Pique Newsmagazine February 17, 2022 by Pacific Coastal Publications LP

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 ISSUE 29.07

WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM

FREE BEAR HUGS

WHAT A WASTE A 2021 audit of Whistler waste found significant contamination

POP UP Corridor populations are up in recent years, according to 2021 Census data

FRIENDLY BANTER

Whistler Secondary

alum publishes new novel

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

42 A million and counting—Part 2 A deep dive into Canada’s poor performance on biodiversity loss and what’s being done to improve it. - By Leslie Anthony

WHAT A WASTE

The Resort Municipality of

PARK AND PARCEL

Pemberton’s mayor

Whistler is considering major changes to its waste program after a 2021

and council are weighing whether or not to approve a new RV park on

waste audit found significant contamination.

designated farmland.

POP UP

Whistler and Pemberton populations have both

increased in recent years, according to 2021 Census data.

AIMING HIGHER

Pemberton Paralympian Ethan

Hess looks to build on a successful season at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games next month.

CUT A RUG

The Whistler Chamber of Commerce

welcomes the “long-awaited” loosening of COVID-19 restrictions (did

FRIENDLY BANTER Whistler Secondary alum

Anna Pitoniak’s Cold War thriller, Our American Friend, was released Feb. 15.

somebody say dance party?)

COVER Reminiscing about simpler times when only little children were fighting in the background. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art 4 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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Ocean Wise Fresh Pacific Sole Fillets

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS Canada’s current fire of dissent is real, and based on well-founded

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

grievances—but opportunists are stoking it, fanning the flames beyond reasonable proportion.

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter writers this week weigh in on the ongoing transit strike,

Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com

Canada’s use of the Emergencies Act, and car crashes in Whistler.

Editor BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Reporter Megan Lalonde explores the latest in sleep research, and

Assistant Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@wplpmedia.com

determines she is stuck somewhere between a wolf and a bear.

Production Manager AMIR SHAHRESTANI - ashahrestani@wplpmedia.com

74 MAXED OUT Whistler may emerge from the coronavirus pandemic smaller, writes G.D. Maxwell—but

Art Director JON PARRIS - jparris@wplpmedia.com Advertising Representatives

would that be a bad thing?

TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com GEORGIA BUTLER - gbutler@wplpmedia.com

Environment & Adventure

Digital/Sales Coordinator AMELA DIZDARIC - traffic@wplpmedia.com Production production@piquenewsmagazine.com Arts & Entertainment/Features Editor BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com

41 THE OUTSIDER Radio waves are beginning to get congested as more people take to the Whistler

Social Media Editor MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@piquenewsmagazine.com

and Sea to Sky backcountry, writes Vince Shuley.

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

Lifestyle & Arts

Classifieds and Reception mail@piquenewsmagazine.com

54 EPICURIOUS As some Olympians decry the food on offer in China’s quarantine hotels, Pique looks

Office and Accounts Manager HEIDI RODE - hrode@wplpmedia.com

at the dramatic evolution of Olympic cuisine.

Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, FEET BANKS, LESLIE ANTHONY, ANDREW MITCHELL, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY, LISA RICHARDSON

58 MUSEUM MUSINGS In 1985, Whistler residents celebrated the 20th birthday of Whistler

President, Whistler Publishing LP SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com

Mountain—even though it had only been 19 years since the mountain opened.

Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of Whistler Publishing Limited Partnership, a division of Glacier Media) distributed to over 130 locations in Whistler and to over 200 locations from Vancouver to D’Arcy. The entire contents of Pique Newsmagazine are copyright 2021 by Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of WPLP, a division of Glacier Media). No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the Publisher. In no event shall unsolicited material subject this publication to any claim or fees. Copyright in letters and other (unsolicited) materials submitted and accepted for publication remains with the author but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms. Letters to the Editor must contain the author’s name, address and daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 250 words. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine. Pique Newsmagazine is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact (edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil. ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. This organization replaces the BC Press council (and any mention of it).

ISSN #1206-2022 Subscriptions: $76.70/yr. within Canada, $136.60/yr. courier within Canada. $605.80/ yr. courier to USA. GST included. GST Reg. #R139517908. Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #40016549. We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada

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OPENING REMARKS

I destabilized democracy and all I got was this crappy T-shirt BACK IN EARLY September 2021, as Canada’s federal election campaign neared its homestretch, I wrote about a quiet, latesummer warning from Canada’s cyber spy agency about threats to our democratic process. The July report from the Communications Security Establishment concluded that Canadian voters were likely to face foreign cyber interference both before and after heading to the polls.

BY BRADEN DUPUIS According to that report, the potential consequences included (but were not limited to): amplification of false or polarizing discourse; burying legitimate information; reduced trust in the democratic process; lowered trust in journalism and the media; increased polarization and decreased social cohesion; weakened confidence in leaders… Any of that sound familiar? I titled that first piece, somewhat jokingly, “Don’t let the cyber terrorists win.” Watching what has unfolded across our country in recent weeks, it seems we’ve done just that. This isn’t an attempt to discredit the Freedom Convoy, or those who support it. Polling suggests the ongoing protests have support from about one third of Canadians, and that seems about right from what I can tell from my social media feeds. You may disagree with their rhetoric, or their methods, but their underlying grievances are real and in many cases well founded. People have lost their livelihoods. They’ve been subjected to confusing, unprecedented (in their lifetimes) restrictions on every day life, while being bombarded by conflicting information from a multitude of sources. It doesn’t help that the country is led by a prime minister who is as unlikeable as

they come; a perfect portrait of insincere, elitist political hypocrisy, and the ideal rallying point for anyone fed up with the current state of everything. It’s the perfect storm of unrest, ripe for radicalization. So yes, the fire of dissent is real—but opportunists are stoking it, fanning the flames beyond reasonable proportion. With the “trucker convoy” concept now starting to catch on in the U.S., NBC senior journalist Ben Collins (who specializes in what he calls the “dystopia beat”) shed some light on how foreign threat actors are operating in a Feb. 11 report. There are now dozens of “convoy” accounts on Facebook, in both Canada and the U.S., many with tens of thousands of followers, Collins found. While some are real, others “are being run by fake accounts tied to content mills in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Romania and several other countries,” Facebook officials told NBC News. Researchers at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy found that large, pro-Trump,

mills” build up accounts with tons of followers, then narrow it down to specific causes after the fact. The process is called “growth hacking,” and it “allows them to appear high up in search, making it appear as if tens of thousands of people are really about to get in a truck and head to D.C.” Collins said. And with the illusion of mass support, real, grassroots support begins to build around it. “The goal is to will it into reality,” according to Collins. Collins points out that some of these “Nick accounts” have laughably quaint financial motivations—like directing emotional, unwitting Facebook users to buy crass, AI-generated political merch. But the accounts can be bought by anybody, including those seeking to influence public discourse for political ends. “Even though it wasn’t totally organic, trucker convoys really are organizing in the United States right now,” Collins said. “The social media factions that floated from Q to January 6th to antivaxx marches

[T]here’s something morbidly funny about a Bangladeshian content farm stoking Western political discontent to sell crappy T-shirts to idiots on Facebook. anti-mandate groups had changed their names to align with convoy-related themes in recent weeks. “These foreign, stolen accounts and groups are called ‘Nick accounts,’ according to Harvard’s Joan Donovan. You can buy them on the dark web cheap,” Collins said in a recent Twitter thread. “They even have great customer service. Did your convoy group get banned from Facebook? Call them. They’ll give you another.” It works like this: foreign “content

are making the American Trucker Convoys their next priority.” If there was ever room for nuance in our political discourse, social media has removed it. No matter which side of the divide, or what their political leanings, the vast majority of people seem to engage social media with their beliefs and biases firmly up front. They don’t want nuance. They don’t have time for it. People see a headline and they react with the appropriate emoji, or snide comment, and the algorithms feed them more of the

same—a cynical, self-reinforcing loop of division and anger, now being exploited by bad-faith actors for their own ends. That might be selling cheap T-shirts; it might be destabilizing democracies. Either way, social media is proving itself a societal cancer. This isn’t a column arguing for one side or the other. I’ve long held to the belief that reality is never as black and white as people tend to see it, and the most accurate versions of events are usually found somewhere in the middle of public perception; the facts never as concrete as we might hope. If you pressed me further, I’d tell you it’s all a bit dramatic, on all sides of the pandemic discourse. At the root of it all, life and the universe are chaos, which can be an uncomfortable thought. So we search for reason and explanation wherever it can be found— religion, tradition, tribalism or conspiracy theories; the camaraderie of a common cause; an echoing chorus of voices urging us to hold the line. It’s powerful stuff—and history shows us what happens when it’s weaponized, and used to unsavoury ends. All of this is to say that COVID has left Canadians ripe for the picking. The emotions are raw, and based on very real, very human problems. And while the divisions we’re now seeing formed naturally, the wedges being driven into the cracks are very much intentional. Where things go from here is anybody’s guess, but the outcome isn’t going to be favourable for any of us unless we can turn down the temperature, tune out the nonsense and find a way to actually talk—and better yet, listen—to each other as fellow Canadians. As an aside, while the implications are no doubt disturbing, there’s something morbidly funny about a Bangladeshian content farm stoking Western political discontent to sell crappy T-shirts to idiots on Facebook. If that’s not evidence we’re living in the stupidest of all possible timelines, I don’t know what is. ■

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Mikey Rencz, Whistler BC / Photo: Colin Adair

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

It’s ALL connected It’s been about 30 years since I had the inclination to move to Whistler. I’ve seen Whistler evolve from no transit, to unreliable transit, to quite popular and well-regarded transit. These days in general the local transit system seems to yield few complaints and high ridership (Squamish and Pemberton to Whistler excepted). The transit fares are reasonable, subsidized by government and parking revenues from Day Lots 1-5. So how are the strike, clogged roads, workers commuting, construction permits, and sustainability all connected? Bear with me… Why the strike? The usual story—wages and benefits. Should drivers here expect the same wages and benefits as those in Vancouver and Victoria? All of these places are frighteningly expensive to live. Inflation is rampant. Food and fuel prices are way up. Every single thing costs more recently. These drivers and support staff have been providing an essential service daily through the uncertainty of COVID for the last two years, plus the usual issues: drunken idiots, snowstorms, tourist questions, tourist drivers, the Nesters parking lot, extreme congestion, and more. Add to that the responsibility of delivering passengers safely to their destination while not running over unleashed dogs of irresponsible dog owners. Why packed roads? Yes, it’s getting worse and not just because of a few ill-timed

snowstorms. The deluge of daily commuters from Pemberton and Squamish coming to town between 8 and 9 a.m. and returning later in the day are just one part of it. The ever-increasing flow of construction permits provided by the RMOW means more contractors, material trucks, and trades on the roads day in, day out—to work, down to Function, back to work, out to lunch, back to work, to another site, etc, etc. Vail Resorts’ love of selling Epic season passes combined with high hotel rates means more and more vehicles on the road on weekends and holidays. This year it’s worse than ever.

huge role to play getting PWT and Unifor back to bargaining. There are enough headwinds to trying to run small businesses in this brutal pandemic environment. PWT managers and Unifor members—are you there? Press your negotiators to get back at discussions now. Don’t drag the whole resort down while you posture to enhance your bargaining position. Does this remind anyone of the unintended consequences of the trucker protests? While the strike drags on, tourists aren’t getting the free loop bus service they were promised by Whistler Inc. (that’s us). Employees can’t get to work and we know how short staffed everyone is already. Clearly we are destined for more and more cars on the road despite all of that talk and effort towards our “sustainable” future. I’ve noticed the convergence of a number of key themes for Whistler’s future featured in very recent Pique articles—about exceptional growth, transportation issues/clogged roads, employee shortages, lack of housing, brain drain, and mental health due to COVID—and they ALL are exacerbated by a transit strike! This is one of those shining moments where the many committed, long-term locals who helped build this town into a major resort/cash cow of epic tax contributions to government are looking for a fast return on our investment. That means PWT and Unifor in active discussions with support from BC Transit. Yet the silence is deafening. It is all connected and we deserve proactive solutions—please restart negotiations now! Brad Kasselman // Whistler

So what about those bus drivers? We’re never going to get cars and trucks off of the road if we (i.e. contracts provided by BC Transit and local funding) don’t make the transit system attractive—for riders and for operators. So yes, pay them better, give them benefits, or watch them find other, more lucrative and less stressful jobs. Fast fact: we need the drivers more than they need us. Solutions? Raise bus fare if necessary—it’s been a while. Supplement the contract fees to Pacific Western Transit (PWT). Audit PWT [Whistler Transit’s parent company] to see where the funds are going. BC Transit has a

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Use of Emergencies Act could have been avoided Monday, Feb. 14 marked a sad day in Canadian history, because government has become increasingly reactionary instead of proactive. A mari usque ad mare. This isn’t just about Ottawa and our prime minister. This is an issue dogging the country from sea to sea. As a background, the Emergencies Act of 1988 is NOT the War Measures Act in so much as it has parliamentary oversight and is still subject to the protections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The War Act did not have oversight, and our Charter was brought into law April 17, 1982. This move by the government is the correct course of action now that the horse has escaped the proverbial barn, and hopefully will be used sparingly with real enforcement coming through non-violent uses such as empowering the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada to better weed out foreign actors. How did we get here? How did the barn door get opened? Government inaction. Forecasters: There’s a storm coming. Government: (deafening silence). Populace: The storm has arrived. Government: (Crickets chirping). Populace: We are self evacuating from the ravaging floods. Government: We’ll look into that. Let’s strike up a committee. Populace: Our flocks are drowning. Forecasters: That was the storm of the century. Populace: No shit, Sherlock. Government: We have determined there may have been a storm. Municipal, provincial and federal governments had the foreknowledge that protesters were heading to Ottawa. The convoy headed east was carried on the evening news. What did anyone in elected power do? Nothing. This whole thing may have easily been met with an early resolution if government leadership stepped out in front and met with the organizers tête-à-tête. Instead, our leaders hid behind their palace doors throwing local police forces under the bus while letting the mob rule and harass our citizens. Please have your opinions for or against this protest. Discourse is great. We are lucky to have that right. But please also take time to reflect on how this might have been resolved without our country invoking something as drastic as this. Proactive. Not reactive. Patrick Smyth // Whistler

Why isn’t Whistler being proactive on car crashes? According to the Jan. 25 council meeting, violence (physical force to hurt, damage or kill) in Whistler was up 60 per cent over this past holiday season—you were probably stuck as traffic while these events occurred. The weapon used is personal automobiles. Over the past five years, Whistler has seen, on average, more than one injury per week on our roads, according to ICBC data. That’s 60

human beings per year who are injured in car crashes—this can be a real life-changing event for individuals and their families. Zero concern for affected families was noted from our elected officials on Jan 25. It’s as though this violence goes unseen and/or is wilfully ignored. Total violence on Whistler roads is much more dramatic: 1,191 car cashes in the Resort Municipality of Whistler (not including parked cars) in the past five years, according to ICBC data. That’s nearly five crashes per week in Whistler. The human and economic costs are staggering. Over the past five years there have been 109 crashes at Highway 99 and Function, including 39 injuries at this intersection. If there were hundreds of plane crashes at one airport, substantial action would have been taken. How are we OK with this much carnage? As vehicles are not yet autonomous, the cause of these crashes must be driver error: speed, distracted driving, poor winter preparation, reckless driving, etc... But there is also the issue of dangerous road design: roads that induce speed and do not ensure safe driving habits; why else is no driver capable of driving the 30km/h speed limit of our local roads? While the RMOW is spending thousands of dollars on new cameras for village surveillance (“to reduce violence”) the majority of municipal violence goes on as it always has—on our roads. Brendan and Amanda Ladner // Whistler

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Alzheimer Society offers thanks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month has drawn to a close and the Alzheimer Society of B.C. wants to thank people in Whistler, Squamish, and Pemberton for the role they play in helping us change the conversation about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias—by raising awareness of the disease and challenging the stigma associated with it. While our vision—for a province where people affected by dementia are welcomed, acknowledged and included—hasn’t changed, the path from here to there may seem a lot more challenging close to two years into a global pandemic. People affected by the disease are experiencing greater isolation and upheaval than ever before. In an increasingly uncertain world, it is so important to show people they’re not alone. There are people reading this who are concerned about dementia or have recently received a diagnosis. You may be feeling anxious about what lies ahead. We hope you don’t shut yourself off from the people around you. Let them know you’re still here. You can still have an impact in your community and on the world around you. You can share your story, become an advocate, participate in research. It starts with asking for support. Right now, families affected by the disease are being separated from each other by the restrictions on visitation for long-term care and assisted living introduced on Jan. 1. If you’ve been affected, we encourage you to share your experiences with us by taking a short survey, open until Feb. 21. By sharing your story, you can help advocate for real change. To take the

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.

T 604.935.2287 E marshall@marshallviner.com

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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Nick Davies, Whistler local and experienced family lawyer practising across BC andYukon.

Call at 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca Maclean Law is headquartered in Vancouver with offices across British Columbia.

survey, visit alzbc.org/LTC-survey2022. Another way you can have an impact on the lives of people living with the disease and their families is by registering for the upcoming Breakfast to Remember. It’s a chance to help raise funds and awareness while listening to a keynote address and live Q&A with Dr. Lisa Genova, neuroscientist and No. 1 international and New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice. The virtual event is slated for 7:30 to 9 a.m. on March 3. Visit BreakfastToRemember. ca to learn more and purchase tickets. The conversation doesn’t begin and end with January. We hope that people across the Sea to Sky corridor and around the province will continue to show support for the people around them who are affected by dementia. We all have a role to play, as volunteers, advocates, fundraisers and supporters. Together, we are working towards our vision. If you or someone you know is concerned about or affected by Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, please call the First Link Dementia Helpline (1-800-936-6033) to learn about the disease or find out about support groups and other services available in the Sea to Sky corridor. Support is also available in Mandarin or Cantonese at 1-833-674-5007 and in Punjabi at 1-833-674-5003. Learn more about us at alzheimerbc.org. Amelia Gillies // Alzheimer Society of B.C.

Lessons learned from the ousting of O’Toole

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

WISHING YOU A HAPPY FAMILY DAY

“Mamma mia, here we go again!” Maybe that’s what you’re saying if you live in Whistler, care about our national institutions, and observed the Tories [on Feb. 2] elect their fifth leader in seven years. Given the high concentration of leaders in the Sea to Sky community in the corporate, non-profit, faith, and political worlds, what lessons can we learn from the Conservatives’ rollercoaster ride? No one likes instability. Each time an organization switches leaders, there is confusion with the new adjustments. But the story’s not all bad. Give the Conservatives credit for transparency and accountability. Of all the parties in Parliament, theirs is the only one that adopted the Reform Act, which provides Caucus members a specific path for challenging and replacing a leader. Adopting the act was risky business but doing so is

consistent with a party that prides itself on its commitment to free thought and free speech. Lessons learned for all leaders? I see at least two. Firstly, no organization should put all its eggs in the basket of one person’s public profile. The tendency in Canada is to load disproportionate importance on the antics or looks of one leader, instead of diffusing the role among a leadership team. Cabinets have diminished in importance with the rise of the Prime Minister’s Office and social media feeds off people’s obsession with personality cults. Great organizations are led by groups of people, even if circumstances dictate that one of those be “primus inter pares”—first among equals. Pushing several leaders into the spotlight facilitates the best gifts from a wider pool and mitigates the risk if one person fumbles. Secondly, every organization—company, non-profit, faith group, or political party— needs a clear sense of values. Those lacking a clear, values-driven identity are doomed to focus exaggerated attention on the leader and his or her peccadilloes. As Jim Collins demonstrates in his influential books on business organization, the companies distinguished by clear values, with leaders who avoid the limelight, are the ones “built to last.” The Conservatives need a galvanizing values statement that promotes the strength of the individual and the right of equal opportunity for all to achieve their objectives in life. Consistent with Tory traditions, the statement should acknowledge responsibility to give back to our community more than we receive. It should articulate the importance of individual excellence and community responsibility, together to foster a sustainable society. Finally, those who care about good leadership in Canadian society—in and out of politics—are driven by this week’s events to acknowledge once again, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” Imagine the toll this debacle has imposed on Erin O’Toole, his wife Rebecca, and their two children, Molly and Jack. Leadership is fraught with uncertainty and strife. Even when we disagree with our leaders, we are all human; let’s remember that. John Weston ran in the last election as the Conservative candidate for West VancouverSunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country. He previously served the riding as MP from 2008 to 2015. John Weston // West Vancouver ■

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AS OF WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16 A refresh? We certainly hope so… The name of the game this week has been dust on crust, but if we are lucky, that could change on Saturday. Forecasted snowfall amounts for the weekend are light but just might be enough to provide a bit of a refresh and give us some decent riding conditions. The new snow will likely be accompanied by wind, but we are not expecting enough of either to dramatically change the hazard. A weak layer from late January has become difficult to trigger in most places due to the

presence of a near-surface crust. Places where this weak layer may still be a problem coincide with locations where the crust is thinnest, or non-existent. These are steep, north-facing slopes at treeline elevations, and these slopes should still be treated with a lot of caution. For sure, check the avy forecast before heading out. With moderate hazard likely dominating the ratings, quite a wide range of terrain should be accessible to those with backcountry travel skills. What a great time to get outside and enjoy the mountains! ■

CONDITIONS MAY VARY AND CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY Check for the most current conditions before heading out into the backcountry. Daily updates for the areas adjacent to Whistler Blackcomb are available at 604-938-7676, or surf to www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountaininfo/snow-report#backcountry or go to www.avalanche.ca.

12 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

PIQUE N’ YER INTEREST

Sorting through sleep habits GO TO BED as early as possible, wake up as early as possible. Work from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. No caffeine within six hours (actually, 10 hours) of your bedtime. Work out at some point, but not late enough to spike your energy levels before bed. No screens for one hour before going to sleep. Get between seven and nine, but ideally eight, hours of sleep. Go

BY MEGAN LALONDE to bed and wake up at the same time, every day of the week. Sleeping in is for slackers and is only acceptable once in a while, preferably on the rainiest of Sundays. If you struggle with the whole falling-asleep part of going to bed, add some magnesium and/or melatonin supplements into your night-time routine. Striving to live by these practices has pretty much equated to being a well-rested, productive, successfully functioning human since at least the dawn of the internet. After all, most of the world centres around this schedule. People whose sleep habits haven’t necessarily thrived with this schedule are often met with the simple advice to change them. Go to bed earlier, or cut out caffeine earlier—basically, be more disciplined.

All of the above-mentioned sleep tips are frequently cited with good intentions, for good reason. Obviously, it doesn’t require a PhD to know how important it is to sleep well on a regular basis. With sleep being the foundation for everything from a well-functioning immune system to the mental clarity needed to get through your day, its importance can’t be overstated. But is there really a best time to go to sleep and to wake up? (Biologically, that is, not according to what society has decided is most responsible.) Some researchers investigating why we sleep when we do have found that while circadian rhythms can be adjusted, our internal clocks might not be entirely based on our habits, but in part on our genetics. Sleep specialist Dr. Michael J. Breus dedicated an entire book to the topic, The Power of When. According to him, there are four main chronotypes, or inherent predispositions to feel tired at a particular time of day—and it’s not just early birds and night owls anymore, apparently. Instead, Breus stuck with mammals for the analogy: there’s early-risers (lions) late-nighters (wolves), in-betweeners (bears) and problem sleepers who likely need a little help (dolphins). But more than just your sleep habits, your individual chronotypes can also influence the times of day you’re hungriest, most alert and most active. Breus argues that understanding your

chronotype and adjusting your daily habits to capitalize on the periods when you’re functioning best will make your days flow better and make life less of a struggle, overall. Some research also shows that fighting our individual chronotypes could have negative effects on our health. Though everyone’s individual sleep rhythm is likely to shift over the years, and yes, it’s generally possible for people who aren’t suffering from debilitating sleep disorders to adjust their sleep schedules to fit their lifestyle, maybe the secret to getting good sleep isn’t necessarily being more disciplined or regimented. Maybe it’s working with our natural tendencies instead of fighting them to optimize not just our sleep, but our waking hours. I generally struggle with going to bed early. Mostly because evenings are when I find it easiest to be productive, but even trying to fall asleep before 11 is a challenge. As for mornings? The amount of days I fully fell asleep in a brightly-lit lecture hall during my 9 a.m. university law class, even after a solid seven hours of sleep, easily outnumbered the days I managed to stay awake, to give you an idea. I’m gonna guess I’m stuck somewhere between a wolf and a bear, if we’re going with Breus’ classifications. Still, I’m experimenting with becoming a morning person, but to say waking up early feels natural to me would be a reach. Those experiments usually include

scheduling 6 or 7 a.m. workouts, booking the earliest available appointments, setting a series of aggressive alarms and agreeing to early-morning plans with friends, all in an effort to bully myself into ignoring the all-too-dangerous snooze button. Through these experiments, I’ve learned getting out of bed will always suck at least a little, but being awake extra-early is a weirdly peaceful mood-booster (only once I’m past the point of falling back asleep). Even with those measures, it typically takes a while to get my brain warmed up enough to form a coherent sentence. To actually settle into a semi-focused flowstate and start crossing tasks off a to-do list takes… a little while longer. Like, until what most people would consider an acceptable time to eat lunch. With that in mind, I’m also doing my best to embrace my usual late-afternoon/ early evening spurts of productivity and not feel too guilty on the days where the snooze button wins. Maybe there is something to be said for adjusting your schedule to fit your chronotype, but I still haven’t completely given up on my somewhat delusional aspirations of becoming a morning person. Mostly because I don’t know when the next powder day is going to hit, and no one wants to be caught at the back of the line because of the snooze button. ■

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler mulling standardized compostable packaging following waste audit INADVERTENT CONTAMINATION OF VILLAGE WASTE STREAM RESULTS IN 25% HIGHER DISPOSAL COSTS FOR RMOW

BY BRANDON BARRETT THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) is considering major changes to its waste program after an audit this summer showed ample room to divert more waste from the landfill—including the possibility of encouraging businesses to take on standardized compostable packaging. “I will just start off by saying that this is not glamorous work,” said Jessie GresleyJones, the RMOW’s general manager of resort experience, in a presentation to council on Feb. 8. “This is dirty work, but it is work that will have a significant impact on our village and on our commitment to sustainability objectives.” In August, the RMOW, with guidance from the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE), undertook two waste audits (one over a single day and one over seven days) within the village and in Whistler’s major parks. The audits identified “clear gaps” in waste management, with a diversion rate of just 35 per cent, and the potential to achieve a village-wide rate of 76 per cent. The seven-day audit collected 1,118 bags of garbage, with Lost Lake, Rainbow Park, Meadow Park and Alpha Lake as the top waste-generating parks. But the bulk

THE HERO WE NEED Zero Waste Heroes host and Whistler Secondary School EcoClub president Sierra Haziza hosting park bins in June. PHOTO SUBMITTED / AWARE

14 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

of the trash—69 per cent—was collected from the village. “So the improvements to the parks that we have been making over time are making a difference, but we really need to dive into making substantive changes within the village streetscape environment,” Gresley-Jones said.

CONTAMINATED STREAMS There are several factors complicating waste collection and disposal in Whistler’s streetscape environment. Inadvertent contamination of recycling and compostable

just two per cent of the waste collected, they were found in 92 per cent of garbage bags, demonstrating the widespread confusion about which waste stream they belong in. Gresley-Jones said, at least on an interim basis, the RMOW is likely to implement a waste stream solely for coffee cups in the village “until we can grapple with [getting] businesses onboard to using the same product.” One recommendation from the Feb. 8 report is for the RMOW to provide local businesses with a list of standardized compostable packaging products—from coffee cups and lids to takeout containers—

“They have different philosophies around this stuff and they don’t have the same waste facilities we have, so we get into this weird situation where it’s not easy to do on our end.” - TONY HORN

streams is resulting in approximately 25-percent higher disposal costs for the RMOW, to the tune of about $12,000 a year. Part of that is a lack of compost bins in the village, something the RMOW wants to prioritize this summer. Coffee and ice cream cups, as well as dog waste—which made up 18 per cent of all waste collected in the audit—are significant contributors to contamination. Notably, while coffee cups accounted for

to help guide their purchasing. “The goal is that we can align the businesses’ practices with the realities of our actual system,” Gresley-Jones said. This would be no easy feat, of course. Fortunately, many local businesses are well ahead of the curve when it comes to compostable packaging, said Slope Side Supply co-owner Tony Horn. “Probably around 2007, 2008, when

VANOC really got going, there was a real push for compostability for the [2010] Olympics,” said Horn, adding that these days, his company only sells compostable coffee cups and cutlery. “We’ve just made corporate decisions that our customers thankfully have embraced and wanted to do.” While in support of the RMOW’s approach, Horn said there are numerous variables complicating the possibility of standardized packaging, including COVIDrelated disruptions to the supply chain, as well as differing policy approaches around the world. He pointed to a recent policy change in Taiwan as an example, which meant the country no longer produced near the same level of affordable compostable packaging for overseas clients as before. Horn has also pitched the RMOW on coffee cups marked with a coloured dot that would match the appropriate trash bin, an approach the municipality is exploring, “but then it gets complicated, because we also sell to Pemberton and Squamish,” he said. “They have different philosophies around this stuff and they don’t have the same waste facilities we have, so we get into this weird situation where it’s not easy to do on our end.”

DRASTIC MEASURES? The RMOW is also considering the possibility of banning certain packaging products in the future, although municipal staff acknowledged it’s unclear whether the province would support such a move. “This is likely to be seen as potentially

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controversial and heavy-handed, but it also sets a high bar for Whistler in taking definitive action to deal with sustainable waste,” Gresley-Jones said. There is some precedent for such a move both regionally and nationally, however. A new City of Vancouver bylaw that went into effect Jan. 1 banned the use of plastic shopping bags and introduced a 25-cent charge for disposable cups. In December, the federal government released draft regulations to ban six kinds of “harmful” single-use plastics in Canada: straws and stir sticks, six-pack rings, grocery bags, cutlery and difficult-to-recycle takeout containers (although Canadian manufacturers will still be allowed to produce these items for export). The regulations are expected to come into effect sometime this year. “Federal and provincial regulations have already announced plans to start phasing out (banning) consistently problematic waste streams,” wrote AWARE director Claire Ruddy in an email. “What we saw through local efforts to eliminate plastic bags was that voluntary programs can work (the bag charge at grocery stores initially saw a 50-per-cent reduction in bag use) but require constant community engagement, education, etc. The path to more permanent change will come through policy.”

HERO WORSHIP AWARE has also played a huge role in improving diversion rates through its Zero Waste Heroes program, which sees staff overseeing waste segregation stations at large events and educating attendees on reducing their waste. On the days this summer when Zero Waste Heroes were in place, diversion rates nearly doubled, from 33 to 62 per cent, the RMOW found.

“The waste that ends up in streetscape bins is challenging, because there is such a huge mix of packaging products out there, [and] they can’t be cleaned like at home, so food/drink residues act as contaminants and every individual needs to read often hard-to-see labels, AND be clear which bin is the right one,” Ruddy wrote in her email. That speaks to another recommendation from the report: improving signage and labelling and consolidating trash bins and removing any redundant receptacles throughout the village, with a particular focus on Olympic Plaza. “You’ve probably noticed that when you’re on the [Village] Stroll, you can spin around and spot about three or four bins from any given location. So we will be looking at how to consolidate those and provide more flexibility, with more streams in one location,” Gresley-Jones explained. He added that RMOW staff will draw from labelling standards and colours in other jurisdictions, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that visitors from the Lower Mainland “have a system of signage that is compatible and similar and easily understood.” Although Whistler’s streetscape environment generates a fraction of the roughly 30,000 tonnes of waste generated in the community every year, it’s significant because of the village and parks’ high public visibility, said James Hallisey, the RMOW’s GM of infrastructure services. “I’d like to see Whistler push ourselves back to more of a leadership position, and if we can be demonstrating to all of our visitors how we’re dealing with this, that is going to be a benefit that goes beyond Whistler,” he said. “So I think there’s a little extra importance to this topic beyond just a small fraction of our total waste stream.” n

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FEBRUARY 17, 2022

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler and Pemberton’s populations spiked in recent years, census data shows PEMBERTON’S POPULATION ROSE MORE THAN 32% OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD

BY MEGAN LALONDE THE SEA TO SKY corridor’s population has grown significantly in the past four years, and Whistler is no exception. Data released Feb. 9 from the 2021 census shows the municipality’s permanent population increased to 13,982 in 2021. That’s up 19 per cent since the last census was conducted in 2016, when Whistler’s population stood at 11,746. “Whistler is a great place to live,” said Mayor Jack Crompton. “I think COVID has contributed to our growth and population—people can live and work where they want to.” The figures are in line with the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) own estimates, which listed a permanent population of 13,948 in 2020. Whistler’s total estimated population equivalent, which includes seasonal residents and the average number of visitors in Whistler on any given day in addition to permanent residents, fell to 29,264 in 2020 after reaching 36,426 in 2019. While the growth confirmed by the

2021 census is what the RMOW expected, “it doesn’t make it any less significant or important to take action,” said Crompton. Managing Whistler’s growth has long been a topic of conversation at municipal hall. Crompton named the creation of a Strategic Planning Committee at the beginning of council’s term and the construction of a Balance Model—which seeks to offer insight into Whistler’s growth and development and what appropriate action could look like—as “the best tool we have in our toolbox.” There were 10,065 private dwellings in Whistler counted by the census in 2021. Of those, 5,597 are occupied by usual residents (i.e. permanent residents). As the resort remains committed to housing 75 per cent of its workforce locally, “Whistler’s never been interested in unconstrained growth. Our focus has been on limits to growth and how we can ensure that we can be the place that everyone moved here for,” said Crompton. But as Whistler’s growth eventually levels off due to these limits, much of the increased demand for the Sea to Sky lifestyle will logically be absorbed by neighbouring municipalities. While Squamish’s population

reached 23,819 in 2021, up from 19,497 during the last census conducted in 2016 (that represents an increase of more than 22 per cent, making Squamish Canada’s 17th fastestgrowing municipality with at least 5,000 inhabitants), the Village of Pemberton grew at a faster rate than any other municipality in the corridor. Its population rose 32.4 per cent since the last census, from 2,574 people in 2016 to 3,407 people in 2021. That number “was a little bit higher maybe than I would have guessed but [I’m] not shocked by it,” said Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman. With major new housing developments on the horizon and demand for Pemberton properties not expected to slow down anytime soon, Richman said the Village of Pemberton (VOP) is focused on ensuring its infrastructure and services can keep up. That means everything from looking at an additional water source and wastewater treatment plant capacity to analyzing the demand a bigger population could have on fire services and traffic, said Richman, adding that regional transit and the availability of affordable housing will continue to be priorities for the Village moving forward.

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“Another big aspect is, when you see growth in a town like ours, how do we manage the growth and development to make sure that we don’t lose the character of our valley?” he added. With the Village set to embark on an Official Community Plan review in the near future, Richman said he’s looking forward to hearing both new and long-term residents’ thoughts about what they would like to see Pemberton look like in the next 10, 20 and 50 years. Though Pemberton has experienced much of the same pressures as the rest of the corridor in recent years, managing growth is a newer conversation in the area than for its counterparts in Whistler. In Pemberton, there were 1,430 private dwellings recorded in 2021, of which 1,357 were occupied by usual residents. The Sea to Sky’s overall growth also extended into the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s Area C, which tallied an even 2,000 residents in 2021. That’s up 20.3 per cent since 2016. The provincial average for population growth over the five-year period is 7.6 per cent, while the national population grew by 5.2 per cent since 2016. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Loosening COVID restrictions ‘long awaited,’ says Whistler Chamber CEO EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT B.C. AND CANADA’S NEW COVID-19 RULES

BY BRANDON BARRETT THE WHISTLER Chamber of Commerce’s CEO welcomed this week’s loosening of COVID-19 restrictions as long-overdue good news for Whistler’s pandemic recovery. “Honestly, it’s been long awaited news from both the provincial and federal governments today to start to see things loosen up a little bit more,” said Melissa Pace. “Businesses have been operating at a reduced capacity and they can operate now at full capacity, so they’re able to now generate the revenue needed to build back and support a healthy and sustainable economy for Whistler and across the province.” Changes to B.C.’s COVID-19 rules were announced Tuesday, Feb. 15 by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, who outlined how we came to be at the stage we are now when it comes to community transmission of the virus, and which restrictions are to be lifted. Starting at midnight on Feb. 16

restaurants, bars, nightclubs, gyms and fitness studios will be able to operate at full, unrestricted capacity. For restaurants, the eased restrictions mean no table limits, thus bringing to an end again the cap at six guests per table. Additionally, mingling between tables will be allowed. Barriers, like the Plexiglas dividers we’ve grown accustomed to, will no longer be necessary, however employees will still be following their own workplace safety plans. In one significant and long-awaited change, dancing will be allowed again. One of the longest-held COVID-19 restrictions in the province, dancing has been off-limits in places like nightclubs and bars since restrictions were first implemented in B.C. in March 2020. However, some key restrictions remain in place province-wide that affect who can—and cannot—dine at all restaurants or dance the night away at a B.C. club. Face masks will still be mandatory when not seated, and the BC Vaccine Card will still be required to be scanned at the door showing proof of full vaccination, i.e. two doses of an approved COVID-19 shot.

Indoor personal gatherings will also see a return to normal. Previously, indoor organized gatherings of any size were not allowed, which included sponsored or ticketed parties and celebrations as well as wedding and funeral receptions. Indoor seated events will also return to full capacity with the BC Vaccine Card program and face masks in place. In Whistler, the Meadow Park Sports Centre is set to return to full occupancy on Feb. 17, with the advance reservation system that was in place to help manage bookings no longer needed. Proof of vaccination is still required to use gym and fitness facilities—although pool users do not need to show proof. Tuesday also came with the announcement the federal government is dropping the molecular COVID-19 test requirement to enter Canada. Starting Feb. 28, travellers may use a rapid antigen test to meet Canada’s COVID-19 travel requirement instead of a PCR test (although they can still choose to provide a PCR test result). However, fully vaccinated travellers from anywhere in the world could be subject to random PCR testing upon

arrival—although they will not be required to quarantine while awaiting the results. Children under 12 who are not fully vaccinated and travelling with fully vaccinated adults will no longer need to wait and self-isolate before attending school, daycare or day camps. They will also no longer be subject to testing and other specific requirements. The requirement for unvaccinated travellers to be tested on arrival and on their eighth day in Canada will remain in place. They must also quarantine for 14 days. To prove a previous COVID-19 infection, travellers must show proof of a molecular test result taken at least 10 calendar days and more than 180 calendar days before entering Canada. Pace said the next step for the chamber is continuing to advocate to the province on behalf of Whistler’s labour needs. “The more businesses are open, the more labour is going to be needed, so that’s obviously the next step for us, to continue the short- and long-term labour strategy moving forward,” she said. - With files from Elana Shepert and Lindsay William-Ross n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler council considers new fee structure for outdoor groups—and wants WB to pay its share FEES WILL CONTRIBUTE TO UPKEEP OF MUNICIPAL OUTDOOR FACILITIES AND DISPERSE USERS IN BUSY PERIODS

LAST WEEK, Whistler council got a look at a newly proposed fee structure for groups running programs in municipal parks and outdoor facilities—and at least some elected officials want one particular user group to pay its fair share. “The 5,000-plus user group dramatically underpays and I would suggest that Vail Resorts makes a contribution that is commensurate with the use and impact that they have on the community,” said Councillor Ralph Forsyth at the Feb. 8 council meeting. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) does not currently have a policy in place addressing the use of its outdoor facilities by groups like bike day camps, and in light of the pandemic-fuelled boom in demand for outdoor recreation, staff developed a non-exclusive use permit that will be trialed this summer with the intent of promoting more equitable access and dispersing users in peak periods from busy areas like Lost Lake and Rainbow parks. “We’re seeing … growth in the number

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“I think perhaps one of the things that this should accomplish is to stimulate or … provide a reason for a large commercial operation to create their own facility, their own trails,” she said. “They have a lot of land, and it’s quite possible. I think that that is the carrot that could be used to lead them up that way.” In an email, a spokesperson for WB said the company is “proud of our youth bike programs that offer tremendous benefits for the community. We want to better understand the city’s plan to adopt a fee structure for community groups’ access to RMOW’s parks.” This process will also facilitate data collection on user demand for certain areas, which will assist RMOW staff in determining overall capacity limits. The proposed fee structure would also come with a new code of conduct for user groups. User groups’ permit applications will be reassessed annually and will be based on several performance and compliance criteria. “We don’t expect any challenges there. Our experience is most of the user groups are quite good,” Andrea noted. n

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$750 permit fee, plus the $50 application fee. That amounts to a per-person, per-day rate of 36 cents. Another example of a hiking tour operating one day a week for four months a year would range from 28 to 69 cents per day, depending on the number of users. The RMOW will review the fees following the 2022 summer season for any potential changes. The 5,000-plus user group Forsyth mentioned refers to Whistler Blackcomb’s (WB) popular DFX cross-country and downhill bike camps, which regularly make use of the Lost Lake trail system in the summer months. Forsyth originally made a motion asking WB to pay $250,000 annually, but that was shot down in favour of an amendment asking staff to come back with its own proposed fee structure for the mountain operator ahead of the upcoming summer booking period. Councillors Cathy Jewett and Jen Ford opposed the amended motion, with Jewett preferring to hold off on implementing a WB-specific fee until after the pilot program is concluded. Jewett said she believes it’s one way to potentially incentivise WB to build its own facilities.

of commercial groups that are using municipal property as outdoor spaces. Some do not have a facility use permit. Some do, which is great,” explained Bob Andrea, the RMOW’s manager of village animation and events. “This can present a risk to taxpayers wherever we don’t have a permit for these groups. They might not have our guidelines, policies and practices, and they may not have appropriate insurance in the municipality to protect the Whistler taxpayer.” Andrea added that, with an uptick in anecdotal reports of user conflicts—“so similar groups showing up looking to use one of the popular locations at the same time”— there is also a need for the RMOW to take a more “active role” in managing outdoor facility bookings. The proposed fee structure is based on several criteria, such as number of users, frequency of use, whether a group is commercial or non-profit, locally based or from out of town, or servicing adults or youth. In the Feb. 8 presentation to council, RMOW staff offered several examples breaking down the fee structure further. A 20-child camp operating five days a week for five months a year, for instance, would pay a

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604 902 3878 dana@seatoskydreamteam.com

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Stilhavn Real Estate Services | 208-1420 Alpha Lake Road, Whistler | 1388 Main Street, Squamish | Stilhavn.com This communication is not intended to cause or induce the break of an existing agency relationship. *Personal Real Estate Corporation. We would like to acknowledge that we work and live on the traditional, unceded territory of the xwməθkwəýəm, səlilwətaɬ, Lil’wat & Sḵwxwú7mesh People.

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2 0 21 W I N N E R

Reflecting on 2021, it certainly was another interesting year with new Covid challenges and an unprecedented real estate market. To my clients, who I’ve served this past year, thank you so much for trusting in me to represent your interests in these life changing transactions. To my brokerage team, colleagues and friends - it goes without saying that receiving the Platinum Award would not have been possible without your continued support and confidence in me for which I am extremely grateful. I'm looking forward to 2022 and working with new and lifelong clients. If you are thinking of selling, I’m here to help. With the Whistler real estate market still experiencing record low inventory, there are many pros and cons to consider as a Whistler property owner. Let me help with a comparative market analysis of your property followed by an in depth discussion to answer all your questions and determine together what is best for you.

NEWS WHISTLER

Vancouver woman dead after January incident on Whistler Blackcomb POLICE BRIEFS: WHISTLER RCMP PROBE REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSAULT; IMPAIRED DRIVER CAUGHT ON FITZ BRIDGE

BY MEGAN LALONDE AND BRANDON BARRETT A 44-YEAR-OLD Vancouver woman is dead following a tragic on-mountain accident at Whistler Blackcomb in late January. Friends have identified the woman on social media as Kumiko Umeno, who previously owned and operated a popular Peruvian restaurant on East Broadway in Vancouver (the restaurant closed in early 2020 at the start of COVID). A spokesperson for Whistler Blackcomb confirmed on Feb. 11 that “a serious incident” involving a guest took place on its slopes on Thursday, Jan. 20. In a statement, the resort said Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol responded to the incident near Sun Bowl in the Harmony zone. The guest was transported to the Whistler Health Care Centre, where, after further emergency care and evaluation, she was pronounced deceased. “Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol and the entire Vail Resorts family extend our deepest sympathy and support to our

Pique is awaiting a response from police as to why investigators are seeking the public’s help three months after the reported assault and will update this story if and when we get a reply.

guest’s family and friends,” said Geoff Buchheister, COO of Whistler Blackcomb, in a release. The BC Coroners Service confirmed it is currently investigating a death that occurred at Whistler Blackcomb on Jan. 20, but was unable to provide any additional information while the investigation remains underway.

IMPAIRED DRIVER FLEES POLICE AFTER DRIVING ON FITZ CREEK BRIDGE

RCMP LOOKING FOR HELP ID’ING SUSPECTS IN REMEMBRANCE DAY ASSAULT Three months after an assault causing bodily harm on the Village Stroll, Whistler RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying three suspects linked to the Remembrance Day incident. In a release, police said a man was assaulted by three unknown males between 11 and 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 11, 2021 in the area of 4400 Sundial Place in the village. One of the suspects is described as being approximately 19 years of age, 5-9 tall, with curly brown hair. The second male is described as Caucasian, “taller,” with short blonde hair, while a third male was also described as

TRAGIC END A Vancouver woman died in late January following an incident near Whistler Blackcomb’s Sun Bowl, in the resort’s Harmony zone. PHOTO BY FREMME / GETTY IMAGES

Caucasian, “shorter,” with a shaved head. Police are hoping for the public’s assistance in this case and are asking anyone with relevant information to contact the Whistler RCMP’s non-emergency line at 604-932-3044, or Sea to Sky Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or solvecrime.ca to remain anonymous.

An impaired driver learned their lesson not to drive on Fitzsimmons Creek Bridge the hard way last week after local police said the vehicle nearly struck pedestrians. At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2, Whistler RCMP responded to a vehicle driving on the pedestrian-only bridge near the Upper Village, according to a release. The vehicle caused damaged to the covered bridge structure and “almost struck” pedestrians in the area, police said. The driver then fled the scene before being located by officers a short distance away. In the release, Cpl. Nate Miller thanked the public for their assistance. The driver now faces charges of operating a motor vehicle while impaired. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Pemberton waste facility working to dissipate ‘fowl’ smell from dead chickens SEA TO SKY SOILS TOOK ON NUMBER OF CHICKENS DROWNED IN B.C. FLOODING AT REQUEST OF PROVINCE

BY BRANDON BARRETT LU WOOD WAS unfortunate enough to get caught behind the truck that spilled about 100 dead chickens onto Highway 99 in Whistler on Nov. 30 on its way to a composting facility in Pemberton. “I full-on vomited. It was disgusting,” she said of the smell. It’s an odour the Pemberton resident encountered again the following day, and nearly every day since, on her commute to and from Whistler for work. “The severity of it comes and goes but it’s still always there,” she said. Originally reported by police as dead turkeys following the late November spill, the truckloads of chicken carcasses were brought to Sea to Sky Soils at the request of the province after major flooding in the Fraser Valley drowned thousands of poultry and livestock. A spokesperson for Sea to Sky Soils said there were an estimated 30 truckloads received, the majority of the material being made up of wet woodchips, sawdust and chickens,

which are reportedly nearing the end of their composting cycle. B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture said the remains from the floods were either composted, sent to landfill or rendering plants depending on their condition, and Sea to Sky Soils was one of eight different sites across the province used to manage the mortalities. “We were asked to support the province during this state of emergency that [affected] so many—by processing a very small percentage of the hundreds of thousands of dead livestock on the valley floor,” wrote Sea to Sky Soils in a Facebook post on Feb. 11. “By accepting chickens (not turkeys) for composting, in an effort to lower the impact of the flooding, we were proud to be able to help our fellow citizens in a dire situation.” The post went on to say that the facility wouldn’t normally accept “such difficult feedstock,” but with critical infrastructure like highways and other processing facilities around B.C. damaged in the flooding, the Ministry of Agriculture had few options. The company said it is following the proper recycling protocols to turn the organic waste into nutrient-rich, Class A compost through an in-vessel composting process.

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“There will be better days than others over the next few months and the odour will continue to improve as the material is moved through the system,” a spokesperson for Sea to Sky Soils said in a follow-up email. The waste facility is also taking “stringent measures” to reduce the potential for attracting wildlife, the spokesperson said, pointing to the fencing in place as well as noise-makers used to prevent birds from accessing the site. The spokesperson noted there have only been two bear sightings on the property in the facility’s 10-plus years. In an email, the Village of Pemberton (VOP) said it has not gotten any official complaints regarding the odour, but did receive two enquiries “relating to the matter,” which it has responded to. The email went on to say the livestock composting process at Sea to Sky Soils is in compliance with all applicable bylaws and provincial requirements. “We are also confident they have appropriate measures in place to monitor and manage wildlife,” the statement said. Any facility inspection would be the

responsibility of the ministry, which said in an email that “no formal concerns have been made to trigger an inspection” at this time. Sea to Sky Soils has long been recognized for its positive environmental impact in the corridor, and was the recipient of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Sustainability in Action award. For Pembertonian Myson Effa, who raised the issue in a letter to the VOP this month, it’s not so much the odour that’s concerning, but the lack of messaging about the smell over more than two months. “They’re trying to do their best, but there was just a vacuum—there was no information when this was going on,” he said. “I’m glad they did the social media post, but it doesn’t absolve the province, the health authority or the Village from providing this information or doing a proper inspection.” The BC Chicken Growers Association reported that about 97 per cent of laying chickens survived the winter’s flooding. In an early December update, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that at least 640,000 animals were known to have died in the flooding, including 628,000 poultry. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

WSS Indigenous Leadership survey finds varied understanding of racism among students SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS ‘MORE SO ABOUT LEARNING ABOUT IT THAN ACCUSING’

BY MEGAN LALONDE A GROUP OF WHISTLER Secondary School (WSS) students have spent the last year working to define how their school community perceives racism in its hallways. As they discovered through a recent survey, that understanding is varied. These efforts began when the WSS Indigenous Leadership group—which includes Grade 12 students Czachie Pescador, Makaila Machilek, Matilyn Edmonds, Janice Otieno, Kacey Cox and Simona Kolvek—hosted a presentation on the topic in spring 2021. Initially, “We wanted to see how racism was affecting our school and what the viewpoints were for it,” said Machilek, but following the first presentation, “We came to the conclusion that we covered a lot of topics in a very short amount of time and we weren’t entirely sure just how well everybody had gotten the whole [concept].” Following last spring’s presentation, the leadership group surveyed 275 Whistler Secondary students, providing definitions of terms like racism, white fragility, white

privilege and microagressions, and asked respondents whether they see examples of these occurring at school. WSS Indigenous Leadership presented the survey’s results to their classmates this fall, before taking that same presentation to school board representatives prior to the holiday break. “I think a lot of people, especially in our school, think racism doesn’t really exist in our school,” said Kolvek. “So sharing that information that we saw from the first survey … was really shocking.” The responses, more often than not, were split. Of those 275 students, 37.4 per cent said they’re not sure if they see racism at school, while 31 per cent said yes and 28.5 per cent said no. When it comes to white fragility, 40.1 per cent of students polled said they’re not sure if they see examples of this at school, while 30.7 per cent said no and 24.8 per cent said yes. Meanwhile, 41.6 per cent of students said they weren’t sure if they see examples of white privilege at school, while 37.6 per cent said no and 17.2 per cent said yes. Instances of microagressions—or “hurtful, subtle and discriminatory comments or questions to people of minority or marginalized groups,” as defined by WSS

Indigenous Leadership, that “may often be told as compliments”—were apparent to 29.9 per cent of respondents, while 27.7 per cent said they don’t see these at school and 40.9 per cent said they’re not sure. The survey also asked students if they’ve ever been called out for making an intentional or unintentional racist comment. While 65.7 per cent said no, just 15 per cent said yes, they’ve been called out, while 17.9 per cent said they weren’t sure. The survey allowed students to leave detailed comments, as well. Some respondents, explained Otieno, “basically admitted to doing racial acts and [saying] slurs … but [said] it was just a joke, and they didn’t seem to think that it was an important, big thing.” It was a topic the leadership group addressed in the presentation prior to the survey rollout, added Machilek. “[We] talked about how it’s not just a joke, it’s not a sense of humour. It’s something that is actually making an impact on somebody’s life in a horrible way,” she said. “So it was really crazy to see that people still didn’t get that, right after we had talked about it.” As the project progressed, the leadership

group agreed that sharing the information they gathered had an eye-opening effect on their classmates—both for students who’ve witnessed racism at play, and those who were convinced it was non-existent at Whistler Secondary. This fall, the group opted to continue its efforts by assigning a project to every Career Life Class, tasking their classmates with researching a racial term, event or historical figure and presenting it in a format of their choosing, “whether it be a poster or essay, or they just wanted to talk about it, or an art piece,” explained Cox. “When we put out the surveys, originally, people got really defensive and kind of felt like we were accusing them of something. But I think by the second presentation, people adjusted a bit more and got the idea that it’s moreso about learning about it than accusing,” she said. Added Machilek, “It’s OK if you mess up as long as you’re willing to take full responsibility for that and do better next time. “That’s one of the things that we emphasize, because we didn’t want people to feel attacked because then the conversation isn’t going to get anywhere, if nobody feels open to it.” n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler ski buddies reunited, four decades later ‘SKIING IS A SPORT THAT WE CAN DO, HOPEFULLY, OUR WHOLE LIFE’

BY MEGAN LALONDE IT WAS 1980, as Denise Brynelsen recalled, and the Rendezvous Lodge was under construction on Blackcomb. A group of four friends hopped in a white truck, drove up the rocky access roads used mostly to haul construction materials up the slope, and drove as high as they could. When the access roads stopped, they hiked up the ridge, clipped on their skis and skied down what was then only known to locals as the Saudan Couloir. On their drive down, the friends snapped a photo. The four friends—Justine Frazee, Louise Krival, Nancy Brown and Brynelsen— had been skiing Whistler together every weekend for the previous five years. All four were from various areas of Vancouver, but met at the resort in the early- to mid-’70s. Long before Whistler Village was built, when the Creekside base offered the only lift up the mountain from the valley, their families all had ski cabins in the highlands area behind Rimrock. “We began skiing in Grade 8, and we skied every weekend right through high school,” Brynelsen said. “The four of us girls, we terrorized the mountain up there.”

SKI CREW REUNION On the left, Justine Frazee, Louise Krival, Nancy Brown and Denise Brynelsen are pictured on Blackcomb in 1980. On the right, after falling out of touch over the decades, the women reunited for a weekend on Whistler Blackcomb’s slopes in 2020. PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Usually, “we’d ski all day and then we’d pretty much hang out at the Husky station,” she added. But after high school graduation, life started getting in the way of those Whistler weekends, and the friends fell out of touch. “Of course, we all ended up getting on our different career paths, through divorces

and marriages and children, so we really didn’t see each other that much after high school,” Brynelsen said. But two years ago, after reconnecting through email and Facebook and learning their original group still had properties in Whistler, the four friends met up and recreated that photo snapped on Blackcomb,

40 years earlier. “It was fantastic, we had a blast,” Brynelsen said. “It didn’t feel like we had been apart at all.” She added, “It was like no time had [passed]. We were ripping it up on the mountain and having fun and talking about memories. I mean, the chatter on the chairlift was nonstop.” With Frazee, Krival, Brown and Brynelsen all celebrating their 60th birthdays in 2022, the four friends met back up in Whistler last weekend, from Feb. 4 to 6, to keep the tradition rolling with another weekend full of skiing, après and a dinner at Rimrock. Brynelsen hopes these weekends become an annual occurrence. “Maybe more than an annual—maybe we’ll do a few weekends together, that’s what we hope. Because now we’re winding down our careers, we have more time to ski.” Brynelsen’s advice to current Whistler crews looking to keep shredding together for a few more decades? “It’s definitely fun to keep your little groups together; your ski buddies,” she said. “Skiing is a sport that we can do, hopefully, our whole life. Many of our parents skied into their 80s, so that’s what we’re hoping to do. Because Whistler is our mountain and we love to ski it, and we hope to keep doing it.” n

Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Jarvis

Elizabeth 'Betty' Jarvis passed away peacefully surrounded by immediate family on February 7 2022. She is survived by her husband Tom, sons Beau and Quinn, and her 7 grandchildren. Born and brought up in Montreal, Betty moved to Vancouver in late 1972 with husband Tom. Both being skiers , they quickly decided that Whistler would be the ideal location to set down roots and raise a family...son Beau was born December 1974 shortly before moving into their new home in Emerald Estates. With few other “full-time” mothers in the small community, Betty knocked on doors meeting and greeting other isolated mothers to arrange babysitting exchanges, which allowed for skiing 2 or 3 times per week. Many of the aforementioned mothers and families are still friends today. As a long-standing member of the community, she was involved in many endeavors including: as the first secretary to the administrator of the newly formed “ Municipality of Whistler “ Sept 6 1975 (Population 1000). She was co-owner and operator of Rainbow Ski Village and opened the Colliers Real Estate office at Rainbow ( 1980 ). Betty worked as a successful realtor for close to 40 years in Whistler and the Sea To Sky corridor. Her various volunteer efforts were focused on The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Betty will likely be remembered as kind but feisty, caring but principled, a very hard worker, and a caring friend to many. She will also be remembered as a spouse, a mother and a grandmother. We will miss you Betty. Please help support the Kidney Foundation of Canada by making a tribute donation in memory of (Elizabeth ‘ Betty ‘ Jarvis) at www.kidney.ca. No services or celebrations are planned for the immediate future due to Covid protocols. Betty will be laid to rest at the Whistler Cemetery. 28 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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NEWS WHISTLER

Three Whistler builders up for Georgie Awards WHISTLER’S RDC FINE HOMES LOOKS TO CONTINUE NOMINATION STREAK

BY BRANDON BARRETT THE FIRST TIME Whistler’s RDC Fine Homes was nominated for a Georgie Award in 2006, company president Bob Deeks was surprised to be recognized among the best and brightest building firms B.C. had to offer. The custom homebuilder has won a slew of awards and been nominated at the Georgies every single eligible year since, and that feeling still has yet to wear off for Deeks. (In 2009, Deeks served as head of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC, which produces the awards, and was therefore ineligible.) “We were super excited to become finalists and to win 16 years ago, and 16 years ago I understood how hard it was to get an entry not only across the finish line and into the finals but to win,” Deeks said. “Today, we’re up against three times the number of entries. I think for anyone who makes it into the finals, your project absolutely has to stand out … so it’s even more satisfying today.” RDC is up for three awards this year: custom home valued between $2 million and $3 million and best single-family kitchen up to $200,000, both for a home dubbed the Cypress Place Retreat in Nicklaus North, as

30 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

well as for best kitchen renovation under $150,000 for a Cheakamus Way home. Of the Cypress Place project, Deeks said the offshore client was “really looking for that sanctuary feeling when they come to Whistler” and, working with a Vancouver interior design firm, RDC came up with an aesthetic that fit the bill. “That helps enormously when you have really good design and clients with nice taste,” Deeks said. “Of course we’re really just the conduit for great design and good clients. Our job is to do a good job of executing and fill in the blanks. Every design always has some interpretation to it and a really good builder will fill in those invisible blanks in the design so that the designer and the client’s vision is truly realized in the final product.” RDC’s projects weren’t the only ones from Whistler to be recognized; Vancouver firm ReCanvas Development earned a nod in the custom home under $1 million category for a project dubbed “Alpine Ambience,” while locally based Alair Homes was nominated in the best condo renovation under $250,000 category for a unit at the Deer Lodge in the village. “It was a full gut renovation. The client was really interested in turning it from a kind of dark and drab space and really wanted to add a lot of light to it and make it very modern and chic with a bit of a Las

Vegas style,” said Jason Zavitz, partner with Alair Homes, who added that, along with the focus on lighting, the reno also came with a new fireplace, minor adjustments to make the kitchen more functional, and a completely redone custom shower. (A request for comment from ReCanvas Development was not returned by deadline.) Both Zavitz and Deeks noted the flood of renos that have come across their desks of late, fuelled by people spending more time at home in the pandemic, as well as Whistler’s climbing property costs. “The volume of inquiries we’re getting on renovations is exploding. There’s that older stock from the ’70s and ’80s and there are some good houses that need to be updated,” Deeks said. “Of course the cost of construction has gone up to a place where people, who 10 years ago might have considered tearing a house down, are a lot more invested in trying to fix their existing house.” The short-term rental market is driving much of the renovation demand, in Zavitz’s experience, as many older local units come due for a spruce-up. “Everyone has got that same old ’90s look that needs updating. We get calls nonstop about it,” he said. COVID-19 is also leading to home updates in other ways, with more of an emphasis on

proper air ventilation, Deeks said. “Indoor air quality is a larger concern for people. I think in part COVID is driving that,” he explained. The effects of climate change are another major influencer, with “thermal comfort” a growing priority for clients both in the winter and summer months, said Deeks. “When it comes to thermal comfort, it’s not just insulation values and the outside building envelope, it’s also a greater awareness of the fact that the heating system they have doesn’t do a good job of heating the whole house properly,” he said. “Of course there is also more and more interest in air conditioning. Our summers here in Whistler absolutely are getting hotter and those hotter periods are lasting a lot longer, so in the ’90s and 2000s you might have a week or so when it was uncomfortably hot, and now we’re seeing a month to six weeks.” For 30 years, the Georgies have celebrated excellence in home building and renovation in B.C.’s residential construction industry. Winners are selected from a panel of out-of-province industry professionals. The in-person awards gala originally set for March 12 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver has been rescheduled to June 4. To view the full list of nominees, visit georgieawards.ca. n

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C O N N E C T T O D I S C U S S YO U R F U T U R E W H I S T L E R R E A L E S TAT E P L A N S W H I S T L E R C AY H E I G H T S

6 3 6 1 FA I RWAY D R I V E $5,100,000 • Whistler Cay Heights Craftsman Log Home • Approx. 3,200 sq.ft. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms • Media room, office/den, garage & sports room • Elegant home design with peaceful ambiance • Mountain & Forest views from the sunny patio decks

WHISTLER CREEKSIDE

212- 2111 WHISTLER RD. $289,000 • Enjoy a cozy Whistler holiday studio condo • Owner use, Rental Tenant or AirBnB option • Nearby to Whistler Mtn Ski / Bike Gondola • Access Valley Trail to Village or local Lakes • Comes mostly furnished & GST Exempt

Kathy White Engel and Volkers Whistler

604-616-6933 kathy.white@evcanada.com

KATHY WHITE

DDOWNTOWN SQUAMISH MARINE ACCESS REVIEW 2022 The District of Squamish is reviewing marine access needs, priorities and recommendations for enhanced ocean access, safety and enjoyment for all, while protecting coastal cultures, shorelines and habitats. The review includes community, business, and industry ocean access infrastructure and amenities along the Mamquam Blind Channel as well as the Cattermole Slough. A boat launch special study will explore interim and long-term needs and options within the community.

RECONNECT F R CHARITY Please join us for Whistler’s legendary fundraising event and celebrate 29 years of making a difference in our communities! This action-packed weekend is the perfect outdoor adventure to reconnect with your team. TEAM PACKAGE – INCLUDES 4 PEOPLE – $2,000 • • • • • • •

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Share your perspectives and marine needs in one of two community surveys and online mapping tool open February 17 to March 13, 2022.

LetsTalkSquamish.ca

Visit whistlerblackcombfoundation.com for more info.

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

NEWS WHISTLER

Naturespeak: The American dipper—a small swimming crow? BY BRIAR SEXTON LIKE SO MANY others during COVID, my husband and I spent hours walking the Valley Trail, often up to Green Lake and the spit of the Fitzsimmons Creek delta. One day in November 2020 I was looking at the outlet of Fitzsimmons Creek into Green Lake when I saw something my eyes couldn’t quite reconcile: a bird that was about the size of a robin, all grey, diving and swimming under water. When it popped up on land, I observed it to have toes and claws like a robin rather than the webbed feet I associate with aquatic birds. I was baffled. When we got home I wasn’t sure how to identify this mystery bird so I used Google, entering the search term “swimming crow.” The American dipper immediately popped up. The American dipper is actually a songbird. Its song is a great way to locate it as it resonates over the rock-strewn streams the dipper populates. Dippers can sing for up to 10 minutes straight. The dipper is the only North American songbird that swims underwater, hunting for aquatic larvae, worms, fish and other small prey. Dippers are incredibly buoyant by nature, so they counteract this by swimming towards the bottom of the fast-

SING OR SWIM Feathered white eyelids call attention to an otherwise drab bird. moving streams where they hunt. They also use their toes and claws to grip the bottom of the streams and walk along the bottom. The American dipper is also the only songbird that sheds old, worn feathers to replace them with new ones (molts), again behaving more like a waterfowl. This actually renders it flightless until the feathers regrow. Dippers have a number of adaptations

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Whistler Accessibility and Inclusion Committee Membership The Resort Municipality of Whistler is seeking qualiﬁed applicants to serve in a Resort Municipality of and Whistler voluntary capacity on the Accessibility Inclusion Committee for the 2022 to 2024 term. Applications are being sought for one community member.

Recreation and Leisure Advisory Committee Membership

The Accessibility and Inclusion Committee is a volunteer committee appointed by Council to advise on matters concerning accessibility and inclusion in Whistler. The Committee’s Terms of Reference can be viewed at: whistler.ca/AIC Nominees may include: PersonsMunicipality with disabilities; The• Resort of Whistler is seeking qualiﬁed applicants to serve in a voluntary • Caregivers; and capacity on the Recreation and Leisure Advisory Committee for the to 2022 term. or tourism sectors • Professionals in 2020 the accommodation roles isinclude inclusion and accessibility. This whose committee to provide an objective view in the public interest

to municipal staff and Council on the provision and delivery of indoor Apply by submitting a briefand statement that reﬂects your interest and outdoor recreation leisure opportunities, services andinissues. participating on this Committee to the Planning Department: Download terms of reference for this committee at whistler.

ca/committees. By mail: Planning Department Apply byResort submitting a resume brief statement that reﬂects Municipality ofand Whistler your interest in participating 4325 Blackcomb Way on this committee in PDF format to resortexperience@whistler.ca. Whistler, BC V8E 0X5 Include ‘RLAC Membership’ in the subject line. By email: planning@whistler.ca Phone 604-935-8180 for more information. Phone: 604-935-8170 Submission deadline: Monday January 27, 2020 at 4 p.m. Submission deadline: Thursday, February 24 , 2022 at 4:30 p.m.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/AIC

32 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

PHOTO BY CRAIG GAULD

that let them survive in frigid mountain water. They have 4,200 feathers compared to 3,000 for the similarly sized Robin. They also waterproof their feathers when they groom them using their beak (preen) by spreading a waterproof oil. They have a nostril flap that closes while underwater to prevent cold water from entering the nasal passages. They also use their third transparent eyelid (nictitating membrane)

as a goggle allowing them to protect the eye from the cold while still seeing underwater. Speaking of eyelids, the dipper’s blink when on land reveals a feathered white eyelid. This is commonly mistaken for the third eyelid. The reason it is white is not known, perhaps to make this otherwise drab bird that blends into the rocks more visible to mates. They blink more slowly than other birds as well, so this is as good a theory as I can come up with. The dipper is named for its trademark dipping or bobbing while perched at the side of the stream. Again, no one knows why they do this, but it is theorized it is done to increase their visibility. Whatever the reason, it is entertaining to watch. Dippers can be spotted in lots of places in Whistler. This year on the Christmas Bird Count one was found swimming in a stream on the Blackcomb Glacier! They tend to nest under bridges, so this is always a great place to look. Right now, the best place to go dipper watching is at the bottom of Lorimer Road from the bridge over the River of Golden Dreams. Bring a set of binoculars. If a dipper is sitting at the stream’s edge they are very easy to overlook when they aren’t sharing their brilliant song. Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to whistlernaturalists.ca. n

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RSVP: info@tourismpembertonbc.com

ZOOM Meeting Details: tourismpembertonbc.com/agm FEBRUARY 17, 2022

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Pemberton council considering RV park on designated farmland BEING PART OF THE AGRICULTURE LAND RESERVE, MULTIPLE AGENCIES WOULD HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON USING THE LAND FOR NON-FARM USE

BY HARRISON BROOKS AN APPLICATION received through the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) was presented to Village of Pemberton (VOP) mayor and council on Tuesday, Feb. 15, looking to bring a new RV park to the village. If approved, the proposed park will be located at 1641 Airport Road—the same location as the village’s former Adventure Ranch—and will consist of 91 individual sites operating under two seasonal models. From mid-April until October, the park will cater to the summer’s short-term tourist market, whereas in the winter months the park’s camping sites will be available for more long-term stays. The issue, however, is that the park’s proposed location currently falls within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), a province-wide land-use zone that promotes and preserves agricultural land in B.C. This means for the RV park to get the go-ahead to be used for non-farm use, VOP mayor and council would have to recommend the ALC approve the application for the land to be

DIFFICULT DECISIONS Much of the land in the Pemberton Valley has high potential for agriculture use, making the decision to use it for non-farm use difficult. FILE PHOTO BY CLARE OGILVIE

34 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

used for non-agricultural purposes. According to Pemberton planner Colin Brown, who presented the report to council, many local agencies including the Pemberton Valley Dyking District, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Pemberton and Valley Chamber of Commerce have all already shown support for advancing with the application to the ALC.

application, citing a number of concerns over density and impact to the area.” While some of the councillors were in support of moving forward with plans for the RV park, the main concerns brought up by community members were also shared by Councillors Leah Noble and Amica Antonelli. According to Coun. Antonelli, much of the land in the Pemberton Valley is

“Preserving agricultural land is very, very important. In B.C., only one per cent of the province is Class 1 farmland, so while we might look around and think, ‘oh, we’ve got so much,’ we actually have very little.” - AMICA ANTONELLI

However, when the plan was brought to the residents living in adjacent neighbourhoods, some concerns were raised about the project. “With the ALC process, there is no requirement for public notice, but staff always encourage the applicants to communicate with the immediate neighbours so they are aware of a pending application,” said Brown. “So with that, the neighbours contacted staff and submitted a letter opposing the

considered Class 1 farmland, which means it has the highest potential for agriculture. But with the park most likely requiring soil to be removed and replaced by filler, there will be no returning the land to farm use in the future, she said. “Preserving agricultural land is very, very important. In B.C., only one per cent of the province is Class 1 farmland, so while we might look around and think, ‘oh, we’ve got so much,’ we actually have very little. And

I think the legacy of the ALR is protecting the best of our farmland and that is super important to me, and to a lot of people in our community,” said Antonelli. “I think our role should be to encourage agriculture on agricultural lands. And for the most part, that means not encouraging non-farm uses. Everybody who owns land in the valley has potential to make a lot of money by implementing some kind of nonfarm use. And what I think we should be encouraging is using the land in the form that it’s in, supporting agriculture, supporting preservation of the soil, and leaving this longterm legacy for our community.” On the other hand, said Coun. Ted Craddock, “we don’t have authority … to impose upon a person buying a piece of land that they have to farm it,” which could lead to the property sitting there unused for many years. “So that’s a concern I have and like you, I think I’d like to hear from the ALC and see what their vision is. And then when we talk to the public through the Official Community Plan bylaw and the ALC approves it, I think that would be a great opportunity to talk to the community about those concerns,” he said. In the end, council opted to send the application to the ALC with the noted concerns prior to moving ahead with the proposal. n

With the blessing of the Currie Family, the Pemberton & District Health Care Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of the Lynne Currie Legacy Bursary. This annual $2000 Bursary will be awarded, during the second year of study, to a student from the Pemberton and District area entering a healthcare related field. Last year, Feb 25, 2021, the Sea to Sky region lost a very special nurse, wife, mother, and friend. Lynne spent much of her extensive 45-year nursing career working throughout the Sea to Sky corridor. She worked many years in acute care at Squamish General Hospital before transitioning into Home and Community Care serving Whistler, Pemberton and surrounding First Nation communities. Her final tenure was Client Care Services Coordinator for the Pemberton Health Care Center, retiring in 2019. Lynne was the glue at Pemberton Health Center (PHC). She knew everything and figured out a solution to any problem. With the many hats she wore at PHC, Lynne remained humble never wanting attention drawn to her. Her calm presence and leadership kept her colleagues together; it was an honor and privilege to work alongside such a remarkable nurse and mentor. Patients and families felt safe and respected with her gentle and empathetic nursing presence. Her bedside manner brought ease and peace to many of our beloved palliative patients. Her professional, no-nonsense attitude, devotion to work, and caring touch will be forever missed.

• •

In honor of Lynne Currie, Pemberton & District Health Care Foundation would like to invite all friends, family and past co-workers to join us, by making a donation to celebrate Lynne’s legacy as a nurse extraordinaire, mentor and friend. Donations can be made to: http://pembertonhealthcarefoundation.org/. Tax receipts provided. For the month of February 2022, all proceeds will be donated towards The Lynne Currie Legacy Bursary.

•

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

SCIENCE MATTERS

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36 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

as landscapes outside ourselves. After all, aren’t we strikingly singular—unique in and for our thoughts, abilities and personalities? But ecosystems—biological communities of interacting organisms and their physical environments—occur at every scale, everywhere, including in and on humans. We’re not the individuals we believe ourselves to be. In the article, “A symbiotic view of life: We have never been individuals,” biologists Scott F. Gilbert and Jan Sapp

and philosopher Alfred I. Tauber write, “Animals cannot be considered individuals by anatomical or physiological criteria” because we’re composed not only of our own genetic material but also of “a diversity of symbionts”—other organisms with which we live in symbiosis. In other words, in addition to and within our own cells, our bodies are made up of millions of microbes, including bacteria—beings that are other but also part of us. According to biochemist and animal physiologist Margaret McFallNgai, we aren’t so much individuals as “complex assemblages.” In Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet she writes, “Microbes are so abundant in the human body that the number of nonhuman cells is at least equal to that of the

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WE USUALLY THINK of ecosystems

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We are all ecosystems within ecosystems (Many people have begun to understand this as knowledge of the role of healthy gut microbes in digestion grows.) As Sagan observes, “Life displays mad hospitality.” There is competition in the world, but there are also stupefying, intricate, symbiotic relationships, in which other beings live and co-evolve within, alongside and upon each other. (McFall-Ngai studies the relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid and bioluminescent bacteria that live within it and help it avoid getting eaten.) In essence, there’s a cascading scale of worlds, from what we conceive of as individual beings to natural ecosystems to the entire planet, which operates within its own complex, regulatory set of checks and balances. At each scale there are pathways of symbiosis too numerous to fathom. This puts the impacts of species extinction (and we’re in the middle of an extinction crisis) in a different light. It isn’t just species that are going extinct, but the worlds of which they are a part, and that they host. (What will the birds that feed on the parasites of rhinos do if rhinos disappear?) In Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet, the late ethnographer Deborah Bird Rose (author of Wild Dog Dreaming: Love and Extinction) wrote that when biodiversity is lost, “Relationships unravel, mutualities falter, dependence becomes a peril rather than a blessing, and whole worlds of knowledge and practice diminish. We are looking at worlds of loss that are much greater than the species extinction numbers suggest.” She called this the “cascading effect” of extinction. This is cause for despair, but there’s a flip side. The scale of our collective symbiosis

It isn’t just species that are going extinct, but the worlds of which they are a part, and that they host.

number of human cells.” Dorion Sagan, son of cosmologist Carl Sagan and evolutionary biologist Lynn Margulis, argues alongside others that Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest should no longer be the dominant narrative for describing life and evolution: “As genes are not selves, the notion of the selfish gene remains a trope.” In Cosmic Apprentice: Dispatches from the Edges of Science, Sagan notes that when human mothers nurse their young, they transmit bacteria (and food for bacteria) along with nutrients required for infant sustenance: “Lactating women transfer their six hundred species of bacteria to their babies, as well as oligosaccharides their babies cannot digest but that feed certain bacteria.” Where does this knowledge leave us? Perhaps with a sense of a messier, friendlier, overlapping world. We don’t just host other beings; we’re designed to welcome them and can’t be healthy without them.

speaks to nature’s highly generative drive. In the same essay collection, Sagan, who takes the long and broad view (being a student of the cosmos) notes, “The rock record shows that after each mass extinction, the organismically interweaving biosphere has regrown to form more species, cell types, metabolic skills, areas settled, networked intelligences, and complex sensory skills than before.” Although biodiversity has the ability to reassert itself after mass extinctions, we can’t turn away from our own predicament. This ongoing mass extinction is the only one caused by a single species—us. Let’s work to maintain the health of worlds on every scale, from our own selves to the planet. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Boreal Project Manager Rachel Plotkin. ■

SOLD

ELIZABETH CHAPLIN

elizabeth@elizabethchaplin.com | 604 932 1311

10 RIDGE DRIVE

9456 EMERALD DRIVE

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

Square Feet: 9,070

PINECREST ESTATES

EMERALD ESTATES

Private cabin in the woods located in the gated complex of Pinecrest Estates just 15 minutes drive south of Whistler Village. Recently updated, this home features 3 large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, new ﬂooring, fresh paint, new kitchen and hot water tank. Pinecrest has an extensive trail networks 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.

Chalet

Vacant Land

$1,795,000

LISA HILTON

Personal Real Estate Corporation

lisah@wrec.com | 604 902 4589

LOT 86–6500 IN-SHUCK-CH FOREST SERVICE RD LILLOOET LAKE ESTATES

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1 Square Feet: 880

Stylish cabin in the woods just 1 hour from Whistler with lake access! Lillooet Lake Estates is a gated community, has common lake waterfront access for boats, paddle boards, kayaking as well as hiking.

Cabin

$295,000

$1,740,000

1937 STONECUTTER PLACE

7714 TYAUGHTON LAKE RD

Lot Size: 0.49

Lot Size: 1.44

PEMBERTON

acres

TYAUGHTON LAKE

acres

Are you looking for a place to build your commercial or industrial business? You have found here in the thriving Pemberton Industrial Park. This 0.49 acre property is fenced and ready for you to begin construction. Call today for more information.

This rural setting is a waterfront property that borders crown land, has road access and is located on the east side of the lake. Live in the mountains with Tyax Wilderness Resort and Spa just moments away or enjoys your summers together with the family at the Lake.

Vacant Land

$1,200,000

$325,000

Personal Real Estate Corporation

KEITH MCIVOR

keith@wrec.com | 604 935 2650

#34 ELEVATE, 4000 SUNSTONE WAY

1504 ALTA PLACE

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.

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.

PEMBERTON

Duplex

$1,419,000

WHISTLER Lot Size: 1.9

Acres

Vacant Land

$2,349,000

Bedrooms: 7 Bathrooms: 3 Square Feet: 2,923

Bedrooms: 2.5 Bathrooms: 2 Square Feet: 1,582

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1 Square Feet: 980

PEMBERTON

A beautiful home in The Glen, one of Pemberton’s favourite spots! Backing on to green space with incredible mountain views, new sundeck, updated bathrooms, very functional open living space. 2 bedroom suite.

4.99 acres of absolutely gorgeous space in Owl Ridge! The post and beam home is warm and welcoming, and the land is professionally landscaped and irrigated. A great spot for horses in the future, or your own little hobby farm

A fantastic opportunity to own your own home in Pemberton! This home in the Mount Currie View Mobile Home Park has ample living space and lots of natural light. Spacious parking area in the front, covered deck, and secure exterior storage room.

Chalet

Chalet on Acreage

Mobile Home

$1,500,000

$1,795,000

$419,000

selling your property, now is the time. Call me for a market evaluation.

JILL NOTMAN COLPITTS

very low and sales and prices are strong. If you’re considering

From my family to yours, enjoy your time on the hill skiing this Family Day weekend!

KAREN VAGELATOS

Timing in real estate is critical. Currently, the listing inventory is

jill@wrec.com | 604 932 1372

ARE YOU THINKING OF SELLING?

karen@wrec.com | 604 902 2520

Reserved for your property

DANIELLE MENZEL

33-7370 HIGHWAY 99

OWL RIDGE, MOUNT CURRIE

Personal Real Estate Corporation

1827 LUMPY’S WAY

PEMBERTON

danielle@wrec.com | 604 698 5128

1481 HEMLOCK STREET

SOLD

306 NICKLAUS NORTH CLUBHOUSE NICKLAUS NORTH

Enjoy Family Day with the ones you love!

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Square Feet: 570 Rarely available one bedroom top ﬂoor, end-unit home. An abundance of natural light starts your day with morning sun and ﬁnishes it with the surrounding glaciers’ alpenglow. Enjoy the tranquil nature from inside or out with large windows and an expansive balcony. Perfect to enjoy the best patio in town!

Townhouse

$1,161,000

JANE HEIM

jane@janeheim.ca | 604 935 0802

#33 ELEVATE, 4000 SUNSTONE WAY

#19 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: 2.5 Square Feet:2,200 This Elevate duplex on the downhill side and 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 right from your door.

PEMBERTON

Duplex

$1,419,000

PEMBERTON

Duplex

$1,498,000

TRACEY CRUZ

tracey@wrec.com | 604 905 9552

12H-2300 NORDIC DRIVE CREEKSIDE

Bedrooms: 3.5 Bathrooms: 3.5 Square Feet: 2,465 Sitting on the edge of the Dave Murray Downhill is this beautifully appointed and furnished slope-side Luxury Residence at the Fairmont Heritage Place’s, ‘At Nature’s Door’. Offering a 1/10th fractional ownership with 5 weeks per year in this spectacular 3.5 bedroom, turn-key home. Enjoy the usage of the private Owner’s Lodge and spa with outdoor heated swimming pool, hot tubs, steam room, kitchen, bar, pool table, gym and massage room.

Townhouse

SOLD

$372,000

SOLD

Personal Real Estate Corporation

DAN SCARRATT

dan@wrec.com | 604 938 4444

306-4338 MAIN STREET

417-4660 BLACKCOMB WAY

Bedrooms: 1.5 Bathrooms: 1 Square Feet: 711

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Square Feet: 560

WHISTLER VILLAGE

BENCHLANDS

This bright, top floor corner unit overlooks the pool and hot tub and is just steps from shopping, dining, and the Olympic Plaza. Tyndall Stone Lodge offers close proximity to the ski lifts as well as all of the other activities that Whistler has to offer and has flexible Phase 1 zoning allowing for nightly rentals.

This updated 1 bedroom/1 bathroom condo features an open concept with a gas fireplace, balcony, and in suite laundry. Ideally situated in the Blackcomb Benchlands by the Chateau Golf Course, you have easy access with the free shuttle to the ski lifts, parks, and the Lost Lake trail networks.

Townhouse

Condominium

$1,499,000

$999,000

SOLD

PEMBERTON

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Square Feet: 604 Incredible views of Mt. Currie from this newly renovated condo. Centrally located in Pemberton right by several salons, a local massage therapist and the popular Mile One Restaurant and Market. Listing Courtesy of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada.

Condominium

KATELYN SPINK

207-7330 ARBUTUS STREET

Personal Real Estate Corporation

katelyn@wrec.com | 604 786 1903

Thinking of Making a Move? Think Spink. $526,900

SOLD

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Square Feet: 523 Eva Lake Village’s best unit is finally available. Includes huge storage capacity, lots of sunlight and a beautiful view. This top floor unit was renovated in 2016 with new windows, patio doors, floors, kitchen, baseboard heaters, bathtub, and paint. Places in this condition do not come up often

Condominium

Townhouse

$699,900

317-4320 SUNDIAL CRESCENT VILLAGE

Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1

Square Feet:807

One of the best view units in the best hotel in the village. This two bedroom suite faces directly up the slopes and has views over the pool area, as well. The Pan Mountainside is one of the best revenue producing properties, and is located just steps from the lifts and all village amenities.

Condominium

AL MATTSON

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Square Feet: 912

One of the most desirable quarter-share rooms at Legends. Views include mountain peaks, the action in the hot tub, pool, and BBQ area. You can also view the gondola line in the morning to time your departure. Enjoy great rental revenue as this unit is often requested.

VICTORIA COLE

NORDIC

almattson@wrec.com | 604.938.4122

36-2230 EVA LAKE ROAD

CREEKSIDE

victoria@wrec.com | 604 907 0157

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THE OUTSIDER

Short-range backcountry communications—an introduction IF THERE’S ONE THING Whistlerites love complaining about more than terrible weather, it’s traffic. People are sick of hearing about how long it took to get from the Callaghan to the Day Lots, especially when people voice that very complaint from idling vehicles in the crawling procession itself. Vis-à-vis, you ARE traffic. But there’s another congestion building up around

BY VINCE SHULEY town. Not of lift lines or vehicles queuing up at the Husky, but in the form of radio waves. I’ll preface the remainder of this column by saying that radio communication is an extremely technical subject with rabbit holes at every step. So I’ll do my best to keep the information digestible and may loop back on this subject later in the season. Two-way radio communication has been a cornerstone of emergency response for decades. It’s also a critical tool for any logistics operation, whether you’re hauling logs down an FSR or driving tourists around for their zipline experience. Historically, handheld two-way radios were expensive pieces of electronics used by commercial and government operations and the odd amateur hobbyist. Regular folks would use Family Radio Service (FRS)—also called General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)—which is basically an improved walkie-talkie system for short-range, line-of-sight communication. The handheld devices were reasonably cheap

DID YOU SAY GO? OR NO? Two-way radios are quickly becoming standard safety equipment in the backcountry. PHOTO BY ASCENTXMEDIA/GETTY IMAGES

(almost toy-like) and you could buy them pretty much anywhere, but they were also quite underpowered and not so reliable once you start to get into longer distances or complex, mountainous terrain. The limited bandwidth for the channels also meant you’d have to share your communication with several other families jabbering on the ski hill. Some years ago, non-professional backcountry users realized that they would be safer if they had the same reliable twoway communication that the professionals were using within their group and perhaps with other groups in the area. There were likely others before it, but the BCA Link Group Communication System was the first I remember seeing that packaged a device

own version with the same compatible channels as BCA Link. The lower-cost option to the above brands you’ve probably heard of is the Baofeng UV-5R. From what the YouTube experts say, there are dozens of versions of this radio, but for most purposes, the UV-5R is sufficient. This device has a bit more of a power-user interface but can be programmed to the same BCA Link channels and even to B.C. resource road (RR) channels. The durability and reliability of Baofengs are of course diminished when you pay half to a third of what you would for the aforementioned outdoor brand radios. Yes, they work OK, but there are also plenty of welldocumented shortfalls that I won’t list here (but Google it if you want to know more).

[I]magine trying to communicate about a looming overhead hazard to your partner a few hundred metres up the slope and the channel gets constantly interrupted by another sevenmember group engaging in aimless chatter about how sick their line was.

specifically for winter backcountry groups; it was durable, had a rechargeable battery with a decent life, and it could be dropped in the snow and would still work. It also had a larger range of FRS frequencies and privacy channels so you could isolate your conversation from other parties. The BCA Link system (the new 2.0 version which retails for about $229 plus tax per device) is now considered the industry standard for recreational radio communication, but plenty of other companies such as Rocky Talkie, Roam and Mountain Lab make their

Two-way radios are quickly becoming a standard piece of gear for backcountry safety, especially amongst snowmobilers. The vast distances sledders can cover means getting help from your mates (who are likely not in the line of sight) requires a two-way radio. Experienced sledders will attest that two-way radios save lives. Now back to the traffic complaint. FRS radios do not require a licence, and with no real etiquette or guidelines in place, channels are beginning to get crowded. Finding a quiet channel at busy ski touring

and snowmobile trailheads on the weekend can be challenging. Further to the annoyance of strangers squawking in your pocket all day, the interference could impede a selfrescue emergency. I should note here that commercial operators, resource industry, and emergency services are all on Land Mobile Radio (LMR) frequencies, which require licence fees and higher-powered devices, and can utilize repeater towers. So FRS group chatter won’t interfere with that. But imagine trying to communicate about a looming overhead hazard to your partner a few hundred metres up the slope and the channel gets constantly interrupted by another sevenmember group engaging in aimless chatter about how sick their line was. Revelstoke-based backcountry skier and amateur radio enthusiast John Bell posed a few potential solutions to this issue in one of his recent online presentations titled “The State of Backcountry Radio Communications.” He proffered that a sort of community agreement is needed where users stick to succinct communications and don’t dominate channels. Bell has even encouraged a kind of daily check-in in the Rogers Pass area, where at a certain time of day (say 12 noon), parties check in on a common frequency and exchange avalanche and snowpack observations. I don’t see that as a realistic option for a Saturday in Brandywine, but our own backcountry user groups are surely capable of implementing a community agreement that works for everyone involved. To learn more about backcountry radio communication, head to facebook.com/ groups/RevelstokeAmateurRadioCourses. Vince Shuley is in the market for a two-way radio. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail. com or Instagram @whis_vince. ■

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

FEATURE STORY

A MILLIO AND COUN A DEEP DIVE INTO CANADA’S POOR PERFORMANCE ON BIODIVERSITY LOSS AND WHAT’S BEING DONE TO IMPROVE IT By Leslie Anthony Summary of Part I: In the lead-up to the 15th meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15) originally scheduled for October 2020 in Kunming, China, it was realized that few, if any, of the lofty core protections for nature set at COP 10 in 2010 in Japan (the so-called Aichi Targets) had come close to being achieved. The pandemic then brought those failures into sharp focus. The precipitous global and national losses of biodiversity over that decade are summarized. It’s noted that although money is a demonstrable key factor in enacting and enforcing protections globally, the system itself—especially in Canada—needs changing.

The not-unexpected findings of a 2017 Canadian study assessing public commitment to endangered species protection in this country was telling of the national—if not global—zeitgeist on the subject. To begin, 89 per cent of us were, in principle, strongly in favour of such protections. After adding the caveat of limiting industrial development to the question, 80 per cent still remained supportive. But only 63 per cent stayed onboard if those efforts were to limit private property rights, and the number fell further for scenarios involving outright loss of rights or reductions in industry-based jobs. This lower tolerance for personal impacts in preventing species extinctions explains both the difficulty of prioritizing conservation over socioeconomic forces, and the range of programs existing in Canada to encourage publicprivate partnerships, a reflection of the “stewardship-first” ethos baked into the federal Species at Risk Act—strong regulations to protect species are imposed solely on federal lands, with voluntary stewardship relied on for private lands.

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FEATURE STORY

ON NTING PART 2

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

FEATURE STORY

“IT’S DISAPPOINTING, IT’S [ALSO] COUNTERINTUITIVE TO THE GOVERNMENT’S OTHER PURPORTED MANDATE, WHICH IS TO CONSERVE SPECIES AT RISK AND TO RECOVER SPOTTED OWLS.” JARED HOBBS

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In response to the 2010 Aichi targets, federal, provincial areas. “Canada shares the priorities and challenges in and territorial governments collaborated on “2020 Biodiversity having vast regions with Russia, Brazil and Australia,” says Goals and Targets for Canada.” The document (which didn’t Niall O’Dea, Associate Deputy Minister, Canadian Wildlife appear until 2015—an issue unto itself) reflects both Canadian Service. “It’s an integrative, planning-intensive exercise priorities and ways to aid the global effort (Canada, for example, that interfaces with climate challenges and Indigenous contains a quarter of the world’s wetlands, the majority in reconciliation, but we’ve developed momentum to achieve boreal forest; these are important not just for their inhabitants, the 17 per cent land protection target, move to 25 per cent but also to species that migrate through them). Canada’s by 2025, then 30 per cent beyond that.” 19 targets support four goals: A) better land-use planning With respect to Target 2, though a large proportion of and management; B) more environmentally sustainable secure wildlife are indeed holding steady, as previously management across the economy; C) improvements to noted many at-risk species are more at risk than ever, available information concerning “people benefits” of nature; publicized in desperate gambits such as shooting wolves and, D) increased general awareness of biodiversity and from helicopters to save caribou in Alberta and B.C., boating participation in conservation. and fishing restrictions to stabilize southern resident killer Progress on these goals was then reviewed in Canada’s sixth whales and their salmon prey on the Pacific coast, and National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity court-involved enforcements of the federal Species at Risk (CBD). The news was typically Canadian: not great, but not Act for greater sage grouse in Alberta and Western chorus horrible, with a dose of over-optimism. frog in Quebec. When the Nature Conservancy of Canada Working backward, Goal D’s two awareness targets released a first compilation of Canada’s endemic species are on track, which should help drive future targets faster. in June 2020, of the 308 animals, plants and fungi found Surprisingly, three of four targets under Goal C’s low- in this country and nowhere else, almost 40 per cent were hanging fruit of public outreach are flagging. The only imperilled—eight already extinct. winner? Integrating the capital value of natural systems into Canada’s statistical tracking system. Better, of eight targets under Goal B, we fall short on only two: the sustainable and legal harvesting of fish and aquatic invertebrates, and reducing water pollution. Finally, of the five targets under Goal A, three look good, but we lag in whole or in part on the Arne Mooers, a professor of biodiversity at B.C.’s Simon two most important: Target 1, that we conserve 17 per cent Fraser University, has published widely on global of Canada’s terrestrial (land and freshwater) area and 10 per biodiversity issues and participates as a non-governmental cent of coastal and marine areas; and, Target 2, that species scientist on the Committee on the Status of Endangered whose status is secure remain so, while species at risk trend Wildlife in Canada. Widely known as COSEWIC, it’s the toward recovery. As of 2020, 12 per cent of land and 13.1 per front end of species-at-risk conservation in this country. cent of marine areas are protected—the latter a positive “We’ve realized for a while we’re not close to achieving overshoot on the strength of new Indigenous conservation Target 2,” says Mooers, “though you might think Canada

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was well-placed to get there because COSEWIC has been around so long.” Since 1977, in fact, an outcome of the 40th FederalProvincial Wildlife Conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick. As a conservation tool, COSEWIC’s rigorous process—in which at-risk species are independently assessed and recommended for listing under the Species at Risk Act—is highly regarded internationally, and much lauded by participants such as Mooers. “It’s the best, most-satisfying scientific advisory position I’ve ever had,” says John Reynolds, professor of aquatic ecology and conservation at Simon Fraser and current COSEWIC chair. “The government gets a lot of value for very little money—the devoted expertise of 155 volunteer scientists from across the country who are experts on species, either scientifically or in the context of Indigenous knowledge. The vibe at assessment meetings is very positive.” Rigid adherence to procedural standards makes COSEWIC effective but cumbersome, a proverbial large ship in a tight waterway steered both carefully, to the benefit of species at risk, but slowly, with the opposite effect. Nevertheless, assessments move at lightning speed compared to the subsequent formal listing process, where the entire vessel can run aground—as Laurentian’s Jacqueline Litzgus, whose turtle subjects are among the world’s most at-risk group, knows all too well after a 12-year stint on the committee. “COSEWIC is doing all the things it needs to,” she says. “All these busy scientists gather at an amazing consensus-based roundtable, and reports are written by the most knowledgeable experts to get the best results. But then… sometimes nothing.” As of April 2019, COSEWIC had assessed 799 species, finding 356 endangered, 189 threatened, 232 of special concern and 22 extirpated. Only 580 of these, however, are actually listed, the seven-step process from COSEWIC

Notice of Public Hearing Land Use Contract Termination Bylaw (2021 Karen Crescent) No. 2343, 2022 Tuesday, March 1, 2022 @ 5:30 p.m. Via Zoom Online

Purpose: In general terms, the purpose of the proposed Bylaw is to terminate the Whistler Creek Lodge Land Use Contract (LUC), and apply a new RTA34 Zone (Residential Tourist Accommodation Thirty-Four) to the subject lands. The RTA34 Zone proposes to change the permitted use of the subject lands from “hotel” as specified in the LUC to “apartment” including a provision to allow for the apartment units to be used for temporary accommodation when not occupied for residential uses, and provides for existing permitted commercial uses. Additionally, the permitted use of a “child care facility” is proposed to be added. Subject Lands: The lands that are the subject of the proposed Bylaw are located at 2021 Karen Crescent, and are identified as “subject lands” on the map attached to this notice. The subject lands are known as the Whistler Creek Lodge. To learn more: A copy of the proposed Bylaw, background documentation and written submissions are available for review from February 17, 2022 to March 1, 2022 at: • Municipal Hall at 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, during regular office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (statutory holidays excluded) • Online on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) website at: whistler.ca/LUC00011 How to provide input: All persons who believe that their interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaw will be given an opportunity to be heard by Council via: 1. Submit written comments to Council via email: corporate@whistler.ca (must be received by 3:30 p.m. on March 1, 2022 and include “Public Hearing for LUC00011” in the subject line); and/or 2. Submit written comments to Council via mail/hand delivery: Resort Municipality of Whistler, Legislative Services Department, 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler BC V8E 0X5 (must be received by 3:30 p.m. on March 1, 2022 and include “Public Hearing for LUC00011” in the subject line); and/or 3. Provide verbal comments at the Public Hearing via online video or phone conferencing. Visit whistler.ca/ LUC00011 or scan the QR code below for instructions on how to access and participate in the Public Hearing. The Public Hearing link and phone numbers are also below. After the conclusion of this Public Hearing, Council cannot receive further input from the public on the proposed Bylaw.

For more information visit: whistler.ca/LUC00011 Public Hearing link: https://whistler.zoom.us/j/67252063957 Public Hearing phone numbers: +1-778-907-2071 +1-647-374-4685 Webinar ID: 672 5206 3957 SCAN THE QR CODE FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ONLINE

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/LUC00011

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

FEATURE STORY

THE NEED TO “BALANCE THE ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT” WE SO OFTEN HEAR FROM POLITICIANS IS A DISTRACTING ABSTRACTION, A ZERO-SUM GAME IN WHICH AN ENVIRONMENTAL “WIN” IS REALLY ONLY A REDUCED DEGREE OF LOSS.

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designation to a ministerial order a bottleneck of capacity issues, socioeconomic pressure and political interference (some pending listing decisions date back 15 years). “The challenge is to get everyone else in the chain of protection to keep up with COSEWIC,” notes Reynolds, “because it’s ultimately cheaper and faster to assess the status of a species than to bring it back from the brink of extinction.” The bureaucratic snaggle, in part, lies in the incrementalism of one-species-at-a-time recovery strategies and action plans. To cut the Gordian knot, a new kid appeared on the block in 2018—the “Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada.” According to its main architect Kaaren Lewis, executive lead, Species at Risk Program and Species Transformation for Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Nature Conservation Agenda, the framework will “help shift conservation implementation from the current species-by-species approach to more multi-species and ecosystem-based initiatives. Working with provinces, territories, Indigenous groups and other partners on shared priority species, priority places and priority threats, we’re hoping to see better conservation outcomes for species at risk, increased co-benefits for biodiversity and ecosystems, and improved return on investment.” To help that along, the Pan-Canadian plan comes with $155 million through the species-at-risk stream of the Canada Nature Fund to encourage more collaboration and partnerships. “Federal funding helps bring others to the table,” notes Lewis. “It’s an almost revolutionary departure from business as usual, which makes it both interesting and worth supporting,” says Mooers. “Done right, it could really help with situations where you need buy-in from everyone to prioritize certain species, while recognizing that you can’t do everything equally well everywhere you try.” Collaborative landscape-level approaches could certainly help in B.C., which lacks dedicated endangered species legislation to support its country-leading 1,807 species of animals and plants at risk of extinction and range of landwater issues: the systematic under-reporting of deep-sea fish trawled from provincial waters because of intimidation and harassment of government observers; the diseases, parasites and waste of non-native Atlantic salmon farmed in crowded, open-ocean pens affecting wild Pacific salmon already impacted by overfishing and degradation of spawning habitat; the wine-soaked Okanagan desert, where virtually everything is endangered; the perennial crashes of woodland and mountain caribou; and poster boy for B.C.’s failure to protect old-growth forests, the spotted owl debacle. A species listed since 2003, but now functionally extinct in the province, not only is a plan for spotted owl recovery 14 years overdue, but the B.C. government approved 312 new clear cuts in the dwindling, highly fragmented old-growth habitat required to reintroduce owls from a captive-breeding program it has funded for years. “It’s disappointing,” wildlife biologist Jared Hobbs told The Narwhal in May 2020. “It’s [also] counterintuitive to the government’s other purported mandate, which is to conserve species at risk and to recover spotted owls.” As a one-time scientific advisor to the spotted owl recovery team, Hobbs may have been the last person to see this species in the wild in Canada. The current dysfunctional pas de deux results from B.C.’s continued promise to do something—more-or-less buying time— with the feds avoidance of the alternative of forcing the province to protect economically valuable forest habitat using the federal Species at Risk Act. Not that some good things aren’t happening, too— they are, daily, right across the country. Like a successful $825,000 collaboration between universities, butterfly breeders and conservation groups to reintroduce the endangered mottled duskywing butterfly to its preferred oak savannah habitats in southwestern Ontario. Or the new Mark Bass Nature Reserve comprising wetlands important to flood mitigation and at-risk Blanding’s turtle that adds to a patchwork of set-asides in Ontario’s Prince Edward County totalling 1,000 hectares. There

Notice of Public Hearing Ofﬁcial Community Plan Amendment Bylaw (1200 Alta Lake Road) No. 2346, 2022 Land Use Contract Termination Bylaw (1200 Alta Lake Road) No. 2347, 2022 Tuesday, March 1, 2022 @ 5:30 p.m. Via Zoom Online Both proposed Bylaws pertain to lands within the Twin Lakes Development, but the OCP amendment only affects a small area within Twin Lakes. Ofﬁcial Community Plan Amendment Bylaw (1200 Alta Lake Road) No. 2346, 2022 – Subject Lands and Purpose: The subject lands for the proposed OCP Amendment Bylaw are one strata lot within Twin Lakes (Strata Lot 88, Plan VAS905), as well as its limited common property and small areas of surrounding common property. All of the subject lands for this proposed Bylaw are shown shaded and outlined in heavy black on the first map attached to this notice. The purpose of the proposed OCP Amendment Bylaw is to change the land use designation of the subject lands from “Residential – Low to Medium (Detached/Multiple)” to “Convenience Commercial”. Land Use Contract Termination Bylaw (1200 Alta Lake Road) No. 2347, 2022 – Subject Lands and Purpose: The lands that are the subject of this proposed Bylaw are shown on the second map attached to this notice. The subject lands are known as strata plan VAS905 and the civic address for the portion proposed to be zoned RM72 Zone is 1200 Alta Lake Road. In general terms, the purpose of this proposed Bylaw is to terminate the Twin Lakes Land Use Contract (LUC) from the subject lands and apply a new RM72 Zone (Residential Multiple Seventy- Two) and the existing PAN1 Zone (Protected Area Network One) to specified portions of the subject lands. The RM72 Zone accommodates the existing townhouses and commercial uses, and proposes new permitted uses including: “child care facility” and “auxiliary residential dwelling unit”. To learn more: A copy of the proposed Bylaws, background documentation and written submissions are available for review from February 17, 2022 to March 1, 2022 at: • Municipal Hall at 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, during regular office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (statutory holidays excluded) • Online on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) website at: whistler.ca/LUC00009 How to provide input: All persons who believe that their interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaws will be given an opportunity to be heard by Council via: 1. Submit written comments to Council via email: corporate@whistler.ca (must be received by 3:30 p.m. on March 1, 2022 and include “Public Hearing for LUC00009” in the subject line); and/or

Map 1 showing Subject Lands for Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw (1200 Alta Lake Road) No. 2346, 2022

2. Submit written comments to Council via mail/hand delivery: Resort Municipality of Whistler, Legislative Services Department, 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler BC V8E 0X5 (must be received by 3:30 p.m. on March 1, 2022 and include “Public Hearing for LUC00009” in the subject line); and/or 3. Provide verbal comments at the Public Hearing via online video or phone conferencing. Visit whistler.ca/LUC00009 or scan the QR code below for instructions on how to access and participate in the Public Hearing. The Public Hearing link and phone numbers are below. After the conclusion of this Public Hearing, Council cannot receive further input from the public on the proposed Bylaws.

For more information visit: whistler.ca/LUC00009 Public Hearing link: https://whistler.zoom.us/j/67252063957 Public Hearing phone numbers: +1-778-907-2071 +1-647-374-4685 Webinar ID: 672 5206 3957

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ONLINE

Map 2 showing Subject Lands for Land Use Contract Termination Bylaw (1200 Alta Lake Road) No. 2347, 2022

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/LUC00009

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

FEATURE STORY

THERE ARE SUCCESSFUL REINTRODUCTIONS TO THE WILD OF SWIFT FOXES, BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS, VANCOUVER ISLAND MARMOTS, WHOOPING CRANES AND LEOPARD FROGS TO SHOUT ABOUT. AND THE DELISTING OF PACIFIC HUMPBACK WHALES AND PEREGRINE FALCONS—SOME OF THE EARLIEST SPECIES OFFICIALLY IDENTIFIED AS ENDANGERED IN CANADA.

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are successful reintroductions to the wild of swift species). A 2018 review ascribed this widespread foxes, black-footed ferrets, Vancouver Island marmots, “generational amnesia” behind our rising tolerance for whooping cranes and leopard frogs to shout about. And environmental degradation and lowered perceptions of the delisting of Pacific humpback whales and peregrine what’s worth saving to a chronic lack of knowledge of falcons—some of the earliest species officially identified historical ecological data. Coincidentally, the Green Status, as endangered in Canada. a new species-recovery initiative from the International Yet for every wound to nature for which we staunch Union for the Conservation of Nature that launched in the bleeding, a new cut—or three—appears. The January 2021, complements that organization’s Red List reality on the ground is even more brutal. “Why isn’t of Threatened Species but focuses instead on recovery species-at-risk legislation ever mobilized to actually rather than extinction. It also incorporates historical data stop something? Why does the economy always trump as part of a broader shift toward long-term thinking in everything else?” wonders Laurentian’s Litzgus, while conservation biology. sharing stories of graduate students working on highway In April 2020, with the pandemic now raging globally, and energy-project construction sites who were reduced Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the Convention on Biological to tears by the destruction of habitat containing literally Diversity’s acting executive secretary, addressed the issue all of Ontario’s most at-risk reptiles. Both practically and of wildlife markets. Referencing the new coronavirus and philosophically, she’s right. The need to “balance the recent outbreaks of Nipah and Ebola viruses, all of which economy and the environment” we so often hear from putatively originated in bats, Mrema echoed a growing politicians is a distracting abstraction, a zero-sum game body of literature that shows how large-scale deforestation, in which an environmental “win” is really only a reduced habitat degradation, intensification of agriculture, degree of loss. With renewed government resolve, serious wildlife trade and global warming combine to drive both money and a new conservation framework in hand, biodiversity loss and new diseases. “Two thirds of emerging things can only improve. diseases now come from wildlife,” she noted, adding that to prevent future pandemics, “countries must ban markets that sell wildlife for human consumption”—while ensuring critical food sources for otherwise dependent communities. There’s an old adage that you shouldn’t judge a civilization on its wealth, but on how it treats its working classes, those most relied on for society’s material gain. Back in 1995, University of British Columbia fisheries The natural world offers a parallel: despite contributing scientist Daniel Pauly introduced the phrase “Shifting a yeoman’s share to all human progress, we continue Baseline Syndrome” to describe the slow creep of changes to exploit it mercilessly. Nature has no voice to raise in to nature that caused fisheries scientists to overlook the defence, yet when it convulses—as with COVID-19—we all past, taking diversity and abundance numbers measured suffer its outcry. How do we start thinking differently? early in their careers to be the “normal” state. The concept On the tail end of World Biodiversity Week in May 2020, had immediate application to all of ecology: failure to the Global Biodiversity Festival, hosted by Ontario-based account for shifting baselines ensures that population Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, convened some 65 live declines and target numbers for recovery are chronic virtual events with scientists, explorers, conservationists underestimates, and that bio-inventories will fail to capture and policymakers from more than 20 countries. The firstboth losses (extirpations) and additions (introduced time online festival drew 25,000 YouTube views and raised

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$12,000 for six conservation groups. Most presentations banged the drum of more protections, more money, more understanding of biodiversity’s role, but perhaps Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF, most clearly summed the actions needed. The need to stabilize climate and biodiversity loss for us to live in harmony with nature should be job one globally, he averred. It will require a sea change in thinking: producing more responsibly and consuming more wisely, building a green economy with subsidies and investment in more sustainable production of food, energy and goods. With $44 trillion of economic value generation—equivalent to half the world’s GDP— dependent on nature according to a report by the World Economic Forum, Lambertini foresees a cultural revolution that puts “the idea that nature is not just beautiful, but indispensable” at the centre of thinking and planning. “We need a New Deal for Nature and People—a ‘Paris moment’ for nature, if you will,” he said. “We have an opportunity to do that at COP 15.” Although there will be a face-to-face meeting as a second part of COP 15 in Kunming in April 2022, a first part took place online in October 2020. There indeed were big asks, but also a willingness to answer them given the global events of 2020—including some big commitments. Most of the signatories indeed committed to saving 30 per cent of nature, however, whatever other concessional paths are trodden scientists see only one way forward: adopting a carbon-neutral and nature-positive world with the participation not just of governments, but each of seven billion people. So far, even a direct threat to human existence seems but a fleeting and fractious call to action. But maybe there’s a simpler way to get everyone onboard. And it isn’t a new idea. “We can’t save what we don’t love” is a sentiment widely touted in biodiversity circles, one that ultimately informed Margaret Atwood’s long-ago answer to Jacqueline Litzgus’ dinner party handwringing over why we should care. “You must tell people to simply love turtles, my dear,” the author had summed, eyes flashing with intent. “The way they love us—unconditionally.” ■

Wishing everyone a

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The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District has prepared the 2022 parcel tax rolls. The parcel tax roll lists the parcels eligible to be taxed for each of the below noted services. ANDERSON LAKE REFUSE

DEVINE WATER

AREA A REFUSE / AREA A MUSEUM

GOLD BRIDGE WATER

BRALORNE SEWER

GUN LAKE FIRE PROTECTION

BRALORNE WATER BRITANNIA CREEK COMMUNITY DEBRIS FLOOD PROT. BRITANNIA CREEK TOWN DEBRIS FLOOD PROT. D'ARCY / DEVINE REFUSE D'ARCY STREET LIGHTING D'ARCY WATER

Truth be told. Our communities are powered by local newspapers. Celebrate how trusted journalism sparks important conversations at nationalnewspaperweek.ca.

PEMBERTON NORTH WATER PINECREST SEWER PINECREST WATER WALKERVILLE DYKING WHITECAP BEAR CREEK FLOOD PROT.

This is an annual process to review the rolls to ensure they are correct. Owners of properties located in the above service areas may view the roll at the Regional District oﬃce during regular oﬃce hours. Property owners may request an amendment to the roll only with respect to their own property and only for the following reasons: 1. there is an error or omission respecting a name or address on the roll. 2. there is an error or omission respecting the inclusion of a parcel. 3. an exemption has been improperly allowed or disallowed. Requests for an amendment to the parcel tax roll must be in writing and received at the address below no later than Friday, February 25, 2022 at 4:30 pm.

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Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Mail: PO Box 219, 1350 Aster Street, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0 Phone: 604-894-6371 ext. 233 Email: slafrance@slrd.bc.ca

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

SPORTS THE SCORE

Hess looks to continue successful season at 2022 Paralympic Games PEMBERTON PARA-NORDIC SKIER HEADING TO HIS SECOND PARALYMPICS THIS MARCH

BY HARRISON BROOKS FOR PEMBERTON Paralympian and Nordic sit-skier Ethan Hess, competing at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games was the realization of a dream four years in the making. Now, with the 2022 Games fast approaching, the 22-year-old is looking to build on past successes. For his entire life, Hess has always been drawn to a life in sport. Growing up, like most in the Sea to Sky, much of his time was spent on the slopes with friends. But living with spina bifida, as Hess grew, his condition made it harder and more painful to continue skiing standing up, and his friends all started to surpass him athletically. “It was definitely a mental process of accepting what my body is and what the struggles I’m going to have in my life are, so there was a lot of acceptance I had to go through—especially as you go through puberty and your friends start to develop around you really quickly,” said Hess. “And in Grade 8 I realized that if I was going to compete in sports at a high level, which I realized pretty early in my teens that was what I wanted to do, I was going to have to go to para-sports.” Around that time, Hess started to get involved with the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program, where he got his first taste of para-

PEMBY PROUD Pemberton’s Ethan Hess at a World Cup event in Canmore earlier this season. PHOTO BY NATHANIEL MAH

50 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Nordic skiing at a camp held at Whistler Olympic Park. At first, he thought it would be a great way to train for dragon boat racing in the summer. But with success in the sport coming quickly, leading to him joining Team BC and competing at the Canada Games, Nordic skiing became his main athletic focus. And from that moment, at just 14 years old, the goal of competing in the Paralympic Games became the driving force in Hess’ life.

“And then the next season I struggled to develop again, [which] led to me having to take some time off after I had a surgery when the antibiotics from the surgery led to some really serious gut issues.” But with that disappointment, and the time away from the sport due to his surgery and the pandemic that followed shortly after, Hess’ passion was re-ignited, and it became clearer than ever what changes needed to be made in his training to be able

“It’s really important to me to show kids with disabilities, and everyone, that they are capable of more than they think they are...” - ETHAN HESS

But despite the “incredible feeling” of achieving the goal he set out for himself, his 24th and 28th place finishes at the 2018 Games, as well as the season as a whole, were a major disappointment for Hess. “I wasn’t super happy; I was really hoping I could get at least into the top 20,” he said. “When going to the Games, it feels like that year is just going to be a great year for you because you went to the Games, but really I hadn’t made that much development from the year before, so it was actually not a really great season for me,” he said.

to start climbing up the world rankings. Hess began training like a true professional. Nutrition, meditation, hot and cold therapy and giving his body time to rest all became important aspects of how he approached day-to-day life. “In the summertime I was waking up at four in the morning and then training until eight in the morning, and then I would sleep from nine a.m. until three in the afternoon, wake up and do another three or four hours of training,” said Hess, adding that the regimen allowed him to get up to 12 hours of sleep and eight hours of training in every day.

“That was a big thing for me, just getting that base of training and also falling in love with the work. Not being so obsessed with results, but being obsessed with loving being out there in nature for hours and hours was a huge mental thing that has boosted my training to a new level.” With the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games starting March 4, Hess is setting his focus on building off the success he had earlier this year in Canmore, where he was able to break into the top 15 at a World Cup event for the first time in his career. “I’d like to perform well and be happy in every single race with how I do,” he said. “It would be really nice to make the heats in the sprint race, and if I could break into the top 10 that would make me extremely happy.” But whether the results are there when all is said and done, the most important thing for Hess at the Paralympics is the opportunity to have a platform where he can show others out there dealing with similar disabilities that anything is possible. “It’s really important to me to show kids with disabilities, and everyone, that they are capable of more than they may think they are, and also showing people the powers of nature,” he said. “I love spending time out in nature, that’s why I love to do this sport so much, so I think showing people how important a connection to nature is for your mental and physical wellbeing is really important to me. “It’s super big that I get to have this platform, and I feel super honoured and privileged for it.” n

SPORTS THE SCORE

Sea to Sky Nordics own the podium at Biathlon BC Cup in Whistler THIRTEEN OF A POSSIBLE 24 PODIUM SPOTS WERE CLAIMED BY SEA TO SKY NORDIC CLUB ATHLETES

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BY HARRISON BROOKS HOME TRACK advantage seemed to pay off for the Sea to Sky Nordic (SSNC) club at the Biathlon BC Cup event held at Whistler Olympic Park from Feb. 11 to 13. In the event’s two days of competition, which consisted of sprint races on Saturday, Feb. 12 followed by mass start races on Sunday, Feb. 13, SSNC athletes reached the podium 13 times, including a sweep of the Sr. Boys mass start. In that race, Lucas Clements, Jojo Ng and Graham Benson took the top three spots, respectively, while Taje Hansen remained perfect on the year with two more first-place finishes in the Jr. Boys category. “It went pretty well. I think I skied really fast, I’m really proud of that. My first lap of shooting was really good. I shot clean, but I would have liked to shoot a bit better my second lap because I only shot three. But overall, it was a really good race,” said Hansen, who has now landed on top of the podium five times already this year. “[The success] is a bit surprising at times because sometimes I won’t feel like I’m having a fantastic race and then I’ll see the results and I’ll be quite a bit ahead, so that’s exciting. “I think this season all my skiing and shooting is really coming together, because before I was either really good at shooting and not so great at skiing, or really good at skiing and not so good at shooting, but this year it’s just really good, all of it.” SSNC’s Aiden Firth has also had quite the hot start to the season, finishing second behind Hansen in both BC Cups in Vanderhoof and Quesnel earlier this year as well as picking up another podium finish with a third in the Jr. Boys sprint category in Whistler on Saturday. On the women’s side of things, both Mia Rodger and Firth’s older sister Sophie were able to add two more podium finishes to their resumes, with Rodger grabbing a third in the sprint race and first in mass start race in Jr. Girls, and Sophie snagging a third in the Sr. Girls sprint race and a second in the mass start race. For Sophie, who has been struggling with cramping issues so far this year, this weekend’s races were all about putting those issues behind her once and for all and getting back to skiing and shooting at the level she expects from herself. “I’m really happy [with the result]. The first lap my skiing was super solid and I had a good person who I was chasing, so she was a good target to try and catch, but my first shoot was not the best. I shot three for

GO CANADA GO!

SHARP SHOOTER Hanne Stadnyk completed her stand-up shooting in the second lap of her three-lap race. PHOTO BY HARRISON BROOKS

five,” she said. “And then the last lap I just gassed it. So third was good. I’ve been kind of struggling with cramping a lot so I finally dealt with that which has been really nice so I can podium again.” According to head of competition for the Whistler BC Cup and assistant shooting coach for the SSNC Dave Clark, the club’s success was just the cherry on top of a successfully run event that went off without a hitch. “The weather was outstanding, and it was a great day for the SSNC. And as one of the co-event directors it was an amazing weekend of racing with really exciting wins across the board. All the athletes, whether they came first or came last, they all achieved something amazing,” he said. “Nothing ever runs 100-per-cent perfect, but it’s a matter of how you adapt … and work together to problem-solve.” Two years into COVID, which has kept events off the calendar, and limited athletes to training and doing in-club time trials, everyone from the athletes and parents to event organizers were happy to be back hosting events, competing with neighbouring Nordic clubs and catching up with friends made over the years. “It’s great, I missed it so much. Over COVID we had two seasons where we didn’t have any races, so we didn’t really know how good the rest of the province was until the first race in Vanderhoof,” said Hansen. “So it’s been really fun seeing everybody, and especially after the races just hanging out with all the clubs, not mattering who won or lost but just having a great time together.” Next on the schedule for the SSNC, many of the senior boys and girls, as well as the older age categories, will be heading up to Prince George this week for a pre-national-championships camp where athletes can get accustomed to the track before the National Championships come around in March. Find full results at seatoskynordics.ca. n

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THE CHEAKAMUS COMMUNITY FOREST

is holding a virtual public open house on

Monday, February 28 from 4 – 6 p.m. It will share information on the 2022 harvesting plans, recent timber supply analysis and long range planning. Registration required.

Go to www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com News/Updates to register.

www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com FEBRUARY 17, 2022

SPORTS THE SCORE

Whistler’s youth ski racers return to racing SPORTS BRIEFS: LOCAL RESULTS ROUND UP; WHISTLER SLOPITCH ASSOCIATION LOOKS FOR NEW LEAGUE CONVENOR; OLYMPIC RESULTS FROM WEEK 2

BY HARRISON BROOKS AND MEGAN LALONDE AFTER ALMOST two years with no races outside of Whistler, the Whistler Mountain Ski Club’s (WMSC) U16 racers completed their first away races from Feb. 3 to 6 at Silver Star Mountain Resort. Across the four-day event that saw 140 racers competing, the WMSC walked away with a handful of podium finishes and top10 results. Leading the way for WMSC was Vanessa Young, who skied to a third- and fourthplace finish in giant slalom followed by another third-place finish in slalom. On the men’s side, the top finishers included Thomas Legg, who managed to land on the podium with a pair of thirdplace finishes in giant slalom, followed closely by teammate Joseph Gibbons in fourth in both races.

The WMSC’s U12 skiers also got back to racing after a two-year hiatus with the Janyk Cup zone race held on Whistler Mountain on Feb. 12 and 13. “It was a spectacular weekend with lots of sunshine and smiles. It was really great for me personally to see all the young racers from throughout the Sea to Sky corridor up in Whistler competing and having fun again,” said race chairperson Andrew Kirker. On the ladies’ side of the event, Whistler’s Cecily Gibbons and Thea Han claimed the podium’s top two spots. Meanwhile, on the men’s side, Grouse Mountain completed the sweep with Eric Krastev, Daniel Gold and Lucas Yu finishing in the top three spots, respectively. Fresh off his Olympic bronze medal performance in alpine combined, Jack Crawford, as well as fellow WMSC Alumni and 2022 Olympians Brodie Seger and Broderick Thompson and para-alpine legend Mac Macoux, were on hand to hang out with the kids, take pictures and present

DOUBLE BRONZE Whistler’s Vanessa Young took home a pair of bronze medals at the U16 Alpine event at Silver Star Mountain Resort earlier this month. PHOTO COURTESY OF KISS THE MONKEY PHOTOGRAPHY

the awards to the winners. “It was really cool, because in the case of all the athletes that participated, this was their first zone race that they’ve ever gone to because of COVID,” said WMSC’s chair for social awards and media Kevin Yeung. “They’ve actually never been in a competition, they’ve never put on a bib, they’ve never raced against other clubs, so for them to come together, to compete and have these Olympians there, it was really inspiring because one moment you are watching Jack Crawford [on TV] and the next moment he is handing you a medal.

So it was a really special moment and it was fantastic that these Olympians who are all former WMSC athletes all came by.”

LOCAL RESULTS ROUNDUP While Whistler’s top male and female athletes are wrapping up their time at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, some of Canada’s next generation of shredders have been showing out over the last month. Kicking things off, Whistler freerider Olivia McNeill, who won the first leg of the Freeride World Tour’s Ski Women category

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SPORTS THE SCORE in Baqueira Beret, Spain back in January, recently put down another top-three finish at the tour’s third stop in Kicking Horse last week. With two top-three finishes across three events, McNeill has officially punched her ticket to the FWT Finals taking place in Fieberbrunn, Austria and Verbier, Switzerland in March. And with a berth in the finals, McNeill has also secured her spot on the FWT next season. Meanwhile, Whistler’s Nick Katrusiak secured himself a pair of podium finishes at the Ski Cross NorAm Cup at Gore Mountain, New York on Feb. 9. His second- and thirdplace finishes mark Katrusiak’s two best finishes at the NorAm Cup level to date, topping his previous bests of fifth- and sixthplace that he received at the Calabogie Peaks event at the end of January. At that same Calabogie Peaks event, Whistler’s Emeline Bennett skied her way to a first- and sixth-place finish. Since then, Bennett has headed overseas to compete in multiple European Cup events where she has secured a pair of top10 finishes so far. On the snowboard side of things, local snowboarder Truth Smith has been a model of consistency this year, following up his second- and third-place finishes at the FIS event in Whistler earlier in January with a pair of seconds in slopestyle at the Sun Peaks Nor-Am Cup Jan. 20 and 21, as well as another second-place finish at the National Junior Championships in Calgary on Feb. 6. Whistler’s Keenan Demchuk and Lane Weaver were also on hand at the Nor-Am Cup in Sun Peaks and came away with a thirdplace and second-place finish, respectively, across the two-day event. Joining Smith in Calgary for the National Junior Championships, Whistler’s Amalia Pelchat carved her way to a podium finish, landing third in the women’s slopestyle event. And finally, one of Team Canada’s newest members Finn Finestone took home a firstand fifth-place finish at the Nor-Am Cup at Mammoth Mountain taking place from Jan. 25 to 28. Next up on the schedule for the slopestyle snowboarders is the Nor-Am Cup in Beaver Valley on March 17 to 20.

WHISTLER SLO-PITCH LOOKING FOR A NEW LEAGUE CONVENOR The Whistler Slo-Pitch Association (WSPA) is looking for someone to take over as the new league convenor starting April 1. The league convenor is responsible for directing all WSPA objectives, managing association budgets and liaising with the Resort Municipality of Whistler, as well as being the main point of contact for the board of directors. Other specific requirements of the job include upholding the mission statement of the WSPA; scheduling, planning and attending monthly association meetings; liaising with the head umpire to facilitate umpire needs; working with the event organizers on all WSPA sanctioned events; responding to enquiries from players and teams; ensuring rosters are up to date; managing social media accounts;

registering teams and collecting fees; and assisting with the order of supplies, among other responsibilities. The hourly wage starts at $23 per hour, depending on experience, and comes with a time commitment of approximately 15 hours of work per week in-season (May to September) and approximately two hours per week in the offseason (October to April). The board of directors would also be open to this position being shared by two individuals. Anyone who is interested in applying for the position can send a resume to info@ whistlerslopitch.com.

CRAWFORD BECOMES FIRST CANADIAN TO MEDAL IN OLYMPIC ALPINE COMBINED It’s been a huge week for Team Canada in Beijing, with Sea to Sky locals in particular posting strong results across several events at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. After a series of strong performances in the downhill and super-G events, where he finished fourth and sixth, respectively, Whistler Mountain Ski Club alum Jack Crawford finally landed on the podium at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Feb. 10, earning himself a bronze in the alpine combined event. Crawford’s third-place result in alpine combined makes him the first Canadian to medal in the alpine combined event at the Games, and just the fourth Canadian man to stand on an Olympic podium in alpine skiing. Fellow WMSC athletes Broderick Thompson and Brodie Seger gave locals even more reasons to celebrate following the event, finishing back-to-back in 8th and 9th place, respectively. In Big Air snowboarding, slopestyle gold medallist Max Parrot is taking home another piece of hardware after winning a bronze medal in the finals on Feb. 16. Mark McMorris and Whistler local Darcy Sharpe both missed the podium with 10th- and 12th-place finishes, respectively. In the women’s event, Whistler local Jasmine Baird was the top Canadian finalist with her seventh-place ranking, followed by teammate and podium-favourite Laurie Blouin in eighth. The Whistler Valley Snowboard Club was also represented in the women’s field by Rong Ge, who competes for China and finished fifth in finals. Whistler-based Team USA rider and two-time Olympic gold medallist Jamie Anderson failed to make the cut for finals, ranking 15th after a pair of falls in the qualifying round. In Freestyle skiing, Max Moffat finished ninth in the men’s event on Feb. 16. He was the only Canadian to compete in finals after teammates Edouard Therriault, Evan McEachran and Teal Harle all failed to advance after qualifiers. Local luge athletes also wrapped up their Olympic experience at the sliding track on Feb. 10, as Pemberton’s Trinity Ellis and Whistler’s Reid Watts joined doubles pair Tristan Walker and Justin Snith in the luge team relay event on Feb. 10. All three sleds made it down the track smoothly, netting themselves a sixth-place result. n

Professional, experienced care for stress, pain and injury Private office in Cheakamus Crossing at Whistler Athletes’ Centre Lodge juniperbuller@gmail.com

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Resort Municipality of Whistler 2022 Bid Opportunities for Capital Projects Rainbow Park Phase 1 – Rejuvenation Project • Valley Trail connection to Alta Lake Road • Reconﬁguration of paved parking area to accommodate shuttle buses • Expanded accessible parking and short term public loading/unloading area • Washroom connection to the municipal sanitary sewer and new sanitary lift station • Landscape improvements

Green Lake – Slope Stabilization Project • Installation of a concrete block or rock stack retaining wall along the slope below the Green Lake Pullout. Bid packages for these projects will be posted on Bid Opportunities at www.whistler. ca/bid and the BC Bid website www.bcbid.ca in the coming weeks. Learn more about the projects at whistler.ca/construction-projects Contact projects@whistler.ca Resort Municipality of Whistler www.whistler.ca\construction-projects

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

EPICURIOUS

Feeding an Olympic-sized appetite AS ATHLETES DECRY THE FOOD IN BEIJING, PIQUE LOOKS BACK AT THE EVOLUTION OF OLYMPIC MENUS

BY BRANDON BARRETT FOR AS MUCH as we love watching Olympic athletes perform at the absolute height of their sport, with the benefit of social media, audiences these days are just as intrigued by Olympians’ lives behind the scenes as they are with the ones they see on their TV screens. And with young athletes bringing their large social media followings along for their Olympic experience in Beijing, we’re getting a fascinating window this year into what it takes to keep nearly 3,000 Olympians fed (not to mention their extensive coaching and medical teams). Much has been made about the safety and logistics of preparing and delivering food to Olympic athletes in the midst of a global pandemic, with promises of robot chefs and conveyor belts. While robot servers have been spotted slanging cocktails and lowering food from the ceiling in the media centre, athletes in the main dining halls have mostly reported serving themselves—and the reviews so far have been mixed, to say the least. Plenty of athletes—from first-time Olympic snowboarder Tessa Maud to veteran and snowboarding icon Shaun White—have complimented the wide array of cuisine

FEEDING FRENZY Olympic menus have evolved by leaps and bounds as sports nutrition became more widely understood. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

54 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

on offer at the 24-7 cafeteria. Reports from China’s quarantine hotels have been less glittering. One Russian biathlete posted a photo of an unappealing-looking meal consisting of plain pasta, potatoes, scraps of meat on a bone, a piece of translucent chicken, and an unidentifiable red sauce she said she was served for “breakfast, lunch and dinner for five days already” at one of Beijing’s quarantine hotels. The coach of the Finnish men’s hockey team complained one of his players is “not getting good food” during his stay at a hotel. Germany’s team

and bounds over the decades, as nutrition and the profound effects diet have on athletic performance have become more widely understood. In a 2011 study published in Oxford’s Nutrition Reviews, researchers traced the history of food provision at the Summer Games over the past century and found that “early research favouring protein as the main fuel for exercise was reflected in [Olympic] menus from 1932 to 1968.” Despite conclusive research in the ’60s noting the clear benefit of carbohydrates

“The history of catering at the [Olympic Games] tracks the evolution of sports nutrition practice from anecdotes and myth towards an established specialty in nutrition and dietetics grounded in evidence-based science.” chief had similar concerns with the living conditions for skier Eric Frenzel, who was isolating after testing positive for the virus, with the coach highlighting the lack of cleanliness, insufficient Wi-Fi, and poor food. China’s quarantine hotels notwithstanding, it’s worth remembering the incredibly high standard to which modern Olympians hold their food these days. Olympic menus have evolved by leaps

on athletic performance, carb-rich menus didn’t become de rigeur at the Olympics until into the ’70s. Athletes’ preferences evolved quickly between 1970 and 2000, driven largely by the “dramatic expansion” of the Games themselves and the emergence of systematic sports nutrition research. Sponsorship by food brands also became a larger factor, beginning with the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The 1992 Games in Barcelona were the first time

a nutrition information desk appeared at the Olympics, while the Sydney Games in 2000 saw the addition of a dedicated menu website as well as the first widespread digital collection of data around Olympians’ dietary needs and preferences. “The history of catering at the [Olympic Games] tracks the evolution of sports nutrition practice from anecdotes and myth towards an established specialty in nutrition and dietetics grounded in evidence-based science,” the study concluded. These days, the variety and quality of options on offer at the Olympics is almost unfathomable, and last summer’s Tokyo Games might have just set the bar. Tokyo featured two main dining halls, one serving all Japanese food (the gyoza seems to have gotten rave reviews across the board), and the other offering all manners of international cuisine. Satiating thousands of elite-level Olympians also means accommodating some pretty unique dietary needs. During the 2012 Summer Games in London, we heard swimming superstar Michael Phelps claim he consumed up to 12,000 calories a day (he later scoffed at this bit of self-mythologizing, noting it’s impossible to eat that much in a day, but nonetheless, the dude eats a lot while training), while Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake told reporters he ate 16 ripe bananas every 24 hours in the lead-up to his races. At those Games, an estimated 1.2 million meals were served, including 25,000 loaves of bread, 75,000 litres of milk and 330 tons of fruit and vegetables. n

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH OPEN DAILY: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Proof of vaccination and government photo ID required for entry

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I Full Body HIIT 7:45-8:45 a.m. Anna

I Low Impact I Strong Strength Glutes & 7:45-8:45 a.m. Core Anna 7:45-8:45 a.m. Jess

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

I Full Body HIIT 9-10 a.m. Anna

I Low Impact Strength 9-10 a.m. Anna

F A M I L Y

I Low Impact Strength 9-10 a.m. Jess I Zumba 10:30-11:30 a.m. Susie

I Zumba 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Susie

I Gentle Fit for Seniors 1:30-2:30 p.m. Diana R Ballet for 7-10 yrs 4:45-5:30 p.m. Jane

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

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

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D A Y

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

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

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

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

I Strength & Stretch 9-10 a.m. Lou

When the puck drops, chase it as a family. Family Stick and Puck is on at Meadow Park Sports Centre. February 21 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

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

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

I Functional Conditioning 5-6 p.m. Anna

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

I TRX Mixer 6:15-7:15 p.m. Courtney

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

F Classic Spin 7:30-8:15 p.m. Courtney

TUE 22

WED 23

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Women & Oldtimers DIH 8:15-9:45 a.m. Family Stick Drop-In & Puck Hockey 10:30-11:30 a.m. 10-11:30 a.m.

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ARTS SCENE

Whistler Secondary alum’s Cold War thriller ushers readers from Moscow to the White House ANNA PITONIAK’S OUR AMERICAN FRIEND IS THE FICTIONAL BIOGRAPHY OF A MYSTERIOUS FIRST LADY LOOSELY INSPIRED BY MELANIA TRUMP

BY BRANDON BARRETT FOR AS LONG as she can remember, former Whistlerite Anna Pitoniak has been deeply fascinated by Russia, and she can’t quite pin down exactly why. Part of it is her long-held adoration of Russian literature. Part of it is the country’s distinctly troubled past. “It’s just this incredibly complex and tortured history of the country. It all happens on an epic scale,” she says. The 33-year-old Whistler Secondary alum has channelled that obsession into her new novel, Our American Friend, published Feb. 15 by Simon & Schuster. Centring on mysterious Soviet-born first lady Lara Caine and the disillusioned White House correspondent Sofie Morse tapped to write her biography, the book is a Cold War thriller that spans from the ’70s to the present day, ushering readers from the bread lines of ’80s Moscow and the catwalks of Paris to the halls of power in D.C. and New York. The original seed of inspiration for the book came from a profile in GQ of former first lady Melania Trump, months before her husband, real-estate tycoon Donald Trump, defied predictions to win the 2016 U.S. election. Pitoniak was struck by the

COLD WAR KID Whistler Secondary alum Anna Pitoniak spent much of her formative years in the resort at Armchair Books and the local library. PHOTO SUBMITTED

56 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

improbable path Melania had taken to the White House. Growing up in the former Yugoslavia, Melania’s father was a senior member of the Communist Party, and at least by the average Yugoslav standard, lived a relatively charmed life. “She grew up in a communist society in a sort of privileged position but very much imbibing that ideology. Then here she is,

Born in Soviet Russia and raised in Paris, where she worked as a model, Caine moved to America and married the notoriously brazen future president, Harry Caine. When she asks Morse to pen her biography, the journalist is intrigued, if only because so little is known about her past. A friendship develops between the two, and Caine is surprisingly open about her history,

“[The CIA] don’t have the power to censor what you’re writing, but I think often the CIA looks at the way they’re depicted in pop culture and they think, ‘Well, people always get this or that detail wrong,’’’ - ANNA PITONIAK

decades and decades later, in the ultimate capitalist society, which is America, and she again finds herself in this position of immense privilege,” Pitoniak says. “I just found myself so interested in what it must have been like to grow up with one set of beliefs and values and then to wind up living your adult life with a totally different system of beliefs and values—and had something happened along the way to cause her to shift her thinking, to change her loyalties?” But Pitoniak had no interest in rehashing Melania’s life; instead, she used her as a loose basis for the similarly enigmatic Lara Caine.

discussing her father’s work as an undercover KGB officer in Paris—and how he wasn’t the only member of the family who worked undercover in the Cold War. Eventually, Morse begins to wonder why the First Lady is so quick to divulge such sensitive details to a journalist responsible with sharing her story with the world—and why now? Suddenly, Morse finds herself in a high-stakes game of geopolitical cat and mouse. “I think [Caine’s] a really interesting example of how a person’s motives can fluctuate depending on the circumstances of their life. Sometimes we’re able to find

those moments of bravery when we can set self-interest aside and do what we know is the right thing, but other times we’re too scared, and we’re just focusing on pure selfpreservation,” Pitoniak explains. The author’s research was profound, bringing her to the streets of Moscow so she could “breathe Russian air” and the halls of the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Va. “[The CIA] don’t have the power to censor what you’re writing, but I think often the CIA looks at the way they’re depicted in pop culture and they think, ‘Well, people always get this or that detail wrong,’’’ Pitoniak says. “They were incredibly helpful. I had a lot of questions about details like how does an officer go about recruiting an agent. What does Step 1, Step 2 look like? I could glean a lot of this from my reading and my research but they were able to really get in the nitty gritty with me. Then there were some questions I asked they couldn’t answer.” The American-born Pitoniak’s formative years came in Whistler, and for the bookish kid who spent much of her free time in the library or at Armchair Books, she found a valued support network in a community not exactly known for its literary bent. “I was that nerdy kid who always had her nose in a book. I spent so much time at those two places and they were really important in making me the reader I am,” she says. Our American Friend is available now online and in bookstores. Learn more at annapitoniak.com/our-american-friend. n

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PACK EM IN Celebrants attempt to fit as many people as possible into Whistler Mountain’s original four-person gondola. WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION

Whistler Mountain’s 20th Birthday BY ALLYN PRINGLE

1045 Millar Creek Rd in Function Junction

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ON FEB. 9, 1985, Whistler Mountain decided to celebrate its 20th birthday with events and contests held on the mountain and at the Gondola Base (today known as Creekside). The Whistler Question stated that the goal of the celebrations was to “make everyone remember the good old days of ’65,” with food prices in Pika’s from 1965 and an après party featuring music and styles from the 1960s. There was just one problem with this plan: in February 1965, no lifts had been built on Whistler Mountain yet. Whistler Mountain officially opened to the public on January 15, 1966, 19 years before. This did not stop the lift company from throwing itself a 20th birthday party and inviting everyone to join in the festivities. On the mountain, the lift company organized a scavenger hunt, a special Ski Scamps and Parents race on Ego Bowl, and a Celebrity Masters Classic on the Lower Gondola Run (today part of Dave Murray Downhill). This last competition pitted celebrities of the ski industry against Whistler Mountain skiers, as well as allowing in “selected members of the media who can wear skis—and think at the same time.” For those who wanted to watch a spectacle rather than compete, the ski school performed a synchronized ski demonstration, and on the Saturday evening, 175 skiers participated in a torchlight parade down the mountain. At the Gondola Base, the Gondola Stuffing Contest saw 27 kids stuffed into one four-person gondola, and at Dusty’s the 1960s-themed air band contest was won by Cate Webster’s group The Exciters. Outside, people danced to live music and ate a giant birthday cake. The day before Whistler Mountain’s “birthday,” VIP meals had gathered together executives and staff from both Whistler and

Blackcomb Mountains to cut a much smaller cake. Though some invitees couldn’t make it (Seppo Makinen, whose crews cut the first runs on Whistler Mountain, was held up in Vancouver and missed “the first time in 20 years the lift company was going to pay for a meal”). President of Blackcomb Skiing Enterprises Hugh Smythe, himself a former Garibaldi Lift Ltd. employee, was spotted wearing a Garibaldi’s Whistler Mountain T-shirt for the occasion. Whistler Mountain’s 20th birthday was also a chance for the company and the community to reflect on the past 20 (or 19) years and the changes they had seen in such a short time. Three founding members of the lift company were asked how they felt about the milestone for the Question’s “Whistler Answers” column. Makinen said it felt “really good. It’s nice to see,” and Franz Wilhelmsen, the founding president of Garibaldi Lifts Ltd.,

“It has fulfilled everyone’s wildest dreams.” - FRANZ WILHELMSEN

told the paper “I think it’s fantastic. It has fulfilled everyone’s wildest dreams, I think.” Stefan Ples, however, believed that at 20 years the ski operation was still young compared to European resorts, and had plenty of potential. Ples told the paper, “It’s hardly started.” The fact that Whistler Mountain hadn’t been operating for quite 20 years yet was not important. The economy was coming out the other side of a major recession that had hit tourism and the town of Whistler quite hard, and hosting a party seemed like a great way to celebrate. The community seemed to agree, with more than 1,500 people joining in the festivities and showing that age really is just a number. n

PARTIAL RECALL

BC BIATHLON Sea to Sky Nordics athlete Andrei Secu competes at a BC Cup biathlon race at Whistler Olympic Park on Saturday, Feb. 12. PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH PHOTOGRAPHY. 2 LOST TRACKS With no new snow in the alpine, Josh Bishop swapped out downhill skiing for cross-country on a recent Thursday at Lost Lake. PHOTO BY JESSLYN GATES. 3 JANUARY FOR JESSE A month-long fundraiser at the Beacon Pub & Eatery this January raised more than $8,800 for Whistler Search and Rescue (plus a hefty $2,900 bar tab for Whistler ski patrollers) in memory of bartender Jesse Van Roon, who died in an accident on Whistler Mountain last January. Beacon staff presented WSAR with the cheque on Friday, Feb. 11. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4 SAYING THANKS The 1

Royal Canadian Legion, Pemberton Branch #201 is thanking the many organizations and individuals who have offered their support in completing the refurbishment of the Pemberton Cenotaph. Engraved pavers in memory of a veteran or loved one can still be purchased (for installation around the Cenotaph in late spring of 2022) by contacting legionbranch201@gmail.com for an order form. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 5 ROLE MODELS Fresh off the plane from the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, Olympians and Whistler Mountain Ski Club alums (from left) Brodie Seger, Broderick Thompson, and Jack Crawford returned to their home turf to dole out awards in the annual Janyk Cup race. PHOTO BY AL HAN.

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Cannabis Retail in Whistler The Resort Municipality of Whistler is developing an approach to regulating the sale of retail cannabis in Whistler. We want to hear from you. Help us identify challenges, opportunities, goals, and priorities for cannabis retail in Whistler. Tell us what you think on our virtual engagement page until March 7, 2022 at engage.whistler.ca/cannabisretail

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF FEBRUARY 17 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You’re slipping into a phase when stuff that has been invisible will become visible, at least to you. You will have extra power to peer beneath the surfaces and discern the hidden agendas and study the deeper workings. Your interest in trivia and distractions will dissipate, and you’ll feel intensified yearnings to home in on core truths. Here’s your guiding principle during this time: Favour the interests of the soul over those of the ego. And for inspiration, have fun with this quote by religious scholar Huston Smith: “The Transcendent was my morning meal, we had the Eternal at lunch, and I ate a slice of the Infinite at dinner.” TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “You cannot have fun with anything that you don’t love or admire or respect,” declared comedian Mel Brooks. I agree! The joyous release that comes through playful amusement is most likely to unfold when you’re in the presence of influences you are fond of. The good news, Taurus, is that in the coming weeks, you will have a special inclination and knack for hanging around people and influences like that. Therefore, you will have an enhanced capacity for mirth and delight and pleasure. Take full advantage, please! As much as possible, gravitate toward what you love and admire and respect. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “The thing about inspiration is that it takes your mind off everything else,” says Gemini author Vikram Seth. I bring this truth to your attention because I believe you will soon be the beneficiary of steady, strong waves of inspiration. I also predict that these waves will transport you away from minor irritations that are best left alone for now. Be alert and ever-ready to spring into action, my dear, so that as the inspirational surges flow, you will harvest the maximum rewards from their gifts. CANCER (June 21-July 22): The advice that Reb Nachman of Breslov offered two centuries ago is just right for you now: “Never ask directions from someone who knows the way, or you will never be able to get lost.” In the coming weeks, you will attract tricky but palpable blessings from meandering around without knowing exactly where you are. It’s time for you to find out what you don’t even realize you need to know; to stumble upon quiet little wonders and marvels that will ultimately prove to be guideposts for your holy quests in the future. Yes, I understand that being in unknown territory without a reliable map isn’t usually a pleasure, but I believe it will be for you. PS: Our fellow Cancerian, author Rebecca Solnit, wrote a book entitled A Field Guide to Getting Lost. It might be helpful during your wanderings. Read a summary of it here: tinyurl.com/GuideToGettingLost LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “You face your greatest opposition when you’re closest to your biggest miracle,” wrote author and filmmaker T. D. Jakes. According to my analysis of upcoming astrological omens, that’s good advice for you. I suspect that the problems you encounter will be among your best and most useful ever. With the right attitude, you will harness the challenges to generate magnificent breakthroughs. And what’s the right attitude? Proceed with the hypothesis that life is now conspiring to bring your soul exactly what your soul needs to express its ripest beauty. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Always remember this,” said actor Hattie McDaniel (1893–1952). “There are only 18 inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the rump.” Metaphorically speaking, I believe her advice will be useful for you in the coming days. Lately, you’ve had to deal with too many experiences and influences akin to kicks in the rump. But now that will change. Soon there’ll be a surge of experiences and influences that resemble pats on the back. In my estimation, you have finished paying your dues and making course corrections. Now it’s time for you to receive meaningful appreciation and constructive approval. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Gayle Forman offers a set of truths that I suspect will be useful for you in

the coming weeks. They may even be inspirational and motivational. Forman writes, “Sometimes fate or life or whatever you want to call it, leaves a door a little open, and you walk through it. But sometimes it locks the door and you have to find the key, or pick the lock, or knock the damn thing down. And sometimes, it doesn’t even show you the door, and you have to build it yourself.” Are you ready for the challenge, Libra? I think you are. Do whatever you must do to go through the doorways you want and need to go through. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash described her process. “I dream of songs,” she began. “I dream they fall down through the centuries, from my distant ancestors, and come to me. I dream of lullabies and sea shanties and keening cries and rhythms and stories and backbeats.” Scorpio, I would love for you to explore comparable approaches to getting the creative ideas you need to live your best life possible. I would love for you to draw freely from sources beyond your conscious ego—including your ancestors, the people you were in previous incarnations, gods and spirits, heroes and allies, the intelligence of animals, and the wisdom of nature. The coming months will be a favourable time to expand your access. Start boosting the signals now! SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Author Madeleine Thien has lived in Vancouver, Montreal, and Iowa City, and has taught at schools in Hong Kong and Brooklyn. Her father was born and raised in Malaysia and her mother in Hong Kong. She has a rich array of different roots. Not surprisingly, then, she has said, “I like to think of home as a verb, something we keep recreating.” That’s an excellent meditation for you right now, Sagittarius. And it will continue to be worthy of your ruminations for another four months. What’s the next step you could take to feel comfortable and secure and at peace? CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The fastest animal on earth is the peregrine falcon, which can reach speeds of 320 kilometres per hour when it dives from a great height. The seventh-fastest creature is the humble pigeon. Having been clocked at 148 kilometres per hour, the bird outpaces the cheetah, which is the fastest land animal. I propose we make the pigeon your spirit creature for the coming weeks. On the one hand, you may seem mild and modest to casual observers. On the other hand, you will in fact be sleek, quick, and agile. Like the pigeon, you will also be highly adaptable, able to thrive in a variety of situations. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Self-control might be as passionate and as active as the surrender to passion,” wrote Aquarian author W. Somerset Maugham. Yes! I agree! And that’s the perfect message for you to hear right now. If you choose to take advantage of the potentials that life is offering you, you will explore and experiment with the mysteries of self-discipline and self-command. You’ll be a trailblazer of discernment and poise. You will indulge in and enjoy the pleasures of self-regulation. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 1961, Piscean cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first human to orbit the Earth in a spacecraft. As his feat neared its end, Gagarin left the capsule at 20,000 feet above the ground and parachuted the rest of the way. He arrived in a turnip field where a girl and her grandmother were working. They provided him with a horse and cart so he could travel to the nearest telephone and make a call to get picked up and brought back to headquarters. I foresee a metaphorically comparable series of events transpiring in your life, Pisces. Be flexible and adaptable as you adjust to changing conditions with changing strategies. Your exceptional and illustrious activities may require the assistance of humble influences. Homework: Name the three things most worthy of celebrating right now. Then celebrate them! Newsletter. FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

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3 9 8 5 2 1 $20.00 6 4 7 PER HOUR 2 1 5 6 4 7 8 9 3 1-2 shifts per week 7Minimum 4 6 9 3 Commitment 8 5 2 1 9 6 7 2 5 3 1 8 4 1 5 4 BREAKFAST 7 8 9 2 3 6| LUNCH | DINNER 8 3 2 4 1 6 9 7 5 6 2 9 1 EMAIL 7 4 3 YOUR 5 8 RESUME TO: 4 8 1 3 9 5 7 6 2 5 7 3WORK@WESTINWHISTLER.COM 8 6 2 4 1 9

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

DOUG BUSH

SURVEY SERVICES LTD.

is looking for a

OFFICE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR

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

Part time Flexible hours. The applicant should have data entry experience and be detail oriented. Knowledge of Sage/Simply accounting, proficiency in Excel and Payroll experience an asset.

SURVEY FIELD TECHNICIAN:

with a two or three year college or technical school program in geomatics. Three years’ experience and Proficient in the use of robotic survey instruments and GPS equipment for engineering and building construction layout, topographic site surveys, site improvement surveys and precise monitoring. Experience with AutoCAD Civil 3D also an asset to assist in office with computations and drawing preparation. Please call Ian @ 604-932-3314 or email @ ian@dbss.ca #18-1370 Alpha Lake Rd. Whistler BC V0N 1B1 Serving Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton

JOIN OUR TEAM Cooks, Dishwashers, Expeditors, Hosts

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR RESUME TO: CAREERS@ILCAMINETTO.CA

WILD WOOD IS HIRING FOR ALL POSITIONS

CONTACT bob@wildwoodrestaurants.ca TO APPLY

There’s a place for you here.

EVR Fine Homes is looking for exceptional people to join our team. We are a proven leader in residential home and estate building in Whistler. We partner with the best architects, designers and trades in the industry. World class, custom projects require commitment and dedication from our partners and our team of craftspeople. We have several significant projects currently in progress across Whistler and we are looking for individuals who are keen to build a rewarding career with a company that values quality workmanship. We are currently hiring for Finish Carpenters, Carpenters, Apprentices, and Labourers.

Now Hiring - Fairmont Chateau Whistler -

ROOM ATTENDANTS:

FRONT DESK AGENTS:

EVR is committed to the long-term retention and skills development of our employees - we are only as good as our team. We are passionate about investing in the future of our workforce, and offer: • • • • •

Competitive Wages Apprenticeship Training & Tuition Reimbursement On-site Mentoring and Skills Development Extended Health and Dental Benefits Positive Work Environment

If you love what you do and have a desire to work on architecturally-beautiful and sophisticated custom homes while growing your career with a renowned Whistler builder, please get in touch. You can send your resume to info@evrfinehomes.com and can view our work at www.evrfinehomes.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

66 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

APPLY HERE

WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU: • Employee staff housing available • Employee discounts on hotel stays and food & beverage • Ability to develop your talent here and at 5000+ Accor hotels

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

Come Grow Sport with us at our Whistler Olympic Legacy Venues

Whistler Athletes’ Centre (High-Performance Training & Accommodation) Guest Service Agent/Lodge Attendant

NOW HIRING

Whistler Olympic Park (Nordic Skiing, Snowshoeing & Outdoor Activities) Nordic Sport Instructor

RESTAURANT DIRECTOR Currently seeking a Restaurant Director to inspire and oversee the front-of-house team and deliver a unique, elevated guest experience. • Lead the delivery of an unforgettable culinary experience for guests

Visit our website to view current postings and to apply: www.whistlersportlegacies.com/careers

• Provide leadership, development and motivation to the team to ensure guest experience is always paramount through consistent delivery of high-quality food and beverages • Oversee all day to day and event activity to ensure proper planning and execution

JOIN OUR TEAM

Experienced Service Plumbers / Gas Fitters Required

• Minimum 8 years of experience in food and beverage industry • Minimum of 5 years of experience in a management role in food and beverage industry preferably within a similar venue

Full Time - Long Term - Immediate start Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton Competitive Wage Package + Incentives Company Vehicle, Phone + Uniforms Provided

SIGNING BONUS

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR RESUME TO: CAREERS@TOPTABLE.CA

Send resume in confidence to: Dough@spearheadsph.com SPEARHEAD PLUMBING AND HEATING LTD. WWW.SPEARHEADPLUMBING.COM

EXCITING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, APPLY TODAY!

We pride ourselves with having a long term team of employees, and helping you reach your fullest potential.

[Work Among Friends] [Free Golf] [Best Golf Course/Patio] Fun + Professional + TONIC Learning Culture Lock-in your dreamy SUMMER now; start in April/May $585 private room housing steps away may be available View options/apply online: nicklausnorth.com/careers

Diamond Resorts Canada Ltd., Whistler, BC

Full Time Front Desk Agent Full Time Maintenance Technician Full Time Night Auditor Eligible successful candidates may receive* • $750.00 Hiring Bonus for successful full time candidates (if hired between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022) • Extensive benefits package which may include; ski pass or wellness allowance, disability coverage, travel insurance and extended health and dental. • Travel Allowance and discounted employee rates at any Diamond Resort International resort. • Full-time work year round and a FUN work environment. *eligibility and conditions based on DRCL policies and practices set out in general terms and conditions of employment. Please note that Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) acquired Diamond Resorts International (DRI) as of August 02, 2021. If you apply to work at a Diamond Resorts company you will be an applicant of a subsidiary of HGV. A transition to HGV will occur as we integrate technology, systems and branding but it will take time until our separate operating systems, employment policies and benefits are fully integrated. As a result, for a period of time, employees will receive correspondence and messaging from Diamond Resorts as well as from HGV and related entities.

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

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Sales Associates Positions Available!

At the Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) our vision of ‘Service. Relationships. Results.’ is all about providing a valued service, building strong relationships with our stakeholders, and achieving greater results for the province. The LDB is one of two branches of government responsible for the cannabis and liquor industry of B.C. We operate the wholesale distribution of beverage alcohol within the province, as well as the household retail brand of BC Liquor Stores. We employ nearly 5,000 people in over 200 communities and have been named one of BC’s Top Employers 13 times over for offering exceptional places to work rooted in values of fairness and respect, work-life balance, and inclusion and diversity. We believe that our people are our greatest asset. Being a reputable employer with programs of skills training and professional development are what attract candidates to BC Liquor Stores, while our progressive, forward-thinking culture is why employees with a growth mindset thrive. Auxiliary positions are on-call, meaning hours of work are not guaranteed and subject to availability. Some auxiliary employees may not initially work a full 35-hour week, but with more hours worked and more seniority gained, more opportunities for more hours of work will follow. Auxiliary positions are not permanent full-time but can lead to permanent full-time opportunities with a very competitive total compensation package, including a comprehensive pension plan, medical and dental coverage (including massage and physiotherapy), tuition reimbursement and scholarship programs, and access to public service employee benefits including career support services, financial and legal services, and employee and family counselling. We are dedicated to the highest quality of customer service, delivered with friendliness, individual pride, initiative, and retail passion! If you fit this description and you are prepared to work in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply to become a part of the Whistler area BC Liquor Stores. To be eligible, applicants must meet the following qualification requirements: • • • • •

Be at least 19 years of age Be able to legally work in Canada Be able to provide excellent customer service Be able to communicate effectively and professionally with the public Be able to demonstrate aptitude for cashier and related duties, including calculations • Be able to perform physically demanding work, including lifting 20-25 kg boxes • Have a valid Serving It Right Certificate™ • A Criminal Record Check is required.

RISE TO THE CHALLENGE HEAD CHEF

Full Time, Seasonal (April – October) The Head Chef at the Whistler Golf Club organizes and directs the functions of the kitchen staff and develops the products for Palmer’s Gallery Bar and Grill, Crabapple Corner and the Beverage Cart. Reporting to the Director, Golf, the Head Chef works in conjunction with the Front of House Manager to deliver an exceptional product to our guests. What we offer: fun team and work environment, access to golf facilities, flexible work schedule, competitive wages and gratuities. What we’re looking for: a culinary rock star with leadership experience in a kitchen environment, menu creation and costing experience, the ability to handle multiple demands effectively and efficiently, and a passion for food and guest service.

P: Justa Jeskova

PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

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

is now hiring for

Assistant Maintenance Manager

This dynamic role includes the following Perks and Benefits:

• Full-Time, Year Round position • Competitive Wage and Benefits • Extended Medical Benefits • Supportive Executive Team 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.

BC Liquor Store Sales Associates may be required to operate a variety of mechanical and hand-operated equipment, in addition to handling large volumes of bottles as part of the LDB’s recycling program. Rate of Pay (as of April 11, 2021): Auxiliary Sales Associate - $19.45 per hour For exciting and challenging retail opportunities, please apply online at: http://bcliquorstores.prevueaps.ca/pages/openings/ Or apply in person at: Whistler Marketplace 101-4360 Lorimer Rd, Whistler On November 1, 2021 the BC Public Service announced the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy that defines the conditions and expectations for BC Public Service employees regarding vaccination against COVID-19. Among other possible measures, proof of vaccination will be required by November 22, 2021. It is a term of acceptance of employment that you agree to comply with all vaccination requirements that apply to the public service. More information can be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/careers-myhr/all-employees/safety-health-well-being/health/ covid-19/covid-19-vaccination-policy-for-bc-public-service-employees

68 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Hiring - Construction Workers Corona Excavations Ltd is looking for Construction Workers for the upcoming construction season. We are a civil based construction company with a professional and enjoyable working environment working in the sea to sky corridor from Pemberton to Squamish. We are offering full-time hours with wages dependant on experience. If you are interested or have any questions please call 604-966-4856 or email me with your CV at Dale@coronaexcavations.com.

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Come and join our fun and collaborative team at Whistler.com! Working alongside Tourism Whistler, Whistler.com welcomes visitors to Whistler by promoting and selling vacations through a team of local travel experts, exciting customer service techniques, and a user-friendly website. If you love Whistler’s unique mountain culture and want to join an innovative and supportive team, we are now hiring for the following opportunities:

PLAY HERE

• Sales Operations Coordinator • Travel Consultant • Visitor Centre Agent What we offer: a flexible schedule offering work-life balance, excellent compensation and benefits package, and a great team environment. TO VIEW OUR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO APPLY, VISIT US ONLINE AT WHISTLER.COM/CAREERS.

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We've Got You Covered

HIRING

VISITORS’ GUIDE 2017-2018 FREE

PROJECT COORDINATOR Please send resume to info@murphyconstruction.ca

Resort ofofWhistler Resort Municipality Municipality Whistler Resort Municipality of Whistler

Employment EmploymentOpportunities Opportunities Employment Opportunities ·•·· Fire Legislative and Privacy Coordinator Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Legislative Chief and Privacy Coordinator

Night Audit

Lifeguard/Swim Instructor ·· ····Legislative and Privacy Coordinator Program Leader Skate Program Leader Instructor •·Lifeguard/Swim Custodial Guard SkateHost Host ··•···Program Leader Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor Host Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Labourer I - Facility Construction Management Capital Projects ·Skate Wastewater Treatment PlantProcess Process Supervisor Solid Waste Technician ··•····Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Labourer I – Village Maintenance Solid Waste Technician Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Supervisor Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Labourer I – Village Maintenance Accountant Youth and Services Specialist ··•····Solid Accountant Labourer IPublic – Technician Village Maintenance Program Leader - Myrtle Philip Community Centre YouthWaste and Public Services Specialist ·· Accountant Youth and Public Services Specialist Resort Municipality of Whistler Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers whistler.ca/careers Resort Municipality of Whistler

whistler.ca/careers

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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ARE YOU A SELF-MOTIVATED INDIVIDUAL LOOKING TO GROW YOUR CAREER IN SQUAMISH?

Come be a part of our awesome team as The Squamish Chief’s new Media Account Manager. If you don’t already live in Squamish, you should know it’s one of the most innovative and attractive communities on the West Coast just a short commute from the North Shore of Vancouver. It has a growing worldwide reputation for outdoor recreation with world-class mountain biking, rock climbing, water sports and skiing, boarding and the backcountry in the winter. We’re youthful, engaged and passionate about where we live! And if you’re a local – well, you know you’re in the right place to forge a career and lucky to call Squamish home. We’ve got an opportunity to work and truly be a part of this inspired community at its media hub, The Squamish Chief. We’re part of Glacier Media Group and Local News Network, the largest local digital network in Canada. We work with our clients to offer cutting edge solutions like programmatic, Social, SEO, sponsored content and community display advertising on our website – and yes, we reach customers through our trusted newspaper as well. We’ve got media opportunities covered.

Here’s what we’re looking for: • • • • •

You have sales experience and 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.

Here’s the essentials of what we offer: • • •

Competitive salary + uncapped commission package. Comprehensive health and dental coverage and extended benefits. Extensive onboarding training and ongoing support.

SHARE YOUR PASSION SUMMER SEASONAL OPPORTUNITIES Experience a summer like no other in Whistler! The Whistler Golf Club is an Arnold Palmer designed course, situated just a short walk from Whistler Village. In concert with Mr. Palmer’s “go for it” attitude when he played, we believe the golf experience we provide should be fun, entertaining, accessible and memorable. To that end, we are looking for employees who have an engaging and outgoing personality and can get truly “cranked up” everyday to deliver our branded service experience. We are now hiring in the following departments for the 2022 summer season: • Golf Maintenance: Grounds Maintenance & Volunteers • Food & Beverage: Front of House & Back of House • Guest Services & Golf Shop

Come join us!

• Driving Range

Please submit your cover letter and resume in confidence to Cathie Greenlees at: cgreenlees@squamishchief.com

• Head Chef

Closing date is February 25, 2022

We are also hiring for the following specialized positions: • Irrigation Technician What we offer: a fun team and work environment, competitive compensation package, and free golf at our legendary course! TO VIEW OUR OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO APPLY, VISIT US ONLINE AT WHISTLERGOLF.COM/CAREERS.

70 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Lil’wat Nation

Employment Opportunities • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Accounting Assistant Worker - Finance Administrative Assistant to Health Director Cultural Coordinator - Social Services Early Childhood Educator and/or Assistant - Daycare Early Childhood Educator Infant Toddler - Daycare Education Jurisdiction Coordinator - Xet’olacw Community School Elementary On-Call Teacher - Xet’olacw Community School Family Enhancement Worker - Social Services Home Care Nurse RN or LPN Indigenous Support Worker Casual - Ts’zil Learning Centre IT Co-ordinator Kindergarten Teacher - Xet’olacw Community School Project Coordinator - Social Services Project Coordinator - Xet’olacw Community School Retail Accountant and Business Analyst - Lil’wat Business Group Store Operations Manager - Tsi’pun Supermarket

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

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. What we are looking for • • • • •

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES We are a collaborative team with a passion for where we live and what we do. If you love Whistler’s unique mountain culture and want to join an innovative and supportive team, we are now hiring for the following full time opportunities: • Events Manager • Research Specialist (7 Month Contract) • Facilities Engineer • Maintenance Technician/Cleaner

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.

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.

What we offer: a flex schedule offering work-life balance, excellent compensation and benefits package, and a great team environment.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume in confidence to Susan Hutchinson, shutchinson@wplpmedia.com

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

Closing date: Open until filled.

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

CALL THE EXPERTS

Want to advertise your service on this page?

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

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CARPET CLEANING

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• Carpets • Upholstery • Tiles • Car Interiors

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your service here?

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72 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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

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

PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 10 14 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 34 36 37 38 40 41 43 46 48 49 53 54 56 58 59 61 63 64

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DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21

4 6 7 8 9 7 4 6 7 3 1 9 5 1 8 5 6 8 6 3 2 5 8 2 1 7 1 4 5 EASY

31 33 35 36 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

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2 4 1 6 7 3

9 4 8 2 4 5 9

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3 2

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ANSWERS ON PAGE 65

FEBRUARY 17,2022

MAXED OUT

Whistler may emerge from the pandemic smaller—but would that be a bad thing? EVERY TIME I see a story in the nonski, national media about Whistler, or any other ski destination for that matter, I cringe just a bit. Whether the stories relate to winter sports or summer pastimes, they generally tend to be upbeat, Chamber-ofCommercy kinds of stories. “I/we stayed in a nice hotel, ate at great restaurants and, oh, the smorgasbord of things to do were just nonstop and wonderful.” But the narrative only tells half the story and is often shaded by the overlooked fact the writer wasn’t footing the bill for their whirlwind stay in paradise.

BY G.D. MAXWELL The other half is generally contained in the comments following. I fully understand even the best curated—censored—comments sections are somewhat less toxic cesspools of misinformation than generally found on social media, but they also contain interesting insight into what a cross section of the reading public think about a subject, or in the case of Whistler-centric stories, our home. Apparently we all tend to be wealthy— quite likely as a happy result of our family’s trust fund—ne’er do wells living in fabulous multi-million-dollar homes, dressed in very expensive designer outfits who favour overcrowded slopes groomed to perfection and operated by an unfeeling corporate money machine. Only one of those things is true but all seem to be part of troll culture. Interestingly, even quite a few people who fit that description, which is to say a number of our very welcome guests and second, third and fourth homeowners, are surprised to discover there are people who actually live here and aren’t fabulously wealthy. They assume the workerbees live somewhere, perhaps in warrens underneath the resort itself, but they also assume most are just passing through—here for a good time, not a long time. They express shock when I explain most of the folks who live here are not, in fact, wealthy, but struggle to stay here in the face of expensive housing and even more expensive, crucial lifestyle expenses... like bikes that cost way more than many of the cars they own. Such are the sacrifices of living in paradise. But has paradise been lost? Can Whistler get its mojo back? Will the new, post-pandemic normal be much like it was pre-pandemic, or will it be dramatically different? Don’t know. My hunch is it’ll be ironically different. Ironically because the population will be larger... and growing. The 2021 census information pegs Whistler’s population at 13,982. I’m rounding to 14,000 because I know there have to be at least 18 more who live in vans, on couches and were undoubtedly missed because they never check the mail they don’t get or didn’t bother to respond.

74 FEBRUARY 17, 2022

PHOTO BY MIKE CRANE/GETTY IMAGES

Notwithstanding the current transit strike, anyone who drives a car in Whistler knows the population is up. We have bona fide rush hours. I don’t know whether they actually last an hour or not but I do know there is a rush of SUVs heading both directions on the highway during what is typically thought of as rush hour. It isn’t just the endless line of traffic north in the morning and south in the afternoon, there’s an astounding flow coming south from points north as well in the morning and reversing that flow in the afternoon. Also ironically because Whistler the Resort may emerge from the pandemic smaller. Less dynamic. Less animated. More, dare I say, right-sized?

pedestrian bridge—was envisioned to be a seven-to-12-year development project. By the mid-1990s, virtually all of the parcels were sold and work was underway on most of them. Poof! Whistler more or less doubled in the blink of an eye. Whistler’s southern expansion, growing out of Intrawest’s Placemaking redevelopment of Creekside, was an offer council of the day couldn’t pass up. While acknowledging the preference would have been for a more phased redevelopment, everyone believed Whistler would grow into its new shoes, er, footprint. The direct result of both growth spurts was an almost single-minded effort by the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism

It isn’t just the endless line of traffic north in the morning and south in the afternoon, there’s an astounding flow coming south from points north as well in the morning and reversing that flow in the afternoon.

Whistler grew too fast. Our growth was partly out of our control and partly fuelled by believing our own PR—successful resort with an unlimited flight path. The too-soon, too-much growth began in 1989 when the municipality and province hammered out the details on Village North, the large parcel of land the province picked up when it bailed the nascent resort out of bankruptcy earlier in the decade. Village North—the land roughly north of the

Whistler and the Chamber of Commerce to pull out all the stops to put heads in beds, that being pretty much the only metric driving their efforts. That it worked was evidenced by the pre-pandemic focus on overtourism. That it was too much, too soon is evidenced by the empty commercial locations, the truncated opening hours/ days of many businesses, the partially opened venues on Whistler and Blackcomb and the handwringing over whether and

when workerbees might begin to flock to Whistler again. Hence, the shrinking of Whistler. So will we be again what we were before? I suspect the tourists will come back. Not as sure they’ll continue to come back when they experience the decline in service levels and choices, both in the village and on the mountains. I believe the Aussies will return. I hope they do. We need them. Not just because they fill jobs we’re struggling to fill, but because they add a vibrancy to the resort sorely lacking in their absence. The gapyear imperative, so celebrated by the island continent, may prove to have been dampened by the pandemic, but I can’t believe it will have been extinguished. It’s too much a part of the culture to disappear, and there are too many people in the country with children ramping up on their own gap years who still harbour fond memories of their own time here to not have passed on the desire to find out for themselves if the stories are true. I’m less convinced, but hopeful, Canadians and adventurers from other countries will reignite the spark and head here for a good time, not a long time. We shall see. Bad press about housing, pricing and value for price will have to get a lot better for that to happen. And with the changing reality of foreign ownership, second homeowners retiring to Whistler, digital nomads encamping here because they can work anywhere and the ongoing inability of local business to entice retired and semi-retired people into the workforce, I won’t be surprised to see the smaller Whistler sticking around for some time to come. I’m also not sure that would be a bad thing. ■

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WHITE GOLD 7453 Ambassador Amazingly bright, open and versatile property that sleeps 22, enough room for the entire family, completely reno’d in 2014. Turn-key property and is ready for your entire family to all have space to enjoy their Whistler Sanctuary, making this a hidden gem! $5,800,000

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Whistler Village Shop

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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.

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3D Tour - rem.ax/413alpenglow

99 Highway 99

$4,500,000

#413 - 4369 Main Street

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$449,000

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

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Matt Chiasson

778.919.7653

604.935.9171

#209 - 4865 Painted Cliff Rd.

$2,825,000

Beautifully appointed &renovated, stunning 2.5 bedroom end unit townhome at Snowbird in The Benchlands, sleeps 8. Bright open plan with breathtaking Mountain Views. 4 outdoor decks, 2 off the main floor & 2 lower decks, complimenting each bedroom with an en-suite with heated floors.

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$288,000

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#30 - 4375 Northlands Blvd.

$1,985,000

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604.932.9586

2.5

#55 - 4375 Northlands Blvd.

$1,599,000

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7580 Taylor Road

$999,000

#602 - 4050 Whistler Way

$314,000

Nestled between Whistler Village and Upper Village, #57 Gables is steps to Whistler and Blackcomb Gondolas and the Whistler Bike Park. Split over 2 levels, this lofted 1.5 bedroom has high vaulted ceilings with lots of windows inviting in an abundance of natural light, and is ready for your creative touch

This beautiful 1/3 acre property on the Pemberton Fringe allows for low taxes and access to municipal services. The current home has 3.5 bedrooms and 1 bathroom and the two story shop on the property allows for additional living space. This ideal location is close to the village of Pemberton and is prime for a new build.

This is one of the best hotels for accessing both mountains and Whistler Village. Enjoy everything this award winning Hilton Resort & Spa hotel has to offer: heated outdoor pool/ hot tub, spa, 24hr fitness centre, tennis courts, parking, pub, dine in service and more! Unlimited owner usage (19% fee applies), or rent through The Hilton and collect consistent revenue.

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Anastasia Skryabina

1.5

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1565 Khyber Lane

$3,850,000

604.905.0737

3.5

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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.

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9145 Summer Lane

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3D Tour - rem.ax/208snowbird

$2,998,000

Enjoy the views of Whistler, Blackcomb and Green Lake from the sunken hot tub in your new wrap around deck. Just a stones throw from Green Lake for boating in the summer and skating or cross country skiing in the winter. This 5 bedroom home features 3 bedrooms in the main house and a spacious 2 bedroom suite.

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604.902.3292

#208 - 4865 Painted Cliff Rd

$149,000

Owning a 1/10th share in the 1350 square ft condominium on the Benchlands near Blackcomb is great way to insure that you family has year round access to Whistler and an Ownership position that will last in perpetuity. Each year you have access to 2-3 ski weeks and/ or 2 or more summer weeks.

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