself entirely by her past. She is exploring tricks that will help her keep from relying so much on her old accomplishments that she neglects to keep growing. Her goal is to be free of her history, not to be weighed down and limited by it. These would be worthy goals for you to work on in the coming weeks, Pisces. What would your first step be?

Homework: What has been your favorite lesson during our Global Healing Crisis? FreeWillAstrology.com

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES

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

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Professional Family looking for a property to rent long term while we build our house Professional Family looking for a property to rent long term for 18 to 24 months while we build our house on Treetop Lane.

Four bedroom with garage as a minimum. Willing to do any property maintenance.

Rent $4000–$5000 for the right temporary home for us. No rental management fees. shauna@shaunaocallaghan.com

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

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

The Whistler Club Tuesdays at 3.

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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 9.3012pm.604-698-5960 info@welcomewhistler.com FB: WhistlerWelcomeCentre

VOLUNTEERS

604.932.1948

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.

1209 Alpha Lake Rd., Function Junction

www.a1ulock.com

Phone 604-938-1126 email shawcarpet@shaw.ca

COMMUNITY LISTINGS ARTS & CULTURE

40' Dry Storage Containers for Rent We have x3 40’ dry storage containers for rent, available immediately. Call for more info.

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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

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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

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.

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

by Sharon 604-894-6656 for pick up.

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

Call Mike Walsh

WHISTLER’S

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: www.facebook.com/whistlersingers/

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Whistler Community Band - Rehearsals on Tuesdays 7 - 8:15 pm CONTACT whistlerchorus@gmail.com FOR LOCATION

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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

IN WHISTLER

BUILDING AND RENOVATIONS

For Free consults and Quotes call 604-935-8825

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

Opportunities for writing in a comfortable and creative setting.

Email crowley7@telus.net

Emotional distress can be difficult to manage on your own. The goal of Ashlin Tipper Counselling is to promote health and happiness by providing welcoming, kind, supportive, non-judgmental, goal-oriented, practical, clinically-based emotional support.

Website: ashlintippercounselling.com Email: ashlintippercounselling@gmail.com Phone: (604) 916 8979

Arts Whistler - Full arts & culture listings. Comprehensive artist directory & programs, events & performances yearround. 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

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 | 604-962- 8711

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COMMUNITY LISTINGS COMMUNITY LISTINGS COMMUNITY LISTINGS COMMUNITY LISTINGS COMMUNITY LISTINGS 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 604-966-4050 or scoutsatwhistler@gmail.com Whistler Children's Chorus Rehearsal - Tuesdays at MILLENNIUM PLACE (4 5:30 pm) contact whistlerchorus@gmail.com 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 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 604-935-8187.

COMMUNITY CENTRES

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

SOCIAL SERVICES

SUPPORT GROUPS

Pemberton & District Community Centre - Located at 7390 Cottonwood St. Fitness Centre, facility rentals, spray park, playground, children, youth, adult & seniors programs. For more info 604-894-2340 or pemrecinfo@slrd.bc.ca

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

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.

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

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

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

Contact eswhistler@gmail.com

FAMILY RESOURCES

Healthy Pregnancy Outreach ProgramLearn how to prepare healthy affordable meals at this outreach program. Sea to Sky Community Services 604-894-6101

Baby/Child Health Clinics - Free routine immunizations & newly licensed vaccines for purchase, growth & development assessments & plenty of age appropriate resources avail. By appointment 604-9323202

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.

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

North Shore Schizophrenia Society Services for family, friends & community.

Mental illness info, support & advocacy.

Call Chris Dickenson at 604-966-7334

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 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 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

FOR SENIORS 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 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

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

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 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.

Pemberton Parent Infant Drop-In Facilitated by Capri Mohammed, Public Health Nurse. Every Mon 11am- 12:30pm at Pemberton Public Library.

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 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.

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

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 RMOW Rec Credit - If you are financially restricted, you may be eligible for a $127.60 municipal recreation credit.

Contact WCSS at 604.932.0113 www.mywcss.org Sea to Sky WorkBC Centre - Provides free one-stop employment services to job seekers and employers. Services available in Whistler, Squamish, Pemberton & Mt. Currie. For more information, call us: 1-800-763-1681 or email: centre-squamish@workbc.ca Support Counselling - For women regarding abuse & relationship issues. No charge. Call 604-894-6101 Victim Services - Assists victims, witnesses, family members or friends directly affected by any criminal act or traumatic event. Call 604-905-1969 Whistler Community Services Society - Outreach Services Now Available Monday to Saturday at our new location - 8000 Nesters Road (next to WAG) 604.932.0113 www.mywcss.org Whistler for the Disabled - Provides info for people with disabilities on what to do & where to go. Visit www.whistlerforthedisabled.com Whistler Housing Authority - Long term rental & ownership housing for qualified Whistler employees.

Visit www.whistlerhousing.ca Whistler Mental Health & Addiction Services - If you or someone you know needs help with a mental health issue or substance misuse or addiction problem, we can assist. Mon-Fri 830am-430pm.

604-698-6455 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

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.

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.

Immigrant Peer Educators - Immigrants providing support and information for those who may be experiencing challenges adjusting to a new culture. 604-388-5511 info@whistlermulticulturalnetwork.com Pregnancy and Infant Loss - Facilitated by a registered counsellor, this program is designed for couples and individuals who have experienced loss of a child, either before or after birth. Please call WCSS at 604.932.0113 and speak to an outreach worker for more information or visit www.mywcss.org.

SMART Recovery Whistler (SelfManagement and Recovery Training) A Cognitive-Behavioural group for individuals with substance abuse con- cerns.

Drop-in: Registration is not necessary.

Wednesdays 5:30-7:00pm Whistler Health Centre (2nd floor-group room) Whistler Alcoholics Anonymous: 12-step support group for men and women who want to stop drinking or are recovering from alcoholism. Evening meetings are held 8:00pm Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays and 7:00pm Monday. Whistler Medical Center, 4380 Lorimer Road, 2nd Floor multiple purpose room; 604- 905-5489, https://www.bcyukonaa.org

RELIGION 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 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

FUR & FEATHERS Get Bear Smart Society - Learn more about coexisting with bears. To report a conflict, garbage or attractant issue call 604-905-BEAR (2327) www.bearsmart.com Pemberton Wildlife Association Advocates for the conservation of fish, wildlife & wilderness recreation. Also offering target shooting & archery facilities. www.pembertonwildlifeassociation.com WAG - Whistler Animals Galore - A shelter for lost, unwanted, and homeless cats and dogs. Let us help you find your purrfect match...adopt a shelter animal!

For more info 604-935-8364 www.whistlerwag.com

MAY 7, 2020

53

classifieds.piquenewsmagazine.com

Book your classified ad online by 4pm Tuesday

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre

N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre

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

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

JOB POSTING

JOB POSTING

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

POSITION: INFANT TODDLER EDUCATOR

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.

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) Cover Letter & Resume to: Title: Lisa Sambo, Manager Agency: N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre Email: lisa.sambo@nquatqua.ca Fax: 604-452-3295/3280 Deadline: until position is filled We thank all those who apply. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

54 MAY 7, 2020

Nature of position: Regular, Full-Time Term: Ongoing Start Date: Immediately QUALIFICATIONS: • Valid Early Childhood Educator Certificate and License to Practice as an Infant Toddler Educator (or in the process of obtaining your License to Practice) JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES: • Planning & 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 and oral communication skills.

• Maintaining positive communication with parents.

• Collaborate with community service providers.

• Self-directed and able to initiate and complete projects • Ability to work independently and as a member of a team REQUIREMENTS: • Standard First Aid with CPR-C & Clear Criminal Record Check • Food Safe certificate, or willingness to obtain • Evidence that the candidate has complied with the Province’s immunization and tuberculosis control programs.

Wage: Negotiable depending on experience Hours of work: 32 hours per week Location: D’Arcy, BC Closing Date: Until position is filled Submit cover letter &resume to: E-mail: lisa.sambo@nquatqua.ca

PIQUE NEWSMAGAZINE

SUBSCRIPTIONS

52 ISSUES $76.70/YEAR

REGULAR MAIL WITHIN CANADA

$136.60/YEAR

COURIER WITHIN CANADA

$605.80/YEAR

COURIER WITHIN USA

FULL TIME POSITION

WITH A COMMERCIAL CLEANING COMPANY Competitive wages, $22.00 - $25.00 per hour. (depends on experience) Flexible working hours Must have a valid Driver’s License Send resume to: teamcwhistler@telus.net or call: 604 935 8715

PAY BY MASTERCARD, VISA OR AMEX TEL. 604-938-0202 FAX. 604-938-0201

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RENT

WORK

FIX

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SELL

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

5 4 6

8 6

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Become the Nation’s Director of Finance

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# 37

V. EASY

You’re a finance expert at the stage in your career ‘ where you’re ready to advance the Lílwat Nation’s vision. We offer job security and exceptional benefits.

You offer the skills to make a difference, inspiring your ‘ team and other Lílwat Nation staff.

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, you’ll be responsible for providing leadership, direction and professional support for the planning, management, administration and reporting of the Nation’s financial affairs. You’ll also manage a broad range of activities from finance, accounting, payroll, IT, office staff and others.

You will take on the role of risk guardian of the Nation’s assets, keeping an eye on costs and ensuring positive cash flow. You’ll also be an active, collaborate member of the Senior Leadership Team.

# 38

The successful candidate for the position of Director of Finance will have the following skills, knowledge and experience: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3 7 1 8 9 3 7 WIDE OPEN WELDING IS CURRENTLY LOOKING 1 9 4 1 5 4 9 6 TO FILL THE FOLLOWING Lead 8 2 6 2 Assist 8 POSITION: 6 2 9 5 3 6 1 Create5 Support 3 FABRICATORS 1 8 3 2 Collaborate Please forward your resume to contactus@wideopenwelding.com 8 1 9 6 4 7 7 7 9 6 5 4 1 5 2 3 2 2 6 7 9 5

6.

7.

A CPA with eight to 10 years post-designation accounting and financial experience (three to four in a senior position) Experience with procedures development and internal control design Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite Sage AccPac ERP and Sage AccPac Intelligence experience Experience working with applicable Federal and Provincial funding agencies, and related Statutes and Regulations Experience with government reporting, budgeting and processes an asset Exceptional communication skills with strong listening, mentoring and team-building skills

Please email your résumé, cover letter, and employment references no later than 4 pm, May 18, 2020, to Lee-Anne Kauffman at:

Lee-Anne.Kauffman@lilwat.ca ‘ Nation | Box 602 | Mount Currie, BC | V0N 2K0 | Lilwat.ca Lílwat

St'at'imc Eco-Resources Director St’at’imc Eco-Resources provides field technician & management services to environmental projects in Lillooet area.

Howe Sound Women’s Centre is Hiring! # 39

V. EASY

Whistler Drop In Support and Outreach Worker – Whistler & Pemberton 16 Hours Per Week, Permanent Part-Time For more information and to apply, please visit www.hswc.ca Facebook: @HoweSoundWomensCentre

SER seeks new Directors with experience in business development to help us diversify and grow our markets.

- Candidates should have experience in a policy-governance model. # 40 - Experience working with First Nations is an asset.

- Familiarity with the Lillooet - Bridge River area.

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply with a resume and cover letter to: projects@statimceco.com

Please direct your inquiries, cover letter and resume to: pbelanger@hswc.ca # 38

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# 40

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Answers 4 3 5 6 8 9 7 1 2

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4/11/2005

PLAY HERE

» piquenewsmagazine.com/jobs

MAY 7, 2020

55

CALL THE EXPERTS

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Wood Energy Technology Transfer Inc.

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56 MAY 7, 2020

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PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 16 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 33 35 37 38 39 41 42 44 47 49 50 54 55 57 59 60 62 64 65 66 67

Regatta entry Drizzles Junk Lucy Lawless role Foul-up Prank Gauguin’s island Sledgehammer Sports venue Lasso Critter Raison d’-Competed in a rodeo Hushed Pallets Most gauzy Type of meatballs Drive back Mr. Craven Teachers’ org.

Ticket info After taxes Dock Most doubtful Fizzy beverage Loafer part Rake Not digital Nymph who pined away Preserve Trig function Honored places Tee-hee cousin (hyph.)

Certain votes Rapper -- Kim Packs firmly Tigger’s pal

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Competed at Indy Visitors Notre Dame sight Count on Nintendo or Xbox enthusiast Sizable book Give new meaning to Very serious Business plan Diplomacy Unadorned Got a move on Hole in one Tropical melon Abdul or Zahn Prefix for “million” Ginger Chicago trains Broadcast Roulette color Pretty songbird Take a bath Claim Hightail it Eagle’s claws It has a home page Scan Dressed Boa or python Carpentry joint Sunshine st.

Camelot lady Toast topper Pinch off Short verse Autumn moon UFO passengers Jump

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6 9 7 6 1 1 3 5 9 8 5 3 2 2 9 3 717 18 19 8 4 3 7 6 22 9 2 5 3234 6 3 2 4 5 8 6 1 V. EASY

Puccini genre Hawk’s lair Chilled Oak products Globe feature Mortarboard wearers Not short Subtle difference Quinine water Start Letter encl.

Have a premonition Do a salon job Lacking

12-month periods Longbow need Crinkled fabric Sharpened Customs Waterlogged areas No future -- -Ramp alternative Author’s concern Cut too short Least wacky Reprimand Tire supports -- -- disadvantage Swiped Mutant heroes of comics (hyph.)

Down the hatch TLC provider Prince Arn’s mother Scene Is, to Fritz Extended assault

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Sturm -- Drang Rural necessities Tpk. Made catcalls Thousands of secs.

Get some air Raised corn Toss, as a coin Jahan was one Sigh of delight More timid Old masters BTU part Morays Moving around Bok -Indiana cager Exhausted From Yemen Fiesta shout Word of assent Honorable Foul-ball caller Fair-hiring letters Costa -Aim Pick up the tab Zeta follower Wray of “King Kong” Hurled Bacon on the hoof Asian city, once Stress Knowing looks Handled roughly Add staff Hard benches Jai -Furtive whisper

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Of the Arctic Coat with gold Garden flower Not tanned Take a nap All -- -- sudden Open-air lobbies Garment border Potters and glassblowers Surpass Language suffix Relay segment Improve Small hotel Eiffel Tower locale Incarcerates

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Aluminum company Bearings Sea swallows Raids Disney attraction Really small “20,000 Leagues” author Computer command Did the exterior Irascible Advantage Type of shark Travel choice Pool hall item

LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

# 38

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: VERY EASY

1 8 9 3 7 1 5 4 9 6 2 8 3 6 1 5 1 8 3 2 9 6 4 7 7 9 4 1 5 2 3 2 6 7 9 5 V. EASY Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 40

ANSWERS ON PAGE 55

MAY 7, 2020

57

MAXED OUT

Now is the time to support WCSS LIKE A SPRING BLOSSOM, the country is beginning to open up and let the sun shine in. By the time Pique’s out, we’ll know what Saint Bonnie has in store for those of us on the Left Coast and we’ve already heard from most of the rest of the provinces. There’s been some easing off of sheltering in place, some more opening of stores and services, some encouragement to get outside and play... safely.

Regardless of the parameters of the official plan, nothing remotely foreseeable is going to breathe life into Tiny Town. We are victims of our own success:

BY G.D. MAXWELL Whistler = Hospitality Hospitality = Tourists Tourists = Travel Travel = Confidence Confidence = Progress + Time What’s going to make you feel confident?

Confident to go shopping? Confident to walk in and sit down at a restaurant? Confident to head out for the evening with friends to party and shake yer booty?

Exactly.

Whistler will be a lagging indicator of confidence. It’ll be a while before we can pick up the threads of our lives and get back to a pale semblance of normal. We won’t be the pointy end of the stick. But we’ll feel it.

At last count, something north of 80 per cent of Whistler’s businesses were shuttered. A handful of restaurants are doing some take out and selling some ingredients. No bars are open. No clubs.

Few shops. Neither Whistler nor Blackcomb mountains. Virtually all entertainment has been cancelled or kicked down the road to a date to be announced.

Most Whistleratics are out of work— through no fault of their own. Some have found other means of earning some dough.

Some have gone to wherever home is or was. Some will return. Others will never be seen again.

And a lot are suffering. No money for rent, mortgages, utilities, and the other expenses of life.

Like food.

Whistler’s food bank, in normal times, used to provide around 50 bags of food per week. It operated out of a confined space on the second floor of Whistler Community Services Society’s building across from WAG. Now it operates out of the Conference Centre. Easier to provide the requisite distancing. Easier—if that’s a word that can be used in this context—to hand out upwards of 500-plus bags of food per week.

Some days, people are turned away because the bags prepared for that day have run out.

Early.

Ramping up production has been a challenge. But it’s been met by tireless

58 MAY 7, 2020

GETTYIMAGES.CA

workers, some paid, some volunteer.

Providing the funding for that scale of operation has been a challenge, though.

Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) has historically funded its food bank and outreach services from profits generated by the Re-Use-It and Re-Build-It centres. Been to either lately? Of course not. They’re closed, too. And that means 80 per cent or more of WCSS’s revenue has disappeared.

But the demand continues. For food. For outreach. COVID-19 has not only destroyed jobs. It’s assaulted people’s mental health.

They’re depressed. They’re anxious. They’re watching their dream vanish. They don’t know what the future might have in store

the long-range outlook isn’t all that long.

Certainly not as long as it’s going to take to get Whistler back on its feet and paycheques flowing again.

WCSS is the only game in town for the services they provide. No one else runs a food bank. No one else provides outreach services at no cost to the recipients on the same scale. It is the hub for all those services for which there is such great need right now!

So for those who can, now is the time to step up.

The demographics of Whistler have changed remarkably over the past decade or so. The population has aged. Some of this change has been because people are sticking around and growing older. But a

And a lot are suffering. No money for rent, mortgages, utilities, and the other expenses of life. for them or even if there is a future for them.

They’re frustrated and far too often, they’re taking that frustration out on loved ones.

Domestic violence has always been a more or less underground secret in Whistler, but it too has seen a dramatic increase.

As a result of outstanding financial management, some high-profile and lowprofile donations and some funding from various levels of government—including municipal—WCSS has the financial resources to continue. But the rate at which it is burning through those funds means

lot of it has changed because people have retired to Whistler. Welcome. Quite a few of you don’t live paycheque to paycheque.

Many of you don’t draw a paycheque at all anymore.

But you do have assets. And while those have probably taken a kicking since pandemic became a driving force across world markets, it’s unlikely you’re lining up at the food bank.

You might have read elsewhere in this week’s Pique about the very generous donations from the Kelty Patrick Dennehy

and the Szocs Foundations (see page 17).

Each are donating $25,000 to WCSS to help fund the good works. They have issued a challenge to the rest of the community to match that funding, to raise another $50,000. When we do, that $100,000 will go a long way toward allowing WCSS to continue the vital work they’re doing.

So I’m asking those of you who can to consider making a donation. Many of us contribute to various charities—some to feel good, some for the tax considerations, some because we really believe in and support what those charities do.

WCSS is a registered charity. It is also accredited by Imagine Canada, a certification that is difficult to achieve and means they carry on their operation with the highest standards of accountability and transparency.

While I’m not about to suggest other charitable organizations aren’t deserving, now is the time to consider the direct, local impact of your contributions. Nothing is more vital to the recovery of this town than helping our fellow townies get through this. We’ll desperately need lifties, servers, cleaners, salespeople—everyone—when we are able to open again.

You can help secure Whistler’s future by contributing, by sending a cheque to WCSS, Box 900, Whistler, BC, V0N 1B0 or online at https://mywcss.org/fundraiser. Please make it clear your donation is for the Szocs/ Dennehy Community Challenge.

That’s the case. That’s the proposition. I hate making it because I hate asking people for money for any cause. We all make the decisions we think best. But if you think about this one... well, I’ll leave it at that.

Thanks for considering and thanks for supporting WCSS this time around. n

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We fully appreciate this is not business as usual — or life as usual.

Though many of the ways we operate are changing, rest assured the technology we already have in place provides us the capability of interacting with each other and our clients both locally and globally.

While our physical real estate shops are temporarily closed, our local advisors and teams are still working hard conducting the business of real estate.

Stay Home, Stay Strong, Spread Kindness ♥

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1

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Lot 9 Heather Jean Properties

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1

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2

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Richard Grenfell

Enjoy this spacious one bedroom and den townhome on the Blackcomb Benchlands.

With 875 square feet all on one level it features 2 sleeping rooms, a fully equipped kitchen, wood-burning fireplace, open plan living/dining space and a large patio for outdoor entertaining after a day on the golf course or on the bike trails.

Sally Warner*

3

604.905.9337

#301D - 2020 London Lane

3D Tour - rem.ax/35wintergreen

#35 - 4725 Spearhead Drive

$1,975,000

#229 - 4905 Spearhead Drive

$899,000

Ski in Ski out location only a 5 minute walk to Upper village. Located in Greystone which is an extraordinary complex with an outdoor pool and hot tub right on the ski hill. This 1 bedroom with lock off is one of the largest one bedroom units listed with zoning for Tourist Accommodation or unlimited personal use.

Sherry Baker

3D Tour - rem.ax/1213delta

1

604.932.1315

3D Tour - rem.ax/8464bp

Get help if you are experiencing symptoms by calling

1-888-COVID19 Call first! #1213 - 4308 Main Street

$386,000

One of the largest 1 bedroom floor plans with spacious dining area and extra large balcony with Western exposure showcasing peek a boo views of Whistler through the trees. The Delta is one of the best performing investment opportunities in Whistler, and enjoy the excellent income or personal use.

Ursula Morel*

604.932.8629

1

8464 Bear Paw Trail

$3,595,000

An amazing Rooftop Deck compliments this well designed 4 bedroom home with private pockets for reading or exercise. A separate 2 bdrm suite is ready for revenue. The family room entices movie and game nights while the main living space allows for gourmet dinners and relaxing afternoons on the decks.

Ann Chiasson

WHISTLER OFFICE 106 - 7015 Nesters Road, Whistler, BC V8E 0X1 604.932.2300 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070 *PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION

If you are a home owner, buyer, tenant, landlord, or small business in need of help during this time, please see our updated list of resources at: remax-whistler.com/resources

604.932.7651

For all non-urgent health issues, please call your GP, the Whistler Health Care Centre or the Sea to Sky Virtual Walk-in Clinic.

6 PEMBERTON OFFICE 1411 Portage Road, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L1 604.894.6616 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070