Pique Newsmagazine 2815

APRIL 15, 2021 ISSUE 28.15

WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM

FREE TO PLANT SOME ROOTS

16

REAL ESTATE ROLLING Real estate sales are red hot in Whistler—and likely to stay that way

17

COMMUNITY VACCINE COVID-19 vaccine available to all who live or work in Whistler

36

SWEET GIG

Local cake bakers are on

the Food Network TV show The Big Bake

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

32

36

28 The forest for the trees The fight to change the way B.C. manages its forests. - By Brandon Barrett

16

REAL ESTATE ROLLING

Single-family

25

GET GREEN

The Village of Pemberton gets to work

home sales in Whistler and across the Lower Mainland continue to surge,

on its Community Action Plan on climate change with presentations to the

driven largely by low interest rates and remote-work capabilities.

community and council as its first steps.

17

32

COMMUNITY VACCINE

With coronavirus

WHAT A SAVE

Despite ever-changing COVID-19

numbers still on rise in the resort, the province launches a community-

regulations, the Whistler Minor Hockey Association managed to put

wide vaccine program in Whistler.

together a successful season for its players.

20

HIKING TO HELP

A Whistler resident is hiking

the Stawamus Chief every day to draw attention to the mental health

36

SWEET GIG

Local cake bakers were recently featured

on the Food Network TV show The Big Bake.

supports available, and encourages people who need them to reach out.

COVER If I’m completely honest, I hate the weather here. Too much rain. But what keeps me here are the trees and all the green that shows up in the rain.

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS Hallelujah! Thanks to community lobbying the province announced

#202 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9.

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

resort-wide coronavirus vaccinations this week—and stats show why it’s a good idea.

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A letter writer challenges Whistler to build a better woodpile than

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

those in Banff, while another calls out the province for not doing more to stop the surge of COVID-19 in Whistler.

15 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Writer Alyssa Noel laments the continued lack of help for those in need of supportive housing; but she has hope for the future.

50 MAXED OUT Max looks back on the winter season, and all in all, finds it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Environment & Adventure

Arts & Entertainment Editor ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com

27 THE OUTSIDER Vince Shuley hitches a heli ride to ski the Tantalus Range—not an area for the

Features Editor BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com

faint of heart, or the unprepared.

Reporters BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@wplpmedia.com Classifieds and Reception mail@piquenewsmagazine.com Office and Accounts Manager HEIDI RODE - hrode@wplpmedia.com Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, FEET BANKS, LESLIE ANTHONY, ANDREW MITCHELL, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY, LISA RICHARDSON President, Whistler Publishing LP SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of Whistler Publishing Limited Partnership, a division of Glacier Media) distributed to over 130 locations in Whistler and to over 200 locations from Vancouver to D’Arcy.

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.

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6 APRIL 15, 2021

Lifestyle & Arts

34 FORK IN THE ROAD Glenda Bartosh reminds us that it’s Earth Day on April 22, and even a pandemic can’t change the fact that we need to pay attention to our planet.

38 MUSEUM MUSINGS Two devastating fires took place in Function Junction in 1991, one of them destroying five years of photo archives of the Question newspaper.

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HALLELUJAH!!

On April 11, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) did what it should have done weeks ago and announced that a communitywide vaccine program was being launched in Whistler.

Thank you so much.

I have no doubt that people in other places, and some in certain jobs such as teachers, will be upset about this, feeling Whistler is jumping the queue.

BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

But’s let’s put this in perspective.

According to VCH: “From Jan. 1 to April 5, 2021, there were 1,505 confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Whistler. Currently, Howe Sound has the highest rate of COVID19 of any Local Health Area in the province; the majority of these cases reside in the Whistler community.”

We know the cases are already higher in the resort than this last report from a week ago Monday—VCH cannot get updated stats to meet Pique’s deadline. We know that up to a dozen Whistler firefighters are either sick with coronavirus or self-isolating, and it’s only a matter of time before it is the

the Greater Vancouver region as described by the BC CDC, that would represent 269,750 COVID-19-positive people from Jan. 1 to April 5. (This region’s actual caseload so far is 77,344.)

So you can see the rate in Whistler is more than twice what it is for the whole of the GVRD—that includes Surrey, which alone accounts for 26,103 cases since the beginning of the year (Surrey’s 2020 population was about 598,000)—by the way, that puts them at an infection rate of just over four per cent.

Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton called on the province last week to set up community vaccination clinics. It is interesting to consider that Revelstoke was announced as getting vaccinated along with a host of communities in the Island Health region, including tourist draw Tofino, before Whistler.

In Ontario, which is in full lockdown and putting school online, hotspot communities are also being vaccinated.

Let’s remember that Ontario is about three times the population of B.C., so from a numbers-game point of view its situation is not that different from B.C. It’s been hard not to think of Whistler as a hotspot community, and reading the coverage this weekend about the pandemic situation made it all the more concrete. It hits even harder when reading

“With 877 confirmed cases of P1, the province of British Columbia is now the centre of the world’s largest sequenced outbreak of the variant outside Brazil—and nearly a quarter of those cases have been linked to Whistler.” teachers, the transit drivers, and other backbone-of-the-community occupations that are impacted.

If we use this VCH statistic of 1,505 cases, that means for Whistler’s population of nearly 14,000 (Statistics Canada 2020) 10.79 per cent of the population has been infected with coronavirus this year to April 5—and the spread is continuing.

Let’s put that in context: If we were the Escape the hustle and bustle of Whistler Village in this bright, 2 Bed/2 bath apartment with stunning views of Whistler/Blackcomb!

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international news organizations such as The Guardian newspaper out of the U.K., which had this to say on April 11: “The Whistler Blackcomb ski resort was shut down by provincial authorities at the end of March after they realised that P1, the highly infectious coronavirus variant traced back to Brazil, was spreading rapidly throughout the community.

“As provinces across Canada break

records for new cases of the virus, experts have grown increasingly troubled by the rapid and covert spread of variants. With 877 confirmed cases of P1, the province of British Columbia is now the centre of the world’s largest sequenced outbreak of the variant outside Brazil—and nearly a quarter of those cases have been linked to Whistler.”

Well, you know what they say, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.”

In this case, however, I might be inclined to argue the point, as it’s unlikely people will feel encouraged to book future trips here if we look like a vacation spot that can’t control the spread of an illness.

Signalling that we take the pandemic seriously and are doing what we can to keep visitors safe is a bedrock message for Whistler going forward.

(Let’s not forget that B.C.’s top doctor Bonnie Henry stated clearly that it was visitors from other parts of Canada that brought the COVID-19 variant P1 to Whistler this spring, and then other visitors which took it away with them and spread it at a time when only locals were supposed to be skiing here.)

There’s no escaping that it is only going to get busier and busier as spring turns to summer here. And let’s be clear, we want this, we need it. But we also need to be responsible.

We reached a milestone this past weekend in B.C.—we passed the 1 million mark of vaccinations (our total population is coming up on 5.1 million).

As of April 7, the most recent available numbers show that B.C. has received a total of 1,403,510 of all vaccines available. In Canada the vaccines cleared for use are the AstraZeneca (U.S.), Moderna, Pfizer BioNTech and the COVISHIELD (Verity, Serum Institute of India).

By the end of this week B.C. should receive another 294,660 does of Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna. No shipments of the AstraZeneca are expected this week.

As you get ready to roll up your sleeve, take a moment to thank those who went to bat for Whistler on the vaccine front, thank VCH, and make sure you thank those giving you your jab. Many are local people working a lot of overtime to make sure we get vaccinated for all our sakes. n

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8 APRIL 15, 2021

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Banff offers up a challenge to Whistler An acquaintance, who is aware of my obsession with firewood, sent me a link to your recent article “How does Whistler stack up?” (Pique, April 8).

You brought attention to the wonderful book Norwegian Wood, a definitive work which is a must-read for anyone who is serious about falling, limbing, bucking, stacking, hauling, splitting, re-stacking, re-hauling and the loading of pieces of wood to build a fire for cooking, warmth or pleasure. Not to mention the cleaning out of ashes, chimneys, etc.

Now folks might think that careful stackers and consumers of firewood are a bit weird, or that we suffer from some form of OCD, so it is reassuring to know that there are about 5 million Norwegians who are quite similar to us, or perhaps even more finicky in this regard!

As a Banff wood person, it is especially comforting to know that our sister resort community of Whistler has many such dedicated individuals who are on a similar path to the spiritual tranquility of wood.

But I have concerns.

The photo of Pete Cronin’s woodpile, while it is nice birch, appears somewhat irregular at its face, and it does not appear to be protected from rain or snow, which you have in abundance.

Ian “one-match” Bunbury (who is also a personal friend) confesses that “he doesn’t have the most artistic pile.”

Are Whistler wood-pilers falling short of the high standards set by Norwegian Wood?

Can we Canadians, known around the world as “hewers of wood and drawers of water,” accept anything less than a neat woodpile?

May I propose a challenge: Ask your readers to submit photos of their woodpiles, and let’s see how they “stack up” against some photos from Banff.

Please procure the photos with minimal advance notice, so there is little opportunity to

the restrictions on our lives, the affect on the economy, the lack of our ability to ski on the hill—I know, I know, I’m the same as you.

But where I differ is that I am educated in evidence-based medicine and as a physician my knowledge base and my understanding of immunology, virology, vaccinations and medicine far surpasses most people’s ability to Google and research.

I am tired of people thinking that scanning the internet is synonymous with education. If you don’t like me speaking plainly well that’s just too bad.

My medical colleagues and I have spent years learning how to deal with illness such as this one.

[B.C.’s Public Health Officer] Dr. Bonnie Henry, all the physicians in public health, all the physicians in Canada receive communications from all levels to understand this pandemic in a way far different than you do in the public news.

No, the physicians and public health are not perfect, we have not done things perfectly, and there’s been a lack of communication at some levels.

At times it feels like an absolute shit show and the decisions that are made suddenly seem ad hoc.

I realize that completely, and at times as a physician, I do question what they’re doing—but also in contrast to one of our local physicians who has written several times in this paper I feel that they have far more knowledge and far more information at their fingertips than I.

re-stack the pile to better effect. Then let the people decide.

Walter “Square-Corners” Bruns // Banff, AB

Local doctor’s warning about new variants deadly serious I am going to speak clearly and from the heart in plain and simple English, as both an athlete and a physician who has been living in the Sea to Sky for 30 years.

I love this community and I love our lifestyle and I want it to return to normal.

We are all sick and tired of COVID-19, all

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EXPERTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CO

The problem is when you’re in the middle of a crisis you don’t have time always to tell people why, when, who, what, where—instead you just react to the crisis by doing, and then the information comes out later.

If we had a forest fire that was about to burn down our town, we wouldn’t sit deliberating that we should’ve done more fire thinning, that we should use water instead of chemicals, that we should have better plans in place and that we should’ve had a different budget—we just fight the fire with anything at our disposal, and do so with heart and soul and desperation.

The new variants are here.

The new coronavirus mutations are best understood as spelling errors in a replication of data entry, and well, some of these have an absolute competitive advantage. What does that mean? Some of these new mutations are more deadly, infect more easily and in bigger numbers, and can have a much deadlier effect on the young, as well as all members of society.

What we are seeing is a different COVID-19 than last summer. It’s infecting more people, making people sicker, and affecting both young and the old.

If you’re not aware, Ontario has now returned to a stay-at-home order, which is like last March—stay home except for getting groceries and other essential things. As in stay home! Stay home does not mean locking yourself in your house. Please get outside and exercise, and if you have any social contacts remember, “outside is better than inside.”

This is not the same situation as last summer with the kind of quasi-stay-home and the “be good” type mentality.

This is serious—deadly serious.

It’s in the news if you missed it—but I will tell you that one of our firefighters was in the ICU and some of the firefighters are positive for COVID-19. In the last week I have joined my colleagues to screen; i.e. swabbing for COVID19 at the Squamish centre.

I can tell you the numbers are staggering and many of those people will be positive as they live with someone who has been positive.

I also know that we’re seeing increasing illness that’s a very different kind of COVID-19 than what we saw initially.

I would far rather immunize people to give them hope of returning to life than testing them because they’re already positive.

Despite what’s happening we’re still seeing people post on social media that they’re going to Sedona to mountain bike? That they are organizing big mass parties to celebrate Gaper Day? That they’re still having house parties?

Get your head out of the sand and stop being stupid—this is a different entity altogether.

We have identified that due to travel between our three communities (for work, essential travel, and family-sharing parenting etc.) Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton are all part of same zone so [we don’t consider] this travelling. But please, use extreme caution as some communities have more COVID-19 than others.

Let’s just chill it out for one month. Let’s not argue and bicker about why, when, who, what, where—actually take a proactive stance.

M

S ING

OO

N

68 NORTH STAR Enjoy the private setting of this townhome only steps away from the Whistler Village.

Do your part, be part of the solution, or you are part of the problem.

Dr. Cathy Zeglinski, MD CCFP Dip SEM // Squamish

$938,000

Let Whistler become a cannabis tourism destination I remember back in 2011 hearing then-mayor Ken Melamed analogizing the dynamics of our town and [its relationship with] the B.C. government, to a teenager asking their parents for permission and money. I resisted accepting this outlook for the past decade but have now come to accept his experiential wisdom as our current reality. But as many of us unfortunately know, family dynamics are often dysfunctional at best, abusive at worst.

This town makes the B.C. government a pile of money—but only when the “machine” is running, of course. That analogy famously came from another former mayor, Nancy WilhelmMorden, in response to the town bearing the burden of servicing those who do not “feed” its restaurants and hotels with vacation dollars or cheap labour. But apparently the brownbagging city lot ended up with enough fuel to justify the mountain staying open, of which I’ll forever be thankful.

But the other edge of that sword brought with it COVID the Third, the Brazilian wave that shut the resort down. It even added yet another kick to the lifetime of nut-kicks as a fan of the Vancouver Canucks. But seeing how fast the government worked to initiate a massinoculation to restart the ignition sequence provided me a few important insights: 1) The government is able to get things done here quite fast when it suits its interests, particularly recreation.

2) Its inability to provide solutions to other emergencies we face—such as a lack of affordable housing or the ability to stop the plundering of natural resources for profit— does not suit its interest.

3) Withholding information from the public is counterintuitive to a healthy democracy.

Knowledge is power, which is why only a few have access.

For these reasons it’s apparent that our society’s operating system is desperate for an upgrade. How do we go about it, might you ask?

Your answer is as good as mine, which is kind of the point. What we don’t need is a closeddoor organization posing as collective benefit controlling the flow of information and money.

Our current system was built by men riding to a central location on horseback and writing on scrolls with feathers dipped in ink. The technology of the internet allows for information and budgeting to have a freer flow to its owners—meaning the citizens and residents of this fine land.

As far as the local economy goes, relying on the Whistler Blackcomb resort model suits only a few people in relation to how many people actually live here. For Whistler to sustain itself through the highs and lows our future will face, we need to diversify from being a mill town and encourage a new outlook on tourism that can provide more opportunities to locals than

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.

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Thank you Jack!

And the Whistler community for pushing forward to getting vaccinations for everyone!

It feels like opening day on the mountain!

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR working-class jobs.

One solution I offer is for the town to collectively embrace cannabis as a tourism driver.

The promotion of Whistler as a worldwide cannabis tourism destination would allow for unheard of opportunities to a new generation of innovative retailers and tour operators.

A literal grassroots economy. I mean, it’s already there for the picking; we just need to collectively call it out and push for the tide to change.

Steve Andrews // Whistler

Don’t blow it for the rest of us Whistler once again is making international news headlines, but not with the positive stories that we have become used to. The Guardian newspaper states, “With 877 confirmed cases of P1, the province of British Columbia is now the centre of the world’s largest sequenced outbreak of the variant outside Brazil—and nearly a quarter of those cases have been linked to Whistler.” The situation is now so bad in our community that we all know someone who has COVID-19 and some are struggling to get well. This could have been prevented. We had plenty of warning from examples in other countries such as the U.K., Ireland, and Portugal that have been overrun by variants for several months.

The federal government was incredibly late to impose any testing or quarantining on international travellers and B.C.’s premier still won’t do anything. [Premier John] Horgan sought legal advice instead. He says that the province can’t legally restrict domestic travel, yet that’s exactly what the maritime provinces successfully did.

Perhaps they didn’t ask their lawyers.

And if Premier Hogan won’t restrict travel, why has he not set up rapid testing and quarantining for everyone arriving in the province as Manitoba is doing. Mr. Horgan says it’s just too difficult.

Too bad, fighting a pandemic is a tough job.

The premier admonishes those travelling to Vancouver Island while BC Ferries schedules extra sailings for the Easter long weekend. Mr. Horgan tells young people, “Don’t blow it for the rest of us.” British Columbians know who blew it for the rest of us.

During the weeks of various spring breaks Whistler did what it does best, provide great ski conditions and a lively après ski scene. Bars, restaurants, patios were all open with some restrictions. The village stroll was packed.

Travellers came from Ontario and Quebec, to escape from the lockdowns in their home provinces, where the variants were spreading, to enjoy some good times in Whistler.

There were no orders from [B.C.’s Public Health Officer] Dr. Bonnie Henry to Whistler Blackcomb or the accommodation providers not to accept reservations from people outside the province.

And a very significant number of British Columbians completely ignored Dr. Henry’s recommendation not to travel unless it is essential. And they will continue to ignore this advice.

If you really want to change behaviour you have to issue orders and back them up with enforcement as in Australia, New Zealand, and other countries successful at virtually stopping the virus.

Perhaps the worst thing about the Whistler spring-break fiasco was that the health authorities knew in mid-March that we were undergoing an extensive Brazilian variant outbreak and they didn’t tell us.

Well, now the party’s over. We are left to pick up the pieces. Thanks to Mayor Jack Crompton’s urging we have an immediate, community-wide vaccine program, but many are already sick in our community.

Hopefully none of our friends and none of our family members will pay the ultimate price before we all are vaccinated.

John Konig // Whistler ■

Backcountry Advisory AS OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 The Sea to Sky region has been under the influence of a ridge of high pressure for the past few days, which is expected to continue through the weekend and into next week. This weather pattern is associated with sunny skies and very warm temperatures. Both can have a big impact on the snowpack, especially when they appear for the first time in the season.

As the surface of the snow warms and melts, it quickly loses strength. This can result in wet-loose and wet-slab avalanches, as well as cornice failures and, in some cases, very-large persistent or deep-persistent slab avalanches.

Avoiding exposure to wet-loose avalanches and wet-slab avalanches can be managed fairly simply by staying away from avalanche terrain on sun exposed slopes. Cornices should be given a very wide berth during the heat of the day. Stay well back while travelling at ridgetop and avoid travelling underneath them.

Avoiding exposure to persistent and deeppersistent avalanches during a big warmup can be a little bit trickier, but the key is generally to avoid really large terrain features, particularly during the hottest part of the day.

Another tip for managing persistent problems with regard to warming is to remember that with each day of warm temperatures, the warmth penetrates the snowpack a little bit deeper, so it can take several days of warm weather to impact deeper weak layers.

One of the best strategies for managing avalanche risk in the springtime is to start early and finish early. Get up and out the door while the snow is still frozen and aim to be out of the mountains before the hottest part of the day. Once the snow starts to feel slushy, you know it is losing strength. The forecasting team recently posted a blog on avalanche.ca all about managing avalanche risk during heat waves, so check it out if you are interested in learning more! ■

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.

12 APRIL 15, 2021

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PIQUE N’ YER INTEREST

Whistler needs more options for women fleeing domestic violence IT MIGHT BE HARD to remember, given the tumbleweeds bouncing down the Village Stroll at the moment, but Whistler has historically been a picturesque Neverland.

Longtime locals sometimes get their backs up about this depiction, but it only

BY ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com

becomes more apparent when you move away. I vividly remember my first run on the Valley Trail months after moving to Squamish (an equally excellent, but markedly less pretty community. Two words: strip malls.). It all came into greater focus: the adorable cabins next to sprawling second homes, the string of lakeside parks, and, frankly, the most pristine public washrooms you’ve ever seen in your life.

This actually isn’t a dig; I remember finishing that run and deeply missing calling the resort home—even though (preCOVID-19) I still went into the office in Function four or five days a week.

All this is to say that Whistler’s pictureperfect exterior has long masked the fact that

it sees the same troubles as everywhere else— only, in some ways, they seem easier to hide.

Case-in-point: Whistler, like everywhere else on this Earth, sees too many cases of domestic or intimate partner violence. And before you think of myriad ways to dismiss it—“that might happen to young seasonal workers,” or “that’s just an issue with tourists after a night of heavy drinking”—think again.

You might be surprised to learn domestic violence has likely impacted someone you know. They just don’t talk about it.

It happens to people, the vast majority women, of all income levels, ages, and races.

In Whistler, the most recent statistics for domestic violence are from 2019, when 33 incidents were reported, down by 28 per cent from 2018. However, across the country, reports of domestic violence were up during the pandemic in 2020—and it remains to be seen how that will translate to Whistler.

Between April 1 and Sept. 30, 2020, for example, Canada’s Assaulted Women’s Helpline received 51,299 calls compared to 24,010 in that same period in 2019, according to CBC. Police from a sampling of 17 forces across the country likewise saw an increase in these types of calls of 12 per cent between March and June of 2020 compared to 2019,

says a Statistics Canada analysis.

(That’s also keeping in mind that domestic violence calls are notoriously underreported to police.)

So when the Howe Sound Women’s Centre tells us that Whistler has long been in need of both a safe house and transition housing for women and gender-diverse

[T]here’s reason to believe a safe house could be secured in Whistler in the coming years. individuals fleeing domestic violence (as they did in Pique’s April 8 story “Zero Ceiling inks partnership with WHA to secure accommodation”), we should listen.

Currently, the options for those fleeing abuse are a safe house (generally used for up to 10 days) or second-stage housing (housing up to one-year) in Pemberton and a transition house in Squamish. (You can find more here hswc.ca/supportive-housing.)

You can imagine the reasons that might

not work for Whistlerites. If the woman has a child in school in Whistler or a job in the community, for example, it is a barrier. If they don’t have transportation to travel back and forth regularly, that’s also an issue. They might not want to further uproot their children and take them out of their community.

The list goes on.

HSWC executive director Ashely Oakes said anecdotally that 40 to 50 per cent of their calls come from Whistler, but that hasn’t translated to the numbers they see at their transition houses. Presumably, at least in a few cases, that means having to relocate is a problem.

She also, however, indicated that there’s reason to believe a safe house could be secured in Whistler in the coming years.

Throughout the pandemic, Whistler has proven that it can adapt to new challenges.

For example, Whistler Community Services Society partnered with BC Housing and Vancouver Coastal Health to offer isolation housing for those in shared homes unable to isolate safely.

There’s no reason, with support from the municipality and the community, that that innovation and determination can’t carry on after the COVID crisis to help others in need in our community. ■

APRIL 15, 2021

15

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler real estate keeps on rolling LOW INTEREST RATES, REMOTE-WORK CAPABILITIES CONTINUE TO DRIVE DEMAND

BY BRADEN DUPUIS REAL ESTATE activity across the Lower Mainland is showing no signs of slowing down into the second quarter of 2021.

According to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, residential home sales in the Metro Vancouver region totalled 5,708 in March—a 126.1-per-cent increase over March 2020.

In Whistler, the year-over-year change was even more drastic, at 194.7 per cent.

It’s an impressive figure, but one that should be taken in context, said Wendi Warm, owner of the Whistler Real Estate Company (WREC).

“Don’t forget that at this time last year, when they’re looking at numbers, our market had already started falling off due to the confusion and the unknown of what was about to happen [due to the pandemic],” Warm said.

“So when you compare year over year from 2020 to now, I think that’s where some of these huge numbers are coming in, and we have to take them with a grain of salt.”

That said, Whistler real estate was as hot a commodity as ever in Q1 2021.

According to stats provided by the WREC, total sales for the quarter climbed to 312—the highest quarterly sales volume in a decade.

ON A ROLL Sales of single-family homes in Whistler, like this listing at 6152 Eagle Drive, are not slowing down heading into Q2 2021.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN RYAN/WHISTLER REAL ESTATE CO.

16 APRIL 15, 2021

Total sales value exceeded $450 million in Q1 (representing about 40 per cent of the total value reported in all of 2020).

While the single-family home market saw a 10-per-cent reduction in sales activity due to fewer listings, the average sale price rose 3.4 per cent compared to Q4 2020.

At the end of Q1 2021, the average sale price stood at $3.967 million (with a median of $3.25 million)—a 15-per-cent increase over the average for 2020.

Total sales activity for townhomes was down 45 per cent in Q1, but the reported number of sales stayed consistent with the 10-year quarterly average. The average sales value for townhomes increased by about 11 per cent, to $1.596 million (median $1.275 million).

Condo sales activity was up 25 per cent, with a five-per-cent increase in value to $885,000 (median $779,000).

On the luxury market, there were 15 reported sales of properties worth more than $4 million in the first three months of 2021.

As always, there are many factors at play in the market, said the WREC’s Pat Kelly, including low interest rates, new remote-work capabilities, and a lack of supply in Whistler.

There’s also the high cost of both land and construction, which make “readybuilt” situations all the more attractive.

“What we’re seeing is that those properties attract an awful lot of interest, and we’re getting multiple offers, and properties selling above list price, which is like what is going on in the Lower Mainland, and it’s going on in the Sunshine Coast, it’s

going on in Victoria,” Kelly said.

“Whistler is experiencing exactly the same thing that is going on in most of Southwestern B.C. Perhaps it’s a little bit more visible because we’re such a small market, but certainly it’s hard.”

With international borders still closed, the majority of buyers are Canadian, and about 80 per cent from the Lower Mainland, Warm said, adding that recently there has been more interest from Ontario.

“So that’s a bit of a shift, but I think our Ontario buyer origin from 2020 was eight per cent, so it’s still majority Lower Mainland by far; Vancouver people who have maybe always said we will eventually own a place in Whistler, now they’ve actually made the decision, now is the time, we are buying a place for our family,” she said.

With so much turnover in recent months, the makeup of Whistler as a community is set to change. “[Buyers] are really looking at Whistler as, rather than a weekend place, it is a community they would like to live in,” Kelly said.

“That has implications for a lot of other things, because now you’re building up a community of full-time people who demand a different type of services than what we might have provided for tourists … so that’s a longer-term, bigger-vision type of trend to keep an eye on.”

What’s happening in Whistler is not entirely unique, said Tom Davidoff, associate professor and director of the Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate at the University of British Columbia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the perspective around things like work and personal space, he said.

“If you don’t have to commute anymore, why not go to a natural paradise, and telecommute from there, and have more space? And I’m sure that that’s part of what’s going on [in Whistler], because we’re seeing that everywhere,” Davidoff said.

“The downtowns are doing fine, but what’s really thriving are single-family homes in suburbs and outlying areas.”

While high-end income earners have fared incredibly well through the pandemic, the shift will place extra pressure on lowincome Whistlerites—possibly placing extra emphasis on things like regional transit in the coming years.

“Getting into the market is going to be extremely challenging,” Davidoff said.

“I think there’s going to have to be some response in terms of opening up supply, or making commuting more feasible … [or] just paying workers more so that they can make it work. I’m sure there will be pressure for that.”

For all the talk of Canada’s “housing bubble,” Davidoff isn’t predicting a steep drop-off any time soon.

“If interest rates stay as low as they are, and immigration picks up again, which it will, I think it’s hard to see a crash coming,” he said.

“These valuations are very rich, but I think given the growth we’ve seen in rents in recent years, and the interest rates we have, it’s very hard to rule these prices out as just irrational prices.” n

NEWS WHISTLER

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WHISTLER’S MEDICAL DIRECTOR URGES PEOPLE TO STICK TO SAFETY MEASURES POST-IMMUNIZATION

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The Whistler Fire Rescue Service is now accepting applications for Paid On Call Firefighters.

Interested applicants are also invited to attend a question and answer session being held via Zoom on April 29 at 7 p.m.

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COASTAL Health (VCH) said it expects to complete the mass vaccination of Whistler within two weeks of the campaign’s launch.

While welcoming the news of the community vaccination plan, Whistler’s medical director Dr. Fern von der Porten cautioned people not to let their guard down post-jab.

“If we want to get a handle on [COVID19] in Whistler we need to get the vaccine into as many people as we can and those people, vaccinated or not, they still need to maintain social distancing, wear a mask, not gather and wash their hands,” she said.

Von der Porten explained that it takes at least two weeks for antibodies from the vaccine to kick in and boost immunity to the coronavirus. In March, as vaccines began to be offered to some segments of Whistler’s population, Von der Porten said a spike in cases took place as vaccinated people stopped practising safe behaviours known to interrupt the spread of COVID-19.

“We all have to do the hard work,” she said. “You are not getting antibodies for

N

VANCOUVER

but did not receive them by press time.)

Currently the Howe Sound health region, which includes Whistler, has the highest rate of COVID transmission of any local health area in B.C., with 410 new cases recorded between March 28 and April 3, the most recent available figures, and “the majority” of those cases based in Whistler, VCH said.

Of particular concern is the proportion of P1 variant cases: As of March 30, there were 197 cases of the variant recorded in Whistler, with health officials estimating that the variant circulation peaked the week of March 22. No current variant numbers are available from VCH. A recent non-peer-reviewed study on medrxiv.org found that the P1 variant could transmit about 2.6 times faster than more dominant strains.

“We are focusing on where the transmission is at the highest, and [vaccinations] will spread out from there over the province,” said Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in her April 12 media briefing on the launch of the resort’s community-wide vaccine program.

“We know the people who are impacted the most are people working in hotels, in restaurants, on the ski hill … It is about the

E

BY BRANDON BARRETT

Nick Swinburne

Personal Real Estate Corporation Engel & Völkers Whistler Phone: +1 (604) 932-8899 Email: nick.swinburne@evrealestate.com

“This is a very real public health concern and it requires a dramatic response.”

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a couple of weeks, so don’t celebrate. Do celebrate that you are on your way to safety from [COVID-19].”

Started on April 12 in response to rising COVID-19 case numbers, the immunization program aims to vaccinate as many local residents and workers aged 18 and older as possible.

“The B.C. provincial vaccination program is nimble, and is adapting to a complex set of circumstances. We are doing our best to match our limited vaccine supply with the need to vaccinate specific communities and groups of people,” explained a VCH spokesperson in an email.

The news comes as the resort continues to deal with a growing COVID-19 caseload.

According to VCH’s latest data, Whistler recorded 1,505 lab-confirmed cases between Jan. 1 and April 5, compared to just 271 cases in all of 2020. (Pique requested updated case count numbers from VCH this week

people who live and work in Whistler and the outbreak that is continuing despite the many, many measures we have taken in that community.”

Whistler residents and workers between the ages of 18 and 54 are eligible to receive a vaccine at the Whistler Conference Centre, by appointment, at vchcovid19vaccine.com.

Whistler adults between the ages of 55 and 65 can receive the AstraZeneca/ COVISHIELD vaccine now at a local pharmacy, by appointment, at bcpharmacy. ca/resource-centre/covid-19/vaccinationlocations. VCH will announce in the next few days how Whistler adults 55 to 65 who prefer to wait for a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine can book an appointment at the conference centre during the week of April 19.

Whistler adults aged 65 and up have already been invited to book a vaccine

SEE PAGE 18

>>

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17

NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 17 through the health ministry’s age-based cohort system at gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated.

Residents in this cohort who have not yet booked an appointment will be eligible for vaccination the week of April 19.

Anyone with questions about their eligibility can email vaccinevariancerequests@whistler.com.

COMMUNITY EFFORT Stressing that the decision was a publichealth response, Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton said it was locals’ “extremely respectful and compelling” lobbying of the province that helped make the case for mass vaccination here.

“From the moment Whistler Blackcomb was closed, there were a lot of people in my ear making the case that we’ll need more than the existing supports,” he said. “This is such a hard time to maintain civility and our community did an unbelievable job at that. So I think we felt empowered, encouraged and focused in our efforts.”

Whistler has experienced three successive waves of the virus throughout the pandemic, VCH said, with the majority of cases hitting the 20- to 39-year-old age group, which led to the immunization of a significant percentage of local workers living in staff accommodation at the end of March. Those employees received the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has since been

18 APRIL 15, 2021

suspended in B.C. for those under 55 as new data emerged over a higher risk of blood clotting than originally thought, particularly in women. Even still, the risk remains low: the World Health Organization says blood-clotting occurs in just one of every 1 million doses administered, while a report from Germany suggests the numbers could be closer to one in 100,000.

VCH said it has yet to be decided if those who have already received the AstraZeneca vaccine will get a second dose or not. The current immunization program is utilizing both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

With community immunization ongoing, Crompton countered a notion that has persisted outside of Whistler that it was the resort bungling its COVID-19 response that led to the vaccination program.

“This is a very real public health concern and it requires a dramatic response. I think it’s a fundamental misunderstanding of how this virus is moving around this community to suggest that people partied and the virus spread,” he said. “This community has worked so hard to respond well to COVID and like everyone else, we haven’t been perfect in how we’ve done that but I couldn’t be more impressed with this community.”

Sunday’s mass vaccination announcement came as welcome news for local frontline workers who had yet to be immunized despite the higher risk. April Lowe, president of the Sea to Sky Teachers Union, wrote in an email the group was “thrilled” that Whistler teachers would be

getting the vaccine.

“This will make us all feel safer,” she added. “We are hopeful that our teachers in Pemberton and Squamish are not far behind. We all live and work in this corridor and while divided by community, we are all part of School District 48.”

Firefighters, many of whom were impacted by a COVID-19 exposure, started to be vaccinated April 6, with the remainder slated to receive their first dose in the coming days.

TOURISM OUTLOOK As one of Canada’s COVID-19 hotspots, Whistler has also been the focus of a number of recent headlines in the national and international press, partly a consequence of the community’s outsized reputation, said Tourism Whistler (TW) president and CEO Barrett Fisher.

“We know Whistler is a prominent world-class destination, and both our challenges and our success often attract international media attention,” she said.

“But to put it into perspective, COVID is a global crisis and is impacting all destinations, all businesses, all employees and all citizens. I think from that perspective, Whistler can hold its head high. We had strong protocols in place and we know that tourism in itself is not what spread COVID.” Fisher went on to say that TW’s messaging wouldn’t shift in the short

term with the news of Whistler’s mass vaccination, but the destination marketing organization (DMO) is looking ahead to this summer and beyond depending on how the COVID-19 situation pans out.

“All things going to plan with vaccinations, we’re anticipating that we’ll roll out our marketing efforts and we’ll see our visitation in the tiers of British Columbia and our regional markets first, and then moving to interprovincial markets, such as Alberta and potentially Ontario, a little bit longer term, depending on their situation there,” she said.

Looking to the global market, Fisher said TW is in discussions with other provincial destination organizations to gain a better understanding of what publichealth benchmarks government officials are hoping to hit before turning the tourism tap back on.

“What ideally are the triggers that are going to give us a sense of confidence moving forward? It’s very difficult [to pin down], but I think there are a lot of indicators right now that are very positive,” Fisher said, noting that DMOs don’t expect the Canada-U.S. border to open until this fall, at the earliest.

In terms of hotel room-night bookings, Whistler was at between 20- to 25-per-cent occupancy in the month of March, Fisher said, a ratio that is expected to dip below 10 per cent for the month of April once numbers are finalized.

- with a file from Clare Ogilvie n

NEWS WHISTLER

‘Circuit Breaker’ grant, vaccinations welcomed

by Whistler Chamber WITH ANOTHER BUSY SUMMER EXPECTED, STAFFING REMAINS BIG CONCERN

BY BRADEN DUPUIS IT’S BEEN A rollercoaster few weeks for Whistler’s local business community, but news of community-wide vaccinations is helping to lift spirits.

“The community is ecstatic,” said Melissa Pace, CEO of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce.

“There’s definitely a vibe in the air, and there’s a sense of relief that the light at the end of the tunnel is actually glowing again.”

(See related story on page 17.)

The good news comes just weeks after the abrupt closure of Whistler Blackcomb and related provincial health orders restricting indoor dining.

“It’s been probably the most difficult time that we’ve experienced to date, because it’s not just the financial hit, it’s the financial hit combined with the constant uncertainty over the past year,” Pace said.

“That places a huge toll on the mental wellness of the business owners and their staff, and especially with the teams, because they’re coming and going, and they’ve got a

job and then they don’t have a job.”

The Whistler Chamber is still advocating for local business, Pace said, adding that the new provincial Circuit Breaker Business Relief Grant—which offers grants of between $1,000 to $10,000 for hospitality and fitness businesses affected by the new provincial health orders—is helpful.

“That was a relief for sure,” she said.

“It’s going to put a small dent into the financial hit for the larger restaurants and pubs, because of course to restock their kitchens and their pubs is going to be taking more than $10,000—but it’s a start.”

While the grant will help mitigate some costs for local businesses, a requirement that a business must have more than 99 employees to access the full amount will hinder some of Whistler’s restaurants, said Eric Griffith, chair of the Restaurant Association of Whistler.

But community-wide vaccination is a “huge win” for Whistler, he said.

“We will wait and see how it affects our case numbers. We are hopeful it will help us return to business as usual soon,” Griffith said in an email.

One of the main asks of government—in Whistler and across the province—is for

officials to give more notice to business before enacting new health orders.

In the case of the most recent announcements on March 30, many business owners had no notice at all.

“We are hopeful it will help us return to business as usual soon.”

- ERIC GRIFFITH

“We aren’t optimistic for April 19 reopening for indoor dining, but we hope it will not be too much longer,” Griffith said. (On April 13, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry indicated indoor dining likely won’t resume until after the May long weekend.)

That said, staffing will continue to be an issue for Whistler’s restaurants this summer and beyond, Griffith added.

Recent Advocacy in Action sessions hosted by the Chamber revealed similar concerns from other sectors, Pace said.

“The community is tired,” she said. “Over and over again, the wellness of their staff was top of mind for the business owners.”

And with another busy summer expected, driven by pent-up demand from the Lower Mainland, they’re not likely to get much rest.

“How are we going to be able to manage the volume of people here, knowing that there’s going to be a bigger, more critical labour challenge coming up for this summer?” Pace asked.

“That’s something that the Chamber is taking on right now, is how to support the business community with labour, and what that’s going to look like.”

To apply for a grant businesses must confirm it has been affected by the recent provincial health orders; provide electronic banking information; confirm it is registered as a B.C. business; produce a business validation document, such as a business licence, liquor licence, notice of assessment or lease agreement; and confirm majority ownership and operations and payment of taxes in B.C. Application information and eligibility criteria are available here: gov.bc.ca/businessrelief. Applications are open until June 24. n

APRIL 15, 2021

19

NEWS WHISTLER

Local wedding industry takes massive hit NEW REPORT BREAKS DOWN JUST HOW MUCH SEA TO SKY WEDDING INDUSTRY SUFFERED—BUT HOPE IS ON THE HORIZON

BY ALYSSA NOEL LIKE MOST WEDDING vendors in the Sea to Sky corridor, Carlee Cindric was preparing for a 2020 season that was poised to be busier than ever when the pandemic hit.

While her wedding and event planning company, Pocketful Productions, managed to squeeze in eight winter weddings ahead of the March shutdown, almost immediately her calendar was erased.

“My events were pretty much cancelled,” Cindric said. “The majority of my wedding clients postponed to [2021].

Those who did get married went down to very small weddings and didn’t need our services. It was definitely a slow year from March onwards. I’m so thankful I got the work at the beginning of the year.”

It might come as no surprise, but B.C.’s booming wedding industry came to a screeching halt last summer. A new report recently released from hellosafe. ca, a platform that compares Canadian insurance companies, delves further into the impact.

The estimated financial loss for the entire province’s industry is more than $158 million. Before the pandemic hit, in

February 2020, revenue was up 40.9 per cent from 2019.

The report breaks the numbers down further: In Whistler, there were 56 weddings celebrated in January and February 2020 and just 30 weddings in the same months this year, accounting for a 46.43 per cent decrease. (Pemberton was not included in the report.)

One niche that continued to thrive?

Elopements. To that end, vendors integral to making even a small wedding happen still found themselves busy last year. “[The couple] still needs that core group of vendors,” said wedding officiant Jeremy Postal, also known as the Whistler Wedding Pastor.

“Photography, somewhere to do the wedding, and whoever is going to legalize it.

My experience has been a little different from hair and makeup, rental companies, or DJs.” Throughout the pandemic, Postal has found himself officiating small weddings and elopements everywhere from picturesque places in the valley to various mountaintops.

For one celebration, the bride and groom skied down after the ceremony. In another, a couple flew up to the Pemberton Ice Cap and snowmobiled to the ice caves.

“There was still so much uncertainty [in the summer] that we slowed down, but

by the end of the year, I would say we were pretty on par,” Postal said. “[But] that’s not true for a lot of people.”

Looking ahead to 2021, that trend of unique elopements seems to be sticking around.

“People are going, ‘What can we do that’s different or unique? Let’s have fun with our wedding,’” Postal said. “I’m pretty much sold out for spring and summer. For summer, I’ve been turning away a lot of

“People are going, ‘What can we do that’s different or unique?’”

- JEREMY POSTAL

work. I’ve been referring them elsewhere.

People are COVID weary and saying, ‘We just want to move on with life.’”

That might be true, but predictions are 2022 is going to be a massive comeback for the industry.

The report calculates annual wedding industry revenue in the province could reach an unprecedented $900 million. While 23,866

weddings took place in B.C. in 2019, that dipped to 18,487 in 2020, with predictions for a rise to 21,433 in 2021 and 31,645 in 2022.

That’s the hope for Marc Cousineau, whose Sea to Sky rental company Spark Event Rentals was devastated by the pandemic.

“We’ve had an uptick in inquires; people that are hopeful for July, August, September weddings, but this latest kick in the pants from the provincial health officer [has] dampened a lot of people who were on the fence,” he said.

“We’ve had some cancellations and postponements ‘til 2022. One or two of those were 2020 weddings, so they have a two-year delay. None of this is to be critical of Dr. Bonnie Henry; it’s what was needed, but from a business perspective, it’s devastating.”

However, he added, the company is sticking it out with the hope that the industry will be back on track next year.

“We’re in the right business at the right location,” Cousineau said.

“More and more weddings here are people coming from the Lower Mainland and U.S. destinations. People are flying in.

They love the scenery or they have a personal connection from when they used to live in the Sea to Sky corridor … I have hope. That’s why we’re waiting and not folding and going.

I have hope it’s going to come back.” 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,

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For more information, visit bctransit.com/whistler Transit Info 604·932·4020 bctransit.com/whistler

20 APRIL 15, 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.

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/whistlermagazine whistlermagazine.com

NEWS WHISTLER

You aren’t invincible after one dose UPHILL BATTLE Forty-two-year-old Whistlerite Mike Roberts is hiking the Stawamus Chief every day for a year following his recovery from a series of traumatic brain injuries and subsequent drug addiction.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

‘I found myself right at the edge of my life’ WHISTLERITE MIKE ROBERTS PLANS TO HIKE THE CHIEF 365 DAYS STRAIGHT FOR MENTAL HEALTH

BY BRANDON BARRETT THREE WEEKS INTO his plan to hike the Stawamus Chief every day for a year and Mike Roberts isn’t afraid to admit the immense physical toll it’s taken on him.

“This thing sucks,” said the longtime Whistler resident. “But whenever I get tired or feel sorry for myself, I think about where I was, I think about the people who have no idea how to make their life better and I get powered up right away. I don’t miss a step.”

Roberts hopes to use his year-long effort to raise awareness of the mental health services available locally after his battle with head trauma and subsequent drug addiction led him to the lowest point in his life.

“There were days I couldn’t get out of bed to go to work and get money for food because I was overwhelmed by simple things,” he recalled.

“I found myself right at the edge of my life, man. It was debilitating.”

Prone to irritability and angry outbursts, Roberts couldn’t figure out what was wrong. An avid snowboarder and skateboarder, Roberts said he has suffered upwards of a dozen head injuries over his lifetime, which he thought might have contributed to his issues.

“I didn’t know what was occurring, so I just thought I was broken but I had nothing to tell me why,” he relayed. “I went to many doctors and everyone said I was fine but I could sense inside myself everything wasn’t fine. I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t eating. I was losing my temper.”

With nowhere else to turn, Roberts began using recreational drugs as a way to selfmedicate, developing an addiction along the way. Eventually the long-time musician started losing gigs and was fired from his job after missing one-too-many shifts.

“I was at the end of my rope,” he said.

It was two things that eventually helped Roberts turn his life around: a phone call to Vancouver Coastal Health

(VCH), and the work of American Dr. Mark L. Gordon. Medical director for the Millennium Neurogenerative Centers and author of two books, Gordon pioneered “a new paradigm for traumatic brain injury,” wrote Psychology Today, with his use of hormone-replacement therapy. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, up to 30 per cent of people diagnosed with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury experience hormonal dysregulation more than a year after injury.

“When I actually got the right treatment and clarity of mind, I realized I no longer wanted to be self-medicating,” Roberts said.

Roberts then connected with a local VCH nurse and was eventually referred to a treatment centre for his addiction, where he spent three months and also received subsidized counselling to unpack past childhood traumas.

“I can’t begin to tell you what it felt like to get an escape from life with people who cared about my needs, helped me through my trauma and helped me heal,” Roberts said.

At the moment, Roberts is working on connecting with local organization to raise money throughout his year of hiking, but his main goal is to serve as a ray of hope to others who may be facing down the same darkness he did.

“I’m doing this for the guy or the girl that is terrified not knowing what to do, and I’m here to tell them one phone call can change their life,” he said. “I’m in a place right now where I have nothing but life in me … to prove a point: there’s no shame in having mental health issues, none whatsoever.”

This past week, Roberts’ daily ascents of the Chief have officially surpassed the elevation of Mount Everest from sea level, an important milestone for the 42-year-old hiker.

“My whole life I’ve heard that Everest is the hardest thing you can do,” he said. “I did the thing that everyone said was the hardest and I did it one step, one decision at a time.”

You can follow Roberts’ journey on his Instagram @mikefromontreal. n

You can still catch and spread COVID-19 Public Health Orders and guidelines still apply: Take it outside Avoid indoor get-togethers Wear a mask and keep your distance in public Stay local, don’t travel to other parts of B.C.

www.vch.ca/whistler www.whistler.ca/covid19 APRIL 15, 2021

21

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler Multicultural Society takes over local immigrant settlement services SEA TO SKY COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY HELD CONTRACT FOR PAST SEVEN YEARS

BY BRANDON BARRETT WHEN SYRIAN Mohammad Aljamous first arrived in Whistler in 2019 after spending six years as a refugee in Jordan, one of the first organizations he connected with was the Whistler Multicultural Society (WMS).

“I remember myself. I was one of the clients when I first arrived in Whistler. I needed some help with my MSP,” he recalled. “So I reached out to the [Whistler] Welcome Centre and they were able to provide some very good advice on what I had to do to obtain the documents.”

Two years later, and Aljamous, who works as the outreach and programs coordinator for WMS, has come full circle.

As of April 1, the organization is responsible for the delivery of settlement services for immigrants and newcomers to Whistler and Pemberton. The immigrant-led group takes over from the Sea to Sky Community Services Society (SSCS), which held the contract for seven years as a partner with Capilano University’s Community

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Development and Outreach department.

“Having that understanding [as an immigrant], I think it’s going to be very helpful to work on the other side, which is developing services and programs for immigrant people,” Aljamous said.

Capilano has managed the program, thanks in part to funding from Vancouver Coastal Health’s SMART fund, since 2012, and began contracting SSCS in 2015. Since then, the non-profit has employed several immigrant outreach workers, who also helped develop programming.

“This decision was not made lightly, and is in the best interest of the programs and the communities they serve,” said Brittany Martell, manager of adult and family services for SSCS, in a release. “I am personally grateful to have worked alongside such caring, driven, and creative individuals doing such important work in the community.”

The transition comes on the heels of the WMS incorporating as a non-profit society in January “to give them the independence to develop further programs and representation for immigrants and newcomers in their community,” the

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release said. Previously, the WMS had spent eight years working in an advisory function to the Whistler Welcome Centre, as well as organizing the annual Whistler Multicultural Festival.

“This decision was not made lightly, and is in the best interest of the programs and the communities they serve.”

- BRITTANY MARTELL

“That was the biggest step for the society,” Aljamous noted.

The settlement services available locally include orientation to the Canadian environment and culture, needs assessment and referrals and help navigating language barriers to, for instance, find work or access

government services.

The WMS also recently received nearly $10,000 in provincial grant funding to support the delivery of a 10-week, online community leadership program for the Sea to Sky and Sunshine Coast.

Program participants will develop initiatives aimed at building awareness and understanding of bias and discrimination in their home communities and establish activities over an initial six-month period to address these issues in a practical and ongoing way.

The community projects will be implemented with support from a multicultural outreach worker, who will provide “ongoing reviews, suggestions, connections and introductions to key individuals locally, materials and resources such as marketing, printing, computers and software” as well as helping to identify ongoing funding sources beyond the first six months, explained WMS program manager Carole Stretch in an email. Up to three projects will be selected for partial funding and implementation.

For more information, visit welcomewhistler.com/settlement-services. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Naturespeak: What to do if you find injured wildlife SUBMITTED BY THE WHISTLER NATURALISTS HELPING INJURED wildlife in our community is every citizen’s responsibility.

Injured, sick, and orphaned birds and mammals found in our community require volunteers to help them get to the designated wildlife rehabilitation centres in the Lower Mainland as quickly and safely as possible.

If rehabilitation is successful, once fully recovered these animals can be released back into the wild. Sometimes, if an animal is too badly injured, euthanasia may be required to prevent further suffering. It is illegal for members of the public (including veterinary clinics and animal shelters) to hold wildlife for longer than 24 hours.

The principal rehabilitation centres in our region are volunteer-driven, donorfunded, non-profit organizations. You can visit them online to learn more, or if you are interested in becoming a volunteer or making a donation.

• OWL (Orphaned Wildlife) Rehabilitation Centre in Delta rehabilitates injured raptors (owls, eagles, hawks, etc.) and hosts tours and education programs.

• Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley rehabilitates a variety of mammals from raccoons to skunks, bobcats and bears.

• The Wildlife Rescue Association of BC in Burnaby rehabilitates a wide variety of bird species, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

If you are out for a walk and come across injured wildlife—what do you do? Here are some helpful tips: • Is the animal injured? First, observe the animal from a safe distance to look for signs of injury and illness. If the animal has been in the mouth of a dog or a cat, has obvious deformities or is showing abnormal behaviour, injury or illness is likely. Other signs to look for include: Bleeding, limping, weakness, disorientation, laboured breathing and thin body condition.

• Not all babies are injured wildlife! Baby animals are often mistakenly captured when, in fact, mom is not far away. Mothers will often leave their young to hunt or feed and return later in the day. DO NOT touch the baby animal, try to feed it, or take it with you unless instructed to do so by a licenced rehabilitator.

If you want to help sick and injured wildlife then clearly note the exact location.

Bring your cell phone for your own safety and to facilitate reporting and getting assistance (i.e. drop a pin on a Google map, and take a photo of the location for reference).

Ensure your own safety first. Injured wildlife can be dangerous and may try to bite or scratch if they feel threatened.

Some wildlife can carry infectious diseases, so keep a safe distance until otherwise

BIRD REHAB Sick and injured birds need help to rehabilitate, but there are some guidelines everyone should follow to ensure their full recovery.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

instructed. NEVER handle bats (dead or alive) due to the risk of rabies.

If you are unsure about what to do, call the proper authorities for further instructions.

For sick/injured birds and small mammals: Call the BC SPCA wildlife in distress hotline: 1-855-6BC-SPCA (1-855-6227722). They will help you determine if the animal needs rescuing and will walk you through the necessary steps.

For large animals (bears, coyotes, cougars, etc.): Call the Whistler Conservation Officer Service: 1-877-952-7277 The rehabilitation centre may advise that the animal be captured and transported to one of the rehabilitation centres in the Lower Mainland.

If you are able to perform this duty, the rehabilitators will walk you through the necessary steps to ensure your safety and to minimize stress and injury to the animal.

If you are unable to capture and transport the animal yourself, you can reach out to Sea to Sky Injured Wildlife Volunteer Network, a growing organization of volunteers (message @seatoskyinjured wildlife on Instagram or Facebook).

If you find dead animals roadside within Whistler call the Animal Control sector of Whistler Bylaw (604-935-8280).

For Highway 99 from Horseshoe Bay to Function Junction, call DriveBC’s Report a Highway Problem: (1-866-918-1010).

For dead wild birds call 1-866-431-BIRD (2473). Several government agencies work together to investigate wild bird mortality.

The Sea to Sky Injured Wildlife Volunteer Network was created because members of the public often find injured wildlife but are not sure what to do or who to call. We are working to improve public knowledge in this area and provide resources and training for volunteers.

This resource was developed by a collective of volunteer wildlife rescuers, and we always need more volunteers. Join our community on Facebook and Instagram (@seatoskyinjuredwildlife) to sign up.

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

APRIL 15, 2021

23

NEWS WHISTLER

SLRD meetings made accessible through provincial grant WITH ANOTHER BUSY SUMMER EXPECTED, COMMUNICATION WILL BE KEY

BY BRADEN DUPUIS PRIOR TO the COVID-19 pandemic, residents in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) wanting to take part in board meetings had to attend in person.

Thanks to the provincial government’s safe restart grant, SLRD meetings are more accessible than ever before.

The regional district can now hold townhalls and public hearings over Zoom, and meetings are livestreamed, with recordings available to everyone.

“It was a strategic goal of the board to make transparent access to board meetings available over two years ago, and we are glad to have this now,” said SLRD chair (and Whistler councillor) Jen Ford.

“With a region like ours, which has a very broad geographical area, it’s critical for connecting the northern and southern area residents to the local government that serves them.”

The SLRD has received a total of $627,000 in safe restart grants from the province, which it has used to address

revenue shortfalls and services, assist with garbage collection, enhance parks and more.

“I think every community in the province is grateful for these grants, because it does acknowledge that our budgets are already stretched, and are already being strained with uncertainty,” Ford said.

considered by the board.

“The general direction from the board is we want to continue to make our commitments to our climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, [and] we want to continue to press on with regional transit,” Ford said.

“[I]t’s critical for connecting the northern and southern area residents to the local government that serves them.”

- JEN FORD

“This is a commitment to partnership with the province. It certainly makes up a little bit of the gap, and helps us do some of the things that we need to do to keep our communities safe and vibrant.”

The SLRD had $348,449 left of the grant to spend at year’s end, and a further $125,000 received last month has yet to be

The Whistler Valley Housing Society is seeking The Whistlerfor Valley Housing Society is seeking applications nominations to the Board of Directors applications for nominations to the Board of Directorsfor and interested Residents, Non-profits and Businesses and interested Residents, Non-profits and Businesses for Members at Large.

Members at Large.

Board of Directors Term until 2022 AGM Board of Directors Term until 2022 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 Communitymanagement Development •• Community Development Lived Experience •• Lived Experience Familiarity with affordable housing programs/construction • industry Familiarity with affordable housing programs/construction industry The Whistler Valley Housing Society is a not-for-profit established The Whistler Housing SocietyCreek is a not-for-profit established in 1983 and is Valley the owner of Whistler 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.

“This recovery money is actually fairly flexible, which is great. It’s not pigeonholed into one type of spending, which you don’t often see with a general grant from the province.”

The money can be used for things like bylaw enforcement and protective services, or even wildfire mitigation—all crucial

areas of focus as the SLRD anticipates another busy summer.

There is some benefit to rural living in a pandemic, but visitors from more densely inhabited areas pose a risk to smaller communities.

“If the virus gets into those smaller communities, it’s a much more challenging uphill battle than where you have easy access to the hospital,” Ford said.

“That is something that we’ll be very much alive to in the coming months, as we were last spring, once people start to kind of get out and go into communities.”

With limited resources for bylaw enforcement throughout the massive regional district, educating the public and communicating with the RCMP and Conservation Officer Service will be crucial, Ford said.

“Once that travel begins again and camping is kind of widespread … asking for respect for the trails and the communities in which those trails cross through, that’s really, really important,” she said.

“But our ability to kind of be out there is very limited, so I think communication is key here.” n

Request For Proposal Deadline April 16th 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. To request the full RFP specifications, please visit tourismpembertonbc.com/rfp

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NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Pemberton gets first look at Community Climate Action Plan NEXT STEP IS TO WEIGH IN WITH SURVEY RUNNING OVER SEVERAL WEEKS

BY ALYSSA NOEL PEMBERTON RESIDENTS got their first glimpse of a new Community Climate Action Plan during a public information session last week.

Hosted by the Community Energy Association (CEA), a non-profit agency the Village of Pemberton (VOP) hired to help develop the plan, it presented the first stages of the plan via a Zoom workshop April 8. “[The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] determined that we need to reduce our emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and we need to reduce our emissions by 100 per cent, or achieve net-zero emissions, by 2050,” said the CEA’s Alison Jenkins.

“It sounds like a pretty tall order, but we’re going to talk about some of the things we can do to work towards those goals.”

To that end, the plan will focus on climate change mitigation—which means reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help limit the impact of climate change—rather than climate change adaptation. It will also look at reducing territorial-based greenhouse gas emissions, which includes things like emissions from buildings, transportation and organic waste in the landfill—rather

CLIMATE PLAN A graphic highlighting some of the key elements of the Village of Pemberton’s new Community Climate Action Plan.

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON

than consumptive-based emissions.

Finally, it also focuses on community actions like green infrastructure, policies, and outreach. There will also be some focus on how the VOP can show leadership within its own operations.

The presentation also broke down Pemberton’s current emissions. Passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles combined produce between 85 and 90 per cent of Pemberton’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to 2018 data, the most recent available.

important climate action steps like implementing Step 4 of the Energy Step Code on Jan. 1 this year. It also applied with Whistler, Squamish, and the Lil’wat Nation to fund a Sea to Sky EV charging network, and recently completed both a bike-network plan for the village, and a downtown revitalization project that features green stormwater management infrastructure.

In that vein, Jenkins also applauded the effort of Pemberton Secondary students for a recent petition.

“I’m really excited to see this get into play.”

- MIKE RICHMAN

“In total in 2018 Pemberton emitted close to 23,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent,” Jenkins said. “And the community spent almost $15 million on energy. So that’s money being spent filling up your cars at the gas station, filling up with gasoline and diesel. That’s the money you spent on electricity to heat your home and so on. And that’s money that largely leaves the community.”

However, even if nothing changes, emissions from passenger vehicles in Pemberton are expected to decline by 2050 because the province has put a zero emissions vehicle act into place.

Jenkins also pointed out that the community has already taken some

“There’s certain things they’re asking for, which included improved transportation in and out of the community—the students of Pemberton Secondary School should get bus passes [the petition says],” she said.

Jenkins also recognized the students’ suggestions for: an educational campaign to get citizens to waste less food, buy more locally grown produce, put up water bottle stations around the town, ensure that no oldgrowth forest is logged in the community, lobby the provincial government for oldgrowth protection, and put more recycling bins around town.

Along with feedback from the students, earlier this year, the CEA hosted stakeholder workshops where different community

groups, in part, envisioned a low-carbon future—in particular 2040—with regards to buildings, transportation, and waste.

Those are the three sectors that make up the plan’s “Big Moves.”

Under transportation, there’s shift beyond the car, encouraging active and accessible transportation and transit, electrifying passenger transportation, and decarbonizing commercial transportation.

Under buildings, changes would include improving new buildings with enhanced efficiency and low-carbon heating, as well as decarbonizing existing buildings, supporting deep-energy retrofits and fuel switching.

Finally, under waste, the goal is to divert organics and capture value from waste.

“If Pemberton didn’t do anything and didn’t implement these actions, then they wouldn’t reach this 2030 target, they wouldn’t be on track in 2030 to reach net zero,” Jenkins said. “But if Pemberton does implement these ‘Big Moves’ and the actions associated with them, they can get down to where they need to be in 2030 … So that’s really promising.”

The VOP’s Committee of the Whole saw the presentation on April 13.

“I’m really excited about this,” Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman said afterwards. “I’m really excited to see this get into play.”

Meanwhile, residents are invited to view the plan and weigh in with a survey over the next several weeks at haveyoursay. pemberton.ca/climate-action-plan. n

APRIL 15, 2021

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PEMBERTON COUNCIL voted this week to send a development variance permit for a residential property back to staff for a second time, arguing that the proposal to allow an existing retaining wall above district guidelines didn’t do enough to address neighbours’ concerns.

Submitted by the owners of 7665 Cerulean Drive, the original application was considered at the March 16 council meeting and asked officials to allow an existing retaining wall on the property in excess of the allowable 1.2 metres in height, to a maximum of 4.32 m.

After sending the application back to staff, property owners Stephanie NicollRussell and David Russell came back to council on Tuesday, April 13 with a revised proposal, this time committing to remove the top two tiers of the retaining wall and burying the entire bottom row. Those changes would require a maximum retaining wall height of 3.36 m., although the wall would appear to be 2.8 m. tall, with 0.56 m. buried underground.

dates should also be included for when the work will be completed, in particular, the items pertaining to encroachment on neighbouring properties.”

Another neighbour, Sandi Britt, also called in to the meeting to voice her support for the project, saying that the applicants’ revised wall “is now a reasonable height” and their landscape plan is “aesthetically pleasing.”

Council considered the variance a month after nixing a review of its hillside development guidelines due to the potential for escalating costs and delays for in-stream projects. Ultimately, that decision maintained the status quo of retaining walls taller than 1.2 m. requiring a variance permit. At the time, Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman acknowledged the decision would likely funnel more landowners into the variance process.

“The variance permit process is for this, it’s for special circumstances, and I feel the steepness of the lot does spell out special circumstances,” Richman said in Tuesday’s meeting. “I feel like the applicants have made a very strong effort to hear the comments from council in our past meeting.”

“[I] feel the steepness of the lot does spell out special circumstances.”

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The applicants have also committed to landscaping work that would mitigate visual impacts to neighbours, as well as increasing the side setbacks and removing the existing formwork and rebar for the footings already onsite.

“With the decrease of our wall [height] of 35 per cent, with the support we already have in submitted letters by members of the Sunstone community, and after a lengthy delay of seven months, we are seeking your approval based on the proposed changes to the retaining wall,” implored Nicoll-Russell.

Of primary concern for neighbour Mark MacIvor, who submitted a letter in opposition in addition to calling in to Tuesday’s meeting, is the potential for backfill to encroach on his property, as well as what he believes is a lack of clarity on the timeline to complete the work.

“We oppose this revision as the owner should be held accountable to a more detailed plan for the revision of the wall, complete with redesign details of the retaining wall as if this were a normal application, and not allowing for assumptions,” he said. “A list of committed

But others at the council table felt like the revised proposal represented too much of a change to the village’s guidelines and also didn’t effectively address neighbours’ concerns.

“I’m not opposed to the variance process and looking at some minor variances, but this still seems really major to me,” said Councillor Amica Antonelli. “I think that we need to work harder to address the concerns of the neighbour who wants to comply with the bylaw.”

Coun. Ted Craddock also warned of the precedent that could be set by approving a variance permit for a structure that had already been built in contravention of local bylaws.

“We shouldn’t be in this position,” he said. “We have a bylaw that lays out very clearly what is allowed and what is not allowed. We have the hillside policy guidelines that add to that, so there shouldn’t be any misconceptions about what can be done on the site.”

In the end, council voted once more to send the application back to staff in order to further address neighbours’ concerns. n

OUTSIDER

Lessons learned from a spring Tantalus trip OF ALL THE ZONES I’ve ski toured over the years in the Sea to Sky, one stands head and shoulders above them all: the Tantalus Range. When people drive (or are shuttled) up the Sea to Sky Highway for

BY VINCE SHULEY the first time, it’s likely Mount Tantalus atop the Rumbling Glacier that leaves the most imposing impression of mountain magnitude. Not the Chief, not Mount Atwell, not Wedge Mountain. Only when you take in the winding couloirs of Mount Currie are you in the same ballpark as the Tantalus Range in golden light.

The hub of mountain activity in the Tantalus is the Jim Haberl Hut, a 12-person lodge run by the Alpine Club of CanadaVancouver Section and built in 2006. The hut’s namesake is Whistler mountaineer Jim Haberl, one of the first two Canadians to climb K2, and who died in an avalanche in Alaska in 1999.

The Jim Haberl Hut, and by association the surrounding stretch of the Tantalus Range, has primarily serviced summer mountaineers over the years, but adventurous skiers looking to descend those mountains knew what doors would open with an alpine hut in such a location. That’s the thing about the Tantalus. It’s not really

ABOVE THE REST Alpha Mountain from the ridge of Serratus, Tantalus Range.

PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY

a ski-touring zone. It’s a ski mountaineering zone, warts and all.

Gaining summits and skiing them isn’t really practical along the jagged, sawtooth ridges, not like the relatively forgiving mountains you’ll find in the Spearhead Range or along the Duffey Lake Road. The terrain choices in the Tantalus are either super mellow meadow skipping down the glaciers (akin to heli-ski terrain) or some of the steepest, most formidable lines in the Sea to Sky. Skiers who shell out for the return helicopter flight have to come equipped not only with the requisite avalanche safety

I hadn’t skied the Tantalus in a few years. The Jim Haberl Hut (in normal, nonCOVID operation) is booked pretty solid for a lot of the prime spring season and it can be hard to find a spot unless you book weeks or months ahead, with no idea what the weather is going to bring. But with safety protocols in place and a firm lock on the hut’s door, the only option for multi-day ski trips to the Tantalus is to winter camp.

A friend called me last Thursday, April 8, with exciting news: He had a heli arranged for a two-day, one-night Tantalus trip. I figured it was time to remind myself

It’s not really a ski-touring zone. It’s a ski mountaineering zone, warts and all. gear, but a full glacier travel kit including ropes, harnesses, slings, crampons (ski and boot both) and an ice axe.

When you get your first close-up of these mountains under the whirring blades of the heli, it starts to make sense. Crevasse fields litter the glaciers. Gaping bergschrunds threaten to swallow you whole. Avalanches are an ever-present hazard, not only from burials but the potential to send you hurtling off one of the many exposed cliffs.

With heli-assisted ski touring well and truly in its Golden Age, there are plenty of skiers who simply want to be around these mountains, even if the skiing they end up enjoying is relatively mellow.

There are also plenty of skiers that like to get after it, comfortable with the highrisk, high-reward stakes.

why I fell in love with this mythical mountainscape in the first place. Here are some reminder lessons that I took away from my weekend.

If you boot pack on anything that gets a fair share of sun throughout the day, get those boot crampons on your feet. Things get steep very quickly, which isn’t always apparent when you scope the route or even when you’re at the bottom of the bootpack looking up. Rocks can be thinly covered with snow and ice; when you strike that surface with your ski boot you’ll be thankful for the pronged teeth by your toes.

Ridges in the Tantalus typically aren’t great travel. If you find a safe route up and want to descend a line that’s a few hundred metres further up or down the ridge, the terrain will often have other ideas and

greet you with impassable cliffs, knife-edge exposure and looming cornices.

Speaking of cornices, the coastal winds in the Tantalus will form these snow/ice monsters to the size of tiny homes. Expect them everywhere and never peer off the edge without roping up.

While you may be confident in your snowpack assessment, surface sluff on these steep faces can take you for a ride just as easily. Ski the steeps accordingly.

Like any ski touring trip, have the topo maps to cross reference your GPS positioning.

Allow extra time for more complex route finding. Navigation is tricky for anything you don’t have direct sightlines for.

The Tantalus is a place where the money to hire a qualified mountain guide would be best spent. My first two trips there were with a ski guide or apprentice ski guide and I enjoyed the trip a lot more as a result.

If you have a few years ski touring under your belt and feel confident sending the steeps, your first trip to the Tantalus could use some guidance, especially if no one in the party has travelled there before.

There’s glory to be found in the Tantalus, but it’s no place for cowboys looking to get rad. Like any mountain range, it takes a few trips to familiarize yourself enough to feel your way around with any confidence. In the Tantalus, mistakes and unpreparedness are punished severely by the mountains themselves.

Enjoy your time there, and ski accordingly.

Vince Shuley had a great weekend among giants. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail. com or Instagram @whis_vince. ■

APRIL 15, 2021

27

FEATURE STORY

28 APRIL 15, 2021

FEATURE STORY

By Brandon Barrett HERB HAMMOND doesn’t quite fit the picture you probably have in mind of the typical forester.

A Dalai-Lama-quoting policy wonk, author and ecologist with 40 years experience in the industry, Hammond belies the clichéd image of forester as grizzled lumberman decked out in plaid.

But Hammond also defies the usual notion of forester in another significant way: He fervently believes B.C.’s forest management framework needs a complete overhaul—and urgently.

“Forestry causes the largest losses of biological diversity across this province, indeed virtually everywhere that it’s practised. It’s the primary cause of water degradation. It’s a major contributor to floods and droughts, and believe it or not, in B.C., it’s less than two-and-a-half per cent of the gross domestic product.

That shows you the power of assumptions of convenience about what’s driving our economy. Certainly it’s not forestry,” he said. “Either we’re going to change this or we’re going to continue to down a path where Earth will change us.”

Hammond was the keynote speaker at an in-depth forestry webinar co-hosted last month by the Whistler Naturalists and the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment, where he picked apart B.C.’s current forestry system, and laid out his vision for a new way of managing the province’s most vital asset that puts ecological integrity over industry profitability.

Whistler’s Ancient Cedars. PHOTO BY BOB BRETT

SHIFTING THE PARADIGM In his 1984 book, Biophilia, E.O. Wilson, influential biologist and naturalist, popularized the biophilia hypothesis, which posits a fairly simple idea on its face: that humans are naturally predisposed to be attracted to nature.

Not a new concept by any means, Wilson, considered by many to be “the father of biodiversity,” filtered mankind’s affinity for nature through the lens of Ecologist Bob Brett coring a tree. FILE PHOTO

APRIL 15, 2021

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FEATURE STORY conservation, arguing that biophilia should be first priority when balancing the needs of the wild with the needs of humanity. He has also famously called for half the planet’s land and sea to be protected in order to safeguard the bulk of our biodiversity, work that carries on today through his foundation’s Half-Earth Project.

“With the biodiversity of our planet mapped carefully and soon, the bulk of the Earth’s species, including ourselves, can be saved,” Wilson wrote.

It’s through this lens that Hammond argues we should be viewing forestry; for its inherent ecological, cultural and physical benefits rather than solely its economic value.

“Forestry is not a science. Forestry is a practice. It’s an industrial definition the way it’s been done today, and we need to redefine it,” he said.

“We need to stop seeing public forests as resources and see them as a public trust held for future generations.

There really is only one forest for all values, not a different forest for each value. We need to give priority to the most important values for well-being, with a hierarchy being ecosystem protection, culture and social protection, followed by economic protection.”

A philosophical shift of this magnitude requires a rethinking of the economics of forestry, and as a good a place to start as any is with B.C.’s longstanding forest tenure system, Hammond asserted.

Ninety-five per cent of the roughly 60 million hectares of forest in B.C.—covering an area the size of France and Germany combined—is owned by the public. In spite of that, the province has for years not only allowed private companies to harvest timber on public lands in order to meet B.C.’s economic objectives, but also gave them major influence over how forestry is carried out.

“That timber tenure system has proven to be an incredibly powerful tool in the hands of industry. It shapes how forestry is done. It shapes the regulations, legislation and policy through a very concerted lobby, and it has huge influence over education and research,” Hammond said.

“The monies needed for higher education and for research, a lot of it flows directly from the timber companies that benefit from the tenure system. That makes education and research reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them.”

Hammond points to industry’s sway over the institutions training and employing new foresters as one reason many in the sector have largely remained silent on the practice’s ecological impact, even as mills close across the province and timber jobs—about 25,000 since the turn of the century—have been lost.

“I have had the privilege to work with a lot of labour activists who are very progressive in their ideas of what to do in forests, but to a one they always remind me that they’re a real minority in their organizations, because the majority of their organizations are still focused on high wages,” he said. “Even as the employment numbers decline, the people that are left are still clinging to the timber tenures owned by the companies, because that’s where their paycheques come from.”

OLD-GROWTH NOT A RENEWABLE RESOURCE One of the most common notions put forth by the timber lobby is that old-growth forest, typically defined in B.C. as trees over the age of 250 on the coast, and 140 in the Interior, as a renewable resource. Not so, says local forest ecologist and Whistler Naturalists co-founder Bob Brett.

“Logging removes old forest from the landscape, and I think for all intents and purposes, we can say forever,” he relayed. “If you take out a forest that’s 300, 500, over 1,000 years old and then plant it like it has been planted at the higher elevations up in the Soo Valley, it will never in reasonable terms recover to being the old-growth forest it used to be. It’s going to be simpler, it’s going to have fewer species that require this old-forest habitat, and it will have fewer underground fungal connections. There are many reasons why it will never be the same forest again.”

In Whistler, between 30 and 55 per cent of the Cheakamus Community Forest’s (CCF) old-growth is protected, which in the eyes of many locals, doesn’t go far enough. The first question posed to CCF administrators at a March 29 virtual open house set the tone for the rest of the evening.

“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.”

Like other community forests in B.C., the CCF has an annual allowable cut, the volume of industrial roundwood that can be harvested, as set by professional foresters, that is meant to balance environmental, social and economic considerations. It’s one of the constraints most often highlighted by community forest managers as they contend with public backlash over old-growth logging. But there is at least one regional example of a public forest that has chosen to flout those requirements: the Xáxli’p Community Forest in Lillooet.

“That community forest is now … at least [10] years old, and they’ve never sold a log,” said Hammond, who helped develop the eco-cultural restoration strategy at the forest alongside the Xáxli’p First Nation and Dennis Martinez, the founding board member of the Indigenous Peoples’ Restoration Network and Society for Ecological Restoration, after numerous blockades and protests over the province’s clear-cutting in the area.

“They practise eco-cultural restoration. Do they have an allowable annual cut? Yes, unfortunately, because that was part of the rules in writing the plan. Do they abide by it? No. Are they challenged by the government? Meh, a little bit, but they realize that they have a lot of political and legal cache, and power in that negotiation that they’ve used not only to the benefit of their culture and well-being, but to the well-being of their forest. I think any community forest can do that.”

While it’s been a stretch of relatively quiet years in terms of harvesting old-growth at the CCF, thanks in part to sluggish timber markets, the recent focus has been on

fuel-thinning. Whether that work has been effective is difficult to say, according to CCF manager Simon Murray, with many of the recent examples of wildfire fuel reduction treatments being concentrated in the U.S. “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 at the open house.

“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, the Resort Municipality of Whistler has tapped UBC ecologist Dr. Lori Davies to carry out a study to determine the efficacy of wildfire treatments in Whistler.

What is clear in the recent research is that old-growth, with its ability to retain moisture and regulate the climate within a forest, is more resilient to fire than its secondgrowth counterpart. ““[They] have very different forest structures,” Daniels told The Tyee in a 2019 article. “The tree sizes and woody debris on the floor is not large, and therefore absorbs and releases water a lot more rapidly. It takes a shorter period of time to dry out the logs in a second-growth forest.”

For Brett, who said thinning old-growth “makes zero

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FEATURE STORY sense,” the Sea to Sky’s old forests hold more economic value if they remain intact.

“For our area, it’s about recreation and ecotourism,” he said. “There’s a clear case that standing trees are worth more to our local economy than trees going down the

highway to Squamish.”

Beyond their tourism and recreational values, intact old-growth forest also represents the most biologically diverse phase of any forest. Locally, old-growth is essential habitat for a number of important native species, including the red-listed northern goshawk, which relies on old forest for successful breeding, nesting and hunting, as well as a variety of tree cavity excavators like the pileated woodpecker, which creates essential habitat for cavity-nesting species like owls, martens, fishers and flying squirrels.

“Please take many scientists’ word for it that thousands of species require old-forest habitat to survive,” Brett added.

There was hope last year with the release of a provincially commissioned report that outlined a four-phased approach to develop and implement an old-growth strategy. Upon its release, Victoria said it was deferring old-forest

In the 1990s, clear-cutting in the Sallus Creek watershed, pictured, without Xaxli’p permission transformed biologically diverse ecosystems into tree plantations.

PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE COURTESY OF XAXLI’P FIRST NATION

harvesting in nine areas throughout the province, totalling 352,739 ha., as a first step, before it was later revealed that the measures were actually doing little to protect B.C.’s remaining intact old forests.

In a study released in the fall, scientists Karen Price, Rachel Holt and David Daust estimated that only about 3,800 ha. of the 415,000 ha. of B.C.’s remaining productive old-growth were included in the new deferral areas. Later GIS mapping by conservation organizations revealed that much of the nearly 353,000 ha. the province had announced for protection was already under some sort of existing protection.

THE PATHWAY TO CHANGE While he acknowledges the legislation is by no means perfect.

Hammond pointed to several landmark acts adopted south of the border as a potential example for B.C. to follow if we want to transform how forests are managed here.

In short, legislation like the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the National and Environmental Policy Act, which mandates ecological assessments “right down to individual cut blocks,” Hammond said, and the National Forest Management Act, which sets out clear standards for timber harvesting, as essential tools for the American public to keep industry accountable.

“I don’t think for a minute that forestry is perfect in the U.S.; trust me. But this provides a framework for accountability and communication,” he said.

“What makes me sad is, during the era that these acts were being developed, I remember that the B.C. timber industry and forest professionals actively lobbied to block these things from happening here. It’s not a great statement about our history and it kind of relegates us to a sort of third-world colonial approach to forests.”

Whatever form the legislation takes, Hammond believes it needs to be led by Indigenous communities and the wider public to redefine forestry “from forestry exploitation to forest protection and restoration.” He has also called for the Ministry of Forests to provide the necessary technical and logistical support for community forest boards that moves B.C. away from its current tenure system, something that was recommended in last year’s provincial old-growth report headed by professional foresters Garry Merkel and Al Gorley.

“We need to change the tenure system. What’s the rational for that? That public land was given to corporations because it was viewed by the government of the day to provide social benefits, and it was given and done quickly,” Hammond stressed. “We need to now quickly take back that public forest based on ecological and social needs.

“We better deploy our parachute or we’re not going to like how we land. As people, we need to reassume responsibility for the forest around us in socially and culturally responsible ways, based on ecosystem protection.” n

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SPORTS THE SCORE

How Whistler’s minor hockey association saved its season ‘BEING ON THE ICE WITH YOUR TEAMMATES ... WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE SAFEST PLACES TO BE’

BY MEGAN LALONDE AS THE VANCOUVER Canucks continue recovering from one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in professional sports, a different group of B.C. hockey players are celebrating their ability to evade a similar fate now that their strangest-ever hockey season has come to end.

The Whistler Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) wrapped up its 2020-21 season last month—just prior to the public health order closing down Whistler Blackcomb amidst a third wave of spiking cases in Whistler.

As players hang up their skates for the summer, “We’re experiencing a lot of appreciation; people generally understand what a challenging year it was, how hard it was, and how much extra work was involved,” said WMHA president Joe Baker.

“People are just expressing a lot of gratitude that through it all, we were able to compete some, as much as we were permitted to, but that throughout the season we were able to keep all the kids on the ice.”

He added, “I don’t think we had a single transmission inside of hockey activities. We had a few teams that needed players to take a break, but generally, we were feeling over the course of the year that being on the ice with your teammates inside of a Whistler Minor Hockey program was probably one of the safest places to be.”

SAFE SKATE Sea to Sky Bears U15 A2 coach Stephen Fryer masked up during one of many physically-distanced practices at Whistler’s Meadow Park Sports Centre.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

32 APRIL 15, 2021

The safety protocols that allowed for a hockey season to take place didn’t just benefit the players’ collective physical health, either.

“The mental health aspect for the kids and the activity level; the social aspects for the kids was super important, so I’m glad we were able to deliver it,” Baker said.

Delivering a season at all was a monumental effort. After the 2019-20 hockey season came to an abrupt end due to the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic, hockey associations across B.C. worked tirelessly to plan a season that would allow young hockey players to compete and continue developing without sacrificing safety. At first, that achievement came in the form of “cohorts,” made up of four teams from competing associations, Baker said.

Last summer, “We came up with this brilliant schedule where we’d play intercohort teams, take a two week break consistent with the protocol, reconfigure those teams and then play in a new cohort,” he explained. “It would be a season that wouldn’t have a championship or league standings, but the kids would be able to play hockey against other teams in the city—and that worked for a while.”

The prospect of getting to compete against other teams again was exciting, said Baker’s son Sam, who played this season for the Sea to Sky Bears Bantam A2 team. “I was looking forward to it because I hadn’t played in an actual league format for the whole summer so I was excited to get back into it.”

But merely a few weeks into the hockey season, cases began spiking again, prompting B.C. public health officials to issue orders banning competition and travel for the purpose of sport—forcing the

WMHA to reconfigure yet again.

Recalled WMHA secretary Louise Tomcheck, “I think the change happened early enough in the season that there was still that energy to keep going.” The local association eventually developed a strategy for fun, intramural games between Whistler teams that wouldn’t normally face off against each other—until even that level of contact was again deemed a no-go by the province.

The intramural games only lasted about a week until new safety protocols restricted hockey to physically distanced practices only.

At the time, “I was hoping that [games] might eventually come back,” Sam added.

“I was happy we were still playing, but it sucked that we couldn’t keep playing competitively against other teams.”

Rather than games, local teams ended out the season with a series of flow drills that allowed athletes to maintain a three-metre distance at all times while on the ice. The rules saw Whistler’s hockey teams spend the remainder of the season practising skills like passing and break-outs, while other important aspects of the game like bodychecking were completely off the table.

“It’s hard because [hockey] is a contact sport, but I think we did a good job of staying distanced,” Sam explained. “But it was really weird, because a lot of drills we couldn’t do because there was too much contact.”

Even with that weirdness, Sam acknowledged how grateful he was for the social aspect, physical activity and sense of normalcy that ice time was able to provide this winter.

“The only three places I was seeing my friends were at school, on the ski hill and at hockey,” he explained. “It’s a big part of my life and it was really good to have it.”

In a surprising win, the association also saw its participation grow this year, rather than take the 10- to 20-per-cent dip in registration that WMHA executives had expected heading into the winter. Baker credits those gains partly to the addition of a second girls’ squad, following the successful introduction of a female-only atom program in 2019.

“This year we went to atom and peewee, and we’ve seen a real strong growth out of those two programs,” he said. “So part of [the overall growth] was people looking for pandemic activities—they were limited and we were one of the organizations that were able to deliver them—and then the second [reason] was that we are growing our membership organically, because we have a lot of keen young female players who want to play on teams with their friends.”

Throughout all of the challenges, adjustments and adaptations the association underwent this winter, Baker and Tomcheck agree the hockey season was ultimately a success.

The triumph of finishing out a full season, even one that involved minimal competition, can be credited to teamwork, Tomcheck said, citing unprecedented cooperation between various hockey associations throughout the Lower Mainland and with the Resort Municipality of Whistler to repeatedly reconfigure Meadow Park’s arena set-up to be the safest possible.

“When you work as a team, things work,” she explained. “When everybody does their part, there’s always a way to win. There was always some way we could [come up with an idea] to keep this going and we did that very successfully for the entire season.” n

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FORK IN THE ROAD

Our world really turned upside down EARTH DAY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. DO WE EVEN REMEMBER IT? “BIG SPACES AND the same faces” says the latest catchy mantra from the Resort Municipality of Whistler as the community hunkers down and makes international headlines with the P1 COVID19 variant spreading like wildfire and a mass vaccination program that will hopefully help contain it.

Big spaces, yes, as iconic as always in the Sea to Sky. But I can’t help thinking that

BY GLENDA BARTOSH since the pandemic started, we’ve pretty much nuked the biggest outdoor space of all from our consciousness—our poor, beleaguered planet.

Under normal circumstances, Earth Day last year would have been huge—it was the 50th anniversary. But who even remembered it, never mind marked it by actually doing something extra, something green in the face of a scary virus that suddenly flipped our lives upside down.

This year, I’m a-feared, most of us are still hugely preoccupied, and the world beyond our bubbles remains a fuzzy blur.

Apparently even Greta Thunberg, who’s now 18, isn’t sure what she’s up to on April

RESPECT AND PROTECT Pandemic or not, Earth Day should give everyone a cause for pause.

PHOTO BY SARAYUT THANEERAT/GETTYIMAGES.CA

34 APRIL 15, 2021

22. But President Joe Biden, who’s organized a virtual climate summit of world leaders starting on Earth Day, has given her a lead.

“The things that they are going to present [at the summit] will not be nearly enough for what science is saying will be in line with the Paris Agreement,” Thunberg said. “So I’ll just be calling that out, I guess,” reports Lizzie Widdicombe in an online New Yorker article in the April 19 issue, one sporting lovely pink blossoms on the cover.

Greta, like the rest of us, lives a pretty cloistered life these days, only hers is double duty. For more than a year, she’s been living in a borrowed Stockholm apartment with her dad and two dogs while mom and sis live in the family home. This keeps her and her family safe and removed from critics, which says a lot about the state of our world but even more about her determination— and that of millions of young people—not to be silenced.

It was a massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969 that prompted Gaylord Nelson, a junior senator from Wisconsin, to start Earth Day—a special day that would push us to re-think the state of our planet. It was all aimed at students like Greta.

In California in ’69 it was oil wrecking the coastline. In 2020 it was a series of insanely destructive wildfires largely fuelled by our changing climate. More than 4 million acres burned; 10,000+ buildings were destroyed. Thirty-one people died.

The cost: More than US$12 billion.

Just stop and think for a minute how that money could be so much better spent.

Or, here in B.C., when our province spent

more than $220 million fighting wildfires in 2018 alone. What better things could that funding provide?

Education, healthcare, affordable housing. And, yes, green initiatives, too— like free solar panels on affordable homes.

Alternative energy supplies like hydrogen fuel cells. Better bike lanes, better recycling facilities, better public transit, better habitat restoration. All this and more could be funded by what we’re spending around the world cleaning up environmental messes we’ve made.

Such projections are fraught, but on the climate front alone, the Natural Resources Defense Council, which was founded in 1970, the year after Earth Day, projects that in another 80 years or so, America will be spending US$1.4 trillion a year to contend with storms, wildfires, sea level rise, heat level rise, changing water and agricultural regimes—the whole disastrous nine yards caused by us changing our climate.

Morgan Stanley reports that our climate emergency alone cost the world some US$650 billion in 2016-18, and that we can expect to see a one-third decrease in agricultural production in just 30 years.

Money talks louder than ever in our neoliberal world, but what price the impacts on health, mental and physical, especially on those least able to weather the storms? The elderly; young people like Greta; people with little or no money, and fewer choices.

As for those oil spills that cost millions and billions to try and clean up, Andrew Nikiforuk, a great Canadian journalist writing in Hakai Magazine, cited a City

of Vancouver report that concluded: “Collecting and removing oil from the sea surface is a challenging, time-sensitive, and often ineffective process.” In short, it’s pretty much hopeless. The BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, for instance, saw only about 25 per cent of the oil contained.

The UN’s own environmental agency points out the price of environmental damage we cause during primary production and processing. From mining to forestry, fishing and even farming, it costs us US$7.3 trillion a year because we don’t safeguard nature properly. How much would it cost to change?

The whole point is it’s much, much easier to respect and protect our environment, our beautiful planet, than it is to try and fix it after the fact.

Earth Day on Thursday, April 22 is simply meant to highlight that, and even while hunkered down in a pandemic bubble, we can mark it.

Plant a new, green something. Buy one organic item you wouldn’t normally.

Go online and join AWARE and Whistler Naturalists. Go all day without eating meat. Try it again next week. Take the time and effort to recycle. Most important, take the time and effort to engage politically.

Write a letter. Start a petition. Democracy doesn’t work in a vacuum, and our Earth doesn’t either.

The pandemic will end. We don’t want our natural world to.

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who joined AWARE and Whistler Naturalists to celebrate Earth Day. n

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ARTS SCENE

Sea to Sky cake bakers compete in The Big Bake THREE LOCALS RACE THE CLOCK TO CREATE MASSIVE THEMED CAKE IN FOOD NETWORK PRODUCTION

BY ALYSSA NOEL WHILE TAPING AN EPISODE of the Food Network show The Big Bake, Squamish baker Samanatha Speer cried into her apron and, for a brief moment, joked about running out of the studio door.

But in a very un-reality-TV-show-like twist, it turns out those frazzled moments were left on the cutting room floor.

“I was watching it through my fingers,” Speer says with a laugh. “The editing was incredible. They didn’t show the panic …

They didn’t show any of that, which I’m OK with.”

The story of how she wound up on the whimsical, larger-than-life production dates back to an email she found in her inbox in the fall.

While she had been making custom cakes in Squamish as Sweet Jeanie’s Cake Co., Speer had taken a bit of a hiatus from the gig to work at Pearl’s Value and Vintage Store, a social enterprise run by the Howe Sound Women’s Centre.

“I wasn’t in the cake world at the time,” she adds. “I wasn’t checking my cake emails

SWEET TREAT (From left) Salome Robichaud, Samantha Speer, and April Rommel recently competed on The Big Bake.

IMAGE COURTESY OF FOOD NETWORK CANADA

36 APRIL 15, 2021

as often. I got this email from foodnetwork. ca. I thought it was a joke; I didn’t open it.”

Eventually, she decided to check it out. Inside was a legitimate invitation from someone who had seen images of her elaborately decorated confections, inviting her to audition for The Big Bake, which pits teams of bakers against each other to build massive cakes—with a different theme each week—for a chance to win $10,000.

fill-in team.”

In the end, they wound up competing— with the caveat that they had less time than the other two teams to wrap their heads around getting to Toronto and adhering to a strict set of COVID-19 safety protocols.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Speer says of being on set. “Everyone is in full PPE and any time I touched my face, they sprayed me. It’s their livelihood and what’s keeping

“I used to be so critical when I watched those shows. It’s so easy to be like, ‘Why didn’t you do this or that?’ Now, I know. When you’re in the moment, it’s so scary and hard.”

- SAMANTHA SPEER

By the time she actually replied, Speer had two days to find a team of two other bakers willing to travel to Toronto with her for the taping. Enter April Rommel and Salome Robichaud. “We all baked cakes,” Speer says.

“We were technically competitors. We’ve always helped each other and developed a relationship that way. I messaged them both and crossed my fingers—and they got back to me right away.”

After the audition, Team Whisk-Takers, as they would later be known, didn’t make the final cut, but were chosen as the “first

them going, so they were very, very careful.”

Pandemic aside, the full-day competition was thrilling, but entirely gruelling.

“It takes 12 to 14 hours for the whole thing to be done, but the cake competition itself was five hours,” she says.

That might seem like a lot of time, but consider that the cakes are over 1.5-metres tall and include moving parts.

“There’s no extra time,” Speer says.

“It took exactly five hours to finish it …

Things weren’t working; we were quite a bit behind.”

For efficiency, Speer took on baking duties, Rommel took care of building the structure and stacking the pieces and Robichaud took on the fondant work, which in this case included an elaborate bunny to fit with the theme “Bunnies on Cakecation.”

Speer says she was caught off guard by a few things, including the unexpected challenge of working in a commercial kitchen.

“I didn’t know how to use their equipment,” she says. “I was thinking of my own kitchen. The mixing bowl was so massive—it was as big as my body. I had to whisper to the guy next to me, ‘How do I turn on [the mixer]?’”

While the team feared how they might come across on TV while trying to put together their bunny in a hot air balloon (weighing 31 kilograms) sailing over tiers representing London, it turned out to trigger a much different reaction.

“I could see it through somebody else’s eyes—almost,” Speer says. “I was so worried about this airing. In my mind, it was such a disaster because it didn’t go the way we wanted. When I watched it on TV I was like, ‘Hey, you did good!’

“I used to be so critical when I watched those shows. It’s so easy to be like, ‘Why didn’t you do this or that?’ Now, I know.

When you’re in the moment, it’s so scary and hard.”

Watch the episode at foodnetwork.ca/ shows/the-big-bake. n

ARTS SCENE

Local artist launches INSPO-Art series to give back INSPIRED BY COMPELLING LOCALS, JENNA JONES’ INITIATIVE GIVES 100 PER CENT OF PROFITS FROM PRINT SALES TO WORTHY CAUSES

BY ALYSSA NOEL

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

AS WHISTLER ARTIST Jenna Jones points out, if you put a little thought into it, you could probably assign each of your loved ones a pretty accurate colour.

At least, that’s how she starts the process of painting the subjects of her INSPO-Art series. So far, the series has yielded three abstract pieces inspired by three different locals with 100 per cent of the proceeds from print sales going towards a charity they care about—or in one case, to support a local through a hard time.

“That’s the first step; finding their palate,” Jones says. “And then usually the flow is very organic—how the actual composition is created. I’ll find a colour based on what their personality is and how you feel with them.”

To that end, Julia Murray, an Olympian, creator of Jules Fuel, and holistic nutritionist, was a mix of deep and light blues, with touches of turquoise (with ocean conservation as her cause of choice); Joan Novak, a longtime local hair stylist and colourist, is “pink and ethereal” (with funding going towards her battle with cancer); while Olivia Rey, the most recent inspiration for the series, has “a lot of loyalty… She’s a confident, committed person,” translating to blues.

Rey, who injured her C6/7 vertebrae in a car accident in 2015, is beginning a masters in counselling program and serves as a Wings for Life ambassador—which supports spinal cord research—her charity of choice for the project.

“I know all these people personally, but they’re all people that have inspired me and touched me in very different ways,” Jones says. “I started out with this because I really wanted to find ways to give back. We all know it not only helps others, but it’s also the most rewarding feeling. My art is my way I can give back.”

Jones’ road to becoming an artist was a windy one. She grew up in Ontario and went to school in Ottawa to become a medical acupuncturist and a registered massage therapist.

Out East, she wound up working for Cirque du Soleil during their Michael Jackson tribute tour across Canada. “They asked me to do a three-year international tour,” Jones says. “It was too many arenas.

So, instead of that, I moved to Whistler.”

(A more recent big-name massage therapist gig: She worked with the Canucks before COVID-19 first disrupted the hockey season.)

In a classic case of a failed comefor-one-season, she wound up delving into Whistler’s many sports and sticking around. On her myriad outdoor adventures, she always has a camera in tow and eventually decided to explore

NOTICE OF WAIVING OF PUBLIC HEARING

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.

ART FOR A CAUSE The Rey, inspired by local Olivia Rey, is part of Whistler artist Jenna Jones’ INSPO-Art series.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

her photography passion by moving to Vancouver to attend school. “[Afterwards] I had a business partner and we started building up clients in Whistler and did really beautiful, candid family photography,” she says.

But when one of his family members got sick back in Brazil, he headed back to help for six months, prompting her to promise to put their business on hold.

“I was like, ‘I need to be creative; I’m going to start painting while you’re gone,’” she recalls.

She wound up falling even harder for painting than photography. “I thought, ‘This is crazy. I spent all this time and money on school and I don’t want to work. I want to paint,’” she says.

Jones temporarily moved to Vancouver where she had a studio and wound up having her work featured in three shows over six months—and nearly selling out all of them. It was during one of those shows she met her now-fiancé—who just happened to live in Whistler— and wound up moving back.

Now, she says, her painting career is largely word-of-mouth commissions and working with home stagers and interior designers on homes that are for sale.

“I try to promote myself in different ways locally,” she says, citing participating in silent auctions. “I like to work for a cause or a purpose.”

The various INSPO-Art series prints are for sale now at jennajonesart.com. 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 15, 2021

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LOST TO THE FLAMES Years of photo negatives were lost when the building housing The Question caught fire in 1991. This snapshot shows the production space after the staff was let back in.

Impact starts with community builders.

WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION, 1991

Fires in Function Junction

BY ALLYN PRINGLE

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A FEW WEEKS AGO during our Speaker Series on journalism in Whistler, technical difficulties unfortunately prevented a question being asked about a fire that destroyed the production office of The Whistler Question in Function Junction in 1991. As we weren’t able to learn more about the fire from the knowledgeable people at the speaker event, both presenting and in the audience, we thought we’d start by taking a quick look at what the Question had to say about it.

The fire was actually one of two large fires in Whistler on Friday, Jan. 18, 1991.

In Rainbow, the building housing Rainbow Rentals, Rainbow Paint and Supply, Whistler Woodheat, Whistler Welding, Allan May Project Management and the truck division of Budget Rent-A-Car also had a fire. As there were no hydrants in the area and the building contained tanks of propane, oxygen and acetylene, as well as cans of oil-based paints and industrial solvents, the decision was made that it was too dangerous for firefighters to go into the building. Instead, the highway was closed and the building was allowed to burn.

In Function Junction, at about 2:30 a.m., Kevin Swanlund was the only employee in the building that housed Yurrop Trading, Mountain Crests, the kitchen of The Gourmet, Little Mountain Bakery, and the Question production office when he noticed a fire. Swanlund attempted to put out the fire with an extinguisher but it kept coming back stronger. His actions alerted Carrie Waller and her daughter Amanda, who lived in the apartment upstairs, to the fire. The pair found the stairwell blocked but were able to use a ladder to climb down from the balcony.

Fire Chief Tony Evans described the fire as “a tough one to fight.” A fire hydrant on the property was not connected to the municipal water system and had reportedly frozen, though luckily there were municipal hydrants nearby. The fire department did not confirm a cause of the fire, but were able to say that it appeared to have started near the building’s electrical panel.

Most of the businesses affected already

had plans to reopen by the next week. Jan Holmberg, who owned the building and co-owned Yurrop Trading and Mountain Crests, told the Question that Mountain Crests had already located an embroidery machine in Seattle and rented space in another building and would soon be at half their usual production. Rick and Doris Matthews, the co-owners of The Gourmet, had begun cooking at home and in another kitchen while setting up in another Function Junction building, though they expected that for the next month they would be able to produce only about half of their “signature products.” Luckily for The Gourmet, most of their kitchen equipment was saved.

The co-owners of Little Mountain Bakery, Pierre LePage and Andy Schoni, both decided to use the fire as an opportunity for short vacations before beginning operations at 1212 Alpha Lake Road in February. Like The Gourmet, most of Little Mountain Bakery’s equipment was saved but the bakery lost all of its supplies.

The Question production office was not burned, but was heavily damaged by smoke and water. The Question lost computers, a laser printer, a photocopier, darkroom equipment, and five years worth of irreplaceable photographs. The paper was able to set up a temporary office in the Blackcomb Ski Club cabin and, thanks to the help of Rick Clare, Whistler Printing and the Blackcomb Lodge, the Question was able to stick to its normal publishing schedule.

The fires of Jan. 18, 1991 affected 11 businesses in Whistler in Rainbow and Function Junction, though most were able to reopen.

Firefighters were able to save a collection of negatives from 1978 to 1985 from the fire.

Thanks to Question photographer Brian Smith, these negatives were restored and are now housed in the archives where the Whistler Question Collection is an invaluable resource that is used almost daily at the Whistler Museum. The Whistler Question Collection now includes photographs of many different facets of life in the Whistler area from 1978 to 1986 and from 1991 to 1996.

Unfortunately, due to the photographs lost in the fire the years between 1986 and 1991 are not as well represented. n

PARTIAL RECALL

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1 CAUGHT IN THE ACT A bird was spotted on a toppled-over tree near the end of Whistler’s River Of Golden Dreams on Thursday, April 8. PHOTO BY HIDEO NOGUCHI. 2 VACCINES FOR ALL The Whistler Conference Centre has officially been transformed into a vaccine clinic by Vancouver Coastal Health. Locals and employees of all ages arrived for their scheduled appointments on Monday, April 12, the first day that Whistler’s community-wide vaccination strategy got underway.

Residents and employees sit in the clinic’s waiting area after receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine recipients are required to wait for a 15-minute period following their shot, to monitor for a rare allergic reaction. PHOTO

SPRING SNOW Whistlerites woke up on Saturday morning, April 10 to sunshine and snow-covered trees. With a long string of sunny days in the forecast, what would have been an ideal bluebird powder day prior to Whistler GRADS 2021 Graduating students at Whistler Secondary School gathered together—while adhering to a series of COVID-19 protocols, of course—on Thursday, April 8 for the school’s annual grad breakfast. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 5 TALL TREES Jesslyn Gates follows public health officials’ directives to get outside and soak up some fresh air with a walk through Whistler’s

SUBMITTED.

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Blackcomb’s closing might just be the last snowy morning locals will experience until next fall. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4

Trainwreck trail in Cheakamus on Thursday, April 8. PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE.

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Resort Municipality of Whistler

PUBLIC NOTICE Assistance pursuant to sections 21 and 24 of Community Charter The Resort Municipality of Whistler (“RMOW”) gives notice of its intention to make available to Whistler 2020 Development Corporation (“WDC”) a line of credit of up to $10 million for construction of a housing development comprising employeerestricted and market rental and for-sale housing and building lots. WDC will provide on behalf of the RMOW the service of construction and development of the housing in accordance with a project plan approved by the RMOW. WDC will repay the RMOW from proceeds of the development. The term of the assistance is a maximum of five years.

This notice is published and posted under sections 21, 24, 94 of the Community Charter.

Brooke Browning Corporate Officer

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Today I feel the whole world is a door,” wrote poet Dennis Silk. In a similar spirit, 13th-century Zen master Wumen Huikai observed, “The whole world is a door of liberation, but people are unwilling to enter it.” Now I’m here to tell you, Aries, that there will be times in the coming weeks when the whole world will feel like a door to you. And if you open it, you’ll be led to potential opportunities for interesting changes that offer you liberation. This is a rare blessing. Please be sufficiently loose and alert and brave to take advantage.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein was called a genius by Nobel Prize-winning author Bertrand Russell. His Philosophical Investigations was once voted the 20th century’s most important philosophy book. Yet one of Wittgenstein’s famous quotes was “How hard it is to see what is right in front of my eyes!” Luckily for all of us, I suspect that won’t be problem for you in the coming weeks, Taurus. In fact, I’m guessing you will see a whole range of things that were previously hidden, even though some of them had been right in front of your eyes. Congrats! Everyone whose life you touch will benefit because of this breakthrough.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Why don’t rivers flow straight? Well, sometimes they do, but only for a relatively short stretch. According to the US Geological Survey, no river moves in a linear trajectory for a distance of more than 10 times its width. There are numerous reasons why this is so, including the friction caused by banks and the fact that river water streams faster at the centre. The place where a river changes direction is called a “meander.” I’d like to borrow this phenomenon to serve as a metaphor for your life in the coming weeks.

I suspect your regular flow is due for a course change—a meander. Any intuitive ideas about which way to go? In which direction will the scenery be best?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian poet Denis Johnson eventually became a celebrated writer who won numerous prizes, including the prestigious National Book Award. But life was rough when he was in his 20s. Because of his addictions to drugs and alcohol, he neglected his writing. Later, in one of his mature poems, he expressed appreciation to people who supported him earlier on. “You saw me when I was invisible,” he wrote, “you spoke to me when I was deaf, you thanked me when I was a secret.” Are there helpers like that in your own story? Now would be a perfect time to honour them and repay the favours.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): What do you believe in, exactly, Leo? The coming weeks will be a fine time to take an inventory of your beliefs—and then divest yourself of any that no longer serve you, no longer excite you, and no longer fit your changing understanding of how life works. For extra credit, I invite you to dream up some fun new beliefs that lighten your heart and stimulate your playfulness. For example, you could borrow poet Charles Wright’s approach: “I believe what the thunder and lightning have to say.” Or you could try my idea: “I believe in wonders and marvels that inspire me to fulfill my most interesting dreams.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo poet Charles Wright testifies, “I write poems to untie myself, to do penance and disappear through the upper right-hand corner of things, to say grace.” What about you, Virgo? What do you do in order to untie yourself and do penance and invoke grace? The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to use all the tricks at your disposal to accomplish such useful transformations. And if you currently have a low supply of the necessary tricks, make it your healthy obsession to get more.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire and China in the second half of the 13th century, kept a retinue of 5,000 astrologers on retainer.

Some were stationed on the roof of his palace, tasked with using sorcery to banish approaching storm clouds.

If you asked me to perform a similar assignment, I would not do so. We need storms! They bring refreshing rain, and keep the Earth in electrical balance. Lightning from storms creates ozone, a vital part of our atmosphere, and it converts nitrogen in the air into nitrogen in the ground, making the soil more fertile. Metaphorical storms often generate a host of necessary and welcome transformations, as well—as I suspect they will for you during the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Unexpressed emotions will never die,” declared trailblazing psychologist Sigmund Freud. “They are buried alive and they will come forth, later, in uglier ways.” I agree, which is why I advise you not to bury your emotions—especially now, when they urgently need to be aired. OK? Please don’t allow a scenario in which they will emerge later in ugly ways.

Instead, find the courage to express them soon—in the most loving ways possible, hopefully, and with respect for people who may not be entirely receptive to them.

Communicate with compassionate clarity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian author Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz wrote a poem entitled “Not Doing Something Wrong Isn’t the Same as Doing Something Right.” I propose that we make that thought one of your guiding themes during the next two weeks.

If you choose to accept the assignment, you will make a list of three possible actions that fit the description “not doing something wrong,” and three actions that consist of “doing something right.” Then you will avoid doing the three wrong things named in the first list and give your generous energy to carrying out the three right things in the second list.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In the past few weeks, I hope you’ve been treating yourself like a royal child. I hope you’ve been showering yourself with extra special nurturing and therapeutic treatments. I hope you’ve been telling yourself out loud how soulful and intelligent and resilient you are, and I hope you’ve delighted yourself by engaging with a series of educational inspirations. If for some inexplicable reason you have not been attending to these important matters with luxurious intensity, please make up for lost time in the coming days. Your success during the rest of 2021 depends on your devout devotion to self-care right now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sometimes when a disheartening kind of darkness encroaches, we’re right to be afraid. In fact, it’s often wise to be afraid, because doing so may motivate us to ward off or transmute the darkness. But on other occasions, the disheartening darkness that seems to be encroaching isn’t real, or else is actually less threatening than we imagine. Novelist John Steinbeck described the latter when he wrote, “I know beyond all doubt that the dark things crowding in on me either did not exist or were not dangerous to me, and still I was afraid.” My suspicion is that this is the nature of the darkness you’re currently worried about. Can you therefore find a way to banish or at least diminish your fear?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Some people, if they didn’t make it hard for themselves, might fall asleep,” wrote novelist Saul Bellow. In other words, some of us act as if it’s entertaining, even exciting, to attract difficulties and cause problems for ourselves. If that describes you even a tiny bit, Pisces, I urge you to tone down that bad habit in the coming weeks—maybe even see if you can at least partially eliminate it. The cosmic rhythms will be on your side whenever you take measures to drown out the little voices in your head that try to undermine and sabotage you. At least for now, say “NO!” to making it hard for yourself. Say “YES!” to making it graceful for yourself.

Homework. Tell me about your most interesting problem— the one that teaches you the most. FreeWillAstrology.com

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca

40 APRIL 15, 2021

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ELECTORAL AREAS A, C & D Public Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 466 of the Local Government Act that a virtual Public Hearing will be held regarding the following bylaws: Short-Term Rentals and Bed & Breakfast Zoning Amendment Bylaws 1. Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Electoral Area A Zoning Bylaw No. 670, 1999, Amendment Bylaw No. 1607-2018.

2. Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Electoral Area C Zoning Bylaw No. 765, 2002, Amendment Bylaw No. 1609-2018.

Affordable Housing Zoning Amendments 3. Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Electoral Area A Zoning Bylaw No. 670, 1999, Amendment Bylaw No. 1676-2020.

4. Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Electoral Area C Zoning Bylaw No. 765, 2002, Amendment Bylaw No. 1679-2020.

5. Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Electoral Area D Zoning Bylaw No. 13502016, Amendment Bylaw No. 1678-2020 PURPOSE OF BYLAW 1607-2018 & BYLAW 1609-2018 The SLRD initiated these zoning amendments to add clarity and consistency around short-term rentals and bed and breakfasts in Electoral Area A and Area C, as there has been an increasing number of complaints associated with illegal short-term nightly rentals.

Bylaw 1607-2018: clarifies that short-term rentals are prohibited unless proper zoning is in place. Bylaw 1609-2018: clarifies that short-term rentals are prohibited unless authorized through a temporary use permit. Both bylaws differentiate traditional bed and breakfast operations from short-term rental operations; update bed and breakfast regulations, and include updated tourist accommodation and principal residence definitions. The entire Electoral Area A is covered by Bylaw 1607-2018, and the Electoral Area C is covered by Bylaw 1609-2018.

PURPOSE OF BYLAWS 1676-2020, 1679-2020 & 1678-2020 The zoning bylaw amendments seek to address the need for affordable housing in Electoral Area A, Area C and Electoral Area D.

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Bylaw 1676-2020 proposes: adding triplex and fourplex as a permitted use in the R1 Residential Zone, adding employee housing as a permitted use in the C4 Resort Commercial zone, reducing the minimum parcel size in RR2 Rural Resource Zone to 4 ha, and adding a covenant defining levels of affordability and prohibiting short-term vacation rentals in a triplex or fourplex.

Bylaw 1679-2020 propose amending the CD-1 zone (WedgeWoods Estates to include provisions for up to two auxiliary dwelling units (one within a single-family dwelling and one within a carriage house).

Bylaw 1678-2020 proposes adding carriage house as a permitted use to RR2 (Rural Resource 2 Zone), RR3 (Rural Resource 3 Zone), and RR4 (Rural Resource 4 Zone).

WCSS is seeking new Board Directors

WHEN & WHERE? • The virtual Public Hearing will be held electronically at 7 pm on April 27, 2021

Join the Board of Directors of the Whistler Community Services Society and

•

Log-in details will be posted to this notice page: www.slrd.bc.ca/PH_STR_B&B AH three days prior to the virtual Public Hearing. You may also call the Planning Department three days prior to the Public Hearing at 604.894.6371 to get the log-in information.

The virtual public hearing is to be chaired by Electoral Area A Director Sal DeMare as a delegate of the SLRD Regional Board.

INFORMATION & SUBMISSIONS? The proposed bylaws 1607-2018 & 1609-2018 and relevant background documents may be inspected online at www.slrd.bc.ca/strbb The proposed bylaws 1676-2020, 1679-2020 & 1678-2020 and relevant background documents may be inspected online at www.slrd.bc.ca/hnds All persons who believe that their interests are affected by the proposed Bylaws will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard at the virtual Public Hearing. All persons can 1) submit written comments; and/or make oral representations LIVE via online video or phone conferencing (your image will not be broadcast to Board members or the public).

Written comments must be addressed to “SLRD Board of Directors,” and include your name and mailing address. Until 5:00pm on April 27, 2021, written submissions will be received at the following: Email: planning@slrd.bc.ca Fax: 604-894-6526 Hard Copy: Squamish-Lillooet Regional District PO Box 219 Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0 Written submissions will also be accepted on April 27, 2021 between 5:00pm and the time when the motion to close the Public Hearing is made. During this timeframe, written comments must be submitted by email to: dkyobe@slrd.bc.ca

play an essential role in guiding, creating and building the future of this vital and dynamic community social service organization whose mission is to support and advocate for a healthy community.

WCSS is looking for people who are diverse and strategic thinkers. WCSS is particularly interested in people with either lived experience or formal skills in the following areas: • Familiarity with WCSS Programs • Social Services Experience • Community Involvement • Community Connections • Understanding of Community Needs

New Board Directors must be willing to attend a monthly Board meeting (can attend virtually) and are encouraged to participate on one committee.

To apply, please submit

• Board Director application form available at www.mywcss.org • Current resume and references (optional)

Application Deadline: May 10, 2021 Terms for Directors are two years and begin after the AGM at the end of June.

All applicants will be contacted.

If you would like assistance with the application process, interview readiness or tips for resume and cover letter writing, send your question via email to secretary@mywcss.org and we will make a WCSS Board Director available to you as an advisor.

WCSS is dedicated to diversity, inclusion and anti-racism.

Our commitment is reflected in our programming, the clients we engage with and the team members we employ. We encourage a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated and respected. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

APRIL 15, 2021

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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.

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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.

• Clear Criminal Records Check & Current First Aid • Food Safe or willingness to obtain • Some knowledge of curriculum and philosophies in First Nations Early Childhood settings.

Terms of Employment: • Full-time, Monday to Friday hours to be determined

We thank all those who apply. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

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• Planning and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum that supports community, inclusion and is culturally significant for young Aboriginal children

• Interpersonal, written, oral communication skills and maintaining positive communication with parents

MOVING AND STORAGE

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

The Whistler Club Tuesdays at 3.

The Millennium Club Thursdays at 12:15.

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

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Email your resume with the position you wish to apply for to: embarc_hr@diamondresorts.com

Welcome Centre at Whistler Public Library - Information, support, community connections and ESL practice groups for newcomers and immigrants. Meet people, make connections, volunteer, build your communication skills in English.

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Front of house positions The Pony Restaurant in Pemberton is looking for a few new members to join our front of house team!

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• 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.

• Planning and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum that supports community, inclusion and is culturally significant for young Aboriginal children

Career Opportunities at the District of Squamish Join the Public Works department in these two exciting regular, full-time positions!

• 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 Educator will have: • A minimum of 2 years work experience in a child care setting

. Truck Driver Class 1 – Regular Full-Time

• Valid Early Childhood Educator Certificate, SNE Licence to Practice.

. Chief Operator Water Distribution – Regular Full-Time

• Clear Criminal Records Check & Current First Aid

For more information visit squamish.ca/careers

Employment Opportunities 8 7 1 3 4 5 9 2 6

The successful candidate will have demonstrated ability in:

• Physically ability to carry out the duties of the position.

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Answers

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.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality, positive, professional, non-judgemental attitude.

8 7

Whistler Museum - YCW Student Positions The Whistler Museum is currently looking to fill our Collection Coordinator & Programming Coordinator summer student positions. For more information please visit www.whistlermuseum.org/employment

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• Building Official III • Utilities Equipment Operator Leadhand • Recreation Cashier • Strategy Analyst - Economic Development and Tourism Recovery Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers

• Food Safe or willingness to obtain • Some knowledge of curriculum and philosophies in First Nations Early Childhood settings.

Terms of Employment: • Full-time, Monday to Thursday hours to be determined • Start Date: As soon as possible • Wage: (negotiable depending on experience) Cover Letter & Resume to: Title: Lisa Sambo, Manager Agency: N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre Email: lisa.sambo@nquatqua.ca Fax: 604-452-3295/3280 Deadline: until position is filled We thank all those who apply. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

APRIL 15, 2021

45

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46 APRIL 15, 2021

Looking for a dog to adopt?

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B.C. RMT or other practitioner needing a room 1-4 days a week Want to be your own boss, set your own schedule and be fully busy this spring! *Work with experienced Osteopath and other RMT’s learning … build your bookings *decade of client based referrals for steady income. *Flexible hours and days % income rent or low room rental option.

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We are looking for a Community Outreach Manager to work on a regular, part-time basis in Pemberton.

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FURNITURE

S

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ummer

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• 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

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REAL ESTATE

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48 APRIL 15, 2021

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PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 10 15 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 33 35 36 38 39 40 41 42 44 46 48 51 53 58 59 61 62 63 65 67 69 71 72

Spring flower -- -a-brac Outspoken Corn chip Get melodramatic Comic strip queen Enough Sound reasoning Stared in wonder Sir’s counterpart Earn Shore indentation Season Furniture wood Summer cooler Sect Copper source To a smaller degree Yoda’s student Tart plum PCB regulator Price Sky-blue Afternoon nap Brownie’s org.

Of the eyes Go softly In a qualified way Rocker part Game or season opener “Norma --” Emergencies Sigh of delight Band instrument Jerks Minded Salad veggie Loaf ends

3 2 4 7 5 4 8 7 7 6 9 8

74 75 76 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 87 88 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 100 101 102 103 104 106 107 109 112 114 115 117 119 122 125 126 127 131 132

5

2 6 9

Help letters Dugong cousin Exterior Marooned More shabby Headache Modem-speed unit Bat swingers Equitable Harm Sounds like rain So-so Particulars Guests Zippy the Pinhead’s word Political ploy Blues singer -- James Balcony Veered Prudent Cosmonaut’s lab Freshens Mil rank.

Burning Hr. fraction Italian noblewoman Curdled Clergy member Tasseled headwear Affluent one Meat jelly Friar’s room Epoch Fishing gear Little kid Vacillate (hyph.)

Bunyan’s tool (var.)

Liberated

133 134 136 137 139 141 143 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 30 32

3

9 8

5

6

7 9 1 8 9 5 6

7

EASY

-- Arnaz Alkali opposites Pig’s digs Charming Tolerated Wanderer Inklings Choreographer -- Ailey Lacking originality Big pitchers Earth, to Pierre Be of advantage to In the altogether Wizened Barely enough

On the up-and-up Corporate concern Swings along Had fries Yield territory Bed covering Tint again “Call -- -- day” Tent spot Split Short-order fare ER practice Tea party crasher Quit raining (2 wds.)

Dart Guitarist -- Wood Snow house Wedding cake layers Two quartets Love, to Maurice Indistinct Margarine

34 37 41 43 44 45 47 48 49 50 52 54 55 56 57 60 62 64 66 68 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 79 80 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91

Dawdled “Gal” of song Urban transport Use a microwave Hot springs Makes bubbly Family nickname Pledges Vinegar bottle Brown pigment Peeves Source of iron “Gotcha!” (2 wds.)

Oafs Rube Loosened Seats with a back This place Crimson Tide Go-ahead Flashlight need Uses the door Habits Catches Make a difference Well site Payable now Championships Patricia Neal film Corridor Gem Cato’s day Top story Paris subway Turns white Trim the grass Stop Storms about Upright

93 94 97 98 99 102 103 105 108 109 110 111 113 116 118 119 120

Containers Harvard rival Old coot Nostalgic time Scooped I-70 Cooking styles Hex halved Jets org.

Went fast Makes a decision Tot service (2 wds.)

Slick Not finished Slips sideways Honduran homes Jump for joy

121 123 124 126 128 129 130 132 135 138 140 142 144

Shove off Violinist’s need Prudential competitor More docile La Scala production Pine for Beginning Manage for oneself Rides a bench Travel word Hard wood Charge it Last mo.

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: EASY

4 9

8 5 7 2 5 4

4 9 2 8 6 3 9 2

1 3 8 9 6 7

8 7

3 8 1 6 5 1 2 6

EASY Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 52

ANSWERS ON PAGE 45

APRIL 15, 2021

49

MAXED OUT

Warning—* (asterisk) ahead IN A WEEK WHERE daytime temps are finally breaking double digits, with copious snow on the mountains and plenty of sunshine, this would have normally marked the beginning of spring skiing.

Spring isn’t an astronomical season for skiers. It’s a phase within the hydrology of snow that, ironically, is more accurately thought of as the autumn of snow, the season before snow dies and reverts to water.

In the hierarchy of ski conditions, spring skiing spans a range from near the apex to the nadir, Dickens’ best of times, worst of times, Whistler’s spring of hope and, for the second year in a row, winter of despair.

Nothing is to be gained from early starts in spring unless you relish skiing on ice

BY G.D. MAXWELL and dodging grooming traps. Sleep in and be rewarded. Follow the sun as it warms up the night’s ice, turning it into a creamy slurry—hero snow. Follow it further around the compass as the cream turns to schmoo.

Save slush for your ski out.

Of course, there is no spring skiing this year. At least not on Whistler or Blackcomb mountains. Once again, we’ve been pandemified, closed early and unexpectedly.

Which brings us to the asterisk.

Asterisk is a funny word. But then, it’s a funny symbol as well. And an ancient one, thousands of years old in printed form and even appearing in ice-age cave paintings.

Its functional use, pre-mathematics and computers, was to draw attention to something, although its invention will be a mystery until someone invents a working time machine.

Ironically, its modern day high point turns out to be largely illusory. Common belief is it was appended to Roger Maris’ 1961 home run record, the one that topped Babe Ruth’s 60 home runs in a single season some 34 years earlier. By the time Maris looked like he was going to break the record, Ruth had already been deified, Maris was seen as a country hick and if anyone was going to best the Babe, it was supposed to be Maris’ teammate, Mickey Mantle. Maris received death threats, foreshadowing the racially tinged death threats lobbed at Hank Aaron 13 years later when he was set to pass Ruth’s all-time home run record.

Ford Frick, baseball’s commissioner at the time, mused that if Maris, in a 162game season, hit more than the 60 homers Ruth did in a 154-game season, the new record should carry some distinctive mark.

A sportswriter suggested an asterisk. While the asterisk became woven into popular culture, it never appeared in any record books next to Maris’ 61 homers, the record breaker coming in the final game of the season. Time washed the issue, but not the legend, away; steroids fuelled the records— McGwire, Sosa and Bonds—that eclipsed

50 APRIL 15, 2021

GETTYIMAGES.CA

Maris and Ruth.

But the asterisk was elevated to a mark of distinction... not necessarily the kind of distinction hoped for.

Which is just a word-gobbling prelude to the annual question: What kind of season was it?

It was a season to which I give high marks... and an asterisk. High marks notwithstanding going into the season with low expectations. Like most who can remember that far back, I was uncertain

La Niña, not Ullr, ruled this winter’s weather. This was not the boisterous party girl La Niña who roars in, dumps a month’s worth of snow overnight and leaves just when you hope she’ll move in for a couple of months. This was demure, polite, petit, unpretentious La Niña who came over, tidied things up, stuck around and is having a hard time saying goodbye.

She brought just enough snow at just the right time. She only unleashed her bitterly cold personality once and then not for long.

It was a season to which I give high marks... and an asterisk.

how onerous the reservation system would be, how much spontaneity it would take out of waking up, checking the weather and heading or not heading for the mountains.

It turned out to be beneficial, at least personally. Until late in the season, we simply reserved almost every day other than weekends and a number of days, headed up the hills for no better reason than we’d reserved. The benefit was racking up the most days of any season. The asterisk is missing 20 additional days we’d planned on. Can I get a first-world amen for that problem?

Nothing flashy, just the perfect house guest you’d be happy to see return.

It was neither a memorable nor forgettable ski season. It was a Toyota Corolla season: always started, always ran, always got you where you were going, eventually. No flash, no trash.

As expected, base area lineups were the low point of the winter. Arrival times escalated to absurd proportions with people lining up, especially on powder days, shortly after six freakin’ a.m. The pressure to arrive early was fuelled as much by pandemic parking lots as avoidance of one

hour-plus lineups that snaked to absurd lengths. Anyone who could drive did. Few were brave or foolish enough to give friends rides. Staff vehicles needed somewhere to park. It often meant the “Lots Full” signs were up before 9 a.m.

But the reward for early starts and perseverance was generally uncrowded slopes. It often reminded me of the weeks prior to the Olympics™ when there were so few people around I sometimes wondered if I’d missed skiing past a closed rope. Collisions and injuries were down, according to patrol and clinic staff. The quality of skiing and riding was noticeably better with fewer Epic-ers.

With cold, frequently dry snow, groomers never had it so good and the quality of their work proved the point. For the same reasons, off piste was generally superb. Heck, even the lifts seemed to stop less frequently than they usually do.

So it was the winter of hope realized and the spring of despair, with elements of the best and worst. Overlaid on it all was the life-affirming pleasure of simply being on the mountains after being constrained by this virus for so long.

In any other year, it might have rated a mid seven to low eight. This year I’m giving it an 8.9... with an asterisk. 8.9* And hoping next year is a long, full, humdrum 7.5 or better... as long as there’s some spring skiing involved and we can fill the gondolas instead of watching them go up with a lone person. ■

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VIRTUAL TOUR

CREEKSIDE #5 Whistler Creek Ridge This beautifully renovated 2 Bedroom + loft, 1 bathroom unit is available Now until Nov 30th! Fantastic views, fully furnished, walking distance to Creekside and lakes, King size bed in master, BBQ, private entry, and more! $2900/Month

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SOLD

THE GLEN, PEMBERTON 1467 Olive St This 3 bdrm/2 bath home is located on a quiet cul de sac with Mt. Currie views, decks front and back, a massive fenced yard with mature trees, double car garage, ample parking and a 1 bdrm suite. $1,089,000

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604-966-8454

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Javier Hidalgo

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

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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.

778-320-2426

3D Tour - rem.ax/2230gondola

2230 Gondola Way

3D Tour - rem.ax/112greystone

$2,599,000

This home is well designed with an open floor plan and the 5 beds & 4 baths give you options for home office, den or media room. There are two large and inviting outdoor spaces, a hot tub and lovely views of Sproat Mountain. The renovation included the kitchen and all bathrooms, heated flooring, new wood windows, heated custom ski storage and much more.

Sherry Baker

5

604.932.1315

#112/113 - 4905 Spearhead Pl.

$1,599,900

This recently renovated (2019) lock off unit is steps away from ski in/out access.

Upgraded with high end appliances including washer/dryer, walk in shower etc.

Ground floor unit is on the same floor as ski in/out access, hot tub, outdoor heated pool and all the desirable aspects that this complex has to offer its owners!

Ursula Morel*

2

604.932.8629

9099 Corduroy Run Court

Located just 12 minutes north of Whistler Village and 5 minutes from the new grocery store and liquor store in the ‘Rainbow’ neighbourhood, the lots at Wedgewoods offer privacy, views and light. Each property has been carefully designed to have the best building site available and the services are at the lot line.

Ann Chiasson

3D Tour - rem.ax/1766pinewood

1766 Pinewood Drive

$2,198,000

5

604.938.2499

2162 Highway 99 - Pemberton

$899,000

This private yet easily accessible acreage includes a grove of cedar, wild cherry, apple and hazelnut trees and a surprising variety of wild berries. It is equipped with gardens, sun-filled greenhouses and an orchard of apple, cherry and plum trees. This property includes a 448 sq ft, one bedroom cabin, built in 2017 and is powered by a solar energy system.

Dave Beattie*

1

604.905.8855

SOLD

#215D - 2020 London Lane

604.932.7651

3D Tour - rem.ax/301woodrun

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

$1,495,000

#301 - 4910 Spearhead Drive

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.

Dave Sharpe

SOLD

$129,000

#7 - 4636 Blackcomb Way

$145,000

3

604.902.2779

3D Tour - rem.ax/222aspens

$1,599,000

#222 - 4800 Spearhead Drive

$1,025,000

A luxurious 592 SF 1 bedroom, 1-bathroom suite. More similar to a spa than your standard hotel. Sophisticated suites with modern design; soaker tubs & doublesided glass showers; pull-out sofas; spacious decks; fully equipped kitchens; flat-screen TVs & DVD player; fully furnished. Shared Owner.

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.

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.

Denise Brown*

Doug Treleaven

Laura Barkman

604.902.2033

1

3D Tour - rem.ax/301powderhorn

2

604.905.8626

1

604.905.8777

SOLD

3D Tour - rem.ax/1465hemlock

#301 - 4821 Spearhead Drive $2,675,000

1465 Hemlock Street

This condo on Blackcomb Mountain has just been updated with a stylish and modern renovation throughout. You’ll love the forested setting with quick access to the ski hill, golf course, Valley Trail and Lost Lake. This unique, spacious layout offers tons of options for sleeping areas, giving your family flexibility for both personal use and rentals.

3 bedrooms and 2 baths in the main house with unobstructed views of Mount Currie.

Features a huge back deck perfect for Pemberton summer entertaining, and a 1 bedroom nanny suite lock off. There is also a fully separate 2 bedroom revenue suite with separate driveway, rented long term, and currently AirBnB permitted.

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

778.919.7653

3

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

604.935.9171

$1,575,000

6

#223 - 4800 Spearhead Drive

604.907.2223

$1,025,000

1

PEMBERTON OFFICE 1411 Portage Road, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L1 604.894.6616 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070