Pique Newsmagazine 2911 by Pacific Coastal Publications LP

MARCH 17, 2022 ISSUE 29.11

WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM

FREE

BETTER FUTURES

Time for

Indigenous Futurism Today’s Indigenous musicians and filmmakers unearth tomorrow’s memories

BUSINESS DRIVER

Whistler businesses hope for transit resolution

WAGE LIFT

Wages are going up—both in B.C. and at Vail Resorts

VINTAGE EMPIRE

Local shops collaborate on vintage pop-up

From all of us at Nesters, enjoy all your time with your family during Spring break!

ENJOY LIFE

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

26 Time for Indigenous futurism Today’s Indigenous musicians and filmmakers unearth tomorrow’s memories. - By tobias c. van Veen

BUSINESS DRIVER

With a busy March break

around the corner, Whistler’s business community hopes a resolution is in

MISSION ZERO

The Village of Pemberton’s

Community Climate Action Plan charts a path to zero emissions.

sight for the transit strike.

WAGE LIFT

B.C.’s minimum wage is set to increase,

TRIPLE CROSS

A trio of Whistler skiers are off to

as Vail Resorts bumps wages company-wide.

Italy for the Ski Cross Junior World Championships.

SNOW WORRIES

The Resort Municipality of

Whistler is updating its snow and ice control policy.

VINTAGE EMPIRE

With the harmful effects of

fast fashion in the spotlight, local consumers are increasingly thinking beyond fashion when buying clothes.

COVER Maybe true reconciliation happens when we all realize who the truly enlightened are. - By Jon Parris // photo by G. E. Fleming, 1903 4 MARCH 17, 2022

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS On the two-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, editor Braden

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

Dupuis is choosing optimism over bitterness.

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter writers this week respond to a column in last week’s Pique,

Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com

and make an appeal to the courageous in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

Editor BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com Assistant Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@wplpmedia.com Production Manager AMIR SHAHRESTANI - ashahrestani@wplpmedia.com Art Director JON PARRIS - jparris@wplpmedia.com Advertising Representatives

12 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Privacy concerns can’t be used as an excuse to withhold public information, writes BC & Yukon Community NewsMedia Association’s Tim Shoults.

62 MAXED OUT Heliskiing may pack a massive GHG punch, but it’s also akin to a religious experience, writes G.D. Maxwell this week.

TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com GEORGIA BUTLER - gbutler@wplpmedia.com Digital/Sales Coordinator AMELA DIZDARIC - traffic@wplpmedia.com Production production@piquenewsmagazine.com

Environment & Adventure

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

25 THE OUTSIDER Vince Shuley details everything you need to know about getting

Social Media Editor MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@piquenewsmagazine.com

started in snowmobiling.

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

36 EPICURIOUS St. Patrick’s Day festivities return at long last to the Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub.

Office and Accounts Manager HEIDI RODE - hrode@wplpmedia.com Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, FEET BANKS, LESLIE ANTHONY, ANDREW MITCHELL, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY, LISA RICHARDSON

42 MUSEUM MUSINGS Skiers and snowboarders may peacefully coexist today, but there was a

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

time when single-plankers were strictly not allowed.

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

Happy birthday, COVID! I SUPPOSE I SHOULD start with the obvious disclaimer and say it’s not actually COVID’s birthday. The first known case of the virus was detected in China in December 2019. I also don’t consider it an occasion worth celebrating—if COVID were a person I’d be throwing its birthday invitation in the trash and giving its gift to charity. But as I kicked around topics for this week’s Opening Remarks, it dawned on me that this week marks a very surreal

BY BRADEN DUPUIS two-year anniversary. It has been two years since COVID was officially declared a pandemic—on March 11, 2020—and two years since it really hit home in B.C. and North America. It was on March 11, 2020 that the National Basketball Association suspended its season—the first real sign of the seriousness to come—and on March 14, Vail Resorts announced it would close all of its North American resorts, Whistler Blackcomb included.

and headed for the village, where I interviewed strangers on the Stroll about the insanity enveloping us. Tuesday, March 17—two years ago to the day of this article’s publication—walking the Village Stroll and finding it almost completely empty on a beautiful, sunny St. Patrick’s Day (“eerie,” was the word everyone kept using to describe the Village in those first weeks of the pandemic). Later coming across two municipal workers fencing off the playground at Whistler Olympic Plaza, and wondering if I’d ever seen anything so symbolically devoid of hope. Then returning to my car in the mostly empty Marketplace parking lot, and seeing a woman doing her best (and failing) to stifle a full-on ugly cry as she walked in the direction of the liquor store. Me too, lady. It might have been something else. But at the same time, I knew it wasn’t. Thinking back on the weeks that followed feels like a fever dream—moving all of our operations to our respective homes, and completely re-imagining how we produce our newspaper on the fly; all public meetings moved to Zoom, and online livestreams to raise money for the food bank; friends and colleagues laid off due to sudden, drastic budget constraints; hand sanitizer and toilet paper shortages; Tiger King on Netflix.

March 2020 puts a pit in my stomach. Somehow it feels like it’s been both a decade and a day. Looking back at the pages of Pique from March 2020 puts a pit in my stomach. Somehow it feels like it’s been both a decade and a day. There are a few standout moments from March 2020 that will stick with me for as long as I live. Saturday, March 14, sitting at home and reading news of the mountain’s closure, and realizing that I couldn’t just sit still—I had to be reporting on it, even though it was my day off. I grabbed my recorder and my notebook

Doubt and fear and uncertainty, and the immense weight of loss and grief we were all unceremoniously forced to shoulder together. I can still feel it now as acutely as I did then, if I try. It would be easy to be bitter about the past two years. But to be perfectly honest, I’ve got no time or energy left for bitterness. I’ve also got no time for pandemic dramatics, armchair epidemiologists, conspiracy theorists, and political opportunists. To put it bluntly, I’m done with bullshit. I’m finding it’s much more rewarding to

deal in hope and optimism. With B.C.’s announcement on March 10 that masks are no longer mandatory, and that its vaccine card program will expire April 8, another milestone has been met on the long road back to “normal”—or something resembling it. The relaxed provincial restrictions are encouraging, but more still needs to be done at the border if Whistler is to return to its former tourism powerhouse glory. According to Tourism Whistler, restrictions that are still impacting the industry include: a mandatory vaccination requirement for federally regulated travel in Canada; a requirement for recreational travellers to be fully vaccinated to avoid quarantine and testing when entering Canada; pre-entry testing at the border for all travellers; and randomized testing at the border (among others—find more info at whistler.com/covid). “While there has been some good progress made on the loosening of COVID19 testing restrictions, the biggest remaining issue that the tourism industry would like to see is the removal of testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers—as testing is both inconvenient and costly, and does create a barrier to travel to Canada from our U.S. and international markets,” said Tourism Whistler president and CEO Barrett Fisher, in an email. The pandemic isn’t over, and everyone, particularly the elderly and immunocompromised, will have their own level of comfort as we navigate the coming months—but I know that a shift in strategy to one based on personal responsibility has many of us breathing a sigh of relief. With that in mind, it’s unlikely we’ve seen the end of all restrictions forever, and I won’t be surprised if masks make a comeback in the fall. But between our high vaccination rates, new antiviral medications for those at high risk, and a better understanding of the virus overall, I’m hopeful that a true return to normalcy is close at hand—and that none of us will find ourselves sobbing our way to the liquor store in the near future (at least not for pandemic-related reasons). ■

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In response to Carnival of cowardice It has been a few years since I have read Pique due to COVID and travel restrictions. I recall rightly or wrongly that it was at that time somewhat middle-of-the-road/trendy-left, presumably reflecting the Whistlerite readership. I was dismayed to note that it has apparently fallen squarely into the hands of the woke, think-alike, farther left crowd. My credulity was particularly stretched by the article advocating for free public transit, in which the lack thereof was equated with “racism.” In the new woke world, everything is viewed through the lens of our alleged shameful societal racism, even while we live in probably the least racist country on the planet! However, I was particularly struck by Leslie Anthony’s “Carnival of cowardice” heaping paragraph upon paragraph of vituperative scorn on the recent truckers’ convoy. This was an unrelenting succession of exaggeration, hyperbole and downright falsehoods concerning almost every aspect of this event. I guess his research for the article was conducted by watching the CBC and at a distance of a few thousand miles from the actual event. I do agree that there was a dereliction of duty on the part of our leaders in not brokering a transfer of these activities to a location where

among you to stand in defiance of tyranny and together for what is just and civil. Consider financial support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces here: bank.gov.ua/en/news/all/ perekazati-koshti-dlya-dopomogi-zbroynimsilam-ukrayini-stalo-prostishe. Let’s not abandon our Ukrainian brothers and sisters to a future of subjugation and misery as property of Putin’s regime of personal power. Dale Marcoux // Whistler

they would not interfere in the peace, order, and good government of Ottawa and elsewhere. The invocation of the Emergencies Act after three weeks of dithering inaction with its unwarranted suspension of civil rights was completely unnecessary as existing laws were sufficient to justify appropriate action. The acquiescence of the federal NDP in approving this emergency invocation was particularly hypocritical and unconscionable in a party that likes to portray itself as a defender of all that is right and good. A demonstration of dissent, however inappropriate and intrusive, is not the same as an insurrection intended to topple a legally constituted government! The general tone of this issue (all recent

Let’s not abandon our Ukrainian brothers and sisters to a future of subjuguation and misery...”

issues?) of Pique brings to mind one of my favourite quotations from George Orwell: “He must be a member of the intelligentsia, as no ordinary man would believe such nonsense.” Jeffrey Green // Whistler

- DALE MARCOUX

A note of thanks On Wednesday, March 9, just before lunch, I had a fall on the Valley Trail at the bridge where you turn up to go to Creekside. Two wonderful, kind gentlemen who were walking with two dogs helped me up and insisted that they walk me to Dusty’s where I was meeting my husband for lunch. I will never forget their kindness. Whistler is truly a wonderful community. Anne Strickland // Whistler n

An appeal to the courageous The Ukrainian Army needs equipment to defend its people, its culture, its democracy, and its sovereignty. They appear to be at a significant disadvantage, standing alone in the shadow of an overwhelming and unjust aggressor. The images from overseas are both heartbreaking and inspiring. This is an appeal to the courageous

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Backcountry Advisory AS OF WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 Avalanche Canada bulletins are intended as a starting point, with the expectation users will verify conditions and take onboard any differences or changes in their local environment. It’s not that we don’t want to give you all the information, it’s that nature is complex and dynamic, and presents us with an array of limitations and uncertainties. Our forecast regions are large and conditions vary throughout regions. We can’t possibly pinpoint the exact conditions for every possible location that you might choose to explore. Weather forecasts are notoriously fickle. That is because weather is incredibly complex and contingent on countless atmospheric variables. Model outputs often differ from one to another, which means weather forecasts from different agencies do not always align. Weather stations help us verify forecasts but most often by the time we get confirmation, you’ve already headed out for the day. Don’t forget, we publish at 4 p.m.

the day before you’re out in the backcountry. We do an early morning review and update if needed by 8 a.m., but a lot can change between that time and the end of your day. Our field observations are primarily from two days prior to the date stamp on the forecast. In the case of your wonderfully early (pre-3 p.m.) submissions to the Mountain Information Network—one day prior. This is to say the latest and most current observations of conditions in your area come from you! The last person with eyes on your line before you ride is you! The party with the agency over your own risk management is you! That’s why it is not only essential to have the gear and the forecast, but the training to be able to make observations and factor them into your decisions. With this in mind, as we look towards the weekend and see a bit of everything—snow, sun, wind, potential weak layers—start with the latest forecast as a baseline and be prepared to adapt to changing conditions. ■

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.

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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. GOT GOOD VIBES TO SHARE? Send them to goodnews@piquenewsmagazine.com

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PIQUE N’ YER INTEREST

Privacy concerns can’t be used as an excuse to withhold public information BY TIM SHOULTS EVER STUDIED for a test after taking it? Of course not—it’s way too late. Unfortunately, that’s what’s happening when it comes to freedom of information in B.C. Last fall, the provincial government passed Bill 22, amending the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and allowing the government to start charging a fee for FOI requests. This month, the BC Legislative Assembly of BC’s Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act was holding hearings, as they are required to do by law every five years. With the amendment just passed, this committee was basically asked to study whether or not the barn door should be opened months after the horse had already busted right through it. The group that represents this newspaper and more than 90 others like it across the province, the BC and Yukon Community NewsMedia Association, was asked to present to that committee. Here’s a version of what we told them: Our members have a combined print circulation of 1.5 million copies and adult readership of almost 2 million British Columbians every single week. Online they draw millions more. These media outlets deliver more than the news. The information we deliver, in print or online, provides readers with a sense of connection, of identity and of belonging to their community. Between us, our members probably deal with more of the 2,900 organizations covered by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act than any other organization, from provincial ministries and Crown corporations to municipal governments, regional districts, health authorities, universities and school districts. In the vast majority of cases, our members are the only media covering those institutions in the communities they serve. Freedom of Information requests are a critical tool for our members, who collectively file hundreds of requests per year for coverage which provides accountability for local institutions to our readers. It isn’t easy work for community news media reporters, who don’t have single beats to cover, or the luxury of spending weeks or even days on investigative work. Instead, stories like those come together in hundreds of stolen moments, pieces of downtime between attending council meetings, racing to take pictures or video at the local high school, covering minor hockey, laying out pages, editing copy and posting stories to websites and social media channels. It becomes even more difficult when the FOI requests required to do that work become more challenging to file, more expensive and less productive. With regard to fees, it goes almost without

12 MARCH 17, 2022

saying that in an era where traditional news media outlets, funded primarily by local advertising revenue, are competing not against other local media outlets, but against global giants like Facebook and Google, for advertising, any increase to costs is a damper on our ability to maintain the FOI requests we do make, let alone to make more. But since the legislation is changed and those fees are in place, we’d like to focus on some other aspects of FOI. Our members’ experience has been that information— even relatively innocuous information like statistics from which it would not be possible to extrapolate anyone’s personal details— has been tightly controlled and guarded, particularly when it comes to attempting to gather information about the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years. Our members find the complete government control of information and the narrative around the pandemic to be concerning. Without raw facts, we have no way of knowing what we’re being told is the truth on issues of huge public importance. Once in a while, a medical health officer will let slip a piece of information during an interview that is actually useful. But most requests funnelled through media contacts simply fall into the abyss. It seems as if many people at such high levels are required to vet even the most basic request, and very little gets given out as a result, usually based on a directive from the PHO not to provide anyone’s “personal information.” Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy naturally go hand in hand— like freedom of expression or public health restrictions, they must seek a perpetual balance. But what we are seeing is that protection of privacy is increasingly used as an excuse to curtail freedom of information even when that balance is not at risk, and that cannot stand. We think that public information should be deemed to be public by default unless there is a compelling and truly privacybased reason for it to be withheld. I think Murray Rankin, a true champion of FOI in Canada and one of the fathers of B.C.’s Freedom of Information Act, said it best when he was a federal member of Parliament in 2017, speaking about changes to the federal Access to Information Act: “Information delayed is information denied.” We’d love to hear what he thinks about what has become of FOIs in B.C. today, but he has been a little tough to get a hold of on the subject. He is, of course, busy these days as a cabinet minister in the provincial government that just imposed that new FOI charge. If he weren’t bound by cabinet confidentiality, perhaps he might be leading the crusade to make sure freedom of information stays truly free. We need to retake that test. Tim Shoults is Vice-President of the BC and Yukon Community NewsMedia Association and Operations Manager of Aberdeen Publishing. He is based in Kamloops. n

Five-Year Financial Plan Invitation for Public Consultation Regional Districts are required to adopt a five-year financial plan, setting out the proposed expenditures and funding sources for each service. The financial plan is to be made available for public consultation. Accordingly, members of the public are encouraged to provide written submissions and comments on the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s 2022-2026 Draft Financial Plan. Submissions and comments should be forwarded to the SquamishLillooet Regional District by one of the following means: Mail: Box 219, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0 Email: info@slrd.bc.ca The 2022-2026 Draft Financial Plan is available for review on the SLRD website at: www.slrd.bc.ca.

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MARCH 17, 2022

NEWS WHISTLER

Lost staff, missed shifts and daily shuttles: the transit strike’s impacts on Whistler businesses PARTIES WENT BACK TO THE BARGAINING TABLE MARCH 16 AFTER TALKS WERE STALLED FOR WEEKS

BY BRANDON BARRETT ON TUESDAY, March 16, the Hilton Whistler was at 96-per-cent occupancy, a number that wouldn’t have been unusual in the resort’s pre-pandemic times. Heading into B.C.’s March break, the hotel is expecting occupancy levels to stay at more than 90 per cent for the remainder of this week. But unlike those heady days before we even knew the word “coronavirus,” the Hilton has had to make due with a workforce stretched thin by two years of public health orders and travel restrictions. Now, with the Sea to Sky transit strike entering its seventh week, the hotel is another three workers short. “The seasonal staff we rely on are transient by nature and if they don’t have a reliable way to work and can’t get their hours, if any of those things aren’t easy enough, then they go find the next place,” said Hilton GM Chris Vick. “We’ve had a few move back down to the city because it was too much of a hassle. Obviously cab fares are pricy and cost-prohibitive. Most of our staff live outside of the immediate village, so there aren’t a ton of options.” It’s the same story being shared by numerous local businesses trying to

MISSED CONNECTION The Sea to Sky has been without transit service since Jan. 29. PHOTO BY TREVOR BODNAR

14 MARCH 17, 2022

navigate a corridor-wide transit shutdown during a busy March break they were banking on to shore up some of the immense losses suffered in the pandemic. “It’s staff not getting in on time or not being able to come into work, [or] hitchhiking, which is not the safest thing to do,” said Whistler Chamber of Commerce CEO Melissa Pace. “Right now some of our workers in the community are spending upwards of $40 a day just to get to work, or it’s being paid out of pocket by the business owners.” Workers have been forced to get creative in finding ways to work. Some have managed to arrange rides with colleagues, while others are simply hitchhiking or walking along Highway 99. Police have also reported an uptick in drunk driving during the strike, Mayor Jack Crompton said at the March 8 council meeting. Hotels like the Hilton, meanwhile, are using their guest shuttles to pick up and drop off staff—but that comes with its own limitations. “We run three trips north and three trips south a day to pick up staff. We’re trying to accommodate our teams as much as possible, but we can’t afford to run an on-call taxi service, so that might mean they’re coming a couple hours before their shift or after their shift,” Vick said. As the parties involved in the dispute head back to the bargaining table this week, Pace reiterated the need for urgency as Whistler faces what is likely to be its busiest March break since at least 2019.

“We are about to welcome visitors from across the world and we need to be prepared for that,” she said. “A bus strike does not bode well for receiving, welcoming and servicing the guests that we’re about to receive.”

BACK TO BARGAINING There was some hope this week after it was announced the parties involved in the ongoing dispute would be heading back to the bargaining table on Wednesday, March 16, after Pique’s press deadline. “Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience these ongoing negotiations have caused, we understand the impact this matter has had on the community. We are hopeful that this meeting will yield a reasonable resolution for everyone involved,” said Pacific Western Transportation (PWT), the private company contracted by BC Transit to deliver transit services in the Sea to Sky. (PWT declined further comment when asked.) March 16 marks the first day of negotiations since talks broke down Feb. 25. On Feb. 24, PWT had proposed a settlement offer that included a wage increase for all employees in each year of the agreement and retroactive pay increases back to 2020, as well as full benefits for all employees. Unifor Local 114 did not put the offer to its membership for a vote, nor did it present a counter proposal. Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s western

regional director, said the bargaining committee wouldn’t put a proposed settlement to a vote until there is “a realistic roadmap to dealing with these issues that recognizes the comparison [to transit wages in the Lower Mainland], that recognizes the high cost of inflation, that recognizes that when you want to build a public regional transit system, you’re having to take care of the people providing the service.” The union has consistently called for a more robust pension plan and benefit package, as well as wage parity with transit workers in the Lower Mainland and Victoria. After Coast Mountain Bus Company workers voted last week to ratify a one-year contract extension that included a three-per-cent wage bump for all operators and a five-percent hike for skilled tradespeople, the wage gap with Vancouver transit workers has only widened further. “We’ve always said from Day 1 that we know dealing with those key issues is not something we expect immediately in one fell swoop. But we’re talking about a collective agreement here where the members need to see a roadmap,” McGarrigle said. Unifor is planning another rally in Whistler for Thursday, March 17, with transit workers setting off from Skiers Plaza at noon. “Come down and listen to the workers and demonstrate that the community has had enough,” McGarrigle added. n

NEWS WHISTLER

Sea to Sky employees in for minimum wage hike, but Whistler Blackcomb staff will see the biggest difference ENTRY-LEVEL VAIL RESORTS STAFF WILL SEE HOURLY PAY RISE TO AT LEAST $20 PER HOUR NEXT WINTER

BY MEGAN LALONDE B.C.’S MINIMUM wage is on the rise. The province plans to implement a 2.96-per-cent increase on June 1, announced labour minister Harry Bains on March 14, growing its minimum wage by $0.45 to $15.65 per hour. B.C.’s Fair Wages Commission recommended the increase, which is based on a 2.8-per-cent inflation rate, after travelling the province consulting businesses and other stakeholders, Bains said. The June 1 increase doesn’t come as a surprise to many business owners. In 2018, when B.C.’s minimum wage was $11.35, the province committed to increasing the minimum wage every year until 2021. Steady increases brought B.C.’s minimum wage to $15.20 on June 1, 2021, which is the highest among provinces and second in Canada only to Nunavut’s $16-per-hour minimum wage. Previously, the government had said any future increases after 2021 would be based on inflation. The wage increase will affect workers across the province, but Whistler Blackcomb employees are in store for an even bigger boost next winter. The resort’s parent company plans to hike the minimum wage across all of its 37 North American properties, Vail Resorts CEO Kirsten Lynch announced on Monday, the same day B.C. announced its own wage hike. Effective for the 2022-23 ski and snowboard season, pay for entrylevel Whistler Blackcomb staff will be set at CAD$20 per hour, representing a 24-percent increase from this year’s hourly wage. Currently, entry-level staff at Whistler Blackcomb make at least $15.20 per hour, in line with B.C.’s current minimum wage. (In response to a question asking why WB’s minimum wage wasn’t adjusted to account for Canada’s exchange rate, a spokesperson said “based on the full compensation package, the minimum wage increases were comparable across the U.S. and Canada.”) Entry-level ski patrollers and maintenance team members, meanwhile, will start at CAD$21 per hour next winter. Hourly staff at Vail Resorts’ American resorts will also see their wages rise to a minimum of USD$20. This includes a guaranteed minimum of $20 per hour for tipped roles across the corporation. In a release, a spokesperson for Vail Resorts said the company also plans to increase salaries for non-entry-level hourly employees in an effort “to ensure career and leadership wage differentials.”

The wage increases are one part of an incremental USD$175 million annual investment in employees Vail Resorts announced on March 14. Additionally, the company plans to offer its staff a new “Seasonal Frontline Leadership Development” program, as well as a 40-percent employee discount at all of Vail Resorts’ retail locations beginning next winter, while a $4-million investment into the company’s human resources department will add 66 positions to its People Connect and Payroll teams—representing an almost 50-percent increase in the number of central HR services staff. Meanwhile, the company is providing a new flexible remote work option for its corporate office staff and doubling its year-end merit increases for salaried employees from three per cent to six per cent. The March 14 announcement also included a renewed commitment to affordable housing in its mountain communities, Lynch wrote in a letter to employees on Monday. Though this aspect of the announcement lacked measurable targets, Lynch said Vail Resorts plans to “aggressively pursue building new affordable housing on the land we own, and pursue company leases in existing affordable housing developments.” In Whistler, that could mean construction will finally get underway on a new 240-bed

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staff housing building. Whistler council gave third reading to a rezoning for the project in Jauary 2020, but the project has yet to come back for consideration. The nine-figure annual investment into Vail Resorts’ workforce marks one of the biggest initiatives Lynch has announced since taking over as CEO on Nov. 1, 2021. “One of my biggest takeaways from these past 100 days is the importance of each of you—our team,” she wrote. “We have a mission that we all know and love: Experience of a Lifetime. You are the core of this mission. We cannot create an Experience of a Lifetime for our guests without first creating an Experience of a Lifetime for you— unfortunately, we have fallen short on that.” - With files from Glen Korstrom / Business in Vancouver n

MARCH 17, 2022

Engel & Völkers Whistler

NEWS WHISTLER

RMOW formalizes snow and ice removal policy NEW POLICY SETS PRIORITY AREAS FOR SNOW CLEARING IN WINTER MONTHS

BY BRANDON BARRETT THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) has unveiled its new snow and ice removal policy, which designates priority areas for snow clearing on municipal roads, trails, sidewalks and the Village Stroll. Although the RMOW already has procedures in place for snow removal, the new policy formalizes the process and updates it to better reflect the reality on the ground. “The roads policy is outdated and does not reflect the current level of service, and the resort operations team was relying on an operational procedure instead of council policy,” explained Andrew Tucker, the RMOW’s transportation manager, at the March 8 council meeting. “Since the policy reflects the work already being done out in the community, the service level to the community will not change due to the adoption of this policy.” Municipal staff decided to review its existing snow-removal procedures in response to an ongoing case in B.C. Supreme Court that saw a woman sue the City of Nelson, alleging negligence over its downtown snow removal after she was injured during a heavy snow event

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in January 2015. Following the advice of the Municipal Insurance Authority of BC, Nelson officials passed an expanded policy to ensure municipal immunity in how it removes snow—with several other local governments following suit. There are two municipal crews responsible for snow and ice management in Whistler: the infrastructure services roads department, comprised of 18 equipment operators and a supervisor that run two shifts a day in the winter months; and the

resort experience operations department, which counts three staff working from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week in the winter. Both crews plow snow, control ice and remove excess snow when appropriate. The new policy is designed to ensure pedestrian and vehicle routes are passable for use. “So what does passable mean?” asked Tucker. “Well, that means if you are driving a vehicle that is well-maintained, has good snow tires, or you’re a pedestrian with good tread on your shoes, then you shouldn’t have

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a problem at all on our roads, our sidewalks, and our Valley Trail.” The policy also sets three different priority levels for snow-plowing roads, based on traffic volumes and whether it’s a common route for transit and/or emergency responders. “So we looked at the community and basically mimicked in this policy what the operations crews are already doing out there, but this represented it in a more effective way,” Tucker noted. Municipal trails and pedestrian walkways were also divided into two priority categories, although the criteria differed somewhat from roads. “For sidewalks and trails, we looked at the highest commuter-use trails closest to the village, the Stroll itself, pedestrian commuter routes to elementary schools like Myrtle Philip and Spring Creek, and then the other trails were Priority 2 trails after that,” explained Derek Jazic, the RMOW’s manager of resort operations. The new policy does not apply to Highway 99 and private locations, which the RMOW is not tasked with maintaining. The municipality is replacing aging snowremoval machinery, expected by the end of the month, and “we’ll have pretty much a brand new fleet for parks and trails for this upcoming November,” Tucker noted. n

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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.

MARCH 17, 2022

NEWS WHISTLER

RMOW presents revised fees for outdoor groups STAFF WILL REPORT BACK ON NON-EXCLUSIVE USER PERMITTING AFTER SUMMER PILOT PROJECT

BY BRANDON BARRETT RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) staff came back to the council table last week with a revised fee structure for outdoor groups, a move intended to create more equitable access to municipal parks and recreational facilities. With no policy in place addressing the use of its outdoor facilities by groups like bike day camps, and in light of the pandemicfuelled boom in outdoor recreation creating potential conflicts among user groups, the RMOW developed a non-exclusive user permitting (NEUP) process and fee structure that will be trialled this summer. The goal is to promote fairer access and disperse users in peak periods from busy areas such as Lost Lake and Rainbow parks. First presented to officials last month, municipal staff were asked to revise the proposed fee structure to account for large groups with 5,000 or more users, a direct response to Councillor Ralph Forsyth’s push to have Whistler Blackcomb (WB) pay its fair share for the use of the Lost Lake trails as part of the company’s popular summer DFX crosscountry and downhill bike camps. “The 5,000-plus user group dramatically

underpays and I would suggest that [WB parent company] Vail Resorts makes a contribution that is commensurate with the use and impact that they have on the community,” said Forsyth at the Feb. 8 council meeting. 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 its revision, RMOW staff added several new rate categories, including three for groups above 5,000 users, and reduced the fee range within each category, “providing greater equity to each user group,” said Bob Andrea, the RMOW’s manager of village animation and events, at the March 8 council meeting. Fees proposed for large groups now range from $1,683 for a locally-based nonprofit youth camp with between 5,001 and 8,000 users, up to $18,260 for an out-oftown commercial operator with 11,001 or more adult users. For comparison, on the low end of the scale, a local non-profit youth camp with between 250 and 500 users would pay $84, while a commercial operator with the same users would pay $150, or $300 for an adult program. “I think it’s better now because it increases the fairness and value for users,”

Forsyth said at the March 8 council meeting of the revised fee structure. When asked for comment, a representative for Whistler Blackcomb said in an email: “We look forward to this summer as the trial period, but most importantly, we are proud of our youth bike programs and their importance to our mountain community.” Grant Lamont, owner of Whistler Trail

“The Lost Lake Trails, especially the Zappa Network, could use a lot more ongoing maintenance.” - GRANT LAMONT

Solutions and co-founder of the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association, said he was happy with the revisions, but noted he would like to see the funds collected go directly back to the parks and trails being charged for rather than the RMOW’s general reserve fund. “The Lost Lake Trails, especially the Zappa Network, could use a lot more

ongoing maintenance, especially since the erosion from melt and rain has increased in areas where there has been significant thinning,” he said in an email. Both Lost Lake and Rainbow parks will see restrictions in place at certain busy times this summer, and user groups will be alerted to the closures through a new code of conduct being developed as part of NEUP. “It’s common sense-based as well,” Andrea explained. “I mean, in the peak season it can be rainy and the group still might be out there and no one’s around. No harm, no foul.” The trial program is also intended to facilitate data collection on user demand for certain areas, which will assist RMOW staff in determining overall capacity limits. Andrea noted there is still plenty of uncertainty around the actual size of some user groups, but said staff balanced the lack of available data “with the need to provide an equitable approach for all user groups.” The RMOW plans to review the fees following the 2022 summer season for any potential changes. “Parks are integral to our community’s quality of life and our four-season tourism economy, so fine-tuning the financial structure to better steward these gems is really appreciated,” said Coun. Arthur De Jong. n

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DAVEBURCH.CA

Park it! Snap a selﬁe of yourself at one of Whistler’s many parks.

Make it a YES DAY! A YES DAY is a day where parents or caregivers say “Yes” to everything the kids ask for. Within reason, of course! Roll up those sleeves! Let’s see you helping to clean the kitchen or vacuum the living room! Do a good deed! Show us how You give back.

See the sights! Be a tourist in your own community and visit somewhere in Whistler that you have never been before!

Keep reading! Head to the Whistler library and take a picture of a book you LOVE!

Acknowledge! Take a photo that acknowledges you live on the unceded territories of the Skwxwu7mesh Nation and Lilwat Nation. Movie Night! Think beyond Netﬁlx. Make movie-ish food. Roll play movie characters. Karaoke to movie soundtracks. Make your own movie.

SPRING BREAK SCAVENGER HUNT Great prizes to be won! Take a photograph or video of you doing 10 of these activities and send them to jenn@mywcss.org by Sunday March 27 to be entered in the draw to win — and don’t forget to tag #whistlercommunityservices on social media! By submitting to this contest, you are agreeing to share your drawing on WCSS social media channels. No personal information will be shared.

Season switch! Play a winter version of your favourite summer sport. Try soccer, baseball, tennis or biking!

Spring clean out! Donate an item to the Re-Use-It and/or the Re-Build-it Centre. Kids can cook! Make dinner for your family using one of the past Kids Can Cook recipes or create a new one!

Dance it out! Record a video of you and anyone else in your home dancing to your favourite song!

Scan the QR code below or visit mywcss.org for information on WCSS’s family programming:

NEWS WHISTLER

‘It just makes it that little bit easier to deal with’ YOUNG ADULT CANCER CANADA HELPED WHISTLER LOCAL FOLLOWING HER DIAGNOSIS—NOW SHE’S PAYING IT FORWARD

BY MEGAN LALONDE WHEN WHISTLER local Miranda King first heard the words “I’m sorry, it’s cancer,” her initial thoughts didn’t have anything to do with her own fears. “The first thing that I was worried about was telling my fiancé and my mom—it wasn’t about me,” she said. “It was about having to tell other people, and feeling bad that they’re going to be sad.” But eventually, the anger showed up, alongside the “annoying,” “tough” side effects of chemotherapy and the unexpected heartache associated with losing her hair. King moved to the resort from Wales seven years ago, before she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in September 2019 at 29. “It was a ride,” recalled King, now 32. “It sucked. You feel like you’ve got this path laid out for you, and it’s like the rug gets pulled from under you, and everything’s kind of derailed.” Dealing with a cancer diagnosis in your twenties means, “you go for your treatments, and you’re the youngest one in the room,” she said. “That was really hard. You feel like you can’t connect very well with other patients that you bump

into when you’re in the chemo room, or waiting for radiation. I was just like, ‘Is there anything for my age group?’ “And I guess it’s not really even age group; it’s more like phase of life. I was gearing up to have a mortgage, and maybe have kids,” she explained. But then, all of a sudden, “you can’t do that, you have to put everything on hold.” For King, that’s where Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) came into play. The national network is comprised of hundreds of young adults affected by cancer, and aims to support those aged 18 to 39 who are “living with, through, and beyond cancer,” while offering a “connection to peers, bridge out of isolation, and source of inspiration.” The group is also open to young adults who were previously diagnosed with childhood cancer, but are seeking support as they move into the next stage of their lives. King found the organization while searching for resources online, eventually making her way to Ontario for a YACC retreat in early 2020. She stayed for four days, with 30 people close to her age who had been dealt a similar hand. “We could talk candidly, and go with the dark humour without the funny looks you get from people who haven’t gone through [cancer],” King said.

“I remember at the beginning of my treatment, I just did what the doctors told me, and then I tried to go back to hanging out and pretending it wasn’t really happening—I was very much in denial for a lot of it. I think the retreat I went on with YACC was the first time I acknowledged that I was sick, but it was OK. And it was OK because of the people that you surround yourself with.” She added, “I’m still talking to a lot of those people now.” Today, King—who said her doctors no longer see any evidence of the disease and is “doing well, all things considered”— shares her experiences through her role as one of YACC’s leaders for a chapter called Localife Vancouver, spearheading events for those living in the Lower Mainland area. The organization approached King to ask if she was interested in the volunteer position about a year after she finished cancer treatments. “And I was happy to do that,” she said. “[YACC] helped me so much.” One of those events took place earlier this month, when a group of 15 young adults between 18 and 34 years old took to Whistler Blackcomb’s slopes for a day of snowy fun on March 2. Whistler Blackcomb provided lift passes, rentals and instructors while Whistler Connection helped the group

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make their way up the Sea to Sky from Vancouver “at a very compassionate rate,” said King. “I think everyone had an awesome time,” she said. “We had a really great team of instructors, and it was a pretty good snow day. Everyone came away learning something new, which is cool— either improving their skills or skiing or snowboarding for the first time.” The group has held virtual events throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, “but this is the first time I’ve met them in person,” King said of her fellow chapter members. “It was really nice to just see their faces and see them being super excited with themselves—it was so fulfilling.” Going forward, King and her co-leader aim to host monthly events for the group, ranging from simple catch-ups like picnics in the park to bigger events like their recent ski day. It’s all in an effort to open up communication and build support systems to reach out to, said King. “There are people everywhere that are going through something like that,” she said. “And as soon as you can connect with people and feel like you’re not alone, it just makes it that little bit easier to deal with.” For more information and resources, head to youngadultcancer.ca. n

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20 MARCH 17, 2022

NEWS WHISTLER

We do all types of returns. · Personal · Small Business

BATTING AN EYE A Western long-eared myotis from the 2010 Whistler Biodiversity Project survey. PHOTO BY BOB BRETT

Naturespeak: Daytime bat sightings in winter BY JAMIE MARCONI IN WHISTLER there have been at least two daytime sightings of bats flying during winter, which got us wondering: is this normal behaviour? Cori Lausen, who has researched bats in Whistler with the Whistler Biodiversity Project, says that while seeing bats in daytime during winter may be expected in moderation, excess activity can indicate something more sinister. Even though most bats in B.C. are both winter hibernators and nocturnal (i.e., don’t typically fly during daylight hours) there are exceptions. Although researchers don’t yet understand why some bats do so, it can be normal to make a short trip out of their winter roosts. It could be that there are active insects to feed on, or an opportunity to mate, to drink water, or to stretch their muscles before returning to hibernation. Although these mid-winter flights typically occur at night, a few can occur during the day in some areas. This activity is noteworthy because with so little known about where bats hibernate in B.C., it can help researchers narrow it down. It’s exciting to hear that bats may be hibernating in the area! Although many bat species find caves, mines, or rock crevices to shelter in during winter, some B.C. bats prefer to roost in large trees, especially those with peeling bark to hide behind, cavities in old-growth trees or decaying snags, or the holes left by woodpeckers. Some will search for crevices in cliff bands, talus slopes, and even people’s homes. Although daytime bat activity during winter is interesting, if it noticeably increases, this may indicate an infection by white-nose syndrome (WNS) or other illnesses. WNS is caused by the non-native fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which appears as a white powder growing in

the airways of hibernating bats. The fungus infects the animal’s bare skin and scientists believe that it is mostly transmitted through contact with other bats. The infection can cause excess activity when bats should be hibernating. This excess activity burns precious fat reserves, which in turn leads to bats flying during winter days in search of food and water, often resulting in the bat starving or freezing to death. White-nose fungus has decimated bat populations in parts of North America, including Eastern Canada where entire roosts of hundreds have been killed. Luckily the fungus has yet to reach Western Canada—though it has been well-recorded as close as Washington State. Of B.C.’s 15 species of bats, eight can be found in Whistler. Some, like the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), migrate south for the winter, travelling as far as Central America. B.C.’s hibernating bats enter a state of torpor in which their heart rate lowers to about 10 beats per minute and body temperature drops to near freezing. They can remain in that state for months during winter, or for just a few hours during a colder spring day. This ability to conserve energy at will is what affords them flight when their heart rate can go as high as 1,000 beats per minute. If anyone finds an injured bat, they should leave it be and contact the Naturalists or bcbats.ca. Dead bats should be carefully collected wearing gloves and placed into a thick Ziploc baggie for government submission. At this time of year, it is particularly important to report any bats found dead or downed as they come out of hibernation, as this could be the only way of discovering if WNS has arrived in our province.

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MARCH 17, 2022

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Pemberton council adopts Community Climate Action Plan IN THE WORKS FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, CCAP PLOTS PATH TO ZERO EMISSIONS

BY HARRISON BROOKS MORE THAN TWO years since it was first made a key priority, the Village of Pemberton’s Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) is finally complete. The plan was presented to Pemberton’s Committee of the Whole at its March 1 meeting and again at the regular council meeting on March 8. The CCAP is a comprehensive outlook on the community’s current greenhouse gas emissions that features six “big moves” necessary to reach its goal of a 50-per-cent reduction in emissions from 2007 levels by 2030—and a 100-per-cent reduction by 2050. The six big moves outlined in the plan include: shift beyond the car—to encourage active and accessible transportation and transit; electrify transportation—to accelerate the adoption of zero-emissions vehicles; step up new buildings—to enhance energy efficiency and low-carbon heating in new buildings; decarbonize existing buildings—to support deep energy retrofits and fuel switching; close the loop on waste— to divert organics and capture value from waste; and organizational leadership—to ensure climate action becomes part of regular decision making and operational processes within the Village of Pemberton. “This is a very momentous day for me. I’ve been working quite a while on this and very happy to be on the stage now to have a draft plan,” said OCP policy planner Lisa Pedrini. The CCAP focuses on what the Village of Pemberton can do to help community members and local businesses lessen their climate impact, Pedrini said. “Together we were able to set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, determine a vision for our community in the future, and we were also able to use forecasting to determine the amount of emissions we would create if nothing was done.” The CCAP shows that, currently, approximately 83 per cent of the Village’s

MISSION ZERO Accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles is one of six big moves laid out in Pemberton’s new climate action plan. PHOTO BY HARRISON BROOKS

emissions come from vehicles: 58 per cent from passenger vehicles and 25 per cent from commercial. The remaining 17 per cent comes from buildings, which produce eight per cent of emissions, and waste decomposition, which accounts for the remaining nine per cent. According to Pedrini, the models show that if all the “big moves” are implemented immediately, the Village will only narrowly meet its 2030 target. And while the model shows the 2050 targets to be more difficult to hit, “it is anticipated that new technologies will become available … which will close the gap,” said Pedrini. The CCAP also incorporates a climate action petition presented to VOP mayor and council in March 2021 on behalf of students

in Pemberton Secondary School. The petition, which contains 50 signatures, outlines certain actions the students feel are important, including improved transportation, bus passes for students, more bottle filling stations and recycling bins around town, and eliminating old growth logging in the surrounding forests. Despite being in support of protecting old growth forests, some minor issues were raised by both Mayor Mike Richman and Councillor Ted Craddock on the inclusion of the old growth logging aspect of the plan. For Richman, concerns revolved around the wording used to stop old growth logging altogether, as he said sometimes it can be beneficial for the health of the forest to cut

certain old growth. “There’s some old growth that it’s a good time for it to be harvested, whereas second growth is actually bigger and healthier than some of that old growth,” said Richman. “So I think it’s really tricky if we’re going to put wording around old growth. I don’t think we can [make a blanket statement] ‘we will never cut old growth.’ I don’t think that’s a reasonable approach.” Pedrini returned for the regular council meeting on Tuesday, March 8 to present the updated CCAP for adoption. Some of the minor changes that were made included adding a section about electrifying the Village’s fleet of vehicles, adjusting the plan’s review period from every five years to every two to three years, and the addition of a new position—to be implemented in 2023— tasked with getting the plan underway. While there was some discussion among council about whether the new position was necessary, especially given the already tight budget, Pedrini said it is imperative for the success of the CCAP. “Maybe it’s not a full-time position. I wouldn’t want to make that conclusion at this point. But someone has to be given that responsibility in that role or there’s no point in adopting this plan,” she said. “Implementation is absolutely key, and not to pick and choose items. The whole purpose is to implement all of these actions if we want to meet our targets, which are ambitious targets, but we have to have ambitious targets because we’re in a real crisis.” After discussion among mayor and council, four different motions were made and carried, including: the adoption of the CCAP; the addition of a new position to oversee implementation of the plan; the declaration of a climate emergency for the VOP; and the suggestion that staff join the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection program—which would provide the village with resources and a network of local governments implementing similar climate plans. n

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Edie Hildreth

Cherished wife of David, passed away peacefully from cancer on Tuesday, March 8th at the Squamish Valley Hospice. Edie was born in Windsor, Ontario on April 5th, 1943 to Dorothy and Gordon Morris. She was the oldest sister to Patricia, John, and James. David and Edie were high school sweethearts who shared sixty-two years of everlasting love. Together, the couple had four beautiful daughters, Christine (predeceased 1965), Susan (David), Laura, and Lisa (Christopher). Edie and David were so proud of their seven grandchildren: Nicholas (Sage), Melissa (Louis), Matthew (Chloe), Spencer, Maxwell (Anya), Lola, and Delilah. Edie and David were also blessed to have three great-grandchildren: Oskar, Jack, and Emmanuel. Edie and David shared a passion for their family, faith, travel, and golf. “Live life to the fullest” is what the couple has instilled in their family, friends, and community. Many a party was had with the Hildreth’s celebrating life. The family wish to thank the angels at The Squamish General Hospital and Hospice and the Lions Gate oncology department, who gave their love and care so freely to Edie. “This is not the end, or even the beginning of the end. This is just the end of the beginning.” In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Sea to Sky Hospice Society, The Squamish Hospital Foundation Oncology, St. John the Divine Anglican Church Squamish, and the Oncology Department Lions Gate Hospital Foundation. A celebration of life will be held on March 19th, 2022 at 11:00 AM at St. John’s Anglican Church, 1930 Diamond Rd, Squamish, B.C. Followed by a reception at the Squamish Valley Golf Club at 12:30 PM. To receive a link to watch a live stream of the celebration of life, please email info@squamishfuneralchapel.com To write a condolence to the family, please visit www.squamishfuneralchapel.com

24 MARCH 17, 2022

WWW.WHISTLERLAWYER.CA adam@whistlerlawyer.ca | 604.905.5180

THE OUTSIDER

Sledding: dealing with startup costs IT WAS THE SPRING of 2018 when I wrote my last column on the subject of winter powersports titled “My complicated relationship with snowmobiling.” In it I attested that despite having the basics of being able to go, stop and turn a hulking snowmobile while on a groomed trail, I had no skill to pilot said machine in deep snow or uneven terrain. Sledding was still a distant

BY VINCE SHULEY pipedream that was neither affordable nor practical at the time. After a few years of ever-increasing crowding in both the resort lift lines and backcountry trailheads, after seeing friends who made the jump into sledding have way more fun on a busy Saturday, after getting doubled into new terrain and seeing the potential sled ownership could bring, with a mid-life crisis manifesting, I finally made the decision to invest in the sport. Before I dive into the practicalities, I’ll first speak about the barriers to entry. Money. Let’s not beat around the bush—owning and riding a sled is akin to lighting money on fire. Expensive machine, (very) expensive oil and gasoline, expensive maintenance, expensive accessories, expensive vehicle to haul your toy around. Yes, you can finance a new sled with a warranty straight from the dealership (supply-chain issues notwithstanding), but you still have to fuel and transport your shiny new toy. You also need a reliable and safe way to load and unload from a truck or trailer and

DOO IT The cost of getting set up with a snowmobile is high—but worth it. PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY

pay a mandatory trail fee at pretty much all the popular snowmobiling zones. So make sure you have a somewhat reliable income, especially if you intend to do anything else in your life besides snowmobiling. Space. Also a deal-breaker for many aspiring sled owners. My machine (from ski tips to rear bumper) is 345 centimetres (11.5 feet) long, making it a tricky proposition if you live in a suite or share house with limited parking space or you reside in a condo building with fascist strata policies. Storing your sled on the back of your truck for the entire winter isn’t great for the sled or your truck. Some sledders get around that by housing their machine in a commercial storage unit. You also need offseason storage for up to eight months of the year, so factor that into your decision.

I’ll highlight some of the purchase decisions I made, but keep in mind there are plenty of other ways to get started with snowmobiling. The used market is where most new sledders start. You can pick up something that will do the job for less than $5,000, but if you intend to learn how to carve in deep snow and put a lot of kilometres on it, put some money aside for the inevitable servicing. Spending $3,000 or less might work for strictly ski access (i.e. sled just goes up and down logging roads), but even then, breakdowns when you are 15 kilometres from your vehicle will be problematic. At the other end of the spectrum, a new sled from the dealership can cost more than $20,000. I chose to split the difference and picked up a 2017 Ski-Doo Summit SP with a moderate amount of kilometres on the

[I]f you set yourself up for success with the right equipment and a problem-solving attitude, the reward is worth it. Conscience. This one is easier for some people than others. To sled you need to accept the fact that you are burning gas and oil and emitting more than your share of carbon. Electric machines are on the way, but I personally don’t feel I need to abstain from this activity until it becomes more carbonneutral. As long as sledders behave like good backcountry citizens by not abandoning broken-down machines or leaving litter in the mountains, they have a right to enjoy the mountains the way they like. With those barriers noted, let’s get to the practical part of actually entering the sport.

engine for under $9,000. Just like bikes, seasonal supply and demand will dictate market prices. Now for the transport. If you don’t have space for a trailer or don’t like trying to manoeuvre them at crowded trailheads, you’ll need a pickup truck. Mid-size will work for a single snowmobile in the back. If it’s a truck you care about, consider installing airbag canisters on your rear suspension to improve both wear and tear and handling of the vehicle ($600 to $800 including installation). Your truck may be rated for the load, but adding the weight of a sled deck,

ramp and all the other bits will add up. There are many ways to configure your truck to carry a sled. The simplest is to load it straight into the bed using a folding ramp (costing a few hundred dollars) that you secure to the tailgate, usually with a ratchet strap. This method comes with the added excitement of effectively jumping your sled into the back of your truck, a risky business when you’re still learning the power of your machine. There are plenty of horror stories of sleds entering the rear window or even landing on the hood of the truck, damaging both beyond recognition. A good headache rack can protect the rear window of your truck, but colliding your sled with hefty steel bars will still cause damage to the sled’s bumpers and panels. I decided on a tilting deck loader, where I drive up a deck-ramp, get off the machine and then tilt and pull the whole assembly onto the truck with mechanical advantage. It’s a bit more expensive, complicated and time consuming, but I can load and unload my sled without fear of damaging my sled, truck or both. The tilting deck loader set me back more than $1,000 including necessary modifications to the bed of my Tacoma. Then, there’s all the other accessories you may need: a tunnel rack to attach your skis/ boards, a DOT helmet, a two-way radio, a jerry can for longer trips, and avalanche safety equipment (if you don’t already have it). There’s a lot to procure when getting started with sledding, but if you set yourself up for success with the right equipment and a problem-solving attitude, the reward is worth it. More on that another time. Vince Shuley has nine days on his sled and is somehow feeling good about the cost invested. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. ■

MARCH 17, 2022

FEATURE STORY

Time for

Indigenous Futurism

26 MARCH 17, 2022

FEATURE STORY

Today’s Indigenous Musicians and Filmmakers Unearth Tomorrow’s Memories tobias c. van

Veen

hat will the future be like? In the colonial state of Canada, the very notion of the future has for centuries been framed by its settler immigrants. The land was viewed as the great engine of a futuristic society made for white folks, while the dreams, cultures, economies, and arts of its existing Indigenous peoples, if taken into consideration at all, were seen as an impediment to that rosy future of resource extraction. But the times, they are a changin’. There is an emerging arts of Indigenous futurism, a new way of storytelling using today’s technologies to unearth the traditional ways that have been erased from colonial history, all the while telling new narratives of the future. Arising at the intersection of digital filmmaking, electronic music, and media arts, Indigenous futurism is not so much about the tools as it is about the storytelling, and the act of reclaiming Indigenous story, arts, being and time itself. As Nehiyan (Cree) filmmaker Thirza Jean Cuthand says, Indigenous peoples have been cast as “living in the past, with the implication that we have no place in the future.” Their 2019 short film Reclamation features an Indigenous couple humourously discussing what to do after white people have abandoned a ruined Earth for Mars, as stock images of environmental destruction cut into the documentary-style interviews. Turning to

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reclamation

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MARCH 17, 2022

FEATURE STORY

Camfranglais

“THERE ARE INDIGENOUS “TH dark humour, says Cuthand, is a “good tool to disarm people trying to absorb difficult information.” The film projects both a post-apocalyptic vibe and yet a sense of hope through innovative survival, all the while pulling no punches with its (not so subtle) sarcasm that Cuthand says, “makes fun of power structures.” With the at-times ironic dialogue improvised by the Indigenous actors, Reclamation showcases what Cuthand describes as Indigenous futurism, a movement and perspective that “unearths things that people have wanted us to forget.” Cuthand describes the film as a “bitter laugh,” and that powerful act of laughter— at the colonial emperor with no clothes, mocking the latest phallic rocket from Elon Musk’s neocolonialism of Mars—is but one of the tools of reclamation. The term “Indigenous futurism” has emerged alongside other arts and cultural movements, notably Afrofuturism, that express the desire to reclaim both the past and the future for minoritarian and oppressed peoples that have, until recently, been written out of settler history and its (supposedly) glorious future. If you’ve seen the phrase “THERE ARE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE,” this is what the meme speaks to. This reclamation of the lily-white future, of course, must take place in the present, bringing the act of “reconciliation”—so often seen as but a litany of apologies—into the realm of the representational arts, but also into meaningful social, political, and economic action. For Cuthand, “reconciliation” by way of the arts would mean providing more funding to Indigenous artists,

with the aim of reclaiming “the arts of Indigenous peoples.” However, Indigenous futurism, and other such visions, need not be visual at all. Musical innovation and sonic futurism is a key part of the remix culture, hip-hop, and a solid foundation for our experimentation,” says PIQSIQ. electronic music that originated across the Afro-diaspora, Raised in Nunavut and growing up in Yellowknife, taking shape through connections with Indigenous artists Tiffany and Inuksuk “didn’t have a lot of access to singers and settlers, shaping the very cultures of today’s futurisms. in Yellowknife, so when people would come through town Music has long been a way for artists to speak to the fabric or if we were introduced to other Inuit women, we would of time, history, and memory, and to evoke imaginative always ask them if we could throat sing with them. These sounds of otherworlds. moments were never just the singing. They were woven “A person’s sense of time is deeply cultural, whether that with stories, instructions and language.” is fully recognized or not,” say Tiffany Kuliktana Ayalik And what is the role of Indigenous futurism in and Kayley Inuksuk Mackay of Inuit duo PIQSIQ via email, so-called reconciliation? For PIQSIQ, reconciliation “is adding that “cultures across the world have different ways not a destination that somehow, magically, as Canadians, of perceiving and measuring time.” Combining traditional we all arrive at simultaneously and pat each other on the throat-singing (katajjaq) with digital looping pedals and back while saying, ‘Yay, we did it, we have done it. We are other electronics to “imagine sonic worlds,” PIQSIQ describe here.’ Reconciliation is a process.” In short, it takes time. themselves as “modern Inuit living in 2022 . . . a blend of Noting that the “ritual” of land acknowledgements have styles, genres and esthetics.” The experience of PIQSIQ “become almost meaningless as people walk out on a stage in performance is a haunting and ethereal multiphonic with a clipboard and give their address to an audience to chorus, where both the artists and audience “immerse make sure that they say all of the proper things,” they ask ourselves in a sense of timelessness when throat singing. what is perhaps the underlying proleptic question of what We have always shared this falling away of time when we is called Indigenous futurism: what next? sing and often experience difficulty knowing how long a “What comes after the land acknowledgement?” song has gone on.” This timelessness reflects a creative asks PIQSIQ. “What comes after we discover these merger of today’s electronics with the “traditional songs as bodies? What comes after studies and task forces and

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28 MARCH 17, 2022

FEATURE STORY research publications? The longer we reveal the depth of our suffering to an increasingly numb and desensitized society without impactful change to repair what was done, the longer reconciliation will sit perpetually on the horizon,” say Tiffany and Inuksuk. This sense of uncertain anticipation holds both Indigenous and settler peoples together, as addressing the damage done by colonialism requires time for all relations to come to terms with what is literally being unearthed from the unmarked graves of many former residential schools. Haunted Sounds from Lost Histories There is something ghostly and haunting at work with Indigenous and Afro-futurism that grapples with a past all but erased—a futurism in stark contrast to the Italian Futurists of the early 20th century who sought to eradicate the weight of European history by embracing machines, war, and (at least for movement founder and poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti) fascism. It could be said that

Indigenous and Afro-futurism embrace the spectres that backing up and giving force and power to a story, to a series haunt colonization, rather than shying from them through of stories of tone and drums and the lives of those who avant-garde amnesia. lived to share those [sounds and stories] from the past.” It Ojibwe artist Jordan Thomas, who hails from Peguis, is in this role as Indigenous griot, or storyteller, that Jordan Manitoba and records as Exquisite Ghost, combines sees himself: “The future as we know it is only perceived as influences as diverse as “Hendrix to Mahavishnu . . . shadows of the past, it’s an image that updates itself as we Coltrane and Miles straight to Dilla and Flying Lotus.” study and dream of our experiences and stories, so in that This potent brew of genres and cross-cultural influences sense I’m aware of this and it is the self-certain foundation can be heard on his 2019 album Shrines, in which, in of my music and myself.” Thomas’ words, “each track is an individuated shrine itself,” showing through musical process how “each instance of Indigenous Space Time music throughout time has its own constituents, like a self awareness of its own history.” This thick sound of time is The slow and spatial pacing of ambient music often evokes expressed in the album’s archeological layering of samples, a glacial sense of deep time that nevertheless connects synthesizers, and rhythms. For Thomas, whose music drifts to the cosmos. Nehiyan sound artist Matthew Cardinal, from abstract beats to ambient and instrumental hip-hop, who grew up in Lac La Biche, Alberta, honed his craft music is a ghostly but living entity that spans worlds and in Polaris-nominated “moccasingaze” band nêhiyawak, dreams. His latest creations reflect “a cinematic minimal before releasing his first solo album, Asterisms, on Arts and classical vibe segmented with groovy more ethereal beat Crafts in 2020. Cardinal, who also scores films, animations, based interludes.” and installations, describes his ambient compositions as a Pushing and pulling apart genres for Exquisite Ghost “sonic diary,” a series of improvised sound sketches made plays with one’s sense of time and identity, where in over a long period of time using “accumulative” strategies, Jordan’s own words, “music itself as an absolute expression working with analogue and modular synthesizers, guitar, is not about creating something ultimately new, but about electric piano, samplers, and processed voice. There was “no goal or plan going in,” says Cardinal, who after setting up his ad-hoc studio on his bedroom floor, dove into a “meditative and therapeutic” experience to record music as

PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE.”

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MARCH 17, 2022

FEATURE STORY

The Ceremony

a “small, precious, intimate thing.” Cardinal often speaks on lomographic film, Kuse set out to create “something soft, on the set.” of his work as a space in which listeners can discover their hypnotic, and pretty to suit the music that also reflected The Ceremony appears to take place in a future affected own emotional resonances, as he paints a canvas for the the dreamy and nostalgic nature of his photos.” Kuse, a by some sort of environmental disaster, and it is one of the listener’s unconscious projections. white settler from Saskatoon, says she looks to the “extreme more powerful and challenging films from the Documentary The “spur of the moment” approach, says Cardinal, is akin changes in the seasons” to create “video art consisting of Futurism project. It features powerful Indigenous women to a jazz musician—or abstract painter—and he describes it as digitally manipulated footage of natural textures.” Cardinal who have learned to adapt to the toxicity, and who through “capturing things to discover something,” creating an “audio- has “a knack for producing serene yet energetic sparkling bravery, patience, and know-how overcome their fear to journal” that dwells in many different moods and feelings—and soundscapes,” says Kuse, which “feels like a natural pair discover the air is once again good to breath. In the times. Reflecting on the role of time, Cardinal says that with the kinds of material I gravitate towards working film, the use of functional props such as space suits and colonial time—the capitalist time of deadlines, workdays and with.” Their artistic collaboration speaks to the ways helmets creates a feeling of estrangement from Earthly weekends, even the passage of years—can be “restrictive, even that reconciliation is taking place between settlers and nature, and serves as a technological metaphor for the oppressive in some ways. It forces us to live a certain way, and Indigenous peoples by forming new relations to the land resource extraction and industrialization wrought by settler to dread Mondays, week after week,” with capitalism ultimately and its deep time. “With reconciliation in mind,” says Kuse, culture, but also the innovation and survival technologies wielding time as a “tool used to exploit people.” Through “I hope that white artists, including myself, strive to support of Indigenous peoples. improvisation with modular synthesizers, he reveals how time and elevate Indigenous artists so that we may continue to “Playing around with ideas of different styles and props to “can kind of slip away . . . on and on,” by hearing the “same witness the resurgence of Indigenous art and culture and all use in our futurism is the most interesting part because we thing multiple times at a different time.” He half-jokingly says the incredible beauty and talent that comes along with it.” had to imagine what Indigenous peoples would look and talk he “runs on Indian time,” and I can’t help but think of how his like 150 years in the future,” says Da Silva. The film features reflections enter into dialogue with African American poet and scenes of Indigenous hunting on the land with bow and Ceremonial Time for Feminist-Futurism music critic Amiri Baraka, who wrote about what he called the arrow, showcasing the mixture of tradition with technology “changing same” of time in Black music and culture. One way of envisioning Indigenous futurism might be that speaks to Indigenous resilience. “Indigenous futurism With influences from Sonic Youth and My Bloody found through a meditative watch of The Ceremony (2019), is something that I now understand as a positive image of Valentine to Steve Reich and Boards of Canada, Cardinal’s a post-apocalyptic short film by directors Taina da Silva decolonization, going back to the land, and taking back our work emerges in the hybridity and history of today’s of Grassy Narrows First Nation in Treaty 3 territory and old ways of being on the land,” Da Silva says. One could say Indigenous futurism. Indigenous futurism “is a thing that’s white settler Becca Redden from Tiohti:áke (Montréal). that through such acts, Indigenous futurism takes place happening,” says Cardinal. It’s a movement, a culture, and Like Reclamation, The Ceremony was released as part of the not just by telling a story about the future; rather the act of an aesthetic that’s “coming out of this really dark time,” he Documentary Futurism project, curated by Montréal-based storytelling itself unfolds that future into the present. says, where Indigenous folks are “reconnecting with our Cinema Politica, to “usher in a new kind of filmmaking Moreover, The Ceremony addresses very real issues cultures, coming out of hiding, and making art. As so much that brings actuality into conversation with speculation, from the past that haunt First Nations in the present. was lost, people are reclaiming it, and that’s the future.” realism with fantasy. . . . in order to imagine, speculate “Cultural loss is a big theme of this short film,” says Da Silva, At the same time, Cardinal points out there are “still a and represent a ‘Canada’ of the future.” The film’s dialogue “and it is an idea that comes from the mercury pollution lot of horrible things going on,” from the disproportional takes place entirely in the Anishinaabemowin language, in my community of Grassy Narrows. The people in my incarceration of Indigenous peoples to the dispossession of which the actors learned during the shoot. community are living without clean water, [while] in the Indigenous children to state foster care. For Cardinal, what As Redden recounts, “we wrote the script in English film, the people are living without clean air. I also want to reconciliation sounds like is nothing less than “decolonization,” first, and Taina’s aunt translated it. In addition, we had acknowledge the resilience of the Grassy Narrows people which means “moving beyond land acknowledgements” Elders on set that helped adjust pronunciation and word who spent half their entire lives with the effects of mercury to a time where Indigenous people “embrace their culture, choice. It was really, really interesting. The actors were poisoning. In the film, there are a lot of emotions, and this being who they are without being restrained by colonialism, not fluent but put a lot of work into building their skills, is accurate for Indigenous peoples who love their land and without any fear, just existing, living without having to meet and really honing in to the character through language. cultures but are unable to use them freely.” expectations of what it means to be Indigenous.” It was really an experience for me that I wouldn’t trade For Cardinal, the lived experience of Indigenous for the world. There needs to be more films and media PIQSIQ, Exquisite Ghost, Matthew Cardinal and Stephanie futurism means that “there is a future. I’m seeing more and in Indigenous languages, full stop.” Perhaps such a film Kuse are performing live at the Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural more Indigenous people take what’s theirs, take up space, is more than a film; the filming itself became an act of Centre on March 26, with limited tickets available at take up time, because they deserve it, filling time.” reclamation, and not just its representation. wonderment.ca. Screenings of Indigenous and AfroCardinal works closely with visual artist Stephanie Speaking to the film’s strong female characters, Da futurist films The Ceremony, Reclamation, Camfranglais Kuse to create audio-visual performances that immerse the Silva says that “Feminist-futurism and decolonizing film and LOST ALIEN can be viewed at the SLCC on March 26 listener in this sense of Indigenous space-time. Inspired by are important parts of The Ceremony, and it was especially with free admission. More info on the films can be found at Cardinal’s nighttime flash photography, which he captures important because of the locations and Indigenous people documentaryfuturism.ca. ■

30 MARCH 17, 2022

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MARCH 17, 2022

SPORTS THE SCORE

Trio of Whistler skiers qualify for Ski Cross Junior World Championships EMELINE BENNETT, NICK KATRUSIAK AND JACK MORROW WILL BE PUTTING THEIR SKILLS TO THE TEST ON THE WORLD STAGE LATER THIS MONTH IN VALMALENCO, ITALY

BY HARRISON BROOKS LOCAL

FREESTYLE skiers, Nick Katrusiak, 17, Emeline Bennett, 18, and Jack Morrow, 19, have qualified for the 2022 FIS Freestyle Junior World Ski Championships in Valmalenco, Italy taking place on March 30 and 31. Heading into their first-ever Junior Worlds, both Bennett and Katrusiak’s careers to date have followed a very similar path, albeit one year apart. Both spent their youth competing in alpine events with the Whistler Mountain Ski Club (WMSC), but as the novelty of downhill racing started to wear off, getting that first taste of ski cross re-invigorated their love for skiing. The two skiers were regular competitors in the annual Kids Cross events on Blackcomb Mountain over the years, but their first experience with elite ski cross racing didn’t come until recently. Once aged out of Kids Cross, Katrusiak wanted more and began competing in Western Ski Cross races with some friends. “I went to one of them to try it out and I got destroyed, but I was still super in love with it, and I was like, ‘you know, I’m not going to let this stop me. I’m going to keep going to these races,’ and eventually

OFF TO ITALY Emeline Bennett is one of three Whistler skiers headed to Italy this month for the Freestyle Junior Worlds. PHOTO SUBMITTED

32 MARCH 17, 2022

I got better and started winning them,” said Katrusiak. Bennett’s first real ski cross experience came in the 2019-20 season, when she was invited to a Youth Olympic Games qualifier in Alberta. And much like in Katrusiak’s first attempt in the start gates, things did not go Bennett’s way and she failed to make the team. But the passion for the sport was there, and it was enough for her to switch her focus to it full time. “When I finished school in June, I kind of talked to my coaches and I talked to my parents and I was like, ‘I want to ski, I don’t want to go to university yet and I would like

circuit and have been building momentum throughout the season. Katrusiak’s season started with him achieving his personal best of eighthplace at the Nakiska Nor Am Cup. He then went on to top that mark at the next two events with a fifth- and sixth-place finish at Calabogie Peaks in Ontario and his first Nor Am podiums at Gore Mountain, N.Y., where he managed a second and a third. At the same Nor Ams in Nakiska and Calabogie Peaks, Bennett managed to snag herself multiple top-seven finishes with a first, fourth and two sixth places across the two events.

“I think at this point, as much as I can get on track and as much as I can watch and learn and observe will only make things easier.” - EMELINE BENNETT

to make the switch to ski cross,’” she said. “So I put in for a deferral, which was accepted, so I had a guaranteed gap year with a position in the program for next [school year]. And then I kind of went headfirst into ski cross and started with a new team based out of Calgary and kind of just talked to those coaches and explained what I wanted to get out of the season and started from there.” This year, with a full slate of competitions on the schedule again for the first time in a couple years, both skiers have found some success on the Nor Am Cup

Since then, Bennett has left for Europe to compete on the Europa Cup circuit for the first time in her career. While competing against a field that is often double the size of the Nor Am cups has been a learning experience for Bennett, she believes having familiarity with both the European and North American competition will be a big advantage for her when the Junior Worlds roll around at the end of the month. “The girls on the Europa Cup, most of them are older. Most of them have a lot more experience under their belt and they

bring a lot more aggression to the races. So it’s a lot of watching and learning … I’m trying to build a little bit more aggression than I had before and keep it on par with what they’re doing,” she said. “The more experience the better. And I think kind of knowing who else will be at those events and what the stage might look like will definitely help from a mental perspective. I think at this point, as much as I can get on track and as much as I can watch and learn and observe will only make things easier.” While Katrusiak is unsure what the international competition he will be facing will look like, with some experience against the Canadian National Team already this year at the Nakiska Nor Am, he’s feeling confident about his chances and is hoping to place somewhere in the top 10. Meanwhile, Bennett doesn’t like to put number goals on her races, but instead just hopes to focus on what she can control and be happy with the way she skied when it’s all said and done. “As long as I can go and ski and be proud of the skiing that I put down, that’s definitely a win. I think just knowing that I can ski well, and if I go out and do it, hopefully something good will happen,” she said. “That is more what I like to focus on just because it leaves a lot more room for success.” Morrow, who grew up in Whistler racing for the WMSC and now races out of the University of Calgary, as well as with the Evolve Ski Cross Club, was not available for comment before Pique’s weekly deadline. n

SPORTS THE SCORE

rice

p New

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, March 19, 1-3 pm.

BACK IN ACTION Whistler ski cross racer Marielle Thompson at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. PHOTO SUBMITTED

Whistler’s Marielle Thompson can’t be stopped AFTER A DEVASTATING KNEE INJURY A YEAR AGO, THOMPSON STORMS BACK TO CAPTURE OLYMPIC SKI CROSS SILVER

BY HARRISON BROOKS AFTER SUFFERING a season-ending knee injury—which required reconstructive surgery exactly one year ago this month— Whistler’s Marielle Thompson wasn’t sure if she’d ever get back to her pre-injury self that dominated the women’s ski cross field for years. But once this season started, feeling better and better with each race, the old Marielle started to make a comeback. It only took two World Cup starts for Thompson to get back on the podium with a third-place finish in Val Thorens, France in December. She then followed that up with three more medals across five World Cup starts including a gold in Switzerland, a bronze in Italy and a silver in Nakiska leading up to the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. Managing to make it to the semi-finals at the Games, Thompson, currently ranked third in the World Cup standings, found herself in a heat with top-ranked Sandra Naeslund of Sweden who has dominated the field for a calendar year. But to say Naeslund has been dominant is a bit of an understatement. Dating back to April of last year, you can count how many times she hasn’t finished first on a single finger. “Basically, I just tried to have the best start I could and stay as close behind [Naeslund] as possible all the way to the finish line, but I knew my teammates were also quite fast on that course and they were in my semi-final, so I just really tried to ski as offensively as I could while also defending my line from my teammates who were behind me,” said Thompson, who managed to hold off fellow Canadians Hannah Schmidt and Courtney Hoffos to lock up her spot in the finals. Once in the finals, disaster almost struck for Thompson when she made an error out of the gates and found herself trailing the pack early in the race. But through determination, focus and a never-say-die

attitude, she was able to fight her way back and pass both Germany’s Daniela Maier and Switzerland’s Fanny Smith, crossing the finish line in second place behind Naeslund and securing her second Olympic medal. “I just knew that I’d done training runs with Sandra and Daniela on the other days and I had managed to pass Daniela in one of the training runs down there in that same spot. So I just knew from experience that I had the speed and if I skied my own race cleanly at the bottom, I could potentially pass,” she said. “And I’m just super proud. It feels like it’s been a long couple of years, particularly this last year, even just to get to the Olympics. When I hurt myself in March of last year, I really wasn’t that confident that I would even have been at the Olympics just because the timeframe just seemed kind of out of reach. “So to be second behind Sandra, I was super proud, and I’m proud of all the hard work it took for me to get to the Olympics and just proud that I could bring it home for Canada.” This medal marks the sixth time Thompson has won either a gold or silver in a major competition. The long and growing list of accomplishments includes an Olympic gold and silver, a World Championship gold and silver, an X Games silver and a Junior World Championships gold, not to mention finishing atop the World Cup standings three separate times. That resume is enough to give Thompson a strong case to be crowned the greatest ski cross athlete of all time. And while that is something she doesn’t think about too much, she admits it is “pretty cool to hear that out loud,” but is ultimately just happy to have had the chance to do what she loves and hopefully inspire the younger generation along the way. “It means a lot just to have the support of these young athletes,” she said. “I know I’m cheering for them every step of the way, because I had those role models to look up to as well. So I’m just cheering them on and wishing them the best and hope I can lead by example.” n

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MARCH 17, 2022

SPORTS THE SCORE

‘An honour of a lifetime’: Mollie Jepsen wraps up Paralympics as closing ceremony flag bearer THE WHISTLER MOUNTAIN SKI CLUB STAR WON DOWNHILL GOLD AND G.S. SILVER IN BEIJING THIS MONTH

BY MEGAN LALONDE AFTER KICKING OFF the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games with a gold medal on Day 1 of competition, Whistler’s Mollie Jepsen bookended the Games with a different kind of achievement. When the 22-year-old para-alpine skier from West Vancouver walked into the closing ceremony in Beijing on Sunday, March 13, the two-time Paralympian did so carrying the Canadian flag. Jepsen called the opportunity to serve as flag bearer “an honour of a lifetime.” “Over the last four years things have been really challenging and coming into these Games I was unsure of where I would stand and how it would go,” she said in a release from the Canadian Paralympic Committee. “I was able to stand on the podium just like in 2018 but to be able to represent all of the athletes who have done so amazing here and competed their hearts out at the Games feels amazing, and it’s an honour I will cherish for the rest of my life.” The Whistler Mountain Ski Club alum continued her season-long winning streak to

become Canada’s first medallist of the 2022 Paralympic Games when she won gold in the standing downhill event at the Yanqing National Alpine Centre on March 4. She followed that up with a silver-medal win in the standing giant slalom event on March 10. “I don’t know if it’s fully set in that I have two medals yet,” Jepsen said in an

Para-Nordic sit skier Ethan Hess was also representing the Sea to Sky corridor in Beijing last week, competing in his second Paralympic Games. The 22-year-old Pemberton local finished 18th in the longdistance cross-country event and 26th in the men’s sprint cross-country race. Other highlights for Canada in Beijing included retiring Paralympian Brian

“[I]t’s an honour I will cherish for the rest of my life.” - MOLLIE JEPSEN

Alpine Canada release following her silver. “I had high expectations and goals going into this event. I’ve been mostly focused on giant slalom, super G and downhill the last few years so I’m glad I was able to showcase that versatility.” Jepsen’s pair of podiums in Beijing come following the four medals she won during her Paralympic debut in PyeongChang four years ago: one gold, one silver, and two bronze.

MARCH 19 CONTINENTAL CUP SKI JUMPING EVENT Featuring Our Olympic Bronze Medalists!

March 20-27 Canadian National XC Championships & US Super Tour Finals

McKeever’s three gold medals in his final Games, resulting in a total of 20 career Paralympic medals for the legendary crosscountry skier. Vancouver Island-based snowboarder Tyler Turner, 33, also won two medals in his debut Paralympic Games—a gold in snowboard cross and bronze in banked slalom—while Jepsen’s Alpine Canada teammate Mac Marcoux skied to a silver-

medal finish in the men’s standing downhill alongside guide Tristan Rodgers. In total, Team Canada finished the Paralympic Games with eight gold medals, six silver and 11 bronze, for an overall medal haul of 25, won by 37 athletes. That put Canada third in the standings, behind China and Ukraine. It marked Canada’s second-best Paralympic Winter Games, after setting the record with its 28 medals won in PyeongChang four years ago. In a release, Beijing 2022 Canadian Paralympic Team chef de mission Josh Dueck said he was “thrilled” for each of the 48 athletes that competed for Canada over the nine-day period. “This team has displayed so much heart, resiliency, and passion and it has been an honour to have the opportunity to witness so many incredible athletes compete and show off all the dedication and hard work they have put in to be the best at what they do,” Dueck added. “There is so much to celebrate for the entire Canadian Paralympic Team, from every podium performance to the personal bests to so many moments in between that have all combined to elevate, motivate, and unite Canadians and Paralympic sport.” n

The FIS Continental Cup Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined events run from March 17-19 with a crescendo ‘Festive Ski Day’ on March 19, that ties a ski jumping event with an onsite DJ, Festive Barbeque and Local Craft Beer.

Canadian Cross Country Ski Nationals and the US Super Tour Finals.These high level events will bring in a thousand of the best cross country skiers from Canada and the USA, many who have recently come home from the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Come and watch the best and enjoy the Merchants’ village and festival atmosphere

Join us at the Whistler Olympic Park Callaghan Valley! For details and ticket go to: blacktusknordic.com, All trails will be open to maximize festive fun for all.

Any Whistler Olympic Park day ticket grants access to the events. 34 MARCH 17, 2022

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MARCH 17, 2022

EPICURIOUS

St. Patrick’s Day party returns to Whistler’s Dubh Linn Gate pub THE ONE THING YOU WON’T FIND? GREEN BEER

BY MEGAN LALONDE AS B.C.’S NUMBER of then-novel coronavirus cases began steadily growing in March of 2020, businesses began closing their doors until the province reached a near-complete shutdown. The first major event to become a pandemic casualty? St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. (At least the ones that didn’t take place on the snow-covered shores of Alpha Lake, if you’ll recall.) The timing of that initial lockdown served a particular blow to Whistler’s beloved Irish pub, the Dubh Linn Gate, which, as you’d imagine, typically plays host to one of the most raucous St. Paddy’s Day celebrations in the Sea to Sky corridor. “It really stung to have to close, but at the same time we were collectively in a sense of shock about what was going down,” recalled Dubh Linn Gate pub’s general manager Diane Rothdram in a message to Pique. “There was really nothing to do but send off our seasonal staff and try to manage the logistics of a forced closure.” That was when pandemic timelines were talked about in weeks, not months— let alone years. With public health orders in March 2021 including a reduced capacity, bans on live music and dancing and a mandated 10 p.m. alcohol cut-off, last year was similarly disappointing for the Whistler pub, said Rothdram. Instead, Dubh Linn Gate operated solely as a restaurant and offered “at-home Paddy’s Day packs” that included canned Guinness, Jameson whiskey and a few party favours. “We have been waiting for two years to throw the party that we and the town are accustomed to,” said Rothdram. That highly-anticipated party will finally kick off on Thursday, March 17 at 10 a.m. The pub is also bringing back its eggs

PARTY FOR PADDY On St. Patrick’s Day 2019, Whistler’s Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub drained an astonishing 22 kegs of Guinness. UNSPLASH

bennies as a special feature until noon. (Prepandemic, this dish would be considered a staple rather than a special, but the pub hasn’t re-opened for breakfast since COVID19 closures.) And yes, the festivities really will get rolling before noon. “We tend to see a first wave at opening when people meet before heading up on hill,” explained Rothdram. Local duo Ruckus Deluxe is scheduled to hit the stage at 2 p.m., where they’ll perform a series of afternoon sets until 6 p.m. The band—or “March 17th’s hardest working musicians,” as Rothdram described—will return at 8 p.m. and play well into the evening. One thing you won’t find at Dubh Linn Gate this week? Green-hued brews. “Green beer is [a] travesty,” declared Rothdram. “It’s not done in Ireland so it’s not done here. If you want to Irishify your

pint, have a Guinness.” According to Dubh Linn Gate’s records, more than a few patrons abide by that sage advice each March 17. In 2019, the pub drained 22 kegs full of Guinness. That’s more than double what Dubh Linn Gate will sell on a typical busy Saturday, when it will go through about nine kegs, noted Rothdram. Though Guinness might be authentically Irish, many so-called Irish traditions intended to celebrate the Emerald Isle on March 17 originated on this side of the Atlantic: the parades, drinking and general debauchery associated with the holiday in North America, to name just a few. (Also, dyeing rivers fluorescent green. Looking at you, Chicago!) The holiday honouring Ireland’s patron saint originated as a religious celebration. According to the History Channel, Irish

laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17 up until the 1970s. Even still, Canada’s link with Ireland is made up of more than an appreciation for Guinness and the liberal use of green dye. According to Statistics Canada’s 2016 Census, 13.43 per cent of the Canadian population (or about 4,627,000 people) claim full or partial Irish ancestry. And with restrictions on socializing lifted after two long, treacherous years, if there’s anything worth celebrating, it’s the fact that we can do so again. In Whistler, “Paddy’s Day [at Dubh Linn Gate] is a vibe, very high energy and celebratory,” said Rothdram. “It’s our favourite day of the year and until 2020 was a tradition for many locals and tourists alike. We look forward to welcoming them back for a long overdue party.” n

GOT MAUI’D - Peter and Rose Shrimpton Peter Shrimpton and Rose Fast are pleased to announce that they recently wed at a beachside ceremony in Kihei, Maui. The traditional Hawaiian ceremony was complemented by breaching whales, sunny skies and butterﬂies galore. Peter Shrimpton is a long-time resident of Whistler with his law practice of Mountain Law, and a lengthy list of community service. Rose Fast, formerly of Squamish is a retired Capilano University Professor. They look forward to hosting a local celebration with other friends and family.

36 MARCH 17, 2022

Join us for live music with Giddy-up Go Daddy at 8:30pm tonight. We will be taking donations for the Red Cross - Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal at the door. Roland's Pub will match the amount that is collected up to $1,000.

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

FITNESS CLASS SCHEDULE MARCH 17

MARCH 18

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

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

MARCH 19 MARCH 20

MARCH 21

MARCH 22

MARCH 23

SATURDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

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

I Mountain Ready Conditioning 7:30-8:30 a.m. Steve

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

I Strength & Stretch 7:45-8:45 a.m. Lou

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

I Yin & Yang Yoga 9-10 a.m. Heidi

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

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

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

SUNDAY

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

I Gentle Fit for Seniors 1:30-2:30 p.m. Diana

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.

I Roll & Release 7:30-8:30 p.m. Laura

I Gentle Fit for Seniors 1:30-2:30 p.m. Diana

R Ballet 2:45-4:45 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.

R Prenatal Fitness 6:15-7:15 p.m. Sara

SPRING/SUMMER PROGRAM REGISTRATION

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

I Zumba 5:45-6:45 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. Courtney

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

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

Resident registration: Available now online Non-resident registration: Online – Saturday, March 19 at 11 a.m. Phone – Sunday, March 20 at 9 a.m. whistler.ca/register

ARENA SCHEDULE THU 17

FRI 18

SAT 19

SUN 20

MON 21

TUE 22

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

Women & 50+ Drop-In Hockey 10-11:30 a.m.

Family Stick & Puck

Public Skate 12-4 p.m.

Public Skate

12-4 p.m.

Public Skate

6:30-8 p.m.

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

Public Skate

12-4 p.m.

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Become a lifeguard! *Bronze Cross Dates: March 21-25 Time: 12-5:30 p.m. *Participants must complete Bronze Medallion prior to taking Bronze Cross. whistler.ca/aquaticleadership

ARTS SCENE

Whistler’s thriving secondhand scene fights the effects of fast fashion VILLAGE VINTAGE SHOP VELVET UNDERGROUND PARTNERING WITH ECOLOGYST ON SECOND LIFE POP-UP

BY BRANDON BARRETT AMY RAFFERTY, owner of local vintage shop The Velvet Underground, has been heartened by the growing awareness she’s seen build in the past couple years around the harmful impacts of the massive, global fast-fashion industry. “You definitely feel like people are waking up,” says Rafferty, “until you search ‘Shein haul’ on TikTok. I don’t recommend it.” Rafferty is referring to a popular TikTok trend that (usually) sees young women unboxing hundreds of dollars worth of clothes from the fast-growing Chinese retailer known for its absurdly cheap—and cheaply made—products. Today, Shein is the world’s largest online-only retailer, releasing a mind-boggling 700 to 1,000 new products every single day. “Apparently it does more damage to the environment than Amazon, just to give you some kind of an idea of how bad this brand is for the planet,” Rafferty says. Shein is just the largest and arguably most aggressive purveyor of fast fashion in an industry that accounts for more than 10 per cent of global carbon emissions— more than the aviation and shipping sectors combined—and consumes approximately 100 million tonnes of oil every year. But with the pandemic motivating consumers to rethink their environmental footprints, it

VINTAGE EMPIRE Amy Rafferty, owner of The Velvet Underground, at one of the many secondhand clothing warehouses located in Vancouver. PHOTO SUBMITTED

38 MARCH 17, 2022

was only a matter of time before folks began to seriously look at the clothes hanging in their closet. “I have no problem buying new now and then and I don’t judge people. To each their own,” said Therese Lundgren, owner of Déja Vogue Boutique. “But I also think, with the push around environmental impact, it’s been exposed how insane this consumerism craziness is that’s been going on for a long time. There’s all this shit ending up in piles everywhere.” For a number of reasons, Whistler has long had a thriving vintage and second-

Part of that success is simply the local extension of a longer trend that has seen demand skyrocket for collector vintage pieces. Even before the pandemic shut down flea markets across North America, the ’90s nostalgia market was heating up, reaching a boiling point in the fall of 2020 when a T-shirt from the 1992 Disney animated film, Aladdin, sold at online auction for a whopping $6,000. “T-shirts and sneakers are out of control. It’s almost like buying stocks,” Rafferty says. “If you find a collector that’s wanting that and they have that much money, they’ll buy it at whatever cost it takes and then that

“It’s really changing the perception of clothing as a valuable tool rather than a throwaway piece.” - LISA MCANULTY

hand scene, counting a number of consignment shops such as Déja Vogue in Function, along with Velvet Underground (which recently relocated from Function to the village), Vula Apparel and Sophie’s Closet, also in the village. That’s before you mention regular pop-up shops, both online and brick-and-mortars, from brands like Strange Daze Collective and Dream Big Vintage, and the granddaddy of all Whistler thrifting, the trusty Re-Use-It Centre, which jumped into the online retail fray during the pandemic with the launch of its digital consignment shop, the Re-Love-It Store.

drives the whole market up.” But Whistlerites aren’t just motivated by fashion. Far from it. Economics are an obvious driver in such an expensive town, and given the constant churn of residents here, there’s usually a bargain to be found. Increasingly, though, local consumers are looking for ways to increase the lifespan of the items they wear for environmental reasons. It’s why Rafferty wanted to partner with sustainable retailer ecologyst on its new Second Life venture, which sees the Canadianmade clothing manufacturer breathe new life into its products. The way it works: sellers can

list their used ecologyst pieces on the Second Life website, and in return will get a gift card they can either put towards a Second Life item or a new ecologyst product. “Really what it does immediately off the bat is reduce emissions by 80 per cent versus a product that is purchased new. So not only do we want to provide life-long gear, but also to not have to always create net new product in order for there to be value,” explains Lisa McAnulty, sustainability specialist with ecologyst. “It’s really changing the perception of clothing as a valuable tool rather than a throwaway piece.” It would stand to reason a model that actively discourages the buying of new clothes wouldn’t align with the mandate of a clothing manufacturer and retailer, but as McAnulty explains, a more sustainable approach is actually better for business in the long run. “I think it’s a beautiful pairing with our business model,” she says. “We really want to make sure that we’re not overproducing in the first place. Most brands will create thousands, if not tens of thousands, millions or billions of units. We intentionally create fewer, better main pieces that are built to last—and that costs us less. When you look at some of these other brands, there are economies of scale, so it’s a very intentional choice to create longer lasting products.” ecologyst is teaming with The Velvet Underground for a pop-up on Saturday, March 19 from noon to 6 p.m. at the Main Street ecologyst store. Along with vintage items handpicked by Rafferty for sale, there will be staff on-hand educating shoppers on the new Second Life initiative. Learn more at ecologyst.com/pages/second-life. n

ARTS SCENE

All hands on deck at the Canadian Guitar Quartet FAMED CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLE PLAYS WHISTLER FOR THE FIRST TIME ON MARCH 20

BY BRANDON BARRETT

When Vladimir Putin triggered his invasion of Ukraine, he not only initiated an unprovoked war on the sovereign, democratic state of Ukraine, he issued a direct challenge to the peace and security of Europe, to liberal democracies, and the international rules-based system. With the second largest diaspora of Ukrainians in the world, this is personal for many Canadians. As one of the over 1.3 million Canadians with roots in Ukraine, it is true for me as well. In the face of overwhelming odds, the world has been inspired by the courageous response of Ukrainians to the barbaric attack on their homeland. In the past few weeks, we have seen the Western World rally to support our Ukrainian friends in a show of solidarity not seen in decades.

LOUIS TRÉPANIER, the Canadian Guitar Quartet’s sole remaining original member, knows the key to making great chamber music is always keeping more than one pair of hands on the tiller. “They’re playing off each other and there’s few enough people onstage that everybody is steering the boat at the same time,” says Trépanier. “Whatever you do, a mistake or brilliant idea, is the next step forward. So people need to either correct or run with what you did, good or bad.” Since its debut in 1999, the Canadian Guitar Quartet, which makes its first stop in Whistler this weekend, has played on three different continents, carving out a reputation as one of the country’s most highly-soughtafter guitar ensembles, releasing four critically acclaimed albums in that time, and mentoring the next generation of classical musicians through its series of clinics, master classes, and one-on-one sessions. The ensemble has undergone a number of changes over the years, and while that comes with a natural shift in interpersonal dynamics, Trépanier says the way the group approaches the music has remained consistent. “The guys that came into the group came in wanting to be in this group. If you show up to be part of the Rolling Stones, you’re going to think, ‘Well, I’m going to change the Stones a little bit even if I try not to because I’m a different person, but essentially I want to be playing the Rolling Stones catalogue,’” Trépanier says. One thing that separated the quartet from other chamber musicians, especially in its early days, was the fact they play everything from memory. Trépanier likens it to live theatre, with each line memorized down to the syllable, while the actor’s delivery and the emotion behind it is entirely dependent on the moment. “Like theatre, it takes a long time to get that ready and then off you go,” he adds. It certainly helps when the cast of players know and anticipate each other’s nuances at a near telepathic level. “Chamber music is this sort of small, intimate group setting and people enjoying the common cause of everything. When it’s really done well, there’s this beautiful, egoless thing happening,” Trépanier says. “There’s a British string quartet called the Brodsky Quartet, and my wife and I went. My wife is a musician as well. It was one of our favourite concerts [because of] the togetherness. It’s kind of corny, but the individuals all disappeared and this sort of multi-souled being was there in their place.

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GUITAR HEROES Clockwise from top left: Jérôme Ducharme, Christ Habib, Renaud C. Giguère and Louis Trépanier of the Canadian Guitar Quartet. PHOTO SUBMITTED

“I’m getting all esoteric and describing this spiritual stuff in a way, and I’m a pretty down to Earth person, but at its best, it really does feel like something transcending in a really good way.” The Canadian Guitar Quartet’s repertoire tends to veer towards a mix of recognizable classical numbers and original pieces composed by one of the group’s members. On its B.C. tour, the quartet plans to play some Mozart, Brazilian bossa nova from the 1950s and ’60s, as well as some original music written specifically for the quartet (“There’s always been one guy in the group who is a pretty good composer over the years,” Trépanier says). The ensemble also has a penchant for taking well-known pieces written for piano or orchestra and adapting them for the guitar. “Four guitars can recreate a lot,” he says. “We almost don’t like to use the word ‘accessible’ for our repertoire because it seems like some sort of compromise, but it is. It’s something you can relate to as any kind of person who has listened to music in whatever form; you’ll be able to hang your hat on what we do. Some of the music we do is a little bit out there but it’s balanced in the whole performance.” Trépanier and fellow quartet members Renaud C. Giguère, Jérôme Ducharme and Christ Habib hit the Maury Young Arts Centre stage on Sunday, March 20 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $25, available in advance at the box office or online at whistlerchambermusic.ca or artswhistler. com, as well as at the door. Proof of vaccination and government ID is required for entry. n

Canada continues to play a leading role in this effort through ﬁnancial, humanitarian, and military support, and most importantly, through punishing economic sanctions on Russia to deprive its ability to ﬁnance this illegal war. Canada has provided $120 million in sovereign loans to support the Ukrainian economy in response to Russian aggression. A total of $150 million in humanitarian assistance has been sent to Ukraine, and we have matched every donation made by individual Canadians to the Canadian Red Cross. Canada has provided rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons systems, ammunition, as well as rations, body armour, satellite capability, and much more. We are also bolstering our support for NATO, sending an additional 460 personnel to join the approximately 800 currently deployed in Europe.

Ukrainian Canadians, their family members, and refugees with all immigration matters. Canada is waiving fees and prioritizing applications for Ukrainians who want to reunite or travel with family, study, work or start a new life in Canada. We also created the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel that will eliminate most of the normal visa requirements and allow Ukrainians to stay in Canada for up to two years with open work permits. A dedicated immigration service channel for Ukraine enquiries can be reached at 613-321-4243. I have been heartened by the thousands of emails, calls, and messages I have received across our community standing in solidarity with Ukraine. I want to recognize Jaime Webbe from West Vancouver, head of the United Nations Association in Canada, who has organized a fundraising campaign to help Ukrainian refugees. Their work is an important part of Canada’s humanitarian efforts. If you have the means to support one of the over two million Ukrainians who have ﬂed their homeland, I encourage you to donate or visit our Sponsor a Refugee webpage. As Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland put it, this is one of those times, and one of those places, where freedom confronts tyranny. We are determined that freedom will triumph, and it will. Slava Ukraini.

Canada has closed its airspace, its waters, and ports to Russian vessels, banned imports of crude oil, and cancelled all export permits. In coordination with our G7 allies, Russian banks have been removed from the SWIFT payment network, a critical part of the global ﬁnancial system, and we have implemented restrictions against the Russian Central Bank and 27 key ﬁnancial institutions. Putin and Russian oligarchs have had assets frozen, and a bill is in the Senate that would allow redirection of their assets held in Canada. We are also continuing to assist

MP Weiler attending a Solidary with Ukraine event with fellow MPs and staffers on Parliament Hill on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022

MARCH 17, 2022

ARTS SCENE

Whistler Film Festival showed resolve to bump attendance in 2021 DESPITE COVID HESITANCY AND PUTRID WEATHER, HYBRID WFF SAW ATTENDANCE INCREASE 11%

BY BRANDON BARRETT IN MANY WAYS, the 21st annual Whistler Film Festival (WFF) held in December had to contend with even more challenges than its COVID-curtailed 2020 edition. Held between surges of the virus’ Delta and Omicron variants, organizers were met with their fair share of COVID-19 hesitancy, at a time when the film festival circuit was only just beginning to chug into action again. They also had a new executive director at the helm, Angela Heck, who was tasked with ushering the festival into its first truly hybrid in-person/online edition, with the bulk of the film lineup available to stream. Oh, and did I mention the in-person portion of the festival held from Dec. 1 to 5 coincided with an atmospheric river that left much of B.C. covered in water? “It was a completely unusual year,” Heck says. In spite of the challenges, WFF organizers showed resolve in a year that made it incredibly difficult to predict and plan for any event, let alone one so well known for its packed theatres and filmmaker-friendly networking

sessions. Across all of its programming and platforms, WFF attracted a total of 11,939 attendees, an increase of 10.5 per cent from the 2020 event, which only had a fraction of the films available to stream online compared to the 21st edition. In 2021, attendees could catch a screening in person from Dec. 1 to 5, or online through Dec. 31. With inter-provincial travel limited at the time, the festival enjoyed a strong local showing. Seventy-three per cent of

in their homes. So this year, there was a lot more competition out there but we still held our own and there was some really great pick-up again,” she says. “Our B.C. audiences, in particular, came with us but online streaming is really appreciated for so many reasons. People have different things competing for their time, so having the option to be able to see these really amazing films that you don’t get on other platforms is something that the feedback has been tremendous about.”

“It was a completely unusual year.” - ANGELA HECK

attendees were from B.C. (including 44 per cent hailing from the Sea to Sky), 13 per cent from Ontario and Quebec, eight per cent from elsewhere in Canada, and five per cent joined online from around the globe. While recognizing WFF will always be an “in-person first” festival, Heck acknowledged the benefits digital streaming can offer and indicated the hybrid model is here to stay. “When we did this last year, everybody was streaming and everybody was stuck

Streaming also came with its own silver linings on the industry side of the festival. Heck says landing cinematographer Ari Wegner—director of photography for Jane Campion’s Oscar-nominated Western, The Power of the Dog, which also screened at WFF—for a conversation with Riverdale star Nathalie Boltt, who attended in-person from Whistler while Wegner Zoomed in— would not have happened had Wegner had to travel to the resort. Vernā Myers was another major get for

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the festival. The inclusion strategist and Netflix VP beamed in for a much-needed conversation on diversity and inclusivity in Hollywood. (Both talks are available to stream at watch.whistlerfilmfestival.com/ wff365.) “People want to have the in-person contacts for networking and that kind of serendipity that happens at a festival. That did happen, for sure: people were finding creative collaborations; deals were made. But it’s a question of scale,” Heck notes. “What was really interesting is that we were able to access people that may not have been able to travel that were really high-level.” The 21st WFF is also notable for achieving directorial gender parity for the first time. Fifty-six per cent of the films at this year’s fest were directed or co-directed by women or non-binary individuals. Selected from more than 1,550 submissions, the 2021 WFF lineup featured 81 films from 20 countries— including 17 first-time filmmakers. Juries handed out 16 awards and more than $272,000 in cash and prizes. Canadian and international filmmakers are invited to submit films of all lengths and genres by Aug. 15 in order to be considered for the 2022 festival. Learn more at whistlerfilmfestival.com. n

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STAY GROUNDED When snowboarders were first allowed on Blackcomb they were required to pass a test before riding the lifts, and aerials were banned. BLACKCOMB MOUNTAIN COLLECTION, DANO PENDYGRASSE

Licence to snowboard BY JILLIAN ROBERTS DESPITE SKIERS and snowboarders

VILLAGE OF LIONS BAY NOTICE CONSIDERATION OF TEMPORARY USE PERMIT NO.3080.20.07 The Village of Lions Bay (the “Municipality”) is considering issuing Temporary Use Permit No. 3080.20.07 (the Permit) for the property located at 190 Mountain Drive and more particularly known and described as: PID: 007-893-345 • Lot 25, Block A, District Lot 1814, Plan 14230 (the “Lands”) The Lands are shown in bold outline on the map below. PURPOSE: In general terms, the purpose of the proposed permit is to authorize Short Term Rentals on the Lands, pursuant to section 4.6 of Part IV of Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 520, 2017, as amended. INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS: A copy of the proposed permit may be inspected at the Reception Desk of Municipal Hall at 400 Centre Road, Lions Bay, BC, during regular office hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays, or online at lionsbay.ca under “Planning and Development Services”. WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS The Council of the Village of Lions Bay has delegated its authority to issue temporary use permits to the Chief Administrative Officer (“CAO”), who will consider issuing Temporary Use Permit No.3080.20.07 on March 28, 2022 at 4 pm. Before deciding whether or not to issue the Permit the CAO will consider written submissions on matters relevant to the issuance of the Permit, from persons who believe their interests may be affected by the Permit. Comments may be submitted using the online Comment Form on the webpage noted above, or submitted via email to cao@lionsbay.ca, or via regular mail or in person at the Village Office, PO Box 141, 400 Centre Road, Lions Bay, BC, V0N 2E0, addressed to “CAO-TUP” and submitted by 4 pm on Friday, March 25, 2022.

42 MARCH 17, 2022

charging down the mountain together today, there was a time when single-plankers were strictly not allowed. Skier complaints and safety concerns resulted in both Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain remaining closed to snowboarders until the late ’80s. Snowboarders were forced to ride smaller, undeveloped hills, head to the backcountry, or hike up the mountain while avoiding the watchful eye of mountain staff. The acceptance of snowboarding was slow because of the perception that snowboarders were dangerous, uncontrolled and uncivilized. The laidback alternative lifestyle of snowboarders often clashed with that of skiers, and it was not uncommon for skiers to hurl disdain at snowboarders when they were finally allowed on the mountain. Early snowboarders to Whistler tell stories about being spat on, chased by snowcats, and getting shovels thrown at them. As Ken Achenbach remarked, “We were called menaces to society—it was wicked, man.” All a snowboarder had to do to grind the gears of some skiers was wake up in the morning. Even Hugh Smythe, Blackcomb’s general manager, was derided when the decision was made to welcome snowboarders to Blackcomb for the 1987-88 season. Special rules for snowboarders in resort areas were commonplace at this time. In some resorts, before they were allowed on the lifts, snowboarders had to agree not to use foul language. Similar to many East Coast resorts, Blackcomb went a step further. Unlike skiers, snowboarders were initially required to pass a proficiency test to be licenced to ride Blackcomb. The test cost about the price of a day pass and

snowboarders had to prove they could turn both ways and stop safely. A certificate was presented upon passing which allowed the recipient to load the lifts with their board. Aerials were also originally banned on Blackcomb, with lift tickets confiscated from those who dared leave the ground. Blackcomb was a popular freestyle mountain, but riders were required to keep an eye out for patrol when practising for fear of losing their passes. It may be hard to believe in the age of triple cork 1440s, but all inverted aerials were initially also banned in snowboard competitions due to concerns over spinal cord injuries. It was not unusual for professional snowboarders to deliberately disqualify themselves in competitions by pulling inverted aerials, including the crippler, in protest of this rule. The rules were eventually changed to prevent medals being awarded only to those who followed the rules and showcased the tamest tricks. As a new sport, the snowboarding community in Whistler was small and tightknit. Being so outnumbered, snowboarders would instantly be best buds with anyone else riding a board. This did not last long, however; snowboarding was the fastest growing sport in the 1990s, and despite the growth slowing, the community today is so big there is no way anyone could know every snowboarder on the mountain. For more on the history of snowboarding, join us for our first in-person event for 2022. In this Whistler Museum Speaker Series we will be talking about the history of snowboarding in Whistler with local snowboarding legends Ken Achenbach and Graham Turner. The event begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 28. Tickets are $10 ($5 for museum members) and will be available at the Whistler Museum from March 14. We look forward to seeing you there! n

PARTIAL RECALL

1 DAY FOR JAKE Snowboarder Mark McMorris shares a few words with the massive crowd of riders that gathered on top of Blackcomb’s 7th Heaven zone on Sunday, March 13 to celebrate the legacy of late snowboard pioneer Jack Burton Carpenter. PHOTO BY TYLER RAVELLE. 2 CELEBRATING CLARE With most COVID restrictions lifted, Pique staff were finally able to toast former editor Clare Ogilvie—and present her with a cover—at Coast Mountain Brewing on Wednesday, March 9. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 3 SKI(PPING) SCHOOL Students from École La Passerelle celebrated Francophonie Month with special activities, including enjoying homemade French crepes and a ski day on Whistler Mountain. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4 IT’S CHILL The Rotary Club of Whistler presented a $11,200 cheque to the Whistler Community Services Society on Monday, March 7, which will fund a new fridge for the Children’s Lunch Program perishables. The program supplies nutritional courtesy lunches and snacks to Whistler’s five schools so no student will have to go hungry. Pictured from left to right: Jackie Dickinson, WCSS executive director; Fraser Carey, WCSS organizer; Gill Forester, RCOW president; RCOW members Janice Lloyd and Ken Martin. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 5 SYNCHRO STARS The Whistler Mountain Edges adult synchronized skating team took home silver at a B.C./Yukon synchro competition in South Surrey on Saturday, March 12. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 6 NEW RECRUITS Whistler Fire Rescue Service’s new recruits got familiar with their equipment during a training session this week. PHOTO SUBMITTED.

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Singer, dancer, and comedian Sammy Davis Jr. disliked the song “The Candy Man,” but he recorded it anyway, heeding his advisors. He spent just a brief time in the studio, finishing his vocals in two takes. “The song is going straight to the toilet,” he complained, “pulling my career down with it.” Surprise! It became the best-selling tune of his career, topping the Billboard charts for three weeks. I suspect there could be a similar phenomenon (or two!) in your life during the coming months, Aries. Don’t be too sure you know how or where your interesting accomplishments will arise. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I love author Maya Angelou’s definition of high accomplishment, and I recommend you take steps to make it your own in the coming weeks. She wrote, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” Please note that in her view, success is not primarily about being popular, prestigious, powerful, or prosperous. I’m sure she wouldn’t exclude those qualities from her formula, but the key point is that they are all less crucial than self-love. Please devote quality time to refining and upgrading this aspect of your drive for success. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I’m not fake in any way,” declared Gemini actor Courteney Cox. On the face of it, that’s an amazing statement for a Gemini to make. After all, many in your tribe are masters of disguise and shapeshifting. Cox herself has won accolades for playing a wide variety of characters during her film and TV career, ranging from comedy to drama to horror. But let’s consider the possibility that, yes, you Geminis can be versatile, mutable, and mercurial, yet also authentic and genuine. I think this specialty of yours could and should be extra prominent in the coming weeks. CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Sometimes I prayed for Baby Jesus to make me good, but Baby Jesus didn’t,” wrote author Barbara Kingsolver about her childhood approach to self-improvement. Just because this method failed to work for her, however, doesn’t mean it won’t work for others. In saying that, I’m not implying you should send out appeals to Baby Jesus. But I suggest you call on your imagination to help you figure out what influences may, in fact, boost your goodness. It’s an excellent time to seek help as you elevate your integrity, expand your compassion, and deepen your commitment to ethical behaviour. It’s not that you’re deficient in those departments; just that now is your special time to do what we all need to do periodically: Make sure our actual behaviour is in rapt alignment with our high ideals. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo classicist and author Edith Hamilton specialized in the history of Ancient Greece. The poet Homer was one of the most influential voices of that world. Hamilton wrote, “An ancient writer said of Homer that he touched nothing without somehow honouring and glorifying it.” I love that about his work, and I invite you to match his energy in the coming weeks. I realize that’s a lot to ask. But according to my reading of the astrological omens, you will indeed have a knack for honouring and glorifying all you touch. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Starhawk, one of my favorite witches, reminds us that “sexuality is the expression of the creative life force of the universe. It is not dirty, nor is it merely ‘normal’; it is sacred. And sacred can also be affectionate, joyful, pleasurable, passionate, funny, or purely animal.” I hope you enjoy an abundance of such lushness in the coming weeks, Virgo. It’s a favourable time in your astrological cycle for synergizing eros and spirituality. You have poetic license to express your delight about being alive with imaginative acts of sublime love. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1634, English poet John Milton coined the phrase “silver lining.” It has become an idiom referring to a redemptive aspect of an experience that falls short of expectations. Over 350 years later,

American author Arthur Yorinks wrote, “Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold.” Now I’m relaying his message to you. Hopefully, my heads-up will ensure that you won’t miss the silver lining for any reason, including the possibility that you’re fixated on gold. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “This is the most profound spiritual truth I know,” declares author Anne Lamott. “That even when we’re most sure that love can’t conquer all, it seems to anyway. It goes down into the rat hole with us, in the guise of our friends, and there it swells and comforts. It gives us second winds, third winds, hundredth winds.” Lamott’s thoughts will be your wisdom to live by during the next eight weeks, Scorpio. Even if you think you already know everything there is to know about the powers of love to heal and transform, I urge you to be open to new powers that you have never before seen in action. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Witty Sagittarian author Ashleigh Brilliant has created thousands of cheerful yet often sardonic epigrams. In accordance with current astrological omens, I have chosen six that will be useful for you to treat as your own in the coming weeks. 1. “I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent.” 2. “I have abandoned my search for truth and am now looking for a good fantasy.” 3. “All I want is a warm bed and a kind word and unlimited power.” 4. “Do your best to satisfy me—that’s all I ask of everybody.” 5. “I’m just moving clouds today, tomorrow I’ll try mountains.” 6. “A terrible thing has happened. I have lost my will to suffer.” CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “All experience is an enrichment rather than an impoverishment,” wrote author Eudora Welty. That may seem like a simple and obvious statement, but in my view, it’s profound and revolutionary. Too often, we are inclined to conclude that a relatively unpleasant or inconvenient event has diminished us. And while it may indeed have drained some of our vitality or caused us angst, it has almost certainly taught us a lesson or given us insight that will serve us well in the long run—if only to help us avoid similar downers in the future. According to my analysis of your current astrological omens, these thoughts are of prime importance for you right now. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Life swarms with innocent monsters,” observed poet Charles Baudelaire. Who are the “innocent monsters”? I’ll suggest a few candidates. Boring people who waste your time but who aren’t inherently evil. Cute advertisements that subtly coax you to want stuff you don’t really need. Social media that seem like amusing diversions except for the fact that they suck your time and drain your energy. That’s the bad news, Aquarius. The good news is that the coming weeks will be a favourable time to eliminate from your life at least some of those innocent monsters. You’re entering a period when you’ll have a strong knack for purging “nice” influences that aren’t really very nice. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Never underestimate the wisdom of being easily satisfied,” wrote aphorist Marty Rubin. If you’re open to welcoming such a challenge, Pisces, I propose that you work on being very easily satisfied during the coming weeks. See if you can figure out how to enjoy even the smallest daily events with blissful gratitude. Exult in the details that make your daily rhythm so rich. Use your ingenuity to deepen your capacity for regarding life as an ongoing miracle. If you do this right, there will be no need to pretend you’re having fun. You will vividly enhance your sensitivity to the ordinary glories we all tend to take for granted. Homework: What small change could you initiate that will make a big beneficial difference? Newsletter. FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

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

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48 MARCH 17, 2022

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WE ARE HIRING Become part of a creative team and surround yourself with art Part-time Labourers and Full-time Scaffolder/Carpenter

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WIDE OPEN WELDING IS LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED STEEL ERECTOR/WELDER. piquenewsmagazine.com/ local-events/

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CURRENTLY SEEKING CURATOR/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SYNOPSIS: Your leadership and organizational skills and stewardship of our artifacts, archives, exhibits, programs and budgets will ensure the Pemberton Museum continues to provide excellent service to our stakeholders. As a representative of the Pemberton Museum and Archives society you will steward, promote, and manage curatorial and collections services that define the Pemberton Museum’s mandate and themes. Your attention to detail and service oriented approach will serve you well as you keep our community and the visitors to our community, involved and excited about the people, places, traditions and stories that illustrate Pemberton. The Curator will be accountable to the Board of Directors. See posting here: www.pembertonmuseum.org Consults with: Board of Directors Term of employment: (Full time, $30/hr., 42 weeks, 1680 hours) April 01, 2022 – Dec 19, 2022. Resumes will be accepted until Mon, March 21, 2022 at 4:00 pm. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only individuals short-listed for interviews will be contacted. Please forward resumes with cover letters to: Board of Directors info@pembertonmuseum.org.

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Event Audio Visual Technician Part and Full Time Sales Coordinator For more information, please search our Encore Job Opportunities page at the below link. https://jobs.encoreglobal.com/search-jobs/Whistler

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: • Supervisor, Building Operations • Maintenance Technician • Coordinator, Destination Development • Specialist, Research (Contract) • Visitor Centre Agent • Travel Consultant What we offer: a flexible schedule offering work-life balance, excellent compensation and benefits package, and a great team environment.

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Lil’wat Nation

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

Accounting Assistant Worker - Finance Administrative Assistant to Health Director Career Development Practitioner 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 Home Care Nurse RN or LPN Homemaker - Lil'wat Health and Healing Indigenous Support Worker Casual - Ts'zil Learning Centre IT Co-ordinator Kindergarten Teacher - Xet'olacw Community School Project Coordinator - Xet'olacw Community School Project Manager for Health Transfer Station Operator

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/

Reach Your Full Potential At The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, discover a place where you’re given the choice to not just get up and go to work, but to rise. Join a team that works together to enhance well-being for our guests, our employees, and the community. Discover what it means to rise. FOOD & BEVERAGE SUPERVISOR

ROOM ATTENDANTS

BANQUET CAPTAIN

SHIPPER/RECEIVER (4 X 10 HOUR SHIFTS PER WEEK)

OVERNIGHT LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER PERKS & BENEFITS • SUBSIDIZED STAFF ACCOMMODATION

• COMPLIMENTARY STAFF MEALS

• FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES

• TRAVEL PERKS & BENEFITS

• MARRIOTT HOTEL DISCOUNTS

• GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

Email your resume to work@westinwhistler.com or visit Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm

GENERAL LABOURER REQUIRED: • General clean up and organize site materials, tools etc.

The Adara Hotel, Whistler

• Organize deliveries at arrival

We now have the following positions available:

• Must be hardworking and enthusiastic • Complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner

FRONT DESK AGENT (FT) MAINTENANCE PERSON (PT)

• Physically fit, mobile and able to work outdoors • Friendly, hard-working and happy to pitch in

SIGNING BONUS We offer better than competitive wages, benefits, spirit or epic ski pass and more. The Adara Hotel is a small boutique hotel nestled in the heart of Whistler close to all amenities and services. We take care of our staff and it shows! Call us today at 604-905-4009 or email us at info@adarahotel.com

• Must have STEEL TOED BOOTS. WDC offers competitive wages and this is a long term

Whistler’s only dedicated wedding magazine. AVAILABLE ON STANDS IN THE SEA TO SKY

position with room for growth and for the right candidate training to use site equipment such as Telehandler, Forklift and Bobcat. Immediate Start Email your resume to: projects@WDC2020corp.com

MARCH 17, 2022

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

Full Time Maintenance Manager Eligible successful candidates may receive* • Extensive benefits package which may include; ski pass or wellness allowance, disability coverage, travel insurance and extended health and dental. • Travel Allowance and discounted employee rates at any Diamond Resort International resort. • 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.

For more information on this position or to submit your resume, please email: embarc_hr@hgv.com

WE AR

We're hiring in Whistler and Squamish

HIRING

APPLY

secure.collage.co/jobs/coastalmountain

APPLY TODAY!

We’re Hiring!

Carpenters, Foreman, Project Managers

DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH

Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic Civil Construction Labourer/Pipe Layer Gravel Truck Driver Heavy Equipment Operator Site Superintendent Welder

WE ARE

HIRING Human Resources Advisor Regular Full-Time Engineering Technician Temporary Full-Time Municipal Engineer 1, Development Regular Full-Time Recreation Program Leader, Biking Casual General Manager of Community Services Regular Full-Time Chief Operator Waste Water Treatment Plant Regular Full-Time Casual Clerical and Administrative Support – Clerk 2, Customer Service Clerk

$1000 SIGNING BONUS BENEFITS, FULL TIME WORK ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION? WANT TO COME AND WORK FOR A GREAT TEAM WITH LOTS OF ROOM FOR CAREER GROWTH? APPLY TO CONNECT@TMBUILDERS.CA

52 MARCH 17, 2022

squamish.ca/careers

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are hiring an

Overnight Support Worker to help us end youth homelessness

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

BE BOLD BE YOU, BE YOUR BEST SELF CASUAL BANQUET SERVERS CHOOSE YOUR OWN SCHEDULE $22.00 per hour Minimum Commitment 1-2 shifts per week BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO: WORK@WESTINWHISTLER.COM

Full Time Front Desk Agent Full Time & Part Time Housekeepers Full Time Night Auditor Full Time Maintenance Technician Eligible successful candidates may receive* • $750.00 Hiring Bonus for successful full time candidates; $375.00 Hiring Bonus for successful part time candidates! (if hired between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022) • Potential staff accommodation available. • 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

MARCH 17, 2022

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS L

KC O

M B

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ICOPTER

BLACKCOMB HELICOPTERS TECHNICAL RECORDS CLERK Job Location: Status:

BHLP Pemberton Base 1850 Airport Road, Pemberton B.C. Full-Time Permanent Position

ABOUT US Blackcomb Helicopters is a well-established full service, multi-fleet helicopter company with rotary flight and maintenance services. We have bases in Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Sechelt, Lillooet and Vancouver.

NOW HIRING!

POSITION

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

This position will be part of the Technical Records Team working in a variety of projects such as: organization of technical records information, data input, filing, assisting the Technical Records supervisor, updating all aviation relation databases, assistance in safety initiatives, and other office duties when required. QUALIFICATIONS: • •

we provide our staff with: Competitive Wages, Health Benefits, Gratuities, Employee Discounts and Staff Housing

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR RESUME TO: CAREERS@ILCAMINETTO.CA

Above average English skills, both verbal and written; Experience in the aviation industry or related work a definite asset; • Good attitude and excellent work ethic. A self-starter. • Detail driven – your attention to detail is a source of pride for you; • Superior knowledge of Word and Excel and able to pick up new software quickly; • Excellent organizational skills and ability to focus on repetitive tasks; • Great sense of humour; • Legally entitled to work in Canada. This is a position working Monday to Friday of 40 hours per week, however, we will require flexibility in terms of days worked as occasional weekend work may be required due to the nature of our business. We offer an excellent benefits program, RRSP, and an energetic and diverse work environment. This position does require working at our base, however, remote work from home is available on an occasional basis. Note: Blackcomb Helicopters is federally regulated, therefore, proof of double vaccination is a condition of employment. If you are interested in this position, please send your resume to attention to: Human Resources at mcleanhr@mcleangroup.com noting Technical Records Clerk Application in your subject header.

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. 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 Annual Tool Allowance 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 while growing your career with a renowned Whistler builder, please get in touch.

custom homes

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!

54 MARCH 17, 2022

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PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

ICOPTER

BLACKCOMB HELICOPTERS STORES ASSISTANT Job Location:

BHLP Pemberton Base - 1850 Airport Road, Pemberton B.C.

Status:

Full-Time Permanent Position

ABOUT US Blackcomb Helicopters is a well-established full service, multifleet helicopter company with rotary flight and maintenance services. We have bases in Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Sechelt, Lillooet and Vancouver. POSITION This position is part of the Aircraft Maintenance Department assisting in all areas that arise out of the day to day running of our helicopter operation. Duties include but are not limited to: assisting with inventory and counts, expediting parts for overhaul and repair, tracking incoming and outgoing freight, preparing reports on aircraft parts, organization and maintenance of stores rooms, input and transcription of technical records, maintenance of aviation software systems, and other duties as required. QUALIFICATIONS • • • • • • •

Excellent accuracy with data input and extremely detail-oriented; Previous experience in the aviation industry a definite asset; Firm knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Word programs, as well as ability to learn new computer systems quickly; Excellent interpersonal skills and superior customer service skills; Strong organizational and time management skills; Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment with a great sense of humour; Legally able to work within Canada.

This is a position of approximately 40 hours per week, however, we will require flexibility in terms of days worked as weekend work may be required due to the nature of our business. We offer an excellent benefits package, RRSP matching, and a great work environment. Renumeration will commensurate with experience. Note: Blackcomb Helicopters is federally regulated, therefore, proof of double vaccination is a condition of employment. If you are interested in this position, please send your resume to attention to: Human Resources at stores@blackcombhelicopters.com noting Stores Assistant Application in your subject header.

We are currently hiring a Sales Associate Please stop by our Whistler Village location with your resume to fill out an application and say Hi to Michelle and Sheila. (4154 Village Green) | 604 938 3307 whistler@rocksandgemscanada.com

NOW HIRING! Hosts, Bartenders, Servers, Server Assistants, Cooks, Dishwashers, Food Expeditors we provide our staff with: Competitive Wages, Health Beneﬁts, Gratuities, Employee Discounts and Sta�f Housing

Submit your resume to: CAREERS@araxi.com

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

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

We are Hiring Dishwashers

We offer year-round or seasonal employment, staff housing, industry leading wages, signing bonuses, extended health benefits, RRSP / TFSA matching, staff meals, staff discounts at Listel Hospitality Group’s restaurants & hotels in Whistler and Vancouver. Hourly wage starting at $20

Position to start immediately Please send your resume to Simon Watkins at simon@bearfootbistro.com

BEARFOOT BISTRO

4121 Village Green - Adjacent to Listel Hotel (604) 932 3433 - bearfootbistro.com MARCH 17, 2022

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Grow. Contribute. Explore.

Career Opportunities with the SLRD

HERE

Looking to contribute to your local community? Consider a career in local government. Join the SLRD’s team of dedicated staff who work together to make a difference in the region. Headquartered in Pemberton, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) delivers a wide range of regional, sub-regional and local services to its residents. The SLRD is a BC Regional District consisting of four member municipalities (Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet) and four electoral areas. Services include land use planning, solid waste management, building inspection, fire protection, emergency preparedness, 911 services, recreation, water and sewer utilities, regional transit, trails and open spaces as well as financial support for various community services. The region contains some of the most spectacular forests, waterways, and mountains in the province and affords an endless range of opportunities for outdoor adventure, making it an exceptional place to live, work and play. The SLRD is currently hiring for the following positions: • Administrative Clerk (Regular, Full-time) • Planning Assistant (Graphics) (Temporary, Full-time) • Legislative Coordinator (Regular, Full-time) • Emergency Program Coordinator (Regular, Full-time)

Ziptrek Ecotours is now hiring:

Zipline Tour Guides

• Communications Coordinator (Temporary, Full-time) The SLRD offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, participation in the Municipal Pension Plan, a compressed work week (nine-day fortnight), and learning and career development opportunities. For more information on these career opportunities, please visit www.slrd.bc.ca/employment. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume (preferably in pdf format) by email to careers@slrd.bc.ca

Positions starting in April Staff Housing Available Apply online on: whistler.ziptrek.com/careers/

Join our team. OUTPOST

Maintenance Manager | Maintenance Operator Property Inspector

What Outpost can offer you: • Family run business with small, awesome team. • Flexible working hours for more time on the mountain. • Opportunity to grow within our company. • Competitive wage/salary! • Ski pass (full-time positions). • Extended medical benefits. Fast-paced, problem solver, and creative thinker. Sound like you? Shoot us an email: careers@outpostwhistler.com

HOUSEKEEPING

56 MARCH 17, 2022

Full job ads - outpostwhistler.com/careers • +1 (604) 932-3252

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Nagomi Sushi is hiring experienced Japanese Chefs in Whistler. • Preparing Sushi and cooking other Japanese traditional food. • Plan menu and ensure food meets quality standards. • Estimate food requirements and estimate food and labour costs. • Instruct Kitchen Helpers and Cooks in preparation, cooking, and presentation of food. • Assist Head Chef and supervise cooks and kitchen helpers. • Inspecting ingredients for quality and freshness and supervising all food preparation. • Create new menu, recipes and specials. • Ensure excellent customer services at the Sushi bar. • Work as a team and ensure orders are completed in a timely manner. Qualifications: • Completion of secondary school and 2 years of cook/chef experience

Full-time, Permanent All season, 30-40 hours per week $25 per hour Language of work is English

Benefits: 4% vacation pay, extended health plan. Start date: As soon as possible. Address: 108-4557 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, V0N 1B4 Apply by email at whistlernagomisushi@hotmail.co.jp

We've Got You Covered

VISITORS’ GUIDE 2017-2018 FREE

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 •

R E S TA U R A N T

BAR

LOUNGE

We’ve been building something special for you Recruiting all culinary and service team members in preparation for a late spring opening Join us and be part of our team as we open a new and very special fine dining Restaurant + Bar in Whistler Village

• • • •

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.

Demonstrating our commitment to the work life balance we cherish in Whistler, we’ve built you a ‘staff hub’ - dedicated facilities for our team including secure bike parking and ski lockers, staff showers, and common room. Other benefits include staff meals, medical + dental packages

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.

To view available positions, read our story, and meet the leadership team, please visit wildbluerestaurant.com or submit your resume in confidence to: careers@wildbluerestaurant.com

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

4005 Whistler Way (adjacent to the Aava Hotel and the Whistler Conference Centre)

Closing date: Open until filled.

MARCH 17, 2022

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

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YOU’RE A KEGGER, YOU JUST DON’T KNOW IT YET!

NOW HIRING: COOKS, BUSSERS, HOSTS, AND SERVERS

To apply, email your resume to whistler@kegrestaurants.com or come in-person Sunday – Thursday from 4:00pm-5:30pm for an on-the-spot interview.

Who’s ready to learn about plants this summer?

WE ARE HIRING

High Country Landscaping 2022 season ALL POSITIONS Full-time and Part-time

Landscape Maintenance | Garden Shop | Construction Competitive wages and seasonal perks

Email resume and cover letter to highcountrylandscape@telus.net Call us at 604 932 3654 58 MARCH 17, 2022

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Now Hiring

6Summer 4

2 1 3

9 PERKS & BENEFITS: 8 • Employee 2 accommodation 4 • available 5 9 discount on Food & Employee

9 4 5

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Beverage, Spa & Golf • Benefits plan for full-time employees (Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Short Term Disability) • Fairmont Pension Plan including matched employee contributions for full-time status • Employee benefit card offering discounted rates at Accor worldwide • Opportunity to develop your talent and grow within Fairmont #6 Chateau Whistler and across the world!

Positions POSITIONS AVAILABLE: • • • • •

Culinary Rooms Food & Beverage Golf - Seasonal Gardening - Seasonal

There’s a place for you here.

APPLY HERE:

6 9 2 5 8 Get2 6 1 noticed! 6 9 4 3 5 5 2 6 4 9 • • • • • •

Relax, we have the perfect job

Social Google Websites Programmatic SEO/SEM Sponsored content

Relax, we have the perfect job

Glacier Media Digital experts help businesses succeed online. Contact your Sales representative at Pique # 8 audit Newsmagazine today for a free digital 604-938-0202 sales@piquenewsmagazine.com

WE ARE LOOKING FOR WE ARE LOOKING FOR

3 2 7 9 1 8 6 4 5

Answers 9 1 4 6 5 3 2 8 7

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7 3 1 4 6 5 8 2 9

4/11/2005

Marketing and Digital Platforms Advisor Barista Team Leader Maintenance Helper Reservation Agent Outdoor Spa Experience Attendant Night Cleaner Barista Guest Services Agent

WHAT WE OFFER

Baths membership for you and a friend Staff housing upon availability Free massage after 3 months Work/life balance and more

APPLY AT hr.whistler@scandinave.com

Massage Technicians Registered Massage Therapists

WHAT WE OFFER Baths membership for you and a friend Staff housing upon availability Flexible schedule Competitive wage

APPLY AT hr.whistler@scandinave.com MARCH 17, 2022

CALL THE EXPERTS

Want to advertise your service on this page?

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

BLINDS ETC.

SUNCREST WINDOW COVERINGS

WINDOW COVERINGS

BLINDS ETC.

Whistler’s Source for Blinds since 1989

Custom Blinds • Shades • Draperies

• BLINDS • SHADES

• SHUTTERS • DRAPERY

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

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

604.698.8406

CARPET CLEANING

CHIMNEY

BLACK BEAR CARPET CLEANING LTD.

BLACKCOMB CHIMNEY PATROL LTD. Serving Whistler since 1986

• Carpets • Upholstery • Tiles • Car Interiors

• Furnace • Airducts • Dryer vents

www.blackbearcarpetcleaning.ca • 604 698 6610

• • • •

Wood blinds Sunscreens Shades Motorization

www.summersnow.ca

ummer

Snow Finishings Limited

CLEANING

Specialized in cleaning

Chimneys, Furnace & Airducts, Dryer vents.

100% ECO FRIENDLY CERTIFIED

David Weldon david@summersnow.ca 604-938-3521

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

Insured & Bondable • Criminal background checks on all staff

604.932.1388 / 1.877.932.5775 blackcombchimney@yahoo.ca

604-966-1437

coastmountaincleaning@gmail.com

We use tea tree oil based cleaning products.

FURNITURE

WANT TO ADVERTISE

your service here?

Free delivery from Pemberton to vancouver

Call Pique at (604) 938-0202, or email sales@piquenewsmagazine.com Available for private viewings. Tel: 604-868-0117 7322 Old Mill rd, Pemberton,bc

GLASS

HEATING AND COOLING

HOME SERVICES

Western Technical System Inc

HVAC/R AUTO GLASS SPECIALISTS · Frameless Shower Enclosures · Complete Window/Door Packages · Custom Railing Glass Systems · Fogged/Failed Window Replacements

mountainglass.ca | info@mountainglass.ca

604-932-7288

THE COMPLETE GLASS CENTRE

FOR ALL YOUR HOUSEHOLD & COMMERCIAL NEEDS

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

• Carpentry • Tiling • Drywall Repairs • Texture Finishing • Renovations • Installation • Painting • Plumbing • Snow Removal • Appliance Repairs Ask Us About • Mine Sweeping Your Home

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

PAINT

ROB PIDGEON • 604-932-7707 • Bonded & Insured

www.birdhouseservices.com BirdhouseServices@gmail.com

SURVEYING

BUNBURY & ASSOCIA BC LAND SURVEYORS

Serving the Sea to Sky Corridor Since 1963 Our paint team has over 25 years combined paint sales experience, and we can help you get things right the first time. Now offering In Home Paint Consultations! Pemberton Valley Rona. Let us help you love where you live.

Book your in-home leen Consultation with Col today!

604-894-6240 7426 Prospect St, Pemberton

60 MARCH 17, 2022

▪ ▪ ▪

Phone: 604-932-3770

Surveys Surveys

▪ ▪ ▪

North Vancouver to Lillooet

Surveys Plans

find us on

Surveys

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

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

PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 15 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 33 35 37 38 40 41 43 46 51 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

Knee, for one Docks Friable soil Piquant Kelp Environment Marine bird U.S. border state Lays off work Make possible Lab medium Stingy person Novelist -- Tolstoy Spuds Wynter or Andrews Inoculation fluid Haughty type Juice a grapefruit -- shui Kitchen utensil Gossip’s delight Kind of bear Sporty car Selector Angler’s boot Explorer -- de Leon Bullring shout Pawned Rhapsodized Trip itinerary Raucous Where bride meets groom Shouts Kid who rode Diablo Sniffles Popular side dish Picasso or Neruda

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123 125 127 128 129 131 133 135 136 137 138 139 140 141

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142

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

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

EASY

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32 34 36 39 42 43 44 45 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 58 59 60 62 63 64 66 67 68 70 72 74 76 79 80 82 83 84 85 87 88

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Tracking system Ditto Bassoon cousin Outback cuties Like some chances Food fish Collar or jacket Guthrie of folk music Fierce anger --’wester Films Like a Cyclops Brief upturn Medal recipients Call upon Seemed pleased Hoodwinked

113 114 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 124 125 126 130 132 134

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LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

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

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: EASY

3 2

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

2 6 9 3 5 2 4 9

EASY Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com # 8

ANSWERS ON PAGE 59

MARCH 17, 2022

MAXED OUT

Preaching to the converted “Born at the instant The church bells chime And the whole world whispering Born at the right time.” – Paul Simon

EVERY MORNING. Again, later in the day. All winter long. There’s a small rush hour in my neighbourhood. “Is it time to end helicopter skiing?” The headline in last Friday’s Globe and Mail jumped out at me. No, I thought. Not until sometime next month. But that wasn’t the question being asked by outdoor writer

BY G.D. MAXWELL Matt Coté. Not the end time this season. The end time forever. Heliskiing was birthed in this province. There are more heliski operators in B.C. than anywhere else in the world. A quick look at a topo map of the province answers the “why here?” question. But this ain’t the 1960s anymore. It’s not the time Hans Gmoser created the ultimate ski experience. Ultimate at least for those who don’t drop near-vertical powder chutes in Alaska. This time isn’t the right time. The ’60s were the right time. Gas was 30 cents a gallon. Imperial or U.S., didn’t matter which. The number of people in the world thinking about the environmental impact of burning gasoline at that time could probably fit in a Bell 212 helicopter. Like the ones Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH), Hans’ creation, flies. It was a crazy idea born out of his intense love of the mountains. Climbing, skiing, just sitting and looking at the damn things. Hans was evangelical about mountains. Like true evangelicals, he proselytized. He travelled around the world preaching the gospel of mountains. He knew where God lived. People coming back from heliskiing have a certain look in their eyes. Especially after their first trip. Bliss. Awe. Inspiration. They left home normal, if hardcore, skiers. They returned helivangelists. They saw the light. Glimpsed heaven. They still do. But should they also have a look in their eyes that says guilty? They’ve just blown up their carbon footprint to the size of Andorra. Chances are good they flew in a jet—commercial or private—to get close. Travelled in a bus or car the rest of the way. Helied in to the lodge. Spent their week flying every day, weather permitting. Ate like kings and queens. Food flown in as well. Warm lodges, hot tubs, hot showers. Mostly in places off the grid, fuelled by generators. So Mr. Coté posed the question. Is it time to end helicopter skiing? He asked Northern Escape Heli Skiing, in Terrace. The company estimates each heliskier racks up 0.62 tonnes of greenhouse gas each day. I have no idea how much that is. But, as the article states, the world’s G20

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countries have to reduce GHGs to 4.5 tonnes per person, per year to meet global warming targets. Seven and one-quarter days of heliskiing at Northern. CMH manages a bit better. 0.39 tonnes per skier per day. Eleven and one-half days. Northern says they’re carbon-neutral. Because they purchase carbon offsets. CMH provides skiers with the estimate of their carbon footprint. So they can buy offsets. If they choose. Someone once said carbon offsets are like a fat person eating pie and paying someone else to diet for them. CMH’s director of sustainability acknowledges the company is “part of the problem.”

pastimes that frivolously burn gas. Not an indictment of snowmobiles or the big trucks carrying them. The ones who create those small rush hours in my neighbourhood. Every morning. Later in the day. At the Chevron station in Rainbow where they fill up their trucks and sleds and extra gas containers. Not an indictment even though I hate snowmobiles. Just a personal thing. It’s not an indictment of the North American addiction to pickup trucks and SUVs. They piss me off because the small wagons I prefer are disappearing like snow in a warmer climate. But that’s just a corporate decision to cater to a regional market. Lots of them left in Europe. It’s not an indictment of the people

Someone once said carbon offsets are like a fat person eating pie and paying someone else to diet for them. The problem being climate change. The change that threatens to turn heliskiing into helisurfing. Just to be clear, this isn’t an indictment of heliskiing. Nor Northern. Nor CMH. I’ve been afforded the opportunity to heliski. More than once. I’ve taken every opportunity offered. I’ve written glowingly about heliskiing. I’ve been a helivangelist. Probably still am. The best ski experiences I’ve ever had started by exiting one of CMH’s Bell 212s. Thanks. This isn’t an indictment of other

who believe they need 10,000-square-foot vacation homes they inhabit once or twice a year when the fly into Vancouver and drive their rental SUV up to Whistler. I’m sure they recycle. Something. Or have people who do. For them. I’m an ardent opponent of the death penalty. Partly because it’s barbaric. Mostly because it’s a profound failure on the part of “enlightened” governments. It just proves the validity of murderers’ logic. Some problems are just too big to be solved except by killing someone.

I also oppose it because it’s a slippery slope. If I can justify killing someone for killing someone else, where does it end? I often feel like killing someone for failing to use their turn signals. Better not to go there. It’s not an indictment of all those things and more because of that slippery slope. If I can justify banning heliskiing, sleds, big trucks, SUVs, monster homes... it’s just a short leap of logic to banning Whistler. Our happy mountain home is a poster child for frivolous, climate-destroying consumption. Whistler’s population is about 14,000 people. While we may be doing our individual part, one way or another, to further or fight climate change, we’re irrelevant. Except for the fact we’re the grease in the wheels of Whistler’s total contribution to those nasty GHGs. The ones generated by the millions of visitors who fly and drive here every year. They fly and drive here to have a good time. A good time that is fuelled by, well, fuel. Fuel burned by the endless parade of commercial trucks heading north every morning on the Sea to Sky highway carrying the food they’ll eat, the liquor they’ll drink and the souvenirs they’ll buy. Fuel burned by the workerbees who make their beds, cook their food, serve their liquor and sell their souvenirs. Fuel burned by the snowmobiles and quads and sightseeing planes and other attractions they’ll enjoy to make the most of their visit. If there’s a saving grace in this it’s BC Hydro. It’s the 97 per cent of electricity generated from renewable resources. Which is a bit like the saving grace of a last cigarette before the firing squad gets on with their task. As Paul said, born at the right time. Wish I could say the same for my grandchildren. ■

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VILLAGE NORTH 402-4369 Main Street Alpenglow Lodge at Whistler Village North. Phase II property. This top floor studio has a full kitchen, dinning area, one muffphy bed and one queen size bed. Facing quiet direction. $480,000

Ruby Jiang

VILLAGE 407 - 4200 Whistler Way TANTALUS LODGE. Spacious 2br/2ba condo, family & pet friendly. Hot tubs, pool, picnic area, ski & bike storage, shuttle bus or 5-min walk to lifts and village. Unlimited owners use permitted or leave in the rental pool for easy revenues. $765,000

778-834-2002 Rob Boyd

CREEKSIDE 413A - 2020 London Lane Pet friendly, top floor, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom quartershare on the quiet side of Evolution. Open plan, vaulted ceilings and all the comforts of home. $429,000

Nick Swinburne *PREC

BENCHLANDS 248 - 4573 Chateau Blvd Glacier Lodge One Bedroom zoned for nightly rentals. Incredible Ski In / Ski Out location! Fully renovated with gas firepalce, balcony, owner storage, ski locker, outdoor pool, hot tubs, fitness room & 24-hour front desk. $1,299,000

604-935-9172 Rachel Allen

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604-932-8899 Kathy White

604-966-4200

CREEKSIDE CP2 - 1400 Alta Lake Rd Lakeside living! Spacious 1 bed/1 bath penthouse in Tamarisk, on the shores of Alpha Lake. All day sun, cozy wood fireplace and sauna! Canoe/kayak & bike storage, and large personal storage locker. No short term rentals, and no GST. $789,000

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604-935-0700

NEW PRICE

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604-905-8199 Gina Daggett

WEDGEWOODS 9201 Wedgemount Plateau Drive Custom timber frame home available for the first time ever! Stunning mountain/ modern design, panoramic views, vaulted ceilings, high-end appliances, 5 bedrooms + bunkhouse/cabin for guests, 3 balconies, wrap-around stone deck, 3 car garage.$4,175,000

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Whistler Village Shop

Whistler Creekside Shop

Squamish Station Shop

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

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

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

604-902-5422

3D Tour - rem.ax/413alpenglow

#413 - 4369 Main Street

3D Tour - rem.ax/21gleneagles

$449,000

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

Matt Chiasson

604.935.9171

#30 - 4375 Northlands Blvd.

This Valhalla town home is an extremely spacious 2 bedroom and den, with 2 bathrooms and a powder room. Situated in the North Village it is larger than most similar town homes in this area. You can catch the free bus right across the street, it will take you to both Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain.

Michael Nauss

3D Tour - rem.ax/203legends

#203C - 2036 London Lane

$325,000

604.932.1315

2.5

604.932.9586

$1,899,000

Beautiful 2 bedroom townhome in Gleneagles on the 1st hole of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Course – enjoy the views through to the golf course and the mountains beyond. Whether you want to golf, downhill ski or X-country ski – it is all at your doorstep!

Sally Warner*

#304A/B - 2129 Lake Placid Rd.

$1,099,000

RARE TURNKEY OPPORTUNITY IN THE Whistler Resort Complex in CREEKSIDE! Perfect for a private residence or investment potential! Steps to the Creekside Gondola, Alpha Lake, Nita Lake, tennis courts, grocery store, bar and The Red Door restaurant. This 2 bedroom and 2 bathroom lock-off unit.

Ursula Morel*

604.932.8629

604.905.6326

$1,275,000

#208 - 4653 Blackcomb Way

#602 - 4050 Whistler Way

$314,000

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.

Anastasia Skryabina

3D Tour - rem.ax/208horstman

9333 Warbler Way

#21 - 4636 Blackcomb Way

3D Tour - rem.ax/304wrc

The location doesn’t get any better than this ski in ski out 2 bed 2 bath quarter share in Whistler Creekside. Step out the door and you’re at the Creekside Gondola which runs both summer and winter months. In the summer you and watch the local bears graze on the green grass of the Dave Murray downhill.

Sherry Baker

$1,985,000

604.902.3292

3D Tour - rem.ax/1557tynebridge

$905,000

1577 Tynebridge Lane

$4,999,000

Welcome to Wedgewoods, a master planned community of 108 beautiful properties. Phase Six includes the final 19 estate lots which allow for luxury homes plus a carriage house. Stunning mountain views and sunshine make Phase 6 a very special offering.

This professionally managed 1 bedroom sleeps four and offers a full kitchen, quartz counter top, gas fireplace, upgraded lighting, Smart TV, private outdoor deck, ensuite washer/dryer and ensuite lockers. The building offers hot tub, heated pool, outdoor barbeque, exercise room, pool table, kid’s play area, adult games room/TV and 4 ski lockers.

Located in exclusive, Spring Creek there are 4 bedrooms plus media room/gym with open living on the top floor to take advantage of beautiful views out generous windows all around. The Bone Structure, premium steel framed, home makes for extra energy efficiency, incredible design options and healthy living environment.

Ann Chiasson

Bruce Watt

Dave Beattie*

604.932.7651

3D Tour - rem.ax/208snowbird

#208 - 4865 Painted Cliff Rd.

$149,000

604.905.0737

SOLD

#325 - 4899 Painted Cliff Rd.

$465,000

Owning a 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.

A popular winter and summer location slopeside to Blackcomb Mountain. #325 Blackcomb Springs Suites is an extra large 485 sf studio suite that also has an oversized balcony. Fully equipped for your personal use or nightly rental through a fairly recent takeover with Clique Hotels.

Dave Sharpe

Denise Brown*

604.902.2779

604.905.8855

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

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

604.902.2033

#101 - 4338 Main Street

$499,000

This is a “Business Only Purchase”. Extensive renovations in 2017, the latest in equipment upgrades, all inventory included, makes this transition into one of the top franchises in Canada seamless for the right owner. The Blenz Coffee shop location is a No Brainer, established here 25 years ago at what is the Coffee Corner of Whistler!

Doug Treleaven

604.905.8626

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