Pique Newsmagazine 2847

NOVEMBER 25, 2021 ISSUE 28.47

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14

OPENING DAY

Pique speaks to WB’s COO Geoff Buchheister for an update

15

TAX TIME

The RMOW is proposing a 6.72% property tax increase

50

MYTH MAN

WFF doc examines legacy of Cowichan chief

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

46

40

50

Back to the routine In celebration of opening day, longtime locals share their favourite spots on the mountain. - By Megan Lalonde

14

OPENING DAY

Conditions looked promising ahead

32

FLOOD WATCH

While Pemberton and the

of Whistler Blackcomb’s opening day (rain permitting—knock on wood),

surrounding area avoided major flooding damages this time, issues

said COO Geoff Buchheister during a pre-season catch-up.

surrounding culverts threaten to cause more flooding in the future.

25

46

TALKING CLIMATE

Renowned energy

STRAIGHT SHOT

With the 2022 Winter Olympics

economist Mark Jaccard is heading to Whistler on Dec. 9 as part of the

right around the corner, Benita Peiffer is excited to test her skills against

Whistler Institute’s Global Perspectives Speaker Series.

the world’s best on the World Cup circuit.

28

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which is playing at the Whistler Film Festival, delves into the complicated

this summer, up 35% from last year and 77% from 2019.

legacy of the titular, near-mythical Cowichan chief.

COVER Today is a little bittersweet as this is the first time in decades I’m leaving the pass at home. Don’t forget your goggles though! - By Jon Parris 4 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS The Sea to Sky Highway passes through one of the most dangerous

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

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corridors when it comes to natural hazards—but millions of dollars have been spent to try and keep it safe.

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter writers this week call out the province and the

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

municipality for not doing enough to mitigate the effects of the latest extreme weather event.

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST A strong connection with nature may be the best motivation to take action against climate change. This columnist’s preferred way to foster that connection? Take a guess…

74 MAXED OUT Will Whistler Blackcomb’s decision to allow unvaccinated visitors to ride its gondolas result in a coronavirus super-spreader event this winter in the resort?

Environment & Adventure

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

36 THE OUTSIDER The first day skiing on Whistler Blackcomb is always a surprise. Enjoy the early

Social Media Editor MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@piquenewsmagazine.com

season conditions, but be careful out there, 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

48 EPICURIOUS A recent report identified the enormous potential for food recovery in the Sea to Sky, and getting a better handle on how we track our food waste will be paramount to that effort.

54 MUSEUM MUSINGS The Whistler Museum has opened Parkhurst: Logging Community to Ghost Town, a temporary exhibition about the Parkhurst Mill site.

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.

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OPENING REMARKS

Our corridor lifeline AS I SCROLLED through the images of the devastation along the Coquihalla Highway, what ran through my mind was, could that just as easily have been the Sea to Sky Highway?

Both highways have always been held up as marvels of modern engineering, state of the art, able to withstand all but the most extreme natural disasters. But the photos of the Coquihalla showed parts of it snapped, as if it were nothing more than a toy racetrack accidentally stepped on by Mother Nature in a tantrum.

BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

Anyone living in Sea to Sky country is well aware that we live in a corridor of natural hazards, and indeed in decades past people have paid with their lives when disasters have struck.

More than 18 per cent of Canada’s total landslide-related deaths have occurred along this corridor. Over the last 150 years, hundreds of landslide events have been reported. One of the most common places

there as B.C. endured the deadly atmospheric river last week that took the lives of four people in mudslides along the Duffey Lake Road, killed thousands of animals due to flooding of farmland and forced thousands of people to flee their homes.

The hazards of the Sea to Sky are well documented by experts with GSC and B.C.’s highways ministry, and Pique has reported on it extensively as well. In 2004, I delved into it for a cover feature for the newsmagazine as we prepared for the $600-million upgrade to the Sea to Sky Highway for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Looking back on it now, it feels prescient what Squamish engineer Frank Baumann told me then: “We can’t stop natural events but you can stop them from being disasters,” said Baumann. “That is the key thing and it is what civilized nations do.”

In 2012 he told Pique: “We seem to be going through some unusual climate changes in the sense of more rain and so forth and those are the things that can create problems.

“The mark of a civilized society is that it takes a long-term view and it makes sure that these natural hazards don’t become disasters … And we have it very much in our control to help ensure that that doesn’t happen.”

“The mark of a civilized society is that it takes a long-term view and it makes sure that these natural hazards don’t become disasters.”

- FRANK BAUMANN

to see rock-fall landslides is along a fivekilometre stretch between Brunswick Point and Porteau Bluffs. “The bedrock in parts of this segment is intensely fractured consisting of meta-sedimentary, igneous, and volcanic rocks, with stress relief joints steeply dipping towards the Sea to Sky Highway,” states a report for the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), which has mapped the whole corridor for hazards.

Indeed, rock-scaling work was ongoing

Up to $20 million has been spent on debris dams and spillways along the Howe Sound portion of the highway. And there is constant work on rock scaling too. “The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, with [Miller Capilano], actively monitor and manage risks associated with the climate change,” said a ministry spokesperson by email.

“All works along the corridor now take climate change into consideration. It’s a

requirement that potential impacts of climate change be considered in all transportation infrastructure engineering designs so that B.C.’s transportation infrastructure is adapted to climate changes.”

Thanks to this, the incidence of any landslides or rock fall is very small these days.

The early work was the direct result of the deaths that occurred along the highway in Howe Sound in the 1980s, and a growing realization that if you build a road into the side of a steep slope and overflowing and debris-filled creeks try to cross it, Mother Nature is going to move anything you put in her way, including houses, bridges and roads.

In October of 1981, a debris flow swept down M Creek and took out the trestle bridge around midnight on a dark, stormy, wet night. A car was on the bridge when it collapsed, and more went over the edge before the alarm was called at about 12:30 a.m. Altogether nine people died.

In February 1983, a slurry of mud, boulders and logs flowed down Alberta Creek in Lions Bay during an intense rainstorm. Snowmelt added to the disaster.

The debris flow grew in size as it moved down the channel and was probably about 10,000 cubic metres when it reached Lions Bay. “The first surge of the flow, carrying tree trunks and boulders the size of cars and sounding like a locomotive swept through the community and into Howe Sound,” said authors and renowned geological scientists John Turner and Bob Clague in their book Vancouver, City on the Edge.

We have yet to learn the causes of the landslides that swept down across the Coquihalla Highway, the Duffey Lake Road and the many other smaller forest service roads and trails, but it is obvious that the slopes above were unstable. Was it due to recent wildfires, logging, construction, or an “act of God?” It may be some time before we have all the answers we are seeking.

But as Baumann, who sadly passed away in 2013, said, how we learn from the knowledge and take action to prevent future disasters is a measure of what type of society we live in. n

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We need a more proactive provincial government in times of need

Federal rules on COVID-19 and entering Canada will not protect us

What is happening to our province during this storm is heartbreaking and my prayers go out to all who are affected.

I watched career politician [and Deputy Premier] Mike Farnworth’s press conference on Monday (Nov. 22) and witnessed him wiggle out of questions like a worm on a fishing hook.

Reporter Richard Zussman and at least five others pressed him on if the government could have been more prepared and done more to warn people.

Six times, Farnworth pointed responsibility to others. “Travel advisories had been issued by the appropriate ministries, he commented.”

Asked why Washington state had issued warnings and started sandbagging properties well before communities in B.C., he said: “At the local level, they’re observing the conditions in the local area … Every community is required to have a local emergency plan and deal with local emergency events.”

Asked why the province didn’t use the B.C. Alert system, he answered: “It is one tool. It is not a silver bullet.”

Whatever. What can you expect from a government whose leader commented after the hundreds of deaths during the heat wave this summer, “fatalities are a part of life.”

Whatever. The same government leader

who rejected repeated calls from the public, local mayors, and the BC Liberals to call a provincial state of emergency connected to this summer’s wildfires by saying, “There is not one advantage” to calling a state of emergency except to bring more people together.

We need proactive leadership, not the systemic, reactive, wait-and-see attitudes we are witnessing in government.

Patrick Smyth // Whistler

River of Golden Dreams flooding needs to be addressed The River of Golden Dreams is not capable of

I read the reassuring words of [Sea to Sky health officer] Dr. John Harding in Pique regarding the ongoing controversy over Whistler not requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to access the mountain (Pique, Nov. 18, “Sea to Sky health officer tries to quell concerns over WB’s gondola policy”).

I take no position or stance on this issue, but I do have something to contribute based on my own recent personal experience.

Dr. Harding, as I believe others in officialdom have done, pointed to the vaccination requirements in place for international travellers flying into Canada from overseas. Currently, Canada says that it requires all such travellers to show proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within a 72-hour window of departure for Canada.

I am here to tell you that contrary to what Dr. Harding and others may believe, in practice that may not happen.

I was recently in the U.K., on personal and urgent family business. My short stay there was well nigh ruined by the anxiety of worrying whether I could obtain such a test within the required window, not to mention the expense involved. On this I will say no more as that part of my experience is not pertinent to this discussion.

I did manage to get a PCR test, as we had a sufficiently long layover before our departing flight to Vancouver. I was able to buy a rapid PCR test (accepted by the Canadian government) at the airport that gave results within three hours, as opposed to the minimum two days that PCR

handling the Alta Lake watershed.

The result is guaranteed flooding at the north end following periods of sustained heavy rain.

Until the ‘80s, the lake drained out of both ends. Nothing leaves the south now. This was partially blocked when the Valley Trail was pushed through to Creekside. With further enhancements, it is now totally blocked.

At one time when work was being done, I mentioned the drainage problem and was told there’s no problem because water would make it through the riprap.

What did I know having lived in the area since the mid ‘70s!

Jim Kennedy // Whistler

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR results normally take. I had to pay extra for the rapid results. The result was negative.

But here’s the thing: at no time was I ever asked to show or produce that test proof, or its result. When checking in with the airline I was asked for proof of vaccination, and that was it. At Vancouver customs/border control I was never once asked to show the PCR test proof.

I basically walked right into arrivals at the airport without ever once being asked for either proof of vaccination or a PCR test result.

I do not regret getting the test, as I was not about to take any risks of not being able to get back into Canada. Yes it was annoying, after all the angst and worry and expense, to never be even asked to show it, but it was a necessary evil and that’s that.

My point is that, anyone believing that we are all protected from the unvaccinated by the “requirements” of our government for international arrivals by air is misguided.

Linda McGaw // Whistler

Leadership needed on vaccine and gondolas (Editor’s note: This letter was addressed to B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix and B.C’s public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and shared with Pique.)

This is how I started my last note to [B.C. Minister of Health Adrian Dix and B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry] back in July 2020: “British Columbia’s response to COVID-19 has been exemplary.

I am referring to Dr. Bonnie Henry, Minister Adrian Dix, yourselves, your departments’ hardworking staff and frontline healthcare workers too numerous to mention.”

Although I still feel, overall, despite some bumps in the road, that you have all done exemplary work, I am terrified that a significant mistake is being made regarding the lack of a provincial vaccination mandate to ride gondolas, since Vail Resorts is abrogating their responsibility.

What is puzzling to me is the deafening silence from Dr. Henry on this topic. Where is the empirical evidence that 10 wet, perspiring, heavily breathing skiers sitting crammed into maybe 40 square, poorly ventilated feet for 20 minutes will not easily spread COVID-19?

To all of us concerned skiers, this is inviting sickness on a large scale, which is both needless and inevitable. Please keep in mind that if we want to ski we must ride the gondolas. Bottom to top on Whistler is approximately 22 minutes. Bottom to top on Blackcomb is 15 minutes.

This Pique article (Pique, Nov. 18, “Sea

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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to Sky health officer tries to quell concerns over WB’s gondola policy”) states that there were low on-mountain transmission rates in Whistler last year, but this was due to the fact that there were restrictions on the number of people per gondola, i.e., one household/bubble or a maximum of two people per 10-person gondola.

This year, Vail Resorts has lifted all restrictions and the gondolas will be running at full occupancy.

Let’s follow the leadership of all the other concerned ski communities in B.C. and Alberta by mandating proof of full vaccination for all skiers and boarders, since Vail Resorts will not. What do all these other ski areas know that we don’t?

Can we afford to succumb to some kind of pressure to not mandate vaccinations and reel from those results later in the winter with closures, not to mention devastating sickness outcomes? It seems so shortsighted.

Please, please show leadership and do what has to be done to protect us. Or show us the data that says vaccinations won’t save lives in this scenario.

Paul O’Mara // Whistler

Vaccine mandate at Whistler-Blackcomb

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We are writing this letter as a group of seniors who want to express our grave concern about the lack of a requirement for vaccination to access the Whistler Blackcomb resort gondolas this upcoming ski season.

We are part of a large community of seniors who have chosen to live in Whistler during our retirement years. This choice was made for a few reasons: We love the outdoors, we love skiing and we make staying healthy and fit a priority. For the most part we are a very healthy group of individuals and it is important to us and to our healthcare system that we stay this way.

Because of our age cohort, this healthy group is now at risk of having all of our hard work reversed with the presence of the COVID-19 virus.

Some of us have medical conditions that make us immune compromised and a higher risk of severe outcomes if we contract COVID-19. Being fully vaccinated provides very good [protection], but not a 100-per-cent guarantee against contracting the virus, as we are now seeing.

The unvaccinated population is keeping this virus circulating in our community and country.

We read with interest and astonishment when [Sea to Sky health officer] Dr. John

Harding, during his presentation [to council] in Whistler last week, claimed that aerosol droplets present very little risk of viral transmission. If this is the case, why are we wearing masks, how has COVID-19 been transmitted to millions of people? This is, of course, entirely contradictory to the advice of Canada’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Theresa Tam and to the evidence published in the U.K.’s world-renowned medical publication, The Lancet.

In a recent study, the gaiter type neck fleece was shown to actually transmit more droplets than no mask. And bandanas were only slightly better.

This COVID-19 policy requires us to share a gondola this ski season with others who may or may not be vaccinated.

Gondola rides can take at a minimum 20 minutes sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with, and across from, others with no one policing the quality of masks or the proper wearing of them.

And unlike other indoor spaces such as restaurants, there is no room for social distancing or monitoring of behaviour in a gondola.

In addition to the personal risk that riding imposes, the risk of an outbreak also puts the entire Whistler community at risk due to the consequences of shutting down the mountain, as has happened in the past two seasons. Just a walk through the village with many shops shuttered shows the devastating economic consequences of an outbreak.

Finally, because Whistler Blackcomb is now clearly the outlier in this respect, it will attract the non-vaccinated from all over, exacerbating the already unacceptable risk. What is so puzzling in it all is the seeming reluctance to address the issue with a simple solution. If the consequence of imposing this requirement is to deny a few unvaccinated skiers the privilege of skiing, then this can only add to the pressure to be vaccinated, as is the province’s objective.

Right now we seem to be at an impasse.

Vail [Resorts] and government officials are abrogating their collective responsibility by saying that it is up to the other group to make this decision.

Please do the right thing not just for your senior skiers but [also] for everyone who is going to be riding the gondolas this winter and for the health and safety of the Whistler community as a whole.

Please act now.

Jeannie and Jim Lea, Christiane Bergeron and Pierre Lefebvre // Whistler n

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PIQUE N’ YER INTEREST

Connecting with nature to combat the climate crisis IT’S BEEN A WILD YEAR for B.C. in terms of climate events.

This summer, the province experienced record-setting heat waves and destructive wildfires. This month, it was record-setting rainfall and destructive flooding, with a few landslides thrown into the mix. Both events caused deaths.

BY MEGAN LALONDE With more rain expected to fall this weekend, I’m now wondering what weather-curveball the planet will throw our way this winter. Hopefully it’s the gift of an ideal powder-day-to-bluebird-day ratio, but back to that later.

Simultaneously, we had global leaders at COP26—the U.N. climate summit described by former U.S. secretary of state John Kerry as the “last best hope for the world to get its act together”—making decisions earlier this month about how best to limit the Earth’s temperature rise and, hopefully, avoid the worst possible effects of climate change.

The kind of effects that remain abstract to most of us.

The decisions these leaders made were disappointing. Major emitters like China

and India couldn’t even agree to phase out coal, the highest-polluting energy source, as was initially pledged in a Glasgow Climate Pact draft. Instead, watered-down wording means these nations only committed to “phase down” their use of coal.

As an individual without a seat at these summits, it’s easy to feel helpless or frustrated by more seemingly empty promises. To me it’s just more evidence that we can’t solely rely on governments to solve the climate crisis.

There are personal choices we can make that will, at best, make a difference when tallied up and, at worst, offer a pseudosense of control driven by the knowledge that at least you’re doing your best. But still, the prospect of overhauling part of your life can be daunting, whether it’s ditching your vehicle for public transit, cutting down on air travel or even just resisting when the online shopping impulse strikes.

After catastrophes like the ones seen in B.C. this year, a narrative often emerges framing these events as motivation to do more, through op-eds, tweets and Instagram captions offering variations of the “If we don’t want it to get worse, we need to act now” message.

And they’re not wrong. As severe climate events become more common, I hope the palpable, sometimes-life-ruining effects of these events are incentive enough to kick us all into gear.

That said, I think positive reinforcement beats fear every time.

Amid all of the atmospheric rivers and washed-out highways, Thursday is Whistler Blackcomb’s opening day. Or as I like to think of it, locals’ Christmas morning.

I didn’t always look forward to November. I had a perfectly suburban childhood where, despite many hours spent causing trouble outside, most of the activities that really kept me going weren’t overly reliant on Mother Nature. Hockey was played in rinks, tennis had indoor courts, dance was in a studio, horseback riding took place in a barn. (I had a short attention span.) Ten-year-old me would have picked a heated swimming pool over a lake any day of the week.

Winters in Eastern Ontario were more of an inconvenience than anything, with slushy roads and freezing rain and wind so cold it hurt. Spending time outdoors in the colder months only became something worth looking forward to after I started snowboarding.

Falling in love with snowboarding— and then with Whistler, and then with this province, and then with nature in general— changed my entire outlook on climate change. It’s not just abstract threats about rising sea levels or devastating droughts anymore. Now, I feel connected to both a place and an experience that are at risk

of—potentially, eventually—being lost to climate change. Imagine a wildfire ripping through your favourite tree zone, or a winter filled with rain instead of snow. That realization lit a fire that makes me want to do what I can to protect them.

And it’s not just me, apparently. A 2017 UBC study found that children who spend time playing outside are more likely to appreciate and protect nature as young adults. Meanwhile, a 2015 paper by John M. Zelenski from the esteemed Carleton University (my alma mater, not that I’m biased), published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, questioned whether there’s a link between connecting with nature and behaving sustainably. In three separate studies, researchers found participants’ exposure to nature resulted in increased cooperation, and, “when considering environmental problems as social dilemmas, sustainable intentions and [behaviour.]”

There will always be conflicting interests—the idea of Whistler’s entire economy depending on tourists hopping on jets or into vehicles, for example—just like there will always be debates about the best way to slow climate change. But I think if more people can find their way into the mountains, breathe in the fresh air, glide through some frozen water and remind themselves of what’s worth protecting, we’re halfway there.

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13

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler Blackcomb ‘in a good spot’ ahead of opening day: COO MID-MOUNTAIN CHAIRLIFTS SET TO OPEN NOV. 25, AS EVENTS MAKE A COMEBACK

BY MEGAN LALONDE AFTER TWO ski seasons cut short due to COVID-19, the stoke is running high ahead of Whistler Blackcomb’s Nov. 25 opening day.

But despite the heavy precipitation the Sea to Sky corridor has experienced over the last two months, conditions on Thursday are expected to be “kind of in the middle” of the road, said Whistler Blackcomb chief operating officer Geoff Buchheister three days before lifts were due to start spinning.

“It’s not unbelievable snow up there. We had some really good snowfall right before and during the atmospheric river event, and it held up pretty well the higher up you go,” he said. “Certainly it still is going to be a little bit of early-season conditions and we’re going to groom out as much as we can.

“The grooming will be, I think, very dependable and everything that’s groomed will be really quite good,” he continued.

“We’re looking at some more storms coming in so the picture could change a little bit in terms of what it’s like on opening day, but I think we’re in a good spot where we’re going to have really good skiing and several lifts and runs open on each mountain for opening day, so that’s a positive.”

Staff expect to have Emerald, Red and Garbanzo chairs open on Whistler and Catskinner, Jersey Cream and Excelerator on Blackcomb available on Thursday and into the weekend. Ski outs to the valley

WELL GROOMED A groomer works to prep terrain on Whistler Mountain ahead of opening day on Nov. 25.

PHOTO BY CHRISTIE FITZPATRICK / WHISTLER BLACKCOMB

14 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

will remain closed for the time being, with guests asked to download from mid-station.

“Like early season every year, you’ve got to keep your eyes out,” Buchheister said. “We’ve got a long season ahead of us.

We’re going to be going all the way through May and so the first couple of days isn’t necessarily the time to, you know, flex your most awesome move.”

Thursday’s forecast is calling for periods of snow or rain and a high of 3 C in the valley, with strong winds and a freezing level of 1,800 metres (slightly lower than the Roundhouse’s elevation). Whistler Blackcomb’s weather report is predicting an

understanding of each other.”

Gone is last year’s mandatory reservation system and physically distanced lift loading procedures, though in accordance with B.C.’s current provincial health order, skiers and riders must still wear face coverings indoors and while riding gondolas. Guests aged 12 or older are also required to show proof they’ve received two doses of a vaccine in order to access on-mountain dining facilities.

“We’re going to go back to a more normal capacity model, so we’ll be loading lifts with other people, which is something that will definitely change the dynamics

“One of the things that I’ve really ... tried to lean into through this pandemic is that nothing’s ever really going back to the way it was.”

- GEOFF BUCHHEISTER

accumulation of 17 to 28 centimetres.

Come opening day, on-mountain operations will again look different than in previous seasons.

“One of the things that I’ve really kind of tried to lean into through this pandemic is that nothing’s ever really going back to the way it was,” said Buchheister. “I think pieces will, but I think it’s important that we understand that … we’re going into another year where we’ll have impacts from the pandemic and we want people to be respectful and kind and

that we had at base areas last year, in terms of the longer line-ups,” noted Buchheister.

Whistler Blackcomb parent company Vail Resorts has also implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine requirement for all staff members.

One aspect of Whistler Blackcomb operations that will return to (almost) normal are the events that were largely put on pause last season, added Buchheister.

That includes initiatives like the North Face winter kick-off, the CIBC-sponsored Never

Ever Days and Santa Ski Day. Stakeholders are also expecting to see a busier start to the ski season than last year’s. “Bookings for opening weekend and December are pacing well ahead of 2020, with strong demand coming from the B.C. market,” explained Tourism Whistler president and CEO Barrett Fisher in an email.

It’s yet to be determined what impact current restrictions will have on visitation, as British Columbia remains in a state of emergency following the recent “atmospheric river” event that caused devastating flooding and infrastructure damage to some areas of the province. Most B.C. residents who are not operating an essential vehicle are currently limited to purchasing a maximum of 30 litres of fuel per gas station visit, until at least Nov. 30, while an order restricting non-essential travel along severely damaged highways remains in place. The order applies to Highway 99 between Mount Currie and Lillooet, but not to the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Pemberton.

For Buchheister, opening day marks an opportunity to return to the open spaces Whistler’s mountains offer.

“I think these mountains fuel a lot of us in this town. The last couple years have been tough for everybody and so to know that we can get up there and find a little bit of ourselves; that’s the thing I’m looking forward to,” he said.

“Knowing that there’s a lot of folks across our province that are struggling right now that were impacted by the weather events ... we’re going to open and we’re going to ease into this, but we’ll be ready when they are, and we certainly want to be respectful for what they’re all going through.” n

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler budget aims for long-term resiliency RMOW PROPOSES 6.72% TAX INCREASE IN 2022, AND 3% INCREASE TO SEWER, WATER, WASTE FEES

BY BRADEN DUPUIS TWO YEARS AGO, at Whistler’s annual budget open house, Mayor Jack Crompton described the resort as being “middle-aged,” and in need of some knee replacements.

How would he characterize the draft 2022 budget?

“Yeah, I think it’s time to add a couple of hip replacements to those knee replacements that we talked about,” Crompton said.

The draft budget, unveiled at a public information session on Nov. 18, includes a proposed 6.72-per-cent tax increase in 2022, as well as three-per-cent increases to sewer, water and solid waste fees.

News of the increase—well above the 10-year average increase of about 1.71 per cent—has generated mixed reactions so far, the mayor said.

“I’m hearing people say this is too big an increase, we need to restrain our expectations, and I’m hearing people say this makes sense, we need to invest in climate action—and obviously variations of both,” he said.

“For me, this is a budget about climate, COVID and a challenging labour market.

But I want to hear what this budget is about for the community, and I look forward to that input over the next four weeks.”

Given there is a municipal election slated for October 2022, was there any concern at the council table about how the electorate might respond to the proposed tax increase?

“My experience of this council is that we try and make the best decision with the information we have. Obviously politics comes into it, but our goal is to make good decisions,” Crompton said, adding that the higher tax increase is necessary to rebuild reserves after the municipality used them to “bridge the gap” through COVID-19.

“We’re looking to build a budget that gets the work of the municipality done efficiently and without the kinds of delays that we are seeing in some areas, and we have to continue to plan for a resilient future,” he said, noting Whistler’s tax increases over the last 11 years have been among the lowest in the Fraser Valley, Lower Mainland and Sea to Sky regions.

“Were we to continue with that for another 10 or 11 years, our ability to reinvest in the municipality would be damaged,” he said. “Whatever number the budget ends up with, this council is interested in making sure we are not leaving future councils without the resources they need to maintain the community we all enjoy.

“We don’t want to leave infrastructure and assets in a worse place than we found them.”

Whistlerites have until 4 p.m. on Dec. 21 to weigh in on the proposed 2022 budget.

The RMOW is using new online platforms to allow residents to review content, ask questions and receive answers, as well as share their ideas and feedback.

Find them, along with related budget documents, at whistler.ca/budget.

ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN IN THE WORKS The higher proposed tax increase in 2022 comes after council reversed course on a 4.89-per-cent increase in 2021, opting instead for an increase of 1.08 per cent.

The RMOW under-contributed to its reserves in 2021 to help bridge the gap between operating revenues—severely hampered by COVID-19—and spending in 2021. Starting in 2022, the municipality will not only need to make up the lost contribution, but account for ongoing works and services in the community, said director of finance Carlee Price at the Nov. 18 open house.

“Part of the reason we were able to offer tax relief to ratepayers in 2020 is because we had a healthy operating reserve balance.

Rebuilding that operating reserve is critical to funding any unforeseen circumstances that may emerge in the future,” she said.

“Whether that’s fire, whether that’s a flood, whether that’s a pandemic, having that money in the reserves at the time those disasters strike is critical to this community and something that’s worth a good deal of our attention.”

In a follow-up phone call, Price noted levels in some of the RMOW’s critical reserves, like the general capital reserve, have been stagnant since 2015.

“As we know, the installed asset base has changed quite significantly in that time, so at a minimum we need to ensure that the reserve levels are tracking the direction and the scope of the change in the installed asset base,” Price said.

As far as nailing down a specific dollar amount or reserve level that would make the municipality comfortable, more research is needed, she added.

To that end, an asset management plan is in the works at municipal hall, and “we are hard at work on that as we speak,” Price said.

“We know directionally we need more, we know roughly the scale, but getting specific numbers requires a level of detail on our installed inventory that we don’t yet have.”

In terms of the bottom line for taxpayers, as in every year, the tax increase will impact households differently.

In an example provided by the RMOW, a property assessed at $1.5 million could expect to see an increase in property taxes of $155 next year, while one assessed at $4 million might see an increase of $415.

The average expected increase in assessed value for residential properties in

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NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 15 Whistler is currently estimated at 30 per cent, so “any property in this community that appreciates by less than 30 per cent for the 2022 tax year will see a significantly lower increase in their property tax bill than the announced rate,” Price said at the Nov. 18 open house.

Those in Whistler Housing Authority properties will likely see no change or a decrease, due to the assessed value of other properties in Whistler seeing a higher increase, according to the RMOW. The change to sewer, water and solid waste fees will amount to about a $36.15 increase for all properties.

PROPOSED PROJECTS PLACE FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE The total proposed project spend in 2022 is $45.7 million—down from $54.9 million in the 2021 budget (though that figure was inflated by a $10-million investment in employee housing in Cheakamus Crossing).

The proposed spend covers 144 projects in 2022, the bulk of which is directed at infrastructure services ($24.3 million) and resort experience ($9.7 million).

Key areas of focus for 2022 include (but are not limited to): tourism recovery, affordable housing, reducing permit wait

16 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

times, rebuilding transit ridership, water quality and delivery, waste reduction and wildfire protection.

All of the RMOW’s budget work is also “underlined” by implementation of the Climate Action Big Moves Strategy, said chief administrative officer Virginia Cullen.

“On all of our projects there are climate considerations,” she said. “It is considered with everything that we are doing.”

In terms of front-facing projects, or things the community might notice in 2022, Cullen pointed to improvements to Rainbow Park and Meadow Park ($1 million and $1.05 million, respectively, both paid for by the provincial Resort Municipality Initiative program).

The improvements at Meadow Park include replacing the waterpark, new playground equipment, enhanced picnic areas and recreational space along the river’s edge, as well as a formalized offleash dog area, while Rainbow Park will see improved waterfront access, watercraft launch and storage facilities, expansion of the special events area and more.

The public safety building, home to Whistler’s fire and police services, is also due for a new roof (at a two-year spend of about $4 million); utilities will be buried in White Gold and Alta Vista (about $9 million over two years); and building envelope repairs will be conducted at the Meadow Park Sports Centre ($4 million over three years).

Water and sewer projects are also once again being given a strong focus, with

$5.4 million and $8.9 million budgeted, respectively, across a wide range of projects in 2022 (and much more in the years to come).

Following the completion of the Alta Lake Sewer Project this year, The Point Artist-Run Centre and the washrooms at Rainbow Park will be added to the municipal sewer system in 2022, ”and those ones I’m actually quite excited about,” Cullen said, “because it will be great to have all of it connected.”

Find the full list of projects at whistler. ca/budget.

FROM REACTION TO RESILIENCY It hasn’t been an easy couple of years in Whistler by any stretch of the imagination.

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and a devastating ransomware attack in April 2021, the RMOW has been constantly forced to react to extenuating circumstances as they arise.

“I think our goal over time is to [become] a more resilient community and organization so that we can respond appropriately to crises,” Cullen said.

“We know that there’s going to be continuing challenges with climate change, that we’re going to need to adapt to along the way, and so this just stresses the need to be fiscally prudent but planning appropriately for what the future may hold.”

The RMOW’s Strategic Planning Committee continues to work on a “balance model” that will support future decision making (with $82,146 budgeted for the work

in 2022), as well as scenario planning through the Whistler Sessions project announced in October ($96,218 for facilitation and facility rentals, paid for from a 2021 COVID-19 contingency fund. Additional facility rental costs are expected in 2022).

As it relates to climate change, the RMOW will continue to spend on its Community Wildfire Protection plan ($1 million in 2022, and about $1.6 million in each of 2023 to 2026), while recent extreme flooding events throughout B.C. have also not gone unnoticed in Whistler. “[Flooding] is something we’ve always been alive to, and we’ll continue to be looking at—as climate changes, the model for what kind of rain we can expect really needs to be looked at,” Cullen said.

Though Whistler avoided the devastation seen in other parts of the province, RMOW roads crews monitored locations where storm water collection systems were reaching capacity during periods of heavy rain, while also responding to residents reporting issues.

Afterwards, they removed “woody debris” and repaired storm damage where necessary, including shoulder gravel that was washed away.

With more rain in the forecast this week, “staff continue to work on the storm water control system to make improvements to direct storm runoff where it needs to go,” a spokesperson said.

Pique will have more on the 2022 budget in the coming weeks. n

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17

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler housing survey open until Dec. 5 COUNCIL BRIEFS: RMOW FORMALIZES FEE FOR SERVICE PROGRAM

BY BRADEN DUPUIS A NEW HOUSING survey launched by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) aims to gauge how homes and suites in the resort are being used by residents, visitors and second homeowners.

Property owners will receive a postcard in the mail with a unique code to access the online survey, which closes Dec. 5.

All respondents will be eligible to win one of five $100 gift cards.

Conducted by Forum Research, the intent of the survey is to guide Whistler’s community planning in two ways, according to the RMOW: to measure current and potential future availability to understand what supply might be needed in the coming years, and to understand how second homeowners are using their properties to better plan for future services and infrastructure.

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with evolving technology, has led to more remote workers in the resort, which affects how local properties are used—which in turn has implications for services and amenities in Whistler, the RMOW said.

“Ultimately, available housing stock is

18 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

directly related to the resort’s success,” said Mayor Jack Crompton in a release.

“Whistler homeowners have a critical role in helping the RMOW better understand how their residential properties are being used. By gaining insight into the current and projected housing stock, we are able to better plan future housing for our workforce while supporting the resort’s economy and viability.”

Employee-restricted homes managed by the Whistler Housing Authority are not included in the survey, as info is already available on those properties.

Find more info at whistler.ca/ housingsurvey.

RMOW FORMALIZES FEE FOR SERVICE PROGRAM Two decades after it was first introduced, the RMOW has officially formalized its Fee For Service (FFS) program.

The program was made official through a council policy adopted at the Nov. 16 council meeting.

The FFS program funds organizations that provide services to Whistler that would otherwise fall to the municipality.

In May 2021, council approved FFS

FORMAL FUNDING The Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association is one of five local groups that benefit from the Fee For Service program, which was recently formalized through a new council policy.

FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RMOW

funding for five local groups: Arts Whistler ($500,000); the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association ($200,000); the Whistler Museum and Archives Society ($150,000);

the Whistler Chamber of Commerce ($120,000); and Whistler Animals Galore ($101,071).

The new formalized program also encompasses organizations that receive “value-in-kind” contributions for facilities or programming spaces owned by the RMOW. There are six non-profits currently receiving value-in-kind contributions: the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council; Conservation Officer Service/Get Bear Smart Society; the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment; Whistler Adaptive Sports Program Society; Whistler Search and Rescue; and Sea to Sky Community Services Society.

“Having this council policy allows the RMOW to better account for the support provided to non-profits through funding and value-in-kind support for delivering the many services that are intrinsic to Whistler,” said Mayor Jack Crompton in a release. “This is an important step forward in ensuring these key services continue to be delivered in our community.”

Current FFS agreements will conclude on Dec. 31, 2021, and with the new policy in place, the RMOW will start the process to establish new agreements for 2022.

Find more info at whistler.ca/ feeforservice. n

Engel & Völkers Whistler

NEWS WHISTLER

Canada leading the way in avalanche forecasting with new synthetic snowpack modelling AVALANCHE CANADA MODELLING PREDICTS AVALANCHE LIKELIHOOD IN REMOTE AND UNPOPULATED AREAS

CANADA’S VAST SIZE and sparse population has always been a hindrance to Avalanche Canada when it comes to forecasting avalanches in the country’s many mountain ranges.

But thanks to a new development in the way the organization approaches its forecasts, Canada is getting smaller.

Not literally of course, but in the way of making information from unpopulated and remote locations more accessible.

“There are lots of areas and situations where we don’t have this really high-quality data to make a forecast, and it’s a lot more difficult to look at what the conditions are going to be like on the mountains in this case,” explained public avalanche forecaster Simon Horton.

The issue has always been that the information used in forecasting has been collected in person by an avalanche forecaster who goes to a site and documents the temperature, wind, precipitation and how the layers of snowpack are bonded to

WHISTLER

|

“So at Avalanche Canada we’ve been exploring possibilities to make some predictions about what might be happening in remote areas by looking at weather patterns and using some numeric models,” said Horton.

“What we’ve been experimenting with is that instead of using this [information] in research, if we take weather forecasts and put them into this type of model, we can really produce a prediction of what the snow looks like in any location at any time.”

According to Avalanche Canada’s warning service manager Karl Klassen, the modelling system is like having another member of the forecast team. “It’s more like having another person in the room with another opinion rather than it’s right or wrong,” he said.

“We don’t really have a quantitative way of validating the model, because it’s just too complex a problem right now. So if the model and the forecaster both think the same thing, then you probably have a higher level of confidence that the situation is what the model thinks it is.”

The benefit is that the prediction being generated by the model can be done at

one another before running the information through a model to assess the likelihood of an avalanche happening.

That’s extremely difficult to do in a country that is 9.985 million square kilometres in size and has 2.26 million km2 of mountain ranges.

Mix in a pandemic, which reduced resources and manpower, and it became clear something needed to change.

But with the newly developed synthetic snowpack modelling, Canada is no longer trailing behind other mountain-heavy countries, and instead has become a world leader in avalanche forecasting.

Snowpack modelling itself has been around for decades and consists of feeding information, observed from a weather station, into the model to paint a picture of the potential avalanche landscape.

Due to the small number of weather stations in Canada (16) compared to other countries (117 in Switzerland), Avalanche Canada has started using information from weather forecasts in its model to help paint that same picture of the potential avalanche landscape without being on hand to observe the information in person.

BY HARRISON BROOKS

SQUAMISH

thousands of locations, simultaneously giving the forecasters more information to work with while at the same time helping to identify potential problem areas that can then be followed up on in-person by the forecasters themselves.

And as weather forecasting continues to evolve and become more accurate, so too will the resulting avalanche forecasts.

Eventually, as the technology advances, there may no longer even be a need for avalanche forecasters to go to the sites in person.

“In the next five or 10 years, I don’t know, I think it’s probable or likely that the snowpack modelling that we are seeing now will actually become the primary source of data instead of the secondary or even third source of data,” said Klassen.

“And it’s not impossible that in 10 years or so, the avalanche forecast, like the weather forecast is now, will be produced by computers rather than by human beings, and the forecasters will be able to spend more time concentrating on the riskcommunication side of it with the public, rather than producing the actual technical avalanche forecast.” n

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Stilhavn Real Estate Services | 208 - 1420 Alpha Lake Road, Whistler | stilhavn.com This communication is not intended to cause or induce the break of an existing agency relationship. *Personal Real Estate Corporation.

20 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

1152 Mainland Street, Suite 430 Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6B 4X2

IN TA E UN UR O LT M CU

NEWS WHISTLER

NEWS WHISTLER

Energy economist looks to offer climate ‘action guide’ at Whistler lecture

604.932.9590

tf: 1.800.667.2993, ext. 838 e: marika@wrec.com

SOLD

MARK JACCARD HEADS TO RAINBOW THEATRE ON DEC. 9 AS PART OF WHISTLER INSTITUTE SPEAKER SERIES

BY MEGAN LALONDE WITH G20 COUNTRIES responsible for 78 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2019 U.N. report, and just 100 companies named by a 2017 report as the source of more than 70 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1988, the question of how impactful citizens’ personal choices can be is a complex, but common one.

If you ask energy economist Mark Jaccard, a lack of climate progress from government or the private sector isn’t an excuse to avoid taking individual action.

“Now that we have these options that really reduce your emissions, it is really, really weird to see someone driving a gasoline car, or a gasoline pickup truck, and yet, they really care and are frustrated about the inaction on climate,” he said.

To those who say electric vehicles (EV) are too expensive, solutions like purchasing an EV secondhand or with a group of neighbours exist, Jaccard countered, in addition to lower-cost options such as public transit or cycling.

But while more people need to transition to a zero-emission lifestyle, Jaccard takes issue with the “cacophony of agenda-hitching” propelling the narrative that everyone should stop driving cars, stop eating meat, or stop travelling by air.

“While you in your personal life should go ahead and keep pursuing these things, and try to convince your friends, family and neighbours to also do it, it’s really a mistake if you think that that is the only, or the best, strategy to get there,” he said. “If you think about someone’s personal household emissions, through all aspects of their life, they’re 90 per cent determined by what vehicle they drive, and how they heat their interior space.”

Jaccard, a professor and director of Simon Fraser University’s School of Resource and Environmental Management who also served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is aiming to help climate-concerned citizens reckon with these realities during the Whistler Institute’s latest Global Perspectives Speaker Series event. The Dec. 9 event will see Jaccard deliver a lecture-style presentation moderated by Mayor Jack Crompton and followed by a question-and-answer session.

The goal of Jaccard’s upcoming talk is “to give people both some hope about how their engagement as citizens and also how their behaviour as consumers can work in harmony to try to increase our chances of action and success on climate,” he told Pique. “There are lots of things to be excited

about, [but] huge amounts of work ahead.”

It’s a topic the expert previously addressed in his 2019 book, The Citizen’s Guide To Climate Success: Overcoming Myths That Hinder Progress.

Within its pages, Jaccard also outlined the need to decarbonize our electricity and transportation industries, and highlighted the regulatory policies—for example, the phasing out of coal plants—that must be implemented to slow climate change.

It also touched on citizens’ responsibilities in terms of public engagement. In the context of Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral

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“There are lots of things to be excited about, [but] huge amounts of work ahead.”

- MARK JACCARD

system, that means voting strategically to prevent “climate insincere” politicians from taking power, he said.

The topic is particularly relevant in light of the recent COP26 global climate conference in Scotland, noted Whistler Institute executive director Suki Cheyne. “[It’s timely] to have Mark continue that conversation and take it from the country level, where people are making decisions, and bring it down to the citizen level and what we as individuals can do,” to combat the climate crisis, she said.

“I’m hoping that audience members, [whether] virtual or in-person, will go home with ideas that they can implement in their own lives and feel a bit a little bit more empowered.”

The Whistler Institute’s Global Perspectives Speaker Series “Citizens Climate Emergency—An Action Guide,” event takes place at the Whistler Conference Centre’s Rainbow Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at bit.ly/3qZjZDd ($30 for those attending the theatre in-person, $10 for live-stream access.)

Those interested in continuing the conversation can do so at an Après Event Dinner Experience hosted by Caramba immediately following Jaccard’s talk.

Tickets for that portion of the evening are $65 and include a three-course set menu, gratuity and a $26.64 charitable tax receipt.

All audience members attending the talk will be required to present proof of COVID-19 vaccine upon arrival and wear masks throughout the event. n

WHISTLER COVID-19 TRAVEL TESTING ALL WELCOME

Lo ca t e d near the front d o or s of t he W h i st l e r C onferenc e Centre CO NTACT U S W W W. AI RWO L F ME D I C A L . C O M

NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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The winners will show their love and appreciation in the most fun and creative way. Please ensure that images are uploaded via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and are SET TO PUBLIC VIEW. All images submitted via email will be added to Pique’s Facebook album “Instagram Ullr”. Whistler Publishing LP reserves the right to use and print images and the photographer’s name.

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NEWS WHISTLER

Visits to Whistler’s parks were up 35% from last summer, and 77% from 2019 DESPITE LOCAL BACKLASH, PAY PARKING TO CONTINUE IN MAJOR PARKS NEXT SUMMER

BY BRANDON BARRETT STAFF AT THE Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) reported to mayor and council last week on the 2021 Summer Experience Plan, and in what should come as no surprise to anyone who frequented our local parks this year, demand was way up.

Visitation to Whistler’s parks increased 35 per cent when compared to last summer, and was up a whopping 77 per cent compared to the same period in 2019, a continuation of a years-long bump that was only accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At the culmination of 2020, we were looking back at a summer when we experienced unprecedented levels of

visitation,” explained general manager of resort experience Jessie Gresley-Jones at the Nov. 16 council meeting.

“We needed to really protect our infrastructure and our park assets. We knew there were problems in 2020 and if those were to reoccur and even worsen, our park system would not be able to handle those pressures.”

Virtually all of the spike in usage can be attributed to visitors from the Lower Mainland, B.C. and elsewhere in Canada, with visitation to local parks from U.S. and other international visitors down 80 per cent, while visitation from local residents remained static.

“I think there was perhaps the perception that our parks were going to be very busy so perhaps going to those parks on busy days was not seen as optimal,”

Glen was born in Winnipeg and grew up in Saskatchewan. His dad was a station master for CNR and their family lived in several towns in Saskatchewan. He always told us kids how grateful their family was for always having a roof over their head during the great depression and that they were more fortunate than most. When Glen was a teenager his brother April 17th, 1927 – November 21, 2021 Lee and him could ride the rails for free and during summer breaks they would take the train out to B.C. to pick berries.

Glen Mason

He then went to university to follow in his brother Leslie footsteps to become a doctor. While working his way through university he was offered a job of selling sewing machines door to door. He found out he was good at it as he was a people person. He decided this was more his calling then being a doctor and borrowed some money off his mother and bought the company he worked for. His new business Mason Sewing Machine was very successful and he sold many other products for a while too like Seagull and Mercury Outboard motors and cartop boats. The business is still running today 73 years later owned by his son in-law Marc.

In 1965 Glen and his brothers Lynn and Lee were trying to stake land up by Lillooet Lake and they were running out of daylight and they were told by Gene Mills their sewing instructor that her friends the Mansell’s had a lodge on Alta Lake called Hillcrest Lodge and that Jack Mansell wanted to sell. They negotiated a price and literally drew up the contract on a napkin and with a $20 deposit had a deal. When they got back to Burnaby they played hockey at the Burnaby Winter Club and asked if any of their teammates wanted in on the purchase of the lodge. A few took up their offer and they formed a company called Mount Whistler Lodge and changed the name from Hillcrest Lodge to Mount Whistler

28 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

SUMMER LOVIN’ The spike in visitation to Whistler parks this summer can be mainly attributed to visitors from the Lower Mainland, B.C. and elsewhere in Canada, according to the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

FILE PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

Gresley-Jones said of the local trend. “But ultimately that’s anecdotal and perhaps not concrete evidence.”

This summer also saw the introduction of pay parking in four of Whistler’s major

parks, part of a pilot project aimed at managing increased demand, funding park upkeep and taking action on climate by encouraging alternate modes of travel. The decision proved to be a controversial one

Lodge. It was great timing as the lodge was full with workers building the ski lifts. The lodge was in operation until 1978 and later burned down by the fire department in 1986. During the time they operated it there were live bands on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday night movies. It was quite the colourful place to say the least.

In 2005 Glen, Lynn and his son Ken redeveloped the property now known as Lakecrest. As part of the development Glen gave his own private property to the RMOW which is now known as the stone circle by Lakeside Park. Before this many days you could find Glen there in his small cabin playing his clarinet or reading. Now there are many weddings throughout the year and it brought much joy to Glen that many people were enjoying this special place as much as he did.

Glen was an avid skier, hockey player, golfer, roller blader, kayaker, horseback rider and boater. All though his style wasn’t the greatest he could rip up the slopes. He started participating in the peak to valley race in his 60s and last race was when he was 80. He played hockey up to his 80s too. Overall, very adventurous guy even bought a small plane a Cessna Skymaster which his son Ray flew him around to Alaska, Bahamas, Saskatchewan, throughout B.C and other places in the U.S. He loved B.C. especially Whistler and Saturna Island. He loved horses and had a hobby farm in Ladner. The last 20 years or so he was thrilled with planting 100s of trees on his farm and watching them grow. Glen was not into materialism at all but life experiences. More than anything Glen loved his family most. Especially his grandkids and great grand kids. He recognized the uniqueness in all of them and would always praise their individual qualities.

Glen did not have a mean bone in his body. He was so generous and had boundless energy and was the most positive person you could meet. His family is so grateful for providing all of us with such love, a wonderful upbringing and many memorable experiences. We couldn’t of asked for a better dad, grandpa and great grandpa. Glen is survived by his wife Pauline, brothers Lynn (Geraldine), Bob (Bridgette) children Helen, Ray (Lorine), Ron, Ken (Kathy), Elaine (Marc) and grandchildren Michael (Krista), Alex (Jasmine), Kate (JD), Jake (Kyle), Cheri (Tad), Amanda, Lara, Jessie (Curtis) and great-grandchildren Sam, Lucy, Abigail, Aiden, Eric, Bella and Ben.

As Glen says “It’s another beautiful day! ” The Mason Family

NEWS WHISTLER amongst locals, with an online petition calling for a locals’ parking pass that would allow residents to park for free having reached more than 2,000 signatures at press time.

Given the 170 pay parking stalls were often at 85-per-cent capacity or higher, and the roughly $122,000 in revenue generated from pay parking covered the combined costs for the Rainbow Park shuttle and bike valet service at Rainbow and Lost Lake parks, staff recommended that pay parking in local parks continue into next summer.

“Having a locals’ pass or free weekday parking would have negative impacts,” noted manager of resort parks planning Martin Pardoe. “It would reduce the parking availability at peak times, and it would not guarantee parking availability to a passholder because there is a limited

at other issues in the community,” noted Pardoe.

The RMOW’s Park Eats program was also introduced this summer, which welcomed food vendors and food delivery to several local parks. Staff recommended expanding the program in 2022.

Staff also recommended continuing a waste management program with local environmental group, the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE), which provided public education and oversight of proper waste disposal in some resort parks. On days when AWARE staff was on-hand, Pardoe said there was “significant reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill,” including almost double the amount of compost collected and more than double the amount of material that was recycled.

On the events side, the RMOW noted

“[A locals’ pass] would reduce the parking availability at peak times, and it would not guarantee parking availability to a passholder...”

- MARTIN PARDOE

number of stalls, it would not incentivize more sustainable transportation options that are outlined in our [Official Community Plan] and our Climate Action Big Moves Strategy … and it would undermine funding for our preferred transportation modes, the shuttle and bike valet services.”

Staff also compared the pilot project to parking programs in place at parks in Canmore, Banff and Tofino, and found the rate of $2 an hour to be lower than all three jurisdictions, and the hours in which pay parking was in effect, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., to be shorter. Pay parking is also in effect year-round at those destinations compared to just three months in Whistler.

(It should be noted, however, that Tofino launched a free pass for locals and neighbouring First Nations this summer, although a still-undetermined fee will be introduced in 2022.)

Both the Rainbow Park shuttle and bike valet service proved popular this summer, with an average of 180 users a day taking the shuttle and 51 a day using the valet service available at Olympic Plaza, Lost Lake, and Rainbow Park. In both instances, usage was heavily weighted towards visitors rather than locals.

“So clearly there is room for some local improvement there,” Pardoe said.

Pay parking, as well as efforts to improve accessibility and clarity on where drivers could and could not park both in lots and on residential streets, translated into fewer complaints and tickets issued by Bylaw Services, according to the report.

“The additional benefit was that staff had other efficiencies gained because they weren’t managing parking as intensely as they have in past years, so they could look

that local engagement in participatory events in Whistler’s parks was less than anticipated last summer, which resulted in animation locations being adjusted due to weather and visitor volumes. “We realize that in-resort marketing strategy and design is essential for program success,” Pardoe said.

In all, the summer plan cost approximately $614,000, the majority of which was covered by Resort Municipality Initiative funds ($395,000). The remainder was covered by the pay parking pilot project ($122,000), the Municipal and Regional District Tax ($54,000), and municipal general reserves ($43,000).

“The intent was really for progress, not perfection,” Gresley-Jones said of the plan.

“We knew that not everything was going to be perfect, but we knew that we had to do something to get through the summer.”

Between COVID-19 and ever-changing travel and health guidelines, staffing shortages, and supply chain disruptions, RMOW staff developed and implemented its Summer Experience Plan “with a huge amount of uncertainty over the course of the summer, and even in the spring when we commenced this planning work,” Gresley-Jones said.

“We really had little advance knowledge of what conditions could be in the summer, we had considerable collaboration and coordination among all of the RMOW departments and our partner organizations, and we had ongoing adaptation as condition evolved and as labour and material shortages actually became significant factors in our planning and execution.”

View the full report at whistler.ca. n

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021

29

NEWS WHISTLER

Naturespeak: 2021 Wedgemount Glacier survey

BY KRISTINA SWERHUN AND KARL RICKER GLACIER MONITORING has a long history in the Whistler area. Karl Ricker has been monitoring Wedgemount Glacier for more than 45 years, a project instigated by Bill Tupper that also included Don Lyon on the original crew. The team’s first sighting of Wedgemount Glacier was from Wedge Mountain in 1965, when the glacier was floating on Wedgemount Lake.

Why monitor glaciers? Glaciers grow and shrink in response to changing climate, so their movements mark changes.

Monitoring data allows researchers to assess ecological and hydrological effects on species (including humans) living in the area or downstream. Researchers can also use the data to predict future changes and effects—like how shrinking glaciers will affect water availability.

Monitoring on September 12, 2021, revealed that Wedgemount Glacier receded a whopping 81 metres within the last year. This is by far the greatest annual change on record going back to 1900.

For comparison, last year’s recession was way above average at 30 metres. So, what happened? There are probably a few contributing factors.

One is the topography of the mountain.

Monitoring last year showed the glacier on the far edge of Tupper Lake with a steep slope behind. This year a huge chunk of ice had broken off at the point of a rock outcrop.

While it was common to see small broken off pieces of ice floating in Tupper Lake in the past, this is the first time during monitoring that the glacier has broken off on land. The broken off piece of ice will melt faster now with rock on all sides heating it up.

Another factor is the heat dome that we suffered through between June 25 and July 1 that was called the deadliest weather event in Canadian history. It seems it was deadly not only to people—Wedgemount Glacier lost several years of its life in just one summer. With a Whistler Valley temperature maximum of 42.9 degrees on June 29, this dome heated the glacier so much that it just couldn’t hang on any longer.

Looking back at 40 years of research, recession during each decade varies considerably and has been steadily growing. In the 1980s, total recession was 56 metres; in the 1990s it was 108 m; in the 2000s it was 143 m and in the 2010s total recession was 252 m. The increased rate of recession has significant implications for local hydrology and species that depend on glacier meltwater.

After more than 45 years of surveying, Karl is near retiring and will be handing

RECORD MELT

Wedgemount Glacier on the shore of Tupper Lake receded a record 81 metres this year.

PHOTO BY DAVE LYON

off this monitoring project to a younger generation of researchers. The contribution Karl has made to our understanding of the natural world is unmatched. He has explored the mountains, valleys and regions around Whistler perhaps more than any other person alive. A remarkable naturalist, Karl has not only contributed glacier-monitoring data but has also studied the flora and fauna of our region.

He has contributed in huge ways to our knowledge of the animals and plants that inhabit and surround our community.

He has also been a tireless advocate for responsible development and sustainable practices that protect these spaces.

Thank you, Karl!

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

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30 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

BOOK SIGNING AT MEET + GREET DAVE DOROGHY & GRAEME MENZIES

2021 Whistler Housing Survey Owners of Whistler properties (except employee-restricted homes) will receive a postcard via Canada Post with a unique PIN code to access the online survey, open from November 12 to December 5.

The survey explores how residential homes in Whistler are being used to inform Whistler’s community planning in two ways: •

To measure the current and potential future availability of housing for the resort’s workforce; and

•

To understand the frequency of use by Whistler’s second homeowners to assist in planning future services and infrastructure.

SAT, NOV. 27 1PM - 5PM

The survey will take less than five minutes to complete and all entries will be eligible to win one of five $100 gift cards.

If you are a property owner (excluding employee-restricted property owners) and have not received your postcard by November 25, contact economicdevelopment@whistler.ca.

Learn more at whistler.ca/HousingSurvey

4330 Northland Blvd, Whistler

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/HousingSurvey

Municipality of ofWhistler Whistler Resort Municipality

Recreation and Leisure Advisory Committee Membership The Resort Municipality of Whistler is seeking qualified applicants to serve in a voluntary capacity on the Recreation and Leisure Advisory 2022 to 2024 Committee for the 2020 2022 term.

This committee is to provide an objective view in the public interest to municipal staff and Council on the provision and delivery of indoor and outdoor recreation and leisure opportunities, services and issues.

Download terms of reference for this committee at whistler. whistler.ca/committees. ca/committees.

Apply by submitting a resume and and brief brief statement statement that that reflects reflects your interest in participating on this committee in PDF format to resortexperience@whistler.ca. Include ‘RLAC Membership’ in the subject line.

Phone 604-935-8180 for more information.

Submission deadline: Monday January 27, 2020 at 4 at p.m.

Wednesday December 1, 2021 4 p.m.

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www.whistlersweatershop.com NOVEMBER 25, 2021

31

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Pemberton Valley ‘very lucky’ to avoid serious flood damages WHILE THE VILLAGE AVOIDED MAJOR FLOODING THIS TIME, ISSUES SURROUNDING CULVERTS THREATEN TO CAUSE MORE FLOODING IN THE FUTURE

BY HARRISON BROOKS IN A SPAN of 36 hours last week, the Village of Pemberton (VOP) was hit with 70 millimetres of rain, causing serious flooding issues for certain areas of the community.

The southern end of the Village was among the areas hit the hardest by highwater levels, with the trailer park and the Peaks and Pioneer housing complexes at the highest risk of damage.

However, through collaboration between the Pemberton Valley Dyking District (PVDD), the VOP and Pemberton Fire Rescue, much of the water in the area was pumped out, avoiding any major issues.

“Realistically we got off very lucky as compared to the rest of B.C. We normally flood from rivers but this time we flooded just from rainwater and run-off from the drainages in and around Pemberton. The Arn Canal, which is a man-made canal that drains most of Pemberton, caused a bunch of flooding just because it didn’t have enough capacity to get the water out fast enough,” said PVDD manager Kevin Clark.

“But our saving grace was freezing levels stayed lower than expected and we had a bunch of snow in the mountains, which soaked up a bunch of the rain, and temperatures were lower than forecasts, so the Lillooet River didn’t go up and none of the big rivers really went up any measurable

WASHED OUT A section of Reid Road, north of Pemberton, was completely washed out by high water levels earlier this week.

PHOTO BY KELLY COSGROVE

32 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

amount, so we ended up getting off very, very lucky.”

While there was too much rainwater for some of the town’s culverts and canals to handle, things could have been much worse had it not been for some major culvert replacements completed by the PVDD in September of this year, according to VOP Mayor Mike Richman.

“The dyking district does a fantastic job managing their infrastructure,” said Richman. “A good example is we just replaced two major culverts through the dyking district [by] the Arn Canal, right behind a fairly populated area of our Village, and had that not been replaced, they certainly would have experienced more flooding in their neighbourhood, so some good work has been done.”

According to Clark, projects like this that aim to replace aging and ineffective drainage systems in the Village are the key to finally fixing Pemberton’s recurring flooding issues.

However, these types of projects are too expensive to solely be put on the backs of taxpayers and often need government funding, which can severely slow down the process, often requiring the work to be spread out over multiple years, said Richman.

Adding complexity to the culvert issue in the Pemberton Valley is the question of who has jurisdiction over some of the usual problem areas, according to local MLA Jordan Sturdy.

While draining technically falls under the PVDD’s jurisdiction, some of the main points of concern happen to be plugged or slow-draining culverts that go under the highway, begging the question of whether

or not the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) should be on the hook for fixing these problems.

One example Sturdy raised was from the summer, when a culvert under the highway was backed up, resulting in a local farmer losing thousands of dollars’ worth of potatoes due to the flooding that ensued.

“But is it [the MOTI’s] job to drain ‘X’ farmer’s potato field? [The ministry] would argue not really, but clearly it’s important.

And now the PVDD, they’re responsible for drainage yet it’s a [MOTI] piece of infrastructure, so it is a totally legitimate concern that we absolutely need clarity on,” he said.

“There are a number of situations in the valley where significant roads that people live on don’t have culverts underneath them so when you get a little bit of high water, one side of the road has four feet of water and the other side has none. All have knock-on effects and cause problems, but [the ministry] says, ‘Look, the road’s fine.’

“So the ministry, when it comes to building roads, including things that cause river courses to change or hold back water, how much of a priority is that for MOTI? Well, MOTI priority is transportation, not necessarily drainage. The dyking district’s responsibility is drainage but the culverts under the highway specifically are not dyking district culverts.”

Sturdy said his office has set up meetings with MOTI to make sure these conversations happen and to try and sort out a solution to the jurisdictional conundrum.

A few kilometres further down Highway 99, Lil’wat Nation’s Chief Dean Nelson said Mount Currie was also lucky and thankful

to not have had serious flooding from last week’s rainfall, despite that usually being a recurring issue for them as well.

However, the rain caused a different issue for the community in the form of a mudslide that closed a section of Duffey Lake Road, the main route from Mount Currie to Interior B.C., stranding many people in town.

Thankfully for those stuck in Mount Currie until the road was re-opened recently to essential travel, some community members stepped up to make sure they had what they needed to make it through the situation.

“At first it was recognizing, what would we do in a situation like that? What would we need?” said Nelson. “So there was community people that would drive down and see if people needed food or fuel or a place even to stay, and we do have contacts and communications with Emergency Management BC and Red Cross for anything that needs to be taken care of medically. But there were quite a few community members that were checking on these people every day and they were taken care of, from what I understand.”

Now that the situation is beginning to be resolved, Nelson wants to remind people to be prepared for anything when taking a trip on snow-covered mountain roads, especially ones like the Duffey Lake Road where there is no cell service if you run into trouble.

“You have to remind people not to become part of the problem. Winter preparedness [is key], and you have to be ready for the conditions,” he said. “I think that is a really good move to keep things safe. Is your vehicle equipped? Do you know what you are getting into before you even attempt it?” n

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Will BC Hydro be charged for the thousands of fish killed in Squamish?

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING, BUT LOCAL CONSERVATIONISTS FEAR NO ENFORCEMENT ACTION WILL BE TAKEN.

BY JENNIFER THUNCHER The Squamish Chief

OFFICIALLY, FISHERIES Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said it is still investigating what local conservationists call a devastating fish kill on the Cheakamus River after a BC Hydro ramping event at the end of September.

In a statement, BC Hydro said that on Sept. 29, it “increased the spill release on the Cheakamus River to manage increased inflows to Daisy Lake Reservoir as a result of weather events. Storm inflows ended up higher than expected, resulting in a larger spill than anticipated.”

Two years before, in 2019, a similar event occurred, though fewer fish were killed.

Conservationists and the Squamish Nation spoke out after this recent stranding, which killed more than 7,000 fish, many spawning pink salmon, according to the DFO. Local conservationists believe the number killed is likely much higher.

Nation representatives have worked with BC Hydro in various ways since the 2019 incident and had expected better, a statement read.

“For something like this to happen despite efforts since 2019 has shaken our confidence that this Cheakamus facility can ever operate in a manner that recognizes the value of Indigenous ways in respecting and protecting our lands, waters, and the life within it,” said the Nation’s Oct. 12 statement.

Chessy Knight, president of the Squamish River Watershed Society, said she wanted to see the DFO bring charges against the Crown corporation as a result of the recent fish deaths, which she witnessed on the river on Oct. 1.

Not charging the company sends the wrong message not only to BC Hydro, but to other industrial companies, she said.

“If you can kill this many fish, it is almost like a licence to do what you want,” she said. “DFO puts a lot of effort into policing commercial harvesters and recreational fishers, but when you can kill...

10,000 fish, I mean how do you say what a commercial fisherman is doing or what a recreational fisherman is doing is worse?”

Knight said this recent stranding could have been avoided if BC Hydro had raised the minimum flow of water left in the river after the ramping event. Going forward, she

would also like to see BC Hydro shut down operations for three weeks during peak pink spawning and pass daily inflows into the reservoir over the dam.

BC Hydro has an authorization— permission—for its Squamish operation through its Fisheries Act Authorization, which is vague on the number of fish that can be killed, Knight said, and so she hopes there can be an opportunity to revise the authorization as part of the current required BC Hydro Cheakamus Water Use Plan Order Review.

“Without bounds on the magnitude of an acceptable fish kill, how do we know when BC Hydro has killed more fish than is ‘acceptable?’” Knight said.

Asked what enforcement BC Hydro was facing for the recent stranding, a spokesperson for DFO said the federal regulator is actively engaged on the issue of fish stranding on the Cheakamus River.

“The department is currently compiling and evaluating information related to the spill and subsequent ramp-down between Sept. 30 and Oct. 2, 2021, including BC Hydro’s response to the resulting fish stranding. Upon completion of that review, DFO will determine Fisheries Act compliance and respond through enforcement action or other regulatory response, as appropriate.”

The spokesperson noted that reports received to date indicate that fish salvage crews recorded a total of 8,567 adult pink salmon stranded, of which 1,243 (15 per cent) were subsequently salvaged and returned to the river, resulting in approximately 7,324 mortalities.

“DFO continues to work with BC Hydro, the province of B.C., Squamish Nation, and local stakeholders in a collaborative process to assess and mitigate fish stranding on the Cheakamus River.

MLA Jordan Sturdy, who has long been looped in on fish issues in the corridor, noted this is the second time such a large number of fish were killed.

“I am concerned that Hydro didn’t seem to learn a lot from the last go around. There was a lot of work that took place there—a lot of post-event assessment and commitments to do things differently,” he said.

Sturdy acknowledged that changing its protocol for the fish will likely cost money for the Crown corporation, but he said it is increasingly hard to justify the fish kills.

SEE PAGE 34

>> NOVEMBER 25, 2021

33

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY << FROM PAGE 33 “I can’t understand how that cost can be acceptable,” he said adding that he would be “disappointed” if BC Hydro was being treated differently by DFO than anybody else who created an issue in local waters.

CROSSED LINES? News of the ongoing investigation shocked Dave Brown, chair of the Squamish to Lillooet Sport Fishing Advisory Committee, who said he was told by a DFO representative at its October meeting that no charges were being pursued.

Knight was also at that meeting and confirmed this.

“I am so mad about this and upset,” Brown said, adding that in 2019, conservationists were angry, but thought things would improve thereafter.

“If one angler went down and fished with a barbed hook, [he’d get] ticketed. If he kept one salmon and made a mistake, let’s say they thought it was a coho and kept a chum or something, no excuse, you are getting a ticket.”

Brown acknowledged BC Hydro has been better at communicating with conservation groups what is happening around rain events since the latest fish kill, but said that isn’t enough.

“You have to pay the price of the damage they caused,” he said. “If a company spilled stuff into the river, there would be

accountability, but if a company changes the water levels, it has a licence to kill an unlimited number of fish? They have a licence to kill at a time when every salmon is critical and so much is being done by the local community.”

Brown said that local conservation groups have done a lot of work to bring back pink salmon to the river since the BC Hydro Water Use Plan was being drafted a couple of decades ago.

“At the time, they were telling us pinks weren’t in the river because that is how low the population had gotten,” he said. “The community worked to bring them back ... to have a pink recovery ... it is not only the fish, but it is also a loss to the entire environment and it is just unacceptable.”

BACK TO DFO Asked when a final decision on enforcement would be made and what consequences—if any—BC Hydro could face, a spokesperson said: “While an investigation is ongoing, we can’t comment further at this time.”

DFO was also asked if it has ever charged an industrial operation for fish kills, but could not comment on that either.

BC Hydro said it understands the impact the death of so many fish has had.

“We acknowledge the impact it has had on community members and our staff,” a spokesperson said, adding that changes have been made since the event in 2019

and will be made after the late September event and subsequent feedback from conservationists.

“In planning for this year’s flow reductions on the Cheakamus River, we applied the Cheakamus Adaptive Stranding Protocol (CASP) principles,” said a spokesperson. “These principles were informed by engagement with First Nations, agencies and stakeholders and years of intensive study, and inform all our ramp-down activities. We also implemented additional mitigation measures to reduce adult fish stranding. As a result, it was disappointing to see the number of stranded fish that we saw on Oct. 1.”

There are a few key considerations to take into account regarding the early October spilling and ramp-down event, Hydro said.

“The first is that the pink salmon run on the Cheakamus River, by many accounts, this year was larger than 2019. On the one hand, the larger run is good news as we share the interest around sustainable and healthy salmon populations. On the other hand, the larger run does present a greater challenge when storms occur, and spill and ramp down are required.

“The second key consideration is that, because of the size and intensity of the storm we were dealing with, the flow reduction and resulting dewatered area was much larger than it was in 2019.”After recent discussions with First Nations,

stakeholders, and agencies, BC Hydro said it has incorporated new learnings to its ramp-down approach to better protect fish. These practises have been implemented for the additional rampdown events since.

“First, we are ensuring that most of the ramp downs will occur during the day to allow for improved access to fish. This will allow better response to stranding areas as they emerge. Secondly, we are ensuring that field crews are in close contact with our operations staff to be able to pause ramp downs based on observations in the field and have additional crews available to support efforts as needed. In addition, we are significantly increasing the number of monitoring and salvage crews on the river. As noted, we have applied these practices to the subsequent spill and ramp-down events that occurred in October and November since Oct. 1 and there has been little to no stranding.”

BC Hydro is also now sending a weekly operations forecast email to stakeholders and hosting pre-spill engagement meetings with First Nations, agencies and stakeholders to discuss ramp-down approaches before beginning a ramp-down event whenever possible.

Said a spokesperson: “Managing fish stranding during storms continues to be challenging, particularly during large spawning events. We are committed to learning and adapting our protocols to minimize fish stranding.” n

SPUD VALLEY NORDICS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

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Truth be told.

SCIENCE MATTERS

Where do we go from COP26?

AS THE WORLD MOVES on from the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, the signs of our predicament are everywhere.

Where I live, torrential rains have flooded towns and valleys, stranding and killing people and animals, wiped out roads, bridges and railways and cut land access to Vancouver. A state of emergency was declared. Horrific memories of summer heat domes and wildfires are still fresh. This is a small corner of the world. But the signs are everywhere.

We should never consider this as some kind of “new normal,” and we must do everything we can to prevent it from getting worse. In light of that, was COP26 just more “blah, blah, blah,” or will it help

BY DAVID SUZUKI us avert catastrophe?

International gatherings and agreements are important but they alone aren’t enough. COP26 was intended to finalize the Paris Agreement and get countries to accelerate climate action this decade. It’s all proceeding as intended, but things get watered down during negotiations, and many of the agreed-upon measures are voluntary.

Most world leaders are sincere in recognizing climate disruption for the crisis it is, and in wanting to address it. But until they recognize the urgent need to radically shift course and halt all new coal, oil and gas development, we’ll continue to face ever-accelerating risks from flooding, heat,

purchases—not to mention public relations support from some provincial and state governments.

Despite its failings, the climate summit did get politicians, bureaucrats, corporate executives and others to agree on important goals. But it’s not enough to leave it all up to people, countries and companies with widely varying agendas and priorities. We must all get involved.

We can thank those who have engaged for much of the progress at COP26. Millions of young people and elders taking to streets around the world, massive marches in Glasgow during the summit, and people speaking out, writing, petitioning and creating art have made the world pay attention to humanity’s role in the crises we now confront.

When we demand action, politicians must listen. Here in Canada, our government has made strong commitments. We need to make sure those words are backed with effective action, and we need to push for better.

Canada must work quickly to update its climate plan, cap and ratchet down oil and gas emissions and develop a blueprint for a managed production decline. To confirm a true change in direction, our country must sign on to the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance and deliver on the commitment to end public finance for oil and gas subsidies abroad by 2022. Canada must also bring in just transition legislation without delay to ensure workers affected by the necessary energy shift are given support and opportunities.

Canada may only contribute about two per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions (not counting those from

When we demand action, politicians must listen.

drought, wildfires, human displacement and more.

Although many countries made some progress, including reducing or eliminating methane pollution, cutting fossil fuel subsidies abroad and reducing coal, oil and gas production, they came up short in many areas. Funding to help countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts— most of which contribute least to the crisis—is inadequate. Along with lack of recognition for Indigenous rights, COP26 was an epic fail for climate justice.

In many ways, the agreements increase divisions among rich and poor countries and civil society and corporate interests, worsening the situation for those losing their lives, homes and livelihoods to climate change impacts.

Despite limited measures to curb fossil fuel subsidies, governments around the world, including Canada’s, will continue to bolster the industry with tax and royalty breaks and things like infrastructure

others burning the products we sell or producing abroad the products we buy), but we have the third-highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita, the thirdlargest known oil reserves and we’re the world’s fourth-largest oil exporter.

What we do matters.

Our climate is rapidly changing, and it will continue to do so for some time because of the emissions we’ve already pumped into the atmosphere. That means, as well as halting activities that contribute to climate disruption, we must also find ways to protect ourselves from costly and deadly floods, fires, slides, extreme weather events and more.

COP26 and the Paris Agreement are part of the solution, but we need so much more.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington. ■

WHISTLER TESTING COVID19 SCREENING TESTS FOR TRAVEL & EMPLOYMENT

Opening November 15th Located in the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa www.whistlertesting.com NOVEMBER 25, 2021

35

THE OUTSIDER

Who’s first?

FIRST TURNS of the season are always a hoot. Sliding and whipping from edge to edge takes a couple of seconds to brush the cobwebs off before the all-too-familiar sensation of skiing kicks in.

Some years the first turns on our beloved ski hill, Whistler Blackcomb are an icy, scratchy, rock-dodging affair. Other

BY VINCE SHULEY years when November storms cooperate, it can be an overhead pow surfing, rockdodging affair, the difference being you can’t see most of the recently covered, jagged surfaces ready to tear your gear—and your body—apart. The point? Today is the official opening day of Whistler Blackcomb and I hope the exuberant youth get to enjoy their après at the bar, not the medical clinic.

Inevitably, people let their excitement get

FIRST TURNS Early season skier extraordinaire Dan Cudlip submitting evidence of his spoils in November 2020.

PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY

the better of them. Their first day of the season can turn into their last day, or at least their last day for a while.

And I get it. Strong opening conditions have us all sniffing out the potential of putting first tracks down a line, boosting that natural hit, ducking ropes (boundary ropes, not closure ropes, of course) to get the fresh stash no one else was willing to take a risk on. I’ve uploaded on many an opening day with the attitude of “yeah, gonna take it real easy today” only to get caught up in the excitement on my first lap because: a) I can’t believe I’m skiing again, and b) the conditions look so inviting that I immediately start skiing faster without knowing what the coverage is like on the other side of that rollover.

I’ve had many close calls in early season conditions over the years and have witnessed many more. But it wasn’t until I actually— with a minor injury that could have been very major—threatened the rest of my season with foolhardy skiing behaviour that I realized that the rush of first turns doesn’t happen without some self-inflicted psychological manipulation. In other words, my own lizard brain got in the way.

American physician and neuroscientist Paul D. MacLean theorized the following back in the ‘60s: “...the basal ganglia and

a number of the surrounding structures within the base of the forebrain are responsible for ‘species-typical’ behaviours, which are present in aggression, dominance, territoriality, and ritual displays.”

If those species-typical behaviours don’t conjure up images of local Whistler skiers on a powder day, I’m guessing you haven’t skied a lot of Whistler powder days.

Being first to ski for the season is a big driver for people. Flocking to backcountry areas after the first sizable storm now feels like more of a rite of passage than just a day of skiing. For many of the enthusiastic folk, being able to tell everyone they were the first one to ski that season is the biggest driver.

Stake your territory, assert your dominance, let everyone know about it. Makes sense.

But what’s the value of being first, anyhow? I understand the idea being at the front of a pow day lift line; get it before someone else does. But backcountry snow doesn’t require the same hustle as Whistler Bowl to Shale Slope. And early season skiers aren’t really first anymore anyway.

That honour goes to the dedicated souls who—for better or worse —ski every month of the year, hiking for hours to shred the dwindling September snow patches.

The October storms this year presented

HOWE SOUND MINOR BASEBALL AGM

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Tuesday November 30th - 7pm Tantalus Room Brennan Park Squamish

36 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

Vince Shuley wishes you all a very happy opening day. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. ■

Naturopathic Doctor

We are looking forward to an exciting year of minor baseball in the Sea to Sky Corridor.

The upcoming 2022 baseball season will finally unite both Squamish & Whistler communities!

Please join us for our upcoming AGM:

For more details howesoundminorball.ca

a unique opportunity to go skiing with convenient vehicle access up forestry roads and hundreds of people managed to get pre-Halloween turns in. And that’s great.

I personally passed on that opportunity (assuming it was going to be busy) and chose instead to ride my mountain bike on one of the last weekends before more snow and heavy rains returned. That decision would have me drowning in FOMO back in the day. Now I’m content to patiently wait for the conditions to improve to a point where I get more skiing for the time and effort I’m willing to put in.

But today is opening day, when Whistler Blackcomb becomes the great levelling field for all skiers and snowboarders. No longer is skiing in the Sea to Sky corridor a matter of who suffered up to the alpine first and who posted about it. Now it’s just about going skiing. Grab your mates and bomb some groomers. Talk shit on the chairlift.

Remember what skiing is really about: having fun.

See you on the hill.

1384 Portage Road, Pemberton (next to the Pony Restaurant)

NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

ELIZABETH CHAPLIN

elizabeth@elizabethchaplin.com | 604 932 1311

PLUS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE THE ADJACENT LOT! CALL FOR DETAILS 604-932-1311 8 - 2007 KAREN CRESCENT

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Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Square Feet:1,495

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This bright and modern townhouse built in 2015 is conveniently located in popular Whistler Creekside.

Walking distance to restaurants, shops, Alpha and Nita Lakes and the Creekside Gondola!

Your very own private cabin in the woods located in the gated complex of Pinecrest Estates just 15 minutes’ drive south of Whistler Village. Enjoy the extensive trail networks on your doorstep as well as private lake access.

Vacant Lot located in residential Emerald Estates. A level flat lot that provides an easy build at the height of the hill with panoramic views. Private treed setting.

Drive by today!

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WHISTLER CREEK

$1,495,000

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$1,795,000

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Personal Real Estate Corporation

lisah@wrec.com | 604 902 4589

7700 PEMBERTON MEADOWS RD

LOT 169 LILLOOET LAKE ESTATES

1937 STONECUTTER PLACE

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PEMBERTON

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Are you looking for a private retreat to park your RV & use as a jumping off point for outdoor adventures? Then this 0.25 acre vacant lot in the Lillooet Lake Estates is for you! The lot has community water, lake & mountain views.

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1504 ALTA PLACE

20-7400 ARBUTUS STREET

Lot Size: 1.9

An exclusive enclave of five estate properties within a 9.1 acre private oasis close to the Valley Trail and Alpha Lake featuring stunning views of Whistler peak and vast sun exposure. Design your dream home and build up to 5,000 sq ft plus an auxiliary dwelling in this majestic neighbourhood and enjoy the four-season Whistler lifestyle.

Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Square Feet: 1,372 Rarely available Woodbridge end unit townhome in the heart of Pemberton. Bright, spacious floor plan with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a double car garage with plenty of room for storage. The open plan offers space to entertain with a gas fireplace and a large deck. One of the best locations in the complex and a short walk to Village amenities.

Vacant Land

Townhouse

WHISTLER

PEMBERTON

Acres

$2,349,000

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Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2.5 Square Feet: 2,621

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PEMBERTON

Square Feet

Located between two amazing lakes (Gates and Anderson) in the small community of Birken, this almost half acre treed property is charming and rustic and ready for a new family to make it their own. The large lot has plenty of potential for gardens or a shop.

This building lot at the peak of the Pemberton Plateau is the only building lot available in the neighbourhood!

The building site is ready for your dream home with all utilities at the lot line and a significant amount of lot prep completed.

Stunning new construction set to be completed Spring 2022. Many thoughtful details including an elevator, stylish and functional finishes, revenue suite and durable exterior materials. Open concept living area leads to a covered deck with phenomenal views.

Chalet

Vacant Land

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$849,000

SOLD

$469,900

$1,899,000

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$175,000

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$1,269,000

NEW LISTING

310/311 - 4809 SPEARHEAD DRIVE

24 - 1530 TYNEBRIDGE LANE

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Square Feet:1,122 Enjoy the mountain views from the time you open the door! This gorgeous, mountain modern, two-bedroom suite has been completely renovated and meticulously cared for by an active, outdoor family. Their thought and planning takes into consideration all they love about our mountain town.

Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 Square Feet:1,984 The Glades is in a wonderful family neighbourhood, situated just south of Creekside, with a school around the corner and the stores and restaurants of Function Junction an easy walk or bike ride away on the Valley Trail. This home has everything you need with upgrades, a second living space, double garage and plenty of storage.

BENCHLANDS

Condominium

JILL NOTMAN COLPITTS

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Square Feet:871 2 bedroom townhome in Glacier’s Reach in Whistler Village. This townhome is conveniently located right across from the shops and stores at Marketplace and the free shuttle bus to the ski lifts. It offers 2 sundecks with a fabulous view of the mountains, air conditioned bedrooms, fully equipped kitchen and private hot tub.

KAREN VAGELATOS

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Square Feet:589 One of the most desirable ski-in/ski-out properties in all of Whistler! This fantastic one bedroom quarter share is fully equipped and turn-key, ready for your Whistler getaways. Use your property one week per month, and when you aren’t using it, the high end in-house property management will look after the rentals for you.

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7632 SEVEN O’CLOCK DRIVE

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1778 PINEWOOD DRIVE

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$1,959,000

SPRING CREEK

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#36 ELEVATE, 4000 SUNSTONE WAY

Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Square Feet:2,026 This spacious, elegant duplex features an open-concept layout complete with designer finishes and expansive deck to enjoy unobstructed mountain views.

Thoughtfully designed for your active Pemberton lifestyle, Elevate duplexes are ideal for growing families or the perfect weekend home with plenty of room to entertain.

Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Square Feet:2,026 Designed to meet BC Energy Code Step 4 standards, these new duplexes will use 47% less energy than a conventional minimum code-built home. Conveniently located in the new Sunstone neighbourhood and close to recreational amenities including easy access to a large network of hiking and biking trails right from your door.

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Duplex

$1,299,000

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PEMBERTON

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1723 PINEWOOD

7334 CLOVER

1427 COLLINS ROAD

Square Feet: 2,814

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PEMBERTON PLATEAU

PEMBERTON

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PEMBERTON

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Located on the most coveted street in Pemberton with almost 7 acres of flat, incredible land staring straight at the Majestic Mount Currie. This property has everything you could be looking for. Listed by The Whistler Real Estate Company | Sold by Lance Lundy.

IF YOU’RE THINKING OF SELLING, GIVE ME A CALL TO DISCUSS THE MARKET!

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2220 LAKE PLACID ROAD

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Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5.5 Square Feet:3,865 Location, Recreation, Relaxation. This amazing home and property is just a short walk to the Creekside Gondola, pubs, restaurants, and shopping, or an even shorter stroll to Alpha Lake.

PEMBERTON BENCHLANDS

Chalet

$1,824,000

CREEKSIDE

Chalet

$4,199,000

FEATURE STORY

40 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

FEATURE STORY

In celebration of opening day, locals share their favourite spots on the mountain

BY MEGAN LALONDE

F

inally. Whistler Blackcomb’s opening day has arrived.

It’s the moment most passholders have been impatiently waiting for since the resort abruptly closed for the season last March as local COVID-19 cases spiked.

After that extra-long summer, it’s fair to assume that a majority of locals would be frothing to get on a lift and start sliding down any kind of slope, on any kind snow at this point. But with two mountains, 3,307 hectares of terrain, more than 200 marked runs, a handful of terrain parks, 37 lifts and an hourly lift capacity of nearly 70,000 skiers? It’s just as fair to say everyone has a favourite run or ski season routine they’re particularly stoked to get back to.

There’s the die-hard Creekside crew, the people who might as well have a reserved parking spot in Lot 7, and the village dwellers. Early birds and snooze button-pushers (unless it’s a pow day, obviously). There are riders who beeline for the park, others who prefer to spend their days weaving between trees, and those who like to mix it up. Have kids? You could probably find your way to the Magic Castle or the Tree Fort with your eyes closed.

All this, while the Whistler vs. Blackcomb debate is very much alive and well.

Spend enough time exploring the mountains and you too will probably find a favourite warm-up lap and a preferred route down at the end of the day, a favourite view that fills up your camera roll, the ideal spot for a snack break and the best place to find leftover powder stashes long after the storm has passed.

Speaking of weather, those on-mountain rituals are also subject to change according to Mother Nature’s whim—the weather, the time of year, even the day of the week.

The point here is one skier’s routine isn’t better than another’s.

The same goes for marked runs. While nine of the world’s 100 best ski runs are located within Whistler Blackcomb’s boundaries, according to CNN’s 2014 ranking, general consensus on which local run takes the title of “best” is still hard to come by.

(CNN’s judging panel was comprised of Whistler’s perpetual favourite local and godfather of freeskiing Mike Douglas; American skier and Olympic medalist Andrew Weibrecht; Powder magazine editor John Stifter and Fall Line magazine editor Nicola Iseard, if you’re wondering whether it’s legit.)

That said, the ranking named Whistler Mountain’s Dave Murray Downhill—the site of World Cup Downhill and Super-G races in the ‘90s and alpine events at the 2010 Winter Olympics—as the second-best ski run in the world. (A part-tree run, part-terrain park in Avoriaz, France called The Stash took the top spot, if you’re curious.)

Whether you’ve been here for 20 days or 20 years, there are always new zones and runs to toss into the rotation, or at least revisit. So in the spirit of rebuilding our winter routines, Pique caught up with a few of the people who know Whistler best and asked them to share a couple of their favourite spots on the mountain, and some of their resort rituals.

These locals need no introduction, but we’ll give them one anyways.

CATHY JEWETT

SAPPHIRE CHUTES This municipal councillor first came to Whistler from Toronto in the ‘70s, like a lot of locals, for one season. Also like a lot of locals, she ended up staying for a little while longer than she originally planned.

Jewett arguably knows the mountain better than the back of her own hand. In the more than 40 years since her arrival, she’s worked as a LIFTY, DISPATCHER, AND PATROLLER BEFORE SUPERVISING THE MOUNTAIN SAFETY PROGRAM on Whistler and Blackcomb.

Based off that experience, where’s her all-time favourite run to go for a rip when she’s off-duty? “So hard to choose,” she says. “On the perfect day, Flute Shoulder.” On a not-soperfect day? “Old Man/Franz’s to Dusty’s—basically the Peak to Valley race runs,” she says.

“Non-stop of course.”

If she’s hosting visitors, Jewett’s favourite run to bring them to is Sapphire Chutes on Blackcomb, “but they better know what they’re doing,” she says.

For those without the skills to tackle a double-black diamond, Jewett cited her favourite green or blue on the mountain as Matthew’s Traverse to Burnt Stew Trail on Whistler.

JOHN LESLIE

DAVE MURRAY DOWNHILL A Whistler local by way of Arnprior, Ont., Leslie is a TWO-TIME PARALYMPIC SNOWBOARDER who has also competed in events like the X Games and Dew Tour. Since announcing his retirement from competitive snowboarding earlier this year, he’s been working as a personal trainer at the Whistler Creek Athletic Club and is looking forward to getting more backcountry projects under his belt in the future.

For those who are also looking to venture past the resort’s boundaries this winter (just make sure you have avalanche gear and training and a similarly-knowledgeable crew first), Leslie says his favourite slackcountry zone is located on Blackcomb. “I love taking Body Bag Bowl over to Disease Ridge,” he says. “The laps are quick, snow is normally deep, and you are an easy ride out at the end of the day.”

If staying in-bounds is more your scene, Leslie’s favourite bluebird day runs can be found on the other side of Fitzsimmons Creek. “Big fan of Dave Murray Downhill on a bluebird day or taking Peak to Symphony,” he says.

But the most important question here: which snacks does he lean on to fuel all of these adventures? “My bag generally always has meat sticks, carrots, and some hummus,” he says.

LEANNE PELOSI

PEAK TO CREEK Originally from Calgary, Pelosi has earned a reputation as ONE OF CANADA’S BEST SNOWBOARDERS since relocating to the Sea to Sky almost two decades ago. She’s translated her experiencing competing in contests like the X Games to carving out a career in the backcountry, earning accolades like Snowboarder & Transworld magazine’s Female Rider Of the Year and Influencer of the Year. She also founded Runway Films, and directed and starred in Full Moon, the first all-women’s backcountry film.

So what’s her favourite Whistler Blackcomb run to ride on a storm day, when she’s not on a backcountry mission? “Goat’s Path to Lower Insanity,” she answered. On a bluebird day, that answer changes to “Peak to Creek,” she says.

While snowboard film fans know a soundtrack always accompanies Pelosi’s riding on screen, she doesn’t tend to pop in the ear buds while she’s cruising through the resort. “No music while riding,” she says. “I like to catch up with friends.”

JACK CROMPTON

SHALE SLOPE You’d hope any mayor would feel deeply connected to their respective town, but for WHISTLER MAYOR CROMPTON, those connections go way back: His grandparents were original shareholders in the Garibaldi Lift Company. Now, the father of four—who also founded a series of transportation companies in Whistler prior to being sworn in as mayor—is raising the next generation of Whistler ambassadors and doing his best to find time for a few turns in between.

What’s his all-time favourite run on Whistler or Blackcomb? “Shale Slope,” on Whistler Mountain, he says, specifically “before anyone else.”

As for the best run to ski as a family, “My grandad used to take us on ‘technique runs’ at the end of every day,” Crompton recalls. “We would all follow him top to bottom [on Blackcomb] finishing on School Marm.”

The dark side is also where you’ll find Crompton’s preferred spot to stop and appreciate the view. On a clear day, the best sightlines the resort has to offer are “into the Spearhead from Blackcomb,” he says.

MARIELLE THOMPSON

RIDGE RUNNER Better known to her Instagram followers as “Big Air Mar,” this Whistler Mountain Ski Club alum is the 2014 OLYMPIC SKI-CROSS CHAMPION AND A THREE-TIME CRYSTAL GLOBE WINNER. Since 2011, she’s won 24 World Cups and stood on the World Cup podium a total of 41 times. That said, Thompson knows a thing or two about speed.

When she’s home instead of competing around the world, the Whistler local says her favourite run to ski fast is Ridge Runner on Blackcomb, mostly because it had “lots of big turns and terrain to navigate.”

NOVEMBER 25, 2021

41

FEATURE STORY As for her favourite chairlift to lap on a powder day? “Peak chair,” she says. “So much terrain opens up off the top of Whistler and there are lots secret spots… shhhh. Many chances for powder!”

COURT LARABEE

EASY OUT Larabee (also known by his traditional Indigenous name, Siginaak, which translates to Blackbird) is the FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INDIGENOUS LIFE SPORT ACADEMY (ILSA). The snowboarder serves as Whistler Blackcomb’s Indigenous relations specialist, as well, and was named Rising Star of the Year at the 2020 Whistler Excellence Awards. He’s originally from Thunder Bay, Ont. and is a member of the Anishinaabe and the Lac des Mille Lacs nations.

So, as a self-proclaimed “Blackcomb pirate,” what’s Larabee’s favourite early-season run?

“Crystal chair hit laps with friends,” he says.

Larabee also names his favourite run to lap with the ILSA crew as the “Old terrain garden.”

Speaking of the terrain garden, no XS – S features will be found in Blackcomb terrain parks this winter. Those can be found in the School Yard and Chipmunk Park on Whistler, while Blackcomb’s Catskinner zone will be home to Choker Park (M-L), Grey Line (L) and Highest Level (XL). The area just above the Magic Castle that was once home to the terrain garden is part of green run Easy Out.

CATHY JEWETT

SAPPHIRE BOWL

GEOFF BUCHHEISTER

SLINGSHOT

JULIETTE PELCHAT

JULIETTE PELCHAT

CRYSTAL HIT LAPS

CRYSTAL HIT LAPS A member of CANADA SNOWBOARD’S NEXT-GEN SLOPESTYLE AND BIG AIR TEAM, the 16-year old is also a ringleader behind the Real Wild Kittens. What started as an all-girls snowboard crew comprised of Pelchat, her younger sister Amalia and friends Maggie Crompton and Irie Smith—its name a play on her snowboarder dad JF Pelchat’s legendary Wildcats crew—has since turned into a full-fledged business offering private skateboarding lessons, multi-day camps and ladies’ skate nights, all in an effort to grow the women’s skate scene. But with snow back on the ground, her focus has shifted from the skate park to the terrain park.

“My favourite feature in Blackcomb Park is the S rail, because it’s always a challenge to make it to the rail,” she explains. “I also landed a few technical tricks on it that I am proud of.”

But it’s not all park, all the time. “My favourite run on a pow day is the crystal hit lap!

It’s so fun to get a good crew and do some party laps,” she adds.

As for her favourite on-mountain snack? “All time favourite snack to toss in my pocket for the hill are tamari almonds; so salty and tangy!!”

MARIELLE THOMPSON

RIDGE RUNNER

KIRA KAILES

HONEYCOMB

GEOFF BUCHHEISTER

SLINGSHOT With two full years as WHISTLER BLACKCOMB’S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER now under his belt, Buchheister’s job is to oversee pretty much everything that goes on within Whistler Blackcomb’s boundaries. That means he also knows the best place to spend a few minutes on the mountain when work interrupts his ski day.

“I have found some spots that mean a lot to me and on the mountain,” he says. “I don’t think

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FEATURE STORY this will be a shock to anyone but when you get up onto Harmony Ridge or even the Peak Chair, when you find that elevation and you see the Black Tusk come into view … you don’t get to see it every ski resort. So for me, I do find that I go to the to the top of the Harmony Chair, and there’s kind of a little bit of a bluff there, and a lot of times if I need to go think or take a phone call, or just kind of get away from it all, I find myself walking up there and looking at the Black Tusk and just being appreciative of these mountains. It’s unbelievable.”

And as a former University of Colorado ski racer, that also includes knowing which runs are best for turning on the jets.

“There’s so many good ones,” he says. “I’ve become quite fond of finishing my day—any day that I’m out there—I come down Catskinner to Slingshot to lower Gear Jammer and do that non-stop. On a day where it’s freshly groomed, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Volcom, Billabong, Vans and Oakely, to name just a few, in addition to earning the title of 2016 Deep Winter Champ. He’s also known for his work on film projects with some of the biggest names in snowboarding.

On opening day, you’ll probably find him riding through Blackcomb’s Jersey Cream zone, “with quick laps cause my legs are out of shape,” he says.

When it comes to his favourite all-time run, Chomlack names Whistler’s “West Cirque to Frogs Hollow to Lower Insanity on a full pow day,” he explains. “Nothing better; it’s like the [most fun] heli drop run in-resort.”

Favourite spot to snap a photo? “Kind of can’t tell you that ‘cause I have some secret spots,” he answers, “but I love shooting off of Blackcomb alpine.”

LESLIE ANTHONY

PIERRE RINGUETTE

IT’S A SECRET

FROG HOLLOW

A WHISTLER-BASED AUTHOR, biologist and weekly Pique columnist, Anthony is also an accomplished Considering his experience as Whistler Blackcomb’s GROOMING MANAGER AND A FORMER PRIVATE INSTRUCTOR, Ringuette knows the intricacies of the resort’s slopes in a way most skiers never will.

That means he’d know the best place to head on a powder day, right? In truth, his favourite pow-day run “depends on the day,” he says. “If it’s in the middle of a storm the mid-mountain trees and gondola lines are the best! Seppos is a win. On a bluebird day, West Bowl to Frog Hollow.”

Like a few other locals on this list, Ringuette names his favourite groomed run as the 11-kilometre Peak to Creek, “when it’s been done,” he says. “It’s the most significant effort to get it groomed and an iconic leg burner when you ski it.”

Of course, pump-up tunes are a necessity before a Peak to Creek lap. For Ringuette, that typically means “70’s rock anthems,” he says. “[They] are my feel good ski jam[s].”

KIRA CAILES

HONEY COMB

figure in the ski industry. He’s the former editor of Powder, Bike and SKIER magazines and wrote White Planet: A Mad Dash through Global Ski Culture.

The adventurer names his favourite early-season run on Whistler or Blackcomb as “The safest, least rocky run that nobody else is on... which is usually right beside the one that everyone else is on.”

Anthony isn’t willing to give away any specifics when it comes to his favourite in-bounds pow day run, either.

“It’s war up there on pow days, and the first rule of war is Don’t Get Caught Behind Enemy Lines,” he says. “Which for me means avoid the enemy at all costs. Of course, I can’t tell you how because the second rule of war is Don’t Give Away Your Position.”

And with many of his winter days spent tromping through the untouched powder of the backcountry, Anthony says his favourite backcountry zones in Whistler “are always those that lead directly back into the resort, so they can be planned as part, but not all, of a day.

“Also, if something goes wrong it’s easier to get help,” he adds.

WHISTLER MEMES

It’s safe to say Cailes, Whistler Blackcomb’s long-time SENIOR MANAGER OF MOUNTAIN SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT AND A FORMER PATROLLER, knows how to navigate the resort’s terrain safely. She also knows where to go to make the most out of the current conditions.

With that in mind, her favourite opening day run “really depends on how much snow there is,” she says. “I am always happy to be on the hill on opening day and if I had to pick, a rip down Honeycomb is a great way to start the year.”

But when the alpine chairs crack, Cailes can’t deny her favourite all-time run is Ruby Bowl, off Spanky’s Ladder. “Shredder,” she offers as an explanation.

When she has visitors in town, her favourite spot to lead them to is the top of Flute Bowl.

Says Cailes, “The views, the experience, are unforgettable.”

CHAD CHOMLACK

WEST CIRQUE Chomlack is a renowned ACTION AND ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPHER who has worked with brands like

EGO BOWL ARGUABLY WHISTLER’S MOST INFLUENTIAL INFLUENCER, the anonymous local figure behind this irreverent Instagram account is singlehandedly responsible for numerous Nordic pothole repairs and convincing a select group of Whistlerites that jumping from a particular bridge to a particular rock is the only acceptable way to end a night out in the village. Footage of disoriented tourists driving down the Valley Trail and devastatingly relatable jokes about life in Whistler have earned this account nearly 30,000 followers.

Where’s this mysterious icon’s favourite place to ride on opening day?

“One lap of the Ego Bowl 500 to multiple laps of the Umbrella Bar,” they write.

As for their favourite all-time run, the long-time local refuses to blow the spot by naming it outright, but admit they “always enjoy a freshly groomed Saddle rip on a sunny morning.”

The most burning question Pique had for Whistler Memes is, obviously, where to find their favourite spot on the mountain to take a break and create some content.

“The Blackcomb Gondola usually offers plenty of unscheduled time to make memes,” they answer. ■

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Land Act: Notice of Intention to Apply for a Disposition of Crown Land Take notice that the Pemberton Valley Dyking District of 1381 Aster St, Pemberton, BC intends to make an application to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development (FLNRORD), Surrey, for a Right-of-Way for Utility/ Miscellaneous purpose situated on Provincial Crown land located at unsurveyed crown foreshore or land covered by water being part of the bed of Pemberton Creek, Lillooet District.

Resort Municipality Municipalityof of Whistler Whistler Whistler Village property propertyowners, owner, managers Whistler Village managers and merchants and merchants

The winter season is with us again and we would like to take this opportunity to As the winter seasonproperty is with us again, we’and d likemerchants to take this to of the remind all owners, managers in opportunity Whistler Village remind owners, propertythe managers and roofs, merchants thelandings importance of keeping importance of keeping walkways, stairsof and of stairs adjacent walkways, roofs,and stairs and landings adjacent their Itstores and properties free of to their stores properties free of ice andtosnow. is essential that customers ice and snow.

It is essential that feel customers andcomfortable guests visiting our Village feeltravel safe and guests visiting our Village safe and in being able to and comfortable in being able to travel freely about the area. freely about the area.

The Lands File Number for this application is 2412168.

Comments on this application may be submitted in two ways: 1) Online via the Applications and Reasons for Decision Database website at: https://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/applications 2) By mail to Senior Land Officer at 200-10428 153rd Street, Surrey, BC V3R 1E1. Comments will be received by FLNRORD until December 26, 2021.

FLNRORD may not be able to consider comments received after this date.

Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. For information, contact information Access Operations at the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services in Victoria at: www.gov.bc.ca/citz/iao/.

from walkways, walkways, roofs, You are required requiredto to clear snow and ice icefrom roofs, stairs stairsand andlandings landings adjacent to by 10 a.m. daily. adjacent to stores stores and andproperties propertiesby RMOW Property Property Maintenance RMOW MaintenanceBylaw BylawNo. No.810 810 Get ready for winter by: by: 1. Stocking (not road salt) and shovels 1.

Stockingup upon onice-melting ice-meltingproducts products (not road salt) and shovels and ramps around your property 2. Checking Checkingthe theheat heattracing tracingononstairs stairs and ramps around your property Thanks in Thanks inadvance advancefor foryour yourcooperation. cooperation.

Download Bylaw at at www.whistler.ca/bylaw in the Downloadthe theProperty PropertyMaintenance Maintenance Bylaw www.whistler.ca/bylaw in the Frequently Requested Frequently RequestedBylaws Bylawssection. section.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/bylaw NOVEMBER 25, 2021

45

SPORTS THE SCORE

Whistlerite Benita Peiffer makes World Cup biathlon team EXCITEMENT IS HIGH FOR PEIFFER AHEAD OF HER FIRST WORLD CUP SEASON, ESPECIALLY WITH THE OLYMPICS LOOMING

BY HARRISON BROOKS WHEN WHISTLER biathlete Benita Peiffer showed up to the team selection races in Canmore a few weeks ago she had one goal in mind… to make the IBU Cup circuit, one step below the World Cup. Peiffer, who grew up cross country skiing but only switched over to biathlon full-time last year, had the IBU Cup outlined in her yearly goals as the next step she needed to take in her development. So when she got the email telling her she had skipped the IBU and had made the World Cup team, it was a complete shock to the 21-year-old.

“I’m pretty over the moon to have qualified for the World Cup this year. I definitely didn’t see it coming. When I went over where I wanted my season to go for this season, I was definitely looking to be on the IBU Cup but it’s awesome to be on the World Cup,” said Peiffer.

“I kind of knew that if I pulled everything together that World Cup could be an option, but I wasn’t necessarily stoked after every race. I pulled together certain

STRAIGHT SHOT Benita Peiffer lines up her shot during a biathlon race in Canmore, Alta.

PHOTO BY VR45 PHOTOGRAPHY

46 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

aspects but not everything at once, but I’m really excited to dip my toes into the water and see how it goes and get a feel for that level of competition.”

While Peiffer viewed the World Cup as a more attainable goal for next season versus this season, her coach Julia

Now that her yearly goals have been thrown out of whack (in a good way), Peiffer said she’s going to have to re-evaluate the upcoming season and identify some new goals as she’s competing against seasoned athletes.

And while she is the youngest one on

“I’m pretty over the moon to have qualified for the World Cup this year. I definitely didn’t see it coming” - BENITA PEIFFER

Ystgaard wasn’t shocked at all to hear the news that Peiffer will be competing at the World Cup level. “[I was] probably a bit less surprised than her,” she said. “I have seen the potential since this summer and just seeing how she works and trains as an athlete and her focus and dedication as well as the actual performance she’s showing. I thought if she qualified for the IBU Cup we would be super stoked about that and that would be a great win, and the fact that she qualified for the World Cup is just even a bigger win.”

her team by a few years, and making the Olympics in her first year on the World Cup circuit might be a bit of a tall task, she’s already surprised herself once this year so she won’t rule out any possibility.

“I’m super excited that I’ve qualified for the World Cup this year knowing that it’s an Olympic year, knowing that if maybe I’m exceeding my goals, or what I had planned out for this season, there might be something else in store for me,” she said.

“I think if I pull everything together, that’s definitely a goal of mine. We’ll see

how things go, but I think even just moving forward, if it’s not 2022, I’m definitely looking forward to 2026 and years to come on the World Cup. Whether I am there or not, I’m still growing as an athlete. I’m looking forward to being a little bit older in the sport and being able to navigate it a little bit better and feel a bit more confident in the field.”

Mostly though, Peiffer is just excited to have the opportunity to learn from the more-experienced biathletes and learn what it takes to handle the pressure that comes with competing on the sport’s highest stage.

But whatever Peiffer sets as her goals for the coming years on the World Cup circuit, Ystgaard believes the sky is the limit for the biathlete and nothing is out of reach as long as she keeps the same work ethic.

“I think that she can achieve anything that she wants to achieve. I don’t want to say that she can have this and this position at the World Cup or anything, but as long she works towards her goals and has fun with it, I think she will be successful. She has that natural ability to put down the work that is required for it,” said Ystgaard.

Peiffer has recently made the trip out to Sweden for the first stops on the circuit before heading over to France later in December. n

SPORTS THE SCORE

Whistler rower lands on the podium in multiple international regattas IN THE SPAN OF TWO WEEKS, MAUREEN HARRIMAN TOOK HOME A FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLACE FINISH IN REGATTAS IN ITALY AND BOSTON

BY HARRISON BROOKS LATE IN OCTOBER, Whistler rower Maureen Harriman made her way to Boston, Mass. for the Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) where she came second out of 75 women in her age category in her first race in nearly a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Later at that same event, Harriman and three other women took third place in the Senior Master’s Fours category.

While happy with her finishes in her two races at the largest race of its kind in North America, Harriman believes she could have taken the gold, something she’s only managed one other time in the 13 times she’s competed in the regatta, except for some interference in her five-kilometre singles race due to the head-style format. “[Head style means] boats go one behind the other every 15 seconds, so it’s a timed race and they try and seed it so it’s fastest to slowest so there isn’t too much interference.

But it doesn’t always work,” she said.

“So I had a really good race, unfortunately I had a lot of interference with the boat in front of me and I ended up coming second, which is still great but it would have been nice to win it.”

However, her success didn’t end there.

Two weeks after the HOCR, Harriman made her way over to Turin, Italy to compete in the Silver Skiff Regatta where, in her first time competing in Italy, she placed first out of more than 100 contestants in her category in the 11-kilometre Master’s Singles race.

“That was a race that I wanted to do for over 10 years, and I went over in 2018 but unfortunately there was a lot of storms so the race was cancelled because the river was so fast flowing and I didn’t get to race it, so I was really happy to be able to go back and race such a great international event,” she said.

“It’s a beautiful city and the river is gorgeous and the race is so well run and so well organized and the Italian hosts are so gracious. I really, really enjoyed the race, so I definitely want to go back. If you win it three times the trophy for that is quite gorgeous so I guess I need to go back and see if I can do it again.”

Harriman, a doctor specializing in ear, nose and throat at Sea to Sky Medical Specialists in Whistler, has been competing in rowing sports since she was 18 when she joined the local rowing team in her hometown of Peterborough, Ont. From there, her rowing career took her all the way to the Canadian National Team

where she competed in the World Rowing Championships in Czech Republic in the ‘90s.

But despite describing it as a lifechanging experience, Harriman eventually gave up the sport so she could focus on school and starting a family.

After moving to Whistler in the early 2000s, Harriman took the sport back up around 2010 when a friend, who had heard that she used to row, convinced her to get back out on the water.

“I really didn’t have much intention to [compete], but I started by going back to the [HOCR] and 11 years later I am still competing

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“It’s opened up a lot of great doors and I’ve met a lot of really great people internationally.”

- MAUREEN HARRIMAN

and having fun and travelling to many different regattas around the world,” she said.

“It’s opened up a lot of great doors and I’ve met a lot of really great people internationally. I didn’t really know that masters rowing existed when I rode for the Canadian team but it’s a whole other world, which is great. It keeps me fit and it’s actually still intense but not quite the same intensity, so you are actually meeting everybody and getting to know them and racing with and against them. It’s just a really great community.”

Harriman trains in Whistler about five times a week from April until the lakes start to freeze over in mid-November before she switches to cross country skiing for the winter months.

But as soon as the ice comes off the lakes in the spring, Harriman will be right back out there training for her next season of international races.

“There’s a big race in Amsterdam in March and then Head of the Thames in England in July,” she said.

“Unfortunately, I’ll have to miss the World Masters races in Japan, because we have some other commitments that I have to go to,” she said. “But then it’s back to Boston because otherwise I lose my second start position—they kind of keep you [coming back] that way. Then hopefully back to Turin—maybe don’t tell my husband that I’ve got all these races lined up.” n

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47

EPICURIOUS

Getting a better handle on our food waste will be key to improving food security in the Sea to Sky FOOD RECOVERY HAS SKYROCKETED AT NESTERS MARKET SINCE STORE IMPLEMENTED FOOD WASTE TRACKING

BY BRANDON BARRETT LAST MONTH, the Whistler Centre for Sustainability (WCS) presented the Sea to Sky Food Recovery Strategy and Action Plan to Whistler officials, what is likely the most comprehensive view yet of food waste in the corridor.

The numbers, to put it mildly, are staggering, and demonstrate the enormous potential for food recovery among hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and personal households across the region. Estimates suggest there is between 6,000 and 9,400 tonnes of edible food waste generated in the Sea to Sky annually, with only between 165 and 530 tonnes of that being recovered for redistribution. Those totals amount to between $26.9 million and $42.9 million in yearly food waste costs, and between 21,500 and 62,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Broken down to the community level, Whistler generates between 3,130 and 4,880 tonnes of edible food waste a year, with only between 19 and 275 tonnes of that being recovered.

Always a difficult thing to measure, getting an even better handle on our food waste will be key to addressing the issue in the future, says Shannon Gordon, planning, engagement and sustainability coordinator at the WCS. “Having a better handle on the whole system is something that can be improved and something we may try and help with just given our background in monitoring and reporting,” she said.

That was borne out at Nesters Market, where about a year ago the store began working with FoodMesh, a Vancouverbased company that helps organizations “waste less and feed more” by diverting and measuring unsold food. Although much of the recovery work Nesters was doing—for example, making soups, juices and smoothies out of unsellable or surplus produce—was already underway before FoodMesh came onboard, having the ability

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Between May and November this year, Nesters Market recovered approximately 6,800 kilograms of food that was all donated to the Whistler Food Bank.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NESTERS MARKET / FACEBOOK

to measure the amount of recovered food proved an effective incentive for staff.

“We decided there would be no more wasting anything,” said Bruce Stewart, GM of Nesters Market. “I think we’re doing a much better job at it than we did in the past, and FoodMesh is just that one little step to help us keep it organized that incentivizes us to continue doing it and do an even better job of it.”

Between May and November of this year, Nesters recovered approximately 6,800 kilograms of food that was all donated to the Whistler Food Bank. That total doesn’t take into account the amount of food recovered internally in the store, nor does it include items donated by Nesters customers intended for the food bank.

Nesters staff also worked with the food bank to create a more flexible pickup and dropoff schedule this year, which was benefitted by the addition of cold storage at the food bank that meant fewer items were

going to waste.

“Before there was a struggle with being able to store anything that needed to be refrigerated or frozen, so now we can even give them meat products that are close to expiring. We throw it in our freezer and then they can hand it out frozen,” said Stewart, noting that now deliveries to the food bank happen six days a week.

Following the release of the food recovery plan, the organizers of Whistler’s annual food and drink festival, Cornucopia, jumped at the chance to do their part. At the 11th hour, event producer Watermark Inc. added two events aimed at promoting food recovery: Fridge Miracles: Making Something Out of Nothing, where chef and Milestones Whistler GM Bruce Worden will create several soups made entirely from local kitchen scraps and leftovers; and Pickle n’ Preserve, where natural food supplier Astrid’s Fine Foods will walk guests through pickling, preserving, smoking and dehydrating staple

ingredients people have lying around their kitchen. Both events are set for the festival’s final day, Nov. 28. Tickets are available at whistlercornucopia.com.

Taking it a step further, Cornucopia organizers have also taken the lead on a new initiative dubbed the Sea to Sky Soup Kitchen, which will see local chefs committing to making soups on a certain number of weeks a year that will be donated to food banks across the corridor. The first batch of soups will be donated to the Whistler Food Bank at the conclusion of the festival, thanks to Worden, who Watermark president Sue Eckersley called “the godfather of the Sea to Sky Soup Kitchen.”

“All credit to Bruce Worden who said, ‘Hey, I can make soup for the food bank.’

I was like, ‘Well, if you can, why can’t others?’” she added.

After the first round of donations, Eckersley said the hope is to launch the weekly program in earnest in the new year. n

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ARTS SCENE

WFF doc delves into the complicated legacy of Cowichan Chief Tzouhalem TZOUHALEM LOOKS AT THE MANY SIDES OF THE NEAR-MYTHICAL WARRIOR, LEADER AND MILITARY STRATEGIST

BY BRANDON BARRETT THEY SAY HISTORY is a fable agreed upon, but for the 19th-century Cowichan Chief Tzouhalem, known concurrently as one of the fiercest warriors to ever wage battle in the Pacific Northwest, a brilliant military strategist, a cruel and power-hungry leader, and a supernatural being with powers that defied belief, coming to any kind of consensus on his legacy can feel like a fool’s errand.

It’s that complicated history that Les Bland and Harold Joe set out to untangle in their new documentary, Tzouhalem, which plays the Whistler Film Festival (WFF) on Dec. 2 and 3. Blending talking-head interviews with animated sequences and dramatic re-enactments, it’s the first time Tzouhalem’s story has been put to film, a fact that baffled Bland.

“When you hear about this story, the basic broad strokes, you go, ‘Really? Nobody has ever captured this before?’ And it’s right in our backyard,” he says.

Joe, who serves as co-director with Bland, is a member of the Cowichan tribes and grew up hearing the legends of Tzouhalem, the anglicized version of the name Ts’uwxilum.

THE MAN, THE MYTH Tzouhalem co-director Harold Joe portrays the legendary Cowichan Chief in front of a green screen.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

50 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

“The guy was just an amazing leader,” he says.

“He looked after us. We were well; we were fed. He would send warriors out to help elders, fish, gather, hunt and provide things for the community. He’s been labelled as this tyrant, a real badass guy who hated his own people, which wasn’t true.”

Tzouhalem came of age at a time of great upheaval for the Cowichan, when smallpox left the southern tribes of Vancouver Island vulnerable to raids from other First Nations, and encroaching British colonialists were eager to snatch up Indigenous land.

Tzouhalem’s life was marked by blood and fire almost from its outset. Once, while out picking berries with his grandma as a young boy, Tzouhalem’s village at Kwa’mut’sun was raided by the Haida Nation. Upon their return, they discovered an unspeakable scene mid-raid and hid in some bushes nearby. The young Tzouhalem watched as his baby brother was thrown into churning water, and his mother drowned jumping in after him.

The traumatic experience would set the course for the rest of Tzouhalem’s life.

“As he grows up … he just keeps getting told by his grandma that you have to seek vengeance on this nation when you become older. So he does that,” Joe recounts.

As chief, Tzouhalem established an extensive warrior class and soon the Cowichan become known as fearsome fighters, frequently raiding smaller tribes and nations along the way.

Known for his military mind, Tzouhalem was also “the principle architect and victor of the biggest naval battle that has happened in this part of world,” Bland says—the Battle of Maple Bay, which, sometime around 1840, united different Coast Salish groups together to wage war against the Kwakwa _ ka _ ’wakw Lekwiltok. Some versions of the story even talk about Coast Salish fighters donning women’s clothes to lure the Lekwiltok into the bay, where Tzouhalem had canoes set up to cut off their exit.

“He was this great war chief who achieved all these things,” Bland notes. “It’s almost like a Richard III story when I first heard it.”

But Tzouhalem’s legacy is far from untarnished. Near the end of his life, he was banished by his own community to live out the rest of his days on the mountain that today bears his name after he had taken one too many wives from the warriors he killed in battle that were already promised to someone else.

“He became a renegade over time,” Bland says. “The story of Tzouhalem … shows that First Nations are more than equipped to govern themselves.”

Along with his historically documented feats, Tzouhalem was also known for his spiritual powers. Born with a deformity on his shoulder, Joe says the legends talk of how he was frequently made fun of as a child, and at a memorial for his late mother, the young boy responds to this bullying by pulling burning coals from a roaring fire

and eating them. Other stories talk of his ability to shapeshift and turn into smoke, or put dogs to sleep with a glance.

“He had a gift, many gifts. Spiritual gifts, if you will,” says Joe. This is what makes Tzouhalem’s story so fascinating: he sits at the nexus of fact and fable, an important, flesh-and-blood figure of B.C. First Nations history whose reputation loomed so large it veered into the mythological.

“We were just trying to walk that line, because there are many accounts of Tzouhalem, even within the Cowichan community,” Bland explains.

“We’re asking the question, what version of somebody’s story, especially when you’re hearing the story of a First Nations figure, are we hearing?

“When people see it, I think we’re quite measured in how we manage those threads, themes and ideas. I think we found some nuance in how we tell the story.”

Unlike so many Western accounts of First Nations figures, Joe and Bland’s documentary humanizes Tzouhalem, painting him as the flawed, multifaceted man he was.

“I’m hoping people can watch this and come away with the realization that he was not just a war chief who would kill everything in sight, but there’s a story behind him,” Joe says. “I think Tzouhalem is going to open that up for more of an understanding and a realization of who we are as Cowichan people.” n

ARTS SCENE

Nkwúkwma Project

VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE December 8, 2021 6:30pm-8pm

TAKING CARE OF BIZNESS After being cancelled at the 11th hour last year, Whistler’s popular Bratz Biz market returns this weekend to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, where 34 young vendors will sell their wares on Nov. 27 and 28.

PRESENTATIONS TO INCLUDE: Project Background Land Purchase Planning Process Q&A

PHOTO BY JOERN ROHDE / COURTESY OF BRATZ BIZ

Bratz Biz makes its return in new venue THIRTY-FOUR YOUTH VENDORS WILL SELL THEIR WARES OUTSIDE OF SLCC ON NOV. 27 AND 28

BY BRANDON BARRETT AFTER BEING CANCELLED at the 11th hour amidst shifting COVID-19 regulations last year, Bratz Biz, Whistler’s beloved annual market showcasing youth artisan vendors, is set to return—and in a new location to boot.

“We’re super, super excited to have an in-person market this year,” says event co-organizer Lee Erickson.

Thirty-four young entrepreneurs will be selling their wares in the parking lot outside of the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) this weekend, a new venue for the market that had in recent years been held at the Whistler Conference Centre.

“We were scheduled to go at the SLCC last year and then this year we decided we were much better to go outdoors [rather] than face the ever-changing indoor rules, so we’re outdoors at the SLCC. So bundle up,” Erickson recommends.

It isn’t the only change this year: although independently run events, Bratz Biz in recent years ran alongside Arts Whistler’s popular Holiday Market (formerly Bizarre Bazaar), but with the organization unable to cement a space to rent, the adult market won’t go ahead this year.

“We’re saddened they can’t operate this year because having the markets together is good for both markets,” Erickson says.

Being entirely volunteer run, Bratz Biz is funded primarily through sponsorship and fundraising, and in years when it ran in conjunction with Arts Whistler’s Holiday Market, organizers were able to share crucial costs and work.

“They cover a lot of advertising and a lot

of that. Also, we share work. They figure out how to get the signage and whatnot up, and there are lots of applications and lots of stuff that Arts Whistler would do that covers both markets,” Erickson explains. “So there is increased workload and increased financial burden on Bratz Biz when we aren’t with the Arts Whistler Holiday Market.”

Among the dozens of young vendors this year will be Olivia Dallago’s Chocolate Desire, which sells chocolate truffles; sisters Lydia and Stella Schwartz’s Whistler Nut Butter Co., and Jordan Lovell’s Live 2 Ski, which upcycles old skis and snowboards into new items, such as birdhouses, wine racks and benches.

A five-year veteran of Bratz Biz, the 16-year-old Lovell says he has appreciated the opportunity to hone his salesmanship and grow his business from the ground up.

“I love to make my own stuff. It helps you become more confident talking to people. It just feels good to create and also the sales training, I use that in my job today,” he says. Lovell works at The Destination ski shop in North Van, where he has also begun selling his birdhouses, with hopes to expand into more stores in the future.

“It’s a lot for some kids to put themselves out there at all so the social experience they get from doing something like that is incredible,” said Erickson.

“We need people to come out and support these kids that have worked so hard for a long period of time. Come out, support local and start your holiday shopping early.”

Bratz Biz is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 27 and Sunday, Nov. 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Learn more at bratzbiz.ca n

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ARTS SCENE

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AWARD HONOUREES L TO R: Canadian actors Eric McCormack, Devery Jacobs and Lorne Cardinal will be honoured at the 21st edition of the Whistler Film Festival, which opens Dec. 1.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL

Whistler Film Festival announces award honourees for 21st edition CANADIAN ACTORS ERIC MCCORMACK, LORNE CARDINAL AND DEVERY JACOBS AMONG RECIPIENTS

BY BRANDON BARRETT WITH LESS THAN A WEEK to go until opening night, the Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has announced the award recipients that will be honoured as part of the event’s 21st edition next month.

Running in person from Dec. 1 to 5 and online from Dec. 1 to 31, the WFF will shine a light on three of the Canadian film industry’s top talents as part of it’s Signature Series events. Honoured this year will be Toronto-born actor Eric McCormack, best known for his role as Will Truman on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, who will be in conversation with TV personality and host George Stroumboulopoulos at 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the Maury Young Arts Centre.

McCormack also stars in the WFF entry and Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature nominee, Drinkwater.

Squamish actor, director and producer Lorne Cardinal, best known for playing Sgt. Davis Quinton on the CBC sitcom and animated spinoff Corner Gas, along with more than 100 other TV, stage and film credits to his name, will be presented with WFF’s Vanguard Award, which recognizes someone who has made a profound impact in the TV and film industry through their body of work. Cardinal is no stranger to industry accolades, having taken home the sixth annual August Schellenberg Award of Excellence last year and the Best Actor Award at the 2019 American Indian Film Festival, among many others. Cardinal has also been involved with the Point ArtistRun Centre in Whistler, serving as mentor to local actors that performed at the Flag Stop Theatre and Arts Festival during two summers. Cardinal stars in this year’s WFF entry and Borsos nominee, Run Woman Run. WFF alumni Devery Jacobs, who won

Best Performance in a Borsos film at the 2016 festival, will be presented with the One to Watch Award, recognizing her for “demonstrating the immense talent that has catapulted her to critical acclaim and who is destined for even greater success,” the festival said in a release. Devery currently stars in the much-buzzed-about FX and Hulu series Reservation Dogs from Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi.

Both Cardinal and Jacobs will be featured in conversation at 5 p.m. on Dec. 8 that will be streamed on WFF’s interactive virtual platform.

The festival will also be honouring five up-and-coming actors as part of its eighth annual Stars to Watch program, which draws on homegrown talent from the Western provinces, with a particular focus on B.C. This year’s honourees are Daniel Doheny, who plays Mike Drinkwater in Stephen Camanelli’s Drinkwater; fellow Drinkwater cast member Louriza Tronco, who plays Wallace Owens; Asivak Koostachin, who plays Tom in the B.C. premiere of Zoe Leigh Hopkins’ Run Woman Run; Rumbie Muzofa, who plays Evelyne in the world premiere of Carl Bessai’s Evelyne; and Katie Boland, who plays the dual roles of Finn and Nicki in the Canadian premiere of We’re All In This Together, which she also wrote and directed.

“We are excited to be honouring this who’s who of gifted and talented performers this year and celebrate their career achievements with special online events and deserving awards,” says the festival’s executive director Angela Heck in a release.

“Joining these acclaimed actors at the fest are this year’s Stars to Watch, a diverse and impressive group of talented actors from Western Canada, each on a trajectory for international success.”

To view the full festival schedule, visit whistlerfilmfestival.com. n

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C e l e b r at i n g C a n a d i a n A rt

OUT OF THE WAY OASIS Along with messages, visitors would leave drawings in the guestbooks, such as this one left in 1998 in the large garden at Parkhurst.

An oasis in the bushes

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LAST WEEK the Whistler Museum opened Parkhurst: Logging Community to Ghost Town, a temporary exhibition about the Parkhurst Mill site. Though the Parkhurst Mill (or Northern Mills, as it was later called) closed in 1956, the site continued to be inhabited and cared for by various people squatting on the privately owned land into the 1990s.

While preparing for this exhibit, we were able to speak with one of the last (as far as we know) full-time residents of Parkhurst. Eric (also known to some as the Sheriff of Parkhurst) lived at Parkhurst from 1994 to July 1996. He first came to Whistler in 1989 and lived in various small cabins before hearing that Parkhurst had become available. He and a friend went over to talk to the previous occupant, who is believed to have lived there for 12 years, and looked around the area. At that time, a twobedroom house and a smaller cabin down the road were still habitable and the pair decided to move in. A few things needed a bit of fixing up and the structures had no power, but there was an outhouse, gravityfed running water, a woodshed, and a large garden. Eric and his friend invested a lot of time into the garden by keeping it up, adding a moss garden, collecting wrought iron and decorative ornaments, and making it “a little bit showy for people that were mountain biking in there.” The garden was meant to be shared with those who came by the area.

This garden is also part of a bit of a mystery at the museum. In 2007, guestbooks from the Parkhurst garden ranging from 1995 to 1999 were mailed to the Whistler Public Library and then given to the museum to add to our archives in 2016. We don’t have any information about who sent the books to the library, who removed them

from Parkhurst, or where they were kept at the garden. (If you have more information about the books, please let us know.)

Though some of the earlier entries are addressed to Eric, most of the entries in the books are addressed to a mysterious caretaker named “John.” Friends left messages to let John or Eric know they had been by to water the garden or take out some garbage and two former Parkhurst residents from the 1970s wrote that they had stopped by. Anyone was welcome to write in the books and many people who hiked, biked, or paddled over to Parkhurst recorded their impressions. In July 1995, a group of Swedish physicists came across the garden and left a note to say hello, and in 1997 a hiker asked how John put up with all the mosquitoes. Occasionally John would respond, such as when Rachel left gifts including a candle and a picture for his walls.

The overarching message through the entries is gratitude for what one person described as a “nice oasis in the bushes.”

The garden meant something different to each visitor but was appreciated as a peaceful, beautiful space open to all. In 1996, Christine wrote of the garden, “It has been a haven for me ever since I discovered it,” a sentiment that was expressed by many others as well.

In September 1999, a wedding was held in the garden and gazebo when Jen and Rob paddled 75 guests over for their ceremony. By that time it appears no one was maintaining the garden full-time and the pair did some work to the area before their wedding took place. Today, there are few traces of the garden left and the surrounding buildings have become more dilapidated.

Parkhurst: Logging Camp to Ghost Town will run through Jan. 17, 2022 at the Whistler Museum. If you have a story about the Parkhurst area you would like to share, please let us know! n

PARTIAL RECALL

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1 GRATEFUL FOR GARY Gary Martin, the longest tenured bus driver in Whistler, will be celebrating 29 years behind the wheel with Whistler Transit next month. He’s left a lasting impression on many customers over the years, including Trevor Bodnar. This 18-year old transit fan has an Instagram account dedicated to his stellar photographs of buses. In late August, Trevor managed to snap this shot of Gary Martin’s route 30 bus rounding the corner by the Green Lake lookout.

Wanting to share the photo with his favourite driver, Bodnar had the image blown up and framed, before presenting the photo along with a thank you card to Martin. PHOTOS BY TREVOR BODNAR. 2

MURPHY’S LAW Murphy leaps off the dock at

BIRTHDAY BEHAVIOUR Peter Shrimpton and 80 of his friends marked his 60th birthday MURDER MYSTERY This group of actors brought guests back to 1979 and kept 5 STANDING IN SOLIDARITY A group of Whistler residents and Lil’wat Indigenous youth

the Alpha Lake dog park on Monday, Nov. 15, proving not even crazy amounts of rain can stop this eight-year-old dog from playing. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 3

with an “incredible“ celebration at the Whistler Racket Club on Saturday, Nov. 20—where he also announced his engagement to Rose Fast! PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4

the crowd guessing during Cornucopia’s Murder Mystery Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 20—all while decked out in disco attire, of course! PHOTO SUBMITTED. gathered in the village to speak out in solidarity with the Gidimt’en Clan in Wet’suwet’en Territory, after the RCMP arrested 15 people at a blockade on Sunday, Nov. 21. Wet’suwet’en peoples and hereditary chiefs have been blockading on their traditional, unceded territory in Northern British Columbia in an effort to prevent construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 6 winning the Howe Sound District Championships. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 48.

WINNING ATTITUDE The Whistler Secondary School Senior Girls Volleyball Team celebrate after

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55

ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF NOVEMBER 25 BY ROB BREZSNY

Snowflake reflectors have arrived in Whistler.

Ask your driver for a snowflake.

Extra buses for Early Winter starting November 20 Full Winter Service starts December 18 Find your bus using

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Chris Brogan

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): There’s a Grateful Dead song,

says, “Don’t settle. Don’t finish crappy books. If you don’t like the menu, leave the restaurant. If you’re not on the right path, get off it.” That’s the best possible counsel for you to hear, in my astrological opinion. As an Aries, you’re already inclined to live by that philosophy.

But now and then, like now, you need a forceful nudge in that direction. So please, Aries, go in pursuit of what you want, not what you partially want. Associate with the very best, most invigorating influences, not the mediocre kind.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Kurt Vonnegut wrote wistfully, “I still catch myself feeling sad about things that don’t matter anymore.” If similar things are running wild in your head, dear Taurus, the coming weeks will be a favourable time to banish them. You will have extra power to purge outdated emotions and reclaim at least some of the wild innocence that is your birthright.

PS: There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad. In fact, feeling sad can be healthy. But it’s important to feel sad for the right reasons. Getting clear about that is your second assignment.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I’ll walk forever with stories inside me that the people I love the most can never hear.” So says the main character in Gemini author Michelle Hodkin’s novel The Evolution of Mara Dyer. If that heart-rending statement has resonance with your own personal experience, I have good news: The coming weeks will be a favourable time to transform the situation. I believe you can figure out how to share key stories and feelings that have been hard to reveal before now. Be alert for unexpected opportunities and not-atall-obvious breakthroughs.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A study of people in 24 countries concluded that during the pandemic, over 80 per cent of the population have taken action to improve their health. Are you in that group? Whether or not you are, the coming weeks will be a favourable time to go further in establishing robust self-care. The astrological omens suggest you’ll find it easier than usual to commit to good new habits. Rather than trying to do too much, I suggest you take no more than three steps. Even starting with just one might be wise. Top three: eating excellent food, having fun while exercising right, and getting all the deep sleep you need.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo-born scholar Edith Hamilton loved to study Ancient Greek civilization. She wrote, “To rejoice in life, to find the world beautiful and delightful to live in, was a mark of the Greek spirit which distinguished it from all that had gone before.” One sign of Greece’s devotion to joie de vivre was its love of play. “The Greeks were the first people in the world to play,” Hamilton exulted, “and they played on a great scale. All over Greece, there were games”—for athletes, dancers, musicians, and other performers. Spirited competition was an essential element of their celebration of play, as was the pursuit of fun for its own sake. In resonance with your astrological omens, Leo, I propose you regard ancient Greece as your spiritual home for the next five weeks.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo singer-songwriter Florence Welch of the band Florence and the Machine told an interviewer why she wrote “Hunger.” She said, “I looked for love in things that were not love.” What were those things? According to her song, they included taking drugs and performing onstage. Earlier in Florence’s life, as a teenager, “love was a kind of emptiness” she experienced through her eating disorder. What about you, Virgo? Have you looked for love in things that weren’t love? Are you doing that right now? The coming weeks will be a good time to get straight with yourself about this issue. I suggest you ask for help from your higher self. Formulate a strong intention that in the future, you will look for love in things that can genuinely offer you love.

with lyrics written by John Perry Barlow, that says, “You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t want to know.” I propose you make that your featured advice for the next two weeks.

I hope you will be inspired by it to figure out what truths you might be trying hard not to know. In so doing, you will make yourself available to learn those truths. As a result, you’ll be led on a healing journey you didn’t know you needed to take.

The process might sound uncomfortable, but I suspect it will ultimately be pleasurable.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio author and philosopher Albert Camus was a good thinker. At age 44, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature—the secondyoungest recipient ever. And yet he made this curious statement: “Thoughts are never honest. Emotions are.”

He regarded thoughts as “refined and muddy”—the result of people continually tinkering with their inner dialogue so as to come up with partially true statements designed to serve their self-image rather than reflect authentic ideas. Emotions, on the other hand, emerge spontaneously and are hard to hide, according to Camus.

They come straight from the depths. In accordance with astrological potentials, Scorpio, I urge you to keep these meditations at the forefront of your awareness in the coming weeks. See if you can be more skeptical about your thoughts and more trusting in your emotions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Poet Renée Ashley describes what she’s attracted to: “I’m drawn to what flutters nebulously at the edges, at the corner of my eye—just outside my certain sight. I want to share in what I am routinely denied or only suspect exists. I long for a glimpse of what is beginning to occur.” Although I don’t think that’s a suitable perspective for you to cultivate all the time, Sagittarius, I suspect it might be appealing and useful for you in the coming weeks. Fresh possibilities will be coalescing. New storylines will be incubating. Be alert for the oncoming delights of the unknown.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What could you do to diminish your suffering? Your next assignment is to take two specific steps to begin that process. You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when you’re more likely than usual to see what’s necessary to salve your wounds and fix what’s broken. Take maximum advantage of this opportunity! I proclaim this next chapter of your life to be titled “In Quest of the Maximum Cure.” Have fun with this project, dear Capricorn. Treat it as a mandate to be imaginative and explore interesting possibilities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “It is a fault to wish to be understood before we have made ourselves clear to ourselves,” wrote my favourite Aquarian philosopher, Simone Weil. I agree. It’s advice I regularly use myself.

If you want to be seen and appreciated for who you really are, you should make it your priority to see and appreciate yourself for who you really are. The coming weeks will be a favourable time to make progress in this noble project. Start this way: Write a list of the five qualities about yourself that you love best.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Nigerian author Ben Okri, born under the sign of Pisces, praises our heroic instinct to rise above the forces of chaos. He writes, “The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love, and to be greater than our suffering.” You’ve been doing a lot of that excellent work throughout 2021, dear Pisces. And I expect that you’ll be climaxing this chapter of your life story sometime soon. Thanks for being such a resourceful and resilient champion. You have bravely faced but also risen above the sometimes-messy challenges of plain old everyday life. You have inspired many of us to stay devoted to our heart’s desires.

Homework. Gratitude is the featured emotion. See how amazing you can make yourself feel by stretching it to its limits. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

Resort Municipality of Whistler Whistler.ca/transit

56 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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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MARKETPLACE 604-992-4746

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RE-USE-IT CENTRE Donations daily 10 am to 4 pm Accepting pre-loved clothing, gear and household items.

Shopping daily 10 am to 6 pm 8000 Nesters Road 604-932-1121

RE-BUILD-IT CENTRE Donations daily 10 am to 5 pm Accepting pre-loved furniture, tools and building supplies Shopping daily 10 am to 5 pm 1003 Lynham Road 604-932-1125 Visit mywcss.org and our social channels for updates.

HOME SERVICES Queen mattresses from $289.99 Bunk Beds from $699.99 Sofa beds from $1099.99 Registered Massage Therapy whistlerwellness.ca/anitadonghia Phone: 604-332-0752 Email: info@whistlerwellness.ca

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The Rotary Clubs of Whistler are now meeting virtually.

The Whistler Club Tuesdays at 3.

The Millennium Club Thursdays at 12:15.

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LEGAL/PUBLIC NOTICES

604.932.1968 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Professional Sewing and Alterations

Whereas the following registered owners are indebted to Cooper’s Towing Ltd. for unpaid towing and storage fees plus any related charges that may accrue.

Notice is hereby given that on December 2nd, 2021 at noon or thereafter the goods will be seized and sold.

1. Registered Owner: Unknown,1993 Mazda 323 VIN: JM1BG2310P0629093 $2,996.70 The vehicle is currently being stored at Cooper’s Towing Ltd 1212 Alpha Lake Rd Whistler, BC, V0N 1B1

MOVING AND STORAGE For more information, please call Cooper’s Towing Ltd. @ 604-902-1930

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Welcome Centre at Whistler Public Library Information, support, community connections and ESL practice groups for newcomers and immigrants.

Meet people, make connections, volunteer, build your communication skills in English.

Multicultural Meet Up every Friday 9.30-12pm.604-698-5960 info@welcomewhistler.com FB: WhistlerWelcomeCentre

SKILLED LABOURER REQUIRED: •

Minimum 2 years of construction experience including basic carpentry and use of a variety of hand tools, power tools and other general construction equipment.

• Overhead crane ticket plus bobcat and telehandler/ forklift experience is a bonus.

• Strong organizational and communication skills.

• Physically fit, mobile and able to work on your feet for the duration of shift.

• Friendly, hard-working and happy to pitch in where needed.

• Must have STEEL TOED BOOTS and basic hand tools & belt are required.

• Outdoor so please bring appropriate layers waterproof jacket, rain boots,warm dry layers etc.

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SPORTS & ACTIVITIES VOLUNTEERS Big Brothers, Big Sisters Sea to Sky - Volunteer to Mentor- just 1hr/week and make a difference in a child's life.

Call 604-892-3125.

Group Fitness Classes Thursday – Aqua Fit @ 8:30-9:00 am w Marie Anne Saturdays – Vinyasa Yoga @ 12:15-1:15 pm w Hailey Monday – Spin @ 5:45-6:45 pm w Courtney Wednesdays – HIIT @ 6:15-7:15 pm w Alex Tuesdays – Slow Flow Yoga @ 7:30-8:30 pm w Laura >>Sign up online up to 72 hrs in advance

See our full page schedule ad in this issue of Pique for details

WIDE OPEN WELDING IS CURRENTLY LOOKING TO FILL THE FOLLOWING POSITION:

FABRICATORS & ERECTORS Please forward your resume to contactus@wideopenwelding.com

is now hiring for

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Babysitter/Nanny: Full Time Have you ever wanted to spend your days exploring Whistler with kids?

Babysitting Whistler is seeking enthusiastic, reliable, motivated and caring staff!

Expect Great CASH wages, flexible scheduling & $500 off your Spirit Pass!

We require applicants to obtain an active first aid & criminal record check!

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Part Time Nature Camp Leader Are you passionate about outdoor adventures and working with kids?

Searching for a part-time leader who loves being outside, who is reliable and has extensive experience working with children. whistl eroutdoorlearning@gmail.com www.whistleroutdoorlearning.com

Maintenance Person This dynamic role includes the following Perks and Benefits:

• • • •

Full-Time, Year-Round position Competitive Wages and Health Benefits Supportive Management Team Wages Starting From $21 per hour Please reply with a cover letter and resume to hr@listelhotel.com

Thank you for your interest. Only those applicants being considered for an interview will be contacted.

NORTH ARM FARM FARM FIELD LABOURER

Weeding, irrigating, harvesting and processing fruits & vegetables. At least 2 full seasons of agricultural experience required. Looking for hardworking individuals able to work in all types of outside conditions. Minimum 40hrs/wk over a minimum 5 days/wk. 40 to 65 hours/week. $15.20 - $18/hr.

Job duration: 32 weeks Jan 1st-Aug 31st -or- March 3rd-November 3rd 2022 Applicants can mail, or email resumes to North Arm Farm PO BOX 165, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0 Email: info@northarmfarm.com

NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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60 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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SEPTEMB ER 30, 2021 ISSUE 28.39 WWW.PIQ UENEWS MAGAZIN

E.COM

Come Grow Sport with us at our Whistler Olympic Legacy Venues

FRE E

TO BE BETTER

Rec

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WATER

TESTING Results from RMOW facilities show elevated lead, copper

22

CENTRE

OF CARE A task force wants a non-profit primary care centre in Whistler

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SPENAISSANCE Spencer Rice, co-star of Kenny vs. Spenny, heads to Whistler

Gobble up all the goggles and gear you need atWWW.PIQUENEWSMA GAZINE.COM this weekend’s Thanksgivin g sales

OCTOBER 14, 2021 ISSUE 28.41

FREE ANALYSIS

14

A petition aims to make vaccines mandatory on gondolas

GOING UP? COVID-19

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Flurry of police Sea to Sky calls mark unusual week in

RAPID RESPONSE

The Whistler Writers Festival celebrates 20 years

WRITE OFF

One Year Out With 12 months to the next municipal election,

Pique checks in on council’s progress so

OCTOBER 21, 2021 ISSUE 28.42

far

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CHEAK UP

A look at the new affordable

housing for locals in Cheakamus Crossing

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PANDEMIC PROTECTION

Work

ongoing to protect students in classrooms

44

We offer competitive wages, a unique environment, seasonal bonuses, staff discounts and benefits.

Ask about accommodation.

OKIN’

BUY

Whistler Athletes’ Centre (High-Performance Training and Accommodation) WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Guest Service Agent

BARISTAS

Whistler Olympic Park (Nordic Skiing, Snowshoeing & Outdoor Activities) Maintenance & Operations Worker

Whistler Sliding Centre (Bobsleigh, Luge & Skeleton) Track Worker

23

Visit our website to view current postings and to apply:

ISSUE Tourism in Whistler BACK28.44 BOUNCING NOVEMBER 4, 2021

14

shows signs of a bounce back year

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WATCHDOG REPORTS

FREE

SPOOKTACULAR Tapley’s neighbourhood welcomes back trick or treaters CANDY CORN

38

Incentive Bonus and Spirit Pass Financing Available

For seasonal full time roles (Restrictions may apply)

Check our website for seasonal opportunities at our 3 venues

RIOPELLE

FREE

Museum’s new special exhibit opens

JOB APPLICATION S

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WORK ON A R GETTING TO TEN JOBS FO RE

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apply at hr.whistler@scandinave.com

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STAFF HOUSING UPON AVAILABILITY

THE SQUEEZE SILVER SCREEN STOKE Maury Young

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IN SESSION Whistler’s pandemic recovery working group is shifting focus

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OCTOBER 28, 2021 ISSUE 28.43

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across Cascadia like these in B.C. and will mean new livelihoods A climate-fixing economy

H I G H M O U N TA I N BREWING CO. BREWHOUSE WHISTLER, BC

Be a part of our dynamic team at one of Whistler’s busiest spots!

At The High Mountain Brewing Company, Whistler Brewhouse, we take pride in our product and service - From the busy patio to the cozy two-sided fireplace, from our exceptional pizzas to our hand-crafted beer.

We are currently looking for

Dishwashers and Line Cooks We offer comprehensive benefits packages after a probationary period, as well as competitive wages.

Ski pass included Starting wage $18 p/h Please come by with your resume or apply via email to mvedan@mjg.ca

4355 BLACKCOMB WAY

WHISTLER, BC, V0N 1B4

Currently seeking: 14NOVEMBER 11, 2021 ISSUE 28.45 28 REMOTE RENAISSANCE Shift to work has had a profound effect

remote

on Whistler

Whistler will host Day in-person and virtual Remembrance

LEST WE FORGET

44

The Whistler Film Festival unveils its full lineup

FILMSTRAVAGANZA

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AGAZINE .COM

FRE E

• Manager, Building Department

TO REFLECT

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APPRENTICES AND JOURNEYWOMEN/JOURNEYMEN Come work with us! We value strong communication skills, ability to work independently, and motivation to learn and grow with our company. We offer benefits and a healthy work-life balance; we’re here for a good time and hopefully some powder days. Wages are negotiable, based on experience and knowledge of electrical code.

Email cover letters and resumes to:

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021

GOING UP?

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

Full Time Housekeepers Full Time Front Desk Agent Eligible successful candidates may receive* • $750.00 Hiring Bonus for successful full time candidates!

JOIN OUR TEAM! Encore

is currently hiring the following positions for Whistler!

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

Event Audio Visual Technician Part and Full Time Sales Coordinator

Domino’s Pizza in Whistler is

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ALL POSITIONS

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604-932-0410

MAEGAN@BCDOMINOS.COM

Employment Opportunities:

Maintenance Lead Apply to: jobs@pembertonvalleylodge.com

Competitive wages, health benefits, casual environment 62 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

Join our team!

Building Maintenance Ambassador – Canada Summer Job opportunity. In order to be considered for this role, you must meet the CSJ requirements of being between the ages of 15 to 30 years. This opportunity will end on/or before February 26, 2022.

While you might be behind the scenes, this role is integral to the success of the SLCC. Part handy-person, part cleaner, part event set-up/tear-down, part special projects, you are ready to roll up your sleeves to help out. As a building maintenance ambassador, you will be part of small team that cares for our team; making sure our building is clean and sanitized, shoveling the snow for a safe path, and completing small repair jobs as needed. If you have an interest in Fist Nations and a positive attitude, this position may be right for you.

We offer a flexible schedule, transportation from Squamish Nation and/or Lil’wat Nation, discount on food, great wages and a supportive workplace.

Please send your resume to human.resources@ slcc.ca by December 2, 2021.

For a full job description, please visit our website at slcc.ca/careers.

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LIVE FULLY LEADING WESTIN The Whistler Valley Housing Society is seeking applications for a: Part-time Administrator • Approximately 40 hours per month • Duties will focus on Support for the Board of Directors • Pay commensurate with experience.

The Whistler Valley Housing Society is a not-for-profit established in 1983 and is the owner of Whistler Creek Court a 20 unit affordable rental housing project for Whistler employees.

The society’s purpose is to supply, operate, manage and maintain low and moderate income housing on a nonprofit basis for Whistler employees.

For more information and to apply please contact: cjewett@whistler.ca

What does living fully mean to you? Whether you are seeking to grow with new opportunities, work beside teammates that feel like family, or make a difference in a the world, The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler helps you live life to its fullest, no matter how you define it.

LAUNCH YOUR CAREER WITH OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM!

• Guest Services Manager • Housekeeping Manager (NEW additional role) • Housekeeping Assistant Manager (NEW additional role) • Housekeeping Coordinator • Loss Prevention Manager (NEW additional role) Email resume to work@westinwhistler.com

Join a fun, locally owned and operated Lodge that puts people first and offers you the opportunity to thrive at work!

NOW HIRING:

• Barbacks & Bartenders • Barista (PT) • Dishwasher • Restaurant Chef • Human Resources Manager • House Attendant • Room Attendant

To apply email your resume to: careers@nitalakelodge.com

Scan Here to View Current Opportunities at Nita!

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UNLIMITED SEASON SKI PASS INCLUDED IN YOUR HIRING PACKAGE! we also provide our staff with: Competitive Wages, Health Benefits, Gratuities, Employee Discounts and Staff Housing

JOIN OUR TEAM Cooks, Dishwashers, Expeditors, Server Assistants, Hosts, Servers, Bartenders, Bar Manager, Restaurant Manager

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR RESUME TO: CAREERS@ILCAMINETTO.CA

PLAY HERE

» piquenewsmagazine.com/jobs

Join our dynamic team at Whistler Dental!

Dental Assistant Wanted Receptionist Wanted Sterilization Coordinator Wanted Send your resume and cover letter today: liz@whistlerdental.com

Talent Wanted WHISTLER DENTAL 64 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

Excellent compensation packages State of the art practice Learn, Lead, and, Grow With Us!

TO VIEW OUR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO APPLY, VISIT US ONLINE AT WHISTLER.COM/CAREERS.

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Lil’wat Nation

Employment Opportunities • Administrative Assistant to Health Director • Cashier - Gas Station • Cultural Research Technician - Ullus • Custodian - Community School • Early Childhood Educator and/or Assistant - Daycare • Early Childhood Educator Infant Toddler - Daycare • Education Assistant - Community School • Education Jurisdiction Coordinator - Community School • Finance Manager - Ullus Building • Home Care Nurse - RN or LPN • Indigenous Support Worker - Ts’zil Learning Centre • Kindergarten Teacher - Community School • Land Use Manager - Ullus • Program Coordinator - Ts’zil Learning Centre • Receptionist - Ts’zil Learning Centre

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

UNLIMITED SEASON SKI PASS Included in your HIRING PACKAGE! we also provide our staff with: Competitive Wages, Health Benefits, Gratuities, Employee Discounts and Staff Housing

JOIN OUR TEAM

Benefits

Cooks, Dishwashers, Expeditors, Server Assistants, Hosts, Servers, Bartenders Restaurant Manager

Pension Plan Employee Assistance Program Extended Health Benefits Professional Development Gym facility

Submit your resume to: elle.boutilier@araxi.com

Please visit our career page for more information: lilwat.ca/careers/career-opportunities-2/

MARKETING SPECIALIST Full Time, Year Round

The Marketing & Creative Services Specialist is responsible for the execution of Tourism Whistler’s advertising programs, as well as the production and management of creative assets, including photography and video assets and collateral materials. The Specialist acts as a key point of contact with TW’s creative agencies to ensure all advertising programs and creative assets are on brand, on strategy, on time and on budget.

What we offer: a flex schedule, excellent benefits package, and a great team environment.

What we’re looking for: an individual with a passion and knowledge of Whistler, experience coordinating multi-channeled marketing programs, exceptional attention to detail, and strong writing and proofreading skills.

We’re also recruiting for: Conference Services Coordinator (Full Time, Year Round).

TO VIEW OUR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO APPLY, VISIT US ONLINE AT WHISTLER.COM/CAREERS.

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Behind every spectacular moment at @fswhistler is someone who made it happen. And behind them, a story. The people who live here are made up of adventurers-from home and from around the world. Wanderers who share their passion for the mountains and truly appreciate the magic of our backyard.

ARE YOU READY TO JOIN US? Front Desk agent | Concierge | Core Agent Guestroom attendant | Night Cleaner | Laundry attendant Night and Day Guest Services attendant | Demi Chef de Partie Commis Chef | Server Assistant | Spa Receptionist Ski Concierge Supervisor | Housekeeping Assistant Manager

BENEFITS

Career development |On shift meals Employee rate &free rooms at other FS locations Housing is provided based on availability

APPLY

jobs.fourseasons.com Search: Whistler

PLAY HERE

» piquenewsmagazine.com/jobs MANAGER, ENTERPRISE ACCOUNTANT AND TAX GSK CPA LLP is a Squamish, BC firm seeking an experienced CPA with tax knowledge to join us in a Manager position in Squamish.

Job responsibilities will consist of overseeing compilation financial statements and corporate tax returns, both in a reviewer and preparer capacity. In addition to accounting, the candidate will incorporate moderately complex tax topics in their work, including initiating tax deferred reorganizations, coordinating family trust and holding company structures, Specified Corporate and Partnership Income planning, Safe Income calculations, and TOSI planning.

Join Our Team Admin Coordinator

Application Close: Nov 28, 2021

Community Engagement Manager Application Close: Jan 9, 2022 For Full Details:

www.awarewhistler.org Careers with real purpose!

66 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

Our ideal candidate is a new or experienced CPA who enjoys accounting work but who also wants to expand their tax knowledge.

This candidate prefers to be highly knowledgeable in accounting, income tax, GST, and PST topics as opposed to tax, and tax only.

WHY JOIN GSK CPA LLP? WELL: • You will be working directly with and will be mentored by 4 of the firm’s partners who all have considerable tax knowledge and have completed the In-Depth tax program; • Significant career advancement opportunities exist for exceptional candidates; • Nil assurance work and you will be exposed to highly complex and interesting tax structures; and • Remote work possibility and $90K to over $100K salary, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Please send your cover letter and resume to ross@gskllp.ca

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GIBBONS HIRING FAIR DECEMBER 1, 2021 4 PM - 7 PM HIRING FOR ALL FRONT OF HOUSE & BACK OF HOUSE POSITIONS FOR ALL WHISTLER VENUES WHERE BUFFALO BILLS BAR & GRILL 4122 VILLAGE GREEN

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED WWW.GIBBONSWHISTLER.COM/CAREER

WHAT WE WANT A-PLAYERS TO JOIN OUR AMAZING TEAM WHAT TO BRING A COPY OF YOUR RESUME

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NOW HIRING: NOW HIRING:

NOW HIRING THE FOLLOWING ATV & BUGGY GUIDES NOW HIRING THE FOLLOWING ATV & BUGGY GUIDES CANOE GUIDES FULL TIMEGUIDES ROLES: CANOE FULL TIME ROLES: JEEP GUIDES JEEP GUIDES E-BIKE GUIDES SNOWMOBILE GUIDES E-BIKE GUIDES SNOWMOBILE GUIDES SHUTTLE DRIVERS SHUTTLE DRIVERS RESERVATION AGENTS SNOWSHOE RESERVATION GUIDES AGENTS We offer a fun, outdoor work environment with a great team of

SNOWSHOE GUIDES

Be a part of an amazing team as our newest Digital Account Representative!

We have a rare opportunity to work at one of Canada’s best-read online newsmedia companies, Glacier Media.

You will be part of the Pique Newsmagazine team, a division of Glacier Media. In your role you will consult with local businesses to offer cutting edge marketing solutions: programmatic, social media, SEO, sponsored content and community display advertising on our website and yes, we still reach customers through our trusted newspaper as well.

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

Full job descriptions at: Full job descriptions at: www.canadianwilderness.com/employment/ GUEST EXPERIENCE REPS www.canadianwilderness.com/employment/

NOW HIRING THE FOLLOWING FULL TIME POSITIONS:

SHUTTLE DRIVERS SHUTTLE DRIVERS

GUEST EXPERIENCE REPS GUEST EXPERIENCE REPS If you are interested in joining our team, IN RESORT MARKETING

If you are interested in joining our team, please submit your resume to please submit your resume to employment@canadian01.com DOGSLED MUSHERS/GUIDES employment@canadian01.com

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

What we are looking for • • • • •

You are comfortable making cold calls and setting up/leading meetings with new and existing clients.

A self-starter with a consultative selling approach working with clients planning both digital and print advertising campaigns.

Building and maintaining client relationships with your exceptional communication skills comes easy to you.

You are a goal orientated individual with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn.

You possess strong organizational skills and have the ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment.

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

What we offer • • •

Competitive salary + uncapped commission package.

Comprehensive / competitive group health and welfare benefits Extensive onboarding training and ongoing support.

Whistler has a worldwide reputation for outdoor recreation and boasts a vibrant village featuring restaurants, bars, retail and more. While this legendary resort is an international mountain sports mecca, it is also a down-to-earth mountain town, where community and culture have forged a unique environment. This opportunity offers you the chance to call a world-class ski hill you own—and if you are a local, well you know you’re in the right place to forge a career and lucky to call Whistler your home.

IS HIRING - FULL TIME RETAIL LIQUOR STORE ATTENDANT A great position for those who have a passion for Beer / Wine / Liquor and the Whistler Lifestyle!

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume in confidence to Susan Hutchinson, shutchinson@wplpmedia.com Closing date: November 26th, 2021

Set up an interview by emailing your resume to: info@nestersliquor.com

68 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Go behind the scenes at 'Canada's Coolest Film Festival' December 1-5.

Positions include venue staff, box office, events and more!

Earn perks like film tickets, WFF swag, prizing and the legendary WFF Volunteer Party.

Email volunteer@whistlerfilmfestival.com

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Become part of a creative team and surround yourself with art The Audain Art Museum is currently seeking:

Visitor Services part-time

Provide a welcoming experience for visitors at the Admissions Desk and in the Shop.

Paid training is provided.

Guards part-time, weekends

Provide security for the art and educate visitors to ensure safety protocols are upheld.

Prior experience an asset, but not required.

Paid training is provided.

For complete job descriptions and to apply visit audainartmuseum.com/employment

Vacasa Whistler is currently hiring: • Room attendants and houseperson Wages starting from $21.75 to $23.00 • Housekeeping Assistant Manager $50K and Housekeeping Coordinator $21.00 Flexible schedule, variable shifts available including possible night shift • Travel allowance for Squamish and Pemberton based employees OR activity/ski pass allowance. Signing bonus of $500.

Extended medical and dental coverage.

To apply for this opportunity, please specify the position and email your resume and cover letter to: paul.globisch@vacasa.com We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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YOU’RE A KEGGER, YOU JUST DON’T KNOW IT YET!

NOW HIRING:

COOKS + KITCHEN STAFF UP TO $25/HR + GENEROUS TIPS ALSO HIRING HOSTS AND SERVER ASSISTANTS

To apply, email your resume to whistler@kegrestaurants.com or come in-person Sunday – Thursday from 4:00pm-5:30pm for an on-the-spot interview.

NESTERS MARKET & WELLNESS CENTRE

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

70 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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Get noticed!

• • • • • •

Social Google Websites Programmatic SEO/SEM Sponsored content

The Pinnacle Hotel Whistler has the following positions available:

The Pinnacle Hotel Whistler has the following positions available:

ROOM ATTENDANTS AND MAINTENANCE POSITIONS

Glacier Media Digital experts help businesses succeed online.

Contact your Sales representative at Pique Newsmagazine today for a free digital audit

Starting rate of $23 p/h

Please reply by email: parmstrong@pinnaclehotels.ca

604-938-0202 sales@piquenewsmagazine.com

HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR STARTING RATE $25 P/H Please reply by email: parmstrong@pinnaclehotels.ca

CALL THE EXPERTS

Want to advertise your service on this page?

LANDSCAPING

Without a

CURRENTLY BOOKING TREE DECORATING SERVICES & SEASONAL PLANTER ORDERS

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

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

TATTOO

WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR SERVICE HERE?

CLAIM THIS SPACE. CALL YOUR SALES REP OR EMAIL

SALES@PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER 25, 2021

71

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.

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

SURVEYING

BUNBURY & ASSOCIA BC LAND SURVEYORS

WHISTLER PROPERTY SERVICES

604-962-0050 info@50north.ca

Pressure Washing Window Cleaning Handyman Services

72 NOVEMBER 25, 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 5 10 15 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 33 35 37 38 39 41 42 44 48 50 51 55 56 58 60 61 63 65 66 67 68 70

Battery chemical “Hedda Gabler” author Felt warmly toward Rough file French painter Port near Hong Kong Nautical Like some bath rugs Talk on and on “The Republic” author Determine value Femur, for one Nonsocial person Buenos --, Argentina Pack away Bungalow Retired professors Revitalize Desire Court figs.

Novelist -- Levin Cached or stashed Cousins’ moms Most indolent History question Flamingo “Woe is me!”

Beach wear Tabby’s comment Phantoms Slapped together Joining forces Spanish painter Mouse catchers Extinct kiwi kin Send, as money Mouth part Flood barrier

1 9 6 9 7 4 6 8 4

8

8 7 2 9

2

72 75 76 77 78 79 82 83 86 87 88 89 91 94 95 96 98 99 100 102 104 106 108 110 111 112 113 115 117 119 120 121 124 125 129 135 137 138 140

3

5

141 142 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153

Most current Fill-in You, to Yves Playful swimmer Cathedral part Skunk School of fish Bookworm, maybe Wild tale North Dakota city Public meeting places Quick turn Says Serious offender Wind indicator Barber’s offering Cereal grass Pickle choice Bone-dry Military trim Sofa ends Least Dueler’s weapon Means of escape Long, easy stride Helm position Corduroy ridges Drumming sound (hyph.)

Rural necessities Sz. option Compass pt.

Peppery Did exist Novel genre Ragamuffins Ballpark event Rover’s pal Built-up Moralist

9

5 3 1 4

5

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 32 34 36 37 40

6 1 3 5 9 8 3 1 8

EASY

Movie German ruler Beyond zealous Starchy food Had learned Surfeit Stockholm native Reject Treats fractures Dough raiser Tribal adviser Looks at

Sufficient Bounce back Pointless Hinder Damages Island near Java Fashion accessory Cafe customer Rope end, maybe Endured “Citizen Kane” director Landscape USN rank Prepares to land Cracks a safe Shun Reindeer driver Appeals Garr of “Mr. Mom” Fixing potatoes Social insect Connection (hyph.)

Seashell seller?

Round dwellings Cash dispenser

42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 54 55 57 59 62 64 69 71 72 73 74 76 77 78 80 81 82 83 84 85 87 88 90 91 92 93 94

Church part “Casablanca” pianist List of players With hands on hips Rigatoni kin Put one’s foot -- -Polite bark Map abbr.

Shady nook Weak, as an excuse Fusses Chair or sofa Plant stickers (var.)

They’re often inflated Shack React to a pun Pennsylvania town Ump’s call “L’--, c’est moi” Org. for women golfers Tool handle wood Souvenir item Wayback playback machines Klutz’s cry (2 wds.)

Come to terms Caustic substance Flair for music Window ledges Long time Flowering shrub Sell off Brawl Slowly vanish Catches on Russian range Rookie Short-term worker Puts in a kiln

95 96 97 99 101 103 105 106 107 109 114 116 118 119 121 122 123

Honchos Epic Wounded Vales Yiddish “Mr.” Sellers or O’Toole Hem up Foolish talk Small earthquakes Pause fillers Potato st.

Ripped apart Flock member Humble Horse’s ankles Hazard a guess Doctrine

125 126 127 128 130 131 132 133 134 136 137 139 143

Increases, as prices Doctor’s assistant Inch along Flowed back Lids Oodles Part of GI Our, to Pierre Bridges CNN forte Payroll deduction Candy striper Wood chopper (var.)

LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

# 58

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

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: EASY

2 1

9 8

7 3 9 5 2 1 2

8 3 9 2

3

7

3 2 6 6 1 7 7 5 8 4 8

9 7

5 6

EASY Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 60

ANSWERS ON PAGE 60

NOVEMBER 25, 2021

73

MAXED OUT

Rolling the dice with Whistler’s winter season IN ADDITION to being opening day at Whistler Blackcomb (WB), today’s publication marks the final Thursday in November, or as our neighbours to the south refer to it, Thanksgiving. Being the final Thursday in November, the Pundit’s Rule Book—Small Town Edition—reminds me to begin my gentle segue into the peace on Earth, goodwill toward non-gender specific, non-binary men, ho-ho-ho, which is to say stop ranting about things.

So consider this my last kick at the can and the last thing I have to say about Vail Resorts’ unconscionable refusal to

BY G.D.MAXWELL implement a vaccine mandate for Whistler Blackcomb’s gondolas... at least until the virus sweeps through town again and threatens us with another shutdown.

And to be clear, this sad state of affairs does not lie solely on the shoulders of Vail Resorts’ myopic management. It is more than shared by the inexplicable, illogical dithering of our own Public Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry (PHO) and Minister of Health Adrian Dix who stubbornly refuse to exercise their considerable power and who are, once again, prepared to throw this community under the bus for reasons that elude any rational understanding.

In a province beset by expensive natural disasters during the past year, I find it mind boggling Dr. Henry and Mr. Dix would roll the dice with the financial viability of Whistler, the town that, in prepandemic days, accounted for 42 per cent of all provincial tourism-based revenue. The same town that sent more than $1.3 million every day of the year to Victoria and other levels of government in tax revenue.

The shutdown last March and the local outbreak of the coronavirus that caused it was totally avoidable. Many people many times besieged Dr. Henry to place geographical restrictions on access to WB like those voluntarily imposed by Big White.

Instead, we were inundated with visitors from the Lower Mainland, Ontario—who had closed all ski resorts in the province— Quebec, Alberta and a surprising number of people from outside the country who apparently poured over the border thanks to the business exemption on international travel.

They brought a gift of variants with them and, quelle surprise, COVID-19 swept through Tiny Town’s cramped living quarters and commercial kitchens like wildfire. Very quickly, Whistler became Canada’s Italy, a hotspot for viral infection.

In contrition, the PHO launched a massive vaccination effort in town. Too little, too late. Ironically, that effort,

74 NOVEMBER 25, 2021

ADOBE STOCK

resulting in upwards of 90 per cent of locals being vaccinated, is now the sword being used against us to partially justify the PHO’s unwillingness to order a vaccine mandate for access to WB. Thanks... I think.

Ah, you say, but don’t you read your own paper? Big story: “Active Covid Cases in BC Fall to 15-Week Low!” Yeah, I saw it. I also saw the numbers behind it. In the last seven days, there have still been 2,668 cases, 30 deaths and 337 hospitalized, nearly half in ICU. I also read the stories about the virus once again sweeping throughout Europe with renewed vigour, causing regions and nations to enter another lockdown and Austria to become the first country to talk about making vaccination mandatory in February next year.

I read the admittedly unscientific poll reported on Pique’s website that 45 per cent of Canadians were ready to party like

why Vail Resorts won’t step up and do something that is clearly in its best interests.

And make no mistake, implementing a vaccine mandate is in the company’s—and shareholder’s—best interests.

With scores of jobs going unfilled at WB, how is it in Vail Resorts’ best interests to squander the staff they’re going to need every day to check vaccine status at their restaurants when a vaccine mandate would relieve them of this task? Especially considering they’re not even going to be able to open some of their restaurants for lack of staff?

With children rapidly becoming the population at risk as vaccines are slowly rolled out for them, how is it in Vail Resorts’ best interests to have people beginning to talk about sending their kids to ski at Grouse? Hey, I get it. If I had young children, I wouldn’t send them up WB in gondolas potentially loaded with unvaccinated

And make no mistake, implementing a vaccine mandate is in the company’s—and shareholder’s—best interests. it’s 2019 over the holiday season, social distancing be damned. Whether it’s pandemic burnout or just the unbearable desire to socialize with friends and family, the stars are lining up to ring in the new year and a new wave. It ain’t over yet.

Since those with the political power seem to once again be pandering to the unvaccinated, that leaves me wondering

people, masks or no masks. Cheaper and easier for anyone in the Lower Mainland to send ‘em up Grouse. I’d probably even do it if I lived in Whistler!

And don’t imagine the other B.C. ski areas that do have mandates won’t be using that as a marketing tool: Ski Whistler—Roll the Dice With Your Child’s Health.

And as for marketing tools, which

screams louder in this time of concern? Ski Whistler Blackcomb, Our Vaccine Mandate Ensures Your Safety. Or, Ski Whistler—The Resort of Choice for the Unvaccinated.

It doesn’t take a marketing genius to figure that one out. But it does call into question why Vail Resorts would roll the dice on what seems such a no-brainer.

A friend suggested it’s a pathological quest for every last dollar. Maybe they don’t want to refund even a single Epic™ pass. Of course, they wouldn’t have to for Americans since they have to be vaxxed to get across the border. And they surely wouldn’t have to for many Canadians since outside B.C. and Alberta, anyone coming is likely coming by air.

But to add weight to his argument he told me about a friend who cancelled his pass purchase, after paying the $49 down payment last spring. Seems he was injured this summer and may be facing surgery that would keep him off the slopes this year.

Vail Resorts’ response to his cancelling the final payment in September? Suing him in small claims court. They’re insisting he pay for his pass and submit a claim to their insurance naysayers to see if they think it’s all right to refund his pass. I’m wondering had he died whether they’d insist his estate complete the pass purchase and submit the insurance claim? Oh, the humanity.

So there you have it. Any of you who thought Vail Resorts was a soulless corporation driven by unbridled greed may well be vindicated. Any who thought they didn’t give a damn about this town, ditto.

But even in my wildest dreams I didn’t think they were dumb enough to saddle themselves with unnecessary costs and pass up the best, cheapest marketing campaign that ever dropped into their lap.

Peace on Earth. ■

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 SOLD

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

Maggi Thornhill *PREC

WHISTLER VILLAGE 762-4090 Whistler Way This luxurious 425sf studio offers spectacular views over the Whistler Golf course practice facility. Kitchen, heated floors and gas fireplace. Phase 2 ownership gives you 28 nights of personal use in the winter with an additional 28 nights in summer. $419,000

604-905-8199 Nick Swinburne *PREC

BAYSHORES F-2309 Brandywine Way Brandywine Mews – a well maintained 3.5br/2ba townhome within walking distance to Creekside lifts and amenities. Split-level layout with open kitchen, dining, living room, sauna, west facing deck and ample storage spaces. $1,249,000

604-932-8899 Rob Boyd

604-935-9172

NEW TO MARKET

BAYSHORE Unit 4A or 6D-2561 Tricouni Place Seasons is the ideal property for those who want to enjoy a week every beautiful season in Whistler without having to commit to full ownership. Townhome with three bedrooms, two baths plus sauna for a fraction of the cost!. $49,000

Sherry Boyd

BAYSHORE 2809 Clifftop All day sun with vaulted ceilings and huge windows. This home offers a spacious living room on the main floor and a large family room on the second floor. 4 bedrooms plus an office, pantry room & 1 bedroom suite makes this the perfect Whistler family home. $3,500,000

604-902-7220 Allyson Sutton

RAINBOW 8440 SKI JUMP RISE Build your dream home on one of the few remaining lots in Whistler! set against a hillside emphasizing the mountain experience with breathtaking mountain views & incredible light. $1,850,000

604-932-7609 Valerie Phillipson

604-698-5899

NEW TO MARKET

NORDIC 5A-2230 Eva Lake Road Beautifully renovated 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouse. Steps to the bus stop, Creekside Village, shops & lifts, Valley Trail and Lakeside Park. The private wrap around deck is incredible space for a hot tub, BBQ zone and outdoor entertaining. $1,499,000

Caronne Marino

GARIBALDI HIGHLANDS 2632 Rhum & Eigg GARIBALDI HIGHLANDS GEM! 5 bed & 5 bath on a large 13,922 sq.ft. lot with amazing mountain views. Fully updated throughout, close to schools, university & biking/hiking trails. Potential 1 bed suite. View today! $1,898,000

604-905-8324 Angie Vazquez *PREC

NORTH VANCOUVER 112-649 East 3rd Street This is 1405 sq.ft. of LEED Gold certified luxury living. Open concept design. Gourmet kitchen with high-end Bosch appliances. 2 BR, 1.5 bath, 3 decks, AC, UG parking, close to everything. $1,249,000

778-318-5900 Ken Achenbach

Whistler Village Shop

Whistler Creekside Shop

Squamish Station Shop

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

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

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

whistler.evrealestate.com

whistler.evrealestate.com

whistler.evrealestate.com

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

604-966-7640

3D Tour - rem.ax/35peaks

#35 - 1450 Vine Road

3D Tour - rem.ax/510pan

$719,000

This 2 bedroom 2 bathroom townhome in the popular Peaks complex in Pemberton comes with an oversized single garage, and the ability to park 2 vehicles in front of the unit, allowing space for all the toys to be safely stored inside.

The back deck overlooks a quiet grassy common space with a very private feel to it.

Richard Grenfell

2

604.902.4260

#510 Pan Pacific Mountainside

$495,000

This 5th floor studio has a fully equipped kitchen, living/dining area, gas fireplace, sundeck, beautiful bathroom and sleeps 4 comfortably with a queen size murphy bed and queen size pull-out couch. Amenities include a heated year-round salt water pool & dual hot tubs - the perfect vantage point after a day of summer fun or winter après.

Sally Warner*

.5

604.905.6326

9202 Pinetree Lane

This spacious lot in Emerald has fantastic views of Arm Chair and Wedge Mountain.

Take advantage of this wonderful elevated lot assuring privacy and mountain views. This serviced corner lot sides/backs onto parkland, is on the bus route, is a short walk to Emerald Park and the Green Lake boat launch.

Sherry Baker

Video - rem.ax/424wpl

#424 - 4295 Blackcomb Way

$179,000

.5

604.932.8629

9333 Warbler Way

$5,649,998

4.5

604.905.8855

1565 Khyber Lane

$3,850,000

This One-Of-A-Kind Mountain Home is located in the exclusive Spring Creek residential neighborhood and shows off its quality with soaring vaulted ceilings accented with large heatsaving low e windows. The open floor plan and large deck invite you to enjoy a cozy feeling while entertaining or just relaxing at home.

Ann Chiasson

Bruce Watt

604.932.7651

2585 Lakeview Road

$5,450,000

This custom built log home is one of a kind. Set in a quiet bay on Gun lake, this 7037 ft2 home was created with family living in mind. A spacious kitchen and dining area allows room for everyone. Six bedrooms, all with ensuite baths, provides sleeping for up to 15.

Dave Sharpe

6

604.902.2779

4

604.905.0737

3D Tour - rem.ax/2585lakeviewrd

Enjoy a short stroll to Whistler Village for dinner and shopping from this desirable Whistler Cay Heights location. Gather around the outdoor fire or relax in your private hot tub. An excellent floor plan with 4 bedrooms, den, a spacious media and entertainment lower level and double garage.

Dave Beattie*

$1,275,000

Only 5 lots remain in this Estate Property Subdivision. Homes can be 4629 or 5920 SF plus 2150 SF Auxiliary Buildings allowed. 5 Minutes from Grocieries, Gas and Liquor Store. Best Value in town!

3D Tour - rem.ax/6252palmer

6252 Palmer Drive

604.932.1315

3D Tour - rem.ax/1565khyber

Superior studio at the Whistler Peak Lodge, sleeping FOUR people with wonderful views of Rainbow and Wedge Mountains. Whistler Peak Lodge’s central location provides you with easy access to everything Whistler has to offer within footsteps to the Village and Whistler Blackcomb lift access.

Ursula Morel*

$1,700,000

SOLD OVER LIST!

638A - 2036 London Lane

$190,000

Enjoy views of skiers on the slopes from 638A Legends at Whistler Creek. A 590 sf, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo with vaulted ceilings in the living room. 1/4 share means 13 weeks of personal use or rental a year. Perfect for remote workers with a flexible schedule. 638A is on the top floor, right above the ski lockers where you can walk right onto the Creekside Gondola.

Denise Brown*

604.902.2033

1

3D Tour - rem.ax/253mktplace

#101 - 4338 Main Street

$599,000

#253 - 4340 Lorimer Road

$859,000

Blenz Coffee Shop has been voted Whistler’s Best Coffee and has always been in the top 3 Whistler coffee shops annually. Voted Whistler’s Best Hot Chocolate so many years in a row! Here is your opportunity to take over this idyllic location by Olympic Plaza, Market Place and Main Street, known locally as coffee corner.

Right in the heart of the village Marketplace Lodge is conveniently located steps away from Fresh St market, the Olympic Plaza, the liquor store, and the village stroll taking you to all the shops, restaurants, and the mountain base. Cozy up and enjoy your gas fireplace from your window nook while taking in the views of Blackcomb and surrounding areas.

Doug Treleaven

Kristi McMillin

604.905.8626

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

778.899.8992

1

#301 - 4280 Mountain Square $2,500,000 Carleton Lodge – one of Whistler’s most iconic buildings – a small boutique condo. Located at the base of both Whistler/Blackcomb gondolas you can’t get any closer to ski-in/ski-out. Unit 301 is an end unit, 2 bed/2 bath facing the slope. This unit is in the absolute centre of it all.

Laura Barkman

604.905.8777

2

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