Pique Newsmagazine 3011

Hope is the thing with feathers

A Whistler poet explores the beauty of bird feathers, which have sat at the centre of culture, art and mythology for centuries. - By Mary MacDonald

14 HOMING IN The Resort Municipality of Whistler is finally developing Whistler’s first long-term housing strategy—but how will social housing factor in?

15 LASTING LEGACY Remembering Whistler

Question founder Paul Burrows, the resort’s first newsman.

24 CLASS DISMISSED

Parents in D’Arcy are expressing frustration after the Sea to Sky School District opted to revert Blackwater Creek Elementary to a K-3 school.

34 MIGHTY HAWKS In an underdog tale for the ages, Whistler’s U13 Winterhawks overcame an underwhelming regular season en route to a Final Four championship.

16 PROVINCIAL COFFERS Whistler officials are happy to see investments in housing and health-care in the provincial budget—but there’s still no money for regional transit in the Sea to Sky.

40 STEVE AND EVE Whistler author Paul Shore is celebrating the launch of his new graphic novel series, Steve and Eve Save the Planet, on March 19.

COVER A self-taught artist who moved to Whistler from the U.K. in 2019 and launched Proper Artsy in 2021, Bryony mostly paints in a unique realism-meets-surrealism style, using gouache. Her main passion is painting animals, and she is currently working on a Canadian animal collection, which includes animals found locally in B.C.

- By Bryony Dique // @properartsy

// www.properartsy.com

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08 OPENING REMARKS AI programs like ChatGPT can serve as helpful assistants—just be ready to fact-check, writes editor Braden Dupuis.

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers keep the discussion going about the Northlands development, Highway 99 and Rainbow Park.

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST After a trip to his hometown ski hill of Sun Peaks, columnist Robert Wisla poses a question: are all B.C. ski towns booming?

62 MAXED OUT G.D. Maxwell offers up some Epic™ tips for visitors hoping to survive Whistler’s spring break chaos.

29 THE OUTSIDER The best thing we can all do—if we consider ourselves responsible backcountry citizens—is lead by example, writes Vince Shuley.

38 FORK IN THE ROAD This World Water Day, just say no to bottled water, writes columnist Glenda Bartosh.

40 MUSEUM MUSINGS Looking back at the two-machine fleet that used to keep Whistler’s slopes groomed in the early days of the resort.

Whistler is the best ski resort on Earth (says ChatGPT)

AFTER WEEKS of ignoring it, probably out of some primal, unspoken fear of technology and the future, I took the ChatGPT plunge this week.

So, of course, I used my first query to put all the haters and doubters to rest.

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

“What is the best ski resort in the world?” I asked.

After a short disclaimer about it being “difficult” to name the single “best” ski resort due to things like “individual preferences and priorities,” the machine did not disappoint.

Whistler Blackcomb is No. 1, my new robot friend said, before waxing poetic about its 8,100 acres (3,277 hectares) of skiable terrain, stunning scenery and lively après scene.

(Courchevel, France; Verbier, Switzerland; Aspen Snowmass, Colo.; and Niseko, Japan rounded out the top 5, in case you were curious.)

Inspired and mildly impressed, I decided to put ChatGPT to the test, and asked it to “write me a poem about a big, fat bear in Whistler, B.C. who befriends a stinky little marmot.”

I thought this request had stumped the robot at first, before it slowly began to compose:

“In the mountains of Whistler, so grand,” it began.

Good start.

“Lived a big, fat bear, mighty and grand.” Brilliant, ChatGPT. Real timeless prose you’re generating here.

Rhyming “grand” with “grand” was just the start. Other genius turns of phrase penned by the inimitable AI: rhyming “full” with “dull”; “marmot” with “solid”; and “harm” with “warm.”

Also, there was only one reference to the marmot being stinky, and it didn’t factor in to the poem’s narrative at all. Real bush league stuff.

Let’s just say I would not be comfortable submitting ChatGPT’s first effort to the mayor’s annual Poet’s Pause Competition.

But then, the outputs you get from ChatGPT are a direct result of the inputs—and the related context—provided.

As such, my dumb little poem prompt barely scratched the surface. Dig a little deeper, and you start to see the true potential of ChatGPT.

Inside of half an hour, I had prompted the program to produce mostly accurate, entirely accessible summaries on Whistler’s history, its Official Community Plan, and the logic behind the bed cap.

It made me helpful lists of things to do in the resort, and even the best times to find a table at a restaurant in Whistler Village.

When you really learn how to speak to it,

current iteration.

One query about housing under construction in the resort prompted an impressive-looking response—that contained within it some certified, unverifiable nonsense.

The response began by accurately describing the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s target, set in 2017, of creating 1,000 new beds in five years. The accuracy ended there, as it then told me the municipality approved construction of “the Northlands project” in 2020, “which will provide 177 new units.” Northlands is still a long ways out from construction, and I have yet to determine where exactly ChatGPT got the 177 figure from.

Even more perplexing was its next example of Whistler’s housing progress: a 185-unit development it called “Rainbow Crossing.”

As far as I can tell, this is an entirely fictional development; an amalgamation of reports and terms ChatGPT compiled and spat back at me.

To be clear: there is no 185-unit “Rainbow Crossing” project being developed by the WHA south of Whistler. ChatGPT couldn’t tell me where it got the bad info, but my best guess is it’s confusing work underway in Cheakamus Crossing with project(s) recently completed in Rainbow.

This kind of confident-but-factuallyincorrect response is common among language models, and is referred to as “artificial intelligence hallucination.”

AI—it’s just like us! Laughably confident even in the face of embarrassing ineptitude and incompetence.

Either way, the tech clearly needs some fine-tuning before it’s revolutionizing our workflows (or stealing our jobs) in earnest.

For as confident and convincing as ChatGPT’s responses are, it is still just a computer program regurgitating our own knowledge back at us—for now, at least.

Since it launched in November, there has been no shortage of think pieces on

ChatGPT can be used to generate discussion papers, planning materials, and project outlines; create story templates, fact-check copy and even suggest alternate headlines.

It all seems great, at first glance, and the tool will have obvious applications for journalism and news creation moving forward. But on closer examination, you start to see where the tech is still lacking in its

Intrigued, I asked it to tell me more about Rainbow Crossing.

It is a 185-unit development project in Whistler’s Rainbow neighbourhood, “which is situated in the southern end of Whistler,” ChatGPT told me confidently, adding that the project began in 2021, will be complete by 2024, and is being developed in conjunction with the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA).

ChatGPT—and there are clearly many moral, ethical and professional knots to untie as we work towards the proper implementation of artificial intelligence in society.

In the meantime, ChatGPT can serve as a helpful research assistant. Just make sure you’re double-checking its facts—and not setting expectations too high when it comes to the fine art of stinky-marmot poetry. ■

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Highway 99 needs immediate, temporary solutions

It seems I need to reiterate that the proposed use of traffic cones and manually operated traffic lights to reduce congestion on Highway 99 on the busy days is only a temporary solution. What might follow that will likely involve transit solutions, and maybe reduced car travel. Last week’s letter on the issue (“How to best optimize usage of Highway 99?” Pique, March 10) needs a contrarian view. Somebody’s “research” may show that traffic congestion does not increase greenhouse gases, but one merely needs to consider the physics of energy consumption per time, rather than kilometre/ litre, to see that, yes, emissions go up with gridlock. We are likely to see an increase in car traffic as EV numbers increase, and may see a decrease in transit, but this does not mitigate or change the argument for an immediate and temporary solution to what is going on now.

We have a two-lane highway through town because a previous council thought this form of social engineering would reduce the number of cars coming to Whistler. One could ask how well this is working. Providing bike lanes and encouraging walking from Function to Whistler for that period when the highway is snowcovered will, in my view, be as ineffective, and

I ask if any reader views the bike rider with skis on the side as a way to get the majority of skiers to the hill.

Al Whitney // Whistler

Rainbow Park construction should take place in the fall

This letter was sent to Whistler’s mayor and council and shared with Pique.

First, I want to thank you for listening to

Whistler residents who are concerned about the construction involved with the Rainbow Park project, planned for either this summer into fall 2023, or this fall into spring 2024.

My main concern is the choice of seasons to start the work of redevelopment versus the attendance in other parks, and mainly Lost Lake Park.

For a few years, I have lived just at the entrance of Lost Lake Park, and I frequent it every day because I love swimming and biking.

Since COVID, I have noticed a very large

increase [in visitation to Lost Lake], last summer being the worst year. I saw people invading places on the edge of the lake that were never frequented before. I also discovered a place where people lit fires, and I had to inform the bylaw department. Moreover, the dog beach has been adopted by several young people to party, not to mention the nudie dock and the warming hut.

There is hardly any surveillance around the

lake, apart from a very few bylaw officers who ride their bikes on the Valley Trail.

If you close Rainbow Park this summer, imagine the crowds that will head to Lost Lake… Did you think about something to control this huge amount of visitors who will invade Lost Lake, which is a very small lake already suffering from overcrowding and pollution?

If you close Rainbow Park this summer, it will cause a lot of damage to all the other parks and lakes.

Thank you for considering my request to

Short description of property listing - no more than 30 words. Git, tem am ea sant omnis alitio de sa es quis maios eate dolupti quid quatumendus, ut excerferiae ommostori cum quaecep tatibus.

Short description of property listing - no more than 30 words. Git, tem am ea sant omnis alitio de sa es quis maios eate dolupti quid quatumendus, ut excerferiae ommostori cum quaecep tatibus.

1 BED I 1 BATH I 537 SQFT Whistler Upper Village

Short description of property listing - no more than 30 words. Git, tem am ea sant omnis alitio de sa es quis maios eate dolupti quid quatumendus, ut excerferiae ommostori cum quaecep tatibus.

Short description of property listing - no more than 30 words. Git, tem am ea sant omnis alitio de sa es quis maios eate dolupti quid quatumendus, ut excerferiae ommostori cum quaecep tatibus.

“[I]magine the crowds that will head to Lost Lake...”

- HÉLÈNE CASTONGUAY

#203 - 1080 Millar Creek Road, Whistler British Columbia, V8E0S7

2 BED I 2 BATH I 859 SQFT Whistler Creekside

1 BED I 1 BATH I 517 SQFT Whistler Village

2 BED I 2 BATH I 958 SQFT Whistler Upper Village

postpone the date for the Rainbow Park project to the fall.

Hélène Castonguay // Whistler

Could Whistler Racket Club move to Spruce Grove?

The obvious choice for a new location for the Whistler Racket Club is at Spruce Grove next to the netball courts.

[As the Resort Municipality of Whistler rezones the Northlands], the valuable space in

the village for housing has priority over a sport that can relocate easily.

Just the space above the courts is another place seniors, or the low-income families that run this town, could live.

I sympathize with the Whistler Racket Club. I love going there, and some of my best meals have been over fireworks in the village—find another venue to let the space you want for your sport be occupied by hard-working locals for generations.

Michael Deschenes // Whistler ■

Backcountry Update

AS OF TUESDAY, MARCH 14

It has been a stormy week, with cold temperatures and snow to the valley bottom. Last weekend’s storm brought nearly 60 centimetres to the Sea to Sky region, which has been accompanied by strong wind from various directions. Another storm cycle is expected to hit on Thursday, and will bring additional snow (forecasts are calling for up to 20 cm) and wind. Reactive storm slabs, wind slabs, and cornice fall have been the name of the game, and will likely persist through the weekend. The weather outlook shows continued cold temperatures, reverse winds from the east, and periods of sunshine.

This may create new avalanche problems in unexpecting terrain. Wind slabs could form on opposite slopes, catching you by surprise. Periods of sun may trigger loose dry and wet surface avalanches from steeper terrain features. The March sun can weaken and change the snow surface rapidly, even if the air temperature remains cold. Just 30 minutes of sun at this time of year can have a significant effect on the snowpack. Watch out for wind-loaded areas and continue to make

conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.

It’s also important to remember that this is not a typical coastal snowpack. A persistent slab problem is lingering in areas west of the Sea to Sky Highway. A persistent slab problem can catch backcountry recreationists by surprise, because the hazard is not always obvious. Avoid areas where the snowpack is shallow, like rocky start zones, wind-affected terrain near ridge crests, steep terrain where the snowpack is shallow, and areas where the snowpack transitions from thin to thick.

Continue to select more conservative terrain and practise good travel techniques, like not having your whole group on a slope at the same time and having your escape route mapped out before committing to a line. Larger triggers like cornice falls or smaller surface avalanches may be enough to step down to the deeper layers, initiating very large and destructive slab avalanches.

As always, be sure to track the forecasts and advice at avalanche.ca to get the most up-to-date information before heading out for the weekend. ■

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

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FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN INVITATION FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Regional Districts are required to adopt a five-year financial plan, setting out the proposed expenditures and funding sources for each service. The financial plan is to be made available for public consultation.

Accordingly, members of the public are encouraged to provide written submissions and comments on the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s 2023-2027 Draft Financial Plan Submissions and comments should be forwarded to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District by one of the following means:

Mail: Box 219, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0

Email: info@slrd.bc.ca

The 2023-2027 Draft Financial Plan is available for review on the SLRD website at: www.slrd.bc.ca.

CALL FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS

Applications are now being accepted for our April 1st, 2023 Spring Funding Deadline

The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation is dedicated to providing financial support to community groups and charities whose activities provide benefit to residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor in the areas of health, human services, education, recreation, arts & culture and the environment Special emphasis is placed on children, youth and family programs For more information, eligibility requirements and to complete an application, please visit our website at whistlerblackcombfoundation com Or contact Mei Madden, Executive Director at mmadden@whistlerblackcombfoundation.com

����� �� �������� Zoning Amendment Bylaw - No Public Hearing to be Held

Zoning Amendment Bylaw (Cheakamus Crossing Phase 2 RM-CD2 Zone) No. 2390, 2023 (the “proposed Bylaw”)

Purpose: ��� ������� �� ��� �������� ����� �� �� ����� ��� ������ ���� �� ����� ��������� density on Lot 2B at 1450 Mount Fee Road. The bylaw proposes to increase the building ������� ����� ���� ���� ������ ���� ����� ���� ������ ���� ��������� ��� �� ������ the south side setback for Lot 2B and the required parking to a minimum of one stall per dwelling unit ���� ������� ������� ������� ��� ����� ���� �������� �� ������ ��� ���������� �� ������ parking for Lot 4, and to update the key plan associated with the RM-CD2 zone.

Subject Lands: The lands that are the subject of the proposed Bylaw are shown on the map

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Bylaw Readings: ������������ �� ��� ���� ��� ������ �������� �� ��� �������� ����� ���� ��

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Resor t Municipality of Whistler whistler ca/RZ001179

Is every ski town in B.C. booming?

OVER CHRISTMAS and more recently, during some time off in February, I got a chance to head back to my old stomping grounds in the Interior and take some time to experience the ski hills I grew up learning on with some of my family.

From the tiny Harper Mountain, with its family-run ski hill and fantastic hearthwarmed lodge (and one of my favourite spots

BY ROBERT WISLA

rwisla@piquenewsmagazine.com

in the province), to the second-largest ski resort in Canada: Sun Peaks. With barely any lines and fantastic, dry fluffy powder, I began to miss my hometown ski hills.

Coming back to Sun Peaks for the first time in many years, I was astonished to see the amount of growth that had taken place in the little village since I left for the Kootenays and then Whistler. Numerous new townhomes and chalets had sprouted up at the old Burfield chairlift; the village centre bustled with new businesses; and the edges of town seemed to have moved further away as new chalets climbed out towards each end of the valley.

But Sun Peaks’ expansion shouldn’t have surprised me. It’s one thing to read

news stories about the community’s rapid growth—seeing it in person was another experience entirely.

Between 2016 and 2021, the Mountain Resort Municipality of Sun Peaks grew at the fastest rate of any municipality in the province, its population rising from 616 people to more than 1,404 within five years—a 128-per-cent growth rate.

in the near future to deal with overcrowding.

I have mixed feelings about seeing all of this happen at my hometown ski hill. I imagine this is what the first generations of Whistler skiers felt like as their Tiny Town grew from a smattering of mid-mountain lifts, A-frame cabins and hippy shacks into an international ski tourist mecca.

In 40 years, Whistler went from a

municipality in the province you can call a “ski town” is booming.

Between 2016 and 2021, Fernie grew by 17.1 per cent; Invermere by 15.5 per cent; Rossland by 11 per cent; Revelstoke by 9.4 per cent; Kimberly by 9.3 per cent; Golden by 7.5 per cent; and although it’s not an official municipality, Big White’s unincorporated area’s population surged by a massive margin—from 251 to 991 people, a 294.8-per-cent increase.

Many of these towns don’t entirely rely on their local ski resorts for economic and population growth. Other factors and industries will of course play a role in new developments, depending on where you are in the province. Still, the resorts in these areas play a significant role in employing people and driving considerable immigration and tourism to these towns.

When I started skiing Sun Peaks in the early 2000s, it was a different kind of place entirely. Of course, the ski lifts were consistently popular with international tourists and locals coming from Kamloops, but the year-round permanent resident was more rare. That’s not the case anymore.

The town’s permanent population has grown so much that parents have had to turn the old ski school into a district-recognized day school, with plans to build a new school

municipality with the same population Sun Peaks now has (1,369 people in 1980), to a “city in denial,” as Pique columnist Andrew Mitchell recently put it, with 14,000-plus permanent residents and a growth rate close to 20 per cent.

Given the expansion of Sun Peaks, and knowing what we do about Whistler’s surging population, I had to ask: is this the case across all of the province’s ski towns?

The short answer is, yes: Nearly every

People arrive from around the world to work and play in B.C.’s ski towns and, in many cases, come for the powder and stay for the rest of their lives. With new remote work capabilities, more and more people are turning their second homes into permanent residences, further compounding growth pressures.

As long as B.C.’s ski towns keep getting snow in the mountains (and maybe even long after that), people are going to want to move to them. My hometown ski hill might one day be the Whistler of the Interior. While that might be hard to imagine right now, as a child growing up, I never imagined it would have more than 1,000 people today. ■

I have mixed feelings about seeing all of this happen at my hometown ski hill. I imagine this is what the first generations of Whistler skiers felt like...

The RMOW is finally developing Whistler’s first long-term housing strategy

FOR A QUARTER CENTURY, THE MUNICIPALITY HAS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON WORKFORCE HOUSING; LOCAL SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROVIDERS ARE HOPEFUL THAT CHANGES SOON

BY BRANDON BARRETT

FOR A RESORT COMMUNITY that has suffered the effects of an affordable housing shortage for years, if not decades, you might be surprised to learn Whistler has never had an official long-term housing strategy in place.

“We need one, and there’s work to do on it,” said Mayor Jack Crompton following the Feb. 21 council meeting that offered more insight into the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) overarching 2023-26 Strategic Plan. That’s not to say the RMOW hasn’t taken a long view at its housing landscape in the past, however.

“This might be the first time we have developed something called a long-term housing strategy, but it’s definitely not the first time we have applied a long-term view to our housing challenges,” Crompton said in a follow-up interview this week. “Developing the Whistler Housing Authority and the Whistler Development Corporation (WDC), investing in affordable home ownership and a large inventory of municipally owned rental housing are all examples of that long-term strategy at work.”

By the numbers, there is arguably no other Canadian community of comparable size that has done more to deliver employee-restricted

housing than Whistler has. Since the Whistler Housing Authority’s (WHA) founding in 1997, the municipal subsidiary has facilitated more than 7,000 employee rental and ownership beds, and has, for years, maintained its stated goal of housing at least three-quarters of the resort’s eligible workforce locally. The WHA model is taught in textbooks and has been held up both nationally and internationally as a model for affordable housing.

But, of course, workforce housing is but one small segment of the housing spectrum.

“A lot of the approach has been centred around the WDC and the WHA … but we should also recognize that their successes haven’t resulted in housing being any more affordable or more attainable for many,” said Sean Easton, co-executive director of Whistler-based supportive housing and employment provider Zero Ceiling, which has been committed to ending youth homelessness since launching in 1997, the same year as the WHA. “How are we going to start approaching things differently? WHA was progressive 25 years ago when it started, and they’ve been doing great things over that time, but now we need something else to be progressive.”

There are signs of change, however. In last year’s provincially mandated housing needs assessment, the RMOW acknowledged the need for transitional and emergency housing in Whistler, which would represent a seismic shift in Whistler’s approach to housing.

The RMOW is also working with a Squamish-based consultant, Jessie Abraham Planning and Development, to create Whistler’s first Vulnerable Populations

Housing Needs Assessment, expected for completion by October.

“The purpose of the assessment is to identify the existing supply of and community need for housing for vulnerable populations. Vancouver Coastal Health is a key collaborator and funder of the project,” said a municipal communications official, in an email. “While the project approach is still in the process of being finalized, stakeholder engagement and consultation with local and regional housing and service providers will be a key component.”

Easton, who also serves on the board of the revamped Whistler Valley Housing Society (WVHS), is hopeful Sea to Sky non-profits with experience in social housing, such as Zero Ceiling, the Sea to Sky Community Services Society, the Howe Sound Women’s Centre, and the Whistler Independent Supported Housing Society will not only be at the table to consult with the municipality, but could be considered as potential partners on delivering supportive housing—and he believes they’re well equipped to do so.

“Provincial and federal funding mandates have moved to prioritize marginalized groups and low-income families, and the WHA’s mandate has stayed focused on workforce housing, which hasn’t been as much of a priority for granting,” Easton said. “I think there’s a bit of a disconnect in understanding the potential partnership that can be gained between non-profit housing providers and the RMOW. I’m not quite sure what the disconnect is.”

Asked if the RMOW would consider partnering with such organizations, Crompton said he is open to the idea, but hinted that the

WVHS is likely better suited to the task.

“We’ll learn a lot from this report. I expect it to have some insights about exactly how our community can be a part of coming up with solutions,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what that will look like on the other side of the report, but certainly our minds are open to coming up with solutions. I’m enthusiastic about the work of the WVHS and opportunities that could come out of their work. I’m hopeful that they’ll find ways to work with social service providers in our community.”

The WVHS has committed to helping facilitate the delivery of affordable housing that falls outside of the WHA’s purview, and has signed a letter of intent to purchase one of two incoming WDC-developed buildings slated for Cheakamus Crossing, while the WHA is conducting a feasibility study to determine if it has the capacity to finance the other.

Housing is one of four core priorities settled on by municipal council and staff in its 2023-26 Strategic Plan, and Crompton said it is far and away the top priority—“and it’s not close.”

“Every conversation I have with every member of council, housing comes up,” he added.

Alongside its long-term housing strategy, as well as a commitment to expediting the delivery of existing projects, the RMOW will introduce a new Housing Action Plan, which will outline a number of initiatives aimed at improving housing availability within Whistler’s neighbourhoods.

“Our goal with those two items moving in parallel is that we take action on our housing needs right now and not wait until we know exactly what the future will hold,” Crompton said. “We’re planning for that future.”

Learn more at whistler.ca/housing. n

HOUSE RULES For a quarter century, the Resort Municipality of Whistler has primarily focused on workforce housing. Social housing providers across the Sea to Sky are hopeful that changes.

Paul Burrows, the resort’s first newsman, helped Whistler understand itself

THE WHISTLER QUESTION FOUNDER, FIRST HEAD OF SKI PATROL, ROTARIAN AND RABBLE-ROUSER DIED LAST WEEK AT 85

BY BRANDON BARRETT

AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL bid in 1975 to become Whistler’s first mayor, Paul Burrows was left to decide what was next for him in the nascent ski town.

Knowing he wanted to start his own business, Burrows, with the guidance of his wife, Jane, a local schoolteacher with a business degree, settled on two options: launching a bus company or starting the community’s first newspaper.

“Paul, being the practical moneyman that he was, knew there would be a lot of upfront capital costs involved with starting a bus company, while they could crank out a little newspaper on a Gestetner mimeograph machine,” said Pique columnist Glenda Bartosh, who worked for Burrows in the ’80s.

By the following year, Burrows had used that same machine to produce the inaugural issue of the Whistler Question on a sheets of bright yellow paper, stapled in one corner, and packed with text (“I guess you could call it a newspaper,” joked friend and Whistler Museum chair John Hetherington), mere months after the town had officially incorporated as a resort municipality.

In hindsight, heading Whistler’s first official paper of record proved to be an ideal fit for the ever-opinionated Englishman, a natural storyteller whose deep well of curiosity and passion for his community was evident in everything he did—even when his pull-no-punches approach rubbed folks the wrong way.

The community’s first dedicated newsman, early ski patroller, founding member of Whistler Search and Rescue and the Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium, died on Friday, March 10 in Salmon Arm. He was 85.

A man responsible for many local firsts,

Burrows was the first head of Whistler Mountain’s pro ski patrol when it opened for skiing in 1966.

“We were drinking from the firehose,” recalled BC Ski Hall of Famer and former Blackcomb Mountain president Hugh Smythe, who worked under Burrows as a patroller before taking over the team himself. “Everything that was going on on the mountain, we were just learning as we went. We developed safety programs, all kinds of logbooks and procedures. There was nothing before us.”

Burrows was also a founding member of Whistler Search and Rescue when it launched in 1972—known then as Alta Lake Search and Rescue—following a deadly avalanche that claimed the lives of four skiers. Fellow founding member Cliff Jennings described Burrows as a larger-than-life character who was quick with a bawdy tale or drinking song (accompanied by his trusty 12-string guitar), and who never seemed to run out of things to talk about.

“He was a talker. He would basically dominate the room, if he could,” he remembered. “He was a really nice guy. He had his quirks, and that was fine—we all put up with him.”

Those quirks seemed to serve Burrows well at the newspaper. Never one to shy away from controversy, the editor’s views were sometimes at odds with certain segments of the community. Displaying the prescience that would come to define his career, Burrows was an outspoken advocate for developing Whistler Village in its current location, then a hotly debated topic.

“There was a lot of controversy when I was on council, and Paul would take a side on stuff and sometimes he would agree with us, and sometimes he wouldn’t,” said Hetherington, who served on Whistler’s original council. (Burrows himself would go on to serve two terms on council.) “The developers all sort

BURROWING IN Paul Burrows, the larger-than-life, ever-opinionated Englishman, was an ideal fit to run Whistler’s first newspaper of record.

WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION / COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER MUSEUM

What’s in the B.C. budget for Whistler?

NDP BUMPS TOURISM FUNDING BY 5%—BUT STILL NO MONEY FOR REGIONAL TRANSIT

BY BRANDON BARRETT

THIS YEAR’S B.C. BUDGET offered a mixed bag as it pertains to Whistler, with increases in funding for tourism, housing, health-care and climate initiatives, but still no money on the way for one of the Sea to Sky’s longest-running provincial asks: regional transit.

Overall, the NDP has committed to a total of $81.2 billion in spending for the 2023-24 fiscal year, up from $79.1 billion in last year’s budget, with a particular emphasis on supporting British Columbians following a year of high inflation and rising costs across the board.

With historic investments in housing and active transportation, and pointed emphasis on climate action, emergency response and improving access to health-care, Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton said he was “struck by how closely aligned the provincial budget is with the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) priorities. I don’t say that every year.”

TOURISM

Budget 2023 saw a slight increase in tourism funding compared to last year, to $182 million, a 5.2-per-cent hike. That’s nearly double the 2.65-per-cent bump in spending across all provincial ministries, programs and agencies

this fiscal year, which begins April 1.

After several lean pandemic years, the provincial government has set an ambitious target of raising tourism industry revenues by 60 per cent this year, when compared to the $13.46 billion generated in 2021-22.

“Industry revenue is expected to increase as international travel builds toward a return to 2019 levels, but risks include the potential impact of worldwide inflation and ongoing COVID-19 cases as part of travel activity,” the budget read. While the number of tourism business in B.C. has remained relatively stable since 2019, overnight visitation in 2022 is estimated to be about 80 per cent of 2019 totals.

PAUL BURROWS FROM PAGE 15

of ganged up on council to try to sway us or prevent us from developing the village where it is today, because they all wanted it on their property. Of course, they were all fighting with each other at the same time.”

Bartosh, who was hired by Burrows in 1981 as a cub reporter, before purchasing the Question the following year, remembers him as a guiding force who placed immense faith in his staff in an era when editors tended to rule more by decree than consensus.

“He brought out the best in people.

Even with the industry’s continued recovery, the province warns that tourism is “particularly at risk this year due to world-wide belt-tightening in the face of the rising cost of living,” along with the added challenges around labour shortages, housing affordability and availability hindering tourism operators’ ability to attract and retain staff, and climate-related emergencies “such as fires, floods, and drought” that have “created havoc for an industry that relies on planning weeks or months in advance of travel.”

As a pandemic recovery contingency, the budget allocates $20 million towards a “tourism initiative envelope” intended to support the sector’s ongoing economic

recovery efforts for the sector, based on ministry priorities. Last year’s budget dedicated $25 million to this effort.

HOUSING

Housing is a significant focus in this year’s budget, with $4.2 billion through 2025 set aside for investments in housing priorities—the largest three-year housing investment in the province’s history.

That includes nearly $1.7 billion in operating and capital funding over the fiscal plan to help build thousands of homes, and SEE PAGE 18 >>

He trusted you and let you go. He was fairminded,” she said. “Another thing I always really appreciated about him: he treated women equally and as fair-mindedly as anyone. I never felt that discrimination that was so prevalent in newsrooms then.”

Looking back, among the many legacies Burrows leaves, is his dedication to capturing and preserving the distinct culture and history of Whistler at a vital time in its journey to becoming the world-class ski resort it is now.

“The way he ran the Question and

informally gathered stories in the community, you could really call him a citizen historian,” Bartosh said. “Nothing was too little or too corny. He always valued everyone’s stories. He didn’t just go to the mucky-mucks in the power chambers … He believed everybody had a story to tell and they were all important.”

Bartosh will be writing more about Burrows’ life and accomplishments outside of Whistler in an upcoming issue of Pique

-With files from Glenda Bartosh n

UP TO % OFF

$558 million to increase supports to income and disability assistance clients. That dovetails with a new income-tested tax credit, starting in 2024, that will see moderate- and low-income renters in B.C. eligible for as much as $400 a year. The province said the credit will help more than 80 per cent of B.C. renter households.

The NDP has set a goal of creating 3,000 new housing units every year over the next three years across various housing programs, including those focused on acquisitions. It has earmarked $394 million to acquire lands near transit-oriented developments for new affordable and market rental housing.

The challenge, in B.C. as in Whistler, is getting shovels into the ground. Due to a number of factors, including a lack of skilled labourers and permitting delays at the municipal level, construction can’t seem to keep pace with the demand for new housing.

Estimates in the NDP’s fiscal plan project 39,033 new housing starts in B.C. this year, a 16.5-per-cent decline from 2022. Projections for 2024 are even lower, at 37,037 housing starts.

The RMOW has identified housing as one of its core strategic priorities for the next four years, and as part of that effort, it has two main objectives: develop Whistler’s firstever long-term housing strategy, and expedite the development of employee housing (see related story on page 14).

“Our community is very much focused on addressing our housing needs and it seems the province is coming to the table in the same way,”

Crompton said. “We’ve had many provincially funded housing projects in our community over the years. Our hope is that we’ll see more of the same with investments like this.”

HEALTH-CARE

Recognizing the rising demand for health-care services in B.C., the NDP committed $2.6 billion across the health system over the next three years, funding that will, in part, enable additional supports for a growing and aging population, as well as to help address inflationary costs on medical supplies and equipment.

Addressing B.C.’s doctor shortage—an issue that, locally, the Whistler 360 Health Care Collaborative Society has committed to tackling—is another major focus in the 2023 budget. The fiscal plan provides targeted investments of $1 billion over three years to support the provincial health workforce strategy Victoria first announced in September. That strategy will add more doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, with an eye towards optimizing the overall health-care system to better manage workloads, while streamlining entry for health professionals trained outside of Canada.

Over that span, the province said new funding will create training programs and nearly 3,000 new post-secondary training seats, provide nearly 12,000 bursaries and more than 9,000 other training grants. The strategy is expected to create 1,700 new health-care positions in the province, and provide financial incentives for health-care staff to address critical worker shortages.

In January, Whistler 360 partnered with the Whistler Medical Clinic—the resort’s lone remaining family practice—to transition it to a non-profit financial model, with the aim of taking timely administrative duties out of the hands of physicians so they can spend more time on patient care.

The group’s ultimate goal is to establish a community-governed, team-based clinic that will provide longitudinal care to more patients, while addressing many of the issues that discourage physicians from pursuing careers in family practice in the first place.

TRANSPORTATION

This year’s budget includes $100 million in new funding to build active transportation networks across the province, the single largest investment in active transportation in B.C.’s history.

The funds, doled out over three years, will go towards improving sidewalks and pathways for pedestrians, installing bike lanes, building multi-use paths in parks for both pedestrians and cyclists, and other related active transportation infrastructure.

The RMOW has pegged active transportation as one of the key strategies to reduce the resort’s carbon emissions in order to meet its ambitious 2030 climate targets. Earlier this year, officials voted to raise municipal parking rates in several locations across Whistler, with the goal of reducing traffic congestion, increasing parking turnover and encouraging more people to use public transit or active modes of transportation.

On the transit front, the province doubled its capital investment for BC Transit, from $110

million to $223 million, but there was little in the way of funding to expand the Crown corporation’s service and no spending dedicated to intra-regional transit, which comes as a sore spot to Sea to Sky officials who have lobbied for such a service connecting Mount Currie to the corridor and beyond.

“I am so enthusiastic about these investments in housing, it feels strange to point to what’s not there, but the lack of investment in regional transit is disappointing,” said Crompton. “That said, we remain in conversation with the province about this and we are getting indications that there’s interest in trying to make something work. They recognize that there’s a problem, which is good.”

GROWTH

The RMOW joins municipalities across B.C. in receiving one-time provincial funding meant to address the needs of their growing communities. The $1-billion boost will be distributed across B.C.’s 188 municipalities and regional districts, based on a funding formula that reflects population size and growth. Whistler, which saw its permanent population grow by 19 per cent between 2016 and 2021, will receive $4,962,000 through the Growing Communities Fund. Squamish, with a population growth rate of 22 per cent in that same timeframe, will receive $6,285,000, while Pemberton, one of the fastest growing communities in B.C., with a five-year growth rate of 32 per cent, will receive $2,002,000. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, meanwhile, is set to receive $1,525,000. n

‘We’re going to talk about him for decades’: Fundraiser launched following death of longtime Whistler ski instructor Wayne Deane

DEANE—AN INSTRUCTOR, FRIEND, HUSBAND AND DAD—DIED SUDDENLY ON SUNDAY, MARCH 12 AT THE AGE OF 59

BY MEGAN LALONDE

WHISTLER’S COMMUNITY is mourning the shocking loss of a beloved longtime local and ski instructor, Wayne Deane, who died suddenly on Sunday, March 12.

Deane was an integral member of a crew that has “grown up together,” over the course of their approximately 30 years in the Sea to Sky, explained friend PJ O’Heany. “We’re all from somewhere else in Whistler. We’ve all got awesome families, and we create our own chosen family. And he was a big part of it.”

That crew is now rallying to support Deane’s wife and three daughters in the wake of his passing. A GoFundMe launched late on March 13, titled “Support for the family of Wayne Deane,” raised more than half of its $30,000 goal by the following afternoon.

Deane suffered a heart attack on Sunday afternoon, after having coffee with a longtime client-turned-friend, and calling his wife, Pam, to tell her he’d be home shortly. Deane, who turned 59 in January and worked for Whistler Blackcomb’s Snow School for more than 28 years, collapsed in a Whistler parking lot and passed away, leaving “a void that cannot be measured or expressed in words,”

the campaign’s description reads.

Deane was born in Penrith, Australia, where he was raised by his mom alongside two brothers and one sister, before finding his way to Whistler, where he raised his own three daughters—twins Cassidy and Chantal, and the youngest, JJ—with Pam.

Deane always “called it how he saw it,” said Bart Barczynski, Deane’s friend and general manager of adult programs and private lessons for Whistler Blackcomb’s snow school.

Pam would, jokingly, call her husband “grouchy,” which, as Barczynski explained, equated to Deane’s “happy state”—a put-on outward persona he would use to hide the love, kindness and generosity he extended to those around him.

“He loved the town, he loved his friends— he would have done anything for his friends,” Barczynski said. “There’s many times that he’s helped me, that I will never be able to repay him.”

Still, his family always came first. Deane “was an amazing dad” and “so proud of his kids,” said Barczynski.

As his daughters made their way through Whistler’s ski, soccer and basketball programs, Deane often took on the role of coach, said O’Heany. But outside of his family, Deane earned his own set of athletic achievements through his passions for skiing, surfing and

mountain biking.

Deane competed as a semi-pro surfer circuit in Australia, before moving to Canada, where—after a stint working as a chef in Toronto, said O’Heany—he traded the board for skis and went on to achieve the highest level of ski instructor certification possible.

He always prioritized his guests’ experience and was “instrumental” in local ski instructor training programs, helping

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budding instructors through their exams and maintaining friendships with his students as they rose through the levels, said O’Heany.

O’Heany said he has received more than 40 emails from clients from around the world expressing their condolences. “Everyone felt his genuineness,” he added. “He had a huge heart.”

Before his death, Deane was recovering from a double hip surgery he underwent in January of this year. He was recovering well, even walking without crutches weeks ahead of schedule, said O’Heany.

Deane “was on the mend,” Barczynski added. “I’ve never actually seen him this happy, ever. He was beaming because he was so excited about getting healthy. He was hurting—that’s why he got the hip surgery, and I guess he saw a light at the end of the tunnel. He was making all these plans of getting back into mountain biking, getting back into, obviously, skiing.”

Instead, Deane “is going to live a long time in our memories,” said O’Heany, “because we’re going to have lots of clients coming back every year who would have skied with Wayne or would have known him—we’re going to talk about him for decades.”

His laugh and bear hugs will be “sorely missed,” he added. n

IN MEMORIAM Longtime Whistler local Wayne Deane died suddenly on Sunday, March 12, at the age of 59.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

4340 Sundial Crescent Whistler, BC V8E 0X9

Whistler council approves funding for 78 employee rental units

TWO NEW EMPLOYEE RENTAL BUILDINGS IN CHEAKAMUS CROSSING PHASE 2 WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION NEXT MONTH THANKS TO FUNDING APPROVED BY RMOW

BY ROBERT WISLA

TWO NEW EMPLOYEE rental buildings in Cheakamus Crossing Phase 2 will soon begin construction thanks to funding approved by the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) mayor and council.

On March 7, council gave first three readings to a Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw amendment to use reserve funds to begin construction on 78 units of much-needed employee housing.

The project’s funding will come from the Cheakamus Crossing Affordable Employee Housing Reserve, which currently has about $15 million available in it and was created through selling 24 private market lots in the River Run parcel (one sale is still pending) and the sale of employee ownership units at 1340 and 1360 Mount Fee Road.

Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton believes using the funds created through the first two buildings is a financially prudent use of the reserve, and will help the projects stay on schedule for finishing Phase 2 within council’s four-year term.

“Housing is our community’s top priority, and we’re pleased we’ve created this

consistent path to continue this valuable work. By borrowing from the reserve, we’ve created a rolling funding model to build this neighbourhood with less financial risk,” said Crompton in a release.

With funding approved, construction will start in April on the first three-storey, 30-unit rental building, with construction of a second, four-storey building beginning the following month.

With 486 households on the Whistler

Wayne Deane

Loving husband, proud father, loyal friend and inspiring coach. Wayne passed away suddenly and too soon on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the age of 59 from cardiac arrest. He leaves behind his wife Pam, daughters Cassidy, Chantal and JJ, mother Jan, sister Nikki, brothers Shane and Stuart, their families and so, so many close friends. His family and friends will miss his big heart and his unwavering loyalty and support. Wayne was a master of many things, originally a pro-surfer, he is also a chef, a carpenter, CSIA Level IV Ski Instructor and coach and golf grounds supervisor. When injuries ended his surfing career he came to Canada and took up skiing, and it was through skiing that Wayne and Pam met at Sunshine Village, Banff. Over the years Wayne helped countless young people learn the art of teaching skiing while sharing his passion for the sport. Wayne and Pam came to Whistler in 1995, got jobs and started to put down roots. The twins arrived in 1996 and JJ in 2001. Together Pam and Wayne created a warm and caring home where family and friends from near and far were always welcome. When the girls went off to university, Pam and Wayne started hosting international students and Wayne was a great host father. Wayne was so proud of his daughters as they took on new challenges in school and athletics and grew into amazing young women. He supported Pam as her work and volunteer responsibilities increased and was an active community volunteer himself.

Wayne was upfront with everyone, he let you know what he thought, and he always offered to give help where it was needed. With his unique sense of humor and a touch of gruffness, being around Wayne was never dull. His passing has left an impossibly big hole in the hearts of us all.

Housing Authority (WHA) rental waitlist, construction of the rental units comes at a crucial time. The average wait time for a WHA rental is 3.4 years for a two-bedroom apartment, 4.4 years for a one-bedroom apartment, and 2.2 years for a studio.

Once completed, the buildings will provide 159 bed units in four studio apartments, 46 one-bedrooms and 28 two-bedrooms.

While the project’s funding is significant, it will only cover up to a year of construction.

The RMOW will have to find more capital to cover additional costs for construction, noted Councillor Jeff Murl at the March 7 council meeting.

“I just want to point out that tons of work went into getting to this point, and the numbers, $10 million to $15 million, seem great, but I want to point out the challenges that we face going forward to that. $10 million will last a year on construction at the pace if we want to maintain it,” Murl said. “We have a lot of challenges ahead to continue to find money and get creative with limited resources. We have to keep up the pace we’ve set, so we have a lot of challenges ahead.”

The WDC is projecting about a 15-percent increase in construction costs for the two buildings compared to the first two builds in Phase 2, due to rising prices for materials and labour. Interest rates have also risen from 2.7 per cent, when the WDC financed the first building in Phase 2, to closer to 5.7 per cent now.

All in, the estimated cost for the two buildings is $32 million—$12.7 million for the three-story, 30-unit building and $19.5 million for the four-storey.

If all goes according to plan, the first building in Lot 2 will finish construction in the early summer of 2024, with the second building shortly behind in the fall of next year. n

Resort Municipality of Whistler NOTICE Change of Council Meeting Date

The Committee of the Whole (COTW) and Regular Council Meetings scheduled for Tuesday, April 4, 2023 are being moved to Monday, April 3, 2023.

Council meet in the Franz Wilhelmsen Theatre at Maury Young Arts Centre, 4335 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, B.C. The Meetings will commence at 2:00 p m for COTW and 5:30 p m for Regular Council

Notice of changes to the 2023 Council Meeting Schedule is given in accordance with sections 94 and 127 of the Community Charter.

Pauline Lysaght, Corporate Officer

LOT LAYOUT The planned layout of the two new rental-only buildings in Cheakamus Phase 2, which will house 78 units.

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE

One skier dead; eight others rescued in separate incidents in out-ofbounds areas on Blackcomb and Whistler mountains

WHISTLER SEARCH AND RESCUE RECEIVED FOUR CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8

BY MEGAN LALONDE

WHISTLER SEARCH and Rescue (WSAR) received a total of four requests for assistance on Wednesday, March 8, resulting in one person dead and eight others extricated safely from outof-bounds areas on Whistler Mountain.

What turned out to be one of the busiest days so far this winter for WSAR volunteers began with a call to the back side of DOA, a popular couloir outside the ski area boundary on Blackcomb Mountain, to help an unconscious skier.

“It was at a ski-touring party of two and the one in the back had suffered a medical emergency—likely a heart attack, but we don’t know,” said WSAR president Brad Sills. “He collapsed; the friend in front was unaware for a bit of time and then turned around to see where his friend was, and discovered him in the snow.”

An off-duty Blackcomb patroller in the vicinity was carrying a radio, and called for help. Both patrol and WSAR attended and transported the man, believed to be a Vancouver resident, to the Whistler Health Care Centre. “Unfortunately, he did not survive,” said Sills.

The incident emphasizes the importance of having first-aid knowledge, particularly in the backcountry, said Sills.

“You just never know when you’re going to run into a situation, and with the number of people that are in the backcountry, these kinds of incidents are not uncommon anymore. It’s a really good investment of time,” he said, adding, “You just never know when you’re going to be able to save somebody’s life.

“Unfortunately, not this time, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.”

SEVEN SKIERS LONGLINED TO SAFETY AFTER GETTING STUCK OUT-OF-BOUNDS ON WHISTLER MOUNTAIN

Early Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the tragic incident on Blackcomb, WSAR was summoned to the opposite side of Fitzsimmons Creek by Whistler patrollers who received a call from two fathers stuck on the south side of Whistler Mountain alongside their five teenagers.

From Whistler’s peak, the group of American tourists “had skied down, close to the Cake Hole, and I guess the kids had gotten too low and couldn’t come back up again,” Sills explained. The group found themselves on top of a cliff face, with nowhere to go.

WSAR ultimately rescued all seven skiers by helicopter longline. Crews were able to double up a couple of the teenagers, but the rescues were mostly conducted one at a time. “I think that was the most people

we’ve longlined out in a single sequence,” Sills said.

With darkness approaching, the skiers were dropped off one-by-one on Whistler’s peak— ”because we didn’t have time to take them anywhere else,” explained Sills—before skiing back down to the valley with a patrol escort.

LOST SKIER LOCATED IN TREED-AREA OFF WHISTLER’S PEAK TO CREEK

As WSAR was wrapping up the series of longline rescues, volunteers received a call for assistance from their counterparts at Pemberton Search and Rescue. They had received an inReach activation from a climber stranded on Mount Duke, in the Duffey Lake area. Fortunately, the climber “somehow ... managed to extricate himself from whatever situation he was in,” before WSAR arrived, said Sills.

Still, even after sunset, WSAR’s day wasn’t done. At 7:30 p.m., crews learned about a skier who was lost after heading skier’s left off Whistler Mountain’s Peak to Creek run. The man was disoriented but uninjured near Million Dollar Ridge, a treed area outside the ski-area boundary but within the resort’s controlled recreation area.

“He spent some time lost back in there. It wasn’t until 10:30 at night that two Whistler SAR members and Whistler ski patrol were able to find him and bring him out,” said Sills. The skier was able to make his way back down to the valley once he was pointed in the right direction.

Receiving that number of calls in a single day is rare, but not entirely unheard of, said Sills. “In the last three or four years, we’ve had days like this previously,” he said. “It’s just a good reminder to everyone: [try not to] get in trouble in the backcountry, because quite often, we can get really backed up, and you might be spending the night outside just because we can’t get to you or we’re too busy.”

Sills reiterated the importance of carrying essentials like extra clothing, food, water and a flashlight when heading beyond the boundary rope. Visit AdventureSmart’s website for more safety tips to keep in mind before venturing into the backcountry this winter.  n

“You just never know when you’re going to run into a situation...”

- BRAD SILLS

Jersey Cream lift upgrade delayed a year, says Whistler Blackcomb

CONSTRUCTION ON NEW FITZSIMMONS EXPRESS CHAIR STILL ON TRACK FOR SUMMER 2023

BY MEGAN LALONDE

PLANS TO UPGRADE  Whistler Mountain’s Fitzsimmons chairlift in 2023 are moving ahead, but skiers and snowboarders will have to wait another year to see a new Jersey Cream chair start spinning on Blackcomb.

Whistler Blackcomb took to social media on Thursday, March 9, to share the update on a pair of lift replacement projects that were initially scheduled for this summer.   “Pending final permitting, our plan is still to upgrade Fitzsimmons Express this summer,” the post read. “Unfortunately, our lift manufacturing and install partner, Doppelmayr, has informed us they cannot complete both Fitz and Jersey Cream Express this summer due to their labour and resource constraints.”

As a result, construction on Jersey will be pushed to summer 2024. It is now due to be complete in time for the 2024-25 winter season, “subject to regulatory approvals.” The current four-seater Jersey lift will continue to operate as usual in the meantime.

Whistler Blackcomb parent company Vail Resorts first announced last September that both the Fitzsimmons and Jersey Cream chairlifts were in store for an upgrade.

The existing four-person Fitzsimmons

chair located at the Whistler Village base is set to be replaced with an eight-person, highspeed chair, increasing uphill capacity both in winter and for the Whistler Mountain Bike

Park in the summer months.

Meanwhile, a new high-speed six-pack will eventually replace the current high-speed quad in the Jersey Cream zone. The upgrade

is expected to increase uphill capacity by 29 per cent, also reducing lift-line wait times and improving circulation in Blackcomb’s hightraffic mid-mountain area.

The brand-new lifts were originally earmarked for Vail Resorts’ Park City property in Utah, but were stalled by permitting delays.

“We’re excited about the opportunity that we have by having the right profile to put these lifts in, because … there are specifics to it,” Whistler Blackcomb’s then-COO Geoff Buchheister told  Pique last fall.

Both Fitzsimmons and Jersey Cream were on Whistler Blackcomb’s list of lifts due for replacement in the “near future,” he added. “So the decision we had to make really was, ‘Are we ready to pull that forward?’ And you know, after contemplating it all, we realized that this was a true opportunity and we needed to take advantage of it.”

According to Whistler Blackcomb, work on disassembling the Fitz chair is slated to begin later this month, with construction slated to get underway “shortly thereafter.” The statement added that prep work for a new lift will still be carried out in the Jersey zone this summer, which is expected to expedite the chair’s installation the following year.

“We are committed to working closely with Doppelmayr to ensure that the construction, installation, and testing of Fitz moves ahead safely as planned,” the post read. n

Food Service Oppor tunities in Whistler parks

Apply today to be part of the Park Eats program!

The RMOW is looking for food trucks, pop-ups and delivery services to Whistler’s parks for summer 2023.

Vendor applications are due by March 26, 2023.

For more information and a link to the application, visit whistler.ca /ParkEats

GOING UP? Whistler Blackcomb had originally earmarked both the Fitzsimmons Express and Jersey Cream Express chairlifts for replacement in 2023.

PHOTO BY CARTERDAYNE / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler ca/parks

Naturespeak: Peak 2 Peak Gondola—a window into Whistler’s geological past

BY STEVE CARNEY

THE PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola is a great way to experience the Coast Mountains “close up” from your vantage point 436 metres above Fitzsimmons Creek. One thing that always stands out to me as I gaze out of the gondola window is the incredible geological diversity, a veritable smorgasbord of geology, a patchwork mosaic of different rocks with different origins crammed next to each other in this special place.

Take Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, for example. It only takes 11 minutes to cover the 4.4 kilometres between the two mountains by gondola, but geologically they are worlds apart. Whistler Mountain rocks are relatively young and formed a mere 80 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. They are a mixture of sedimentary rocks such as shale and silt and volcanic lava rocks such as andesite. Interestingly, this combination of rocks with different erosional properties is one of the reasons we have such awesome, variable and interesting terrain on Whistler Mountain.

In contrast, Blackcomb Mountain is much older, and formed 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. During this time, a “pluton” of hot, molten magma slowly

moved up through the Earth’s crust before cooling and crystallizing as a solid rock called granodiorite. Keep an eye out for granodiorite; it’s everywhere and makes up about 80 per cent of the Coast Mountains! It is easy to spot—it is coarsely crystalline, hard, and light coloured with flecks of black minerals giving it a distinctive “salt-and-pepper” appearance.

Meanwhile, further up the valley the contrast is even more stark, with the granitic

Overlord Massif immediately juxtaposed with ancient sedimentary shale and silt rocks of Fissile Peak deposited 250 million years ago.

The mountains around Whistler are made of hard rocks resistant to erosion, but the rocks underlying the Fitzsimmons Creek valley are not. They are weak and are susceptible to weathering and erosion, geological processes that formed the distinctive steep valley between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.

These rocks are associated with a large “fault,” the Fitzsimmons Range Fault, which runs along the edge of Whistler Mountain passing through Ego Bowl. Movement along this break in the Earth’s crust produced high pressures and temperatures which metamorphosed (altered) the existing valley rocks to produce the weak and crumbly phyllite and schist rocks located below the valley today. I sometimes wonder what it would have looked like if the fault wasn’t there, and there was no valley, just one super large mountain…

The reason there is such diverse geology crammed together in the Whistler area is that the rocks are exotic and were actually formed in different geological settings, hundreds or thousands of km west and south of where they are now. Over time, they were transported by massive oceanic plates like a conveyor belt to the West Coast, until 100 million years ago when they started to “accrete” (stick on) to continental America. More and more rocks piled on behind and created incredible compressive forces. They were then contorted, moved around by faults, forced upwards, and eroded by the elements to form the complex, beautiful, miraculous mountains we can see out of the Peak 2 Peak Gondola today.

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

CLASSIC ROCK Incredible geological diversity—the view from Whistler Mountain with sedimentary and volcanic rocks in the foreground towards the granitic rocks of Overlord Massif and the sedimentary Fissile Peak, the oldest rocks in the area.

PHOTO BY STEVE CARNEY

School District 48 votes to turn Blackwater Creek Elementary into a K-3 institution

D’ARCY PARENTS, MEANWHILE, HAVE CONSISTENTLY ADVOCATED FOR THE SCHOOL TO CONTINUE ADMITTING STUDENTS UP TO GRADE 7

BY DAVID SONG

AGAINST THE WISHES of many D’Arcy parents, School District 48 (SD48) has voted to revert Blackwater Creek Elementary School to a K-3 model of operation for the 2023-24 school year. The decision, which was made at the district’s March 8 board meeting, would allow kids entering Grades 4 and 5 to continue attending Blackwater Creek, as long as there are fewer than 20 youngsters in Kindergarten through Grade 3.

Based on a presentation made by assistant superintendent Paul Lorette, finances were a key factor that influenced the board’s decision.

FUNDING WOES

At the time of this writing, 26 students (including four new Kindergarteners) are officially enrolled in Blackwater Creek. Unofficial information from the Blackwater Creek Parental Advisory Committee (PAC) regarding a few families who wish to send their children to the school puts potential enrollment as high as 30 for the upcoming academic calendar.

Due to SD48’s funding formula for small schools within its jurisdiction, trying to accommodate 30 students at Blackwater Creek would reportedly incur an extra annual operating cost of $70,000 to $100,000. According to Lorette’s data, this cost could only be eliminated if the school were to reach a minimum of 45 students, which the board does not consider to be realistic.

Furthermore, the Provincial Collective

Agreement between the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) indicates that classes with Kindergarteners are not to exceed 20 people in size. These regulations would force SD48 to hire a second full-time teacher at Blackwater Creek to proceed with current enrollment levels.

An additional classroom space is also purportedly necessary to accommodate more than 20 students and would cost approximately $643,000.

For these reasons, trustees voted to adopt Lorette’s recommendation that Blackwater Creek be limited to 20 students, with priority given to K-3 pupils.

Area D trustee Celeste Bickford disagreed with her colleagues, recommending instead that SD48 honour the PAC’s wishes by keeping Blackwater Creek as a K-7 school and trying to hire another teacher as soon as possible. Her motion was defeated in a vote.

“We’re talking about a unique school in a small community that is far away from any other alternative schools,” Bickford argued. “We have to be careful in comparing [Blackwater Creek] to other schools. I do think it is important to show this community [in D’Arcy] that we value education within community … and we see the impact that it has not only on [the students’] education but on their overall health and well-being.”

District superintendent Chris Nicholson stated that the decision regarding Blackwater Creek could be revisited in the future, if new enrolment trends or currently unforeseen factors arise. However, parents aren’t holding their breaths.

“It seems to me that [SD48] is, to a certain degree, fulfilling their own prophecy,” said Blackwater Creek PAC chair Daved Moldofsky. “They’re saying that enrolment isn’t really going to go up that much, but it won’t if they undermine the longevity of the school and don’t support the possibility of growth.

“As Celeste [Bickford] was saying, you

need to support the community and the community needs a school. If you don’t support the school, you’re discouraging children from going there.”

It is worth mentioning that in 2012, Blackwater Creek’s enrolment dropped to nine K-3 students, a trend that could have threatened the school’s survival if left unchecked. For this reason, the district chose to begin enrolling fourth-graders in 2013, with the occasional fifth and sixth-grader also admitted from 2018 onward.

NEXT STEPS

Erin Stewart Elliott and Alison Beierlein are two other D’Arcy residents who have advocated for maintaining Blackwater Creek as a K-7 institution. They and several others must now face the practical difficulties associated with relocating their kids to Signal Hill Elementary in Pemberton.

“My family’s needs are the same even though Blackwater isn’t an option for us next year because we will continue to live in D’Arcy,” said Elliott in an email. “This is where our home, our work, our community, and our life is. Going forward, we want more of what we love about Blackwater. This means a sense of community, connection and relationships, high-quality education, and proximity to our home.”

“As a family, we’re disappointed,” added Beierlein. “Our daughter has to leave Blackwater Creek at the end of this year because she’s in Grade 6. Technically, my son would probably still have a spot there next year, but [my husband and I] want both of our kids to attend the same school, so we’ll transition him to Signal Hill in fall, too, even though he’s only in Grade 3.”

It’s a tough pill to swallow for parents who had come away from the Feb. 8 district board meeting feeling heard and understood by trustees. At that point, D’Arcy residents were optimistic that SD48 might consider unorthodox solutions to the problem at hand,

but many of the questions raised by trustees on Feb. 8 were not revisited at length during the Mar. 8 meeting.

“Despite some of the trustees showing clear understanding and concern for our issues, they were not able to agree on a path forward. This was frustrating, because there were options which could have allowed more grades without building a new school or addition,” said Elliott.

Moldofsky isn’t too concerned about his own son, whom he describes as “super curious” and “super resilient.” Instead, he worries about other D’Arcy children who are already known to struggle in and out of the classroom. He believes that attending a new and relatively distant school, spending up to 10 hours per week on the bus, will only push these vulnerable children deeper into the troubles that they face.

Furthermore, Moldofsky is disillusioned with what he views as the failure of SD48 decision-makers to practice what they preach.

“I could accept this decision a lot more if the district said: we feel [your school] is important, but we feel the money is more important,” he said. “But really, what they say is: ‘we feel the children are the most important, but we’re going to make the decision based on the money.’ They talk the talk, but they won’t walk the walk.”

“I would like to invite Rebecca Barley, the chair of the Board of Trustees and our representative, to Blackwater Creek to explain to the children what is going on and why,” Moldofsky continued. “I don’t think it should be our responsibility as parents to break this bad news that we disagree with.

“If the school board wants to make this decision, then the very least they can do is explain their reasoning to the children that are affected.”

The PAC is now organizing a Blackwater Creek reunion in May, which will be open to current students and their families as well as alumni. n

CLASS DISMISSED Parents in D’Arcy are expressing disappointment at a School District 48 decision to revert Blackwater Creek Elementary School to a K-3 model.

PHOTO BY DAVED MOLDOFSKY

Village of Pemberton outlines draft capital projects in budget info session

STILL AMPLE TIME FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AHEAD OF THIS YEAR’S BUDGET, SAYS MANAGER OF FINANCE

BY ALYSSA NOEL

THE VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON (VOP) outlined its 2023 draft capital projects during a budget information session on Tuesday, March 14.

In his presentation prior to the regular council meeting, Thomas Sikora, manager of finance for the VOP, also highlighted how the Village hopes to address the problem of high staff turnover.

In 2022, the turnover rate was 25 per cent.

“I highlight this because it’s a great expense to the organization and a great priority in this year’s budget in terms of trying to stabilize that and avoid one-off costs and create a more stable workforce,” Sikora said. “Some of the key initiatives that will be included involve conducting a review of competitiveness amongst the comparators, making sure that the pay scale is in line with the market.”

Officials also plan to define retention strategies and conduct “targeted investment training, development, and succession planning.”

Before going through the proposed capital projects, Sikora emphasized that the projects—other than those already underway or fully funded through grants—haven’t yet been approved, and there’s still time for community feedback.

The first project listed was the $3.66-million daycare that had its site prepared last fall and is expected to be completed in early 2024.

Meanwhile, the water treatment facility project that will replace the existing facility, offering additional filtration for iron and

replacement. While the total cost is $750,000, Sikora said the suggestion is to order the chassis (or base frame) this year and complete the engine in 2025.

As well, “there are a number of priorities around the Level 3 75kW EV fast chargers” also in the draft budget to fall in line with the community’s Climate Action Plan. There are grants available for these sort of projects, Sikora said, up to a total of $150,000.

Another big-ticket item on the list is the amenity building at Den Duyf Park. Both that building—which includes bathrooms, storage, a snack bar, community space, and EV chargers—and the parking lot construction are expected to cost $2.6 million.

The Park and Ride, coming in at $1.9 million, is expected to be designed this year and completed by 2026.

“This is a project which is funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, Rural and Northern Communities program,” Sikora said. “And this is a very important project in the ability to promote transit, get people out of their cars and have the option to better utilize the bus.”

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PARCEL TAX ROLL REVIEW

This notice is applicable to owners of proper ty situated within the Resor t Municipality of Whistler and whose proper ties are subject to one or all of the following parcel taxes:

• Emerald Sewer Specified Area Parcel Tax

• Alta Lake Road Local Area Ser vice Parcel Tax

• Water Parcel Tax

• Sewer Parcel Tax

The Resor t Municipality of Whistler advises that the parcel tax rolls for the 2023 roll year are available for public inspection at the Resor t Municipality of Whistler Municipal Hall, 4325 Blackcomb Way, business hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday only (inclusive) (statutor y holidays excluded).

The Resor t Municipality of Whistler also advises that any complaints of the tax roll must be received by the Manager of Financial Ser vices no later than 4:30 PM, Thursday, March 30, 2023.

Valid Complaints are:

• Errors or omission of a name or address,

manganese, is currently awaiting the results of a grant application.

“It will allow for future growth as well,” Sikora added.

That estimated project cost is $8.2 million.

Other, less costly, projects on the list include: the Fernwood water main and pressure-reducing valve replacement ($280,000), an “essential distribution system” at the end of its life; the McRae Road water main upsizing ($270,000), to increase capacity for future Industrial Park water main looping; and the Industrial Park generator ($100,000), which will ensure sanitary service during power outages and help meet increased needs as the industrial park grows.

With regards to fire services, Engine 10 is reaching the end of its life and needs

He also highlighted a few of the operations and parks fleet upgrades needed to address equipment nearing the end of its life. That includes the replacement of a bucket truck, retired due to safety issues, for $40,000; a F550 plow and sander for $110,000; and the bed of a garbage truck, estimated to be $40,000.

While no members of the public offered feedback during the meeting, Sikora added there’s still time for residents to share their thoughts before council reads and adopts the budget in April or tax notices are issued in May.

“I would highlight, along the way, staff provides a draft of the budget for council to review and input, but along the way we continue to monitor anything we hear from the public,” he said. “Reaching councillors or providing input is helpful as we … develop a cost-effective budget that inserts costefficiency and accountability.”

To offer your feedback, email budget@ pemberton.ca. n

• Errors or omissions on inclusion of a parcel,

• Errors or omissions of taxable area or taxable frontage,

• An exemption has been improperly allowed or disallowed

A complaint must be in writing and must:

• Include an address for deliver y of any notices in respect of the complaint,

• Identify the proper ty of which the complaint is made,

• Include the full name of the complainant and telephone number where they can be contacted at regular business hours,

• Indicate if the complainant is the owner of the proper ty,

• Indicate, if applicable, the name of the complainant ’s agent and telephone number where they can be contacted at regular business hours,

• State the grounds that the complaint is based upon,

• And any other prescribed information

Resort Municipality of Whistler

4325 Blackcomb Way

Whist ler British Columbia

Canada V8E 0X5

www whistler ca

Resor t Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca

TEL : 604-935-8130

TF: 1-866-932-5535

FAX: 604-935-8109

“Reaching councillors or providing input is helpful...”

- THOMAS SIKORA

BUDGET SEASON Pemberton residents have plenty of time to share input on the 2023 municipal budget.

Living and learning in Whistler

FROM AVALANCHE SAFETY TO EXCEL, THERE MIGHT BE MORE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE RESORT THAN YOU THINK

By megan lalonde

Ask a local why they moved to Whistler, and there is a good chance they will reply with some variation of “the mountains.” Maybe they’ll say “the snow,” “the bike trails,” or “the lifestyle.” Maybe they travelled to the Sea to Sky for a working holiday break in between semesters or degrees, or before entering the daily grind of the corporate world. Once in a blue moon, they might tell you they moved for a job

Rarely do you hear about Whistler newcomers drawn to the resort for school.

Rarely, but not never.

Dive a little deeper and it’s clear there are far more learning opportunities for adults in Whistler beyond the on-the-job training.

The Whistler Adventure School, for example, offers outdoors-centric programs for marketing and media; mountain sport technicians; design and innovation; adventure tourism and bike or ski and snowboard guiding.

ALLTRACKS Academy, meanwhile, offers a range of courses for skiers and snowboarders, whether they’re looking to earn instructor qualifications or improve their technique, while companies like Mountain Skills Academy and Adventures or Altus Mountain Guides offer climbing and mountaineering courses, ranging from introductory touring courses and basic Avalanche Skills Training to more advanced backcountry endeavours like crevasse rescue. Extremely Canadian also offers avalanche training in addition to its renowned steeps and freeride clinics, and even Whistler Blackcomb’s snow school is a great place to start if you’re looking to progress your skiing or snowboarding.

But that’s not to say learning in Whistler is confined to the slopes. On the more academic side, the Whistler Institute offers accredited professional development programs through its partnership with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)—like this spring’s “Presenting & Analyzing Data with MS Excel” and “Managing Employee Performance and Conflict,” for example—plus its thought-provoking Global Speaker Series.

Learning at Tamwood International College might be based in the classroom, but the draw for its students lies in the Whistler lifestyle as much as in its courses. The school, which began as a summer camp in Whistler in 1993, offers two accredited work and study programs within its School of

Hospitality and Tourism, in addition to English courses out of its Whistler Village campus.

“Under that umbrella we have students who study hospitality and tourism, or foundations of food and beverage,” explained Sigrid McKay, Tamwood’s Whistler campus coordinator. Both programs include a six-month study term followed by a six-month work placement. “Basically, they’re set up for jobs in the industry for the first six months and then they apply the skills that they learned in their co-op, and at the end they get a diploma,” she said.

“This is a great asset to have, and it’s also just great hands-on knowledge for the industry.”

Students looking to learn or improve their English,

meanwhile, can start with as few as five courses, which they can complete in a single week, or commit to a longer study period.

Tamwood’s English-as-a-second-language programming “is super flexible,” McKay explained. “Students can take a week off, a week on, and then just rejoin the classes because the teachers are able to cater their lesson plan to the abilities of students.”

There’s an obvious need: according to the latest Vital Signs report from the Whistler Community Foundation, about 15 per cent of Whistler residents changed addresses to or from another country between 2016 and 2021, while about 19 per cent of locals reported their mother tongue to be a language other than English in Statistics Canada’s 2021 census, with 45 different languages named.

Currently, Tamwood has about 40 students across all its Whistler courses, said McKay, most of whom came to Whistler from abroad specifically to study— and, of course, to enjoy the great outdoors. “It’s a learning holiday,” said McKay.

Though classes take place Monday to Friday, “We start in the afternoons in the winter so students can go skiing and snowboarding in the morning and then it switches in the summer so people have time to go biking and hiking in the afternoon.”

For more information, visit tamwood.com. ■

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Protecting the high seas must be a high priority

AS WITH MUCH of human activity, we’ve exploited and polluted the oceans without really understanding them. We know more about the moon and Mars than what lies beneath the seas.

We do know, however, that oceans provide oxygen and that they absorb carbon dioxide, making them critical to slowing climate disruption. They account for almost all living space on the planet, and provide much of the world’s food.

Because countries are only responsible for ocean territories within a designated distance from their coastlines, the almost two-thirds of ocean area that make up the high seas

BY DAVID SUZUKI

have pretty much been a free-for-all when it comes to activities like fishing, mining and transportation.

| Marquise, Whistler Upper Village

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That may soon change. On March 4, 193 nations agreed on a historic treaty to protect international waters. It comes in the wake of the December UN biodiversity conference (COP15) in Montreal. There, countries agreed to protect 30 per cent of lands and oceans by 2030. The UN High Seas Treaty is essential to realizing that goal for oceans, as it creates a legal framework to set up a network of marine protected areas and includes requirements for environmental impact assessments in areas beyond national jurisdictions.

As with the conferences of the parties on climate and biodiversity, the treaty establishes a new COP to ensure governments meet regularly and are accountable for ocean

having to carry out environmental impact assessments laid out by the treaty.”

Canada, which hosted the fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) in February, has committed to protecting 25 per cent of its territorial waters by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030, and to playing its part in ensuring protections extend to the high seas.

The federal government has effectively declared a moratorium on deep-sea mining and has set a goal to establish 10 new national marine conservation areas.

It has also worked with the B.C. government and First Nations on a plan to establish a marine protected area network in the Great Bear Sea, which reaches from northern Vancouver Island to the Alaska border. It will be the world’s largest Indigenous-led, collaboratively developed MPA network.

The federal government is also working with Indigenous nations to establish a co-managed marine protected area, Tang. gwan—hačxswiqak—Tsigis, off the West Coast of Vancouver Island, in which vast, underwater mountain ranges and unique deepwater ecosystems will be protected from oil and gas activities, deep-sea mining, bottom trawl fishing and dumping.

Government is also supporting fisheries closures in the Gwaxdlala/Nalaxdlala Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area, established by Mamalilikulla First Nation. It will form part of the Great Bear network.

Most of Canada’s marine conservation areas will recognize the importance of reconciliation and Indigenous leadership.

We’re already seeing positive effects. After a court challenge by World Wildlife Fund Canada and the David Suzuki Foundation, represented by Ecojustice, ExxonMobil relinquished its oil and gas exploration

governance and biodiversity protection.

Although it’s been a long time coming, it will take a lot of work to realize its promise. The world has held 27 climate COPs since 1995 and we’re still behind in addressing that rapidly increasing crisis. And most countries have failed to uphold international agreements on high seas fishing.

The treaty aims at fairness between nations, covering, for example, equal access, shared benefits, capacity development and technology transfer for marine genetic resources—genetic material from marine sponges, krill, corals, seaweeds and bacteria, which “are attracting increasing scientific and commercial attention due to their potential use in medicines and cosmetics,” the Guardian reports.

But concerns have been raised that “bodies already responsible for regulating activities such as fisheries, shipping and deepsea mining could continue to do so without

permits on the B.C. coast in March. Canada has also agreed to phase out West Coast opennet pen fish farming.

These national and international agreements, plans and actions show what can be accomplished with Indigenous leadership and pressure and effort from the public, scientists and conservation organizations. But even with the significant progress over the past few years, we can’t get complacent. The world is finally waking up to the climate and biodiversity crises. Protecting the oceans is a major part of resolving them. It’s up to us all to make sure governments live up to their promises.

There’s no time to lose!

■

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.

[I]t

to realize its

No time for Couloir Cowboys

I’LL BE FIRST TO ADMIT that over the years I’ve put myself in some pretty precarious positions in the mountains. It all starts in the very extensive terrain of our own Whistler Blackcomb; poking around looking for pow stashes and getting cliffed out, thinking you’re on top of the right line in terrible visibility and finding out the hard way you’re actually not, misjudging the snow conditions and having to

BY VINCE SHULEY

ski scary exposure with your edges sounding a death rattle.

Most of us escape these questionable decisions without painful consequences. Unfortunately, some of us do not.

Every first-or second-year Whistler skier has a story of getting stuck somewhere, surrounded by cliffs and having nowhere to go (or going on a sojourn down Cake Hole and hopefully turning up a day later). Second-year skiers have a greater tendency, because they have just enough knowledge of the mountain, to get themselves into trouble, but not the wisdom to avoid the risk in the first place.

Some don’t learn their lesson after the first two years and develop a reputation for being that “loose” guy who’s always pushing their friends into questionable situations.

The Sea to Sky backcountry is a whole other kettle of fish. For better or worse, equipment and skill barriers to ski touring

have all but evaporated. Some people are ski touring before they can actually ski at an intermediate level. A Pemberton Search and Rescue worker once described to me some of the skiers he’d come across in the Duffey Lake Road zones as “having no business being there.” That sounds judgmental, but coming from the folks who have to pick up the pieces of a ski-touring day gone wrong, I understand where he was coming from.

No one gets to dictate who gets to go out into the backcountry, of course. But getting better at skiing—to a point where you can confidently handle scary situations—is hard when you’re

one year. My friend and I slid around the corner to drop into Husume and saw a skier floundering up steep switchbacks her friends had cut in straight up the ski line. The rest of the party was at the top of Husume transitioning, no one watching their friend who was struggling up such a steep slope with another party of skiers waiting above her to drop in.

This was an obvious shortcut decision, likely with an Alpha group leader assuring his followers that he could break trail and save his party significant time bypassing the long way around up the Blackcomb

and proceeded to slide down about 50 to 60 metres on his ass before regaining control.

“Dude, you scared me!” yelled the skier leader, half laughing. “What’s wrong with you?!”

“I dunno, lots of things!” replied the clueless snowboarder, oblivious to how much he had risked the livelihood of his friend (and himself) with an out-of-control collision.

The second snowboarder dropped in and did the exact same thing (ass-slide and all), treating the couloir as if it was right next to the Peak Chair. The whole crew laughed about the experience and more or less party-shredded down the rest of the couloir.

Was this team of cowboys an example of blatant disregard for their own safety and that of their friends? Or was it because they just had no idea, and their friend talked them into skiing the Wedge NW Couloir as something cool to do on a Saturday in April?

only getting two or three laps a day in the backcountry. The resorts are crowded, yes. But they produce better skiers much quicker, especially if you invest in lessons or devote a season to getting 30-plus days of downhill skiing in every condition imaginable.

Managing risk in the backcountry is a different equation for everyone to solve. The reward of skiing that sick line needs to be balanced against both the probability of the slope sliding and your own ability to ski it (as well as managing the outcome, if it does slide).

This applies to uptracks as well; just because you’re strong enough to put in a skin track straight up a face doesn’t mean you should. I witnessed this when I was earlyseason touring in the Blackcomb backcountry

Glacier and over the East Col. This is a shining example of the heuristic trap known as the Expert Halo, where less-experienced members of the party tend to agree with the person in the party who has (or is perceived to have) the most experience.

Another time I witnessed a questionable decision near the top of the Northwest Couloir on Wedge Mountain. We had just topped out on the climb up the couloir and another team of three was getting ready to drop in. The leader was a skier who had two less-experienced snowboarders in tow. He dropped in, skied down quite fast and waited right in the middle of the couloir for his friends. The next snowboarder dropped in aggressively, lost an edge after hitting the mixed spring snow conditions in the couloir,

Many of us choose not to say anything to other people in the field for fear of sounding elitist. We just shake our heads, carry on and keep an eye out for a potential incident. Judgment flows more easily if it ends up as a post on the South Coast Touring Facebook group, but such rants rarely make it back to the (ir)responsible parties, and would likely have little effect on their backcountry decision-making anyway.

The best thing we can all do—if we consider ourselves responsible backcountry citizens—is to lead by example. The more people see cowboy behaviour in the backcountry, the more they will emulate it. And with thousands of people now skitouring every weekend, good examples of risk management and sound decision making are more important than ever.

Vince Shuley has learned from mistakes made earlier in his backcountry career. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince.  ■

The reward of skiing that sick line needs to be balanced against both the probability of the slope sliding and your own ability to ski it (as well as managing the outcome, if it does slide).

ZIG ZAG Cutting a skin track straight up the welltrafficked backcountry ski line Husume isn’t the wisest risk-management choice.

PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY

By Mary MacDonald ILLUSTRATION BY BRYONY DIQUE

-Emily Dickinson

AMoveable Feast

Last Christmas, I went for a walk in the woods and around the pond near my house. Not just any walk. It had been a year of losses, losing people I love, and I was looking to see if any meaning could be found. There was a foot of snow on the ground and the day was overcast, absent of that bright winter light. I locked the door and stuffed the house key deep into the pocket of my coat and headed downhill, carrying my gloom. I walked into the natural world, which to me, was heading home. Despite myself, I took comfort from the words of poet, novelist and environmentalist Wendell Berry: I come into the peace of wild things.

Our bodies are wired to respond in a positive way to nature. “There is mounting evidence that nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human well-being,” says Lisa Nisbet, a psychologist at Trent University in Ontario. “You can boost your mood just by walking in nature, even in urban nature.”

So, off I went, to be nurtured by nature. Before long, there were birds spilling from the woods

First a spotted towhee, a dark-eyed junco, and a clack-capped chickadee in the low shrubs following the creek. There were red-winged blackbirds. A chorus of them high in a red alder tree. Song sparrows and golden-crowned sparrows, and even a fox sparrow literally dancing in and out of the shrubs and woody debris in the riparian zone. There was a Bewick’s wren with its distinctive long, white eyebrow, hopping from branch to branch. All of them flying, upstroke and downstroke, swooping, soaring, and gliding as though they owned the woods and the pond. As though there were no people here. And save for me, there were none. It was as though the birds had taken back the land. They were rewilding and it was astonishing to see.

The birds weren’t hiding, the usual way they camouflage themselves so well in foliage. I was quiet as they sang, gathered in groups squawking, hopping along the grass in the open field. A heron walked along the gravel path beside me. I could not believe what I was seeing. It was an otherworldly kind of day. Then the perfection of that beauty taking flight. How do they do it? Making it look so easy.

open A an

The power was all in the feathers. Soon, I was thinking of lifting off too, flapping my wings, stirring

The human desire to fly goes back to the Ancient Greeks—to the myth of Daedalus and Icarus. Daedalus, the inventor, secretly created wings made of feathers and wax to escape imprisonment on the island of Crete, where he and his son Icarus were being held captive. Icarus, however, flew too close to the sun. His wings

“

Hope” is the thing with feathersThat perches in the soulAnd sings the tune without the wordsAnd never stops—at all-

To Emily Dickinson, feathers embodied hope. They allow a bird to fly, to regulate body temperature, to protect itself and its young from predators. Ultimately, to be free.

A Whistler poet explores the beauty and mystique of bird feathers, which have sat at the centre of culture, art and mythology for centuries

melted and he fell into the sea and died.

Leonardo da Vinci sketched plans for helicopters, gliders, and parachutes. Inventors have made hang gliders, trying to fly. Surveys indicate that most humans dream about flying at least once in their lifetimes.

So, I am not alone in my desire to grow feathers and fly. In his book Bird Sense, ornithologist Tim Birkhead imagined what it would be like to be a swift, flying more than 100 kilometres an hour. It seems some of us humans have wing envy. But mostly, we can’t fly because we don’t have feathers.

Birds are the Only Animals with Feathers

According to Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist, Ed Yong, in his 2022 book An Immense World, feathers are the genius of birds.

Yong wrote that the feather is an extraordinary biological invention and the key to modern birds’ success. “It must be light and flexible to give birds fine control over their airborne movements, but tough and strong enough to withstand the massive forces generated by high-speed flight.” The bird achieves this through a complicated internal structure that we are only just beginning to fully understand.

Bird feathers evolved, and fossil evidence suggests, that baby birds may have descended from dinosaurs. Science writer Carl Zimmer said, although early feathers weren’t always as efficient as they are today, scientists have found dinosaurs with remnants of feathers. Though, given their size, dinosaurs did not use their feathers to fly.

Just admiring the birds in the park, I would never have guessed the volume of feathers each bird carried. Songbirds, such as chickadees, sparrows, kinglets, and wrens, have between 1,500 and 3,000 feathers, while eagles and birds of prey have 5,000 to 8,000. Swans are the heaviest-dressed birds, with as many as 25,000 feathers. Interestingly, hummingbirds have the fewest feathers of all, at about 1,000. And penguins sport the densest feathers, with about 100 per square inch.

I thought of how little I knew about feathers. They keep a bird warm, control body temperature, protect the bird from wind and sun, aid the bird to swim, float, and in the case of the grouse, even to snowshoe. They aid in foraging, aid in controlling parasites, and they are used to construct nests. Birds being attacked can molt, or drop tail feathers, to get away from their attacker. They allow the bird to blend in and thus keep them safe from predators, and to catch prey. The more

I learned, the more I understood they are much more than a thing of beauty. I was on the verge of wanting to be a bird.

Feathers Foster Flight— and Much More

In 2020, David Sibley, the American ornithologist, published a stunningly illustrated book, What It’s Like to be a Bird, in which he describes feathers, bird by bird.

Of course, there are wing feathers, down feathers, and tail feathers. The bird also has contour feathers, semiplumes, filoplumes, and bristle feathers. All feathers are important structurally and functionally for the bird. Each provides an important role for the bird’s activities. The primary role of feathers, of course, is flight. But it is far from their only function.

The wing feathers are the most perfectly designed structure the bird possesses. They are both lightweight and flexible, but also rigid enough to help the bird lift off the earth to fly, dive, swim, land, and travel for miles during migrations. Feathers protect the bird from the elements, they repel water, provide camouflage, and with their showy bloom displays, they also attract mates. And feathers are renewable—when damaged a bird can do a repair mold, shed, and make way for new growth.

What is it About Feathers?

And look at all the ways we use feather metaphors in our everyday speech: Put a feather in your cap. Light as a feather. Birds of a feather. Feather your nest.

For humans, bird feathers are at the centre of culture, art, and mythology. They constituted courage in battle, strength, artistry, and sacred objects. They have also been important in decorations and fashion.

Feathers are used today to make warm bedding, including eiderdown, and in winter clothing. Eider can trap a large amount of air for its weight. Feathers were also used for quill pens, fletching for arrows, and to decorate fishing lures.

I asked Whistler’s Maeve Jones about feathers as jewelry. About 10 years ago, Jones had worked with pliers, scissors, and glue to create entirely unique feather earrings. At the time, feather jewelry was in fashion and the earrings were celebrated gifts to friends. Something about the colour and wispy dance of feathers was clearly special.

Then, Jones began to observe feathers in the natural

world. Working with feathers enlightened her relationship to the birds, and eventually she became more interested in birds in their natural habitat. “I remember a yoga teacher speaking once about how in many Indigenous traditions, birds are viewed as messengers from god,” she says. Soon, Jones found she cared less about the feather jewelry and more about the birds. As her curiosity grew, she found herself evolving, coming closer to the source, towards a deeper understanding.

Feathers also symbolize a connection to the spiritual world. I wanted to know more about this. What did poet Emily Dickinson mean, hope is the thing with feathers? And why was a great blue heron, a bird that tends towards solitude, walking beside me that day?

So, I sought out someone I hoped could help, Lil’wat Nation storyteller Tanina Williams, owner of amawílc, a consulting company that teaches Indigenous ways of knowing.

“Eagle feathers are very important to Indigenous people,” she says, “and to Lil’wat people in particular.”

I asked more about feathers and what they mean to Indigenous peoples. I wanted to know about eagle feathers.

“When you gift an eagle feather,” she says, “you are telling that person that you have arrived.”

Not necessarily that you’ve arrived in your whole life, but you have you have reached an important moment in time. “The feather means keep going forward.”

She told me a story about wanting an eagle-feather fan, but never finding the right time to obtain it. There was something in her that resisted, despite wanting the fan. “I was resisting, until one day, it was the right time. I had been resisting becoming recognized as a spiritual leader.”

In time, she accepted the honour of the eagle fan, and from that day forward, felt her path became clear.

“Every living thing is beautiful,” she says, “but the eagle feather is held in such esteem, it cannot be dropped.”

She learned from her own elders that the eagle feather has this meaning because of the heights the eagle can reach, it being closest to the creator.

Even a young person in Indigenous culture can be an elder—“The way every feather has a purpose and even small feathers, like down feathers, do a big job,” Williams says.

The feathers give good medicine too, but the path isn’t made easy. All people must do their own work. So, learning is taught, but is also energetic. When the learning is done, the feathers, having completed their job, can go back to the Earth.

We both got carried away talking about our shared belief that the bird world occupies some liminal space between our material world and the world of the hereafter. A space we don’t fully understand, and don’t have words for. Like whom or what was beside me that day, embodied by the heron? That’s when Williams told me that her first name means, “the last star that goes up before the sunrise.” That seemed like a good place to end our conversation, for now.

WHISTLER’S GREEN LAKE IS HOME TO CLOSE TO 300 DIFFERENT BIRD SPECIES AT VARIOUS TIMES OF YEARS. PICTURED ARE TWO AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, SPOTTED ON GREEN LAKE LAST SPRING, WHISTLER’S FIRST-EVER RECORDED SIGHTING OF THE ENDANGERED BIRD. FILE PHOTO BY LIZ BARRETT / WHISTLERSWILDTHINGS.COM

Murderous Millinery

I wrote a story about a whitethroated sparrow who was orphaned by its family in the north of France during the First World War. Shrubs and low bush were flattened by tanks. Habitats were destroyed.

In my story, the sparrow flew all the way to the dormer of a window in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, and a milliner who had stitched hats out of exotic feathers.

It was this headwear craze that led to the mass slaughter of birds. Ostrich, the great white egret, peacocks, and heron plumes were sought after by the fashion industry.

In the 1700’s, Paris had 25 master plummasiers, craftspeople who work with ornamental plumes.

Only a century later, there were hundreds. In London, U.K., the fashion feather market went through nearly one-third of a million white egrets in 1910 alone.

The ornithologist, Florence Merriam Bailey, wrote about the fashion trend of using exotic feathers in ornamenting women’s hats. She said that on one walk through the Manhattan fashion district in 1886, she counted 40 different species, stuffed, and mounted for fashion. Bailey wanted to stop this trend, which killed an estimated 5 million birds a year. Her solution was to teach people to admire the living bird.

At the time, ornithologists were most interested in studying birds that had been killed, skinned, and mounted for private or museum collections. Bailey proposed that naturalists should learn to observe living birds in their habitats. Her 1889 book, Birds Through an Opera Glass, was the first modern birdwatching field guide. Bailey was named the first woman associate member of the American Ornithologists’ Union in 1885. Today, she is recognized as an author of exceptional works about birds.

In possession of one final hat, un chapeau de regret, the Parisian milliner in my story hid the hat in a box under her bed, hoping to forget the birds who had given up their lives for her fashionable hats. For times had changed. The status symbol of fashion had turned to a humiliation.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 had been signed into law by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. Canadian law soon followed, put into place to protect migratory birds due to fashion and over-hunting that was threatening species.

But it wasn’t until February 2021 that Paris city council agreed to end the live bird market operating on the Île de la Cité . A closure that at long last answered the calls of animal rights activists who considered the market a cruel and archaic operation.

Though nothing this attractive ever really dies. Even today, there are plummasiers in Paris, creating haute couture from feathers. As though they cannot help themselves. “It’s like an animal transforming into a woman,” declared CharlesDonatien, a Parisienne artisan who still designs clothing with feathers, in a 2017 New Yorker article. Fashion houses today use antique feathers, dyed and hand-painted feathers, and feathers tailor-made of cloth.

Our Duvets and Down Jackets

There is no such thing as being too warm during a Whistler winter. And down is the most common feather used in fashion today.

The most superior down, and arguably most sustainable, is eiderdown, which is considered the best, most insulating down in the world. It is sourced from common eiders, a group of migratory sea ducks that live in very cold northern coastal regions of Europe, North America, and Siberia.

Recently, sustainably minded companies such as Patagonia have begun to invest in recycled down, which diverts old cushions, comforters, and pillows from the landfill by repurposing the down into new coats.

Colonies of eiders in Iceland and Canada are cared for by humans, who carefully harvest down from nests with as little disturbance as possible. But here’s the rub: an ethically sourced eiderdown comforter can cost upwards of $15,000.

Besides, is there really any such thing as ethically sourced down? Eider is taken either by a feather-picking machine or from the bird manually. It can be plucked from a live bird, considered by some to be sustainable. But the evidence suggests otherwise; plucking can cause pain, bleeding, tearing of the skin, and distress to the bird.

Research scientists are using feathers to learn more about the impact of human activity on birds. Ducks Unlimited Canada is in the

fourth year of a five-year study of feathers from waterfowl in highly disturbed areas, as well as remote, untouched spaces. By analyzing the stress hormones present in feathers left by waterfowl in both disturbed and undisturbed areas, and comparing them, researchers will be able to assess the impact development can have on population dynamics. The feathers will tell the story.

FlyFishing

One day, I was watching two men fly fishing, standing in the water at the mouth of the river on Green Lake, when a nearby walker called out, “How’s the fishing?”

One of the men called back, “The fish are safe.”

It struck me then that fly fishing has something in common with birding. It is meditative.

By the time I found James Prosek’s book, The Complete Angler, which followed in the footsteps of Izaak Walton’s similarly named 1653 tome, The Compleat Angler, I wasn’t surprised that he considered “the theatre of nature to be his house of worship.” I had already heard him interviewed where he described falling in love first with birds, then with fish, and particularly with trout. It all began for Prosek at the age of nine, when his mother left, and he sought solace on the river.

My father was a fly fisherman. I accompanied him as a child, and I believe those early adventures on a river, like Prosek’s, launched my connection to the natural world. Standing in the river, trying to do what my dad was doing. Without much luck. Our days passed in silence. Always admiring which fly he would choose on a particular day, and why.

Inevitably, my fly-fishing questions led to The Feather Thief, a 2018 book by Kirk Wallace Johnson, primarily about fly tiers and the theft of exotic feathers. In June 2009, Edwin Rist, a 20-year-old American studying at the Royal Academy of Music in the U.K., smashed a window at the British Natural History Museum at Tring, near London. Apparently, Rist stashed the preserved skins of 299 tropical birds in a suitcase, birds that had been collected by the naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace in

the mid-19th century. After he was arrested, Rist, an expert fly tier himself, said that he intended to fence the birds to fellow fly tiers to raise money to support his career and his parents’ struggling business.

I was struck by Prosek’s comment that “trout are opportunistic feeders and generally will eat anything they can get their mouths around.” It may be that feathers from rare and exotic birds, now banned, don’t really make more efficacious flys.

According to Johnson, fly-tier forums still talk about collecting and possessing rare and banned feathers. But it is illegal to possess feathers from most birds. According to the law, there’s no exemption for molted feathers or from those taken from roadkill birds. Even today, a black market exists for exotic feathers, such as Indian crow, chatterer, herons, and cockatoo.

Whistler, The Fly Way, andTrumpeter Swans

In 2022, Whistler was added to the BC Bird Trail, a series of self-guided birding tours throughout the province. It is a recognition that we lie in the pathway of the Pacific flyway, a major migratory thoroughfare. In the fall, adults and their young are moving south, and in the spring, they’re returning north. We host about 100 species passing through annually. Whistler is a hot destination for birding.

A highlight is the trumpeter swans, especially important to us in Whistler. All you must do, in the next few weeks, is wander down to Green Lake to see these elegant birds stopping here on their way back to Alaska.

With a wingspan of seven feet and a weight upwards of 25 pounds, trumpeter Swans are North America’s largest flying birds. Their long necks allow them to access food in deeper water than other waterfowl; they can upend and uproot plants in four feet of water.

At one time, however, trumpeter swans were on the brink of extinction. By the 1930s, due largely to overhunting, there were fewer than 100 adult trumpeter swans left in Canada. Domestically, trumpeter swan skins were marketed especially by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The swan feathers were popular as a glamorous addition to fancy hats and as quills for ink pens. More than 1.2 million quills made from swans and geese were sold in London in 1837 alone. At least 100,000 swans and geese were required to make that number of pens. It is not surprising that the population of North American swans plummeted.

Today, trumpeter Swans are protected, and their numbers have come back to approximately 16,000 in North America.

WHILE NOT AS TRENDY AS THEY ONCE WERE, FEATHER JEWELRY REMAINS IN FASHION.

PHOTO BY PHOTO BY KRIS KRUG / GETTY IMAGE

We are Part of an Ecosystem

We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives, so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption that what is good for the world will be good for us. This requires that we make the effort to know the world and to learn what is good for it.

Wendell Berry,

Pember ton Visitor ’s Map

As humans, we now face an environmental crisis, but I think, also, a moral crisis. We have triumphed over species, such as birds, at our own peril. Accepting our place in the ecosystem, as one among many, won’t be easy.

Author James Bridle in his 2022 book, Ways of Being, talks about “the broad commonwealth of life.” Everything in nature is equally evolved. It is a notion that destroys any idea of hierarchy.

Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of 2020’s Braiding Sweetgrass, said, “I can’t think of a single scientific study in the last few decades that has demonstrated that plants and animals are dumber than we think. It’s always the opposite.”

This requires a shift in awareness. By letting our various encounters, not only with birds, but with trees, rivers, all the natural world to sit with us. As Bridle says, “In a way it is our ability to live with the unknown and the unknowable.”

It was interesting to see in Barry Lopez’ final and posthumous 2022 book, Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World, he considered his calling spiritual. “Perhaps the first rule

of everything we endeavour to do,” the nature author and environmentalist writes, “is to pay attention.” And paying attention is radical and deep. He urges us to give nonhumans their due, not as resources to exploit, but as a web of interconnected beings, “each with their own integrity and perhaps even their own aspirations.”

It is as though all relationships with the natural world lead ultimately to a relationship with the divine. Why was I walking to be in the company of birds when my soul felt devoid of hope? And how was it possible a great blue heron walked, literally, beside me. Changing our behaviour seems hard to do. It might be easier than we think.

Later, on Christmas Day, when I reached the front door of my house, and rummaged for my house key, my pocket was empty. My house key must have fallen out of my pocket and into the snow. Suddenly, I could feel the wild thumping of my heart. There was no point in going back. Finding the key in a foot of snow somewhere on a long walk would be impossible. I took my time, before calling the one person I had given a key. Gusts of wind had come up and it was near dark. For a brief moment, I knew the fear of being outdoors without the safety I had come to know and trust. Some part of me wanted to feel this tightness in my chest. Some part of me, I barely know, was unafraid.

Mary MacDonald (marymacdonald.ca) is a writer and holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia. Her book of short fiction,  The Crooked Thing, is available from Caitlin Press and locally at Armchair Books. She sits on the board of the Whistler Writers Society and is curator and moderator for poetry at the Whistler Writers Festival.

This is a companion piece to her September cover feature, “Adventures in Birding: When a Walk Becomes More than a Walk.” Read it at piquenewsmagazine.com/cover-stories/ birding-adventures-whistler-bc-5853530. ■

Pember ton

Visitor ’s Guide

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The Art of the Commonplace

TRUMPETER SWAN FEATHERS WERE POPULAR FOR DECADES IN NORTH AMERICA AS A GLAMOROUS ADDITION TO FANCY HATS AND AS QUILLS FOR INK

PENS. BY THE 1930S, DUE LARGELY TO OVERHUNTING, THERE WERE FEWER THAN 100 ADULT TRUMPETER SWANS LEFT IN CANADA. PHOTO BY JIM KRUGET / GETTY IMAGE

Whistler Winterhawks headed to BC Championships

THE LOCAL U13 HOCKEY TEAM OVERCAME A 15-LOSS REGULAR SEASON AND IS GOING TO THE TIER 4 PROVINCIALS

BY DAVID SONG

WHEN JESSE WILLIAMSON of Pemberton reached out to the Whistler Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) this season about coaching a team, he wasn’t expecting to be saddled with an oversized roster including both high-end talent and youngsters who have never skated before. After all, he’d never been thrown that kind of curveball in seven or eight prior years of coaching.

Yet that’s exactly what happened, and Williamson ran with it as best he could.

On Jan. 29, the WMHA’s U13 A1 Winterhawks concluded the regular season at the very bottom of their division’s standings. At 3-15-2, they owned as many wins as firstplace Aldergrove had losses.

Today, those very same Winterhawks are headed to the Tier 4 BC Championships in Windermere from March 17 to 24.

“We’ve had a really weird season,” said Lee-Anne Kaufman, a parent who volunteers her time managing the team. “It’s a bit of a Mighty Ducks story.”

STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM

Most Canadian minor hockey associations operate both a competitive “rep” team and a recreational “house” squad (which have been rebranded as “A” and “C” respectively by Hockey Canada). The WMHA did not have enough U13 registrants to fill two rosters for the 2022-23 season, causing parents and team personnel to decide that the Winterhawks would forge on with just a rep team.

While this was a favourable decision for the development of more skilled players, it elicited questions regarding those who aren’t as competitive. House skaters only play about half as many games as their rep counterparts each year, with no midweek away contests and a more relaxed travel schedule limited to the North Shore. Many house players do not

skate or attend hockey camps in the offseason because they do not intend to pursue the sport at a high level.

Furthermore, having 19 kids on the same team means that Williamson has to exclude one of them from every game in compliance with Hockey Canada regulations.

“That’s never fun, especially with minor hockey—you don’t really want to be sitting kids,” Williamson said. “But in the end, I think the most important thing is that we [as coaches] are teaching them life skills through the sport of hockey.”

In order to accommodate the wide range of ability on his team, Williamson thought outside the box. Many of his drills are meant to be completed as a unit, but instead he divided his kids into multiple groups during practice. By setting up various activity stations, Williamson put players of similar skill levels in position to compete against one another, ensuring that everyone could remain involved.

Kaufman also did her part, returning as a team manager for the fifth time. Her 13-year-old son, Laine, is one of the oldest and most developed skaters on the squad and has BC Championships experience from 2022. Meanwhile, Kaufman is the only U13 Winterhawks parent this year whose child has played rep hockey before.

“I told myself and family that I wasn’t going to [manage] again,” Kaufman said. “But when it came down to getting a call from a board member saying: ‘Hey, we don’t have a manager yet’, I thought I had to do it.”

That, of course, meant signing up for a boatload of responsibility: organizing everything from jersey numbers to budgets to game schedules.

The campaign looked like it was going to be a write-off at first. The Winterhawks dropped game after game, including a 6-0 shutout setback to Semiahmoo on Dec. 7, an 8-3 defeat to Aldergrove a week later, and an especially ugly 14-1 trouncing at the hands of the Langley U13 Eagles on Jan. 21. Needless to say, the parade of losses had an impact on team morale.

“At the start of the year, it was brutal,” Williamson recalled. “Kids were just getting on each other’s cases about missing a pass, or this or that.”

Yet the season, though difficult, was far from a waste. Over time, players began responding to

Williamson’s leadership and emphasis on the importance of mutual support regardless of circumstance. He began to notice a change on the bench—a change that would pay dividends.

MARCH MADNESS

The Winterhawks rebounded from their blowout loss in Langley, managing a 4-2 win over Semiahmoo and two ties in the final four games of the regular season. In spite of their dismal record, they were eligible for the Tier 4 playoffs— and they peaked at just the right time.

“The kids just really buckled down and started to work together. They killed it all weekend,” Kaufman remembers. “For [Williamson] to actually take this group, you know, he’s really risen to the occasion. I think we, as parents, just had to trust him.”

Two straight wins over West Vancouver brought the Winterhawks to the regional Final Four, where they rolled to a 6-3 triumph over Semiahmoo. That set up a pivotal rematch with Langley, a team that had blasted them by a combined score of 30-7 across three regularseason meetings.

With championship aspirations at stake, the Winterhawks pushed the Eagles to the limit in what Williamson called “a huge dogfight.” Langley would narrowly escape with a 6-5 win by scoring in the last 30 seconds of the contest.

“We played an amazing game,” said Williamson. “We got to the change room afterwards, and every single [Winterhawks] kid was bawling their eyes out. I’ve never seen anything like it from a group of kids that just bonded together. Everyone was so supportive of our goalie, who just felt terrible, but played an outstanding game.

“That was the turning point for me, when I realized: OK, this is an actual team now.”

The Winterhawks bottled their emotions, using them as fuel for a 10-2 victory over the Vancouver Thunderbirds. With the Final Four thus concluded, Kaufman and several of her fellow hockey parents began to drive home, intending to get their kids in bed by a reasonable hour.

But their season wasn’t over. Kaufman noticed a text message from a BC Hockey representative while on the highway. Pulling over, she learned—much to her shock—that her son and his peers had won the playoff banner.

It had taken statisticians three attempts to verify the numbers according to BC Hockey’s postseason advancement formulas, but Whistler had broken an apparent tie with two other squads. Their win over Semiahmoo, combined with Semiahmoo’s 6-5 takedown of Langley, had pushed them over the top.

The underdog Winterhawks had become Final Four champions.

“My life just got so much busier at 9:15 p.m. that night when the call came through, because all of a sudden, I’m organizing a team of 19 to go to Windermere for seven nights,” said Kaufman. “The kids [who would have played house] this year have developed so much.

“We’re going to Provincials now, and nobody can really fricking believe it.”

It is indeed a turn of events pulled directly from the script of a Mighty Ducks film, a comeback that would make Rocky Balboa himself proud. Now, the Winterhawks are surely eager to see what they can do against six of B.C.’s top teams: Kitimat, Nelson, Revelstoke, 100 Mile House, Elk Valley and Windermere.

Yet, results have never been of primary importance to Williamson.

“My values in coaching are hard work, discipline and communication,” he explained. “I don’t care what the score is in a game, if we win or we lose. As long as the kids give me those three things, I’ll be happy.”

And Williamson has a strong message for any hockey parent who loses sight of the bigger picture.

“It’s really important, especially at this young age, to keep the game fun for the kids,” he said. “So many times, you see parents who seem like they’re living vicariously through their children, like they want them so desperately to make a career out of hockey. And really, if you look at statistics, you’ve probably got about as good a chance of winning the lottery as you do of playing in the NHL.

“That’s not to say I don’t think you should be committed to the sport and try to get better,” Williamson continued. “But I think sometimes parents forget that the most important reason for putting kids into team sports is to teach them how to play well with others, how to compete, and how to win and lose with class. I really, really stress that [parents] need to constantly remind themselves why they put their kids in hockey.”  n

MIGHTY HAWKS The Whistler Winterhawks U13 hockey team is going to the BC Tier 4 Championships in 2023.

PHOTO BY ALYSSA RAE PHOTOGRAPHY

Whistler snowboarders win eight medals at Canada Winter Games

AMALIA PELCHAT, TOSH KRAUSKOPF, HANNAH TURKINGTON, KAI HOOPER AND ANTHONY SHELLY REACHED THE PODIUM

FOR TEAM BC

BY DAVID SONG

WHISTLER-BASED snowboarders made their presence felt at the 2023 Canada Winter Games from Feb. 18 to March 5, coming home with eight out of 24 available medals in slopestyle, big air and boardercross. Amalia Pelchat led the way with three pieces of hardware, followed by Tosh Krauskopf with a pair. Hannah Turkington, Kai Hooper and Anthony Shelly earned one medal apiece.

Ultimately, BC Snowboard fell just two podium results short of its perennial rival, Team Quebec.

“I have never seen a more dominant performance from B.C. athletes in snowboarding,” said provincial team assistant coach Meghan Hebert. “Our biggest competitor in all fronts is Quebec, so for us to come in behind them just two medals shy was a really positive ending.”

RESULTS ROUNDUP

Pelchat got the ball rolling on Feb. 28 at Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park in Brookvale, P.E.I. She finished sixth in slopestyle qualifying but found another gear in the finals as the only athlete in her field to break 80 points. Pelchat soared to her first gold medal with an impressive performance (83.67) over Francophone Juliette Vallerand (78.80) and Ontarian Avery Spalding (63.00).

That same day, Krauskopf—who hails from Smithers but trains full-time with the Whistler Valley Snowboard Club—took silver in men’s slopestyle with an 85.13-point effort. He was sandwiched on the podium by Eli Bouchard (87.67) and Laurent Ethier (84.67) of Quebec.

Turkington and Hooper both shined on March 3, prevailing in the women’s and men’s snowboard cross events respectively.

“Hannah and Kai are very different,” Hebert explained. “Kai is very reserved and inwardly competitive, very competitive with himself. Hannah’s very [outwardly] competitive and a very dominant force, especially at such a young age. It’s cool to see how they’ve really prepared and grown into who they are now.”

Two more Whistlerites joined Turkington and Hooper on the snowboard cross podiums. Pelchat edged out Quebec’s Rose Savard Ferguson for bronze among women, while Shelly won silver in the men’s big final behind Hooper and ahead of another Francophone, Olivier Gange.

Although Pelchat is known as a versatile athlete who trades powder days for skate parks in summer, she does not actively train for boardercross. That didn’t stop her from besting many of Canada’s top young athletes in that discipline.

“Her talents aren’t limited to just riding freestyle,” said Hebert. “I think it’s also a testament to what we have in our backyard …

[training in Whistler] transfers over to being able to find speed in places that people don’t think you can find speed because you just know how to read terrain.

“And for Amalia, you can see that she’s a competitor. I think that comes from competing with her sister [Juliette] and having a good group around her. They lift each other up and they push each other.”

Pelchat would again save her best for last on March 4 in the big air contest. She was fourth after qualifying, but managed to stomp jumps of 71.00 and 92.40 points in two of her final three attempts. The math added up to 163.40 points and another gold medal.

Vallerand checked in for second (160.60) and Albertan Felicity Geremia wound up a somewhat distant third (102.00).

On the men’s side, Krauskopf would grab bronze after two jumps of 89.20 and 88.40 for a total of 177.60 points. Again, he stood on the podium with Bouchard, the victor (188.60) and runner-up Ethier (180.80).

According to Hebert, Krauskopf was a stabilizing influence on the team that supported and balanced out some of his fierier compatriots. “Tosh is pretty quiet, a little reserved, or at least that’s what I saw,” Hebert said. “When he’s ready to drop in, you can see that he’s focused, and he kind of brought that focus to the team … making sure that [his teammates] were not stressed out.”

A CONTINUING LEGACY

To say that Hebert is proud of her team would be an understatement. She has seen multiple generations of B.C. snowboarders achieve great things, and each one is special to her.

Hebert’s own journey began in 2008, when she moved to Whistler from Ontario. After discovering a love of snowboarding through women’s programs offered by Whistler Blackcomb, the Orangeville native had a stint as a boardercross athlete on Team BC before realizing that coaching was her true passion.

In 2015, Hebert attended her first Canada Winter Games as a coach in Prince George. There, she supported Meryeta O’Dine and Evan Bichon as they claimed that year’s snowboard cross titles. O’Dine is now a twotime Olympic bronze medallist, and Bichon an established national teamer who served as an alternate in Beijing.

Four years later, Hebert was on hand in Red Deer to coach Juliette Pelchat and Maggie Crompton to silver medals in slopestyle and halfpipe, respectively.

Nowadays, Hebert owns and operates the North Shore Snowboard Team to create more jobs in the sport regionally. She also has the current crop of promising provincial-team talent to work with.

“I’m extremely proud of these kids,” she said. “Seeing all of them not just flourish in their performances, but push themselves out of their comfort levels, rise to the occasion ... and find this new confidence in themselves, is probably what I’m most proud of.” n

Axemen Rugby Club working to grow sport in the Sea to Sky

THE CLUB HAS REACHED MORE THAN 950 CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS SINCE APRIL 2022

BY DAVID SONG

RUGBY CAN BE an intimidating sport to the casual observer. It’s fast, it’s physical, and at higher levels it involves repeated collisions between large and muscular athletes who forgo the protection of helmets and pads. An exciting game to watch, but not necessarily a parent’s first choice of recreational activity for their kids.

Stephen List, head coach of the Axemen Rugby Club, wants to dispel these impressions. He has played all around the world, from Canada to New Zealand to his native United Kingdom, and he knows that rugby is much more than just a violent contact sport contested by physical specimens weighing well in excess of 200 pounds.

In fact, rugby involves a great deal of technicality and teamwork: skills that would benefit newcomers of all ages, no matter how competitive or recreational they choose to be. The Axemen are committed to growing their sport locally, and so far they’ve introduced more than 950 primary and secondary school students to rugby through their Connect to Club program.

“We want to come out and showcase that rugby is far more than what we see in the highlight reels of people getting tackled,” said List.

TAG, YOU’RE IT

Axemen coaches understand that the physical side of the game can be a barrier to entry for some. That’s why they introduce school-aged children and youth to tag rugby: a prevalent non-contact form of the sport where players try to pull Velcro tags from the belts of their opponents rather than executing tackles. Outside of that factor, tag rugby accurately simulates most of the rules found in its physical counterparts of rugby union and league.

“It’s a really, really good introduction to the core fundamental skills involved in the game,” List explained.

From April to November of 2022, the Axemen visited schools across the Sea to Sky corridor, including Myrtle Philip and Spring Creek in Whistler, Signal Hill Elementary in Pemberton, and Brackendale and Howe Sound Secondary in Squamish. There, they acquainted pupils from Grade 2 all the way to high school to non-contact rugby in various hour-long sessions.

These rugby crash courses were incorporated into normal Physical Education classes at each school, allowing club members to introduce the sport to all students rather than just the ones interested enough to linger after the school day ends.

In addition to their Connect to Club initiative, the Axemen were involved at Whistler Secondary School (WSS) through a different project funded by the Resort Municipality of

Whistler (RMOW) last fall, preparing Grade 8 and 9 students for competitive rugby matches against Vancouver schools. List estimates that 95 per cent of youth that the club trained at WSS had no prior rugby experience, yet they were able to put on a lively contest against St. George’s Senior School, which has an established rugby program.

Moreover, the Axemen have also brought their sport to First Nations communities in Squamish via youth programs hosted by Totem Hall.

By and large, the club’s outreach efforts have been warmly received.

“We had [plenty of positive comments] from the kids, like; ‘I really loved playing rugby,’ ‘I want to do more rugby,’ ‘will you be coming back?’” List said. “Those are the things that stick out to me.”

‘A LOT TO GET EXCITED ABOUT’

Meanwhile, the Axemen’s competitive squads have also returned to action. The club moved up to BC Rugby’s Division 1 after winning the Division 2 title last May and is rolling with the challenges presented by lengthier road trips and more talented competition. Despite three straight losses to the Surrey Beavers, Bayside Sharks and Port Alberni Black Sheep, the Axemen remain on the cusp of a playoff spot, and their next few matches will be pivotal.

In any case, List isn’t fazed by how the season has gone.

“I think it’s actually helped build the club and strengthen our bonds,” he said. “We’ve gone on some long away trips, which have [provided] good quality time together. We’re getting more in attendance [for Thursday night training] than we ever have at this time of year—regularly 35 to 40 people.

“On the whole, the guys have responded in a very admirable fashion. We’re facing some tough opposition—clubs that have been around for over 40 years, and we’ve been around for just about eight years. So we’re playing teams with a rich heritage, but the positive thing is: we’re still building. There’s a lot to get excited about, for new people and for regulars as well.”

Both the Division 1 and Division 3 teams tend to have more away games earlier in the season, but get to finish their campaigns on home soil. Now is a good time of year for fans and curious minds to visit Brennan Park in Squamish and experience what a competitive 15-per-side rugby fixture is all about. Moreover, the Axemen’s youth section resumed training on Feb. 26, providing a handy opportunity for local youngsters to get involved.

“Our youth program will teach children how to safely tackle and introduce contact to their game,” List said. “The main emphasis for our community is [facilitating] safe and engaging experiences for all ages.”  n

Letter Hunt

Find and take a picture of each letter f rom the word T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R in items around your community, at home or out in nature. Use your imagination!

Snuggle Up!

Build a cozy fort inside or out and snuggle up with your favourite book or hunker down with a healthy snack!

Silly Selfies

Draw a self portrait and snap a silly selfie holding your masterpiece!

Take Flight!

Host a paper airplane contest for f riends or family members! Establish a starting point and see who’s creation can soar the farthest!

Write a Secret Message! Use the chart below to write a secret message to a f riend or family member. See if they can crack the code without using the chart!

Take a walk around your neighbourhood and find the following items:

a dog on leash

a f riend or neighbour

a camper or snowmobile

a red car in a driveway

a plant in a window

a playground

a pinecone

a budding flower animal prints

a mailbox

someone carrying skis or a snowboard

someone on a bike

GE T M OVING!

Release your inner beast! Roam around the house like your favourite animal!

Get that heart pumping!

Each of Whistler ’s six grocery stores has a donation bin for the food bank. Name two of them below (and donate an item if you can!)

I T Y S H E E T

Do 12 jumping jacks, 20 arm circles and dance on the spot for one full minute. Need a challenge? Do it three times in a row!

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

Tr y a new sport! Cross country skiing? Tennis? How about jump rope? Anything goes, just get out there and PLAY! S P R I N G B R E A K A C T I V

Great prizes to be won! Photograph or film yourself participating in eight of the suggested activities and send to jenn@mywcss org by Sunday March 26 to be entered in the draw. And don’t forget to tag #whistlercommunityservices on social media!

Turn on the tap—and have a nice, tasty glass of water

ON WORLD WATER DAY, JUST SAY NO TO BOTTLED WATER

YOU COULD SAY THAT to get the whole water thing in perspective on our planet, you need to get your 70/70 vision in focus.

Seventy per cent of me and 70 per cent of you is made up of water.

Seventy per cent of this amazing planet we live on is covered in water.

Of all the fresh water on Earth, 70 per cent goes to agriculture. Of that portion, 70 per cent is used to produce meat.

BY GLENDA BARTOSH

Nope, I didn’t make up those crazy, correlating numbers. And what with World Water Day coming up fast on March 22, I couldn’t think of a better time to keep these handy 70/70s in mind to really, and I mean really, consider one of the most critical—and taken-for-granted—things on Earth: Simple, plain, and simply delicious water.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of World Water Day. And to put things in perspective, consider this: When World Water Day was declared by the U.N. in 1993 to celebrate and raise awareness about this most precious substance that’s the heart of life itself, our little planet had “only” about 5.5 billion people to support.

Today we’re closing in on 8 billion people—or 50 per cent more humans in only

30 years—all of us needing good, clean water. But let’s not get too human-centric here. It should go without saying that we’re not the only life forms that need clean, fresh water to live. But sometimes I think our heads are so buried in our phones and our own little microcosms that we barely stop to think about

the fish, the flowers, the free-wheeling birds— all the flora and fauna on Earth, including those precious agricultural systems noted above, that all need regular, reliable supplies of good, clean water.

But we humans, with our fussy guts, need the cleanest water of all. And the most

THE EBB AND FLOW OF WHISTLER’S WATER WORLD

It’s no secret that Canadians are water hogs. We each use an average of 638 litres/day, beating out the next in line for this ignominious title, our American cousins at 575 litres/day.

By comparison, people in Rwanda, Uganda and pre-earthquake Haiti averaged a mere 15 litres of water a day. People of Mozambique, our water opposites, live on 4 litres/day, below the minimum the UN has identified for human survival.

A recent UBC study put British Columbia’s per capita water use at 312 litres a day, with the lion’s share—60 per cent—still getting used in the bathroom. But that figure doesn’t include industrial or agricultural use.

The sort-of good news is that with pointed strategies like Whistler’s water conservation supply plan, local water use has dropped to an average of 462 litres per person per day, down from 568 litres per person per day, for example, in 2009, when per capita consumption was basically double that of Banff’s, another tourism-based mountain resort.

But really, that’s nothing to brag about. Bare bones, you need 3 to 5 litres of water a day for drinking, and 20 litres a day for cooking, bathing and basic cleaning.

So why is Whistler such a water hog?

There’s all that irrigation for golf courses and hotels and condos that love greenery, even in the dead of summer, even when they’re urged to plant drought-tolerant plants. There’s all that snow-making in winter. The local breweries use a ton of water. And virtually every bar, restaurant and hotel is still using water-based systems for refrigeration and cooling, when air-based ones would do as well, thank you very much.

People wash their cars mindlessly; water their lawn when it should be brown; don’t install low-flush toilets; run the dishwater half empty. Then there’s that “luxury” factor again. We’re far too in love with our hot tubs and long, lazy showers, and using those white fluffy hotel towels—once!—on vacation.

We can do way, way better, folks—starting with no more bottled water. And remember, use water like you’re camping. n

reliable way to get it to us is via public water systems, like virtually everyone in the Sea to Sky enjoys.

So weren’t my eyes opened wide by a new report from the UN University’s Canadianbased Institute for Water, Environment and Health in Hamilton on how bottled water is not only a ridiculously bad source of plastic pollution (keep reading), but it also masks the fact that public systems in less developed countries are failing to supply good, reliable drinking water for all.

In the privileged “global north” where we’re lucky enough to live, bottled water is more of a luxury or convenience than a necessity. But in the global south, bottled water use is driven by the lack or absence of reliable public water supplies and limited water delivery infrastructure due to rapid urbanization.

The result? More than 1 million bottles of water are sold worldwide every minute. In terms of plastic pollution, the study cites estimates that the industry produced about 600 billion plastic bottles and containers in 2021, which equals some 25 million tonnes of polyethylene terephthalate plastic (or PET) waste—most of it pure garbage. The mountain of plastic equals the weight of 625,000 40-tonne trucks, enough to form a bumper-to-bumper line from New York to Bangkok.

On a more positive note, I’m glad to see both Tourism Whistler and the RMOW urging us all to turn on the tap and stop using bottled water. If you haven’t bothered yet to get your own refillable water bottle and buy a plastic bottle of water, at least be thoughtful enough to use one of Whistler’s bottle fill stations, or the tap.

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who figures water deserves more respect. n

TALL TASK Today, the world is closing in on 8 billion people—all of them needing good, clean water.

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH

OPEN DAILY: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

F FLEXIBLE REGISTRATION

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

R REGISTERED FITNESS

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

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

ARENA SCHEDULE

Please see whistler.ca/recreation for the daily arena hours or call 604-935- PLAY (7529)

Polar bear, electric car, help save the planet in new graphic novel

LOCAL AUTHOR PAUL SHORE HELPED PEN STEVE AND EVE SAVE THE PLANET, CELEBRATING ITS LAUNCH AT THE WHISTLER PUBLIC LIBRARY ON MARCH 19

BY ALYSSA NOEL

PAUL SHORE’S DAUGHTER was eight when they first decided to test-drive an electric car.

At one point during a stop on their trip to the city, Shore looked over and saw her lying on the hood, as if hugging the car.

“I asked this eight-year-old, ‘What are you doing?’ She said, ‘It has a heartbeat!’” he recalls.

He put his ear to the hood and noticed, in a way, she was right.

The vehicle was making all sorts of subtle noises while turned off—mimicking a heartbeat.

On the drive back to their home in Whistler, he asked a few more questions. “Why were you hugging it?”

“She said, ‘Because it’s quiet and it’s not stinky.’ She had this innate connection to it without any coaching by me,” he says. “What it made me realize is young kids just get what’s easier on the planet, intuitively. I thought that

could make a good, uplifting kids’ story.”

That’s where the idea for new graphic novel—cowritten with writer Deborah Katz Henriquez and illustrated by Prashant Miranda—first emerged.

Several years later, his daughter now 15, Shore and the team are celebrating the launch

passed away. So [you do get] attached.”

While the publication aims to be both funny and informative to kids, its authors also hoped to offer some humour for the adults. “Deborah and I reflected that some of the books we enjoyed with our kids were ones we enjoyed reading with them,” Shore

2017 Whistler Independent Book Award for Non-Fiction.

Still, after more than three years, it has been rewarding to have the graphic novel finally come out, he says.

“It’s kind of crazy, even emotional. It’s like having another child, I swear. You wondered at times if you’d ever finish this thing. It’s just sinking in as people start to talk about it,” he says.

Whistlerites will have a chance to check out the book—and take part in launch celebrations—on March 19, first with a signing at Armchair Books, followed by a reading and other events at the Whistler Public Library.

of their new graphic novel series, Steve and Eve Save the Planet. The first instalment of the series, I Can Hear Your Heart Beep, was released on Feb. 25. Aimed at readers aged six to 12, it follows Steve the polar bear and Eve the electric car as they head out on adventures to save the planet.

“The characters, as everybody who writes fiction says, have little bits of you or your friends or family imbued in them,” Shore says. “That’s been incredibly fun. When I read certain passages I know that’s a quirky thing about my son or about my mother, who

says. “They had some adult humour buried into them. We’ve done quite a bit of that, but I don’t think anyone has noticed yet.”

Another detail he hopes readers will pick up is Miranda’s illustrations.

“I know I’m so biased, but this guy went above and beyond the call of duty for a kids’ novel,” Shore says. “It’s gorgeous, especially when he works in the Northern Lights.”

For his part, Shore is trained as an electrical engineer, but has written books before, including Uncorked, a travel memoir about his year in Provence, which won the

“Spreading kindness like jam on toast is the last line of the book, so we invented a game we’ll play called the jam-side-up challenge,” Shore says. “We’ll have kids spreading jam on toast and flipping the toast on a plate. The idea is you land jam-side up … [The goal is to] try new things with the expectation it’ll land jam-side up. If it lands jam-side down, that’s just life and you pick yourself up and carry on and try to get it to land jam-side up next time.”

The event takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. at Armchair Books and from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Whistler Public Library.

No registration is necessary and all ages are welcome.

For more on the book, visit savetheplanetbook.com. n

BEEP BEEP Paul Shore and his daughter Jashia (who dressed up as a polar bear for the occasion) at the Vancouver launch of the graphic novel, Steve and Eve Save the Planet: I Can Hear Your Heart Beep. PHOTO SUBMITTED

“[Y]oung kids just get what’s easier on the planet, intuitively.”

- PAUL SHORE

Two couples, one shared spotlight

INDIE-FOLK OUTFIT THE CRESCENT SKY MAKES ITS SEA TO SKY DEBUT ON MARCH 17 AND 18

BY ALYSSA NOEL

WHEN ANNA AND REGAN Luth moved from Alberta to the Lower Mainland in 2018, they looked up the only person they knew in the region.

The couple had met Anna Ratzlaff on a trip to Australia years earlier, and she and her husband, Jason, were quick to invite them for dinner.

“They were musicians, Regan and I were musicians,” Anna Luth says. “We all had our own projects on the go—two duos, specifically. We started sharing music in the living room and they invited us to give some feedback on one of the songs they were writing. Within four hours, we had written our first song, ‘Northern Lights,’ together.”

Shortly after that fateful night, The Crescent Sky was born.

“We walked away from that experience shell shocked, a little bit, feeling like this is really special,” Luth says.

Rooted in indie-folk, the band’s harmonyheavy sound combines all four members’ vocals into an acoustic dreamscape.

From the beginning, they committed to equally sharing songwriting duties—and the spotlight.

“We’ve been really intentional about not having one specific leader,” Luth adds. “There’s not one lead singer either. We really take turns. And I think, being couples, we knew that each person has different strengths and weaknesses and we do our best to support each other musically and relationally as well.”

The group released its debut album, Wonder, in May 2020.

“At that point, we had been a band for 2.5 years and had been working really hard on an album,” Luth says. “We had a tour

from B.C. to Alberta lined up that we had planned ourselves. It all got wiped out with the pandemic.”

But they decided to move ahead with the record release, and jumped on opportunities for online shows or stripped-back, outdoor appearances, as restrictions permitted.

“We wanted to have music out in the world,” she adds. “When you’re a new band and applying for different festivals and trying to get shows, it’s really important to have a catalogue available online.”

That perseverance paid off with several festival dates last summer.

“We had a really busy summer,” Luth says. “Our bandmates Jason and Anna had their first kid last year, too. It was busy on a personal level and busy with music, too. We did as much as we could given they had started their family for the first time.”

The group spent much of its pandemic downtime writing new material, with several singles released last year.

“We released three singles last summer and we’re hoping to get into the studio in the coming months. We’d like to work on a fulllength album,” Luth adds.

But first up, The Crescent Sky is making its Sea to Sky debut with a show at the Brackendale Art Gallery (BAG) on Friday, March 17 and as part of the Arts Whistler Live! music series on Saturday, March 18.

“A lot of our songs start in the living room, where we’re all writing together and collaborating,” Luth says. “We try to bring that intimate setting to our audiences. Playing in a theatre is one of our favourite settings … We’re always writing from our personal experience. Sometimes that can be pretty vulnerable. We hope folks will find something a little bit universal in our writing.”

Tickets to the Whistler show and the BAG are available at thecrescentsky.com/shows.

STAR POWER Indie-folk outfit The Crescent Sky is set to perform in Squamish on March 17 and Whistler on March 18.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

New exhibit celebrates late Whistler artist Joan Baron

CATCH A MOMENT IN TIME AT THE GALLERY AT THE MAURY YOUNG ARTS CENTRE UNTIL MARCH 26

BY ALYSSA NOEL

WHISTLER ARTIST Joan Baron was known for capturing different facets of the resort— whether in motion on bikes or skis, its epic landscapes, or its four-legged residents.

Sadly, she passed away in 2015.

Baron was represented locally by Mountain Galleries who, recently, worked with her husband, Tom Eddie, to donate some of her remaining paintings to Arts Whistler.

“[Eddie] got in touch with us, saying, ‘I have these original works remaining. I want to donate them to Arts Whistler. Ideally, you guys can use them as you wish—earn some funds, support artist programs and the gallery,’” recalls Mo Douglas, Arts Whistler’s executive director.

“We knew we would want to do a show with Joan’s work.”

A Moment in Time: Celebrating the Art of Joan Baron is running at The Gallery at the Maury Young Arts Centre until March 26. All of the art is for sale and proceeds will go back into Arts Whistler.

“It was an amazing opportunity to do two things: it gives people the opportunity to buy Joan Baron works—she was an established artist at several galleries across the country—and be able to showcase that

work now,” Douglas says. “I didn’t get the opportunity to get to know her, but she did a lot of great things in this community. We’re thrilled to have the work and celebrate her and have the opportunity to support our arts

and gallery programs.”

Baron created the Poet’s Pause public art concept, in which the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) hosts an annual poetry contest with the winning selections displayed at

sculpture sites in Alta Lake Park. She also had a hand in ensuring local artists were featured on the RMOW’s streetlight banners, Douglas says.

“Beyond her art, she was an advocate for supporting other opportunities for artists,” she says. “She loved the idea of bringing together the visual and written words, so she lobbied the municipality for Poet’s Pause.”

The exhibit, meanwhile, will feature 12 original works, plus four framed art prints. While the pieces are for sale, the hope is buyers will allow them to stay on the gallery walls until the show is over.

“Come in and see the work. If you’d like to purchase something, come to the front desk. What we always ask—especially for locals—is to keep the work until the end of the show. If somebody is from further away and not coming back, we usually accommodate it,” Douglas adds.

And, of course, if you’re keen to snap up a piece, visiting the exhibit sooner than later is always a good idea.

“I think there’s interest, and people in Whistler who really loved Joan’s work haven’t had a chance to see it in a while,” Douglas says. “We really welcome people to come by to the end of the exhibition. Joan has a wonderful, unique style … We’d love to encourage people to come.”

Catch the show at The Gallery Tuesday to Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. until March 26. ■

JUST IN TIME The opening party for A Moment In Time: Celebrating the Art of Joan Baron took place on March 10 at The Gallery at the Maury Young Arts Centre. The show runs until March 26.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE

Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events

Fun Gifts and Home Decor

Statues

Jewelr y

MARCUS MOSELY ENSEMBLE

MAR17-22

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

MARCUS MOSELY ENSEMBLE

In this uplifting and joyous repertoire, Marcus Mosely and his Ensemble will perform a rousing program of gospel songs celebrating Black History Month.

Rescheduled after a snowstorm last month, tickets are still available to the Arts Whistler Live! concert.

> March 19, 2:30 p.m.

> The Maury Young Arts Centre

> $25 at showpass.com/aw-live-mme

ALLAN RAYMAN

The most mysterious man in music returns to Whistler. Allan Rayman, live at Garfinkel’s Whistler on March 20. Don’t miss hearing his latest album Roadhouse 02, brought to life with a full band.

> March 20

> Garfinkel’s Whistler

> $30 at admitone.com/events/allan-raymanwhistler-8647709

COMMUNITY FELLOWSHIP AND WORSHIP SERVICE

Christ, The Living Stone Fellowship (CLSF) gather together as a church community in beautiful Whistler where everybody is welcome, every Sunday.

> Every Sunday at 5:30 p.m.

> 7226 Fitzsimmons Rd N.

A PEEK INTO PALESTINE

Join local journalist Brandon Barrett and Playground Builders founder Keith Reynolds as they share stories and photos from their recent tour of the West Bank. Learn more about the work the Whistler-based charity has done for underserved youth across Palestine and gain a window into day-to-day life for the Palestinian people in one of the most militarized geopolitical hotspots on Earth.

A Q&A will follow the presentation, moderated by Kirby Brown.

Registration is required – email publicservices@ whistlerlibrary.ca to sign up. If you are signing up with a friend, please let us know their name and email address.

> Wednesday, March 22, 7 - 8:30 p.m.

> Whistler Public Library

> Free

• Car vings

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Across from the Olympic Plaza

604-905-0084

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pure local honeys • liquid honey

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bee pollen

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soaps

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ELECTORAL

AREA C

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 5:30pm

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:

1 Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Electoral Area C Zoning Bylaw No 765, 2002, Amendment Bylaw No 1742-2022

PURPOSE OF BYLAW 1742-2022:

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is in the process of updating all the Electoral Area bylaws to reflect recent changes to the Agricultural Land Commission Act (ALCA) and ALR Regulations. In addition to these updates to agricultural provisions within the Electoral Area C Zoning Bylaw No 765, 2002, staff are proposing a number of additional amendments to update areas of the bylaw that are considered outdated or areas where rewording is required for ease of interpretation and implementation

Proposed Zoning Amendment

The following key amendments are proposed to Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Electoral Area C Zoning Bylaw No 765, 2002:

• Agricultural changes including amendments to agricultural cannabis production and cannabis retail, as well as changes to regulations around residential uses of ALR land These amendments are important at a minimum to create consistency with the uses allowed in the Agricultural Land Commission Act

• Changes are proposed to clarify and create consistency around the calculation of gross floor area These changes propose to create a separate list of inclusions and exclusions for principal buildings and auxiliary buildings.

• Amendments to definitions around camping, including campground, camping unit, and recreational vehicle are intended in part to clarify the difference between forms of temporary accommodation and permanent dwellings.

• A number of changes are proposed to height regulations since many zones do not currently have their own height regulation Where height regulations do exist within the current bylaw, they largely apply to all buildings within a zone Updates will distinguish between different types of buildings permitted within a particular zone (single family dwellings, duplexes, accessory buildings, farm buildings, etc.) The updates also aim to create consistency between similar building types across different zones where it makes sense to do so

• Other minor amendments include changes and additions to definitions and additional uses added as uses permitted in all zones.

While the area covered by Bylaw 1742-2022 is the entire Electoral Area C of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, most of these changes are more specific to the CD1 (WedgeWoods) zone and agricultural properties.

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 8:00 am to 4:30 pm from March 13 to March 29, 2023 not including weekends and statutory holidays or on the SLRD website at www slrd bc.ca/BL1742-2022 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 interests are 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 make oral representations LIVE via online video or phone conferencing (your image may be broadcast to the Board or the public if your video camera is turned on)

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 4:30pm on March 29 2023, 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 March 29, 2023 between 4:30pm and the time when the motion to close the Public Hearing is made During this timeframe, written comments must be submitted by email to: bkolenbrander@slrd bc.ca

2. Participate LIVE via Online Video or Phone Conferencing

The live Public Hearing will take place March 29, 2023 at 5:30 p m via online video and phone conferencing The Public Hearing will be conducted using Zoom and can be accessed via either online video or phone conferencing No registration is required Log-in details will be posted to the notice page: www slrd bc.ca/inside-slrd/notices a minimum of 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 log-in information

Free Will Astrology

WEEK OF MARCH 16 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I highly recommend the following experiences: 1. ruminating about what you learned in a relationship that ended—and how those lessons might be useful now. 2. ruminating about a beloved place you once regarded as home—and how the lessons you learned while there might be inspiring now. 3. ruminating about a riddle that has long mystified you—and how clarifying insights you receive in the coming weeks could help you finally understand it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For “those who escape hell,” wrote Charles Bukowski, “nothing much bothers them after that.” Believe it or not, Taurus, I think that in the coming weeks, you can permanently escape your own personal version of hell—and never, ever have to return. I offer you my congratulations in advance. One strategy that will be useful in your escape is this idea from Bukowski: “Stop insisting on clearing your head—clear your f*cking heart instead.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini paleontologist Louis Agassiz (1807–1883) was a foundational contributor to the scientific tradition. Among his specialties was his handson research into the mysteries of fossilized fish. Though he was meticulously logical, he once called on his nightly dreams to solve a problem he faced. Here’s the story: A potentially crucial specimen was largely concealed inside a stone. He wanted to chisel away the stone to get at the fossil, but was hesitant to proceed for fear of damaging the treasure inside. On three successive nights, his dreams revealed to him how he should approach the work. This information proved perfectly useful. Agassiz hammered away at the slab exactly as his dreams suggested and freed the fossilized fish. I bring this marvel to your attention, Gemini, because I suspect that you, too, need to carve or cut away an obstruction that is hiding something valuable. Can you get help from your dreams? Yes, or else in deep reverie or meditation.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Will you flicker and sputter in the coming weeks, Cancerian? Or will you spout and surge? That is, will you be enfeebled by barren doubts, or will you embolden yourself with hearty oaths? Will you take nervous sips or audacious guzzles? Will you hide and equivocate, or else reveal and pounce? Dabble gingerly or pursue the joy of mastery? I’m here to tell you that which fork you take will depend on your intention and your willpower, not on the caprices of fate. So which will it be: Will you mope and fritter or untangle and illuminate?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I applaud psychologists who tell us how important it is to feel safe. One of the most crucial human rights is the confidence that we won’t be physically or emotionally abused. But there’s another meaning of safety that applies to those of us who yearn to express ourselves creatively. Singer-songwriter David Bowie articulated the truth: “If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re in the right place to do something exciting.” I think this is a wise strategy for most of us, even those who don’t identify as artists. Almost everyone benefits from being imaginative and inventive and even a bit daring in their own particular sphere. And this will be especially applicable to you in the coming weeks, Leo.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are in the sweet, deep phase of the Receiving Season. And so you have a right and a duty to show the world you are ready and available to be blessed with what you need and want. I urge you to do everything necessary to become a welcoming beacon that attracts a wealth of invigorating and healing influences. For inspiration, read this quote by author John Steinbeck: “It is so easy to give, so exquisitely rewarding. Receiving, on the other hand, if it be well done,

requires a fine balance of self-knowledge and kindness. It requires humility and tact and great understanding of relationships… It requires a self-esteem to receive—a pleasant acquaintance and liking for oneself.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran poet E. E. Cummings wrote that daffodils “know the goal of living is to grow.” Is his sweet sentiment true? I would argue it’s only partially accurate. I believe that if we want to shape our destinies with courage and creativity, we need to periodically go through phases of decay and decline. They make periods of growth possible. So I would say, “The goal of life is to grow and wither and grow and wither and grow.” Is it more fun to grow than to wither? Maybe. But sometimes, withering is educational and necessary. Anyway, Libra, I suspect you are finishing a time of withering and will soon embark on a series of germinations and blossoms.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): All of us have elements of genius. Every person on the planet possesses at least one special talent or knack that is a gift to others. It could be subtle or unostentatious, like a skill for communicating with animals or for seeing what’s best in people. Or maybe it’s more spectacular, like composing beautiful music or raising children to be strong and compassionate. I mention this, Scorpio, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to identify your unique genius in great detail—and then nurture it and celebrate it in every way you can imagine.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The emblem associated with Sagittarius is an archer holding a bow with the arrow pointed upwards. This figure represents your tribe’s natural ambition to always aim higher. I bring this to your attention because your symbolic quiver is now full of arrows. But what about your bow? Is it in tip-top condition? I suggest you do some maintenance. Is the bow string in perfect shape? Are there any tiny frays? Has it been waxed recently? And what about the grip? Are there any small cracks or wobbles? Is it as steady and stable as it needs to be? I have one further suggestion as you prepare for the target-shooting season. Choose one or at most two targets to aim at rather than four or five.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It’s prime time to feel liberated from the urge to prove yourself to anyone. It’s a phase when your self-approval should be the only kind of approval you need, a period when you have the right to remove yourself from any situation that is weighed down with gloomy confusion or apathetic passivity. This is exciting news! You have an unprecedented opportunity to recharge your psychic batteries and replenish your physical vitality.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I suspect you can now accomplish healthy corrections without getting tangled up in messy karma. Here are my recommendations: 1. As you strive to improve situations that are awry or askew, act primarily out of love rather than guilt or pity. 2. Fight tenderly in behalf of beautiful justice, but don’t fight harshly for ugly justice. 3. Ask yourself how you might serve as a kind of divine intervention in the lives of those you care about—and then carry out those divine interventions.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In describing her process, Piscean sculptor Anne Truitt wrote, “The most demanding part of living a lifetime as an artist is the strict discipline of forcing oneself to work steadfastly along the nerve of one’s own most intimate sensitivity.” I propose that many Pisceans, both artists and non-artists, can thrive from living like that. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to give yourself to such an approach with eagerness and devotion. I urge you to think hard and feel deeply as you ruminate on the question of how to work steadfastly along the nerve of your own most intimate sensitivity.

Homework: What element is most lacking in your life right now? Your assignment: Get more of it. Newsletter. FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

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PembertonVeterinaryHospitalRegisteredVeterinaryTechnician

ThePembertonVeterinaryHospitalis seekinganRVT(orequivalent)tojoin ourteam.Thepositionisparttime,but thereispotentialforfulltimeworkfor therightcandidate.Wecurrentlyhave asmallteambutthepracticeisgrowingwiththeadditionofanothervetthis year.Theidealcandidatewillbepassionateaboutveterinarymedicine, havetheabilitytoworkaspartofa teamandindependently,andthrivein abusyclinicenvironment.Wageand workscheduleisnegotiablebasedon experienceandthecandidate.Benefits includelicensingdues,CEallowance andmedical/dentalcoverage.604-894 -1119laura@pembertonvet.com www.pembertonvet.com

OPPORTUNITIES

PWTransitHiringFull-TimeWash BayAttendant

PWTransitiscurrentlyhiringafull-time WashBayAttendant.Startingwage: $23.66/hour

Formoreinformationpleasecall780449-7119ext174,orapplyonour websiteatpwtransit.ca,oremail cassandram@pwt.ca. www.pwtransit.ca

SoundGardenLandscape &DesignLtd.

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TEAMMEMBERS-Exp.Preferred $23/hr+$16DailyBonus

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Resort Municipality of Whistler

Employment Opportunities

· Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

· Legislative and Privacy Coordinator

• Bylaw Parks and Trails Ambassador

· Skate Host

· Program Leader

• Custodial Guard

· Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Supervisor

· Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

· Solid Waste Technician

• Engineering Technologist - Utilities Maintenance Planner

· Labourer I – Village Maintenance

· Youth and Public Services Specialist

· Accountant

• Engineering Technologist

Resort Municipality of Whistler

• IT Systems Analyst

whistler.ca/careers

• Labourer I - Irrigation

• Labourer I - Horticulture

• Labourer I - Turf

Resort Municipality of Whistler Employment

Opportunities

· Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

· Legislative and Privacy Coordinator

• Labourer I - Sanitation

· Skate Host

· Program Leader

• Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

· Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Supervisor

· Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

· Labourer I – Village Maintenance

· Solid Waste Technician

• Records Digitization Assistant

· Youth and Public Services Specialist

· Accountant

Resort Municipality of Whistler

whistler.ca/careers

Journeyman Electrician position available, Service / Renovation

If you thrive in a fast paced, busy and diverse environment with lots of autonomy then this could be the position for you. If you like variety in your work experience, are responsible and would like the opportunity to advance your career, Please send your resumé in confidence to: e. info@sparkelectrical.com

Position involves customer service and sales. Some computer and bookkeeping related tasks also required. Looking for an individual who works well independently. Flexibility in work schedule and training is provided.

Located in Function Junction mariomarble@shaw.ca 604-935-8825

Dont forget to scoop the poop! It’s not fun to step in, or to see around town. Help keep Whistler clean and pick up after your dog.

Showroom coordinator needed www.whistlerwag.com

Mountains Edge Spas is a pool & spa maintenance, cleaning and service company.

We are currently looking for part time staff. Must be physically fit (able to lift 60lbs).

• Flexible hours to fit around ski and bike fun!

• No experience required, training provided

• Must have own vehicle

• 10 - 20 hours per week

The Sea to Sky corridor’s top civil construction company.

PERKS

•

•

E-mail

Lil’wat Nation Employment Opportunities

Ullus Community Center

· Early Childhood Educator

· Director of Lands & Resources

· Director of Community Programs

· General Manager, Community Services

· Finance Assistant

· Family Enhancement Worker

· Transition House Support Worker

Ts’zil Learning Center

· Indigenous Advocate Supervisor

· Indigenous Support Worker – Culture & Language

· Receptionist

Youth Centre

· Administrative Assistant

· Youth Program Coordinator

Xet’olacw Community School

· High School Math Teacher

Lil’wat Business Group

· Forestry Summer Students

· Junior Saw Labourer

· Senior Saw Labourer

· Transfer Station Operator

· Cashier

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

TEPPAN VILLAGE IS HIRING A GENERAL MANAGER Teppan Village is a locally owned Teppanyaki Steakhouse

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Overseeing daily operations

• Addressing areas of improvement

• Responding to customer service needs

• Insuring team member satisfaction

• Monitoring staff performance and scheduling.

THE PERFECT CANDIDATE:

• Minimum 4-5 years management experience in a high volume food and beverage environment

• Manage reservations systems

• Strong problem-solving abilities

• Excellent leadership, organization, and time management skills.

• Ability to develop and motivate staff to achieve challenging goals.

ABOUT THE ROLE, BENEFITS +PERKS

• Full-time, year-round career opportunity.

• Competitive wage

• Annual mountain pass.

• Free meals and restaurant discounts.

• Educational allowance & growth opportunities.

• Extended health, dental and vision benefits

• Paid vacation time

Address: 301-4293 Mountain Square, Whistler, BC, V0N 1B4

Apply by email at teppanvillage@shaw.ca

OF SQUAMISH

WE ARE HIRING

Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Advisor – Regular Full-Time

Economic Development Coordinator – Casual/On-Call

Front Counter Clerk – Regular Full-Time

Labourer 2 – Regular Full-Time

Utility Operator 1 – Water Distribution – Regular Full-Time

Recreation Program Instructor 1 – Biking – Temporary Part-Time (4-19 hours) (2 Positions)

Recreation Program Instructor 1 – Biking – Casual/On-Call (Multiple Positions)

Building Official – Casual/On-Call

Labourer 2 (Multiple Positions) – Temporary Full-Time

Economic Development Specialist – Regular Full-Time

Small Equipment Operator and Winter Truck Driver 3 – Regular Full-Time

Executive Assistant to the General Manager, Community Planning and Infrastructure and Administrative Technical Coordinator – Regular

Full-Time

General Manager of Community Planning and Sustainability – Regular

Full-Time

Recreation Facility Attendant 2 – Casual/On-Call

Recreation Facility Attendant 1 – Casual/On-Call

Custodian – Casual/On-Call

Recreation Program Instructor 1 – Fitness – Casual/On-Call

Recreation Program Leader – Casual/On-Call

Lifeguard 1 – Casual/On-Call

Financial Services Specialist – Temporary Full-Time

squamish.ca/careers

If you are an Amazing Barista, who wants to work in newest, coolest, and funk

the then keep reading!

The Team (who are we?): We have sk iers, snowboarders, fanatics, musicians, family people, single people, and ever y other variety of people, but above all, we have happy people!

The good stuff!

• Flexible schedule for shredding!

• Wage based on experience plus tips

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• T nt

• Walking distance to the brand new Creekside Gondola

• Employee showers

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eekside

Don’t ignore this oppor tunity! Of course you are happy where you are, but shouldn’t you always be happier? Come in and check it out

We w t o to hear f r a

Thinking whether you should apply or not? to discover more

T k humour need not apply)

BLACKCOMB HELICOPTERS MANAGER, FLEET & EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

TITLE: Manager, Fleet & Equipment Maintenance

LOCATION: Pemberton BC

STATUS: Full-time, Permanent

ABOUT US

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

ABOUT THE JOB

Reporting to the Operations Manager, Blackcomb Helicopters, this role will oversee the Fleet and Equipment Department, ensuring all assets (excluding aircraft) are operating at maximum efficiency. This role will focus on the maintenance and upkeep of company vehicles and other auxiliary helicopter and operational equipment, such as pumps, re-fueling systems, trailers, water buckets, and sling gear. Another key aspect of this role will be administering a robust tracking system and ensuring maintenance schedules and regulatory requirements are adhered to, and that all equipment is properly tracked, maintained, and accounted for. This role will require regular visits to our bases and workshops in order to cultivate an understanding of the operation, personnel, and its nuances.

YOU HAVE

• A valid B.C. or other provincial Driver’s license with satisfactory driver’s abstract.

• Experience in general vehicle repair, servicing, electrical, hydraulics, and electric over hydraulic controls, fuel system maintenance, fuel system plumbing.

• Commercial Transport and National Safety Code experience.

• Your Red Seal Certificate in Automotive or Heavy Duty Mechanics.

• The ability to exceed deadlines and anticipate operational needs.

• Commercial driving/towing experience, ability to operate many types of equipment.

• Legally entitled to work within Canada.

This is an excellent position for a self-starter who is looking for an opportunity to take ownership of their tasks and department. Salary will be commensurate with experience. We offer an excellent benefits program, and an energetic and diverse working environment.

THE FINE PRINT

Blackcomb Helicopters is an equal opportunity employer and to that end, we want all barriers removed to ensure a fair screening process for all candidates. All resumes will be reviewed with an eye to skill set and experience only, and are considered without attention to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. To this end, we ask all applicants to ensure you do not include any personal information on your application and remove pictures from your resume if you have them.

INTERESTED?

If you or someone you know would be a good fit for this role, please send a resume to: Fiona Cochrane, HR Manager fcochrane@mcleangroup.com

• Previous food & beverage leadership experience required

• University/College degree in related discipline an asset

• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast paced environment

• Computer literate in Microsoft applications

• Strong interpersonal and problem solving abilities

We are hiring

• Manage all activities related to the Banquets Department

• Attend pre-conference meetings with clients to confirm all relevant details are confirmed

• Create unforgettable experiences for our guests and colleagues

• Ensure all financial reporting is maintained and accurate

• Competitive Benefits

• Career Growth Opportunities

•

IS SEEKING A…

Board of Directors Co-Chair

Join our progressive, dynamic, and passionate Board of Directors as our Co-Chair. We are seeking an individual with experience as a Board Chair, with non-profit governance, and in leading a diverse team.

We believe that everyone deserves a place to call home. Zero Ceiling is a social service non-profit committed to ending youth homelessness. We provide young adults with housing, supportive employment placements, land-based programming, and individualized support. We strive to create an environment in which young people have a sense of belonging and are supported to heal and grow.

To apply, send a resume and cover letter to: info@zeroceiling.org

Deadline: Friday, March 24 at 11:59 PST

You will love volunteering with us! We provide:

• Training opportunities in Indigenous Cultural Safety, supportive employment, and supporting mental health

• An honorarium for folx who may face barriers to volunteering, including those with lived experience as a young person facing homelessness

We enthusiastically welcome applications from all qualified people, including those with lived experience, racialized people, people of all sexual orientations, women and trans* people, Indigenous peoples, those with diverse abilities, mental illness, and from all social strata.

Find job descriptions at zeroceiling.org/join-our-team

We’ve got a

The Mallard Lounge is hiring an

YOUR EXPERIENCE & SKILLS:

• Minimum 2 years food & beverage leadership experience

• University/College degree in related discipline an asset

• Thorough knowledge of wines, liqueurs and other beverages

• Sommelier designation an asset

• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast paced environment

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

• Assist in positioning the Mallard Lounge as one of the top dining choices in Whistler

• Have full knowledge of all restaurant and bar menus

• Create unforgettable experiences for our guests and colleagues

• Assist in achieving financial goals through revenue maximization and managing expenses

Is your new graduate mechanically minded and not going to school in September?

Parents of New Grads:

Black Tusk Fire and Security Inc. provides apprenticeships and a supportive learning environment through on-the-job training and a four-year Sprinkler Fitter Apprenticeship Program.

Overview

Black Tusk Fire & Security is one of BC’s most trusted fire safety and security providers, servicing the Sea to Sky region and the Lower Mainland. The Fire Sprinkler apprenticeship is a full-time, paid position, working Monday-Friday; based out of our office in Whistler to service customers within the Sea to Sky corridor.

Job Duties

• Install wet and dry sprinkler systems as per the NFPA and Building Code;

• Install fire sprinkler systems for residential and commercial applications;

• Service, inspect and repair wet and dry sprinkler systems;

• Service, inspect and repair backflow systems

Requirements

• Self-starter who takes initiative

• Mechanical aptitude and basic knowledge of hand tools

• Strong attention to detail

• Excellent communication skills

• Valid drivers’ license

• Competitive Benefits

• Career Growth Opportunities

• Extensive Travel Perks

WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU: HOW TO APPLY: APPLY HERE

•

• Must reside within the Sea to Sky corridor

• We offer competitive wages, extended medical/dental benefits and growth potential with paid education/training.

This is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door within the industry or advance your current work experience into a long-term career with a growing company.

Please respond with your resume and current references.

We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those qualified will be contacted.

Starting wage: $18.00 per hour

SEND YOUR RESUME TO: hr@btfsi.com

109-1330 Alpha Lake Rd., Whistler, BC V0N 1B1

Whistler: 604.935.1140 | Squamish: 604.892.9793

Vancouver: 1.877.657.1140 | www.BTFSI.com

We've Got You Covered

SHARE YOUR PASSION

CULINARY OPPORTUNITIES

Full Time & Part Time, Summer Seasonal

The Whistler Golf Club is looking for culinary rock stars to join our returning team for the 2023 summer season (and beyond!). Now hiring:

• Line Cooks

• Prep Cooks

• Dishwashers

What we offer: come work with us and enjoy all new equipment on the service line from your air conditioned office, free golf at our legendary course, staff meals, competitive wages, monthly staff events, and a great team environment!

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

Looking

(FT)

ACROSS

LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

Epic™ tips for surviving Whistler’s spring break chaos

WELL, here we are, halfway through spring break and spring’s about to break, assuming you put any stock in weather forecasts in a town with notoriously difficult weather to forecast. Of course, I speak parochially. That’s B.C.’s spring break. No sooner will it be done than Alberta will break for spring. We may have a week’s respite after that, but Easter follows, along with Washington state and its 19-year-olds who can’t wait to visit B.C. with its younger legal drinking age. Party on.

Admittedly, the first week of local spring break kind of crept up on me, otherwise I’d have offered the public service tips that follow last week. But losing track of time is one of the breaks of living in the bubble. Being selfemployed too.

BY G.D. MAXWELL

But having been a keen observer of people, and having toiled relentlessly to reduce the Epic™ Coefficient (EC) to a mathematical formula, I probably should have done this much earlier in the season. The EC is a threedimensional, polynomial calculation I hope will, when peer-reviewed, describe the chaos Whistler experiences throughout the resort as a function of the growing number of Epic™ passholders coming to enjoy the “free” skiing offered by their ticket to ride.

This far into the Vail experience, there is no part of Life in Tiny Town untouched by the EC. Being a glass-half-full kind of guy—admittedly one asking for my glass to be topped up—I’ll briefly touch on an illustration of the chaos and offer gentle suggestions on how to avoid it.

Driving: As with the rest of North America and much of the world, we drive on the right side of the road, right as in starboard, not as in correct. No judgment here. I wouldn’t have mentioned it except it seems some of you like to test that rule.

Green lights mean go here. As in skiing, it’s best to figure out where you’re going while you’re stopped, not immediately after you disembark the chairlift (see below). But you shouldn’t be stopped at green lights while figuring out where you’re going. If you’re not sure, just drive; it’s a small town.

Virtually all driving issues can be solved by simply not driving. And as a tourist, you don’t need to. In fact, there’s a history of tourists losing track of where they parked in Whistler’s underground warrens and reporting their rental car as stolen. So don’t drive; take the shuttle.

Walking: Shouldn’t be that hard, right? But like not moving at a green light, abruptly ceasing to walk for no better reason than to figure out where you are and where you’re going is an inactivity best done on the edge of a busy walkway, not in the middle. Pull over, look confused, and shortly, a kind local will

stop and give you directions. Sometimes the correct ones. We even know where they hide the washrooms.

Skis: Trying to avoid concepts like right and wrong, let’s just say there are good ways to carry skis and not-so-good ways. Carrying them like a ripping bag of groceries is not a good way. Scissored one over each shoulder is worse, especially if your edges are sharp. Carrying them like a battering ram is not good for the people in front of you or behind

Our local health-care centre can verify this gauche activity results in most of the injuries they see before the mountains open for the day.

On the mountain, do not wait until you’re past the RFID gates to stop and let your friends catch up with you. What was annoying for a quad chair is potentially murderous for a six-pack. Oh, and if you’re waiting somewhere further back in the line, imagine what the folks coming behind you are going to do to

else.

There isn’t a special ring for people who traverse the entire width of runs before turning, nor is there one for those who come from one far side to the other to take advantage of a hit that’s just caught their attention. Should be, but there isn’t. Why those people don’t meet up with the straightliners more often is one of the best arguments against karma.

Moving: Chairlifts—and gondolas, to a lesser extent—are for talking. Runs are for skiing/boarding. Getting off a chairlift, grouping, standing around, figuring out where you’re going is closely related to getting off an escalator and standing still while you decide where to go next and people pile up behind you. Don’t do it. The move to larger chairs just makes it worse. Picking your way through the throng at the top of Red this season is like oozing through a crowd at a rock concert to get to the washroom. Keep moving... that’s why you’re on skis.

you. Securely on your shoulders is good, until you quickly pivot or enter a lift line. And, unless you’re injured or under 10 years old, having your partner carry them for you is... well, have some pride, people.

Oh, and ski poles should point toward the ground, not behind you like people skewers. Ironically, this is one category where snowboarders are generally blameless.

Lift Lines: There are no friends in lift lines. Unless you’re carrying coffee for everyone, don’t even think of joining your friends/family in front of 200 other people waiting patiently in the line behind them.

the topcoat on your skis if you’re standing at an angle that blocks their forward progress.

Turning: Riding up, take a look at people who ski or board well. Their movements are fluid, smooth, but most of all, they’re turning. Over and over. Left and right. And if you look closely, they tend to turn in a “lane,” some small, some large, some far too large, but their turns are easily anticipated—unless they have to avoid someone whose turns seem random—and from top to bottom, they turn. There’s a special ring of hell for people who straight-line runs, assuming they make it to the bottom without colliding with someone

Après: Regarded as a prefix by most dictionaries, après is a noun in this town. It doesn’t modify ski; it stands on its own. While not formally rising to the level of religion, it is, and should be, observed by all who visit. So much a part of spring break is après, locals will, in fact, frequently skip it during these weeks to, if nothing else, avoid remembering how embarrassing it can be, as well as taking pass on the inevitable chaos it creates. So party on and be thankful you don’t have to drive anywhere, at least if you followed the first tip.

And remember, we cherish each and every one of you, and hope you’ll be back next year. ■

There’s a special ring of hell for people who straight-line runs, assuming they make it to the bottom without colliding with someone else.

GLOBAL REACH, LOCAL KNOWLEDGE FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, HOME

CREEKSIDE

4 – 2400 Cavendish Way WHISKI JACK Complex, near Creekside Gondola for skiing and summer mtn biking access. Cozy 2 bed, 1 bath townhouse just under 800 sq.ft. Enjoy this as your home or rental investment property. $950,000

Kathy White prec* 604-616-6933

WHISTLER VILLAGE

702 & 704 4050 Whistler Way Hilton Owners enjoy unlimited stays and a central village location offering all the amenities of a resort hotel. This lock-off 2 bed, 2 bathroom, with storage may also be rented nightly though the Hilton full-service, rental management program. $949,000

Nick Swinburne prec* 604-932-8899

BLACK TUSK

73 Garibaldi Drive 73 Garibaldi Drive is a spacious 3,170 sq/ft home that is situated on a quiet 7,535 sq/ft lot within the quiet & serene Black Tusk development that is a short 15 minute drive to Whistler! $1,899,000

Maggi Thornhill prec* 604-905-8199

BENCHLANDS

4653 401(G2) Blackcomb Way Beautiful top floor/corner unit with spacious 2 bed, 2 bath layout. Features; heated outdoor pool, hot tub, games room, gym, ski-in access, free area shuttle & much more. Enjoy one week each month!

$385,000

KERRY BATT prec* 604-902-5422

BENCHLANDS

4653 213 G2 & G3 Blackcomb Way Rarely available backto-back weeks in Horstman House on Blackcomb. This quiet 1 bedroom offers owners the perfect home away from home with the option for nightly rental managed by the front desk. Price is per share. $219,900

Sam Surowy 604-902-9754

BRIO

3283 Arbutus Street Looking for an AMAZING INVESTMENT OR Whistler home with NO strata fees? Enjoy a private, large, fenced and bright back yard in this spacious 4 bed/3 bath duplex with mountain views. This property offers everything and is located a short walk to the Village. $2,099,000

Allyson Sutton prec* 604-932-7609

WHISTLER CAY ESTATES

6304 Lorimer Road Enjoy the privacy of owing a single family home in one of Whistler’s most desirable neighbourhoods and within steps of the Valley Trail. This three bdrm, two bath property has tons of potential, a legal two bdrm suite, good storage and lovely flat backyard. $2,379,000

Laura Wetaski 604-938-3798

CONTRIBUTION AT CLOSING

SQUAMISH

Paradise Valley Road Escape to your 9-acre waterfront estate in Paradise Valley. Down valley living offers lot size & absolute privacy unavailable in Whistler. Live in the carriage home while building your 5,400 sq.ft. dream home. paradisevalleyestate.com $3,185,000

Ken Achenbach 604-966-7640

Engel & Völkers i s a proud c hampion of Special Olympics. Many o f our a dvisors donate a p or tion of t heir commissions to Special Olympics o n behalf o f their clients. This simple p rogram m eans t hat ever y time we help our c lients realize their real estate goals, we are helping a Special Olympian get j ust a bit closer to theirs.

Whistler Village Shop

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

SQUAMISH

38009 Helm Way Front row 3br+den/3ba townhome in the new SEAandSKY development. SW views of Mamquam Channel, mountains, the future amenities center and foot bridge to downtown Squamish. All you need, just out the front door $1,099,000

Sherry Boyd - boyd team 604-902-7220

Squamish Station Shop 150-1200 Hunter Place · Squamish BC V8B 0G8 · Phone +1 778-733-0611 squamish.evrealestate.com