Pique Newsmagazine 2941

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Pique’s municipal election guide

Hear from Whistler and Pemberton mayoral and council candidates in their own words before voting day. - By Pique staff

14 LAND BACK An agreement returning 98 hectares of Pemberton-area land to the Lil’wat Nation was a long time coming—but the deal represents much more than just land.

15 ALL ABOARD

Whistler voters got one last chance to grill their municipal election candidates before the Oct. 15 election at a final all-candidates meeting on Oct. 5.

18 CULTURAL CATALYST

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre is teaming with the Whistler Community Services Society to offer free, immersive Indigenous cultural awareness workshops.

23 UP FOR ADOPTION Pemberton’s Harrow

Road housing project is headed for adoption after receiving council’s unanimous approval.

42 LASTING IMPRESSION The long-defunct

World Hockey Association celebrated its 50th anniversary with a reunion in Whistler this month.

46 DAWN OF CREATION Méira Cook, author

of The Full Catastrophe, discusses the frustrating, exhilarating creative process ahead of her Whistler Writers Fest appearance.

Pedro.

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Opinion & Columns

OPENING REMARKS Editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter

this

PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Columnist Robert Wisla

MAXED OUT With election day

Max has

of

and wingnuts

25 THE OUTSIDER Some recreation-focused residents of Whistler sometimes forget that—for better or

writes Vince Shuley.

Environment & Adventure Lifestyle & Arts

EPICURIOUS Local online delivery service Whistler Dine In is shutting down after

not

because

50 MUSEUM MUSINGS The A-frame may not be

of Whistler’s neighbourhoods.

years—and

once was, but you can still spot

Four

THE LEAVES ARE TURNING, falling, crunching underfoot on the Valley Trail.

The evening air grows crisp, as Tapley’s Farm begins its early preparations for Halloween. Playoff baseball and earlyseason hockey on the TV; turkey dinners and togetherness in the kitchen; pumpkin spice and flannel on the Village Stroll; the early seeds of seasonal depression sprouting deep within our hearts.

These are the hallmarks of the waning months—the longing, languishing days before winter arrives in earnest—but for my money, there’s one fall tradition that tops them all: Democracy in action; a slate of hopefuls, an empty ballot and a few big decisions.

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

It has been an uneventful election campaign in Whistler, by any standard. As predicted in this space several weeks ago, we heard much from our candidates about how bad our housing situation is. But we heard very little about how to realistically fix it (aside from begging other levels of government for more money, which, why didn’t we think of that before? It’s genius).

At any rate, and whoever ends up on the other side of the table when the dust settles, all of our candidates deserve our gratitude. Running for office takes courage, and the more people we get participating in public processes, the better off Whistler will be in the long run. So thank you, candidates.

As for the makeup of Whistler’s next mayor and council, Pique won’t tell you where to spend your precious votes, and I’ve been proven wrong in the past by a candidate I had initially written off—so that is to say that none of our council hopefuls are completely hopeless.

Here are some other final thoughts ahead of election day 2022, in no particular order or weight of relevance.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB?

Inferences in the final week of the campaign that a meeting with select candidates hosted

by the local construction industry (and organized, via email, by outgoing Councillor Duane Jackson) was a full-blown, salacious scandal were somewhat overstated.

The optics of the meet-and-greet— which included invites for all the incumbents, along with candidates Jeff Murl and Jessie Morden, sent from Jackson, currently a sitting councillor— were admittedly not great. But, much to the apparent dismay of some candidates, individuals and community groups are free to meet with whichever candidates they choose, and there is nothing in the Local Government Act that says every candidate must be invited to every event (because of course there isn’t—that would just be silly).

There is, however, a prohibition on vote buying, which, in its definition, includes a single reference to “refreshment.” On Tuesday, Oct. 11, candidates Curtis Lapadat and Dawn Titus told Pique they are filing formal complaints, alleging in part that the meeting, with its promise of light refreshments, is tantamount to vote buying, and in violation of the Act (read more on page 19).

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs will have the ultimate say. So we shall see where those chips fall, I suppose, but as far as political scandals go, Watergate it ain’t. It is, however, telling that this is where some of our candidates’ priorities lie in the final week of an election campaign.

Not everyone is going to get a seat at every table, because space and time are limited, and, to put it bluntly, not everyone deserves it.

That being said, it’s easy to see why some candidates would be upset, and the exclusive meeting does speak to a discussion we often have in the Pique newsroom— about the lasting legacy of Whistler’s “old boys’ (and girls’) club” mentality, and the immense sway the silent majority seems to hold here in the resort.

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

That’s because, for all the social media rabble-rousing, and the apparent discontent hanging in the air and amplified by certain candidates in each election, Whistler’s voting habits are nothing if not predictable.

of election day

In every Whistler election, it seems that who you know and how local you are carry much more weight than any silly ideas

Consider the remarkable continuity in Whistler’s elected councils, stretching all the way back to the first in 1975.

In every single one of its municipal elections (except for the infamous outlier in 2011), Whistler has returned at least one of its incumbents, and often more than one.

Since 1975, Whistler has had just nine mayors. In 2018, when Mayor Jack Crompton ran unopposed, there was very much a sense in the community that it was “his turn,” which some reasoned was why nobody stepped up to run against him.

I’ve thought a lot about that sentiment over the last four years—the downright politeness of sitting on the sidelines so as not to step on a neighbour’s toes as he runs for mayor. It’s not undeniable proof of the existence of a fabled “old boys’ club,” but it does speak to a quiet understanding, and a contentedness among longtime locals (many of whom would be considered “haves,” whether they like that label or not) with the status quo—even as some segments of the population set their hair on fire and take cover from the sky.

It’s almost as if there are two concurrent Whistler populations: one that is underhoused, overworked, and desperate just to carve out their own little Whistler niche; and another that is happily housed and mostly satisfied with the work of their friends and acquaintances on council.

Guess which population represents the voting majority?

IGNORANCE IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT BLISS

Then again, what’s more likely? That Whistler is run by a shadowy conspiracy cabal of oldstock locals, pulling the strings and steering the vote from the shadows, or that Whistler voters, taken collectively, are not stupid?

Could it be that they simply see through the nonsense that is floated by so many local candidates in each election?

I have no doubts that some candidates will claim it was their exclusion from the construction industry meeting, the perceived favouritism of municipal staff, or the lack of

an endorsement from local columnists that ultimately sunk their campaign.

I would preemptively suggest those candidates look inward instead. I watched all the all-candidates meetings. I read all the profiles, all the websites, and all the responses in this week’s Pique cover feature. I spoke with many of the candidates themselves.

The hard truth is that most of our candidates are simply out of their depth—and one would hope that no amount of buzzwords or bullshit is going to mask that fact from Whistler’s knowledgeable electorate.

THE LOBBY HOBBY

And yet, maybe there’s just no escaping the lobbyists—arguably the most insidious, disruptive force in all of politics, no matter which level of government you shine the light on.

The construction industry and its preferred candidates is one aspect, but in Whistler, lobbying often seems to be wrapped in recreation.

We saw it at the Pique all-candidates meeting on Sept. 28, when tennis enthusiasts flooded the Slido chat with a dozen versions of the same, self-interested question about the Northlands rezoning. And we saw it some years back, when the local soccer club lobbied for years until the municipality finally built it an artificial turf field.

And I’ve watched it unfold in real time during this campaign, as candidates hastily updated their lists of priorities after speaking with one lobby group or another, desperate to secure votes wherever they might be found.

I watched them learn new things about our community (very basic, surface-level things, obvious to anyone who has been paying attention) and then immediately use those things to form new, half-baked policy positions on the fly.

Hey, it’s good to learn new things. But if your depth of Whistler knowledge is that shallow; your policy that easily swayed by a handshake and a doughnut, I’m sorry— you’re not ready.

At any rate, that’s about enough from me for one campaign. Here’s hoping for a robust voter turnout, and a productive and fruitful council term ahead.

See you at the polls.

■

Bubaš

the concrete art of skateboarding

Raymond Boisjoly

Council should be honest about Nita Lake development

At the AWARE/WCSS all-candidates meeting on Oct. 5, Councillor Ralph Forsyth took great pride in his efforts to reshape the west side of Nita Lake; the 22 market townhomes slated to be built are a good thing, he claimed, because the alternative was so much worse: “There’s so much confusion about this … the owner of that property could have walked into city hall for a hotel, an eight-storey hotel, and [just] one caretaker suite … because that is what it was zoned for.”

It is actually Forsyth who is spreading confusion; in reality, the existing zoning was for an eco-lodge with only seven rooms in the main building (with the remainder contained in cabins). This one “hotel” structure (max. GFA 2,100 square metres, max height 16 m.) would have been hardly more than half the size of the four, three-storey market townhome complexes (max GFA 3,992 sq. m. total) of which he’s so proud. The existing zoning also included 800 sq. m. of employee housing (the rezoning provides 2,001 sq. m.), far more than Forsyth concedes. I don’t understand how he thinks you can squeeze eight storeys into 16 m.; I’m also unsure if Forsyth was trying to deliberately mislead the public or if he has been thus misinformed throughout his entire decision-making process.

The incumbent council should be proud of the benefits to the community this project

offers, but also honest about its costs; hard decisions require courage, and good leaders should have the conviction to stand by their own tough calls without fudging the numbers or misstating the facts.

Brandon Green // Whistler

Injured mountain biker shares thanks

This note is to all of you who helped this aging, injured mountain biker last Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 28, at about 3 to 4 p.m., by getting me safely out of the crash site (top of the switchbacks on Riverside Trail) and to the clinic. You all gave me your names, but I was having trouble remembering my own, so my apologies to you and of course to the

wonderful nurses, doctor and radiology folks (who incidentally asked if they could shorten my legs for the CAT scanner).

To my good riding buddies, Peter Dagg and Chris Hall, for being there and knowing what to do—they did all the right things, according to the firemen. After Peter and Chris made the 911 call, the firemen arrived and right behind them the paramedics, approximately 30 minutes after my crash. I was in shock and of course concerned about my injuries, but they made me feel comfortable, relaxed, and hopeful while they went about their business. They fitted me with a neck brace, back board, etc., then lifted me up and carried me the rest of the way up the switchbacks to the ambulance (no easy task).

I arrived at our wonderful clinic some time later, and again was greeted and cared for by the medical staff on duty. I know this is a way of life in Whistler and the thrill of all the mountain activities available to us, irresistible, but let’s all take a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are not only to live in the “Holy Grail of Outdoor living called Whistler” but to give thanks and support to our amazing professionals who put it out there everyday to help when needed. Prognosis: hopefully a full recovery, six weeks down the road.

You are all my heroes, each and everyone.

John McGregor // Whistler

Democracy works best when we all do our part

Municipal elections matter. From shaping the type of homes we see in our communities, building and maintaining community infrastructure, operating transit, delivering most of the local services we depend on, creating the frameworks that determine whether small businesses thrive, and so much more, municipal governments make decisions that have the greatest impact on our dayto-day lives, more than any other form of government. Yet four years ago, voter turnout in local elections in British Columbia was an abysmal 39 per cent, much lower than in provincial or federal elections.

I will be working closely with whoever is elected on Oct. 15 to run the 10 local governments across our riding of West Vancouver-Sunshine-Coast-Sea to Sky Country.

Here are the two most important ways I see local governments making a critical difference in building the kind of smart and livable communities we all want.

We all know the cost of traffic congestion on the environment, business activity, and our mental health. Study after study has shown that the only way to alleviate congestion is to reduce single-occupancy car trips, in favour of public transit and active transportation. So if we want to seriously address traffic in our communities and improve connectivity in our region, we need councils rowing in the same direction of the provincial and federal governments to get such infrastructure approved.

Canada has invested 13 times the amount of money into transit projects over the last seven years than it had in the seven prior, and established permanent and predictable funding for transit that will get us where we need to go faster and in a cleaner, more sustainable way.

Canada’s $72-billion National Housing Strategy works directly with municipal governments to help build affordable, as well as supportive, housing. Unfortunately, we are not seeing the type and quantity of housing that is most in-demand, shutting many workers, young people, and families out of the communities they grew up in, while

Write

fuelling the labour shortage that is strangling small businesses.

Councils need to take heed of the impact this is having on our communities and be ready to do what it takes to get housing built. The federal government will work with willing councils to speed up housing approvals through the Housing Accelerator Fund.

I’m not here to endorse any particular candidate or vision, but if the priorities I’ve mentioned speak to you, I hope you take the time to think about your choice in this election and who will help make these goals a reality.

Democracy works at its best when we all do our part. Please remember to vote on Oct. 15 if you haven’t already. Your vote will shape the type of community you and your family will live in.

Patrick Weiler // MP, Sea to Sky n

“Democracy works at its best when we all do our part.”

- PATRICK WEILER

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Looking back on half a year at Pique

IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE over six months since I moved to the Sea to Sky at the beginning of April, and I thought for this week’s Pique’n, I’d reflect on the past half year of living in the region and what the experience has been like so far.

Over the past several months, I’ve talked with Olympians, covered numerous

BY ROBERT WISLA

Whistler council meetings, interviewed provincial party leaders, and most recently covered a historic land transfer agreement that saw the Lil’wat Nation assume control over some of its traditional territory.

That barely scratches the surface, and it has been a wild ride and an exciting experience to say the least.

What are my early takeaways?

For one, my impression of Whistler and the Sea to Sky region has changed dramatically since moving here. In particular, my opinion of the Pemberton Valley, perhaps more than anywhere else, has changed the most—what I used to view as a sleepy stopover I know realize is a bustling (and near bursting) little community.

Growing up, my father and I would

make the rare summer road trip from Kamloops to Vancouver along Highway 99, and for years, Pemberton was just a quick stop at the gas station, my father and I barely stopping to smell the roses on our way to the city.

Having lived in the region for a few months, I’ve learned so much about the Pemberton Valley, and it is truly a fantastic place with a real sense of community.

and I’m sure one of these days I’ll write an opinion piece about what I love and hate about this town.

But overall, living in Whistler has been a very positive experience. It is one of the most beautiful communities in the province, after all. The mountains, waterfalls and trails make the town a true nature enthusiast’s paradise.

The most surprising thing about

the best: exploring new places and meeting new people.

But the most engaging story to write and research was, without a doubt, my feature on the growth of the Bridge River region. I had never been to that part of British Columbia, and the immense weight of its history and its imposing, rugged topography made it feel like a true adventure to get to and explore.

I’ve also really enjoyed learning more about the local First Nations. Learning about Lil’wat, N’quatqua and Squamish, and the whole St’at’imc Nation, in particular, has been an incredible experience.

I loved attending the summer powwow (Lil’wat sure knows how to dance!) as well as events such as a story pole dedication at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre.

One of my favourite activities this summer was driving up the Pemberton Meadows and stopping at some of the farms on the way to get fresh produce, then going for a walk along the riverside trails.

Quaint, understated—and a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

As for Whistler, I don’t think I’ve given the town its fair shake quite yet. My list of complaints about the resort municipality is longer than when I first moved here,

moving here? The sheer number of bears in the valley. One of my favourite Whistler moments so far occurred as I was driving down Alta Lake Road, when, to my surprise, I saw a mama black bear with three of the cutest little cubs following along, scuffling up a hillside.

Looking back on the stories I’ve written for Pique in the last year, my personal favourites range quite a bit. Generally, the assignments that get me out of the office are

The work being done by the Nations, like the upper Meadows land reclamation or the construction of new housing and commercial operations, is truly impressive.

As we look to the next six months, the pace isn’t about to slow—I’m looking forward to the new Whistler council and all it has to offer as the town tackles the significant challenges ahead.

As for me, I still have a lot to learn, and I hope to be able to tell more of the community’s stories during my time at the newspaper.

But it’s been a wild ride so far. ■

The work being done by the Nations, like the upper Meadows land reclamation or the construction of new housing and commercial operations, is truly impressive.

Lil’wat Nation reclaims piece of traditional territory in historic deal

LAND TRANSFER AGREEMENT BETWEEN NATION, SD48 RETURNS 98 HECTARES IN THE PEMBERTON MEADOWS TO THE LIL’WAT

BY ROBERT WISLA

AN AGREEMENT returning 98 hectares of Pemberton-area land to the Lil’wat Nation was a long time coming, according to Lil’wat Nation Skalulmecw Chief Dean Nelson—but the deal represents much more than just land.

“It’s very important to acknowledge the land and the ancestors, because we always had a connection with them, so [with this agreement], we’ve kind of reconnected back with them, the way it should be,” Nelson said, at a ceremony commemorating the agreement on Oct. 7.

“I feel very happy to be part of it, doing this part for the Lil’wat people, and having everyone, the school district, [attending the ceremony]. I’m really happy to be here today.”

Lil’wat Nation and School District 48 representatives signed the agreement officially transferring ownership of the land—the former Coast Mountain Outdoor School lands, located at 9485 Upper Lillooet River Forest Service Road at the very end of the Pemberton Meadows—back to the Lil’wat at the ceremony.

The agreement is one of the most significant land transfers in Sea to Sky history and, at 98 hectares spread over three separate parcels, the largest in the Lil’wat Nation’s modern history.

The land was previously home to the Coast Mountain Outdoor School (CMOS), one of a handful of nature-focused education facilities in the province that provided students with opportunities for outdoor education.

Though the facility was closed for good in 1995, the school district continued to spend money on the upkeep of the property, and its future remained unclear for years.

Today, the property holds older cabins, a barn, and associated buildings from days long past, some of which require repair.

According to Rebecca Barley, SD48

said in a speech at the signing ceremony.

“Staff from both Lil’wat and the school district have worked very hard to see this through and get the proper permissions in place. Both have been supported by their leadership in doing so. It is an absolute honour to be here and to sign, officially in the provincial eyes, the land back to the rightful owners.”

To mark the historic day, the Lil’wat held a ceremony that brought elders, youth, school children and community members together to sing, dance and drum as the Nation reclaimed part of its traditional territory.

of us as far as reconnection and seeing justice ... I think it’s time, and I’m just happy for all of us to be here today, sharing this special day. I do truly believe that it’s meant for this time.”

SD48 superintendent Chris Nicholson also welcomed the land transfer as a step toward reconciliation.

“We talk a lot in the province and our district about truth and reconciliation, and I would say that this is a definite example of those words put into meaningful action,” he said.

One of the longer-term goals for the site is to create an Indigenous healing, treatment, cultural and traditional use centre. Work is underway to complete the SLRD re-zoning process to create the centre.

Lil’wat health director Jessica Frank looks forward to the possible opportunities for healing the land brings the Nation.

“As we’re moving along with Chief Dean, the school district, and Indigenous relations, it’s still a huge goal to keep our knowledge on the land healing in place here,” Frank said in a speech.

board chair and school trustee for Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Area C, which includes the old CMOS property, the process to transfer the land back to the Lil’wat Nation took some time, and required working closely with the provincial government and Ministry of Education.

“I’d say this last year was really when the push came. I think Truth and Reconciliation had much to do with that. The district has always acknowledged that this is part of St’át’imc, part of Lil’wat territory,” Barley

Lil’wat elders spoke of reconnection with the land, gave prayers and blessings, and smoked peace pipes. A rainbow of bright, colourful pouches full of tobacco was draped in a row along one of the old barn buildings.

“It’s very important for us to reconnect today with a ceremony reconnecting to the land and the ancestors—and they have been waiting,” Nelson said in a speech.

“I’m glad to see the young ones here, our elders here—everybody’s here, witnessing this. There is a really big undertaking for all

“When I first stepped foot on this land and saw this territory, my heart opened. You can see many amazing opportunities for our members working on the land, to feel the land, the spiritual opportunity to heal and work together as communities and families,” she added.

“I can’t wait for everyone to see this place—how much it’s going to flourish in the next few decades. [It was] much needed a long time ago. We needed that opportunity to come off our on-reserve areas, and come onto our own traditional territory, and that’s what we’re doing now.”

“It’s very important for us to reconnect today with a ceremony reconnecting to the land and the ancestors—and they have been waiting.”

- DEAN NELSON

Whistler council hopefuls talk environment, community at final all-candidates meeting

WHISTLERITES WILL ELECT A NEW MAYOR AND COUNCIL ON SATURDAY, OCT. 15

BY MEGAN LALONDE

THE COMMUNITY had its last chance to question Whistler council hopefuls in a public setting ahead of election day, during the resort’s final all-candidates meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Held at the Maury Young Arts Centre, the meeting was hosted by the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) and the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) and moderated by Dan Wilson. The event’s hosts intended to press candidates about their views on “conservation, climate and community well-being” in the resort, while gently steering them away from other major election issues—for example, the Northlands rezoning—that have already been discussed at length during previous meetings.

There were a few missing faces on stage: mayoral candidates Brian Walker, Marcus Culver, and Jack Crompton. Rather than invite the trio to the meeting, the two host organizations each sent the mayoral hopefuls three questions, and asked the candidates to film themselves answering those questions in two minutes or less. The clips are available to view on AWARE’s website at awarewhistler.org, as is a video of the meeting in its entirety.

The largely amicable evening followed a few predictable plot points: housing, for example, reappeared as a recurring theme throughout the evening, identified by most candidates as the key underlying issue contributing to a slate of other challenges the resort currently faces.

On the municipality’s role in supporting community members experiencing or at risk of homelessness during extreme weather events:

Arthur De Jong was the first of several candidates—particularly the four incumbent councillors—to highlight the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) partnership with WCSS to offer

emergency shelters during events like extreme cold periods. “The extension of this offering could be an option as we see adverse weather events like the heat dome of a year ago,” De Jong said. In the longer term, councillors would need to continue incorporating housing “for all stages of life and situations” into community planning, he said.

Though many candidates used their allotted time to underscore the severity of the community’s housing and shelter shortages, regardless of weather, as candidate Rhonda Millikin pointed out, municipal governments are not mandated to provide residents with basic needs like food, shelter, health-care or education even during natural disasters. “These are provincial responsibilities,” she said. “However, council can, through a bylaw, impose requirements in relation to public health, protection of natural environment, buildings and structures.”

In her view, the Northlands site near Whistler Village should be developed with the environmental, mental-health and housing crises in mind. “To support Whistler 360, the municipality should make a doctor’s office for non-emergency healthcare available on this site and this should be recognized [as] the essential community amenity required for the Northlands development,” Millikin said.

Brendan Ladner stressed that zoning for shelters and affordable housing is what’s needed, while Jessie Morden additionally proposed building a public restroom that includes shower access, or subsidizing passes to Meadow Park Sports Centre during extreme events.

On the factors contributing to mentalhealth struggles and how to help improve quality of life:

The handful of candidates tapped to answer this question identified several factors leading to widespread mental health pressures in Whistler, including the “work hard, play hard” mindset so many locals

subscribe to, but above all, affordability and housing stressors.

For example, “I’ve moved 14 times myself, in the 18 years I’ve lived here,” said Tina Pashumati James. Incentivizing mental-health professionals to stay in town is one way to help, she posited.

From Dawn Titus’ perspective, “It is the main role of our councillors to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality and the community, so we need to get out there, volunteer and engage with people in meaningful ways,” she said. “We need to stay abreast of every single program we have to make sure those individuals are informed of what we can do for them.”

Jeff Murl took a slightly different approach to the question. “Council’s role is to raise the level of the community and those in it,” he said. “We deliver services and maintain and operate infrastructure, but we also foster opportunities for non-profits to innovate and create different solutions.” Murl cited his involvement with the Whistler Institute, which brings in-person education to the community, and “allows different ways for people to bring up their own level, so that they can reduce some of that stress on them, by increasing their wage and opportunity and giving them a hope that their future in Whistler is possible,” he said.

Curtis Lapadat said his accelerated housing plan would help ease that stress for some residents—though no word in his

answer of exactly how—and acknowledged that while inflation is something a municipal government has little control over, ideas like asking restaurant guests to add a donation to their bill in support of the Whistler Food Bank could help.

On addressing climate change at the municipal level:

When asked if and how she would prioritize climate action in municipal budgets if elected, incumbent Jen Ford said she has “prioritized climate action in every decision I’ve made.”

She said “nature-based solutions,” like protecting wild spaces and supporting regional agriculture production would be actions she’d push for at the council table, in addition to continuing the fight for regional transit across the corridor and sustainable financing at municipal hall. For her colleague Cathy Jewett, a founding member of AWARE, being elected for another term would mean continuing to push BC Transit for the electrification of Whistler’s public transit and working to help retrofit local buildings for increased efficiency.

Ladner, with a blue “A skiable future” cap sitting on the table in front of him, told the audience the RMOW currently spends more on paving than on reducing emissions.

“What we need to do is establish some metrics about how we make our spending decisions,” he said. In his answer, Murl pointed out that “it makes good business sense” to invest

in Whistler’s assets in a way that increases their efficiency and lowers emissions “for long-term gain,” citing the cost of energy in Europe and carbon taxes that are set to rise in the coming years. “Not spending to mitigate climate change is shortsighted,” candidate Sarah Rush agreed.

As a turf labourer working for the municipality over the summer, Gabriel Pliska said he’d already been pushing for the electrification of the RMOW’s fleet, from lawnmowers to leaf blowers. He also called for the protection of Whistler’s watersheds.

“I wonder how much ski wax is in our local watersheds,” he said. “I’d like to look at ski-wax application on our mountain and maybe try to find a way to ban ski waxes that are bad for our watersheds.”

Millikin, for her part, said she would work to apply evidence-based, multi-purpose solutions, but that “protecting our trees” is the most important action councillors can take. “Trees provide resilience to extreme weather of climate change, clean air, wellbeing and wildlife habitats, and they support our nature-based economy,” she said. “Both our current fire-thinning and FireSmart programs are impacting climate change mitigation at a large geographic scale. We need to focus on the objective of protecting infrastructure on the urban side of the wildlife-urban interface.” She also suggested promoting ride-sharing over ride-hailing.

Encouraging constituents to choose public or active transportation within Whistler is also a priority for Melinda Lopez, who said

she’d work to advocate for regional transit, net-zero new builds, and lowered emissions in existing buildings, in accordance with the municipality’s existing “Big Moves” strategy.

Gordon Jeffrey was the sole candidate to reject the idea that Whistler’s municipal council has a meaningful role to play in limiting climate change. Though he said he takes care to reduce his personal footprint— citing his decision not to own a car—Jeffrey said if elected he wouldn’t focus on climate action more than the current council already has. “I feel like current council has already prioritized climate quite a bit, and I do not at all agree that local governments are bestsuited to take on climate action. Quite the contrary, it is best tackled at the federal and international levels,” Jeffrey said.

“Climate change is very much an international issue, and if we take every possible measure the best we could hope to do is lead by example. Governments of countries such as Russia, China and India will not be looking at these examples, and if we cannot compel them to make changes, it seems pointless to me to shoot ourselves in the foot just to pat ourselves on the back.”

Other topics addressed during the twoand-a-half-hour-long meeting included the 2030 Olympics, urban sprawl, social enterprises, youth programs, taxes, helping Whistler’s seniors age in place, and the Whistler Housing Authority, to name just a few. Find a longer version of this story at piquenewsmagazine.com.

Election day is Oct. 15. n

SLCC and WCSS team up to offer free Indigenous cultural awareness workshops

RUNNING THROUGH FEBRUARY, MONTHLY SESSIONS LED BY LIL’WAT AND SQUAMISH MEMBERS ARE DESIGNED TO SERVE AS CATALYST FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

BY BRANDON BARRETT

IT BEING THE resort’s largest socialservice provider, it’s clear to see how the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) helps facilitate Whistler’s well-being.

But Whistler’s Indigenous museum, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC), has also played a vital role in caring for the community as it undergoes the challenging work of Truth and Reconciliation.

“[This program] talks about what the SLCC is and how we serve the community, how we really were an essential service in this community in the past towards reconciliation, and a resource,” said Heather Paul, executive director of the SLCC.

The program Paul is referring to is a partnership between the cultural centre and WCSS to deliver free and accessible workshops in Indigenous cultural awareness, led by elders and ambassadors from the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations themselves.

“The goal was to really trigger and level up a journey towards reconciliation for Whistler,”

Paul said. “It’s really to have you, when you leave that room, witness into yourself and into the world around you how colonization has really given [non-Indigenous Canadians] privilege and an advantage, and where it’s built everywhere into the systems around you. It’s not meant to hurt you or shock you; it’s meant to refocus your vision a little bit. A change of perspective.”

The first six-hour session was held Oct. 6 at the SLCC, and they will continue each month, through February 2023. They include traditional local Indigenous foods for lunch, tours of the museum’s exhibits, and learning seminars that are divided into different topics, such as reconciliation and Indigenous governance, led by SLCC ambassadors, cultural educator Tanina Williams from the Lil’wat Nation, and decolonial consultant from the Squamish Nation, Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee, founder of Nahanee Creative Inc.

Part of the goal of the workshops is to create a safe space for non-Indigenous participants to learn and engage in difficult conversations, no matter where they are in their personal reconciliation journey.

“Maybe they’ve just arrived, maybe they’ve lived here for a really long time and there isn’t that real cultural awareness, so the goal is to provide that to people at no cost: an opportunity to come into the space, learn from elders within the community, give them lunch, space, and time,” said Jackie Dickinson, executive director of the WCSS. “That’s the beginning. It’s not the end.”

The sessions also help to define what the SLCC does and the role it plays in the community, both for non-Indigenous and the local First Nations members who have commonly struggled in the past to feel welcome in Whistler.

“It’s really for the community to understand what we do and the people in the building,” Paul said. “I really want them to know their names. One thing Georgina [Dan, SLCC cultural administration coordinator and co-facilitator of its Indigenous Youth Ambassador program] was saying is, ‘Know my name. Just know my name.’”

The partnership between both organizations is significant as well, particularly given the harms and stigmas the local Indigenous community has

historically faced when entering the healthcare and social-service spheres.

“I think the puzzle pieces fit together very well,” Paul said. “We want to make a progressive, positive relationship moving forward in wellness, and we also want the ambassadors and the families of the ambassadors who work here to ultimately see WCSS as a resource as well. We look to WCSS on how to provide that kind of support and how we best serve, and we want to be able to help WCSS access culturally aware resources for the community.”

The program was funded in part by a Heritage BC 150 Time Immemorial grant that WCSS applied for, as well as additional support from the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, the latter stepping in at the 11th hour to ensure all six workshops were free to the community.

The next session is Nov. 3, from 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the SLCC. Attendance is free, but registration is required, and limited, at eventbrite.ca/e/ indigenous-cultural-awareness-workshopnovember-3-tickets-429462853957.

More info at slcc.ca/cultural-awareness. n

Whistler council hopefuls lodge complaints over candidate meet-andgreet hosted by outgoing councillor

TWO CANDIDATES ALLEGE POSSIBLE ‘VOTE BUYING’ DUE TO REFRESHMENTS BEING SERVED AND IMPLIED ENDORSEMENTS AT INFORMAL BACKYARD MEETING

BY BRANDON BARRETT

JUST DAYS BEFORE Whistlerites head to the polls, two council candidates say they have lodged complaints with election officials over an informal meetand-greet held Tuesday, Oct. 11 with local builders and tradespeople at a sitting councillor’s home.

Longtime local builder and twoterm councillor Duane Jackson sent out invites from his personal email on Oct. 7 to members of the local construction and trades sectors, the five incumbents running again—Mayor Jack Crompton, Arthur De Jong, Cathy Jewett, Jen Ford and Ralph Forsyth—and council candidates Jessie Morden and Jeff Murl.

Initially, the concern among some of the candidates centred on the fact they weren’t invited to the private event.

“On a moral level, for me, I thought, invite everybody,” said candidate Dawn Titus.

Legally speaking, there is no obligation to extend invitations to all candidates, and

Jackson said he has held similar meetings in past campaigns.

“If I was running, I would invite people that I would want to work with— and that’s what I’ve done before,” he said, adding that Murl and Morden were the only two candidates who reached out to him directly to discuss issues in the construction industry.

But of greater concern, according to Titus and fellow council candidate Curtis Lapadat, was that the emailed invitation from Jackson included written comments from Morden and Murl, as well as a promise of “light refreshments,” which they allege could qualify as vote buying.

B.C.’s Local Government Act (LGA) states that “a person must not pay, give, lend or procure inducement” to influence a person’s vote. The inducement is described as including “money, gift, valuable consideration, refreshment, entertainment, office, placement, employment and any other benefit of any kind.” Jackson’s email specifically asked recipients “If you have time, and can vote in Whistler please stop by [my home] after work on Tuesday.”

That wording, combined with the offer of refreshments and the inclusion of Murl and Morden’s statements to the building sector, led to the allegations of possible vote buying.

Whether or not the complaints hold water will be up to B.C.’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs, an official with Elections BC said.

Whistler’s chief election officer Pauline Lysaght said she conferred with both the ministry and Elections BC regarding the event, and reviewed relevant legislation, and confirmed the event complied with local election requirements.

As for the allegations of vote buying, “it is important to note that these activities are permitted as long as there is no obligation on the elector, whether overt or implied, to vote for a certain candidate,” Lysaght explained. “My understanding is that some light refreshments available at an event in itself would likely not constitute an election offense, provided there was no effort (explicit or implied) to influence attendees to vote for a particular candidate. So, my interpretation

(raised with Municipal Affairs) is that encouraging people to vote would not constitute an offence or contravene the LGA.”

Asked whether the inclusion of Murl and Morden’s statements in the original email, along with the offer of refreshments, could constitute an “implied” obligation on an elector, Lysaght said it would ultimately come down to the event itself.

“The key consideration will be whether or not someone who was in attendance at the event was actually induced to vote in a particular way as a result of attending the event and having a refreshment or other benefit (gift, money etc.). What happens at the event will be important to understand whether or not there was either implied or overt inducement,” she noted. “The public perception of the event would not necessarily impact the analysis, as this requirement is specific to a person.”

Titus said she lodged a complaint with Lysaght, Whistler’s election officer, and Lapadat shared an email he sent to Elections BC outlining his concerns.

Whistlerites head to the polls on Oct. 15. n

Three names on ballot for Whistler school trustee

LYTHE, BORDIGNON, AND HIGGINS CONTEND FOR TWO TRUSTEE SEATS

BY ROBERT WISLA

WHISTLERITES WILL HAVE three names to choose from in filling Whistler’s two school trustee seats in the Oct. 15 election: Newcomer Deb Bordignon and incumbents Cynthia Higgins and Rachael Lythe.

Read on for profiles of each, organized here in random order, and be sure to vote on Oct. 15.

RACHAEL LYTHE

If elected for a fourth term as a school trustee, Rachael Lythe wants to continue working to improve student transportation, graduation rates, and mental health in Whistler schools.

Lythe has lived in Whistler most of her life, moving to the resort in 1996, and currently works as a wedding and event planner.

First elected in 2011, she has served three terms as one of Whistler’s school trustees.

“I feel my experience is important, because we have three long-term trustees [in the Sea to Sky] not seeking re-election,” Lythe said. “So it’s important to have continuity and stability on the board.”

Lythe currently sits on the Sea to Sky School District’s policy, Indigenous

education, and finance committees. In addition to her committee work, she serves as the alternate representative for the BC Public School Employers’ Association, School Trustees Association, and bargaining committee with the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

If re-elected, Lythe said she wants to continue working on the policy committee, especially as the board moves to work on facilities and planning and implementing policies. She noted transportation of

students has become more of an issue lately due to a shortage of school bus drivers.

Lythe believes the district needs to look at collaborative models with public transit to ensure that everyone’s getting transportation covered.

Additionally, Lythe wants to continue working on implementing the Pathways to Learning education plan that was created in 2012, and pointed to the plan’s success at increasing graduation rates, especially among First Nations students. However,

she admits there is more work to be done.

“We refreshed [Pathways to Learning] in 2018, and will be engaging in a refresh for the strategic plan in 2024-25,” she said.

“The biggest thing that’s come out of the change to programming is student success, because we’ve really increased our graduation rate, and in particular, our Indigenous graduation rates, to be the highest in the province. So that’s a huge achievement.”

Lythe also wants to see progress made in helping students who are struggling

IN THE RUNNING From left: Whistler school trustee candidates Rachael Lythe, Deb Bordignon and Cynthia Higgins.

with their mental health, noting that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt among many of the students across the district.

DEB BORDIGNON

Retired professor Deborah Bordignon is re-entering the realm of education with a run for a Whistler school trustee position.

“I want to be able to bring forth the expertise I have, which is multifaceted in both private and public education, and I want to be able to put it to work for the needs of the public here in the Sea to Sky,” Bordignon said.

A former communications prof, Bordignon believes her experience and expertise will help improve collaboration between the school district and the public.

“I feel that when I looked at the role and spoke to trustees that were already on the board, that collaborative communication is the No. 1 thing that school trustees need to have in order to work effectively,” she said.

Bordignon’s platform focuses on three main topics: food security, mental health and physical wellness, and guiding students to careers and post-secondary education.

“Mental health and food security are two big issues at the board level, and then the other thing is that I’m going to add another layer of expertise,” Bordignon said.

“It’s not talked about enough, and it’s really a societal problem. We are a resort community, but it’s not just in the Whistler

area—the whole Sea to Sky district that is affected by this.

“After all we’ve been through in the last while, it’s imperative we increase resources. This is where building stronger ties with VCH (Vancouver Coastal Health), WCSS (Whistler Community Services Society), and other non-profit organizations, such as the Whistler-founded Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation, are all top of mind.”

Bordignon has lived in Whistler since 2013 and is an active volunteer in the community, lending her time to the Myrtle Philip Community School hot lunch program, the Whistler Writers Festival, Cornucopia, and the Whistler Skating Club.

The lunch program, in particular, is something Bordignon is very passionate about, noting that poverty exists in Whistler, and many children need to have lunches provided due to food insecurity at home.

“We live in a beautiful place, with a big problem of poverty and lack of affordability or access to housing. This puts a huge strain on parents and teachers,” she said. “We need to make nutritious food affordable for parents and available daily for the students in our schools across the district.”

Additionally, Bordignon wants to build on the previous trustee board’s success in bringing down suspension rates and increasing graduation rates with the Pathways to Learning strategic plan.

“I just want to add another level of expertise in communicating the public interests,” she said.

CYNTHIA HIGGINS

Judging from her demeanour at local candidate meetings, Cynthia Higgins is approaching her school trustee re-election campaign with energy and enthusiasm. First elected by acclamation in 2018, Higgins said she has thoroughly enjoyed the trustee position, and hopes to continue advocating for education system improvements in the next term.

Higgins’ platform is focused on improving school transportation and childcare access in the Sea to Sky School District (SD48), as well as improving the district’s communications with the public.

“I want to work with both the policy committee, which I’m a member of, and the finance department to find efficiencies and improvements in the transportation system all across SD48 so that we’re able to better accommodate the students and make transportation easier for families.”

During her time on the board, Higgins has served on the district’s Early Learning Committee, and hopes to continue working with the committee to implement more child-care options by expanding the Seamless Day child-care program.

Additionally, Higgins wants to improve communication and transparency within the district, as well as hold staff accountable for delivering on the district’s strategic plan and ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion and reconciliation are lenses that are looked

through when the board makes decisions.

“I want people to know that my door is always open for conversations, because I believe that public engagement is one of the most important tools we have to improve public education,” she said.

According to Higgins, one of the issues coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic is the long-term effects on young people’s mental health, which she also hopes to address if reelected.

Whistler’s 2021 Communities That Care survey showed a notable uptick in the number of students with mentalhealth issues and substance use.

“I think that there are still mentalhealth issues that need to be addressed and supported. There’s cognitive, socioemotional and maybe even in an active community like ours physical bits of development that were significantly impacted by the effects of the pandemic,” Higgins said.

“Those things are going to affect how teachers are able to teach and how students are able to learn, how administrators will administer what goes on in their individual schools. So as much as I would love to say we’ve seen the last of COVID, I’m afraid we haven’t.”

SD48 covers an area from Furry Creek to Anderson Lake, with 5,138 students in 15 schools. The district employs 885 staff and has a total budget of $71,844,525 as of 2022.

Whistlerites head to the polls on Oct. 15. n

IS

Naturespeak: Mycophagous insects, bugs that love mushrooms just as much as you do

BY CHLOE VAN LOON

WHEN YOU THINK of fungi, do you think of a delicious dish or oddball orbs of various colours that grow in the forest? Well, for many insects, they call the fruiting bodies of fungi—mushrooms—a feast, and a home.

If you are a forager of mushrooms, then the thought of turning the cap of a perfectly beautiful bolete over, only to find that a colony of wriggling bugs has reached the sweet meat before you, might send you into a rage. Hopefully, this article can impart some insight into the wonderful world of mycophagous insects (“myco” meaning fungi, and phagous meaning “to feed”) that share the love of Whistler’s fall fungal feast.

The first insect I’d like to introduce is probably the most common insect you’d find in a mushroom: the springtail, of the subclass collembola. Springtails often send foragers walking away with their tails between their legs, but they are important decomposers in our local ecosystems that eat decaying organic matter. Using a specialized organ at the end of their antennae, called sensilla, they taste what lies before them.

It’s a pleasure to introduce another mycophagous insect: the family erotylidae, also known as the pleasing fungus beetles! These small, two- to 22-millimetre brown beetles with clubbed antennae use mature mushrooms during their larval and adult stages. Many genera are specific to a group of fungi. Some prefer feeding on the fungal spores or the hyphae of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus), while others enjoy munching on mushrooms with mycorrhizal associations with tree roots, which include the brittlegill (Russula) and death cap

mushrooms (Amanita).

Mushroom living is not all fun and games—sometimes it’s war! Including for some species of Ciidae, minute tree-fungus beetles that live in polypores, or bracket fungi (the mini shelves on tree trunks). Males of some Ciid species have horns, presumed to be for fighting off other males or other beetle types within the tunnels of a polypore. During peaceful times, Ciids find their preferred fungi by “sniffing” out the chemicals emitted by the fungi.

Some insects prefer siphoning up the nutrients of the mycelium itself (slurp, slurp). The white, spaghetti-esque mass you may have seen in our local forests is a fungi’s rootlike structure, called mycelium. Mycelium is composed of hyphae, which are thin, filamentous strands. Aradid, or flat bugs of the family aradidae, use their mouthpart called a stylet, a thin, tube-like apparatus, to penetrate the hyphae. The stylet can be longer than the insect’s own body! From there, the aradid slurps up the fungi’s cell sap or cytoplasm (mmm, nutritious).

So next time you peer under a dyer’s polypore, or the orange cap of a chanterelle, perhaps a fungivorous insect will be staring back at you! You can do just that during the Whistler Naturalists’ Fungus Among Us Mushroom Festival on Oct. 14 and 15 featuring talks, walks, a forest-to-table lunch, and a mushroom display. Some events are sold out, so please check our website for updated information and to buy tickets: whistlernaturalists.ca. No ticket is required for the mushroom display at Legends Hotel in Creekside on Saturday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. (by donation).

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

FLAT CHANCE Aradus compressus, a flat bug found near Blackcomb Lake during the 2022 Whistler BioBlitz by Chloe and Trevor Van Loon.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Pemberton’s Harrow Road housing project headed for adoption

COUNCIL SUPPORT UNANIMOUS FOR REZONING ON SEA TO SKY COMMUNITY SERVICES-LED PROJECT

BY ALYSSA NOEL

A rezoning for Sea to Sky Community Services’ (SSCS) controversial affordable housing project in Pemberton is headed for adoption after Village of Pemberton council gave it third reading on Oct. 4.

Councillors voted unanimously for the zoning amendment to allow permanent housing on the land, located at Harrow Road and Highway 99, currently designated for commercial tourism.

“It has been an incredibly rewarding process for us,” said Jaye Russell, executive director of SSCS, after the meeting. “We’re so proud of the community, we’re so grateful for the support of mayor and council, particularly at [last] week’s meeting. We are just so excited to bring this incredible resource to the community that will have such a great impact in the short and long term.”

The vote came a week after a public hearing on the project, which garnered both support and concern from members of the public. Some points of contention: the height of the building, increased parking in the area, and aesthetics.

The 63-unit, five-storey building will feature a mix of one-, two-, and threebedroom units, with 30 per cent allocated

for market rentals, 50 per cent for “rent geared to income” and 20 per cent for lowincome households. The 9,000-square-foot bottom floor will be used for SSCS’ new offices—in which they will run 28 of the 40 programs they offer throughout the Sea to Sky—with the rest of the space slated for commercial uses.

“I’m glad we had the public hearing,” said Councillor Ted Craddock. “I think it was important to listen to the community because, at the end of the day, they’re the

While Coun. Amica Antonelli also supported the project, she said council should keep detractors’ concerns in mind. “We should move forward with this rezoning with a 17-metre [rather than 19-metre] cap so that they can achieve their vision, use the winter to work through their [development permit], and respect the concerns of the community,” she said.

Mayor Mike Richman said he’s certain the search for an appropriate site was “exhaustive.”

two [or] three storeys at this point, but it will be a high-level of activity and, to me, residential is better suited to neighbour that community. Really, it comes down to the size of the building.”

To that end, Richman said, the size and scale need to ensure the project is affordable.

“Nobody is making a profit off this; they’re just trying to break even and make it affordable,” he added. “So I think we’ve heard from the proponents that this is what’s required.”

But in weighing “gut-wrenching” conversations with people impacted by the building and Pemberton’s dire housing needs, he said he supported the project.

“It’s a difficult one, but I believe this is for the greater good of the community and I will be supporting third reading on this,” he said.

The next steps for SSCS will be to complete the purchase of the land and secure development and building permits.

ones that direct council on what they would like to see … I think at the end of the day, I’m going to give it support. Some of the issues that are still out there are tough ones to get by, but I think supply and housing for 63-plus families, individuals, and people with disabilities trumps that card. I’m hoping we’re in the ground next year and will see some housing for people who need it desperately in the next two or three years.”

“I’m confident that through staff and council, we’ll be able to work through some of the concerns that are still out there—which brings us to the main part of the zoning here today, which is zoning for residential and size. In terms of the residential zoning, I think it’s a no-brainer. It’s currently zoned for C2, so you could have a hotel, gas station, convenience store on that spot, so there will be a high level of activity on that corner one day impacting that neighbourhood. It’s

The goal is to begin construction in summer 2023, with occupancy anticipated for 2025. “Above all, we’re so committed to being a good neighbour and continuing to be of service to the community,” Russell said.

“In early 2023, we hope to be able to have an additional community information session where we can update the community on our timeline and find out how the community wants to stay connected to the project.”

For more information, or to register interest in an affordable housing unit, visit sscs.ca/harrowroad.

“We are just so excited to bring this incredible resource to the community that will have such a great impact...”

- JAYE RUSSELL

WIN CANUCKS TICKETS!

It’s time to extinguish oil and gas industry ‘gaslighting’

THIS SUMMER, a Fortis BC booth at a Vancouver farmers’ market displayed the slogan, “Natural gas is good for your home.”

Fortis and other fossil gas companies call their product an “affordable luxury”— “a safe, reliable source of energy that’s easy to use in your home or business.” Fortis even claims to be helping meet climate goals because its product “is the cleanest fossil fuel, and it’s an abundant, local energy source.”

Safe, abundant, natural, local, and good for the environment! What’s not to like? Sure, exploiting the mostly fracked

BY DAVID SUZUKI

gas devastates huge swathes of landscape, consumes enormous volumes of water, emits copious amounts of the powerful greenhouse gas methane (which it largely is) and causes health problems in households where it’s used, but at least the company is increasing its mix of “renewable natural gas” (which doesn’t live up to its hype) “and exploring the possibilities of adding hydrogen gas to our system.”

Fortis ads may not seem overly egregious in light of the fossil fuel industry’s massive, decades-long efforts to manipulate information and discourse around climate disruption—which Geoff Dembicki brilliantly illustrates in his essential new book The Petroleum Papers—but they show there’s no end in sight to the all-out drive to keep the fossil fuel industry burning.

degraded by fossil fuel exploration and development. People are suffering and dying from pollution.

The global climate is reacting to our excessive fossil fuel burning in increasingly costly ways that put human health and lives—as well as other life on this small planet—at risk.

In the past, politicians and others absurdly argued addressing issues like climate change would be too expensive. That’s ensured the costs of the crisis continue to mount as we forgo the benefits of a major, just transition. We’ll all be better off—healthier, happier, with greater economic stability—when governments and industry treat the climate crisis with the gravity it demands.

Beyond curtailing emissions, we must also respond to impacts already set in motion. Canadian Climate Institute analysis found investing in adaptation could cut many climate change costs by 75 per cent if we also reduce emissions in line with international commitments, and that every dollar invested in proactive adaptation measures “can return $13-$15 in direct and indirect benefits.”

The report, “Damage Control,” noted severe weather caused $2.1 billion in insured damages in 2021, not including costs related to public infrastructure or uninsured private losses. It estimated disaster recovery will cost Canada $5 billion annually by 2025 and $17 billion by 2050.

#324 First Tracks Lodge

First tracks should be your first choice in Creekside Located right at the gondola base, you can walk out your door and onto the lifts or walk to all of Creekside amenities

This spacious two bedroom , two bath condo overlooks the pool

First tracks offers a gym, with steam room, outdoor heated pool and hot tub, comfy library lounge in the lobby, underground parking, huge owners storage locker, and concierge service

Offered at $2,450,000

Call Al for de tails

317- 4320 Sundial Crescent

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

2 bed 2 bath Price $1,395,000

How much more proof do we need that burning coal, oil and gas is heating the planet before we take it seriously and quickly shift away from all fossil fuels? Unfortunately, industry and its supporters continue to respond to the ever-mounting evidence (some of it their own!) with greenwashing, gaslighting and coverups—stalling the necessary transition to renewable energy.

During a recent Washington, D.C., congressional hearing into the role of fossil fuels in the climate crisis, reams of unveiled documents showed “companies attempted to distance themselves from agreed climate goals, admitted ‘gaslighting’ the public over purported efforts to go green” and denigrated activists.

House committee on oversight and reform co-chair Ro Khanna said they reveal oil companies’ “climate pledges rely on unproven technology, accounting gimmicks and misleading language to hide the reality.”

Fossil fuel benefits mostly flow to industry executives and shareholders, with everyone else paying the price. Workers are being displaced by automation, market conditions and global realities. Economies and individuals are shuddering under volatile global fossil fuel markets. Indigenous and rural communities are being uprooted, or are seeing lands

The climate crisis is real and accelerating. It’s caused by burning coal, oil and gas, and destroying “carbon sinks” like forests and wetlands. Many solutions are available. We can’t continue to let the fossil fuel industry “gaslight” us into thinking the reality is otherwise.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment is calling for a

“comprehensive ban on advertising by fossil fuel industries, products, and services (such as gasoline and gas utilities) and internal combustion engine vehicles,” a “robust regulatory response to address misleading environmental claims by fossil fuel companies” and regulations “mandating the disclosure of the health and environmental risks associated with fossil fuel production and use.” It’s a good start.

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

Fossil fuel benefits mostly flow to industry executives and shareholders...

Consider yourself local? Have your say and vote

LIKE MANY international transplants, for the first 10 years of living in Whistler, I couldn’t vote in any of Canada’s elections. Not that it particularly bothered me, because I was all about having a good time: ski, bike, beer, repeat. Politics didn’t concern me, and I was blissfully ignorant of community concerns, provincial policies and federal funding.

BY VINCE SHULEY

It took me about 10 years to gain my Certificate of Canadian Citizenship, which I still proudly display on my home office wall. Fellow seasonals-turned-lifers know all too well the length and bureaucratic hassle of that process; qualifying for one of Canada’s immigration programs, collecting written proof of jobs worked a decade ago, procuring criminal record checks from any country in which you spent more than a few months… I could fill this entire page with document checklists and proverbial hoops one needs to jump through in order to gain Permanent Residency (PR) status in Canada. And I think I can speak for every Permanent Resident when I say the effort is worth it. No more stress about work visas or whether you’ll need to exit the country at the end of the season. The PR milestone signifies the moment when you can genuinely lay your foundations in this country, this province and this community.

But there’s one catch. PR doesn’t allow you to vote. For that constitutional right, you must get a passing score of 16/20 on your citizenship test and swear your allegiance to Canada and its (new) king. You don’t need to go to England or anything, you just need to stand in a room full of people in front of a judge, pledge your allegiance to this country and sing O Canada. This ceremony is a far less emotive affair in today’s Zoom version, but is still an unforgettable day in the lives of newly-naturalized Canadians.

The biggest practical benefit of naturalization is being able to apply for a Canadian passport, so you no longer need to hold up your Canadian friends at the border on that road trip to the States. The biggest civic benefit of calling oneself Canadian? You guessed it. Voting

I can’t vote because I’m not Canadian yet. I would if they allowed non-Canadians to vote.

Fair enough. I get the frustration of not being able to have your say when you’ve lived in Whistler for years, contributed to its economy and genuinely care about your community. But voting is a constitutional right reserved for those who have citizenship at birth or immigrants who run through the aforementioned process. Start yours now and you may get to vote in 2026. There are so many candidates I can’t keep track. A lot of them are saying the same thing: “we need more housing, yadda yadda.” How am I supposed to make an informed vote?

Yes, there are a lot of candidates. Some of them you may even know personally

The strange and very welcomed sunny weather this October may well be the biggest contributor to a poor voter turnout on election day. But the future of your community shouldn’t take a backseat to one more great weekend of the seemingly endless summer of 2023. Advanced polling has been and gone, but General Voting Day kicks off at 8 a.m. on Oct. 15 at Myrtle Philip Community School. So have your car packed the night before, wake up early and go vote. Put that on your Instagram stories before all your other weekend highlights.

We have some solid incumbents running for re-election. Cathy Jewett and Jen Ford are the two I trust most to balance progress with the steady hand of experience. It’s great to see a bunch of younger candidates in the running, too, though not all seem to have done their homework. The one candidate I’ve seen present themselves with research and knowledge akin to more experienced councillors is Brendan Ladner, a.k.a. the “Skiable Future” guy. Yeah, the slogan is kinda tacky, but Ladner struck me as having a work ethic that matches his passion.

in federal, provincial and (arguably most importantly) municipal elections.

I’m not going to go into which council candidates support what and all the hotbutton issues like housing, sustainability etc. since we’ve had plenty of that commentary already. What I will say is that some recreation-focused residents of Whistler sometimes forget that—for better or worse—political change affects us all. And yes, that applies at the local level.

Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons Whistler residents may not vote, or more likely, just not bother.

or professionally. The best resource is the paper in your hands. Pique’s reporters do a bang-up job of council and mayoral candidate profiles. G.D. Maxwell takes it a step further with his own endorsements. If you want to get a sense of everyone’s platform while say, washing the dishes, replay the Pique all-candidates meeting on your phone at vimeo.com/event/2213328. It is three hours long, but you can skip around to the juicy parts. Have you seen the weather this October? Screw the election, I’m going camping this weekend.

As Pique editor Braden Dupuis wrote recently, “If you’re not actively involved, you get the policy you deserve. Simple as that.” That goes for all you skiers, bikers, hikers, skaters, softball leaguers, volleyball players and anyone else who prioritizes fun recreation over most other things in life. Real locals give a shit. So have your say on Saturday.

Vince Shuley wants you to vote this Saturday, October 15. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince. shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince.

Real locals give a shit. So have your say on Saturday.

ANOTHER FOUR-YEAR TERM of local governments in the Sea to Sky is now coming to a close, meaning it is once again time for the electorate to have its say: did our elected officials live up to their promises, or otherwise earn another term? Or is it time for a clean slate, and a new direction?

Whistler and Pemberton voters will answer those burning questions on Oct. 15, but first, you’ve got one last chance to hear from the candidates in their own words.

Keeping with election tradition, Pique sent each mayoral candidate and each council candidate the same set of questions, giving them each the same word count to answer them (and to allocate as they saw fit).

Mayoral candidates received five questions, with 800 words in all for their responses, while council candidates received three questions, with 500 words total.

The submissions were laid out in random order and lightly edited for grammar and spelling.

Read on for their responses and be sure to vote on Oct. 15.

- Braden Dupuis

WHISTLER

Ladner, to determine the most appropriate transit solutions. Perhaps subsidizing a passenger rail service. Maybe a valley gondola system. Definitely free and frequent transit.

Do you feel Whistler is still generally a desirable landing spot for young workers, the lifeblood of our economy?

For young workers who generally come here to party and snowboard/ski and who get staff accommodation, of course! Where’s better?

Of course, those less fortunate, unable to find an affordable place to call home, often struggle to provide themselves with adequate care and sustenance, and their mental well-being often takes a toll.

Whistler needs to become a better place to live and work.

If elected, how will you manage Whistler’s growth into the future?

Going further than Balance Model projections, we should conduct a study to learn what Whistler’s carrying capacity is. And should we eventually consider charging a toll, or implementing a reservation system, or capping visitation?

How can Whistler further advance Truth and Reconciliation initiatives in the next four years?

Truth is there is nothing any of us can do to truly make up for our dark past. What are some ways we can be better allies going forward? What work can we do for real reconciliation?

Marcus Culver

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I’M JUST A GUY WHO’S BEEN LIVING THE WHISTLER DREAM since 1999 and wants nothing more than to see the community thrive.

Grateful to have grown up in beautiful Deep Cove, North Vancouver, I always knew Whistler was where I wanted to be.

Over the years, I have travelled to so many amazing destinations, and yet always feel so lucky to return home. Always with fresh perspectives and renewed appreciation. There really is no place better.

Where else can you do so many activities in such close proximity, and with world-class venues and amenities?

But mostly it’s the people who make this town so great! Whistler attracts some of the most amazing people, it’s the community that makes Whistler truly magical.

So why am I running for mayor?

I’m doing this for all the friends who’ve left, and most importantly all the friends who still get to call Whistler home. We have so many pressing issues that need to be urgently resolved.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein.

Politicians should represent the issues that their constituency cares about, but this is not happening.

I want to be a leader who represents the interests of the core of the community. The workers who make this town run, everyone who contributes to the success of our local economy. Those of us who are too busy working multiple jobs, to get out and vote.

We’ve got to hit the streets and rally the troops to join the movement to get out and vote.

Proper representation is needed for what makes up the bulk of Whistler’s demographic: the young to middle-aged working-class and young families.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

First, we tackle the housing emergency. This will remedy the labour shortages, as well as provide better access to health-care and child-care, and even assist with mental wellness.

Possible housing solutions: start building more developments; prepare more land in Cheakamus; housing reserve fund; secure housing grants; streamline— slash the red tape; hire more building/planning staff; infill housing; incentivize homeowners for providing accommodation to full-time employees; and consider a temporary labour camp.

So, on top of affordable rental housing: bear awareness, with help from the Bear Advisory Committee. Educate public and locals alike; increase fines; raise criteria for what constitutes destroying bears; three big billboards at either end of town; and informative signage at all the park parking lots.

Additionally, transportation: working with the Transportation Advisory Group (TAG) and the Active Transportation Advisory Subcommittee, including Brendan

We must not brush our shameful history under the rug. Instead, we must learn from our past and see that our real history becomes regular curriculum. Canada currently doesn’t teach Indigenous history, and continues to ignore its own assimilative prerogatives. Not excluding our citizens’ test. Read any history book written by an Indigenous person. It’s a very different history than the majority of the population is taught.

Going forward we should work together with Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation to see that all of their needs are met, and continue to forge a strong and mutually beneficial partnership. This means acknowledgment of the troublesome past, and current pain. Having empathy. Listening, actually reaching out and asking First Nations members how they feel now, what their vision for the future is, and creating opportunities for inclusion, a.k.a. actually involving First Nations in the process, instead of just giving lip service.

Bold action is needed. Elect someone who will put the needs of the community first!

entertainment seven nights a week. In the space of one week, the Canadian Orpheus Male Choir would sing in the main pub, a Celtic folk society would host an open mic night, jazz nights, rock ‘n roll bands and a famous blues show that was broadcast on local radio. I was considered the Mayor of Hess Village by merchants because I was concerned for their success and knew everyone they needed to know. I am also a founding member of the Hamilton Business Association Council, which drove policy concerning business at city hall council meetings and has grown to include regional partners.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

Employee accommodation is the No. 1 issue in this election. Whistler needs to accommodate our service community because they are just as important as the guests we host. The building trades, WB, the hotels, restaurants, salons, retail boutiques, art galleries, the administration of Tourism Whistler and the RMOW all require a stable workforce to operate profitably and efficiently. Whistler’s Official Community Plan from ‘93 states as policy that Whistler should provide “affordable employee housing” so that Whistler can have a “stable workforce.” Successive councils have failed to enact a vision policy that will be 30 years old next year. It is long past time to act on a critical aspect of Whistler’s very existence. Whistler is a tourism-based economy. We are fundamentally dependent on our service community and right now every business in Whistler is struggling from lack of competent employees and their accommodation.

Whistler should establish an accreditation program for employees. Called the Whistler Service Guild, it would set standards for performance across all employment positions, from dishwashers to hotel management. A website should be set up that lists every occupation and the responsibilities involved. After reading through the details of any occupation, prospective employees would then take a test of their knowledge. Upon passing the test, that person would now be accredited for that position. Employers could refer to the site when looking for personnel to fill a vacancy. There they will find people listed under the job title who have been accredited, their cover letter, CV and any other accreditation they have acquired. The more accreditation a prospective employee has would add value to employers’ needs. Guilds are a way to establish standards of performance. If you maintain good standing in the Whistler Service Guild, it would lead to affordable accommodation. Losing standing by doing something that impugns the integrity of their employer or Whistler in general would affect one’s accommodation.

Whistler has a recycling program that amazes guests from other countries, but we could still do much better. A dedicated team at our recycling centres constantly deal with waste from other communities and contractors who should be using the Waste Transfer Station.

Do you feel Whistler is still generally a desirable landing spot for young workers, the lifeblood of our economy?

Whistler is not a place to land for young people. They have been priced out of the market for homes and now rental accommodation—if they can actually find any.

Whistler is the crown jewel of Canada’s resort industry. It should set the standard to which other resorts aspire. By accrediting young people in the service standards of Whistler, they would be able to gain affordable accommodation and work towards a viable future in Whistler. By not providing a means to a future for young people, Whistler is setting itself up for a failure far worse than we experience now.

If elected, how will you manage Whistler’s growth into the future?

Any growth going forward needs to address, in a meaningfully way, our complete lack of employee accommodation. It should be contingent and encouraged in plans for all approval of growth.

Brian Walker

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

FOR 10 YEARS, I PROMOTED THE BUSINESS INTERESTS of restaurants, hair salons, retail boutiques and art galleries in an historic area of Hamilton, Ont. Hess Village is a collection of Victorian-era homes in the heart of the city that have been renovated into a business neighbourhood. My job was to know the mayor, my alderman, the chief of police, fire chief, staff at the health department, the Liquor Control Board and media people at The Spectator and CHCH TV. I was also the general manager of Hamilton’s most popular ol’ English pub called the Gown and Gavel, because I programmed live

How can Whistler further advance Truth and Reconciliation initiatives in the next four years?

Whistler should find some humility with our partners, the Squamish Nation and the Lil’wat Nation. We are living and conducting business on their land. Canadians have recognized the wrongs of people who went before us. It was shameful to allow the abuse our First Nations people suffered. Canadians have much to learn about the land and sea from their culture. Now is time to open employment opportunities in our service community to the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation. Encourage accreditation in Whistler’s service community. With employment comes the opportunity to share the pride of cultural identity.

Jack Crompton

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I HAVE SERVED ON RMOW COUNCIL SINCE 2011 (as mayor since 2018). For me, serving as mayor of Whistler has been the greatest privilege of my life. I am excited about continuing the work.

My professional life has focused mainly on transportation and software. I founded Whistler Resort Cabs and operated it until selling the company in 2008. I then founded and served as CEO for Ridebooker, a Whistler-based transportation software company. In October 2018, I resigned my position with Ridebooker to serve full time as mayor of Whistler.

I am in the last year of the Masters of Public Policy and Global Affairs program at UBC. I like to talk politics of any description and am fascinated by political history, local government and international affairs. My wife Carolyn and I have four children: Georgia, Margaret, Van and Harriet.

to continue to give everything I have to ensure it’s even better than what my grandparents, parents and I ever imagined. There is work to do!

If elected, how will you manage Whistler’s growth into the future?

It’s time to grow our focus on managing day visitation to Whistler, especially in the summer. The metrics we collected through the Balance Model are already serving us well and offer tremendous promise. We will continue to use non-Whistler property tax revenue (hotel tax) to invest in tourism infrastructure critical to a positive experience for residents and guests. We will prioritize walking, biking and transit. We will focus visitation where we are best equipped to manage it. We will protect sensitive ecosystems, steering visitors and guests to other places. We will be informed by data and take thoughtful, meaningful action in response. This is an ongoing challenge and we must remain nimble in our response.

How can Whistler further advance Truth and Reconciliation initiatives in the next four years?

I am convinced truth and reconciliation with the Lil’wat and Squamish people starts with listening to, learning from and following the leadership of those Nations and people. We have changed road signs in response to Lil’wat and Squamish leadership. We have joined the work toward the 2030 Olympics because of Lil’wat and Squamish leadership. We will do more, but it can’t be contained in a list here, as truth and reconciliation is something we must do in coordination with and led by the Nations whose territory we live on.

WHISTLER CANDIDATES FOR COUNCIL

community, it’s critical to addressing other issues as well.

3. 4500 Northlands. This development offers the community a profound opportunity and will redefine the village core. I want to help ensure the development has creative and innovative solutions that take a holistic view of housing, recreation, child-care, health-care, and social initiatives to meet the entire community’s needs and wants. The negotiation with the developer will take time to bring about maximum benefit to the community.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

Whistler’s housing situation needs to be managed through a sustained effort across the municipality, through council, staff, the Whistler Housing Authority, the Whistler Development Corporation and the local construction industry. We need to continue the work council has started to reduce friction and wait times on permits. We need to create a collaborative approach between industry and staff to problem-solve and explore creative solutions that have provided results in other communities. Permit delays in an inflationary environment lead to significant escalation in costs and directly reduce affordability. Property owners need to be incentivized to include a diverse set of housing types within their parcels, and to continue to diversify the housing stock to meet the needs of all types of residents.

With recent announcements from the provincial government surrounding changes to housing policy, advocacy will continue to be an important role of council. I’ve worked to build my network and advocacy skills through my work serving on boards and believe I can be an asset on this front, helping council to make progress with the other levels of government on this issue and many others.

Going forward, we need to maintain a sustainable pace of development through the various economic waves we ride here in Whistler. We need a clear strategy that provides forward guidance to the industry, residents, and Whistler hopefuls into the future.

Bold action on housing. At the beginning of this term, council brought back the Whistler Development Corporation and directed it to start work on the second phase of Cheakamus Crossing. Delivering the outcomes of the Mayor’s Task Force on Resident Housing and opening Cheakamus Crossing Phase 2 are a firm foundation on which to build, and now is time to take full advantage of that work. We will significantly accelerate the construction of more housing.

Big moves on climate. I am proud of the work we have done on climate in the last four years. Though all those initiatives haven’t been popular (letter to oil and gas companies or pay parking), it is work I am committed to continuing.

During the previous term, the Community Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) informed the development of the Big Moves Strategy. There has been an unprecedented amount of community engagement informing this work. The Big Moves Strategy will continue to direct actions on everything from transit, to charging infrastructure, to green building. The most important thing any council can do on climate is ensure we are funding climate action during budget season.

Visitation management. Thoughtful, well-researched tourism management is critical to protecting the visitor and resident experience. I intend to ensure the tourism industry that feeds Whistler families is true to its roots and doesn’t overwhelm us. We are a better tourism community when we are full of skiers, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts. We are a better tourism community when we have the available capacity to welcome people. We have some of the best tourism minds in the world in Whistler, so I am confident we will rise to the task.

Do you feel Whistler is still generally a desirable landing spot for young workers, the lifeblood of our economy?

If you love to ski, snowboard and bike—yes. If you enjoy welcoming people from around the world to your home—yes. If you believe in and enjoy working in Canada’s tourism industry—yes. If growing connections to the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations is important to you—yes.

As has been the case since its founding, the fight to ensure Whistler is a great place for young workers continues. Great communities don’t just happen, they are built, they are improved, and they are cared for. I love Whistler and know there is much work to do to ensure it continues to be the best place in the world.

Whistler is worth fighting for, so I am going to stay and fight on. I am going

Jeff Murl

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

SINCE MY FIRST RUN FOR COUNCIL, I have served on the board of Arts Whistler, the RMOW Board of Variance, the Whistler Community Foundation, and as a library trustee. With a degree in finance and my accounting designation, I bring sound financial acumen to the management of Whistler’s affairs. As a student of good governance through my professional and volunteer work, my experience ensures I can be an active and capable council member and a strong advocate for the Whistler community with all levels of government and beyond.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

1. Sound financial planning. Ensure long-term responsibilities are understood and planned for, including sustainable financial commitments for future generations. I want to get involved in ensuring that the needs of the community are aligned with the financial demands to meet them.

2. Finding housing solutions. I want to find ways to reduce friction, decrease timelines, and collaborate with stakeholders to find the incremental gains that will result in change.

This includes advocating for the community with the provincial and federal governments for our share of funding and resources to see our needs are met. As housing ties together so many other aspects of the

Gabriel Pliska

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

WHISTLER, WHERE COMMUNITY THRIVES, nature is protected, and guests are inspired. Meanwhile, 56 per cent of permanent residents trust that local decisionmakers have the best interest of the community in mind when making decisions

GP: General Purpose, Global Perspectives, Good Person, Gardening Perpetually, Great Politics, Gentle and Polite, Gabriel Pliska.

I am seeking your vote! I love Whistler! I am not a politician, but a regular Whistlerite who cares about this town and its future. I am excited for the future and the opportunities ahead. I am easy to work with, reasonable and considerate. My agenda is to serve the people of Whistler and be a virtuous and humble citizen while advocating for the common good of our residents. This includes our thousands of permanent residents that do not have voting power but help to run this community.  I empathize with all those in our town that are not fairly represented on council and those voices who have not been heard.

As councillor, I will:

Work with the developer to ensure the Northlands Boulevard project adheres to various community requirements. This is an unprecedented opportunity to accomplish unmet needs of our community:  more employee housing , a dedicated

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

David MacKenzie FOR MAYOR Issues & Objectives

Are you concerned about the availability of housing and its effect on the services that you expect and need?

Are you tired of going to other communities for services / amenities that your family needs?

Are you confident that the things that are most important to you are protected during events such as forest fires, floods, landslides, and highway closures?

Are you confident your health services are available when you need them?

seniors’ centre, daycare space, health-care spaces and a racket club. We must engage with our resident and business community and listen to their demands while adhering to new green building policies.

Advocate for elimination of pay parking in parks for locals . It is too expensive, tourists can pay extra to enjoy this community.

Advocate to expand the free bus pass program to include local workers AND seniors. Whistler’s Big Moves Strategy’s No. 1 goal is to reduce traffic emissions, but what does it take to get residents to ride the bus? We know that everyone loved the free transit during the Olympics and ridership increased this past summer with free transit. Local workers, seniors and businesses alike would drastically benefit financially and mentally from reduced costs for transit while meeting our climate goals set for 2030 in the OCP.

Let’s focus on beds for bodies, as opposed to square footage for monster homes.

RMOW experts suggest we need roughly 275 bed units (more than current council has done in four years) per year, every year, for the next 15 years. We have to decide where this housing will be built, and what form it should take.

2. Traffic. I agree with RMOW staff saying that we need to build housing walkable to the village. Did you know that Cloudburst Drive has a “walkability” score of 3/100, according to Walk Score? Whistler must be better.

While I believe that e-bikes are the future, they should not be speeding around the Valley Trail. So a separated network—call it a “bike highway” or “micromobility corridor”—needs to designed and built before 2030.

Converting short trips from the car is crucial to reducing congestion, leads to better health outcomes, improves sense of community, makes us happier AND reduces our GHG emissions.

With many ideas on how to improve Whistler’s housing crisis, I agree with G.D. Maxwell: solutions will only come through “robust engagement of the people that live here.” We have the WHA, but is it enough?

Ideas for discussion:

Change current zoning rules in Whistler to allow for more diversified and densified housing options, including apartments, triplex/fourplex or condos in zones of single-family homes.

Homeowners with zoning to permit nightly rentals, but instead choose to live in units themselves or rent the unit long-term, should receive a tax credit as an incentive.

Clamp down on homes that are NOT zoned for nightly rentals, yet are doing so.   Streamline permitting processes and policy to prioritize building employee housing.

Please hire me for the job.  Email me to talk more: gabriel.pliska@gmail. com. Call/text 604-785-6463.  My campaign promises that for every email I receive, I will respond to and allow for dialogue to progress our town into the future. The future is yours!

3. Thriving community. We have a depleting pool of support workers; by the end of November, WCSS will have lost four staff members in recent months to unaffordability concerns. Doctors cannot afford to move here. We have people living in vans, we have people living in bathtubs. These aren’t policy issues, these are real people!

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

To quote Pique Newsmagazine’s Braden Dupuis: Our community is not thriving.

This comes back to housing. We must update our zoning to encourage purpose-built rentals: for seniors, for families, for our seasonal workforce. It is the duty of next council to unlock the millions of dollars being spent on bigger empty homes, to build housing for the people who make this town work.

We need urgency, we need action.

But Brendan Ladner, you’re the climate candidate?

Housing plan + Transportation plan = Climate Plan = Skiable Future.

Here’s to a skiable future!

Brendan Ladner

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

HUSBAND, FATHER, MUSICIAN. ETHICAL BUSINESS FOUNDER—managed 350 employees over nine years. Forty-two years old. Urban design graduate. Son of Peter Ladner. Political science graduate. Renter. E-biker.

RMOW staff is telling council that we need “radical interventions” to meet our climate targets, and we need a “paradigm shift” in how we deliver housing. I want to listen to our experts, who appear to be begging for leadership from council.

For the past two years, I have been attending council meetings, writing letters and advocating for meaningful change, concise metrics, and a clearheaded look at the challenges we face. I come to the table with ideas and solutions, many of which can be seen at brendanladner.ca. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m ready to learn.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

1. Housing. The RMOW work of the Balance Model has shown that Whistler is massively out of balance: we are on track to be 4,000 beds short of housing our workers by 2040, but “acknowledging recent trends… [this shortage] could be brought forward in time,” according to a presentation to council this July.

Time to set some clear targets. “Bed cap” is a euphemism for square footage.

I will work with partners in the Sea to Sky to implement a regional transit system that could include additional bus routes and potentially a train.

I will work to provide Whistlerites with the resources they need to thrive at home and at work. I will accomplish this by addressing the mental-health crisis Whistler is facing by increasing access to health-care resources, working with local organizations to provide activity alternatives for the younger generation and increasing municipal funding for the youth centre. In addition, I will work to alleviate the strain on the childcare system by easing the transfer of credentials for teachers from other jurisdictions. Parents need the help and teachers need the support.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

Housing is an issue that requires collaboration with the province, so I will support that work and help to secure additional funding from them. If elected, I would like a seat on the Whistler Housing Authority board to build on their great work and address any gaps that can improve the system. I will ensure that planned Whistler Development Corporation projects come to fruition and that we continue to see more shovels in the ground. This is all in addition to the Northlands development employee housing advocacy I am committed to.

Jessie Morden

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I AM A BORN-AND-RAISED WHISTLER LOCAL and am now growing my family in town. I have served my community in several ways that qualify me to hold the office of councillor, including currently as a legal administrative assistant at Race and Company; vice chair of Arts Whistler and as chair of its HR committee. I have also volunteered my time with Zero Ceiling, helping with events and sponsorship; WAG as a dog walker and a foster parent; the Whistler Community Services Society, cooking hot lunches for the food bank; and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, where I won mentor of the year. My time working with these community stakeholders has led me to believe that one of the most effective places a person can be, who wants to make a difference, is at the municipal table. I am committed to finding long-term solutions to the most pressing issues facing families trying to make Whistler their home. I will listen and learn from experts and community members to build a consensus and take action for a better future.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

Housing is my top priority and the first thing I will do to address it is advocate for the Northlands development to include a significant amount of employee housing and seniors living. I will also advocate for the community amenity contribution from this development to go towards the Whistler Racket Club and a health-care facility.

Ralph Forsyth

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I’VE BEEN A WHISTLER RESIDENT SINCE 1991 and with my wife, Stephanie, we’ve raised our sons Jack and Liam here. I’m a small business owner and ski instructor and have served three terms on RMOW council: 2005-2008, 2008-2011 and again from 2018 to 2022.

My council portfolio is finance and audit. I serve on eight municipal committees, most notably as chair of the RMOW Finance and Audit Committee, secretary of the Whistler Development Corporation, and as a public library trustee.

Council’s major achievements this term have been the delivery of 158 units of employee housing in Cheakamus Crossing and the approval of 35 units of employee housing at Nita Lake and Nordic Estates, adoption of the RMOW’s Official Community Plan and adoption of the Balance Model and strategic plan.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

My priorities are to continue to develop employee housing, address community balance, and continue the work of the Governance and Ethics Standing Committee. These last two items are particularly exciting as they have a huge community engagement component.

To address community balance, a lot of work has been done already, most notably the Whistler Sessions scenario-planning workshops and the concurrent work of RMOW staff on our Balance Model—a long-term strategic planning initiative. Our next steps are to gather community responses, engage local stakeholder groups and launch engagement events so that the community is at the forefront of our planning efforts.

Governance and ethics is a mystery topic to many but a real passion of mine. It includes things like the creation of the Council Governance Manual (adopted on Oct. 4), the creation of a Code of Conduct for councillors, and most importantly, a look at re-vamping our municipal committees. These committees are the municipality’s main public engagement tool, and it’s time to take a look at how they can be improved.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

On the housing front, I support infill housing because it helps reverse the gentrification of our neighbourhoods, it would add more affordable housing to Whistler’s inventory, and add increased property tax revenue without increasing our development footprint, and it would keep more families in Whistler. We could also encourage redevelopment in existing neighbourhoods by allowing the rezoning of properties for higher density (think turning a duplex into a 12-bedroom unit). Another idea would be to allow businesses to build new or renovate existing space in commercial or mixed-use zones.

I’ve made the decision to seek re-election because Whistler is at a critical point in its history, and for some, the future looks bleak. The issues we face can be resolved. Whistler has faced difficult times in the past and we’ve confronted those challenges and survived and thrived. What we need is leadership and enthusiasm to see opportunity where it exists, insight to see potential pitfalls and most importantly, the experience to know the difference.

must be a Canadian citizen to get on the rental waitlist (which takes years to move through), with many other requirements. Where do businesses come in?

How can we get higher levels of government to chip in? As the chair of Whistler Valley Housing Society, I can tell you this is a hard time to finance non-profit, affordable rental housing. GST alone contributes $600,000 to a $13-million mortgage. It is easier to build for purchase as you don’t have to finance longterm. Limited space in market rental may be created when new owners move in. With $1.5 billion in real estate sales last year, we are seeing a huge shift in market rental. Many of the new owners are demolishing old and building new. Wealthy owners don’t need the “mortgage helper suite” revenue, so how can we convince them to rent what exists, let alone ask them to build infill?

We have two big opportunities that could boost housing, the 2030 Olympics and 4500 Northlands. WVHS is working on financing a project in Cheakamus Crossing Phase 2. WDC has developed housing without cost to the taxpayers and has more projects ready to go—for rental housing to be affordable we need government grants or other contributions.

could bring better diversity to the existing council. I realize I have lots to learn, but if voted in, will work hard, and continue to collect input from the citizens of Whistler.

Cathy Jewett

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I CAME TO WHISTLER IN 1976 FOR A WINTER. Most of my working life was spent as a professional ski patroller for Whistler Blackcomb. I retired in 2019.

I chaired the district Parent Advisory Council (PAC) for six years and was a director on the BC Confederation of PACs board. I currently volunteer as chair for Communities That Care Whistler. I was a founding member of AWARE and WORCA. In 2016, I was awarded Whistler’s Citizen of the Year.

I have served on council since 2017 and I am a council appointee on the boards of: Arts Whistler; the Audain Art Museum; One Whistler; Whistler Museum and Archives; WCSS; WORCA; the Whistler Valley Housing Society (chair); and the Festivals, Events and Animation Oversight Committee. I chair the following committees of council: Governance and Ethics, HR and Zero Waste.

I look forward to serving the Whistler electorate with a continued focus on climate change/environment, affordability, health-care, transportation and housing.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

Housing = affordability = mental health.

We have some opportunities that may be able to deliver housing and health-care on a larger scale—4500 Northlands Boulevard and the 2030 Olympic Winter Games.

Climate change is a key issue, not just locally but globally. We know that passenger vehicles are the largest contributing factor in Whistler—buildings are the next highest contributor. A more robust transportation system that services the entire corridor from Mount Currie to Vancouver requires provincial participation. We need to continue to work on this. Improving movement via transit within Whistler is another key action needed; a transit lane would also require provincial participation.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

We have limited rental housing for employees, particularly new front-line staff— it is showing with stresses in the labour market. WHA has done what few cities or towns have been able to do and is a model for employee housing, but you

Curtis Lapadat

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

ALTHOUGH I HAVEN’T HELD A COUNCIL POSITION BEFORE, I am a fast learner and deep thinker, as demonstrated by my BASc degree in engineering physics, Master of Engineering degree in semiconductor communications, and management skills in advanced technology. As a creative problem solver, and a founder of PMC-Sierra, I helped grow the company from 28 to over 1,700 people, as an engineer, and department head. My budget was a $20-million mix of expense and capital, which makes me comfortable with municipal budgets and projects. In addition, I am a previous board member of AWARE.

Tina Pashumati James

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

MY NAME IS TINA PASHUMATI JAMES. I am running for council because I believe in the future, not the past. I have lived here 18 years, brought up two wonderful sons, and built my business here in Whistler from the roots up: my business, Loka Yoga, which was a place of environmentalism, community and health and well-being.

I volunteered for ski patrol for eight years. I have always been an educator and motivational speaker and I would like to use my voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.

“BE VISIBLE, BE THE CHANGE.”

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

Affordable housing is critical. We need to think of new creative ways to make this happen: for our workforce who are the backbone of our community; for our businesses to flourish, they need workers; to make Whistler great again.

We need to explore every option, and encourage new families to want to live here, old ones to want to stay.

The Northlands project needs input from the whole town, affordable living for the workforce, seniors, new daycare, and, of course, keeping the much-loved racket club.

I would like to assist doctors and fire service and vets who can’t find a place to live and need to be incentivized to stay. Without them, nothing functions well here and everyone’s health is at risk, notwithstanding their own.

The top three things I’d like to accomplish are to immediately start building 200 more employee and retiree units, cut red tape even more than recently done by council, including making business permit applications have a level playing field and get building permit turn-around times to less than one month, and ensure reasonable, predictable tax increases by better scheduling projects, streamlining processes for efficiency, and containing capital project overruns (inflation plus two per cent should be an absolute cap).

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

To start building 200 more employee units, I would advocate even more for federal funding from their $70-billion housing plan, get the Nancy Greene Drive project approved before the end of 2022, negotiate with the Northlands developer for employee and retiree units, a racket facility and seniors centre, and extend another $10-million loan to the Whistler Development Corp. Additionally, I would look into developing part of the municipality’s 10 acres at the Alta Vista works yard, and look at the feasibility of another Cheakamus Crossing development that includes a mix of employee housing, with the first floor being market retail and commercial shops. Finally, I would review whether non-permitted Airbnbs are a significant consumer of potential employee rentals.

I believe that having an engineer on council, as one of seven votes,

We need to continue to fund Arts Whistler, which keeps people inspired and creative. This in turn assists our mental health as well as inspiring people to have a happy, adventurous life and to be creative.

I would like to work as a team player. The mental health crisis needs more support programs, especially for suicide lines and crisis centres. The recent numbers are alarming and tragic.

We need to have a new way of working with environmental issues and stay ahead of the curve. We are in the climate change crisis; we need to plan for the future in a livable Whistler because everything is connected.

We must plan for the weather changes we will be experiencing in the future to be ahead of the curve.

I have worked with First Nations elders for over 12 years, and reconciliation should be the most important thing to us all. We acknowledge the land we stand on, now we need to really actually bring the Lil’wat Nation, Lilwat7ul, Squamish Nation, Skwxu7mesh and the St’at’imc Nation to be part of council and talks, so we can truly work together.

This is in all our interests, to protect people and the natural world.

Sept. 30 was Truth and Reconciliation Day. We need to actually walk the walk, and truly work together. It is time. Whistler is in a new paradigm for the future.

I truly believe anything is possible if we work together: reconciliation, affordable housing, mental health, and the environment.

The way you treat others determines the way others see you; the way others treat you determines the way you see yourself; the way you see yourself determines who you are.

Vote for Tina James: I am a people’s advocate. I am an incorruptible optimist.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

James Daniel Cook

October 10th, 1941 September 6th, 2022

Jim was born in Coldwater, Michigan, and finished his schooling in California He played college football in the USA but smartly took up skiing when he moved to Canada Jim was a Longshore Foreman in Vancouver for most of his working life and retired to Whiski Jack 20 years ago He volunteered countless hours with the Whistler Weasel Workers, the Museum, and many other organizations. Jim was the force behind what is now known as Grow Whistler He was named Citizen of the Year in 2007 for his many efforts

As he approached 80 years his health gave way. Thereafter, he spent his time at Lynn Valley Center where he received remarkable care and attention

Along his journey Jim was strengthened by his Whistler Community Church group, his neighbours, and his many friends Jim’s ashes will be scattered at the Whistler Cemetery on Thursday, October 20th, at 11am. All are welcome to attend

Sarah Rush

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I DECIDED TO STAND FOR COUNCIL as I wish to and also have the time to become more involved in the community to ensure Whistler continues to have a thriving local community, as well as being a vibrant tourist town. I am not good at sitting on the sidelines. I always want to make use of my life and work experience to solve problems I see. Professionally, as a registered dietitian, I can’t help but want to make a community a healthier place to live.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

I would like to achieve a shift in the way housing types are placed and move to more mixed subdivisions with higher densities. We don’t have the land anymore to accommodate streets of single-family housing. We need to densify, particularly near the town centre and near transit hubs.

In that same densification process, there needs to be more protection for natural assets and larger biodiverse wildlife areas. Essentially, build more on less and save larger areas for trees and carbon-absorbing plants.

Part of the healthy, happy community is easy access to a range of medical services, and I was very disappointed to hear that family doctors have left town. I would like to work to encourage medical professionals to set up a multi-disciplinary centre, if necessary, with rotating specialties and shared offices to keep the costs down for these professionals, as this seems to be a limiting factor for them wanting to settle in Whistler. This will help long-term residents age in Whistler and keep the community healthy.

I would like to introduce “town hall” meetings to build back the connections between different parts of the community and really encourage the Millennials to start participating to help shape Whistler. What we do now affects their future. The pandemic was an opportunity for the community to reset and decide where it wants to go, but there needs to be a vehicle for that.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

Whistler is getting busier, with increased summer visitation and shrinking shoulder seasons, causing seasonal workers to really become year-round workers.

My thought is that RMOW needs to partner with Vail Resorts, as Whistler’s largest employer, to sponsor housing more of their workers. Vail alluded to that in 2017 and this would go a long way to helping the housing crisis, particularly if it was pod-style. Residential family homes should not be used as dorm housing units for seasonal staff. They weren’t built for that, and they are often off transit routes.

Whistler doesn’t have enough of the right mix of housing to match its population and workforce. Having the right housing stock, be it company sponsored, Whistler Housing Association, or owner occupancy to cover different housing requirements, will ensure that everyone has access to suitable, affordable housing. Today, in a first-world country, having decent, affordable living accommodation should be a fundamental right, not a luxury attained only by languishing on a housing list for years, or even worse, having to sleep in your car.

Dawn Titus

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

AS WE APPROACH A CRUCIAL STAGE in the climate crisis and investigate a potential Olympic bid, Whistler needs a council that will promote responsible growth and protect our natural assets. Over recent years, unconstrained development has impacted the environment, the visitor experience, and our sense of community. Just about everyone understands that something has become unbalanced in Whistler; the housing crisis is the most significant symptom of broader structural problems that every year promise to spin even further out of control. With my trademark passion, I am fully dedicated to working with other councillors to regain balance in our community. Whistler needs to grow smarter, not bigger.

Having lived in Whistler for four decades, I have found multiple opportunities to build meaningful connections with both visitors and the community; in addition to work with the Mature Action Community, AWARE and the Whistler Lakes Conservation Association, I have served on the Recreation Leisure Advisory Committee. After a long career as an educator, I now help with adaptive skiing and guide tours for the Whistler Museum in summer. Followers of local politics will recognize me as a frequent and critical voice at council meetings, where I have been disturbed by the lack of debate and failure to ask important questions.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

I have three priorities: 1. Relief for residents; 2. Stewardship of our natural assets; and 3. Smart projects for employee-restricted housing.

1. The most creative solutions to the housing crisis won’t solve it overnight; I want to enact policies that will give immediate relief to residents who are struggling. If you live or work in Whistler, your transit pass should not be a worrying part of your monthly budget; similarly, residents should be granted a number of free parking days each month, following the model of Tofino. I would also increase support of the WCSS so that we can support our neighbours at critical moments.

2. The Municipal Natural Assets Initiative has made clear what a bounty we enjoy here, and how fragile those assets can be. Preserving our forests and lakes is not just a moral imperative: in a resort town like ours, it’s also good business. The current council has enthusiastically approved dozens of new townhomes on Nita Lake and have allowed the River of Golden Dreams (ROGD) to get out of control. I would be critical of any developments that impact our natural assets, and immediately form a working group to create a long-term plan for the sustainable management of the ROGD.

3. As a vocal critic of the mixed-use development on Nita Lake, I was shocked at how meekly the council accommodated the developer’s priorities over the concerns of the community. We need good private-sector partners, but we cannot allow them to set our agenda. Bed units are a valuable currency and should be used sparingly to build smart projects that fit our vision: including a home for the WRC at Northlands.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

To improve the housing situation, expedite employee-unit projects! Incentivize homeowners with suites rented to employees with tax credits. Explore options just proposed provincially by David Eby.

Melinda Lopez

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I MOVED TO WHISTLER IN 2015 and started the region’s only after-hours veterinary emergency clinic, Twin Trees Vet. This is what motivated me to run for council: over the past few years at Twin Trees, we lost our amazing team of qualified emergency workers when they were displaced from housing. When we found new recruits, we were unable to bring them in because we could not find them a single suitable place to live.

When your businesses are critically short-staffed, and your workers are living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, this has consequences on public health and safety.

I am 100-per-cent committed to solving our community’s biggest problems, like the housing emergency. I am a natural problem solver. I am trained in managing emergency/crisis situations, and I have a background in biomedical research, so I can understand and interpret the data and reports with ease.

My vision is aligned with Whistler’s Community Vision and OCP, which was developed through extensive engagement with the community to best articulate Whistler’s long-term direction. I care deeply about improving access to primary medical care, affordable child-care, First Nations reconciliation, the environment, climate change and transportation solutions.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

1. I want the average Whistler resident to have better representation and to play a more active role in our local democracy. The median age in Whistler is 35.6 years, and yet young workers consistently lack participation and representation. Approximately 45 per cent of Whistler’s workforce is foreign (compared to three per cent nationally), and therefore lacks the right to vote. Whistler’s local “democracy” excludes nearly half of the workforce. I want everyone in our community to feel like their voices are heard, and to feel that our municipal government is fair and transparent.

2. I want to prioritize and resolve the most critical problems, such as the housing shortage and poor accessibility of primary medical care (GPs), as these have direct consequences on public health.

3. I want to resolve the shortage of affordable child-care.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

1. We need better data to understand the scope of the housing shortage, and therefore the magnitude of the response required. Whistler is like a bleeding patient—if you give only half a unit of blood to a patient that needs eight, the patient will still die. The current data doesn’t accurately reflect the true gravity of the situation.

2. Consult a specialist. I met with a housing crisis specialist for over an hour, and this gave me so much hope. Housing shortages for workers are common, and there are professionals who have decades of experience in helping resort communities strategically address this.

A housing crisis specialist works with community leaders and stakeholders to strategize how best to fund housing replacement. Just one of countless examples: many resort communities have a resort fee/tax; even $20 from each of Whistler’s 3.4 million tourists could provide $68 million/year for housing solutions until the emergency is resolved.

3. Emergency solutions. We need emergency solutions for housing the unstable. This is one of the most severe deficiencies to address.

Jeff

councillor colleagues and municipal staff during my first term. I strive to bring humility, stability, vision, and team-play to everything I do. These traits are essential for successful outcomes.

Also worked as an emergency medical assistant and continue to be the longest-serving volunteer working the phones for the Crisis Centre BC.

How: Council must give its highest priority, 100-per-cent effort to secure more housing funding from all levels of government. Twenty-five per cent of all tourism revenues in the province come from Whistler. Partnering with provincial and federal governments is essential—it’s in their respective best interests!

Arthur De Jong

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I BRING DEPTH OF EXPERIENCE AND DEDICATION to everything. Raised on a dairy farm (started by my Dutch immigrant father). Work ethic and teamwork were seeded early in my life. Degree is in business; passion is to protect our natural environment. Under my leadership, Whistler Blackcomb received more than 40 national and international awards for environmental excellence.

Over four decades, I worked alongside trailblazers at Whistler Blackcomb. This experience led me to work around the world consulting alongside small start-up companies, community ski areas, and larger organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.

There’s a lot to absorb as a first-term councillor. I was fortunate to learn from my

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1. Wildfire. The most significant risk to our community is being destroyed by wildfire. The No. 1 priority of local government is to keep its community safe. Wildfire is by far our greatest threat. Seventy per cent of our land base is forest; over the past 40 years, our summer temperatures have increased by more than two degrees. It’s not a question of if a large wildfire will happen, the question is when ?

How: More community education. Push for greater funding from all levels of government for FireSmart initiatives.

2. Climate. Climate change, it’s here, it’s happening. Ninety per cent of Whistler’s emissions come from cars and natural gas use. We need to step up our response and hit above our weight on climate. Inspire other communities as a global village, a global light!

How: Work towards free transit, vehicle electrification, and e-bike/bike culture. I will vote against all larger developments if they use natural gas. There’s an opportunity for new developments to lead in this regard, i.e. Northlands.

3. Resort carrying capacity. We are at build-out, overall and in reference to our Balance Model. Any additional beds to our cap must be employee housing only. Current commercial businesses aren’t supported by sufficient staff, why would we build more resort infrastructure? (Labour is both an acute and chronic problem.)

How: Hold the line on the cap.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

We don’t have the budgets/authority to make these problems just go away. But it’s a ground game. As a council and as a community we must fight for every gain we can make on housing. We have the land (Cheakamus), we have the expertise with development and operations (Whistler Development Corporation and Whistler Housing Authority). We need the funding!

Jen Ford

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

THEY SAY IF YOU NEED TO GET SOMETHING DONE, hand it to a busy mom. I was handed the portfolio of social services and regional cooperation, and with it, I was appointed to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, Whistler Housing Authority, Transit Management Advisory Committee, the Regional Hospital District, Whistler Health Care Foundation, among others. In 2018, I was elected to the executive of the Union of BC

Russell Edward Sankey

of Pemberton, BC passed away September 26, 2022 surrounded by his Family.

Pre-deceased by his wife, Rhea. Survived by his 6 children, Linda (Jim) Pietila, Gail (Weldon) Talbot, Allen (Theresa) Sankey, Rob (Judy) Sankey, Susan (David) Hellevang, Valerie (Garth) Phare, 16 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, his sisters Darlene, Birdie, Phyllis, Dorothy and sister-in-laws Lynette and Deanna. We thank Dr. Millar, Dr. Bull and the caring staff at the Squamish Hospice

Service will be held in Pemberton on Friday, Oct 21, 2022 at 11:00 at Sunstone Golf and Grill.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

Authorized by Brendan Ladner brendan@brendanladner ca

Municipalities, and this year, elected as president for 2022-2023.

I am proud of the work that I have participated in: Endorsed the updated OCP through extensive community engagement; four new buildings of rental and 100 new ownership condos; more efficient transit routes, including the 10 Valley Express; a new trauma room at the Whistler Health Care Centre; negotiated a right-of-first refusal for daycare teachers and other essential workers covenanted on a new rental building; support for non-profits through predictable community-enrichment and fee-for-service funding; ongoing advocacy and relationships with key provincial partners; and Whistler 360 Health Collaborative since its inception, and we look forward to creating a sustainable primary care society in the near future.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

A thoughtfully engaged planning process for 4500 Northlands Boulevard. The opportunity to negotiate the community benefit, which enhances the village, while delivering a multifunctional community hub must not be lost to short-term distractions. I am committed to seeing a variety of benefits for not just housing, but community wellness facilities and weather-independent spaces.

Complete the regional transit negotiations with the corridor and provincial partners. This will provide safe and efficient mobility of labour, recreation, and essential travel between our communities and can deliver on many of the CECAP goals. I will also continue to push for electric buses as the technology allows.

Further expansion of local transit frequency and reliability. If you can walk out to the bus stop and know a bus will arrive shortly, without consulting a schedule, you are more likely to leave the car at home. We saw a huge increase in the ridership on the 10 Valley Express through the pandemic, and that expansion should continue.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

Build more in Cheakamus Crossing Phase 2, with appropriate density to maximize the remaining lands. This requires a real commitment of seed funding from all orders of government, and a willingness from the community to ask for it.

Pre-fab secondary dwellings could be a low-barrier, easy-to-approve,

affordable option for homeowners to add dignified density all over. There is a great potential to add these in a very quick timeline.

As community needs for housing evolve, we need to reimagine housing policies to enable current WHA owners to move through the inventory (upsize and downsize).

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

If elected, the three things I would most like to accomplish are providing Whistler’s workers with free or subsidized transit passes and parking passes, increasing bylaw presence on the Valley Trail to encourage proper use, and (of course) solving the housing crisis.

Transit and parking passes could provide a unique opportunity to educate newcomers to Whistler in much the same manner as the old Spirit Pass for the mountain. Users would pay a relatively small fee to cover administrative costs for a sixmonth pass (November through April and May through October). A mandatory online seminar could teach (or remind) people about core Whistler values, including bear awareness, fire prevention, proper waste disposal, and the guest experience.

Electric bikes are becoming more and more common on the Valley Trail, but only Class 1 e-bikes are supposed to be used on it. More powerful e-bikes are considered motorized vehicles and are supposed to be used on roads, yet everyday people are using them on the Valley Trail. It’s only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs. If e-bike use continues to rise, we should look into developing an alternative trail specifically for them. Off-leash dog incidents have also been on the rise in recent years on these same trails. Policing the Valley Trail entirely may be impossible, but increased bylaw presence and a few tickets could go a long way toward encouraging people to use these trails properly.

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

Gordon Jeffrey

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

BEFORE MOVING TO THE AREA 13 YEARS AGO, I studied business at university and had jobs in tech support and property management. Like a true ski bum, I’ve worked all kinds of jobs in Whistler (in hotels, restaurants, construction, and even snow removal). I believe it would be a great asset for the council to have a younger voice that is in tune with the issues of the workforce of Whistler.

The greatest shift that has occurred since I moved here that has changed the housing situation from “difficult to find as always” to “we can’t seem to house the necessary number of people to make the town run efficiently” is the rise of Airbnb. There are hundreds and hundreds of Airbnb units for rent here now. My main idea for addressing the housing crisis is essentially to use tax incentives to make it more appealing and cost-effective for Airbnb and investment property owners to shift to long-term rentals (and reward those already renting long-term to locals). The post-COVID rise of telecommuting is only going to exacerbate the housing situation further, so it’s more important than ever that we plan appropriately to keep Whistler running smoothly.

Rhonda Millikin

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

RETIRED ECOLOGIST. NORTH-VAN BORN, planning to age in place here. Entrepreneur, aware of the importance of budgeting. Volunteer member of the Forest and Wildlands Advisory Committee and director with AWARE. Received a 2021 Civic Service Award for raising awareness of alternative solutions to fire management

As councillor, I will research alternatives and interview experts for the best action. My focus will be to remove silos and find multi-purpose solutions.

PEMBERTON CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR

Health services expansion. Our health centre has reached capacity, yet our population continues to grow. I feel this needs to be addressed immediately.

I plan to work with the provincial government to ensure that Pemberton’s needs are prioritized and that provincial money is available to support. We have the necessary real estate to expand, so our role will be to do the necessary foundational work to make it very easy for the provincial government to provide the necessary funding.

Pemberton is in a period of unprecedented growth. With that in mind, what should the Village’s top priorities be in the next four years?

Affordable housing strategy. Task force created and activated to bring forward actionable solutions.

Infrastructure and amenities plan. Review and assessment of current state and implementing a planning framework to prioritize short-term and long-term investments.

Health services. Expansion of our current footprint.

What specific ideas do you have to improve Pemberton’s housing situation?

Affordable housing is not necessarily a one-solution issue. It is a large challenge that needs to be addressed with broad stakeholder involvement. Within 90 days of being elected, I plan to develop and activate a task force of community stakeholders that will work to bring forward recommended solutions for review and assessment, which will ultimately result in action to address this complex issue.

David MacKenzie

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I AM CURRENTLY AN OWNER AND GENERAL MANAGER of Pemberton Valley Lodge, with over 30 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry. I have opened four hotel properties in Western Canada and operated my own adventure travel business for 10 years.

Decisions are evidence-based and resolve multiple issues. An example is fire management. Instead of focusing only on fire, we need to also consider climate change, wildlife conservation and community well-being. Our goal is to protect infrastructure. We can do that by first implementing steps known to mitigate the risk (metal roofs), and then plant perennial, herbaceous shrubs on the urban side of the wildland-urban interface to retain humidity year-round and not open the forest to the drying heat of solar radiation, ignition sources of human ingress, and winds that spread the fire. We must retain trees for shade (heat control), privacy (well-being), flood and erosion control, and wildlife (well-being). We cannot manage fire from a place of fear—it must be from a place of knowledge.

Ensure climate change, community and sustainable nature are considered in all decisions, and our concern moves beyond cars to ecosystem health. All new buildings must be multi-purpose. The Northlands development is an opportunity to combine housing for entry-level workers and seniors, with a medical office that supports Whistler 360 (an evidence-based solution to our need for doctors), that leaves space to restore the wetland essential for flood control and wildlife.

Address sustainable tourism by ensuring municipal bylaws include monitoring for causes, and the effect of actions taken, so responses are based on carrying capacity of the environment. Further, the RMOW Recreation Trails Strategy, and fee-for-service approach that saves taxpayers money by harnessing volunteers (WORCA, AWARE, Invasive Species Council). For non-municipal lands, lobby federal and provincial authorities to enforce their legislation. Inform our community on how to respect nature and expect the best from each other and visitors. Investigate user fees to offset costs of restoring the habitat and impart a value of the resource. Ensure this is not a barrier to locals by using the library’s “card sign-out.”

What specific, realistic ideas do you have to improve Whistler’s housing situation?

Build cross-generational housing, within walking distance of the village so space is allocated for pickleball, conversation and musicians; amenities proven essential for health, well-being and aging in place.

Maximize the immediate potential of existing homes with tax incentives for renting to residents; shown to reduce homeownership burden while adding rental units and tax revenue dollars to affordable housing projects.

Ensure all new builds are multi-purpose with shared facilities (medical office, workshop). Investigate the potential to empower WHA owners to downsize/upsize.

I was elected to municipal council for the Village of Pemberton in 2005, serving a three-year term, which also included acting mayor. Additionally, I have served on the board of directors for the Canadian Cancer Society, the BC Chamber of Commerce, and the Tourism Industry Association of BC. I have served as the chair, Vancouver Coast and Mountains Tourism Region, the vice-president for the Pemberton and District Chamber of Commerce, as well as the founder and chair of Tourism Pemberton.

I served as the 50th president and chair of the BC Hotel Association and currently serve as a director on the executive. I am also currently serving as a director on the board of go2HR. In my spare time, I am one of the SAR managers for Pemberton District Search and Rescue and an auxiliary RCMP constable with the Sea to Sky Regional Police Service.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

Affordable housing strategy. Affordable housing is affecting our residents, our businesses, and our local services. It is getting more difficult for people to find an affordable place to live, and additionally it is becoming more difficult to find staff to work in our community. This challenge is a broad one that requires “out-of-thebox” thinking. Within 90 days of being elected, I plan to develop and activate a task force of community stakeholders that will work to bring forward recommended solutions for review and assessment, which will ultimately result in action to address this complex issue.

Infrastructure and amenities plan. We need to ensure our infrastructure and amenities are keeping pace with our growth, or we are going to pay for it down the road. We need to ensure we are appropriately planning and upgrading our infrastructure as necessary, and we need to increase our amenities so our residents don’t need to continue to leave Pemberton to find them elsewhere.

I plan to review the current financial state and take the following steps:

Assess current infrastructure and amenities needs.

Update the required Official Community Plan and Recreational Plan.

Prioritize short-term and long-term investments.

Develop a planning framework that will determine investments at specific mile markers i.e. once the population reaches 5,000, the Village is required to pay for RCMP; once the tax base reaches a certain point, a pool could be a consideration.

Review different financial modelling opportunities, which could include corporate sponsorships, public-private partnerships, or government grants.

This long-term planning approach will ensure that we are being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and will work to avoid any steep increases in taxes due to lack of long-term planning and emergency spending requirements.

Some initial thoughts that I have could include developing a Pemberton Housing Authority, in conjunction with developers creating below-market rental properties, and creating service worker housing similar to other communities like Revelstoke and Lake Louise.

How can the Village further advance Truth and Reconciliation initiatives in the next four years?

It is critical that we have open communication and honest dialogue with our Indigenous partners. I have a history of working with Lil’wat Nation, going back to 2004 when I opened the Pemberton Valley Lodge. Many of my team members at the Pemberton Valley Lodge are from the Lil’wat Nation and it is important to me, both on a personal and professional level, to ensure that they have a “seat at the table.” Any critical decisions council makes will be made transparently and in conjunction with our Indigenous partners.

Mike Richman

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

A RESIDENT OF OVER 30 YEARS, husband, father, volunteer coach for 20 years, business owner and small-time farmer. Over one term as councillor and two terms as mayor, I have much relevant experience. I listen first and do not drive a personal agenda. A snapshot of the past eight years can be found at: mgrichman. wixsite.com/mike-richman-2022/post/8-year-snapshot.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

The mayor is one voice at the table with priorities determined by council

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

and direction is reflected by the vision of residents. The top three strategic directions: Climate action and emergency preparedness and response; healthy growth management; housing and affordability. Specific projects to achieve the aforementioned priorities: partner to implement a regional transit system from Mount Currie to Vancouver; develop Phase 3 of the Lion’s seniors villa; complete construction of below-market rental housing building and construction of a new firehall and municipal services.

now faced with the constraints of land and costs. We cannot sit back and allow the market to build our way out of this crisis. We need to ensure that a spectrum of available housing gets built. This includes supportive, senior, below-market rental, market rental and entry-level home ownership to start.

To do this responsibly we need to consult with the community to update our housing needs assessment. Work with the Lions Villa to get the next phase of senior housing built, Sea to Sky Community Services and other partners to develop supportive and below-market units and work with BC Housing to lobby hard to the province for financial support for these projects. It means careful urban planning and creating good policy so that we can guide developers towards the type of housing we as a community have decided we need.

Growth needs to be managed across a number of levels:

1. Infrastructure: All new development needs to consider demands on infrastructure. Planning is underway toward the future needs of additional wells, water treatment capacity and eventually a new aquifer and the addition of cells to our wastewater system. To inform this process we have initiated an asset management plan that will lay out all our infrastructure, replacement needs and future increases in capacity.

2. Services: Fire, recreation, public works… all the services needed for a safe and healthy community need to be supported.

3. Budget: While the tax base is growing, it is not enough to keep up with increasing demands. We need clear budgeting, new sources of revenue and strong lobbying for grants to fund amenities.

4. Community identity: Making sure the growth we experience reflects the character of what makes Pemberton so special has got to be a priority! We start with understanding the vision that residents have for our town and support with strong policy and good urban planning.

What specific ideas do you have to improve Pemberton’s housing situation?

Housing demand exceeds the supply. Housing prices are at a point where seniors can’t age at home, youth can’t buy into their community or raise a family here, businesses can’t find employees and folks in vulnerable situations are left homeless. Seven years ago, there was concern that council was not doing enough to attract new development, and though we did not recruit for development, we are

How can the Village further advance Truth and Reconciliation initiatives in the next four years?

Reconciliation begins and continues with listening, reflection, honesty and accountability. Reconciliation means I am willing to own my privilege, own my history—how I have benefited from colonialism. Reconciliation continues while I critically examine the structures and policies that continue to uphold colonial practices and systemic racism. Making meaningful change is not an add-on; it is about adopting new lenses. Reconciliation includes continual critical thinking and re-evaluating the assumptions that I make on the daily.

It is my responsibility as an individual and in my role as mayor to commit wholly to reconciliation across personal, community and societal levels. This means continuing with the work that enables changing existing rules and procedures to have Nations at the table for policy and funding discussions. We cannot continue to allow for separate work. Working together, collaborating, asking and learning.

When I arrived in Pemberton there were 400 people here. We now estimate 3,500 folks in the Village. Change can be unsettling and change also brings opportunities. I have the experience needed and I’ve built the relationships needed to do the work with council and community. I would like to work on behalf of and alongside Pemberton residents to balance the opportunities and to protect, nurture and grow what is so wonderful about our town.

I have had my cell number and email posted on the Village website and my Facebook page for 11 years. Call it or text it. Ask questions, get in touch, read a

little more! 604-966-6309; mgrichman@gmail.com; Facebook and Instagram @ mayormikerichman; mgrichman.wixsite.com/mike-richman-2022/blog.

I have 21 words left, so re-elect Mike Richman. Mike for mayor. Vote Mike. Puppies, rainbows, coywolves. Vote, vote, vote, vote. Are we having fun yet?

Chadi Abouhalka

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

MY NAME IS CHADI ABOUHALKA. I was born in Beirut, Lebanon. At the age of 14, I immigrated with my family to Montreal for the first two years then moved to Guelph, Ont. for 11 years prior to coming to Whistler in 2001.

My family and I ran an authentic Lebanese takeout restaurant to start evolving into a mid-fine dining restaurant.

Pemberton is in a period of unprecedented growth. With that in mind, what should the Village’s top priorities be in the next four years?

Since 2003, I was coming to Pemberton to go horseback riding, and in 2007 bought my condo with my brother and have been living here ever since.

My move to British Columbia was to seek the great outdoors as well as potentially have my own restaurant with my brother, which never materialized as rent was much higher than we had anticipated.

Since 2001, I have worked for many companies in Whistler doing many jobs and have also been self-employed with a successful professional painting company for 21 years, all through word of mouth.

In 2005, my brothers and I opened our export company, which ran successfully until 2012.

My career in business has been very successful, as I have always listened to my clients, my communication skills are straightforward and have always been transparent and easy to work with.

When I had my export company, I was in charge of logistics, dealing with perishable foods and my products always made it to their overseas destination without a glitch.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

To enable businesses to find employees, I intend to build affordable housing, just as Whistler Village did with Beaver Flats in Creekside, in a strategic space within the Village, which reduces the carbon footprint and has accessibility to the rest of the town.

Build an open swimming pool beside the Community Centre to support the local population instead of going to Whistler, and getting the funding from multimillion-dollar corporate companies looking to get tax deductions by making those donations with a tiered scale: bronze, silver and gold, showcasing which company donated the most and again reducing the carbon footprint.

Relocate the firehall and ambulance services to another location strategically placed to access the highway and surroundings much easier than being across the train tracks, and turn the firehall into a local microbrewery owned and operated by the Village, giving people the chance to bar-hop within walking distance, therefore reducing the carbon footprint and bringing money to the municipality to create jobs, allowing the Village to strive financially.

Pemberton is in a period of unprecedented growth. With that in mind, what should the Village’s top priorities be in the next four years?

Reassess the way the town is growing, as it is not economical or environmental with just having people move here as a bedroom community without taking into consideration that the infrastructure needs to come first, before the housing market continues to grow.

What specific ideas do you have to improve Pemberton’s housing situation?

Offer homeowners a tax deduction that provide lodging at a fair price to people living and working within the community.

How can the Village further advance Truth and Reconciliation initiatives in the next four years?

The Village of Pemberton has already started, and other businesses are following suit, such as Murphy Construction, which is predominantly working and employing First Nations people from Mount Currie working on its projects. The way the Village can assist, also, is by providing transport to and from Mount Currie and Whistler three times a day at an affordable price to those commuters.

PEMBERTON CANDIDATES FOR COUNCIL

access to downtown connecting to Highway 99.

Facilitate discussion and source funding along with the [Pemberton Valley Dyking District] to bring our diking system back to a one-in-200-year flood event.

Increase our staffing levels and acquire new equipment to be able to service our higher population, new neighbourhoods, and recreational facilities.

Continue to look for funding opportunities to increase our recreational facilities, with a future goal of a new ball diamond and eventually a pool and skating rink.

Work to enhance our relationship with our Lil’wat neighbours, respect their rights and freedom and look for more opportunities to partner with them.

Making sure Pemberton remains a safe, walkable, friendly community, the best place to live and raise a family.

Ted Craddock

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

EIGHTEEN-YEAR RESIDENT OF THE GLEN, where Halloween happens. Thirty-six years as a licensed professional in the real estate industry. Twenty-nine years of elected service in three communities, serving on the school board, regional district director, and on council for 13 years here in Pemberton. Ten years as board director of Community Futures of Howe Sound, and two years as chair. Twelve years as a friend of Rotary. Seven years as a voting member for the Village of Pemberton on the Municipal Insurance Association of BC. Two years as board director for the Spel kúmtn Community Forest, a partnership with the Lilwat Nation. I love my job on council and with your support look forward to four more years serving the community.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

Awarding contracts for the fully funded building of the daycare extension, the amenity building, including washroom and change area at Den Duyf Park, and the Park and Ride for 52 vehicles.

The fourth and final reading for the École la Vallée, Sea to Sky social housing project and completion of the Official Community Plan.

Seek funding opportunities for a new water treatment plant and look for a new water source.

Pemberton is in a period of unprecedented growth. With that in mind, what should the Village’s top priorities be in the next four years?

Work with the [the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure] to locate a second

Katrina Nightingale

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience

I HAVE LIVED WITH MY PARTNER/TWO TEENS in Pemberton for 12 years. I have a Bachelor of Arts in political science/history and a Bachelor of Education, with a specialization in special education. I have worked as an educator for over 25 years in diverse communities and currently run my own business tutoring students with unique learning challenges. As a seasoned teacher, I am skilled at finding root causes, researching, thinking critically and reflecting. I have the ability to inspire, encourage out-of-the-box thinking and healthy debate, and to bring strangers together for authentic collaboration. I have a global perspective, view decision-making through the long-term lens of environmental stewardship, and believe in proactively bringing all voices to the table.

I am a committed volunteer at Pemberton Secondary (sports team chauffeur) and currently serve on the board of Stewardship Pemberton, the PSS PAC and the Official Community Plan Advisory Committee.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

The overarching principle guiding my decision-making is the recognition that

the land is our life-support system, physically, emotionally, spiritually and economically.

With this in mind, the three top things I would try to accomplish if elected are:

Significantly improve local transit to Whistler and the surrounding areas through collaboration with other governments and jurisdictions in order to reduce our carbon footprint, positively impact parking issues within town, and reduce parking spaces required in new developments.

Ensure environmentally responsible, compact, mixed-use housing that offers a variety of tenures and smaller lot sizes for single-family homes, with a percentage of tenures prioritized for people who live and work in Pemberton. This would address our affordability issue by providing opportunities for our essential “low-carbon” workers (teachers, health-care, child-care, etc.), support our most vulnerable and young families, and also support the growth of a strong, circular tourist/agriculture-based local economy.

Promote the Spelkumtn Community Forest, which showcases best forestry practices in the face of a changing climate, promotes the local tourist economy through the spinoff of secondary economies, and deepens authentic reconciliation with the Lil’wat Nation.

Pemberton is in a period of unprecedented growth. With that in mind, what should the Village’s top priorities be in the next four years?

The unprecedented growth and pressures will most likely continue, and in collaboration with ALL other forms of government, we must prioritize:

Basic infrastructure (water, sewer, commuter trail network) to support the needs of the growing community and the pressure on the land.

Public transit (bus, bike, foot) and the use of the transport hub to reach Community Climate Action Plan emissions goals.

A variety of housing tenures that reflect “right-sizing” and ensures opportunity for an essential “low-carbon” workforce.

Child-care options to support young families putting down roots.

An efficient fire service to ensure safety.

Health-care to support a growing diverse population.

Inclusion of green spaces.

Protection of remaining ALR VoP land and the growth of food production and preservation in Pemberton/surrounding areas to help mitigate food scarcity and rising food costs.

Growth of a deep culture of public engagement in ALL aspects of our community through the visible presence of a collaborative, environmentally focused, transparent (and stoked) town council.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

1. Growth management plan, including updating the Official Community Plan. While we may not be able to stop Pemberton from growing and changing, we can have a say in how it happens. A growth management plan would allow our community to discuss and identify what is important to Pemberton, to better understand the kind of growth we could be facing, and to develop strategies to accommodate and direct that growth while keeping what makes Pemberton, Pemberton.

2. Affordable housing strategies. Increasing housing affordability requires multiple strategies. I believe one such strategy could be revisiting the tools we already have, such as property taxes, building codes and zoning bylaws, to see if we can incentivize non-resident owners to rent to local and decrease building costs, which should help reduce the overall price.

3. Climate change adaptation. I would like to see the Village develop a similar plan for climate change adaptation as they did for climate change mitigation, with an emphasis on emergency preparedness.

Pemberton is in a period of unprecedented growth. With that in mind, what should the Village’s top priorities be in the next four years?

Similar to the question above, I think a comprehensive growth management plan, which would include tangible steps for affordable housing, would be an effective method for responding to the unprecedented growth the community has been experiencing.

Pemberton is in a period of unprecedented growth. With that in mind, what should the Village’s top priorities be in the next four years?

The challenges to small communities are infinite and without the will to prioritize, Pemberton runs the risk of trying to do everything and achieving very little. Collaborative, strategic and deliberate prioritization is key.

The top priorities are to advocate, and implement progressive policies on housing, food security, recreation, and environment stewardship. As well, building off the relationships with our Lil’wat Nation neighbours and friends, we must prioritize reconciliation.

Most everyone is speaking about affordable housing. However, Pemberton has a very small land base to draw from. Solving the housing situation is going to require innovative and disruptive solutions. Housing will look different from the past and will rely on a recognition and solution-oriented focus on the relationship between growth and infrastructure necessities. Population growth and infrastructure requirements cannot be viewed in isolation. With growth comes increased demand on local emergency responders, health-care, water and sewage, recreation, roads and education. Population growth cannot be viewed in isolation from the systems required to support it. While the funding structures and areas of responsibilities may be segregated, the impacts of local development very much affect the social systems that we rely on for our health, wellness and vibrancy.

Editor’s note: Pemberton council candidate Derek Graves withdrew his eligibility after the cut-off deadline, so his name will still appear on the ballot on Oct. 15. If he receives enough votes for office, he would presumably resign his position before a by-election is held to elect his replacement.

Council candidate Eli Zysman, meanwhile, did not respond to numerous requests from Pique to participate in this feature, as well as for a prior interview. He also did not appear at Pemberton’s allcandidates meeting.

SCHOOL TRUSTEES AND THE SLRD

THERE ARE THREE CANDIDATES VYING for two Whistler school trustee positions in School District 48: incumbent Rachael Lythe, who just finished her fourth term as trustee; incumbent Cynthia Higgins, who just wrapped her first term as trustee; and newcomer and retired professor Deb Bordignon (See related story on page 20).

In the SLRD’s Area C, Rebecca Barley and Margo Vaughan will contend for one trustee seat.

Jennie Helmer

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I AM A LIFETIME MEMBER of the Pemberton community. My family farms organic potatoes in the Valley and my roots run deep, as my great-grandfather also served on Pemberton Village council. I first entered local Pemberton politics in 2005, and again in 2018, when I ran two successful campaigns for council.

During those terms on council, I was recognized as being easily approachable, consistently engaged in thoughtful and critical discussion at the council table, and ensured I brought forth the varied voices of the community. Never one to shy away from uncomfortable conversations, I worked to ensure that difficult questions were asked of those wanting to develop Pemberton, and that the community’s needs and interests were placed first.

Laura Ramsden

Please share a brief bio and any relevant experience.

I AM A WEST COAST LOCAL. Born and raised in Vancouver, I migrated to Pemberton almost three years ago after graduating law school to be with my partner. I work for a small firm in Whistler and in my downtime, I enjoy hiking, fishing and dancing. I love living in Pemberton and when I think about the future, this is where I want to be. Getting involved in my local community has always been important to me. While municipal government is not the only way to do so, I believe my skill set, ideas and problem-solving approach would be an asset to our municipal council.

I have over 29 years of experience working in emergency health services in British Columbia. I also have experience owning and running small businesses in Pemberton. I have a master’s in education and I continue to be enrolled in school. My partner Suelyn, an RCMP Corporal, and I are mothers to our son, Baxton.

What are the top three things you would like to accomplish if elected (please be specific)?

The struggles and crises faced by B.C.’s local governments are aptly demonstrated in our rapidly growing community. If elected, I would focus on better understanding the challenges around delivering affordable housing, aging in place, food security, the links between excessive community growth and our beleaguered system, enhancing recreation and the risk to our community from a changing climate. While these aren’t “accomplishments” in the historical political sense, they are the fundamental ingredients to a rugged and healthy community.

More information on school trustee elections can be found  sd48seatosky.org

In the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), the election is effectively over, with each of its four regional directors—Sal DeMare in Area A (Bridge River Valley); Vivian Birch-Jones in Area B (Marble Canyon-Duffey Lake); Russell Mack in Area C (WedgeWoods-D’arcy); and Tony Rainbow in Area D (Furry Creek-Daisy Lake)—elected by acclamation on Sept. 19.

Find full candidate profiles for each SLRD director and those vying for school trustee at piquenewsmagazine.com/2022-civic-election.

HOW TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY

THE POLLS ARE OPEN in Whistler on Saturday, Oct. 15 for general voting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Myrtle Philip Community School.

In Pemberton, voting takes place during the same hours on Oct. 15, at the Pemberton and District Community Centre.

To vote as a resident, you must be 18 years of age or older on General Voting Day, a Canadian citizen, and resident of B.C. for at least six months immediately before the day of registration, a resident of the RMOW, and not be disqualified from voting by law.

Those without a fixed address can also vote using either their most recent permanent address, the address where they are staying temporarily, or the address of a shelter, hostel or similar

For information on voting in the SLRD, visit slrd.bc.ca/inside-slrd/legislativeservices/elections/voter-information.

-Brandon Barrett, with files from Robert Wisla

World Hockey Association celebrates 50th anniversary with Whistler reunion

LEGENDARY ALUMNI AND FANS CAME TOGETHER TO HONOUR THE SHORT-LIVED LEAGUE THAT LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION ON PRO HOCKEY

BY MEGAN LALONDE

A SCORE OF HOCKEY legends and fans descended on Whistler this Thanksgiving weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the WHA.

If you’re currently assuming that acronym stands for the Whistler Hockey Association, you’re wrong. (That would be the Whistler Minor Hockey Association, or the WMHA. That organization still has a couple of decades to go until it hits the halfcentury milestone.)

As some hockey history buffs might have already guessed, this weekend’s festivities honoured the World Hockey Association, a league that boldly burst onto the North American professional sports scene in the 1970s.

The WHA Preservation Alliance (WHAPA) hosted the 50th anniversary reunion in Whistler from Oct. 6 to 10. Originally, said WHAPA reunion committee co-chair Greg Beaudin, the intent was to host a tribute to the 1976 WHA championship-winning Winnipeg Jets squad that his dad, Norm, played on.

“We were looking at the calendars, and then we said, ‘Well, maybe we should not be thinking about a team party, but a league party,’” Beaudin explained. Once organizers realized it was the WHA’s 50th, “We were like, ‘let’s do it.’”

The group considered a variety of “neutral” locations to host the event, but

Whistler—or “Canada’s playground for adults,” as Beaudin described it—ultimately proved to be the perfect choice, he added.

After about 18 months of planning, “It was surreal to see the alumni walking around the village with their commemorative jerseys; going from Buffalo Bills to Longhorn to the Westin to the Delta, at the Chateau Whistler Golf Club,” said Beaudin. “It was exactly how we envisioned it.”

Though its seven-year lifespan was brief, the WHA made waves as the first modern league to put up a real fight against the National Hockey League (NHL), attracting a comparable level of talent and planting roots that carry through to today.

The league launched in 1972 with higher

and Winnipeg Jets—joining the NHL ahead of the 1979-80 season.

Without the influence of the WHA, “the NHL wouldn’t be what it is today,” said Beaudin, from contracts to international talent to the sport’s growth in the southern United States.

“The WHA changed the whole salary dynamic for current players, since Bobby Hull challenged the NHL establishment to stop the owners of NHL teams from … paying the players peanuts. When they opened up the wallets it became more of a free-market system, and it turned this sport of hockey into more of an international game,” Beaudin explained.

“That was the beauty of the WHA,

and the WHA’s first.

Another item on the itinerary was a Slap Shot reunion screening at Buffalo Bills in honour of the cult film’s 45th anniversary. The movie, starring Paul Newman, has a few real-life links with the WHA: Slap Shot ’s fictional Hanson brothers were based on real-life hockey players Jeff, Steve and Jack Carlson.

Edmonton Oiler Jack Carlson was cast to play Jack Hanson, while fellow WHA alum David Hanson was originally tapped to play the character based on him, “Dave ‘Killer’ Carlson.” But before cameras started rolling, the Oilers made the WHA playoffs, putting an end to Jack Carlson’s involvement. Dave Hanson was recast as “Jack Hanson,” while actor Jerry Houser was brought in to play “Killer.”

Hanson himself was on hand for the Whistler reunion, alongside Allan Nicholls, who played Charlestown Chiefs captain Johnny Upton.

salaries and less restrictive contracts that motivated 67 NHL players to make the jump, led by legendary Chicago Black Hawk Bobby Hull. The WHA was also where then17-year-old Wayne Gretzky, in 1978, began his pro career with the Indianapolis Racers before moving to the Edmonton Oilers after only eight games.

The league culminated with the NHL’s 1979 expansion—commonly but incorrectly referred to as the NHL-WHA merger. It resulted in four of the WHA’s six remaining teams—the Edmonton Oilers, New England (later Hartford) Whalers, Quebec Nordiques

and that’s why it needs to be celebrated continuously, is because it was a huge, important part of hockey as we know it today.”

In addition to a public festival plaza in front of the Westin (complete with a ball hockey court and tournament), the weekend’s festivities included a celebrity golf tournament, an “emotional” legacy dinner, as Beaudin described it, honouring WHA stars like Hull, Andre Lacroix, Dennis Murphy, Garnet “Ace” Bailey, the Howe family, and Swedes Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson, to name just a few, plus a tribute to Alton White—the second-ever Black professional major league hockey player,

“All the alumni are texting me, saying how much fun they had; what a great setup it was. The whole experience, I think was wonderful and everyone’s really happy with the way it unfolded,” said Beaudin. “These players and the way we crafted this Whistler weekend, it all made them feel special, and they all had a great time.”

The event wasn’t purely nostalgic: the reunion also raised about $20,000 for the Bobby Hull Foundation for Children, and is set to raise about the same for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada and non-profit Stop Concussions once online sales of signed commemorative jerseys and other merchandise is completed. Head to wha1972.com to peruse that memorabilia for yourself. n

“The WHA changed the whole salary dynamic for current players...”

- GREG BEAUDIN

Back on track: New season kicks off at Whistler Sliding Centre

OLYMPIC VENUE TO HOST BOBSLED AND SKELETON RECRUITMENT SESSION ON SUNDAY, OCT. 16

BY MEGAN LALONDE

AFTERNOONS IN THE Sea to Sky this October might be feeling more like summer, but winter is officially underway at the Whistler Sliding Centre: Canada’s top luge, skeleton and bobsled athletes return to the local track for preseason training on Thursday, Oct. 13.

Still, that doesn’t mean the unseasonably warm weather hasn’t posed a few challenges for sliding centre staff.

“It’s a bit like trying to keep food frozen in the freezer with the door open,” said Roger Soane, president and CEO of Whistler Sport Legacies (WSL). The notfor-profit organization operates the sliding centre, as well as Whistler Olympic Park and the Whistler Athletes’ Centre in Cheakamus.

With daily highs still climbing into the low 20s, “It’s very difficult to get the concrete down to the right temperature without cranking the cooling,” Soane added. “I’m expecting a very large hydro bill for the month of September and October.”

In order to craft the track, that concrete must be cooled to a surface temperature of -4 degrees C before being misted with water from top to bottom. Once that mist freezes, crews get to work scraping and shaping the 1,450-metre-long track (its total square footage is equivalent to four NHL rinks) by hand. A similar process is repeated daily— sometimes even multiple times per day—in order to maintain the ice surface.

“It’s gruelling work,” said Soane, but “it’s very rewarding when you see those athletes go down. And I have to tell you, the athletes are very appreciative of the work the track team is doing to keep the track in pristine condition, especially at this time of year.”

After a two-season hiatus due to the pandemic, those athletes will once again get to race on home soil this year. The sliding centre is gearing up for one of its busiest seasons on record as it welcomes back a slate of World Cup and North American Cup races in all three disciplines—a total of seven international events—over the next two months, drawing some of the topranked athletes in the world. (Head to the sliding centre’s online event calendar for specific dates.)

One new event on the calendar this year is the Bobsleigh Para Sport World Cup scheduled for Nov. 5 and 6, the first event of its kind to ever take place in Canada, said Soane. “It’s a very interesting new aspect of the sport,” he explained. “Because there is no push at the start of the race, the men and the women compete together, so it really [comes down to] driving skill. It will be exciting.”

Before those events get underway, locals and visitors are welcome to stop by the sliding centre any time during opening

hours, including scheduled training sessions, to check out the action for free.

“The gates are open,” said Soane. “You can walk around the track, see the athletes and watch them train. You will be amazed at the speed and the skill level.”

Think you might have more fun on the track than in the spectator zone? The sliding centre is hosting a free bobsled and skeleton recruitment session on Sunday, Oct. 16 from noon to 2 p.m. Young athletes aged 14 and up are invited to attend and assess their potential through a 30-metre sprint, medicine ball throw and standing long jump.

Participants will meet coaches, and find out more about the centre’s Learn to Slide programs, the high performance pathway, and athlete accommodation options. Since the session will take place during on-ice skeleton training, the group will also get a front-row seat to watch Canadian national team and development athletes head down the track. (Register at wscsport@ whistlersportlegacies.com or by phone at 604-964-0040, ext. 2206.)

Once race period is over, the sliding centre will refocus its operations on public passenger bobsled and skeleton programming, available from midDecember until mid-April, as well as training and developing up-and-coming athletes in all three sliding sports.

2022 Transit Loyalty

“As far as Whistler Sports Legacies are concerned, this is what we were built for,” said Soane. When the CEO first joined the organization a decade ago, “everyone was concerned we would lose our relevance within the community; that we would be a bit of a white elephant in the community,” he said. “I think we’ve proved that consistently, we’ve stayed ahead of the curve, we’ve stayed very relevant within the community.

“Our development programs are busier now than they’ve ever been, and we’re seeing local athletes that have trained and grown up on our track now representing their country. It’s just part of being a worldclass facility and operating at the highest level,” he continued. “For any sport, to be hosting the world’s best athletes, year-in, year-out, is something that’s always going to be good for Whistler.”

Whistler

“Our development programs are busier now than they’ve ever been...”

- ROGER SOANE

Photo by Trevor Bodnar

Whistler Dine In shutting down after 12 years— and no, it’s not just because of DoorDash

LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANT DELIVERY SERVICE SAYS STAFF SHORTAGES, BURNOUT PRIMARY REASONS FOR CLOSURE

BY BRANDON BARRETT

AT THE OUTSET of the pandemic, when we were all cooped up indoors and still Lysolling our groceries, business was booming for the resort’s only locally-owned restaurant delivery service, Whistler Dine In.

While staying busy is good for the bottom line, the same can’t be said for that ever-elusive work-life balance everyone’s always talking about.

“When COVID first happened, me and my wife, we worked for 270 days straight without a day off,” said Jean-Francois Giasson, founder and owner of Whistler Dine In. “Then we got one day off and went straight back to work.”

The burnout they’ve experienced of late is part of the reason why Giasson and his wife announced on Oct. 9 they would close the business that has brought the best eats to Whistlerites’ and visitors’ doors for the past 12 years. That and an exacerbated staff shortage that meant the local restaurants they partnered with didn’t have the capacity to handle the volume of takeout orders coming in—which in turn hit Giasson and his drivers in the pocketbook.

“On the busy nights when we usually make our money, the weekends and holidays and all that, all of a sudden [partner restaurants] were too busy, so they turn us off and then we lose six of our best restaurants,” Giasson explained.

Like their shiny new local competitor, DoorDash, Whistler Dine In always offered participating restaurants the opportunity to turn off third-party deliveries, something Giasson said became more and more frequent over the past year as diners have been keen to eat out after two-plus years of takeout and delivery.

“The staff shortage is affecting [restaurants] so much that they do what they can, and they’re happy to offer takeout when they can, but when they’re fully booked and short-staffed, they have to put a stop and

usually they put a stop to us,” he noted. “Now it’s become pretty much every weekend.”

Add to that dearth of orders the rising cost of gas, which the drivers cover themselves, as well as more frequent and longer traffic jams, and it has become difficult for Whistler Dine In to retain staff themselves. The company even lowered its delivery fee in an effort to stay competitive with other, larger delivery platforms, another hit to drivers’ wallets.

“The fee had to remain low or we were just not going to compete, so we did what we could to compensate our drivers as good as possible, but the money just wasn’t there,” Giasson added.

Since announcing the closure on Oct. 9, Giasson said many people have asked him if DoorDash was the ultimate death knell to his company, but while the rise of online delivery platforms is a factor, Giasson was quick to say it was far from the biggest contributor.

“That’s not even the main issue. The issue is basically the staff shortage, and if the partners would be able to fulfil all of the orders all of the time, we wouldn’t have any problem,” he explained. “That’s kind of what made our decision, because we were not seeing that getting any better—not next winter, that’s for sure.”

Giasson believes a locally owned delivery service could still be viable here, especially if the company can make use of the kind of smartphone technology that has made thirdparty delivery apps such as DoorDash, Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes so easy to use.

“I think there could still be room for a local business. Things would probably have to be different, with a new platform and someone that still has the drive … People are now used to tracking their order online and all that. That would have to make us put a lot of money to update all of

that, which we’re not willing to do at this point,” Giasson said, adding that, between the Whistler Dine In brand and website, the company still has inherent value for a prospective buyer.

After a dozen years of bringing the best eats to Whistlerites’ doors, Giasson said it’s the dedicated partner restaurants and loyal customers who have ordered week in and week out for years that he will miss the most.

“The people we have met, working with all these different partners, we’ve become friends with a lot of them, so we’re definitely going to miss that. We have customers that have been ordering from us multiple times a week every week for years and years and years. We’re sad for them that they’re going to have to find another way,” he added.

Anyone interested in taking on the Whistler Dine In brand can contact Giasson at info@whistlerdinein.com. n

AT YOUR SERVICE Whistler Dine In has brought the best eats to locals’ and visitors’ doors for the past 12 years.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

R Pilates 10:15-11:15 a.m. Josie

R Prenatal Fitnes 5:30-6:30 p.m.

F Spin 6-7 p.m. Courtney

F Dryland Training 6:45-7:45 p.m. Garret

I Roll & Release 8-9 p.m. Sara

I Gentle Fit 1-2 p.m. Diana

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

F Barre Fit 12:15-1 p.m. Marie-Anne

I

I TRX Mixer 5:15-6 p.m. Courtney

F Strong Glutes & Core 6:15-7:15 p.m. Courtney

I Strong Glutes & Core 6:15-7:15 p.m. Carly

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

Mountain Ready Conditioning 5:30–6:30 p.m. Anna

F Spin 6-7 p.m. Courtney

F Dryland Training 6:45-7:45 p.m. Garret

I Slow Flow Yoga

9 p.m. Heidi

I Gentle Fit 1-2 p.m. Diana

I HIIT Express 5:15-6 p.m. Alex

F Spin 6:15-7:15 p.m. Alex

I Zumba 6:30-7:30 p.m. Carmen

‘Writing can be so frustrating, but it’s exhilarating as well’

MÉIRA COOK FOLLOWED CHARACTERS’ LEAD TO WRITE THE FULL CATASTROPHE, FEATURED AT WHISTLER WRITERS’ FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY, OCT. 15

BY ALYSSA NOEL

AS SHE NEARED the end of writing her latest novel, The Full Catastrophe, Méira Cook almost gave up.

“I was writing in search of an ending for a while,” she says. “I didn’t want to do something that the narrative seemed to insist that I do. For a while I thought, ‘I’ve written three quarters of the book and I have to give up.’ There was no ending I could think of that was appropriate.”

But in March 2020, she discovered it.

While Cook is careful not to give too much away, that unique date allowed her character, Charlie, a 13-year-old boy with intersex traits, to heed the advice of his 90-year-old Holocaust-survivor grandfather and become “a hero of his own life.”

“Writing can be so frustrating, but it’s exhilarating as well,” Cook says. “It always feels like you’re on this precipice. The story you have in your head and heart is not necessarily as compliant. I thought I knew the ending, but as I wrote, the characters were not being as malleable.”

The story focuses on that central

COOK IN THE KITCHEN Author Méira Cook is headlining the Saturday Night Gala at the Whistler Writers Festival on Oct. 15.

relationship between Charlie and his grandfather Oscar. Despite being many decades apart, they’re best friends.

But there are other vivid characters as well: Charlie’s artist mother, their elderly neighbours, a mysterious classmate and even his needy dog.

It’s Charlie’s quest to arrange a muchbelated bar mitzvah for Oscar that leads him on a journey where, at every turn, he’s

intervention. The pediatrician hopes he’ll grow into his body in the time it takes.”

His grandfather and mother similarly treat it as a non-issue.

While that plot required a ton of research, the details of which didn’t necessarily make it into the book, it was all sparked by a friend of Cook’s who confided in her that when he told his rabbi about his own transition, he was allowed to sit in the

Africa, set the novel in her adopted hometown of Winnipeg, in part because she wanted to feature a scene of the frozen Assiniboine River.

“One of the things the city has done for many years is create warming huts, designed by architectural firms and installation artists from all over the world … They’re extraordinary and very artistic interpretations of what space and hospitality means on a frozen river. Charlie’s mother, Jules, is an artist and has been chosen to create a warming hut, which she does,” Cook says.

However, with the scene set in the present, Cook was dismayed as she was writing to discover it was the first year the city had to cancel the event because the river froze too quickly to make it safe for people to traverse.

“I’m allowed one incongruent detail,” she says with a laugh.

encouraged to tell his own story.

For Cook, the framework for the story was exploring Charlie’s intersex characteristics and his loving relationship with this grandfather.

“I wanted to write about [his unique body] in a way that wasn’t spectacular,” she says. “In this case, it’s simply a body that’s special and unique—and his wonderful pediatrician steps in at the moment of his birth and doesn’t allow anyone to trespass on his body. He’s not given medical

sanctuary, but no longer allowed to read the Torah, which is reserved for men in most orthodox congregations.

“My research taught me so much about abusive relationships, [with] medical reassignment surgery and the violent ways society imposes gender roles, but I continued to write about it because I didn’t want Charlie to be defined by his sexual characteristics. To me, that would repeat the violence,” she says.

Cook, who is originally from South

The novel, her fourth (alongside her poetry), was released in June and has since garnered mentions everywhere from the Brooklyn-based Bomb magazine to Oprah’s website.

Next up: Cook is headlining the Whistler Writers Festival’s popular Saturday Night Gala, alongside author Iain Reid, on Oct. 15.

“I’m very excited about coming to Whistler and meeting other writers and readers,” she says.

For more information and tickets, visit whistlerwritersfest.com/festival. n

“I thought I knew the ending, but as I wrote, the characters were not being as malleable.”

- MÉIRA COOK

ARTS SCENE

Whistler Writers Festival mixes new events with familiar favourites

RUNNING FROM OCT. 13 TO 16, FESTIVAL RETURNS IN-PERSON AND ONLINE

BY ALYSSA NOEL

THE WHISTLER WRITERS Festival is set to welcome writers and readers back indoors at full capacity from Oct. 13 to 16 for the first time since 2019.

But it turns out the online element that allowed it to carry on through the pandemic was worth hanging onto.

“We’re attempting a full hybrid festival this year,” says Rebecca Wood Barrett, artistic and executive director of the festival. “The idea is all the authors come in person, but we’re also livestreaming, adding the technical side onto the in-person side. It definitely adds another half a festival— maybe more than half.”

It appears that most festivalgoers are keen to connect face-to-face again, Wood Barrett adds. “I think 80 to 90 per cent of the audiences will come in-person,” she says.

Most of the workshops and reading events will have tickets available at the door, with at least one exception.

“The Literary Cabaret is taking off,” Wood Barrett says. “I would love to see that one sell out. Geeta Das, the musical director, is going to shift back to a more improvisational approach in terms of the band and how she styles the music.”

For the uninitiated: that event—taking place Friday, Oct. 14—will feature eight authors reading excerpts from their books while a band improvises accompanying music.

“That event is always so exciting. There’s a little bit of riskiness when you’re not sure whether you can pull something off—like live theatre. You’re on the edge of your seat. Many of the authors have never done anything like this before either. I’ve heard them say they never want to give a reading without a full band again,” Wood Barrett says, with a laugh.

The festival also added a handful of brand new events this year. On Thursday, Oct. 13, Sharing Traditions: An Evening of Oral Storytelling with Tsawaysia Spukwus from the Squamish Nation and Tanina Williams from the Lil’wat Nation will also include eight local storytellers sharing their oral stories.

“We did a storytelling workshop with Tanina in September,” Wood Barrett says. “People had a chance to get a feel for what an oral story might be like, but we wanted people to bring their own ideas.”

Pique’s own Brandon Barrett is also hosting a new event to close out the festival on Oct. 16. Page to Stage: Using Improvisation to Generate Character blends acting and writing to help craft threedimensional characters and scenes.

“We like to dabble in genres that aren’t necessarily on the page, but still considered

literary,” Wood Barrett adds. “The hard part, from an operational side, is so many of the events are bespoke. [It’s] not just one big festival, it’s 25 unique events that all need their own care and thought and championing in the media. Operationally, it’s tricky.”

But many tried-and-true popular events are also returning this year, including the Saturday Night Gala and workshops that cover genres from memoir to crime writing and poetry.

On top of that, a fundraising event on Saturday will help kick off the festival’s new Literary Arts Legacy Fund endowment

MUSHROOM FESTIVAL

OCTOBER 14 & 15, 2022

campaign. The Whistler Writing Society recently opened the fund with the Whistler Community Foundation to help create a long-term investment for the festival.

An unnamed donor has already kicked in $5,000 to start, and “we’re hoping to match that at the festival,” Wood Barrett says. “If we can do that, we can apply for additional matching funds from Canadian Heritage. The matching can really add up.”

For more, or to purchase tickets to any of the events, head to whistlerwritersfest.com. n

2:30 4:00PM SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Check out the day’s finds, labelled and explained by our exper ts Legends Hotel, Creekside By donation. Ticket not required

7:00 PM FRIDAY NIGHT

Why Mushrooms are Impor tant Mushrooms you should know Fantastic Fungal Foto Winner s Legends Hotel, Creekside Tickets: $12 adult; $6 for under 18

8:45 AM SATURDAY

BC’S best lead walks at sites throughout Whistler Meet at Trailhead Tickets: Adults $30; $10 for under 18; $5 for under 12

FOREST TO TABLE

SATURDAY 12:30 2 PM

Join Chef Br uce Worden to lear n and taste some delicious ways to get the most from your for aging Milestones at the base of Blackcomb Tickets: $45 (includes mug)

FULL STEAM AHEAD The Whistler Writers Festival returns to full capacity this year. Pictured is author Meredith Gardner at last year’s event.

PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH / WHISTLER WRITERS FESTIVAL

“We like to dabble in genres that aren’t necessarily on the page, but still considered literary.”

- REBECCA WOOD BARRETT

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING (ELECTRONIC)

October 27, 2022, 7PM

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given in accordance with Section 466 of the Local Government Act that a Public Hearing will be held electronically regarding the following bylaw:

 Squamish Lillooet Regional District Electoral Area C Official Community Plan Bylaw No 689, 1999, Amendment Bylaw No 1746 2022

The purpose of the amendment bylaw is to create a general framework of best design practices aimed at ensuring livability and resilience of new multi family developments in Electoral Area C The amendment bylaw is intended to apply to the entirety of Electoral Area C as shown on the map below:

ARTS SCENE

Diving deep into fantasy with Guy Gavriel Kay’s latest novel, All the Seas of the World

BOOK REVIEW: CATCH THE AUTHOR AT THE WHISTLER WRITERS FESTIVAL’S WRITERS OF FICTION EVENT ON OCT. 15

BY DEE RAFFO

IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for me to be fully absorbed by the complex and vivid world that Canadian award-winning fantasy author, Guy Gavriel Kay, is famous for creating. In his 14th novel, All the Seas of the World , we’re thrown into the deep end with an assassination, the catalyst of a religious war that the main characters, Nadia/Lenia and Rafel, must navigate cleverly to survive.

PROPOSED CHANGES

• Defining “affordable housing” as rental or ownership housing priced so that monthly payments are less than 30% of gross household gross income Affordable housing types can include emergency shelters, transitional housing, supportive housing, social and co op housing, and below market rental housing, defined as per the BC Housing glossary of terms.

• Adding policies that encourage provision of affordable housing as a priority in community contributions made by developers.

• Adding design guidelines for multi family housing Design considerations include character, massing, solar orientation, street setback, minimum unit size with a focus on family friendly unit size, storage, kitchen layout, outdoor space, stormwater runoff, parking, and landscaping

• Adding policies that support collaboration with community stakeholders and non profit organizations.

INFORMATION

A copy of the proposed bylaws and relevant background documents may be inspected at the Regional District office, 1350 Aster Street, Pemberton, BC, during office hours 8:00AM to 4:30PM from October 10, 2022 to October 27, 2022 not including weekends and statutory holidays, or electronically by contacting SLRD staff The public hearing is to be chaired by Electoral Area C Director Russell Mack as a delegate of the SLRD Regional Board

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

All persons who believe that their interest in the property is affected by the proposed bylaw shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard or to present written submissions respecting matters contained in the bylaw at the public hearing All persons can 1) submit written comments, and/or 2) make an oral presentation LIVE via online video or phone conferencing (your image will not be broadcast to the Board or the public)

1 Submit Written Comments to the Board: Written submissions must be addressed to “SLRD Board of Directors” and include your name and mailing address. Until 4:00pm on October 26, 2022, written submissions will be received at the following:

Email: planning@slrd bc.ca

Hard Copy: Squamish Lillooet Regional District Planning Department PO Box 219, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0

Written submissions will also be accepted on October 27, 2022 between 8:00AM and the time when the motion to close the Public Hearing is made During this timeframe, written comments must be submitted by email to: kneedham@slrd bc.ca

2 Participate via Video and Phone Conferencing

The electronic Public Hearing will take place October 27, 2022 at 7:00PM via online video and phone conferencing The Public Hearing will be conducted using Zoom video conferencing No registration is required Log in details will be posted to the notice page: www slrd bc.ca/inside slrd/notices three days prior to the Public Hearing You may also call the Planning Department three days prior to the Public Hearing at 604 894 6371 to obtain the log in information

Kay blends real-world history into a world set in the near-Renaissance, with hints of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. His world-building is intricate, and the map and principal character list at the start of the book is a telltale sign this book might take some focus. This world-building creates a rich, if sometimes overwhelming, setting for a tale of love, power, and vengeance that’s riveting to the very last page. Even though the action is pacy, at times it flows at a slower, more poetic meander that allows you to drift along with the characters.

What’s unique about Kay’s writing is that he literally pulls the reader into the book by asking us to consider what’s happening. At first, I found this a little jarring, but I soon found myself appreciating this worldlywise, storyteller voice which included me in its musings.

“What happened that night in Seressa changed her life. It felt so to Lenia at the time, even though many different moments change our lives, sometimes when something insignificant happens. Our lives are endlessly changing it might be said. Indeed, the absence of the significant can matter. The person we don’t meet, missing them by moments.”

We sail away with Kay as he unravels the layers of his characters, one of which was taken by corsairs (pirates) as a child and abused by the man she was sold to. Kay deftly tells stories that are relatable to the point of tears, even when we’re deep in his fantastical world.

“This was so hard. I thought you might not accept my coming back.”

“What?”

His tone, the dismay, the disbelief in his voice at the very idea—an idea that had ruled her life from the moment she was free again. Balm to a wound festering from that day.

“Carlito, a woman taken away is—”

“They took you, you didn’t choose anything!” He was almost hurting her now, squeezing her hands so hard. “Lenia, you are here! You escaped. You’re alive! Oh Jad, this is the best day I can remember in my life.”

From Nadia/Lenia’s story of slavery and acceptance of self to Rafel’s history of being

exiled, a refugee searching for a sense of belonging, Kay dives deep into the human psyche, pulling the reader along with him.

“We can be changed, sometimes greatly, by the people who come only glancingly into our lives and move on, never knowing what they have done to us. We can do this ourselves to others. And never know.”

In a similar style to the “Red Wedding” episode in Game of Thrones, Kay is not scared of killing off a few side characters to keep you on your toes. There’s also another level of the fantastical in this book as Nadie/ Lenia realizes she has a power that enables her to stay a step ahead of her foes.

“And someone had warned her. Someone inside her head. Not a moment anything in her life had prepared her for. Behind you! She heard within her mind—clear as a sanctuary bell in country air. Lower your hood! Turn!”

All the Seas of the World is a standalone novel, although it is linked to two other books in Kay’s 14-novel-strong list. His other titles, including Children of the Earth and Sky, Tigana, and River of Stars, can be found on bestseller lists around the globe. It’s also exciting to hear that his Fionavar Tapestry fantasy series has been optioned by the Canadian production company behind Orphan Black

Dee Raffo is a screenwriter and editor. Originally from the U.K., Dee enjoys balancing high-thrills adventures with downtime, basking in the beauty of the wonderful place she calls home. n

FANTA-SEA Fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay is not afraid to kill off a few side characters to keep the reader on their toes.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

WIN CANUCKS

1 HIGH HONOUR Vancouver artist Ian Wallace received the prestigious $100,000 Audain Prize at an event at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on Sept. 28. PHOTO BY SCOTT LITTLE 2 EARLY START With biking season coming to an end, a few locals repurposed some leftover snow from the Meadow Park Sports Centre rink to get back on the rail and get a head start on winter. PHOTO BY ELISE DORE 3 MARGS FOR HALEE Locals Jesslyn Gates, Josh Bishop, Nikki Farrell and Ridley Boot stopped by the Beacon on Tuesday, Oct. 11 for margaritas in memory of a much-loved former Whistlerite on her birthday. PHOTO SUBMITTED PARTIAL CREDIT. 4 FAMILY REUNION Whistler Animals Galore (WAG) alumni Cal joined his brother Sol and sister Luna for a little family reunion in Pemberton on Tuesday, Oct. 4. PHOTO SUBMITTED 5 FEEL THE BURN Nearly 70 young athletes from the Hollyburn, Sea to Sky and Whistler Nordic ski clubs gathered in the resort for a Teck Regional Fall Dryland Camp earlier this fall.

weekend was full of roller skiing, running, outdoor games and fun ahead of race season, complete with some guest instruction from visiting Swedish athletes. PHOTO SUBMITTED 6 LAST LAPS Mountain bikers

Bike

At Tapley’s Farm

tober 31 5:30

IMPORTANT INFO:

Framing Whistler

BY ALLYN PRINGLE

TODAY YOU ARE LESS likely to come across an A-frame in Whistler than you would have been a few decades ago. However, the once widely popular structure can still be spotted throughout Whistler’s older neighbourhoods and found in many photographs of Whistler’s mountain resort past in the Whistler Museum’s archival collections.

While A-frames have historically been used for various purposes around the world, the A-frame did not become widespread in North America until after the Second World War. Eventually, it became a popular vacation home for affluent middle-class households, especially in the mountains. A-frames were relatively simple to build and were soon available in prefabricated kits. This popularity continued through the 1960s, when Whistler Mountain was first being developed as a ski resort, so it is no surprise that A-frames began to appear throughout the area soon after development began.

Some of the A-frames built in Whistler at the time were constructed right at

the chapel was provided free of charge by Asbjorn Gathe. Like Wilhelmsen, Gathe had been born in Norway. He studied architecture at the Federal Institute of Technology at the University of Zurich and then immigrated to Vancouver in 1951, where he worked as an architect. The chapel was easily identifiable at the gondola base thanks to both its A-frame structure and its stained glass windows designed by Donald Babcock.

In 1966, the lift company also built two A-frames at the gondola base to serve as staff housing for its managers and their families (at the time, the Bright and Mathews families). The houses were situated right on the hill, and Lynn Mathews, whose husband Dave was operations manager, recalled that their A-frame had 17 steps up to the deck in the summer but only three in the winter when snow built up around them.

A-frames were popular away from the gondola base as well. When Don and Isobel MacLaurin built what at the time was their holiday home in the 1960s, they chose to build an A-frame themselves with help from local residents such as Murray Coates and Ron Mackie and beams from a 1915 school in Squamish that was being

the base of the Whistler Mountain lifts, including the Whistler Skiers’ Chapel, the first interdenominational chapel in Canada. The Whistler Skiers’ Chapel was constructed in 1966 after the first shortened season of skiing on Whistler Mountain. It was inspired by the memories of Garibaldi Lift Company founder and president Franz Wilhelmsen, who recalled small chapels in the ski villages of Norway where he had skied as a child.

The lift company donated land near the gondola base, and the A-frame design of

torn down. Similarly, when Paul and Jane Burrows moved to Whistler full time in the 1970s, they decided to build an A-frame in Alpine Meadows. Like many of the A-frame homes in Whistler, both these A-frames and the managers’ houses at Whistler Mountain later had extensions added onto them, changing the A-frame shape.

These are just a few of the A-frames pictured in the museum’s collections and, while they may no longer look quite like the classic A-frame, some of them are still standing in Whistler today.

IN FRAME One of the A-frames at the base of Whistler Mountain.

WALLACE COLLECTION

A-frames were relatively simple to build and were soon available in prefabricated kits.

Free Will Astrology

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Magic Realism Bot” is a Twitter account that generates ideas for new fairy tales. Since you will benefit from imagining your life as a fairy tale in the coming weeks, I’ll offer you a few possibilities.

1. You marry a rainbow. The two of you have children: a daughter who can sing like a river and a son who is as gleeful as the wind. 2. You make friends with a raven that gives you savvy financial advice. 3. You invent a new kind of dancing; it involves crying and laughing while making holy prayer gestures toward your favourite star. 4. An angel and a lake monster join forces to help you dream up fun new adventures. 5. You discover a field of enchanted dandelions. They have the power to generate algorithms that reveal secrets about where to find wonders and marvels.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): On Feb. 1, 1976, singer Elvis Presley was partying with buddies at his home in Memphis, Tenn. As the revelry grew, he got an impetuous longing for an 8,000-calorie sandwich made with French bread, peanut butter, blueberry preserves, and slabs of bacon. Since this delicacy was only available at a certain restaurant in Denver, Colo., Elvis and his entourage spontaneously hopped onto his private jet and flew 900 miles to get there. In accordance with astrological omens, Taurus, I encourage you to summon an equally keen determination to obtain pleasurable treasures. Hopefully, though, they will be more important than a sandwich. The odds of you procuring necessary luxuries that heal and inspire are much higher than usual.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini writer Nikki Giovanni reminds us, “It cannot be a mistake to have cared. It cannot be an error to have tried. It cannot be incorrect to have loved.” In accordance with astrological omens, I ask you to embody Giovanni’s attitude. Shed any worries that your caring and trying and loving have been blunders. Celebrate them, be proud of them, and promise yourself that you will keep caring and trying and loving. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to renew your commitment to your highest goodness.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I was born near Amarillo, Texas, where the U.S. Department of Energy stores over 20,000 plutonium cores from old nuclear warheads. Perhaps that explains some of my brain’s mutant qualities. I’m not normal. I’m odd and iconoclastic. On the other hand, I don’t think my peculiarity makes me better than anyone. It’s just who I am. I love millions of people who aren’t as quirky as me, and I enjoy communicating with unweird people as much as I do with weirdos. Everything I just said is a preamble for my main message, Cancerian: The coming weeks will be prime time for you to give extra honour and credit to your personal eccentricities, even if they comprise a minor part of your personality.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Jennifer Huang testifies, “Poetry is what helps me remember that even in my fragments, I am whole.” What about you, Leo? What reminds you, even in your fragments, that you are whole? Now is an excellent time to identify the people, animals, and influences that help you generate a sense of unity and completeness. Once you’re clear about that, spend quality time doing what you can to nurture those healers. Maybe you can even help them feel more cohesion and harmony in themselves.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo journalist Sydney J. Harris described “the three hardest tasks in the world.” He said they weren’t “physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts.” Here they are: 1. To return love for hate; 2. To include the excluded; 3. To say “I was wrong.” I believe you will have a special talent for all three of these brave actions in the coming weeks, Virgo. Amazingly, you’re also more likely than usual to be on the receiving end of those brave actions.

Congratulations in advance!

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When he was young, Libran poet W. S. Merwin had a teacher who advised him, “Don’t lose your arrogance yet. You can do that when you’re older. Lose it too soon, and you may merely replace it with vanity.” I think that counsel is wise for you to meditate on right now. Here’s how I interpret it: Give honour and respect to your fine abilities. Salute and nurture your ripe talents. Talk to yourself realistically about the success you have accomplished. If you build up your appreciation for what is legitimately great about you, you won’t be tempted to resort to false pride or selfabsorbed egotism.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In his absurdist play Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett offers us two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, who patiently wait for a white-bearded man named Godot. They’re convinced he will provide them with profound help, perhaps even salvation. Alas, although they wait and wait and wait, Godot never arrives. Near the end, when they have abandoned hope, Vladimir says to Estragon, “We are not saints, but we have kept our appointment.” My sense is that you Scorpios, like Vladimir and Estragon, may be close to giving up your own vigils. Please don’t! I believe your personal equivalent to Godot will ultimately appear. Summon more patience.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Poet Charles Wright has testified, “I admire and revere and am awed by a good many writers. But Emily Dickinson is the only writer I’ve ever read who knows my name, whose work has influenced me at my heart’s core, whose music is the music of songs I’ve listened to and remembered in my very body.” In my astrological reckoning, now is an excellent time for you Sagittarians to identify artists and creators who provide you with similar exaltation. And if there are no Emily Dickinson-type influences in your life, find at least one! You need to be touched and transformed by sublime inspiration.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I’ve read and studied poetry for many years, but only recently discovered Capricorn poet Lizette Woodworth Reese (1856–1935). How is it possible I missed her? Her contemporary, journalist H. L. Mencken, described her work as “one of the imperishable glories of American literature.” She received many other accolades while alive. But today, she is virtually unknown, and many of her books are out of print. In bringing her to your attention, I am announcing my prediction about you: Anything in your life that resembles Reese’s reputation will change in the next 12 months. If you have until now not gotten the recognition or gratitude you deserve, at least some of it will arrive.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Author Sophia Dembling defines a friend as a person who consoles you when you’re feeling desperate and with whom you don’t feel alone. A friend is someone whose life is interesting to you and who is interested in your life. Maybe most importantly, a friend must not be boring. What’s your definition, Aquarius? Now is an excellent time to get clear about the qualities you want in a friend. It’s also a favourable phase to seek out vital new friendships as you de-emphasize mediocre and overly demanding alliances.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do you or do you not wish to capitalize on the boost that’s available? Are you or are you not going to claim and use the challenging gift that would complicate your life but also expedite your growth?

Act soon, Pisces! If you don’t, the potential dispensation may disappear. This is an excellent chance to prove you’re not afraid of achieving more success and wielding more power. I hope you will summon the extra courage necessary to triumph over shyness and timidity. Please claim your rightful upgrade!

Homework: What has been your favourite mistake in the past 10 months? 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

SLRD ELECTORAL AREA C

Pub ic Notice is hereby given in accordance w th Section 466 of the Local Government Act that a Public Hearing will be held electronically regarding the fol owing bylaws:

1 “Squamish L llooet Regional District Electoral Area C Zoning Bylaw No 765, 2002, Amendment Bylaw No 1721 2022” (Bylaw No 1721 2022)

2 “Squamish L llooet Regional District Electoral Area C Official Community Plan Bylaw No 689, 1999 Amendment Bylaw No 1722 2022” (Bylaw No 1722 2022)

The area covered by Bylaws 1721 2022 and 1722 2022 includes all of the land described as “Parcel A District Lot 4901, L llooet Land District Plan 11938 and DL4901 L llooet Land District except plans 11938 and EPP 10321” and shown on the following map:

PURPOSE OF BYLAW No 1721 2022

The purpose of the zoning amendment bylaw is to address the provincial requirements for land use contract termination and the non conforming situation of the current underlying RR1 zoning The current Rural 1 zone is proposed to be replaced with a zone that reflects the development in the two communities. For clarity, only minor changes to what is currently provided for under Land Use Contract Authorization Bylaw No 88, 1976 will be contemplated under this staff initiated zoning amendment Uses such as lodge, and the broad range of commercial and industrial uses have been removed as these are not deemed appropriate given the currently known geohazard risk. A 100 m2 retail use will be allowed a Site 73 only

The proposed zoning wil apply to the 152 sites that comprise Lillooet Lake Estates and the 18 sites that comprise Heather Jean Properties.

RR LLHJ Lillooet Lake Heather Jean Zone Summary of New Zoning

• Permitted uses provide for one single fami y dwel ing per site, trailers ( f specified requirements are met) an accessory building

• Tota Floor Area of all buildings on a site must not exceed 500 m2

• No building shall exceed 10 metres in height

• M nimum parcel area for new subdivisions shall be 1200 square metres.

• Provisions are also included for Common Areas and Works Areas

PURPOSE OF BYLAW No 1722 2022

Bylaw No 1722 2022 is proposed to establish a new L llooet Lake Heather Jean Debris F ow Hazard Development Permit Area

The following are the proposed guide ines respecting how the above special conditions wil be addressed and apply to all lands in Lil ooet Lake Estates and Heather Jean Estates:

a Where possible, development should be sited to avoid hazards Where impossible or impract cal to avoid hazards, mitigation measures may be required

b Conditions relating to the permitted uses, dens ty or scale of buildings should be imposed as necessary to reduce potential hazard to acceptable levels

c Applications for land alteration/disturbance subdivision or building permits shall include a site specific report from a qual fied Professional Engineer or Professional Geoscientist (with expertise in creek hazards) that identifies potential risk from debris flow hazards and proposed risk reduction measures if required for safe use

d The report sha l include professional certification that the land/building may be safely used for the purpose intended

e Deve opment Permits shall be in accordance with the recommendations of the appl cable geohazard report or reports includ ng required mitigative measures

f Where development also falls within other DP areas, geohazard report shal be coordinated with other required reports to create a comprehensive development permit application

INFORMATION

A copy of the proposed bylaws and relevant background documents may be inspected at the Regional Distr ct office, 1350 Aster Street, Pemberton, BC, during office hours 8:00 am to 4:30 pm from October 10, 2022 to October 27, 2022 not including weekends and statutory holidays or on the SLRD website at www slrd bc.ca/LillooetLakeEstates_HeatherJeanProperties_OCP The public hearing is to be chaired by

Area C Director Russe l Mack as a delegate of the SLRD Regional Board

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

All persons who bel eve that their interest in the

be heard

persons

s affected by the proposed bylaw shall be afforded

to present written

submit

respecting matters contained in the

V0N 2L0

Written submissions

2 Participate

The

Conferencing

slrd/notices three days prior to the Public Hearing You may also call the Planning Department three days prior to the Public Hearing at 604 894 6371 to get the og in information

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Sales Associates

At the Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) our vision of ‘Service. Relationships. Results.’ is all about providing a valued service, building strong relationships with our stakeholders, and achieving greater results for the province.

The LDB is one of two branches of government responsible for the cannabis and liquor industry of B.C. We operate the wholesale distribution of beverage alcohol within the province, as well as the household retail brand of BC Liquor Stores.

We employ nearly 5,000 people in over 200 communities and have been named one of BC’s Top Employers 14 times over for offering exceptional places to work rooted in values of fairness and respect, work-life balance, and inclusion and diversity. We believe that our people are our greatest asset. Being a reputable employer with programs of skills training and professional development are what attract candidates to BC Liquor Stores, while our progressive, forward-thinking culture is why employees with a growth mindset thrive.

Auxiliary positions are on-call, meaning hours of work are not guaranteed and subject to availability. Some auxiliary employees may not initially work a full 35-hour week, but with more hours worked and more seniority gained, more opportunities for more hours of work will follow.

Auxiliary positions are not permanent full-time but can lead to permanent full-time opportunities with a very competitive total compensation package, including a comprehensive pension plan, medical and dental coverage (including massage and physiotherapy), tuition reimbursement and scholarship programs, and access to public service employee benefits including career support services, financial and legal services, and employee and family counselling.

We are dedicated to the highest quality of customer service, delivered with friendliness, individual pride, initiative, and retail passion! If you fit this description and you are prepared to work in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply to become a part of the Whistler area BC Liquor Stores.

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following qualification requirements:

Be at least 19 years of age

Be able to legally work in Canada

• Be able to provide excellent customer service

• Be able to communicate effectively and professionally with the public

• Be able to demonstrate aptitude for cashier and related duties, including calculations

• Be able to perform physically demanding work, including lifting 20-25 kg boxes

• Have a valid Serving It Right Certificate™

We are currently hiring the following positions for projects in WHISTLER.

We are currently hiring the following positions for projects in WHISTLER.

Journeymen Carpenters (5+ years)

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Skilled Labourers

Skilled Labourers

• A Criminal Record Check is required.

BC Liquor Store Sales Associates may be required to operate a variety of mechanical and hand-operated equipment, in addition to handling large volumes of bottles as part of the LDB’s recycling program.

Rates of Pay as of April 11, 2021: Auxiliary Sales Associate - $19.45 per hour

Seasonal Sales Associate - $18.08 per hour

We offer competitive pay, a benefits package, company cell phone plan, interesting projects, a collaborative team environment, and a chance to improve your existing skills.

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We offer competitive pay, a benefits package, company cell phone plan, interesting projects, a collaborative team environment, and a chance to improve your existing skills.

On November 1, 2021

BC Public Service announced the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

We are looking for dedicated team players who want to join a rapidly growing company and establish a long-term career in construction.

We are looking for dedicated team players who want to join a rapidly growing company and establish a long term career in construction.

Please forward your resume to Lea@gccltd.ca

Please forward your resume to Lea@gccltd.ca

defines the conditions and expectations for BC Public Service employees regarding

COVID-19. Among other possible measures, proof of vaccination will be required. It is a term of acceptance of employment that you agree to comply with all

More information can be found

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All out of pies and wingnuts

IN DISCUSSING the council hopefuls with a friend, the comment was made that one of them didn’t seem to think the housing “crisis” was necessarily the most important issue. This, of course, was so contrary to the hair-on-fire stance most have taken.

“Well, I’m not sure that candidate was wrong,” I said.

Ducking the object thrown at me, I explained that employee-restricted housing is, and has been, being built as fast as the Whistler Development Corp. and Whistler Housing Authority can get them financed and built. Yeah, I, like everyone else, agree

there is a crying need for more housing. But short of another Athletes’ Village for a 2030 Olympics or bringing in a fleet of ATCO trailers and building what’s generally referred to as a man camp, new housing is coming available as quickly as possible.

Consider, since 2018, at least one new building has been built and occupied every year. Two are likely to be started in 2023 and another not far behind.

Consider also the Resort Municipality of Whistler has, for almost 30 years now, understood the importance of building employee-restricted/retiree housing. But the municipality has never embraced, as some candidates believe it should, building seasonal employee housing, leaving that task, largely, to Whistler Blackcomb (WB) and other businesses.

It’s an option. And some day there may be enough hue and cry to go that direction. But one problem with seasonal employee housing is, well, it’s seasonal. Ask WB how many of their housing units are empty in the non-ski season. Think of the cost of holding housing inventory that isn’t generating any rental income. And no matter what you may have heard, more housing isn’t going to magically solve our lack of staff. Canada has nearly 1 million jobs it can’t fill from sea to sea to sea. And there are employers in Whistler who need staff and have empty staff housing. It’s not that simple.

The cost of proposed solutions seemed to be largely absent in discussing “solutions” at the all-candidates sessions. Whether it was “free” transit, regional transit, more housing or a host of others, virtually none of the hopefuls had any ideas about how to pay for those things. Oops, not true. The idea that kept coming up was, “Get the province to give us more money.” Cue an eyeroll from the sitting councillors. You have any idea how much time is spent trying to get the province, BC Housing, the federal government and others to provide more funds/grants so Whistler can meet its needs? The answer is “lots.”

There was such nonsense being tossed around the room during the all-candidates session on Sept. 28 I was left with two thoughts. First, I believe everyone who

put their name forward did so with good intentions. No one seemed to just need a job and, hey, why not councillor? Second, I was saddened so few had put in the time to really get to know how council works, what it can and can’t do, and how important it is to understand issues in-depth instead of reducing them to buzzwords and half-baked ideas. I mean, that’s my job, not councillors’.

And sadly, I realized halfway through the evening I’d have to give up on my idea of rating the candidates on my Pie-in-the-Sky and Wingnut system. I’d completely run out of pies and wingnuts early in the evening.

But in the end, it didn’t really matter. Working on the assumption the incumbents

respectable number of votes.

He also received a lot of praise and advice from well-connected people in town who told him to persevere, jump into the community with both feet and involve himself as much as he possibly could.

He did just that.

He joined committees, did volunteer work and applied for so many board positions for so many community groups the standing joke became, “Who other than Jeff applied?” He brought his skills and his critical way of thinking as an accountant and finance guy to the posts he managed to land and he impressed people with his willingness to do the work that needed to

When Jesse announced she was running, her first interview was not a success. Rather than doubling down on it, she went to work convincing a lot of well-placed people in town to give her their time and the benefit of their wisdom on the most important issues of the day.

Her transformation has been dramatic. She can speak knowledgeably to the most important challenges to the town’s future, a future she and her young family will be living. More importantly, she has a track record of community engagement in a number of volunteer activities no one would think of as stepping stones to politics or as resume padding, but are very much bread-and-butter, community-building efforts. She’s the genuine article.

Finally, Rhonda Millikin has an impressive resume in government, a scientific background and a critical way of thinking deeply about complicated issues. Through her environmental consulting firm and membership on the RMOW’s Forests and Wildlands Advisory Committee, she has hands-on experience with the political process. Her contributions resulted in a Civic Service Award from the municipality.

were going to be re-elected—and finding it hard to believe if they weren’t, there wouldn’t possibly be more than one of them who wasn’t—I grew comfortable understanding it was okay to only find three wannabes I had a level of comfort with.

For me, weirdly, it was the 3M solution: Murl, Morden, Millikin.

Four years ago, Jeff Murl ran for council. He was relatively new in town. He had history in Whistler but hadn’t lived here that long. Still, he demonstrated enough level-headedness and promise to garner a

be done to move issues toward resolution. Pretty much the definition of what councillors do.

As a bonus, he hits the sweet spot demographically for anyone who believes we would benefit from getting younger blood on council. He understands the issues confronting the next generation of this town’s leaders and he’s ready to work hard to move Whistler toward whatever we end up becoming.

Unexpectedly, I’ve come to the conclusion Jesse Morden can do so as well.

She has been active on the board of AWARE and is committed to making progress on environmental issues.

That’s it. That’s my take on who, among those running, I’d be most comfortable seeing take a seat at the council table for the next four years. It’s just my opinion and sharing my opinions is what I get paid to do. Take it or leave it. Your choice. One way or another you have to make up your own mind.

Oh, and you have to put your choice to work. You have to vote.

BY G.D. MAXWELL I was saddened so few had put in the time to really get to know how council works, what it can and can’t do…

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