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