Pique Newsmagazine 2720

MAY 14, 2020 ISSUE 27.20

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s n i p m u B the road of the -ch e t a t s The n-SHUCK ad I ce Ro ued to i v r e S y Forests only continresidents sa ha rate, o i r e t e d

14

REOPENING REACTION Resort leaders weigh in on provincial plan to restart economy

25

NOT OPEN YET

Sea to Sky and local

parks are not open to the public

44

QUARANSTREAM New Whistler website offers livestream concerts and archived shows

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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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

32

40 44

Bumps in the road The state of the In-SHUCK-ch Forest Service Road has only continued to deteriorate, residents say. - By Alyssa Noel

08

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter writers this week

40

FINDING THE RIGHT PATH

Local race directors and

discuss the risk versus return on the province’s decision to order self-isolation and focus

event organizers try to balance hope and feasibility when deciding whether or how to run

healthcare on COVID-19 patients.

2020 contests.

14

REOPENING REACTION

Whistler stakeholders

44

ENTER QUARANSTREAM

A new Whistler website

weigh in on the provincial government’s plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions in the

offering a hub of livestream concerts and archived shows has found immediate success

coming weeks.

with more than 20,000 users in its first month.

28

ENERGY POTENTIAL

Researchers unveil details of

54

MAXED OUT

Whistler has survived challenges in the past, though

Mount Meager field studies and release preliminary results on geothermal energy

none as devastating to tourism as COVID-19. Max argues that all stakeholders need to

potential in the area.

work together now more than ever with a focus on encouraging the rubber-tire market.

COVER To pave or not to pave? Is that the question? - By Jon Parris #103 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9.

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

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

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4 MAY 14, 2020

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OPENING REMARKS

How do we put out our welcome mat?

THIS COMING WEEKEND feels rather like a test.

With the beautiful weather we’ve had this spring, there have been more and more people coming to our community, and many of us here in Whistler and the Sea to Sky have “doubled our bubble,” as B.C.’s chief medical officer Dr. Bonnie Henry gave

BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

the all-clear to do last week.

Locally, the parks were closed and there were resort “ambassadors” keeping people from lingering in our green spaces last weekend. But that didn’t stop people from taking to some of the lakes in inflatables, congregating on shorelines if they could find some, and gathering for driveway parties as they soaked in the sun. None

asked to turn around.

As I experienced this or read about it on social media, I had mixed emotions.

Whistler is a tourist resort town and we do not have a diversified economy in any real sense. We must have people come here to experience our amazing natural environment for small businesses, hotels, restaurants and all the other community occupations that operate downstream from this driving force to survive.

But inviting and accepting people back here is frightening.

The provincial government has laid out its plans for the reopening of the B.C. economy and it starts this weekend with the opening of many front- and backcountry trails, beaches, picnic areas, washroom facilities and boat launches for day use. On June 1, BC Parks will re-open most provincial campgrounds and backcountry camping.

However, this is not true for nearly every provincial park in our region. They are all closed until further notice and that

... if visitors are going to come here, we need some community-wide rules of behaviour and we need to educate people about them. that I observed were in large groups and the groups themselves stayed separated.

There were also visitors wandering in the village and if they were lucky, they might have caught a glimpse of the Fitzsimmons chair doing some turns.

There were a few village retailers open and some eateries were set up for take-out as well.

Some drove even further north and we learned that past Mount Currie, an unofficial roadblock was set up and if you weren’t a resident of the area, you were

6 MAY 14, 2020

includes Joffre, Garibaldi, and Duffey Lake parks and more.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler has not announced when it will open its parks, but you can be sure with only Alice Lake in the Sea to Sky open to the public, if we open our community parks and the weather is good, they will be mobbed.

We want to be good neighbours to the Lower Mainland residents and we need our message to visitors to be that we are ready and responsible as we head toward the June 1 opening for hotels and resorts as laid out by

Premier John Horgan and Henry last week.

But at the same time there, there is no doubt now that COVID-19 can be spread by people who don’t even know they are carrying it and do not display any symptoms of being ill.

If I’m honest, that makes me feel less welcoming.

How then are we going to navigate this as a community? Let’s keep in mind that it is very unlikely that there will be international destination travellers coming here this year, conventions here and dancing the night away in a club are also off the table until a vaccine is in place—that could be another year or even longer.

So what is our plan?

Well, for starters, if visitors are going to come here, we need some community-wide rules of behaviour and we need to educate people about them.

We need to make sure we have sanitizing stations or places people can wash their hands, we should encourage people to wear masks and educate them about how to do this effectively, we need to remind people to sanitize their phones at least twice a day and not to put them down on surfaces, while here people must practise physical distancing and we need enforcement of this, and so on.

Could we train a new type of village host, one that can help share these messages in a kind and caring way so that visitors feel welcome, but Whistler also feels we are following best practices in preventing COVID-19?

We have flattened the curve for now and B.C.’s plan for reopening our economy appears cautiously sensible. But we all know a second wave is coming.

Our job is to stay safe, help others be safe, and make sure that as we head toward a post-pandemic time, that our reputation as a welcoming, responsible resort makes us the vacation location of choice. n

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Consider the unintended consequences of fighting COVID-19 As a local family physician, I feel compelled to write in support of the concerns expressed by my colleague Dr. Denton Hirsh in last week’s Pique (“Fear should not influence COVID-19 policy”).

After centuries of rule by emperors, popes, sultans, kings, economists, multinational corporations and elected officials, we now have doctors controlling world politics. But, like all of their predecessors, chief medical officers are over-indulging in the instillation of fear in order to maintain control of their subjects.

As Dr. Hirsh expressed so well, public policy should instead be based on rational risk-benefit analysis. Though we are temporarily enjoying the collateral benefits of cleaner air and reduced traffic accidents, I believe that society’s hysterical response to the novel virus will ultimately bear long-term negative consequences far worse than the disease itself.

Relentless global media bombardment and electronic hyper-connectivity have created a monster. (Oh, and heroes, too, like me, supposedly!) We have developed a collective autoimmune disorder bordering on anaphylactic shock with multi-organ failure, including that of our financial system, the circulatory system of society. And who would have believed we’d see the day when marijuana is legal but hugging is not?

As virulent as it may be, COVID-19 is not exactly the Black Death. But we are now dealing with fear of an unfamiliar risk. Yet, we have long been totally comfortable with voluntary daily exposure to familiar risk. For example, a regular motorist is exposed to a lifetime risk of accidental death or permanent injury of over 25 per cent. In order to save 1.3 million deaths and another 30 million serious injuries worldwide annually, what chief medical officer has proposed measures to decrease dependency on personal motor transport? Instead, with the new paranoia regarding public transport, our roads may soon be more congested and more dangerous than ever.

Another exasperating inconsistency with

affluent society’s sudden dread of death from infectious disease is that we actually have never had any problem accepting it in other cultures.

Long after achieving spectacular success in reducing infectious-disease risk through improved hygiene, clean water, vaccinations and antibiotics, we remain very parsimonious in

“The economic and financial costs of allowing this virus to take its course, including during any potential future waves, would be much greater in the long run than interrupting the trajectory of infection with lockdowns.”

- MARC ELIESEN

Science and facts guide B.C. public policy, not fear sharing these benefits with fellow human beings in less fortunate circumstances.

For a tiny fraction of the current price we have elected to pay to “combat” COVID-19 (essentially a euphemism for delaying deaths), we could have been saving millions of young

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Dr. Denton Hirsh in his letter to the editor (Pique, May 7) suggests that “fear and strong emotions” are determining our COVID-19 public policy.

He further suggests that the financial obligations for fighting this pandemic are enormous and that “with expected second and third waves of this virus, we consider allowing for a higher burden of disease, despite the possibility of a higher near-term death rate and hospitalization, given the cost and consequences of our current approach.”

I do not doubt Dr. Hirsh’s sincerity

To all our friends, clients and their families please stay safe!!

We are always here to help you in any way Susan and Steve Steve Shuster

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and physical health. How much longer are we supposed to avoid visiting our parents and grandparents?

Oh, but if we don’t delay deaths, we may “overwhelm the healthcare system,” we are told on a daily basis. Ironically, the current

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.

EXPEDITION STATION IN PEMBERTON G IN T S LI

lives each year in poorer countries. Is the life of an 88-year-old white nursing home resident really worth more than that of 1,000 African children? And on the subject of the welfare of the elderly, studies consistently identify regular social contact as one of the strongest predictors of their sustained mental

paradigm will be sure to do just that. As we continue to turtle, how many vital medical procedures and screening measures have been delayed? As Dr. Hirsh emphasized, diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and cancer all remain greater threats to the average Canadian than does contamination with COVID-19. How many new cases of any of these four common conditions have I diagnosed in the past two months with the new mortality-displacement program?

None. Some hero I am!

Yet another disturbing concern with the current model is quite personal, but I suspect not unique amongst my colleagues. Forced to perform interventions in awkward, poorly lit makeshift facilities away from my office, I have already incurred contaminated needle stick and scalpel punctures, two events in eight weeks that typically occur to me perhaps once every 10 years. I’d rather be exposed to coronavirus than to HIV. Instead of further obsession over flattening the COVID-19 curve, maybe it’s time instead to flatten the C02 curve. It’s funny how we have never really done much at all to make the world secure for 100 per cent of the next 10 generations, but we stop the world in its tracks to try to protect perhaps 10 per cent of the previous.

Rather than cowering into a corner for another year or two, I invite my patients to turn adversity into advantage, and transform the threat of infection into motivation to live as healthily as possible in order to minimize the risk of complications if and when exposure should occur.

And go ahead, hug your friends, but perhaps it is wise to continue to avoid picking your nose. Don’t let fear happen to you.

Thomas DeMarco, MD // Whistler

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR regarding his observations on this matter, but they are erroneous and misguided.

My background is in economics and finance, and for a considerable part of my career I was involved in public-policy decisionmaking. It is not fear and emotion that is responsible for formulating our policy in British Columbia, but science and facts put forward by health professionals who understand the nature of pandemics.

The goal was not to reduce the number of deaths—although this is a likely and desirable outcome—the goal was to not overwhelm the medical system and thereby experience a breakdown in the system, the obvious panic that would ensue as a result, and its much greater negative impact on the economic system.

The economic and financial costs of allowing this virus to take its course, including during any potential future waves, would be much greater in the long run than interrupting the trajectory of infection with lockdowns.

Further, as we have learned in the past, our economy is equipped to deal with debt loads.

Witness the debt incurred during the Second World War. The fear and emotion surrounding the consequence of public debt loads has been largely driven by political posturing, not by sound economic theory.

It really is a question of which approach has the highest cost, and economic science tells us that mitigating contagion and supporting those whose income has been interrupted while doing so is the most prudent course of action.

This approach has the lowest cost and the greatest benefit. That doesn’t mean it will be comfortable.

If we wish to see the cost and consequences of decisions based on fear and emotion, we only need look to the U.S., whose costs and consequences of re-opening too quickly and too broadly are going to be unnecessarily high. It will take the U.S. economy much longer to recover from COVID-19 than here in Canada because the response south of the border has been inept and politically driven.

The real failure with COVID-19 is that we were so unprepared from a public policy standpoint. Had our priority been to protect the financial and economic system from a pandemic, we would have invested in the systems and equipment to do so. It was well understood among the scientific community that a pandemic was likely, and yet, little was done to mitigate its consequences in advance of it occurring. We are now paying for our

208 TOWN PLAZA

lack of preparedness, but that doesn’t mean doubling down on an irresponsible approach.

We will get through this, but it will take effort from all of us to maintain our commitment to preventing this highly contagious disease from spreading.

Advancing arguments that suggests there is a trade-off between letting some people die so others can get a paycheque is a false dichotomy. If we don’t do everything we can to prevent people from getting the disease—including responding aggressively to future waves—not only do social and health costs skyrocket, so do financial and economic ones.

Marc Eliesen, former President and CEO, BC Hydro // Whistler

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Banning flower sales at Farmers’ Markets unfair We are local farmers in the Whistler/Pemberton area and have been doing markets in this area for more than 20 years.

It became apparent that most farmers were selling basically the same products in season, so recently we diversified by adding cut flowers. Our business greatly improved and our display became colourful and attractive.

People bought flowers and produce just like they can at most grocery stores.

Farming is farming. Local flower growers are a legitimate agricultural business and important to the local economy and should be viewed as such.

We are concerned and protest the banning of flower sales at farmers’ markets due to COVID-19.

We see this as discriminatory and unfair and it doesn’t make sense.

With the cancellation of most events and weddings this season, there remain few options for sales. Do we really want to see this sector go out of business and rely on energydependent imports?

What is wrong with having flowers and produce at our stand? In these trying times, flowers can bring joy and hope. That is their main purpose.

If flowers are not an essential product, why are alcohol sales approved?

We strongly suggest this regulation [be reconsidered, as it] does absolutely nothing to contribute to the spread of a virus. If safety protocols are in place for food farmers, they can be applied to flower sales as well.

Mike Roger and Suzann Reimer // Birken n

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9

PIQUE’N YER INTEREST

How much can we ask of others?

OVER THE PAST few weeks, there have been enough lines drawn in the sand to make beach volleyball courts on every waterfront the world over.

As governments have scrambled to handle not only the medical realities but also the financial and social fallouts of the COVID19 pandemic, there’s been a constant din of

BY DAN FALLOON sports@piquenewsmagazine.com

folks digging in deeply on one side or the other of each targeted response.

It’s a good thing we have those metaphorical volleyball courts now, since the discourse feels like an interminable match of bumps, sets and spikes.

The essential question at the root is simple: how much can we ask of others?

Of course, it’s a central question—if not the central question—of how individuals will define a functioning society, but we really only seem to ask it in those few weeks around election time when we’re promised X services in exchange for Y tax dollars. Who’d have ever thought it’s something we’d be grappling with on a larger scale for a longer term with constantly changing information?

Here’s a ping-ponging sample:

• Of course we should do everything we can to minimize the death toll.

• But it shuts down the economy and far more people are directly affected by lost revenue, layoffs, wage cuts and other financial hits.

• But the government is acting on the fly to provide help to several sectors.

• But that bill’s going to come due some day. Besides, we’ve never spent this kind of money on other issues that kill more

Of course, the financial aspect is just a single thread in this terrible tapestry that will exist after the virus is brought under control, whenever that may be; other considerations include mitigating the mental-health effects of sheltering in place, ensuring access to healthcare for those with other ailments, and establishing proper education for young people who can’t meet in person at this time.

The natural follow-up question after “how much can we ask?” is “from whom?”

the terrifyingly crowded masses screeching their demands for haircuts in the other.)

It needs to be stressed that nothing about this situation is fair. The obvious platitude is to ensure that those who didn’t have a lot to begin with should lose the least, but that ignores the reality that, generally, those who have the most also possess the means to ensure that they keep the most.

One common argument for asking a lot of anyone from medical staff to pro athletes is “This is what they signed up for!” While doctors, nurses and everyone else in our hospitals could expect something like this to happen at some point in their careers, there was an implicit understanding that they’d be working in the safest possible conditions, which, judging by personal protective equipment shortages, is not happening.

Even our multimillionaire entertainers are people too, and reassembling sports teams in “hub cities” away from their families to play in empty stadiums for an entire season, as has been proposed, feels like a bit of an icky ask since it’s purely as a salve for our collective boredom.

No situation is the same, nor is any individual’s means of coping with that specific situation. At a base, as long as we respect the safety and wellness of others (and this caveat that the “be kind” memes omit is far from a given), we can ask for that in return. n

unsavoury though it may be to place a dollar limit on saving lives, we’d be kidding ourselves to act as though it’s something new. people, though perhaps more slowly.

• But there have long been arguments that those issues should have received more funding in the past, too.

• But have you seen the money we’re already spending?

And so it goes. There’s the push and pull, perhaps, of emotional versus rational. In the big picture, no option satisfies every challenge, and it’s pretty difficult to pin down exactly what the least harmful one is. On the other hand, unsavoury though it may be to place a dollar limit on saving lives, we’d be kidding ourselves to act as though it’s something new.

as not all roles are created equal. Of course, in times like these, government needs to give back more than it asks of its people— and right now, it’s asking a lot.

But what about what we can ask, individual to individual?

Everyone, to one degree or another, is bearing some of the burden and it certainly seems that not many people are being honest about that proportional effect. (See in one corner the frontline workers almost certainly underplaying the weight on their shoulders as they suck it up and face their fears every time they report for duty … and

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STAY SAFE, HAVE FUN! SANDRA BENASSINI & DAVID MCCOLM Susan & JP, Bonnie & Andy, Anne & Max, Laura & Chris, Jean & Patrick, Stephanie & Bill, Hannah & Patrick, Jenny & John, Anne & Garry, Arthur, Susan & Brian, Suzi & JD.

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From: Your Local BCIT and WLC Staff

Engel & Vรถlkers Whistler

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler stakeholders weigh in on B.C.’s reopening plan CAUTIOUS AND CAREFUL THE NAME OF THE GAME AS WHISTLER PREPARES FOR A NEW NORMAL

BY BRADEN DUPUIS WITH THE provincial government’s announcement on May 6 that COVID19 restrictions will be eased in four phases—beginning in mid-May with elective surgeries, personal care services, provincial parks and more—local stakeholders are trying to picture what Whistler’s “new normal” might look like in the coming weeks and months.

“It seems to me like a careful, patient and deliberate plan. It’s one that we’ll be paying very close attention to and including in all planning moving forward,” said Mayor Jack Crompton on May 7.

“Whistler’s planning for reopening has been happening for a long time, [but] the B.C. restart plan is a critical piece of new information that will inform that work.”

If the transmission rate remains low or declines in Phase 1, Phase 2—from June to September—will see hotels, resorts, overnight camping, movies and symphony (though not large concerts) brought back into the fold, among other things.

More challenging are things like conventions, concerts, and international tourism—all conditional on the development of wide vaccination, “community” immunity or broad, successful treatments.

While the government’s plan provides a roadmap, in many cases, specifics While the Whistler Mountain Bike Park traditionally opens May long weekend, its 2020 opening day—and Whistler’s tourism future in general—remains up in the air.

DOWNHILL DELAYED

PHOTO BY JUSTA JESKOVA/TOURISM WHISTLER

14 MAY 14, 2020

remain elusive, and the overall picture of Whistler’s place in B.C.’s new normal remains far from clear.

AT MUNICIPAL HALL As it stands, municipal facilities such as the Meadow Park Sports Centre and Whistler Public Library, both closed on March 16, will not be re-opened until the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is comfortable it can do so in a safe and controlled manner.

To that end, staff is working with organizations like the BC Recreation and Parks Association on re-opening plans, and looking at WorkSafeBC and The Municipal Insurance Association of B.C. guidelines related to COVID-19 and physical distancing to see how they relate to all public spaces and buildings.

Municipal hall itself will reopen on a smaller scale in the coming weeks with physical-distancing measures in place to allow for transit pass purchases and tax payments (though most municipal services are available online, and the RMOW suggests the public use that route first).

While council meetings have been held virtually since April 7, work is also underway to allow for virtual public hearings.

The Economic Partnership Initiative (EPI) committee continues to meet, with its next (closed) session scheduled for Thursday, May 14.

“It is anticipated that the EPI will be able to communicate relevant information in the coming days and weeks for the benefit of both residents and the business community,” a spokesperson said.

The RMOW is also working with the business sector to ensure employers have the proper information around WorkSafeBC guidelines.

While local parks will stay closed for the long weekend, a phased reopening is planned for the coming weeks.

“Parking lots will remain closed to encourage people to continue to recreate locally and playgrounds will remain closed as they are high-touch surfaces,” the spokesperson said.

“We are looking at adding concession services in preparation for the summer season, as we are able.”

ON THE MOUNTAIN Traditionally, the May long weekend marks the official opening of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park—an opening now predictably delayed.

“We don’t have a specific date in mind, but we are looking at—as those restrictions start to ease, where resorts start to open sometime in June—what that operating plan would look like,” said Marc Riddell, communications director for Vail Resorts West Coast.

The complexities of opening the bike park in the current climate (how does social distancing apply to bike park and trail crews, food and beverage offerings, or bikers themselves? What might the impact on the health-care centre be?) mean that Whistler Blackcomb (WB) and Vail Resorts will be taking a “careful and measured” approach to its planning, Riddell said.

“We have to be careful … we can’t

just rush back into things because some of those restrictions have been eased.

We are looking very closely at how other jurisdictions have responded to the easing of restrictions,” he said, adding that any approach WB takes will follow the guidelines set out by health officials.

“As we get closer to finalizing an opening day we will walk people through [the details]. You can imagine the complexity of it, and so we’re taking the time to pick through it, to carefully plan it, to be measured in our approach, and once we’re closer to formalizing that we’re going to let folks know.”

Collaboration will be key in Whistler’s recovery, and WB has been in constant contact with other resort stakeholders, Riddell added.

“The only way we’re going to get through this is if we all come together as the resort that we are, and are able to deliver something that may not look like it has in the past, but that is forward looking and hopeful for the future,” he said.

THE TOURISM OUTLOOK At Tourism Whistler (TW), regular meetings are taking place with the commercial and accommodation sectors to discuss forecasts, potential recovery plans and what’s happening in other places around the world as restrictions ease, said president and CEO Barrett Fisher.

“So we certainly have been well underway in planning for what does recovery look like,” she said.

One important piece of work that will prove relevant to Phase 1 is a database of

NEWS WHISTLER all Whistler businesses showing whether they’re open or not.

“We’re expanding upon that database to now include when businesses are planning to open up … and then what are the new safety protocols that are being put into place around social distancing, sanitation and other things,” Fisher said.

“Certainly having these appropriate COVID-19 protocols in place is important to our guests, and so we want to ensure that we’re sharing that with them through our consumer website.”

While the updated database is a work in progress, it will be available at whistler. com, Fisher said.

“We don’t know the timing of some sectors and some businesses; we don’t anticipate that everything is going to open up at the same time,” she said.

“It will be a methodical opening up of different sectors and different business based on the province’s direction as well as their readiness.”

In terms of its marketing, TW had to strip away those target audiences that it can’t currently attract—which, as of this writing, is basically everyone—with the goal of building back up its efforts as more restrictions ease.

“So for example, today, it’s ‘stay home.’ Over the next two weeks it’s ‘stay in your own community.’ As of June, we’re anticipating that we’ll start to see some B.C. visitors coming through June, July, August and September,” Fisher said.

While interprovincial visitors could return in late summer or the fall, further out it gets murkier, with no set date for the return of international travel.

Conference business, too, will likely be nonexistent for the foreseeable future, and several groups that booked for 2020 have rescheduled to 2021 and beyond.

Meanwhile, a $3.5-million renovation of the Whistler Conference Centre—an aesthetic overhaul that includes new lighting, carpets, wall coverings, furniture, art and more— was briefly delayed due to COVID-19 before resuming with proper protocols.

“We’re looking to complete the renovation probably by June of this year, is the hope, and then it will be an amazing, beautiful, upgraded facility to welcome groups back when the time is right,” Fisher said.

While time will tell when tourism will truly return to Whistler, “when we do start to see visitors coming back to our community it’s important that we show our hearts and we welcome them back,” she added.

“I think that all of our guests will be prepared to continue to support social distancing and doing the right thing, and we will continue to communicate the importance of that, but we are a touristbased economy, and so in order to get our businesses and our economy back up and running again, we hope that we can start to bring back visitors and that they will be welcomed in a positive way.”

HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS Like all other stakeholders in the resort, members of the Hotel Association of Whistler (HAW) are eyeing a cautious approach to reopening.

“Whatever steps we take in terms of a reopening, it has to be very careful, it has to be measured, it has to be step-bystep, it has to ensure that we are keeping physical distancing, we are keeping the hygiene protocols, all that in place, and protective equipment,” said HAW president Saad Hasan.

“So those are things that we will have to very carefully manage, because of course no one wants to have a situation where we are providing unnecessary exposure either to our guests or to staff.”

While all hotels will follow the requirements set out by health officials, additional measures and precautions will likely be added by different brands, Hasan said.

“The orders that have been put out I think are very good, because at least they set a certain benchmark, a certain standard, and then we can build upon that,” he said.

About 30 per cent of Whistler’s hotels have remained open throughout the restrictions, but “as far as guest business is concerned, I don’t think they saw much of that,” Hasan said, adding that summer bookings “are not looking promising in any way, shape or form at the moment.”

The severity of the pandemic took hotel operators by surprise in February, forcing them back to the drawing board on forecasts and budgets, Hasan said.

While many HAW members have shortterm contingencies to fall back on, “we have not had discussions on what it would be like if we were to run this scenario through all the way into the end of summer, or certainly going into winter,” he said.

If the summer trends positively, with infections staying low while business returns, “I think people will be able to somehow survive,” he added. “If that doesn’t happen, if this thing just takes a slow, lingering toll, and summer starts looking like it’s down the tube, then I think it will be a different discussion altogether.

“Then it will be quite worrisome, I think.”

As for the Restaurant Association of Whistler (RAW), an online member feedback session was scheduled for Wednesday, May 13 as Pique went to press.

In the meantime, RAW is working with all stakeholders to safely and efficiently prep for reopening, and assessing the crucial points that need to be addressed for restaurateurs to do so successfully, said chair Eric Griffith, in an email.

“The province will guide final decisions on actual timelines, and we are patient and optimistic,” he said.

“Currently, our hospitality community has a wide range of takeaway food options and restaurant in-home services offered that we urge our community to support during this time period before we welcome everyone back into our businesses.”

While Whistler’s recovery will be a slow, potentially painful process, Crompton has faith in the locals who made the resort what it was to begin with.

“There’s lots of thought that needs to go into understanding what a physically distanced but hospitable experience looks like,” he said. “I am incredibly confident in Whistler and Whistlerites. If anybody can do it, we are the ones.” n

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15

NEWS WHISTLER

Avoid non-essential travel this May long weekend, Whistler doctors say WHISTLER PARKS, WHISTLER BLACKCOMB STILL CLOSED

BY BRADEN DUPUIS WITH THE MAY long weekend right around the corner, Whistler doctors are reminding the public that B.C. is still in Phase 1 of its four-phase plan to reopen the province.

“Which means that hopefully people are avoiding all non-essential travel,” said Dr. Karin Kausky of the Whistler Medical Clinic.

“And then I think for people that need to travel, or are here, that just because you’re away from your own community— you’re sort of ‘on vacation’—I don’t think you can take a vacation from your social responsibility to continue to maintain standards and to have minimal impact on other communities.”

The messaging from local health officials ahead of the long weekend remains much the same: stay home if you feel sick, even with a minor cold; even without showing symptoms, you can carry and spread the virus.

In short, act in a way that assumes everyone may have COVID-19: stay

physically distant, wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and wear a mask to protect others.

While wearing a mask is not a public health recommendation, “we think it’s

protect everybody.”

Whistler parks will remain closed to the public until after the May long weekend due to COVID-19, and Whistler Blackcomb (WB) is also closed.

“I don’t think you can take a vacation from your social responsibility...”

- KARIN KAUSKY

important,” said Dr. Bruce Mohr, medical director for the Whistler Health Care Centre.

“Because of the high rate of asymptomatic carriage, you wear a mask to protect others, especially when you can’t safely physically distance,” Mohr said.

“All the retail outlets are trying to help you physically distance, but the reality is you can’t always be two metres apart from everyone. So if you wear a mask, it helps you protect them. If everybody did it, we’d

No uphill access is permitted within WB’s tenure, and those caught trespassing face the possibility of losing access to the ski area next season as well, said Marc Riddell, communications director for Vail Resorts West Coast.

“Going into the long weekend, the safety messaging is still pretty key, because we can’t have people going up there,” he said.

“It’s dangerous for our staff, and obviously we don’t want anything to happen to the

VANCOUVER | NORTH SHORE | WHISTLER

public while they’re up there.”

As COVID-19 restrictions relax further starting on May 19, infection numbers are likely to go up, Kausky said.

“We just need to be mindful of that, and we need to not forget that the problem still exists, even though the restrictions are being relaxed,” she said.

“We still don’t have an effective therapeutic intervention or a vaccine, so we still want to be really mindful of all of the measures we’ve put in place, like physical distancing, staying home if unwell—we can’t forget about those.”

And while the first wave of the virus appears to be over, “there’s very likely to be a second and third wave—we just don’t know when they will be, and how big they will be,” Mohr added.

“But if people do respect the measures, hopefully those waves won’t be very big.”

Easing the restrictions is about “finding that sweet spot,” Mohr said— managing a certain burden of illness in the community so that people can start getting back to their lives.

While there are obvious health consequences from the virus, both

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direct and indirect, “there are a lot of other consequences because people aren’t working, and businesses aren’t running,” Mohr said, pointing to increased use of local social services because of the pandemic.

“If you have the means to do so, you should donate to (the Whistler Community Services Society and the food bank) and support them, because right now they really need it,” he said.

“The better that those people are supported, the less the burden it will be on the healthcare system as well, so I think that’s a really important point—there’s a lot of hurting people out there.”

Anyone requiring non-emergent care in Whistler (local or visitor) is asked to contact their family doctor or the virtual walk-in clinic at www.divisionsbc.ca/sea-sky.

Those requiring urgent or emergent medical care locally can call the Whistler Health Care Centre at 604-932-4911. Call 911 for an emergency and 811 for nonemergency advice.

Meanwhile, Tuesday, May 12 marked International Nurses Day. “There just aren’t adequate words to express our appreciation of our nurse colleagues,” Kausky said. “[The last two months have] been pretty exhausting, but working with really inspiring colleagues is what keeps everybody going.”

Added Mohr in marking nurses’ day: “Thank you and we love you.” n

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MAY 14, 2020

17

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler family speaks out after being told to ‘Go back to China’ LOCAL EXAMPLE AMONGST A TROUBLING RISE IN ANTI-ASIAN INCIDENTS ACROSS THE PROVINCE

BY MEGAN LALONDE A LOCAL FAMILY is speaking out after finding itself on the receiving end of racist comments while out for a walk through Whistler Village.

Kyoko Hamazaki’s sister-in-law, who is Japanese, was walking through the village with her newborn, along with three of Hamazaki’s nieces and nephews, aged five, seven and 11—all of whom were all wearing protective masks—when an older Caucasian man rode past the family on his bike and yelled something along the lines of, “Chinese, go back home,” Hamazaki said.

The incident took place on Sunday, May 3 at around 3 p.m.

“She just was so, so shocked that she couldn’t say anything and then she was just very sad, [was] what she said,” explained Hamazaki, whose family has called Whistler home for about 50 years and was the first Japanese family in town. Her nieces and nephews, “are third-generation Whistler kids,” she noted.

“I had [to deal with] that when I was

little, but I didn’t think this generation would ever have to encounter that,” she said.

“They were so shocked because it’s Whistler, you know, we’re supposed to be more open—we’re all from different countries.”

“...we’re supposed to be more open— we’re all from different countries.”

- KYOKO HAMAZAKI

Hamazaki’s initial reaction when she first heard about the incident? “I was just so mad,” she recalled. “I’m just completely shocked, and I was just angry that we have to do this all over again. Like, we’ve taken steps back.”

Compounding those feelings is another racist incident that took place recently, involving a close friend of Hamazaki’s.

After this friend, who Hamazaki said is of South Korean heritage, posted a free tricycle to give away on a Whistler kids

buy and sell Facebook group, one of the comments left under the post read, “You’d better sanitize it, she’s Asian.”

Among the countless negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is a rise in racist interactions, like the ones experienced by Hamazaki’s family and friend.

Vancouver police have noted a significant increase in reports of antiAsian hate-motivated incidents over recent months, including a young woman who was punched in the face in an “unprovoked attack,” according to police, while waiting for a bus, and a 92-year-old Asian man who was assaulted near a convenience store in March. Last week, Richmond RCMP responded to a disturbance near Garry Point Park, where racist slurs were allegedly directed at a group of individuals during a verbal altercation, police explained in a release.

This rise in racist incidents targeting Asian people during the COVID-19 pandemic even prompted the B.C. government to offer more support for communities to address hate and racism through Resilience BC, the province announced May 5.

“These incidents are completely

unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Anne Kang, minister of Citizens’ Services and responsible for Multiculturalism in a release. “We are acting now to address racism at the community level and ensure all British Columbians are free from discrimination and intimidation.”

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada.

Hamazaki said she hopes speaking out can shed light on these unfortunate incidents and ensure racism is put to a stop in our community.

“In our culture, being Japanese, we tend to not speak out, and that’s why I wanted to share this. If you don’t talk about it, then it gets hidden and it kind of gets OK’d, in a way—it’s almost like people allow it if you don’t say anything against it. We’re angry and, you know, it shouldn’t be happening, but they [her family] wouldn’t have said anything if I hadn’t gotten involved.”

Hamazaki continued, “There needs to be a lesson that’s learned from this, because we don’t want to take the brunt of something so awful for nothing. There needs to be something learned—change has to happen.

And we can’t let this type of discrimination become part of the new norm.” n

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Home sales down, but prices remain steady LOCAL REALTORS DON’T EXPECT TO SEE PROPERTY PRICES WAVER AS PANDEMIC CONTINUES

BY ALYSSA NOEL THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC might have impacted the number of home sales in Whistler and Pemberton this spring, but local realtors don’t expect prices will take a dip.

“January and February were very strong,” said Pat Kelly, president of Whistler Real Estate Co. “There was lots of interest and actually an improvement over 2019. Then, of course, March 15 came along and the inability to have any clarity about what was going to happen health-wise and economically started to impact decision making.”

But while properties are taking longer to sell, buyers putting offers on the table are serious, he added.

“Buyers are going to make offers; they’re not going to pay what you’re asking, but the good news is the people who are out making offers are serious,” Kelly said. “They’re not going to tour through 16 times [so you have to] sanitize.”

Last month, the total dollar volume of all properties sold in Whistler was $24 million, compared to $58 million in April 2019, according to a report compiled by Re/ Max Sea to Sky Real Estate using data from

the Whistler Listing System.

That corresponds with 11 sales in April 2020 versus 50 sales during the same month last year.

March sales were down about 57 per cent, but in February—before the pandemic sent people into self-isolation—they were up about 36 per cent, said Ann Chiasson,

In Pemberton, a much smaller market than Whistler, the April snapshot showed $5 million in sales for 2020 compared to $9 million for that month in 2019.

Kelly, who lives in Pemberton, said the pandemic has drawn a bit of interest to the small community. “There are people looking for acreages off the beaten path,” he

“If we don’t have a lot of product available, we’re not going to see a price adjustment.”

- ANN CHIASSON

managing broker owner at Re/Max Sea to Sky. “People are still looking,” she said.

“We’ve had a lot of online views. I’ve been checking the stats on my listings … The reality is you’re not going to see a lot of people desperate to sell. If we don’t have a lot of product available, we’re not going to see a price adjustment.”

However, the true impact of the pandemic won’t be certain until May and June numbers are available, she added.

said. “We still have … people with kids and families looking for places to live and see this as an opportunity. The challenge with Pemberton is there isn’t a lot for sale here.”

Meanwhile, the strong American dollar has had a few buyers south of the border putting offers on homes subject to in-person viewings, despite border closures, Chiasson said.

“We have to be practical with sellers saying it might be awhile before they can

view it,” she added.

Overall, though, Chiasson and Kelly don’t see the market dropping or spiking dramatically going forward. While it’s possible very high-end homes could see a slight drop, homes under $2 million are unlikely to see much change, Chiasson said.

Townhouses and condos, for instance, are still seeing interest from local buyers.

“Canada is doing a good job of stabilizing people,” she said. “That will affect a lot of people … I don’t know the number of people losing jobs and not going through with house [purchases], but when things go back to normal and they have their jobs back, they could go back to looking to purchase properties.”

In the meantime, realtors are adjusting the way they’re showing homes with additional safety measures—like physical distancing and sanitizing—more virtual viewings, and remote meetings.

“Right now, I think it’s important to get a professional opinion on what you’re doing,” Kelly added. “I don’t think researching real estate on the internet is going to help you make a decision right now. You need some experienced people who understand what’s going on and [you have to] understand the process of looking at and buying real estate will take more time.” n

The Resort Municipality of Whistler is open for business.

While we work to re-open our buildings to the public, most municipal services are available online including: planning services, building services, finance and online payments.

Please visit www.whistler.ca/virtualservices For COVID-19 information visit www.whistler.ca/covid19 Resort Municipality of Whistler www.whistler.ca/covid19 20 MAY 14, 2020

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21

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler searching for new climate coordinator COUNCIL BRIEFS: LIFT STATION CONTRACT AWARDED; BAYSHORES LUC TERMINATION HEADS TO PUBLIC HEARING

BY BRADEN DUPUIS THE SEARCH FOR A NEW climate change coordinator is on at Whistler’s municipal hall following the resignation of Max Kniewasser last month.

Kniewasser—who joined the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) for the newly created role in June 2019—resigned due to family reasons, a municipal spokesperson said.

A posting for the position closed on March 8, and applications are currently under review.

For Councillor Arthur De Jong, who oversees Whistler’s environment portfolio, climate change is “by far the most important position on my file,” he said, and the RMOW committing to filling the position during a COVID-19 hiring freeze is a win.

“We need a role at town hall that is entirely focused on moving the Community Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) forward. That’s the playbook for that role,” De Jong said.

“And otherwise I feel like we have a playbook without a quarterback, and I’m part of the coaching staff, and I’m looking out in the field and the most important

position is vacated. Our scoreboard is not going to go well.”

Adopted in 2016, Whistler’s CECAP lays out 134 specific actions to address greenhouse gas emissions in the community.

In an update on Nov. 5, 2019, council heard that of 94 actions in the “Mitigation” section, which mostly comprises energy and emission goals, 42 were in progress, 18 were considered continual, ongoing efforts, five were completed, and 29 had not been initiated.

Of the 40 actions listed in the “Adaptation” section, which includes minimizing the threat of wildfire, traffic congestion, and ensuring an adequate water supply, two were in progress, 10 were ongoing, and 27 had not been initiated.

While municipal officials have their hands full with the COVID-19 crisis, “we need to integrate every possible action with a climate lens as we work through COVID,” De Jong said.

“So having that person on staff now is I think as imperative as it always is.”

While CECAP priorities will be guided by the new climate coordinator, De Jong pointed out that passenger vehicles and buildings continue to be the largest emitters locally.

“We need to stay focused on that,” he said.

“We need to focus on where the biggest emissions are, but obviously within that, what’s most doable in the short- and midterm to make a difference.”

Find the full CECAP and other resources at whistler.ca/climateaction.

LIFT STATION UPGRADE CONTRACT AWARDED; BAYSHORES LUC TERMINATION HEADS TO PUBLIC HEARING A sewer lift station on Crabapple Drive is set for an upgrade after council awarded a contract for the project at its May 5 meeting.

The $696,980 contract was awarded to Vancouver-based Luxton Construction, and work on the station includes replacing the wet well (with a hydrogen sulfide resistant liner) and mechanical and electrical components.

The new liner has a lifespan of anywhere from 30 to 50 years.

Work is set to start in early June and end on Aug. 31.

Residents in the area can expect some noise during construction, as pumps will be needed to divert sewage from the station as the liner is replaced.

Meanwhile, council also gave first

and second readings to a bylaw that will terminate the Land Use Contract (LUC) in Bayshores at its May 5 meeting.

With all LUCs in B.C. set to expire in 2024, municipalities are required to replace them with zoning before June 30, 2022.

“We need to focus on where the biggest emissions are, but obviously within that, what’s most doable in the short- and midterm to make a difference.”

- ARTHUR DE JONG

The RMOW is proposing to zone the lands residential multiple 70 (RM70), which aligns with the regulations set out in the LUC, as well as applicable permits and covenants for each strata lot.

A (virtual) public hearing will follow. n

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VALLEY TRAIL NOTICE

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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.

• Stay at least 2 m (6ft) from others • No groups • Walk in single file on far right when passing others • Leash dogs • Avoid busy times Please visit www.whistler.ca/covid19 for the latest updates from the RMOW.

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

whistler.ca/FuelThinning

www.whistler.ca/ covid19 MAY 14, 2020

23

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler locals create Sea to Sky Healing Project NEW WEBSITE FEATURES CURATED MENTAL-HEALTH CONTENT

BY DAN FALLOON AS THE COVID-19 pandemic drags on, some may be having more difficulty coping than others.

It could be for a multitude of factors: concerns over oneself or family members getting sick; changes to one’s employment or financial situation; the difficulty of socializing in-person; or being cooped up in the same space interminably.

In order to help people adapt, a group of locals has banded together to create the Sea to Sky Healing Project, which is online at seatoskyhealingproject.com.

The site features a round-up of podcasts, articles and videos curated by a team of seven locals with different backgrounds in order to provide a variety of perspectives. Collaborators are Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton, Whistler Community Services Society executive director Jackie Dickinson (who is currently on maternity leave), clinical counsellor Greg McDonnell, Coast Mountain Academy counsellor Melahnie Moodie, Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre executive director Heather Paul, Pemberton photographer and one-time minister Chad Chomlack, and

project founder and Whistler Half Marathon race director Dave Clark.

Clark, who has depression, said he and McDonnell were talking about the mental health issues that would bubble up during the pandemic in mid-March. They eventually circled back to address those issues, and launched the site in mid-April.

“I was in my own right, going through some very stressful times,” said Clark, who returned from an abbreviated vacation and quickly cancelled the 2020 edition of the half marathon. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was therapeutic to go through this process, for sure, having essentially lost my job.”

Clark, the chief collaborator on the project, said it was important to garner a variety of viewpoints to reflect not only different ideas, but also the diverse ways in which people learn and consume information.

While the project may eventually include more original content, Clark said the early focus was to sift through the good information that was available and make it accessible.

“How do we take what exists out there, from podcasts to TED Talks to articles to other tools out there … [and] put them in one spot, aggregated and pulled together in a toolkit kind of concept?” he said. “It’s so

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All of GNAR’s staff members are trained in Passive House (Passivhaus) Design - houses that use 90% less energy for heating and cooling.

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“Not only can we save the homeowner tens of thousands of dollars in energy costs over the lifetime of their building by what we do,” he says.

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that our community has a central place they can go to to maybe find some tools that are going to help them.”

He added: “We want it to be written or presented in an average person’s terms and we don’t want much content that’s really clinical because it scares people away.”

McDonnell said he’s sought to hone his own perspective in terms of what he’s sharing, providing not only practical advice but also some content that challenges users as well.

“The content I’ve recommended has been around self-care and parenting and a bit of a philosophical nod as well, a philosophical orientation to approach chaos,” he said. “Some of those lenses help us understand some of the existential challenges that come with addressing chaos.”

Clark said while the pandemic will affect those with existing mental-health issues, a main area of concern is those who are dealing with such challenges for the first time and may not have a toolbox or treatment plan set up.

“How do we help those people, who are maybe feeling those things for the first time, manage that?” he said. “In some cases, people might be able to get to our toolkit and listen to a podcast that might help them

understand some of their emotions, maybe give them a little bit of a different idea of how to look at their life, maybe give them some management tools for being a little more present and mindful instead of really worrying about all the what-ifs.”

Clark said while some may be able to manage with the content that’s provided, he noted that the site is there to provide some peer support and is not meant to replace professional services.

“Some people may end up needing to find themselves in front of a counsellor and talking through a situation,” he said.

“At least, if we can get the tools into their hands, they may find a better way of living healthier mentally in the short term than if they didn’t find it.”

McDonnell added that he’s not surprised some people will be faced with mental-health challenges for the first time, especially given the nature of Whistler as a tourist town and a so-called bubble.

“COVID is forcing us to accept some uncomfortable truths, whether that’s around our consumption habits or our denial of things, issues that you may be forgetting about in this Peter Pan town of ours,” he said. “COVID brings those issues, for most people, not all, right to the surface.” n

DALE HOTELL

MOUNTAIN HOST ExTrAOrDINAIrE

Surrounded by family on Sunday, April 26th at the age of 75 Dale passed away.

He was well known for many years in the Coquitlam School District followed by a career with Whistler Blackcomb. Dale will always be remembered by his wife of 54 years, Rosemary, children, Kari and Jason (Lyndsey). Dale will be forever in his two grandchildren’s hearts, Kayden and Joshua. He is also survived by his brother, Alan (Teresa) and sister, Carole (Don).

Dale will be remembered by the hundreds of volunteer Mountain Hosts he hired and managed over his 35-year career with Whistler Blackcomb.

His smiling face, timeless jokes and sage advice will not soon be forgotten.

In his memory, we will carry on helping Guests and Creating Memories as he encouraged us to do daily.

rEMEMBErED BY ALL WHISTLEr BLACKCOMB MOUNTAINS HOSTS, PAST AND PrESENT

NEWS WHISTLER

Most parks in the Sea to Sky remain closed SOME BC PARKS TO OPEN MAY 14, BUT NOT THOSE THAT ATTRACT ‘HIGH-VISITOR VOLUME’

BY JENNIFER THUNCHER/ STEVEN CHUA Squamish Chief

THE PROVINCIAL government might have revealed its plans to open some B.C. parks last week, but for now, Whistler’s municipal parks will remain closed.

No gatherings of any size—even with members of the same household— are allowed in parks, parking lot areas, washrooms, playgrounds, benches, or other gathering areas, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) said in its recent newsletter.

“The RMOW is working on creating the conditions for parks to open under the province’s Phase 2 scenario (mid-May),” it said.

Residents can, however, travel through parks on the Valley Trail. To that end, Whistlerites are reminded to stay two metres apart on the trail, avoid travelling in groups, pass others in single file with distance, leash their dogs, and avoid busy periods.

“The message from our premier, provincial health officer and our minister of health has been very clear that we need to remain [100]-per-cent committed to making sure the curve of COVID-19 remains flat,” said Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton in a release.

“Now is not the time to relax and undo the work we’ve done.”

The provincial government announced that some parks will be open starting May 14 and be available for camping starting June 1.

“Opening parks and campgrounds safely means some closures will temporarily remain in place for specific parks or park areas, services and facilities,” a BC Parks spokesperson said by email.

However, parks that see high visitor volumes—such as those in the Sea to Sky corridor—make physical distancing difficult and also cause a heavier environmental impact.

As such, those parks are not part of the park opening plan.

“We are keeping these parks closed for now in order to keep staff, park operators, park visitors and the parks themselves safe, and to ensure small communities are not overwhelmed by people who are ignoring advice to avoid non-essential travel,” said the spokesperson.

While BC Parks areas in Sea to Sky are mostly closed, all recreation sites in the region will be open for day use, but not camping. Visit www2.gov.bc.ca/ gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/ camping-hiking/sites-trails for more.

Steve Jones, an active Sea to Sky corridor adventure and recreation blogger,

is urging people to be patient and make a habit of checking the BC Parks site before they head out to be sure of what is open and what is not.

“I think a lot of people may have seen the press release or read the headline and it sounds like a lot of the parks are open, but in our region, in particular, most of the parks that people go to are going to be closed for a while [longer],” he said.

What Jones calls a “chronic lack of funding” of the provincial parks could be part of the reason for the late openings in our region.

“The [provincial] health officer has made it clear that being outside is generally a low-risk activity, [but] there is so little funding in our park system that for them to make operational changes is very challenging for them,” said Jones, adding that it’s a lot of work for BC Parks employees to be part of drafting policy, mapping and putting up signs on top of other duties.

Jones said that not having Sea to Sky parks open makes it harder to get outside and spread out.

“Hopefully for the majority of trails, where it is relatively easy to spread out and really disperse into the park, they are able to open those soon,” he said, pointing to Garibaldi Provincial Park, which has access points in Whistler and Squamish.

“Certainly for people in the Sea to Sky corridor, being able to open that up again would be great.”

Louise Pedersen, executive director of Outdoor Recreation Council of BC, said people are disappointed about the number of parks not open in the corridor.

“We have got 60 per cent of B.C.’s population who live in the Lower Mainland, what about these parks?” she asked, noting that it has been two months since people have had access to their local parks.

“Cypress, Seymour, Nairn Falls, Garibaldi, Golden Ears are all remaining closed for the foreseeable time,” she said.

She recognized that there is concern about the parks being overwhelmed, but said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Premier John Horgan have been clear: “Stay local, don’t travel. Even within this second phase, the guidelines are very strict around that. Don’t visit smaller communities; stay local. I am hoping that people will get that memo.”

For more on BC Parks’ plans go here: bcparks.ca/covid-19/questions-answers.

While Alice Lake will open on May 14, the following parks will remain closed with no opening date scheduled: Stawamus Chief, Garibaldi Park, Joffre Lakes, Duffey Lake, Brandywine Falls, Murrin Park, and Shannon Falls.

- With files from Alyssa Noel ■

SECURE BICYCLE PARKING IN THE VILLAGE www.whistler.ca/bikeparking

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Canoe, kayak and SUP storage Whistler is Water Wise: rack Are rental You? spaces at Whistler parks Level 1 sprinkling regulations are in effect June 1 to September 30

Racks spaces will be available to rent from May 21 to Residential sprinkling is permitted from 4–9 a.m. and 7–10 p.m.

November 15 and online registration will open, on a first on the following days: come first serve basis,Wednesdays on May 21and at Saturdays noon. (Limited email Odd-numbered addresses Even-numbered addressesThursdays and Sundays

assistance and no phone assistance for online registration.)

Lawn watering is reccommended for less than 30 minutes per week.

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Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca /parks

MAY 14, 2020

25

NEWS WHISTLER

Squamish man caught shoplifting in Whistler ALSO IN POLICE BRIEFS: DRIVER CAUGHT TRAVELLING 147 KM/H ON HIGHWAY 99; TRACTOR TRAILER ROLLOVER ON LILLOOET LAKE ROAD

BY MEGAN LALONDE CHARGES ARE PENDING against a 67-year-old Squamish man after he was caught shoplifting from a Whistler business earlier this month.

According to a release, Whistler RCMP were first notified of a theft from a store located in the 2000 block of Lake Placid Road on Wednesday, May 6 at around 6:20 p.m.

The suspect had fled with “several hundred dollars” worth of product before getting into a vehicle and driving south on Highway 99, said police.

Whistler RCMP notified their Squamish counterparts about the direction of the vehicle and advised their fellow officers to be on the lookout for it. Squamish RCMP managed to located the vehicle and take the driver into custody and recover “some of the items” that were reported stolen, police stated in the release. The suspect has been released, pending charge approval.

BMW IMPOUNDED Whistler RCMP caught a driver travelling

at 147 kilometres per hour in a 90 km/h zone on Saturday morning, May 9.

In another instance of Sea to Sky cooperation, Squamish RCMP informed Whistler police about “a group of high[-]end vehicles” travelling northbound on Highway 99, well in “excess of the speed limit” at around 8:30 a.m. last Saturday, according to the release.

Whistler Traffic RCMP set up shop to await the group, and after “a short time,” observed the lead vehicle in the group driving 147 km/h, 57 km/h faster than the posted speed limit.

Whistler police subsequently stopped the driver and issued a 29-year-old man from Surrey with a violation ticket for excessive speeding. His vehicle, a 2019 BMW 850, was immediately impounded for seven days.

“ICBC reports that speeding continues to be the number one cause of car crash fatalities in B.C.,” police wrote in the release, adding that maintaining safety on local roadways continues to be a substantial focus for Whistler RCMP. “We are committed to taking a zero[-] tolerance approach to those drivers out there who chose to risk their safety and the safety of others on our roadways.”

To that end, ICBC has launched a campaign against speeding that began on May 4 and is set to run throughout the month. ICBC is calling it “The Speed Campaign” and promoting the effort with the hashtag #noneedforspeed.

“With fewer vehicles on the road right now, it may be tempting to speed. Yet speeding increases the risk of crashing by reducing the amount of time to react to other cars, cyclists and pedestrians,

“... Speeding increases the risk of crashing...”

- ICBC

and unnecessarily tying up our first responders,” explained the insurance provider in a release.

The Speed Campaign is urging the motorists who have to drive during these times to always choose a safe speed when doing so.

Head to icbc.com/road-safety/crashes-

happen/Pages/Speed.aspx for more information about risks and potential consequences of speeding.

DRIVER ESCAPES WITH MINOR INJURIES IN TRACTOR TRAILER ROLLOVER A driver suffered minor injuries after the tractor trailer he was driving rolled over on Lillooet Lake Road last week.

Pemberton RCMP responded to a report of an overturned tractor trailer in the 400 block of Lillooet Lake Road at around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, police explained in the release.

Police found that the driver of the tractor trailer unit “failed to negotiate” a 90-degree turn, prompting the truck to roll onto its left side and the load of wood chips it was carrying to spill across the roadway.

The driver managed to safely exit the vehicle on his own and appeared to suffer only minor injuries, according to the release. It took crews “several hours” to clear the tractor trailer and its load from the roadway, following which Lillooet Lake Road was fully re-opened to motorists. n

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Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 883, 2020

Public No�ce

What is Zoning Amendment (RTA-1 Text Amendment) Bylaw No. 883, 2019 about?

Bylaw No. 883, 2020 amends Zoning Bylaw No. 832, 2018 Residen�al Townhouse Amenity 1, Sunstone (RTA-1) Zone to permit the construc�on of duplex dwellings in mul�-family developments.

What is the significance of the proposed Bylaw No. 883, 2020?

The RTA-1 zone is one of several zones created specifically to implement the Sunstone project. The zone permits the development of single-detached small lots, or mul�-family townhouse developments. Mul�-family units consist of three or more units in a single building. The applica�on has been made as part of Sunstone Ridge Development Ltd.’s efforts to develop the Elevate at Sunstone project. To date, the Applicant has commenced construc�on of the first townhouse building; hphase, the Applicant reports there is limited however, through the sales and marke�ng phase, the Applicant reports there is limited demand for two-bedroom interior townhouse units. The proponents submit however that there seems to be greater market demand for three bedroom, end units. The purpose of the amendment is to facilitate reconsidera�on of the Elevate at Sunstone project to amend the RTA-1 zone to facilitate the construc�on of a duplex mul�-family project. If approved, the proposed amendment would not be the proposed amendment would not be specific to Elevate at Sunstone, but would apply to all lands currently zoned RTA-1 in Zoning Bylaw No. 832, 2018 or any future parcels which may be zoned RTA-1.

Tuesday May 26, 2020, 9 am, Via Electronic Mee�ng (Zoom Webinar ID: 853 6574 7599) How do I get more informa�on?

Copies of the proposed bylaw and relevant background documents may be inspected at the Village of Pemberton Office by contac�ng Administra�ve Staff by phone (604-894-6135) or email (admin@pemberton.ca) to set up an appointment to view a copy at Village Office, 7400 Prospect Street during the office hours of 8:30am to 4:30pm, from Thursday May 14, 2020 to Tuesday May 26, 2020 (excluding weekends and statutory holidays) and also online at www.pemberton.ca.

How do I a�end the electronic Public Hearing?

In order to par�cipate by Zoom Video Conferencing, in addi�on to the mee�ng ID number set out above, a�endees will need to first download Zoom on your computer or the Zoom APP on your phone, which is available at www.zoom.us (it is recommended that this is done and tested well in advance of the Public Hearing to ensure connec�ons and func�ons work).

How do I provide feedback pe All persons, who believe their interest in the property is affected by the proposed Bylaw, shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard by Council at the Public Hearing by joining the Zoom Webinar as an “A�endee” and demonstra�ng their desire to speak (Raising their Hand), when instructed. Wri�en comments must be addressed to “Mayor and Council” and may be submi�ed through one of the following methods prior to the Public Hearing (by 4:00pm on Monday, May 25, 2020)

604 • 902 • 1891 www.heikedesigns.com

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Attention

Spring Cleaning?

Donate your pre-loved goods to the ReUseIt Centre!

We will accept donations at 8000 Nesters Road starting May 29.

Drop off 7 days a week from 10 am - 6 pm Stay tuned for updates at mywcss.org We are working on a plan to reopen for shopping soon!

Email: admin@pemberton.ca Fax: 604.894.6136 Mail: Corporate & Legisla�ve Services, Village of Pemberton, P.O. Box 100, Pemberton, BC, V0N 2L0 In Person: Corporate & Legisla�ve Service Department, 7400 Prospect Street, Pemberton BC Submissions received for the proposed Bylaw before 12:00pm on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 will be included in the Public Hearing informa�on package for Council’s considera�on. This informa�on package will also be available on the Village website at www.pemberton.ca with other associated informa�on on Friday, May 22. Submissions received a�er 12:00pm on May 20, 2020 will be presented to Council at the Public Hearing. At the conclusion of the Public Hearing, no further informa�on on this topic can be considered by Council.

Sheena Fraser, Corporate Officer

604.894.6135

VillageOfPemberton

admin@ pemberton.ca

www..pemberton.ca

www.pemberton.ca

MAY 14, 2020

27

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Researchers unveil details of Mount Meager field studies ‘VERY PRELIMINARY’ RESULTS RELEASED ON GEOTHERMAL ENERGY POTENTIAL

BY ALYSSA NOEL MORE THAN 80 people logged into a Zoom open house last Thursday, May 7, to learn more about field work that took place last summer exploring the geothermal energy potential on Mount Meager.

“If we seem a little bit nervous or maybe a little bit excited—or perhaps a little of both—this afternoon, please bear with us,” said Richard Truman, director of external relations at Geoscience BC. “[We] expected maybe 40 people for this open house meeting. We have more than 130 people registered and I see 83 people online already and more people joining every second, so it’s really exciting for us.”

Before they headed out into the field last summer, Geoscience BC and the Geological Survey of Canada hosted another open house in Pemberton to let residents know about their efforts to determine whether energy from the volcano could be harnessed to generate electricity. (“This research project is exploring geothermal potential near Mount Meager,” Pique, July 21, 2019.)

While they haven’t fully analyzed the

HOT TALK Attendees showed up to the Pemberton & District Community Centre on Thursday, July 11, 2019 to hear Stephen Grasby, lead researcher on the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt Geothermal Assessment Project, talk about geothermal energy. The most recent update took place on Zoom last Thursday, May 7.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEOSCIENCE BC

28 MAY 14, 2020

resulting data, the most recent meeting was meant to update the community with an overview of last summer’s work.

“To make geothermal work, you need the hot rocks; we need a way to get that heat to surface,” said project lead Dr. Stephen Grasby of the Geological Survey of Canada.

“And the way that’s done is by producing the water from the rocks. You extract the water, you pump it to the surface, you take the heat out to generate electricity, and then generate the water back into the rocks

University, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and ETH in Switzerland, spent a total of 375 “person days” in the field contributing to the Garibaldi Geothermal Volcanic Assessment Project.

“We focused on studying and mapping the rocks around Mount Meager and, using a series of different techniques— passive geophysical methods—to try and see into the mountain,” Grasby said. “I mention passive here because geophysics

“To make geothermal work, you need the hot rocks; we need a way to get that heat to surface.”

- STEPHEN GRASBY

again. So having high temperature isn’t enough; you need … permeability as well.

So we decided to … look at Mount Meager because the limiting aspect of geothermal in many ways is the ability to find these high-permeability rocks at depth.”

To that end, the research focused on low-impact, low-cost ways to “image and predict” where permeable zones are that also have high temperature in order to focus exploration and reduce risks of drilling.

In total, 34 researchers from institutions like the Geological Survey of Canada, the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Douglas College, Quest

is sometimes associated with what’s called active measures where you’re doing things like exploding dynamite to try to send shockwaves through the earth and measuring how those respond to the surface.

But our focus is on a passive method, so we’re just using natural earth sources to understand the rocks in the subsurface.”

That included passive seismic, in which researchers left 59 stations on the ground for two months to measure shaking; deep magnetotellurics at 23 sites to measure natural magnetic and electric fields that move through the earth; shallow magnetotellurics at 84 sites to look at

the upper two kilometres of the earth for geothermal reservoirs; gravity survey at 79 sites to find minute changes in earth gravity as a result of density differences in rocks and fluids; and geological mapping at 903 sites to study the faults and fractures that can conduct fluid flow.

Researchers also looked at 55 sites for fracture studies and gathered 1,500 measurements to understand “dominant orientations and frequency of fractures that control fluid flow;” looked at hot spring geochemistry by taking samples; and used remote sensing to look at satellite images that might show thermal anomalies.

The resulting models lead to “very preliminary results” that suggest six to 13 megawatt power could be produced from one well for over 30 years.

“This is just the model for a single well,” Grasby said. “Then, of course, you can look at multiple wells that would produce the total power. I would just emphasize this is very preliminary results.”

The data still has to be analyzed and is expected to be released in 2021. “The one-year delay that we put in here is solely to give the students a chance to have an opportunity to have first use of the data they’ve collected for their own research for their PhD, Master’s projects,” said Grasby.

“They get one-year proprietary use of that data, but then after that point, it’s going to be made completely publicly available online through Geoscience BC and the Geological Survey of Canada.”

To see the full presentation, visit www. bit.ly/3cbTaBo. n

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Pemberton mayor discusses reopening COUNCIL BRIEFS: SUNSTONE SEEKS AMENDMENT

BY DAN FALLOON VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON (VOP) Mayor Mike Richman described elements of the town’s reopening plan during a Facebook Live event hosted by Lisa Richardson on May 8.

The event came a day after the province revealed its four-phase plan for reopening after COVID-19 precautions, and Richman said the VOP is in the process of determining what it means for the village.

“Part of me likes the fact that we’re being given some flexibility because we’re all in different situations. Pemberton is very different from Whistler, which is very different from Surrey. Our living conditions and, therefore, how we adapt to Phase 2 of the reopening is very different from community to community,” he said.

“On the other hand, there’s still a lot of grey area and people don’t know how to handle that … We’re trying to sift through what Premier [John] Horgan gave us and try to translate it and message it to our people so our residents know what does it mean.

‘Can I go out for dinner with my friend?

How does this work? Are we welcoming people back into our community? Should I be reopening my business?’”

Richman added that communication has gone both ways, and when necessary, he and other rural mayors have countered solutions that seem to be more focused on urban centres.

Richman anticipates that reopening procedures will be far more nuanced than the shutdown, which communicated clearly what measures the public needed to take. Ultimately, though, the municipal role is the same: to help provide as much guidance to residents as possible.

“There was a real spectrum of a high level of anxiety to complacency and our job was to try to bring the information together so that we could bring people to the point where they were somewhere in the middle, being committed and responsible but lowering the anxiety,” he said. “Now that we’re looking at reopening, I feel like that’s going to happen again. I feel like there’s a lot of pent-up desire to kick the door open and go outside and go hang out with my friend, and yet at the other end of the spectrum, a lot of folks that are anxious about that and worried it’s going to undo the work we’ve done up until now.”

Richman fielded questions posed by residents via Facebook comments.

He said that the Village on its own is in decent shape, but acknowledged that its proximity to Whistler’s kneecapped tourism economy could produce ripples.

“Pemberton’s done OK compared to a lot of other areas and I’m hopeful that if not all, most of our small businesses will be able to pick up in some form pretty quick,” he said. “A lot of our residents work

in Whistler and depend on the industry in Whistler as well. There is some uncertainty there as well.”

With the potential of visitors coming to Pemberton and the surrounding areas to enjoy the outdoors, especially with a long weekend approaching, Richman said the Village is looking at ways to encourage everyone to follow proper precautions. However, he added that it’s also a matter of individuals taking responsibility for themselves.

“We’re going to see more people on the trails and it’s going to be harder to stay apart. We’re going to do the best with our assets to, like we did at One Mile [Lake park], make things directional, [add] signage, put out whatever we can to allow people to practise physical distancing,” he said.

Richman also added that the VOP is in the early stages of putting together a committee with stakeholders from local community organizations and businesses, as well as mental health representatives, though it still needs further council discussion before more details are revealed.

“Because we have to take these deep dives, it’s an opportunity to take a look at a new way,” he said, giving examples of sustainable tourism and carrying on good habits developed during the pandemic.

The full webcast is available at https://www.facebook.com/ VillageOfPemberton/videos/6919164016239 86/?v=691916401623986.

SUNSTONE SEEKS AMENDMENT At its regular meeting held via Zoom on May 5, council gave first and second readings to a rezoning application by Sunstone Ridge Development Ltd. Sunstone is applying to amend its Residential Townhouse Amenity (RTA1) Zone, including the Elevate at Sunstone project. Sunstone initially received approval to build 52 townhouse units, but after beginning construction of the first townhouse building, has found limited demand for two-bedroom interior units. Sunstone is applying to amend its existing approvals in order to construct a duplex multi-family project, which would allow for more three-bedroom end units.

The total number of units constructed would decrease to 45.

There is a condition of use that precludes subdivisions, planning consultant Cameron Chalmers said, and the amendment will just allow for a slightly different form of townhouse development.

Council opted to schedule a virtual public hearing before proceeding with third reading.

The hearing will be held as part of council’s next regular meeting on May 26 at 9 a.m.

“I think that we should have a public hearing because there are always points from the residents in the neighbourhood … and I think it’s important that we hear them,” Councillor Amica Antonelli said. n

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ECOLOGIC NOTICE OF WAIVING OF PUBLIC HEARING ELECTORAL AREA D

PINECREST ESTATES Land Use Contract Discharge Public Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 467 of the Local Government Act that a Public Hearing will be waived regarding the following bylaw: 1.

Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Land Use Contract Authorization Bylaw No. 102, 1976 (“LUC Bylaw”), Amendment Bylaw No. 1672-2020

Previously, 58 out of 75 strata lots at Pinecrest Estates opted to discharge the LUC Bylaw from their properties, and authorization for the discharge was granted pursuant to Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Land Use Contract Authorization Bylaw No. 102, 1976, Discharge Bylaw No. 1374-2017 which was adopted by the Board on October 25, 2017. Of the remaining 17 strata lots that are currently subject to the LUC Bylaw, the owners of 10 strata lots have submitted a form indicating consent to discharge the LUC Bylaw from their titles. The remaining 7 strata lot owners will continue to be subject to the LUC Bylaw until June 30, 2024 when all land use contracts will be automatically terminated as per section 548 of the Local Government Act. The proposed Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Land Use Contract Authorization Bylaw No. 102, 1976, Discharge Bylaw No. 1672-2020, discharges the LUC Bylaw from title of 10 strata lots. These 10 strata lots will now be subject to the Electoral Area D Zoning Bylaw No. 1350-2016 and specifically regulations set out in the PR1 (Pinecrest Residential 1) zone.

INFORMATION & SUBMISSIONS? The proposed bylaw and relevant background documents may be inspected on pages 73 to 76 of the following Board Agenda: https://slrd.civicweb.net/document/121496 Third reading of Bylaw No. 1672-2020 is scheduled for May 27, 2020.

All persons who believe that their interest in the property is affected by the proposed bylaw shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to present written submissions respecting matters contained in the bylaw. Written submissions (mail or email) must be received at the SLRD office no later than 9 am Wednesday May 27, 2020.

Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Box 219, 1350 Aster Street, Pemberton, BC, V0N 2L0 • www.slrd.bc.ca P: 604-894-6371 • TF: 1-800-298-7753 F: 604-894-6526 • E: info@slrd.bc.ca

30 MAY 14, 2020

Biodiversity: Playing the long game BACK IN 2015, federal, provincial, and territorial governments, with input from other stakeholder groups, collaborated on producing 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets for Canada in response to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its global Aichi Biodiversity Targets (Aichi being the Japanese town where these were conceived in 2010).

BY LESLIE ANTHONY Canada’s four goals comprise 19 targets that reflect both the particular context and priorities for biodiversity conservation here, as well as ways we can contribute to the global effort. Where possible, these align with the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators to encourage collective action by all sectors of society.

Coming out the back end, Canada should, among other advents, see the following: better land-use planning and management; environmentally sustainable management across a wide range of the economy; improvements in type and availability of information concerning ecosystem services (“people benefits” of biodiversity); and a rise in general awareness of biodiversity and participation in conservation.

Lofty and noble, but possible? Well, that depends. As I tucked into working on a large magazine feature on how Canada is doing in meeting these self-imposed goals, I realized what a weighty, complex subject it is, one that would also be difficult to research given the volume of material available from various levels of government and the myriad departments, agencies, and specialist groups involved. What I was up against as a writer, in fact, reflected what those involved were up against as players.

When it comes to the litany of environmental wrongs humanity is faced with righting—from climate change, ocean acidification, and pollution, to species extinctions, the threat of invasive species, and habitat destruction—there are no easy fixes, and certainly nothing in the short term. This not being news, Canada developed a set of medium-term goals and targets that aim to achieve longer-term biodiversity outcomes.

It was also recognized that although governments can do the heavy lifting in terms of frameworks and funding, they cannot act alone; such aspirational goals and targets can only be met through collective efforts of public and private interests whose actions and decisions will impact biodiversity into the future.

In 2018, Canada reviewed its progress, publishing the details in a 6th National Report to the Convention on Biological

Diversity (2019). The news wasn’t great, but it wasn’t all bad either: as usual, Canada seems stuck in the gear of mediocrity— either over-optimistically on track to meet a target, or making progress but at an insufficient rate. A quick look: GOAL A: By 2020, Canada’s lands and waters are planned and managed using an ecosystem approach to support biodiversity conservation at local, regional, and national scales. There are five targets included here, and we’re behind in whole or in part on the two most important ones. First, that through protection and other effective conservation measures, we conserve 17 per cent of Canada’s terrestrial (land plus freshwater) area; this currently stands just above 11 per cent (included in this target is likewise conserving 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, which is on track at eight per cent). And second, that species whose status is secure remains secure, while populations of species at risk exhibit trends that are consistent with recovery strategies and management plans; while there is some progress, many species at risk are more at risk than ever, as seen in B.C.’s mountain caribou herds and court-mandated interventions.

GOAL B: By 2020, direct and indirect pressures as well as cumulative effects on biodiversity are reduced, and production and consumption of Canada’s biological resources are more sustainable. Of the eight targets, six are listed as on track (though one of these, sustainable aquaculture being managed under a science-based regime, clearly isn’t happening, and calls into question the veracity of all these assessments). Again, we’re falling short on two key targets: the sustainable and legal harvesting of all fish and aquatic invertebrate stocks using ecosystem-based approaches, and reducing water pollution, particularly from excess nutrients.

GOAL C: By 2020, Canadians have adequate and relevant information about biodiversity and ecosystem services to support conservation planning and decision-making. Surprisingly, three of four targets in what seems to be the low-hanging fruit of outreach appear to be flagging, with the only one on-target being the integration of natural capital inventories into the national statistical system.

GOAL D: By 2020, Canadians are informed about the value of nature and more actively engaged in stewardship. The two targets here seem on track, which is a good thing, because they might help drive some of the other targets a little faster.

And herein lies another opportunity arising from the pandemic: with postponement of the 2020 CBD to 2021, we have a whole extra year to pull up our socks on this.

Leslie Anthony is a science/environment writer and author who holds a doctorate in reversing political spin. ■

OUTSIDER

Taking advantage of a hard reset EVERY TECHNOLOGICALLY adept person knows that 99 per cent of IT issues are solved by the good ol’ “turn it off, then turn

BY VINCE SHULEY it on again” trick. Sometimes you need to go a bit further by unplugging the device from its power source or wiping the hard drive’s memory altogether in order to get anywhere close to the device’s original state. That’s what the technicians call a “hardware reset,” colloquially abbreviated to “hard reset.”

As a tourism-driven resort town, Whistler has effectively had its power cord yanked from the wall, cutting off our important lifeline of tourism dollars and causing what is likely the hardest reset we’ve experienced in our relatively short history of existence as a resort town. Woe is us. We’d all do well to remember there are many people in the world experiencing far worse COVID-19 fallout effects than not being able to recreate semi-recklessly and celebrate at the pub afterwards.

But let’s focus on the positive—the best we can anyway. Just like an overloaded computer hard drive deep-sixing and booting from scratch, there’s an opportunity for Whistler not only to bounce back, but to

WHISTLER 2.0 Columnist Vince Shuley advocates a hard reset for our resort town.

WWW.GETTYIMAGES.CA

renew some of the values that have fallen by the wayside over the last generation or so.

I’m talking about jumpstarting Whistler’s mountain culture (a term that has been thrown around a little loosely in recent years). Many lingering locals—as well as those who left in a huff awhile back—will attest that Whistler already lost its mojo some time ago. I wasn’t here for the hippy era of Toad Hall or the glory years of the Tyrol Ski and Mountain Club, but even so, I don’t want to give up on the larger-than-life Neverland that brought me

everybody, despite our collective desire to appeal to visitors that will actually engage with all the cool Whistler activities and experiences. (For more opinion on that sticky subject, read G.D.’s Maxed Out column in the Jan. 9 Pique, “Tackling the tourist we don’t want.”)

This isn’t a bite-the-hands-that-feedus argument against our aforementioned lifeline of tourism. This is a hand-thatfeeds-us-was-amputated-so-how-do-wefeed-ourselves-now argument. Obviously, we need to rekindle our relationship with

It needs to be a long-term relationship this time, not a mid-week booty call.

to Canada when I was a wide-eyed traveller in my early 20s.

Well before The Reckoning of COVID19, we’d already out-developed, out-priced and out-sourced so much of what made Whistler, Whistler. The regional crowd from down the highway that supported this resort through its growing pains have been slowly and systematically ushered towards visiting mid-week to make room for the coveted six-figure-household-income demographic.

This is just one of the directives under the hood of Whistler’s marketing. On the surface, we welcome anybody and

the regional market, Lower Mainlanders in particular. Remember them? The ones who’d come here to do all the cool Whistler activities and experiences (some of whom signed the petition to “Make Whistler Great Again!”)? Now that we’ve got some reprieve on the horizon coming thanks to B.C.’s Restart Plan, these regional, activity/ experience-driven folks need to be made to feel that Whistler is somewhere they belong once more. Not just for the next six months until international destination tourism hopefully gets the green light. It needs to be a long-term relationship this time, not a

mid-week booty call.

Our summer festival portfolio the last few years has relied on big-business, guaranteed earners like Tough Mudder, Ironman and Wanderlust, all stops in Whistler on some sort of franchised world tour. When it’s safe to host these sorts of things again, we should put our funding and effort into more homegrown cultural events that exude Whistler’s badass heritage. GO Fest was a step in the right direction, but without the finale of the Great Snow Earth and Water Race, the May long weekend feels more of a family-friendly deflection against visiting ruffians rather than a flagship spring event. The return of the Saudan Couloir Ski Race Extreme during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival was a home run for an event struggling to keep it about skiing and snowboarding.

We want to make the best of a hard reset, but that doesn’t mean we should pander to everyone simply to boost room-night stats and bottom lines. Let’s look at how our own community can help fill the gap left by thousands of seasonal workers. Let’s invest in our own businesses and cultural endeavours over faceless multinational brands. To our marketing benefactors at Tourism Whistler (and its members): now is the time to take some risks, to think outside the box and shape the Whistler we want to return to.

Vince Shuley was inspired to write this from numerous driveway après conversations. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince@vinceshuley.com or Instagram @whis_vince. ■

MAY 14, 2020

31

FEATURE STORY

s n i p m u B the road of the -ch e t a t s The n-SHUCK ad I ce Ro ued to i v r e S y Forests only continresidents sa ha ate, r o i r e t de

32 MAY 14, 2020

FEATURE STORY

By Alyssa Noel

A

When we go somewhere else in the province and see [forest services roads] that are like a highway, [it’s frustrating].”

s traffic on the In-SHUCK-ch Forest Service Road continued to increase before COVID-19, some residents once again spoke out about its condition.

Diane Zaste, who has lived in Lillooet Lake Estates for two decades, said the road was in the worst shape she had ever seen this past winter.

“This road turns into a skating rink, but the potholes, there was no avoiding them this winter,” she said. “They were deep. When you get ice and snow building up around them, they get deeper. Then you have people driving on the opposite side of the road trying to avoid them.”

While the road serves many residents in the area, including Lillooet Lake Estates and the Samahquam, Skatin, and Xa’xtsa First Nations, it has also seen a spike in visitors in recent years.

Pre-pandemic, an average of 400 people drove the road every day, making it one of the busiest forest service roads in the Sea to Sky Natural Resources District, according to the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRO). That adds up to 146,000 daily users annually, a 45-per-cent increase from 101,000 in 2016. when she moved to the remote area, times are changing and The road accesses two hot springs, several recreation the road needs to be maintained at a higher standard. There campsites, and the popular Strawberry Point campground, is no gravel left on the road to grade; Zaste also said there which was upgraded last year with 25 vehicle-accessible was a three-week stretch this winter where it wasn’t cleared camping sites and more parking facilities. once after a large snowfall; and, at one point, vehicles FLNRO would not provide a spokesperson to talk over driving in deep snow created a single-track path where only the phone, but in an email said over the past 15 years, it one vehicle would fit at a time—an issue if two vehicles met has spent roughly $800,000 annually on the road for major head-to-head. infrastructure improvements such as flood damage repair, “We all knew we were moving out to the wilderness,” replacing bridge structures, and road realignments. she said. “The climate has changed, the mountains have The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) changed, the traffic has changed. When we go somewhere contributes about $20,000 a year to the road, it added. else in the province and see [forest services roads] that are Currently, Lizzie Bay Logging has the one-year contract like a highway, [it’s frustrating].” for maintenance on the 140-kilometre road.

Kerrie Palmer, who also lives off the road, agrees that its “The challenge is keeping it to a standard where a state has declined in recent years. “The road is progressively school bus would be safe on the road,” said Norm Le Blanc, getting worse—and not just in the winter,” she said. “It’s president of Lizzie Bay Logging. “We try to maintain it to progressively getting worse when we have a huge rain in the a higher standard than what a rural resource road or FSR fall and spring. The potholes get worse and worse.” would require.”

However, she noted, there were improvements this One of the challenges is increased traffic, he said. Busier past March. Usually the road falls back into disrepair by roads mean potholes get worse. “Our company is required November. to maintain the road, but the forest industry is a minority Le Blanc said it comes down to funding. “At minimum, of the traffic and the majority comes from people that it should be four or five times what it is now,” he said. live in the communities. There are other industries that “That’s in addition to what industry contributes.” work along that road that don’t contribute to the overall For example, if the road were to have gravel added to maintenance—they aren’t required to by [FLNRO].” its entire length, Le Blanc said it would solve most of the While Zaste said she knew what she was signing up for problems. That, however, would cost millions of dollars.

-Diane Zaste

PHOTO SUBMITTED

“I know the local FLNRO managers try as hard as they can to secure the budget required, but appreciate the challenges they have. There is very little,” he said, in regards to gravel. “Any investment in grading really is very short term because there’s no real surface material to work with. If that was to be put in place, the grading would last a lot longer.”

For Sheldon Dowswell, chief administrative officer for the Lower St’atl’imx Tribal Council, which represents the First Nations communities living down the road, it’s a complicated issue. “We’re looking to push road safety in a positive direction,” he said. “We would affirm we’re supporting anything that makes the road safer, beyond telling FLNRO or MOTI what that looks like. We never seem to be able to nail everyone down in one room to determine what the best solution is.”

While the Douglas (Xa’xtsa) First Nation has advocated in the past to change the road from its current status as a rural resource road—which means its primary purpose is to develop, protect and access B.C.’s natural resources, and is therefore required to be maintained to that standard— to a public road, not all the First Nations agree on that, Dowswell explained.

“Some people seemed more interested in having a paved highway; other people didn’t like the idea of increased presence in the territory,” he said. “They were happy leaving it as a forestry road. Everyone wants a safe

MAY 14, 2020

33

FEATURE STORY

PHOTO BY ALYSSA NOEL

road. The majority of people just want to feel safe.”

A public road does not necessarily mean a paved road. It can still be gravel, but it must be brought up to different maintenance standards and responsibility would then be transferred to MOTI. “At this time, there are no plans to make In-SHUCK-ch a public road,” FLNRO wrote in the email.

MOTI, also in an email, said that the decision to transfer a FSR to a public road “is a complicated one and involves many different aspects, issues, and involvement of various organizations depending on the location.

“Each case is treated uniquely; there is not a generalized approach, process or traffic volume threshold,” it read. “The provincial government, along with other organizations, needs to be sensitive to environmental sensitivities, the use of the road, and the needs of the travellers, local communities and First Nations, among other factors.”

Last year, FLNRO began upgrading the first two kilometres of the road, work that is still underway.

Meanwhile, West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy, who lives not far from the road’s Highway 99 turn-off, went for a drive in the area earlier this year after fielding complaints about it this winter.

“Every year around this time [in February], it is problematic because we get a lot of precipitation and the frost gets on the road and the potholes are merging and there’s not a lot of material on the road to clean it up,” he said.

“Grading [the road] when it’s full of potholes and water, you end up making soup—and making it worse rather than better.”

He said that during this political term, he had hoped to address this issue and “consolidate the various pieces of legislation and corresponding regulations around rural resource roads,” but his Liberal Party did not end up forming government.

Sturdy’s vision was to consolidate the Natural Resource Road Act to include other stakeholders like recreation and tourism. Currently, those sectors “don’t have an ability to participate other than by acting like resource sector tenure holders.”

Where a forestry company that has tenure of a road might be in a position to hold 100 per cent of the liability if, say, a bridge went out, the same wouldn’t be true for a rafting company, he said as an example.

The answer to making the road safer to travel seems unclear, but Sturdy said under the current rural-resource-road designation, Lizzie Bay Logging couldn’t be held responsible for circumstances like the road getting busier.

“Recreation traffic continues to grow,” he said. “It’s unrealistic to expect the tenure holder to maintain that road at their expense to a standard they don’t need … Lizzie Bay has tried to do the best they can with the resources they have, but as there’s more traffic, it will require more maintenance—be it grading, addition of aggregate, and dust control in the summertime.” ■

“Each case is treated uniquely; there is not a generalized approach, process or traffic volume threshold ... ” -Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

PHOTO SUBMITTED

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ALWAYS PLAN YOUR ROUTE AND LET OTHERS KNOW WHAT IT IS

Hitting the open road without a plan is spontaneous but also reckless. An itinerary helps you manage your time and ensure you can reach each destination before nightfall. You should also book your accommodations in advance since hotels and campgrounds can fill up fast, especially during the summer.

PREPARE YOUR BODY

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PA R K W AY, U N IT ED STAT ES 1. CA B O T TR Do yourself a A IL , N O VA SC favour and rid O TI A This route com e at least part of this na bines winding tional parkway fo rest roads with aw through N or th Carolina and Vi e-inspiring co rginia in the fa astal views, making Its 755 kilomet ll. it a perfect ch res connect th oice for fore motorcyclists e lush sts of two natio who want to co nal parks: Grea nnect with nature. Al Smoky Mount t though you ca ains and Shen n complete the andoah.

There’s no shor trail’s 298 kilo tage of scenic metres in a day, the ar vistas on this route. ea’s abundanc e of beautiful cam pgrounds mig ht tempt 5. you to slow do SA N JU A N SK wn and savour YW AY, the journey.

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5 Bucket List

GLACIER MEDIA SPECIAL REPORT

ON B.C.’S ROAD TO RECOVERY

Build trust when reopening offices: experts HR |

Staff accustomed to social distancing won’t feel safe without cautious return

BY CHUCK CHIANG CCHIANG@BIV.COM

W

ith office reopening now on the horizon for B.C. businesses, the question becomes: what will the post-COVID-19 workplace look like in a world without a vaccine to guarantee immunity?

The key word, experts say, is trust.

“I think it’s the most important factor,” said Kristin Jensen, managing director of the Seattle office of global architecture firm Gensler. “T he only way that people are going to return is if they trust that the space is safe.

And that trust will have to come though things they can see….

Masks and hand sanitizers have to be available. There has to be health screening so people are not returning sick. For people to feel comfortable coming back, they need to feel safe and have their circumstances be addressed.”

Bringing offices back to normal after the easing of COVID-19 precautions will take time and careful planning | CHUNG CHOW

That sense of trust, in a world accustomed to social distancing, means that not everyone will return to work on Day 1, and managers have to have a clear vision of what that Day 1 looks like, said Synthia Kloot, the Vancouverbased senior vice-president of operations at Colliers Canada.

“When we talk about inviting

people back to the office, we’re looking at a number of factors,” Kloot said. “Is it essential for them to be back in the office?

Can they perform their job duties while staying remote? Are people risking exposure on public transit? Do they have child ca re, or a re they protecti ng people w it h comprom i sed

immune systems?”

That’s why, she said, it is crucial for offices to not only address the office space itself, but also to assess the needs of the workforce on an individual basis. From there, managers can create shifts – Colliers will likely bring different groups of workers back into the office on separate days to ensure adequate space, for example – to ensure safety.

Kloot said Colliers is recommending that clients be as flexible as possible. T hat means possibly using meeting rooms as work spaces to ensure people are not crammed into cubicles, as well as designating doors as entrances or exits only and marking one-way passages to prevent collisions.

Jensen added that the flexibility is also needed in case the pandemic lifts, which would allow managers to shrink the space needed for social distancing to bring employees closer together.

She also noted items such as the use of touch less tech nolog y to create a sense of safety for workers.

Another measure managers should consider, Jensen said, is some sort of visual way for workers to know their office space is being sanitized – either by having cleaning staff work during normal business hours, or by creating a sanitation certification standard that can be displayed as a sign of confidence.

Jensen used the U.S.-based certification systems provider Fitwel as an example of a certification that would indicate a healthy working environment to employees.

“We want people to come back to this space and connect with each other. We might never go back to the density of work stations, but instead those spaces can be filled with convening spaces – opportunities for people to connect with one another.” ■

Factories consider robotics in post-pandemic retooling MANUFACTURING |

Experts say COVID-19 will transform the sector as social distancing persists

BY TYLER ORTON TORTON@BIV.COM

F

ebruary marked the opening of FPS Food Process Solutions Corp.’s newest manufacturing facility in Richmond. It added another 80,000 square feet of factory space for the Canadian producer of freezing and cooling equipment.

March, meanwhile, gave way to the COVID-19 pandemic in B.C., quickly transforming much of the operations on the floor of FPS’ local facilities.

“We are lucky that we got a fourth facility in Richmond so we were able to spread out our manufacturing team a little further,” said Justin Lai, the company’s vice-president of sales and marketing.

Workers on the floor are abiding by social distancing, lunches are split up to reduce the number of people in the break room and sanitization teams are cleaning up the lunch area between those breaks.

Overtime hours have also been reduced in anticipation of potential slowdowns in the coming months.

But FPS has not laid off any workers during the pandemic; it has instead hired some additional staff.

“The food industry is fairly resilient in that people need to eat,” Lai said.

But not all manufacturers have been as fortunate, according to Andrew Wynn-Williams, the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters’ (CME) vice-president for B.C.

He said some companies have been able to push through during the pandemic, with orders coming through as they always would or else pivoting their manufacturing capacity to a market in need.

O t h e r m a n u f a c t u re r s a re “treading water,” while a third group is in trouble, Wynn-Williams added.

“But I would say the smallest group is the group that’s in real trouble,” he said.

As the economy begins to ramp up and more return to work, Wynn-Williams said workers can expect more staggered shifts to ensure social distancing as well as requirements to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).

Wynn-Williams said additional investments will need to be made in new machinery to compete with

other nations that are also ramping up operations as restrictions loosen.

That might mean more robotics used on the floor of factories to boost productivity, while workers’ duties are in turn redistributed.

At Vancouver-based Seaspan Shipyards, the shipbuilder has significantly reduced the number of employees working within the cramped confines of submarines, while crews have been spread out across ships to ensure social distancing.

Employees have also been instructed not to gather at gates for entry and exit, while those who need to work near each other are required to don appropriate PPE. And for workers who remain uncomfortable coming to the job site following the new safety

measures, they’ve been told they can stay at home without job repercussions, according to Seaspan CEO Mark Lamarre.

Factory workers should be prepared for employers to deploy contact tracing in a bid to mitigate any potential workplace outbreaks, according to Walter Pela, KPMG’s B.C. regional managing partner.

T hat mea ns hav i ng people maintain logs of who they interact with daily so that if there is a case of COVID-19 on the floor, factories can quickly trace it.

“In some jurisdictions you’re seeing very good use of digital technologies to deal with that,” Pela said, “but even absent those, a manual log of people being more attuned to who they’re coming into contact with [would work].” ■

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36 MAY 14, 2020

GLACIER MEDIA SPECIAL REPORT

COVID-19 will radically overhaul the aviation industry TRANSPORTATION |

Safety measures and changing business strategies likely in post-pandemic era

BY GLEN KORSTROM GKORSTROM@BIV.COM

A

ir travel is likely to change when governments lift travel restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, and public confidence recovers.

Most major airlines already ask passengers before they board how they feel, and require all passengers and crew to wear masks during flights.

Seats and screens are wiped with disinfectants that airlines say stay active on surfaces, killing viruses for up to 10 days.

Some also require passengers’ hands be sprayed with sanitizer when boarding.

Hand sanitizer stations may also be prevalent at airports, which are now operating at a shadow of what is normal, and are likely to do so for some time.

Even at Abbotsford International Airport, where most flights are domestic, general manager Parm Sidhu said operations are running at about 15% capacity.

T he h it to a i r por t revenue prompted the Canadian Airports Council to warn that airport improvement fees could rise 50%.

There are no plans for fee increases at Va ncouver I nternational Airport “at this time,”

Flair Airlines flight crews on flights that repatriated Canadians abroad wore full protective garb | SUBMITTED

Vancouver Airport Authority (VAA) spokesman Brock Penner told BIV. The VAA declined to comment on exactly how YVR would open up its facilities or which parts of terminals would open first, saying in a statement that such projections are “a few weeks off.”

What is clear is that the sector will stuggle.

“We’re now moving through the darkest period ever in the history of commercial aviation – significantly worse than the aftermath of 9-11, SARS, and the 2008 financial crisis,” Air Canada

(TSX:AC) CEO Calin Rovinescu said on a May 4 conference call.

B e rk s h i re H a t h a w a y I n c .

(N YSE: BR K.A) CEO Warren Buffett a day earlier explained that this was why his company recently sold its about 10% stakes in each of the four largest U.S. airlines.

A i r C a n a d a a n d We s t J e t (TSX:W JA) last yea r profitably operated with their planes around 82% to 84% full.

Flair Airlines CEO Jim Scott told BIV that his airline’s flights fell to 10% of capacity, or load factor, on March 27, down from

an 87% load factor nine days earlier. That proportion has since risen to around 50% to 60%, Scott added.

John Korenic, University of British Columbia adjunct professor in aviation management, said that airlines may keep middle seats empty to better separate passengers, thereby chopping their maximum potential load factor by about a third.

They would need to be at least above 70% capacity to break even, but they may operate with less than that once restrictions start loosening because they wou ld sti l l be ma k i ng more money than if they had kept all their planes on the ground, he said.

Airline executives and analysts say cargo volume has risen during the pandemic. Air Canada has taken seats out of some passenger planes to make them cargo-only, while Flair debuted cargo service.

Post-pandemic, cargo volume is likely to fall back to nearly what it was, said Korenic. He said any bump in cargo during the pandemic is largely because of ecommerce purchases that need to be delivered quickly.

Cargo that goes to bricks-andmortar retailers may be delivered by truck.

The extent to which people continue to buy online instead of in stores will partly determine how much future cargo capacity is needed, Korenic said.

Another uncertainty is whether business-oriented video conferences will reduce some need for business travel, and businessclass seating, which airlines rely on to finance some routes.

If demand drops significantly, some routes and flight frequencies could be cut, Korenic said.

He expects domestic and U.S. travel to pick up before international travel, but added that a big part of what drives demand for air travel will be whether scientists can find drugs to reduce COVID-19 symptoms, and how fast they can make a vaccine.

Scott said that his safety measures are sufficient for his planes to operate at full capacity if needed even though provincial health officer Bonnie Henry has stressed that social distancing is more important than wearing masks.

He is in the process of selling planes, and plans to lease newer ones once he starts flying more than the three that he flies now out of seven.

“We’ll generate cash from that,” he said. “New ones will be more efficient.” ■

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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

A funny thing happened at the lake: Spending the weekend at a Portuguese sailing regatta - Photos and story Tim Morch I CROSSED INTO southern Portugal from Spain’s Rosal de la Frontera border and turned northwest to nearby Grande Lago Alqueva. In 2002, Portugal completed the 96-metre-high dam on the River Guadiana, creating Portugal’s largest artificial lake.

Several years of heavy rain filled the lake in a scant eight years, well ahead of projections, and created 1,200 kilometres of shoreline with a maximum depth of 100 m. The lake runs more than 80 km northnortheast into Spain and has brought water to a perennially dry part of the country advancing agriculture and jump-starting the local economy.

I was here to paddle my sea kayak, but the weather was foul. Waiting for the rain to stop, I noticed a car arrive towing a Laser SB20 sailboat and I chatted with the driver. Goncalo Lopes told me there was a “Champions Regatta” on the weekend with national champions from a variety of classes invited.

The potential of the lake is finally being realized and the town of Moura, together with private business, has become an advocate of development. This is the second year Sailing Cascais has held the Laser SB20 Champions Regatta, co-sponsored by Tourism Portugal, Tourism Alentejo and the town of Moura, and this year’s event would be even better.

Sailing Cascais towed in eight sailboats and two RIB inflatables for the event, coordinating all logistics from transporting equipment to setting up a festival tent and organizing additional boats for race officials and spectators.

Chief operating officer Tiago Marcelino invited me to assist in rigging the boats Friday, and late in the afternoon asked if I would like to help in one of the committee boats over the weekend. My response was an enthusiastic, “Yes!” and Saturday morning saw me in an aluminum boat setting the marks with Goncalo.

Over the course of the day, I learned Goncalo achieved several top-10 finishes in Laser Radial World Championships and was now a coach at Sailing Cascais. He listed the who’s who of Portuguese sailing, starting with Sailing Cascais CEO Vasco Serpa—who represented Portugal in the ‘96 Atlanta Olympics—and SB20 designer Tony Castro, who was spectating.

A team in red jerseys rounded the mark and Goncalo pointed out Hugo

38 MAY 14, 2020

Rocha, Portugal’s most-decorated sailor, ‘96 Olympic 470 class bronze medallist, multiple world champion in several classes and 2016 SB20 World Champion. On another boat, skipper Antonio Pereira is Snipe and SB20 National Champion and runner-up in the 420 class. Lead umpire Miguel Allen officiates at the highest levels, including America’s Cup—and the impressive list went on.

The format was simple: Eight teams raced five races and switched out for the next eight, with the top three teams on each side qualifying for the semi-finals. The next eight teams had four races to send two to the semis.

As a sunny, windy Saturday of racing drew to a close, Vasco and Tiago insisted I come to the banquet that night in Moura hosted by the mayor’s office. Dinner was an endless flow of traditional Alentejo cheeses, wines and dishes over several courses.

A gorgeous Sunday met the eight semi-finalists, and in five races, they were narrowed to four finalists. The champion was the first boat to win two races. The first race was won by a team from Cascais, but the next two were taken by the team of brothers Diogo and Pedro Costa (former 420 world champions and 470 Olympic contenders) and teammates Tiago Morais and Jose Maria Cunha. Rocha and his team placed second and Pereira’s team third with rising star and Moth national champion Henrique Brites’ team fourth.

Racing completed, prizes awarded, speeches made, and the event was over for most, but not the team from Sailing Cascais. Working well past dusk, they hauled the boats from the water, de-rigged and prepped for the task of transporting them 2.5 hours back to Cascais.

In casual conversation, Vasco’s brother Luis said he heard my father was in the sailboat business, asking if it was a company he might know.

“Have you heard of C&C Yachts?” I asked.

“Wow! You are the son of Ian Morch?” he exclaimed, and we talked boats and boating.

I noted that as karma would have it, it would have been my father’s birthday that day and I knew that destiny brought me to here. Participating in the regatta brought back an array of childhood memories and it could not have been a more fitting birthday tribute to our wonderful father and the sailing legacy in which we grew up. n

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MAY 14, 2020

39

SPORTS THE SCORE

Race directors adapting during pandemic DIRECTORS OF CANCELLED CONTESTS LOOKING TO SATISFY REGISTRANTS WHILE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

BY DAN FALLOON AS MORE EVENTS drop off the 2020 calendar, Whistler’s race directors are crunching the numbers and trying to find an acceptable compromise for registrants.

In some situations, races have been cancelled and refunds have been sorted, while others are holding out some hope of safely running sometime before the summer is through.

The Whistler X Triathlon, originally scheduled for June 14, was one of the first to call off the contest this year, making its announcement in late March.

Race director Dale Tiessen said Triathlon BC ultimately made the decision to cancel for them, saying that their insurance organization would not sanction any events for a certain period, including into June when the race would be held.

“It was an insurance and sanctioning decision, made on our behalf, which was a good thing,” he said on May 8.

Before the cancellation, Tiessen was looking at ways to hold the race within the guidelines of the day, and had initially capped registration at less than 250 at a time when that was the maximum gathering size. The rules changed, and quickly, he had to make a decision, ultimately deciding it was best to regroup and try again in 2021.

“Not knowing what was going to happen, and with my own personal schedule, I didn’t feel it was a wise idea to try to re-schedule in the year,” he said, adding that uncertain access to the course locations was also a factor.

Tiessen said each registrant’s fee would carry over into 2021 unless they specifically requested a refund, which about 30 racers— just over 10 per cent—opted to do before the cut-off date. Most, he said, were in circumstances where they would not be able to race the event in 2021 and were given their entry fee less $10 and the CCN registration cost.

Tiessen credited some suppliers, such as medal manufactuer North Shore Billet, for making some allowances.

“They had made all of my medals,” he said.

ON THE RUN Organizers of the Whistler Alpine Meadows contest are pondering what the September contest would look like if it is held.

FILE PHOTO

40 MAY 14, 2020

“Chris [Allen] there said, ‘No problem, I can hold this easier than you can. You just catch me next year. I’ve got them all ready to go.’

“That’s a substantial cost, close to $1,000 of medals, and they’re all custom made for our event. It’s not like he can sell them to someone else.”

Meanwhile, Comfortably Numb co-director Kristian Manietta hasn’t shifted from the current date of June 20. While he’s not expecting to run on that date, there’s a delicate balance to strike when selecting a new time to potentially run if it is safe to do so, noting that it’s not feasible to keep bumping the date in response to everchanging conditions.

“I think June is gone. I can safely say that.

But then we’re just trying to work out when we can and what’s available,” he said on May 8. “How many weekends have we got? When can we do it? What does that look like?

“Is there a possibility of having groups of 30 or 40 do a rolling start, spacing it out that way, and then not having a gathering after? You finish, you get your medals and stuff and then you’re done,” he added.

trying not to let that happen,” he said.

Also an athlete, Manietta said it’s important to try to keep events afloat.

“These are small businesses that are hurt by this situation, unfortunately,” he said. “I think the whole event industry, whether it’s races or concerts or whatever it is, is going to be in a lot of hurt.”

From a series perspective, Geoff Langford of Coast Mountain Trail Running (CMTR), the company behind the Squamish 50, Sky Pilot and the Survival of the Fittest, all in Squamish, as well as the Whistler Alpine Meadows (WAM) race, is in a different situation. CMTR has cancelled the bulk of its schedule, but is leaving the Whistler race on the calendar for Sept. 25 to 27, for now at least.

“These are small businesses that are hurt by this situation, unfortunately. I think the whole event industry, whether it’s races or concerts or whatever it is, is going to be in a lot of hurt.”

- KRISTIAN MANIETTA

Manietta and co-director Dean Eggleton took the race over last year and ran it successfully, though they are now looking to navigate the possibility of not holding a 2020 event.

“Dean and I with Comfortably Numb try to keep our overheads low and try and give a lot of value. We ain’t getting rich from it and we’re working our other jobs,” Manietta said.

“This is more of a labour of love and passion, and in saying that, we want to do what’s right with our community and customers.”

The race is currently offering a 50-percent refund or full deferral to 2021 for those wary of competing this summer, though many are riding things out, Manietta said.

“The majority are happy to stay the course. We’ve only refunded a couple of people, but obviously, that will increase a little bit once we get closure on this or if we have to unfortunately cancel, but we’re

Langford explained that the nature of WAM differs from the Squamish 50 in that it’s more of a locals’ race whereas the Squamish 50 sees a higher degree of international travel and potential transmission risk.

“It still seemed to be a long shot up until a week ago,” he said on May 9. “Everybody’s keen to see it happen and, from a runner’s perspective, it would be nice to have at least one event this year.”

The trail series had made some pandemic-related precautions in advance of the mid-March Cap Crusher contest before calling it off in the days beforehand, so some ideas of how to hold a race in the changed world are already being bounced around. Still, if the race happens, the details will need to be consistent with Ministry of Health direction, and it’s unclear what that will look like months from now.

“We had spent a lot of time looking at how to adjust and modify and make things safe and then two or three days before the event was supposed to take place, it became clear that it just couldn’t happen,” he said.

“We’re having a look at everything from how many people [can we have at the event] and how do we structure the start line … to how do we execute aid stations? We have a 100-mile (160-km) race in that event, so you can’t just eliminate aid stations and expect people to be self-sufficient.”

Langford noted in a follow-up email that since the event is five different distances broken down over three days, it avoids large clusters already, and there are plans to keep starting packs to 50 people or fewer.

If the race is cancelled, there is enough lead time to offer 100-per-cent credits into 2021 or 2022, whereas CMTR offered 30-percent credit for the Cap Crusher (cancelled in the week before) and 75-per-cent credit for its other races.

In order to support races all over the continent, the trail series sold headbands online, and has raised more than $28,000 for roughly 120 different organizations.

“We wanted to do something that was community-based and we didn’t want to be, ‘Oh, help us!’” he said. “This was something we could do for the community as a whole and let people direct the proceeds to whoever they wanted to.”

Langford said roughly 65 per cent of proceeds went to other race organizers.

Meanwhile, the series’ other co-director, Gary Robbins, recently completed a 100mile run with a goal of raising $5,000 for local search and rescue (SAR) organizations, but surpassed $15,000 in the end.

Supporting community groups is a major part of the series’ M.O., and though there likely won’t be the same level of contribution this year, Langford said the group is aiming to provide a boost to SAR and trail-maintenance groups currently feeling the pinch.

“We’re trying to come up with some creative ways to make that happen,” he said. n

SPORTS THE SCORE

Young riders coping with COVID-19 world ASTLE, CRUZ ADAPTING AS 2020 SEASONS DELAYED

BY DAN FALLOON DOWNHILLERS GEORGIA ASTLE and Lucas Cruz were both looking for big things in their respective 2020 seasons.

For Whistler’s Astle, she was committing to chasing the Queen of Crankworx crown in a big way while Pemberton’s Cruz was set to make his UCI World Cup elite men’s debut this year.

The pursuit for both is on hold for now.

Astle at least was able to start her journey, with the first Crankworx event of the season taking place in Rotorua, New Zealand in early March. There, she pulled off a third-place finish in the Giant Toa Enduro and a sixth-place showing in the Crankworx Rotorua Downhill as she sits 12th in the overall standings.

Shortly after returning from New Zealand, though, the world started taking precautions related to COVID-19 and all of Astle’s work commitments started vanishing.

“I have been able to do really chill rides and stay fit from it,” said the Unior Devinci Factory Racing Team rider. “It’s a bit weird thinking that the season is over before it kinda started, but the whole world is in the same situation.”

Astle said she’s been riding her mountain bike on the road, and was doing some solo rides in Pemberton for a little while early on before the recommendations to stay in one’s own community came into place.

“The hardest part about an offseason is that fact that I don’t get to ride my bike consistently, so I lose that fire,” she said. “If I’m just riding rocks and roots, it just keeps my mind busy, which is great.”

The 22-year-old said while she’s in a good state of mind, it’s tough to plan for the future with the schedule and other goalposts constantly changing and shifting. Crankworx Innsbruck and some Enduro World Series races have already been bumped into the fall, while others are in jeopardy.

“You can’t really make any other commitments not knowing when you’re going to have races,” she said. “If that happens, then great, it’s just an extended season, but otherwise, it hops into a whole other year. The season will just carry on a bit longer, which is always hard for future plans.”

Astle said much of her income comes from performance bonuses, while her other employment is based on selling bikes and bike parts, where there’s little demand these days.

“I’m lucky enough that I’m in a place where I can still save money and pay rent, so I’m not too worried about it, but it is a bit of a shame that I won’t be able to save up a lot of money like I usually get to,” she said.

“I’m just going to be scraping by.”

Cruz, meanwhile, was eager to make his elite debut on March 22 at Lousa, Portugal,

but lost that opportunity at the last minute.

“It was a bit hard to take at first. I was fully ready to go—bags were packed and everything—to leave to the first World Cup in Portugal, but the day before that, we called it off,” he said. “It was a huge build-up and then no racing at all. It was definitely a weird feeling.

“I’ve moved past that and I’m still training hard and everything. But it’s definitely very weird.”

While several dates have been postponed or cancelled, some are staying in place, at least for now. The next untouched date is the World Championships in Leogang, Austria in early September.

In his first year with the Norco Factory Team, Cruz is itching to get racing and post some results for the brass.

“Being my first year in elite and being

“You can’t really make any other commitments not knowing when you’re going to have races.”

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on a new team, I was hoping to get some good time in with them before we race, but I’m just trying to stay motivated and ready for when the time comes,” he said.

With space on the family homestead, Cruz doesn’t have to leave home to stay active, as the barn is now a makeshift gym and, with help from Joyride Bike Parks, he has constructed a pump track and dirt jump.

In addition to staying fit, he’s embracing the chance to ride and train alongside his younger brothers.

“I have all the gym equipment I need and nothing I don’t,” he said. “We have a full-on pump track now, and a dirt jump, so we spend tons of time at home and never really leave.”

If he does venture offsite to take on some of Pemberton’s trails, Cruz said avoiding anything gnarly is at the forefront of his mind.

“I’m really just trying to have fun out there and be safe,” he said. “I’ve just been riding with my family, or by myself, just really trying to have fun and remember why we all love riding.”

Though missing the chance to earn prize money, Cruz said the financial hit hasn’t been significant at this point, as the team was set to cover his travel expenses this year.

“I’ve been saving up my money instead of spending it travelling everywhere,” he said. ■

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41

EPICURIOUS

N’Quatqua hand out free trout to band members WITH SURPLUS OF FISH AT HATCHERY, BAND WANTED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY THROUGH PANDEMIC

BY BRANDON BARRETT AS A PROUD N’Quatqua member, Sylvia Patrick was well aware of the work that’s been done at the band’s sustainable rainbow trout farm. Her brother manages the facility, and she has a clipping of a Pique article about the initiative hanging on her wall.

But Patrick, who doubles as the band’s social development officer, had never actually tasted trout until recently, when each interested household in the community was gifted three whole fish from the hatchery as a small token during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We seasoned them up and then threw them on [the barbecue] whole and pretty much ate every little meaty morsel off of that thing,” said Patrick, who added that the fish were enough to feed her family of four over two days.

While salmon has been a staple in the N’quatqua and many other Indigenous diets for generations, Patrick admits preparing trout was a whole new experience.

“It’s a lot of similar techniques, but with trout, the bones are a lot smaller.

If you cook them right, the meat comes right off the bones,” she said, adding that after the first three fish, the trout are available for purchase for band members at a significantly discounted rate. “It was an awesome experience and I can say that after getting my three trout, I will most definitely buy some more because I’d love to smoke them and preserve them in different ways right here in our backyard.”

At a time when the already isolated community (the N’Quatqua are mostly centred in D’Arcy and the areas surrounding Anderson Lake) was dealing with the reality of physical distancing, just knowing that other band members were looking out for Patrick and her family meant a great deal.

“I really do appreciate it,” she said. “It’s one less thing I have to think about when I go to the grocery store and to know that if we did get shut down or have to close our community to the outside world if COVID made it here, at least we’d have a sustainable

OVER THE RAINBOW N’Quatqua rainbow trout was the main attraction of a seafood dinner at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler in 2019 in honour of World Oceans Day. FILE PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE

food source here within our community that’s healthy and would nourish us.”

The N’Quatqua have been raising rainbow trout at the hatchery for more than

Sky—until the pandemic put a pause on those plans.

“We’ve had a couple of other folks within the Pemberton and Whistler area that have

“It was an awesome experience and I can say that after getting my three trout, I will most definitely buy some more... ” - SYLVIA PATRICK

20 years, but it was only recently the band stepped up its marketing of the program, catching the eye of Whistler’s largest hotel: the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, which added N’Quatqua trout to the eco-friendly menu at its Wildflower restaurant.

That, in turn, had piqued the interest of several other restaurants in the Sea to

knocked on our door wondering what a potential partnership or purchase may look like in the future,” explained N’Quatqua Councillor Chantel Thevarge. “However, COVID also knocked on our doorstep at the same time of trying to unfold these future relationships. But those absolutely will unfold and take place as they come.”

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Now, with the pandemic shaking up food supply chains around the country, Thevarge said the hatchery has a surplus of fish that it is promoting for sale to community members. “We have an abundance of trout,” she noted. “We’re still babying 50,000-plus fry right now.”

Given their remote location, for most N’Quatqua, bulk shopping is nothing new, but with some band members unable to travel to Mount Currie for supplies due to COVID-19 or a lack of vehicle, the community has pulled together to help.

“We’ve been doing programs where we bring our N’Quatqua bus up to … Mount Currie and do a mass order and pick up food for our community and distribute it that way,” Patrick said. “People are very comfortable and very healthy and happy through this whole crisis and it’s good to see the community come together in the way that they have been.” n

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ARTS SCENE

Missing live music?

Enter Quaranstream NEW WHISTLER WEBSITE OFFERS A HUB OF LIVESTREAM CONCERTS AND ARCHIVED SHOWS

BY ALYSSA NOEL SHORTLY

AFTER the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, Shane Martz was hunkered down in his Whistler home and decided to tune into a livestream festival hosted by Beatport.

“I watched it with a few of my friends [remotely],” he says. “We were watching it together and chatting about it. I didn’t know how enjoyable it was going to be.

After it ended, I was like, ‘That was a cool experience—watching it remotely with my friends.’”

Of course, it was just the beginning of a massive trend that’s seen musicians, bands, and DJs perform for fans around the world via livestream. Martz points to a new study titled “Media and Entertainment in the Time of Coronavirus,” which indicates that won’t be changing any time soon.

The study found that seven in 10 concert attendees who have tuned into a livestream during quarantine would continue watching even after live music events return.

For his part, after that first show, Martz

STREAM ON Quaranstream first launched in Whistler as a hub of livestreaming concerts and festivals.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

44 MAY 14, 2020

scoured the internet looking for more online gigs—only he realized they weren’t that easy to find and, as they proliferated, they were harder to keep track of.

“You have to follow them all on their individual social media channels,” he says.

“It was difficult for me to find, so I was like, ‘Here’s an opportunity.’”

concerts, and, more recently, includes a Zoom watch party feature.

“We’ve seen a good response,” Martz says. “It’s over a month old and it has 20,000 active users.”

It didn’t take long before Martz found himself overwhelmed with keeping the website up-to-date and promoting it. That

“I think it will stick around indefinitely even after the virus goes away. People are getting so much enjoyment out of it. In a lot of places, people can’t go to festivals.”

- SHANE MARTZ

With experience building websites— including Ski Resort Jobs, a job board for ski resorts in Canada and New Zealand; Ski Resort Rooms, an accommodations site for resorts; and an Australian app called iBackpacker, a job app for backpackers— Martz saw an opportunity.

Last month, he launched Quaranstream, a website that collects information on upcoming livestreams, links to archived shows, features a calendar you can subscribe to for reminders of

was when a serendipitous direct message arrived via Twitter from Nick Gooding in Newport Beach, Calif.

“He was like, ‘I was building something similar.’ We should work together,” Martz says. “Already, the work was piling up for me. We had a good video chat and our interest seemed pretty aligned. We both love electronic music and he had some good ideas about where to take the platform.”

Gooding quickly came on board to handle the developer side of the website

while Martz tackled the business and management aspects.

While initially Quaranstream focused on electronic music, it has since expanded to include pop and rock streams.

“People have been good about suggesting ways we can improve it,” Martz adds. “It’s a free services to use; we’re happy to take anyone’s feedback.”

Under the province’s phased restart plan, live concerts won’t be returning to B.C. until a vaccine is widely available. To that end, Martz sees livestream concerts and festivals as a permanent addition to the live music landscape.

“I think it will stick around indefinitely even after the virus goes away,” he says.

“People are getting so much enjoyment out of it. In a lot of places, people can’t go to festivals.”

In the meantime, he says he’s not alone in ditching streaming services like Spotify for background music and, instead, playing recent, archived livestreamed concerts in the background throughout his day.

“Long term, I want Quaranstream to be the go-to place to find upcoming and on-demand livestreams,” he says. “You don’t have to go to all the social media profiles. We’re saving people time.”

Check it out at www.quaranstream. video. ■

MUSEUM MUSINGS

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2021

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PART ONE Stefan and Gerda Ples moved to Vancouver before living in Whistler.

COURTESY OF BAREHAM FAMILY

Happiest in the mountains: Stefan Ples

BY ALLYN PRINGLE WELL BEFORE PEOPLE started to pay for lift access and a day’s skiing, skiers were climbing Whistler and the surrounding mountains, either in search of skiable terrain—such as the George Bury expedition in 1939—or simply to spend time outdoors exploring, such as Pip Brock in the early 1930s. One person who spent countless hours ski touring on Whistler Mountain was Stefan Ples.

Born in Vienna, Austria in 1912, Ples spent much of his life surrounded by mountains. When he was a young man, it was common to work until noon on Saturdays, leaving Saturday afternoons and Sundays free. According to his daughter Renate Bareham, Stefan would work until noon and then get on a train or his bicycle and head for cabins in the mountains.

Ski lifts were still relatively new and uncommon at the time (the first recorded ski lift was built by Robert Winterhalder in Germany in 1908), and so Stefan would spend his time climbing up the mountain, skiing down only once at the end of his trip.

This would remain his preferred way to ski for the rest of his life.

During the Second World War, Stefan lived in Hallein, a town outside of Salzburg.

His wife sadly passed away, leaving him with their young son Steve. After a move to Sweden, Stefan met Gerda. She came from Leipzig, Germany and had lost her fiancé in the war. Like Stefan, Gerda was planning to come to Canada. The pair got married and Stefan, Gerda and Steve came to Canada together, docking in Halifax and then going by train to Montreal. In Montreal, Stefan would hike up Mount Royal whenever he got the chance, though it couldn’t

compare to the mountains he grew up in.

The family spent some time there before moving on to Vancouver.

In Vancouver, Stefan and Gerda ran a rooming house in the West End, a Victorian building located on Denman and Davie streets, right by English Bay. Renate, who was born to Stefan and Gerda in Vancouver, remembered that their house became the first stop for Austrian immigrants coming to the city. In 2013, she told the museum, “I think I met just about every Austrian that came to Canada in the first 10 years that I was born.”

Settling in Vancouver also meant Stefan was once again living amongst mountains.

In the early 1950s, he became a founding member of the Tyrol Ski and Mountain Club along with Norbert Kamnig, Fips Broda, and Erhard Franks, instructors at Hans Brunner’s ski school on Hollyburn Mountain. The club soon built a cabin on Mount Seymour, where Stefan and his family would often go in the summers.

Renate learned to ski on rope tows on both these mountains, though she remembers Seymour more clearly.

According to the club, it was a chance meeting with an Alta Lake resident at a cobbler that first introduced Stefan to the area around Whistler Mountain. He and a few other club members took the train up to Alta Lake and were impressed with the location, returning afterward to continue ski touring around the area. In 1959, Stefan and Gerda went further and bought a property on Alta Lake next to Cypress Lodge. This became their own cabin in the mountains, though it would be a few more years before the family moved to Alta Lake full-time.

Next week, we’ll continue our look at Stefan Ples and his family’s time at Alta Lake and Whistler Mountain. n

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NOTES FROM THE BACK ROW

Home and the deranged (plus Quarantino 8) IF THERE’S ONE THING most of us know a lot about these days, it’s home. And since we all signed up (and probably forgot to cancel) those trial Apple TV+ accounts to watch Beastie Boys Story a couple weeks ago, it’s a good time to check out Home, an

BY FEET BANKS Apple series dedicated to cool architecture, innovative design, and the sense of what gives a space a soul.

Home has solid pedigree; executive producers Matthew Weaver (Jiro Dreams of Sushi) and Doug Pray (The Defiant Ones) lead a group that recognizes what makes a good story. Season 1 features nine episodes with dwellings all over the globe—a bamboo “tree house” in Bali, a transforming microhome apartment in Hong Kong, a home within a greenhouse in Sweden—and the result is ideal chill visuals for dreamers and design geeks.

HIGH HOME A bamboo “tree house” in Bali is just one home featured in the new TV show Home.

PHOTO COURTESY OF APPLE

Ideas of sustainability and connection to the local landscape permeate the series— be it the streets of inner-city Chicago, a reclaimed industrial site in Austin, or the local markets of India—but the ideas behind “what makes a house a home” don’t fully connect in every episode, probably due to the obvious economic gap between the subjects of the stories and the other 98 per cent of the world—it’s easier to dream big when you can afford it.

In episode 9, however, Home tackles this head-on with a show about innovative companies 3D printing an entire community in an impoverished area of Mexico.

It’s here that Home transcends the shackles of design porn and begins to show just how important four walls and a roof can be.

Still one of Apple’s strongest series thus far though, it’s all very soothing.

And 2009’s Inglourious Basterds is most definitely not that. For our eighth week of Quarantino, we’re jumping into the third phase of Quentin’s storied career—long run times, historical tomfoolery, a maturity of craft, and big box-office takes.

For the uninitiated, Basterds is a “menon-a-mission” style flick about a gang of Second World War Jewish American military operatives using guerrilla tactics

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to kill (and scalp) Nazis in occupied France.

They luck into a chance to kill Hitler and the Third Reich.

At the same time, a Jewish woman who escaped earlier persecution and now covertly runs a cinema also plots to kill the Nazi brass, especially Hans Landa, the infamous “Jew Hunter” who murdered her family. So basically, revenge stacked upon revenge—a common Tarantino storyline.

Tarantino had been writing the script for Basterds (the title is lifted from a 1978 Italian war flick) as early as 1999, pre-Kill Bill, and many of his early career tropes are on display here: vengeance, feet, graphic violence, surprise epic performances (few North Americans had ever heard of Christoph Waltz before he made the film with his multilingual performance as Landa), and a love of cinema—movies, movie theatres, and film knowledge play hugely important roles in this story.

And tension: The opening scene with Waltz’s Landa questioning a French dairy farmer is a 20-minute PhD on slow boiling doom (Tarantino considered it the greatest scene of his career at the time), and the “meet-up in a basement” scene where Michael Fassbender’s British agent blows everyone’s deep cover is another bloody

nail biter.

For a war film, there are a lot more words than battle scenes, but it’s personal, compelling, riveting at times, and comedic when you least expect it.

Of course, that caused some to criticize Tarantino for making light of the true horrors of the Second World War (though he seemed to get away with his subtle racism towards African Americans this time). More than a few viewers scoffed at Tarantino’s insistence on making a film where “cinema saves the world,” and they didn’t like that he re-wrote history either.

Take that or leave it, Inglourious Basterds is a hugely bold step away from expectations and a resounding slap to anyone that had written Tarantino off as a chop-socky American cinema dork who belonged in the genre film playpool.

He made a film in Europe that ran over three hours, featured four languages, a shitload of subtitles, one of the best characters of the past 20 years, and a highly implausible plot that attempts to re-write the ending of the largest and most tragic war in human history. And the last line, delivered by Brad Pitt looking directly at the camera, was, “I think this might be my masterpiece.”

And it was, until the next one. ■

PARTIAL RECALL

2

1

3

4

5

1 FLOWER POWER The Whistler Secondary School Parent Advisory Council practised proper physical distancing while handing out flowers on Friday, May 8. Parents and community members purchased the flowers in support of the school’s athletics program. PHOTO BY TANYA GOERTZEN. 2 PIZZA PARTY Whistlerites Laurie Cooper and George Vodarek hosted a driveway pizza party for their neighbours in Emerald, courtesy of Whistler Wood Fired Pizza Co. Neighbours ordered 37 pizzas for pickup, with a portion of proceeds benefitting the Whistler Food Bank. PHOTO BY LAURIE COOPER. 3 PARK VIEWS With municipal parks still closed, many Whistlerites took advantage of the sunny, hot weather on Sunday, May 10 and headed to Nita Lake for a float or paddle. PHOTOS BY MEGAN LALONDE. 4 DOING GOOD From left to right: Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) staff Amanda Conway, Tracey Kavanagh, Francesca Cole, and Karen Ford show their gratitude for the Whistler Health Care Foundation’s recent donation of two oxygen concentrators for VCH’s Home and Community Care Division in the Sea to Sky community. “The EverFlo Concentrators will provide our community with a much better solution to managing their oxygen needs,” the Whistler Health Care Centre explained in a Facebook post. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 5 BIRTHDAY BASH When Whistler resident Liam celebrated his sixth birthday last week, Whistler RCMP visited Whitewater Drive in Cheakamus to provide an extra-special surprise birthday salute. “We love our town!! Lots of kids from the neighbourhood came to watch and it was so cool,” wrote Liam’s mom, Liz. PHOTO SUBMITTED

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ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF MAY 14 BY ROB BREZSNY

NO FIRES ANYWHERE IN WHISTLER

No backyard burning, no campfires. Please help protect our community from wildfires.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): During a pandemic, is it possible to spread the news about your talents and offerings? Yes! That’s why I suggest you make sure that everyone who should know about you does indeed know about you. To mobilize your efforts and stimulate your imagination, I came up with colourful titles for you to use to describe yourself on your résumé or in promotional materials or during conversations with potential helpers. 1. Fire-Maker 2.

Seed-Sower 3. Brisk Instigator 4. Hope Fiend 5. Gap Leaper 6. Fertility Aficionado 7. Gleam Finder 8. Launch Catalyst 9.

Chief Improviser 10. Change Artist.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Of all the signs, Tauruses are among the least likely to be egomaniacs. Most of you aren’t inclined to indulge in fits of braggadocio or outbreaks of narcissism. (I just heard one of my favourite virtuoso Taurus singers say she wasn’t a very good singer!) That’s why one of my secret agendas is to tell you how gorgeous you are, to nudge you to cultivate the confidence and pride you deserve to have. Are you ready to leap to a higher octave of self-love? I think so. In the coming weeks, please use Taurus artist Salvador Dali’s boast as your motto: “There comes a moment in every person’s life when they realize they adore me.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When I was young, I had a fun-filled fling with a smart Gemini woman who years later became a highly praised author and the authorized biographer of a Nobel Prize-winning writer. Do I regret our break-up? Am I sorry I never got to enjoy her remarkable success up close? No. As amazing as she was and is, we wouldn’t have been right for each other long-term.

I am content with the brief magic we created together, and have always kept her in my fond thoughts with gratitude and the wish for her to thrive. Now I invite you to do something comparable to what I just did, Gemini: Make peace with your past. Send blessings to the people who helped make you who you are. Celebrate what has actually happened in your life, and graduate forever from what might have happened but didn’t.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “You have two ways to live your life, from memory or from inspiration,” writes teacher Joe Vitale. Many of you Cancerians favour memory over inspiration to provide their primary motivation. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, although it can be a problem if you become so obsessed with memory that you distract yourself from creating new developments in your life story. But in accordance with astrological potentials and the exigencies of our Global Healing Crisis, I urge you, in the coming weeks, to mobilize yourself through a balance of memory and inspiration. I suspect you’ll be getting rich opportunities to both rework the past and dream up a future full of interesting novelty. In fact, those two imperatives will serve each other well.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Anne Lamott has some crucial advice for you to heed in the coming weeks. “Even when we’re most sure that love can’t conquer all,” she says, “it seems to anyway. It goes down into the rat hole with us, in the guise of our friends, and there it swells and comforts.

It gives us second winds, third winds, hundredth winds.”

I hope you’ll wield this truth as your secret magic in the coming weeks, Leo. Regard love not just as a sweet emotion that makes you feel good, but also as a superpower that can accomplish practical miracles.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Theologian St. Catherine of Siena observed, “To a brave person, good and bad luck are like her left and right hand. She uses both.”

The funny thing is, Virgo, that in the past you have sometimes been more adept and proactive in using your bad luck, and less skilful at capitalizing on your good luck. But from what I can tell, this curious problem has been diminishing for you in 2020—and will continue to do so. I expect that in the coming weeks, you will welcome and harness your good luck with brisk artistry.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “I’m curious about everything, except what people have to say about me,” says actress

Sarah Jessica Parker. I think that’s an excellent strategy for you to adopt in the coming weeks. On the one hand, the whole world will be exceptionally interesting, and your ability to learn valuable lessons and acquire useful information will be at peak. On the other hand, one of the keys to getting the most out of the wealth of catalytic influences will be to cultivate nonchalance about people’s opinions of you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): On the kids’ TV show Sesame Street, there’s a Muppet character named Count von Count.

He’s a friendly vampire who loves to count things. He is 6,523,730 years old and his favourite number is 34,969— the square root of 187. The Count was “born” on Nov. 13, 1972, when he made his first appearance on the show, which means he’s a Scorpio. I propose we make him your patron saint for the next four weeks. It’s an excellent time to transform any threatening qualities you might seem to have into harmless and cordial forms of expression. It’s also a favourable phase for you to count your blessings and make plans that will contribute to your longevity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “No one ever found wisdom without also being a fool,” writes novelist Erica Jong. “Until you’re ready to look foolish, you’ll never have the possibility of being great,” says singer Cher. “He dares to be a fool, and that is the first step in the direction of wisdom,” declared art critic James Huneker. “Almost all new ideas have a certain aspect of foolishness when they are first produced,” observed philosopher Alfred North Whitehead. According to my analysis of astrological omens, you’re primed to prove these theories, Sagittarius. Congratulations!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Few people have a treasure,” writes Nobel Prize-winning author Alice Munro.

She’s speaking metaphorically, of course—not referring to a strongbox full of gold and jewels. But I’m happy to inform you that if you don’t have a treasure, the coming months will be a favourable time to find or create it. So I’m putting you on a High Alert for Treasure. I urge you to be receptive to and hungry for it. And if you are one of those rare lucky ones who already has a treasure, I’m happy to say that you now have the power and motivation to appreciate it even more and learn how to make even better use of it. Whether you do or don’t yet have the treasure, heed these further words from Alice Munro: “You must hang onto it. You must not let yourself be waylaid, and have it taken from you.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): At this moment, there are 50 trillion cells in your body, and each of them is a sentient being in its own right. They act together as a community, consecrating you with their astonishing collaboration. It’s like magic! Here’s an amazing fact: Just as you communicate with dogs and cats and other animals, you can engage in dialogues with your cells. The coming weeks will be a ripe time to explore this phenomenon. Is there anything you’d like to say to the tiny creatures living in your stomach or lungs? Any information you’d love to receive from your heart or your sex organs? If you have trouble believing this is a real possibility, imagine and pretend. And have fun!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “A myriad of modest delights constitute happiness,” wrote poet Charles Baudelaire. I think that definition will serve you well in the coming weeks, Pisces. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, there won’t be spectacular breakthroughs barging into your life; I expect no sublime epiphanies or radiant transformations. On the other hand, there’ll be a steady stream of small marvels if you’re receptive to such a possibility. Here’s key advice: Don’t miss the small wonders because you’re expecting and wishing for bigger splashes.

Here’s this week’s homework: What has been your favourite lesson during our Global Healing Crisis?

FreeWillAstrology.com

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES

www.whistler.ca/fire 48 MAY 14, 2020

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

The Whistler Club Tuesdays at 3.

The Millennium Club Thursdays at 12:15.

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

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50 MAY 14, 2020

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.

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

F/T Cashier F/T Floor Sales (Hardware division) Whistler Home Hardware has the immediate openings for the above mentioned positions. Previous retail experience in a similar role or working environment will be an asset.

You need to have good communication skills, be willing to work in a team environment and be professional and courteous by nature. We offer a positive work environment, competitive wages and a benefits program.

Please apply in person with your resume and references to: #1-1005 Alpha Lake Rd. in Function Junction Location: Function Junction

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4 9 6 2 7 # 37

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Become the Nation’s Director of Finance

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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.

The successful candidate for the position of Director of Finance will have the following skills, knowledge and experience:

# 38

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8 3 5 6 2 9 1 4 www.whistlerwag.com Lead 4 9 4 1 8 Assist 3 Create forget to scoop the poop!

3Don’t 4 3 5 4 Support It’s not fun to step in, or to see around town.

Collaborate Help keep Whistler clean and pick up after your 4dog.

2 6 5 7 1 6 9 5 3 6 8 3 1 7 8 3 2 The Pinnacle Hotel Whistler 2 9 1 has the following position available: EASY

MAINTENANCE PERSON Please reply by email: parmstrong@pinnaclehotels.ca

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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.

# 39

# 38

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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

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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

WIDE OPEN WELDING IS CURRENTLY LOOKING # 39 # 40 8 4 5 6 9 7 2 3 1 TO FILL2 9THE 1 3 FOLLOWING 4 5 7 8 6 6 3 7 8 2 1 4 5 9 POSITION: 1 2 8 9 7 6 3 4 5

6 4 3 8 9 7 2 1 4 3 5 6 4 1 8 3 9 2 7 7 5 3 7 9 2 5 4 1 6 8 1 6 7 5 6 4 1 2 8 9 3 8 9 4 8 3 7 6 9 5 1 2 your resume to contactus@wideopenwelding.com 5 2 9 1 2 5 3 8 6 7 4

FABRICATORS Page 10 of 25

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9 6 7 4 3 1 2 8 5

Howe Sound Women’s Centre is Hiring!

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 Please direct your inquiries, cover letter and resume to: pbelanger@hswc.ca

4 5 2 8 9 7 6 3 1

4/11/2005

MAY 14, 2020

51

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52 MAY 14, 2020

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NO O DYNA

FIRE • OU

PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 16 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 39 41 43 45 46 49 51 52 55 59 60 62 63 64 66 67 69 71 72

Fetch Casino “coins” Triangular nut bearer Peerage member Solitude enjoyer Falcon’s home Punch server Talk pompously Do a comedian’s job Wrapping material Dry run Take notes A la -Exec. aide Diamond or Simon Moved gingerly Patella Deli sandwich Wake attendees Rank above species Berates Chow mein additive Punch Campbell of country music Shade of a color Backpack Sicily’s erupter Thigh neighbor Disloyal one Bowling league’s needs Warm greeting Real Engage in rivalry Script lines Port near Kyoto Avoids Spring fragrance

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137 139 141 142 143 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154

Bearing More suggestive Land, to Pierre Gore and Capone Perceived Luxuriant Part of A.D. Prompter’s hint Ice floes Toddler Chances Laundry amount Name in tractors -- vous plait Wide-awake Hire Steins Brazilian dance Enjoy the taste Turn pink Less trusting Charlotte of “Bananas” Leatherneck A hundred percent Dead language Relativity name Diver’s milieu Kennel noise Churchill successor London’s Old -Stop Kind of job Samovar -- counter Sibling’s daughter Light musical Ember Trimmed a photo Shoe uppers

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 34 36

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EASY

Plum shape “I came,” to Caesar Suspense Orlando attraction Take it easy Red-ink entry Granted Actress -- Witherspoon Lag behind As -- -- (generally) Turn inside out Brought to bay Commotions Doled out Tint again

Ebony Kind of candle Toughen up Reserve fund (2 wds.)

Parthenon site Siege weapon Chops down Gaelic people Spotted horses Understand Diner sandwich Merited Adams or McClurg Miner’s stake Parrot’s word Arbors Put in order Employee’s hope Web-toed mammal Lacks Financial backer Tooth problem

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Autumn decoration Notre Dame sight Out callers Fawning Climbed Kind of daisy Rock plant Bullish trend Puts up boards Prolific auth.

Ryan or Tilly Bangkok native Put in the microwave Thickening agent Home port Team cheer Foxes’ abodes Puts down a rug Mental pictures W. Hemisphere gp.

Learned one Praise Pizza topper Habit Get wrong “Whatever -- Wants” Islet Get going Lama, usually Think up Bagpipe sounds Run in the raw I’m impressed!

While Batter Straight -- -- arrow Auction site Marseilles Ms. Influence

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Companion Son of Val and Aleta Lot of bills Wear the crown Carpentry joint Helped a borrower Chilled Brought forth Reason for which something is done IV plus III Strip of Took a break Bakery goody Look up to Geezer In plain view

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First anniversary gift Banquet host Legal wrongs Head off Refute by evidence or argument Blacktopped Abrasive material “Divine Comedy” penner Asian mountains Cairo’s river Really big tees Beaver’s work

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: EASY

8 3 5 2 9 1 4 4 1 8 3 3 5 4 4 2 6 5 7 9 5 3 6 1 7 8 3 2 9 1 EASY Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 40

ANSWERS ON PAGE 51

MAY 14, 2020

53

MAXED OUT

Teamwork only way to keep Whistler operating “Come fly with me, we’ll fly, we’ll fly away” JIMMY VAN HEUSEN AND SAMMY CAHN

CANADIANS AREN’T CERTAIN they want to go back to work. Not out of sloth or laziness; out of fear. While most people from sea to sea to sea support easing up on sheltering in place restrictions, most are also concerned about heading back to work. Perhaps it’s been the experience of working from home... in pajamas. More likely, it’s fear driven by stepping back into the social cauldron.

Whatever the reason, that fear pales

BY G.D. MAXWELL in comparison to the idea of multiple lineups at airports as a prelude to getting on a crowded plane and sharing an air circulation system for the next several hours with people who may be carrying untold viruses and other nasty, communicable illnesses.

And so, like spring showers, airlines are lining up, hat in hand, consultants in tow, to stress how vital they are to the economic wellbeing of the country. As sure as those showers bring May flowers, governments around the world will bail them out.

In this country, we won’t be bailing them out. We’ll be providing them money.

Potato, pahtato. The dough will have strings attached, but with that money, airlines will be able to hire the brightest legal and accounting minds to snip those strings.

While this column isn’t about airline bailouts, I would like to suggest we let them go under. When people begin demanding air travel, there will be new airlines to provide the service. But that’s a story for another day.

This column is about people’s desire or reluctance or ability to hop on airplanes and head to fun-filled holidays in, oh, let’s say, Whistler. And it’s about what we might think about doing if they don’t.

In the Before Time—that would be preVail Resorts time—Whistler in its evolving iterations relied heavily on regional visitors.

There were many years where the difference between a profitable season and a season when, if Whistler was an airline, it would have been looking for a bailout, depended entirely on rubber-tire traffic.

Having a clear appreciation for the importance of those regional visitors, Whistler and Blackcomb, both as separate entities and as Whistler Blackcomb, came up with attractive pricing and products to lure them up. Some of those included discount lift tickets available at 7-Eleven stores, Edge Cards in an array of prepaid days from one to 10 with additional days being heavily discounted, student passes, graduate passes, parent passes and spring passes.

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Many of those products were available well into the season and some were available year-round. There were package tickets attractively priced through operators to lure skiers from the Old Country— Ontario—and elsewhere in Canada. There were discounted tickets available through various lodging operators in town.

Now, there are Epic Passes. And Epic tickets. And Epic Edge Cards. And far, far fewer regional visitors. And far, far fewer locals urging their far-flung friends to come to Whistler for a ski vacation.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe the Epic Pass is a brilliant marketing idea. Under normal circumstances. And with certain necessary alterations. But I’m not so sure it’s going to be epic this season, assuming there is a this season. More on that later.

Striking an attitude many consider

decide later in the season you want to come after all. That penalty is absurdly priced lift tickets that bear no relationship to value for price.

Make no mistake, Epic Passes have provided value for price. But there are more than a few people who received no value for price for their 2019-20 Epic Pass. Those are the folks who knew they wanted to visit a Vail Resorts property to enjoy spring skiing.

Remember spring skiing? Those people wound up with a worthless pass and for the privilege of committing to Vail Resorts, they’ll get a credit worth 80 per cent of what they paid should they decide to commit to this season’s pass.

It is not for no reason Vail Resorts is defending a class action lawsuit in the U.S. for fraud as a result of refusing to issue refunds or partial refunds to people due to

Another way of saying that is, ‘Our way or the highway.’

arrogant, Vail Resorts has said they want people to commit to them, hence buy your Epic Pass early or don’t by one at all.

Another way of saying that is, “Our way or the highway.” Unstated is the fact that highway often leads somewhere else.

You commit to buying an Epic Pass before the deadline—which seems to come some time early in December—or you pay a penalty for not committing should you

the early closing. Apparently commitment is a one-way street.

I’m happy taking my 20-per-cent credit towards next year’s pass. But then, I live here and if the mountains are open this winter I know where I’ll be spending my time. To be honest, I didn’t even expect 20 per cent. To be more honest, I’d have preferred to ski this spring but that’s neither here nor there.

At any rate, I would strongly urge Vail Resorts to revisit its commitment model. I’d even more strongly urge them to suck up to regional skiers and boarders although I fear that ship has sailed, much to the benefit of every other ski area in B.C. But we’ll know what we know when we know it because Vail Resorts is not too good when it comes to sharing their thinking or plans for the coming season... or virtually anything else for that matter.

Not sure I can blame them this year. I’ll be a little surprised if there is a this year until some time next year. Absent a strong desire on the part of people to hop onto flying Petri dishes, visitor numbers are likely to be weak for the rest of this calendar year.

On top of that, the logistics of safely opening the mountains to sufficient numbers of people to make economic sense is a nightmare. Physical distancing on gondolas would mean running them at a fraction of their upload capacity. That presumes you can assemble and maintain a healthy workforce, overcome people’s fears, find a way to turn a profit off fewer visitors when you can’t operate restaurants and bars anywhere near what we used to think of as capacity and keep staff housing from becoming a COVID-19 ward.

If we’re going to have a 2020-21 ski season, it’s going to take a concerted, joint effort on the part of Vail Resorts, the RMOW, Tourism Whistler, the lodging sector, restaurant and bar association and the local Chamber of Commerce, not to mention the province. It would be nice if everyone would work together and begin to share some ideas on how to make it happen.

Or at least let us know not to make the final payment on this year’s pass. n

Be Mindful

Stay Safe

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