Pique Newsmagazine 2738

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 ISSUE 27.38

WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM NOT SO

FREE HEALTHCARE

Profits before patients?

The corporate push into B.C.’s primary care system

14

SHIFTING PHASES

Phase 2 of housing

coming to Cheakamus Crossing

15

GONDOLA DOWN

The cable for the Sea

to Sky Gondola is cut—again

42

PERFORMANCE CHANGE

New COVID

health orders impact local musicians

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

34 42

28 Profits before patients?

Big business sees opportunity in replacing the family doctor with corporate clinics or virtual care. Advocates see peril. - By Andrew MacLeod | TheTyee.ca

14

SHIFTING PHASES

The Resort Municipality of

25

PARK PURSUIT

Village of Pemberton council is

Whistler is preparing to break ground on the long-awaited second phase of

set to pursue a Community, Culture, and Recreation grant for a mountain

Cheakamus Crossing, starting with two new apartment buildings this fall.

bike skills park on Pemberton Farm Road East.

15

34

CABLE CUT

Sea to Sky Gondola grounded again after

MAD MAN

Triathlete Karsten Madsen completed six

a vandal climbed a tower and severed the main cable. Whistler Blackcomb

Into the Mystic-Lord of the Squirrels loops as part of a fundraiser for the

reaches out with help, and inspects all lifts.

Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association.

17

BEAR FEEDING CHARGES

Two people

42

MUSICIANS PIVOT AGAIN

New

are facing charges after allegedly feeding black bears in the Kadenwood

provincial health orders on COVID-19 mean local musicians have to re-

neighbourhood.

invent their performances—again.

COVER I can see pros and cons with telehealth. I like the convenience of getting regular prescriptions refilled. But on the other hand, it has been really nice to have Dr. Tamplin recognize and be genuinely concerned about me when I visited. - By Jon Parris 4 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS A just-released provincial report on logging and old-growth forests spells

#103 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9.

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

hope for the future if the government follows through on its commitments.

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter writers this week give thanks to all those who made Art on

Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com Editor CLARE OGILVIE - edit@piquenewsmagazine.com Assistant Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@wplpmedia.com Production Manager KARL PARTINGTON - kpartington@wplpmedia.com Art Director JON PARRIS - jparris@wplpmedia.com Advertising Representatives AMY ALLEN - aallen@wplpmedia.com TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com Digital/Sales Coordinator AMELA DIZDARIC - traffic@wplpmedia.com Production production@piquenewsmagazine.com LOU O’BRIEN - lstevens@wplpmedia.com

the Lake possible and call out the SLRD on its decision to say “no” to developing affordable housing.

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Writer Alyssa Noel discusses the pros and cons of living in Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish after spending the last eight years living in all three communities.

58 MAXED OUT Max remembers his first trips to shop at MEC and weighs in on its sale to a U.S.-based investment company that has nothing to do with the outdoors.

Environment & Adventure

Arts & Entertainment Editor ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com

27 SCIENCE MATTERS David Suzuki argues that the climate version of hand washing in a

Sports Editor DAN FALLOON - sports@piquenewsmagazine.com

pandemic is putting a price on carbon to make polluters pay.

Features Editor BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com Reporters BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@wplpmedia.com Classifieds and Reception mail@piquenewsmagazine.com Office and Accounts Manager HEIDI RODE - hrode@wplpmedia.com I.T. and Webmaster KARL PARTINGTON Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, MICHAEL ALLEN, FEET BANKS, LESLIE ANTHONY, ALLEN BEST, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY, LISA RICHARDSON President, Whistler Publishing LP SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of Whistler Publishing Limited Partnership, a division of Glacier Media) distributed to over 130 locations in Whistler and to over 200 locations from Vancouver to D’arcy.

Lifestyle & Arts

38 VELOCITY PROJECT Lisa Richardson finds out what motivates a fellow Pembertonian who is set to run 110 kilometres to raise funds for kids in need.

40 EPICURIOUS We check in with local eateries about how the municipality’s temporary patio expansion has helped them survive COVID-19, and ask what will winter look like without the outside spaces.

44 MUSEUM MUSINGS This week, we look back at a fall fair in the ‘80s, which called for contestants to bake a mountain-themed cake.

The entire contents of Pique Newsmagazine are copyright 2019 by Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of WPLP, a division of Glacier Media). No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the Publisher.

44

In no event shall unsolicited material subject this publication to any claim or fees. Copyright in letters and other (unsolicited) materials submitted and accepted for publication remains with the author but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms.

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OPENING REMARKS

Standing up for giants WE HAVE BEEN waiting since May for the province to release the findings of a report into the logging of our forests and in particular, our old-growth stands. After all, an overhaul to the province’s forestry rules was a central plank of the NDP’s election platform in 2017.

This week, we finally saw the report and the recommendations that came with it—and it looks like a good start.

But with so many of our ancient trees and forests in jeopardy, this is no time for the province to drag its feet on implementing all the recommended

BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

changes in the report. According to government statements, it will only be acting on some of them immediately with a three-year timeframe for the rest. A lot can happen in that time—including elections.

“Our initial assessment is that the independent old-growth panel’s

Changes will impact those who work in the sector, obviously, so funding is a key component of making this a reality—a significant ask in these COVID-19 times.

But the importance of old-growth to the culture of First Nations, to our biodiversity, to tourism and to the environment has been overlooked for too long. (The term old-growth in B.C. means trees that are generally 250 years or older on the coast and 140 years or older in the Interior.)

The report states that the government will defer logging in several at-risk areas totalling over 350,000 hectares—200,000 hectares of which is old-growth forest.

And it tells us that work is also underway to protect up to 1,500 exceptionally large, individual trees under the Special Tree Protection Regulation. The ministry said this supports a 2019 commitment to develop a permanent approach to protecting big, iconic trees. (About time.

Nine in 10 British Columbians support taking action to defend old-growth and want the government to keep its election promise, a recent poll commissioned by Sierra Club shows.)

About 23 per cent of the province’s 13.2

“[W]hat’s missing from today’s announcement is a commitment to implement all of the report’s recommendations with full funding.”

- JENS WIETING

recommendations offer a blueprint to safeguard B.C.’s endangered old-growth forests within three years,” said Sierra Club BC senior forest and climate campaigner Jens Wieting in a release.

“While we welcome these first steps, what’s missing from today’s announcement is a commitment to implement all of the report’s recommendations with full funding.”

million hectares of old-growth forests are protected in national and provincial parks, wildlife habitat ranges, regional water supply sheds, old-growth management areas and other areas, according to the province. About 3.75 million hectares, 27 per cent of the old growth, may be harvested.

According to the Sierra Club, 140,000 hectares of old-growth forests are logged each year along the B.C. coast and in the

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Interior (that’s, at minimum, 560,000 logging trucks of trees).

Have you walked in these forests, even the small stand at (currently closed due to COVID) Cathedral Grove, a park protecting an endangered ecosystem of Douglas fir near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island? Or what about the old-growth at Avatar Grove, the Carmanah and Walbran valleys or Clayoquot Sound, or along the West Coast Trail? Standing amongst these towering giants is awe-inspiring, spiritual even— they are amongst the largest, oldest living organisms that have ever existed. We have a responsibility to protect them.

These forests hold, per hectare, more carbon than even the Amazon rainforest, says Ken Wu, who has been fighting to protect them for decades with the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance.

Said Torrance Coste, the national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee: “Old-growth forests are nonrenewable.

“We can’t rebuild healthy, sustainable rural economies around finite resources that are already heavily depleted. The reality is the future of forestry in B.C. is the management and use of trees planted by humans.

“Few things are as important to B.C., ecologically and economically, culturally and spiritually, as healthy forests.”

We should also be protecting our oldgrowth forest from logging right here in Whistler, but we are trapped in some Machiavellian labyrinth under provincial logging regulations. (See, “Cheakamus Community Forest reveals harvest plans for 2020,” Pique, Dec. 21, 2019.)

I think it’s outrageous, actually.

Tomorrow, Sept. 18, we all have a chance to show our support for old-growth, as Whistler is joining communities across the province to host a Forest March. The walk will start at Lost Lake Park Beach at 1 p.m. with groups marching (physically distancing, wearing masks) on separate routes to the village. Get your marching shoes on. n

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8 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

Steve Shuster

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SEAandSKY is developed by BlueSky-Kingswood Properties (Squamish) Inc. All prices quoted are exclusive of all taxes and are subject to change without prior notice. Renderings, sketches, layouts and finishes are representational only. Information contained herein is subject to change at any time. E. & O. E.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Reach out if you want Art on the Lake next year, too Arts Whistler was thrilled to produce Art on the Lake… literally, on Alta Lake, and was blown away by the community spirit and joy that was apparent on event day, Aug. 27.

With kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards and inflatables, it was great to see so many locals on the water to share in the fun.

A huge thank-you to our participating artists and musicians. The artwork looked spectacular along the lake edges and the music had folks dancing in their kayaks and SUPs, even if it resulted in a few flips into the lake. And finally, a thank-you to [provincial health officer] Dr. Bonnie Henry for granting us permission for the event to proceed.

Hosting an event in the age of COVID took the support of many, including: the Whistler RCMP, which joined us on the water with their safety boat; Whistler Adaptive Sports Program; Captain Holidays; Backloads Whistler; Whistler Eco Tours which assisted us with dock space, water access and gear; and to our Resort Municipality of Whistler friends—Bob, Mercedes, Lorne, Christa, Conor and John—for your assistance, support, advice, permissions and keys to all those gates.

We hope to produce the event again next

year. If you attended and would like to share your experiences and your support for continuing with the event, please send us a note to info@ artswhistler.com. Community support will help us as we explore funding for 2021.

We love you Whistler!

Mo Douglas and the Arts Whistler team

Re-think housing decision at WedgeWoods I am writing to voice my concern over the recent rejection to move forward with the WedgeWoods West housing project.

their SUV with their teenage sons and downhill mountain bikes in tow and realizing what a unique opportunity it was to raise a family here.

My husband and I were able to build our careers locally while saving to support a family of our own.

Three years later, in 2013, we welcomed our first son and the appreciation we had for our home and neighbourhood grew immensely.

As a new mother living away from immediate family, I felt safe and supported just from opening my front door. My neighbours became a much-needed extension of my family—and our roots here continued to strengthen. Our second son was born in 2016.

We know how lucky we are. Our timing was such that we were not in a desperate situation for housing. Non-market housing was available to those that were prepared to purchase it. We were able to start a family without having to worry about what would happen when our lease was up, if our landlords decided to sell, how we would raise a child in our tiny one-bedroom apartment.

And yet, this is the reality for our friends in the current market, whose timing was not as fortunate as ours.

In the past few years, we’ve said goodbye to many families and individuals that just couldn’t make it work here, as much as they desperately wanted to—active community members worn down by endless waitlists and unsustainable rental situations.

In recent years, we’ve seen enrolment at our local schools drop by unprecedented numbers relative to predictions based on previous years’ birth rates. We’ve seen businesses have to

My husband and I have lived in Whistler for over 15 years. Originally from Vancouver and Victoria, respectively, I can’t say that I expected we’d raise our children here one day. But, when we moved into our three-bedroom townhouse in Cheakamus Crossing in 2010—a purchase made possible for us only because of the Whistler Housing Authority program—the idea no longer seemed so impossible.

We were immediately surrounded by a community of families that were “living the dream” to my 27-year-old self. I distinctly remember watching our neighbours pile into

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LOCAL

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR J

adjust their hours around staffing. We’ve had daycares reduce programming or shut completely because attempts to recruit staff have indicated that people are not willing to move here without secure housing. This in turn has added to another crisis responsible for driving families out of town, but I digress.

Simply put, I am stunned that this proposal was rejected. If sustaining a permanent population within our communities is a priority, I can’t see the sense in this decision.

I am certain that potential residents could provide input on how to address the traffic concerns and lack of walkability. Surely the obvious need for this project far outweighs the presented issues.

I realize WedgeWoods West is not a complete solution to our current housing crisis—but it could certainly be a piece of it.

In support of our fellow community members, I urge the board to reconsider their decision to reject this project.

Lindsey Ataya // Whistler

Bears need more protection from human behaviour I am a lover of wildlife, and I volunteer and raise money for a variety of animal-rescue associations.

I am writing to express my outrage at the senseless killing of two well-adjusted, nonthreatening bears, Huckleberry and Plum, in the Deep Cove area of North Vancouver. These needless deaths have highlighted like never before the need for immediate change in the way wildlife, in particular bears, is handled by all levels of government.

Humans have invaded the territory in which wildlife in Canada have lived and thrived for millennia. It is time for us to recognize that these natural beings ask nothing of us except to coexist peacefully. By implementing the following four actions, government at all levels can eradicate the needless carnage of these precious living beings.

Action No. 1: Make sure that no one is attracting bears. Everyone knows the rules, but many are too lazy to implement them. Bear encounters are not thoroughly investigated because it is so much easier just to have the

bear killed.

I am asking for an increase in the fines.

Action No. 2: Immediately implement change to the oversight of the British Columbia Conservation Office Service (BCCOS), as recommended by the Environmental Law Centre report titled Reform Proposals for Managing Human-Wildlife Conflict in British Columbia, March 2019, by Kelly Firth.

(Full report link: www.raincoast.org/ wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ManagingHuman-Wildlife-Conflict-in-BC_Mar2019.pdf.)

As noted in the recommendations of this report (on page 5): First, the provincial government should improve its internal policies for handling human-wildlife conflict to reflect a more restrained approach to using lethal force and a better understanding of the science of wildlife behaviour.

Ideally, [the province] would pass a regulation incorporating these guidelines in order to make them legally enforceable.

Also needed immediately is independent oversight of the BCCOS. Since 2011, the BCCOS has reported killing 3,314 black bears, 103 grizzly bears, and 590 cougars (Conservation Officer Service Predator Conflicts & Statistics, current to September 2017).

Action No. 3: Hire bear behaviourists who understand bears. Conservation officers are not trained in bear or wildlife behaviour. Before any animal is killed, an expert in that animal’s behaviour must be called in.

It is time to stop the lies. The lie that bears lose their fear of people. They don’t. They don’t fear people because they are naturally trusting. The lie that bears are dangerous. They aren’t. Bears and their cubs are killed because conservation officers do not understand them.

It’s time they did.

Action No. 4: Listen! It’s time! Listen to the bear experts. Listen to the citizens of the districts where bears are being killed. The community is in an uproar, so it’s time to pay attention. The public wants protection for our wildlife from the few negligent humans who won’t obey the rules and common sense.

Train the BCCOS to become true conservation officers, protectors of the wildlife they serve, rather than hunters!

Monica Magnetti // Vancouver n

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HELP STOP THE SPREAD

are seeking Housing Partners

Please consider wearing a mask when it’s difficult to maintain physical distancing.

Wearing a mask does not replace other important protocols such as distancing and hand washing and most importantly, staying home if you have any symptoms of illness, but should be considered in places where physical distancing is challenging, such as Whistler Village.

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

12 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

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PIQUE’N YER INTEREST

Oh, the places (in the Sea to Sky corridor) you will go I’M TRYING REALLY HARD to come up with a hilarious and apt name for people who have had the privilege of living in all three of the biggest communities that make up the Sea to Sky corridor.

(Actually, for some, it might indicate a lack of privilege; they move where there’s

BY ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com

semi-affordable/ available housing. I fall 40 per cent into this category.)

The Three-Timers Club? The ThreeWay Allstars? The Triple Trotters?

I’ll keep brainstorming.

This month marks my eight-year anniversary of moving to Whistler. I lived in the resort for three years (full disclosure: I attempted to leave once but came back a month later. Let’s call our immense ranks the Loser Leavers) before moving to Pemberton for a year and then heading to Squamish, where I currently live.

Recently, in the span of one week, I: worked in Pique’s Function Junction office, went for a run at Lost Lake, and picked up a few things (fully masked) in the village; camped and hiked in Pemberton’s backcountry; and worked in The Squamish Chief’s downtown office, where I

have been lent out for holiday coverage.

Spending time in the three communities in such a short span prompted me to reflect on both their charms and differences. So, in an effort to avoid writing yet another hot take on the pandemic, I thought, instead, I’d offer my hot take on stamping my Corridor Card.

(Is that any better?)

Let’s go from north to south, shall we?

PEMBERTON BENEFITS: Not only does this village have charm coming out the wazoo, but also it’s remarkably vibrant for such a small place. I can’t count the number of times I’ve bragged to out-of-towners about the wacky ratio of amazing restaurants to population.

From the access to quiet weekday trails to the adorable downtown to the community events like the Barn Dance (which has forever become a yardstick for inebriation amongst many people I know— as in “yeah, but were you Barn-Dance drunk?”) and those truly bonkers muffins from Blackbird Bakery (I miss them every day), this place is magic.

And since I doubt my husband will read this, I’ll just say it: there’s also a wacky ratio of hot dads to population.

What more could you want, really?

CHALLENGES: It’s really far to the airport, which

isn’t so much a problem these days. Plus, if you want to buy pretty much anything other than basic necessities, you’ll have to turn online or to the south. (But, of course, I advocate for buying as much local as you can!)

WHISTLER BENEFITS: Honestly, the cookie-cutter perfection of this town didn’t hit me until I moved to Squamish. On one particular Valley Trail run from Nita Lake to Blueberry to the Whistler Golf Club shortly after I moved, I was bowled over by just how pristine everything is. And lest the Pemberton dads get too much of an ego boost: how is everyone in Whistler hot, ripped, and 23?

It’s an unreal, fairytale place in almost every regard—including the public bathrooms in the parks. In Whistler, it seems, no one pees on the toilet seats. Some long-time locals might interpret this as a backhanded compliment, but I assure you it’s not. With the current state of the world, there is nothing like a leisurely stroll through Whistler to forget your slow, steady demise.

CHALLENGES: When you consider your wage compared to the housing prices or cost of living, it can feel like you’re living in a place that doesn’t really want you there. Yes, some people make it work, but as you exit your 20s, it starts to feel like there’s an expiration

date on your Whistler life.

SQUAMISH BENEFITS: I’m about to say something controversial, but we’re near the end of this column, so if you stop reading here, I can live with that. The most #blessed I’ve felt living in Squamish is in the winter. I’m living in my dream winter location: I can trail run an astounding number of trails all year long, but if I want a snow fix, I can head up a local mountain or hit the highway to Whistler.

While everyone here seems to forget we live by the ocean, Howe Sound is pretty remarkable, too. But really, the biggest bonus of living in this town is the feeling that it’s on the cusp. I’m not talking about the cost and number of condos; there’s a palpable feeling that the town is transitioning into what it’s yet to become and it feels exciting to be a part of it.

CHALLENGES: When I think about how little a standalone house cost here when I moved to the corridor in 2012, I want to throw up. Also, there is a very high number of loud pick-up trucks with lift kits whose drivers seem to be audibly calculating how many points they get for hitting you.

Cheers to eight years, Sea to Sky corridor. I love you, flaws, housing prices, spooky drivers and all. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Permits issued for Cheakamus Phase 2—but what will it cost?

CORNERSTONE OF WHISTLER’S EMPLOYEE HOUSING FUTURE MOVING FORWARD, WITH BUSINESS PLAN TO FOLLOW

BY BRADEN DUPUIS THE RESORT Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is advancing what is perhaps the cornerstone of its employee housing future in Cheakamus Crossing, but some key details are yet to come to council.

Namely—the total cost, financing options, and whether two proposed apartment buildings will be rental or ownership.

Nevertheless, council voted to approve a development permit for the build at its Sept. 15 meeting.

The permit will allow for construction of two, four-storey employee housing apartment buildings (100 units and 138 parking spaces), as well as the extension of Mount Fee Road and other related infrastructure.

But the lack of finer details gave at least one councillor pause.

“This may be the largest project we’ve ever built, or the most expensive project the municipality has ever built, and so my concern is that I think that there needs to be more consultation about the cost of this, the potential debt burden, on the municipality,”

PHASED APPROACH An aerial view of future

development parcels in Cheakamus Crossing. First on tap is Parcel A, with the Resort Municipality of Whistler hoping to break ground on two apartment buildings this fall.

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE RMOW

14 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

said Councillor Cathy Jewett.

The project is continuing along two separate processes, a municipal spokesperson clarified later.

“Any financing by the municipality for the project, e.g. borrowing/debt to be considered, is required to come before council with a range of considerations including rental rates, etc., and how any debt would be repaid,” the spokesperson said, adding that the Whistler Housing

Coun. Duane Jackson, who oversees council’s housing portfolio, in particular.

“I know we’re in a COVID crisis now, but we’re going to come out of this and we’re going to need these units, so I’m happy to move this along and get those shovels in the ground.”

Whether the new buildings are rental or for purchase will also be decided through the financing proposal (though the WHA’s grant application is for rental).

Planning and design for the site—

“This is work that sets Whistler up to deliver affordable, quality housing into the future.”

- JACK CROMPTON

Authority also has a grant application submitted to BC Housing for the project.

The Whistler 2020 Development Corp (WDC)—the RMOW subsidiary tasked with developing the land—will bring forward a business plan with financing options at a date to be determined, they added.

The WDC hopes to break ground next month.

“If we can actually get shovels in the ground by fall, I think that will be a real accomplishment for this council,” said Coun.

Ralph Forsyth, crediting the work of staff and

located at the southeast end of the existing Cheakamus neighbourhood next to the Cheakamus River—has been underway since late 2018.

The current design is a mix of one-, twoand three-bedroom apartments ranging from 49 square metres to 95 square metres.

An initial design proposal was amended to include three-bedroom apartments “to accommodate some of our Whistler families on the waitlist,” said director of planning Mike Kirkegaard in a presentation to council.

“The project was designed with livability

in mind,” he said.

“There is in-unit bike storage, each of the units has a balcony or a terrace, [and] there are internal communal spaces.”

Council also endorsed further review and processing of a rezoning application that will pave the way for further development of the lands on Sept. 15.

The proposed rezoning seeks to reduce the minimum parcel area to enable future subdivision of the lands and to allocate the existing permitted density and uses in the zone to corresponding parcel areas, according to Kirkegaard.

The rezoning would also establish the building setbacks for each parcel area within the zone, as well as add daycare as a permitted use.

A “public information and input opportunity” will be held prior to first readings of any rezoning bylaws.

The lands in question are a portion of the Lower Cheakamus Community Land Bank Site, which was granted to the RMOW for affordable housing as part of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy agreement.

“I am so pleased to see this rezoning in front of us. This is work that sets Whistler up to deliver affordable, quality housing into the future,” said Mayor Jack Crompton.

“We all know how critical this kind of housing is to our town … I look forward to hearing our community’s comments on the rezoning when it is in front of them.” n

NEWS WHISTLER GREAT VILL AGE LOC ATION

Sea to Sky Gondola vows to re-open after cable cut—again WHISTLER BLACKCOMB INSPECTS ALL LIFTS AS PRECAUTION

BY JENNIFER THUNCHER AND STEVEN CHUA The Squamish Chief

OPERATORS OF THE Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish are vowing to get back up and running after operations came to a crashing halt when the main cable was intentionally severed in the early morning hours of Sept. 14.

“We’ll be back. We are not going to let one person keep us down,” said the gondola’s general manager Kirby Brown just hours after the vandalism occurred.

“I have complete confidence that we will have the resources we need to rebuild and get back into business.

“These are unique and incredibly rare events, so to have it happen twice speaks more to the motivation of the person who wants to bring this team, this company and this community to its knees—and that’s not going to happen,” said Brown, referring to the vandalism of the attraction on Aug. 10, 2019—which also resulted in cabins crashing to the ground from a severed cable in the middle of the night.

“We are on our feet and we are working to get back open to re-instil consumer confidence.

“We will get new cabins. We will rebuild.”

When officials at Whistler Blackcomb heard of the incident, they immediately reached out, said Marc Riddell, Vail Resorts’ director of communications, West Coast.

“The team at Whistler Blackcomb would like to extend our support to the management and staff of the Sea to Sky Gondola as they manage through this difficult time,” said Riddell in an emailed statement.

“In response to the incident at the Sea to Sky Gondola, Whistler Blackcomb has inspected our lifts and can confirm they are in working order.

“As a matter of routine, a preoperational inspection is always conducted prior to opening. We are vigilant in upholding our robust lift safety standards and practices.”

Asked about risk to other attractions with gondolas, Squamish RCMP Sgt. Sascha Banks said she could not comment.

Police say they received word of the Sea to Sky Gondola incident at about 4 a.m. when an alarm was triggered. In a rapid response, RCMP set up road checks and began to search the area immediately.

Banks said the severing of the cable was deliberate.

It’s clear from this incident that more

physical protections need to be put in place, Brown said.

“We didn’t want to militarize the base of the towers, but those are now steps that we’re going to have to contemplate,” he said.

“We are going to take additional measures regardless of what comes out of that analysis. “[It’s] almost the exact same situation as last year.

“An individual climbed the tower [Sept.

14] with the right tool with great speed and cut through the cable and brought the system down.”

There is an image from security cameras, Brown added, commenting that the RCMP has much more to work with this time around, and that no one was hurt in the latest incident, or in the one last year.

Said Banks: “The investigation from last year is still ongoing,” adding that it was too early to definitively say there is a link between the two incidents.

The heavy smoke drifting across B.C. from raging wildfires across the border in the U.S. forced the RCMP to search the area under investigation on foot.

When asked whether she was concerned about the possibility of a future attack on the gondola while it is running during day-time operations, Banks said: “That is obviously always a thought.

“These are questions that need to be answered when the time comes.”

She noted that a few weeks ago, two people were caught climbing a gondola tower, setting off alarms. “We’ve identified who they are, and, at that point in time, we didn’t deem them to be somebody who was up there at a risk of cutting the gondola,” said Banks, adding that given what has happened, the RCMP will be taking a second look at the incident.

There are 39 passenger-carrying cabins. Only six are expected to be undamaged.

“The downhill cable is where it was cut. That’s above Tower 6,” Brown explained.

“The uphill cable is actually still on the lift line. So that’s very similar to last year.

We have three cabins in the station at the bottom, and three at the top, we assume that most of the others will be lost.”

The cabins are usually suspended between 20 to 300 metres above the ground, depending on where they are on the line.

Anyone with any information about the gondola sabotage is asked to contact the Squamish RCMP at 604-892-6100 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or go to the website www.solvecrime.ca.

For the original version of this story, go to squamishchief.com. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Two people facing charges after allegedly feeding black bears in Whistler COS DEALT WITH ‘VERY HIGH’ NUMBER OF BEAR CALLS THIS SUMMER; RESIDENTS URGED TO MANAGE ATTRACTANTS

BY MEGAN LALONDE AND BRADEN DUPUIS TWO INDIVIDUALS who are connected to an alleged incident where black bears were fed in an upscale Whistler neighbourhood are facing charges following a lengthy investigation.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Sept.15, B.C.’s Conservation Officer Service (COS) confirmed that charges had been laid.

Charged are Oliver Dugan and Zuzana Stevikova. Both are charged with leaving “matter to attract dangerous wildlife,” while Stevikova is also charged with “feed or attempt to feed dangerous wildlife.”

The COS first launched an investigation in July 2018 after receiving an anonymous complaint to the service’s RAPP line claiming that residents of Whistler’s Kadenwood neighbourhood were deliberately feeding bears.

“The suspects allegedly purchased large quantities of apples, carrots, pears, eggs and almonds to leave out for the animals,” officials explained in the post.

In 2018, the COS said it had also received “several other reports and information” of bears approaching people and creating property damage in Kadenwood. It also reportedly had information suggesting that bear feeding had been occurring

The charges were reportedly approved by the BC Prosecution Service in June of this year, while a warrant was issued for both individuals.

According to the COS, one of the individuals returned to Canada on Aug. 16

“The suspects allegedly purchased large quantities of apples, carrots, pears, eggs and almonds to leave out for the animals.”

- BC COS

in the area “over a number of years, contributing to the domestication-like behaviour of several bears.”

A sow and two cubs that were suspected to have been fed in Kadenwood were euthanized by the Crown agency in September of that year after displaying “very troubling” behaviour on the scene, conservation officers said at the time.

and was detained by the Canada Border Services Agency at Vancouver International Airport.

A court appearance is scheduled to take place Nov. 18 in North Vancouver.

THE SUMMER SO FAR

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SEE PAGE 18

COS members in the Sea to Sky have had

VANCOUVER | NORTH SHORE | WHISTLER

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their hands full this summer so far.

Putting aside increased numbers of calls related to lakes and recreation, the COS has responded to between 2,000 and 2,500 bear complaints alone so far this year, according to Sgt. Simon Gravel.

“It’s very high. We are the highest in the province, just to give you a bit of perspective … it’s definitely one of the busiest years we’ve seen,” Gravel said.

But despite the high number of calls, just two bears in the Whistler area were destroyed due to human conflict this year, Gravel said.

“It’s always a last resort, and we’re trying a lot of other things,” he said, adding that the COS is working hard to remove attractants from communities.

“We do enforcement, and we do audits, and making sure we can be on the ground providing the right education to people.”

With many of the calls in Whistler this year, the COS was able to have “officers on the ground very quickly,” Gravel said, meaning they were able to use things like short-distance relocation, hazing

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NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 17 and attractant management rather than destroying bears.

“So all those factors in place led to some successful stories with bear management, for sure,” he said.

“Fingers crossed. The season is not over.”

HOW TO KEEP BEARS SAFE Historically, September brings a spike in human-wildlife conflict, said Devin Pawluk, WildSafe BC Coordinator for the SquamishLillooet Regional District.

“September is historically a month where human-bear conflicts are at their highest … and that’s really due to the bears entering a phase called hyperphagia, which is an increase in feeding activity driven by a biological need to fatten up in preparation for winter denning,” Pawluk said.

The No. 1 thing people can do to help reduce conflicts is secure their attractants, Pawluk added: things like garbage and solid waste, bird feeders and barbecues, and fruit trees.

Fruit trees have become a major challenge in the region, Gravel said.

“It is a big part of the problem. On a daily basis, we have bears in dense residential areas, feeding in people’s backyards,” he said.

“And I know some people don’t care— they say, ‘I don’t mind if a bear is eating my fruit trees’—but it is a problem, and if

STAY WILD, STAY SAFE Squamish-Lillooet Regional District WIldSafeBC Coordinator Devin Pawluk is hosting two free info sessions in September, which historically sees a spike in human-wildlife conflicts.

PHOTO SUBMITTED people think it’s a cool thing, it’s not.

“The situation often escalates very quickly, and unfortunately it [has] led to some situations where we ran out of options.”

A recent incident in which a grizzly was captured and relocated in a residential area in Squamish only serves as a reminder to

COMING SOON

secure attractants, Gravel added.

The SLRD is also hosting two free “BC Goes Wild” information events, one today, Sept. 17, in Furry Creek, and another Sept.

19 in Britannia Beach.

“I’ll be sharing information about local wildlife species and how to behave in a

wildlife encounter,” Pawluk said, adding that attendees can also learn more about managing attractants and speak with the COS. Find more info on Facebook: WildSafeBC Squamish Lillooet RD. Report wildlife conflicts to the COS at 1-877-952-7277. n

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18 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

NEWS WHISTLER

Province paves the way for local plastic bans COUNCIL BRIEFS: OCP AMENDMENT ENDORSED; CANADA POST SORTING FACILITY GETS PERMIT

BY BRADEN DUPUIS NEWS FROM THE provincial government that it plans to allow municipalities to ban certain types of plastic products is being welcomed in Whistler.

“I’m both relieved and excited,” said Councillor Arthur De Jong, who has advocated for the change since being elected in 2018.

“The door is finally opening.”

In a Sept. 12 release, minister of environment and climate change strategy George Heyman announced the province is moving to approve bylaws banning singleuse plastics in Richmond, Victoria, Saanich, Tofino and Ucluelet, and will consider

of who are familiar with the locals.

“My favourite question is, ‘so, how many locals are still using single-use plastics?’ and without fail what I’ve heard is roughly 90 per cent aren’t. They are bringing in their own reusable bags,” De Jong said.

“So the community is waiting for us, I believe, to pass a bylaw on this.”

OCP AMENDMENT ENDORSED FOR CONTROVERIAL HOUSING PROJECT A proposed Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment related to a housing project at 5298 Alta Lake Rd. will be the first to test a new consultation process with local First

“We do need to work with the business community, as to how do we be as practical as possible with our guests so that they can follow our bylaw...”

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Nations after receiving the go-ahead from Whistler council.

The OCP amendment bylaw—which council authorized staff to begin preparing on Sept. 15—seeks to add references to market residential and parkland uses while deleting references to potential commercial uses for the proposed development.

“With subsequent changes to the proposal through negotiation, it has since been identified that the Land Use Map Schedule ‘A’ designates the lands as visitor accommodation and therefore now needs updating to reflect the market residential and park uses as per the current RZ1157 proposal,” according to planner Roman Licko.

Under Whistler’s recently adopted OCP and corresponding Framework Agreement, the local Squamish and Lil’wat nations must be informed in writing of the proposed amendment.

Though Licko said the amendment isn’t likely to affect the interests of the Nations, if either doesn’t agree with that assessment they could initiate a more robust consultation process.

“Otherwise staff would proceed with consideration,” Licko said.

The proposal has raised more than a few

SEE PAGE 20

4

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1200sqft

2121 NORDIC DRIVE

- ARTHUR DE JONG

others as they are submitted.

The government is also proposing a new regulation under the Community Charter to allow local governments to ban single-use plastic like shopping bags, plastic straws and polystyrene foam take-out containers without requiring provincial approval.

What a plastic ban looks like on the ground in Whistler, or when it might be introduced, remains to be seen, but local officials will look to glean advice from the communities who have experienced the process so far, De Jong said.

“We do need to work with the business community, as to how do we be as practical as possible with our guests so that they can follow our bylaw, and I think that’s one area that we will explore with our retail community, and grocery stores and whatnot,” De Jong said, adding that paper bags aren’t the answer, as they actually have a more significant carbon footprint than their plastic counterpart.

“So there’s things that we need to do to ensure systems are in place … so that we can make it work for both guests and staff.”

While there will no doubt be some sticking points in banning single-use plastic, De Jong believes the community is ready for it.

He often converses with the frontline staff at the liquor and grocery stores, many

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>> SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

19

NEWS WHISTLER

Frustration abounds over Vail Resorts customer service ahead of Sept. 17 pass deadline CUSTOMERS CAN LOCK IN BENEFITS VIA ONLINE FORM BEFORE SEPT. 17

BY BRADEN DUPUIS AS THE SEPT. 17

deadline to use 2019-20 Whistler Blackcomb pass credit approaches, customers are voicing frustration about parent company Vail Resorts’ customer service.

Stories of excruciatingly long call times (that often go nowhere in the end), customer reps located in Colorado answering phones (before admitting they can’t help) and abruptly disconnected calls have permeated social media—and Pique’s inbox—over the past few weeks.

For Heather Sneddon of West Vancouver, sorting out her passes took no fewer than five phone calls, two e-chats and several hours of her time.

Sneddon has been skiing Whistler since the early ‘70s.

“My takeaway is this Vail corporation is lucky that they’re getting our support again this year, after all this nonsense,” she said.

“We’ve had no problems until Vail [Resorts] took over … I don’t know what they’re doing. Half the time last year, we’d

go up to ski and the alpine would be closed, and it wasn’t just due to weather either.”

Asked about the frustrations, Vail Resorts’ West Coast director of marketing Marc Riddell directed Pique to Vail Resorts’ social media channels for explanation.

“We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls to our customer service center, but to better serve you ahead of Thursday’s pass deadline, we have added to the number of pass experts who can help you both on the phone and via chat,” reads a recent Whistler Blackcomb Facebook post.

Anyone hoping to use their credit to purchase a pass of lesser value or to switch from a Whistler Blackcomb Pass or EDGE Card to an Epic Pass can fill out an online form before Sept. 17 to lock in their benefits (find it at www.epicpass. com/info/2019-2020-credit-exceptionform.aspx).

Follow WB and Vail Resorts’ social media channels for further updates.

While Vail Resorts got Sneddon’s money this year, she said she’ll have to see how Whistler Blackcomb handles the upcoming winter—and its new COVID

booking system—before deciding where she skis next year.

“We’ll see how they handle that; see how they do with the mountain, [and] having the mountain open,” she said.

“They’re going to have to start paying more attention to the local customers,

because I don’t think our border is going to be open to the U.S. anytime soon, possibly not even all winter.”

Whistler Blackcomb has stated previously that its new reservation system is online and does not rely on phone customer service for operations. n

COUNCIL BRIEFS FROM PAGE 19 questions for nearby residents (see “Enviro and traffic reports for Alta Lake Rd project made public,” Pique, Aug. 13, 2020).

A dual public hearing will be held for both the OCP amendment bylaw and the related rezoning bylaw at a future date.

CANADA POST SORTING FACILITY GETS DEVELOPMENT PERMIT Council also approved a development permit for a new Canada Post sorting and distribution facility at 8060 Nesters Rd. in Nesters Crossing on Sept. 15.

The proposed one-storey building will “improve the existing level of service to

the Whistler community and Sea to Sky corridor,” according to a report to council, but it won’t contain a retail component.

“I’m encouraged by this. This will do a world of difference for the Marketplace, and being able to move all of those trucks and everything out of a commercial and pedestrian area,” said Coun. Jen Ford.

As always, De Jong looked at the proposal through an environmental lens.

“It is estimated that the number of truck or trailer trips are reduced by 50 per cent [by building this new facility]” he said, referencing the applicant’s design rationale submitted with the proposal.

“I don’t understand all the dynamics behind that, but that’s quite a positive step.” n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Local car show revs up VEHICLE ENTHUSIASTS ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND

BY DAN FALLOON A COLLECTION OF classic cars making its way up Highway 99 is quite often a group from out of town, but Paul Fournier wants Whistler to know that’s not always the case.

Fournier organized a locals’ car show for the first time last month and another is on the way on Sunday, Sept. 20.

He came up with the idea after Greg Reamsbottom started the Sea to Sky Classic Vehicles group on Facebook. “[I thought], ‘There’s been a bunch of us talking about it. Let’s meet up and have a little show and shine,’” Fournier said. “It was kind of a milestone. Whistler’s had a lot of car events, as we all know, but they’re all from out of town. They come up for their own thing.”

The first event, which took place on Aug. 26, was a hit, Fournier said, as roughly three dozen cars, including a handful from the Howe Sound Cruisers, came up to take part.

“What impressed me was the variety.

Definitely, Mustang pony cars ruled the show there,” Fournier said. “They’re an easily collectable car because they’re reasonably priced and they’re plentiful.

“But it was all over the map. There was

22 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

everything from Maseratis and Porsches to ’57 Chevys to the General Lee to the Dodge Swinger. There were a couple of classic Corvettes, a newer Corvette, a Firebird.”

Fournier himself has a 1966 Stingray and a 1979 V8 Monza, noting that driving the Stingray is akin to riding in a parade with people looking and waving.

The next event is set for Sunday, Sept.

20 at Myrtle Philip Community School at 2 p.m. From there, drivers will head north to Pemberton’s Black Squirrel Restaurant before returning home.

“There’s already a lot of people that are excited, and a few people who couldn’t make the last one that’ll try to make this one,” Fournier said.

The first cruise used Spruce Grove Park as a meeting place, but with slo-pitch action also taking place at the same time, a slugger’s home run could be a smash of a different kind for a driver.

Fournier reasoned that, given that much of the event is individuals driving their own cars and then admiring others’ vehicles from a distance that it’s one of the most COVID-friendly events.

“When you’re driving your car, I don’t know how much more social distance you want,” he said with a chuckle.

Reamsbottom, meanwhile, is currently

SWEET RIDES A collection of some of the cars on display at the first locals’ car show on Aug. 26.

PHOTO BY PAUL FOURNIER

restoring a 1967 Plymouth GTX he bought three decades ago and stored in his uncle’s barn in Langley. With the car not expected to be ready to roll until next spring, he’ll bring out his Harley Davidson if the weather cooperates.

At any rate, Reamsbottom has been thrilled to see the community grow from an online group to in-person appreciation.

“It’s another way for people to connect and be social, which is what a lot of people are missing these days,” he said. “It’s a really cool way for like-minded hobbyists to get together, show off their hard work or show off their works in progress while still staying safe.

“There’s way more funky, neat cars kicking around here than I ever thought

there were.”

Looking ahead, Fournier hopes to formalize the events in the years to come, envisioning three or four events in a summer, charging an entry fee in support of a local charitable cause and providing plaques for the top rides.

Though the Facebook group is branded as being for classics, Fournier said his focus is “character vehicles,” so gearheads shouldn’t be intimidated at the thought of coming out.

“If anybody thinks their car is cool and wants to show it off, bring it out,” Fournier encouraged. “It’s all about the car culture more than about saying, ‘Your car can’t be here because of this or that.’”

Keep an eye on Sea to Sky Classic Vehicles for more information. n

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler honours Terry’s legacy CANCER FUNDRAISING TOP OF MIND FOR LOCAL INITIATIVES AT 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARATHON OF HOPE

BY DAN FALLOON

holding a team walking challenge with the goal of hitting 1 million steps before Sunday.

AS WHISTLER GETS set to mark the 40th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope this Sunday, Sept. 20, Paralympic snowboarder John Leslie looks back with appreciation.

Leslie lost a portion of his left leg to osteosarcoma, the same aggressive bone cancer that Fox had, and went on to compete at the Paralympic Games in both 2014 and 2018.

“I directly benefitted from the Terry Fox Foundation,” Leslie said. “We can make the process, the treatment and the recovery a lot better for people. When you think about Terry Fox, his experience with cancer, and when I went through treatment almost 30 years later and now we’re 40 years later, the advancement in the technology and the treatment [is clear.]

“My cancer treatment was more advanced and more specific to beat my cancer because of the research that they’re putting money into.”

Ultimately, Leslie hopes that with more research, those who have osteosarcoma can beat it without losing a limb. Leslie put his money where his mouth is, raising nearly $1,400 at a recent fundraiser for the Terry Fox Foundation at RMU Blackcomb on Sept. 10.

2020 is the 40th anniversary of Fox’s Marathon of Hope, which began in St. John’s, NL and was ended by Fox near Thunder Bay, Ont. after the cancer spread to his lungs. He died in June 1981 at the age of 22.

What stands out to Leslie is how selfless Fox’s campaign was.

“He basically sacrificed his life to build awareness,” he said.

Having Fox as a cultural touchstone, even before losing his leg, gave Leslie a point of reference when facing his own cancer diagnosis as a preteen.

“I always thought of him as a Canadian hero and I still do,” he said. “When I had the same cancer, I thought, ‘Of all the cancers to get, at least I got the one where I know the story the best.’

“Even when I go to schools, when kids ask about my leg, instead of telling them I have cancer, I just say, ‘Well, the same thing happened to me as Terry Fox’ and every kid knows what I’m talking about.”

With the 2020 version of the Terry Fox Run taking place virtually at terryfox.org/ run this Sunday, Leslie is looking forward to taking part. For the past several years, he has been in Europe preparing for the World Cup season in September and doesn’t get to participate, but will join from Tofino this year.

Meanwhile, though longtime event host Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler won’t host an in-person run this year, the hotel still plans to boost the event, as it is

FORMER WHISTLER RESIDENT FUNDRAISING VIA JOURNEY Longtime Whistler musician Jon Shrier is set to come back to town later this month, though admittedly on a bittersweet note.

In memory of family friend Cody Bouchard, who died of Ewing’s sarcoma in February at age 19, Shrier is riding a Onewheel electric skateboard from his hometown of Montreal en route to Whistler, with plans to arrive by the end of the month.

Speaking on Sept. 14 from Thunder Bay, Ont., after visiting the Fox memorial, Shrier said he’s found the support so far “overwhelming.”

After Bouchard passed, his family opened a letter detailing his wishes for a foundation to be started in his memory to help kids with cancer.

“That’s the wish that I’m here, busting my ass, to try to honour,” Shrier said.

“He never asked ‘Why me?’ The kid gets diagnosed in the prime of his life and never questions it, never complains.”

Shrier only rode the Onewheel device for the first time in July, and started the fundraiser later that month, commencing the trip on Sept. 1, coincidentally the anniversary of the day that Fox halted his marathon.

“I’d never ridden this before,” he said. “I’ve ridden just about anything and everything down that mountain, being a skier but also just longboarding to and from work.”

Shrier has been using the OneWheel Pint model, which goes about 15 kilometres on a single charge, utilizing three in rotation to complete the journey.

Even though the device is electricpowered, it’s still a workout, Shrier said.

“My body seems to be holding up, which is very surprising at 43 years old,” he said. “What allows you to do the steering and, of course, [handle] the speed is your core muscles.”

Less than halfway into his journey, Shrier has broken two world records for distance on the device, and will pass the 4,000-kilometre mark by the time he ends up in Whistler.

As of Sept. 15, Shrier’s campaign, I Ride 4 Cody in support of the CMB (Cody Michael Bouchard) Fund had raised more than $22,000 of its $30,000 goal.

Shrier said his journey is also inspired

by Fox. “He’s a legend because he took that time in his life where people had given him the worst news ever, and took his leg, and that’s when he decided to go across Canada to try to help,” he said. “He’s a hero and I’m not sure I’d have launched on this adventure had he not done his own back in 1980.”

For more information or to donate, visit cmbfund.org. n

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

23

NEWS WHISTLER

Find out why the smartest time to look for a retirement residence is NOW.

A REAL FUN-GI Mycorrhizal fungi (Polyozellus sp.) found by Sabrina Hinitz and Jamie Marconi near Whistler.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Naturespeak: The wonderful wood-wide web

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24 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

WHILE HUNTING for edible wild mushrooms like morels (Morchella), chanterelles (Cantharellus), and pines (Tricholoma magnivelare), I often start by searching high above the ground. Although I know I won’t find the much sought-after fruiting bodies there, I do know that if I find certain species of trees, then I might also find the fungi that I’m looking for.

That’s because these choice edibles, and many other types of fungi in our forest, have a symbiotic, or mutually beneficial, relationship with trees, especially those in the pine family (Pinaceae). They’re called mycorrhizal (from the Greek mykes: fungus and rhiza: root) and nearly 90 per cent of vascular land plants could not survive without them.

Mushrooms are only the fruiting body of a fungus, just like an apple is the fruiting body of an apple tree. The rest of the fungus lives hidden below the forest floor and is made up of white hair-like strands called hyphae that are known collectively as the mycelium.

Mycorrhizal fungi colonize the root system of a host plant and connect to other vascular plant roots around it.

Fungi can’t produce their own food but by tapping into the roots of plants, they can exchange access to nutrients and water for carbon-based sugar. Meanwhile, the vascular plants can utilize this fungal network, aptly nicknamed the “WoodWide Web” in order to communicate with each other and share resources.

UBC forest ecologist Suzanne Simard

is one of the scientists studying this fascinating underground network. With help from one of her doctoral students Kevin J. Beiler, she was able to map the forest network underground and discovered that the oldest trees had developed the biggest networks that connected them with the trees around them.

Simard and her team also discovered that the trees use mycorrhizae to transfer carbon between one another, demonstrating how these fascinating fungi can also store large amounts of carbon and help mitigate climate change. That’s why it’s important to be mindful when picking mushrooms and always cover your holes so that you don’t damage the mycelium and keep this vital network intact.

Old forests are not only a great place to forage for wild mushrooms, they also provide essential wildlife habitat, clean water, and insulation against climate change. Unfortunately, time is running out for our ancient giants. In B.C., approximately five per cent of the province’s total forested area, about 32,000 square kilometres, is made up of old-growth forest. About half of that is protected in parks and wilderness areas, but the remaining half will be logged unless current policies change.

If you would like to take a stand for the last remaining old-growth forests in B.C., then join the Forest March BC grassroots movement. Find out how you can get involved by joining the “Forest March BC Whistler” event on Facebook or by visiting www.forestmarchbc.com.

Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to Whistlernaturalists.ca. n

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Council to pursue grant for bike skills park NEW AMENITY WOULD BE AT PEMBERTON FARM ROAD EAST REC SITE application, with short-term borrowing over three to five years if necessary and signing the MOU, council also directed staff to prepare a report for the Pemberton Valley Utility Service (PVUS) committee to incorporate the park into the recreation service, and submit a request that PVUS request the park cost-share the applicant’s portion of the funding.

BY DAN FALLOON A LONG-DREAMED-OF mountain bike skills park took a step forward as Village of Pemberton (VOP) council voted at its regular meeting on Sept. 15 to pursue a grant that would cover the bulk of the cost.

Council voted unanimously to pursue a Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Fund grant for the project, which would include a pump track, dirt jumps and skills features. In July, the VOP received just over $3 million from the same federal revenue stream for its second soccer field, amenity building and other improvements to the Pemberton Farm Road East recreation site, which would house the skills park as well.

The program funds up to 73.33 per cent of a project’s total cost, and with the price tag estimated at just over $619,000, the applicants are responsible for roughly $165,000. Once an already-secured $25,000 Whistler Blackcomb Foundation grant and nearly $27,000 from the Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) Funds are considered, that number drops to just over $113,000 for the Village’s backstop amount.

The initial budget also includes a contingency of more than $103,000, which chief administrative officer Nikki Gilmore explained is to account for a small possibility that the project may not secure inexpensive river gravel and would have to pay significantly more for gravel from a quarry.

As well, there are several other options in play to offset whatever amount remains, including potential additional CAC funding or cost-sharing with the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. Later in the meeting, the VOP signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Pemberton Off-Road Cycling Association (PORCA) supporting that organization’s efforts to

PROVINCE ACCEPTING COMMENT ON COMMUNITY PARK

PARK PLAN A map of the proposed usage for the Pemberton Farm Road East recreation site, including a mountain bike skills park.

SCREENSHOT FROM VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON COUNCIL PACKAGE

pursue fundraising options.

Gilmore said a similar MOU arrangement worked well when constructing the skate park.

PORCA executive director Bree Thorlakson said the group has several streams it’s considering, from corporate funding to other grants to crowdfunding.

“I think this town would rally behind crowdfunding for a skills park like this,” she said.

There could also be potential cost savings in the form of completing some preliminary work at the same time as the new soccer field.

“Maybe there could be some synergies with the second soccer field,” suggested Gilmore, who added that installing electrical conduits for lighting is one potential option.

However, with applications due Oct. 1, there needed to be a commitment from council that the VOP was good for any cash that could not be acquired through other

means. While the staff report suggested either short-term borrowing or dipping into boardwalk and road reserves, Councillor Ted Craddock was sour on the latter option, which council eventually nixed.

“I certainly support backstopping this, like we did with the track downtown,” he said, “but I’m not going to support taking money out of the boardwalk or the road reserves.”

Coun. Amica Antonelli questioned whether the project fit into the VOP’s overall plan, which includes a recreation planning process, including other projects that need funding.

“Typically, for projects like this, strategic planning would be more on policy, etc., and not necessarily on opportunities and projects that come up that may fit into grant applications,” Gilmore responded.

“Grant applications definitely throw a spin into objectives and priorities, and it’s only to capitalize on the funds.”

In addition to approving the grant

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is hoping its latest attempt to acquire provincial tenure for the Ském’em Riverside Wetlands Community Park is successful.

The campaign to secure the 91 acres of land just north of Pemberton Secondary School could use a boost, and public comments on the application are being accepted until Sept. 25. To submit a comment, head to https://comment.nrs. gov.bc.ca/applications?id=5f1f313f4c007 e0021b10424#details.

In an email, an SLRD spokesperson explained that past holdups to do with access are now clear since the regional district has title on an adjacent property.

“The [p]rovince considered the site to be water access only and would not approve a water access only park (the railway bridge is not a legal access),” the spokesperson wrote.

“As the SLRD now holds title to the adjacent property, we can look to creating access across the tracks from the north either using the existing crossing at Pemberton Farm Road East or creating a new one to the west of existing crossing (SLRD has not started that exercise, it would follow acquisition of tenure).”

As well, the SLRD is now working in partnership with Lil’wat Nation to maintain cultural sites on the land.

For more on this story, head to piquenewsmagazine.com. n

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NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Bat conservation efforts underway in Pemberton INTENSIVE 2019 STUDY LAID GROUNDWORK FOR FUTURE EFFORTS

BY DAN FALLOON THE FUTURE IS LOOKING a little better for bats in Pemberton after a study into local populations last summer.

Project coordinator Greg Ferguson undertook the study, connecting with the Pemberton Wildlife Association (PWA) and Stewardship Pemberton for their local knowledge.

While there was some scattered local information about bat populations, Ferguson said the study helped formalize it alongside surveys across the province.

“There wasn’t much known about what species were there or where they were,” he explained.

The project undertook several initiatives to identify bats: completing roost counts through B.C. Community Bat Program’s annual count; analyzing bridges and culverts; taking station surveys as well as transect surveys; and collecting guano samples.

In all, the study looked at six roosts on five private properties, completed acoustic surveys at four stations, and analyzed 46 bridges and two culverts.

“It’s important to collect that

information to make people aware of where those are and what measures they can take to conserve them,” Ferguson said.

All told, nine species of bat were confirmed, including the little brown myotis, which is considered endangered federally.

“There was a fairly substantial number of species found, which wasn’t unexpected because the habitat in the Pemberton area, at least in the valley, is quite diverse, is fairly intact and has some good attributes,” said Ferguson, citing the area’s trees, cliffs and bodies of water.

In addition to being useful on a provincial level, Ferguson also passed along data to the North American Bat Monitoring Program, which is keeping tabs on the spread of white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease that has been found in Washington state but hasn’t currently been detected in B.C. Ferguson hopes his work will inspire both the Village of Pemberton and Lil’wat Nation to pursue Bat Friendly Community designations.

“They have a place where they can find more resources or do more activities,” he said of the governments.

PWA president Allen McEwan said work continued this summer, as the organization

PEMBERTON VALLEY PEMBERTON VALLEY DYKING DISTRICT DYKING DISTRICT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING BY RSVP CALLING FOR NOMINATIONS

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

placed detection equipment at four stations identified in Ferguson’s project to collect more data.

“We had to hike up into the mountains and put these little bat detectors up, so it was interesting work and some of them, I understand, were very productive,” said

“We do everything we can to help a homeowner out and move those bats to a safe location.”

- ALLEN MCEWAN

McEwan, adding that a donor provided seven bat boxes that were distributed within the community. One of those was given to a homeowner that had bats in their house, and was willing to install a bat box onsite.

“We don’t want people to eradicate a colony of bats if they’ve moved into their attic or something,” McEwan said. “We do

Tax & U�li�es Final Reminder Ques�ons?

We’re Listening.

The Pemberton Valley Dyking District (PVDD) be2019 holding its 73rd TUESDAY, APRIL will 9TH, @ 7:00 pm Annual General Meeting (AGM) and you are invited to attend this event. You will gain a great overview of what the PVDD does, see what projects Pembertonthroughout Community Centre – 7390 Cottonwood Street the dyking district completed 2019 and what projects are planned or are in progress for 2020.

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Improvement Districts were given direction to postpone The Pemberton Valley Dyking District will be holding its 72nd Annual General Meeting and you are AGMs, and the deadline was extended to December 31, 2020. Improvement Districts are now encouraged invited to attend this event. You will gain a great overview of what the Pemberton Valley Dyking District to safely conduct physically distant AGMs and elections that comply with directions of the Provincial Health does, see what projects the Dyking District completed throughout 2018 and what projects are planned Officer (PHO). for 2019.

(604) 894.6135

The At PVDD wouldApril like 9, to2019 ask individuals who plan on Dyking attending the 2020 AGM to RSVP the Tuesday, AGM the Pemberton Valley District will also be electing twoat trustees@pvdd.ca, to allow thetoPVDD to plan AGM accordingly, date and venue to be announced. Only those who RSVP will Trustees the Board for aits 3-year term each.. attend the AGM and be notified of the date and venue. RSVP deadline is September 24, 2020 at 5:00 pm.

Please contact the office at 604-894-6632 Voter Eligibility: (ID must be presented) if you do not receive an RSVP email verification or if you have any Only otherpersons questions. attending the election and meeting the following eligibility requirements are entitled to vote:One trustee for a three (3) year term – out going Trustee Chad Gilmore is willing to stand for Election: another three (3) year term.

• A Canadian Citizen • Eighteen yearsinofpreparation age, or older for the AGM, the PVDD would like to call for Trustee nominations to be At this time, and • An to owner landat within the Pemberton Valley Dyking District emailed the of office trustees@pvdd.ca.

Nominations mustboundaries include a letter of acceptance from the nominee • A resident of theinformation), province of British Columbia for individual the prior six to months (including contact in order for that be considered a candidate for election. Please • Legal representative of an owner of land within the Pemberton Valley Dyking District boundaries contact the office at 604-894-6632 if you do not receive an email verification for your nomination or if you • Authorized agent of a corporation or board that owns land within the Pemberton have any other questions. Deadline for Trustee nominations is September 24,Valley 2020 Dyking at 5:00 pm.

District boundaries. The authorized agent must deliver a letter in writing on company letterhead before Elector (IDThat must be presented) theEligibility: election begins. authorized agent must sign a Statutory Declaration Form prior to voting

Only persons attending the election and meeting the following eligibility requirements are entitled to vote: Eligibility: • ATrustee Canadian Citizen • Every person is qualifi ed to be an elector is also qualified to be a Trustee • Eighteen years who of age, or older • The spouse of a qualifi elector may alsoValley hold the office of Trusteeboundaries • An owner of land withinedthe Pemberton Dyking District • A residentFor of the province British Columbia for the prior months further details,ofplease go onto the Pemberton Valleysix Dyking District’s website: • Legal representative of an owner of land within the Pemberton Valley Dyking District boundaries www.pvdd.ca • Authorized agent of a corporation or board that owns land within the Pemberton Valley Dyking District PO Box 235deliver Pemberton, BCin V0N 2L0on company letterhead before the election boundaries. The authorized agent must a letter writing Phone: (604) Fax:Declaration (604) 894-5271 begins. That authorized agent must sign894-6632 a Statutory Form prior to voting

admin@ pemberton.ca

www.pemberton.ca

2020 BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL CLASS 4,5,6,7,8 Property Taxes & U�li�es Due September 30, 2020 To avoid a late payment penalty all taxes must be received at the Village of Pemberton on or before 4:30 pm, Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

All outstanding taxes will be charged a penalty of 10%.

If you are eligible, you may s�ll claim your 2020 Home Owner Grant up un�l December 31, 2020. To claim your electronic Homeowners Grant, visit www.pemberton.ca

Email: trustees@pvdd.ca

Ques�ons? Contact the Village Office at 604.894.6135 or admin@pemberton.ca

Trustee Eligibility: • Every person who is qualified to be an elector is also qualified to be a Trustee • The spouse of a qualified elector may also hold the office of Trustee For further details, please go onto the Pemberton Valley Dyking District’s website: www.pvdd.ca Pemberton Valley Dyking District PO Box 235 Pemberton, B.C. V0N 2L0 Phone: (604) 894-6632 Fax: (604) 894-5271 Email: trustees@pvdd.ca

26 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

everything we can to help a homeowner out and move those bats to a safe location.”

When more data becomes available, McEwan said, the PWA will take a closer look to see if more action needs to be taken.

B.C. Community Bat Project provincial coordinator Mandy Kellner said the organization is still receiving and processing this year’s data.

“The data is important for monitoring and looking at impacts to bats and bat populations,” she said. “There’s white-nose creeping up from Washington and then there are all the other things they’re dealing with like changing insect populations, climate change, forestry and habitat loss, development and loss of wetlands.”

Kellner said the data, in particular, will help change approaches to conservation so that bats’ needs are considered as well.

“That has a huge potential to change how we manage bats,” she said. “It’s not something that’s on people’s radars and we don’t think about them in planning.”

With Ferguson having moved on from Pemberton, there’s an opportunity for another coordinator to step in. While the program, Kellner said, could provide some funding, anyone taking on the role would need to search for additional sources as well.

“It takes a keen local person,” she said. ■

VillageOfPemberton

www.pemberton.ca

SCIENCE MATTERS

Carbon pricing is like handwashing in a pandemic SOMETIMES WE NEED to be reminded of the basics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials have repeated clear messages about handwashing, physical distancing and mask-wearing. These are relatively simple preventative measures to limit the virus’s spread.

Responding to climate change isn’t so simple, yet it’s every bit as urgent.

Although many paths can help steer us toward meeting our 2030 and 2050 climate commitments, evidence shows some policies are essential to the mix. They’re the climate version of handwashing in a

BY DAVID SUZUKI pandemic. One of these is putting a price on carbon to make polluters pay.

The Supreme Court of Canada is about to hear a case that references carbon pricing but speaks to bigger issues of constitutional jurisdiction and climate policy. It goes to the heart of how our country is tackling the climate crisis.

Three provinces led by conservative premiers asked their highest courts to rule on whether the federal government’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, which requires provinces to put a price on carbon pollution or adhere to the federal carbon tax, exceeded federal authority. The federal government won its cases in Saskatchewan and Ontario’s Courts of Appeal but lost in Alberta. All three provinces appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, which will hear the case on Sept. 22 and 23.

to a decarbonized economy and a shift away from fossil fuels. It accelerates investments in green innovation, nature-based climate solutions, electrified public transit and electric vehicle charging networks.

Returning to “business as usual” and the myriad intractable problems and crises associated with it is not an option. Putting a price on carbon works. Emissions in B.C. would be up to 15 per cent higher if the province had not put its carbon tax in place in 2008, according to Canada’s former Ecofiscal Commission. Meanwhile, B.C.’s real gross domestic product per capita between 2008 and 2015 increased by 6.4 per cent, compared to only 3.1 per cent in the rest of Canada.

In addition to the potential to drive deeper emissions reductions as carbon prices go up, evidence shows the policy helps change individual and business behaviours— for the good of all. Carbon pricing has the added benefit of providing these outcomes at a lower economic cost than other policies.

The pricing system is designed to be fair.

In provinces without their own carbon pricing, households under the federal system will receive more money in rebates than they pay in fuel charges, according to the parliamentary budget officer.

Large industry must also pay its fair share under the federal carbon tax. The policy rewards low-carbon innovation and, through “output-based allocations,” ensures that producers from polluting countries don’t have an advantage over our own industries when they export carbon-intensive products to Canada. As the former Ecofiscal Commission reported, “It allows Canada to put a price on carbon in vulnerable industrial sectors while other jurisdictions catch up on climate policy,

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The pandemic response taught us that being prepared, listening to science and acting decisively and early pays off.

Pollution doesn’t stop at borders, and the greenhouse gases that go into the air of one province affect the entire country’s ability to meet its Paris Agreement commitments. People in Canada are among the highest per-capita carbon emitters in the world, so we have a long way to go to tackle our fair share in the fight to address global heating. Provinces that do as little as possible on the climate front hurt us all.

As Canada makes choices on whether its economic recovery will be green and just, moving ahead with a carbonpricing requirement throughout the country makes even more sense. Those who pollute the most will help fund a green recovery. Pricing carbon, along with removing fossil fuel subsidies, stimulates investment in low-carbon energy technologies that will lead the way

and allows us to do so without undermining our economic prosperity.”

Carbon pricing isn’t the only climate policy needed at this time. But it is an essential one that must be part of the mix.

It’s unimaginable to conceive of a pandemic response in which the federal government doesn’t work closely with the provinces for the benefit of all people living here. The pandemic response taught us that being prepared, listening to science and acting decisively and early pays off. We must demand the same for our response to the climate crisis.

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27

FEATURE STORY

Profits before patients?

The corporate push into B.C.’s primary care system Big business sees opportunity in replacing the family doctor with corporate clinics or virtual care.

Advocates see peril.

A

By Andrew MacLeod | TheTyee.ca nita Dickson recently saw the kind of primary health care one corporate provider is delivering in British Columbia. And it scared her.

Dickson is president of the Licensed Practical Nurses Association of BC. She has worked everywhere from emergency rooms to hospices and knows the kind of attention that goes into providing careful, personalized health care.

Not long ago, she was with a family member who was using Babylon, a service that Telus offers through its health division.

“See a doctor from your phone,” Telus promises, with the cost covered by the province’s medicare plan.

Dickson could see that the service was convenient. But she was concerned about what she witnessed—and the risks to patients.

“There’s no connection. It’s just being able to call up and get a prescription, and that’s how [the patient] sees it, and that’s the scary part,” Dickson said.

“What I saw was this female doctor gave a prescription for several months of birth control—not knowing [the patient] hadn’t taken her IUD out,” Dickson said. The patient wanted to alter her menstrual cycle

and didn’t tell the truth when asked key questions about the IUD. The pill and some types of IUDs both affect hormone levels; using both could create risks for the patient.

A doctor who had been providing care to the patient for some time would likely have identified the risk. But it would be difficult, if not impossible, for a doctor dealing with the patient for the first time, on the phone, to recognize the complication.

“They don’t know your medical history,” said Dickson. “I didn’t see a full assessment.

She asked several questions for sure, but it was ‘Sure, OK, that sounds right, that sounds good.’ And that’s the scary part for me as a nurse.”

Telus, a publicly traded Vancouverbased company worth $29 billion, was making inroads into health care before the COVID-19 pandemic began. It’s moving more heavily into primary care, traditionally provided by generalist family doctors who are patients’ first point of contact with the health-care system. They look after day-to-day concerns and also provide a co-ordinating role when people need ongoing care or to see a specialist.

Besides Babylon, which is available in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario, Telus offers a similar service nationally called Akira that it promotes through employers.

Telus has bought clinics operating under the Copeman and Medisys brands, both of which operate in a “legal grey area,” charging patients annual fees in the thousands of dollars while still billing provincial health plans.

And it provides Electronic Medical Records services to some 26,000 doctors and clinics, which it says makes it Canada’s biggest digital health-care provider.

The corporation’s investment in the health sector—more than $2.5 billion so far—was seen as a way for the telecommunications company to differentiate itself from competitors BCE and Rogers.

The Globe and Mail in June quoted Telus executive vice-president Francois Gratton, group president of Telus Health and Telus Quebec, saying, “We decided that a big differentiator for Telus would be the healthcare sector ... that health would be our ‘content strategy,’ if you will, as others were focusing on content, sports and entertainment.”

When the pandemic hit and many people sought virtual appointments to avoid waiting rooms, Telus and other corporate healthcare providers advertised aggressively and attracted new patients.

PROBLEMS IN PRIMARY CARE AREN’T NEW Once, Canadians had family doctors who cared for them and their children. Now corporations are moving in, delivering primary health care by phone or through a chain of branded clinics.

Critics say that’s the direct result of longterm problems in primary care delivery and governments’ failure to support better ways of improving access.

They worry about the quality of care corporations will provide, and conflicts between the corporate need to increase profits and patients’ need for care that puts their interests first.

The underlying issues are longstanding, some going back to the founding of Canadian public health care. But they’ve been heightened in the pandemic, as physicians and patients have turned to virtual care provided by phone or over the internet.

Telus was positioned to capitalize on the shift.

“Telus has really got the jump start in terms of the outreach, the advertising,” said Marcy Cohen, who has researched issues around primary care and community care for two decades.

“We’ve never seen anything like it in terms of the massive advertising that goes on from Telus and the extent to which they’re overselling, overpromising in terms of what they say they can offer through virtual care.”

Cohen said regulatory systems and governing bodies aren’t set up to address the new models of primary care being launched by Telus and others. There’s a system to respond to complaints about individual care, she said, but “not a proactive regulatory mechanism that can look at issues like conflict of interest or unsafe care and inadequate care.”

Nobody from Telus was available for an interview. The company instead referred the request to a public relations company that answered questions by email.

There’s no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic had been a catalyst for change, they said. “It’s dramatically driven up adoption of virtual care and removed many of the barriers that limited access to these innovative solutions.”

The public relations person wrote that Canadians have long wanted virtual care and the demand for Telus’s services during

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

29

FEATURE STORY the pandemic has demonstrated they will use it. The use of the company’s virtual services had increased 10-fold, they said.

“While not intended to replace in-person care, we believe that virtual care is here to stay, as a complementary way for patients to access care, while similarly offering healthcare providers another tool to effectively connect and engage with patients,” the statement said.

In a quarterly report, Telus said that while the temporary closure of its Copeman and Medisys clinics during the pandemic was a negative, the increased demand for virtual services was a bright spot.

The company was also pitching its home health-monitoring platform as a way to provide remote care to people with COVID19. Projects in B.C. and Saskatchewan were designed to enable “clinicians to remotely manage, track and care for people diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19, relieving pressure from hospitals, driving efficiencies and decreasing exposure to the virus,” it said.

Further pilots were starting in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, Telus said.

Telus said every province was now allowing doctors to bill for remote visits.

Some 26,000 doctors using the company’s electronic medical records service had access to its newly launched video visit platform, it said. That could decrease the need for unnecessary visits to emergency rooms and leave hospitals with more capacity to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, the company said.

“We are also seeing increased demand for our one-on-one virtual health solutions, with increased adoption of Akira by TELUS Health by provincial and business customers as well as increased demand for Babylon by TELUS Health,” it said. “This increased demand has accelerated the adoption of these virtual care solutions.”

The services take pressure off the in-person healthcare system, the company added.

The need for better access to primary care has been clear for years. According to the most recent figures from Statistics Canada’s Community Health Survey, about 4.3 million Canadians, 15 per cent of the population, had no regular family physician in 2013.

The provincial government says 760,000 British Columbians don’t have a family doctor, about one out of seven people.

Statistics Canada figures show the

number of people in B.C. without a family doctor nearly doubled between 2005 and 2013, the most recent year for which figures are available.

Telus argues its services help address that need and notes many patients would otherwise seek help in walk-in clinics and emergency rooms.

“Our virtual care solutions are intended to complement existing health services and support those who have a difficult time accessing primary care,” the spokesperson said, adding the services are available on evenings and weekends when many clinics are closed.

“Through our Babylon by TELUS Health and Akira by TELUS Health services, British Columbians can have a one-to-one virtual consultation with a locally-licensed family doctor, often within minutes, and receive prescriptions, test requisitions and referrals as appropriate,” they said.

While that kind of speedy response is exactly the kind of care that worries Dickson, the spokesperson for Telus argues that it has its place within the system.

Telus agrees it’s beneficial for patients to have a long-term relationship with a family doctor, the company’s statement said. “The virtual care services we offer have been designed to ensure the delivery of quality care and high patient satisfaction.

Every aspect of the model has been built around putting the patient first.”

But criticizing Telus for providing episodic care without providing a consistent patient-doctor relationship is a distraction, it says. Instead the focus should be “on how to improve access to quality health care to help all patients versus a debate on episodic care.”

Many physicians and their representatives disagree and raise concerns about the care Telus and other companies provide.

‘FAST FOOD’ VERSION OF HEALTH CARE

relationship and mean more patients are getting worse care, he said.

“It’s going to be fast food, because that’s what corporations do.”

The BC Family Doctors, which represents doctors providing primary care, recently released a statement urging caution in the adoption of telemedicine and calling for closer scrutiny of the involvement of corporate care providers.

“The encroachment of private, for-profit telemedicine needs to be regulated and controlled,” the statement said. “BC Family Doctors calls on the B.C. government to regulate and control the expansion of private, commercial interests in for-profit telemedicine in B.C.” The statement argues that telemedicine is best when used as a tool within a long-term patient-doctor relationship.

One-off episodic services “should only be provided as an intermittent and infrequent alternative to a patient’s family doctor,” it says.

Corporatization was pushing care in the other direction, it said, with a growing number of British Columbians using telemedicine and losing continuity of care.

The doctors’ group also said private companies should be required to meet the same conflict of interest standards accepted by family physicians and other regulated health professionals. It warned, for example, that pharmacies shouldn’t be allowed to gain by entering partnerships with telemedicine providers that agree to drive patients to them.

“These changes are necessary in order to provide for the protection and safety of patients,” it said.

Some worry the government will be reluctant to take steps that would hamper Telus’s business.

The Vancouver-based company is closely tied to the provincial government and provides it with various services. The public accounts listing core government spending show B.C. ministries spent almost $111 million last year with Telus Communications Inc., Telus Communications Company, Telus Corporation, Telus Mobility and Telus Health Solutions Inc. Between 2005 and 2017, when the current government limited corporate and union political donations, Telus,

“There’s no connection.

It’s just being able to call up and get a prescription, and that’s how [the patient] sees it, and that’s the scary part.”

- Anita Dickson

Dr. Toye Oyelese, a family doctor in West Kelowna, said he believes an increase in corporate primary care is inevitable. But it will disrupt the traditional doctor-patient

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30 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

FEATURE STORY Licensed practical nurse Anita Dickson had a firsthand look at corporatedelivered telehealth care. She didn’t like what she saw. Photo by Jeff Bassett.

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FEATURE STORY through various entities, gave more than $631,000 to B.C. political parties. More than 90 per cent of the money went to the BC Liberals, who held power from 2001 to 2017. Notably, however, Telus gave $20,000 to the NDP on May 8, 2017, the day before voting began in the last provincial election.

There’s money to be made in healthcare. The B.C. government alone will spend more than $22 billion on it this year. Payments to physicians providing primary care are mainly made through the Medical Services Commission, spending that added up to more than $4.3 billion last year.

As companies, including Telus, take an increasing share of that public money, there’s no shortage of suggestions for how to improve the care they provide and the overall system.

Dickson of the Licensed Practical Nurses Association said it would help if Telus tracked whether the people using its Babylon service are attached to other primary care, made sure the care they are receiving isn’t fragmented and provided information to the person’s family doctor if they have one.

“I think Babylon has a huge need to say, ‘We have this person who calls us quite frequently, do you know that as their family doctor?’” By doing so, the company could make sure the patient gets a continuum of care where somebody who knows them has the big picture on how they are and the care they’re getting.

According to the public relations company working for Telus, about 40 per cent of Babylon users report they don’t have a family physician.

“Should a user need to have another virtual consultation, they can also request an appointment with the same Babylon

by TELUS Health physician they spoke to previously,” it said. “We also ensure that patients without a family doctor and/ or who require an in-person appointment have a smooth transition from virtual care to in-person care at a local clinic.”

Even for those who are already attached to a primary care provider, Babylon fills a need, the company said.

Half of those patients “said they typically wait more than a week to see their own family doctor and eight to 12 per cent said

32 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

Dr. Toye Oyelese says corporate care undermines the relationship between patient and doctor.

And that means lower quality care. Photo by Jeff Bassett.

FEATURE STORY that had they not received care through A related issue is that while the our service, they would have sought care government records and publicly reports at a hospital emergency room. billings by physicians, it has no way to “Our virtual care service may have track whether they are working for a prevented users from delaying care and corporation, themselves, or a clinic. That having their conditions worsen.” leaves the government and researchers Patients who have a family physician unable to answer key questions about how can choose to have the notes from their the method of delivery affects patient care consultation sent to the physician’s office. and things like visits to emergency rooms, “We always encourage users to reconnect hospitalizations and patient outcomes. with their regular physicians when they Underlying the rise in corporate care is can as we support the benefits of a patient a longer-term issue with how primary care medical home,” the PR firm said. is managed, despite decades of discussion But others say that in the worst cases, around how to make it better.

Telus’s service adds inefficiency and costs “I personally think [corporate care] to the system. is significant, and I feel there should Burnaby family doctor Dr. Baldev be concern about the real risk it has Sanghera gives the example of a patient to further fragment healthcare in the of his who got in touch with a doctor province,” said Jeanette Boyd, president through Babylon about a wart. Not being of the BC College of Family Physicians. able to remove the wart virtually, the “Absolutely they are filling a vacuum, but Babylon doctor sent a note to Sanghera it’s a vacuum I feel is artificial and can be who ended up seeing the patient and addressed in other ways.” removing the wart.

It’s unfair if Telus can bill $30 for a two- Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative minute phone call when the person doing Bureau Chief in Victoria and the author the actual wart removal gets paid the same of All Together Healthy (Douglas & McIntyre, for a procedure that takes 15 minutes, he 2018). Find him on Twitter or reach him said. But it also means the public is paying at amacleod@thetyee.ca. more than it should for the care.

“Now the system is going to get billed twice This feature is the first in a series on this for dealing with one problem,” Sanghera said. topic. To read the others in the series, please “That shouldn’t be happening.” go to Tyee.ca. ■

“It’s going to be fast food, because that’s what corporations do.”

- Toye Oyelese

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SPORTS THE SCORE

Madsen ride raises nearly $13,500 for WORCA TRIATHLETE COMPLETES SIX ALPINE LOOPS BUT STOPS SHORT OF EVERESTING GOAL

BY DAN FALLOON WHISTLER XTERRA triathlete Karsten Madsen completed six laps of the Into the Mystic and Lord of the Squirrels loop on Saturday, Sept. 5.

That made up more than 7,000 metres of climbing and 160 kilometres of riding in 31-degree temperatures, but it was still a bit short of his planned ascent of 8,848 metres, the equivalent height of Mount Everest.

“There was a high potential that completion might not be possible. There were so many different factors that would come into it,” Madsen said. “I’m not an excuse-based person. I wanted to complete it but I couldn’t complete it. There’s a lot of factors that go into it, but they’re just factors, not excuses.

“There was nothing that I would change in terms of the preparation that I did or my execution on the day.”

Madsen stressed that when he stopped his ride, it would have been unsafe to continue. In addition to risking injury, putting himself into a position that would require assistance would have wiped out the good accomplished.

“A real failure would have been for me to go after the full distance,” he said. “Cognitively, I was starting to slip.

HEADING UP Karsten Madsen, shown here with

fellow triathlete Adam Ward, completed six alpine loops as part of a WORCA fundraiser on Sept. 5.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW TONGUE

34 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

Descending, I was starting to make these mistakes. Obviously, on any mountain bike trail, a cognitive slip can lead to a massive failure and knowing that would have been a hard pill to swallow.

“I felt that if I needed emergency services, then that took away from the whole point of the cause, using community resources to get yourself out of there.”

Early on, Madsen took damage after he came off a bridge oddly and smacked his shoulder into a tree on the second descent.

I’m pretty happy I banged out two more laps after that one.”

Madsen had riding partners, including another local triathlete in Adam Ward, as well as five-time Olympian Katerina Nash, pushing him throughout the day.

“She dragged an extra lap out of me, 100 per cent,” he said of Nash. “Between Lap 5 and Lap 6, I didn’t want to drink or eat anymore. Your body’s just starting to shut down, and she was forcing me to stay on it.”

Madsen was grateful for help from

“There’s a lot of factors that go into it, but they’re just factors, not excuses.”

- KARSTEN MADSEN

“To be honest, though, you’re so numb to everything,” he said. “I didn’t feel it at all during the ride.”

One of the major differences between the trail attempt and his previous successful Everest attempt on Kadenwood’s roads in May, Madsen noted, is while he could control his heart rate on the streets, some of the steep trail climbs made that impossible.

“On the Lord of the Squirrels climb, it’s just really steep and the minimum to get up it is an effort,” he said. “It all adds up to this accumulative fatigue.

“After Lap 4, I knew I was in trouble and

many volunteers, including his dad, who would clean up the bike between laps.

On the fundraising side, Madsen surpassed his goal of raising $8,848 (one for every metre he looked to climb) for the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association (WORCA), making $13,470 for the organization as of Sept. 16.

“The community of Whistler smashed that. That’s not me. That’s the community buying in to this cause,” he said. “In a year where the ridership is up but the funds are down, we need to fill in these holes.”

WORCA executive director Trevor Ferrao

said the cash comes in handy, especially after the organization’s fee-for-service agreement with the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) was reduced to $40,000 from $120,000 this year.

“It was more than we thought, which is great,” he said of Madsen’s fundraising.

“Our trail crew, we were really just planning to have them on for September … Now we’re able to extend into October as well.”

Among the trails crews will work on is Lord of the Squirrels, completing maintenance in the upper section.

As WORCA heads into the fall, Ferrao said priorities for the organization include updating its strategic plan, determining if there is funding to hire a trails and planning administrator, and working out a new feefor-service agreement with RMOW, as the current deal expires at the end of 2020.

At this point, Madsen doesn’t anticipate another shot at the 8,848-metre mark in the future. Firstly, he expects to return to his race schedule and training methods and, secondly, speaking on Sept. 10, said he was still tuckered five days later. Madsen said he went to visit his sister in Pemberton and was so exhausted he slumped down for a 90-minute nap on her kitchen floor.

“I was completely shattered when I was finished,” he said. “Right now, my right hand is pretty messed up from just holding the bars and I have energy-level problems.”

Madsen added that a documentary about his summer and the alpine attempt is in production, and there will be a screening at a time in 2021, also in support of WORCA. n

SPORTS THE SCORE

A safe place to skate

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PELCHAT SISTERS START SUCCESSFUL SKATEBOARD JAMS

BY DAN FALLOON IF YOU POPPED by the Whistler Skateboard Park on a Friday morning this summer, things might have looked a little bit different.

That’s because many of those riding were girls and women, thanks to the skate jams organized by the Pelchat sisters: Juliette, 15, and Amalia, 12.

The sisters took inspiration from their own journeys in the sport and sought to make it more accessible for others. “[We] started coming to skate parks a couple of years ago and we realized that there weren’t many girls coming,” Juliette said. “We were intimidated when we were starting and, this year, we started seeing a couple more girls showing up to the skate park, but [they] also looked like they were intimidated.

“We decided to hold an event to lessen their intimidation, get them more confident at riding the skate park, and get them more stoked to ride with other girls.”

Creating that community of girls, they reasoned, helps to foster a more comfortable space that makes it easier to try and fall down, but eventually, succeed.

“It’s less intimidating for young girls when there are a lot of girls around and they’re learning, too,” Juliette said. “We created a safe environment for them to learn.”

Word of the jams got around quickly, as they hit the ground running from the get-go.

“We were expecting five girls,” Amalia said.

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Youth and Adult Programs DROPPING IN Getting girls to feel safe entering the skate park was a major focus of girls-only jams organized by the Pelchat sisters this summer.

PHOTO BY AGA IWANICKA

wanted to accomplish the following week.

“There were a bunch of girls who came weekly and kept improving,” Juliette said.

“We would [each] focus on an area of the skate park and if the girls wanted to learn something, they would come to that area.”

“Some of the girls got so good and now they can skateboard with us, so that’s super cool,” Amalia added.

Most participants fell in the fiveto-13 age range, though there were some teenagers and even some adult women returning to the sport.

The jams even quickly landed sponsorship from brands such as The Circle

“How we’ve seen them learn so quickly has motivated me to push a little bit harder...”

- JULIETTE PELCHAT

“But 25 showed up. They were so stoked on coming out there,” Juliette added.

From there, as the Pelchats shared the jams on social media and parents spread the news through word of mouth, the summer culminated with roughly 60 participants coming out on Sept. 4.

The two-hour jams were split by age, with the first half for younger skaters and the second for older attendees. The sisters enlisted three other coaches to help, including local national team member Maddy Balt, who also lent her expertise to a camp in Pemberton (“Olympic hopefuls boost Pemberton skate camp,” Pique, Sept.

10, 2020), as well as Maggie Crompton and Takaya Maynard.

The sessions started with the coaches asking girls their goals, would help them achieve those marks, and then asked them to come back with something new they

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Kids and CLIF Bar, while developer Beau Jarvis helped the girls make T-shirts to sell by donation in support of Skate Like A Girl, a non-profit that looks to empower girls through the sport.

In addition to growing as a coach, Juliette—a two-time national junior slopestyle snowboard champion—felt like she progressed as an athlete throughout the process as well.

“How we’ve seen them learn so quickly has motivated me to push a little bit harder and want to learn things as fast as them because they were so encouraging as well,” she said.

The sisters hope to run the jams in the future, including hosting a contest at the end of the summer next year.

To keep up with what’s happening with the events, follow @realwildkittens on Instagram. n

Registration is now open For more information on our programs and to sign up go to www.whistlernordics.com

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35

SPORTS THE SCORE

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ALL COVERED We Run Whistler is working on traversing all trails—except for double blacks—as part of a new autumn challenge.

PHOTO BY JIM BUDGE

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Running Whistler a trail at a time SPORTS BRIEFS: PGA OF BC CLUB PRO CHAMPIONSHIP COMING SEPT. 21 AND 22

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EVEN IN THE MIDST of the COVID-19

You are invited to the 2020 Virtual Annual General Meeting for

September 30th, 2020 • 5:30pm-6:30pm

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

In addition to the regular business of an AGM, the Board of Directors will be proposing the following resolution: RESOLVED AS PER SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS THAT: 1. Part 4.1 of the Bylaws of the Society be amended by removing the sentence “The RMOW appointees will not be eligible to vote” 2. The Bylaws of the Society be altered accordingly, and Taylor Hanscom, Finance Manager, as agent for the Society be authorized to file a Bylaw Alteration Application, together with an updated set of Bylaws, to reflect the amendment as approved by these resolutions.

3. As a condition of this resolution the alteration to the Bylaws of the Society referred to above does not take effect until the Bylaw Alteraion Application and the updated bylaws referred to in the preceding paragraphs takes effect.; 4. Any Director of the Society is authorized and directed to sign all documents and to do all things necessary or desirable as may be required to give effect to the true intent of these resolutions.

Whistler Community Services Society (the “Society”) The board of directors of Whistler Community Services Society (the “Society”) hereby gives notice that the Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held at 5:30 p.m. on September 30, 2020 via Zoom for the following purposes: 1. To receive the directors’ report to the members.

2. To receive the directors’ presentation of the financial statement of the Society for the period ended March 31st 2020 3. To appoint BDO as the accountant/Auditor for the Society for the ensuing year.

4. To propose to the following special resolutions: 5. To elect directors of the Society to hold office until the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Society.

6. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dated September 17th, 2020, Whistler, British Columbia

Please register for this meeting in advance by visiting www.mywcss.org We look forward to sharing with you what we have been up to, celebrating our impact and recognizing our donors, volunteers and community members.

36 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

pandemic, We Run Whistler is hoping to help inspire people to keep running.

The local group’s latest initiative is for runners to traverse all of Whistler’s trails, said co-founder Lou O’Brien, who also works in Pique’s production department.

Earlier this year, the group held a successful fundraiser for the Whistler OffRoad Cycling Association, selling T-shirts with the message of “Trails For All.” The shirts sold out in a flash, which helped spark the current idea.

“We knew there was a lot of support for our trails and a lot of love for our trails,” O’Brien said. “We were trying to come up with ways to keep our running community motivated while obviously, there are no races to focus on.”

Ultimately the idea of running all the hiking, biking and running trails listed on Trailforks came about, save for the double blacks.

“We thought they’d be too dangerous for bikers if they run into runners on them, and also, for runners, they’re not very fun to run anyway,” O’Brien said.

Roughly 40 runners have worked to cover more than 100 trails so far.

“We had about 30 trails run on the first week alone. It’s slowed a little bit since then, but people have been ticking them off all over the place,” O’Brien said.

While O’Brien anticipated accessible trails such as those around Lost Lake would be among the first crossed off, participants have taken the challenge to heart and sought out routes that they’ve never done, or even knew existed, before.

At the current pace, the challenge will be completed before the 10 weeks the group

carved out for it elapses.

Each week, a runner who completes a new trail receives an entry for a Lululemon gift card.

Those looking to follow along can pop into the Lululemon location, which features a map designed by local artist Kate Zessel. The map is updated weekly, so if two runners complete and tick off the same trail in a week, both receive an entry.

“Once a trail is run, it’s marked off on the board,” O’Brien said. “You won’t get any credit for running it again or running it after someone else does.”

As well, those who take part in the weekly We Run Whistler runs on Tuesday evenings receive an entry.

To keep up, follow We Run Whistler on Facebook.

PGA OF BC CLUB PRO CHAMPIONSHIPS COMING British Columbia’s top pros are set to hit up Nicklaus North Golf Course on Sept. 21 and 22.

The PGA of BC is bringing the Srixon/ Cleveland Golf/XXIO PGA of BC Club Professional Championship to town, with play starting at 9 a.m. both days.

Local participants include Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club head professional Padraic O’Rourke, Whistler Golf Club executive professional Alan Kristmanson and Nicklaus North director of golf Andrew Smart.

O’Rourke and Kristmanson will both enter play with a boost, as both were named as regional winners and provincial finalists for the organization’s annual awards.

O’Rourke is up for Dick Munn Golf Professional of the Year while Kristmanson was nominated for Cec Ferguson Executive Professional of the Year.

Provincial recipients will be announced virtually on Oct. 14. n

The Whistler Learning Centre presents a panel discussion with industry experts

How Autonomous Vehicles could shape Whistler September 26 @ 5:30pm Rainbow Theatre, Whistler Attend the event in-person or online Live online Zoom webinar, by donation Small in-person audience tickets, $50 Tickets: www.whistlerlearningcentre.com The rapid uptake of Electric Vehicles combined with the advent of 5G technology opens the door to Autonomous (Driverless) Vehicles. Learn how AVs could shape the Sea to Sky region.

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37

VELOCITY PROJECT

Run towards hope MAUDE CYR WILL RUN 110 KILOMETRES ON SEPT. 26 TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE HOWE SOUND WOMEN’S CENTRE TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHEN MAUDE CYR was a girl, growing up in Rimouski, Que., a friend of hers experienced domestic abuse. She confided in Cyr. When Cyr took this information to her parents, her parents did what was expected of them. They told Cyr it wasn’t

BY LISA RICHARDSON any of their business. “Things that happen in a family stay in the family.”

“It was something that we had to keep secret,” remembers Cyr. She was frustrated by this, but kept it quiet, not mentioning it to any other adults.

The seed of her desire to protect children enduring violence within their homes began there. When she could actually do something, she would.

When she was 23, Cyr and her partner moved to Pemberton, started a family and Cyr started working as an educational assistant at École de la Vallée.

One day, the day before Christmas holidays, while supervising recess, a teacher at Signal Hill let Cyr know that she hadn’t left domestic abuse behind her.

“Can you believe there are more children than you think on this schoolground who are not happy to be going on a two-week break from school because their home is not safe?”

RUNNING FOR A CAUSE Maude Cyr will run 110 kilometres in support of the Howe Sound Women’s Centre on Sept. 26.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAUDE CYR

38 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

“When I look at all the children in the classroom,” says Cyr. “I hope each of them is secure in their family home.”

But the statistics are sobering: approximately two to six children and youth in every Canadian classroom have witnessed some form of abuse in the home over the past year.

That sparked a fierce protective fire in Cyr that only grew when the pandemic was declared and our worlds contracted to the size of our immediate family and the shape of our houses.

“Children and youth are an easy target for a stressed-out adult to express their anger and anxiety,” says Cyr. We all felt an increase in stress when the pandemic was declared. Recalls Cyr: “I think it was a big adjustment for all of us.” We were drawing on our own tools for coping with the stress, anxiety and uncertainty, or realizing that we needed to develop better coping skills. Cyr started meditating five to 10 minutes a day, with the help of a practising friend.

“She helped me learn how to focus on my breathing, without being strict with myself and accepting my thousands of thoughts I had during meditation.”

It was one day, while meditating, that she came up with the idea: she would run to raise funds for kids experiencing domestic violence.

Running was something Cyr had discovered 11 years earlier, while experiencing post-partum depression. Medication was helping, but when she searched for effective ways to get serotonin hormones flowing through the body, the results kept pointing to exercise. Cyr had been completely focused on her infant son, and was mostly doing yoga.

“I needed something that pumped my heart quickly and efficiently. So one pouring rainy day, I took my sister’s running shoes, and ran off into the rain for more than an hour. I enjoyed every second of it. I became a runner.”

Running in nature has become her way to connect with herself. She runs almost every day—even if she’s not training for a long race. She surprised herself, at 36, by finishing third in 55-km mountain races in the summer of 2019.

“I think my deep love of racing has allowed me to reach the podium without even trying all year. I am just a woman who enjoys the movement of running in nature for hours!

I like knowing that my body has the capacity to go where it wants and when it wants.

And when I think about the human beings throughout history who’ve experienced war, genocide, famine, or just the people suffering in our community with illness, addiction, mental health, I know I am so privileged. I have everything I need to be happy. I can run and have a little pain in my knee, glutes or calf. Not a problem. I am grateful for what I have every day,” she says.

So, with her 2020 plans to race the 110-km Whistler Alpine Meadows Ultra cancelled, Cyr turned her energy and passion to the question that had been in her since she was a child: how can I help?

“I use my power as an educator to teach children and youth about violence and abuse. I talk to them about good touching and bad touching, personal limits, how to ask for help, healthy relationships, about their rights as a child. That way, I feel better knowing that they have tools in their tool box of life to protect themselves and become a balanced citizen, father, mother,

friend and partner,” she says.

She also set herself the goal of raising $3,000 for the Howe Sound Women’s Centre for its programs supporting children experiencing violence.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, Cyr will strap on her running shoes, rain or shine, and set out from the Howe Sound Women’s Centre in Squamish, to run 110 km along the Sea to Sky Trail to Mount Currie. In doing so, she acknowledges and expresses her gratitude to be running on Skwxwú7mesh Nation and Lil’wat Nation territory, and connects with the entire Sea to Sky community and let them know that support services for children and young living with abuse and violence are there to help them.”

Her partner and her two children, aged 12 and four, will be her support crew, following in the car and bringing her nutrition and snacks. “There’s nothing better than the smiles of my children to encourage me.”

Several friends who share a passion for this cause have offered to accompany her along parts of the trail—and even though she had planned to run solo, Cyr welcomes the support. Anyone who wants to show their support for Cyr, or for the Howe Sound Women’s Centre, is welcome to make a donation. With two weeks to go, Cyr is more than halfway to her fundraising goal and every $300 raised will help another child benefit from a counselling program. Go to: canadahelps.org/en/pages/run-to-endchildren-and-youth-from-violence-and-ab.

The Velocity Project: how to slow the f--k down and still achieve optimum productivity and life happiness, appears here occasionally during COVID-19. ■

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EPICURIOUS

Restaurateurs embraced summer patio extensions

BY DAN FALLOON IN A YEAR where restaurateurs had to make great adaptations to get up and running again after the COVID-19 shutdown this spring, one of the most welcome was finding extra patio space.

After the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) council voted to allow extended patios in June, Pizzeria Antico manager Christine Grant was glad to convert a small bocce park into a temporary patio, allowing for 24 additional seats to bring the restaurant’s total outdoor capacity to 54.

“It’s been incredible. It’s been a lifesaver,” she said. “For us, particularly, it’s given us so much exposure based on where the patio extension was. It’s so visible to the streets. A lot of people didn’t even know we had a patio.”

Grant noted, however, that it was difficult to make the most of the entire space, given that the tables are set up as six-seaters.

Pizzeria Antico had long hoped to utilize the park, so it was an obvious choice when the allowance was made.

“When this opportunity arose to use it as a space, and put some tables out there to add some more outdoor seating, it just made so much sense and it worked out really well,” she said.

Just up Main Street at Crepe Montagne, manager Nicole Leddy appreciated the six additional seats she was allowed, though she had hoped for more. The eatery’s patio was initially licensed for 19 seats, but was only capable of seating 12 because of distancing. Ultimately, they ended up back near where they started.

“We are a small restaurant, so the program allowed us to have a couple additional seats,” she said. “We tried to get more, but after working with the muni, we had to lower our expectations.”

The demand, Leddy said, was present, so she was appreciative of the opportunity to serve those customers at a time when every order counts.

“Those seats were full all the time.

Definitely, customers wanted to sit outside, so I consider that we’re lucky in that we

PATIO PIZZA Pizzeria Antico took advantage of the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s temporary patio expansion offer this summer.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

have an existing patio and we were able to add on a couple tables,” she said.

Mayor Jack Crompton was pleased with how the program was rolled out. Crompton said the municipality ultimately approved 17 of the 23 applications received through the program. In all, Crompton said, the program added 422 seats.

“Businesses demonstrated that they could accommodate, on average, only 43 per cent of their licensed seating capacity as a result of public health officer orders for physical distancing,” he said, noting the added seats increased that capacity to 54 per cent.

Restaurant Association of Whistler president Eric Griffith said the feedback he received from members was that it was a simple process to apply, and while the early backlog was a couple weeks’ wait, he felt it wasn’t unreasonable considering the circumstances.

“It was successful for those that had the adjacent space that was easy to take up,” he said.

However, some eateries were unable to take advantage of the offer for reasons ranging from being located away from ground level to an inability to gain strata approval. For his

part, Griffith, Alta Bistro’s owner and wine director, declined to pursue the option as it wasn’t the right fit for his establishment.

“I’d looked at the places I could use and it really just became part of the roadway,” he said. “I didn’t think that was the best guest experience for what we were offering.”

Though the program is set to end on Oct. 31, at its Sept. 15 meeting, Whistler council passed a resolution that council direct staff to bring a report with options to expedite the winterizing of food and beverage patios for the coming winter season.

Griffith said, heading into winter, the most beneficial change for eateries would be for provincial health orders to reduce the required space between tables and increase capacity again, with winter patios are a non-starter for many businesses as the costs could very well outweigh the benefits.

“How are we going to make people comfortable outside in Whistler with the temperatures we have?” he asked. “I’m not sure how the winter patios are really going to work unless you have a massive investment in infrastructure.”

Grant said Pizzeria Antico will not have the ability to run one.

“Unfortunately, it’s going to be a huge

Food Lovers Unite!

impact,” Grant said. “We don’t have any of this area covered and when that goes away along with the weather changing, it’s basically almost a 45-per-cent decrease for us in capacity.

“We’re hoping that we can still sustain ourselves.”

Similarly, Crepe Montagne will not run an outdoor patio. However, with barriers between tables, Leddy hopes to be able to run at regular capacity throughout the winter.

“The owners have done a good job of putting up the barriers within the restaurant to make sure that the guests are as safe as possible and protected while they’re inside,” she said.

When next summer comes around, restaurants are supportive of seeing the program return, with Grant describing Pizzeria Antico’a approach to the extension as a test that it can point to in support of its continuation.

Crompton, however, said there have been no discussions as to the program’s future at this point.

“Our focus right now is on ensuring that we are nimble in our response,” he said.

“We haven’t put our mind to whether this program will carry on after the pandemic.” n

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41

ARTS SCENE

Local musicians grapple with new restrictions at bars NEW PROVINCIAL HEALTH ORDERS FOR LOW-LEVEL MUSIC HAS SOME VENUES AXING LIVE SHOWS

BY ALYSSA NOEL BELEAGUERED LOCAL musicians are once again wondering what new COVID19 health orders could mean for live performances in the months ahead.

After lockdown this spring many focused on livestreaming, writing new songs, or recording music. But as restrictions eased this summer, most were heading back to the stage both indoors and outdoors—with safety measures in place.

But with new rules announced last week from the provincial government around nightclubs, bars and restaurants they’re now rethinking plans for the fall and winter ahead.

The issue: volume.

“I just can’t see enough of the reasoning behind it,” says Squamish musician Cat Madden. “I can’t see the justification or how it will really make that much of a difference.

Most of the shows, I can hear the chatter of people over the music anyways. That’s the volume I can have it at.”

While the new restrictions immediately

OUT LOUD Musician Cat Madden has concerns about what new provincial rules around volume in bars could mean for live music going forward.

PHOTO BY AUDREY THIZY

42 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

shut down nightclubs and stand-alone banquet facilities, they also introduced new rules for bars, pubs, and restaurants, including no selling alcohol after 10 p.m., closing by 11 p.m. and keeping the volume of music and background sounds to no louder than normal conversation.

“These venues (nightclubs and banquet halls) are still the source of significant risk to everybody in British Columbia,” said

prevent people from having to shout at each other, which could potentially spread the disease, she added.

While Madden feels frustrated about yet another curveball, after she shared her thoughts on Facebook a musician friend commented explaining his daughter had caught COVID-19 and it was a horrendous experience.

“It puts us in a hard place to complain

“Pubs and restaurants have been doing a great job. The plans that we’ve seen in restaurants, I feel restaurants, for the most part, are really safe.”

- BONNIE HENRY

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, as she made the announcement last Wednesday, Sept. 9.

When asked if bars, pubs, and restaurants could close, however, she said: “Pubs and restaurants have been doing a great job. The plans that we’ve seen in restaurants, I feel restaurants, for the most part, are really safe.”

Still, the rules around volume aim to

about it; this has affected so many people in a serious way,” she adds.

For many musicians, the hope now is that venues will take a chance and hire them to play at that lower volume.

Whistler musicians Monty Biggins and Kostaman had a full-band show scheduled at the Pemberton Hotel last Saturday, but after the new rules came into play, the venue cancelled.

“They were talking to WorkSafe BC and they weren’t sure how to make that work,” Biggins says. “I think we’re going to see that in different venues.”

However, Biggins hopes his years of working as a lounge act will pay off.

“You have to sing different to [sing quietly],” he says. “I was lucky in my journey and the sound I do is a lounge act.

I got hired to be in smaller situations where I’m not the focus … It can be a distraction because you can hear everyone talking. You have to create a bubble in your mind to stay focused on what you’re doing. For a lot of musicians that will be a learning curve.”

Shortly after chatting with Pique, Biggins followed up: the Pemberton Hotel had agreed to a revamped low-level lounge act with a show on Sept. 18 from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

“Anything is great, at this point,” he says. “If we’re not doing a show for people we’re in the backyard jamming with buddies. That’s just as great. Musicians are musicians through and through.”

Despite her concerns, Madden came to the same conclusion.

“We’ll find another way,” she says. “We will find a way to get our music out there.

It can’t be stopped. With this lack of being subjected to music, people are going to start really, really missing it.” n

ARTS SCENE

Whistler Writers Festival: The Glass Hotel

BY NICOLE FITZGERALD

The Glass Hotel, reads like a reflection on a window. The image changes as different characters step behind the glass. Only fragments of the bigger picture are reflected on their faces, leaving the reader to piece together the shards.

The Glass Hotel is rooted in the choices of a man named Jonathan Alkaitis who owns a five-star hotel located on a remote tip of Vancouver Island. It is here he meets investors, as well as bystanders who, unknowingly or maybe knowingly, buy into his international Ponzi scheme run out of Manhattan.

The situation is explored through the unexpected connections of others affected by the scheme, including a young woman named Vincent who accepts Alkaitis’ hundred-dollar tip and invite to live with him in New York. We meet Vincent’s halfbrother Paul who is seeking help from her as he always felt that she owed him something, and investor Leon Prevant who loses everything, but rises above disaster only to discover he’s fallen deeper.

The line between villain and victim is smudged. The belief in the moral certainty, “I’d never do that,” is challenged. The Glass Hotel is not about a Ponzi scheme. In the same way Mandel’s previous book, Station Eleven, was not about a flu that threatened to wipe out the human race. Mandel’s books are about humanity. They are a psychological exploration of the human condition when faced with disaster—in this case, financial uncertainty.

The different character narratives stand alone then intersect and take pause then surface again, moving back and forth through time as their shared connection to Alkaitis, sometimes clear, sometimes not, comes together. Time is both fluid and concrete in the work. Characters like Paul reflect on the experience 20 years later while others like Vincent’s story are more forward looking. In addition to time, reality is also played with as characters struggle with the choices they’ve made in life. Reality blurs to the point of medical intervention for a convict who becomes lost living out counterlives. And a young woman leans on imaginings despite coming to terms intellectually with her decision to buy into a lavish lifestyle because codependency is easier than independence. Still imaginings and reality for her are not so far apart.

“None of these scenarios seemed less real than the life she’d landed in, so much so that she was struck sometimes by the truly unsettling sense that there were other versions of her life being lived without her…”

This feeling of characters being haunted is felt throughout the book. Sometimes this experience is mental, characters haunted by choices taken or missed. Other times this haunting comes in the form of apparitions

James Dow

EMILY ST. JOHN Mandel’s new novel,

The 56,000 sq. ft. Audain Art Museum designed IN REVIEW Author Emily St. John Mandel is appearing at the Whistler Writers Festival on Oct. 18.

IMAGE SUBMITTED

born from regrets, mysteries and the unsaid.

Paul reflects on how he is sentenced to a lifelong conversation with his half-sister he should have, but never had, with her.

Vincent herself is haunted by the mystery of her mother’s death right up until she meets her ghost. Even The Hotel Caiette is tucked away from the reality of the world. A surreal place hovering somewhere in the in between of the civilized and wild.

Mandel blurs the lines of contemporary storytelling. Drawing inspiration from forms stereotypically utilized in lyric essays, both opening and closing the book on a more poetic note. She creates a chapter, “The Office Chorus” breaking from thirdperson narrative into a second-person, only instead of addressing “you,” the audience, she uses the pronoun “we” to signal the idea of individuals justifying their actions by hiding in the collective.

This psychological exploration, pivoting on a Ponzi scheme, is unique both in perspective and execution. The tone of this read is best captured in a line from the hotel general manager at the start of the adventure when he describes the hotel.

“There’s a sense of being outside of time and space.”

Emily St. John Mandel is appearing in Reading Event No.9—The Sunday Brunch. Join Dakshana Bascaramurty in conversation with David Bergen, Annahid Dashtgard, Waubgeshig Rice, and St. John Mandel on Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. to noon.

Tickets are available at whistlerwritersfest. ticketleap.com/reading-event-9-thesunday-brunch Nicole Fitzgerald is a former journalist turned creative writing masters student at UBC. n

by Patkau Architects provides ample space for a physically distant cultural experience.

To explore the art of British Columbia this fall tickets may be purchased online for contactless payment, or at the door.

NOW OPEN THURSDAY TO SUNDAY & HOLIDAY MONDAYS | 11AM – 6PM audainartmuseum.com/visit Bill Reid, Killer Whale, 1984, bronze, Audain Art Museum Collection. Gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa. Courtesy of the Bill Reid Estate, photo by Darby Magill.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

43

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LET THEM EAT CAKE Entries for the 1980 Mountain Cake Bake at the Fall Fair.

WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION

The Fall Fair and baking mountains

BY ALLYN PRINGLE

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

Thank You

44 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

IF YOU’VE EVER tried to make a cake that looks like something other than a cake, you’ve probably discovered that it’s not always that easy to do. The idea of creating a cake that looks like a specific geological form may seem intimidating, but in 1980, that was just what contestants in the Fall Fair Mountain Cake Bake contest were asked to do.

The Alta Lake Community Club’s (ALCC) Fall Fair was first held in the Myrtle Philip School gym in 1977. The ALCC had “reactivated” itself in 1976 after a fouryear hiatus and began supporting adult education classes, a Brownies group, dances and children’s parties. In May of 1977, it began planning a Fall Fair to be held in November in partnership with the Whistler Mountain Ski Club’s Ski Swap.

The Fair was a fundraiser for the ALCC and featured a cafe in the lunchroom, handmade crafts, a white-elephant gift exchange, a raffle, and even a ski demonstration. This first Fair made a profit and the ALCC began planning a slightly larger fair for the following year.

The Fall Fair continued to be held in the school gym, and additions were made over time. The ALCC began appointing members to organize the event, one of the club’s main fundraisers. The 1980 Fall Fair would appear to have been a particularly successful year.

On Nov. 22, 1980, Myrtle Philip School might have been the most bustling place in Whistler. In addition to the Mountain Cake Bake contest, that year’s Fair included stalls selling various crafts, a bake-sale stall contributed to by various community members, a rummage sale coordinated by Viv Jennings, and the Port Moody High School Stage Band, featuring Whistler regular Mark MacLaurin on trumpet. For $1, attendees could also buy a raffle ticket

and be entered to win prizes including a Whistler Mountain Season Pass, a Blackcomb Mountain Season Pass, and two children’s passes for Ski Rainbow on Rainbow Mountain.

A month before the Fall Fair, an article was published in the Whistler Question outlining the rules and regulations of the Mountain Cake Bake competition. Written by now-Councillor Cathy Jewett, it included an (unsubstantiated) history of mountaincake baking in the area, supposedly begun by none other than Myrtle Philip who is said to have created a cherry-flavoured replica of Rainbow Mountain, inspiring the formation of the Mountain Cake Baking Society.

The rules of the competition were fairly simple: cakes had to be at the Fall Fair no later than 10:30 a.m. and had to taste good while resembling a local mountain.

That evening, the winning cake would be consumed while the runners-up were to be auctioned off. Though there is no mention of what first prize consisted of, all entrants were eligible for dinner at Beau’s.

To get potential entrants thinking, Jewett offered suggestions such as “a Mount Brew Beer Cake, Sproatt Mountain carved out of alfalfa cake, a licorice-flavoured Black Tusk,” and more.

The 1980 Fall Fair was described in the ALCC minutes as a “financial success.”

The prize for the Mountain Cake Bake was awarded to Debbie Cook and her sister Karen, who submitted a model of Diamond Head that was said to be “pleasing both to the eye and the palate.”

It was also a success for Norman Dedeluk, Sid Young, Ross Cameron and Moira Biggin-Pound, who all won various season passes in the raffle.

The only year the Mountain Cake Bake competition took place was 1980, as there is no other mention of it in the ALCC meetings, but if you would like to share your own experiences trying to recreate Whistler’s landscape out of cake, let us know at the Whistler Museum. n

PARTIAL RECALL

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SMOKY SUNSET Wildfire smoke from the blazes south of the border may be responsible for a dramatic drop in air quality and masking Whistler’s mountain views, but it can also make for an interesting shot of the sun, as seen in this photo BELLE OF THE BALL Sweet Belle is currently available for adoption at WAG. Head to whistlerwag.com to check out her profile and learn more about her. PHOTO BY KEVIN JAMIESON. 3 FLOAT ON This group of locals took advantage of the late summer heat and headed for the river for a float last week. PHOTO BY CHANTEL CLAYDEN. 4 HOWE SOUND SMOKE The Stawamus Chief was barely visible from the Howe Sound over the weekend, thanks to a thick blanket of wildfire smoke. PHOTO BY ALYSSA NOEL. 5 CRISIS CONTROL Sea to Sky Gondola general manager Kirby Brown is pictured speaking at a press conference Monday morning, Sept. 14, just hours after the gondola cable was cut for a second time. PHOTO BY STEVEN CHUA / THE SQUAMISH CHIEF. 6 MOUNTAIN VIEW? In case you can’t tell, we still can’t get over how smoky it was in Whistler over the weekend,

of Mt. Fee snapped from Cheakamus on Wednesday, Sept. 9. PHOTO BY SEAN ST. DENIS / WWW.SEANSTDENISPHOTOGRAPHY.COM. 2

as evidenced in this series of before-and-after shots captured by Pique editor Clare Ogilvie of the view (or lack thereof) from her home. PHOTO BY CLARE OGILVIE..

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

Recycle? Yes or no?

Get the BC RECYCLEPEDIA App

www.rcbc.ca RECYCLING COUNCIL OF B.C. MEMBER

STINKY'S LOUNGERS OF THE WEEK!

Congrats Chachi Cup Winner Mike Wilson!

We are now open 11am to 10pm Go Sports!!

Stay Stinky!

21-4314 Main Street SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

45

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Library Board of Trustees Applications EST.2006

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Applications are being received for Trustee positions on the Whistler Public Library (WPL) Board. Library Board Trustees are appointed by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) Council.

Pursuant to the Library Act, ss. 5-6, there are three (3) vacancies available for a two (2) year term effective (January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2022).

Interviews will be conducted in the second week of October.

Eligibility requirements: • Must be resident or an elector of the RMOW. • Must not be a RMOW employee.

• Must not be a WPL employee.

Board guidelines: • The Board consists of nine (9) members. Eight (8) are appointed from the community and one (1) member from the RMOW Council.

• The Board elects a Chair and Vice Chair at its first meeting in each year.

• The Board must meet at regular intervals at least six (6) times a year.

• Meetings are currently held on the first Wednesday of each month, except August, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

For further information on the responsibilities of the Board members, please contact Chair, Selection Committee, Bevin Heath Ansley at: wplboardrecruits@gmail.com or visit whistlerlibrary.ca/about-us/wpl-board.

Application packages are available at the Municipal Hall or www.whistler.ca and the Whistler Public Library at 4329 Main Street or www.whistlerlibrary.ca.

Please submit applications to: Lisa Bast Legislative Services Administrative Assistant Resort Municipality of Whistler Municipal Hall 4325 Blackcomb Way Whistler, BC V0N 1B4 Email: corporate@whistler.ca Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday September 24, 2020.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Nesters Hill trail closure notice Fuel thinning is now underway in the forested area west of Nesters neighbourhood.

Given the interconnected layout of the trails, all trails on Nesters Hill are closed for the duration of the project, including:

• Cut Yer Bars slabs • Cut Yer Bars Trail • Robin Yer Eggs • Roll Yer Bones • Cut Yer Bones

• Cut Yer Bars blue • Hands of Doom • Suicycle • Sh*ts and Giggles • ESP

Work is expected to take five weeks to complete. For safety reasons, please stay off closed trails.

Thank you for your patience while this important wildfire prevention work is completed.

Please visit the project webpage for the latest information.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/FuelThinning

46 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In one of your past lives, maybe you were a Neanderthal midwife in what’s now southern France. In another incarnation, you may have been a 17th-century Guarani shaman who shared your knowledge about local plants with an Italian Jesuit missionary in what’s now Uruguay. All the powers and aptitudes you perfected in those and other previous ages could prove helpful as you cultivate your genius in the coming weeks. JUST KIDDING! Cancel my previous speculations. For you Aries folks, past achievements are often of secondary importance as you create your future.

In fact, your mandate is usually to transcend the old days and old ways. It may be better not to imitate or rely on old stories, no matter how dazzling. This will be especially true in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “There are no ordinary feelings,” says poet Dean Young. “Just as there are no ordinary spring days or kicked-over cans of paint.” That’s always true, but it will be especially true for you in the coming weeks. I suspect you will be host to a wealth of interesting, unique, and profound feelings. They might be a bit overwhelming at times, but I think they will mostly provide rich opportunities for your soul to grow deeper and stronger and more resilient.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “There should be a science of discontent,” said novelist Frank Herbert. “People need hard times and oppression to develop psychic muscles.” I partially agree with that observation, but I also think it’s a gratuitous cliché that’s not at all absolute. In fact, our culture is under the spell of a mass delusion that tempts us to believe “no pain, no gain” is the supreme learning principle. I’d like to see the development of a robust science of contentment: how fascination and freedom and generosity can build psychic muscles. You’ll be a good candidate to study that subject in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian songwriter Mathangi Arulpragasam is better known by her stage name M.I.A. She has accomplished a lot in her 45 years on the planet, having been nominated for three Grammy Awards and an Academy Award. Esquire magazine named her the 75th most influential person of the 21st century. One key to her success is the fact that she formulated a clear master plan many years ago, and has used it to guide her decisions. In her song “Matangi,” she refers to it: “If you’re gonna be me, you need a manifesto / If you ain’t got one, you better get one presto.” I bring this to your attention, Cancerian, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to formulate (or re-formulate) your life manifesto and master plan.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “If you’re not invited to the party, throw your own,” declares singer and actress Diahann Carroll. In the coming weeks, I urge you Leos to use that advice as a metaphor in every way you can imagine. For example, if you’re not getting the love you want from a certain someone, give it to yourself. If no one hands you the opportunity you need, hand it to yourself. If you wish people would tell you what you want to hear, but they’re not saying it, tell yourself what you want to hear. It’s a time when you need to go beyond mere self-sufficiency.

Be self-gratifying, self-rewarding, self-acknowledging.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “At the necessary moment, going naked will be your most convincing disguise,” writes poet Dobby Gibson. As I apply his witty statement to your life, I’ll interpret it metaphorically. My sense is that you could really use the kind of “disguise” he’s talking about. What I mean is that you would benefit by appearing to be different from what people expect of you. You can gain key advantages by shifting the image you present to the world—by expressing a part of your identity that is not usually obvious. And I think the best way to do that is to “go naked”—i.e. be candid and transparent and vulnerable about your core truths.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran playwright Wendy Wasserstein wrote, “Every year I resolve to be a little less

the me I know and leave a little room for the me I could be. Every year I make a note not to feel left behind by my friends and family who have managed to change far more than I.” I recommend Wasserstein’s practice to you, dear Libra. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to launch this ritual as an annual tradition. For best results, write it out as a vow. I mean take a pen and paper and compose a solemn pledge, then sign it on the bottom to seal your determination.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I may not lead the most dramatic life,” confesses singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, “but in my brain it’s War and Peace every day.” He was referencing Leo Tolstoy’s sprawling, exuberant 1,200-page novel War and Peace, which features stories about five families who lived through Napoléon’s invasion of Russia in the 19th century.

I’m guessing that these days your fantasy life may also be filled with epic fairy tales and heroic sagas and tear-jerking myths. Is there a problem with that?

Not necessarily. It could be quite entertaining and educational. I do recommend that you keep your actual life a little calmer and saner, however.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I rejoice to live in such a splendidly disturbing time!” said author Helen Keller (1880–1968). She was a smart activist who worked hard on behalf of women’s equality, labour rights, antimilitarism, and socialism. Was she being sarcastic in saying she loved being alive during a time of upheaval? Not at all. She derived excitement and vigour from critiquing injustice. Her lust for life soared as she lent her considerable energy to making life on earth more enjoyable for more people. I invite you to consider adopting her attitude in the coming weeks. It’s a good time to experiment with generating the personal power that becomes available by taking practical action in behalf of your high ideals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You know what perfectionists are: people who obsessively strive to finesse every last detail, polishing and honing so compulsively that they risk sucking all the soul out of the finished product. In contrast to them, I propose that we identify a different class of humans known as imperfectionists. They understand that a ferocious drive for utter purity can make things sterile and ugly. They resolve to cultivate excellence while at the same time they understand that irregularities and eccentricities may infuse their work with beauty. I hope you’ll act like an imperfectionist in the coming weeks, Capricorn.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Everything good I’ve ever gotten in life, I only got because I gave something else up,” writes author Elizabeth Gilbert. To that melodramatic declaration, I say, “Really? Everything? I don’t believe you.” And yet I do think she has a point. On some occasions, the most effective strategy for bringing good new influences into our lives is to sacrifice an influence or habit or pattern we’re attached to. And often the thing that needs to be sacrificed is comfortable or consoling or mildly pleasurable. I suspect that the coming weeks will offer you one of these opportunities, Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “I and me are always too deeply in conversation,” confessed philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. I wonder why he said “too deeply” and not just “deeply.” Did he mean his dialogues with himself distracted him from important matters in the world outside of his imagination? Was he implying that he got so consumed while conducting his self-interviews that he lost his bearings and forgot what his goals were?

With these cautions in mind, Pisces, I invite you to dive into an intense but spacious communion with yourself.

Make this a delightful and illuminating conference, not a raging debate or a debilitating argument.

Online gallery and full details:

Homework: What’s your favourite rule to break?

FreeWillAstrology.com

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES

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

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

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Applicants can deliver instruction through virtual learning or in-person.

Temporary until December 2020 (tentatively).

Key Deliverables: • academic training, qualifications and recent experience teaching secondaryscience; • strong classroom management skills; • ability to accommodate the needs of students with a range of learning styles and abilities; • ability to motivate students and to adjust instructional strategies accordingly; • strong interpersonal, communication and collaborative skills including the ability to communicate effectively with students, staff, and parents; • strong assessment practices; • ability to use technology to enhance student learning; • ability to embed local First Nations culture into teaching practice; • knowledge of the B.C. curriculum.

Key Qualifications and Attributes: • Possession of / or ability to apply for a B.C. Teaching Certificate • Must complete a Criminal Record Check • TQS Category

Ray Wiebe 604.935.2432 Pat Wiebe 604.902.9300 raymondo99.69@gmail.com

Send cover letter and resume including references no later than 4:30 p.m. Friday September 25th 2020.

Contact Information: Verna Stager, Education Director • Xet’olacw Community School P.O. Box 604, Mount Currie, B.C. V0N 2K0 - Phone: 604 894-6131 / Fax: 604 894-5717 • glenda.gabriel@lilwat.ca

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We thank for your interest; however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted

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Services

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Call 604-902-MOVE www.alltimemoving.ca

EXPERIENCED CARPENTERS LABOURERS Yoga for Kids with Heidi Sundays starting Sept 20 for 5-8 yr olds, 10-10:45 am for 9-12 yr olds, 11:15-12pm Grrrls’ Boot Camp (11-16 yrs) Thursdays 4-4:45 pm Starts Sept 17

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VISION PACIFIC CONTRACTING LTD. is hiring:

Included Group Fitness Classes to be available to sign up online https://resortmunicipalityof whistler.perfectmind.com www.whistler.ca/fitness 604-935-PLAY (7529)

We offer:

Whistler’s only dedicated wedding magazine.

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• Extended Health and Dental benefits for you and your family • 20cm snow rule & mental-health bike days • Flexible schedule & awesome staff parties!

• Work-life balance is as important to us as it is to you!

Send your resume to info@vispacific.com 25 Years in business • Whistler’s award winning custom home builder www.vispacific.com

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

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THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre PO BOX 88/64 CASPER CHARLIE PLACE, DARCY BC V0N 1L0

JOB POSTING

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR AND/ OR ABORIGINAL SUPPORTED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT WORKER The N’Quatqua First Nation is seeking a qualified Early Childhood Educator and/or Aboriginal Supported Child Development Support Worker to fill a full-time position at N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre. The successful candidate will join our NCFDC team, the function of the Early Childhood Educator and/or Aboriginal Supported Child Development Support Worker is to provide the extra staffing support to a child care center in order for children with extra support needs to fully participate in the child care settings chosen by their families. The Early Childhood and/or Support Worker works as a team member with child care setting staff and with all the children and families providing general support to the whole program to ensure effective inclusion of the children.

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.

50 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

Hiring Joiner/Cabinetmakers Lead Hand & Apprentice Positions William’s Joinery Ltd.

Join the premier cabinet making company in the Sea to Sky Corridor.

We expect dedication, hard work, reliability and an acute attention to detail - you should expect respect, appreciation, recognition for your work ethic, enjoy a friendly team culture and a safe place to work. Our workshop is located in the beautiful Pemberton Valley.

Competitive wages commensurate with skill level Short term or long term positions available Flexible work schedule Contractors welcome Send your resume to bill.bagnall@icloud.com

604-932-8805 www.williamsjoinery.com

Are you looking for a really sweet job?

We are looking for an enthusiastic, friendly and driven individual to join our team as a Retail Supervisor. You must have excellent communication, strong organization skills and attention to detail is a must. This is a great opportunity for someone who wishes to learn about managing, merchandising and purchasing for a successful small business. The Retail Supervisor is responsible for opening, closing, placing orders, re-stocking, merchandising, training, refunds, bank deposits, customer service issue resolutions and direction of sales associates.

This is a permanent full-time position and Must be able to work a flexible schedule.

Supervisor and/or management experience an asset.

Compensation could be between $16.00 - $20.00 per hour based upon experience, along with a full season ski pass and there is potential for a sales bonus.

We are located in Whistler, British Columbia.

Please email resumes to Kelly Czekurlon kczekurlon@gmail.com

(604) 935-1076

Unit #115-4350 Lorimer Road, Whistler,BC, V8E 1A5

GUEST SERVICES AGENT Pinnacle Hotel Whistler has an opening for a part time guest services agent. We are looking for a customer service professional who will help our guest enjoy their experience at our hotel. Duties include checkin and checkout of guests, concierge and reservations. Experience preferred but we will train the right person.

Please contact Roger Dix rdix@pinnaclehotels.ca or ph: 604-938-3218

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We are the Spa for you If you are looking for a new place to call home: • We manifest positive energy • We have a long term and loyal team • We treat you fairly and look out for your wellness • You are listened to • We give you proper breaks and time to set up between services • We offer extended medical benefits • We have potential staff housing at affordable rates • You can enjoy $5.00 cafeteria meals • You have the opportunity to work for other Vida locations in slow season We are here for you.

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To join our unique Vida family, email Bonnie@vidaspas.com

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Vida Spas - Vancouver & Whistler Live well. Live long. vidaspas.com Thank You for applying Only those considered will be contacted.

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Discover new opportunities and embark on a career in Hospitality with Pan Pacific Whistler To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to careers.ppwhi@panpacific.com

Come Grow Sport with us at our Whistler Olympic Legacy Venues We offer competitive wages, a unique environment, seasonal bonuses, staff discounts and benefits.

Ask about accommodation.

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Vida Spa at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler is currently recruiting:

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Now hiring for the following positions:

Whistler Athletes’ Centre (High Performance Training and Accommodation) Positions for this venue are currently filled Whistler Sliding Centre (Bobsleigh, Luge & Skeleton) Track Medical Responder Refrigeration Operator Control and Timing Operator Track Worker Whistler Olympic Park (Nordic Skiing, Snowshoeing and Outdoor Activities) Supervisor, Sport School Equipment Operator Heavy Duty Mechanic Visit our website to view current postings and to apply: www.whistlersportlegacies.com/careers

The Sea to Sky corridor’s top civil construction company.

We are currently recruiting professionally minded people to join our team: Equipment Operators Class 1 Truck Drivers Pipe Layers • Construction Labourers Email resume to: info@whistlerexcavations.com SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

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This part-time (24 hours per week) position with the SLCC is integral for taking care of our most important resource. The People & Talent Manager will oversee full cycle human resources programming including recruitment, on-boarding, performance management, health and safety, and day-to-day support for leadership and staff.

Please visit our website for a detailed job description and how to apply: SLCC.ca/Careers

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Lost and Found?

If you spot a stray animal or have lost an animal, call WAG at 604-935-8364. WAG operates a lost and found service to help reunite lost pets with their families.

Full Time The Pony Restaurant is currently looking for a full time day bartender, must have experience in a similar fast paced environment and familiar with local craft beers and wines, as well as mixed cocktails and feel comfortable serving tables, and food. Shifts are Thursday-Monday 11:30-5pm.

Also looking for a full time server, shifts will vary, day & night. Must have experience in a similar fast paced serving environment and be flexible with shifts. events@thepony.ca

Email resume to hr@hiltonwhistler.com Or scan the QR code to apply # 42

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4/11/2005

Whistler’s longest running medical clinic is looking for friendly, organized and highly motivated individuals to join our team of Medical Office Assistants. Experience in a Family Practice office and/or an MOA diploma are an asset, but not required. You must possess exceptional customer service and time management skills. We are an EXTREMELY busy office.

If you are an energetic multi-tasker who is comfortable in a fast paced office and would like the chance to join our team, please email your resume to whistlermc@ telus.net , attention Jocelyn

www.whistlermedicalclinic.com 201-4380 Lorimer Road, Whistler BC. T: 604.932.3977

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THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Chief Building Official (Full Time, Permanent)

Sea to Sky Soils is looking to strengthen and grow our team.

Experienced equipment operators and labourers are encouraged to apply.

Full time, year round work available.

Competitive pay, full health benefits and opportunities to advance.

We are looking for an energetic, results-oriented individual with great customer service and interpersonal skills and a can-do attitude to join our busy department. The Chief Building Official oversees plan checking and building inspections. The operating environment of the Chief Building Official is split between the Regional District office and the field, where the Chief Building Official travels throughout the Electoral Areas of the Regional District, conducting field work which includes inspecting construction to ensure that design, material, workmanship and safety features meet or exceed standards and conform to accepted plan specifications established by the BC Building Code and SLRD bylaws and regulations.

The ideal person will have a proven track record of being reliable, respectful and working safely on an industrial site.

• Certification from the Building Officials’ Association of BC – minimum Level 1.

• Thorough knowledge of the methods, material, tools and equipment used in building construction, repair and alterations.

• Comprehensive understanding of the BC Building Code, which includes the ability to read and interpret building plans, recognize requirements and accept or reject plans as required.

• Knowledge of geotechnical matters as they relate to building safety.

• An understanding of the statutory duties of the Building Official pursuant to the Local Government Act. • Ability to deal diplomatically and communicate effectively with elected officials, staff and customers, using good oral and written communications skills.

• Ability to exercise sound judgment, tact and diplomacy in the interpretation, application and enforcement of all regulations, acts, standards, codes and bylaws.

• Ability to work independently and assume responsibility for technical decisions.

• Graduation from a post-secondary institution with a diploma in Building Technology along with related field experience, or a building trades Journeyman with experience is preferred but not essential.

• Related experience in a local government setting is preferred.

For further information, please see the full job description at www.slrd.bc.ca/employment.

604-907-3478 • scott@seatoskysoils.com

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The ideal candidate will be an upbeat team player with great attention to detail who possesses:

Compensation will be determined commensurate with knowledge, skills and ability, includes a comprehensive benefit package and Municipal Pension Plan and offers the ability to work a compressed work week (nine-day fortnight).

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume with a covering letter by email to: Nathalie Klein, Executive Assistant Squamish-Lillooet Regional District nklein@slrd.bc.ca Please reply by 5 PM on October 4th, 2020.

We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest. However, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

We've Got You Covered

CURRENTLY HIRING Massage Therapists RMT and Spa Technicians Laser and IPL Technicians Estheticians Nail Technicians

Become part of a creative team and surround yourself with art

20+ hours/week include Extended Health & Dental Benefits for all positions We're offering a base wage for Estheticians and Laser Technicians plus commissions.

Currently seeking permanent, full-time

Visitor Services Associate/Keyholder

We are a full-service spa offering RMT and relaxation massage, laser therapy, facials, and Mani/Pedi. We have 8 rooms to serve our clients and are centrally located in the heart of the upper village.

Supporting the Admissions & Museum Shop team to provide the highest level of customer service to Museum visitors.

For job description and to apply visit audainartmuseum.com/employment

Please send your interest to: clientcare@glacierdayspa.com.

RAEF.ca

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

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THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

N’Quatqua Band 120 Casper Charlie Place, P.O. Box 88, D’Arcy, B.C. V0N 1L0 Phone (604) 452-3221 • Fax (604) 452-3295

Accountant REPORTS TO:

BAND ADMINISTRATOR SUMMARY OF WORK DESCRIPTION: The Accountant will work in conjunction with the Band Administrator and key Program Staff in maintaining the financial accounting and control system for all programs. He/she will ensure maintenance of all computerized ledgers, journals and produce financial reports. The Bookkeeper will supervise the finance staff and provide support.

Here’s to the Journey

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

Banking: - oversee monthly bank reconciliations.

Accounts Payable: - Reconcile accounts payable sub-ledger.

Accounts Receivable: - Preparation of invoices and statements as required.

- Maintenance of cash receipts journal.

- Preparation of aged accounts receivable listing.

At Westin, we recruit the brightest, most energetic people in pursuit of developing an exciting and rewarding career. Marriott International has 30 renowned hotel brands in over 131 countries around the world, and we’re still growing. Opportunities abound!

Financial Reporting: - Prepare monthly-computerized financial reports including budget information.

- Alert the Program Managers as to any significant variances in actual budget comparisons.

- Complete special reports for submission to the Managers and Chief and Council.

- Review reports for accuracy for outside agencies including Health Canada, Human Resources Development Canada and AANDC. - Work with Program Managers to ensure all program reports are submitted to funding sources in a timely manner.

PART TIME OVERNIGHT LOSS & PREVENTION ASSOCIATE (SECURITY) GENERAL MAINTENANCE

PERKS AND BENEFITS • STAFF ACCOMMODATION • EXTENDED HEALTH BENEFITS • FREE STAFF MEALS

• FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES • MARRIOTT HOTEL DISCOUNTS

Budgeting: - Work with Program Managers of each Department to ensure annual budgets are prepared.

- Provide advice and assist the Program Managers in implementing/ monitoring of budgets throughout the year.

- Provide recommendations to the Program Managers and Chief and Council.

Email your resume to work@westinwhistler.com or visit Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm

Payroll: - Prepare quarterly report & payment for W.C.B. Other related duties: - Attend and participate in Council and community meetings upon request.

- Other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Glacier Media Group is growing. Check our job board regularly for the latest openings:

Must have:

R001408475

www.glaciermedia.ca/careers

Employment Opportunities: DO YOU LIVE IN PEMBERTON? Guest Services THEN WHY COMMUTE TO WHISTLER? Agents Apply to: jobs@pembertonvalleylodge.com

Competitive wages, health benefits, casual environment 54 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

- Training in accounting, auditing, budgeting, financial planning combined with experience; - Proven experience in financial budget analysis, preparation of monthly/ annual financial reports, and accounting principles; - Experience in working in First Nations accounting or financial management environment.

- The incumbent must have a vehicle and hold valid B.C. driver’s license.

Please forward resume, cover letter to Jenn Levine, jennifer.levine@nquatqua.ca at N’Quatqua Band Office. Only those shortlisted will be contacted for an interview.

We would like to have a minimum of 3 applicants prior to setting up interviews.

The closing date for this job posting will be August 20, 2020 at 4pm

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Employment Opportunities • Director of Planning • Parks Planner • Leadhand Parking Enforcement Officer Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers

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N’Quatqua Band

Incentive Bonus

120 Casper Charlie Place, P.O. Box 88, D’Arcy, B.C. V0N 1L0 Phone (604) 452-3221 • Fax (604) 452-3295

and Ask about accommodation.

We offer competitive wages, a unique environment, seasonal bonuses, staff discounts and benefits.

Come Grow Sport with us at our Whistler Olympic Legacy Venues

Spirit Pass Financing Available

For seasonal full time roles Check our website for seasonal opportunities at our 3 venues Visit our website to view current postings and to apply: www.whistlersportlegacies.com/careers

JOB POSTING

BAND ADMINISTRATOR The Band Administrator is responsible for the efficient and effective operations of the Band. The Band Administrator will work closely with

each of the Departments of the N’Quatqua Band and will serve as the Supervisor of the Department Managers. The Band Administrator will administer multiple programs and services, including financial assets of the band, property, natural resources and information and will manage in accordance with policies and priorities set out by Chief & Council. He/she will forecast program needs and plan for future program requirements. He/She will ensure effective financial management of programs and services, including accountability and will seek funding enhancements to improve service opportunities. The Band Administrator will keep abreast of new initiatives and will ensure programs are managed, delivered and evaluated in a coordinated and integrated approach on a fiscal basis and in a culturally appropriate and responsive manner. The Band Administrator will develop a detailed annual budget for Council approval, and will assist Department Heads in preparing annual departmental budgets. He/she will maintain sound working relationships with Staff, representatives of other departments, governments and outside agencies.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE: Supervision/Performance Management: Provides a structured process for the supervision of Staff to ensure that required standards and program policy guidelines are met; Provides consultation on a day to day basis to the Department Managers, as appropriate, in the performance of their duties in relation to: a) Policy interpretation d) resource management practice b) Program eligibility e) workload management c) Case management practice f) conflict resolution Works closely with Chief & Council in policy updates and/or developments; Administration & Financial Management: Maintains information, records, monthly calendar, schedules; Ensures that files are secure; Consults with Chief and Council on a regular basis; Provides regular reports and ensures the financial systems of the programs are maintained and accountability is in place; Monitors revenues and expenditures of all departments and works closely with department heads and/or Finance Manager on budgets; Identifies new sources of revenue for programs and services and applies for additional funding; Identifies and informs Council about new economic opportunities and risk assessment; Meets deadlines;

FULL TIME and PART TIME POSITIONS WITH A COMMERCIAL CLEANING COMPANY • Competitive wages, $22.00 - $25.00 per hour (depends on experience) • Flexible working hours • Must have a valid Driver’s License Send resume to: teamcwhistler@telus.net Or call: 604-935-8715

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: - Degree in Business Management or combined post-secondary education and work experience; - Previous work experience in a First Nations Band Office; - 3 to 5 years working experience with a First Nation;; - Must have experience in planning, conducting and managing programs and projects in a First Nations setting.

- Must have knowledge of First Nations history, traditions, lifestyles, culture, including approaches to community development and programming; - Must have experience and good skills in proposal writing, strategies, policies, operational and financial planning; - Must have excellent communication skills; - Must have ability to prioritize goals and objectives within timeframes; - Must have a sound understanding of financial management and preparing detailed annual budgets with working experience; - Must have good understanding of outside government organizations and funders; - Must have experience in supervising Managers and Staff; - Must have experience in negotiations; - Must have strong leadership skills; OTHER: - Must pass a criminal records check; - Must be able maintain flexible hours.

- Must have transportation and a valid BC driver’s license.

- Must have ability to work as a team member.

- Must have excellent public relations, interpersonal and communication skills.

- Must be able to work independently and serve as a Team Leader.

Please forward resume, cover letter to Jenn Levine, jennifer.levine@nquatqua.ca at N’Quatqua Band Office. Only those shortlisted will be contacted for an interview. We would like to have a minimum of 3 applicants prior to setting up interviews.

The closing date for this job posting will be August 20, 2020 at 4pm

Love Working with young Children?

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Interested in Waldorf Education?

WWS offers financial support towards your ECE certification, competitive wages from $20+/hour, a full benefits package and tuition remission for your child.

Experienced Service Plumbers / Gas Fitters Required

Full Time - Long Term - Immediate or Winter Start Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton Competitive Wage Package + Incentives Company Vehicle, Phone + Uniforms Provided

Early Childhood Education Lead (F/T)

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service@spearheadsph.com SPEARHEAD PLUMBING AND HEATING LTD. WWW.SPEARHEADPLUMBING.COM We pride ourselves with having a long term team of employees, and helping you reach your fullest potential.

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Email whistlerwaldorf.com/employment View principal@whistlerwaldorf.com

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TIRED OF THOSE OLD CONDENSATED, MOLDY WINDOWS AND DOORS? Take advantage of the benefits and savings you will receive from new windows and doors.

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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 33 35 36 38 39 41 43 45 47 49 53 55 56 60 62 63 65 66 67 70 71 73 74

Sahara mountains Processed cotton Nudge Sharpened Ballpark nosh Honshu port Declaim Silly Wheel spokes Like some communities Fake diamonds Chili con Lubricates Mine find Colander U.N. locale Mongrel Marinate Formal attire Sheath Paul Hogan, for one Iridescent stone Moon rings Zeppo’s brother Cling Pencil part Rubber-stamp word Queue Adage Shipboard direction Cleans thoroughly Sundial numeral Drones’ homes Acid in milk Birds of prey Applied a crowbar “ - been robbed!”

Blacktops

1 4 3

7 6

6 4 3

5

75 77 78 80 81 82 83 85 86 88 91 92 93 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 105 107 108 110 111 113 115 116 119 120 122 123 125 128 130 131 136 137

Cut down Wool coat Vale Made the most of Porcupine spine Rental agent Fired up Goes left or right Poem about the Trojan War Bargain Kentucky pioneer Oodles (2 wds.)

Blackthorn fruit Starry-eyed Spunk Cockpit occupant Vase with a foot Adored ones Lois of “Lois & Clark” Resides Jeweler’s unit Morning dampness Colorful cloth Tend the garden Try to follow “Small world, - it?”

Is sorry about Godfather portrayer Cloudier “Go fly - -!”

Inventory list Polar explorer Fishing spot Six-Day War site “Alice” waitress Zodiac dozen Gasp of delight Teachers’ org.

9 8 2

2 5

2

3 4

3 5

HARD

4 7

139 141 142 143 145 147 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157

Itch Help Target Diva’s tunes Elegant shop Spacious Slip past Bamboo eater “Good night” girl Outdo Portended Drops leaves Took steps Must-haves Male guinea pigs

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 32 34

9 5 8

Tall hairdos Genetic factor Soup server Licorice herb Slalom gear Colombian city Generally (3 wds.)

Water-based paint Make do with Some parents Rulers Bread units Commuter vehicles Hall-of-Famer Mel Reporter’s query Minor setback - - roll (lucky) DEA agents Ho-hum feeling Name in tractors Still Units of length

37 40 42 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 54 55 57 58 59 61 64 68 69 71 72 74 76 77 79 81 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 94 95 96

Sponge features Ought to Note before la Pricing word Sword handles Italian wine city Tunes Garden nuisance Inner motivation Shack Morn’s counterpart Hotfooted it What “I” is Leafy vines Female relative Northern duck Nonchalant Draped necklines Confirm Made butter Courtroom bargain Enjoys a novel Washington waterway Berlin article Lighter refill Not against the rules Je ne sais Mont Blanc’s range Poisonous “ - do for now” Unfastened Kids’ classic Cuzco locale Adult Becker or Pasternak Had a cough Virginia caverns Spout rhetoric Walk onstage

98 99 102 104 105 106 108 109 112 114 117 118 121 122 124 125 126

Brawls Lowly laborers Drawn tight Kapow!

Turkish people Winglike part Whodunit start Secured Dugout VIP - kwon do Harness piece Helped out Corn Belt state Chant Alpine calls Bath cakes Religious scroll

127 129 130 132 133 134 135 138 140 144 146 148 149

German river Ait Travesty Snow house Red-coated cheese Auto-safety advocate Yukon transport Where India is Campbell of country music Arithmetic verb Portion of a circle Cutting tool (var.)

Flow back

LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

1 # 42

Enter a digit from 1 through 9 in each cell, in such a way that: • Each horizontal row contains each digit exactly once • Each vertical column contains each digit exactly once • Each 3x3 box contains each digit exactly once Solving a sudoku puzzle does not require any mathematics; simple logic suffices.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: HARD

8

5 8 1 4 3

6 7 3

4 6 9

3 2 9 1

5 2 9 8

1 6 3

8 5

2

HARD Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 44

ANSWERS ON PAGE 52

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

57

MAXED OUT

A lesson on staying with your core competency?

ONE DAY, in the early 1970s, hiking and climbing in my backyard mountain in Albuquerque, I followed a high ledge featuring a vertical wall on one side and a “you-fall-youdie” drop on the other. It seemed safer than it sounds because the ledge was pretty wide... until it narrowed. Gradually.

It still seemed safe and looked like it led to a scramble up a boulder-strewn dihedral far enough from vertical to be a way out. There was only one move that looked dangerous, a blind, outside corner featuring what looked and felt like a good thank-God handhold.

BY G.D. MAXWELL On the other side, out of sight, was the unfortunate fact the ledge played out to, well, nothing before reaching the confluence of the two walls.

With more bravado than brains, I made the move. The handhold broke off in my hand as I cleared corner and discovered the reality of the ledge. Caramba!

Going forward was impossible. Going back meant putting my centre of gravity far enough out to fall with only my friend’s outstretched hand to pull me in to safety.

Sitting on the ledge, on either side of the corner, we pondered the options. He could go back home and get some kind of rope but it would be well after dark before he could get back and other than a bottle of water, a joint, and the sweaty clothes I was wearing, I had nothing to ward off what would be certain hypothermia once the sun went down.

After half an hour organizing my thoughts, running through the non-options and contemplating what it would feel like to fall several hundred metres onto unforgiving granite, I made the move.

There are those who would say my gain was your loss. Whatever.

We decided on the way back to the car we really ought to buy some climbing equipment or stop climbing. Problem was, we were impoverished students and we hiked and climbed because it was the least expensive entertainment we could think of.

A couple of months later, we were visiting a friend in Seattle over Christmas break. We’d heard about a place you could buy inexpensive climbing equipment— Mountain Safety Research, MSR. Recently opened, in a funky, quasiindustrial part of town, we wandered in and were amazed at the selection. Limited as it was, it was more than we’d ever seen up close, there being no climbing shops where we lived.

We bought a 150-foot-long (46 metres) 10.5-mm-thick, double-braid climbing rope. We had a choice of sanforized or un-sanforized, which was less expensive

58 SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

WWW.GETTYIMAGES.CA

and, as the sales guy said, we only had to boil it for about half an hour to shrink the stretch out of it.

I won’t go into the detail, but there isn’t a pot big enough to hold 150 feet of rope of that thickness. But it worked well enough we used it a couple of years until we could afford a chi-chi European climbing rope.

We ended up at MSR, founded in 1969 and having just recently opened their first store, because REI, the gear co-op founded in 1938, was a little more expensive.

REI begat Mountain Equipment Co-op, founded in 1971 by some people who were impressed with the co-op structure of REI but tired of having to cross the border whenever they wanted to buy climbing gear.

and bike panniers. Their stuff was awesome and their prices fair.

How awesome? I still have, and use, a Serratus backpack. Still have and use Serratus panniers. A pair of wool bike tights I bought at that Toronto store in 1985 and used for years commuting by bike are still my go-to first layer under my ski pants and have been every season since I moved to Whistler in 1992!

There’s lots of other MEC gear squirrelled away in a large cabinet in the basement, all still usable.

So it’s with mixed feelings I read this week about MEC selling out to a U.S.-based private equity firm. MEC’s been losing money faster than they’ve been making

Years ago, MEC lost its focus under “leadership” of people with no tangible connection to outdoor adventure more challenging than a walk in the park.

When Mountain Equipment Co-op opened its Toronto store on Front Street in 1985, I thought I’d died and gone to retail heaven. Up to that point, I’d crossed the border, when I lived in Montreal, to buy gear at REI in Williston, Vt., or by mail order once I moved to Toronto.

Those were the heydays for what would become MEC. They were focused on high quality climbing and hiking gear and clothing. They formed Serratus a couple of years earlier to produce their own backpacks

it. The pandemic was the last straw. Their banks, and no other banks, would continue to provide financing. It is the end of their moribund co-op model.

Watching MEC head toward oblivion was like watching a film about an airplane you knew was going to crash into a mountain. It was inevitable; only timing was uncertain.

Years ago, MEC lost its focus under “leadership” of people with no tangible connection to outdoor adventure more

challenging than a walk in the park. They pursued urban chic, yogawear, fashion and expansion.

It became harder and harder to find anyone working in one of their stores who seemed to care more about what you needed than what they liked and who had first-hand experience with their products.

MEC became—or tried to become—the Walmart of active clothing and gear. Instead of carefully curated gear, all of which was functional and high quality, they adopted a scattergun approach that seemed to offer anything and everything, whether it was worthy or not. It got to the point where I hated, and often avoided, going into one of their stores. It was depressing to see rack after rack of marginally different, confusing outdoor clothing. It was more depressing when, having finally collared a salesperson, they couldn’t explain why one might be better than the other. “Go with the colour you like, dude.”

In trying to be all things—bikes, running shoes, power bars, outdoor clothing suitable for enjoying lattes on a bistro’s patio—to all people, they became fungible. They also lost much of their hardcore membership’s loyalty and interest.

Other than the announcement the new owners, Kingswood Capital Management LP, will likely close five of MEC’s 22 stores, there’s no indication of the direction they’ll take. At this point, I don’t really much care.

But it will be a good business school case study of a passionate company losing its way and chasing a fickle market with no sense of connection or loyalty. Perhaps a reminder for other companies in other industries, not that I’m naming any names. n

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1

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1

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2

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6

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