APRIL 8, 2021 ISSUE 28.14
WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM
FREE THE KOOPA TROOPAS
THE
SHELL GAME Turtles have been around 220 million years, surviving five major extinction episodes. But they’re still no match for roads and motor vehicles.
14
RESCUE RUNDOWN Whistler Search and Rescue calls up 38% in last 12 months
15
HELPING HAND COVID-19 numbers stay high, mayor wants community-wide vaccine
40
GALA GALORE The Audain Art Museum has reinvented its gala dinner and auction
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ALTA LAKE ICE-BREAK RAFFLE 2021 A Whistler tradition since 1962. Guess when the ice melts on Alta Lake and the barrel floats past The Point! Still time to enter the draw! Winners annnounced on May 2nd, 2021.Proceeds go to support the Point’s children’s summer theatre and music programs.
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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE
36
40
32 Shell game Turtles have been around 220 million years, surviving five major extinction episodes. But they’re still no match for roads and motor vehicles. An Ontario facility is helping make sure they survive these as well. - By Leslie Anthony
14
RESCUE RUNDOWN
Whistler Search and
28
HIVE OF ACTIVITY
Pemberton is set to learn
Rescue mobilizations jumped 38 per cent in the pandemic, as COVID-19
about bees with a new community beehive project led by Delores Franz
pushed less experienced users into the backcountry.
Los.
15
36
HELPING HAND
The WCSS is ramping up its
ADAPTIVE ADAPTS
Whistler Adaptive Sports
services to respond to continued high COVID-19 numbers, as Mayor Jack
Program has found creative ways to turn obstacles into successes for its
Crompton calls for a community-wide vaccine.
athletes this year.
22
LANDMARK AGREEMENT
The Whistler
40
GALA GALORE
The Audain Art Museum reinvents
Housing Authority has inked an agreement with Zero Ceiling to secure
gala with music, food, dance and, of course, art at the Illuminate Gala &
rental housing for the non-profit’s female participants.
Auction, April 24.
COVER To be honest, I think a turtle might be my spirit animal, at least the ones with swords that like pizza. - By Jon Parris 4 APRIL 8, 2021
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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE
Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS Water is a precious resource and it needs to be valued and protected,
#202 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9. PH: (604) 938-0202 FAX: (604) 938-0201 www.piquenewsmagazine.com
writes editor Clare Ogilvie this week.
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT
10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A letter writer wants old-growth logging to be stopped in
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com
Whistler’s community forest.
Editor CLARE OGILVIE - edit@piquenewsmagazine.com Assistant Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@wplpmedia.com Production Manager AMIR SHAHRESTANI - ashahrestani@wplpmedia.com Art Director JON PARRIS - jparris@wplpmedia.com Advertising Representatives
13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Writer Brandon Barrett discusses the Faustian bargain every tourism town has had to make during the pandemic, as they try to strike an almost impossible balance.
54 MAXED OUT Max introduces the Pyramid of Shame as a way to express his fury over how leaders have dealt with the coronavirus pandemic in Whistler.
AMY ALLEN - aallen@wplpmedia.com TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com Digital/Sales Coordinator AMELA DIZDARIC - traffic@wplpmedia.com Production production@piquenewsmagazine.com LOU O’BRIEN - lstevens@wplpmedia.com
Environment & Adventure
Arts & Entertainment Editor ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com
31 RANGE ROVER Leslie Anthony looks back at the underlying causes of the shutdown of Whistler
Features Editor BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com
Blackcomb late last month.
Reporters BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@wplpmedia.com
Lifestyle & Arts
Classifieds and Reception mail@piquenewsmagazine.com Office and Accounts Manager HEIDI RODE - hrode@wplpmedia.com Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, FEET BANKS, LESLIE ANTHONY, ANDREW MITCHELL, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY, LISA RICHARDSON President, Whistler Publishing LP
38 EPICURIOUS DosiRock Korean Kitchen is a new pickup and delivery service centred around that ubiquitous Korean dish—Kimchi.
42 MUSEUM MUSINGS The Woods family lived on Alta Lake for multiple generations working for the railway, in the lumber yard and farming.
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 2021 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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OPENING REMARKS
What is the value of water to you? THERE IS NO DOUBT that we have so much to be grateful for living in Whistler and one of those things is the quality of our tap water. I was thinking about this recently after reading a United Nations’ update that arrived in my email inbox on World Water Day, which fell on March 22 this year.
BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com
Canada, as many of you likely know, has one-fifth of the world’s freshwater, a quarter of its remaining wetlands and its longest coastline—but despite this it is easy for us to take water for granted. Reporter Braden Dupuis’ comment during the Whistler Library’s Media and Misinformation night on March 18 also triggered some thoughts about water. The panel of Pique journalists was asked
As part of the investigation, reporters collected water samples from 10 homes, two hotels and one Airbnb property and had them tested for lead. “All of the samples contained traces of lead and seven contained lead levels exceeding Health Canada’s guideline of five parts per billion (ppb). In addition, samples collected from one hotel room and another home rented through Airbnb also exceeded the recommended federal limit,” a story published by the outlets read. The lead was likely a result of corrosive water interacting with plumbing fixtures on private property. Whistler’s water is complex, as it comes from both surface and groundwater sources —separated into two systems: Community and Emerald. Surface water comes from 21 Mile Creek (which is pH neutral)—it’s not used when the creek water is turbid (usually after rainfall and snowmelt events)—while groundwater is supplied from 14 active wells (used when 21 Mile Creek is offline, or when demand exceeds what the creek
The situation with our water quality, while it gives one pause for thought, also seems trivial when compared to the situation with drinking water on many First Nation reserves.
what stories had fallen by the wayside as COVID-19 took over the headlines a year ago. Braden mentioned the ongoing investigations in Whistler into the quality of our drinking water. You may recall that in January of 2020 mayor and council received an update from staff about their plans to address the corrosive nature of Whistler water after an investigative report by the Toronto Star (Vancouver), Global News and the University of British Columbia.
can supply). Water is treated at eight locations before distribution. So any proposed upgrades to groundwater treatment to address corrosiveness would need to be made at seven different locations in the Community system, as well as one in the Emerald system. Please keep in mind that Whistler’s water consistently meets the conditions of its permits to operate, and RMOW staff sample water at 24 locations in the
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distribution system every second week. And work is continuing on this file at the municipal level. The situation with our water quality, while it gives one pause for thought, also seems trivial when compared to the situation with drinking water on many First Nation reserves. Just about one month before the UN’s World Water Day, Canada’s Auditor-General Karen Hogan tabled a report in Parliament which found that the federal government has not provided adequate support to First Nations to access safe drinking water. “Access to safe drinking water is a basic human necessity,” she said. “I don’t believe anyone would say that this is in any way an acceptable situation in Canada in 2021.” The report concluded that 100 long-term advisories were lifted between 2015 and 2020, but 60 remained in effect as of Nov. 1, 2020, and almost half of those have been in place for more than a decade. In 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to ending all long-term advisories this year, but the government has now admitted that it cannot meet that timeline. Its latest funding announcement has budgets going out past 2027 to address the issue. The theme of this year’s World Water Day is valuing water. “The value of water is profound and complex. There is no aspect of sustainable development that does not fundamentally rely upon it,” said the UN Secretary General António Guterres. Currently it is estimated that 2.2 billion people live without access to safe water (let’s not forget the importance of water for hygiene as well in these pandemic times). Next time you turn on your tap for a glass of that fresh, frigid, clean Whistler water (after letting it run until it’s cold), consider how you value this resource and what you can do to protect it. n
Judith Adamick PREC
Sutton Group, West Coast Realty 604-351-4116
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Time to stop logging old forests The two-hour open house for the Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) March 29 was very disappointing. Here are some key points that were obviously missing from the presentation: • Acknowledgement that pandemics such as coronavirus are the result of humanity’s destruction of nature, and it must stop. • Awareness that not all forests are renewable. Logging old-growth forests is not sustainable—it is extinction. • Recognition that two of the three CCF partners want to protect old-growth forests. Squamish Nation wants to start protecting the last remaining old-growth stands in its territory and Whistler mayor and council have all said they want to protect old-growth forests. • Acknowledgement that within the last year A New Future for Old Forests: A strategic review of how British Columbia manages for old forests within its ancient ecosystems has come out, and that the province has committed to implementing its 14 old-growth management strategies to meet society’s demands to maintain ecological values. • An answer to the question asking if the CCF is logging simply to provide jobs. If yes, then let’s provide them, but in a different way. • Recognition that old-growth forests burn less readily than younger forests. When the CCF
logs old growth, it increases our second growth forests, which increases Whistler’s wildfire risk. At the same time, the Resort Municipality of Whistler has a wildfire hazard reduction program. There was no acknowledgement that these two programs are working against each other. • Appreciation that forests have intrinsic value for living things; they do not exist to provide value to humans. We heard a lot about the urgency for wildfire hazard reduction to protect the homes of human animals. We did not hear any concern about how many
non-human animals will die when we destroy their homes by logging and wildfire hazard reduction. • Acknowledgement that old growth forests are the most critical areas for carbon storage in B.C. • Recognition that we need to manage for ecosystem health, not for timber. The notion that the province will revoke forest tenures if not enough trees are logged has been disproven. The door is wide open to challenge outdated rules like the annual allowable cut. It’s been opened by science, the climate
New Listing
emergency and the biodiversity crisis. • Acknowledgement that forests and ecosystems are so complex that we will never fully understand them. Using the precautionary principle to end old-growth logging is the only moral way to move forward. In other words, where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation. • Recognition that logging old growth negatively affects mental health in Whistler. Many of us already suffer from eco-anxiety and actions by the CCF makes it worse. [One positive] about the open house [was the] fellow community members who attended and who also questioned the plan to log old growth. They are one reason for hope. Another reason is that nature is exceedingly resilient and will recover IF we stop actively destroying it. [As Herb Hammond said:] “We have as much power as we believe we have. If we believe we have no power, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. But if we believe we have power, we can change the world.” We look forward to continuing the discussion. Kristina Swerhun and Jane Millen // Whistler
Whistler is lucky COVID-19 lockdown not more severe Some people seem to feel Whistler, as a resort, was singled out with [the March 29] orders from [B.C. Public Health Officer] Dr. Bonnie Henry.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Whistler has a population [according to the latest census, 2016,] of approximately [11,864] people. [With] 218 cases last week [that] means almost two per cent of our population contracted [COVID-19] in one week. On top of the others from the week before means more than two per cent of us are fighting and/or carrying the virus. Greater Vancouver has approximately 2 million residents. If Vancouver recorded new cases in two per cent [of its population] in one week that would mean 40,000 new cases in a week. I am sure Dr. Henry would shut the whole city and enact curfews etc. I feel we are lucky we still have lots of freedom to live our lives in this beautiful place we call home. Let’s hope we don’t lose any of our current long-time locals that are fighting this virus. Yes, there are people in this town fighting for their lives. Ross Dallimore // Whistler
Family thanks for community activities I just wanted to give a big shout out to the teams at Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) and the Whistler Museum for the efforts they have put into preparing fantastic activities for Whistler kids to do at home and outside during their onceagain unusual Spring Break. The Scavenger Hunt from WCSS and the Kids Après activity book were awesome. This kind of simple and fun initiative contributes to making Whistler such a special place to call home for families! Virginie Lamarche // Whistler
Stand strong What kind of idiot grants a cutting permit in one of our last, intact groves of old growth forest? Let them log second growth. Despite the injunction against blocking the roads, I hope the protesters win. [Protesters have been on site at Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island since mid August.] I hope the protest will grow and grow until the permit is rescinded. Old growth forest should never be cut. Never. Ruth Buzzard // Whistler
Thanks to a Good Samaritan My partner and I have been in Whistler since September 2020 and we’ve been loving skiing and being part of this community. In our time here, we have found a Whistler Blackcomb children’s GPS tracker, a purse, a cell phone and credit cards and have always done our best to return them to those responsible or the owners themselves. How nerve wracking it is to lose something precious or expensive etc., and don’t we hope “someone” has done the “right thing” and tried to do their best to return it to you. In fact, I accidentally left my cell phone at the Upper Village CANSKI and was able to pick it up the next day. This evening on the No.5 bus on March 25 around 5 p.m., … Oh no! … I left
312 WHISTLER PEAK LODGE
my shopping bag on the bus-stop bench. Returning to the bus exchange, it wasn’t there. But the transit drivers were helpful by radioing the fleet and talking amongst themselves, and offering me tips and encouragement. Very, very kind in a discouraging situation. Well, as I had my items in a CANSKI bag, I thought as a last resort, to go to the CANSKI Alpine store—it being the closest—and, after asking half the question, the sales agent turned around and grabbed a bag and handed it to me. WOW! Frankly, the sales agent and I were both thrilled! The Good Samaritan had left the bag with the sales agent not 10 minutes [before]. What
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could I do but walk back to the bus exchange hugging that bag, hoping the Good Samaritan might see me with my biggest appreciative (masked) smile. Such a good feeling. I don’t know who returned the bag, but she is good people. I can’t thank her personally, so I choose to do so publicly. Thank you, thank you. Ursula Scheid // Whistler
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Platter chatter Gravity brings people together. It’s definitely the attraction here, but while we’re sliding on that curve, in this oasis of snow, a little bit can go a long way. The pressure of a deep carve exhilarates just a little further, when the dip of resistance is let go for a second, away from the pandemic, the personal space, the need for distance. It was a last resort, in a way, hoping this season would be here to enjoy. Now the heaps of fun and snow can only remind us of what it was, and still will be. Even now, it’s been enough to thank everyone who brought it together, from top to bottom, from back to front staff. Their efforts, and the risk that didn’t include riding on the off days, was essential, and appreciated. On the hill, there were so many nice things to see. People getting away, because it was their only sense of normal in winter. The one chance to be something other than disciplined, or forgetful. In between, we all have something to mourn, someone to remember who won’t be around after it is gone. Even now, while we still climb that hill, the gravity pulling us together will also bring us back to normal again. On the chairs, you could see people with extra space, legs waving in the air, dancing to a moment about to happen, just below. Chatter wasn’t confined to the pressure of getting as many up as possible, and as fast. It was about
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.
Engel & Völkers Whistler
APRIL 8, 2021
11
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR the business of living, something we forget under pressure, something we can’t always fit into an economy. The grace of trying was evident this season, and it won’t be forgotten. Those spaces between friends most easily admired from any distance, remind us of the thought that goes into keeping things together. A lot of that space was removed this year, by fear, but it comes and goes with time. The little things protect us when we remember how to care. Even if we don’t, someone will probably help out. That was a nice thing to see, too. It seems like a smile was something we could miss the most, but it
consumption is key to meeting our climate targets; trying to persuade homeowners, in 2021, to increase their emissions—how much longer will society allow this to happen? “But they’ll hook up my home for $15, and even extend the pipeline to my [barbecue]?” After personal transportation, natural gas is the biggest emitter in Whistler. We cannot hit our emission targets without electrifying many current natural gas users. It’s 2021, as an individual, please make the choice to keep your emissions down. Yes, natural gas is cleaner than coal and oil,
“After personal transportation, natural gas is the biggest emitter in Whistler. We cannot hit our emission targets without electrifying many current natural gas users.” - BRENDAN AND AMANDA LADNER
was there, under a mask. Next year, the smiles will be back, and we will all remember the gravity that kept a friend from forgetting who we are when the world was upside down. Roger Duddridge // Victoria
Natural gas is not a choice for the future Fortis BC is currently engaged in a brisk campaign—colourful print ads, television ads, internet ads—to convert electric homes to natural gas here in Whistler. Unless you are currently using oil or propane, connecting to Fortis natural gas will increase your emissions; please do not be duped by the colourful ads and public outreach by Fortis. For many people, converting your home away from natural gas is one of the biggest actions you could take to decrease your GHG emissions. Newfoundland-owned Fortis BC understands it only has a short window of time left to increase connections before governments find a way to prevent the expansion of the related GHG emissions. Rapid electrification of energy
and it is an important bridge fuel as we transition to a fully electric energy system. It’s great that the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) made the choice years ago to convert our bus fleet to natural gas, but that was done as a bridge solution, knowing that the fleet will be all electric. Likewise, we should all be planning how to phase out natural gas from our lives. “Natural” gas is 60- to 80-per-cent methane—with more serious climate impacts than simply CO2. In our presentation to RMOW council, SMARTWhistler recommended we start referring to fracked fossil gas, as opposed to the astroturf term “natural gas.” Or we could just call it methane gas—anything is more sincere than natural gas. In December 2020, the federal government announced an aggressive carbon tax; once the details are legislated, it could turn out that your Fortis bill in 2030 will make that $15 connection fee look very expensive. Together we can hit our 2030 climate targets. Brendan and Amanda Ladner // Whistler ■
Backcountry Advisory
Mountain Psychology and Neurofeedback Centre
Stephen L. Milstein, Ph.D., R. Psych. BC #765 -604.938.3511 Dawna Dixx Milstein, OT. COTBC # AA0201 - 604.938.3523 Whistler: #107 - 4368 Main St, Whistler, B.C. V0N 1B4 Squamish: 38077 2nd Ave, Squamish, B.C. // 604.848.9273
Serving sea to sky for 18 years
12 APRIL 8, 2021
AS OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 The Sea to Sky region has experienced a wintery start to the month of April, with cool temperatures and a few storms delivering some serious snow. This has been good news for anyone looking for spring powder, but perhaps not the best news for folks hoping for warm and sunny spring weather. What does this mean for avalanche conditions? It means that we haven’t quite entered into a true spring snowpack yet, which is often characterized by freezing temperatures overnight and warm temperatures during the day. When this melt-freeze pattern sets up, we see the snowpack gain a lot of strength, though it loses that strength each day when the temperature rises and if the sun comes out. This results in a fairly predictable snowpack, where danger is
often low in the morning while the snow is still frozen, but quickly increases in the afternoon as the day heats up and the snow becomes moist or wet. This allows us to make plans to tackle bigger objectives, so long as we start early and finish early—before the heat sets in. Looking to the weekend and into next week, more seasonal spring weather seems to be on the horizon. Keep in mind that it takes a few days of continuous melt-freeze conditions to really change the snowpack. In the wake of the recent storms from this past week, there is probably still a fair amount of fresh snow around. When the new snow sees the sun for the first time, it could result in a significant avalanche cycle. Be patient while waiting for the spring snowpack to set up, have fun, and don’t forget your sunblock! ■
CONDITIONS MAY VARY AND CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY Check for the most current conditions before heading out into the backcountry. Daily updates for the areas adjacent to Whistler Blackcomb are available at 604-938-7676, or surf to www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountaininfo/snow-report#backcountry or go to www.avalanche.ca.
PIQUE N’ YER INTEREST
How will we reckon with Whistler’s COVID-19 catch-22? I’VE ALWAYS BEEN fascinated with how Whistler views its heaving tourism engine, the very foundation of our resort community. Like a lot of tourism hotspots that have been overrun in recent years, resentment towards the visitor has seemed to simmer just beneath
BY BRANDON BARRETT the surface, before boiling over completely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel advisories. And unlike B.C.’s premier, I’m not going to blame this one on the youth. The issue, by and large, is rooted in class, not demographics, and examples of this can be found in tourism havens across the globe. For a certain jet-setting sect, loose mask restrictions, wide open spaces, and desirable weather have spurred waves of well-heeled tourists with the money and inclination to escape their home communities for a semblance of pre-pandemic normality. In the Cayman Islands, where government officials successfully limited community transmission early in the pandemic through strict lockdowns and border closures, that hard-earned bubble was pierced in November when an 18-year-old college
student from Georgia flouted her two-week quarantine and removed her geo-tracking bracelet on a visit with her Caymanian boyfriend. (It was enough to earn the ire of the government and a four-month prison sentence—which was cut in half after lobbying from Georgia officials, and, uh, Eric Trump.) In Mexico, where tourism accounts for 17 per cent of the national GDP, relaxed borders—with no viral testing or quarantine
in their power to follow regulations and keep their community safe. “I live every single day [with] all these restrictions. I don’t know why we got this reputation,” Tulum hotelier and restaurateur Aldo Barrera told Vox in a January article. It’s a Faustian bargain every tourism town has had to make during the pandemic, as they try to strike an almost impossible balance between medical and economic well-being. It’s also a delicate calculation
There’s something incredibly telling about a community that had to scramble to find units for residents to self-isolate in ... while more than half of our privately-owned homes sit vacant. required—led to a spike in foreign travellers (and COVID cases), with Cancun’s airport seeing international arrivals jump from 1,000 last April to about 1.3 million in January of this year. Thanks to events like November’s Art With Me Festival and its five days of unmasked, undistanced partying plastered all over social media, Tulum has earned the unofficial title of the pandemic party capital, even as locals have done everything
that young people most often have to bear the consequences of. So, while B.C. officials point fingers at young adults for our latest spike, including in Whistler, where 83.2 per cent of recent cases were among the 20-to-39 crowd, I’m seeing less responsibility placed at the feet of those very same officials who just weeks ago were encouraging the public to day-trip to Whistler as numbers continued to climb province-wide.
It’s no huge secret that the demographic most likely to work on the frontlines of the customer-facing tourism industry and most likely to be crammed into tight living quarters are the twenty- and thirtysomethings who have, for decades, traded sweat equity for the privilege of spending a season or two in Whistler. (There’s something incredibly telling about a community that had to scramble to find units for residents to self-isolate in—a joint program between Whistler Community Services Society, Vancouver Coastal Health and BC Housing—while more than half of our privately-owned homes sit vacant.) And while I’m not going to pretend like every young person in town is some sort of saint that has followed the health protocols to a tee, there’s a sad irony in putting the blame on the most economically disadvantaged members of a community as they’ve had to begrudgingly cater to the needs of the tourists who only find themselves here because of the government’s wishy-washy stance on travel. There’s been a lot of talk in recent months of the ways in which the pandemic has normalized conversation around mental health in Whistler, a long-overdue discussion here. I hope that, as we consider the emotional and physical well-being of our most vulnerable, we also consider the economic well-being of the very workers who make this town run. ■
APRIL 8, 2021
13
NEWS WHISTLER
Search-and-rescue mobilizations jumped 38% in pandemic COVID-19 PUSHED LESS EXPERIENCED USERS INTO BACKCOUNTRY—BUT RISK NOT RELEGATED TO ‘NEWBIES,’ SAYS WSAR
BY BRANDON BARRETT LIKE OTHER search-and-rescue groups across B.C., Whistler Search and Rescue (WSAR) saw a surge in mobilizations over the past year, as more recreationalists have taken to the backcountry during the COVID19 pandemic. According to its annual manager’s report, covering March 1, 2020 to March 1, 2021, WSAR saw a similar call volume (92) compared to the same period last year (88), but a whopping 38-per-cent jump in calls requiring mobilization, from 55 to 76. “That’s basically the entry-level recreationalist, the one that’s disoriented or dehydrated, exhausted, people that have just overstepped their boundaries and are reaching out,” said WSAR manager Brad Sills of the spike. “We see it in those three months of August, September and October. It’s typically entry-level pastimes like hiking.” The summer (43) outpaced winter callouts (33) this year for only the second time in WSAR’s history, with hiking (28) making up the lion’s share of those requests by activity. Ski mountaineering came behind with 14 calls, followed by snowmobiling (seven), climbing (four), out-of-bounds skiing (four), and mountain biking (four). Notably, despite the pandemicfuelled recreation boom, mountain biking continues the downward trend of recent
ON THE RISE While call volume remained steady, Whistler Search and Rescue saw a significant spike in mobilizations over the past year. PHOTO SUBMITTED
14 APRIL 8, 2021
years with only four requests, down from seven last year and nine the year prior, although mountain biking incidents are still more likely to lead to serious injury. “You have to be significantly hurt to not be able to get out on a bike. People will bike out with dislocated shoulders, as bizarre as that sounds,” Sills said. “So just overall, we tend to see the incidents of ‘biking wounded’ to be much higher than ‘hiking wounded.’” Whistler’s municipal area and Rainbow Mountain tied as the most common site for WSAR crews last year, at 11 callouts, followed by Powder Mountain (10), the Garibaldi Lake
so that’s a more representative gauge of the actual risk of the sport itself and not maybe of the behaviour,” he noted. Thirty-three of the mobilization tasks were deemed medical rescues, while 14 were considered search missions, and 29 evacuations. Half a dozen incidents resulted in deaths last year, including a string of avalanche fatalities earlier this winter when the snowpack around the Sea to Sky was considered risky and unpredictable. Whistler’s data tracks with a wider provincial trend. According to B.C.’s public safety ministry, ground search-and-rescue
“Police, fire and SAR are not vaccinated, and with this new P1 Brazilian variant, it is disconcerting.” - BRAD SILLS
area (10), and the Spearhead Range (eight). The 76 team mobilizations consumed approximately 1,249 volunteer man hours, the equivalent of 52 days. In all, the tasks involved 86 individuals, 58 of whom were male, and 24 female, reversing a recent trend that saw women making up a larger proportion of WSAR’s callouts. The 86 individuals were spread fairly evenly across age groups, countering a historical trend from a decade ago, Sills said, when the call volume was more heavily weighted towards young males aged 15 to 25. “It seems to me that the incidence of accidents is equal amongst all user groups,
(GSAR) groups were deployed 1,959 times between April 2020 and April 2021, an increase of nearly 25 per cent, making it the busiest year in B.C. SAR history. “B.C.’s 79 GSAR groups have been pushed to their limits,” said Chris Kelly, BC Search and Rescue Association president, in an April 3 statement. “COVID-19 has made risky work even more dangerous for each individual. I implore anyone heading out into the elements to do their part by planning ahead.” Sills was quick to point out that, while an influx of relatively inexperienced recreationalists has led to a rise in callouts
locally, especially in summer, when the injuries tended to be less severe, the risk posed in the backcountry this winter wasn’t relegated to new user groups. “The four avalanche deaths that we had this year in the Sea to Sky were all very, very experienced users,” he said. “I think we’ve got to get over this notion that this is a newbie phenomenon. There is another factor at play here. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I think it’s probably complacency.” Around this time last year, facing the uncertainty of a burgeoning health crisis, Sills called for recreation in the B.C. backcountry to be suspended. While Sills stopped short of making the same call now (“I ignited a firestorm when I said that last year,” he said with a laugh), he acknowledged there remains a significant risk to volunteer crews who, like other first responders, have yet to be vaccinated. “The threat is still there,” he said, adding that a WSAR member recently contracted the virus. “Police, fire and SAR are not vaccinated, and with this new P1 Brazilian variant, it is disconcerting.” Sills said health authorities told him WSAR members would be vaccinated this week, “but that was also said last week.” Chris Nelson, Deputy Fire Chief for the Whistler Fire Rescue Service, confirmed to Pique that a number of local firefighters are currently positive with the virus, and the department has been given no indication of when they will be immunized. “My only comment is you can shut down a dental office but you can’t shut down a fire department,” he wrote in an email. For more on backcountry safety, visit adventuresmart.ca. n
NEWS WHISTLER
Mayor calls for community-wide vaccination program
Thaank you Whisttleer’s Mounttainn and Villaagee Staff forr yourr haard worrk durring difffificultt timmes.. We app preciate you..
MEANWHILE, WCSS ADAPTS TO INCREASED FOOD BANK DEMAND Book your consultation today
BY ALYSSA NOEL WHISTLER MAYOR Jack Crompton is calling on the province to launch a community vaccination program for those aged 18 and older in the wake of an outbreak that brought the resort to a standstill. “The challenge we face here is urgent enough that Whistler’s economy has been shut down for the season,” Crompton said. “[Whistler] welcomes over 3 million people a year. We need to have our community vaccinated if we’re going to continue to do so after the order is removed.” The province hadn’t responded to the request by Pique’s press deadline. While Crompton wouldn’t confirm that COVID-19 is sweeping through the Whistler Fire Rescue Service (see related story on page 14) he said, “We’re concerned about our community’s essential service workers—fire, ambulance, and police.” A spokesperson for the Resort Municipality of Whistler said Whistler has a large pool of paid, on-call firefighters if need be to respond as needed. Meanwhile, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) hasn’t updated the number of COVID-19 cases in Whistler since revealing there were 218 cases in the resort from March 22 to 28. (Numbers by health authority were also not updated due to the long weekend.) But in her briefing on Tuesday, April 6, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry shed a little more light on the P1 variant of the virus. She said Whistler’s recent COVID-19 outbreak of the variant had several chains of transmission and was likely due to multiple visitors. “It wasn’t one single cluster or superspreader event; it was many different chains that were happening in and around Whistler, as we know,” she said. “We were doing a lot of testing and there was a lot of transmission happening in young people and people who were visitors as well. And it is likely that visitors from other parts of Canada initially introduced that strain, but then it started to circulate … between workers, visitors, and, from there, spread to other parts of the province.” Health officials estimate that the P1 variant circulation peaked the week of March 22, and suspect most of those cases have been identified to help stop transmission, but with a 14-day incubation period, that still remains to be seen. In total, there have been about 197 cases of the variant in Whistler alone, in comparison to 1,120 COVID-19 cases recorded in the resort in 2021, though that number hasn’t been updated since March 30. As they’ve done throughout the last
year, the team at Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) continued to adjust their services this week in response to both high COVID-19 cases and the number of residents in isolation. Last week, the organization delivered food to almost 100 people in isolation over four days. That’s compared to 167 deliveries in the entire month of February (which saw food served a total of 645 times, including food-bank pickup). “Today [April 6] we have requests for over 40 deliveries and the day isn’t over yet,” said Jackie Dickinson, executive director of WCSS. “As we share these stats, I try to communicate that this is in no way to let people know we’re overwhelmed. We’re really proud of the work we do and this is what we signed up for. We really want to bring awareness to the impact this virus has on an economically vulnerable population.” On top of increased deliveries to those who are sick with the virus or in selfisolation, the team was also prepared to see an increased need for its food bank following the sudden closure of Whistler Blackcomb. “We knew based on what we [learned] from last March, people reached out about a week after the closure,” she said. To that end, WCSS has extended its food bank hours in order to remain in their building at 8000 Nesters Road and better connect people with the other resources they offer (rather than moving to the Whistler Conference Centre like it did last year to meet increased demand). As of April 6, public drop-in hours will be offered Monday to Saturday from 1:30 to 5 p.m. “February gave us some time to replenish resources,” Dickinson said. “When Monday hit, we had food piled to the ceilings and hygiene packs stocked. We were prepared to see another increase.” The temporary self-isolation unit has also been busy, she added. That program is run by WCSS with VCH and BC Housing. From Jan. 22 until March 29, those units provided 360 nights of emergency housing. “It’s being used at a very high rate,” she said. “We’re fortunate to have that resource.” Businesses in the resort continued to feel the impact of the virus this week. On Monday, April 5, the Scandinave Spa Whistler had to close its doors when all staff members were required to go into 10 days of isolation. VCH sent a notice of a potential exposure on April 3 to say any staff that worked March 22 to 31 were required to self-isolate until April 14, according to a release from the spa. “Guests who have visited the spa recently are not deemed to be at risk for exposure to the virus due to the extensive safety protocols in place at Scandinave Spa Whistler,” it said. The spa is set to reopen on April 16. n
gershoncpa.com
APRIL 8, 2021
15
NEWS WHISTLER
Alta Lake sewer extension moves ahead at long last COUNCIL BRIEFS: Q4 FINANCIALS PRESENTED; DAYCARE REZONING GETS THIRD READING “Although the cost of the public sewer portion of the project is being shared 50/50 with the parcel owners, the total costs of the project, including supply of the individual pump stations and road resurfacing, will result in an estimated final cost share of 25 per cent to the lot owners and 75 per cent to the municipality,” said acting utilities group manager Chris Wike in a presentation to council. The RMOW’s portion of the project cost—just under $2.7 million—will come from existing sewer capital reserves. The owners’ portion of the costs (up to a maximum of $900,000) will be recovered via an addition to their parcel taxes over a period of 20 years. “The municipality will amortize each parcel’s share of the cost over a 20-year period, at a rate to be determined by the RMOW,” Wike said, adding that the current rate is two per cent. “All municipal works will extend
BY BRADEN DUPUIS A LONG-CONTEMPLATED project to connect the last remaining homes in the valley to Whistler’s sewer system is moving forward after council gave a related bylaw its assent on April 6. The project seeks to connect 33 homes on Alta Lake Road to the municipal sewer system at a total project cost of $3.6 million. At its April 6 meeting, council gave first three readings to a local area service bylaw required to finance the project. The bylaw comes on the heels of a formal petition process to affected homeowners conducted from May to August 2019. As more than 50 per cent of the 33 parcels (representing more than 50 per cent of the total property value) supported the petition, it was issued a certificate of sufficiency.
SEWER SPENDING A diagram showing the affected properties. IMAGE COURTESY OF THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER
services to the personal property line or the edge of the right of way.” While the RMOW will buy and supply residential pump stations to any parcels that need one, owners would then be responsible for installation, maintenance and future replacement, Wike said. “Sewer works and services charges, if not already paid, and sewer connection fees will apply at the time of permit application for sewer connection.” “The municipality will relax the
requirement to connect to the sewer from the standard 180 days after official notice to do so, to 18 months. This will provide a reasonable amount of time for the homeowners and their contractors to install and commission all the private pump stations and sewer service lines.” Efforts to hook the last remaining homes in Whistler up to the sewer system date back to at least 2004, with the RMOW
SEE PAGE 18
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Michael Peter Jakobsson June 10, 1949 March 17, 2021 A Tribute from his friends… It is with great sorrow that the family & friends of Michael Jakobsson announce his sudden passing. Mike lost his life in a tragic accident on his beloved ranch. Mike was born the oldest of 3 boys to Bengt and Christina Jakobsson on June 10, 1949 in Vancouver, BC. The family later moved to a farm in Nakusp, BC where Mike grew up. Mike was predeceased by his parents and his brother Benny. Left to mourn his passing are his loving partner Kim, stepson Taylor (Kaylee and Charlie), brother Gordy (Gerri), niece Alyssa (Nick, Naya and Kali), and hundreds of friends too numerous to mention. He had a great gift of making and keeping friendships and to know him was to love him. He will be remembered forever for his warm and infectious personality. Making others laugh was his mainstay and he was a notorious prankster forever devising some tomfoolery or outrageous shenanigans to surprise, entertain or shock the gang.
No surprise Mike was an accomplished sportsman and competitor. In the annual Victoria Day Great Snow Earth & Water Race, Mike’s dream team known as the Burnt Stew Beavers were always contenders, winning 1st place Gold Medal with their leader, Mike skiing or paddling to victory. Even his limbo moves at the subsequent Caribbean Party displayed his competitive edge. Mike will remain forever woven into the fabric of Whistler for his 25 year commitment and contribution to this world class destination. He was big and strong in both body and personality. Having gained a reputation for being a dog with a bone on bringing ideas to life, Mike helped shape Whistler’s success and vibrancy. Mike’s insatiable appetite for all sports would lead him to become a founding member of the Whistler Canoe Club. He was also a serious competitor in Dragon Boat and Outrigger races around the world in which he was awarded numerous medals of excellence. He loved scuba diving and did so frequently on his tropical vacations. Mike, a true Sea-to-Sky man and the lure for travel resulted in his adventure refitting a 45-foot trawler that he motored from Vancouver to Cuba through the Panama Canal. This started a new chapter of his life cruising the high seas. Mike loved spending time in Cuba and Fort Lauderdale where he fostered many lifelong friendships. In 2000 Mike moved from Whistler to the Cariboo where he made his home on a ranch near Quesnel. He loved raising cattle, woodworking, hunting and spending time on his beautiful property. If Mike had an idea, he simply made it happen. Ever the entrepreneur, Mike founded Cariboo 6x6 an importing/exporting company selling 6x6 ex-military vehicles around the world.
Mike's love of the alpine and this land of opportunity brought him to Whistler in 1974. The prospects of a new resort town forming kept him there and it is here he began the first of many entrepreneurial endeavors.
He had a presence and was highly respected for his intelligence, empathy, generosity and genuine love of life. A wine connoisseur, a photographer, a marksman, a world traveler…the list goes on.
His introduction to hard work and mountain life started when he and a Nakusp friend built a house for themselves in Alpine Meadows. Realizing he had a proclivity for the trades he became a successful electrician and Jakobsson Electric was formed. When the ‘New Town Centre’ was underway Mike literally wired his way from one end to the other!!!
His infectious laugh, quick wit and the twinkle in his eyes all went hand in hand with his huge heart. You are lucky if you call him friend.
It was not long until he again retooled his direction and Mike the trail blazer emerged. During his Whistler years he was the founder and operator of Whistler Heli Skiing (1981), Tyax Heli Skiing (1985), Whistler Heli-Hiking (1990),and Blackcomb Snowmobile (1992). His comprehension of the adventure industry and progressive business models are recognized globally and his impact on the Whistler tourist industry is legendary. His ATV tour operation which followed was the first of its kind in BC.
People always say live life to the fullest and seldom do…Mike did! As his favourite singer Chuck Berry sang, “I got the chance and I oughta take it”. Kim would like to thank the heroic efforts of the Quesnel Ambulance Crew, Search & Rescue, and the RCMP. Donations in Mike’s memory can be made to the Whistler Search & Rescue Society. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 16 spending about $400,000 on its efforts to date (not including the new project budget). Municipal staff has applied for seven government grants to pay for the project over the years, none of which were successful. The Point Artist-Run Centre will also be connected to the sewer system as part of the project, at the RMOW’s expense. Adding the properties to the sewer system aligns with the RMOW’s Official Community Plan and Liquid Waste Management Plan, and will “reduce potential environmental impacts on Alta Lake from aging sewer systems,” Wike said.
“If things start to drift meaningfully away from what we expect, we can always come back with an amendment, and we would do that, but even though the situation is still grim in 2020, the rate of change isn’t the same.” At the end of Q4 2020, overall operating revenues were at 104 per cent of their (amended) annual budgeted amounts, while operating expenditures were at 91
74 per cent through the remaining nine months of the year. “So tourism in the second half of the year did not reach the levels that we were anticipating with the second revision in August,” Price said. Final year-over-year revenue decline was $7.3 million (after factoring in a $2.685 million “COVID-19 safe restart grant” from the federal and provincial governments),
“[T]ourism in the second half of the year did not reach the levels that we were anticipating...” - CARLEE PRICE
Q4 FINANCIALS PRESENTED After the chaos that was budgeting amongst COVID-19 in 2020—which in Whistler included four different revisions in a nine-month span—the RMOW’s finance department is hoping for more stability in 2021. “What happened in 2020 is we went from a business-is-normal situation to business-is-completely-not-normal,” said director of finance Carlee Price, in presenting the RMOW’s 2020 Q4 finances at the April 6 council meeting. While similar major amendments aren’t anticipated this year, “the option always exists for us,” Price said.
per cent. “Within this revenue variance, parking revenues were quite strong, up by about $526,000 versus budget, as well as recreation revenues,” Price said. “This includes the Whistler Olympic Plaza ice rink and the cross-country skiing facility.” Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) revenues, however, fell short despite a sharp mid-year revision. After falling three per cent in Q1 2020, MRDT revenues were down a whopping
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of which the RMOW expects about $3.3 million to return in 2021. Project budgets finished the year at 67 per cent spent, compared to an average year-end spend of 56 per cent over the last five years. “Recall that we did a meaningful project reprioritization in April and May, which affected 83 of 163 listed projects, and resulted in a 27-per-cent reduction in planned 2020 spend,” Price said. Investment income at the end of 2020 was $3.6 million (140 per cent above
budgeted amounts). With a recent announcement that the RMOW will once again delay the penalty date for property taxes in 2021, some municipal investments will need to be used to repay senior levels of government, Price said. The RMOW reversed course on a proposed 4.89-per-cent tax increase in the 2020 budget in light of COVID-19, opting instead for an increase of 1.08 per cent. The move is expected to have serious implications to future tax increases.
RAINBOW REZONING GETS THIRD READING A rezoning that will allow a new daycare to set up shop in Rainbow Plaza is headed for adoption after council gave it third reading on April 6. The application from Calgary-based Rainbow Canuck Properties Ltd. seeks to amend the current zoning of the commercial site at 8200 Bear Paw Trail (also known as Rainbow Plaza) to improve the viability of the commercial tenancies onsite. The landlord has an agreement with local childcare operator Creekside Kids to fill a vacant space on the site, which can accommodate 24 kids and five staff. No one spoke at a virtual public hearing for the rezoning on March 9, though six people wrote letters in support. Adoption will follow at an upcoming council meeting. n
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PRESENTS
Whistler Takeout, Pick up and Delivery
PASTA LUPINO
Open for Takeout and Grocery Shopping from 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
ROLAND’S PUB IS OPEN FOR TAKEOUT!!! 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.
For more details visit our website www.rolandswhistler.com, the TASTE WHISTLER APP, or our Facebook page.
ROLAND’S COLD BEER & WINE IS OPEN DAILY 11AM - 11PM
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11 AM - 8 PM
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We are located at 121 – 4368 Main Street, Whistler
Contact us 604.905.0400 restaurant@pastalupino.com
AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD
BE A PART OF BARN THE WHISTLER NORK TAKE OUT/ DINING FEATURE For Only $50 per week you can have your business profiled. FRIDAY & SUNDAY A minimum one month commitment is required. NIGHT DELIVERY
2129 LAKE PLACID RD • 604 932 5940
Takeout available 7 days a week TO VIEW OUR MENU, ORDER AND PAY
Visit us at Earls.ca 10% off on all pick up orders
$75 minimum order please (For pick up in Mount Currie, we’re open Thursday thru Monday 3pm to 7pm)
For an additional $160 per month you will also receive a digital option with the Whistler Take out landing page. ORDER ONLINE barnnork.com
Babalicious Culinary Ltd.
Ready made meals locally owned and operated in Whistler. Our meals are precooked, vac packed then frozen for you to use at your convenience. Simply simmer for 20 min and serve with your favourite side!
Order online at www.babaliciouswhistler.com Follow us: @babaliciouswhistler
PICK UP OR DELIVERY
4295 BLACKCOMB WAY, UNIT 220/221, WHISTLER VILLAGE
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 meals at very affordable prices. Samurai Sushi 210-7015 Nesters Rd, 604 935 0006
“By the locals, for the locals”
Samurai Bowl 2011 Innsbruck Dr 604 935 0055
APRIL 8, 2021
19
NEWS WHISTLER
Whistler council approves $10M credit line for WDC NOT WITHOUT RISK, CREDIT WILL KICKSTART AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILDS The realizable market value of the two new buildings is expected to be about $39 million—which is where the line of credit comes in. In the past, the RMOW has used its employee housing reserves to fund the difference between the realizable market value of a project and its costs, said director of finance Carlee Price in an April 5 media briefing. “We don’t currently have employee housing reserves, so the credit extension is meant to sort of fill that hole,” Price said, adding that additional third-party financing will also be required to carry the project through construction. “If all goes well and the market lot sales move forward, then everyone should be made whole at the end of the project, meaning that all of the debt is repaid, and that there may indeed be a deposit to the employee housing reserve coming at the end of the project,” Price said.
BY BRADEN DUPUIS THE FINANCIAL foundation of Whistler’s affordable housing future is beginning to take shape—but the risks and unknowns remain. At its April 6 meeting, council authorized Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) staff to execute partnering and credit-line agreements with its subsidiary the Whistler 2020 Development Corp (WDC) for a $10-million line of credit (as included in the 2021 municipal budget). The money will be used to begin construction on two new apartment buildings—about 100 units in total, with one building for rent and one for purchase— on Cheakamus Crossing’s Parcel A. According to the WDC’s project plan, development of the buildings (and 18 market for-sale lots) will cost about $43 million.
Resort Municipality of Whistler
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The RMOW is committed to mitigating the risk of wildfire in the Whistler Valley. Fuel thinning work will take place on 14.8 hectares on Nesters Hill and 11.8 hectares above Taluswood. The work is scheduled to begin in April as snowpack allows, and continue through the summer with completion in autumn 2021. All trails on Nesters Hill (Cut Yer Bars system) will be closed for the duration of the project. Please obey all signs and staff for your safety.
Visit whistler.ca/FuelThinning for the latest trail and project updates. Resort Municipality of Whistler Whistler.ca/FuelThinning
20 APRIL 8, 2021
After 30 years of service with Whistler Fire Rescue Service, Dave Rushbrook is hanging up his boots!!
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when does the spending happen, what’s the magnitude of the spending, and then what are the revenues to be realized at the end?” Price said. “All of those numbers are estimates. They’re well-informed estimates, but any and all of them could change.” Further, the agreement is quite different than a typical pact between two independent parties, as “the RMOW is
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But the move is not without risk. In a report to council, Price noted that the size and value of the projects, and the spending involved, are sufficient to “meaningfully impair the municipality’s core financial position” if the agreement is not well executed. “As with any project, we have in hand a project plan, and a whole series of estimates as to how the project will likely evolve—so
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RISKY BUSINESS? A $10-million line of credit will be used to advance affordable housing buildings on Parcel A in Cheakamus Crossing—but the investment isn’t without risk.
Dave started with the volunteers way back in 1988. After a series of crane truck incidents on Blackcomb mountain, it was universally decided in 1990 that Dave should become one of Whistler’s first career firefighters. Over the years, his cool, calm and collected demeanour has contributed immensely to the Whistler Fire Rescue Service. As well as fighting fires, Dave has specialized in many high-level disciplines; vehicle extrication, first responder training, high angle rescue, confined space rescue, to name just a few….. His patient approach and commitment to teaching our career and Paid-on-Call firefighters will be missed. For now, we wish Dave all the best in his next endeavours, and I’m sure we shall all see him either on the trails, pickle ball court or on the hill!
NEWS WHISTLER looking to be a good partner to WDC in this case,” Price said. “So we’re not taking security, we’re offering a very favourable interest rate on the debt—there’s a lot of concessions that have been made in order to ensure that the WDC can be successful in the project.” For a bit of added insurance, the RMOW has asked for quarterly reporting from the WDC, “which allows us the opportunity to see real time, or almost real time, if there are changes to the project plan, if there are changes to costs,” Price added. “That gives us a bit of an early look, [so] if costs are to escalate, if the real estate market starts to change, we can get a little bit ahead of that.” As structured, the sale of the 18 market lots on Parcel D3—expected to bring in about $16 million, after servicing costs— stands as the main safeguard to Whistler taxpayers. Whistler’s real estate market has been hot for months, “but we don’t know what the future looks like,” said chief administrative officer Virginia Cullen. “We also know that there are a number of different people or different economists pointing to the risks associated with the housing bubble in Canada, so that is something for us to be aware of as we move forward with this project.” Factoring in the WDC’s existing $9.37 million in debt, it’s expected that the project will generate between $3 million and $6 million in net profit, which
would be transferred to the Cheakamus Crossing Affordable Employee Housing Reserve Fund to help fund future projects (a mandatory requirement under the Community Land Bank Agreement with the provincial government). “That piece does provide a bit of cushion,” Price said. “[It] means that project costs and revenues could change together by up to $6
funding Cheakamus Phase 2. “The reason we need to be careful in ensuring we have these agreements in place and the expectations for performance of the project are clear, is so that we don’t end up in a situation where the RMOW has lent money permanently to the WDC,” Cullen said. “Because if we do that, essentially money is moving out of our reserves that
“The hour is late. We’re more than halfway through our term, and it’s time for us to get moving.” - RALPH FORSYTH
million, and it would have no effect on the WDC’s ability to repay the debt associated with this project.” However, if those figures change beyond that mark, “we start to see different effects, which could include the non-repayment to RMOW of the loan amount,” she added. Given the enormous financial pressures COVID-19 has placed on the community, the RMOW opted for a lower tax increase in last year’s budget, meaning Whistlerites can expect higher increases in the coming years—placing even more importance on a solid agreement for
are supposed to be meant for maintaining existing municipal assets and other projects. So it would eventually impact tax rates.” Though the WDC’s intention from the beginning was always to pay off its outstanding debt using the sale of market lots, when housing availability grew tight in 2016, several parcels were donated to be used for new Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) builds on Legacy Way and Cloudburst Drive. The topic of the debt, as well as the requirement for the WDC to do quarterly reporting, led to a lengthy discussion at
the April 6 council meeting (watch it in full at whistler.ca). WDC’s concern is one of expediency, said Councillor Duane Jackson, who oversees council’s housing portfolio and sits on the WDC board, and requiring in-depth quarterly reports prior to allowing WDC to access funds may not be realistic. “We’re happy to share the budgets, as they are today … we just can’t account for everything in the timeline we’re going to need to draw [the funds] for,” Jackson said. “So we’re wanting to meet your needs, but in the interim, I think what we want to do is go for the gold standard. We can’t deliver it this week, which is really when we need to be [moving ahead].” But RMOW staff is not expecting the WDC’s “gold standard” right now, Cullen said. “We just need an update on where the project is—what’s been spent in the last three months, what you plan to do in the next couple,” she said. ”It’s pretty straightforward, and we’re not looking for anything fancy with a gold seal on it.” After an extended discussion, council supported the move unanimously. “I’m happy to move this resolution forward—we need the $10 million to complete the project,” said Coun. Ralph Forsyth. “Every single one of us campaigned that we would build housing. The hour is late. We’re more than halfway through our term, and it’s time for us to get moving.” n
Introducing a NEW local resource for mental health and substance use support.
Presented by:
Made possible by the Katz Amsterdam Foundation
Supported by:
APRIL 8, 2021
21
NEWS WHISTLER
Zero Ceiling inks partnership with WHA to secure accommodation ADVOCATES HOPE MOVE SIGNALS BROADENED APPROACH TO MEETING WHISTLER’S DIVERSE HOUSING NEEDS
BY BRANDON BARRETT AFTER A PROLONGED period of searching, a local non-profit dedicated to fighting youth homelessness has secured accommodation thanks to a partnership with the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA), an agreement that local advocates hope signals a shift in how the community supports and understands its housing needs. Zero Ceiling, which helps under-housed youth transition to self-sufficiency through supportive housing and employment, had been looking for accommodation for three female participants as demand for its main Work 2 Live program skyrocketed in the pandemic. The deal was inked to secure a three-bedroom unit in WHA’s recently
completed Granite Ridge project after the WHA was unable to fill it from its rental waitlist, the culmination of years of ongoing discussions with the WHA. (It’s common for Zero Ceiling participants to be added to the WHA rental waitlist in case they decide to stay in the community after their year-long program ends.) “The appropriate timing, tenure [and] unit availability had not been possible until Granite Ridge,” said WHA general manager Marla Zucht in an email. “The WHA and Zero Ceiling are both very excited about this housing partnership to assist a more vulnerable population in our community.” A partnership between the WHA, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and BC Housing, the 45-unit Granite Ridge development in
MOVING IN Supportive housing provider Zero Ceiling has partnered with the Whistler Housing Authority to house three women participants in its Work 2 Live program in the new Granite Ridge development, pictured. PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS
Cheakamus Crossing was made possible thanks to a total government investment of $25.1 million, comprising $4.5 million in grant funding, construction financing of approximately $10.2 million, and $10.4 million from the National Housing Co-Investment Fund. A condition of the funding from BC Housing was that a portion of the units had to gear rent to income, which the WHA achieved after revising its eligibility guidelines in 2019.
“It’s a really good way of ensuring that people can get into housing and that it’s based on their income and their ability to pay rather than a flat rate where everybody pays the same,” explained WHA board chair and Councillor Jen Ford. “So it is a very new concept for us.” For Sean Easton, co-executive director of Zero Ceiling, the announcement comes as a welcome relief after months of trying to find housing.
INSCRIPTIONS EN COURS / ONGOING REGISTRATION
The The Whistler Whistler Valley Valley Housing Housing Society Society is is seeking seeking applications for nominations to the Board applications for nominations to the Board of of Directors Directors and and interested interested Residents, Residents, Non-profits Non-profits and and Businesses Businesses for for Members at Large. Members at Large. Board Board of of Directors Directors Term Term until until 2022 2022 AGM AGM Interested in people with either lived experience or formals skills in the Interested in people with either lived experience or formals skills in the following areas: following areas: • Finance • Finance • Policy, planning, advocacy • Policy, planning, advocacy • Legal/Risk management • Legal/Risk management • Community Development • Community Development • Lived Experience • Lived Experience • Familiarity with affordable housing programs/construction • Familiarity with affordable housing programs/construction industry industry The Whistler Valley Housing Society is a not-for-profit established The Whistler Valley Housing Society is a not-for-profit established in 1983 and is the owner of Whistler Creek Court a 20 unit affordable in 1983 and is the owner of Whistler Creek Court a 20 unit affordable rental housing project for Whistler employees. rental housing project for Whistler employees. The society’s purpose is to supply, operate, manage and maintain low and The society’s purpose is to supply, operate, manage and maintain low and moderate income housing on a nonprofit basis for Whistler employees. moderate income housing on a nonprofit basis for Whistler employees.
If If interested, interested, please please contact: contact: cjewett@whistler.ca cjewett@whistler.ca Application Deadline is May Application Deadline is May 14th, 14th, 2021. 2021. 22 APRIL 8, 2021
NIVEAUX SECONDAIRES 8-9 OFFERTS AUX
ÉLÈVES DE PEMBERTON ET DE WHISTLER ! POUR PLUS D’INFORMATIONS L’École La Vallée
410 Portage Road, Pemberton T. 604-894-2038 | M/K-9 pemberton.csf.bc.ca
csf.bc.ca
NEWS WHISTLER “As the pandemic unfolded, we anticipated the pressures on the rental market softening a little bit, and then through the recognition of our organization, we thought we would be able to take advantage of some of this new funding and potentially scoop up a place, but it proved to be more difficult than that,” he said. “It was such a relief to get this last unit. It was amazing to connect with the WHA and be supported by them.” Easton is hopeful the landmark agreement is a step towards better understanding and supporting the wide range of housing needs in Whistler, particularly for the resort’s more vulnerable residents. “To be honest, the margins are narrower than other communities, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist,” he said. “We think there’s opportunity to diversify the approach to housing so we can meet the needs of all community members and so
Whistler for women and gender-diverse individuals fleeing domestic violence for years. Currently, women in need of safe housing have to travel to Pemberton or Squamish, which can be a major barrier to individuals in such a precarious position to begin with. “My information is anecdotal but we do see about 40 to 50 per cent of our calls coming from Whistler. Yet in the last couple of years, that’s not been the statistic that’s been [representative] of who’s accessing the transition house,” said HSWC executive director Ashley Oakes. “What we know is survivors in Whistler are more often declining entry to the transition house or safe home and we believe that’s because they need to leave the community to access them.” Zucht noted the WHA has been in talks with the HSWC, and although the organization has yet to pin down the right
“We think there’s opportunity to diversify the approach to housing so we can meet the needs of all community members...”
NOTICE OF WAIVING OF PUBLIC HEARING ELECTORAL AREA C 2510 Summit Road, Birken BC
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 Electoral Area C Zoning Bylaw No. 765, 2002, Amendment Bylaw No. 1699-2020 The bylaw is associated with an application to amend the zoning to facilitate subdivision of a parcel into two lots and would see the property rezoned from RR1-Rural to RR1-Residential subzone RR1(RES) thereby reducing the minimum parcel size to one hectare. The subject property is legally described as: LOT 2 DISTRICT LOT 1251 LILLOOET DISTRICT PLAN KAP71081 EXCEPT PLAN KAP72339.
- SEAN EASTON
people don’t get squeezed out.” Although the WHA carries out annual surveying of local businesses to determine the ratio of employees living in the community—with a longstanding target of housing at least 75 per cent of workers locally—that data relies on business owners self-reporting, and doesn’t capture unemployed individuals, remote workers, or employees who may be under-housed. “Is everyone living in their own bedroom? Is anyone sharing a house with 15 people? Obviously we weren’t asking those questions because that becomes much more difficult to paint,” said Ford. “So were we asking the right questions? Do we have a really fulsome idea of where our community lives, and is it adequate?” Ford said the RMOW should gain a better picture of its housing landscape thanks to a comprehensive, provincially mandated housing needs assessment required for completion by April 2022, and every five years thereafter. The initiative, funded in Whistler through a $20,000 grant, requires municipalities to collect housing data, analyze trends, and ultimately produce a report with current and anticipated housing needs. “We’re advocating to have housing providers like Zero Ceiling, who has been doing it for 24 years, and the Howe Sound Women’s Centre, which has also been doing this for decades, to be part of that process,” said Easton. “We have a huge chunk of money to do a needs assessment. Let’s not just spend it to find out what we already know. Let’s dig a little deeper.” The Howe Sound Women’s Centre (HSWC) has been pushing for the establishment of a transition house in
kind of WHA accommodation to meet the needs of a safe house, “this collaboration is still a real possibility for future housing opportunities, and we will continue to pursue options that can help to address these identified needs.” Despite the enthusiasm for a safe house from resort stakeholders like the WHA and RMOW, Oakes said, along with the high cost of real estate, the major barrier to establishing one in Whistler has been the community’s piecemeal approach to housing. “Housing has been relatively siloed for all of our operators: for Zero Ceiling, for the Whistler Housing Authority, for the RMOW, for [Whistler Blackcomb] staff housing,” Oakes said. “We’ve all kind of operated in our own lane, and that may not necessarily be the best approach for Whistler, and that’s what I think we’re breaking down a bit now. It’s just working together to figure out how we really do that.” Oakes added that she has seen the approach to housing improve over the past five years, which has only been accelerated by the pandemic. “We’re getting to be a more collaborative community and I think the reason for that is we’re starting to realize as a community that there’s a need for affordable space and secure housing for those with less deep pockets,” she said. “We’re stronger together and I think together we can affect change in each of our agencies.” The WHA currently has a funding application into the province to assist with the financing of 100 units of new employee housing slated for Parcel A in Cheakamus Crossing, and expects to hear back next month, Zucht noted. n
INFORMATION & SUBMISSIONS? The proposed bylaw and relevant background documents may be inspected on pages 246 to 262 of the following Board Agenda: https://slrd.civicweb.net/document/133269 Third reading of Bylaw No. 1699-2020 is scheduled for Wednesday 21 April, 2021. 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 April 21, 2021. 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 APRIL 8, 2021
23
NEWS WHISTLER
How does Whistler stack up? THE SUBTLE ART OF WOOD-STACKING AND WHAT YOUR PILE SAYS ABOUT YOU
BY BRANDON BARRETT IN HIS BESTSELLING book, Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way, Lars Mytting writes about his nation’s long-running obsession with wood, and more specifically for our purposes, wood-stacking. For good reason: A quarter of the country still heats their homes with wood, but beyond the practical applications of foraging, chopping, piling and burning the stuff, the Norwegians’ appreciation for wood runs deeper than that, to an almost spiritual level. “It’s a way to honour the material and a reminder that nothing lasts forever,” Mytting told Wisconsin Public Radio in a 2016 interview. The Norwegians are so serious about a good woodpile, in fact, that they believe a person’s stack can tell you a heck of a lot about them. According to Mytting, an upright and solid pile means an upright and solid man, while an unfinished pile could mean someone who is lazy, unstable and “prone to drunkenness.” Even worse is a pile with old and new wood stacked together, which could mean you’ve got a wood thief on your hands. Norwegians even love a little style to
their pile, with photo contests in newspapers around the country showing off the most flamboyantly arranged stacks. Canadians, you’ll be shocked to learn, tend to favour function over form, preferring square, orderly stacks over the rounded, criss-crossed piles that are the norm in Scandinavia. This is often to do with practicality: square piles take up less space, and can be more easily stored away from the elements. But given the fact that Scandinavians have been stacking wood for far longer than their Canuck counterparts, the method is about more than just aesthetics. “Though our fellow Canadians may hate us for saying this, our vote goes to the Scandinavians,” wrote East Vancouver’s Union Wood Company on its website. “Placing wood in a radius pattern is the best way to stack firewood because it allows the wood to dry more rapidly. Other benefits: stacking it in a round takes less time, sheds water better (because the wood is at an angle), takes less space and makes the pile more stable.” So what about Whistler, land of abundant forests and drafty A-frames? Ian “One-Match” Bunbury admits he doesn’t have the most artistic pile, but he has honed his method over the years to the point where it’s become a dedicated ritual he builds his day around. “It’s taken me years to finally get to
GOOD WOOD Pete Cronin takes an artistic approach to stacking firewood on his Pemberton property. PHOTO SUBMITTED
the place that I’m happy with it,” he said. “You’re always trying to find ways to make the job easier. Andrew Nolan has similarly developed his own technique through seasons of trial and error, taking a more deliberate approach to his pile than he did in past years. “I find if you’re going to stack some wood, you need to think about why you’re doing it,” he said, adding that he finds himself going to a “tranquil, Zen sort of state of mind” when he’s looking for the perfect piece of wood for the following season.
It’s this transportive quality that Pemberton’s Pete Cronin appreciates about wood: a roaring fire not only harkens back to the idyllic days of summer camps and sing-alongs, but to the moments you spent painstakingly chopping and assembling. “Once you sit down and have your fire and enjoy the heat, you’re kind of enjoying all that work you put into it,” he said. “[Chopping wood] can take you forward to a future fire, but then when you’re enjoying the heat, it can also take you back to the day you chopped it or stacked it.” Cronin, who has Mytting’s Norwegian Wood on his shelves, also takes a creative approach to stacking. “Like most things I go at, there’s a bit of arty-fartiness about it,” he said. “I don’t just stack the wood. I try to make it fun and like to look back at it and go, ‘Well, that looks interesting.’” All three men spoke about the meditative quality of splitting and stacking, formed through the ongoing dialogue between them and the wood. “You get to know each piece of wood,” said Bunbury. “It’s a weird game. You either come to terms with it and keep doing it or you leave the property and move to an apartment where you can put on the thermostat.” n
Whistler Transit System
Service Change Effective April 6, 2021
40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION IS HERE!
End of core Winter service Start of Spring-Summer-Fall service: } Seasonal service changes on select routes } Additional late Winter service available 10 2021 from April 6–18,
21002
For more information, visit bctransit.com/whistler Transit Info 604·932·4020 bctransit.com/whistler
24 APRIL 8, 2021
IN PRINT AND ONLINE!
Look for it in select hotel rooms, on stands, in shops… or call us if you would like copies delivered. 604-932-1672
Whistler’s premier visitor magazine since 1980
@WhistlerTransit
/whistlermagazine whistlermagazine.com
NEWS WHISTLER
Old growth a hot topic at CCF open house UBC RESEARCHER TO ANALYZE WHISTLER FUEL-REDUCTION PROJECT
BY BRADEN DUPUIS THE FIRST QUESTION posed to Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) administrators at a recent virtual open house was a good indicator of how the rest of the conversation would go. “Why are we even talking about cutting any old-growth forest areas around here?” a participant asked. “They are priceless and should not be touched. We can do better.” It’s not a new debate in Whistler by any stretch, but one that has taken on new life following a provincial review of B.C.’s oldgrowth management completed last year. As it relates to the CCF, between 30 and 55 per cent of old growth is currently protected, said board chair Jeff Fisher at the March 29 meeting. “When the community forest was created, the idea was to reduce the logging, do a better job, go to an ecosystem-based management … [and] give more weight to tourism, recreation, biodiversity, but still to harvest some timber,” Fisher said, adding that the CCF currently harvests some of its timber from old growth, and some from second growth. “We are on a program to shift out of the old growth, but it’s a question of: is it going to take 30 years, 20 years, 10 years or five years, and we are still examining options to change our harvest planning that way?” Protecting Whistler’s old growth has long been a stated goal of Whistler Councillor Arthur De Jong, who oversees council’s environment portfolio and sits on the CCF board. CCF management has to “first and foremost” consider the Lil’wat and Squamish First Nations, which manage the forest in partnership with the Resort Municipality of Whistler, and rely on it for jobs, De Jong said. That said, “I would like to see the shortest time possible to get to not having to log old growth. The community’s been very clear to me on that, with my environmental file … but it’s complex,” he said. The removal of some old growth has been (and will continue to be) necessary for things like ski trails and fire management, De Jong added. “As a climate researcher, my biggest concern is that we don’t burn this place down—our summer temperatures are increasing at four times the rate of winter, over two degrees Celsius in the last 40 years,” he said. “Our forests are changing, and how do we adapt quickly enough to keep the risk down so that we don’t lose a significant part of our community?” It’s been a quiet few years for harvesting
in the CCF, as sluggish timber markets have shifted the focus to fuel-management projects—though forest partners are hoping to see more harvesting completed this year. As it relates to harvesting plans, there are 10 proposed sites in the CCF that are still targeted for tree removal: four in the Basalt Valley, two near Brandywine Creek, and one each at Callaghan Creek, Brew Creek, 16 Mile Creek and Wedgemount Creek. The stands in question are mostly comprised of hemlock and balsam, with a small component of yellow cedar and red cedar. Fuel-thinning projects include the ongoing work on a linear fuel break along the Cheakamus River (now nearing completion); a landscape level fuel break at 16 Mile Creek that would protect Whistler from the north; and fuel treatment behind Rainbow and Emerald. On wildfire management, some attendees to the virtual open house wondered if there are examples of Whistler’s efforts working, and what body of science the fuel treatments are based on. Wildfire fuel reduction treatments are relatively new in Canada and B.C., with most of the current research based on forests in the U.S., said forest manager Simon Murray. “Do we have an example that the wildfire reduction treatments that we have done actually work? Well, no, we don’t, because we haven’t had a big enough fire in the Whistler Valley to test our fuel breaks,” Murray said. “So we don’t have necessarily any concrete evidence that what we’ve been doing is going to work, but it’s the best science that we have to work with.” To that end, environmental stewardship manager Heather Beresford noted a new study is set to be done in Whistler by UBC researcher Lori Daniels. “She’s already done quite a lot of research in the Interior on the efficacy of wildfire treatments, and now she has, in the last year, begun doing research in Coastal forests, and she has agreed to do some research specifically on a project that the RMOW has done,” Beresford said. “So we are providing information to her this week so that she can do some analysis on the before and after of the treatments, and then compare it to what their understanding has become around what is a good project, and what are the outcomes that could be expected.” Noting the elevated interest in discussing Whistler’s old growth, Fisher proposed a second forum be held specifically to discuss the topic—the date for this is still to be announced. Read more at cheakamuscommunityforest.com. n
NOTICE OF PROPOSED TEMPORARY USE PERMIT
Twin River Gravel Company Ltd. – Mobile Concrete Plant Temporary Use Permit #67 PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given in accordance with Section 921 of the Local Government Act that the Regional Board will be considering the issuance of the above-mentioned permit at its regular Board meeting on April 21, 2021. This permit was initially scheduled to be considered at the March 24, 2021 Board meeting, but was rescheduled. The purpose of Temporary Use Permit (TUP) #67 is to allow for: 1. A mobile concrete plant to be operated by Twin River Gravel Company Ltd, which is currently operating an open pit mine in this location. The site of the mobile concrete plant is approximately 6000 m2 in size, and in a previously disturbed area of the mining tenure. The subject application applies to a portion of land legally described as part of District Lot 3364 Group 1 New Westminster District.
A copy of TUP #67 and relevant background documents may be inspected on pages 618 to 629 of the following Board Agenda: https://slrd.civicweb.net/document/132182 Written submissions respecting matters contained in TUP #67 must be received at the SLRD office no later than 9:00am, April 21, 2021. 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 APRIL 8, 2021
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Despite the many challenges, Whistler had an incredible winter season of skiing and riding. We give thanks to the operators, employees and front-line workers who worked tirelessly to keep the mountains safe and open to the community during a very difficult year. Pique is celebrating the individuals and businesses that made this happen by sharing a few memories of their fabulous times on the mountains.
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I tip my hat to all the local businesses and Vail Corp for their leadership, and to all their employees, for how hard they have worked to deliver an extraordinary season in trying times.
LET’S DO THIS WHISTLER Let’s double down on our collective support for our Whistler Village restaurants (patios or take out) and those small shops and services that make our village the best place on earth. Let’s think of everyone who needs a hand in our community and take care of them. Now’s the time.
WHISTLER
All of us at Fresh St. Market Whistler will be here to support our community too. We’ve been making regular food donations to the local Whistler Food Bank to help support those who need it right now. We’d also like to give a big shout-out to our staff for the amazing job they’ve been doing. Let’s do this Whistler! You’re the best!
APRIL 8, 2021
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NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY
New community beehive project to launch in Pemberton COMMUNITY INITIATIVE, SPARKED BY DELORES FRANZ LOS, SET TO TEACH BOTH SCHOOL KIDS AND ADULTS ABOUT THE INSECTS
BY ALYSSA NOEL DELORES FRANZ LOS became a beekeeper long before it was a buzzworthy pastime. She first started over 40 years ago in Squamish, but has long since moved—along with her hives—to the furthest reaches of Pemberton Meadows. Over the years she’s hosted school groups, burgeoning beekeepers, and curious community members who were willing to make the trip. “I’ve had many people over the years who want to start beekeeping come to my place to see the hives,” she said. “I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if there was something close to Pemberton—adults and kids could come down—with a place to keep a couple hives?’” So, last summer, when nearby Meadowlands Farm (best known for its cranberries) came up with a unique way to give back to the community—offering up donations from their u-pick blueberries to local groups via grants—Los realized it was a perfect opportunity to get community beehives off the ground.
ALL ABUZZ Beehives will be located on a new, centralized Pemberton farm for kids and adults to visit. PHOTO BY DELORES FRANZ LOS
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“I wrote up a proposal and they accepted,” she said. “I didn’t tell anybody about it until I actually got the equipment. In the fall, they brought me all the equipment you need for two hives. I have everything but the bees and the bees will come [this month].” The next hurdle she had to overcome: Where exactly to put the new community
trying to learn, we didn’t have the time to learn about bees. We were in the process of looking for someone to help us do that.” With a public-access area carefully picked out—the farm is located at the corner of Urdal Road and Fraser Road, but the beehive access will be at the southeast corner along Fraser Road—and some
“We’re pretty lucky this whole thing worked out the way it did. Being able to learn from Delores, she’s so knowledgeable about this stuff.” - HANNAH CLARK
hives. She knew she wanted a central location in Pemberton to make it as accessible as possible. So when she found out Nolan Den Duyf and Hannah Clark were starting a new vegetable and flower farm called Cold Creek Acres in the perfect location—close to both the high school and elementary school—she reached out. It turned out to be a perfect match. “This is going to be our first big season,” Clark said. “We knew that we wanted a lot of bio diversity and the farm to be super diverse and bees were going to be part of that. With getting everything started and
equipment already on site (with paint donated from Pemberton Valley RONA after it found out about the project), the pair is looking forward to not only welcoming the community to their new farm, but also learning about bees themselves. “We know little-to-nothing about bees currently,” Den Duyf said with a laugh. “We’re excited to get the full learning experience from Delores and get some training firsthand on how to maintain them.” Adds Clark: “We’re pretty lucky this whole thing worked out the way it did. Being able to learn from Delores, she’s so knowledgeable
about this stuff. When we’ve told people around town, they’re like, ‘oh, the bee lady!’ To learn from her is awesome.” While there’s plenty of interest from the public in learning more about bees, that education has also become more pressing in recent years as the insects have been dying off due to disease. “It’s harder and harder to raise bees and that’s why there’s a big focus on them,” Los said. “Sixty per cent of the food we eat, bees are necessary to pollinate.” To that end, it’s both important and fulfilling to watch people—especially kids— learn more about them, she added. “It’s absolutely incredible to see what happens,” she said. “I have Kindergarten kids and Grade 1 and 2, some will be very afraid when they first start; they’ve heard bees sting. Honestly, you can’t even imagine how quickly they change. They have hats with veils and gloves, so they look like beekeepers. Within minutes, their hands are in the beehive and they’re right in there.” While Los will oversee the hives and the school and community visits, she hopes to recruit more volunteers. “Eventually the hope is people who started learning about bees will say they feel comfortable enough to take others through the beehives, so they’re real, community beehives,” she says. To find out more, email Los at dfflos@ hotmail.com. n
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Tourism Pemberton is requesting proposals from vendors for the construction and installation of BTW diversion washrooms at key backcountry access locations in and around Pemberton, BC.
WE KNOW PEMBERTON INSIDE AND OUT 1737 PINEWOOD DRIVE PEMBERTON PLATEAU
To request the full RFP specifications, please visit tourismpembertonbc.com/rfp
$1,098,000
Gorgeous custom built home with spacious outdoor space, this 3 bed 2.5 bath family home offers a huge bonus room with wood burning stove. The 2 bedroom suite can be incorporated into the home or from an exterior entrance! Bedrooms:
3
Bathrooms:
2.5
ERIN MCCARDLE STIEL
erin@wrec.com 604 902 0520
9209 PORTAGE ROAD BIRKEN
$340,000 Walk to pristine Gates Lake from this 1.34acre building lot. With lovely views, current geo-tech report, active electrical service, water rights and authorized driveway access this property is ready for you to create your dream recreational home! Lot Size:
1.34 Acres
KATELYN SPINK katelyn@wrec.com 604 786 1903
1364 FERNWOOD DRIVE PEMBERTON
$929,000
This large family home currently has 5 bedrooms, a large family room and office which could easily be reconfigured to accommodate a self-contained revenue suite. A large garage and 3-vehicle carport provide ample additional space! Bedrooms:
5
Bathrooms:
2.5
LISA AMES
lisaa@wrec.com 604 849 4663
LOT 68 LILLOOET LAKE ESTATES
6500 IN-SHUCK-HCH FOREST SERVICE ROAD
$350,000
This stylish little cabin nestled in the woods of Lillooet Lake Estates backs onto Crown land to provide easy access to both the lake and walking trails. Come spend summer at the lake! Bedrooms:
2
Bathrooms:
1
LISA HILTON* lisah@wrec.com 604 902 4589
604 894 5166 WHISTLERREALESTATE.CA APRIL 8, 2021
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SCIENCE MATTERS
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604.932.3211 332-4370 lorimer road s.shaw@raceandco.com
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Protecting the planet can prevent pandemics WITH COVID-19 vaccines becoming more available, we can breathe a small sigh of relief—through our masks! But we can’t get complacent. This pandemic isn’t over. And if we’re not careful, others could be on the horizon. A coalition of health and conservation organizations is trying to prevent that. It points to evidence that “increasing rates of deforestation and land-use change due to population growth and urbanization— coupled with growing globalization and
BY DAVID SUZUKI
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30 APRIL 8, 2021
excess production driven by consumerism” are increasing our vulnerability to “zoonotic” diseases, which spread from other animals to people. They also note that “large-scale commercial trade in live wild animals, often traveling long distances to crowded food markets, increases the risk of transmission of pathogens to people from those animals.” This information isn’t new. Most “novel pathogens” to which we haven’t developed immunity are zoonotic, including Ebola, zika, West Nile virus, SARS, HIV and others. We’ve long known about the possibility of something like COVID-19. We should have been better prepared for it or able to prevent it. We must learn from the current crisis to prevent worse emergencies and prepare for new diseases. The next virus could be deadlier than COVID-19 (as some variants already are). As the coalition points out, outbreaks are increasing and spreading faster in our interconnected world. “Because of our broken relationship with nature, these events are already happening more frequently: more than 335 emerging infectious disease outbreaks were reported worldwide from 1940 to 2004— over 50 per decade,” the coalition reports. In identifying parts of the world where outbreaks are likely to start, the coalition is mapping out solutions, which “will require dialogue and coordinated action between sectors—particularly health and environment, but also agriculture, trade, food and nutrition, and others.” Its proposed “three-pronged strategy” would include a scientific task force and high-level panel on prevention at the source, a global action fund for pandemic prevention, and global and local public awareness campaigns. The task force—to be convened by coalition members the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment, with scientists worldwide—will “examine what we know and what we must learn
to prevent the next global pandemic.” It will inform a panel that includes “highlevel representatives from governments” to “develop and recommend policies to prevent spillover, and, critically, advocate for adoption of these policies globally and in high-risk countries.” The coalition also proposes a global action fund to help co-ordinate knowledge, dialogue and action and “support a pipeline of existing prevention solutions to scale up, while also financing the development of new solutions (cutting-edge behaviour change approaches, diagnostic platforms, incentives programs, technologies, and data solutions). Finally, it proposes global and local public awareness campaigns to prioritize prevention and health-system preparedness. To prevent pandemics, we must recognize our interconnectedness with nature and protect natural systems that make the planet habitable for humans. Doing so will also help with the climate emergency. As Amy Vittor from the University of Florida’s division of infectious diseases and global medicine told the Guardian, “Forests—and tropical forests in particular— harbour complex networks of microbes and their wildlife hosts. Degrading these landscapes carries the potential of unleashing these microbes upon our domesticated animals and ourselves. Therefore, maintaining the integrity of forests serves to not only protect biodiversity and mitigate climate change, but also to contain these complex and potentially dangerous pathogen networks.” Reducing wildlife trade and reforming livestock practices are also crucial. All require recognizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples worldwide, and incorporating knowledge they’ve gained from living in place for millennia. These measures are necessary regardless of cost, but a recent study found they’re also sound investments. Global spending on COVID-19 has already exceeded US$20 trillion, but spending just $27 billion a year over 10 years could substantially reduce the risks of a similar pandemic. As with the coalition’s recommendations, the study outlines the benefits of early disease detection and control, monitoring wildlife trade and ending China’s wild meat trade, reducing disease spillover from livestock and protecting tropical forests in critical regions. Our major crises—pandemics, climate disruption and biodiversity loss—all have roots in our lack of recognition of our place in nature. We can and must do better. 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. ■
RANGE ROVER
The End IN THE END , it was much like the beginning. Shock, recognition, resignation. Whistler Blackcomb (WB) done for the season. A jarring, if necessary déjà vu. The only question—given the profligate waves of non-essential travellers washing through town on a weekly basis and a clearly waning regard for safety protocols among local businesses and individuals—is how we avoided it happening sooner. Given the forces conspiring against Whistler, it’s practically a miracle we lasted this long, testament to the diligent efforts of many, from Whistler Blackcomb (WB)
BY LESLIE ANTHONY to service providers, from health-care professionals to essential workers (which, here, includes anyone in hospitality). So, I’ll begin by offering all of you the biggest, bestest, most respectful “thank you” I can muster. In the wake of B.C. Premier John Horgan’s egregiously unhelpful finger-pointing at the 20 to 39-year-old demographic (swiftly condemned and since retracted and clarified), however, it’s worth looking more closely at how Whistler ended up in these particular crosshairs. First, the writing was certainly on the wall: With 218 cases of COVID-19 from March 22 to 28, up from 122 for the entire Howe Sound region the week prior, and 58 the week before that, a mathematics degree wasn’t required to see where this was going. At that doubling rate and people already seeding outside communities with virus acquired in Whistler, it wouldn’t be long before contact tracing was nigh on impossible; add in higher transmissibility
SHORT-SIGHTED VISION Whistler is now bearing the brunt of multiple levels of government’s mishandling of the COVID crisis. GETTY IMAGES
and potential morbidity of variants and it was a ticking bomb. Not surprisingly, the B.C. government’s butter-soft warnings based on Public Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s people-will-do-the-right-thing hallucination hadn’t worked, and spring break in Whistler, as in other places this year and last, proved to be a super-spreader event. Not that things weren’t already going south; the January/February spike never fully settled (though we did get down to 18 cases), and nearly half of the approximately 70 Whistler businesses inspected at the end of January were issued pandemic-related violations. This eroded confidence in our collective response given that people will take whatever slack you cut them. And frankly they were taking it—in older age groups as well. Sure the 40-plus crowd doesn’t gather in groups of 20 out on the lake ice or at large house parties as often as young folk, but studies show we execute our own risky behaviour, based more on entitlement than youthful anti-authoritarianism and indestructibility. Personally, having felt reasonably safe most of the winter, by March I’d regained the nervousness of last spring. I saw people using coffee shops as an excuse to be maskless for hours, meeting folks they clearly didn’t live with and sitting far closer than two metres—despite provisions made to obviate just that; some customers thought children (babies excluded) didn’t need to wear masks and were OK to run around from table to table. Large groups of unrelated people also walked (stalked?) the Valley Trail and congregated in morning lift lines. On the last day of skiing—let’s call it Magic Monday—I witnessed two individuals, one younger, one older, hold places in the Creekside lineup that swelled to groups of five and 12 respectively; their conversations revealed neither group was part of a bubble—just friends who hadn’t seen each other in up to a year. Some were unmasked, many hugged. It was worrying. Despite the heroic work of WB staff, there simply weren’t enough of them to manage all lift-line COVIDIOTs, which
started out in high numbers in November, were impressively shamed down to a quiet handful, then surged again over threeweeks of March hoopla—particularly on sunny days, as if blue sky somehow sanitized the air. Few were Whistlerites, but truculent out-of-town/province peeps indignant over having to wear any face-covering outside, with a similarly perplexing glut who couldn’t keep a mask over their nose, as if it weren’t part of the respiratory system—an apparently odd failing of Western education. It all seemed perilous given that the primarily airborne nature of transmission meant the two-metre guidance was outmoded at the start (when it was thought to mostly be through droplet and fomite hazards) and now joined frantic cleaning activity (other than hand-washing/sanitizing) as a form of Kabuki theatre. With variants circulating that were up to 2.5 times more transmissible, the hazard only increased (look at the current plight of the Vancouver Canucks, each of whom was tested every day). Now the Scandinave spa is shut down because of the number of staff who are quarantined. On March 30, Mark Warner, host of the Low Pressure Podcast, offered a frustrated rant on Instagram: “The [BC government] was concerned that people coming to Whistler were getting COVID-19 and bringing it back to their communities. That’s extremely hypocritical if you ask me. Where do you think Whistler got all those cases in the first place? Every day we have thousands of nonessential travellers [as defined by our own government] standing in close proximity… eating at our restaurants, coming into our shops, getting drunk on our patios. Then they blame the local workers who have no choice but to live in a house with 10 people because it’s impossible to afford anything else. The majority of those locals have been doing everything they can to keep the numbers down so something exactly like this doesn’t happen... We need tourists to make money but the blatant disregard and disrespect for the health and safety of this community has been very
unfortunate. We’ve had literally no say in this and if we have, [the RMOW] hasn’t done much about it… as a community [we] have been taken advantage of… Non-essential travellers are the problem and now our community is paying the price. Show up, wreck our town and leave with no repercussions.” He has a point, as do those who expressed similar sentiments of being “used” in these pages and elsewhere (see the excellent April 1 Facebook post from local Mike Nixon); these same labour-force “victims” of Whistler’s tourism hubris are the ones now out of a job—not visitors. Officials knew they were on the brink. Given the sudden—and somewhat covert— efforts to vaccinate Whistler’s service workers, it’s hard not to entertain the conclusion that in the drive to refill the province’s dwindling coffers, Whistler was a sacrificial lamb. As B.C.’s largest single tourism revenue generator, no one was willing to fully put the brakes on travel here from hot zones—whether parts of the Lower Mainland or the hell-fires of Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. So, because it has been shown time and again throughout the pandemic that soft-pedalled discouragement doesn’t work on the uninformed, irresponsible, selfish or rich, is it all governments’ fault for not enacting more stringent policies? Not quite; unlike the Maritimes, swinging a bigger hammer in larger, more populous provinces with no natural geographical containment also brings a proportional diminishment of structural and institutional capacity for enforcement (and you can multiply this equation at the federal level). Governments tried to strike a balance that worked for a while, then inevitably failed. But so did Whistler: We wanted to be open, and local efforts worked for a while, then inevitably failed. We got what we wanted for longer than may have been prudent. But since we’re all in this together, fault is hard to allocate. Leslie Anthony is a Whistler-based author, editor, biologist and bon vivant who has never met a mountain he didn’t like. ■
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FEATURE STORY
THE
SHELL GAME 32 APRIL 8, 2021
FEATURE STORY
Turtles have been around 220 million years, surviving five major extinction episodes. But they’re still no match for roads and motor vehicles. An Ontario facility is helping make sure they survive these as well. BY LESLIE ANTHONY PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ONTARIO TURTLE CONSERVATION CENTRE
E
ven at 80 kilometres an hour, I recognize the mossy, serrated dome on the pavement ahead. Braking carefully, I pull off and snap on my hazard lights. Fortuitously, the snapping turtle is in my lane facing the shoulder; moving it off the road in the direction it’s headed shouldn’t be difficult. As snapping turtles go it’s medium-sized, shell length about 25 centimetres. Stopped and looking around, it appears spooked by the rumble of passing traffic. Or the alien nature of asphalt—literally another planet to an aquatic creature. I gently prod the animal’s rear in hope it resumes progress across the remaining few metres. Instead, it pulls back its head with a hiss. Plan B: carry it across. Unlike most turtles, whose scope of defense is firmly out front, snappers can extend a snake-like neck sideways to nip the unwary, so when I do pick it up I stay behind, grasping the base of its tail with one hand and slipping the other beneath its armoured belly, lifting it as you would a pizza. I place it on the sandy shoulder, which feels familiar enough to the animal to flick on an internal switch: it bolts down the embankment, splashing into the watery umbra of a cattail marsh.
TURTLEPALOOZA Every year, thousands of turtles are hit by vehicles while crossing Canada’s roads. And while this one might have made it safely without intervention, there’s some irony: I encountered it while en route to a place of great fortune for its less-fortunate brethren—the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC). Turtles are among the world’s most endangered vertebrates. Almost half of some 300 species worldwide are threatened with extinction. Topping the list of causes is habitat loss and fragmentation—usually by roads—which interfere in everything from foraging and hibernation, to nesting and gene flow. The result is shrinking, vulnerable populations whose decline is further exacerbated by vehicular and watercraft mortalities, poaching for the pet and food trades, fishing bycatch, and egg consumption by predators whose unnaturally high numbers are subsidized by the presence of human communities (i.e. raccoons, skunks, foxes). To help reverse this trend, the OTCC takes a threepronged approach to its mandate of protecting and conserving turtles and their habitat: foremost is housing a world-leading hospital that treats, rehabilitates, and releases injured turtles back to the wild, as well as hatching eggs from females killed on roads; second is conducting field research to further conservation initiatives; third is running a comprehensive education and outreach program. I hope to learn more about the first aspect after an introduction to the latter. Located on the outskirts of Peterborough, the OTCC’s nondescript one-storey building hardly presents as a heralded roadside attraction—yet it’s a popular stop for organized groups and walkins. I mingle among the
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FEATURE STORY latter as I step into the bright reception area on a late-May morning in 2019. In one corner are items for purchase, on the walls, posters and displays; the remainder of the space is dominated by gurgling artificial pools featuring well-scrubbed turtles who, for various reasons, can’t be released back to the wild. These spiffy residents, now serving educational and outreach purposes, include Paddy (Snapping Turtle), Andrea (Blanding’s Turtle), Mappy (Northern Map Turtle), Rusty (Wood Turtle), Shellbie and Picasso (Midland Painted Turtles) and Zig and Zag (Eastern Musk Turtles). Absent from this all-Canada species roster are the Spotted Turtle and Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle, which visitors learn about soon enough from an accompanying abundance of interpretive material. Flowing along in a contagion of excited kids who are trying to see everything at once. My own Turtlepalooza is cut short by affable staffer Wendy Baggs, who steers me back outside to a quieter enclosure that features several ponds, a garden that grows greens to feed turtles, and various stewardship modules covering pollinators, invasive species, and wetland preservation. Come warmer weather, she explains, the OTCC’s celebrity turtles will reside out here as the stars of daily tours. “This is the most rewarding work I’ve ever done,” says Baggs, a multi-career retiree who found her true calling as one of the centre’s volunteer “turtle drivers”—a sort-of ambulance service shuttling injured reptiles to the facility from across Southern Ontario. Now she’s the OTCC’s Education and Outreach Director, overseeing its parade of curious visitors, as well as driving up to five hours to conduct presentations—even in winter. “We reached 15,000 people last year,” she notes proudly. “Few people knew the differences between species or how many exist in Ontario. Seniors would often say, ‘I’ve lived here this long and had no idea…,’ while kids were most enthused to learn how to move turtles off the road.” Our last stop is a room stacked with egg incubators and year-old snapping turtle hatchlings, all of which now crowd to the edge of their tanks, heads stretching up in Pavlovian unison, certain I’m bearing food. Raising eggs and hatchlings is part of hospital business, but also figures heavily into the centre’s education (everyone loves baby animals) and research aspects—like a radiotracking program in which the movements of wild-hatched Blanding’s turtles are being compared with those hatched at the OTCC. So far, growth and survival rates of OTCChatched turtles appear to be on par with their wild cousins—a solid endorsement of its program objectives. Though small, the hatching room is central to this labyrinthine complex, and looking out at the rest of the facility through its several portals I spy wall-towall turtles—in bins and tubs and pans, stacked on shelves, and, at this time of year, lining hallways and constellating the floor everywhere. It’s the perfect segue to my hospital handoff.
THE PATH TO HEALING After the temperature ups-and-downs of spring, when the weather warms up for good, turtles start to move on the landscape. Early on it’s mostly males—leaving hibernacula, bound for summer foraging grounds or seeking mates— while later, in June, it’s females looking to nest. Whatever the reason in forsaking a water body for land, roads are often in the way. Despite a turtle shell being a 220-millionyear-old evolutionary marvel of engineering, it’s no match for any kind of vehicle, and the damage done to individuals that don’t die outright is gut-wrenching. Summer 2018 saw almost 1,000 turtles pass through the OTCC. With 2019’s much cooler spring, the carnage started later but increased faster. By May 24, the OTCC had admitted 141 turtles; three days later, that number has climbed to 230. When I meet Dr. Sue Carstairs, the diminutive, brighteyed dynamo at the centre of this power station, it’s hard to square her upbeat composure with the surrounding horrors as she leads me through the packed emergency ward, which looks exactly as it sounds—a chaos of blood and bone and entrails. One large snapper splayed and unmoving in a tub is literally split down the middle with a rubicund gash, ribcage exposed and organs visible. It’s hard to imagine it’s still alive. “They’re quiet like that for a while,” says Sue. “But they’ve all been given pain medication, fluids and antibiotics if necessary. He’ll actually probably be OK.” Working as a wildlife rehab veterinarian, Carstairs had longed for a project that did more than generate feel-good PR—she wanted to have population-level impacts. Having turtles as a kid and working with them in private practice and animal shelters, she joined what was originally called the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre in 2009 as Executive and Medical Director. Operating since 2002, the centre was at a crossroads: It needed to either grow substantially or dissolve. When Carstairs arrived, the fatigued founders didn’t even have a financial strategy, despite being in the process of moving from free space to a rented unit where operational costs would soon soar from $8,000 to $60,000 annually. “I had to learn grant-writing quickly,” recalls Carstairs of her indoctrination into fundraising. That wasn’t all. With no experience in road ecology, big-picture wildlife diseases, or incubating and hatching eggs, Carstairs attended many conferences, paying her way to all. “I never unpacked my bag the first few years. If I was going to steer the ship I had to learn about all these things.” She was a quick study. The Toronto Zoo also helped with certain aspects, and she met generous biologists who mentored her on fieldwork. Under her direction, the OTCC has grown at an unprecedented rate: public awareness is up, capacity is full, and it’s staffed by five regular, full-time paid staff (including Carstairs), nine with seasonal contracts, and 35 volunteers. Though much of her time is given to directorial
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FEATURE STORY and fundraising efforts, offering consults to people from around the world on how to save injured turtles, and recruiting and training fellow vets from around Ontario to do their own turtle work, clinical duties dominate at this time of year. On a weekend like last, with 50 turtles a day incoming, technicians perform triage and make operable animals comfortable and ready for anesthetic and surgery. When Carstairs arrives, she stays until it’s all done—often up to 10 hours at a go. A variety of techniques and material are employed in repairs, including epoxy and zap-straps (previously it was wire and screws). Turtle shells are bone, so the minimum time to heal an uncomplicated crack with no spinal injury is eight to 12 weeks. Though mammal and bird bones heal faster given their higher metabolisms, Carstairs still describes turtles’ healing ability as mind-blowing. “It’s slow, but incredible—they actually regenerate spinalcord tissue. When I started here I couldn’t have even imagined the things they routinely recover from,” she says. “It might take some of them years to get healthy, but you have to be patient. Before they leave they have to function like a normal wild turtle, so some require rehab. Our physiotherapist, Carol Small, modifies what she does with humans for turtles, working on range-of-motion, building little ramps and other tricks to get them to use legs they’re otherwise prone to tuck under their shell—it really helps with outcomes.” When I’d first called Carstairs in early 2019, despite releasing more than 2,000 turtles in 2018 there were still 896 in the centre slated to return to the wild. Readying them involves removing all repair material, ensuring they’re feeding well, implanting ID microchips that will yield information on movements, and confirming return locations. By the time of my visit they’d already sent 300 back out, staggering outflow so that the volunteers who return them to their places of origin don’t all show up at once—especially during this critical time when injured turtles are also arriving in large numbers. When I check back in late September, Carstairs is about to embark on a well-earned vacation. “It was an unbelievable year,” she begins. “We’re closing in on 1,500 turtles for the season, and somewhere over 6,000 eggs hatching—I lost count a while back.” Again, she emphasizes that despite its wide-ranging work in medical reconstruction, rehabilitation, hatching, research and education, the OTCC is striving toward a single, unified objective: increasing awareness of the many challenges facing Ontario’s turtles and inspiring individuals to act, even if it’s just keeping your eyes peeled while driving—or stopping to move a vulnerable ancient soul off the road.
MOVING TURTLES: HTTPS://VIMEO.COM/94872148 OTCC: HTTPS://ONTARIOTURTLE.CA This story originally appeared in Canadian Geographic on Oct. 22, 2020, and is reprinted here with the author’s permission. ■
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SPORTS THE SCORE
Whistler Adaptive gears up for summer AFTER A SUCCESSFUL WINTER DEFINED BY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS, THE ORGANIZATION IS PREPARING TO HOST A NEW GOLF TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER IN JUNE
BY MEGAN LALONDE ALTHOUGH THE COVID-19 pandemic presented the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP) with a series of challenges this winter, Chelsey Walker is choosing to focus on the positives. “We actually had some really big successes, which was a surprise, given the situation,” said Walker, the organization’s executive director. Those included an expansion of Whistler Adaptive’s cross-country skiing and snowshoeing programs, which ran six days a week this winter, and welcoming an abundance of new athletes from the Squamish area who hadn’t participated in any of the organization’s programming prior to the pandemic, Walker explained. But when it comes to the many problems that were presented by the ongoing pandemic, none were more impactful than B.C.’s restriction on non-essential travel. “We couldn’t welcome our friends back from the Lower Mainland,” said Walker. “We kept to Sea to Sky only, but
ADAPTIVE ATHLETES Whistler Adaptive Sports Program successfully expanded its Nordic programming this winter, offering its athletes access to cross-country skiing or snowshoeing six days per week in the Callaghan Valley and on Whistler’s Lost Lake trails. PHOTO SUBMITTED
36 APRIL 8, 2021
fortunately we were able to stay open, and we were able to provide seven days a week of service to [about 60] individuals from the Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton area.” In a resourceful response to the need for social distancing, WASP opted to swap out its usual full-day lessons for larger groups in favour of half-day instruction and smaller groups. While the change in format ended up being a hit for Whistler Adaptive athletes and their families alike, having outdoor programming available for WASP’s athletes at all “was crucial” for their mental and physical health and well-being amid an abundance of pandemic-induced stress, said Walker. “But really, the by-product of our being able to stay open, even with shorter-formatted lesson types, [are the benefits] for the entire family.” She continued, “Parents were able to go out and go for a ski on their own, while their children were in the lesson, and then come together as a family to do the activity. So we had respite, as well as family time, which was really key.” After all, getting outside with WASP is an important part of these athletes’ routines, explained David Cronin, a member of the organization’s board of directors. “To be able to keep that routine, A, and B, give the families a chance to get outside, get away from Zoom, get away from TV and computers and enjoy this wonderful playground we all live in is really, really special,” he said.
In addition to rejigging its programming structure to suit our ever-changing world, Whistler Adaptive is also leaning on creative solutions when it comes to reimagining its fundraising efforts. One year after WASP’s 2020 fundraising gala—originally scheduled to take place at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club in May— was postponed and ultimately moved online, the organization is now preparing to host a brand-new fundraising event at the Whistler Golf Course in June. The golf tournament will serve as the kick-off to Whistler Adaptive’s summer season, said Cronin. It will be different from typical charity tournaments in several ways, he said, most notably in its lack of preor post-game gatherings for attendees. Instead, groups or single players will arrive in accordance with specific tee times, while a silent auction will be held online. (WASP is currently looking for merchants to provide the bid items. Those interested in contributing to the auction can do so by contacting fundraising@ whistleradaptive.com.) “You don’t have to be a great golfer to play,” cautioned Cronin, noting that the tournament is set to run in a “scramble format,” and is thus open to beginners, intermediate and experts. “It’s fun for everyone,” he said. Whistler Adaptive athletes will also be on hand to meet and even play a few holes with attendees, Cronin added.
Registration fees include a round of golf, a power cart rental, a driving range warm-up, the chance to win prizes, and, of course, a donation to Whistler Adaptive. Anyone interested in signing up should act fast, said Cronin. Just two weeks after announcing the fundraiser, the available slots were halfway sold out. (People looking to register for the tournament can do so at whistlerevents.golfems2.com/event/ whistler-adaptive-fundraiser.) The golf tournament isn’t necessarily replacing WASP’s trademark gala, but is instead serving as an additional source for the donations that WASP’s programming relies on, Cronin added. As such, he didn’t rule out another virtual fundraiser later in the year, following the success of Whistler Adaptive’s online gala in October that raised nearly $100,000. But before golfers begin teeing off, WASP is working to seamlessly transition their athletes from on-snow activities to summer sports, with hiking and biking programs beginning this week. The organization will follow similar COVID-19 protocols to the ones implemented last summer. As more British Columbians are vaccinated, Walker said she’s hopeful that athletes from the Lower Mainland will be able to re-join some of WASP’s most popular programs, like adaptive mountain biking. “We do anticipate, once those travel restrictions are lifted, that we’re going to be quite busy,” she said. n
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EPICURIOUS
Kimchi, the gateway to the wide world of Korean cuisine DOSIROCK KOREAN KITCHEN IS A NEW PICKUP AND DELIVERY SERVICE CENTRED AROUND THAT UBIQUITOUS KOREAN DISH
BY BRANDON BARRETT FOR MANY NEW initiates, it’s kimchi that is most often the gateway to the wider—and widely misunderstood—world of Korean cuisine. The Korean government’s own data supports this: Nearly 34 per cent of respondents from 16 major countries picked kimchi as their favourite hansik dish in a survey last year, while exports of the fermented cabbage jumped 36.4 per cent over the first 10 months of 2020, hitting an all-time high of nearly $150 million. “Kimchi is [the] most famous and typical Korean food for foreign people,” says Busan native and Whistler local Danji Lee, who last month launched DosiRock Korean Kitchen, a pickup and delivery service that initially, at least, will emphasize kimchi and dishes featuring kimchi. It’s hard to overstate the cultural and historical significance kimchi has to Koreans. A staple of the many side dishes—or banchan—served with every traditional meal, kimchi comes with myriad benefits, balancing good and bad gut bacteria, promoting weight loss, and regulating your immune system, not
KIMCHI QUEEN Danji Lee’s DosiRock Korean Kitchen is a new pickup and delivery service centred around the beloved Korean dish, kimchi. PHOTO SUBMITTED
38 APRIL 8, 2021
for nothing in such a health-obsessed country. But kimchi also speaks to something altogether deeper. “As a traditional fermented Korean side dish, kimchi is more than just vegetables prepared with a variety of seasonings. It embodied the identity of a nation. Kimchi has become a symbolic resource for all Korean people,” wrote Petra Christian University professor Liliek Soelistyo in a 2017 essay. Teaching English at one of the thousands of hagwons, or private after-school academies, dotting South Korea, you learn rather quickly the importance kimchi has to the collective national psyche. Without fail, my students would burn through the handful of standard biographical questions—usually revolving around whether I had a girlfriend and what my favourite K-pop band was—before arriving on that most important query: Do you like kimchi? The dish is so interwoven with Korea’s long and rich history—it is believed to have first appeared in some form around 3,000 years ago—and has persisted through so many generations, wars, famine—you name it—that it is the one mainstay of a rapidly evolving society that isn’t likely to disappear anytime soon. Perhaps even more importantly, kimchi symbolizes Korean resilience. To protect it from rotting, Koreans of centuries past developed a process to dry food before storing it. Then, the more sophisticated method of
fermentation was devised, dipping kimchi in a salt-filled clay bowl, called an onggi pot, that is then buried underground for months at a time, the dish’s notoriously sour taste developing all the while. “In Korea, our ancestors, they lived their lives really poor and that was really hard, especially because of the Korean War. They didn’t have much money and saved everything, so they kept food underground, like kimchi,” Lee explained. “Kimchi’s history is like our history.” And yet, despite kimchi’s growing prevalence internationally, Korean cuisine as a whole remains relatively unfamiliar to Western palates, at least compared to other more ubiquitous Asian cuisines. (That same government poll mentioned earlier found that only 57 per cent of respondents were even aware of Korean food, which was up three points from the year before.) Famously proud of their food culture, Koreans have mostly resisted dumbing down their bold flavours and distinct textures for foreign palates, which helps explain the general lack of awareness of Korean cuisine abroad, as well as that of its most recognizable dish. For the purposes of this article, I’ve been referring to the most common and traditional form of kimchi, made with fermented cabbage, salt, and Korean hot peppers, but the term itself really refers to any kind of fermented vegetable. In fact, there are almost too many forms of kimchi to
list, and alongside the cabbage variety, its most popular forms are made with cucumbers, garlic and radish. “We have tons of different kinds of kimchi in Korea,” Lee said. “For the foreigner, they don’t know … kimchi well. They know about cabbage kimchi. I want to introduce many kinds of kimchi.” For now, DosiRock offers “Mom’s Traditional” cabbage kimchi, a vegan kimchi, as well as a radish variety. Lee is also hoping to expand her menu into other dishes, such as kimchi fried rice and kimchi jigae, that eye-watering, scarlet scorcher of a stew typically made with bits of fatty pork and simmering, melt-in-your-mouth tofu. Lee is banking on kimchi’s growing relevance—particularly as more consumers are thinking about their gut health and the benefits of fermented foods—as an entry-point to Korean cuisine, but it’s the country’s other major global export that is increasingly having that effect these days. “For now, more people are aware of Korean food and Korean culture. It’s easier to introduce Korean food for this time, honestly, because they know more about Korea with K-pop and soap operas,” Lee said. “It’s easier to like Korean culture and try Korean food than before. I thought it’s time to introduce Korean food to Whistler.” You can learn more about DosiRock Korean Kitchen on its Facebook page, or place an order by emailing dosirock111@ gmail.com. ■
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ARTS SCENE
Audain Art Museum reinvents gala and auction for 2021 MUSIC, FOOD, DANCE AND, OF COURSE, ART ABOUND AT ILLUMINATE GALA & AUCTION ON APRIL 24
BY ALYSSA NOEL LAST YEAR, the Audain Art Museum’s Illuminate Gala & Auction was scheduled for April 4—perhaps the most unlucky timing to have a large-scale event planned. “The pandemic caught us off guard and took us by surprise,” says marketing and communications manager Justine Nichol. “As the biggest fundraiser of our year—and really a principle revenue source—it was a major setback.” But with one year of navigating uncertain times and adjusting events to adhere to ever-changing public health protocols under their belt, the team felt ready to host an outside-the-box, COVID19-friendly event for 2021. To that end, this year’s Illuminate event is set to take place virtually on April 24. Hosted by CBC media personalities Gloria Macarenko and Fred Lee, the 90-minute production will include a live auction with major works of art, a silent auction, a series of performances, and a curated dinner, delivered to your door by The Lazy Gourmet, as well as wine and cocktails from Mission Hill Family Estate.
ART AUCTION Stan Douglas’ Solitaire is one of 16 pieces up for sale in the Audain Art Museum’s live art auction. PHOTO SUBMITTED
40 APRIL 8, 2021
“We wanted [the virtual broadcast] to be a little like an old-school variety show,” says Curtis Collins, director and chief curator with the museum. “We want people to dress up like the virtual Oscars. So, in thinking that through, we wanted to have a good pace to it; not too long, it’s 90 minutes, to have some high points.” Performers include local musician Jaycelyn Brown from the JUNO Awardwinning band Said the Whale, as well as two dancers from Vancouver’s Arts
Another unconventional piece of the evening comes via the live auction. Alongside pieces by artists like Jack Shadbolt, Gordon Smith, and Stan Douglas, the museum will be auctioning off a personalized custom commission by Paul Wong. “What that means is this: he will come and visit you and then you’ll hand him over archival material, either to do with yourself as an individual or from your family. Letters, postcards, photographs, a medal that you got for being the top hurdler
“We want people to dress up like the virtual Oscars. So, in thinking that through, we wanted to have a good pace to it; not too long, it’s 90 minutes, to have some high points.” - CURTIS COLLINS
Umbrella who have choreographed a dance specifically for the museum space. “[The dancers] came to the museum about a month ago and I asked them, ‘Could you folks tailor a piece around the museum spaces? … We’re going to give you access to everywhere,’” Collins explains. “I had them in the freight elevator, the boiler room … so they’re now [choreographing] a piece that will take you behind the scenes of the museum and into the public part as they dance through a few spaces.”
in Grade 9. He’ll leave with a box of your personal possessions. He’ll take those and he’ll scan them all and make an Inkjet work on canvas with a variety of these objects,” Collins says. While you can place bids now on the 16 live auction pieces, it will heat up during the gala when an auctioneer leads the live event. Online, absentee, and phone bids will also be open to the public. “To date, our ticket sales are going well. We put up the live auction online
and we’ve already got starting bids on a number of items,” Collins says. “So that’s a really good indicator that we’re going down the right path.” (Silent auction items will open up for bidding online on April 18.) There will also be a live auction preview of the featured art until April 11 in Whistler—with the in-person viewings booked by appointment—before the pieces are moved to a Vancouver gallery for a similar four-day preview. “People are welcome to just look at things online, but it’s another way for us to connect in-person in a way that’s safe and [B.C. Public Health Officer] Bonnie Henry-friendly to walk people through,” Collins says. Tickets for the virtual event, meanwhile, are available now in six different packages. In the end, the fundraiser is doubly important this year after having to forgo it entirely in 2020. “This is our biggest fundraising effort of the year and because we missed it last year, it had a profound impact on our budget for this year,” Collins says. “So this is critical for us. There’s no way around that … We have been fortunate to receive federal assistance and some municipal assistance on a project basis, but in terms of our core operation, it’s almost wholly supported privately and this one is a substantial amount of our revenue source for the year. So it’s critical.” For full details on tickets and the event, visit audaingala.com. n
ARTS SCENE
EXHIBITION EXTENDED TO MAY 9 TH
RESERVOIR BY REBECCA BELMORE
HAIR THEY ARE The Hairfarmers are one of the local music acts performing as part of this year’s online WSSF. PHOTO SUBMITTED
WSSF heads online with music, film, photo, and visual art events HERE’S HOW TO SUBMIT TO THE EVENT’S TWO MAJOR CONTESTS THIS YEAR
BY ALYSSA NOEL THE SKI AND SNOWBOARD season might have come to an abrupt end, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth celebrating all the great days that came before it. Enter the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF)—here to help mark the end of this wild, unpredictable winter. While in-person concerts are off the table this year, the festival announced its lineup of local talent set to stream from four undisclosed locations April 16, 23, and 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. They include SkiiTour, The Hairfarmers, Case of the Mondays, DJ Foxy Moron, tyMetal, Bangers & Mash, and The Prophet. “The Whistler Ski and Snowboard Festival has always been part of our end-of-season ritual and a much-anticipated event for our community,” says Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton, in a release. “While we continue to live in a time that forces all of us to pivot and reimagine our events, I’m thrilled that the WSSF has been able to go virtual to bring together and uplift our community.” The broadcasts will also include a chance to vote on your favourite submissions from the Rough Cuts and Top Sheet design contests. For more, visit wssf.com.
ROUGH CUTS DEADLINE APPROACHES WSSF’s major contest this year combines film and photo in two categories: local, incorporating anything shot within 120 kilometres of Whistler, and global, featuring images and film shot anywhere in the world. The two- to five-minute films can include footage shot in the last 10 years that showcases skiing, snowboarding, or any
other snowsport. The goal is to edit them together to create a unique film or convey a short story. “Amateur or pro, experienced or novice filmmakers, all have the chance to win prizes, street credit, bragging rights and more!” according to the website. The prize for best local submission is $5,000 in cash. The best global film, meanwhile, will win $1,000 cash, plus the “key to WSSF 2022.” A panel of judges will chose eight local, four global, and one wildcard finalists. They will be split in two (with the wildcard heading straight to finals) and livestreamed on April 16 and April 23, with viewers voting on which to send to the finals on April 30. Each team is also invited to enter their top five photos for a chance to win $1,000 cash. The deadline to submit to both is April 10. For the complete detailed rules, visit wssf.com/pages/rough-cuts-contest-info.
WHIP SHEET TOP SHEET CHALLENGE SEEKS ARTISTS Visual artists won’t be left out of this year’s WSSF online offerings. Artists and designers are invited to submit an original topsheet design for a pair of Foon skis or a Hightide Snowboard. While both digital art and classic art (which will need to be photographed to submit online) will be accepted, both designs must be rectangular (48 inch/122 centimetre by 15 in/38 cm). And, of course, the art must be 100-percent original. Voting on the best topsheet will be open to anyone with an internet connection. The deadline to submit is April 20 at noon. For the full details, visit wssf.com/ pages/whip-sheet-contest. n
Location 4350 Blackcomb Way – between Day Lots 3 & 4 Hours
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APRIL 8, 2021
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MUSEUM MUSINGS
We are back!! - Can’t wait for Spring...? • Resist the urge to rake and clean up everything ! • Wait until a few days above 10-15 degrees to allow ‘lil critters and pollinators to leave their winter homes • Spreading out snow piles helps the lawns
LIFE AT THE LAKE Pat Woods, Bob Jardine, Tom Neiland and Jack Woods recreating on Alta Lake. PHOTO COURTESY OF JARDINE/BETTS/SMITH COLLECTION.
The Woods at Alta Lake BY ALLYN PRINGLE See full series and more information at www.heikedesigns.com info@heikedesigns.com
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THE WOODS FAMILY moved to Alta Lake around 1926 and worked in the area, both for the railway and in the logging industry, until the 1940s. Fred Woods was born in the Isle of Man and immigrated to Canada after some time in the army. He worked on the railroad in Broadview, Sask. where he met and married Elizabeth. Their first child, Helen, was born in Broadview in 1921, and a couple of years later the family moved to Port Coquitlam, where Fred continued to work on the railroad. While there, Fred and Elizabeth had two sons, Jack and Pat. Fred then took a job as a section foreman for the PGE Railway and the entire family moved to Alta Lake. After a few years, Fred lost his job with the PGE and the family moved out of the company house. After living for a time in a much smaller house, the family was able to rent a property from Jack Findlay,
wholesale through the cookhouse to last through the winter. Vegetables were stored in the roothouse and the children would keep the path from the house clear of snow. Helen, Pat, Jack and later their younger brother Kenneth went to the Alta Lake School, though Pat remembered some days when snow prevented them from attending. As they got older they also began working outside of their home. When Jack was 15 and Pat was 14, they spent a summer working in the sawmill at Lost Lake (after a fire at Parkhurst in 1938, logging operations were temporarily moved to Lost Lake before returning to Green Lake). Their employment ended abruptly when Jack lost all the fingers on his right hand in an accident. According to Pat, it took years for Jack to receive compensation, as he was supposed to be 16 before working in the mill. Though the family had to work hard during their years at Alta Lake, both Pat and Helen had fond memories of living in the area. Elizabeth loved music and taught her children to play violin and guitar. She
Though the family had to work hard during their years at Alta Lake, both Pat and Helen had fond memories of living in the area.
who charged them only the cost of the property taxes. The property included a house, barn, hayfield and garden and was located across the creek from the Tapley’s farm. Fred began working for the logging operation of B.C. Keeley of Parkhurst during the summers and clearing trails and bridges as relief work in the winters. The family kept a cow, horse, chickens and, at times, a pig, and grew their own vegetables. In the summer the children would pick berries that Elizabeth would use to make jam. She also canned meat from their animals. When the logging camp closed at the end of the summer, Fred would order groceries such as flour and sugar
played accordion and the family would perform at community dances. They also remembered the kindness of the various “bachelors” who lived at Alta Lake, such as Bill Bailiff and Ed Droll, who would visit their father and sometimes give the children carrots from their garden on their way to school. In the early 1940s, Fred Woods joined the Canadian army and the family, apart from Helen, who had left home and lived in Squamish, moved to North Vancouver. In later years members of the Woods family returned as visitors to Alta Lake and then Whistler, though they never forgot the years they spent living and working in the area. n
PARTIAL RECALL
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1 EAGLE EYE A majestic bald eagle was spotted just south of Rainbow Park on Wednesday, March 31. “The hill may be closed to us but the lake was thawing and opening up for this beauty,” noted the photographer. PHOTO BY PAUL FRANCIS. 2 EASTER ACTIVITIES Zadie Wilson was the winner of the Nesters’ Easter colouring contest with this bright work of art. PHOTO BY AMANDA WILSON. 3 WAITING FOR IMMUNITY The queue of residents patiently awaiting their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine snaked back throughout Whistler Village on Tuesday, April 6. PHOTO BY JIM BUDGE. 4 SPRING SPLITBOARDING With Whistler Blackcomb closed for the season, Chantel Clayden, Shayna Goodwin and Madi Roberts grabbed their splitboards and headed for the Sea to Sky backcountry to find some fresh lines. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 5 HI BEAR! This Whistler black bear is wide awake and ready to take on the spring season. Take this as your reminder to be bear aware and manage attractants accordingly as the weather continues to warm up. PHOTO BY ANNA EADIE. 6 SUN BATHING BUSTER Former Whistler Animals Galore (WAG) resident Buster enjoys the spring sunshine and mountain views from his bed. PHOTO SUBMITTED.
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ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology WEEK OF APRIL 8 BY ROB BREZSNY
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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Susan Sontag defined “mad people” as those who “stand alone and burn.” She said she was drawn to them because they inspired her to do the same. What do you think she meant by the descriptor “stand alone and burn?” I suspect she was referring to strong-willed people devoted to cultivating the most passionate version of themselves, always in alignment with their deepest longings. She meant those who are willing to accept the consequences of such devotion, even if it means being misunderstood or alone. The coming weeks will be an interesting and educational time for you to experiment with being such a person. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the 1930s, Taurus-born Rita Levi-Montalcini was a promising researcher in neurobiology at the University of Turin in Italy. But when fascist dictator Benito Mussolini imposed new laws that forbade Jews from holding university jobs, she was fired. Undaunted, she created a laboratory in her bedroom and continued her work. There she laid the foundations for discoveries that ultimately led to her winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. I foresee you summoning comparable determination and resilience in the coming weeks, Taurus. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Religious scholar Karl Barth (1886–1968) wrote, “There will be no song on our lips if there be no anguish in our hearts.” To that perverse oversimplification, I reply: “Rubbish. Twaddle. Bunk. Hooey.” I’m appalled by his insinuation that pain is the driving force for all of our lyrical self-revelations. Case in point: you in the coming weeks. I trust there will be a steady flow of songs in your heart and on your lips because you will be in such intimate alignment with your life’s master plan. CANCER (June 21-July 22): “It is not easy to be crafty and winsome at the same time, and few accomplish it after the age of six,” wrote Cancerian author John W. Gardner. But I would add that more adult Crabs accomplish this feat than any other sign of the zodiac. I’ll furthermore suggest that during the next six weeks, many of you will do it quite well. My prediction: You will blend lovability and strategic shrewdness to generate unprecedented effectiveness. (How could anyone resist you?) LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Staring at flames had benefits for our primitive ancestors. As they sat around campfires and focused on the steady burn, they were essentially practising a kind of meditation. Doing so enhanced their ability to regulate their attention, thereby strengthening their working memory and developing a greater capacity to make long-range plans. What does this have to do with you? As a fire sign, you have a special talent for harnessing the power of fire to serve you. In the coming weeks, that will be even more profoundly true than usual. If you can do so safely, I encourage you to spend quality time gazing into flames. I also hope you will supernurture the radiant fire that glows within you. (More info: tinyurl.com/GoodFlames.) VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Physicist Victor Weisskopf told us, “What’s beautiful in science is the same thing that’s beautiful in Beethoven. There’s a fog of events and suddenly you see a connection. It connects things that were always in you that were never put together before.” I’m expecting there to be a wealth of these aha! moments for you in the coming weeks, Virgo. Hidden patterns will become visible. Missing links will appear. Secret agendas will emerge. The real stories beneath the superficial stories will materialize. Be receptive and alert! LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Jungian psychoanalyst and folklore expert Clarissa Pinkola Estés celebrates the power of inquiry. She says that “asking the proper question is the central action of transformation,” both in fairy tales and in psychotherapy. To identify what changes will heal you, you must be curious to uncover truths that you don’t know yet. “Questions are the keys
that cause the secret doors of the psyche to swing open,” says Estes. I bring this to your attention, Libra, because now is prime time for you to formulate the Fantastically Magically Catalytic Questions. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In April 1933, Scorpio-born African American singer Ethel Waters was in a “private hell.” Her career was at an impasse and her marriage was falling apart. In the depths of despondency, she was invited to sing a new song, “Stormy Weather,” at New York City’s famous Cotton Club. It was a turning point. She later wrote, “I was singing the story of my misery and confusion, of the misunderstandings in my life I couldn’t straighten out, the story of the wrongs and outrages done to me by people I had loved and trusted.” The audience was thrilled by her performance, and called her back for 12 encores. Soon thereafter, musical opportunities poured in and her career blossomed. I foresee a parallel event in your life, Scorpio. Maybe not quite so dramatic, but still, quite redemptive. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I love to see you enjoy yourself. I get a vicarious thrill as I observe you pursuing pleasures that other people are too inhibited or timid to dare. It’s healing for me to witness you unleash your unapologetic enthusiasm for being alive in an amazing body that’s blessed with the miracle of consciousness. And now I’m going to be a cheerleader for your efforts to wander even further into the frontiers of bliss and joy and gratification. I will urge you to embark on a quest of novel forms of rapture and exultation. I’ll prod you to at least temporarily set aside habitual sources of excitement so you’ll have room to welcome as-yet unfamiliar sources. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn poet John O’Donahue suggested that a river’s behaviour is worthy of our emulation. He said the river’s life is “surrendered to the pilgrimage.” It’s “seldom pushing or straining, keeping itself to itself everywhere all along its flow.” Can you imagine yourself doing that, Capricorn? Now is an excellent time to do so. O’Donahue rhapsodized that the river is “at one with its sinuous mind, an utter rhythm, never awkward,” and that “it continues to swirl through all unlikeness with elegance: a ceaseless traverse of presence soothing on each side, sounding out its journey, raising up a buried music.” Be like that river, dear Capricorn! AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Is life not a thousand times too short for us to bore ourselves?” wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In response to that sentiment, I say, “Amen!” and “Hallelujah!” Even if you will live till age 99, that’s still too brief a time to indulge in an excess of dull activities that activate just a small part of your intelligence. To be clear, I don’t think it’s possible to be perfect in avoiding boredom. But for most of us, there’s a lot we can do to minimize numbing tedium and energy-draining apathy. I mention this, Aquarius, because the coming weeks will be a time when you will have extra power to make your life as interesting as possible for the long run. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I know of four different governmental organizations that have estimated the dollar value of a single human life. The average of their figures is $7.75 million. So let’s say, for argument’s sake, that you are personally worth that much. Does it change the way you think about your destiny? Are you inspired to upgrade your sense of yourself as a precious treasure? Or is the idea of putting a price on your merit uninteresting, even unappealing? Whatever your reaction is, I hope it prods you to take a revised inventory of your worth, however you measure it. It’s a good time to get a clear and precise evaluation of the gift that is your life. (Quote from Julia Cameron: “Treating yourself like a precious object makes you strong.”) Homework: Send brief descriptions of your top three vices and top three virtues. FreeWillAstrology.com
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates
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9 Lost and 9 4Found? 8 If you spot a stray 5 6animal 2 or have lost an animal, call WAG at 2 8604-935-8364. WAG operates a lost and found service 3 to help reunite lost pets with 1 4their7families. 5 www.whistlerwag.com 5 4 1 8 7 2 6 9 3
The N’Quatqua First Nation is seeking a qualified Aboriginal Supported Child Development Educator to fill a full-time position at N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre. The successful candidate will join our NCFDC team, the function of the Aboriginal Supported Child Development Educator is to provide the extra staffing support to a child care center in order for children with extra support needs to fully participate in the child care settings chosen by their families. The Educator works as a team member with child care setting staff and with all the children and families providing general support to the whole program to ensure effective inclusion of the children. The successful candidate will have demonstrated ability in: • Ability to develop and maintain a warm, caring, responsive relationship with the child. • Ability to establish and maintain supportive, collaborative relationships with families and staff. • Ability to maintain confidentiality, positive, professional, non-judgemental attitude.
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ABORIGINAL SUPPORTED CHILD DEVELOPMENT EDUCATOR
• Physically ability to carry out the duties of the position. • Planning and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum that supports community, inclusion and is culturally significant for young Aboriginal children • Understanding and working knowledge of Child Care Licensing regulations • Interpersonal, written, oral communication skills and maintaining positive communication with parents
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Please contact Marc@balmoralconstruction.com
• Valid Early Childhood Educator Certificate, SNE Licence to Practice. • Clear Criminal Records Check & Current First Aid • Food Safe or willingness to obtain • Some knowledge of curriculum and philosophies in First Nations Early Childhood settings.
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4/11/2005
Cover Letter & Resume to: Title: Lisa Sambo, Manager Agency: N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre Email: lisa.sambo@nquatqua.ca Fax: 604-452-3295/3280 Deadline: until position is filled We thank all those who apply. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
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PRESCHOOL CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR INFANT TODDLER EDUCATOR The N’Quatqua First Nation is seeking 2 qualified Early Childhood Educators. One is a full-time permanent position, the other is a full time maternity leave position at N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre. The successful candidates will join our NCFDC team. The Early Childhood Educators work as team members with other child care setting staff and with all the children and families providing general support to the whole program to ensure effective inclusion of the children. The successful candidate will have demonstrated ability in: • Ability to develop and maintain a warm, caring, responsive relationship with the child.
The Listel Hotel Whistler is now hiring for the year-round leadership position of
FRONT OFFICE MANAGER • Responsible for leading a dynamic front office team and daily operations • Competitive Salary and incentives provided • Extended Management Health and Wellness Benefits available For more information and application, please send resume and cover letter to hr@listelhotel.com Thank you for your interest. Only those applicants being considered for an interview will be contacted.
• Ability to establish and maintain supportive, collaborative relationships with families and staff. • Ability to maintain confidentiality, positive, professional, nonjudgmental attitude.
• Understanding and working knowledge of Child Care Licensing regulations • Interpersonal, written, oral communication skills and maintaining positive communication with parents • Collaborating with community service providers, Self-directed and able to initiate and complete projects In addition, the Early Childhood Educators will have: • A minimum of 2 years work experience in a child care setting • Valid Early Childhood Educator Certificate, ECE Licence to Practice or going to school to take Early Childhood Educator courses.
NOW HIRING Production Team Members for our Squamish, BC indoor manufacturing plant! OPEN HOUSE We will be having an open house for anyone interested in a role at our manufacturing plant! The date will be determined, please email careers@nexii.com if you would like to attend. 604-916-0376 careers@nexii.com https://www.nexii.com/
Whistler Personnel Solutions Career & temp opportunities available. Start work right away. 604905-4194 www.whistler-jobs.com
Whistler Personnel Solutions Career & temp opportunities avail. Start work right away. 604-9054194 www.whistler-jobs.com
• Physically ability to carry out the duties of the position. • Planning and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum that supports community, inclusion and is culturally significant for young Aboriginal children
Nexii Production Team Worker NEXII is a sustainable construction technology company committed to developing our people, both professionally and personally.
NOW HIRING
We are looking for the following positions to join our well established family practice
Certified Dental Assistant Registered Dental Hygienist New grads welcome! Full or Part Time, no weekend shifts! Extended benefits package provided after 3 months employment.
Please send your resume to: managercreeksidedentalwhistler@gmail.com
• Clear Criminal Records Check & Current First Aid • Food Safe or willingness to obtain
Whistler Personnel Solutions Full-time, part-time & temp jobs. No cost, no strings. 604-905-4194 www.whistler-jobs.com Front of house positions The Pony Restaurant in Pemberton is looking for a few new members to join our front of house team! We are currently looking for: Full Day shift bartender: (thursdayMonday 11:30-5pm) this job requires previous bartending experience, a good knowledge of local bc craft beers, and wine. Have a good positive work ethic and be comfortable in a fast paced setting. Servers: Must have previous serving experience in a similar style fast paced restaurant, full & part time positions available, variety of day/night shifts. Must have up to date SIR cert. events@thepony.ca
• Some knowledge of curriculum and philosophies in First Nations Early Childhood settings. Terms of Employment: • Full-time, Monday to Friday hours to be determined
Nail Salon Supervisor/Manager for Soles Nail Lounge & Footwear
• Start Date: As soon as possible • Wage: (negotiable depending on experience) Cover Letter & Resume to: Title: Lisa Sambo, Manager Agency: N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre Email: lisa.sambo@nquatqua.ca Fax: 604-452-3295/3280 Deadline: until position is filled We thank all those who apply. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
48 APRIL 8, 2021
Spray Foam Technician
Full Time - Permanent Full Wages Time - Permanent Competitive - Benefits Package Competitive Wages - Benefits Package Training Provided for the Right Candidate
info@tminsulation.ca
Must have management experience AND be certified as a nail technician. Retail experience also an advantage as we also have a retail footwear store. 40 hrs/wk
Please forward resume to liz@solesofwhistler.com
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EXCITING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, APPLY TODAY! Diamond Resorts Canada Ltd., Whistler, BC
BE BOLD BE YOU, BE YOUR BEST SELF
Full Time Maintenance Technicians Eligible successful candidate may receive*:
Westin associates are the heartbeat of our hotels. As Westin associates, we rise to make each day better for our guests, our communities and each other. Every action we take and every small gesture we perform helps to enhance the well-being of those around us, reinforcing our commitment to wellness inside our Resort and beyond.
• Extensive benefits package which may include; ski pass or wellness allowance, disability coverage, travel insurance and extended health and dental. • Discounted employee rates at any Diamond Resort International resort.
WORK & PLAY AT WESTIN THIS SUMMER
• Full-time work year round and a FUN work environment.
The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler is one of many Hotels & Resorts within Marriott International. As the #1 leader in Hospitality worldwide we have VARIOUS POSITIONS AVAILABLE. Unmatched opportunities await you! The next step in your career could lead to your great adventure. Send your resume to WORK@WESTINWHISTLER.COM
*eligibility and conditions based on DRCL policies and practices set out in general terms and conditions of employment. Email your resume with the position you wish to apply for to: embarc_hr@diamondresorts.com
GREAT PLACE TO WORK • Travel Perks and Benefits • Recognition and Rewards • Growth Opportunities
• Complimentary meal at work • Subsidized Staff Accommodation • Flexible Schedule
PLAY HERE We are looking for a MAINTENANCE ASSOCIATE to join our team!
• Great team work environment • Hotel perks & benefits • Training and growth encouraged • Free colleague parking • Staff housing available
If you have a trades background and / or enjoy fixing things, have an interest and aptitude to learn, we’d love to hear from you. To apply email your resume: careers@nitalakelodge.com
Scan Here to View Current Opportunities at Nita!
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Administrative Clerk (Permanent Full-Time)
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, trails and open spaces as well as financial support for various community services. The SLRD is seeking to fill the permanent, full-time position of Administrative Clerk. The purpose of this position is to carry out a range of clerical and administrative duties in support of the SLRD’s Legislative and Corporate Services Department. The ideal candidate will possess demonstrated skills and experience in the following areas: • • • • • •
Strong customer service focus. Reception/front counter/mail duties. Maintenance of office supplies, corporate records, databases, and manuals. Preparation of routine correspondence. Assist with organization of office, including coffee and lunch room duties. Liaise with suppliers/vendors and external organizations.
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 midnight on April 11, 2021 to: Nathalie Klein, Executive Assistant Squamish-Lillooet Regional District nklein@slrd.bc.ca We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.
RDC Fine Homes is looking for Positive, Reliable & High Performing
Project Manager to join our team.
RDC OFFERS: • Competitive wages • Positive Work Environment • Paid Education opportunities • Opportunity to work on exciting projects • Involvement in the strategic planning of the company QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS: • A Post-Secondary Degree/Cert in Project Management • 5+ years’ experience in Residential Construction • High Performance Construction Knowledge - Building Science & BC Step Code • Lean Construction Practices • RDC is a tech savvy company and staff are at the leading edge of technology usage: Builder Trend, Excel, Adobe, BIM & 3D modelling software. • RDC is a COR certified company and we have a robust safety culture. Please send your resume and cover letter to: info@rdcfinehomes.com
Employment Opportunities: DO YOU LIVE IN PEMBERTON? THEN WHY COMMUTE TO WHISTLER?
Guest Services Agents Room Attendants
Apply to: jobs@pembertonvalleylodge.com
Competitive wages, health benefits, casual environment
50 APRIL 8, 2021
COME WORK WITH US!
Local luxury home builder looking for motivated people with great attitudes to join our team! Room for growth! Sponsorship and apprenticeships available! • Foreman or Lead Carpenters • Carpenters • Apprentices/Helpers • Labourers To apply, please send your resume to office@modernconceptcontracting.com
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Reach great heights with a career at the District of Squamish Chief Operator, Water Distribution Regular Full-Time This position will ensure the water distribution system meets all provincial, federal and health authority regulations and requirements. EOCP Class 3 Water Distribution Certification is required. For more information visit squamish.ca/careers
THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS
SEEKING STRONG, ACTIVE, RELIABLE AND
NOW HIRING NATURE-LOVING F/T & P/T STAFF FOR OUR 23
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APPLY NOW: Send your resume and availability to carolyn@mountainberrylandscaping.ca
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SUNCREST WINDOW COVERINGS
WINDOW COVERINGS Whistler’s Source for Blinds since 1989
Custom Blinds • Shades • Draperies
• BLINDS • SHADES
• SHUTTERS • DRAPERY
Connie Griffiths Tel: 604-935-2101 Email: windowcov@shaw.ca www.whistlerwindowcoverings.ca
Custom Window Treatments Contact us today for a free quote or consultation info@suncrestwindowcoverings.com
CARPET CLEANING
604.698.8406
CLEANING
BLACK BEAR CARPET CLEANING LTD. • CARPETS • UPHOLSTERY
• TILES • CAR INTERIORS
Coast Mountain Cleaning • Full service cleaning • Residential & Commercial • Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning • Property Maintenance • Established 2011 Insured & Bondable • Criminal background checks on all staff
www.blackbearcarpetcleaning.ca • 604 698 6610
604-966-1437
coastmountaincleaning@gmail.com
FURNITURE
S
• • • •
Wood blinds Sunscreens Shades Motorization
www.summersnow.ca
ummer
Snow Finishings Limited
CHIMNEY
We follow all VCH, Min of Health and WHO Covid 19 protocols
100% ECO FRIENDLY CERTIFIED
David Weldon david@summersnow.ca 604-938-3521
We use tea tree oil based cleaning products.
GLASS
BLACKCOMB CHIMNEY PATROL LTD. Serving Whistler since 1986
Specialized in cleaning Chimneys, Furnace & Airducts, Dryer vents.
Wood Energy Technology Transfer Inc.
604.932.5775 / 1.877.932.5775 blackcombchimney@yahoo.ca
HANDYMAN
WINDOW REPLACEMENT
TIRED OF THOSE OLD CONDENSATED, MOLDY WINDOWS AND DOORS?
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whistlerglass.com
FOR ALL YOUR HOUSEHOLD & COMMERCIAL NEEDS
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
• Carpentry • Tiling • Drywall Repairs • Texture Finishing • Renovations • Installation • Painting • Plumbing • Snow Removal • Appliance Repairs Ask Us About • Mine Sweeping Your Home ROB PIDGEON • 604-932-7707 • Bonded & Insured
find us on
www.birdhouseservices.com BirdhouseServices@gmail.com
HEATING AND COOLING
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
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Western Technical System Inc
HVAC/R
WHISTLER PROPERTY SERVICES
Our paint team has over 25 years combined paint sales experience, and we can help you get things right the first time. Now offering In Home Paint Consultations! Pemberton Valley Rona. Let us help you love where you live.
Residential/Commercial Heat Pumps Boilers-Furnaces-Chillers Design Build Call us today! 778-994-3159 www.westerntechnical.net
604-962-0050 info@50north.ca Book your in-home leen Consultation with Col today!
604-894-6240 7426 Prospect St, Pemberton
REAL ESTATE
SURVEYING BC LAND SURVEYORS
Serving the Sea to Sky Corridor Since 1963
Whistler Village, Function Junction and Pemberton.
Dave Beattie
RE/MAX Sea to Sky Real Estate Whistler PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION 604-905-8855 1-888-689-0070 Dave@DaveBeattie.com
52 APRIL 1, 2021
Search properties in Whistler and Pemberton at www.DaveBeattie.com
▪ ▪ ▪
Phone: 604-932-3770
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BUNBURY & ASSOCIA
COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
Pressure Washing
Surveys
www.bunbury-surveys.com SQUAMISH OFFICE #207 - 38026 Second Avenue Phone: 604-892-3090 email: squamish@bunbury-surveys.com
DOUG BUSH SURVEY SERVICES LTD DOUGLAS J BUSH AScT, RSIS p: 604-932-3314 c: 604-935-9515 Engineering & construction layout Topographic & site improvement surveys Municipal, volumetric & hydrographic surveys GPS - global positioning systems www.dbss.ca // dougb@dbss.ca
PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 15 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 39 41 42 44 45 48 51 52 55 59 60 62 63 64 67 68 70 72 73 75
Moved cautiously Galley slave Candle lover Millionaire’s toy Type of rate Bring cheer Braid Loafer Cavalry sword Layout Saddle strap Ms. Dickinson “Lohengrin” or “Tosca” Manipulated Sotto -Hobbles along Less tidy Break a promise Car safety feature Viking name Bedroom community NNW opposite Climb a rope Place for posies Part of MST Type of roast Bread grains The “it” game Andes country Removes the center Kind of poem Mysterious inscriptions Consequently Thunderstruck Tool for boring Wed in haste Otherwise Costa --
3
5 1
4
76 77 78 79 81 82 83 84 85 86 90 92 93 94 95 98 99 101 102 103 105 107 108 109 110 113 114 116 117 118 119 120 122 124 126 131 134 138 139
Pilgrim’s goal Chilling Stout Cadge Galileo’s home Tijuana trio Pass quickly Insect stage Model, to begin with Zip October’s stone Hit some ice Attack word Buenos -Thoreau’s pond It has flippers Wild guess Faint glows Extraterrestrial Ramshackle Russian epic hero Love in Italy “Norma --” Helen, in Spanish Concussion result Itch Put-down Slog through a puddle Letter before sigma Like some horses After-dinner wine Imitate Faint Remove Genteel On the train Speech Battery post Entranced audience sounds
8
9
6
141 143 144 145 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156
DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 23 34 36 37
2
5 2 9 6 1 9 7 5 3 9 1 2 4 3 5 6 9 1 7 3 9 8 3 7 6 8 2 4 V. EASY
Vacation destination Poke Adversary High as -- -Makes well Saw logs Corporate concern Rumpus Hard metal Felt crummy Soothed Extinct bird Name for a bear Not polite
-- salts Hang in folds Taunts “Self-Reliance” penner Wreck, as a train Add new blacktop Pamplona shouts Natural resource Debussy music Sales agent Car buyer’s concern Hardy or Cromwell Poi plant Tie a horse Bond-buyer’s concerns Enthusiast Usual weather Assists Secret meeting King James pronoun Gutter locale Nautilus skipper Bit player
38 40 43 45 46 47 49 50 53 54 56 57 58 61 62 65 66 69 70 71 74 76 78 80 81 83 84 85 87 88 89 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98
Thug’s piece Sacred snakes of Egypt Bring up for debate Lane Truck driver Disregard Certainly Two under par Livy’s bear Encountered Berra of baseball Churchill successor Arid Old PC system Girl from Baja Incident Get the message Orchards Happy sighs Radioactive element Online messages Convene A hundred percent Code for O’Hare Snapshot Cooler Pack animal Put the -- on Steep gulch More expensive Say “yes” Pig’s digs Trawler nets Gray-green shrubs Battery size Serious conflicts Comedian -- King Stead Enjoy a snowy slope
100 103 104 106 109 111 112 115 117 119 121 123 125 126 127 128 129
Can Gator Bowl st. Lout Tumultuously Big pitcher “-- Lisa” Shevat follower First-aid item Hold up Funnel-shaped flower Flaked off Squandered Corn Belt state Mme. Curie Inner self Exploding stars Rich soil
130 132 133 135 136 137 140 142 146 147
United Mail carrier’s beat Had the nerve Adored ones Very mean people In dire straits -- Bay, Hawaii Listen carefully Want-ad letters Missouri hrs.
LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS
# 50
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
7 1 3 9 2 9 4 8 3 4 5 6 2 4 5 2 8 6 3 1 4 7 5 3 5 4 1 8 5 9 7 2 8 6 9 3 V. EASY Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 52
ANSWERS ON PAGE 47
APRIL 8, 2021
53
MAXED OUT
Max’s pyramid of COVID-19 shame I’VE ONCE AGAIN REVIEWED Dante Alighieri’s nine circles of Hell from his Divine Comedy and distracted myself trying to decide which I’d like to pitch certain people into for putting us in the position we’re currently in. Personally, I’m surprised no one has ever made it into a board game. It would be so much fun, not to mention therapeutic, to take characters from your life’s experience and cast them into eternal damnation. Very Old Testament. But borrowing a popular visual aid, I’ve settled on the Pyramid of Shame. The Hierarchy of Bad Decision-Making to help
BY G.D. MAXWELL categorize and visualize the daisy chain of utter failures that has found us, once again, with mountains full of snow, skies full of sun, no lifts running and no jobs. The very tippy-top of the Pyramid of Shame is populated—almost exclusively— by Ol’ Dithers Horgan, B.C.’s Premier of Bad Decisions and Vacant Thoughts. “What,” I hear you ask, “has Ol’ Dithers done to deserve the top spot?” Perhaps the better question is, “What has he failed to do?” Unfortunately, posing the question that way would take several columns to answer since, by and large, what he has done pales in comparison to all the things he hasn’t done. Ol’ Dithers suspended government at a time of urgent need to hold an election. An election wasn’t necessary to ensure anything more important than puffing up OD’s massive ego. He never seemed to have any trouble getting his way when he was propped up by the Greens. And lord knows he hasn’t made any bold moves since the election. In fact, the only substantial thing OD’s done since securing a majority is roll the dice on Site C, a project with the capability and probability of bankrupting the province. If the NDP thought the fast ferry fiasco cast the party into the political wilderness, wait until Site C blows up. But the main reason Ol’ Dithers occupies the top spot is because he failed to heed widespread calls to close the provincial borders to interprovincial travel. “We’re studying our options,” was his first response. “We don’t have the legal ability to do it,” was his second. Oddly, the Atlantic provinces seemed to either have the legal ability to do it or they simply exercised the political leadership and will to do it. If OD understood the concept of political leadership he’d have done it and let the legal challenges play out. Had he done so, Whistler would have been spared the invasions of privileged skiers from Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, et. al., who were certain their holidays were essential travel. Why is that important? Because that highly contagious Brazilian mutation running rampant through town
54 APRIL 8, 2021
WITH PHOTOS FROM THE B.C. GOVERNMENT, GRAEME WOOD // GLACIER SYNDICATED, JOEL BARDE, GETTY IMAGES
didn’t walk up the freakin’ highway. And it didn’t mutate on its own here. It was brought in by our esteemed visitors. Doubling down on his failure, he pulled a Trump and blamed the victims, the 20- to 39- year-olds he infected and then admonished, “don’t blow this for the rest of us.” You sanctimonious bungler. You blew this for all of us! Somewhere in the top of the Pyramid, kind of like the Just Visiting space in Monopoly’s Jail, is Justin Trudeau and his pathetic, weak national border closure. I’m not sure how all those visitors from the U.K., U.S. and elsewhere slipped in, but we’ve had plenty of them.
wolves and they thanked us with mutations. Once again, ignoring pleas from various fronts, Dr. Henry failed to take the one step she could have taken that would probably have avoided this disaster. She failed to force Vail Resorts to restrict reservations to residents of the Sea to Sky corridor and Lower Mainland folks who owned homes in Whistler. If she’d done that after seeing the base lineups over the holidays, we’d probably still be open. I won’t comment on the hypocrisy of waiting until after the Lower Mainland spring break to close us. Oh, I just did. Right under Dr. Head-in-the-Sand is the Field of Brooms management of Vail Resorts.
Once again, ignoring pleas from various fronts, Dr. Henry failed to take the one step she could have taken that would probably have avoided this disaster.
Just under Ol’ Dithers is our own public health officer, Kind, Calm, Blind Dr. Bonnie Henry. When her encouragement to, “ski at your local mountains,” failed to impress Lower Mainland skiers, what did she do? Did she crack down on them? No. She caved and told them Whistler was their local mountain if they had a connection to it, which most seemed to mean if they knew it was north of Vancouver. She threw us to the
They could have done the right thing and instituted that restriction on reservations themselves. They did have strong COVID19 protocols and otherwise conducted themselves as though they cared. But stemming the tide of skiers was a step too far, an affront to the corporate creed of greed. The forced closure, seven weeks early, is a price they didn’t have to pay. It’s important to note this is not a failure
of Whistler Blackcomb’s (WB) management. Given the highly concentrated decisionmaking model Vail Resort follows, taking this step would had to have come from Colorado... kind of like not penalizing people who choose not to travel and use their Epic passes this year, something else they’ve refused to do. The penultimate large-level of the Pyramid is populated by all those selfimportant zombies who deluded themselves into believing a trip to Whistler was essential travel. The skiers, the gawkers, the inappropriately dressed sightseers, the mindless wanderers all came in droves. They wanted to ski, shop, eat, drink, mix and mingle. Many seemed to believe masks were for Halloween. Many more didn’t seem to believe anything. They needed service, they got it from frontline staff who, in return, were tipped with viral mutations. And they, finally, are the ones who occupy the bottom of the Pyramid, a location they’re pretty used to, also known as the bottom of the food chain. But they’re the ones getting blamed? Really? Because they work several jobs serving the hordes who shouldn’t have come, because they live in over-priced, crowded housing shared by others like themselves, places where it became impossible to avoid exposure. Yeah, some small percentage of them authored their own fate, didn’t take precautions, gave in to the urge to party. But not most of them. So now the mountains are empty. Staff is laid off. Restaurants are empty. Staff is laid off. Hotels are empty. Staff is laid off. Stores are empty. Owners are wondering when the paper goes up on the windows. Whistler’s been kicked to the ground... again. But this time, we know who’s to blame. ■
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
VILLAGE NORTH 213-4369 Main Street Spacious Alpenglow studio with an oversized sunny balcony. This Phase II property offers the owners the ability to do self rentals or use a property manager. Perfectly located in the Village. Strata fees include hydro and gas. $399,000
BAYSHORES 2304 Brandywine Way Bright 4 bed/4 bath duplex in Bayshores, just minutes from Creekside. Open living plan with renovated kitchen & flooring and vaulted ceiling. $1,725,000
604-932-7609 Janet Brown
Allyson Sutton
VILLAGE 309–4369 Main Street Bright SW facing studio suite in the centrally located Alpenglow Lodge. Lovely mountain views, outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna, gym, plenty of neraby eateries and steps to the free mtn shuttle. Excellent revenues. $434,000
604-935-0700 Rob Boyd
604-935-9172
NEW TO MARKET
NEW TO MARKET
WHISTLER VILLAGE 329/330-4905 Spearhead Place Ski in/out bright lock-off unit located on Blackcome Mountain. This 2 bedroom unit in Greystone Lodge are now rented separately, to generate a higher-than-average nightly rental revenue. $1,579,000
WHISTLER VILLAGE 223-4338 Main St., Whistler 1 bedroom/1 bath condo in the Tyndall Stone Lodge features brand new kitchen, appliances, new carpet, fresh paint with insuite washer/ dryer. Phase I zoning allows owners to operate nighly rentals and enjoy unlimited owner use. $798,000
778-834-2002 Brigitta Fuess
Ruby Jiang *PREC
EMERALD ESTATES 9508 Emerald Drive Welcome to “Raven-Hut” the epitome of mountain modern design. Interior living spaces flow seamlessly with the outdoor living spaces 3 bedrooms & 2 bathroom house with a lovely 2 bedroom & 1 bathroom suite. $3,995,000
Maggi Thornhill *PREC
604-932-0751 Allie Smith
SQUAMISH Lot 6 Harris Road What will you build on this 16,867 sq ft Squamish lot? Zoned for single family home, duplex, stable, light industrial & more. The options are endless. Full site at: http://6.digitalopenhou.se $1,800,000
604-905-8199 Ken Achenbach
WHISTLER VILLAGE 301-4122 Village Green Way Welcome to the Adara Hotel in the heart of Whistler Village. This 2 level, 1 bedroom and loft sleeps 6 people, with stunning mountain views, a private patio, and spacious sunny living. Call today to book your private tour! $579,000
604-966-7640
604-698-7024
PEMBERTON PLATEAU 1766 Pinewood Drive Outstanding quality, post & beam 4 bdrm home with dedicated office and media room. Breathtaking views and stunning gardens. Detached garage with guest suite. $2,198,000
Laura Wetaski
Whistler Village Shop
Whistler Creekside Shop
Squamish Station Shop
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
150-1200 Hunter Place · Squamish BC V8B 0G8 · Phone +1 778-733-0611
whistler.evrealestate.com
whistler.evrealestate.com
whistler.evrealestate.com
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.
604-938-3798
3D Tour - rem.ax/1766pinewood
1766 Pinewood Drive
3D Tour - rem.ax/2standrews
$2,198,000
Executive property on a spectacular 15,000 sq ft lot positioned for privacy and commanding views! With over 4000 sq.ft., the home provides four bedrooms, a large office that could be a fifth bedroom, and a one bedroom guest suite that sits above the garage, separate from the main home.
Chris Wetaski
5
604.938.2499
#2 - 4433 Sundial Place
$262,000
.5
604.902.2033
#301 - 4910 Spearhead Drive
Dave Beattie*
Dave Sharpe
604.905.8855
#7 - 4636 Blackcomb Way
$1,599,000
This is a well cared for 2 bed, 2 bath, in a gorgeous complex. This large, 1,117sq ft property provides the ultimate Whistler getaway providing access from the valley trail to Lost Lake, village, Chateau Golf Course, public tennis courts across the street, free bus shuttle to the slopes. This property has it all in a beautifully renovated atmosphere.
Doug Treleaven
3
604.902.2779
3D Tour - rem.ax/222aspens
2
604.905.8626
#222 - 4800 Spearhead Drive
$1,025,000
SLOPESIDE on Blackcomb - this 1 bed Aspens unit is a true ski-in/ski-out property with views of the slope from the outdoor pool and several hot tubs. Enjoy being slope side in one of Whistler’s most popular complexes - walking distance to the Village or access the bus system free of charge.
Laura Barkman
SOLD
#251 - 4314 Main Street
$145,000
Woodrun is Whistlers premier family address and you can own this ultra unique 5 week ownership in a 1470 sq ft condo that gives you ownership of the best ski weeks of the year. Start your day with a few warm up turns that take you to the base of Blackcomb and the new 10 person gondola.
SOLD
A top-floor north-facing condo-style studio suite with cougar mountain views. It has a full kitchen, river rock surround gas fireplace, lots of windows, walk-out balcony, wallmounted TV, and bright bathrooms (shower & tub). Updated in 2019 with a new mountain contemporary style: stone countertops, new carpet, paint, furniture, and bonus amenities.
Denise Brown*
Lease
Rare Whistler Village stroll frontage for lease. This space enjoys 2 levels of just over 700 sq.ft. each at Village stroll level and second story overlooking the ‘Village Common’. The central location of St. Andrews House is home to many long term established Whistler businesses - come and join them!
SOLD
#536 - 4899 Painted Cliff Rd.
3D Tour - rem.ax/301woodrun
1
604.905.8777
3D Tour - rem.ax/223aspens
$630,000
2034 Watson Way
$1,750,000
#223 - 4800 Spearhead Drive
$1,025,000
Deer Lodge is a centrally located property right in the heart of Whistler Village. #251 is a bright and spacious studio suite on the quiet side of the building with a great view of the mountains to the west. Inside, the unit has a full kitchen, a full bathroom, a space saving Murphy Bed and a spacious patio, and has a neighbour on only one side.
Unique Opportunity! Enjoy views overlooking Nita Lake and mountains in all directions. Close proximity to Nita Lake in Whistler’s Creekside, and all of Whistler Creek’s amenities. Current Cabin has 2 bedrooms and a studio suite for use or long term rental, and is prime for redevelopment. Call today to arrange a viewing of this rare property.
Fully furnished SKI-IN/SKI-OUT 1 bedroom suite on Blackcomb Mountain has an outdoor heated pool, 3 hot tubs, exercise center, bike room, gardens, and is steps to the Upper Village. Live in the property full time or you can also rent it nightly.
Madison Perry
Matt Chiasson
Meg McLean
.5
778.919.7653
3.5
604.935.9171
3D Tour - rem.ax/107woodrun
#211-4557 Blackcomb Way
$988,000
#107 - 4910 Spearhead Drive
1
604.907.2223
3D Tour - rem.ax/62lagoons
$1,799,000
#62 - 4335 Northlands Blvd.
$695,000
A rare opportunity to have a ski in/ski out location at the base of Blackcomb Mountain and minutes to Whistler Village. The 1 bedroom 2 bathroom floor plan allows for the bedroom and studio to be locked off and rented separately. Le Chamois is a concrete building with a gym, pool and hot tub after a hard day skiing or biking.
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.
This fabulous studio townhome allows for unlimited owner usage and short or long term rental. A wonderful weekend retreat which you can rent out when you would like to; park your car and walk to all of the restaurants in the Village or jump on the free shuttle bus to the slopes.
Michael d’Artois
Richard Christiansen
Sally Warner*
604.905.9337
1
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
604.907.2717
2
604.905.6326
.5
PEMBERTON OFFICE 1411 Portage Road, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L1 604.894.6616 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070