NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ISSUE 27.46
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How a 30-year van-lifer weathered lockdown in the heart of Europe
14
COVID CREEP
Whistler docs urge a
return to basics as cases increase
17
STURDY WIN?
Green wave recedes as
mail-in ballots turn the tide
46
NEW EXHIBIT
The Audain is hosting
multidisciplinary artist Rebecca Belmore
Ther’es No P lace Like Home
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Prices Effective At Whistler Nesters From: Thursday, November 12th to Wednesday, November 18th , 2020. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Sale limited to stock on hand. Some items subject to Tax, plus deposit, recycling fee where applicable.
THIS WEEK IN PIQUE
42
46
36 Coping with COVID How a 30-year van-lifer weathered lockdown in the heart of Europe. - By Tim Morch
14
RIDING THE WAVE
As COVID-19 cases spike
28
DREAMS DASHED
The owner of Pemberton’s
both in Whistler and across B.C., local doctors say getting a handle on the
Adventure Ranch talks about how last month’s fire has impacted his
virus in the next few weeks is critical for the community.
future.
17
42
COUNT DOWN
It’s been a roller coaster ride in the
WILD RIDE
Whistler downhiller Finn Iles recounts the
West Vancouver-Sea to Sky riding, but the last election count resulted in
2020 UCI World Cup and World Championships held in Europe during the
the riding re-electing Liberal Jordan Sturdy.
COVID-19 pandemic.
18
READY TO OPEN
Whistler Blackcomb gets ready
46
NEW EXHIBIT
The Audain Art Museum is set
to open for winter operations in a year like no other, and tells us it’s going
to host a new show by renowned Indigenous multidisciplinary artist
smoothly so far.
Rebecca Belmore.
COVER While #vanlife appears to be a fairly romantic life, I’m much more of a #vanlifevacationhome kind of guy. - By Jon Parris 4 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE
Opinion & Columns #103 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9. PH: (604) 938-0202 FAX: (604) 938-0201 www.piquenewsmagazine.com
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com Editor CLARE OGILVIE - edit@piquenewsmagazine.com
08 OPENING REMARKS While we are all breathing a sigh of relief at the federal election outcome across the border in the U.S., that doesn’t mean all is well with democracy there (or here).
10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter writers this week remind us of the importance of following all the rules and safety precautions to keep COVID-19 at bay—keeping Whistler open for business.
Assistant Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@wplpmedia.com Production Manager KARL PARTINGTON - kpartington@wplpmedia.com
13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST If there’s one bright side to loss, it makes you appreciate people in
Art Director JON PARRIS - jparris@wplpmedia.com
your life while they’re here, writes Megan Lalonde.
Advertising Representatives AMY ALLEN - aallen@wplpmedia.com TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com
62 MAXED OUT Max calls out council this week for its decision to give the green light to a beautification
Digital/Sales Coordinator AMELA DIZDARIC - traffic@wplpmedia.com
process in White Gold, which will cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars.
Production production@piquenewsmagazine.com LOU O’BRIEN - lstevens@wplpmedia.com Arts & Entertainment Editor ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sports Editor DAN FALLOON - sports@piquenewsmagazine.com Features Editor BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com Reporters BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com 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
Environment & Adventure
34 SCIENCE MATTERS David Suzuki believes that if we all come together for the common good we can tip the balance toward fighting climate change, racism and more.
35 THE OUTSIDER The natural environment may also have won in the U.S. election with Joe Biden coming to power as the new president—a leader who says he believes in science.
41 TRAVEL Dr. Tom DeMarco decides to employ a rolling quarantine and cycles for two weeks alone before visiting family in eastern Canada.
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. The entire contents of Pique Newsmagazine are copyright 2019 by Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of WPLP, a division of Glacier Media). No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the Publisher. In no event shall unsolicited material subject this publication to any claim or fees. Copyright in letters and other (unsolicited) materials submitted and accepted for publication remains with the author but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms. Letters to the Editor must contain the author’s name, address and daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 250 words. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine. Pique Newsmagazine is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact (edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil. ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. This organization replaces the BC Press council (and any mention of it).
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6 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
Lifestyle & Arts
44 EPICURIOUS Cornucopia may be down but it’s not out. While COVID-19 has put it in hiatus for now festival organizers vow it will be back in December.
50 MUSEUM MUSINGS The more things change, the more things stay the same. This week’s column delves into an original planning document for the resort, discovering that our transit woes are nothing new!
Creekside Village has
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OPENING REMARKS
Citizen activism must continue IT IS EASY to take democracy for granted. But the last several weeks have brought this idea into focus in a way that has not been seen, I would argue, since the Second World War. It is not too great a stretch to say that the biggest winner in the U.S. election was, in fact, democracy. Obviously, we know that there are still many hurdles to be overcome before President-elect Joe Biden and VicePresident-elect Kamala Harris take office in January 2021, but at least the runners are on the right track. Or are they?
BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com
There is no doubt that Canada and indeed the whole world held its collective breath as all awaited the election results (overshadowing B.C.’s own election results to a great extent) … A sense of disbelief creating stunned confusion as we were all forced to realize that
for failing to see the truth at the centre of Trump-mania, which is that he is all about making the rich richer. His four years in office did next to nothing for the middle class and even less for anyone in a disadvantaged position. The reality of today’s America is that it is absolutely not a democracy. Some experts describe it as an authoritarian capitalist nation, while others say it is an oligarchy. It is a nation where a small cadre of the very wealthy and some big corporations use their money and their power to influence states through the use of their lawyers, lobbyists and even the think tanks they fund. They use their power to break unions, ignore environmental regulations and more, and there are virtually no avenues to hold the rich to account. Fostering democracy anywhere that has such a great divide between the wealthy and the rest of us is almost impossible. Consider the fact that the elite rich (I’m talking Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and the like) have increased their wealth by over 30 per cent during the COVID pandemic so far. The rest of us—not so much. Also consider that the value of our real
“ [Y]ou basically have millionaires and billionaires bankrolling whomever they want and however they want and in some cases undisclosed.” -BARACK OBAMA
almost as many Americans wanted someone like Donald Trump as their leader as wanted he’ll-do-for-now Biden. It really became clear that Trump had managed to sell his lie that he was the champion of the working white male (which also endeared him to more than half of white women who voted) and that only through him could the American Dream be kept alive for workin’ folk, as the vote count continued. You just want to shake these people Great opportunity to get into a single-family home in Whistler! This 3 bedroom/2 bathroom home sits on a large 12,420 sq foot property with views of Armchair Glacier. Its spacious and bright open concept kitchen/living area make it perfect for entertaining. Kitchen features include stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops, and the home has two beautifully renovated bathrooms.
Emerald Drive Asking Price ,,
Dave Brown
Personal Real Estate Corporation
davebrown@wrec.com www.davesellswhistler.com Cell: 604 905 8438 / Toll Free: 1 800 667 2993 ext. 805
8 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
wages has not improved in 40 years while the rich simply get richer and richer with little to no trickle-down effect. The super rich in the U.S. received generous tax cuts under Trump, none of which translated into better pay or conditions for workers. Trump also actively campaigned to discredit the idea of truth, whether that was aimed at science or journalism or even just facts on current events. He turned politics
into an emotional us-or-them scenario, effectively thwarting democracy. Watching the U.S. over the last four years, it has been abundantly clear that capitalism thrives in an authoritarian regime—benefitting only the few. And when in 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions could spend money both on “electioneering communications” and to directly advocate for the election or defeat of candidates (although not to contribute directly to candidates or political parties), the floodgates opened and democracy was dealt yet another crippling blow. Said President Barack Obama at the time: “There aren’t a lot of functioning democracies around the world that work this way. Where you basically have millionaires and billionaires bankrolling whomever they want and however they want and in some cases undisclosed. And what it means is ordinary Americans are shut out of the process.” And lest you think that this type of behaviour is a U.S.-only phenomenon where the rich and powerful influence government, consider the recent WE scandal, or how the Irving family impacts the Maritimes. (The $10-billion Irving dynasty operates 250 companies in oil, forestry resources, shipbuilding, and most of New Brunswick’s newspapers.) Fortunately in Canada, unions and corporations cannot donate to political parties or local candidates. But they can fund third parties registered with Elections Canada, which conduct activities such as election advertising and voter outreach. I hope the election in the U.S. is a wakeup call for everyone who values the ideal of democracy, but more than that it must be a call to action for all of us that we cannot just be citizen activists on election day—we need to stand up and speak out for the issues that are important, such as addressing climate change. We owe it to each other to do this and to the ideal of democracy. n
Questions about the current Real Estate Market? Interested in learning the market value of your home or property? Contact me to learn more. Steve Shuster
t: 604.698.7347 e: steve@steveshusterrealestate.com www.steveshusterrealestate.com
"I want my patients to feel comfortable in their own skin and to achieve that self-conndence they may have been lacking," Dr. Sarah Kennea
Connect with us for a
free consultation
ÂŤMy ethos is that they should look like they've had nothing done to themselves, They should just look like the best version they can be at whatever age they're atÂť Dr. Sarah Kennea
Whistler Marketplace 4370 Lorimer Rd Whistler
info@whistlerdr.com Phone: (604)962-1201
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Follow COVID19 rules to keep Whistler open
online course I can take to learn how to lie with a straight face? Asking for a friend. Patrick Smyth // Whistler
Highway fix
The time is now for us to all do our part. Whistler Blackcomb’s opening is a few weeks away, and Christmas is on the horizon. For the economic and social well-being of our community, it is time for us all to protect this beautiful town we live in. We need the mountains to open. We need our local businesses to stay open. And a lot of us need the schools to stay open. If you have lived here long enough, you will remember the “slow” season, when tourism was quiet and businesses relied on locals for support. I am asking everyone to support your local businesses, because we need you. Consider doing all your holiday shopping locally this year. Some businesses will give a locals’ discount, and all have strict COVID-19 protocols in place to keep you safe. Support all your local grocery stores because they are always supporting the local community. Don’t shop online, try “offline” shopping for items you need. Nothing annoys me more when I see someone selling an item they bought online because it doesn’t fit or they don’t like it. Why not go into a store and try it on or view it, and buy it from someone locally who is trying to make ends meet? Head down to Function Junction where you can find everything you want or need
I was surprised when the recent article on Highway 99 (“RMOW eyes transit gains and short-term wins on Highway 99,” Pique, Oct. 22) did not mention the lights at Creekside, which is the main choke point/bottleneck. Solve the problem there and you would at least mitigate a lot of the other problem areas. Jim Kennedy // Whistler
Rotary Club thanks
for your home. Walking around the Village, Creekside, or Function Junction is also a safe way to make eye contact with others and not feel so socially isolated. Most everyone I know relies on tourism, directly or indirectly, to make a living. Whistler needs to be able to welcome tourists, even if they are Canadian, for businesses to continue to operate. We all need to make sacrifices to keep our town open and operating. It’s been a long nine months, and for our community health, we need to all do our part to
The Rotary Clubs of the Sea to Sky—Whistler, Whistler Millenium, Squamish, and Pemberton— thank all the participants, sponsors, and donors, local and worldwide who took part and contributed to the amazing success of the Sea to Sky Pedal for Polio Campaign. It was an experiment as all our usual fundraising strategies are no longer possible with the COVID pandemic. We raised $17,000, which when matched two to one by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, means a grand total of $51,000 to be donated to the Rotary InternationalEnd Polio Now [initiative]. This is a huge contribution that will help to ensure that no children have to suffer the dreadful effects of this horrible disease. Whilst polio is considered “eradicated” almost everywhere on the Earth, all children
stay safe, keep our kids in school, support our businesses, and fingers crossed we can have a great winter. Christy Craig // Whistler
Keeping a straight face I note that the B.C. NDP is extending the rent freeze through to July 10, 2021. During the election campaign, [NDP Premier John] Horgan said they would extend the freeze through to end of 2021. Just wondering if there is some sort of
WHISTLER | PEMBERTON | SQUAMISH Local Expertise with Nationwide Exposure Whistler Village
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Located in the heart of Whistler Village 56 days of personal use per year. Excellent revenues year-round. Studio with balcony
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604-966-8678
604-902-7270
mcallaghan@sutton.com
david@davidlewisliving.com
Callaghan Personal Real Estate Corporation suttonwestcoast.com
10 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
Updated 2 bdrm, 2 bath townhouse Private hot tub, 2 decks Lock off unit, 2 separate entrances Phase 1, GST Paid
|
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Lewis
Ashcroft
Viner Personal Real Estate Corporation
604-905-8912
604-935-2287 marshall@marshallviner.com
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Bright & quiet corner 1brm Penthouse South facing deck with Mtn. views Freshly painted and new lighting Steps to your Whistler Lakeside paradise
lashcroft@sutton.com
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LOCAL
EXPERTS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR still need to have three doses of the vaccine to provide them with immunity. Many developing countries rely on organizations such as Rotary to provide that vaccine. Thank you to the Sea to Sky community. You are amazing. Gill Forester // President, Rotary Club of Whistler
Epic app fail As it rained heavily [the other] night, I had visions of a large snow dump on the mountain. So I fired up my trusty Whistler Blackcomb (WB) app… and saw the notice that it was no longer supported. It referred me to the Epic app. I clicked on it and the first thing I noted was the
- CHRISTY CRAIG
CN Police warn drivers on crossing railway lines CN Police officers are spreading a rail safety
Centrally located 3 bedroom townhome with zoning for nightly rentals. A spacious floor plan featuring all rooms on one level.
message in Pemberton and Whistler. Last year in North America, there were more than 3,400 collisions with trains, resulting in more than 2,200 serious injuries or fatalities. Rail safety is a core value at CN and CN Police wants to be a part of the effort to minimize the risk of accidents related to winter driving. This winter, chances are that people in Pemberton and Whistler will face some challenging driving conditions. Freezing rain, snow, sleet and whiteouts can make winter driving downright dangerous. According to the [U.S.] Federal Railroad Administration, there is a spike in railway crossing incidents during the winter months. Reducing the likelihood of being in a serious car accident at a railway crossing in winter
“Whistler needs to be able to welcome tourists, even if they are Canadian, for businesses to continue to operate.”
user rating—1.2 out of five. Normally Apple would delist any app ranked this low. Having endured the ham-fisted conversion from WB to Epic after the purchase, the saga continues. And a former member of the Olympic Committee now living in Australia related their firsthand experience as to what to expect this winter. He and family all had passes. They booked a hotel for a week with the goal of skiing five days. They tried using the reservation system. Their son got four days, the Mom got two days and the Dad did not get any… I guess time will tell. Michael Hagerman // Whistler
52 SUNPATH
starts with proper planning and knowing some rail-safety basics. Safety is a core value at CN and we want to take every opportunity to raise awareness on safe behaviour around rail. We want everyone to: Be Rail Smart: Stop. Look. Listen. Live. When approaching railway crossings, turn off your radio and heating fans so you can listen for trains, look for railway warning signs and signals and remember that snow may cover train tracks at a crossing, and if your vehicle gets stuck on a track, leave it there and immediately notify emergency responders by calling 911. For additional safety tips or other information regarding rail safety or CN Police, visit cn.ca/en/safety/cn-police-service. Mathieu Gaudreault // Senior Advisor, CN public affairs, Montreal ■
$1,650,000 WH IS TLER’S #1 RE/MAX AGENT
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Marshall Viner Register atWhistler’s marshallviner.com receive weekly real estate updates PremieretoLifestyle Neighbourhood
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4726-A Settebello Way Enjoy one week per month; beautiful 3 bedroom/3 bath townhome. Fully furnished, private hot tub. Lots of room for family and friends. Within walking distance to all Village activities and events. Zoned for nightly rentals. 1/4 share offers luxury and convenience of walking to everything Whistler has to offer.
$549,000 T 604.935.2287 E marshall@marshallviner.com marshallviner.com
Write to us! Letters to the editor must contain the writer’s name, address and a daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 450 words. Pique Newsmagazine reserves the right to edit, condense or refrain from publishing any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine.
TRACEY CRUZ
experience makes the difference.
MAKING YOUR DREAMS A REALITY
#225 GREYHAWK
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This fantastic 2 bedroom, 2 bath home is positioned between Whistler Village, Alta Lake and Creekside Village giving you the best access to everything on your Whistler adventure list. Furnished and equipped with underground parking, hot tub in the complex and nightly rental zoning! NO GST. OFFERED AT
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T: 604-905-2853 | TF: 1-800-667-2993 | E: tracey@wrec.com
w w w . t rac e y c ruz.c o m
Engel & Völkers Whistler
NOVEMBER 12, 2020
11
Recently sold properties from Dave Beattie. *39-8030 Nicklaus North Blvd. Sold for full price in one day. *49-6125 Eagle Drive Sold in 4 days, over asking price. *20-8030 Nicklaus North Blvd. Sold in one day, 1/2% within asking price. *26-6800 Crabapple Drive Sold in 10 days, 1% within asking price.
*4-7450 Prospect Street Sold for full price in 8 days. *7115 Nesters Road Under offer.
The Whistler and Pemberton markets are very active right now, so contact your realtor(me) for market information!
Dave Beattie
Nick Davies, Whistler local and experienced family lawyer practising across BC and Yukon.
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We’re Hey, lucky in Whistler. Mr. Invincible! We don’t Wake up.have light pollution. Drivers can’t But that means see you. we can’t see you. Make yourself visible while walking along the road at night. Make sure you’re visible to drivers when you walk along You’re 10 times more likely to be hit by a vehicle once the sun the road at night. Bring a flashlight or torch. Wear lightgoes down. Bring a Use flashlight or torch. Wear light-coloured coloured clothing. a reflector. clothing.walk Usefacing a reflector and always walk facing traffic. Always traffic. whistler.ca/walksafe whistler.ca/walksafe
12 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
PIQUE’N YER INTEREST
Who are the people you look up to? 2020 HAS BEEN a roller coaster. Or to put it in terms Whistlerites would understand best, as Pique columnist Feet Banks does in the latest edition of Mountain Life Magazine, “2020 has unravelled with the grace of catching an edge on a highspeed groomer.” On Saturday, it felt like the world popped back up from a years-long tumble
BY MEGAN LALONDE when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump and Mike Pence in the U.S. election. Much of the world breathed a collective sigh of relief, and all of a sudden, we were back in control, ripping down that groomer. But to continue Feet’s quote, “In the mountains, a big fall is almost always an opportunity to learn, to be humbled, and to better understand just who we are and where we fit into our surroundings.” I don’t know if it’s the unprecedented scenario we’re living through, the extra alone time spent at home, or having to come up with a topic for this column, but lately I’m searching for meaning in everything. It’s probably why I got a little
more philosophical than I usually would while watching cable news this weekend. Watching America’s next president and vice-president make their victory speeches, I couldn’t stop thinking about the kind of people we choose to look up to. I remembered sitting in the same spot, watching the same TV four years ago, when Trump was the one at the podium. I couldn’t— still can’t—fathom how so many millions of people could consciously look up to, even idolize, someone so hateful, so delusional; a person who doesn’t see mocking someone for having a disability as problematic. I remembered feeling so demoralized that a woman could be infinitely more qualified for a job than her male opponent, and yet still lose to him. It made me realize just how important visibility is. How important it is to see someone you can relate to in a position of power; who can give you a tangible reason to believe your aspirations are possible. When Harris began speaking, I was overwhelmed with relief that at least the next generation of girls can be inspired by this definitive example—a seemingly kind, dignified example, at that—proving it’s possible for them to attain positions as powerful as vicepresident of the United States, too. I got to thinking about examples again the next day, when the world found out revered Jeopardy! host Alex
Trebek had died. Another edge caught. Thinking about Jeopardy! takes me back to sleepovers at my grandparents’, where Jeopardy! was the be-all-end-all of game shows—there was a time I truly thought it was the biggest TV show in the world. “You know,” my grandma said one of those evenings, “he’s from Sudbury.” It’s what Canadians always do when one of our own makes it to the big leagues, that sense of collective pride in someone we don’t even know, or knew before they “made it.” Still, I remember being so young and so mind-blown that someone from the same northern Ontario town both my parents grew up in, who attended university in the same subjectively boring city I grew up in— someone with a similar background to my family’s—could go on to achieve that level of acclaim. But here’s the thing: as important as it is to have everyone represented in powerful positions, we shouldn’t only look up to people who lead countries or host internationally beloved television shows. We should spend just as much energy honouring the people who have the biggest impact on us, the ones we surround ourselves with. As I was reminded a couple of weeks ago, those people can be the ones to inspire you most. The world has been dealt its fair share of collective edge-catches this year, but last
month, more than a few people in this town faced 2020’s biggest blow yet—we got the call no one wants to get, and no one wants to give. Our friend had passed away in an accident while out of the country. It’s a hard fall that I don’t know any of us will fully recover from. We’ll get up, dust the snow off and keep riding, but it’s going to leave a bruise. She was independent, adventurous, wild and unique, and lived life on no one’s terms but her own. She was always down for a good time, never failed to speak her mind and would do anything for the people she loved. She valued happiness more than anyone I’ve met, and wouldn’t settle for anything that didn’t bring it to her. As a self-proclaimed people-pleaser with an intense aversion to confrontation, I looked up to those qualities throughout our friendship. But I didn’t recognize quite how much I admired them until facing the realization that I won’t get to witness those attributes in action ever again. Aspiring to do great things is incredible, as is inspiring people to do the same. But I’d argue that striving to live a happy life, staying true to who you are and living in a way that inspires others to prioritize their happiness should be just as celebrated. That’s what Halee did, so she’s who I’m choosing to look up to these days. ■
NOVEMBER 12, 2020
13
NEWS WHISTLER
Upcoming weeks ‘critical’ for Whistler to get handle on COVID WITH LOCALLY TRANSMITTED CASES ON THE RISE, NUMEROUS BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED TEMPORARILY
BY BRANDON BARRETT THROUGHOUT MOST of the pandemic, Whistler saw relatively few confirmed cases of COVID-19. But as the temperatures drop and cases skyrocket across the province, the resort is weathering its own spike, casting a shadow over an already uncertain winter. “We used to have the occasional positive case, and it was kind of newsworthy for us as physicians,” said Dr. Karin Kausky of the Sea to Sky Divisions of Family Practice and Whistler Medical Clinic. “Now, every day we have positives and we’re kind of used to it.” Whistler’s numbers have followed the wider provincial trend, which Dr. Olivia Bayley of the Whistler Medical Clinic theorized could be linked to private gatherings. “Certainly Fraser Health saw a big increase in numbers around Thanksgiving and gatherings ... Perhaps it’s the same here with more indoor gatherings,” she said. The spike has led local physicians to urge the community to practise the proper health protocols in order to get a handle on rising COVID-19 numbers in the short term. “It’s a really critical time to pull back and for everybody to focus on the real
EXPOSURE SITE The Longhorn Saloon was listed
as a possible COVID exposure site by Vancouver Coastal Health this week.
PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE
14 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
basics of hand hygiene, self-isolating if you’re at all unwell, and really sticking to the household,” Kausky said. “I think the next couple weeks are really critical.” COVID-19 testing has ramped up in recent weeks to keep pace, Kausky said, which has added to wait times. “We’ve also had a massive increase in the amount of testing that we’re doing, which is really difficult in a small community with not a lot of practitioners,” she said. “We’ve gone from testing 15 to 20 people a day to currently testing 60-, 70-plus people.”
can take testing someone two or three times before they test positive.” Following the appropriate health guidelines is even more essential as Whistler heads into a winter season that is bound to look different than any in recent memory. “I think there’s the potential for this to really disrupt winter in Whistler, meaning businesses having to shut down temporarily, or you can even imagine the mountain being shut down,” Bayley noted. “For those young people who perhaps don’t
“It’s a really critical time to pull back and for everybody to focus on the real basics...” - KARIN KAUSKY
Kausky also wanted to clarify some misconceptions around COVID-19 testing and self-isolation. Because the COVID-19 test isn’t failsafe, she said patients should still self-isolate for 14 days if they have been in close contact with an infected individual—generally considered as being within two metres of the person for 15 minutes or more—even if a test comes back negative. “It doesn’t matter. That full selfisolation still needs to be done,” Kausky said. “The worry is it’s not a perfect test. It
know many elderly or vulnerable people in Whistler, maybe that’s not a big worry for them, but the disruption of their work or the ski season would be a big worry for them.” For more information on COVID-19 protocols, visit covid-19.bccdc.ca.
COVID-19 CLOSURES Just days after Bonnie Henry restrictions for regions, more
provincial health officer Dr. announced new COVID-19 the VCH and Fraser Health Whistler businesses have
temporarily closed their doors. On Monday, Nov. 9, Fresh St. Market announced it had reopened after closing the previous night. That evening, the store became aware of an employee who tested positive, leading to the closure. According to a statement, the company hired a thirdparty service for “thorough deep cleaning and sanitation overnight.” As part of its public employee case list available online, Loblaw, the parent company of Shoppers Drug Mart, reported that three staff members from its village store have tested positive on presumptive COVID-19 tests. The employees last worked at the store on Oct. 28 and 31. Loblaw said it is choosing to share updates about positive COVID-19 test results among its staff in order to maintain transparency. “In these cases, we work closely with public health and follow their guidance to ensure proper notification of close contacts and required cleaning and sanitization in our stores,” the company noted on its website. Cornucopia, Whistler’s annual celebration of food and drink, announced this weekend it would be postponing the festival for two weeks in response to the new provincial health orders announced on Saturday, Nov. 7. Organizers are offering refunds to any ticket buyer who requests them, but are hopeful to resume the event at the end of the month (for more on this story see page 44). While a spokesperson for Earls referred Pique’s questions to VCH, a post Monday
NEWS WHISTLER on Earls Whistler’s Instagram page said the restaurant was closing until Nov. 16 in light of the “recent increase in positive cases affecting everyone in our community, and for the safety of our guests and employees.” Earlier that day, VCH had listed Earls Whistler as a public exposure site. The agency lists the possible exposure period as operating hours between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6. Buffalo Bills, owned by Gibbons Whistler, was also listed as an exposure site, with possible exposure noted as being during operating hours on Halloween, Oct. 31. Both exposures are listed as low-risk. Longhorn Saloon, also owned by Gibbons Whistler, is closed until Nov. 13, which a company spokesperson said was due to planned renovations. A Longhorn employee, who wished to stay anonymous, told Pique they were informed staff members had tested positive, prompting the closure. Pique sought clarification and a spokesperson said that the company had encouraged staff to “take this time to self isolate and take a break as we prepare for the winter,” while the renovations were carried out. “We have had positive cases within the Gibbons Whistler team throughout this pandemic, and we have been working with Vancouver Coastal Health on each individual case as well as following the proper contact tracing protocols. The Longhorn Saloon is closed due to renovations at this time.” As Pique was heading to press Tuesday night, VCH added the Longhorn to its list of public exposure sites, with the potential exposure time listed as the evening hours of Oct. 31. Mexican Corner will remain closed until Friday as well after an employee tested positive, said owner Pepe Barajas, who is hopeful his restaurant’s experience can help other local businesses navigate COVID-19.
difference is that we’re much better and more prepared as an industry to do takeout and delivery than we were in the spring, but takeout and delivery, you can’t make a living with.” Acknowledging the challenges health officials have faced so far, Barajas echoed what Tostenson and others in the industry have already voiced, urging decision-makers to take a longer view of the potential impacts COVID restrictions can have on the economy and social wellbeing of British Columbians. “I think our top priority should be safety and health of citizens and residents, but what I am concerned with is that decisions are being taken without any evidence that those decisions will lead to combating COVID cases,” said Barajas, pointing specifically to the province’s decision to cut off liquor sales at 10 p.m. “What was shocking to me is we are required to have Serving it Right, so we already know that we cannot serve people who are intoxicated or are behaving in an improper manner. “Are the side effects worse than the actual remedy?” Adding to the hurdles restaurants are facing is the lack of clarity around B.C.’s recent restrictions on social gatherings. Despite the fact that order doesn’t apply to restaurants and bars, Tostenson said the confusion has already been sewn in the public. “They’ve got to watch their definitions,” he said of the government. “I do worry that every time this happens—and we know this for a fact—people cancel their reservations. It takes us days, if not weeks, to undo some of this messaging.” COVID-19 has only compounded the staffing shortages B.C.’s restaurant sector was already experiencing before the pandemic, a problem that seems even worse in Whistler, where more than two-
“If another business experiences this, we could support them ... this is how we’re going to keep our community safe.” - PEPE BARAJAS
“This could be a good example to have some protocols in place, not to panic and how to act responsibly,” he said. “If another business experiences this, we could support them to show the right way to proceed. This is how we’re going to keep our community safe.” There’s no denying Whistler and B.C.’s restaurant sector has a tough road ahead. The industry can’t afford another health order closing or limiting restaurants to takeout and delivery for an extended period, warned Ian Tostenson, president of the BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association (BCRFA). “If it was prolonged, it would kill the industry,” he said. “If we just have to do this for two weeks, we’ll find a way. The
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thirds of businesses with 50 employees or more recently reported they won’t have enough staff this winter. “We’re starting to see it in the Okanagan and we’ve heard about it in Whistler,” Tostenson said. “We’ve lost a lot of people who won’t go back to the restaurant industry after this, and that’s just going to exacerbate the shortage we had prior to all this.” A February report from the BCRFA predicted the province would come up short on skilled restaurant labour by 514,000 workers over the next decade. Pique will update this story online as more closures become public. -With files from Lindsay William-Ross / Vancouver is Awesome ■
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NEWS WHISTLER
As dust settles, Sturdy ekes out narrow win GREEN WAVE RECEDES AS MAIL-IN BALLOTS TURN THE TIDE
BY BRADEN DUPUIS IF YOU’VE EVER been cynical about the power of your vote, final provincial election results in the West Vancouver-Sea to Sky riding may harden your resolve at the ballot box. As 7,000 or so mail-in ballots were counted over the weekend, Liberal incumbent Jordan Sturdy closed a 600-vote gap to overtake the Green Party’s Jeremy Valeriote, finishing the final count with a 41-vote lead. A judicial recount by the Supreme Court will follow (the timing of which will be determined by the court, ElectionsBC said in a release). “Not that I ever have, but I will never again accept the statement that my vote doesn’t count,” Sturdy said with a laugh, when reached by phone on Nov. 9. “Because clearly every single vote counts, and campaigns matter.” While Sturdy stands as the narrow victor for now, “I’m certainly not celebrating yet,” he said. “It’s flipped once, it could flip again.” Though Valeriote was projected to take the riding on election night—with 7,019
votes (or 39.56 per cent) to Sturdy’s 6,415 (36.16 per cent)—with the dust (mostly) settled, Sturdy appears set for a third term with 9,216 votes (37.52 per cent) to Valeriote’s 9,175 (37.35 per cent). For Valeriote, watching the final count was a rollercoaster. Reached by phone Nov. 10, the Green candidate said he watched the count in person on Friday, and went to bed knowing he had a solid lead. “I didn’t attend on Saturday, so when I got a call saying it tightened up midday, I was surprised,” Valeriote said. He did attend the counting of the final ballots, he said, and the moment the electoral officer announced Sturdy’s 41-vote lead. “I just took it all in. I knew right away there would be a judicial recount. There wasn’t much else to say but to thank the election workers who worked really, really hard,” he said. “It took a couple hours for me to properly process it.” While there’s “always a chance” the recount flips things back in his favour, “I don’t think it’s a high chance,” he added. “It’s obviously very close, and every vote counts, and anything is possible, but I’m realistic in knowing that it’s unlikely.” Regardless of the results, Valeriote said
he was grateful for the support he received at the polls and from volunteers. “The campaign was very short. I did everything I could in the three and a half weeks once I became nominated as the candidate, and I’d just say I’m very optimistic for next time,” he said.
“[C]learly every single vote counts, and campaigns matter.” - JORDAN STURDY
“I know more now, to be able to make those connections on an ongoing basis, and continue to talk about the Green message.” Can voters expect to see Valeriote’s name on the ballot again? “Absolutely,” he said. Asked about the swell of Green support, Sturdy said Valeriote and Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau campaigned well. “I have to do a better job in terms of helping people understand my advocacy
for the Sea to Sky, and where I stand on important issues,” he said. “I’m not sure that I was effective enough in that respect.” Should he have the privilege of continuing to serve as MLA, Sturdy said his priorities will stay consistent: advocating for regional transit and transportation issues, recreation capacity and infrastructure improvements, and support for businesses as they manage COVID-19. “It’s clearly going to be a very difficult winter for us, and it’s important that we continue to work closely with the federal government on support programs for the business community, as well as individuals,” he said, adding that he’ll be pushing for some of the government’s $1.5-billion recovery fund to go towards tourism. “I’d very much like to see a hospitalityand tourism-focused set of programs or initiatives to ensure that we maintain the companies and the businesses and the workers, the staff, that are critical to making sure that our guests are well served. “And I would say they are at risk.” After the final count, B.C.’s NDP government holds a solid 57-seat majority in the legislature, while the Liberals hold 28 seats and the Green party two. Find the final results at elections.bc.ca. n
piquenewsmagazine.com/whistlertakeout
PRESENTS
Whistler Takeout, Pick up and Delivery
PASTA LUPINO
Dine In from 11:00 am - 9:00 pm • 7 days a week Pasta Lupino focuses on freshly-made pasta, sauces, bread and gourmet Italian groceries. Since opening the doors in May 2000, they have created a niche market supplying Whistler locals and visitors alike with fresh pasta.
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11 AM - 9 PM Takeout options still available
We are located at 121 – 4368 Main Street, Whistler
Contact us 604.905.0400 restaurant@pastalupino.com
Open 7 days a week
We are a popular brand of locally owned and operated quick service Japanese restaurants. All of our locations feature fast, consistent service with a focus on giving our community quality 7 days a prices. week 12 pm - 7 pm meals at veryOpen affordable Samurai Sushi 210-7015 Nesters Rd, 604 935 0006
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Whistler Elixir brews raw and unfiltered craft Kombucha tea in small batches with premium and organic ingredients. Available for Home Delivery. We are now
Samurai Bowl 2011 Innsbruck Dr 604 935 0055
NOVEMBER 12, 2020
17
NEWS WHISTLER
November 16-20 Connect Whistler is a week filled with fun, social activities designed to help newcomers get better acquainted with their new home and the community of Whistler.
years past. Pictured is Opening Day 2019.
mywcss.org/connectwhistler
FILE PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE
MONDAY NOV. 16
THURSDAY NOV. 19
A Look into Whistler’s Past
Guided Tour of Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
7-7:30pm | ONLINE
Presented by the Whistler Museum. Learn about how Whistler came to be the place it is today. Join live at mywcss.org/whistlerspast
Grown-Up Drag Storytime 9-9:30pm | ONLINE
Featuring Carlotta Gurl and Jean-E. Presented by Alphabet Soup. Join Whistler’s favourite drag queen, Carlotta Gurl, and her fabulous friend Joan-E for an adults-only Drag Storytime! Catch them live on Whistler Public Library’s Facebook page.
TUESDAY NOV. 17 Renting in Whistler 101 6pm-7:30pm | ONLINE
Zero Ceiling presents your crash course on being a tenant in Whistler. Learn tips and tricks for finding a place to live, as well as how to protect yourself from bad situations. Register by visiting mywcss. org/whistler101
WEDNESDAY NOV. 18 COVID-19 Update and Q&A 3-3:30pm | ONLINE
With local Medical Health Officer, Dr. John Harding. Live event mywcss.org/covidqa
Whistler Meditates 7-7:45pm | ONLINE
Facilitated by Susan Reifer and hosted by Whistler Public Library. Registration required by emailing jbruce@ whistlerlibrary.ca.
For the most up to date information follow us on social media or visit our website
whistlercommunityservicessociety
mywcss.org
18 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
ONE YEAR LATER With COVID-19 restrictions in place, Opening Day on Nov. 26 will take on a different feel than in
1-1:30pm | Stay tuned for details Registration required by emailing jbruce@whistlerlibrary.ca.
Naloxone training
WB taps Canadian workers ahead of opening NEW RESERVATION SYSTEM MEANT TO ADD FLEXIBILITY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
4-5pm | ONLINE
Hosted by Whistler Community Services Society and Vancouver Coastal Health Overdose Outreach team. Registration required email lisa@mywcss.org mywcss. org/naloxone
FRIDAY NOV. 20 Thai Curry Cooking Class and Lunch 12-1pm | ONLINE 20 FREE meal kits available to be picked up Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm from Whistler Community Services Society. Hosted by Welcome Centre Whistler and sponsored by Whistler Food Bank. E-mail bekah.jones@sscs.ca.
Backcountry Skiing and Avalanche Awareness Presentation 7:30-9pm | ONLINE
Presented by Mountain Skills Academy and Adventures – AST 1 Course giveaway. mywcss.org/msa
WIN!
Whistler Blackcomb Season Pass WB gift cards of equal value for WB employees
Adventure Package GoPro & more!
SCAVENGER HUNT Scan the QR code & complete the online Scavenger Hunt to learn about local resources to win prizes!
BY BRADEN DUPUIS DESPITE international borders remaining closed, Whistler Blackcomb (WB) said it is on track to meet its staffing needs for the winter ahead—though that will likely include fewer on-mountain employees than in previous years. “It won’t be the full complement that people are used to, but it will be certainly close to,” said Marc Riddell, Vail Resorts’ West Coast director of communications. “We’re in a bit of a different environment, of course, and certainly you might hear a Canadian accent more so than an Australian accent this season, but … we’re actually ahead of the game on this one.” It’s a small win in an otherwise difficult year for the mountain operator, as recruiting more Canadians has long been a goal for local employers, WB included. “[Employees] getting a pass that is not tied to the reservation system has been kind of a driver, and maybe it’s the environment itself, and what people are going through, but we’ve found people have been open and have been applying for open jobs,” Riddell said, adding that people have been approaching WB “from all across Canada.” With Opening Day set for Nov. 26, WB’s new online booking system has rolled out relatively smoothly, for the most part, despite high volumes when the booking period began (an unscientific poll on Pique’s Facebook page revealed no glaring user issues, with reader experiences ranging from “easy peasy” and “amazing” to flawless”). Skiers and boarders will also have to book time in WB’s food and beverage establishments this winter, Riddell said. A reservation system will open each day at 7 a.m. allowing users to book their preferred spot. “It’s not going to be as spontaneous …
you’re not going to be able to just roll into the Roundhouse and go get a sandwich,” Riddell said. “So people are going to have to be a little bit more deliberate when they arrive, and plan it out.” Along with the on-mountain establishments, the system will apply to the GLC, Merlin’s and Dusty’s, which will be “open in some capacity,” though details have yet to be fleshed out. As far as COVID goes, and the prospects for the winter ahead, all WB can do is lean on its safety protocols, Riddell said. “We have some very robust safety protocols that are being implemented and put in place, face masks being a key component of that,” he said, adding that the reservation system allows WB to adjust to the situation around it. As the number of COVID cases rises or retracts, the mountain operator can now add or remove capacity accordingly, Riddell said. “So we’re able to open more stuff up if the environment allows us, but we’re also able to scale back,” he said. “It’s going to be a completely different experience … for us, it’s all about trying to have an understanding of what the demand is going to be, and to be able to manage it safely to keep our safety protocols in place to allow us to remain open.” While the snow guns are working overtime and Mother Nature is beginning to cooperate, it’s too early to say what terrain will be available on Opening Day, Riddell added—or if the big day will come early. “I’ll never say never … we have a history in the past of opening early, but we also are mindful that we’re operating in a different environment, and that we have to be thoughtful in our approach,” he said. “So for now what I can tell you is we’re going to open on Nov. 26.” n
P: Justa Jeskova
NEWS WHISTLER
RMOW files civil claim against homeowner SECOND CLAIM FILED OVER NIGHTLY RENTALS SINCE 2017
BY BRADEN DUPUIS FOR THE SECOND time, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) has filed a notice of civil claim against a homeowner over short-term rentals in a residential neighbourhood. The claim, filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Nov. 4, alleged Rachel Leor Greenfeld (who legally changed her name to Karmel Leor Greenfeld on Nov. 26, 2019) uses a variety of websites to market and rent a residential property to tourists and other guests “for non-residential stays, including temporary stays of less than four weeks, in exchange for payment.” The property, located at 7291 Spruce Grove Lane, is zoned RS6, which does not include the commercial rental of a detached dwelling or auxiliary residential dwelling unit as a permitted use. Further, Greenfeld does not have a business licence to market or otherwise accept payment for renting the property, the claim said, and the RMOW has received complaints about how the property is being used. “The RMOW has demanded that the Defendant cease using the Property for
CIVIL CLAIM A screenshot of the property in question found on Airbnb (where the property could be rented for a minimum 30-day stay as of Nov. 9). SCREENSHOT
the Non-Residential Use and marketing or accepting payment for the Non-Residential Use of the property,” the claim stated. “The Defendant has not complied with the RMOW’s demands.” The RMOW is seeking relief in the form of: declarations that Greenfeld has contravened local bylaws; an order
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requiring her to cease “non-residential” use and marketing of the property; and costs. Reached by phone, Greenfeld said she would “100 per cent” be challenging the claim, saying the property is her primary residence, and that the visitors in question are actually friends and family, reported by a vengeful neighbour as short-term renters.
“I have lived in 12 countries. I have friends visit from all over the world,” Greenfeld said. “I’d love to see their proof … let me put it that way. Give me the license plates, tell me the names of the people, when they stayed. They’re probably my friends and family.” The RMOW has fined her several times already, she added. “I’d say the municipality is on a witch hunt,” she said. “They’re looking for money, they’re not substantiating their claim, they’re saying whatever they need to say to collect money from people who have done nothing wrong.” With the matter before the courts, the RMOW declined to comment. It’s the second homeowner the RMOW has taken to court over nightly rentals, after action against Sylvia Koltzenburg in 2017 (the parties eventually settled out of court). “We currently have 11 files we are investigating and we have received nine complaints this year,” a spokesperson said in an email, when asked for a general update on illegal nightly rental enforcement. “The call volume is lower than previous years and the RMOW’s enforcement strategy has remained the same during the COVID-19 pandemic.” n
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NEWS WHISTLER
RMOW grapples with temporary structures COUNCIL BRIEFS: ACCESS TO COUNCIL INFO STREAMLINED; NEW GM OF RESORT EXPERIENCE HIRED
BY BRADEN DUPUIS WHILE THE Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is hopeful new measures— like waiving fees for patios and adding outdoor dining spaces—will help food and beverage operators, the sector continues to struggle with costs associated with temporary structures, according to municipal staff. “All I can say is that there are no easy solutions,” said manager of planning Melissa Laidlaw, at the Nov. 3 council meeting. “I was talking to one restaurant operator who [said] they’re really nervous to spend any money with COVID cases going up. They’re fearful of more restrictions, so some restaurants are looking at how to optimize their indoor seating, with the use of the physical barriers.” And while temporary outdoor patios are now permitted through Oct. 31, 2021, the RMOW is still working out how to ensure temporary structures don’t become permanent.
On Nov. 3, council directed staff to prepare amendments to its business and regulation bylaw to address the concern. With respect to temporary structures, all buildings larger than 10 square metres in footprint area would require a building permit, which includes an engineering review, Laidlaw noted in a presentation to council. But for those smaller than that, an engineering review would only be needed if the structure is on municipal property, Whistler Village Land Co. property, or right of way granted to the municipality for public access. For those structures on municipal property, there is a process “to manage the duration and removal of, the aesthetics, and safety considerations such as snow removal, but there is no such mechanism to address this on private properties,” Laidlaw said. “So the way to address this is through proposed amendments to the business licence and regulation bylaw.” Updating the bylaw will require a public process, she added.
WINTER WORRIES The Resort Municipality of Whistler is trying to make it easier for restaurants to operate this winter, but many still have concerns. PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE
RMOW staff is also working to enhance sheltered public seating options this winter, Laidlaw said, including moving picnic tables to covered areas like the Gateway Loop.
To help “expedite the approvals of temporary structures,” staff is developing a
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22 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
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, , kukwstumĂşlhkalap (Thank You All)
To all of the amazing Lil’wat citizens that diligently searched for River and Peter. Pemberton Search and Rescue. All of the Search and Rescue volunteers from across the Province. Everyone from Pemberton, the Sea to Sky Corridor and beyond who donated, searched, reached out and supported the search.
NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 22 pre-approved design prototype, she added. “We would develop this prototype for our use, but also share this information with the food and beverage sector, in case it is something that they are interested in,” she said. “This is still under development, and will be shared with the sector as soon as possible.” Council also gave first readings to bylaws waiving the renewal fees for temporary outdoor patios on Nov. 3 (new applications will still be charged the $240 fee). Councillor John Grills recused himself from the discussion, noting he owns commercial properties used by food and beverage operators that may apply for patio extensions.
and meetings by specific topics of interest. “Council meetings are the primary decision-making avenue for municipal government and it’s important for community members, including second homeowners and seasonal residents, to be involved in this process,” said Mayor Jack Crompton in a release. “Time and location are no longer barriers to participation. It is easier than
filled the role left behind by Jan Jansen, who retired in February. “Jessie brings significant experience in community planning, development planning, urban design and development engineering,” said RMOW chief administrative officer Virginia Cullen, in a release. “I am very pleased to welcome him to our organization, and look forward to his
“This is still under development, and will be shared with the sector as soon as possible.” - MELISSA LAIDLAW
ACCESS TO COUNCIL INFO STREAMLINED The RMOW is making it easier to access council information through a revamped online interface at whistler.ca/ councilmeetings. Info about council meetings can now be accessed in an interactive format that cues recorded video footage of meetings to relevant agenda items—just click the html link, then your agenda item of choice. Meeting schedules can also now be viewed in calendar or list format, and users will soon be able to search agendas
ever to watch a meeting from a distance, and learn more about the decisions that affect our day-to-day life.”
NEW GM OF RESORT EXPERIENCE HIRED The RMOW has a new general manager of resort experience. Jessie Gresley-Jones, previously section head of development engineering for the City of Vancouver’s major projects, has
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valuable expertise and leadership.” Toni Metcalf, who has been serving as interim general manager for resort experience, will resume her role as manager of economic development and tourism recovery once Gresley-Jones joins the organization on Dec. 2. In his new role, Gresley-Jones will oversee Whistler’s resort and parks planning, village events and animation, cultural planning and development, facility construction management,
resort operations and environmental stewardship (while reporting to the chief administrative officer). While with the City of Vancouver, Gresley-Jones oversaw a large team working across all aspects of development, and was the city’s engineering lead for the new $1.9-billion St. Paul’s Hospital and Oakridge Transit Centre redevelopment, according to the release. He spent two years working on Vancouver’s Cambie Corridor planning process, which established a vision for approximately nine per cent of the land area of Vancouver. “The plan enabled significant change over the coming decades and will add over 30,000 new homes and significant new affordable housing and job space,” the release said. “From March to July of this year, GresleyJones was [also] the deputy planning chief for the City of Vancouver’s Emergency Operations Centre COVID-19 response.” Prior to joining the City of Vancouver, Gresley-Jones worked as a planner for the District of North Vancouver and Hapa Collaborative, a landscape architecture and urban design practice. He holds a master’s in landscape architecture from the University of Toronto and a bachelor of environmental studies in planning from the University of Waterloo. He is also an urban design lecturer in the Continuing Studies program at Simon Fraser University. ■
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NEWS WHISTLER NOTICE OF WAIVING OF PUBLIC HEARING ELECTORAL AREA A Marmot Land Use Contract Discharge Public Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 467 of the Local Government Act that a Public Hearing will be waived regarding the following bylaw: 1.
Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Land Use Contract Authorization Bylaw No. 143, 1978 (“LUC Bylaw”), Amendment Bylaw No. 1687-2020
As per section 546 of the Local Government Act, a land use contract may only be discharged with the agreement of the owner of any property that is described in the bylaw as being covered by the amendment. On June 24, 2020, the SLRD sent out an information letter to owners of 69 lots that are currently under the LUC bylaw, which also included a consent form. Property owners were instructed to send back a completed consent form to indicate interest in removing the LUC Bylaw in favour of the underlying zoning. Overall, the SLRD received consent to discharge the LUC Bylaw from 22 of 69 lots. The remaining 47 lots will continue to be subject to the LUC Bylaw until June 30, 2024 when all land use contracts will be automatically terminated as per section 548 of the Local Government Act. The proposed Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Land Use Contract Authorization Bylaw No. 143, 1978, Discharge Bylaw No. 1687-2020 (the “Proposed Bylaw”), as attached, proposes to discharge the LUC Bylaw from title of 22 lots, and, once discharged from the LUC, these 22 lots will be subject to the Zoning Bylaw.
Zero Ceiling in need of staff housing as program demand skyrockets ‘YOU’RE HELPING YOUNG ADULTS TRANSITION TO INDEPENDENCE,’ SAYS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BY BRANDON BARRETT WHISTLER NON-PROFIT Zero Ceiling, which helps under-housed youth transition to self-sufficiency through supportive employment and housing, is on the lookout for staff accommodation as demand for its main program has skyrocketed throughout the pandemic. “It’s the longest waitlist we’ve had in years,” said co-executive director Sean Easton of the organization’s Live 2 Work program, which connects formerly homeless youth to a job and housing in the community for a year, as well as supporting graduates as they transition to the next phase in life.
employed by local companies, including Whistler Blackcomb, which has a longstanding partnership with the non-profit. “We’re helping kids get into the workforce,” Easton said. In September, the B.C. government announced it would be extending supports for young adults across the province that were set to age out of government care until March 31, 2021. Typically, youth in B.C. age out of government care once they hit their 19th birthday. While the move was welcomed by Zero Ceiling, they have joined a chorus of other organizations dedicated to fighting youth homelessness calling for a longerterm approach that better manages the diversity of young adults’ housing needs. Easton highlighted the recent case of a Sea
“We want something that still feels very homey and comfy and clean...” - SEAN EASTON
INFORMATION & SUBMISSIONS? The proposed bylaw and relevant background documents may be inspected on page 64 of the following Board Agenda: https://slrd.civicweb.net/document/126366 Third reading of Bylaw No. 1687-2020 is scheduled for November 25, 2020. All persons who believe that their interest in the property is affected by the proposed bylaw shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to present written submissions respecting matters contained in the bylaw. Written submissions (mail or email) must be received at the SLRD office no later than 9 am Wednesday November 25, 2020. Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Box 219, 1350 Aster Street, Pemberton, BC, V0N 2L0 • www.slrd.bc.ca P: 604-894-6371 • TF: 1-800-298-7753 F: 604-894-6526 • E: info@slrd.bc.ca
26 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
Zero Ceiling recently received federal funding to secure COVID-friendly accommodation, a six-bedroom unit with a caretaker suite. But with its Work 2 Live program expanding from eight to 10 participants this year, the organization is hoping to land a four-bedroom unit that would house its female participants. “What we’re looking for is either a detached or townhouse-style home,” Easton said. “We want something that still feels very homey and is comfy and clean, but we don’t have to be up in Kadenwood.” In a town where some landlords are already wary of renting to longterm locals, Easton said securing staff accommodation for its participants can be a tough sell. But the benefit to owners comes with the security of knowing “the rent is paid on time every month and you’re only dealing with one person,” with Zero Ceiling as a guarantor, Easton said, adding that they are hopeful for a long-term arrangement. “We’re a longstanding organization with a good reputation in town and we’re making the last point in our pitch that you are also doing a good thing. By providing accommodation, you’re helping young adults transition to independence,” he added. All Work 2 Live participants will be
to Sky teen living in independent housing on a youth agreement who, after turning 19, was evicted by his landlord, despite the care order being extended. “He ended up being homeless while still in the care of the [Ministry of Children and Family Development],” Easton said. “[The extension] is great on paper, but there are challenges that can’t be worked out with government policies.” With looser age restrictions in place than some of its Lower Mainland counterparts, Easton said Zero Ceiling is also well equipped to support youth after they hit 25, the typical cutoff age for youth shelters, like Vancouver’s Covenant House. “Most youth service agencies will define youth up to 24, and then it’s a pretty harsh reality moving to adult services,” he said. “We feel we’re a great complement to Covenant House’s services. They’re really structured and supportive but there are more rules in place and way more regimented and they’re dealing with way more numbers than we do. They do a great job preparing people for a program that gives them more freedom and responsibility.” Anyone interested in offering accommodation to Zero Ceiling should contact Easton at sean@zeroceiling.org. n
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Whistler & Bear Advisory FOREST WILDLAND Committee -COMMITTEE Call for ADVISORY Participation MEMBERSHIP Resort Municipality of Whistler
Winter Parking Regulations Whistler’s Winter Parking Regulations are in effect Nov 1 to Mar 31
Neighbourhoods NO PARKING:
• On the EVEN side, Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm (excluding holidays) • On the ODD side (year round)
Whistler Village Day Lots NO PARKING 3am to 6am
Vehicles parked in contravention of posted parking regulations will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense. SLEEPING or CAMPING in vehicles is not permitted year round (unless in designated campground)
whistler.ca/winterparking
Are you interested in advising RMOW Council on issues The Whistler Bear Advisory Committee (WBAC) meets related forestry land and commercial public monthlytowith the goal touse, minimize human-bearand confl icts in the RMOW and advise Council on matters related to bear recreation around Whistler? management. The WBAC has one two-year renewable position available for a member-at-large. Preference will be given to One position is available to serve on the Council-appointed applicants with wildlife-related management experience. Forest and Wildland Advisory Committee. You should have a background in forestry, ecology, backcountry recreation or For more information on WBAC, go to https://www.whistler. resource management, and knowledge of the Whistler area. ca/municipal-gov/committees/whistler-bear-advisorygroup Please submit a short information sheet describing your qualifications before pm, November 19. your skill set Please send a one page4:30 written letter describing and reasons for applying to hberesford@whistler.ca by 4:30 Applications may16,be emailed to hberesford@whistler.ca p.m., November 2017.
Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca NOVEMBER 12, 2020
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NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY
Adventure Ranch owner recounts losing piece of ‘Pemberdise’ COMMUNITY STEPPED UP TO HELP IN MOMENT OF CRISIS, DUSTY MCKINNON SAYS
BY ALYSSA NOEL DUSTY MCKINNON HAD big dreams for the Adventure Ranch. Two years ago, he and an investor purchased the Pemberton property and, along with making it McKinnon’s new home, opened a hostel and started filling the farm with animals—pigs, a cow, chickens, turkeys, some rescue horses. And he started an organic garden. “It was paradise,” he said. “We called it Pemberdise. It was so awesome.” Last winter and over the summer, the hostel was at capacity with seasonal workers. It was set to be full again this winter with COVID-19 safety protocols in place, he said. “Summer was finished. I was just getting people in the house for winter rentals—we had eight guests; [four were here and] four more on the way. I was going to keep it to a max of 10,” McKinnon said. But on Oct. 22, everything changed. One of the women staying in the hostel heard a “pop” and saw smoke coming out of the garage. She called McKinnon who was
RANCH DREAMS The Adventure Ranch in
Pemberton before a blaze ripped through on Oct. 22. Owner Dusty McKinnon hopes to rebuild, but the original house and hostel can’t be salvaged. PHOTO SUBMIITTED
28 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
on his way back from a trip to the city. “We have sliding glass doors in the staff suite, so I went and bought new doors,” he said. “It was my final task for the winter.” When he got the call he pulled over. “I said, ‘Are you able to grab any fire extinguishers and put it out?’ She said, ‘It’s too much smoke,’” McKinnon recalled. Instead, the woman called 911 and
quickly got to work making phone calls in an effort to house the eight people staying in the hostel who were now homeless. “By Day 1, that evening, they all had homes—places to go that were warm and safe,” he said. “I was able to give them their money back for rent and damage [deposits] and set them up to the next stage. I took it upon myself to make sure they were good
“The saddest thing—I lost my house, I lost my dreams, but the harshest thing was putting the horses back into the trailer and releasing them back into the herd.” - DUSTY MCKINNON
began moving vehicles away from the burning property as quickly as she could— but not before heading into the hostel to bang on doors and make sure everyone was out. The Pemberton Fire Department was on scene at the Airport Road property in minutes, but the ground floor was already engulfed in flames. When McKinnon arrived back home, he
until the end of November.” (There was also a quick trip to the Re-Use-It Centre to collect jackets and hoodies. Nearly all of the belongings of people staying in the hostel had burned.) The next task, after the fire was finally declared out, was finding homes for the farm animals. “It’s pretty crazy, but the people up in the Meadows who I bought the cow from
bought the cow back from me,” McKinnon said. “[And] she took the pigs.” He also had two mares and two foals that he had trained from a wild herd (in the hopes they wouldn’t get pregnant year after year). “The saddest thing—I lost my house, I lost my dreams, but the harshest thing was putting the horses back into the trailer and releasing them back into the herd,” he said. “As beautiful as it is, those horses get hit by cars every year. It’s unsustainable.” As for the house itself, in a strange twist, McKinnon discovered his bedroom was virtually untouched by the flames, although most of the items are smoke damaged. (Something he likes to think might be due to the protective crystals he placed in the four corners of the room.) While his business had insurance that covered the hostel, he didn’t have tenant insurance to cover his own belongings. He estimates he lost about $150,000 on personal items. While it’s a huge loss, in the end, McKinnon said he’s grateful no one was hurt and is blown away by how quickly the community stepped up to help. “Thank you to the community for stepping up and helping with the animals and the people,” he said. “No one was hurt and it’s our intention to build and come
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604.894.6135
Question? We’re Listening
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SCHOOL ZONE The area outlined in red denotes where School District 93 hopes to build a French-language school in Pemberton’s Tiyata development. SCREENSHOT FROM VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON COUNCIL PACKAGE
Online information session for Tiyata French school on Nov. 12 PROPOSED SCHOOL WOULD SERVE APPROXIMATELY 390 STUDENTS FROM K TO 12
BY DAN FALLOON SCHOOL DISTRICT 93, the Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la C.B. (CSF), will hold an online information session on Thursday, Nov. 12 regarding its proposal to build a new French-language school in the Tiyata neighbourhood. Last month, the district applied to the Village of Pemberton for an amendment to its Official Community Plan (OCP) to build a public school for Francophone education in the second phase of the Tiyata development. The school would serve roughly 390 students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and also feature childcare spaces. The site would offer playing fields and a community garden as well. At its Oct. 20 meeting, council moved to request that the district hold an information session, as well as notify relevant stakeholders of the amendment application. The information session, held via Zoom, will start at 6 p.m. Spokesperson Pascale Cyr said
attendees will be able to discover basic details about the project. “Participants can expect to hear some details about the CSF and the public Francophone education that is offered in Pemberton. They will hear about the proposed [Kindergarten-to-Grade 12 school and community centre] project, for example, the location, size and the proposed layout on the site,” Cyr said in an email. “They will also hear about the next steps in the rezoning process.” The CSF currently operates École La Vallée in temporary infrastructure near Signal Hill Elementary School. “As the school community is growing, the CSF has presented in its capital plan a request to achieve a site for the construction of a K-to-12 school and a community centre,” Cyr wrote, adding that there is no outline of a timeline or budget for the school at this time. The CSF will purchase the site and the Ministry of Education will fund construction, Cyr noted. To register for the event, head to tinyurl.com/y3kbhfrr. ■
ADVENTURE RANCH FROM PAGE 28 back better than ever.” Rebuilding the original structure is unlikely, but McKinnon said he’s brainstorming other ideas like cabins or tiny homes. For now, he’s stepped back into his old life, living in his White Rock townhouse and working as a consultant.
“I’m trying my hardest to keep a foot on the ground there,” he said. Meanwhile, McKinnon has set up a GoFundMe to help with recovery. Find it at gofundme.com by searching Adventure Ranch Fire Recovery. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. ■
www.pemberton.ca
To facilitate snow clearing, residents are reminded that as of November 15th, parking is not permitted on the even side of the street or in Village public parking lots between 9pm and 9am, 7 days a week. Vehicles parked in contravention of the posted parking regulation will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner's expense. Winter Parking Regulations are in effect until March 31st. You can help to ensure quick and efficient snow clearing by: • Keeping cul-de-sacs clear of vehicles; • Parking the entire vehicle in your drive way and off the roadways; • Yielding to the snow plow; • Not pushing snow onto the Village streets; and • By familiarizing yourself with the Village of Pemberton Snow Clearing and related Boulevard Maintenance Bylaws available at www.pemberton.ca.
Parking is not permitted on both sides of Dogwood St between Aster & Greenwood Streets.
Parking for 72 hours or more on Village streets is not permitted.
Unregistered and uninsured vehicles may not be parked on Village Streets or property. Vehicles must be parked in the same direction as the flow of traffic.
For the safety of children, please ensure they refrain from playing on and around snowbanks. Snowbanks will be dumped on or moved, posing a serious threat to children playing in close proximity.
VillageOfPemberton
www.pemberton.ca
Resort Municipality of Whistler
Notice of Council Procedure Amendment Bylaw In accordance with sections 94 and 124(3) of the Community Charter, the following serves as Public Notice that the Resort Municipality of Whistler is proposing to amend “Council Procedure Bylaw No. 2207, 2018” with the “Council Procedure Amendment Bylaw (COTW Chair) No. 2300, 2020”. Council considered first, second and third readings of the proposed amendment bylaw at the Regular Council Meeting on November 3, 2020. Adoption of the Bylaw will be considered at the Regular Council Meeting on November 17, 2020. The proposed amendment replaces section 6.3. a) of “Council Procedure Bylaw No. 2207, 2018” and allows for the Acting Mayor to chair Committee of the Whole Meetings even if the Mayor is present. Brooke Browning Municipal Clerk Resort Municipality of Whistler Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca NOVEMBER 12, 2020
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020 – 4:00 P.M. This Public Hearing will be held electronically pursuant to Local Government Meetings and Bylaw Process (COVID-19) Order No. 3 (Ministerial Order M192/2020). If the Government of British Columbia lifts the Provincial State of Emergency currently in place before November 17, 2020, this Public Hearing will be held at the following location: MAURY YOUNG ARTS CENTRE Franz Wilhelmsen Theatre, 4335 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC ZONING AMENDMENT BYLAW (RETAINING WALLS) NO. 2033, 2020 SUBJECT LANDS: Zoning Amendment Bylaw (Retaining Walls) No. 2033, 2020 (the “Proposed Bylaw”) affects all lands within all zones regulated under the Resort Municipality of Whistler Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015. PURPOSE: In general terms, the purpose of the Proposed Bylaw is to amend the regulations regarding the size and location of landscape features and retaining walls. INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS: A copy of the proposed Bylaw and relevant background documentation along with written submissions received may be inspected at the Reception Desk of Municipal Hall at 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, during regular office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (statutory holidays excluded) from November 5, 2020 to and including November 16, 2020, and on November 17, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (the start time for the Public Hearing). A copy of the Proposed Bylaw and relevant background documentation along with written submissions received may also be viewed online on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) website at: whistler.ca/RZ001065 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: All persons who believe that their interest in property is affected by the Proposed Bylaw will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard by Council at the Public Hearing. All persons can: 1) submit written comments to Council; and/or 2) make oral representations LIVE via online video or phone conferencing. (Your image will not be broadcast to Council or the public.) 1. Submit Written Comments to Council Written comments must be addressed to “Mayor and Council”, and include your name and mailing address. Until 2:00 p.m. on November 17, 2020, written submissions will be received at the following: Email: Fax: Hard Copy:
corporate@whistler.ca 604-935-8109 Resort Municipality of Whistler Legislative Services Department 4325 Blackcomb Way Whistler BC V8E 0X5
Written submissions will also be accepted on November 17, 2020 between 2:00 p.m. and the time when the motion to close the Public Hearing is made. During this timeframe, written comments must be submitted by email to: corporate@whistler.ca All submissions will form part of the Public Hearing record and will be added to the Public Hearing Package as they are received. The Public Hearing Package will be available on the RMOW website at: whistler.ca/RZ001065
Resort Municipality of Whistler
Whistler Bear Advisory Committee - Call for Participation
1. Participate LIVE via Online Video or Phone Conferencing
The live Public Hearing will take place November 17, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. via online video and phone conferencing. The Public Hearing will be conducted using Zoom and can be accessed via either online video or phone conferencing. No registration is required. If you wish to make oral representations to Council on the Proposed Bylaw by online video or by phone, please use the Public Hearing web link or one of the phone numbers (including Webinar ID) provided below.
The web link for the Public Hearing online video option is: https://whistler.zoom.us/j/64030919387
The phone numbers to access the Public Hearing phone conferencing option are as follows: +1-778-907-2071 +1-647-374-4685
The Whistler Bear Advisory Committee (WBAC) meets The Webinar ID is: 640 3091 9387 monthly with the goal to minimize human-bear conflicts in Instructions for Participating via Zoom Online Video or Phone Conferencing RMOW advise Council matters related the Online video: It and is possible to access the Publicon Hearing on a computer, tabletto or bear smartphone using the web link above. Your camera will not be available, but your microphone will need to be enabled. management. The WBAC has one two-year renewable position To indicate that you wish to make an oral representation, click on the ‘raise hand’ feature. The available a member-at-large. Preference given moderator for will allow each person to speak in turn. When it is yourwill turn be to speak, yourto microphone will be unmuted and you will be asked to provide your name and address for the public record. applicants with wildlife-related management experience.
Please be patient as there may be others in the queue before you.
Phone conferencing: To access the Public Hearing by phone, use one of the phone numbers above along with the Webinar ID as prompted. To indicate that you wish to make an oral representation, For on WBAC, to turn https://www.whistler. usemore the ‘raiseinformation hand’ feature by dialing [*9]. When itgo is your to speak, the moderator will announce the last three digits of your phone number, and your line will be unmuted. You will be ca/municipal-gov/committees/whistler-bear-advisoryasked to provide your name and address for the public record. Please be patient as there may be group others in the queue before you.
After the conclusion of this Public Hearing, Council cannot receive representations from the public on the Proposed Bylaw. General information RMOW’s letter electronicdescribing public hearings your is available here: Please sendona participating one pagein the written skill set https://www.whistler.ca/municipal-gov/council/public-hearings
and reasons for applying to hberesford@whistler.ca by 4:30
Members of the public can also view the Live Stream of the Public Hearing at: p.m., November 16, 2017. https://www.whistler.ca/municipal-gov/council/watch-council-meetings
Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca
30 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
IN MEMORIAM Maureen Elizabeth McLellan, who chose Medical Assistance in Dying, is shown here. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MCLELLAN FAMILY
Medical Assistance in Dying available in the corridor SEA TO SKY SONS DESCRIBE THEIR PARENTS’ DEATHS AS ‘BEAUTIFUL’ AND ‘PEACEFUL’ THANKS TO MAID
BY JENNIFER THUNCHER WHEN MIKE MCLELLAN’S mother Maureen Elizabeth died on Sept. 26, he was lying beside her. Her other son was on FaceTime with them from California. McLellan describes her death as “a beautiful journey,” because, unlike many deaths, this one was planned to be peaceful. Maureen, 79, chose Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). “It was incredible. It was absolutely incredible,” said McLellan of Squamish. “My brother and I said that we loved her and kissed her and hugged her, and I was lying in bed with her. It was really, really special. “She was totally at peace. You could see her body wasn’t shaking anymore. She just seemed very, very calm and peaceful.” The experience was sort of like a funeral, in reverse. People she knew at Shannon Falls Retirement Residence came by to hug her and say good-bye, said McLellan. His mom made some phone calls to people she cared about, as well, saying she was “leaving at 7 p.m.” The day of her death was “very relaxing,” he said. McLellan said his mom was a very active and involved mom and in her later years, before her diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia, she continued to be active. “She was an awesome, amazing mom,” he recalled. In the last two years of her life, the tremors that accompanied her illness got
really bad. She also began to have trouble swallowing, which impacted her ability to eat, making her thin and weakened. “Knowing her condition, she knew that there was no probable improvement or anything she looked forward to as, ‘I am going to get better,’” McLellan said. “That is what led to her research and looking into MAID.”
“She was totally at peace. You could see her body wasn’t shaking anymore. She just seemed very, very calm and peaceful.” - MIKE MCLELLAN
In June of 2016, the federal government passed legislation that allows eligible Canadian adults to request medical assistance in dying. MAID is an option available to most patients who are facing the end of life or who have a life-limiting illness and are dealing with suffering that is not resolved using conventional palliative care measures, according to Dr. Brenda Millar, the medical lead for the Sea to Sky Corridor’s palliative care service. “In our program, when a patient is referred to us, we invite a discussion about
NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY MAID if the patient has asked us to go over their end-of-life options,” Millar said. For more on this option, people can also talk to their family doctor who can make a referral to the program. Patients can also discuss this option with their home care nursing team. More information is also available on the BC MAID website. “Any one of these entry points will get you in contact with our team to help you navigate the enrolment process,” Millar said. There are three parts to the MAID application process. First, the patient must fill out a request form. Once this form has been submitted a medical doctor or nurse practitioner will need to do an assessment to verify that the situation meets the requirements of the program and to go over other palliative options that may be available that the patient may not have considered or been offered. This can be done in person or via video link in keeping with COVID-19 precaution, Millar said. A second assessment is then organized by the program to connect the patient with the person who will be the provider for this service. This person is either a medical doctor or a nurse practitioner who has received specialized training in how to deliver this service. “They will spend time with you to assure that you fully understand the whole process and that this is truly what fits your needs,” Millar said. “The important thing for patients to understand is that filling out their request and even finishing the whole application process does not oblige them to carry through with MAID. And that they are the sole person who dictates where and when this process might take place.” The patient can have a doctor or nurse practitioner give the life-ending medicine by intravenous injection, or the medical professional can prescribe a medicine for the person to ingest without help. Either way, a doctor or nurse practitioner is present for the death, according to Vancouver Coastal Health. In the Sea to Sky corridor, the MAID provision can be offered in the patient’s home but some people prefer a different location. “We have done provisions in our acute care hospital if that is where the patient is situated but our preference is to offer patients to move to the WBF Sea to Sky Hospice where we can provide a more peaceful home-like atmosphere,” Millar said. For Maureen, McLellan said she was in hospice for a bit, but wanted to die at home at Shannon Falls, which was her home for many years. McLellan said he feels more people need to know this is an option for them.
TIM REGAN’S STORY Whistlerite Tim Regan’s father, of the same name, accessed MAID back in the first year it was legal. He chose Dec. 12, 2017 as his last day. He died at home in Toronto, surrounded by his family.
IN MEMORIAM Tim Regan, Sr. opted for Medical Assistance in Dying. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE REGAN FAMILY
The younger Regan said his dad had known from the time he was 15 years old, delivering groceries in the 1950s, that he didn’t want to die suffering. One of his deliveries was to a house where First World War veterans went to die. “Seeing men suffer had a profound impact on him,” Regan said. “From that moment forward, he never wanted to be that guy. It was very important for him that he had a say in how he died.” The elder Regan was a very practical guy, his son recalled, who understood well the cycle of life and was at peace with it. He also had a condition called hemochromatosis, which is when the body absorbs too much iron. “So he had known for much of his life... that he had done organ damage and it was just a matter of time before something was going to come from having toxic blood.” What came was liver cancer. “There was nothing they could do for him,” his son recalled. The elder Regan was thrilled that the laws allowed him to choose his own death. Like McLellan, he had a living wake of sorts, even singing goodbye to his grandchildren. Under the current law, and for Regan’s dad, a patient must be able to pass a test on the day of the procedure that shows he is of sound mind to move forward. Currently, there are proposed amendments to the Criminal Code— Bill C-7—that would, among other things, remove that provision for those who had given prior consent. “Which makes a lot of sense,” Regan said, noting that when people have to be able to pass the test, they may actually have to choose to die sooner in order to pass it. Having experienced his father’s death through MAID, Regan said he would wish it for himself. “I would wish it for anybody who had a belief system that allowed him to do this. I think it is very natural and peaceful.”
Resort Municipality of Whistler
Whistler Bear Advisory Committee - Call for Participation Resort Municipality of Whistler Budget 2021 The Whistler Bear Advisory Committee (WBAC) meets monthly with the goal Information to minimize human-bearMeeting conflicts in Community the RMOW and advise on matters toZoom bear Monday, November 16,Council 2020, 5:30 to 7:00related p.m. via
management. The WBAC has one two-year renewable position
This year it’s available forvirtual! a member-at-large. Preference will be given to Join members of Council and staff to learn about plans for our applicants with wildlife-related management experience. community, ask questions and share your thoughts. Be in the know about your municipality, the budget that funds it, as well priorities and projects for 2021 the impact of COVID-19 Forasmore information on WBAC, goand to https://www.whistler. onca/municipal-gov/committees/whistler-bear-advisorymunicipal revenues, funding and projects.
group 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.
Comments and presentations by Mayor and Council, Chief Administrative Officer and staff 6:15 to 6:30 p.m. Question and answer period 6:30 to 6:50 p.m.a one Virtual breakout rooms discussion Please send page written letter describing your skill set 6:50 to 7:00 p.m. Closing remarks and reasons for applying to hberesford@whistler.ca by 4:30
p.m., November 16, 2017. Find more information at whistler.ca/budgetopenhouse
More end-of-life care options and information can be found through the Sea to Sky Hospice Society. This story originally appeared in The Squamish Chief. n
Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca NOVEMBER 12, 2020
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Alta Vista Utility Undergrounding Project The RMOW received a letter expressing the interest of Alta Vista residents to initiate a formal petition process consistent with s.212 of the Community Charter for the undergrounding of overhead utility services (BC Hydro, Telus and Shaw) in the Alta Vista neighbourhood. A virtual community information session to discuss this project will be held via Zoom on November 21, 2020 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Check out the project website: www.whistler.ca/AltaVistaUtilities for more information, to sign up for email information updates or to access the Zoom information session links. If you have questions in advance of the information session please contact Christine Boehringer – Project Manager at altavistaunderground@gmail.com. The project team will be happy to answer your questions.
Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/AltaVistaUtilities
34 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
U.S. election shows need to bend the arc toward justice AFTER FINISHING high school in Ontario in the 1950s, I was awarded a scholarship from Amherst College in Massachusetts. After completing my undergraduate degree, I received funding to study at the University of Chicago—even though I was Canadian! The postwar boom and ensuing Cold War sparked the space race and a push for science and education in the United States. The Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik, then sent a dog and later people into orbit. To catch up and overtake the “enemy” in everything from science to
BY DAVID SUZUKI engineering and medicine, the U.S. poured money into education—funding students, universities and government laboratories. Despite my humble beginnings, I benefited greatly. I earned my zoology PhD in 1961 and went on to work as a research associate at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s biology division in Tennessee. As much as I enjoyed the opportunities, I was appalled by the blatant racial discrimination in the former slave-owning state, where everything from washrooms to schools were segregated, so I got involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Racism wasn’t new to me. Indigenous Peoples in Canada faced severe discrimination and weren’t allowed to vote until 1960. And, during the Second
overwhelming evidence for humancaused climate disruption and the need to address it, belittle medical experts and immunologists as a pandemic rages out of control (overwhelming hospitals and killing almost a quarter of a million people and leaving many more with long-lasting health effects) and push policies that undermine the natural systems on which health and life depend, something is terribly wrong— especially considering public support for this madness. Even with a change in administration, it’s difficult to look beyond the turmoil, the racism and sexism, the planetdestroying trajectory. But if we do, we see many people standing up for justice, equity and sanity, as in Canada and many other countries. At the same time, authoritarian movements are on the rise globally. That’s why those who know a better way is possible must persevere. Although much of the push for science and education during my time in the U.S. was militaristic, an attempt to get the upper hand on a sworn enemy, it created a more educated population. Many started to question societal values and assumptions, especially with the country at war in Vietnam with people many Americans had never heard of for reasons that made little sense. This rising consciousness and the ensuing protests and political movements were a threat to the prevailing order, and the pushback was enormous. A highly educated population threatened the concentration of power. Despite the massive government resources against them, those movements didn’t disappear, though they may have
Even with a change in administration, it’s difficult to look beyond the turmoil, the racism and sexism, the planet-destroying trajectory.
World War, the federal government took everything my family had and sent my dad to a labour camp and my mom, sisters and me to internment in B.C.’s Slocan Valley. All of us, including my parents, were born and raised in Canada. In Tennessee, racial discrimination was so entrenched it made me long for home, even though my country had treated my family badly. Despite good offers from U.S. universities, I jumped at the chance to return to Canada, thinking its smaller size and somewhat liberal values would make it easier to work toward a better society. In 1962, the University of Alberta’s genetics department hired me to teach, which also jump-started my broadcasting career. Looking at the U.S. today, I see a country that, like Canada, is still struggling with systemic racism, but where many have also turned their backs on science and education. When “leaders” dismiss the
weakened. Now, they’re gaining strength. We must confront racism, sexism and injustice in all their manifestations, including in ourselves. Because we’re shaped by the societies we’re part of, we must learn to recognize and overcome our own conscious and unconscious biases. We must listen to those connected to place, such as Indigenous Peoples who have lived on the land for millennia, and understand the delicate balance that keeps the planet habitable for our species and others. With all that’s happening in the U.S. and around the world, the balance may seem precarious, but we can tip it in the right direction if we come together for the common good. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington. ■
OUTSIDER
Breathing more easily MOST OF YOU are likely exhausted— mentally and physically—after last week’s U.S. election-a-thon, so I refrain from turning this space into another smug lefty political rant. What I will say is that despite news of an aggressive return of COVID-19 here in Canada (including B.C.) this past weekend, I feel better about 2020 already. The biggest winners from down south are decency, humanity, empathy, science, the
BY VINCE SHULEY democratic process (according to most people, anyway), and a few notches down the list, the environment. So the potential Red (armed) uprising notwithstanding, we can feel a little better about leaving politics at the front door and soon go skiing. Not that all of our problems will “just disappear” once the snow flies. Our lifestyles and jobs are going to be further impacted by provincial COVID-19 restrictions, but at least we have a few rounds of this fight under our belts already. We know that if we’re smart, cognizant of the risk and most of all patient, we can arrest this like we did earlier in 2020. Best to get it under control now rather
GREEN POLITICS The U.S. election result is an encouraging shift in climate policy, but how much change will we actually see? PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY.
than face further consequences throughout Whistler’s dollar-sign season, when a lot of workers and businesses are hoping to make some money for the next rainy day. And rainy days there will be, both literal and figurative. I’m hoping this La Niña thing turns out to be more accurate than Grandpa Joe’s pre-election polls, but we rarely have a season these days without the pineapples popping by for a luau. Such matters seem so trivial now after a nail-biter democracy pit fight and an ongoing global
be counted and everyone needed to have their say. The organization refers to its collective members as the “Outdoor State,” one not delineated by state lines that separated blue and red, but one united “by our common ground,” meaning the land that’s threatened by climate change and resource development. If anywhere needed some common ground right now, it’s America. It’s hard to get any government to listen, but organizations like POW will at least now
“If the U.S. government takes a stance that they want to accelerate decommissioning of certain types of fuel sources, that will have ramifications in the U.S. economy and the broader global economy ...” - RAVIPAL BAINS
pandemic, but we skiers and snowboarders can easily fall into our own trivial worlds where fun on powder days far outstrips other societal obligations. Thankfully, some are doing a lot more. Protect Our Winters (POW) in the U.S. was campaigning hard during the last few months while mainstream media attention shifted to the escalating pandemic. Their slogan even pivoted to “Protect Our Votes” in order to encourage confidence in the democratic process, that every vote should
have a U.S. president that trusts science and believes climate change is a real existential threat. Yes, those powers are probably likely going to be tied up in the U.S. Senate, but that doesn’t mean the climate emergency will go unanswered. “If the U.S. government takes a stance that they want to accelerate decommissioning of certain types of fuel sources, that will have ramifications in the U.S. economy and the broader global economy because many of the other
economies take cues and are suppliers for the U.S.,” said Ravipal Bains in a Nov. 7 article in The Narwhal. Bains is a McMillan LLP corporate lawyer with expertise in corporate governance and environmental and social governance issues. Biden’s laundry list of climate promises runs long, beginning with rejoining the Paris Agreement (Trump officially dumped the Agreement on Nov. 4). Biden campaigned on a $2 trillion plan that includes major investments in clean energy and a commitment to eliminate carbon emissions from the power sector by 2035. He has also promised aggressive methane limits on oil and gas operations, some of which might spur our Canadian government to get even tougher on methane reduction. This all sounds great, especially after the last four years of climate carnage from the polarizer-in-chief. But in the common phrase of George R.R. Martin, “Words are wind.” What we need from a new American government is action, not delays. Biden’s administration is inheriting an economy and society decimated by the pandemic, so we’ll have to wait and see how many of those climate promises end up getting delivered on. In the meantime, let’s keep the pressure up on our own governments and get ready for some skiing, in that order of priority. Vince Shuley is breathing easier this week. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. ■
NOVEMBER 12, 2020
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FEATURE STORY
36 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
FEATURE STORY
How a 30-year van-lifer weathered lockdown in the heart of Europe Story and photos by Tim Morch
R
eflecting on the past nine months and the prospect of what lies ahead resembles a parallel reality. If somebody had shown me a video of life under lockdown when I was 18, I would have thought it a scene from a scifi movie. Having lived under lockdown in France for two months and entering a new round this fall, sci-fi has become reality. Back in the good old days—January, 2020—I left Portugal and three months of riding waves, mountain biking and sea
kayaking, to drive to Nice, France, and take my six-year-old daughter on her first ski trip. The Alpes-Maritimes are just behind Nice, where Calypso lives with her Mom, and the perfect place for her to learn to ski. After a fantastic week, she was certified Oursonne (Bear Cub) and we popped in my van—destination: Genoa, Italy—to visit friends. It was while we were in Genoa that we heard about the first incidents of a strange flu identified as COVID-19 reaching the north of the country. We watched the
exponential rise in cases, and I decided to shorten our visit, return to Nice and get Calypso safely home. As Italian hospitals became overwhelmed and the death toll spiked, people there were taking note. Strangely, people in Nice seemed unconcerned about the situation next door. Public behaviour was cavalier; plenty of bisous, people gathered in close groups, and no masks or distancing. From a few local cases to national lockdowns in just a couple short weeks,
some things changed rapidly. Others, not so much. Despite advice to distance, wear a mask and wash hands, the Nicoise were not buying any of it. Initially, the French government reduced hours for bars and restaurants, which simply moved people to the streets. The ineffective measure lead to announcement of a national lockdown to start March 21. As the death count climbed, the fear became palpable. I bought a van in 2018 to visit Calypso
NOVEMBER 12, 2020
37
FEATURE STORY often and escape when the weather turned foul. Most people think living in a van is cool or trendy. The freedom they infer from #vanlife Instragram posts popularized by weekend warriors and vacation vagabonds driving rentals has but a degree of accuracy. The reality is that unless you park legally, there is a risk of being evicted by authorities or even a fine. Living in a van anywhere near the Cote d’Azur is doubly challenging. The local government does not like camper vans. Public parking areas have height limitations of 1.8 metres, making it impossible for my 2.8-m Ford Transit. I cannot even get into the Nice airport to pick someone up. When the French government announced a lockdown—or “confinement,” as they called it—I faced a new series of challenges. Playing a game of catand-mouse with the authorities and neighbourhood vigilantes for a short period is fine, but lockdown had more serious implications. I needed a safe place to park. Good fortune arrived when a new friend, Dann, offered a place to park on his property on Mont Chauve, above Nice. I settled in for the long haul, van full of food presciently loaded before leaving Italy, and safely parked on one of the many terraces of this centuries-old farm. For the next two months, I left the property a grand total of three times. Each time, I had to fill in the requisite Attestation, which allowed for one of five reasons to go out: family, food, hospital, exercise (restricted to one hour) and work (with an official note from your employer). Having foreign plates meant I was unable to drive my van, so I joined Dann on those occasions. Having travelled solo for almost three
decades, I am no stranger to hanging alone, passing time reading, writing, and improving my “camp.” Calypso’s mom and I decided the best approach was to remain in our bubbles for the time being, but when “deconfinement” was introduced, I drove down the mountain to visit. The psychological stress I witnessed following the lockdown and the uncertain future ahead convinced me to stay the summer and share as much time as possible with Calypso. We had our own parking spot, now on top of Dann’s land, with views of the mountains to the north and east and an amazing sunrise that beamed through the back doors of the van. Calypso was free to run about, experience nature and be creative without the new worries distancing. We planted a garden. As summer wore on, we started visiting Calypso’s grandparents and swimming in the pool. And suddenly, summer was over, and she was back in school. Life appeared to being returning to its old ways. For the month of September and into October, I drove down the mountain, walked her to school and enjoyed Wednesdays, when there were no classes, in the park. But lurking in the background of late August was a steady uptick in COVID cases. Spain, which had been brutally hit by the pandemic, was seeing a rise. Again. Travel corridors were opening and closing faster then travellers could react. In France, the numbers started to creep up, and following the gradual return to school and work, climbed even faster. By late September, it should have been apparent to national leaders that a serious problem was brewing, but efforts to keep the
economy alive precluded strong decisions. Messaging was a complete failure, as evidenced by a series of flip-flops from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Lockdown protests in Madrid, the closing, reopening and closing of travel corridors, the public’s failure to comply with the simple act of wearing a mask, and an unwillingness to accept the science all helped to create the perfect storm. With October numbers spiralling out of control in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and even an astonishing rise in Germany, the writing was on the wall, as far as I was concerned. My plan was to spend the upcoming two-week vacances Toussaint with Calypso and head to Portugal. The best laid plans…. A curfew in France’s hardest-hit cities was extended to the entire nation. But the funny thing is, the virus doesn’t only come out at night and data showed universities and offices recorded the highest incidents of positive cases. The poor decision to continue pretending everything was OK was about to kick Europe in the ass. It was Tuesday, Oct. 27 when French media announced President Emmanuel Macron would address the nation the following evening. In my gut, I knew another lockdown was imminent. Wednesday morning, I hit the supermarket and filled my van with food and fuel, awaiting Macron’s speech. The question was what day would he choose to lock down given the entire country was in the final days of a major vacation. Thursday at midnight was announced as the start of another lockdown, giving me a 15-hour window to choose to stay or move on. On Thursday morning, I picked up
Calypso at her grandparents. We drove to her mom’s to get her scooter and go to the park. The building superintendent asked where we were going. I told him, and seeing a puzzled look on his face, asked why. He motioned me away from Calypso and whispered there was a knife attack in the centre of Nice and at least one person was dead. (Eventually it was learned that three people had been killed in the brutal attack.) We played in the nearby park for a few hours and had lunch from one of Calypso’s favourite take-aways. And then, the moment of truth. Another decision. I kissed Calypso goodbye and drove to Genoa, where friends offered an empty flat for me to isolate and weather the storm. A complete renovation, which had been put on pause the year before, had left a mess. While they apologized for the disarray, I rejoiced in having a place to stay and a project to keep me from losing my mind. I am now in the process of cleaning construction debris, vacuuming, mopping, and setting up the flat. Gas is not connected, so hot showers are just like in the van— boil some water, mix in a bucket and bathe. And my camp stove has migrated
We had our own parking spot, now on top of north and east and an amazing sunrise that beamed was free to run about, experience nature and be
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38 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
FEATURE STORY indoor for the time being. Everything is here to complete the flat, and as soon as I get through 50 layers of dust, I will embark on that project. I am an optimist: the glass is always half full. I was blessed to meet Dann and park on his land, blessed to have friends in Genoa with a flat and, blessed with good health. I am blessed that my daughter and her mom are healthy and safe in Nice. When we come out the other side of this monumental moment in time, when distancing is no longer obligatory, I will embark on a project to hug everyone I see. Meanwhile, I use the three most important words every time I speak with my friends and family: “I love you.”
Never forget to share these words with those who are important in your life because even though the glass is half full, it can always shatter. ■
Dann’s land, with views of the mountains to the through the back doors of the van. Calypso creative without the new worries distancing.
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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
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Pont Ruisseau Meech, Parc de la Gatineau, Que., Â north of Ottawa, built 1924
Pont Savoyard, Grand-Remous, Gatineau River, Que., built 1931
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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE Near Lac Castagnier, Abitibi, Que. ...The longest stretch of gravel, more than 70 kilometres between covered bridges, over sometimes very soft and difficult-to-negotiate surfaces on 25mm tires.
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ing ntario
Like most people, I’ve had little inclination to visit exotic destinations this year. Not that I’m afraid of COVID-19, as I have utter confidence in my immune system. My last sick day was in 1986. But for a claustrophobic, perpetual-motion machine like me, no international displacement is worth the torture of two weeks of quarantine on both ends. So instead of the usual bike tour in Europe this fall, I hoped to visit my elderly parents back east. My brother Dan, neighbour and devoted guardian of mum and dad, has stipulated no visitors permitted within 14 days of air travel. I don’t even bother suggesting that social isolation is a greater threat to the elderly than is any virus. Both as an environmentalist and as a physician, I personally consider society’s fixation on COVID-19 as highly hypocritical. However, I’ve long come to accept my status as a COVID-19 rebel and no longer engage in debate on the matter. I’d rather ride my bicycle, and there’s never been a safer time to do so. Thanks to the mandatory two-metre rule, it has finally become illegal for a motorist to strike and kill a cyclist! Luckily, Dan accepts my “Rolling Quarantine” proposal. Mum and dad still live in our childhood home, near Windsor, the southernmost city in Ontario. I land in Timmins, the northernmost airport in the province. The flight is uneventful compared to my only other trip here. Thirty-four years ago, on an emergency med-evac from my practice in Moose Factory on James Bay, I delivered a baby en route, 2,000 metres up in the air. This time, no ambulance is waiting upon my arrival. In fact, by the time I re-assemble the bicycle, I am alone in the terminal. Windsor is only 1,000 kilometres by the most direct route south. In 15 days of pedalling, I expect to do nearly double that distance, so I head east instead. Usually in September, I get my French fix in France, but this year, I must be content with poutine rather than éclairs. As a naturalist who has explored the biodiversity of hundreds of different habitats, I consider the Boreal Forest the most monotonous in the world. From the Yukon to Labrador, there are eight species of native trees, about one third the number on my parents’ one-hectare lot of Carolinian Forest. Up here, there’s no prospect of new birds for my lifelist either, so instead I focused the itinerary on another old favourite of mine ... authentic historic covered bridges. Those that remain in western Quebec (Abitibi) are generally found on isolated gravel roads. I see maybe two or three motor vehicles per hour, so social distancing is assured during my rolling quarantine. On two occasions, I cover more than 100 kilometres without finding a comfortable place to sit, let alone food or water. But consistently riding below the sweat threshold (I
hate sweating; that’s why I’m a cyclist, not a jogger) is very physiologically efficient, so I can go most of the day on a few butter tarts, a couple of Snickers and one small water bottle, stopping only for photo ops at the bridges. Although I’m in my home country, this is my first ride anywhere in 39 years of international touring for which I can’t find a proper map. It’s also my first ride with an iPhone. The device allows me to maintain contact with my medical practice back home. When you are alone all day for two weeks, it is actually a welcome distraction to have the opportunity to manage someone’s haemorrhoids or athlete’s foot. But I suspect the phone can’t help me find covered bridges, even if I really knew how to operate its GPS. So I navigate by compass, by instinct and by enquiry. On a particularly remote and deserted stretch of dirt road northeast of Amos, I come to an unmarked crossroad and, by chance, the first house I’ve seen in an hour. Not sure which way to go, I need advice. I don my mask and approach the front porch with some trepidation, having long ago learned that rural dogs in North America can harbour strong aversions to anybody not driving a large pick-up truck. Luckily, I soon learn that this particular cyclist-eating German shepherd is safely indoors, as he jumps up to eyelevel growling and barking in the window. A considerate seven-year-old boy opens the door just wide enough to provide the information I require. What a relief. But then the dog manages to nudge the door open a little more. Like a matador, I manage to wield my bike as a shield until two older children subdue the beast. Not only the bridges are covered on this journey ... so are my legs, arms and helmet as the temperature rarely surpasses the low-teens. On a 139-km stretch between Mt. Laurier and Mt. Tremblant, I push against a cold, wet headwind, but I’m content as there’s no threat of sweat, and I’m on a paved rail-trail through the forest, all day. Between back roads and bike paths, my kilometres may outnumber cars this trip. Somewhere in the Laurentian Mountains, I hit the lifetime kilometre mark of 365,000. I acquired my first odometer in September 1970. That makes an average of precisely 20 kilometres per day for 50 years. By my arrival in southern Ontario, I have effectively completed my transformation from contaminated-air traveller to squeaky-clean, solo cyclist—able to visit my 25 family members, coincidentally one for every covered bridge collected in Quebec. As satisfying as the journey was, I’ll likely wait for a COVID-19 vaccine before venturing east again. If only they’d also work on a vaccine to protect against another menace to public health: hostile dogs. n
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41
SPORTS THE SCORE
Iles traverses season of uncertainty WHISTLER DOWNHILLER REFLECTS ON ABBREVIATED 2020 WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN
BY DAN FALLOON THE 2020 UCI Downhill World Cup season was a campaign unlike any other, according to Whistler competitor Finn Iles. In a Nov. 9 interview after the conclusion of the delayed and abbreviated roster of races, the 21-year-old described an autumn of uncertainty during his two months in Europe. “Nothing felt remotely normal. It was super odd,” he said. “It felt like we were just there, we had our group of 11 people on the team. We never really left the group. We always wore masks. We drove everywhere instead of flying.” Iles added that other missing elements included autograph sessions, media commitments and socializing with riders on other teams. Even around the course, things were different, as competitors had to mask up right after finishing their run. When the day was done, they’d all head back to their respective rooms. All in all, though, Iles said he felt satisfied with the protocols the circuit put in place to protect all involved. “If you would have asked me in May if I thought I was going to be going over to Europe or if we were going to have any
POWER IN PORTUGAL Finn Iles descends during the UCI Downhill World Cup at Lousa, Portugal.
PHOTO BY BARTEK WOLINSKI / COURTESY OF FINN ILES
42 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
World Cups this year, I would have told you no,” he said. “It was an ethical dilemma choosing to go over there or not. I stayed prepared, training the whole summer, but when it came down to it, it seems like everything over there was well set up for us to be protected, as well as for other people to be protected from us.” One significant challenge, Iles explained, was the lingering sense of uncertainty throughout the eight weeks abroad. He flew
That continued through the first pair of races at Maribor, Slovenia from Oct. 15 to 18 and at the season-ender at Lousa, Portugal from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2. Iles noted that when in Portugal, he was surprised at the mixed messaging, as the federal government was pondering tighter restrictions (later implemented) just days after allowing more than 27,000 spectators at an F1 auto race. As for his own riding, Iles said he was
“Even when we were there, we were a week out from Worlds and they said, ‘We still don’t know if it’s going to happen.’” - FINN ILES
to Europe on Sept. 7 with no certainty that any events were on, but had to be around in case they happened, starting with World Championships at Leogang, Austria in early October, where he placed 34th. “Even when we were there, we were a week out from Worlds and they said, ‘We still don’t know if it’s going to happen,’” he said. “The day before the track walk, they’re saying, ‘There were more cases in Austria today than we’ve seen in a long time. We don’t know if the event’s going to go through.’”
mostly satisfied with his performance once he got going after an admittedly slow start in part because there were no spectators, but also because there was no feeling of a lead-up like usual. He took 21st in the first Maribor race before finishing fourth, just 0.46 seconds off the podium and 0.86 seconds out of first in the second contest. At Lousa, Iles took results of 35th and 16th to finish 13th in the overall standings. “I almost did feel like we were racing a World Cup,” he said of the first Maribor
race. “I had a few mistakes and finished too far back. After that, I kicked into gear and realized what we were doing. “From there, in the last two races, I was riding at a really high pace and I felt like I had what it took to get a win, or at least get up on the podium again. I just had a few stupid mistakes. I wasn’t riding my smartest. “I know the speed is there. I just need to become more consistent.” The timng of the races also created challenges. At Worlds, riders had to contend with snow and muddy conditions, for example. Even with similarities on the surface, Iles said the Sea to Sky’s winter riding conditions of mud and heavy rains weren’t comparable to what was presented this season. “I ride in the mud all the time in the winter, but you can’t prepare for the winter that we had over there of just torrential rain, really deep mud and it’s conditions that no one was prepared for,” he said. Looking ahead to 2021, Iles will look to fine-tune his strength and fitness while also reining in his occasional recklessness that has prevented consistency. He also feels that a newfound sense of adaptability and versatility developed during this season will be useful going forward. As he quarantines and rests, Iles said he plans to start training in December to ramp up for a crucial campaign. “Next year is a big year for me. It’s a year where I should be taking a big step up and being a consistent podium finisher,” he said. n
SPORTS THE SCORE
Sliding centre welcomes new head coaches OLYMPIANS APSHKRUM, CECCHINI TO LEAD LUGE, SKELETON INSTRUCTION, RESPECTIVELY
BY DAN FALLOON AT JUST 21, Brooke Apshkrum has already made the decision to step away from highperformance luge. That doesn’t mean she’s lost her love for the sport, though. The Calgarian will serve as the Whistler Sliding Centre’s luge development coach for the 2020-21 season after retiring last December. “I was not really enjoying highperformance sport as [much as] I used to, but I still had so much love for the sport and being out and around the track,” she said. Apshkrum was offered the role after previous coach Arnita Ancena could not return to Canada because of COVID-19 restrictions after heading home to Europe. “They sent me a message asking if I was interested in helping out, if I would like to coach. It sounded like a great deal to me so I came out, jumped in, and it’s been going awesome so far,” Apshkrum said. “I had definitely thought about it before. It’s always interesting to be able to develop your sport on that other end of things.” With her background as a 2016 Youth Olympics gold medallist and 2018 Olympian, Apshkrum hopes to make grassroots luge a “positive, happy space.” Apshkrum noted that the athletes she’s working with are primarily in the seven-to-14 age range in novice and developmental programs. In the latter offering, she’ll look to bridge the gap to the national NextGen level for athletes who are hoping to compete on the Junior World Cup circuit in two to three years. “I think there’s a lot to learn for this sport, and I’m making sure they have proper understanding and are properly educated before they go upstream in their development,” she said. “I really focus on my end of things on keeping a positive space, making sure they are able to have an environment that they’re comfortable learning in, that they’re comfortable to ask questions in, and they’re able to make mistakes. “Luge is definitely a sport that’s learned though experience, so allowing them to have those experiences and develop properly is the best way to do it.” Given her own decision to leave the competitive part of the sport when she did, Apshkrum is still wrestling with what challenges and pressures associated with elite performance were necessary or not. Ultimately, though, while she feels there are changes to be made, she’s focused on the role in front of her. “That’s my personal quandary thinking about whether that is how it is at the highperformance level or if there are changes to be made,” she said. “I think that here on my
end, I’m not quite up at that level to make changes, but I’m still involved in the sport and around it enough to set a tone at the beginning of their career.” Joe Cecchini, meanwhile, will head up the skeleton side of the equation, bringing his coaching staff from his Snipers Skeleton Club, including fellow Olympians Barrett Martineau and Eric Neilson as well as World Cup veteran Micaela Widmer, to help out. The program started in Calgary when the 2018 Olympian was based in Alberta, but when that track was shuttered, it made sense to head west for the season after having held successful camps in Whistler. “We talked with the staff at the Whistler Sliding Centre about what we were doing and it was a good partnership,” he said. “Working with the Whistler Sliding Centre directly, it created bigger opportunities for all the sliding athletes. Having the track
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“We try to have a more collaborative approach.” - JOE CECCHINI
onboard really solidified our ability to run the camps.” Cecchini, who also helms the Italian national team, said he and his coaches strive to work alongside the racers, who range from 15 to in their 30s, to determine and achieve their goals. He noted that some athletes are still riding part of the track while some are part of national programs. “We try to have a more collaborative approach. Each athlete is coming into the sport with different goals and intentions, whether that’s just to experience the exhilarating sport that is skeleton or if their goal is to develop into the pathway into the national program,” he said. Cecchini, who is originally from Trail, was a latecomer to skeleton, discovering it during the 2006 Winter Olympics and sliding for the first time when he was 24. He got into coaching after lending a hand to a school in Calgary and discovering that there were gaps in regular programming that he and fellow coaches jumped in to fill. “A lot of them were going to probably quit the sport, because skeleton without the proper supports is dangerous and doesn’t feel the best,” he said. Rounding out the head coaching staff is former national team athlete Tom Samuel, who will run the bobsled program. The Whistler Sliding Centre is open for the season with programming in all three sports. For more, visit whistlersportlegacies. com/whistler-sliding-centre/overview. ■
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EPICURIOUS
Cornucopia organizers hopeful to resume festival later this month ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF FOOD AND DRINK PUT ON PAUSE FOLLOWING NEW HEALTH ORDERS
BY BRANDON BARRETT SUE ECKERSLEY, president of Watermark Communications and event producer for nearly three decades, isn’t the kind of person who is used to taking directions. “I don’t like being told what to do very often,” she said with a laugh. So the decision to voluntarily postpone Watermark’s signature event, Cornucopia, rather than being forced to shut down by provincial officials, was easier than you might think. “I think it’s good that we decided voluntarily to shut down as opposed to being shut down—that feels better,” she said following Sunday’s announcement that the festival would hit the pause button for two weeks in light of the new COVID restrictions on social gatherings and non-essential travel. “We made the right decision and we’ve got overwhelming support from everyone, so that takes any sting out of it.” Already, Whistler’s annual celebration of food and drink was set to look much different than years past, with small, physically distanced seminars and dinners planned from Nov. 6 to 29 in lieu of the larger group tasting events, such as Crush and Night Market. But with provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announcing new restrictions limiting gatherings to one’s immediate household and discouraging non-essential travel between communities in the VCH and Fraser Health regions, Cornucopia was cut short just a day after it began. Initially, there was some indication that Cornucopia might be exempt from the new health orders, and organizers had planned to continue with Sunday’s events as planned before deciding late Saturday night that going ahead with an event that relies on so many visitors from the Lower Mainland would send the wrong message. Then, on Sunday, health officials confirmed that the protocols did in fact apply to Cornucopia.
POSTPONED Cornucopia organizers hope to resume the postponed festival later this month after new COVID restrictions were announced on Nov. 7.
FACEBOOK / COURTESY OF CORNUCOPIA
“We have a decent bullhorn and it seemed very tone deaf for us to do Cornucopia,” said Eckersley. “Mind you, it isn’t the Cornucopia of last year; it’s seminars and smaller dinners, not the big parties we usually host, but still a lot of people associate Cornucopia with parties, so it’s in the best interest of our community and the B.C. community to shut down and throw our support behind these public health orders.” Eckersley is hopeful the festival can resume as planned following the two-week orders, but in the meantime, is offering refunds “no questions asked” to ticket buyers who request them. In a year when the festival was already anticipating diminished revenues, postponing the event—and, in a worst-case scenario, cancelling it entirely if the health orders are significantly extended—is “a major issue” financially, Eckersley said, but she credited event owner Tourism Whistler for helping trim costs even before the new
health orders went into effect. “They been more involved in this year’s Cornucopia than ever before, trying to make it more fiscally feasible and really adapting it into a marketing and an experiential possibility in Whistler as opposed to just an event,” she added. If there was a silver lining to the postponement, it was that event staff had a day to test out the health and sanitation protocols before the event’s potential resumption later this month. “After doing it for a day and a half, we understand we can do it and we can do it well,” Eckersley said. “It was nice to put our policies and procedures to the test and find out that yes, we had our bases covered. People were saying how comfortable and safe they felt at the events.” The move comes at a time when Whistler restaurants are struggling to weather a slower shoulder season and facing the uncertainty of the upcoming
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winter. Cornucopia was designed in part to help boost restaurant traffic in the fall, and Eckersley is hopeful that those who remain in the community will continue to support their local eateries through lean times. “Cornucopia is a nice boost for them … but hopefully it will continue to be because people have now been into the restaurants and seen all the safety protocols they have in place and can feel comfortable about that.” Looking ahead to next year, Cornucopia’s 25th anniversary, Eckersley said Watermark is eyeing the possibility of holding satellite events throughout the year, not just in the fall. “It’s such a good brand, is such a great fit with Whistler and does such a great job of profiling our culinary scene … that it makes sense to look at what other times of year we can adapt to and make it happen,” she said. To stay up to date with this year’s Cornucopia festivities, visit whistlercornucopia.com. ■
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RED CROSS Babysitting Course Friday, November 20 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. • Ages 11-14 At Myrtle Philip Community Centre $88 for Whistler residents Register online at whistler.ca
FF FLEXIBLE FLEXIBLE REGISTRATION REGISTRATION Flex-reg’ have aa Flex-reg’classes classes have separatefee feeand and allow separate allow you youregister to register for classes to for classes on the on the thatschedule. fit your days thatdays fit your schedule. R REGISTERED FITNESS R REGISTERED Registered fitness classes FITNESSfee and a have a separate Registered classes defined startfitness and end date. have a separateisfee and Pre-registration required a defined start end for the entire set and of classes. date. Pre-registration is required for the entire set I INCLUDED FITNESS of classes. These classes are included with your price of admission forI noINCLUDED extra charge. FITNESS See exact schedule of These are included classesclasses at the sports centre withoryour price online at: of admission for no extra whistler.ca/recreation charge. See exact schedule of RO Registered classes at theonly sports ONLINE centre or online at: whistler.ca/recreation
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PUBLIC SKATE SCHEDULE PUBLIC SKATE SCHEDULE
NOVEMBER 5 NOVEMBER 6 NOVEMBER 7 NOVEMBER 8 NOVEMBER 9 NOVEMBER 10 NOVEMBER 11 NOVEMBER SATURDAY14 NOVEMBER SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER MONDAY16 NOVEMBER TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY18 THURSDAY12 NOVEMBER FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 12:15-1:15 p.m. 12:15-1:15 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m.
12:15-1:15 p.m. 12:15-1:15 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 6:30-7:30 p.m.
12:15-1:15 p.m. 12:15-1:15 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 6:30-7:30 p.m.
6:30-7:30 p.m.
6:30-7:30 p.m.
12:15-1:15 p.m. 12:15-1:15 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m.
12:15-1:15 p.m. 12:15-1:15 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m.
12:15-1:15 p.m. 12:15-1:15 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 6:30-7:30 p.m.
9-10 a.m. 12:15-1:15 p.m. 10:30-11:30 a.m. 1:45-2:45 p.m. 12:15-1:15 p.m.
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ARTS SCENE
Rebecca Belmore brings art rooted in social commentary to the Audain Art Museum RESERVOIR OPENS AT THE MUSEUM ON NOV. 26, FEATURING PERFORMANCE PHOTOGRAPHY, PROJECTIONS, AND MIXED MEDIA
BY ALYSSA NOEL THERE’S ONE ROOM in the upcoming Audain Art Museum exhibit, Reservoir, dedicated to the performance photography of renowned multidisciplinary Anishnabai artist Rebecca Belmore. The images might be steeped in deep, poignant messages regarding the way Indigenous people in this country have been and continue to be treated, but they’re also visually stunning. “This piece was based on a performance [Belmore] did in the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver. It was around the time that they had arrested [serial killer] Robert Pickton. It’s all about missing and murdered Indigenous women,” says Curtis Collins, director and chief curator at the museum. He’s gesturing at a large photo, called witness, of a woman (Belmore’s sister Florene) in a long, tattered red dress with the train nailed to a post. The woman looks both artfully posed and anguished as she pulls in vain at the dress. The names of missing and murdered Indigenous women are scrawled on her arms. “That was a live performance she did on the street with her own red dress,” Collins says. “But this, it’s a performance photograph.
NEW EXHIBIT Dr. Curtis Collins and Rebecca Belmore during installation of Rebecca Belmore’s, Force of Labour, 2020, mixed media. PHOTO SUBMITTED
46 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
It’s been restaged, and instead of Rebecca, it’s Florene.” The rest of the exhibit will similarly be filled with political and activist messages, but the mediums will range from video projections to a 2,900-pound sculpture in the shape of an overturned canoe under a tarp. On the day Pique visited the museum, Belmore and Florene were in the midst of creating a massive piece called Force of Labour that required them to use a lift to affix a rack’s
Media Arts, and the Gershon Iskowitz Prize. On top of that, she holds honourary doctorates from OCAD University, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, and NSCAD University. For his part, Collins first met Belmore nearly 20 years ago when her work was featured in a show at the National Gallery of Canada. “Actually, she was in my PhD dissertation,” he adds. “Two years ago, she had a major retrospective at the Art Gallery of
“This is a real coup for the museum in the fact that of all the contemporary artists that we’ve shown ... Rebecca is by far the most internationally recognized.” - CURTIS COLLINS
worth of coveralls to the wall. “This is a real coup for the museum in the fact that of all the contemporary artists that we’ve shown over the course of our history, Rebecca is by far the most internationally recognized,” Collins says. “It’s a highwater mark in terms of our contemporary programming.” Hailing from the Lac Seul First Nation, over three-and-a-half decades, Belmore has had solo exhibits everywhere from the Art Gallery of Ontario to the Banff Centre for the Arts and earned numerous awards, including the Jack and Doris Shadbolt Foundation’s VIVA Award, the Governor General’s Award in Visual and
Ontario and so I went and met with her then. We started talking about this exhibition, so it’s been a while in the making.” Then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. That pushed the show back, but, more recently, it has impacted a live piece Belmore was set to perform on the lawn of the museum for the exhibit opening. The 35-minute performance would have seen a limited audience outside and indoors looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the space. “I’m not going to give you too much other than the fact that [a] truck is in it,” Collins says.
With new restrictions from the province passed down last Saturday, Nov. 7, that performance is now pushed back to spring while plans for safe opening celebrations have been cancelled. The show, however, will go on, running from Nov. 26 to May 16. “This will be a very different show in the fact that traditionally we have lots of paintings, photographs, sculptures and the gallery is very full,” Collins says. “This will be a very minimal show. There’s not more than nine or 10 pieces total.” While some are being created specifically for the show, others are reiterations of older pieces. “Rebecca continually recycles work and positions it differently for different spaces for different purposes,” Collins says. Ultimately, while the work may challenge some of the viewers who visit the museum for, say, its many pleasing landscapes, it says something important and relevant. “A lot of Rebecca’s work is socially, politically rooted; I would consider her an art activist,” Collins says. “And a lot of what she’s dealing with is disparity of wealth and she takes a very workperson-like approach to her work ... One of the driving things for her is rooted in her Anishnabai ancestry … and the fact that she thinks about these larger social-political issues and then often the turn for her is how these things affect the First Nations. There’s broader implications and more specific implications.” For more, visit audainartmuseum.com/ upcoming-exhibitions. n
MICRO EXHIBITION ON DISPLAY UNTIL NOVEMBER 22 Exploring Land and Ideas The Art of Takao Tanabe and Jack Shadbolt The West Coast of British Columbia is exceptionally beautiful. The province’s natural wilderness, rugged mountains, and expansive oceans provide vital sources of inspiration for many B.C. artists.
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Jack Shadbolt and Takao Tanabe have played crucial roles as both artists and teachers in bold and innovative styles. Works by both artists have been paired to demonstrate the development of unique aesthetic styles that depict visions of physicality and imagination. Left: Takao Tanabe, N.W.T. 1/97: Beaulieu River, 1997 Right: Jack Shadbolt, Alternative Transformations: After Rain, 1996
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NOVEMBER 12, 2020
47
ARTS SCENE
WORLD PREMIERE Sugar Daddy, written by and starring Kelly McCormack, will kick off the online portion of the Whistler Film Festival. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL
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48 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
Whistler Film Festival lineup tailors films for hybrid format SCREENINGS TAKE PLACE IN WHISTLER, VANCOUVER, AND ONLINE NEXT MONTH
BY ALYSSA NOEL WHEN THE WHISTLER Film Festival (WFF) decided it would host a small selection of in-person theatre screenings this year, Paul Gratton knew exactly which to pick. “A lot of it had to do with talking to our B.C. filmmakers who were heartbroken they wouldn’t have a technical in-theatre premiere for their movies,” says Gratton, director of programming for the festival. “They all wanted to have their little moment in the sun.” While it won’t be like premieres of past years—complete with Whistler-style after parties—the 50-person screenings will still give those filmmakers a chance to debut their films surrounded by an audience. “We didn’t embark on this [approach] as a way to make money,” Gratton says. “It’s to honour the filmmakers.” To that end, a total eight features and 10 shorts will screen in Whistler between Dec. 3 and 6—and 30 features and 51 shorts will stream online throughout the entire month. On top of that, because of the limited space (factoring in physical distancing) in Whistler, organizers also decided to host five premieres in Vancouver from Dec. 4 to 6 as well. The online festival will kick off with the world premiere of Sugar Daddy, written by and starring Kelly McCormack. It tells the story of an aspiring musician who offers dinner companionship to older men in exchange for money. “[McCormack] has been in Letterkenny and done television, but nothing she’s done in the past has prepared me for the incredible performance she gives in this movie,” Gratton says. “I’m hoping it’s one of the great discoveries of the film festival. I hope the film is a big hit and it makes Kelly a big star.” The in-theatre Whistler premiere, meanwhile, will be the world premiere of In Her City, directed by B.C. filmmaker and festival alumnus Carl Bessai. It features short vignettes from 17 actors of
diverse backgrounds. Vancouver’s in-theatre premiere feels particularly fitting. The documentary The Decline will kick off the festival offerings in the city by taking a deep dive into East Vancouver’s growing fentanyl crisis. It will be screened just blocks from the Downtown Eastside. “If you can’t get tickets, people will be able to see them online,” Gratton says about the in-theatre offerings. Having selected the films from a recordbreaking 1,350 submissions this year, he says it’s hard to highlight just a few. But there are some—mostly steeped in the natural world—that he thinks will be of particular interest to Whistlerites. Overland, by Elizabeth Haviland James and Revere La Noue, is a documentary about four diverse people who train birds of prey on four different continents. “The relationships between these trainers and their birds will have appeal to people in Whistler,” Gratton says. “The nature in the film is breathtaking.” Another potential crowd-pleaser for dog-loving locals is Stray, directed by Elizabeth Lo in Istanbul, Turkey. “It’s shot from [the stray dog’s] point of view. I thought it was incredible … I think if you’re a dog lover, you can’t afford to miss it,” Gratton says. This year, completely by chance, half the films are by first-time filmmakers, he adds. “I was surprised by that,” he says. “It was after I chose the best movies I could get that I looked and said, ‘Holy moly, we’re really fulfilling that mandate.” On top of that, more than 70 per cent of the titles haven’t been shown in Canada before. That bodes well for this year’s online, video-on-demand, format that will allow people across the country to stream films throughout December. “I’m excited,” Gratton says. “It’s going to be very interesting, the fact that we have a national platform has probably informed the films we picked this year.” To see the entire list, and to buy tickets, head to whistlerfilmfestival.com. n
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NOVEMBER 12, 2020
49
MUSEUM MUSINGS
SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE A bus picks up skiers at the gondola base, today known as Creekside. WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION, 1979
Whistler’s Silver Book BY ALLYN PRINGLE WHEN TALKING about the creation of
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the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) in 1975 and the early development of the Whistler Village through the 1980s, one of the documents that is often mentioned is the “Silver Book,” also known as the Community Development Study for the Whistler Mountain Area. The Silver Book was put together in 1974 by the planning services division of the Department of Municipal Affairs of BC and contained a study of the current state of the area, thoughts on potential growth, and a recommended framework for creating both a short- and long-term community development plan. The report was a key factor in the formation of the RMOW and was one of the first documents to recommend a single-centred town centre on the site of the garbage dump. The Silver Book also included plans for residential development, infrastructure such as sewer and water systems, further recreational development, and transportation both to and within the area. Reading through the report, it is clear that some of the transportation woes experienced by Whistler in the past few years are similar to those thought of back in 1974. At the time, almost all travel between Whistler and Vancouver was done by private automobiles on the two-lane highway. According to the report, “At peak times, particularly winter Sunday evenings, traffic on the highway is almost bumper to bumper.” The capacity of the highway in winter conditions was calculated to be about 500 vehicles per hour, but with many skiers arriving and leaving at the same time the traffic slowed to a crawl. The idea of building a new road with a different route to Whistler was dismissed as too expensive at $80 to $100 million (adjusted for inflation, $400 to $500 million), as was a proposal to expand the
existing highway significantly. Using rail to expand transport capacity was considered, but it was concluded that the railway, designed for moving freight, “does not lend itself to the operation of high-speed passenger trains.” A weekend ski-train was proposed, but this would have removed only 600 skiers per day from the road. Though increased bus service was expected to provide only a modest increase in capacity, it was considered the most effective solution. Buses were also an important part of the transportation plan within the Whistler area. The community was expected to develop in a linear fashion along the highway and be “somewhat sprawling.” The plan for a single town centre area meant that municipal and commercial services would require travelling outside of the different subdivisions, which, if all trips were taken in a private automobile, could lead to excessive traffic noise, air pollution, and “aesthetically inappropriate large-scale parking lots” at the town centre. Instead, the recommendation was to develop an efficient public transport system within the valley. The Silver Book outlined several ways of encouraging the use of public transport, but only one was marked “not workable” by the donor of one copy in our collections: toll gates and restricted parking. The idea was that toll gates at the north and south ends of Whistler would encourage visitors to take a bus or train, while residents could apply for an annual windshield sticker that would allow them through. These “stickered” vehicles would, however, not be allowed to park at the town centre during peak periods, thereby “forcing” residents to use buses and reducing the size of parking structure needed. The Silver Book provides an interesting look at what the province thought Whistler could become from the early 1970s. Some of the plans and predictions of the report (such as the linear development) have been realized while others either have never come to fruition (toll gates) or have far exceeded these early plans. n
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CHASING STARS Chasing stars at Beaver Pond, to be more specific. “I had an idea to capture star trails a little bit differently a while ago,” the photographer told Pique in an email. “This photo is a blend of 240 x 30 sec. Photos taken in CURIOUS COYOTE Need a reason to keep your pets on a leash? This coyote was spotted on a daytime stroll through Whistler Village on Tuesday, Nov. 10. PHOTO BY TY SHELLEY. 3 SUNSHINE AND SNOW Is there anything like a bright, snowy November day to get you stoked for ski season? With the sun shining on Tuesday, Whistler Village glimmered under the fresh flakes that fell over the resort the night before. PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE. 4 PHYSICALLY DISTANCED SKATE Players from the Whistler Women’s Hockey League made sure to stay a hockey stick’s length apart during a COVID-friendly skills session at Meadow Park on Thursday, Nov. 5. PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE. 5 HUMMINGBIRD BEAUTY A hummingbird is pictured in snowy Pemberton. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 6 CHILL ZONE A paddleboarder enjoying the sunshine on Green Lake on Monday, Nov. 9. PHOTO BY MICHEL CHARTRAND.
August 2020.” Can you spot him? PHOTO BY FILIP HRKEL. 2
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
ASTROLOGY
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020 – 4:00 P.M.
This Public Hearing will be held electronically pursuant to Local Government Meetings and Bylaw Process (COVID-19) Order No. 3 (Ministerial Order M192/2020). If the Government of British Columbia lifts the Provincial State of Emergency currently in place before November 17, 2020, this Public Hearing will be held at the following location: MAURY YOUNG ARTS CENTRE Franz Wilhelmsen Theatre, 4335 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC ZONING AMENDMENT BYLAW (8104 MCKEEVERS PLACE) NO. 2292, 2020 SUBJECT LANDS: The parcel that is the subject of the proposed Bylaw is 8104 McKeevers Place, Whistler, described as Lot 2 District Lot 7300 Plan LMP99. The parcel is identified as “subject property” on the map attached to this notice. PURPOSE: In general terms, the purpose of the proposed Bylaw is to amend the CL2 Zone by adding “restaurant” to the Permitted Uses and maintaining part of the commercial gross floor area (GFA) for convenience retail of everyday items. INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS: A copy of the proposed Bylaw and relevant background documentation along with written submissions received may be inspected at the Reception Desk of Municipal Hall at 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, during regular office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (statutory holidays excluded) from November 5, 2020 to and including November 16, 2020, and on November 17, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (the start time for the Public Hearing). A copy of the proposed Bylaw and relevant background documentation along with written submissions received may also be viewed online on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) website at: whistler.ca/RZ001094 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: All persons who believe that their interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaw will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard by Council at the Public Hearing. All persons can: 1) submit written comments to Council; and/or 2) make oral representations LIVE via online video or phone conferencing. (Your image will not be broadcast to Council or the public.) 1. Submit Written Comments to Council Written comments must be addressed to “Mayor and Council”, and include your name and mailing address. Until 2:00 p.m. on November 17, 2020, written submissions will be received at the following: Email: corporate@whistler.ca Fax: 604-935-8109 Hard Copy: Resort Municipality of Whistler Legislative Services Department 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler BC V8E 0X5 Written submissions will also be accepted on November 17, 2020 between 2:00 p.m. and the time when the motion to close the Public Hearing is made. During this timeframe, written comments must be submitted by email to: corporate@ whistler.ca All submissions will form part of the Public Hearing record and will be added to the Public Hearing Package as they are received. The Public Hearing Package will be available on the RMOW website at: whistler.ca/RZ001094 2. Participate LIVE via Online Video or Phone Conferencing The live Public Hearing will take place November 17, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. via online video and phone conferencing. The Public Hearing will be conducted using Zoom and can be accessed via either online video or phone conferencing. No registration is required. If you wish to make oral representations to Council on the proposed Bylaw by online video or by phone, please use the Public Hearing web link or one of the phone numbers (including Webinar ID) provided below. • The web link for the Public Hearing online video option is: https://whistler.zoom.us/j/64030919387 • The phone numbers to access the Public Hearing phone conferencing option are as follows: +1-778-907-2071 +1-647-374-4685 • The Webinar ID is: 640 3091 9387 Instructions for Participating via Zoom Online Video or Phone Conferencing • Online video: It is possible to access the Public Hearing on a computer, tablet or smartphone using the web link above. Your camera will not be available, but your microphone will need to be enabled. To indicate that you wish to make an oral representation, click on the ‘raise hand’ feature. The moderator will allow each person to speak in turn. When it is your turn to speak, your microphone will be unmuted and you will be asked to provide your name and address for the public record. Please be patient as there may be others in the queue before you. • Phone conferencing: To access the Public Hearing by phone, use one of the phone numbers above along with the Webinar ID as prompted. To indicate that you wish to make an oral representation, use the ‘raise hand’ feature by dialing [*9]. When it is your turn to speak, the moderator will announce the last three digits of your phone number, and your line will be unmuted. You will be asked to provide your name and address for the public record. Please be patient as there may be others in the queue before you. After the conclusion of this Public Hearing, Council cannot receive representations from the public on the proposed Bylaw. General information on participating in the RMOW’s electronic public hearings is available here: https://www.whistler.ca/municipal-gov/council/public-hearings Members of the public can also view the Live Stream of the Public Hearing at: https://www.whistler.ca/municipal-gov/council/watch-council-meetings ZONING AMENDMENT BYLAW (8104 MCKEEVERS PLACE) NO. 2292, 2020 Map showing Subject Lands
Free Will Astrology WEEK OF NOVEMBER 12 BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Love can’t always do work,”
wrote novelist Iris Murdoch. “Sometimes it just has to look into the darkness.” From what I can tell, you’ve been doing that recently: looking into the darkness for love’s sake. That’s a good thing! You have been the beneficiary of the blessings that come through the contemplation of mysteries and enigmas. You’ve been recalibrating your capacity to feel love and tenderness in the midst of uncertainty. I suspect that it will soon be time to shift course, however. You’re almost ready to engage in the intimate work that has been made possible by your time looking into the darkness. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Barbara Kingsolver says, “Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say.” That’s always valuable advice, but it’ll be especially useful to keep in mind during the coming weeks. You’re probably going to feel more pressure than usual to tell others what they wish you would tell them; you may experience some guilt or worry about being different from their expectations of you. Here’s the good news: I’m pretty certain you can be true to yourself without seeming like a jerk to anyone or damaging your long-term interests. So you might as well say and do exactly what’s real and genuine. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks,” wrote playwright Tennessee Williams. I think that’s a poetic but accurate description of the feat you’ve been working on lately, Gemini. You’re gently smashing through stony obstructions. You’ve been calling on your irrepressible will to enjoy life as you have outsmarted the rugged, jagged difficulties. You’re relying on beauty and love to power your efforts to escape a seemingly no-win situation. Congratulations! Keep up the good work! CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian rapper Vince Staples says, “I feel like it’s impossible to be completely yourself.” Why? Because ideally we’re always outgrowing who we have become; we’re moving beyond the successes we have already achieved. There is no final, whole, ideal “self” to inhabit and express—only more and more of our selfness to create. Staples suggests we’d get bored if we reached a mythical point where we had figured out exactly who we are and embodied it with utter purity. We always have a mandate to transform into a new version of our mystery. Sounds like fun! Everything I just said, Cancerian, is an empowering meditation for you right now. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “I am my own sanctuary and I can be reborn as many times as I choose throughout my life.” Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga said that, and now I offer it to you to use as your motto. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it’s a fabulous time to be your own sanctuary. I invite you to rebirth yourself at least twice between now and the end of November. What’s the first step you’ll take to get started? VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The National Football League is a giant socialist enterprise. It earns billions of dollars of revenue, and shares it equally with each of its 32 teams. So the team in Green Bay, Wis., population 105,000, receives the same payout as the team in Chicago, population 2.7 million. I advocate a comparable approach for you in the coming weeks. Just for now, distribute your blessings and attention and favours as evenly as possible, showing no favouritism toward a particular child or friend or pet or loved one or influence. Be an impartial observer, as well. Try to restrain biases and preferential treatment as you act with even-handed fair-mindedness. Don’t worry: You can eventually go back to being a subjective partisan if you want. For the foreseeable future, your well-being requires cordial neutrality. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Who is to decide between ‘Let it be’ and ‘Force it’?” asked Libran author Katherine Mansfield. I mention this because you’re now hanging
out in the limbo zone between “Let it be” and “Force it.” But very soon—I’m sure you’ll have a clear intuition about when—you’ll figure out how to make a decisive move that synthesizes the two. You will find a way to include elements of both “Let it be” and “Force it.” SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me,” wrote Scorpio poet Dylan Thomas (1914–1953) in a letter to a friend. That sounds like a lot of energy to manage! And he didn’t always do a good job at it—although he did at times tap into his primal wellspring to create some interesting poetry. I’m going to use Thomas’s words in your horoscope, because I think that in the coming weeks you can be a subtle, refined, and mature blend of a beast, angel, and madperson. Be your wisest wild self, dear Scorpio! SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Activist and author Rebecca Solnit writes, “The grounds of my hope have always been that history is wilder than our imagination of it and that the unexpected shows up far more regularly than we ever dream.” In my astrological estimation, her grounds for hope should also be yours in the coming weeks. The future is more wide-open than you might think. The apparent limitations of the past are at least temporarily suspended and irrelevant. Your fate is purged of some of your old conditioning and the inertia of tradition. I encourage you to make a break for freedom. Head in the direction of the Beautiful Unknown. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa doesn’t stand straight, but tilts at an angle. Why? The soil it was built on is soft on one side. So the marble-and-limestone structure began to tip even before it was finished. That’s the weird news. The good news is that the tower has remained standing for more than eight centuries—and has stayed intact even though four major earthquakes have rolled through the area. Why? A research team of engineers determined it’s because of the soft foundation soil, which prevents the tower from resonating violently with the temblors. So the very factor that makes it odd is what keeps it strong. Is there a comparable phenomenon in your life? I believe there is. Now is a good time to acknowledge this blessing—and enhance your use of it. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Even if you tend to pay more attention to what’s going wrong than what’s going right, I ask you to change your attitude for the next three weeks. Even if you believe that cynicism is an intelligent perspective and a positive attitude is a wasteful indulgence, I encourage you to suspend those beliefs. As an experiment—and in accordance with astrological potentials—I invite you to adopt the words of activist Helen Keller as your keynote: “Every optimist moves along with progress and hastens it, while every pessimist would keep the world at a standstill. The consequence of pessimism in the life of a nation is the same as in the life of the individual. Pessimism kills the instinct that urges people to struggle against poverty, ignorance and crime, and dries up all the fountains of joy in the world.” PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Researchers in the U.K. found that 62 per cent of the adult population brags that they’ve read classic books that they have not in fact read. Why? Mostly to impress others. George Orwell’s 1984 is the top-rated book for fake claims, followed by Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, James Joyce’s Ulysses, and the Bible. I hope you won’t engage in anything like that type of behaviour during the weeks ahead. In my opinion, it’s even more crucial than usual for you to be honest and authentic about who you are and what you do. Lying about it might seem to be to your advantage in the short run, but I guarantee it won’t be. Homework: What’s the one thing you have never said to your best friend that you really should say? FreeWillAstrology.com
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates
Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca
52 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
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MEETING PLACE Welcome Centre at Whistler Public Library - Information, support, community connections and ESL practice groups for newcomers and immigrants. Meet people, make connections, volunteer, build your communication skills in English. Multicultural Meet Up every Friday 9.3012pm.604-698-5960 info@welcomewhistler.com FB: WhistlerWelcomeCentre
Are you passionate about helping people and your community? Whistler Community Service Society (WCSS) are seeking ambassadors to join our team: Food Security Worker and Driver. This is a contract position until the end of January with the possibility of extension. It is 24-32 hours/week to support our Food Security team in the delivery of Foodbank, School lunch programming and food recovery. Send your cover letter and resume to gizem@mywcss.org. Closing Nov 15 Accounting Assistant to assist our finance department in the delivery of organizational support and bookkeeping. This is a permanent, full time position at 32 hours/week. Send your cover letter and resume to finance@mywcss.org Closing Nov 20 Full job descriptions can be found on our website at mywcss.org.
Whistler Athletes’ Centre (High-Performance Training and Accommodation) Positions for this venue are currently filled Whistler Sliding Centre (Bobsleigh, Luge & Skeleton) Facility Operations Worker Whistler Olympic Park (Nordic Skiing, Snowshoeing and Outdoor Activities) Nordic Sport Instructor Maintenance and Operations Worker
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EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ***Local Automotive*** Automotive technician for year round position in Whistler. 604-905-9109 steve@localautomotive.com Whistler Personnel Solutions Full-time, part-time & temp jobs. No cost, no strings. 604-905-4194 www.whistler-jobs.com
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The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is located in southwestern BC and consists of 4 member municipalities (Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet) and 4 electoral areas. The region contains some of the most spectacular forests, waterways, and mountains in the province and affords an endless range of opportunities for outdoor adventure. Headquartered in Pemberton, which is the approximate geographic centre of the region, the SLRD delivers a wide range of regional, sub-regional and local services to its residents. Services include land use planning, solid waste management, building inspection, fire protection, emergency preparedness, 911 services, recreation, water and sewer utilities, regional transit, trails and open spaces as well as financial support for various community services. The SLRD is seeking an experienced individual to perform communications, grant administration duties, community outreach and project management planning and implementation in support and under the direction of the Director of Environmental Services. This is a new permanent, full-time position with diverse responsibilities. At this time, it is anticipated that this position will initially be remote due to the COVID pandemic but will, in accordance with the SLRD reopening plan, eventually be located at the SLRD office in Pemberton. The ideal candidate will have a post-secondary education in communications, public relations, marketing, environmental studies or a related discipline as well as five or more years of relevant experience. Candidates must have marketing and graphic design skills, experience in project implementation and superior communication and public engagement skills with the ability to work within deadlines. The successful candidate will be responsible for: •
Developing and implementing departmental communications plans.
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Coordinating the development, design, production and delivery of a variety of printed and electronic information and marketing materials.
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Monitoring, analysing and reporting on metrics related to various communications and public engagement activities, including web and social media analytics.
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Developing, delivering, evaluating and reporting on community engagement Solid Waste Regional Management campaigns.
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Coordinating community relations, engagement and education.
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Reviewing various grant funding opportunities, compiling information, writing grant applications and completing grant reporting requirements.
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TRAVEL CONSULTANT 4 x 10 Hour Days Per Week, Year Round Position With Benefits Travel Consultants have a passion for ensuring that guests have the best possible vacation experience in Whistler. The main goal of Travel Consultants is to sell an entire Whistler vacation package, including accommodations, activities and transportation. The successful candidate is an enthusiastic individual who can share their passion for Whistler and close the sale. Excellent communication skills, commitment to customer service, and knowledge of Whistler is essential for this role. To view our career opportunities, and to apply, visit us online at: whistler.com/careers.
For further information, please see the full job description at www.slrd.bc.ca/employment. 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, no later than December 7, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. to: Angela Belsham, Director of Environmental Services Squamish-Lillooet Regional District abelsham@slrd.bc.ca We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.
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Delta by Marriott Whistler Village Suites Is currently recruiting for the following Positions are:
- Mechanical Maintenance Associate - Shuttle Driver, Seasonal Part-Time *must have class 4 driver’s license - Guest Service Agent - Houseperson STAFF HOUSING IS AVAILABLE. Start your journey today with: competitive wages, growth opportunities, a positive team environment, medical benefits, play money (ski pass, etc), travel benefits to over 7,000 hotels world wide! To Apply: either submit an application online at Marriott.com/careers or send your resume to barbara.fraser@deltahotels.com
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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 oversee 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 candidate will be an upbeat team player with great attention to detail who possesses: • •
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. 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 November 22, 2020. We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest. However, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.
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HR Coordinator/Executive Assistant – Permanent, Full-time position Are you a natural? Become one of the Village of Pemberton’s most valuable natural resources: our people. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) the HR Coordinator/Executive Assistant supports a wide range of human resources issues and provides confidential administrative assistance to CAO, Mayor and Council. This position is responsible for the preparation of HR policies and procedures, full-cycle recruitment, performance management, labour relations, and all facets of the Village’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Program. Qualifications include post-secondary education in Human Resources management or related field and a minimum of five years’ experience in a Human Resources Generalist role. Experience working in local government/unionized setting is preferred. A CPHR designation and post-secondary education in Public Administration would be considered an asset. If you would like to be part of a small team making a big difference, let’s talk. Please send your resume and cover letter to recruiting@pemberton.ca by Friday, November 27, 2020. For a full job description and to learn more about the Village of Pemberton, please visit www.pemberton.ca
VillageOfPemberton 58 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
www.pemberton.ca
Now hiring for the following positions: GUEST SERVICE AGENT ROOM ATTENDANT HOUSEPERSON OVERNIGHT HOUSEPERSON SKI VALET (FULL-TIME) BREAKFAST ATTENDANT (FULL-TIME & PART-TIME) • • • • • • •
Competitive Wages Associate Housing Wellness Allowance/Ski Pass Flexible Schedule Discounted Food Extended Medical Benefits Spa Discounts
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
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SUSHI VILLAGE IS HIRING EXPERIENCED JAPANESE CHEFS IN WHISTLER Responsibilities: • • • • • • • • • •
Preparing Sushi and cooking other Japanese traditional food. Plan menu and ensure food meets quality standards. Estimate food requirements and estimate food and labour costs. Instruct Kitchen Helpers and Cooks in preparation, cooking, and presentation of food. Supervise Cooks and Kitchen helpers. Assist Head Chef with recruiting and hiring kitchen staff Inspecting ingredients for quality and freshness and supervising all food preparation. Create new menus and specials. Ensure excellent customer services at the Sushi bar. Work as a team and ensure orders are completed in timely manner.
Qualifications: • Completion of secondary school and minimum of 3 years of experience as a cook/chef Full-time / All season / Permanent Language: English 40 hours per week $25 per hour Benefits: 4% vacation pay, BC medical coverage and extended health plan. Start date: As soon as possible.
Reception and Administrative Assistant - Permanent, Full-time position Are you a natural? Become one of the Village of Pemberton's most valuable natural resources: our people. The Reception and Administrative Assistant is the face of the Village of Pemberton, the first point of contact for the public, responding to basic inquiries and referring to all departments. Daily tasks include, but are not limited to; welcoming residents, answering the phone, receipting cash transactions, filing, processing of service requests, drafting basic letters, coordinating shipping, ordering of supplies and general office maintenance and support to other Departments as required. If you have experience in office administration, cash handling skills and a great work ethic, let's talk. Please send your resume and cover letter to recruiting@pemberton.ca by Friday, November 13, 2020. For a full job description and to learn more about the Village of Pemberton, please visit www.pemberton.ca
Address: 10, 11 – 4340 Sundial Crescent, Whistler, BC, V0N 1B4 Apply By Email At Info@Sushivillage.com
VillageOfPemberton
www.pemberton.ca NOVEMBER 12, 2020
59
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60 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
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PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 16 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 39 41 43 45 46 49 51 52 55 59 60 62 63 64 66 67 69 71 72
74 75 76 77 78 80 81 82 83 84 85 89 91 92 93 94 97 98 100 101 102
Farming major Weightlifter’s pride Earthmover Off-road vehicles Salon offerings Distinctive period Dwelling place Agree to Philatelist’s item Domesticates Durable fabric Be loud, as a radio On the fringes Plaid wearers Bigfoot cousin Please, to Fritz Priest’s domain Gnaw Most expensive Unflinching Pina — JAMA readers “— on the Range” Composer — Bartok Before Sept. Ancient harp Is, in Segovia El Dorado loot “Mr. Mom” actress (2 wds.) Samuel Clemens Athena’s symbol New puppies Felt boot Grand — island Restriction Ripple pattern Chorister’s surplice
104 105 106 107 108 111 112 114 115 116 117 118 120 123 125 130
132 135 136 138 140 142 143 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154
Settles up Start liking (2 wds.) Graceland name 1300 hours Bumps on a frog Icy burg Observed Part of LAX Pandemonium Swab Porgy’s love Hull bottom De Palma or Keith King, in France Mandrake’s field Most attractive Ayla’s creator Use steel wool High dudgeon Give an address “Northanger Abbey” novelist EMT technique Pat on the back Slicker Els or Kovacs Kind of ballot Summer, to Pierre Coalition Gambling stake Hush-hush org. — ex machina Grain husk Cast a vote Retrieve a fish (2 wds.) The same as above Sign of affection (2 wds.) Sat down
Drove, slangily High up TV’s Hawkeye —, vidi, vici River in Italy Put on airs Prepare beef Granny’s brooch Call to mind Novel or short story Renowned Decorate Worked a claim More feasible Trains for boxing Fairies’ rods Go-ahead (hyph.)
DOWN 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Lhasa — Rise from a bed (2 wds.) Persona non — Dunk Lively intelligence More irritable Fall birthstone “Gladiator” extra Like an overlook Cries at a circus Scout leader, often Followed orders District Revises text Send money Yak Oval Raise spirits Harbors
20 34 36 37 38 40 42 44 46 47 48 50 53 54 56 57 58 60 61 62 65 68 69 70 72 73 75 79 80 82 83 84 86 87 88 90 91 92
Good-natured Like a judge Tusked critter Book jacket ad Trail behind Early garden? Certain bow ties (hyph.) Forever Sherlock’s surname Oval-nest builder Gumshoe’s quest Rock tumbler stone Edible roots Narrow inlet Several Tease Singing voice Kickoff stands Circus routine “— all she wrote!” Junk jewelry Kitchen wear Hasty escape Art of flower arrangement Refreshing For a short time Highest point Drivers’ org. Roulette color Endorse Greek island Felt grief Richer, as batter Afternoon nap Wire mesh Language suffix More active Competed in a rodeo
93 94 95 96 97 99 102 103 105 107 109 110 113 115 117 119 121
Foal’s mother Travel kit item Eurasian mountains Baja fast food Em, Bee, or Polly ICU units Comic-strip prince Executes perfectly Trattoria sauce Dines Cheese in a trap College fees Bewilder So-so grade Peru neighbor Kiln user Blackboard need
122 124 125 126 127 128 129 131 133 134 137 139 141 144 145
Sagebrush State Tribal emblems Sounds hoarse Violet lead-in Steel additive Is entitled to America’s Cup entrant Fiend Dark wood Fools a goalie Computer input Aficionado Change decor Gridiron stats Crow’s cry
LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS
Enter a digit from 1 through 9 in each cell, in such a way that: • Each horizontal row contains each digit exactly once • Each vertical column contains each digit exactly once • Each 3x3 box contains each digit exactly once Solving a sudoku puzzle does not require any mathematics; simple logic suffices.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: HARD
9 7
8 5
4 7 8 3
2 1 5 7 6
4 7
5 9 2 4 8
3 2 3 2
8 2
3 6
HARD Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 46
ANSWERS ON PAGE 54
NOVEMBER 12, 2020
61
MAXED OUT
Not council’s finest hour OTHER THAN BREATHING a long sigh of relief, I’m not going to comment on the ongoing drama playing out south of the border. There’s too much of that elsewhere, written by folks who are just guessing and rehashing what’s already been speculated. The man-child prez will never admit defeat but will eventually be evicted from the White House. Good enough for me. So, following the mantra of all politics being local, let’s parse the most recent gutwrenching decision made by council—the green light for proceeding with the project to underground utilities in White Gold.
BY G.D. MAXWELL Firing up my Wayback Machine, I’m reminded of an experience long ago when I was the youngest lawyer in a prestigious firm in a small town in southern New Mexico. The most senior partner was a wily, rangy gent who favoured cowboy boots, string ties and an aw-shucks attitude that masked a brilliant legal mind. He had an upcoming state Supreme Court hearing, on a matter the details of which I frankly can’t remember. But he’d had my nose in law books for several weeks exhaustively researching the current state of the law germane to the case. When the day came to discuss it with him, I wasn’t looking forward to the exchange. The law was not on his side. He queried me on all the relevant points, put his feet up on his desk and contorted his face into an expression of deep thought. After an interminable period of time, he spoke. “The law’s wrong.” Before my brain re-engaged, I blurted out, “You’re kidding!” He proceeded to school me on the difference between law and equity, legalspeak for right and wrong, fair and unfair. He gave me a primer on the importance of challenging unfair laws, that being the only way to begin to chip away at them and get them changed through the legal system as opposed to the legislative route. I left the meeting humbled... but feeling sorry for him and his upcoming hearing. He took me out for a beer after he’d won that case and changed the law. Lesson learned. Watching the questions and comments of our councillors pondering the White Gold matter, it’s clear many of them were overly concerned with the procedure outlined in the Community Charter as it pertains to local area service initiatives. It is also clear they missed Mr. Hallisey’s early clarification of that section of the Charter when he said, “Council is not compelled to move forward under the Community Charter. Council has to decide where and how to use municipal resources.” He summed up by underscoring it was not mandatory to approve this
62 NOVEMBER 12, 2020
GETTYIMAGES.CA
initiative but was up to council’s discretion. Congratulations to Councillor Jen Ford for hearing that part. This is a bad decision for many reasons. First, let’s dispose of the straw men. This project is, as BC Hydro recognizes, a beautification project. It is about aesthetics and it’s driven by gentrification. The money Hydro is going to kick in, about 15 per cent of the project’s estimated $5.5-million budget, is coming by way of a BC Hydro Beautification Grant. The specious, additional rationale for the project is safety—reduced wildfire risk—and reduced risk of power outages. When asked if there had ever been a wildfire in Whistler started by downed power lines, the answer was no. And, as a
one point: Council could have killed this initiative without doing any violence to the Community Charter. Since the muni has to foot the initial cost by borrowing funds from the Municipal Finance Authority—paid back by additions to homeowners’ property taxes over the next 30 years—Council could have simply voted to not borrow the money. Case closed. Since the cry is often heard that some on council and staff are concerned about the totality of the RMOW’s debt level and the effect it may have on Whistler’s future ability to borrow, that would have been a sound reason to decline. After all, this isn’t about putting sewers in where none exist. This is about spending millions to beautify a neighbourhood by bringing utilities where
So it’s about the visual pollution of power poles and lines, folks. Oh, and the belief of some that having them underground will enhance their property values.
resident of Rainbow, built a decade ago with underground utilities, I can assure you our power has gone down several times because of interruptions that took place well outside our neighbourhood. So it’s about the visual pollution of power poles and lines, folks. Oh, and the belief of some that having them underground will enhance their property values. Before touching on the more troubling issues of unfairness, let’s be clear on
utilities already exist. Triaging local needs, that seems to be pretty far down the list. From a fairness perspective, White Gold isn’t a strata. It’s one of Whistler’s oldest neighbourhoods. There are people who live there who have been here long enough to have stumbled home from The Boot pub back when it was almost the only game in town. They are, like so many of the town’s early residents, house rich and cash poor. Yet, under the Community Charter, 50
per cent of their neighbours owning 50 per cent of the cumulative value of homes can force them to take on an unknown amount of debt to beautify the neighbourhood. Many of those neighbours don’t live in White Gold. They just own homes there. The neighbours who started this process weren’t able to get 50 per cent on side in time. They were granted an extension, the rationale being COVID-19 may have delayed international mail. The muni was understanding of that impact of the pandemic. But they were seemingly unconcerned about the financial impact of the pandemic on homeowners who will be forced to add $30,000 to their property tax bill for the next three decades. They weren’t concerned about the additional cost, estimated between $4,500 and $22,500, to bring those underground services into individual homes. They weren’t concerned this whole initiative started well before the pandemic and they’re not concerned about continuing as though it never happened. Perhaps worst of all, they’re not concerned they really have no firm budget for the project. They have what was termed a pre-conceptual budget. Some of them are concerned if that budget balloons—not like that ever happens in Tiny Town—they may have to re-petition the neighbourhood and run the risks of a vote to pull the plug. If that should happen, no one is sure but it’s very likely the muni will eat approximately $850,000 of costs for the first phase, the one during which they’ll discover the real cost. With significant opposition within White Gold, such an easy way out, no real budget, financial hardship for some, no real need other than vain aesthetics, an unknowable financial future, a pandemic continuing to rage, this decision was not Council’s finest hour, Ms. Ford excepted. We were hoping for better from you. n
FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, HOME G L O B A L R E AC H , L O C A L K N O W L E D G E NEW PRICE
BENCHLANDS 2-4894 Painted Cliff Ski in/ski out! Slopeside 2.5 bed/2bath in a quiet setting w/ mtn views. Well maintained with private hot tub, and nightly rentals allowed. $1,879,000
Suzanne Wilson
VILLAGE NORTH 213-4369 Main Street Alpenglow studio suite, centrally located with a sunny balcony. This property has strong revenues, offering the perfect Whistler investment mixed with owner use. Strata fees include hydro and gas. $419,000
604 966 8454 Allyson Sutton
VILLAGE 509 – 4369 Main Street Penthouse Studio Suite in Alpenglow Lodge. Top floor deck views with all the amenities needed after a day on the slopes – pool, hot tub, gym, sauna. Onsite or self-managed Airbnb options. $409,000
Rob Boyd
604-932-7609 Rachel Edwards
WHISTLER VILLAGE 6693 Tapley Place “Serenity” – A true custom built gem situated on a 3/4 acre of flat lot, with best craftmanship and finest quality materials. 5900 sq ft house is well designed with amazing details. Easy walk to valley trail, school and village Center. $9,990,000
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Angie Vazquez *PREC
604-902-3309
NEW PRICE
SQUAMISH - DOWNTOWN 38349 Eaglewind Blvd Driveway big enough to park in!! 1330 sq ft, 3 bdrm, 2.5 bathroom, 2 car tandem garage, built 2017, mountain views, gas fireplace, the list continues! davidwiebe.ca $745,000
778-318-5900 David Wiebe *PREC
604-966-4200
ALPINE MEADOWS 8745 Idylwood Place Take in views of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains from every level of this secluded family home located in a quiet Alpine Meadows cul-desac. 4.5 beds/3.5 baths PLUS a 2 Bed revenue suite! $3,890,000
778-834-2002 Peter Lalor
NEW TO MARKET
SQUAMISH 40889 The Crescent AMAZING HIGHLANDS HOME! Newly built in University Heights. 4 beds & 4 baths with one bed suite. Beautiful open floor plan, hardwood floors, 2 kitchens on the main. Breathtaking mountain views & heated covered patio. Close to all trails & schools. $2,295,000
VILLAGE 486-4090 Whistler Way Luxurious Westin Resort & Spa studio suite with balcony, kitchen & gas fireplace. Ski in / ski out to Whistler Gondola and be close to it all while enjoying the fabulous hotel amenities. $344,900
PEMBERTON 2009 Tiyata Blvd Stunning Mt. Currie views. Brand new higher standard open concept 4 bed / 4 bath home. Garage for all your toys. 2-5-10 Warranty. You should live here. Full website - http://9.digitalopenhou.se $859,000
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Whistler Village Shop
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36-4314 Main Street · Whistler BC V8E 1A8 · Phone +1 604-932-1875
325-2063 Lake Placid Road · Whistler BC V8E 0B6 · Phone +1 604-932-1875
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Engel & Völkers Whistler *PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION ©2019 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.
604-966-7640
3D Tour - rem.ax/hausheidi
7115 Nesters Road
$3,788,000
Haus Heidi has been a cornerstone property for group accommodation in Whistler for over 30 years. With eight bedrooms, a den, 3 dining and sitting areas and nine bathrooms, there is ample room for groups of up to 16 guests. The private location is an oasis of almost an acre of land within a few minutes walk to all that Whistler Village has to offer. .
Dave Beattie*
8.5
604.905.8855
#315 - 7350 Crabapple Court
Dave Halliwell
$1,450,000
3
604.902.2033
3
604.932.7727
7413 Ambassador Crescent
Fully renovated 5 bedroom family home available at Whistlers premium residential address in beautiful Whitegold. Just a few minutes walk to the village and connected directly to all the amenities that the Lost Lake area has to offer. NEW...Garage plans available on request.
Dave Sharpe
8349 Needles Drive
$2,699,000
Large 1 bedroom suite and your very own 4 bedroom 2.5 bath chalet for your family to enjoy this season! Post and beam construction with vaulted ceilings, sky lights, maple hardwood floors, gas fireplace, large picture windows with expansive mountain views.
Doug Treleaven
604.905.8626
6
#221 - 2222 Castle Drive
$625,000
#16D - 2300 Nordic Drive
$159,500
This home offers 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a two car garage and 2,449 square feet of living space. Enjoy spending time with family and friends around the wood burning fireplace in the winter months while the snow falls outside – a wonderful way to spend a winter evening! Shared ownership - 5 week/year.
Laura Barkman
Madison Perry
604.905.8777
778.919.7653
3.5
3D Tour - rem.ax/223aspens
Unit 221 features a very functional floor plan on two levels with a spacious vaulted ceiling in the living room, wood burning fireplace, real hardwood flooring and large sunny deck off the dining room. There is also a private hot tub on the ground level patio to unwind in after a fun filled day in the mountains.
James Collingridge
$900,000
604.907.2223
3
604.902.0132
#312A - 2020 London Lane
$225,000
Quarter Ownership in a modern well appointed condo at the base of Whistler Mountain. Building has pool, sauna and steam room and the unit has a great kitchen, open floor plan, and is pet friendly. Enjoy south facing views of the valley and use your unit 1 week every month, or allow it to be rented for revenue.
Matt Chiasson
2
604.935.9171
3D Tour - rem.ax/107woodrun
Turn key mountainside suite is ready for you. Fully furnished SKI-IN/SKI-OUT 1 bedroom suite on Blackcomb Mountain has an outdoor heated pool, 3 hot tubs, exercise centre, bike room, gardens, and is steps to the Upper Village. Phase 1 zoning allows you to live in the property full time or you can also rent it nightly.
Meg McLean
$1,399,000
3D Tour - rem.ax/312evolution
Have your housing needs changed – are you able to work from home? Consider the purchase of this 7535 sq.ft. flat lot and plan your home build for Spring. Black Tusk, located just 15 minutes from Whistler Resort is the perfect spot to social distance, create a sustainable vegetable garden and enjoy a less hurried lifestyle.
#223 - 4800 Spearhead Drive
7
604.902.2779
3D Tour - rem.ax/16Datnaturesdoor
2 Garibaldi Drive
$3,350,000
3D Tour - rem.ax/8349needles
3 bed, 3 bath, 1423 sf renovated townhome in Whistler Cay Heights. An amazing family home walking distance to Whistler Village. New kitchen & appliances, w/d, bathroom, carpet, furniture, paint, refinished hardwood floors ++. 2 parking spaces (1 open/1 covered). Video tour at rem.ax/57Video. Call today to view.
Denise Brown*
$539,900
Fabulous opportunity to own this top floor, 3-bedroom, corner unit, in this completely green built complex. This southwest facing property offers lots of natural light from the energy efficient triple pane windows, and fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and Mount Currie.
3D Tour - rem.ax/57eagle
#57 - 6127 Eagle Ridge Cres.
3D Tour - rem.ax/7413ambassador
SOLD
1
#212 - 4220 Gateway Blvd.
$285,000
#212 Blackcomb Lodge is a renovated studio with loft - right in the heart of Whistler Village and within a 2 minute walk to the ski lifts. These fully furnished lofted studios include a fully equipped kitchen and sleep 6. Strata fee includes all utilities, phone, cable, & hydro.
Michael d’Artois
WHISTLER OFFICE 106 - 7015 Nesters Road, Whistler, BC V8E 0X1 604.932.2300 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070 *PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION
If you are a home owner, buyer, tenant, landlord, or small business in need of help during this time, please see our updated list of resources at: remax-whistler.com/resources
604.905.9337
1
#107 - 4910 Spearhead Drive
$1,799,000
The Woodrun is one of the few concrete buildings in Whistler and #107 is conveniently located on the ground floor facing the green belt. The unit features a boot heater, huge owner locker, Washer, and Dryer in suite and the gym and pool access is just across the hallway.
Richard Christiansen
604.907-2717
2
PEMBERTON OFFICE 1411 Portage Road, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L1 604.894.6616 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070