Pique Newsmagazine P2841 by Pacific Coastal Publications LP

OCTOBER 14, 2021 ISSUE 28.41

WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM

FREE ANALYSIS

One Year Out With 12 months to the next municipal election, Pique checks in on council’s progress so far

CHEAK UP

A look at the new affordable

housing for locals in Cheakamus Crossing

PANDEMIC PROTECTION

Work

ongoing to protect students in classrooms

SILVER SCREEN STOKE

Maury Young

Arts Centre to screen two new ski films

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

32 One Year Out With 12 months to the next municipal election, Pique checks in on council’s progress so far. - By Braden Dupuis

CHEAKAMUS CHECK IN

The Whistler

2020 Development Corp is making steady progress on building new

FACE TO FACE

Pemberton council discusses

holding meetings both online and in person moving forward.

affordable housing for locals in Cheakamus Crossing.

PANDEMIC PROTECTIONS

Amid the

MARATHON RETURN

This year’s Whistler

Sea to Sky corridor’s already high vaccination rates, work continues on

Half Marathon 30-km, 10-km and five-km races all took place on the Lost

strategies to protect students in class this fall.

Lake trails over three days last weekend.

THE COSTS OF COVID

Demand for food

FEELING THE STOKE

The Maury Young Arts

and counselling at Whistler Community Services Society is still about

Centre will screen two new ski films this month—Stoke the Fire and The

double where it was before the coronavirus pandemic.

Stomping Grounds.

COVER How does this council score for you? One more year to let your voice be heard. Maybe you loved them or hated them but it’s a tough job trying to satisfy everybody. - By Karl Partington 4 OCTOBER 14, 2021

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS The ongoing pandemic continues to create real mental-health stress in

#202 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9. PH: (604) 938-0202 FAX: (604) 938-0201 www.piquenewsmagazine.com

Whistler. But there are people to help. Reach out.

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A letter writer this week asks B.C.’s top doc to consider making

Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com Editor CLARE OGILVIE - edit@piquenewsmagazine.com Assistant Editor BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@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 TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com GEORGIA BUTLER - gbutler@wplpmedia.com Digital/Sales Coordinator AMELA DIZDARIC - traffic@wplpmedia.com Production production@piquenewsmagazine.com

ski-resort gondolas a double-vaccinated-only zone.

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST This year’s Toronto Blue Jays team is worth all the hype that they’ve received, but they also warrant all the frustrations of the fans.

62 MAXED OUT The pandemic may have kept Thanksgiving gatherings small again this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be grateful for things in your life.

Environment & Adventure

Arts & Entertainment/Features Editor BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com

31 THE OUTSIDER Whistler’s downhill bike park 2021 season is drawing to a close, but getting out

Social Media Editor MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@piquenewsmagazine.com

and enjoying those last iconic A-Line runs will make you excited for 2022, writes Vince Shuley.

Reporters BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@piquenewsmagazine.com ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com HARRISON BROOKS - sports@piquenewsmagazine.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

Lifestyle & Arts

42 EPICURIOUS Pique caught up with Coast Mountain Brewing to chat about how Craft Beer Month is going and what’s left to come.

46 MUSEUM MUSINGS Artifacts help tell the story of Whistler, and as more and more of these come in digital format the museum’s collections are changing.

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. Pique Newsmagazine is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact (edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil. ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. This organization replaces the BC Press council (and any mention of it).

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OPENING REMARKS

We are all in this together HERE WE ARE fully entrenched in Year 2 of the pandemic and, while we may feel a little safer thanks to being double vaccinated, our levels of anxiety, stress, and exhaustion are still much higher than any of us really want to live with. Let’s be clear, for most of us it is not COVID-19 itself that is causing us angst, it is the ongoing fallout of coping with all the changes it has wrought for us. From losing employment, to pay cut backs, to

BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

first working from home, then having to work in an office again, to flip flops over mask wearing, to stress about back-toschool and honestly, for me, the absolutely toxic, incomprehensible furor about getting vaccinated. This is all having some nasty outcomes.

Pique this week. “It’s become quite hurtful, and that’s the hardest part, because it impacts our ability to do our work, and show up every day and be the best version of ourselves. “I think [having compassion] is very hard, and I think our store staff and our social enterprises and our teams, they continue to face a lot of difficult, challenging behaviour,” she said. “And that is really tough.” Come on everyone… Jackie and her team, along with so many others on the frontline of this pandemic, are our inspiration. They need us to help lift them up, not turn on them when they are doing their very best in the most trying of circumstances. In so many ways this reaction underlies the very essence of the mental health stress we are under as a community. We all need to take some time to think about this, and I was reminded of that this weekend as we noted that Sunday was World Mental Health Day. The day was put in place by the World Health Organization (WHO) in

In so many ways this reaction underlies the very essence of the mental health stress we are under as a community. One only has to have a read of most social media forums to feel an underlying, but undeniable, level of anger and frustration at the world. It’s spilling out everywhere—in emails, calls and texts to Pique and the team here and heartbreakingly our own Whistler Community Service Society is under attack as well. “We are dealing with a lot of individuals at this time that aren’t reasonable,” Jackie Dickinson, WCSS’ executive director, told

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1992. This year its theme is: “Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality.” Said Tarun Dua, head of the Mental Health and Addictions Department with WHO, “There is no health without mental health. “People with mental health conditions, poor mental health, they’re also impacted by the stigma, discrimination, [and] human rights abuses.” We know that globally before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly one billion

people were clinically diagnosed with a mental health disorder, and the numbers continue to climb. Here at home in Whistler, Dickinson says the WCSS continues to deal with twice as many calls from people in need of counselling as well as services from the foodbank as pre pandemic. (If you can, please contribute to the fundraising drive going on at WCSS as it continues to work toward a goal of raising $50,000. Go to mywcss.org/fundraiser.) An Ipsos opinion poll carried out recently found that a large majority think their mental health and physical health are equally important, but they do not see this reflected in our healthcare services. We know our healthcare system is under strain right now, but there are resources in Whistler to help and people who care—reach out. In the meantime, try and keep your social connections going, even if it’s virtual. Fortunately we have an amazing natural playground as our backyard and getting out in it will really help you feel better, as will trying some relaxation practises. (Go to the Breather App from the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre.) And do your best to eat well (the WCSS food bank can help if you need it), sleep, and stay away from toxic social media. If you are struggling with substance abuse issues don’t isolate yourself. WCSS can help to get you the support you need. There are many places to find help. To start, go to our own Whistler Community Services Society (mywcss.org), the Canadian Mental Health Association (cmha.bc.ca), www.bouncebackbc. ca, www.anxietycanada.com, www2.gov. bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-yourhealth/mental-health-substance-use/ virtual-supports-covid-19, Wellness Together Canada and visit Vancouver Coastal Health. n

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We need your help, Dr. Henry

give us a fighting chance, particularly if we carefully avoid contact with those who refuse to get vaccinated. Please help us out by requiring the BC Vaccine Card before boarding a WB lift. Nick Green // Whistler

(This letter was addressed to B.C.’s Public Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and shared with Pique.) While I wish you and yours a happy and healthy Thanksgiving, I am deeply concerned about what your current policy on ski gondolas portends for the coming winter. I beg you to reconsider and to take note of the fact that Vail Resorts, a U.S.-based multinational with only one property in Canada, is playing “Russian Roulette” with the lives of Whistler/Blackcomb (WB) pass holders, day skiers and visitors. Surely you can see that packing 10 panting strangers, each with their own loose and soggy interpretation of a mask, into a ski gondola for a 25-minute-plus ride is a potential recipe for disaster. Most of the time, the windows are frozen shut and the lift stops and starts frequently due to mechanical issues or wind. Under Vail Resorts’ current operating plan, none of the passengers will know if the skier or boarder scrunched in beside them is unvaccinated and/or contagious with COVID-19 (“Delta” or otherwise). It seems obvious that this meets the definition of an “indoor space” from a riskmitigation perspective. Those of us who have taken the trouble

A truth does not mind being questioned, a lie does not like to be challenged

to get vaccinated cannot understand why you would take this clearly avoidable risk. If you simply extend the vaccine passport system to cover the ski lifts, the logistics will be greatly simplified and you can materially reduce the chance of infection. As you know, Whistler Blackcomb has closed early for both of the last two ski seasons, stranding pass holders and visitors alike, with cancelled plans and worthless tickets. Please help us avoid this happening again, and please don’t let decisions impacting the health of British Columbians be made in a

I remember my second year communications course professor telling us that the concentration of media control in the hands of a few very rich people was very dangerous to our democracy and to your society. It now seems like such a simple and naïve time back in 1980. And boy was she ever right. In my lifetime I have watched in horror as the worldwide sources of our information and news has become completely owned and dominated by a very few bad faith actors. An outcome of this is the manipulation of language and the subsequent bias in our major media sources. Al Jezeera wrote a brilliant article about this bias of language. As the author pointed out, our major media sources use completely different language when describing two very similar sets of facts. For example, our Western media would say, “Corrupt third world politicians pocket bribes to fund election war chests and personal gain.” Meanwhile here at home “MPs/senators work with lobbyists/superpacs who have donated to their campaigns in order to advocate for their interests.”

Colorado boardroom. We are counting on you to once again amend your Provincial Health Order to help keep us safe. On a personal note, my healthy 32-yearold son who was double-vaccinated caught COVID-19 last month—likely at a wedding or in a restaurant in Whistler. Happily, he recovered without medical intervention. My wife is immunocompromised and we are both seniors, so I’m not sure I can risk skiing this season under your current policy. The vaccine is not foolproof but it does

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Our democracies in the West, perhaps most glaringly in the U.S., are as corrupt as any in the developing world. But we certainly don’t describe it that way! It is this selective language and bias that is now endemic in our entertainment-focused media. And it clearly contributes to the divisions in our society now. We can’t agree on facts to even begin to have a conversation. I don’t believe our media outlets used to do this. They reported the facts without the biased language. Their opinion bias was not cloaked in the language. Sure they had a perspective but if you read an article on the same topic from the New York Times and then one from the Wall St. Journal, the articles would be more or less the same. We got the facts and then the pundits weighed in with their interpretation of those facts. But at least we agreed on a baseline. The reporter’s job was to provide understanding and context, not sway opinions. I submit that now, that is almost impossible to find. Both the left and the right media cannot help themselves from adding their “perspective bias” when reporting on the facts. As a result, multiple studies show that democracy is in trouble around the globe. It is in serious retreat. According to a study done on 167 countries, the Democracy Index for 2019 found that democratic backsliding across the world has led to the worst score since the index was first produced in 2006, with only 5.7 per cent of the global population living in what could be considered a “full democracy.” Hey folks, we are a complete minority here and fighting for our lives to continue in a free society. Clearly, we cannot have functioning democracies without an independent, accurate, unbiased media to inform us and help us understand the world around us. Without it, in the not too distant future, our democracies will be shredded, distorted facsimiles of what they once were. And the world will be a much more dangerous and scary place as a result. “The burgeoning threat to democracy and the allure of the siren song of authoritarianism are demonstrating that ‘descriptive journalism’ is incapable of explaining to the disinformed a world that is becoming more and more complex” [said] Business Week. The failure of our media and our government leaders to manage this pandemic is a case in point on how bad it can get. The demonization of differing opinions, the shouting down of people who disagree, the vicious characterization of people who don’t see it the way you do, the hyperbole of fear, the mismanagement, the lack of clarity in policy, the politicization of the entire thing ... well, there is no room in a functioning society for this kind of polarization. We needed clear-eyed communication and policy throughout that would bring us together as a community to understand. Hiding behind your Facebook name, lobbing grenades and criticisms on anyone and everyone who doesn’t see the world exactly as you do, is nothing more than cowardice and ignorance fuelled by a very poorly functioning media stream of half truths, censorship and

selective interpretation. We each need to take responsibility in this fight for our democracies, which means each as an individual needs to resist the knee-jerk response to someone who is questioning our position, our facts, our invested opinion. If you give a damn about finding the truth, then, when “your truth” is being questioned, reach out to the questioner and talk to them to understand why they believe what they do. Yelling at them and calling them “a threat to us all” will only speed up the decline of civility in our society, reduce our freedoms and carry us further down the road to an ugly place that I don’t think anyone of us wants to go to. We really are in trouble… Jayson Faulkner// Whistler

LIFTing us up The Mature Action Community congratulates Arts Whistler on the success of the LIFTing the Community project, which gave new life to old Blackcomb Catskinner Chairs by transforming them into inspiring works of art. We appreciate that Arts Whistler paired us with Squamish artist Tonnja Kopp who understood completely what belonging means to our age 55-plus community and created a truly beautiful depiction of the view from the old Catskinner lift for our chair. We are thrilled with the outcome. We wish to thank Arts Whistler, along with other sponsors: Vail Resorts’ Epic Promise Fund, Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, Tourism Whistler, Fairmont Whistler and Neutron Factory Works, for supporting this fundraising initiative. Funds from the auction of our chair will be used to support Mature Action Community activities on behalf of Whistler seniors. Kathy White // Chair, Mature Action Community

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We need to address our own climate failings first [Should Canada become a haven for climate change migrants?] The answer to this question is a resounding NO! (Pique, “Uninhabitable: As parts of the world become uninhabitable due to rising heat, a group of refugee lawyers say Canada could become an important oasis,” Oct. 7, 2021.) What with our outrageously high carbon footprints, the last thing this beleaguered planet needs is more Canadians. Shortly after arrival, climate refugees here would multiply their individual ecological impacts by a factor of 10, compounding the problem that they fled. If Canada were seriously concerned about the welfare of those most vulnerable to the crisis we helped create, we would immediately and drastically reduce our GHG emissions and we would also massively increase our foreignaid budget in order to finance local climate change mitigation initiatives for victims most in need. Tom DeMarco // Whistler n

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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Blue Jays final result a devastating blow for team and fans ON THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, at my parents’ home in Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, the three of us sat down and did something I don’t think we’ve ever done before. We sat down and watched the Toronto Blue Jays game. It was a big game after all, as a win against the Yankees would almost assuredly punch their ticket to the postseason for what would be just the fourth time in the last 27 years.

BY HARRISON BROOKS And even though they made the playoffs briefly last season, this season just felt different. Even in 2015 when the Jays had the whole country on notice, this team was different. And I mean, how can it not when you look at the individual accolades their players have? This year’s iteration of the Jays had seven players with more than 20 homeruns, four players with more than 100 RBIs and six players with more than 120 hits. Marcus Semien just set the MLB record for a second basemen with 45 home runs and sits fourth in the entire league, Bo Bichette is second in the league with 191 hits, Teoscar Hernandez is third in the league with 116 RBIs, and their players sit first, second and fifth in the MLB in runs

scored. This was truly the best offense in baseball. When you mix in Robbie Ray, who put up a Cy Young-calibre season with a 2.84 ERA (best in the American League) and topped the league with 248 strikeouts, this team was dangerous. And then how could you forget Vladimir Guerrero Jr.? The son of the Montreal Expos legend and soon to be Jays legend of his own put together what should very well be an MVP season as he sits first in the league in runs scored (123), first in homeruns with 48, third in hits with 188 and fourth in the league with a .311 batting average. This team is bananas, and they are worth all the hype that they’ve received. But they also warrant all the frustrations of the fans—because how could a team this good offensively, with a very good starting pitcher rotation, still be fighting for a wildcard spot on the last day of the regular season? For one: the division they play in is insanely competitive with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays all deserving a playoff spot and only potentially three spots to go around. But the real answer is the bullpen. The Jays bullpen was exactly middle of the pack this year in the MLB, but you’d think it was a lot worse based on how many multi-run leads they blew over the course of the season. So as my parents and I sat watching the 1-1 game in the fifth inning against the

Yankees, we cheered as Vladdy hit a frozen rope to straight away centre field that was an inch away from being a two-run homerun but instead was an RBI double to take the lead. And with their ace on the mound still going strong, what could go wrong?

This team is bananas, and they are worth all the hype that they’ve received.

Back-to-back homeruns by Anthony Rizzo and Aaron Judge followed by a walk and a two-run shot by Gleyber Torres is what could go wrong, apparently. That four-batter stretch ended Ray’s night and essentially ended the Jays’ season as they fell to the Yankees 6-2 and then needed to sweep their last three games of the season and hope that the Red Sox and Yankees both lose one or two of their games. To think, one of the most exciting Jays teams in recent memory, missing the playoffs by a single game all because of the lack of courage to take Robbie Ray out of the game when they should have.

But I get it. How could they take out a potential Cy Young winner when the bullpen has been so abysmal? I still can’t help but feel like what could have been a magical season was lost in that moment. Of course, the season wasn’t technically lost there. It was lost at the trade deadline when management failed to upgrade the team’s only weak spot, now leaving the Jays and all their fans once again wondering what could have been. The good news is George Springer, Bichette, Guerrero and Hernandez will be there for a while, even though Vladdy and Bichette are due big paydays. The bad news? Their potential Cy Young winner and their star second basemen might not be back. There may be some mutual interest, but you never know how these things will play out once offers start hitting the table. Who knows if this team will ever hit the heights that they could have this year with just a couple mid-season tweaks to the bullpen? For the sake of fans across the country, I hope they throw the bag at Ray, Semien and all the relief pitchers they can get their hands on and try to run it back next year. The young guys who put it all on the line deserve that, the fans deserve it and, hell, all of Canada deserves to see the magic of the Jays going on a deep run again. It’s been far too long.■

OCTOBER 14, 2021

NEWS WHISTLER

WDC making steady progress on Cheakamus Phase 2 JULY COMPLETION TARGETED FOR FIRST APARTMENTS; MARKET LOTS GARNER BIG INTEREST

BY BRADEN DUPUIS THE SUN illuminates a thick fog hanging low in the valley on the first day of October, as the second phase of Whistler’s Cheakamus Crossing neighbourhood rings with a chorus of construction noise. Electricians, plumbers, roofers and framers add to the near-completed skeleton of a new 46-unit apartment building, while the foundation takes shape for another 54 units right next door. Whistler Councillor Duane Jackson leads the way to the top floor of the first building, greeting various tradespeople on the way up, and from there we take in the morning sunshine and the view of the worksite below. “There’s a big landscape area between the buildings—you’ve got quite a big area of separation, and that can be a play area,” Jackson says, surveying the scene from a window frame. “So all of this becomes just outdoor

FROM THE GROUND UP The Whistler 2020 Development Corp is targeting a move-in date of July for a new 46-unit apartment building in Cheakamus Crossing. PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

14 OCTOBER 14, 2021

landscaped play area, community garden, whatever people want to make it to be.” All units in the building will be available for purchase to those on the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) waitlist, with a planned move-in date of July 2022. Jackson leads the way back to ground level and beyond the two builds under construction. Just up the road, a backhoe with a hydraulic hammer cracks blasted

charge is set off and the mats jump slightly upwards with an anticlimactic thump. “Pretty uneventful,” Jackson says, almost apologetically. Eventful or not, the work now underway signifies progress on Whistler council’s No. 1 priority: building housing for locals. Early advertising for the market lots is underway, which Jackson estimates will cost about $1.4 million on average.

“There’s quite a bit of interest just from people that know Cheakamus...” - DUANE JACKSON

rock into movable chunks to be processed and trucked back to the site to be used for fill. Beyond that, a small crew prepares an underground blast to accommodate the servicing for 18 market-for-sale lots. We wait on top of a treed knoll for some time as a backhoe piles blasting mats in anticipation of the dramatic explosion. After 10 honks from an air horn, the

With their favourable sun exposure in both the morning and afternoon, and the Cheakamus River rushing past immediately behind them, the lots are already garnering major interest. “It’s a lot of locals, and a lot of realtors who have clients, or customers that are looking for something,” Jackson says of the calls he’s been fielding. “There’s quite a bit of interest just from

people that know Cheakamus, people that live in some of the existing market housing … people who they know the neighbourhood and they maybe want to upsize a little bit.” Once the two apartment buildings underway are finished, servicing the market lots will be WDC’s next priority, “so that people can plan to build next year. They’ll know that the services are here,” Jackson says, adding that the timelines are important, so people can do their planning work this winter with an eye for construction in summer 2022. “I don’t think there’s any reason that we can’t make that,” he says. “It might be late summer, but next year.” Once fully developed, Cheakamus Phase 2 will add about 295 units of employee housing, not including 18 market lots. A $10-million loan from the Resort Municipality of Whistler included in its 2021 budget will be exhausted by the end of the month, but new financing is en route courtesy of the Royal Bank of Canada, said Eric Martin, chair of the Whistler 2020 Development Corp (WDC), the municipal subsidiary tasked with developing the land. “We’re really actually in good shape [with financing],” Martin said. WDC is doing two loans through RBC, the first for up to $14 million to cover infrastructure, servicing work, an extension of Mount Fee Road and the subdivision of

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VIEW FROM THE TOP A second apartment building with 54 units will follow close behind the first. PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

the market-for-sale lots, as well as some of the apartment buildings now under construction. “That will take us into the new year sometime, and then we’re going to do a second loan,” Martin said, adding that the amount is not quite pinned down yet. “But that will be concluded before the end of the year—probably November—and will probably fund into early next year sometime.” With more than 800 names on the WHA purchase waitlist, WDC’s directors are confident the 100 new units will be snapped up quickly, selling in price ranges that are “way under half-market” and with

And while Whistler’s mayor and council waived the subdivision security fees for the development at their Sept. 7 meeting— estimated at about $3.7 million—neither Jackson nor Martin see the project as risky for local taxpayers. “No risk to taxpayers. These lots will sell, I have no doubt about that,” Jackson said. “The final price, well, the market determines that, but it’s more than enough to let us continue, and to ultimately repay the debt.” Asked for his take, Mayor Jack Crompton also expressed confidence in the current direction.

“This is a priority that we are going to invest in, and we’re going to invest in over the long run. - JACK CROMPTON

favourable financing options. “Financing rates are so low these days that you’re probably going to look at your mortgage payments being quite a bit less than rent, or certainly no more than rent … I think that’s going to be attractive,” Martin said, adding that pricing for both the units in the new buildings and the market lots is being worked on right now, and was expected to be confirmed at WDC’s Oct. 14 board meeting, after Pique’s weekly press deadline. While the RMOW will need to sign some documents related to the RBC loan as the legal owner of the site, the municipality is not acting as a backstop to the loan, Martin said.

“When local government prioritizes things, they invest in them. This is a priority that we are going to invest in, and we’re going to invest in over the long run,” Crompton said, adding that he doesn’t speak to too many locals who don’t list housing as a top priority. “So it’s a commitment we make as a community, and it’s a long walk in the same direction. We’re moving towards investing in workforce housing over the long run,” he said. “We build on a foundation of years of incredibly thoughtful, innovative work by organizations like the WDC, WHA, and our own municipal staff, so we’re building on a good foundation.” n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler needs urgency on Step Code, builder says RMOW PREPPING UPDATE TO GREEN BUILDING POLICY

BY BRADEN DUPUIS IF WHISTLER WANTS to act urgently to meet its climate goals, Edgar Dearden of sustainable building company GNAR Inc. has a few suggestions. He sees the inefficiencies in nearly every project he gets hired to consult on these days. “This building is heated by gas, it’s thermally bridged to hell, it’s just going to be polluting for the foreseeable future until they retrofit it … and this one won’t be built until 2022,” Dearden said, of one recent project he was brought in on. “Why did you build a high-polluting building that’s going to contribute to climate change for 30 years? We’re supposed to be net-zero in 30 years, so either we’re going to retrofit that building or you’re just inherently saying we’re not going to hit the targets.” Whistler adopted Step 3 of B.C.’s Energy Step Code (ESC)—requiring single-family builds to be 20-per-cent more efficient than the base BC Building Code—in 2019. In its new Climate Action Big Moves Strategy adopted last year, the resort targeted 2030 for a move to Step 5 of the

ESC, requiring all new buildings to use only low-carbon heating systems. But until staff and council officially change municipal policy, there is little incentive for builders or owners to go above and beyond, argues Dearden. “My question today is should we be giving permits to all of these projects that currently keep applying for permits,

inclination to your questions of how to achieve it,” he said. Every year, GNAR Inc. takes on 20 to 30 clients “that I have to individually talk down from their initial impulse to use fossil gas heating systems. It’s a lot of energy I have to give on a daily basis in operating my business,” Dearden added, before asking if council is considering banning the use of

“Why did you build a high-polluting building that’s going to contribute to climate change for 30 years?” - EDGAR DEARDEN

given that every time we issue a permit, and subsequently a house is constructed, that potentially locks in 30-plus years of unacceptable emissions,” Dearden asked at the Oct. 5 council meeting. And while council looks for gamechangers or magic levers to reduce emissions, the answer is clear to Dearden. “It’s removing the fossil heating systems, achieving Step 5 or passive house, all-electric buildings—that was my first

fossil gas to heat houses in Whistler. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is considering a suite of options in relation to the Big Moves Strategy, said general manager of resort experience Jessie Gresley-Jones, but wants to be realistic about what can be changed short term. “I think [banning fossil gas] definitely fits the ultimate aspiration. Getting to that outcome is going to require incremental steps, and so we’ll be looking at how to start

shifting the dial,” Gresley-Jones said. The building sector represents “a big segment of the challenge ahead of us,” but as it relates to the more than 250 permits currently being processed at municipal hall, “shifting the goalposts mid-stream can be challenging,” Gresley-Jones added. “So we need to be clear with the sector up front, so that they can plan appropriately and we can have consistency across our industries to all be working towards the same target, and that does ultimately take time.” The RMOW is working on a comprehensive update to its green building policy, which will include a Step Code implementation road map, Gresley-Jones said. “We will be undertaking stakeholder and public engagement as part of the policy update,” he said. “We want to be able to provide clarity and a clear sense of timeline for the industry so they know when we anticipate adopting higher Step Code requirements.” As for how builders are navigating the current Step 3 requirements, “I think it’s somewhat all over the map,” said Bob Deeks, president of RDC Fine Homes. For builders well versed in highperformance, energy-efficient techniques,

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NEWS WHISTLER it’s been simple. “To builders who had never gone through that process of doing an energy model and building differently, there have certainly been some struggles, particularly with air tightness,” said Deeks, who sits as chair of the Canadian Home Builders Association’s National Technical Research Committee and vice chair for the Net Zero Housing Council, and has been involved in B.C.’s Step Code development and implementation since the early days. The two barriers to wholesale adoption are education and capacity, Deeks said. “So getting people up to speed … that’s why the code was introduced in a stepped approach, so municipalities could start at Step 1 that just required you to model your house,” he said. At Step 1, which was essentially an education piece, there were no standards to meet, but builders would have to do an airtightness test, which would give them valuable insight into the quality of their current builds. “I think that’s one of the most valuable aspects of this Step Code approach,” Deeks said. “Rather than one day you don’t have to do any air tightness and then the next day you’ve got to comply to something that is so foreign to you that you have no chance of success, it’s allowed people to practice without any penalty at that step in level.” Chris Addario, president of the Sea to

Sky branch of the Canadian Home Builders Association, offered a similar sentiment. If Whistler were to jump to Step 5, “I think at the end of the day we would get there, but it would probably cause [challenges] for some builders,” Addario said. “Moving in a stepped fashion allows people to adapt, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing … I don’t think [Step 5] is a significantly high bar, but it’s still challenging for some builders and some owners to get there,” he said. “[And] it does add costs, there’s no question.” With that in mind, changes to legislation tend to drive implementation, Addario added. “When it’s optional, it takes a little longer,” he said, pointing to things like triple-pane windows. “Everybody knows it’s a good thing to put triple-pane windows in, but the code didn’t require it, and therefore it didn’t really happen. But now you pretty much have to use triple-pane windows to get to some of the numbers you need, so it makes a difference.” Councillor Arthur De Jong, a longtime advocate for climate action and overseer of council’s environment portfolio, agrees with Dearden on the need for urgency, but hopes to find a “sweet spot” in terms of implementation. Sustainability is about weighing the social and economic impacts alongside the

environmental initiatives, De Jong said. “I’m not comfortable [with the current pace]. I have to find the sweet spot … I see this with many environmental initiatives; if you push it too fast, without understanding the economic and design implications, it often falls backwards,” he said. “So the question is, what is the most functional pace to get to where we need to get to? But I would agree that that pace is not fast enough right now.” For Dearden, the plea to council for expediency was born out of a sense of being overwhelmed—he estimates about 80 per cent of new homes being built in Whistler are using gas heating. “I’m spending all this energy just convincing my own clients to not do this, and then on the turn of a dime, I pick up some consulting work on other people’s projects, and they’re just doing it all anyways,” he said. “So what difference does it even make if we convince our clients to build Step 5 all-electric if the house next door gets built Step 3 all-gas?” A July 2021 study by the Pembina Institute suggests that, to decarbonize existing buildings in Canada by 2050, a zero-carbon “renovation wave” will be required to retrofit all buildings built between now and 2030. There is currently no intention to require existing buildings to meet future energy codes, “so everything that gets built today will not be forced to upgrade

for energy right now—recognizing things change,” Deeks said. There is a renovation standard coming for energy efficiency in the next couple of years, but “there has been very little discussion, and nothing has really been established on how you identify where in that renovation scope you would start to drive energy efficiency,” he said. But with 51 per cent of Whistler’s 2020 emissions coming from the built environment, moving to Step 5 right now would help “future-proof” the community, and save homeowners from having to pay for potential future renovations, Dearden said. “Anyway you cut it, if you’re going to hit any of these [climate] targets, you need to get started on some sort of serious retrofitting program,” he said. “And certainly to stop adding to the list of houses that will require those retrofits would be just common sense.” Dearden also feels the cost argument is disingenuous, and that an energy-efficient, simple building can be built for less than an energy-efficient building with a “unique” design. “Designing unique buildings is not a right—it’s a privilege, and it is not something our community should be subsidizing,” he wrote in a letter to council. “If architects want to design these unique buildings, then they should justify them by building them to net-zero standard.” n

OCTOBER 14, 2021

NEWS WHISTLER

‘We will need time to review the implications for our district’: SD48 PROVINCE OPTS AGAINST VACCINE MANDATES FOR TEACHERS AS CHILDREN AGED FIVE TO 11 ORDERED TO MASK UP ACCORDING TO MOST RECENT HEALTH ORDER and the resilience of children across this province,” Henry said. “Many of them have told me that they know how to wear a mask now, and that it’s something they do to keep themselves safe; to keep their families safe. I just want to say thank you.” Not included in B.C.’s current COVID19 safety plan for schools, however, is a province-wide vaccine mandate for teachers. B.C. Premier John Horgan on Oct. 7 announced that the province will not require its teachers to be fully vaccinated in order to continue working, as it has for employees like transit workers, long-term care staff and provincial public servants. Instead, Horgan said, that decision is being left up to individual school districts. What that means for Whistler’s school district (SD48) and its staff currently remains unknown. “The announcement this week was new information for the

BY MEGAN LALONDE B.C. SCHOOLS have been on the receiving end of several announcements in recent weeks regarding health and safety protocols, including a newly expanded mask mandate. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Tuesday, Oct. 12 announced that the existing public health order requiring mask-wearing in indoor public spaces like stores, restaurants and public transportation will now apply to B.C. children between the ages of five and 11, too. The move falls in line with a previous order requiring all B.C. students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to wear masks in class that went into effect on Oct. 4. “I just want to say how impressed I am. I continue to be amazed at the adaptability

MASK UP A new health order requiring all students in B.C.’s K-12 system to wear masks at school went into effect this month. PHOTO BY JENA ARDELL/GETTY IMAGES

board and we will need time to review the implications for our district,” read an emailed statement from SD48. ‘The board will consult with Vancouver Coastal Health and our local medical health officer to determine what actions are appropriate.” BC Teachers’ Federation president Teri Mooring, meanwhile, voiced the union’s support for such a mandate for K-12

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NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 18 letter to members on Oct. 8 “Any vaccine mandate would need to be provincially implemented and done equitably. We can’t have unequal treatment of workers in the public education system.” With vaccine mandates for teachers still up in the air, the province is already setting its sights on vaccinating more students. Although there are no COVID-19 vaccines currently approved for use in children under 12, Pfizer, earlier this month, requested that its COVID-19 vaccine be authorized for use in children aged five to 11 in the U.S. According to a company spokesperson, Pfizer is aiming to file a formal submission for authorization to Health Canada in the coming days. While health authorities await the agency’s authorization of the paediatric vaccine, B.C. kids in that age bracket can pre-register to get vaccinated. Until vaccines are available, SD48’s existing health and safety protocols, in place since the onset of the pandemic, will continue. Vancouver Coastal Health confirmed to Pique that as of Oct. 12, it has never declared a COVID-19 outbreak recorded in any of Whistler’s schools, and said cases of COVID-19 among the school population reflects virus transmission in the community. VCH’s website currently warns parents about two possible COVID-19 exposure events at Sea to Sky schools: one at Signal

Hill Elementary School, with the date of potential exposure listed as Oct. 4, and another at Squamish Elementary, with the potential exposure listed as having taken place on Oct. 1 and Oct. 4-5. This comes amidst a rising number of COVID-19 cases in children that has been recorded across the province this fall, as overall case numbers stabilized. According to the independent BC COVID-19

between Sept. 19 and 25, shortly after the school year started. The largest increases in testing numbers were for children, most prominently in five- to nine-year-olds. According to the health authority, testing rates nearly doubled from 1,933 per 100,000 recorded between Sept. 12 to 18 to 3,731 per 100,000 during the week of Sept. 19 to 25. This marked “the highest testing rate of any age group so far in 2021,” a VCH

“At this point, I am very concerned that a potential vaccine mandate could be implemented district-bydistrict, employer-by-employer.” - TERI MOORING

Modelling Group—a collective of experts that continues to chart the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in B.C.—the COVID19 infections among British Columbians younger than 10, at the beginning of October, were higher than at any other time in the pandemic, though the Vancouver Coastal Health authority has not experienced as dramatic an uptick in childhood cases as its Fraser Health, Vancouver Island and Interior counterparts. According to VCH, testing rates spiked across the province in all age groups

spokesperson explained. Testing rates have also notably increased in the 10- to 14-yearold age group from 1,221 per 100,000 the week of Sept. 12 to 2,273 per 100,000 one week later, according to the health authority. However, VCH cautioned that more than 90 per cent of people tested for the virus do not have COVID-19, as other respiratory infections like the common cold continue to circulate. Children under 12 make up nearly half of the province’s unvaccinated population, and are more likely to be asymptomatic

if infected, according to the independent modelling group. In the Howe Sound Local Health Area (LHA)—which encapsulates Britannia Beach, Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and parts of the southern Stl’atl’mx Nation— total weekly case counts have remained steady in recent weeks, hovering between the high-20s- to low-30s. There were 28 positive cases recorded from Sept. 27 to Oct. 2 down from 37 the week prior and 39 between Sept. 12 to 18. From Sept. 5 to 11, the Howe Sound LHA logged 29 cases, down from 34 the week before that. The B.C. government estimated in July that the province’s total population is 5,147,712. Based on that number, Pique calculated that nearly 80 per cent of B.C.’s total population has had at least one dose of vaccine, and more than 74.4 per cent of the province’s total population has had two doses. According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (CDC), 86 per cent of Howe Sound LHA residents aged 12 and over have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 95 per cent have received at least one dose. B.C. CDC data also shows that 75 per cent of residents aged 12-17 have received two doses, and 86 per cent of residents aged 18-49 have received two doses. Ninety per cent of Howe Sound LHA residents aged 50 and up have received two doses. —With files from Glen Korstrom and the Canadian Press. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Suspect arrested following Upper Village stabbing, subsequent break and enter POLICE BRIEFS: SQUAMISH WOMAN SUSPECTED OF ROBBERIES ARRESTED; DRIVER UNINJURED AFTER SINGLE-VEHICLE CRASH

BY MEGAN LALONDE A MAN WHO entered a Whistler establishment and stabbed an employee with a box cutter was taken into custody earlier this month, said Whistler RCMP. Police were called to the 4500 block of Blackcomb Way at around 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30 after receiving reports of a male suspect entering a building while wielding a box cutter, explained the RCMP in a release issued on Oct. 8. The man fled the scene before police could arrive, reportedly heading in the direction of Glacier Drive. Upon their arrival, police discovered the suspect had stabbed a staff member in the stomach with the box cutter, after initially approaching the employee and asking to use a computer. Whistler RCMP called a police dog services team to the scene, “but [they] were unable to obtain a track” of the suspect following the attack. “Thankfully the victim only suffered minor injuries and no one was seriously

hurt,” said Whistler RCMP Cpl. Nate Miller in the release. Later that afternoon, police were called to the scene of a break and enter in the 2000 block of Karen Crescent in Creekside, where RCMP found broken glass and bloody footprints. Police said they entered the residence and found a male suspect who matched the description of the man alleged to have carried out the box-cutter stabbing earlier that day. The suspect attempted to escape, but police managed to catch and arrest the Lower-Mainland resident for breaking and entering and for assault with a weapon, according to the release. He has since been released on court documents, Miller confirmed.

SQUAMISH WOMAN IN CUSTODY IN CONNECTION WITH RECENT ROBBERIES A Squamish woman was taken into police custody in the early hours of Tuesday, Oct. 12 in connection with a string of recent Sea to Sky robberies, which RCMP suspect

she was involved in. One of those incidents allegedly occurred in Whistler at around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3, when a woman in her late 20s to early 30s entered a business located in the 4300 block of Northlands Boulevard. She stole approximately $650 in cash from a register and the establishment’s back room, police explained. Police managed to obtain DNA samples from the scene that will be analyzed as the investigation continues. RCMP described the suspect as having dark, shoulder-length hair and said she was wearing all-black clothing during the Oct. 3 theft. According to Miller, police had been investigating following “three or four” recent break-and-enter incidents affecting Squamish businesses. “Through their CCTV footage, [police determined that] this is a viable suspect,” he explained. Whistler RCMP ask anyone with any information about the incident to call 604 932-3044.

DRIVER ARRESTED AFTER LORIMER ROAD CRASH A Lower Mainland man in his late 20s was arrested after crashing a vehicle into a street pole near Whistler Village early Monday morning. Whistler police say the single-vehicle collision took place at around 1 a.m. at the intersection of Lorimer Road and Northlands Boulevard. Though the vehicle reportedly suffered extensive damage, neither the driver nor his passenger—a woman in her mid-20s—were injured in the crash. Suspecting that alcohol was involved, RCMP launched an impaired driving investigation and subsequently arrested the driver for failing to provide a breath sample. He was later released on court documents, police say. For more police briefs go to piquenewsmagazine.com Designated a bilingual detachment, the Whistler RCMP’s press releases are often delayed by having to be translated by French-speaking members working outside of the detachment. n

Emerald - Alpine Rainbow

Inquire for quote. Discounted. - non urgent contracts Office - 604 907 0577 • msr.whistler@gmail.com 22 OCTOBER 14, 2021

NEWS WHISTLER

WCSS nearing $50K donation goal for food bank VISITS TO FOOD BANK, IN-PERSON COUNSELLING STILL DOUBLE PRE-PANDEMIC AVERAGES

BY BRADEN DUPUIS NEARLY TWO YEARS into the COVID19 pandemic, the need is still elevated at the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS)—as is the level of angst from some in the community. “We are dealing with a lot of individuals at this time that aren’t reasonable,” said Jackie Dickinson, WCSS’ executive director. “It’s become quite hurtful, and that’s the hardest part, because it impacts our ability to do our work, and show up every day and be the best version of ourselves.” The past two years have been challenging for everyone, Dickinson said, stressing the need for compassion. “I think [having compassion] is very hard, and I think our store staff and our social enterprises and our teams, they continue to face a lot of difficult, challenging behaviour,” she said. “And that is really tough.” The team at WCSS has been on the frontlines of Whistler’s community response to the pandemic since March 2020, accommodating up to 1,400 visits

“We develop programs with the intent to make them obsolete. ” - JACKIE DICKINSON

to its food bank each month when restrictions were first put in place. Visits to the food bank “levelled off” to about 500 per month this summer, Dickinson said—but that’s still nearly twice the pre-pandemic average of about 250 visits per month. “This fall our numbers are starting to creep back up again,” Dickinson said, adding that WCSS is close to reaching a food bank fundraising goal of $50,000. “Which we are very, very grateful for, but there is still a tremendous need in terms of fundraising for this program,” she said. “But [$50,000] was our initial goal, and we’re really grateful to the community who have supported us to help us meet that goal. It’s been fantastic.” You can donate cash or find ways to contribute to the food bank at mywcss.org. Demand for in-person counselling at WCSS also remains high, averaging

about 550 client meetings per month over the summer—double the pre-pandemic average. “I think there is a lot of angst, I think that there’s a lot of unknowns,” Dickinson said, of what WCSS is hearing from residents. “I think that we are still seeing a really strong need for mental-health support in the community, which is a sign of strength as I always say, but we definitely have quite a few people coming in to access subsidies for counselling support.” Unsurprisingly, access to housing continues to be a “huge concern” in the community, Dickinson said. “That idea that you could just find and secure a place, that maybe you can stay for a long time, it just doesn’t seem possible to new arrivals in our community,” she said. “And that’s hard to think about.” For its part, the WCSS continues to provide programs that it hopes create a “strong protective layer in the community,” Dickinson said, pointing to things like food bank delivery services, isolation programs for people who are COVID-19 positive, and even an “electronic community assistance” program to get technology into the hands of those who need it. “All of those programs that we developed in response to COVID, they’re not anywhere near as high as what we saw in our peaks of our outbreaks in November and January and March of last year, at all, and that’s a good sign,” Dickinson said. “We develop programs with the intent to make them obsolete. They’re currently not completely obsolete—there’s still usage for them, but it’s not indicative of what we saw at our most challenging times of COVID, so that is the good news story.” As for the higher need in the community, WCSS isn’t waiting for the numbers to go down again, but rather adapting and responding to the new reality. “If we just go in knowing that these numbers are going to be significantly higher from what we once knew, it’s now our responsibility to be accountable in the moment to provide the services that we think the community needs the most,” Dickinson said, adding that it’s also important to listen to the community about what its needs are. “So that’s how we’re going to be guided, that’s how we’re going to make thoughtful, impactful decisions—not what’s in the best interests of organizations, we have to think about what’s in the best interests of our community.” n

Resort Municipality of Whistler

What would help you walk and roll more in Whistler? Tell us by taking the Active Transportation Survey The online survey aims to understand the barriers to using active transportation and seeks input on priority improvements to Whistler’s active transportation routes and facilities for the short, medium and long-term. Take the survey for a chance to win a 6-month transit pass. Survey closes on Tuesday, October 26.

To complete the survey, visit whistler.ca/LetsMoveWhistler.

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:

OCTOBER 14, 2021

NEWS WHISTLER

Are you passionate about Whistler? Volunteer with the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s Village Host program. Apply this winter if you are a local and you want to: Share what you know and love about Whistler Connect with visitors Do fun and meaningful work in your community

RMOW seeks to address sign bylaw violations COUNCIL BRIEFS: SEA TO SKY WORKFORCE SURVEY OPEN UNTIL OCT. 24

BY BRADEN DUPUIS A LETTER TO mayor and council from a Whistler resident is prompting the RMOW to issue a reminder to local businesses about the local sign bylaw. The bylaw, first introduced in 1987, prohibits many different kinds of signs, while also setting standards around things like materials, lighting, colours, placement and even lettering size on permitted signs. But in recent years, the bylaw has been “ignored, overlooked and unenforced. Whistler’s image has been discounted and we have assumed the look of a cheap urban city,” wrote Paul Fournier in his letter. “Not only are sandwich boards everywhere, some businesses have multiple boards. There are vinyl banners and loud illuminated electric signs. Signs and boards can be seen far away from the businesses they are promoting. Windows can be seen covered on the outside with loud, insulting vinyl wrap.”

as a reminder of what the current bylaws allow,” Gresley-Jones said, adding that while there has been some provision for sandwich boards to be accommodated for F&B businesses, “that has proliferated, we do agree.” The RMOW aims to bring signs back under control, “and the first step would be providing a consistent message to all business owners so that when we do go to enforce they’re not caught off guard, or looking at the neighbours as being treated differently or unfairly,” Gresley-Jones said.

WORKFORCE SURVEY OPEN UNTIL OCT. 24 Communities in the Sea to Sky are joining forces on a new local workforce survey gauging the current and future needs of workers and businesses in the region. Led by the Whistler Institute with partners from Whistler, Squamish, Pemberton and Mount Currie, the study will be used to identify barriers to job seekers, better understand the importance of adequate wages, benefits

“We are in the course of drafting a letter that will go out to all businesses as a reminder of what the current bylaws allow.” - JESSIE GRESLEY-JONES

Receive great rewards To apply or receive more information, visit Whistler.ca/villagehost or contact: Cathie Wood at cwood@whistler.ca or 604-935-8478 Apply by Tuesday, Nov. 2019 Nov. 9,11,2021

24 OCTOBER 14, 2021

Further, many signs are larger than permitted under the bylaw while also featuring oversized lettering. “The situation has become out of control and I question why there has been no enforcement to preserve our brand as a pristine outdoor mountain environment,” Fournier wrote. “It is insulting to the values and design guidelines drafted and passed by our respected founding municipal members.” The issue was raised briefly at Whistler’s Oct. 5 council meeting following receipt of Fournier’s letter. The problem spans multiple departments, from planning all the way to bylaw, said general manager of resort experience Jessie Gresley-Jones. “We are in the course of drafting a letter that will go out to all businesses

and housing, and to determine where there are labour shortages and skills gaps that could be addressed with training and education. Once completed, the results will provide valuable data for community advocacy relating to the need for training funds, housing solutions, work permit changes and other resources. The survey is broken into two sections—one for employers and one for workers—and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Once completed, participants can submit their contact details for a chance to win prizes. The surveys close Oct. 24 at midnight. Find more info and a link to take the survey at whistlerinstitute.com/2021workforce-survey. n

A Celebration of Life for

Michael Jakobsson

will be held on Saturday, October 16, 2021. As per Covid restrictions, confirmed in-person attendance has been reached. The event will be live-streamed starting at 12:00 noon, Oct. 16. Please email mikejakobssonmemorial@gmail.com by Friday evening October 15 to receive live-stream link information on Saturday morning, to watch in real time or later.

NEW SUMMER WHISTLER MAGAZINE IS OUT! WHISTLER’S PREMIER VISITOR MAGAZINE SINCE 1980

Notice

PERMISSIVE EXEMPTION AMENDMENT BYLAW Notice is hereby given of proposed Bylaw No. 2333 which will give the properties listed below exemption from Municipal Property Tax for the period listed beginning in 2022 pursuant to Section 224 of the Community Charter. Estimated Municipal Tax Folio

Get your new edition in hotel rooms and select locations around Whistler.

/whistlermagazine whistlermagazine.com

Address

Proposed Exemption

Statuatory Authority

Term

2022

2023

2024

006161.500

Portion of 7328 Kirpatrick Way

Whistler Waldorf School Society

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

15,292

008073.022

1080 Legacy Way

Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

45,728

008073.024

1315 Cloudburst Drive

Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

7,660

008073.023

1345 Cloudburst Drive

Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

4,291

007924.007

1519 Spring Creek Drive

Zero Ceiling

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

3,540

005160.003

8000 Nesters Road

Whistler Community Services Society

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

4,117

005316.102

2028 Rob Boyd Way

Whistler Mountain Ski Club

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

7,645

006162.002

Emerald Forest

Emerald Dreams Conservation Co Ltd.

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

1,109

006548.000

Emerald Forest

Decigon Development Corp

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

1,607

006641.000

4910 Glacier Lane

Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society

Sec. 224(2)(a)

1 Year

79,450

006571.101

4350 Blackcomb Way

Audain Art Museum

Sec. 224(2)(a)

2 Years

257,812

262,968

006166.090

4584 Blackcomb Way

Spo7ez Cultural Centre and Community Society

Sec. 224(2)(a)

4 Years

71,009

72,429

73,878

006548.310

6299 Lorimer Road

Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church

Sec. 224(2)(f)

1 Year

20,494

006547.925

7226 Fitzsimmons Road North

Whistler Community Church

Sec. 224(2)(f)

5 Years

1,594

1,626

1,659

006546.935

7146 Nesters Road

Dandelion Day Care Society

Sec. 224(2)(j)

1 Year

2,304

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca

OCTOBER 14, 2021

NEWS WHISTLER

Naturespeak: Separate wood-wide-webs? BY KRISTINA SWERHUN IN THE AUTUMN it’s always interesting to see the wide variety of mushrooms popping up. So it’s no surprise that this is when we celebrate them with Fungus Among Us—now in its 19th year. But what are fungi doing the rest of the year? First a quick review: Mushrooms are to a fungus what apples are to an apple tree: a fruiting body, whose purpose is to produce and release tiny seeds—spores—to reproduce. Continuing with the analogy, an apple is quite small compared to the tree we might see it on, and it’s the same with mushrooms and the large fungal body they grow on, which is underground and out of sight. About half of the fungi in Whistler are in symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationships with plants and these are the ones I’m continually fascinated with. Such fungi are called mycorrhizal, which means “fungus root.” Amazingly, in just a teaspoon of healthy soil there can be kilometres of fungus roots known as mycelium. They associate with the small feeder roots of plants and help absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. In exchange, the plants provide fungi with carbon-based food they produce through photosynthesis. Recent studies of mycorrhizal fungi

found that not only do these transport food from trees between themselves, fungus to fungus, but they can also connect trees together. Scientists like Suzanne Simard from the University of British Columbia have found that the largest, oldest trees are often hubs for this massive network, which has cleverly been called the Wood Wide Web. In the World Wide Web it’s analogous to, however, things work a bit differently. Whether you’re on a PC or Mac we can all still communicate with each other over the internet, yet underground there are two major types of mycorrhizal fungi that form webs entirely separate from one another. The first type, endomycorrhizal (endo = inside), grow inside plant root cells and form symbiotic relationships with about 85 per cent of plant families. The second, ectomycorrhiza (ecto = outside), grow on the outside of root cells and are symbiotic with about 10 per cent of plant families. What does this mean for our forests? Since most trees associate with ectomycorrhizal fungi, in Whistler it means that Douglas-fir, spruce, true firs, pines and hemlocks can all talk to each other underground. Interestingly, red cedar and yew are on a separate network since they associate with endomycorrhizal fungi. As with all things in nature, I’m sure studies will show that this isn’t a disadvantage and

JOIN THE FUNG Whistler Naturalists volunteers Abbey, Sabrina and Mel identifying a scaly chanterelle at a previous Fungus Among Us, an ectomycorrhizal species of fungi. PHOTO BY JOERN ROHDE/COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER NATURALISTS

that everything balances out in the end (as long as humans don’t interfere). There are literally thousands of ectomycorrhizal species worldwide including chanterelles and truffles. Conversely, there are only a couple hundred endomycorrhizal species because these tend to be generalists, meaning that even though they are few in number they can link a lot of different plants on their network. We wouldn’t have our forests without mycorrhizal fungi. The trees and fungi are in a delicate balance; when one is healthy,

so is the other. That’s why mushroom hunting is best in old growth forests where this balance—decades or hundreds of years in the making—hasn’t been damaged or destroyed. Learn more at Fungus Among Us this weekend. Virtual ‘Talks with Gurus’ start Friday at 7:00 p.m. and the ‘Mushroom Display’ Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ‘Walk with Gurus’ Saturday morning is sold out. Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to whistlernaturalists.ca n

All Winter Long Warmth

OF EPA 2021 CERTIFIED

7426 PROSPECT ST. PH. 604-894-6240

26 OCTOBER 14, 2021

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE WHISTLER PEOPLE, PLACES, PARTIES AND MORE! www.piquenewsmagazine.com/vote Results will be published in our December 31st issue. Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm on Sunday, November 14th, 2021. Only online submissions will be accepted. No photocopies, faxes or mailed entries. Only one entry per email address will be used. Please note we track user registration from individual IP addresses. We reserve the right to eliminate contest entrants if fraud is suspected. Pique makes every effort to create a concise list of Whistler businesses in the multiple choice drop downs. If you are a business owner in Whistler we encourage you to check the details and email us with corrections and omission suggestions. Email traffic@wplpmedia.com.

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Pemberton council discusses holding meetings both online and in person moving forward COUNCIL BRIEFS: WILDFIRE PROTECTION GRANT APPLICATION APPROVED; PURCHASE OF NEW PARKS TRUCK APPROVED

BY HARRISON BROOKS AT THE SEPT. 21 Village of Pemberton (VOP) council meeting, with just one more week before mayor and council were required to return to the office for council meetings, a long discussion was had about what the future of the meetings would look like. The discussion revolved around the ability to perform the duty of being accessible to the public versus the newfound convenience of being able to conduct the meetings online from wherever the council members chose. While most were in favour of keeping, at minimum, a hybrid-style of in-person and online meetings, some, like Councillor Ted Craddock, “still see a real benefit of meeting in person,” and don’t want to completely shift away from that and lose that dynamic that comes with being in the same room together. A second concern was raised about the logistics of doing hybrid-style meetings including both spacing to adequately support the public’s attendance of the meetings and the return of all the councillors to one room, the rules surrounding the newly implemented vaccine passport for members

COUNCIL NOTES New wildfire protection equipment could be on its way to the Village of Pemberton after council approves application. PHOTO BY CLARE OGILVIE

28 OCTOBER 14, 2021

of the community wanting to attend in person, and the costs of the technology to support proper audio and visual to those attending virtually. In the two weeks following the Sept. 21 meeting, it was found that members of the public do not need to show proof of vaccination to attend council meetings, removing one of the hurdles faced by mayor and council. But with more answers still needed on best practices for hybrid-style meetings, it was decided, at the Oct. 5 meeting, that the meeting room configuration will be adjusted as needed as more information becomes available to “accommodate cameras, microphones, speakers and screens, and to enhance video and audio recording and livestreaming,” for the purpose of going forward with hybrid-style council meetings.

APPLICATION FOR FUNDING FOR WILDFIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT APPROVED On Sept. 21, Pemberton Fire Rescue Chief Robert Grossman presented a report to mayor and council requesting support in making an application for grant funding from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation in the amount of up to $85,000. If approved for the funding, the money would go towards the “purchase of wildland firefighting equipment to protect the Village

of Pemberton and the service area in the event of a wildfire,” according to Grossman. “During the 2021 wildfire season Pemberton Fire Rescue was called upon by the province to assist with the wildfires occurring in the Interior,” he said. “During this wildfire deployment, it became clear that it is important to be prepared, which includes ensuring the department is sufficiently supplied with the right type of equipment to support responses to these types of wildfire events.” With no other conflicting applications currently going to the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, the motion was ultimately carried for Pemberton Fire Service to go ahead with its application for funding.

PROPOSAL FOR PURCHASE OF NEW DUMP TRUCK APPROVED Pemberton’s manager of operations and projects Tom Csima joined mayor and council on Oct. 5 to submit his proposal for the purchase of a replacement for the recently deemed irreparable 2004 Chevy 3500 flat-deck dump truck used by the Parks and Public Works crews. According to Csima, over the years the flat-deck truck has become a critical asset for the parks team, as it is used for hauling soil and organic material in the summer and also snow plowing and sanding smaller side streets and parking areas in the winter.

Due to excessive rust damage, the truck can no longer be used and a replacement is needed. Luckily, due to some projects not being completed in 2021, there is an estimated $25,000 surplus in the roads-maintenance budget that Csima proposes be used for an immediate upgrade. He outlines three potential options, which include using the $25,000 dollars on a down payment for either a 36-month or 60-month lease on a new truck or to use the money to rent a truck at a cost of $3,000 dollars a month for the next eight months until the budget can be approved to purchase a new vehicle. Mayor Mike Richman suggested going with the 60-month lease option instead of the 36-month option, which would lower the monthly payment from over $1,500 dollars a month to just over $1,000. However, Councillor Ted Craddock persuaded him to switch to the shorter lease as it would save money on interest payments while the budget can be adjusted to find room for the new truck. With the rest of the Village’s fleet of trucks also nearing an age which would see them potentially need to be replaced, Richman wanted to get the conversation started about switching from gas powered to electric vehicles in the near future. However, with the immediate nature of this replacement, that discussion will be held for when other village vehicles need replacing in the future. n

Pemberton Arts Council

AGM

and Social

Thursday, October 21st

Town Square Restaurant – 6:30 – 9pm Join us for food, drinks and live music with Austin Ross Get to know your creative community Everyone is welcome* *Proof of vaccination is required

Notice to Amend Council Procedure Bylaw No. 788, 2015 and Advisory Planning Commission Bylaw No. 626, 2009 In accordance with section 123 (3) of the Community Charter notice is hereby given that the Council of the Village of Pemberton intends to amend Council Procedure Bylaw No. 778, 2015 at the Regular Council Meeting to be held on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 9am. At the same meeting,AdvisoryPlanningCommissionBylawNo. 626, 2021, will be amended. Section 10 of the Council Procedure Bylaw, Electronic Participation at Meetings, will be amended to permit members of Council to attend a Regular Council Meeting, Special Council Meeting, or Council Committee meeting from a remote location by electronic means, and to allow a meeting to be held entirely by electronic means with all participants attending from a remote location, subject to sections 128 to 128.3 of the Community Charter and to the conditions speciﬁed in the bylaw. Similar amendments to section 5 of the Advisory Planning Commission Bylaw will permit electronic participation at meetings and fully electronic meetings of the Village's advisory planning commissions. Copies of the proposed Council Procedure Amendment (Electronic Meetings) Bylaw No. 909, 2021 and Advisory Planning Commission Amendment (Electronic Meetings) Bylaw No. 911, 2021 are available at pemberton.ca. Questions and comments may be directed to Sheena Fraser, Manager of Corporate & Legislative Services, at 604-894-6135 ext 228 or sfraser@pemberton.ca.

THE WHISTLER NATURALISTS PRESENT

FUNGUS AMONG US MUSHROOM FESTIVAL

OCTOBER 15-16, 2021

MYRTLE PHILIP SCHOOL, 6195 LORIMER ROAD

ONLINE TALKS BY GURUS Mushrooms of BC book launch with authors Andy MacKinnon and Kem Luther. Mushrooms and Mental Health with Thom O’Dell. Plus, our popular Fantastic Fungi Photo Contest (still accepting online submissions). Online Friday 7:00-8:30 pm. Free. Find the link at www.whistlernaturalists.ca

WALKS WITH GURUS

Limited tickets

BC’s best lead walks at sites throughout Whistler. Advance tickets only. Proof of double vaccination required. Saturday 8:30 am sharp till noon $30 (purchase online only)

OUTDOOR MUSHROOM DISPLAY Check out the day’s finds, labelled and explained by our experts. All welcome with proof of double vaccination. Weather dependent. Saturday 2:30-4:00. Pay what you can. Reserve your spot at:

www.whistlernaturalists.ca. Dress warmly. No dogs or collecting baskets please.

Sheena Fraser, Corporate Officer

OCTOBER 14, 2021

SCIENCE MATTERS

CBD gummy scam illustrates need for media literacy WOULD YOU BUY cannabis gummies from me? Apparently, hundreds of people would. Only trouble is, I don’t sell them, and I’m not looking for business opportunities. But recent online memes, stories and other disinformation have me not only selling and endorsing CBD gummies but also embroiled in a lawsuit with businessman Kevin O’Leary over them! People see the bogus information, click through to a realistic product page, submit their personal and financial information and order the products. It appears they most often find the pitches on Facebook.

BY DAVID SUZUKI

COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE EVERYONE CAN BUY, EVERYONE CAN SELL

SUN. OCT 24. 10AM-2PM Creekside Underground SHOP Admission is free SELL Pre-registration required $25 flat rate so all profits yours to keep Masks & Vaccine Passports Mandatory

www.awarewhistler.org 30 OCTOBER 14, 2021

I’m saddened that anyone would spend money hoping to purchase products they thought I manufactured or recommended. The scam is still tricking innocent people. They contact the David Suzuki Foundation daily. This got me reflecting on how and where people receive and process information. I’ve been a science communicator for more than half a century, so I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to get through to people. How do we ensure as many as possible have access to accurate, credible information so we can make informed decisions on issues that matter? I’ve been fortunate to have worked many years at the CBC. As a public broadcaster, it’s been producing quality content and upholding journalistic standards since before the Second World War—and helped me earn credibility as a communicator.

As Marshall McLuhan posited in the 1960s, our technologies have become extensions of ourselves. As these systems evolve and become more powerful, complex and efficient, so too must our collective ability to understand and use them. As we receive more information online— from recipes to weather forecasts, product info to politics—how can we make sure it’s reliable, that we can trust it enough to make good decisions? If we’re wrong, what’s at stake? Many people search for or are fed information that confirms their beliefs rather than that which could help them better understand an issue. And, as recent vaccine opposition reveals, much of it promotes “personal freedom” while ignoring the responsibility that goes with it. In today’s digital society, media literacy levels must match the sophistication of mass communication methods and big tech. But this isn’t the case, and we’re seeing the consequences, from increasing polarization to revelations about how platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp foment division and conflict in the name of profit. Environmentalists encounter the misinformation problem often. In 2021, a dwindling minority still reject the validity of climate science, despite an astounding amount of evidence proving the crisis is upon us and massive international scientific consensus regarding the urgent and necessary path forward. How can we come together, have informed conversations and enjoy the benefits of evidence-based decision-making? It’s clearer than ever that a democracy works best when people have access to accurate, credible information.

As Marshall McLuhan posited in the 1960s, our technologies have become extensions of ourselves. Today, I compare that type of relationship—one based on accurate and fair communication of relatively diverse types of evidence and viewpoints—to what I see online, on social media, and it’s shocking. False information and scams abound, along with the worst political polarization in recent memory. Fraud and misinformation have been around as long as we have, and perpetrators have always seized on the best available technologies to reach people. But in under 30 years, the internet has become our main information source, and the ubiquity of social media has given rise to effective, inexpensive ways to spread information, from bad to good and everything in between. Close to 60 per cent of the world’s population—4.66 billion people—are active internet users, most accessing it through mobile devices. It infiltrates and informs every aspect of our lives.

We must see our information systems— news media, social media, etc.—as the foundations of democracy they are, and we must insist on keeping them, and the people who use them, healthy. We should invest more public resources in ensuring our media industry is healthy, social media is properly regulated and most people are media literate enough to consume online information safely and responsibly. And we must take responsibility and get better at synthesizing information, considering various perspectives and uniting behind solutions to the world’s biggest problems. It all begins with productive, respectful conversations based on good information. (And maybe some CBD—but not from me!) David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Communications Director Brendan Glauser. ■

THE OUTSIDER

An ode to A-Line SPEED’S A BIT LOW. A couple more pedal strokes. That’s more like it. Brace against the handlebars, but don’t overgrip. Index fingers hover over the brake levers, resisting the self-preservative urge to slow the rolling momentum of body and bike. The ramp comes up fast, but you’re ready for it this time, compressing the suspension in anticipation. Pop.

BY VINCE SHULEY Hundreds of runs have boosted your confidence for an angled take off, the rear of the bike travelling slightly to the side. But that landing is coming up quickly. Eyes on the sweet spot. The front tire touches down smoothly, the rest of the bike following naturally. Man, that felt good. Gravity just ratcheted up your speed and you eye the optimal line through the upcoming berm. Touch of brake before, let ‘em go exiting the corner. The high-pitched whir of rubber against packed dirt intensifies. Another jump lies in wait. Maybe a bit more carve of the lip this time. Pop. Repeat.

DOING IT LIKE DEAN Most of Dean Olynyk’s 134 days in the bike park this year included A-Line’s Moonbooter. PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY

If there’s one trail you could ride over and over for the rest of time, which one would it be? While that’s a difficult question for any mountain biker to answer, I’m pretty sure I know what my response would be. And it’s probably the same for a lot of riders in the Whistler Bike Park: A-Line. This iconic trail has existed (albeit in different versions) for about 20 years now, pretty much since the official inception of the Whistler Bike Park. It was preceded by B-Line, one of the first trails to use machine excavators to build a wide, smooth trail with jump and berm features. This style of trail was subsequently coined “flow”

A-Line doesn’t quite have the juicedup airtime of its offspring trails like Dirt Merchant and Crabapple Hits, but that’s what I’ve always loved about it. The first time following your friend down A-Line doesn’t have to be scary, unless you make it so. The first season or two in the bike park it was all about working my way up to simply clearing one jump on the trail (“clearing” meaning jumping fast enough and high enough to land smoothly on the down ramp) and staying out of the way of faster, more advanced riders. But with repetition, repetition, repetition, that list of uncleared jumps and features was slowly

This iconic trail has existed (albeit in different versions) for about 20 years now, pretty much since the official inception of the Whistler Bike Park. and has played a significant part in the growth of mountain biking. A-Line was the logical sequel to B-Line, and after travelling mountain bikers got a taste of it in Whistler, flow trails started popping up all over the world. Quite a few of these flow trails were designed and built by Tom Prochazka and Dave Kelly, the brains behind trail building company Gravity Logic and A-Line’s original engineers.

whittled down to a handful. The mid A-Line rock drop became routine after a while, but the rather large table-top jump that follows it eluded me for years. I still get heebeejeebees rolling full tilt into that thing. But the A-Line feature I’ve been the most intimidated by over the seasons has to be the jump known aptly as the Moonbooter, one of the largest on the trail. It has a long, steep run-in, making speed management

somewhat tricky. Hit the brakes and you’ll knuckle (land with a thud on the flat table top section), launch with too much gusto and you can travel a long, long way vertically in the air before touching down, increasing your chances of losing balance in the air. You could say that about most large jumps, but the Moonbooter’s extra long landing runway can be scary as hell if you end up flying into the deep end. Touching down in the sweet spot, however, has to be one of the most gratifying feelings I’ve experienced on a mountain bike. And the best part? In the Whistler Bike Park I can ride it over and over and over again. The bike park isn’t for everyone. Jumps are not for everyone. And crashing on jumps can be devastating. Sometimes when I land nose-heavy on the Tombstone (or any of the A-Line jumps for that matter), I scare the shit out of myself and wonder what business I have doing jumps like these without the body of a 25-year-old. But then I’ll take a few laps with my friend Dean Olynyk, who rode the bike park 134 days this year, most of those on advanced jump trails. His never-ending well of stoke to hit jumps on a bike really rubs off on those around him. He even gathered some friends and booked a private lesson on the park’s closing day so they could skip the lines and get more A-Line laps in. I miss the bike park already. Vince Shuley better start pedalling. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince ■

OCTOBER 14, 2021

FEATURE STORY

One Year Out

With 12 months to the next municipal election, Pique checks in on council’s progress so far By Braden Dupuis

32 OCTOBER 14, 2021

FEATURE STORY

The machinations of local government are, to be generous, not often marked by expediency. Priorities and targets are set with the best of intentions, but oftentimes the unforeseeable— and unavoidable—plots a new course. When Whistler’s mayor and council were elected in 2018, talking of things like housing, climate and strategic planning (to name just a few of the hot topics of the day), it felt almost like business as usual. Set the priorities, hash it all out at the annual council retreat, and get to work. Then a global pandemic changed everything. “I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the last two years have been some of the most challenging in our town’s history. [But] I’m proud of all that Whistlerites have accomplished through COVID,” says Mayor Jack Crompton. One of the most important lessons taken from the pandemic so far is how it has disproportionately affected tourism towns, the mayor adds, noting that, whether you work in F&B, transportation, the ski industry or hotels, your life and career have been turned upside down since March 2020. “It would have been really easy for us to lose hope,” he says. “I don’t want to understate the mental and physical health impacts we’ve all endured, but as a community

we’ve risen to it. People thought about others first, and it’s truly been an all-hands-on-deck response—businesses, community service, local government, healthcare, everyone. “That makes me really proud to be a Whistlerite.” With the next municipal elections scheduled for Oct. 15, 2022, Pique looks back on the first three years of council’s term—their successes, failures, triumphs and challenges— while also looking ahead to the final year. Check the sidebar for Pique’s quick-and-dirty, no-frills, non-scientific grading on council’s progress to date, and read on for reflections from your local elected officials.

HOUSE AND HOME

For all the operational turmoil in recent years, progress on Phase 2 of Whistler’s Cheakamus Crossing is “pretty much”

where council envisioned it would be at this point in the term, says Councillor Duane Jackson during a recent tour of the site. “We’ve had challenges—there’s a lot of variety in the terrain here,” says Jackson, who was tasked with overseeing council’s housing portfolio after the election in 2018. “There’s a lot of unknowns once you strip the trees, but it’s worked out. We’ve been able to put enough equipment on it to keep the momentum going.” By the time council’s term is up, 100 units of for-purchase affordable employee housing will be completed, and construction will be underway on 18 market-for-sale lots. Once fully built out (a job to be completed by Whistler’s next mayor and council), the new neighbourhood will add about 295 units of employee housing, not including the 18 market lots. The COVID-19 pandemic has made for a difficult term for elected officials and municipal staff alike, Jackson says. “It would have been nice to have got other things done, but it’s out of our control,” Jackson says.

OCTOBER 14, 2021

FEATURE STORY “But fortunately this hasn’t been bothered by it at all. Everyone comes to work and gets the job done.” For all the progress made at municipal hall on housing construction—including four new buildings completed in recent years for the Whistler Housing Authority—the resort’s longstanding housing woes are far from solved. “The erosion of market rental housing is distressing. There is no way that we can replace it,” says Coun. Cathy Jewett. “Every time someone buys a place that has a suite in it and renovates it and takes the suite out, it’s basically a $250,000 hole that we can’t fill. We don’t have the capacity to build as fast as the erosion of suites in rental housing.” During the work of the Mayor’s Task Force on Resident Housing, completed from 2016 to 2018, the resort was seeing a rental erosion of 200 units a year, while it takes the municipality two years to build 100, Jewett says. “It’s like we’re in quicksand. We can’t keep up,” she says. “And the demand for a decent place to live if you’re working in Whistler has not slowed down, and so we have to look at what we’re doing to address it.” As far as solutions go, Jewett floats the idea of a bylaw ensuring suites are maintained for workers. “My understanding is that there are communities that have done this, either preserving existing [suites] or to ensure that new builds have affordable rental housing in them,” she says, though she concedes that such a bylaw could be concerning for homeowners forced to be landlords. “And the kind of prices that local real estate is getting means that the kind of people that are buying these places, there’s not enough tax credits that we could give. We have to figure out another way.” Issues of housing, affordability and even childcare are not unique to Whistler—a point Jewett says she brought up with local candidates in the recent federal election. “I told them that municipalities are where your rubber hits the road [on these issues],” she says. “When they make a policy and they make funding available, it has to get to the municipality, and there has to be enough resources to make it reality.”

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Building more housing is a big piece of the affordability puzzle, “but that alone won’t solve it,” agrees Coun. Jen Ford. “I think there’s a big shift in society to higher wages, more of a living wage, but that takes a whole community; that’s not something the municipality can solve.”

34 OCTOBER 14, 2021

Housing

all feat. The d that’s no sm an , ly ce ni years. g progressin ilds in recent us Phase 2 is four new bu in am s ak te rs do he ri ne C le w st Work on new homeo reds of Whi housed hund ge concern as t. so hu al a gh s si ns ha in ai A m WH lability re sy solutions ility and avai ere are no ea th d an — ds But affordab ourhoo ites in neighb away with su

Improving transit locally is also key, as is finally seeing regional transit implemented in the corridor—a stated goal of more than one elected official in the 2018 election. To date, the province has been dragging its heels on funding the system proposed by Sea to Sky municipalities, but regional officials are optimistic they’re closer than ever before after a meeting with ministers at this year’s Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention. “Will it be done by the end of this term? Realistically, I don’t think so. Will we be closer? I hope so,” Ford says, noting that provincial minister of transportation Rob Fleming brought it Greenhouse gas emissions went down last year—but only because of up at a UBCM town hall at this year’s the pandemic, and the resort is still well off track to meeting its targets. convention. That said, a new Big Moves Strategy aims to quicke n the pace, as work “Minister Fleming said, ‘We’re very continues on wildfire mitigation. A new Zero Waste Action Plan was also encouraged about the evidence that we a long time coming. have, that regional transit [in the Sea to Sky] is a great solution and is within our reach,’” Ford says. “So he didn’t make any commitments, but he certainly did bring it up on his own, so I’m encouraged by that.” As the head of council’s social services and regional cooperation portfolio, Ford wears many hats these days, including serving as chair of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and Whistler Housing Authority, and now serving as first vice-president of the UBCM. As it relates to Whistler, she lists completion of the Alta Lake Road Sewer project, new childcare spaces in Spring Creek and Rainbow, and new housing through the WHA and in Cheakamus among the term’s top achievements. While officials have been able to move the dial in some Coun. John Grills, overseer of council’s tourism economy ways on childcare—a longtime passion project of Ford’s— portfolio, was about one-third of the way through a book on finding qualified early childhood educators (ECE) remains overtourism when the pandemic restrictions took effect and a challenge. turned Whistler into a ghost town overnight. It’s a frustration shared by Coun. Ralph Forsyth. “I haven’t picked it up since 2019,” he says. “It’s “The problem is there’s not enough teachers, and that collecting dust.” has always been the issue,” Forsyth says, adding that the During the 2018 election, when high visitor volumes RMOW can rezone properties to be used for daycare “very were causing consternation in the community, Grills quickly.” made a point of saying he would like to see those levels Rather than throwing billions of dollars at the issue in maintained. election promises, Forsyth believes the federal government After all, in his nearly four decades in the community, would be better served making a national standard for ECE he’s seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows when qualifications, allowing those from other countries to work it comes to running a business. in B.C. “For anybody that’s been here for a long time—but even Whistler officials raised the issue of qualifications if you’ve been here for 20 years—you’ve been through transferring at last year’s UBCM, Forsyth says, “and where some ups and downs,” Grills says. it landed was exactly zero, because all they want to do “Absolutely nothing like this.” at the ministerial level is make these more complicated By the same token, Grills points out that in all that time, schemes and studies … we know what the problem is.” he’s never seen the level of financial support from both the

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DUST IN THE WIND

FEATURE STORY

Regional Transit A stated priority of more than one elec

ted official in the 2018 election, it’s unlikely to happen before the term is up.

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In 2018, Whistl er elected a co mpetent, forw on things that ard-thinking co matter to both uncil that works re sidents and visit hard in disagreemen ors, and works t. It’s not perfe well together ev ct, but governan should it be). en ce never is (nor , it could be ar gued, With that in m ind, the COVID -19 pandemic ahead no doub isn’t over, and t hold new, as the months an -y et -unforeseen tw d years elected officia ists and turns. ls are up to the Let’s hope our task. ■

OCTOBER 14, 2021

FEATURE STORY provincial and federal governments. “So that was a saving grace,” he says. The struggles of Whistler’s business owners through the long months of the pandemic to this point have been well documented, and while summer brought a spike in visitation, the workers remained elusive, leading to new frustrations. “The good part was there was cash flow again … now we’ve just got to try and work with the other half, and that’s going to take some time, no doubt,” Grills says, adding that the main focus now has to be avoiding setbacks around closures. “Even if it’s little steps forward, that’s fine—we’ll get used to that, but going backwards again would be devastating.” Aside from access to labour, the cost of supplies and availability of goods are still presenting challenges for entrepreneurs, though the construction sector has actually been doing quite well—but a backlog in permit processing at Whistler’s municipal hall is causing trouble in its own right. “No doubt the municipality is really stretched on getting applications through in a timely manner,” Grills says. “It’s a priority for the council and the staff to improve those times over the next couple of months, because it’s been a huge challenge for the building sector, and it’s something the team wants to fix.”

OPEN AND SHUT

Two days before pandemic restrictions hit B.C. in March 2020, Coun. Arthur De Jong was touring Whistler Village with members of the Association of Whistler Area Residents (AWARE), working on a campaign encouraging businesses to close their doors to conserve energy. “I started to receive a number of gripping texts from colleagues in Asia saying, ‘You have no idea how bad this is … you may be a super spreader already, and you have no idea,’” De Jong recalls. “So I kind of froze, staring at the crowded

decks, and realizing my job for the rest of my term may be simply helping businesses in the community stay afloat.” The duality with his close-your-doors campaign wasn’t lost on De Jong. “In other words, metaphorically, the rest of my term would be spent trying to keep those doors open.” To De Jong—tasked with council’s environment portfolio—the term to date has been characterized by two things: COVID-19 and climate. The most impacting moment of the term, he says, was the 2019 climate march organized and led by Whistler’s youth. “As I looked into their eyes, as I was listening and talking to them, the reflection of my generation’s guilt for handing them this uncertain future—as some people say on the edge of a sixth mass extinction—that haunts me,” De Jong says. “That affected me more than anything.” While wildfire is still the No. 1 issue for De Jong (“it’s not a question of will we have a big fire here, it’s only a question of when, so as a council, we need to keep securing as much funding as we can to do the fuel reduction, as well as, we need to do more to convince our entire community to FireSmart,” he says), reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a close second. Increasing transit is the action the municipality can move the fastest on, he believes, along with addressing building emissions—a tougher nut to crack. If Whistler is to achieve its goal of being net zero by 2050, “that means we can’t have natural gas in this valley—that’s a hell of a challenge,” De Jong says. “We need to take every step possible, but transit is where we can make the greatest difference the quickest.” In the first three years of its term, council has introduced its Big Moves Strategy for Climate Action (and integrated it with the existing Climate and Energy Community Action Plan), as well as a new Zero Waste Action Plan, but there are still areas within the environmental file that De Jong would like to see more progress on. “I’m comfortable [with the work on those plans],” he says. “But we’re not winning these battles. So I struggle with giving any high marks.”

RANSOM NOTE

If the pandemic was a punch in the proverbial gut for local decision makers, a ransomware attack in late April that handcuffed municipal services for weeks was almost a knockout blow. “When I think about the cyber attack and the pandemic, I would say the cyber attack was worse than the pandemic,” says Forsyth, who sits on the municipality’s Technology Advisory Committee (TAC). “Because the pandemic, it was like, OK, well everyone is experiencing this … whereas the cyber attack was like, man, it’s just us, what are we doing? How do we get out of this?” After gaining access to municipal servers in late April, cyber attackers teased on the dark web that they had obtained more than 800 gigabytes of municipal data—which they then claimed to have sold at auction. The attack took the entire municipal network offline, forcing municipal staffers to revert to old paper processes and communicate by text. “We’re looking forward to the briefing that comes from after this (scheduled for the next TAC meeting), but I think they handled it pretty well,” Forsyth says. When Pique reported general details about what the criminals were leaking on the dark web, the RMOW sued the newsmagazine in B.C. Supreme Court. In July the RMOW discontinued its lawsuit against Pique, and paid the court portion of the legal costs—which were only a fraction of the actual costs. More than five months after the attack, the municipality has said very little about what happened, or what public information may have been compromised. “I’m not an IT expert, I’m not a security expert. I can understand the fear of the unknown, of the dark web … it sounds menacing,” Jewett says, when asked about the perceived lack of transparency. “And so it’s because we don’t know. We don’t know who they are, we don’t know what they can do. We know how much of our information that they could potentially

Top: Mayor and council at their swearing-in ceremony in November, 2018. Middle: Workers gate off a playground in Whistler Village after COVID-19 restrictions hit the resort in March, 2020. Bottom: A new 46-unit apartment building under construction in Cheakamus Crossing. ALL Photos by Braden Dupuis.

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36 OCTOBER 14, 2021

FEATURE STORY have, and that’s scary.” the early stages, and Whistlerites will get their first look in Asked about the lawsuit, Crompton says the RMOW stands November. behind its decision to sue the local paper. While local tax increases for 2022 haven’t been determined, “It’s a decision our organization made, and it’s one that “what I can say is I won’t be voting for anything that’s more was not easy to take by any means,” he says. “Clearly the fact than four per cent,” Forsyth says. that we did take action indicates that it’s a decision council approved.” The attack itself was “as challenging for our organization as anything we’ve faced this term, which is saying something,” Crompton adds. “There’s more to do still, but I’ve been really impressed with the work we have done to recover … [cyber security incidents are] not something that are going to stop, so we need to continue to have it as a high priority for our organization.” For all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, many people only see the end result, and how it impacts them directly. Take the introduction of pay parking in local parks, the lowering of speed limits, the removal of trees in the valley or even the placement of washrooms in the village as just a few examples. While council has its reasons for the decisions it makes, many in the community aren’t shy to voice their displeasure The COVID-19 pandemic, with all its uncertainty, has thrown directly with elected officials, often without a clear view of the municipal finances for a loop. bigger picture. The budget originally proposed in early 2020 was twice “Serving on council is not for people who want to make amended in light of the pandemic, first with a proposed tax everyone happy all the time. The truth is most of the decisions increase of 4.89 per cent, then with a revised increase of 1.08 we make have really well-meaning, intelligent people strongly per cent. in favour and strongly opposed,” Crompton says. Council opted for the lower increase to help pandemic“We do our best to be as informed and thoughtful as we strapped Whistlerites—but a draw on municipal reserves was possibly can be. As someone who gets to work with this necessary to make it happen. council and these staff, I’d say they do a really good job of As such, municipal staff warns of higher tax increases in deeply considering every issue we face.” the coming years to fill in the gap. Crompton is never shy to put himself out there, often Even so, the municipality’s Q2 financial update presented giving out his personal cell phone number on social media for in September shows higher spending in several areas, and people to reach him directly—and often taking the brunt of a budget amendment introduced in August added nearly some rather rude criticism. $700,000 in new spending to add 11 new positions at Does that ever weigh on him? municipal hall. “Sure. Sometimes it gets to me, but I think it’s critical to do So the question must be asked—in a time when the entire our best to remain engaged and interested in what people are community is making sacrifices to get by, why can’t the sharing with us,” he says. RMOW do the same? “If we start to disengage with people who are passionate “You are preaching to the choir,” says Forsyth, head of on an issue, we’ll miss, I think, really valuable insights. I work council’s finance portfolio. really hard to listen well to people who disagree with me “We do a lot of things that local governments typically strongly.” don’t do—why don’t we not do those things?” Looking ahead to the last year of the term, the mayor sees Forsyth has voted against more than one project this a turning point for Whistler. term out of concern that they will leave municipal taxpayers Prior to the pandemic, the community was spending a lot holding the bag when provincial or federal funding inevitably of time considering overtourism and how to manage it. runs out, but he’s often the lone voice of dissent. “Coming out of COVID, we’ll need to access a lot of that While he’s satisfied with where municipal finances thinking and combine it with what we’ve learned through currently stand, “I’m worried about the reserve balances; COVID. It’s a new world for us, and I think we can do tourism there has to be a reckoning there,” he says. “And I think better than we’ve done it,” he says. that there are still lots of things that we can get rid of in the “I think the most important thing we can do now is budget.” understand how we are going to rebuild, and there is a huge The municipal budgeting process for 2022 is now in amount of that work in front of us.” n

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OCTOBER 14, 2021

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Dreaming of

Antigua:

A girl getaway

Story and photos by Cathy Fedoruk

VALLEY CHURCH BEACH

SHAMA AT THE HELM OF EOLIA

38 OCTOBER 14, 2021

With a fourth pandemic wave building, preCOVID-19 sojourn memories will have to suffice. My girl getaway is chiselled in mine. The balmy island air embraced us, as we disembarked at CV Bird airport, named after Sir Vere Cornwall, the first Prime Minister of Antigua. Known by the indigenous as Wadadli, this bijou Eastern Caribbean island about the size of Quadra Island has 365 beaches. We didn’t waste any time in exploring a few. A short taxi ride landed us at Sugar Ridge Resort. Nestled in 43 lush acres near Boggy Peak, the highest island apex. After we checked into our Caribbean vista room, we grabbed a quick chicken salad lunch at Sugar Club. Covey, the shuttle driver, zipped us down to Valley Church Beach. The soft golden sand felt splendid between our toes, and our work and family obligations dissipated in the crystal-clear Caribbean Sea. We strolled off resort for dinner. Miracle’s, a casual homestyle restaurant, swelled with white table-clothed tables, handcrafted wooden chairs and friendly staff. The local mahi-mahi, steamed veggies, rice and beans washed down with Red Stripe beer was delish. The clear star-filled night reverberated with whistling frogs saluting us into island serenity, as we sauntered back to our room.

Roused by dove coos, and after some morning coffee, fresh melon and pineapple, we cruised up to the resort’s “Yoga Shed,” an outdoor covered space with a stunning harbour view. Most of the yogis were locals. It was apparent that we had scored with an experienced instructor named Liz. We traded our yoga gear for bikinis, sunscreen and sunglasses. Covey shuttled us to OJ’s Bar and Restaurant on the south end of Love Beach with a seashell, rope and local artwork decor. We opted for a toesin-the-sand table, as the upper deck, Tittle Lounge, was closed. The mango daiquiri and the fresh caught snapper satisfied our appetites, as the waves strummed ashore. By foot we drifted south along the pristine sand of Turners Beach for the remainder of the afternoon. The only visitors we stumbled upon were brown pelicans and red-billed tropicbirds. Carmichael’s, the highest point of Sugar Ridge, is a favoured cocktail locale with an extraordinary sunset panorama. We hiked up the pathway and plunged into the infinity pool to cool off from the 30-degree Celsius sun. We ordered an appetizer, but dismayed by the small portions we slipped on sundresses and sashayed down to Jolly Harbour for dinner.

VON JOHNSON

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

DO YOU OWN REAL ESTATE IN A COMPANY NAME? Declaration is November 30, 2021! As of November 30, 2020, all real estate purchases in the Province of BC were accompanied by a Land Ownership Transparency Declaration. The Provincial mandate also requires that all corporations that own real estate in the province must record their historical purchases by November 30, 2021. This means that as a corporate real

OJ’S BAR & RESTAURANT Chef Michele Giordano’s Basilico was a scrumptious and scenic discovery. Prosecco, homemade ravioli stuffed with shrimp, tagliatelle with lobster, and tiramisu transported us to Italy for the evening, and was worth every Eastern Caribbean dollar. Sugar Ridge recommended Von Johnson, a local guide, to explore the island. As we drove to the Wallings Nature Reserve, we learned that in 1493 Christopher Columbus named it after the Spanish Church, Santa Maria de la Antigua. The British colonized Antigua in 1632 and partook in the barbaric sugar trade until the 1834 emancipation of the West African Antiguan slaves. Independent since 1981 Antigua is currently home to 80,000 people, and is a sustainable destination that is plastic bag and Styrofoam free. Von trekked us through a lemon grass, tamarind, and citronella filled rainforest to the pristine Rendezvous Bay Beach teeming with land crabs, queen conchs and sea urchins. Before we climbed the ridge bursting with barrel and candelabra cacti, we dipped into the refreshing turquoise sea. We continued to Carlisle Bay Beach, and then zagged to Fig Tree Drive back to Von’s car. On our way to Catherine’s Café on Pigeon Beach overlooking Falmouth Harbor, we

breezed along the local roads peppered with Antiguan homes and cricket matches—a favoured island sport. We splurged on champagne, gazpacho, yellow-fin tuna tartare and spiced rum roasted pineapple in the shade of cinnamon and neem trees. Von gifted us with a memento, a seed carving he’d crafted along our hike. Inspired by the sailing culture, we booked a day on Eolia, a small yacht, docked at Portofino Marina in Jolly Harbour. Our skipper, Guilliame, and first mate, Shama, glided us along the southwestern coastline to Cades Reef, where we snorkelled with barracuda, Christmas, and sergeant major fish. Antigua is part of Green Fins, a UNEP program to preserve ocean reefs, so we were eco-conscientious. Then we tacked north to Deep Cove’s 1905 shipwreck that now brims with rainbow coloured wrasse and squirrel fish, while Italian designer Giorgio Armani’s cliff side villa stood on watch. For our final sunset we wandered to Cocobay Resort Beach. With classic rum punch, atop Rafters Bar overlooking Little Ffryes Beach we toasted to landing eight beaches on this alluring Leeward Island— and above all, we were rejuvenated mamas. n

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OCTOBER 14, 2021

SPORTS THE SCORE

Whistler Half Marathon moves to Spruce Grove for 2021 return THIS YEAR’S EVENT INCLUDED A HALF MARATHON, 30-KM, 10-KM AND FIVE-KM RACE ALL TAKING PLACE IN THE LOST LAKE TRAILS OVER THREE DAYS

BY HARRISON BROOKS NEITHER SATURDAY’S RAIN nor the weekend’s unpredictable weather could stop the return of the Whistler Half Marathon this past weekend. With the race normally taking place each year in June, this event marks the first in more than two years, and the first to take place 100-per-cent off-road. “It’s so great to have it in person. I think people feel a little bit of like normal, even though we are not out of the woods here for sure,” said race director Dave Clark, about the race now relocated in Spruce Grove Park and the Lost Lake Trails. “The feedback from runners was they loved the course. It was challenging but they really liked it. They were really happy they got to do it but they really liked being out in nature versus previous years where we’ve been a bit of a built environment and a natural environment. We went all-natural environment this year and people seem to really have gravitated to that.” The new off-road format was a particularly nice change of pace for Dutch runner Joost Van Esch who has been training for a marathon in the Netherlands

MARATHON MADNESS Joost Van Esch crosses the finish line one step ahead of Soufiane Ait Driss at Whistler Half Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 10. PHOTO BY HARRISON BROOKS

40 OCTOBER 14, 2021

and isn’t accustomed to running with so much scenery around him. “[My goal was] finish the race, and enjoy the scenery,” he said. “I mean this is incredible, I have to say, especially compared to the Netherlands, which is as flat as you can think of. It was really hard for me to actually come up with a [time goal], given the elevation. You are running at a

discipline with a time of 2:00:28. Blazey, who won the virtual 30-km race last year as well, was aiming for a time of two hours on Sunday. But even though he missed that mark by a mere 28 seconds, he counts the day as a success and is just happy to be back racing again. “It’s so much nicer [in person],” said Blazey. “I missed 2019 mostly because of

“Doing a [30-kilometre] on your own in the rain or in the cold is not quite as motivating as this, so it’s lovely getting everyone out.” - PAUL BLAZEY

certain height and it’s unpaved obviously so I just wanted to run a nice race.” While Van Esch was the first to cross the finish line on Sunday with a time of 1:28:33, narrowly beating Soufiane Ait Driss in a photo finish, he was third in the overall standings for the two-day event. Elizabeth Hirsch, running in the Female 20- to 24-category, was the overall winner clocking a time of 1:23:54 with Cam McNamara finishing second at 1:28:12. Other winners included Cassie Smith in the Female 35- to 39-category with a time of 1:34:00 and Paul Blazey in the 30-kilometre

injury, 2020 was COVID and a baby, so it’s been two and a half years since I really raced. But the break was almost a bit good for me because the body had a chance to heal and get my motivation back, and then getting the crowds and having people to support you on the way round is so much better. Doing a [30-kilometre] on your own in the rain or in the cold is not quite as motivating as this, so it’s lovely getting everyone out. “But yeah, the win was awesome and it was lovely to do it in front of the little one. It’s the first race she’s seen me in, and I win, so that’s nice.”

For most runners, the new course location proved to be more challenging than any half marathons they have run previously, but that wasn’t the case for Sunday’s first female finisher Cassie Smith, whose background is in Ultra trail runs that can span more than double the distance of the 21-km half marathon. But despite her familiarity with longdistance trail runs, she said she didn’t go into the day with any expectations other than to enjoy finally being back to doing in-person events again. “I actually didn’t have any goals. I was just happy to get out racing again and really, I didn’t even think about pacing. I just thought I’ll come out and run by feel and enjoy the day and fortunately for me it felt good today so I just ran hard,” said Smith. “It was absolutely beautiful. I’ve run up in this area just for fun a few times and I haven’t run that particular route, but it’s an amazing time of year to be running with the fall colours and the terrain was nice and just the atmosphere in general here is very lovely [with] positive people.” The event wrapped up on Monday, Oct.11 with the five- and 10-km disciplines. Markus Toolsie-Worsnup was the overall winner of the five-kilometre with a time of 21:27, while Raul Verdu Carbonell took home the win in the 10-km with a time of 38:18. Jenn Kirker and Laura Henderson finished as the top female racers with times of 22:17 and 44:46 in the five- and 10-km, respectively. n

SPORTS THE SCORE

Whistler hockey player set to start year two at Brock University WHISTLER’S CAMIE MATTEAU RUSHBROOK’S SEASON WITH BROCK UNIVERSITY GETS UNDERWAY NEXT WEEK

BY HARRISON BROOKS FOR WHISTLER’S Camie Matteau Rushbrook, receiving the call with an offer to play hockey for the Brock University Badgers while being able to work toward a degree in Sports Management was a dream come true. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that dream didn’t play out quite the way she expected in her first year at Brock. No games, intermittent practices when restrictions allowed and fully online classes made for a challenging first year of university life for Matteau Rushbrook. But heading into Year 2 with courses returning to the classrooms and her first exhibition game with the team scheduled for next week, she could not be more excited for what the year brings. “I’m so excited, it’s been a really long time since I played a game, the energy in the room is just buzzing,” she said. “We are super stoked to see how it goes but no matter how it goes, I think everyone is just happy to be back on the ice and to get COVID behind us.” Not having played any games against university-level competition before, Matteau Rushbrook is still uncertain about where she stacks up on the team but said she is prepared to work hard to establish her position. While she may be unclear about the role she will be playing once the season gets underway in the next couple weeks, her former skills coach at the Whistler Hockey Skills Academy Tim Knight knows exactly what Brock University is getting in Matteau Rushbrook. “They are getting a [player] that is not afraid to work along the wall, get to nets, do the things she has to do. She has all the intangibles, [she’s] a great teammate inside the room, and she’ll do what it takes for the team all the time. She’s kind of like glue for a team,” he said. “She’s … very athletic, she’s strong on her skates. When she’s battling for a puck she’s hard on her stick, she can win these battles, turnover pucks, a good playmaker, good forechecker … and she’s a fierce competitor and a great student.” Knight describes Matteau Rushbrook as a power forward akin to Todd Bertuzzi, who is hard to knock off the puck and can hold you off with one hand while driving to the net with the other. And when asked about her style of play, Matteau Rushbrook, who admits her favourite part of the game is heading to the dirty areas of the ice to dig out pucks for her teammates, attributes her grinder style game to playing boys’ hockey most of her life as opposed to the less physical girl’s game.

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BROCK BADGER Camie Matteau Rushbrook shown here with her AAA team the Vancouver Comets will be suiting up this weekend for her first game with the Brock University Badgers. PHOTO SUBMITTED

“The games are a lot different than people would assume. They are the same sport but girls’ hockey is played completely differently than boys’ hockey, so it was a huge transition thing for me. It took me about half a season to actually get adjusted,” she said about switching over to AAA girls’ hockey for the Greater Vancouver Comets in her last two years of Midget. “I think one of the big things in girls’ hockey is you have more time with the puck. Some of my teammates are absolutely fabulous skaters who could dangle through the whole team, whereas coming from boys’ hockey I didn’t really have that same time with the puck to practice those skills. So that definitely translates from boys’ hockey, I think. And as much as it was a difficult transition, I think it was a positive and I think I got some skills that I might not have had growing up in girls’ hockey.” Beyond working hard in class and hockey, Matteau Rushbrook doesn’t have much in the way of future plans figured out just yet as she’s still deciding what avenue to take in her Sports Management program, but she hopes to be able to move back home to the mountains when her degree is finished. As for Knight, he wishes all the best for Matteau Rushbrook in her university career and hopes one day he’ll see her getting into the coaching side of things. “I wish her the absolute best and I hope she has a great university career. And one day, I hope to see Camie turn into a coach because I think after she’s done her career, she’s going to make a fantastic mentor, a fantastic coach in the game,” he said. “I think she has strong leadership skills and I think she’s going to be someone in society, as an adult, that communities are going to be blessed to have wherever she chooses to live. That’s my greatest hope for Camie.” n

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RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER

NOTICE OF DISPOSITION OF INTEREST IN PROPERTY

This notice is pursuant to sections 24 and 26 of the Community Charter that the Council of the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is considering a resolution to dispose of an interest in property by granting a first mortgage having a value of $33 million to the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) for the purpose of developing affordable employee and retiree housing. The mortgage, in the event of default, would give RBC recourse to land only, and not to the financial interests of the RMOW or its wholly owned subsidiary Whistler 2020 Development Corp (WDC). The mortgage will be registered on those parcels of land commonly referred to as “Cheakamus Crossing, Phase 2” and described as Lots 1 and 4, Plan EPP111931 of PID 026-772-213, Block A District Lot 8073 Group 1 New Westminster District, Except Plan EPP277 (the Lands), and the affordable employee and retiree housing will be developed on Lot 1. The term of the mortgage is less than 5 years. The RMOW is the registered owner of the Lands, and WDC is the beneficial owner of the Lands and is developing the affordable housing on behalf of the RMOW under a development agreement. To that extent, the RMOW is providing assistance to WDC by granting the mortgage as an interest in the municipal Lands.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca OCTOBER 14, 2021

EPICURIOUS

Coasting through the secondannual Whistler Craft Beer Month HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FIRST TWO WEEKS, AND WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE SECOND HALF

BY MEGAN LALONDE WALK INTO THE Raven Room on any given evening, and you’d be hard-pressed not to find at least a few candlelit tables full of locals laughing over B.C. craft brews or creatively concocted cocktails. It’s not as often that you’d find an entire room of people simultaneously enjoying both of those commodities in a single sip. But that was exactly what happened last Wednesday night, Oct. 6, when the Whistler restaurant and cocktail bar hosted a “Battle of the Beer Cocktails,” one of several events taking place throughout the resort in October in celebration of Whistler Craft Beer Month. The gist? Four local bartenders, each tasked with picking one B.C. craft beer and one B.C. craft spirit out of a hat, dreaming up a cocktail that incorporates both, and, a week later, offering up their creation to be judged by a fairly rowdy, packed (but overall very COVID-19 protocol adherent) house. Think of it like Chopped, but with fewer ingredients and more alcohol. Raven Room bartender Dani Crowley capitalized on her home-turf advantage to claim victory (by a single vote!) with her peachy twist on a traditional gin sour.

JUST PEACHY Dani Crowley’s winning concoction at Whistler Craft Beer Month’s “Battle of the Beer Cocktails,” hosted at the Raven Room on Oct. 6 PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE

42 OCTOBER 14, 2021

She earned the win by reducing Coast Mountain Brewing’s new Peach Blonde Sour Ale down to a syrup, combining it with Tofino Distillery’s Rose Hibiscus Gin and topping it with a homemade peach garnish. The drink’s not-so-secret ingredient, as Crowley told the crowd, was Aquafaba, better known to some as chickpea brine. For Crowley’s purposes, it functioned as a vegan alternative to egg whites in helping cultivate the perfect level of froth. So far, the battle has been a highlight

tasting extravaganza that was the Whistler Village Beer Festival, the month-long festivities were brought back for the second year in a row by Gibbons Whistler, in partnership with Tourism Whistler, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, and BC Craft Beer Month. Until Oct. 31, various venues around town have teamed up with B.C. breweries to host a range of events. And it’s not just food-and-beverage venues participating: in addition to more traditional beer brunches

“It’s the support from our locals that keeps the stoke levels high...” - NICOLE KISHI

of Whistler Craft Beer Month for Coast Mountain Brewing sales rep Nicole Kishi— and not just because her brewery’s product helped earn top honours. “It was fantastic to see such a strong female presence in those competing,” she explained. “Three of the four competitors were women!” If you weren’t able to make it to the cocktail competition, there’s no need to stress: Whistler Craft Beer Month might be half over, but that means there’s two weeks’ worth of events and activities left to check out. Originally conceptualized as a COVID19-friendly alternative to the two-day

and tap takeovers, beer enthusiasts can earn their pints at “Sip N’ Stretch” yoga events at the Mountain Club, “Boulder & Beer” climbing at the Core or “BootyCamp and Beers” classes at Altitude Fitness. If you’re looking for a group activity that requires a little less, well, activity, grab at least two pals and head to the Four Seasons’ Braidwood Tavern, where an epic 14-beer tasting paddle highlighting Sea to Sky breweries is on offer. Or, take it down one notch further by relaxing with a beerthemed spa day at Nita Lake Lodge. For Coast Mountain Brewing fans— or anyone who considers themselves a competitive beer drinker, for that

matter—the Function Junction brewery is also hosting a month-long bingo game. Participants are invited to order a Coast Mountain beer at six local venues throughout the month (Tapleys, RMU, Stinky’s, Fitzsimmons Pub, the Beacon and Hunter Gather), and collect a bingo sticker on each occasion. Stop by Coast’s tap house with a completed bingo card by the end of the month to redeem a pint and a raffle ticket, accompanied by a chance to win a custom Coast Mountain Brewing top sheet Prior Snowboard. “We wanted our event/activity to encourage participants to not only visit and support our brewery but other awesome establishments around town as well,” Kishi explained. “It’s been really great so far and we’re stoked to be collaborating with other awesome businesses in this beautiful town … It’s great that we can all work together to encourage our locals and tourists to support our local businesses.” For boutique breweries like Coast Mountain, community-driven events like Whistler Craft Beer Month are an invaluable opportunity to not only highlight their creations, but to deepen those all-important local connections, said Kishi. “It’s the support from our locals that keeps the stoke levels high and drives us to continue creating and making great beer,” she explained. “We make the best quality beer that we possibly can. It’s fantastic that beer-specific events in Whistler can help showcase our product and introduce Coast Mountain to those who haven’t heard of us before.” n

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH OPEN DAILY: 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Passholder access only

Proof of vaccination and government photo ID required for entry

FITNESS CLASS SCHEDULE OCT 14 THURSDAY

I Cardio Bands & Core 7:45-8:45 a.m. Laura

I Aqua Fit Shallow 8:30-9:30 a.m. Marie-Anne

OCT 15 FRIDAY

OCT 17 SUNDAY

I Low Impact: Strength & Stretch 7:45-8:45 a.m. Beth I Sweat Effect 9-10 a.m. Beth

I Low Impact: Strength & Stretch 9-10 a.m. Laura I Zumba 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Susie

OCT 18 MONDAY

OCT 19 TUESDAY

OCT 20 WEDNESDAY

I Yin & Yang I Vakandi Yoga Fit 8:45-9:45 a.m. 6:15-7:15 a.m. Heidi Kim

I Dumbbells & Down Dogs 7:45-8:45 a.m. Lou

*NEW*

I Zumba 10:30-11:30 a.m. Susie

I Full Body Boost 7:45-8:45 a.m. Lou

I Full Body Boost 9-10 a.m. Lou

F Vinyasa Flow 12:15-1:15 p.m. Hailey

I Aqua Fit – Deep 8:30-9:30 a.m. Marie-Anne

R Gentle Fit For Seniors 10:15-11: 15 a.m. Diana

I Dumbbells & Down Dogs 9-10 a.m. Lou

F FLEXIBLE

REGISTRATION Flex-reg’ classes have a separate fee and allow you to register for classes on the days that fit your schedule. R REGISTERED

R Prenatal Fitness 6-7 p.m. Sara

FITNESS Registered fitness classes have a separate fee and a defined start and end date. Pre-registration is required for the entire set of classes.

*NEW*

I Zumba 12:15-1:15 p.m. Carmen

I Zumba 5:45-6:45 p.m. Carmen

I Mountain Ready Conditioning 5:45-6:45 p.m. Steve

I High Intensity Interval Training 6:15-7:15 p.m. Alex

F Spin 5:45-6:45 p.m. Courtney

F Beginner Spin 6-6:45 p.m. Courtney

I Slow Yoga Flow 7:30-8:30 p.m. Laura

*NEW*

I INCLUDED FITNESS These classes are included with your price of admission for no extra charge.

F Dryland Training 7:15-8:30 p.m. Garret

THU 14

OCT 16 SATURDAY

F Dryland Training 7-8:15 p.m. Garret

F Spin 7:30-8:30 p.m. Courtney

ARENA SCHEDULE FRI 15

SAT 16

SUN 17

Drop-In Drop-In Hockey Hockey 8:15-9:45 a.m. 8:15-9:45 a.m.

MON 18

TUE 19

WED 20

Women’s & Oldtimers DIH 8:15-9:45 a.m.

55+ Drop-In Hockey 10-11:30 a.m. Public Skate 12-2 p.m.

PROOF OF VACCINATION REQUIRED FOR ENTRY TO MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE FOR ALL USERS 12+

Public Skate 12-3 p.m.

Public Skate Public Skate 12-3 p.m. 12-3 p.m.

Public Skate 6:30-8 p.m.

Public Skate 12-3 p.m.

Saturdays Drop-In Hockey 10-11:30 a.m.

Drop-In Hockey 10-11:30 a.m.

Public Skate 12-2 p.m.

Public Skate 12-3 p.m.

Public Skate 6:30-8 p.m.

POOL SCHEDULE

Please see whistler.ca/recreation for daily pool hours

whistler.ca/recreation | whistler.ca | 604-935-7529 @RMWhistler |

@rmwhistler |

@rmowhistler

ARTS SCENE

Maury Young Arts Centre to screen two new ski films this month THE TWO FILMS, STOKE THE FIRE AND THE STOMPING GROUNDS WILL BE SCREENED ON OCT. 16 AND 22, RESPECTIVELY

BY HARRISON BROOKS BACK IN THEIR HOMETOWN of Invermere, B.C., Christina Lustenberger and Ian McIntosh once again stare up at the east face of Mount Nelson—something they’ve done thousands of times before while learning to ski in the small mountain town. But this time is different. This time they stare with the knowledge that they will be the first ones ever to ride it. “I mean, even talking about it [now], I still get goosebumps. It was such an exciting day for us,” says Lustenberger about her and McIntosh having the chance to conquer the mountain’s peak for a section in Teton Gravity Research’s (TGR) new film Stoke the Fire. “I had thought about what it would be like to put it all together and put tracks down its face, but everything about that day and leading up to it, I couldn’t have imagined it better or have executed it in a better style with a better partner, so I think it definitely has exceeded any preconceived dreams or thoughts I’ve had about that peak.” Stoke the Fire follows 20 skiers through their excursions in a handful of places across North America including Revelstoke, Mount Dunkirk and Mount Nelson in B.C., Jackson Hole, Wyo., and other locations in Montana and Alaska. After TGR’s last couple of films tackled

SILVER SCREEN STOKE Teton Gravity Research athlete John Collinson gets some air while filming Stoke the Fire earlier this year. PHOTO COURTESY OF TETON GRAVITY RESEARCH

44 OCTOBER 14, 2021

deeper philosophical themes in the world of skiing, Stoke the Fire, one of two new ski movies coming to the Maury Young Arts Centre this month, focuses on the lighter side of the sport and the joy that comes with it while asking the question: what does “the stoke” mean to you? “It’s just that feeling, the stoke. It’s funny, it’s hard to even describe, it’s that feeling of pure joy and happiness, I guess, and it’s taking pure joy and happiness and turning it up to 11,” says McIntosh. “It’s that kind of feeling that makes you want to yell. You can feel stoke whether you

Grounds came together much like how Lustenberger and McIntosh wound up on Mount Nelson. With the COVID-19 restrictions making travel difficult, MSP skiers wanted to stay close to home and just like that, the theme of exploring your own backyard was born. “I have one line toward the end of the movie about exploring the cracks and crevices of what you call home and basically that’s just trying to take a different perspective and look at things for what they are and appreciate everything that’s there,” says Gaffney.

“It’s just that feeling, the stoke. It’s funny, it’s hard to even describe, it’s that feeling of pure joy and happiness” - IAN MCINTOSH

are pushing yourself out on a blue run or you are bagging a first descent somewhere in the world. But I think anyone that gets outside and loves to play in the outdoors has had those moments.” The second film being shown at Maury Young Arts Centre, The Stomping Grounds, is a Matchstick Productions (MSP) creation aiming to tackle that same backyard adventure feeling that Lustenberger and McIntosh experienced while filming Stoke the Fire in their hometown. According to the film’s director Scott Gaffney, the idea behind The Stomping

“You know the old saying stop and smell the roses? Well, if you do that and slow down and look around there is a lot more available to you that we could kind of make use of and really enjoy.” The Stomping Grounds explores the terrain of several North American ski resorts through the eyes of those who live there and ride them the most. Locations include Whistler, Lake Tahoe, Calif., Sun Valley, Idaho and even a section from Norway filmed by a Norwegian crew. But despite all the world-class mountains explored by the athletes in

the film, Gaffney says that the highlight actually came from Shames Mountain, just outside Terrace, B.C. where they had a chance to ride with a local ski legend, Adrien Grabinski. “This guy is basically an unknown, he’s a ski patrol director and he ends up just ruling this segment with Mark Abma,” says Gaffney. “He’s kind of the grunt guy behind the scenes of the whole workings of Shames but we heard he was a ripper and we set it up ahead of time that they were going to take him heli-skiing. But he had no idea, and these guys presented the idea to him after skiing with him for a couple days at Shames. It was a pretty cool moment in the movie.” When asked what they hope viewers take away from their films both Gaffney and Stoke the Fire producer Charlotte Percle had the same answer. They just want people to leave the screening excited to hit the mountains and explore their own backyards this ski season. “No matter what will be going on in the world, we are still going to be able to go ski with our friends. And if not, you can still go outside and be in the outdoors which is the most important part of what we do anyways,” says Percle. “Just remembering that there will always be a day where you can find joy some way with your friends is the essence of what we were trying to do.” The screenings of Stoke the Fire will take place Saturday Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. for all ages and again at 9:30 p.m. for viewers 19 years of age and older. The Stomping Grounds will be screened the following Friday, Oct. 22 with showings at 7 p.m. for the general public and 9:30 p.m. for viewers 19 and up. n

ARTS SCENE

Make Roland’s Pub your NFL headquarters NFL is back!

Ca atch all the action on Thursday nights, all day Sundays, and Monday nights. Volume on select games! Food & drink specials every day!

BOOK REVIEW We Want What We Want delivers a sampling plate of thorny relational questions, presented in tasty, bite-size chunks. PHOTO BY KATE HESKETT

Changing Track: Ohlin’s Tantalizing Tales BOOK REVIEW: WE WANT WHAT WE WANT BY ALIX OHLIN

BY KATE HESKETT WE WANT WHAT WE WANT is a collection of short stories from two-time Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist, Alix Ohlin. The 13 discrete tales—there are no crossover characters—offer an experience akin to being thrown blindfolded from a plane and landing on a series of fertile, volcanic islands: each one distinct from the last, yet also connected, as if tethered to a seismic fault line of human contradiction. Ohlin has an uncanny way of dropping the reader smack-bang in the middle of the action. In “Casino,” we land at the table of a tense, ritual booze-up between screwdriver-sipping sisters. In “Money, Geography, Youth,” we step off the plane with Vanessa, who returns home from a gap year in Ghana to discover that her father is engaged to her childhood best friend, and they’re living together in her family home. In “Taxonomy” we join Ed on a road trip to the house of his estranged dead wife, to meet his daughter’s previously unknown half-brother. Other stories, such as “The Point of No Return,” “The Detectives” and “Nights Back Then,” deftly traverse the terrain of changing perspectives and emotions over time. This is an area of continued interest for Ohlin. In an interview with the CBC about her book, Dual Citizens, Ohlin said, “The self is a complicated thing, it’s protean and shifting … One of the things that fascinates me about fiction, and stories, is the opportunity that it gives us to think about people at different stages of their lives.” How she manages to fit such explorations into 24 pages or less has to be read to be believed. Each unique in narrative and context, the stories are nonetheless tied together with a consistent voice, each ending

with a sentence or paragraph that evokes simultaneous feelings of loss and longing, hope and acceptance: an acknowledgement, without judgment, of human nature and the inevitability of personal failure. Themes of questionable morality and ethical grey areas abound, and are directly addressed in “Service Intelligence.” The story begins with a university drop-out telling us about a philosophy class she enjoyed, where the age-old trolley question is posed, the “famous conundrum involving whether you’d kill one person to save a bunch of others.” Ohlin proposes, across all 13 stories, that the answer to the trolley question might come down to personal desire: that despite our best efforts at detached thought, our personal decisions will ultimately be driven by emotion. The guru of “The Brooks Brothers Guru” surmises that “… human desire cause[s] pain and difficulty in the world, but our will is intractable. We want what we want. So what do we do about this? How do we find relief?” Carefully crafted to linger on the palate, We Want What We Want delivers a sampling plate of thorny relational questions, presented in tasty, bite-size chunks. Kate Heskett is an award-winning poet and writer. They live in Whistler and are working on their first novel. Moderator Alix Ohlin will be at the Whistler Writers Festival on Sunday, October 16 at 11 a.m. for brunch and an insightful, wide-ranging conversation with authors Eden Robinson (Return of the Trickster), Robert Jones Jr. (The Prophets), M.G. Vassanji (What You Are), George Elliott Clarke (Where Beauty Survived: An Africadian Memoir) and Omar El Akkad (What Strange Paradise). Tickets are available at whistlerwritersfest.com/ n

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Whistler & Pemberton Making lives better

shannon.kirkwood@nursenextdoor.com 604 747-2847 OCTOBER 14, 2021

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Valley Trail Detour ±

2.5 ha

_ ^

R 1.5 ha

_ ^ _ ^

Potential Access Points

Stand Plots Threat Plots Trail Treatment Unit Highway 99 Road Private Land 20m Contours

37.5

150 m

On October 12, fuel thinning crews will begin treating areas near Whistler Secondary School. Work will take place between the high school and the Valley Trail as well as north of the school grounds. Closure of the Valley Trail will be required from the Rainbow neighborhood intersection to the Alpine Meadows intersection at Highway 99 and Alpine Way. Please use the Valley Trail on the west side of Highway 99. The project is expected to take one month to complete.

Learn more about these and other fuel reduction projects at whistler.ca/FuelThinning. Resort Municipality of Whistler Whistler.ca/FuelThinning

46 OCTOBER 14, 2021

ARTIFACTS HELP TELL OUR STORY This Troy Lee Designs helmet is just one of the many artifacts recently donated to the Whistler Museum, which will help fill a gap in our collection—mountain biking. PHOTO COURTESY OF WHISTLER MUSEUM & ARCHIVES

The times they are a-changing in Whistler’s historical collections BY ALYSSA BRUIJNS TIMES ARE CHANGING in the world of archival and artifact collections, and it’s definitely hard to keep up with the resulting backlog. This is a good problem to have, because it means the community trusts the museum to preserve its past. We have had a significant increase in the number and size of donations to the Whistler Museum and Archives over the past two years (thanks to those who donated!), and we hope we will continue to be on the minds of locals when older things are looking for a new home. We have a few theories as to what led to the increase of donations, the main one being that the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying lockdowns and business closures allowed some locals the time to do a bit of cleaning and clearing of their homes. While the influx of donations is a particular challenge for us in terms of having enough storage space, it’s also very exciting for the Collections Department here, as there have been items donated on more varied subjects, which can help us fill gaps in our collections. For instance, we have welcomed more documents on the origins of Blackcomb Mountain, more artifacts and photographs relating to the history of snowboarding in the area, a large collection of Whistler Pride documents and artifacts, and even some of the COVID19 signs, which were put up in Whistler Village during 2020. It is very important to us that our collections reflect the community we serve, and this can be a difficult task at times due to donations being a voluntary and charitable act. We always encourage

donations, and for locals to remind others that donating items to the Whistler Museum is a much-appreciated option before sending older items and documents to the trash. It’s not just our own collections at the museum that are changing, but also the types of media being donated to archives in general. Photographs, videos, and documents that were born in a digital environment are now being donated to archives, and we are no exception here. USB sticks, hard drives, and .jpg files have been donated to the Whistler Museum and Archives this year, heralding the Age of Information, which will surely make the process of archiving more complex over time. If a donor were to donate the entire contents of their email account, it would make for some very gruelling description work for entering into the archival catalogue, which connects researchers to our collections, and this is just one part of that growing complexity for archivists. In this day and age, data, photos, and files are being created at ever-increasing speeds as technology smooths the path. While this may help future generations learn about ours due to the wealth of evidence we’ve created, it also makes it very difficult to weed through our data to decide what is of value and worth keeping. Endless information is only useful if it is mapped in some way to allow us to access the information that is meaningful to us. For the time being, the Whistler Museum and Archives has still been able to keep up with the amount of born-digital donations, but the future of preserving the history of Whistler through digital means may become more complicated in the coming decades! n

PARTIAL RECALL

VILLAGE VIEWS The perfect spot to take a break from Turkey Sale shopping over the Thanksgiving long weekend. PHOTO BY MONICA SUAREZ. 2 BIRD’S EYE VIEW Jesslyn Gates chats with a Whisky Jack during an unseasonably sunny trip to Joffre Lakes Provincial Park on Thursday, Oct.7. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 3 BYE FOR (S)NOW Elise Dore finished off the Whistler Mountain Bike Park season with a few frozen laps during closing weekend. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4 SCAREDY CAT 1

Babadook is one of the more than 20 cats and kittens currently receiving care at Whistler Animals Galore (WAG), after two litters of kittens were recently orphaned. Those interested in donating to the animals’ care can do so at whistlerwag.com 5 HIGH HONOURS The Fairmont Chateau Whistler was named Canada’s best resort by Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 10 Resorts in Canada: Readers’ Choice Awards last week. The Upper Village property was the first of four local resorts that earned a spot on the prestigious top 10 list this year: Creekside’s Nita Lake came fourth place, followed by Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside in fifth. The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler was also named on the list,

PHOTOS SUBMITTED.

landing in eighth place. PHOTO COURTESY OF FAIRMONT CHATEAU WHISTLER. 6 AURORA BOREALIS Local photographer Christie FitzPatrick snapped this incredible image of Monday night’s Aurora Borealis display with her iPhone shortly after her flight left YVR on Oct. 11. The northern lights lit up skies across British Columbia courtesy of a solar flare. PHOTO BY CHRISTIE FITZPATRICK.

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Free Will Astrology WEEK OF OCTOBER 14 BY ROB BREZSNY

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to my understanding of the upcoming weeks, life will present you with unusual opportunities. I suspect you will find it reasonable and righteous to shed, dismantle, and rebel against the past. Redefining your history will be a fun and worthy project. Here are other related activities I recommend for you: 1. Forget and renounce a longrunning fear that has never come true. 2. Throw away a reminder of an old experience that makes you feel bad. 3. Freshen your mood and attitude by moving around the furniture and decor in your home. 4. Write a note of atonement to a person you hurt once upon a time. 5. Give yourself a new nickname that inspires you to emancipate yourself from a pattern or habit you want to leave behind. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus poet Donte Collins’ preferred pronouns are “they” and “them.” They describe themself as Black, queer, and adopted. “A lover doesn’t discourage your growth,” they write. “A lover says, ‘I see who you are today, and I cannot wait to see who you become tomorrow.’” I hope you have people like that in your life, Taurus—lovers, friends, allies, and relatives. If there is a scarcity of such beloved companions in your life, the next eight weeks will be an excellent time to round up new ones. And if you are connected with people who delight in your progress and evolution, deepen your connection with them. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author Lisa Cron advises her fellow writers, “Avoid exclamation points! Really!! Because they’re distracting!! Almost as much as CAPITALIZING THINGS!!!” I’ll expand her counsel to apply not just to writers, but to all of you Geminis. In my astrological opinion, you’re likely to find success in the coming weeks if you’re understated, modest, and unmelodramatic. Make it your goal to create smooth, suave, savvy solutions. Be cagey and cool and crafty. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu told us that water is in one sense soft and passive, but is in another sense superb at eroding jams and obstacles that are hard and firm. There’s a magic in the way its apparent weakness overcomes what seems strong and unassailable. You are one of the zodiac’s top wielders of water’s superpower, Cancerian. And in the coming weeks, it will work for you with even more amazing grace than usual. Take full advantage of your sensitivity, your emotional intelligence, and your empathy. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo author James Baldwin told us, “You read something which you thought only happened to you, and you discover that it happened 100 years ago to [Russian novelist] Fyodor Dostoyevsky. This is a great liberation for the suffering, struggling person, who always thinks that he is alone.” In that spirit, Leo, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to track down people who have had pivotal experiences similar to yours, either in the distant or recent past. These days, you need the consoling companionship they can provide. Their influence could be key to liberating you from at least some of your pain. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Octavio Paz described two kinds of distraction. One is “the distraction of the person who is always outside himself, lost in the trivial, senseless, turmoil of everyday life.” The other is “the distraction of the person who withdraws from the world in order to shut himself up in the secret and ever-changing land of his fantasy.” In my astrological opinion, you Virgos should specialize in the latter during the coming weeks. It’s time to reinvigorate your relationship with your deep inner sources. Go in search of the reverent joy that comes from communing with your tantalizing mysteries. Explore the riddles at the core of your destiny. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “We must never be afraid to go too far, for truth lies beyond,” declared novelist Marcel Proust. I wouldn’t normally offer that counsel to you Libras. One of your strengths is your skill at maintaining

healthy boundaries. You know how to set dynamic limits that are just right: neither too extreme nor too timid. But according to my analysis of the astrological potentials, the coming weeks will be one of those rare times when you’ll be wise to consider an alternative approach: that the most vigorous truths and liveliest energies may lie beyond where you usually go. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author William S. Burroughs claimed his greatest strength was a “capacity to confront myself no matter how unpleasant.” But he added a caveat to his brag: Although he recognized his mistakes, he rarely made any corrections. Yikes! Dear Scorpio, I invite you to do what Burroughs couldn’t. Question yourself about how you might have gone off course, but then actually make adjustments and atonements. As you do, keep in mind these principles: 1. An apparent mistake could lead you to a key insight or revelation. 2. An obstruction to the flow may prod you to open your mind and heart to a liberating possibility. 3. A snafu might motivate you to get back to where you belong. 4. A mess could show you something important you’ve been missing. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In her novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Sagittarian author Shirley Jackson wrote, “Today my winged horse is coming, and I am carrying you off to the moon, and on the moon we will eat rose petals.” I wonder what you would do if you received a message like that—an invitation to wander out on fanciful or mysterious adventures. I hope you’d be receptive. I hope you wouldn’t say, “There are no such things as flying horses. It’s impossible to fly to the moon and eat rose petals.” Even if you don’t typically entertain such whimsical notions, the time is favourable to do so now. I bet you will be pleased with the unexpected grace they bring your way. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn author Susan Sontag wrote about people who weren’t receptive to her intensity and intelligence. She said she always had “a feeling of being ‘too much’ for them—a creature from another planet—and I would try to scale myself down to size, so I could be apprehendable and lovable by them.” I understand the inclination to engage in such self-diminishment. We all want to be appreciated and understood. But I urge you to refrain from taming and toning yourself down too much in the coming weeks. Don’t do what Sontag did. In my astrological opinion, it’s time for you to be an extra vivid version of yourself. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “I am diagnosed with not having enough insanely addictive drugs coursing through my body,” joked comedian Sarah Silverman. Judging from current cosmic rhythms, I’m inclined to draw a similar conclusion about you. It may be wise for you to dose yourself with intoxicants. JUST KIDDING! I lied. Here’s the truth: I would love for you to experience extra rapture, mystic illumination, transcendent sex, and yes, even intoxication in the coming weeks. My analysis of the astrological omens suggests these delights are more likely and desirable than usual. However, the best way to arouse them is by communing with your favourite non-drug and non-alcohol inebriants. The benefits will last longer and incur no psychological cost. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “The truth is,” writes cartoonist Bill Watterson, “most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive.” I sense this will describe your life during the next six weeks. Your long, strange journey won’t come to an end, of course. But a key chapter in that long, strange journey will climax. You will be mostly finished with lessons you have been studying for many moons. The winding road you have been following will end up someplace in particular. And sometime soon, I suspect you’ll spy a foreshadowing flash of this denouement.

Homework: What subject are you trying to avoid thinking about? https://Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

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

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It is with deep sadness that the family of Tim McGuire is letting you know of his passing after a short, valiant and fierce battle with cancer which took him too soon. Born in Ottawa, Tim grew up in Hawkesbury, Kenora, Rothesay, La Tuque and Ottawa. He spent many happy years living and working in Ottawa but his home and his heart have been in the mountains in Whistler where he lived for almost 30 years.

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Fiercely independent, Tim always lived life on his own terms. He was involved in several businesses over the years, but is best known for a successful career in the hotel and property management business. Timmer, as his friends called him, was a charmer, with a sparkle in his eyes and an easy laugh. Tim was a CSIA skier, a golfer, a talented hockey player with "great wheels", a musician (guitar, harmonica, and bass) and a loyal friend. Intelligent and full of integrity, Tim was a kind man who was always ready to help others. During a holiday to the Dominican Republic he bought and distributed baseball bats to local teams in need. Tim also spent hours fostering animal shelter dogs, enabling damaged animals to rehabilitate so they could be adopted into loving homes. The McGuire family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at The Squamish Hospital and The Sea to Sky Hospice for their professionalism, skill and commitment to Tim in treating the illness but also for the kindness and care they brought to supporting Tim through this difficult journey. In lieu of flowers please consider donations in Tim’s memory to WAGS, the Whistler Animal Galore Society (www.whistlerwag.com) where Tim was an active volunteer or to The Squamish Sea to Sky Hospice (seatoskyhospicesociety.ca) where Tim was cared for so kindly in his final days. Most of all, please take a moment to raise a toast to the special person that Tim was.

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52 OCTOBER 14, 2021

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BISTRO TEAM LEAD / BARISTAS GUEST EXPERIENCE AGENTS GUEST EXPERIENCE TEAM LEADS RESERVATIONS AGENT RESERVATIONS TEAM LEAD SPA EXPERIENCE AGENTS NIGHT CLEANER SUPERVISOR MAINTENANCE HELPER MAINTENANCE MANAGER

Please send resume to: Email: info@whistlerexcavations.com

We are currently recruiting professionally minded people to join our team. Required: Class 1 or Class 3 Truck Drivers Please send resume to: Email: info@whistlerexcavations.com

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Employment Opportunities • Equipment Operator III - Roads • Skate Host - Whistler Olympic Plaza Ice Rink • Recreation Cashier - Whistler Olympic Plaza Ice Rink • Supervisor, Bylaw Services Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers

Property Maintenance and Services Ltd. is looking for: 1 X ALL YEAR ROUND MAINTENANCE ASSOCIATE AND WINTER LEAD 1 X MECHANICAL SNOW REMOVAL / SNOW PLOW OPERATOR 1 X WINTER SNOW REMOVAL LEAD - Manual 8 X SNOW REMOVAL TEAM MEMBERS

$20 to $25 Wage, Dependent on Experience Performance-based Salary Increase • Vacation Pay $600 Lifestyle Bonus Interested? Email Resume to: snowburstwhistler@gmail.com

OCTOBER 14, 2021

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Employers hoping to find workers

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NOW HIRING Deli, Bakery, Produce, Grocery and Meat Clerks Cashiers Full or Part Time E-mail or drop in your resume to: bruce_stewart@nestersmarket.com please cc ian_fairweather@nestersmarket.com or call us at 604-932-3545

PERKS • Competitive wage – Depending on experience • Access to medical and dental benefits for full time applicants • Percentage discount from store bought goods • Flexible and set schedule • Relative training

2 9 YEAR ROUND OPPORTUNITIES

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At Tourism Whistler, we are a collaborative HARD team with a passion for where we live and what we do. If you love mountain culture and want to join an innovative and supportive team, we are now hiring for the following positions:

provincial ministers at annual convention

VAX PASS

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INFORMATIO N

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• Network Administrator (Full Time, Year Round) • Maintenance Technician/Cleaner (Full Time, Year Round) • Visitor Centre Agent (Full Time & Part Time, Year Round)

# 57excellent 6 4 1 2 7 5 9 3 8 What we offer: flexible schedule, benefits, and a great team environment.8 5 3 4 9 6 1 2 7 What we’re looking for: individuals with2 7 9 1 3 8 4 6 5 outstanding customer service skills, a high 7 6 2 5 8 1 3 9 4 level of enthusiasm and initiative, and a3 1 8 7 4 9 2 5 6 love of Whistler.

5 9 4 6 2 3 8 7 1

TO VIEW OUR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES,9 3 6 8 5 4 7 1 2 AND TO APPLY, VISIT US ONLINE AT 1 8 7 9 6 2 5 4 3 WHISTLER.COM/CAREERS.

4 2 5 3 1 7 6 8 9

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EXCITING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, APPLY TODAY!

LOOKING FOR A CHANGE OF SCENERY? We have the following positions available to join our well established family practice: REGISTERED DENTAL HYGIENIST (FT or PT) who is a team player, hard working, able to multi-task, and is very personable. New grads welcome! No weekend or evening shifts! Free parking in Creekside! Extended benefits package provided after 3 months of employment. Please send your resume to: managercreeksidedentalwhistler@gmail.com

Diamond Resorts Canada Ltd., Whistler, BC

Full & Part Time Housekeepers Full Time Member Experience Associate Full Time Maintenance Technician

Eligible successful candidates may receive*:

• Extensive benefits package which may include; ski pass or wellness allowance, disability coverage, travel insurance and extended health and dental. • Travel Allowance and discounted employee rates at any Diamond Resort International resort.

COME BE A PART OF OUR TEAM!

• Full-time work year round and a FUN work environment. *eligibility and conditions based on DRCL policies and practices set out in general terms and conditions of employment.

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

Climate Action and Resilience Specialist (Full-time, Regular)

Lil’wat Nation Employment Opportunities

• Land Use Referral Research Assistant • Finance Manager • Education Assistant - Community School • High School Teacher - Community School • Education Jurisdiction Coordinator • Community Advocacy Representative • Indigenous Support Worker Casual- Ts’zil Learning Centre • Early Childhood Educator and/or Assistant - Daycare • Early Childhood Educator Infant Toddler - Daycare • Administrative Assistant to Health Director

Benefits Pension Plan Employee Assistance Program Extended Health Benefits Professional Development Gym facility Please visit our career page for more information: lilwat.ca/careers/career-opportunities-2/

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is located in southwestern BC and consists of four member municipalities (Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet) and 4 electoral areas. The region contains some of the most spectacular forests, waterways, and mountains in the province and affords an endless range of opportunities for outdoor adventure. Headquartered in Pemberton, which is the approximate geographic centre of the region, the SLRD delivers a wide range of regional, subregional and local services to its residents. Services include land use planning, solid waste management, building inspection, fire protection, emergency preparedness, 911 services, recreation, water and sewer utilities, regional transit, trails and open spaces as well as financial support for various community services. The SLRD is seeking an experienced and collaborative individual to fill the position of Climate Action and Resilience Specialist. Reporting to the Director of Protective Services, this position is responsible for coordinating the SLRD’s overall approach to climate action and resilience, and the implementation and monitoring of related strategies. The ideal candidate will possess: a post secondary degree in environmental studies, community planning, sustainability, climate change, disaster risk reduction, or a related discipline; and a minimum of 5 years of professional experience developing and advancing climate action policies, programs and initiatives (an equivalent combination of experience, training and education may be considered). For further information, please refer to the full job description at www.slrd.bc.ca/employment. Salary will be determined commensurate with experience. This position also offers a comprehensive benefits package, participation in the Municipal Pension Plan, a compressed work week and the possibility to work from home. Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume with a cover letter by email, no later than October 31, 2021 at 11:59 pm, to: Monica Halitzki, Human Resources Manager Squamish-Lillooet Regional District mhalitzki@slrd.bc.ca We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those shortlisted for an interview will be contacted.

OCTOBER 14, 2021

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Home Improvement and Building Supply Centre

WE ARE HIRING! Full-time/Part-time Sales Associates We are looking for motivated individuals with excellent customer service skills to join our team! • Competitive Wages • Extended Health Benefits • Ski Pass or Wellness Fund Allowance Please send your resume to whistleradmin@windsorply.ca or apply within. #107-1055 Millar Creek Rd., Whistler, BC V8E 0K7 www.windsorplywood.com

GARIBALDI GRAPHICS

PART TIME SALES ASSOCIATE Applicants must be friendly, professional and enjoy multi-tasking. Duties include customer service and performing a variety of print jobs. 2-3 days per week. Monday shift required other day(s) flexible Please apply in person to 1200 Alpha Lake Road in Function Junction or email resume to whistler@garibaldigraphics.com

Domino’s Pizza in Whistler is

NOW HIRING: ALL POSITIONS

• Customer Service Representative • Delivery Experts (Drivers) • Assistant Managers All positions can earn 20$/hour minimum Subsidized accommodations and profit sharing available Apply in store between 11am-4pm Monday thru Sunday at 4368 Main Street, Whistler

604-932-0410

MAEGAN@BCDOMINOS.COM

Flexible hours that let you do your thing, whatever your thing is. Part-time Crew Member $17.00 per hour Full-time Crew Member $18.00 per hour Food Service Supervisors $19.00 per hour Visit us on Hiring Tuesdays (11am-7pm) at 130-4370 Lorimer Rd., Whistler, BC or send your application to sheryll.cu@post.mcdonalds.ca ©2021 McDonald’s

56 OCTOBER 14, 2021

EXCITING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, APPLY TODAY! Diamond Resorts Canada Ltd., Whistler, BC

Off Property Contacts &Vacation Counselors (full time) Eligible successful candidates may receive*: • Extensive benefits package which may include; ski pass or wellness allowance, disability coverage, travel insurance and extended health and dental. • Six figure earning potential! • Discounted employee rates at any Diamond Resort International resort. • Full-time work year round and a FUN work environment. *eligibility and conditions based on DRCL policies and practices set out in general terms and conditions of employment.

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

Whistler Premier Resorts, Whistler’s leading property management firm is currently recruiting!

What We Offer You:

• Full Time Positions • Competitive Wages • • Discounted Ski Pass • Discounted Employee Rates • • Supportive Team Environment • Staff Housing • • Opportunities for growth & more • • Signing Bonus •

The current career opportunities are:

ROOM ATTENDANT GUEST SERVICE AGENT ROOM •ATTENDANT NIGHT AUDIT HOUSEMAN/INSPECTOR GUEST• SERVICE AGENT PARTNIGHT TIME MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN AUDIT • HOUSEMAN APPLY TODAY AT PEOPLE@WHISTLERPREMIER.COM

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Maintenance • Concierge • Reservations • Housekeeping Loss Prevention Manager • Assistant Director of Finance

• $1000 Winter Wellness Package • Travel Perks and Benefits • Complimentary meal at work • Recognition and Rewards • Subsidized Staff Accommodation • Growth Opportunities • Flexible Schedules

Teppan Village is hiring Japanese Teppanyaki Chefs in Whistler. JOB DUTIES: • Prepare and cook Teppanyaki and other Japanese food including Sushi. • Ensure food meets quality standards. • Estimate food requirements and cooking time. • Instruct Kitchen Helpers and Cooks in preparation, cooking, and presentation of food. • Assist Head Chef and supervise cooks and kitchen helpers. • Inspecting ingredients for quality and freshness and supervising all food preparation. • Create new menu, recipes and specials. • Ensure to provide excellent live cooking presentation and customer services at the Teppanyaki bar. • Work as a team and ensure orders are completed in timely manner. • Ensure Teppan cooking presentations are performed in most safe environment. QUALIFICATIONS: • Completion of High School and 2-3 years of experience as a cook/chef. • Experience as a Teppanyaki Cook/Chef an asset.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS The Bearfoot Bistro, Whistler’s premier fine dining restaurant is growing its team.

We are hiring for the following kitchen and dining room positions: KITCHEN POSITIONS

DINING ROOM POSITIONS

AM Junior Sous-Chef Catering Cooks Pastry Cooks First Cooks Dishwashers

Servers Food Runners Vodka Ice Room Hosts Bartenders

We offer year-round or seasonal employment, industry leading wages, signing bonuses, extended health benefits, RRSP / TFSA matching, staff meals, staff discounts at Listel Hospitality Group’s restaurants & hotels in Whistler and Vancouver.

• Good understanding of Japanese food and Teppanyaki food.

All season, Permanent, Full-time, 30 hours per week, $25 per hour, 4% vacation pay Start Date: As soon as possible. Language of work is English Address: 301-4293 Mountain Square, Whistler, BC, V0N 1B4 Apply by email at teppanvillage@shaw.ca

Please send your resume to Simon Watkins at simon@bearfootbistro.com for all kitchen positions and to Jessica Gray at Jessica@bearfootbistro.com for the dining room positions.

BEARFOOT BISTRO

4121 Village Green - Adjacent to Listel Hotel (604) 932 3433 - bearfootbistro.com

OCTOBER 14, 2021

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THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS Maury Young Arts Centre | 604.935.8410 Looking for a fun hustle? Attn:side Anna Lynch

WORK WITH US!

Apply to getinvolved@artswhistler.com

artswhistler.com/careers

An opportunity to grow with the business for the right applicant. Shifts vary.

Apply today! Job description at

Assistant Manager: 4-5 days/wk

Must have Serving It Right

We are currently (casual, part-time) recruiting for:

Sales Associate: 2-3 days/wk

Bartenders Bartenders recruiting for:

(casual, part-time) We are currently Must have Serving It Right

WITH US! WORK

Job description description at at Apply today! Job

E-mail resume:

smallpotatoesbazaar@telus.net Deadline: October 21st, 2021

artswhistler.com/careers

Apply to to getinvolved@artswhistler.com getinvolved@artswhistler.com Apply Attn: Anna Anna Lynch Lynch Attn: Maury Young Young Arts Arts Centre Centre || 604.935.8410 604.935.8410 Maury

Looking for a fun side hustle?

NOW HIRING:

NOW HIRING THE FOLLOWING ATV & BUGGY GUIDES CANOE FULL TIMEGUIDES ROLES:

JOIN JOE'S CULINARY TEAM! TEAM BENEFITS INCLUDE: • • • • • • •

Wages Above Industry Standard Gratuities Retention Bonus Accommodation Options Immediate Medical & Dental Benefits Employee Discounts Staff Meal

JEEP GUIDES E-BIKE GUIDES SNOWMOBILE GUIDES SHUTTLE DRIVERS RESERVATION AGENTS

SNOWSHOE GUIDES

We offer a fun, outdoor work environment with a great team of like-minded individuals. An always changing, always challenging work day with the opportunity to connect with people from all over the world. Flexible schedules and amazing staff parties are definite perks of the job.

SHUTTLE DRIVERS

Full job descriptions at: www.canadianwilderness.com/employment/

GUEST EXPERIENCE REPS If you are interested in joining our team, please submit your resume to employment@canadian01.com

IN RESORT MARKETING PERKS INCLUDE: TOP INDUSTRY PAY – SPIRIT PASS PROGRAM – FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE – FREE ACTIVITIES – FRIENDS & FAMILY DISCOUNTS

INTERVIEWS

Drop-in or email hr@joefortes.ca to pre-schedule. 4417 Sundial Place Whistler BC 58 OCTOBER 14, 2021

Visit canadianwilderness.com/employment for full job description and how to apply.

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We've Got You Covered The Pinnacle Hotel Whistler has the following positions available:

LAUNDRY ATTENDANTS, ROOM ATTENDANTS, HOUSEMAN AND MAINTENANCE POSITIONS HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR VISITORS’ GUIDE 2017-2018 FREE

Please reply by email: parmstrong@pinnaclehotels.ca

Now Hiring:

EXPERIENCED CARPENTERS Competitive Wages - Benefits Package Year Round - Full Time Send Resume and Cover Letter to: connect@tmbuilders.ca

CALL THE EXPERTS

Want to advertise your service on this page? ACCOUNTING

Remote Controller-CFO Accounting Services Financial Statements

Call Pique at (604) 938-0202, or email sales@piquenewsmagazine.com

LANDSCAPING

Without a

SPECIALIZING IN OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES Landscape Design & Installation Seasonal Planters

Accounting Assistance 3rd Party Reports Staffing • Tax

We are booking 2022 maintenance contracts. Call us to set up your property visit. whistlercontroller@gmail.com

SNOW PLOWING/EXCAVATING

BB Snow Plowing and Excavations

Commercial Snow Plowing in Pemberton Heavy Equipment operator - Full Time / Part-Time • Skid Steer • Backhoe • Plow Truck

604.902.1350 • www.withoutahitch.ca WELLNESS Carol English Wellness Services 25 years experience in providing individually-tailored, premium skin care, aesthetic & wellness services. Environ Advanced Active Vitamin A, C & E Facials Innopen Medical Needling Waxing, Lash + Brow Tinting Massage Reiki + Bio Energy Healing Appointments available in Whistler & Pemberton

Please contact: birkenbackhoe@gmail.com 604-698-7902

604-966-4868 Locals day Tuesday in Whistler! 15% discount on services (mention when booking)

OCTOBER 14, 2021

CALL THE EXPERTS

Want to advertise your service on this page? ALTERATIONS

Call Pique at (604) 938-0202, or email sales@piquenewsmagazine.com

BLINDS ETC.

PROFESSIONAL SEWING SERVICE

SUNCREST WINDOW COVERINGS

• Custom Garments • Curtains • Cushions • Upholstery • Sewing Classes

Custom Blinds • Shades • Draperies

Tel: 604-935-2101 Email: windowcov@shaw.ca www.whistlerwindowcoverings.ca

BLINDS ETC.

CARPET CLEANING

WINDOW COVERINGS

BLACK BEAR CARPET CLEANING LTD.

Whistler’s Source for Blinds since 1989

David Weldon

• SHUTTERS • DRAPERY

Connie Griffiths

604.967.2422 whistlersewing@gmail.com www.whistlersewing.com

david@summersnow.ca 604-938-3521

• BLINDS • SHADES

• • • •

Wood blinds Sunscreens Shades Motorization

• Carpets • Upholstery • Tiles • Car Interiors

Custom Window Treatments Contact us today for a free quote or consultation info@suncrestwindowcoverings.com

604.698.8406

CLEANING

• Furnace • Airducts • Dryer vents

Coast Mountain Cleaning • Full service cleaning • Residential & Commercial • Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning • Property Maintenance • Established 2011 We follow all VCH, Min of Health and WHO Covid 19 protocols

Insured & Bondable • Criminal background checks on all staff

www.summersnow.ca

100% ECO FRIENDLY CERTIFIED

Summer Snow Finishings Limited

www.blackbearcarpetcleaning.ca • 604 698 6610

CHIMNEY

FURNITURE

BLACKCOMB CHIMNEY PATROL LTD. Serving Whistler since 1986

604-966-1437

coastmountaincleaning@gmail.com

We use tea tree oil based cleaning products.

GLASS

Free delivery from Pemberton to vancouver

AUTO GLASS SPECIALISTS

Specialized in cleaning

· Frameless Shower Enclosures · Complete Window/Door Packages · Custom Railing Glass Systems · Fogged/Failed Window Replacements

Chimneys, Furnace & Airducts, Dryer vents.

mountainglass.ca | info@mountainglass.ca

604.932.1388 / 1.877.932.5775 blackcombchimney@yahoo.ca

604-932-7288

Available for private viewings. Tel: 604-868-0117 7322 Old Mill rd, Pemberton,bc

THE COMPLETE GLASS CENTRE

HEATING AND COOLING

PAINT

HOME SERVICES

Western Technical System Inc

HVAC/R

FOR ALL YOUR HOUSEHOLD & COMMERCIAL NEEDS

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

• Carpentry • Tiling • Drywall Repairs • Texture Finishing • Renovations • Installation • Painting • Plumbing • Snow Removal • Appliance Repairs Ask Us About • Mine Sweeping Your Home ROB PIDGEON • 604-932-7707 • Bonded & Insured

find us on

www.birdhouseservices.com BirdhouseServices@gmail.com

Our paint team has over 25 years combined paint sales experience, and we can help you get things right the first time. Now offering In Home Paint Consultations! Pemberton Valley Rona. Let us help you love where you live.

Residential/Commercial Heat Pumps Boilers-Furnaces-Chillers Design Build Call us today! 778-994-3159 www.westerntechnical.net

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

604-894-6240 7426 Prospect St, Pemberton

SURVEYING

BUNBURY & ASSOCIA BC LAND SURVEYORS

WHISTLER PROPERTY SERVICES

604-962-0050 info@50north.ca

Pressure Washing Window Cleaning Handyman Services

60 OCTOBER 14, 2021

Serving the Sea to Sky Corridor Since 1963 ▪ ▪ ▪

High Dusting Junk Removal

Phone: 604-932-3770

Surveys Surveys

▪ ▪ ▪

North Vancouver to Lillooet

Surveys Plans

Book your in-home leen Consultation with Col today!

Surveys

www.bunbury-surveys.com SQUAMISH OFFICE #207 - 38026 Second Avenue Phone: 604-892-3090 email: squamish@bunbury-surveys.com

DOUG BUSH SURVEY SERVICES LTD DOUGLAS J BUSH AScT, RSIS p: 604-932-3314 c: 604-935-9515 Engineering & construction layout Topographic & site improvement surveys Municipal, volumetric & hydrographic surveys GPS - global positioning systems www.dbss.ca // dougb@dbss.ca

PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 16 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 33 35 36 37 39 40 41 42 43 45 48 49 50 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62

Labyrinths Like a tack New wife Eight voices Big occasion Brainteaser Tryst participant Tractor pioneer Squander Shake off Comic strip queen Extinct birds Ability to read and write Calculator key Tag-sale disclaimer (2 wds.) Banned bug spray Cunning Total Makes a bow Pro votes Cover Gretzky or Newton Britain’s royal house Watch parts Hushed Cravings Labor groups Personality parts Nomad dwellings Proposals Sound of raindrops (hyph.) Long March leader Conjecture Vain dudes In -- veritas Empty space

63 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 75 76 79 80 81 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 105 106 107 110 111 112

116 117 118 119 120 122 124 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135

Powerful punch Curly-leafed veggie Spasm of pain Wilcox or Raines Backtrack Wears Beagle features Girl, slangily Sports org. Faithfulness Roam around Dislodges Tadpole, once Falco or Sedgwick Inns Cuts off Inferior Pitt of filmdom Kind of witness Monsieur’s yes Find fault Frost work Consumed Fish-to-be Hermit Mahogany or teak Cotton units GNP or RBI State boldly Feels awful Loon, e.g. Walkway Peek Big ponds Diner order Messes (up) Foal parent Observes Shrill insects

Chemical suffix --, vidi, vici Guantanamo locale Overnight lodging (2 wds.) Courtyards Performer on stage Cut closely Libra neighbor Tiny streams Touchdowns Chilling Banana oil, e.g. Winter precip Debussy music General course Writer’s concern

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 30

Whimpers Take advantage of Tangy Political alliances Sound systems Architect’s info Grail descriptor Tempe inst. Bright color On the scene Fake bullet Cattle call reward “-- Gotta Be Me” Keeps in custody Destroyed data Track postings Mgmt. biggie Stuffed toy Wear away Exams Venomous snake

32 34 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 51 52 53 55 56 57 59 60 61 64 65 66 67 69 70 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 81 82

Frozen water Handing out Sits tight Deli breads Baking pans Opera highlight Sausage Gets hitched Well-aware of Longest bone Yawning Appropriate (hyph.) Long braid “Egad!” Iridescent gems Uses a hammer Wander Southwestern plant Buoyed up Bowler’s targets Takes suddenly Makes a breeze Deviate Sea eagles King of gorillas Gait Quilt filler Way out Tennyson heroine Connoisseur Field’s yield Mr. Sandler Microsoft honcho Bill Plant kingdom Dissolute fellows Huge-cast films Links cry Spud Very funny people

83 84 86 87 88 90 91 92 95 96 97 98 100 101 102 104

One academy Metamorphic rock Hobby Yells of disapproval All uncles Ringlet Tent support Chalet features Relay race parts Profound Two-wheeler Shankar, for one Downy fruit Collection of info (2 wds.) Nooks Cope

105 106 107 108 109 111 112 113 114 115 117 118 119 121 123 125 126

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LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

Enter a digit from 1 through 9 in each cell, in such a way that: • Each horizontal row contains each digit exactly once • Each vertical column contains each digit exactly once • Each 3x3 box contains each digit exactly once Solving a sudoku puzzle does not require any mathematics; simple logic suffices.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: HARD

7 2 8 3 8 3 4 5 5 7 6 7 5 3 1 5 7 6 9 2 1 6 HARD Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 58

ANSWERS ON PAGE 54

OCTOBER 14, 2021

MAXED OUT

Stories of gratitude… THE FINE CHINA failed to appear this year. Ditto the starched linen tablecloth and matching napkins. Neither of us got up early to stuff the bird and fill Smilin’ Dog Manor with the rich smell of roasting turkey. There was no cornucopia, no groaning board of traditional foods and fattening desserts at our house this year. Despite that, it was not a virtual Thanksgiving this year. We enjoyed the relative freedom of our vaccinated status and celebrated both Thanksgiving and our imminent return back to Whistler at the home of good friends.

BY G.D. MAXWELL I’d offered to do the turkey, largely out of a desire to concoct my favourite cornbread, sausage, green chile, piñon nut dressing. But our hosts insisted on reserving that aromatic honour themselves. Just as well. After a recent roasting of chicken, I suspect the oven may need cleaning lest it burst into flames from whatever spattered all over and will happily wait until sometime next year to be cleaned away. The only scullery duty more odious than cleaning an oven is turning on a self-cleaning oven and imagining the entire kitchen go up in flames from the intense heat while I’m lying prostrate on the floor having choked myself into unconsciousness from the fumes. Besides, relieved of the only culinary duty other than whipping up dessert—JeanGeorges Vongerichten’s molten chocolate cakes, an impossibly decadent dessert no one believes is so simple—I have time to reflect on some of the many things for which I give thanks. Typing, for example. In Grade 10, I was short one elective and perplexed about what to take. I perused the list of Guy Electives, looking for something interesting. There was Auto Identification: 1957-1967, The Classic Decade. Strange Sports Statistics, offering the advantage of half a math credit since it was as close as some of us ever got to studying statistics. Small Appliance Dismantling, a dual elective coupled with the Theater Department’s classes in Puzzled Looks and Miming Innocence. Sadly, none of them really caught my interest. I had it down to a choice between Creative Sibling Torture and Baseless Bragging when my mother said, “Why don’t you take typing?” “Typing’s a girl’s class,” I replied. Remember, this was a time before Gender Enlightenment. She gave me a look I didn’t see too often but translated roughly into, “How could I have gone through labour for you?” What she finally said was, “I thought you liked girls? Besides, you’ll never regret learning how to type.” It had previously occurred to me before there was something to be said for being

62 OCTOBER 14, 2021

PHOTO BY NICK FEWINGS ON UNSPLASH

the only guy in a class full of young women whose passions may have been aroused in the previous class studying Romantic English Poetry or something of that ilk. But typing! I couldn’t imagine anything more geeky or more likely to invoke convulsive laughter amongst my friends. But there I was, me and one other guy in a class of about 35 future secretaries. He looked the part, right down to a pocket protector protecting his polyester shirt from the matching Cross pen and pencil poking out. I, of course, looked cool if grossly out of place, an absurdly subjective opinion. First class he sat next to me. Concerned

around a keyboard. If pressed, she may even admit to motives of self-interest. She knew who would end up typing my papers if I didn’t learn how. And she’d seen my handwriting. On a very regular basis, like this morning, when I sit down in front of my taunting blank computer screen, I give thanks for her foresight. I give thanks for Christmas, 1986, the year I first inflicted my family on the woman I’d eventually marry. She and my younger sister, while in the throes of advanced eggnog poisoning, conspired to pull a practical joke on me: They decided to

But typing! I couldn’t imagine anything more geeky or more likely to invoke convulsive laughter amongst my friends. I might catch Raging Geek from him and pissed off he’d wasted a seat that may have been occupied by my amour du jour, I told him if he ever sat next to me again, I’d break his thumb—the one you hit the space bar with. He said we fellows should stick together. I said we should divvy up the class and do our best to get a date. After a painful explanation of odds making, he finally understood. My mother was not a visionary. She did not foresee personal computers or the future importance of knowing your way

take me skiing. I had never been skiing. I thought riding chairs to the tops of mountains and sliding down on waxed boards was a pretty wussie way to earn your mountain. Anything short of hiking up and glissading down was both way too frou-frou and, for most of my life, way too expensive to merit serious consideration. They arranged equipment and said they’d teach me, so I agreed to go. Well, actually they called me a coward, belittled my manhood and made those awful chicken

clucking sounds when I told them they were out of their minds, so really, I didn’t have much choice. Having climbed and hiked virtually every nook and cranny of Sandia Mountain— the eastern border of Albuquerque, New Mexico—I felt supremely comfortable taking up their challenge. It was my mountain. The craggy side, not the ski side. At least until I put skis on. At which point, it became the Twilight Zone, a place where the laws of gravity became threatening. For the first half of the first run—of course they took me to the top of the mountain—I was convinced Go-Turn-Fall was the only possible way any human could ski. The fact they didn’t seem to execute the Fall part nearly as often or as well as I did changed nothing. I was also convinced it was a normal part of learning to ski to scream, “I’ll kill you if I ever catch you!” at people you love under normal circumstances and would never, ever think of as at all bitchy. But somehow, by the time we reached the bottom of the mountain, I had developed a pattern of Go-Turn-Go-Turn-Fall and was so encouraged by this clear show of progress, I skied right onto the chairlift. My enthusiasm surprised both of them, the liftie and the person ahead of me about to sit on the lift who surprisingly ended up on my lap. But I was hooked. The rest is personal history. I took an early pardon from a life sentence at a financial institution that shall remain nameless, sold my house, moved to Whistler and convinced Bob Barnett to let me tell you stories like this. For which I am truly thankful... even if you’re not. ■

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, HOME G L O B A L R E AC H , L O C A L K N O W L E D G E NEW TO MARKET

SOLD

VILLAGE 206-4211 this 2 bed/2 bath in the heart of the village is a 2 minute walk to the ski hill. With mountain views from the south facing living room, there is a walk out covered deck, perfect for a hot tub, a sauna, wood burning stove and underground parking. $999,000

Peter Lalor

604-902-3309 Maggi Thornhill *PREC

NEW TO MARKET

Nick Swinburne *PREC

NORDIC 16G-2300 Nordic Drive TRUE SKI-IN /SKI-OUT location directly on the slopes of Whistler Mountain! This 3.5 bed & 4 bath duplex is larger than most at 2641 sq ft. Property features a two car garage, media room, slope-side hot-tub and TWO master bedrooms. Asking $259,000

604-905-8199 Javier Hidalgo

BENCHLANDS 201G4-4653 Blackcomb Way Quartershare 1 bed suite at Horstman House. Turn-key convenience w full kitchen, king bed, pull-out sofa, W/D & balcony. Lodge features outdoor pool, hot tub, gym, storage & lounge. Nightly rentals managed by Whistler Premier. $169,900

BENCHLANDS 101-4800 Spearhead Drive Aspens on Blackcomb! One bedroom unit with updated furniture for nightly or monthly rental. Make this your home for upcoming winter. Ski in/ski out is not a dream anymore. $1,088,000

604-932-8899 Rachel Allen & Ron Mitchell *PREC 604-966-4200 Ruby Jiang *PREC

BENCHLANDS 201 – 4557 Blackcomb Way SKI-IN/SKI-OUT. Get ready for the winter season in style. Oversized studio, steps from the new gondola, pool, hot tub, gym, nightly rentals, conrete building, base of Blackcomb mountain. $977,000

778-320-2426

NEW TO MARKET

SOLD

NORDIC 17F 2300 Nordic Drive Enjoy 5 wks/yr in this spacious 3.5 bed, 4 bath, At Natures Door residence with it’s own private hot tub. Ski-in/ski-out onto the Dave Murray downhill. Amenities inc. pool, shuttle service, conceirge, owners lodge with fitness room and steam room. $259,000

Jody Wright

VILLAGE 720-4320 Sundial Crescent Pan Pacific Mountainside is a superbly located full service hotel within the heart of Whistler Village. Enjoy being within close walking distance to many of the best attractions, shops & restaurants that Whistler has to offer. $499,000

WHISTLER CAY HEIGHTS 6400 St Andrews Way Great neighbourhood in Whistler! You’ll enjoy this 3 bedroom and large den, plus 2.5 bathroom Duplex spacious home. Approx. 2,000 sq.ft. with large sunny patio, 2 car garage with guest parking & stroll to local trails, shops & Whistler Village. $2,580,000

LILLOOET 217 McEwen Road 5 bdrm, 2 bthrm, 2,130 sqft home, with beautiful handcrafted woodwork. Large, bright dining room with French doors to the wraparound deck, living room with woodstove. Fenced yard with mountain views, fruit trees/bushes & garden shed. $769,000

604-616-6933 Katie Marsh

604-935-4680 Kathy White

778-834-2002

Whistler Village Shop

Whistler Creekside Shop

Squamish Station Shop

36-4314 Main Street · Whistler BC V8E 1A8 · Phone +1 604-932-1875

325-2063 Lake Placid Road · Whistler BC V8E 0B6 · Phone +1 604-932-1875

150-1200 Hunter Place · Squamish BC V8B 0G8 · Phone +1 778-733-0611

whistler.evrealestate.com

Engel & Völkers Whistler *PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION ©2019 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

604-902-9505

3D Tour - rem.ax/15stoneridge

#15 - 4822 Spearhead Drive

3D Tour - rem.ax/1489balsam

$1,599,000

15 StoneRidge is located right on the ski home trail off Lower Merlin’s run on Blackcomb Mountain. You will be able to ski home for lunch and then head out again and ski down to the base of the new Blackcomb Gondola for an afternoon on the slopes. This stunning 1 bedroom and den/2 bath townhome has been renovated throughout.

Sally Warner*

1.5

604.905.6326

1489 Balsam Way

Video - rem.ax/1504whitecap

$1,750,000

This custom constructed home on a beautiful street in The Glen neighborhood in Pemberton has many custom features that were well planned out during construction. This home has a beautifully landscaped yard with mature trees, shrubs & established flower beds plus raspberry bushes and it is fully irrigated and easy to maintain.

Sherry Baker

604.932.1315

#1504 Whitecap Crescent

$549,000

Enjoy Pemberton’s premiere neighbourhood from your dream home on Lot 12, The Ridge. Sun and views all day long from this easy build lot. Zoning is very flexible allowing you to build up to 6500 sq ft of living space including 2 accessory buildings. Easy access to all recreation that Pemberton has to offer and only 30 minutes drive to the world class resort Whistler Blackcomb.

Ursula Morel*

604.932.8629

3D Tour - rem.ax/208horstman

9333 Warbler Way

$1,275,000

#208 - 4653 Blackcomb Way

$899,000

Welcome to Wedgewoods, a master planned community of 108 beautiful properties. Phase Six includes the final 19 estate lots which allow for luxury homes plus a carriage house. Stunning mountain views and sunshine make Phase 6 a very special offering. Only 12 minutes north of Whistler with hiking, and biking trails at right at your door and snowmobiling close by.

This Phase 1 property allows you to live in your suite full time. You are close to the Chateau Golf Course, Lost Lake Park. The free bus stops in front of the building for easy access to the village and lifts. Alternatively, enjoy the short walk along the tree lined trail to reach the village.

Ann Chiasson

Bruce Watt

604.932.7651

3D Tour - rem.ax/6gleneagles

#6 - 4636 Blackcomb Way

3D Tour - rem.ax/305fourseasons

$95,000

Adjacent to the Fairmont Chateau golf course, this rarely available, 1/10th interest in an immaculate 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhome boasts a spacious open layout , heated slate floors in bathroom. A cozy wood burning fireplace, large master bedroom with sitting area, and plenty of secure parking are among the many amenities.

Dave Sharpe

604.902.2779

604.905.0737

305/306 - 4591 Blackcomb Way

604.905.8626

$899,000

7+ acres in the east end of the Pemberton Valley, 5 minutes from the Village of Pemberton and 2 hours from Vancouver. This private, easily accessible acreage includes a grove of cedar, wild cherry, apple, and hazelnut trees and a variety of wild berries. Over 20,000 sq. ft. of gardens and sun-filled greenhouses, plus an orchard of apple, cherry, and plum trees.

Dave Beattie*

604.905.8855

3D Tour - rem.ax/413alpenglow

$1,550,000

Looking for that perfect 2 bedroom 2 bath property with low strata fees, low heating costs and air conditioning(geothermal), a back deck offering privacy, sunshine and views, just a short stroll to stores, restaurants, hiking and biking or One Mile Lake to enjoy!

Doug Treleaven

2162 Highway 99

#413 - 4369 Main Street

$395,000

Best Price in Alpenglow! This 4th floor studio with views of Sproat Mountain is a perfect little getaway and revenue generator. Located in the middle of Whistler Village, steps from Olympic Plaza, food and shopping, and a short walk from the ski hill. Complex includes a pool, hot tub and exercise room, and secure underground parking.

Matt Chiasson

604.935.9171

SOLD

#45 - 7410 Flint Street

$659,000

2 bed, 2 bath. The perfect starter home for a family or a solid investment centrally located in Pemberton. Wake up to views of Mount Currie from both bedrooms. This home also boasts a covered patio to enjoy in all weather with ample space for seating and a BBQ.

Meg McLean

604.907.2223

#212 - 4220 Gateway Drive

$285,000

A renovated studio with loft - right in the heart of Whistler Village and within a 2 minute walk to the ski lifts. These fully furnished lofted studios include a fully equipped kitchen and sleep 6. Blackcomb Lodge has undergone extensive renovations and upgrades to the indoor swimming pool, hot tub and other common area facilities.

Michael d’Artois

WHISTLER OFFICE 106 - 7015 Nesters Road, Whistler, BC V8E 0X1 604.932.2300 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070 *PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION

If you are a home owner, buyer, tenant, landlord, or small business in need of help during this time, please see our updated list of resources at: remax-whistler.com/resources

604.905.9337

9407 Portage Road

$795,000

This is a great piece of property, almost 19,000 square feet. 3 bedroom with vaulted ceilings that has been well taken care of, about 10 minutes past Gates Lake in Birken B.C. The house is set back from the road, and there are many large tree’s on this property, so it’s nice and private. This property is suited for full time living, or use it as a weekend getaway.

Michael Nauss

604.932.9568

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