Pique Newsmagazine 3025

Mountain mamas keep on moving

Sea to Sky moms show how the magical nine months of pregnancy can unfold up the mountain and on the trails. - By

Alyssa Noel

14 SOFI SAYS Whistler’s annual SOFI report details a municipality with an ever-growing payroll.

28 HOUSE AND HOME

A new housing report details the current crunch in Spud Valley—but it doesn’t contain a ton of surprises, according to officials.

15 LEADING LIL’WAT Lil’wat Nation Chief Dean Nelson made a statement at a ceremonial signing on June 16 by declining to participate.

17 TWIST AND SHOUT Whistler’s mayor and council approved four cannabis retail licences for the community on June 20.

46 MAUDE WILLING

Pemberton’s Maude Cyr is running more than 110 kilometres to raise funds for the Howe Sound Women’s Centre—and to shine a light on domestic violence.

50 SPREAD THE LOVE

Local musician Erik “Big Love” Van Meerbergen’s new playlist showcases the best of Whistler’s best local talent.

COVER I’ve never been pregnant, but more than a couple nurses have told me knee reconstructions are the closest thing a man can experience to it, just in reverse. The point being that it takes a little fortitude to power through either—only one experience starts with screaming, and the other one ends with it! - By Jon

Parris

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

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

President, Whistler Publishing LP

SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com

Opinion & Columns

08 OPENING REMARKS

How will you spend your time on Facebook when local news goes away? Editor Braden Dupuis has some helpful suggestions.

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

This week’s letter writers advocate for the ball diamonds to remain at Meadow Park and for an e-bike expressway, and say thanks to some deserving individuals and businesses.

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Multiculturalism in Whistler needs to be more than a mosaic, writes columnist Brandon Barrett.

70 MAXED OUT Does Whistler still have a bed cap? Max explores the question from afar, as he’s not certain when it will land on a council agenda.

Environment & Adventure

41 THE OUTSIDER Anthill Films’ The Engine Inside—premiering in Whistler on June 24—showcases how bikes are changing lives (and the world).

Lifestyle & Arts

49 FORK IN THE ROAD

It may have been intended as a provocation, but The Futurist Cookbook still whips up plenty of fun, writes Glenda Bartosh.

54 MUSEUM MUSINGS The hostel at Cypress Lodge, officially reopened as such in July 1973, was the first landing spot for many Whistlerites.

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Fun ways to use Facebook when local news goes away

SINCE I ASSUMED the role of editor of Pique Newsmagazine at the beginning of last year, one of my main priorities has been to grow Pique’s audience online.

That’s because, in the face of ever-changing, increasingly online reader habits, we know

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

the only way we’ll have a continued business model—and the only way local journalism in Whistler will survive—is to ensure a thriving online community.

Underpinning that reality is a different motive.

Being a lover of archival history, and a firm believer in the importance of the printed, permanent record, my one true underlying goal as editor of this publication has always been to ensure we keep printing newspapers long into the future. Call me old fashioned.

Growing our online audience has been an uphill battle, but we are making progress.

Now, all that hard work could be wiped away in an instant.

It is looking increasingly likely that stories published by Pique Newsmagazine—and all news stories in general—will soon disappear from your Facebook news feed.

Not only will we not be able to share our work, but regular Facebook users will also be blocked from sharing our content. So all forms of local Canadian news could effectively be lost in the social media ether in the weeks ahead.

This is due to the federal Liberals’ Bill C-18, also known as the Online News Act, which will require platforms like Facebook and Google to pay publishers for hosting links to news stories.

In response, those platforms have said they will outright block the sharing of news stories. Who will blink first? It remains to be seen.

But so far this standoff is showing signs of a stalemate.

The early estimates say smaller Canadian news organizations like Pique can expect to lose about 80 per cent of our online traffic. Put simply, this policy will be disastrous for Canadian journalism, if it plays out the way it is now threatening to—despite the supposed good intentions of our federal government.

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is already blocking news on Facebook and Instagram for some users—if the bill passes, as it most likely will, the tech giant has indicated it will remove Canadian news permanently.

But no sense dwelling on things beyond our control. We adapt, as we have always done.

If you value the local news, sports, arts, opinion, weekly longform cover features, letters to the editor, horoscopes, photo spreads, classifieds, and ads from local businesses you

sharing our stories with your friends—or even better, make it your homepage.

You can also sign up for our daily newsletter, which delivers all the local headlines straight to your inbox, and make an effort to open and read it each day (this is a huge one, as newsletters and subscriber-based journalism are crucial for our future).

We may disappear from your Facebook feed, but we’re not going anywhere—it might just take a bit more work to find us.

I’ll admit that in recent years I have personally shied away from Facebook. The human brain was not designed to shoulder endless casual criticism from strangers, it turns out, and the good old days of social media feeling harmless and fun are long since past, in my humble view.

Nevertheless, with close to 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook is still the world’s most

only a mirage. It’s real, and it’s coming for us all. Better get in touch with Greg and Shirley from the Class of ’94 and get this baby cooking before he wipes us all out for good.

Lowball every seller on Marketplace. They didn’t say OBO, but it was implied. And they might claim they’re firm on the price of those near-brand-new skis they’re trying to sell, but chances are they’ve never met a smooth-talking businessperson like yourself.

Start a Mayor Jack Crompton Fan Club. Because if you don’t, who will?

Initiate a local “debate” in the Whistler Summer Facebook group. What better way to pass the day than by immersing yourself in the joys of respectful, intelligent, wellinformed public discourse? Don’t bother doing any research or reading before you begin, though—it’s against the rules. Message all of your exes and beg them

see in Pique each week, there are a few key ways you can support us moving forward.

The newest call to action is to help us truly make the shift to a sustainable, reader-supported newsroom by becoming a card-carrying member of the Pique Newsmagazine team (I am not sure if there are actual, physical cards, so that may be a touch of false advertising. But I will get you a card if that’s what it takes).

Whether it’s $5 a month or $50 a month, every contribution helps.

You can consider buying advertising with us, or making a one-time donation. You can also make a habit of visiting our website (piquenewsmagazine.com) every morning, and

popular social media platform, and Mark Zuckerburg is estimated to be worth more than $80 billion—losing local Canadian news is barely a blip on the tech behemoth’s radar.

So if you find yourself missing Pique online, you know where to find us.

In the meantime, here are some other fun and, er, productive ways to use Facebook now that you can’t argue in the comments of news stories, or point out every mistake made by local reporters (who I would remind you are still, for now, human).

Organize your high school reunion. You’ve been putting this off for months, hoping the creeping grasp of Father Time was

to take you back. You’ve been working hard on yourself, living your best life in Whistler. You’re sending it every day and making epic gains. You’re in a healthier place now, and you look great. Shoot your shot.

Fake your death and start over fresh. We’ve all thought about it—concocting an elaborate scheme to cast off all our worldly responsibilities and escape to the most remote reaches of the world under the assumed pseudonym of Burton Dunphee (your assumed name may differ). Now that Facebook is blocking news, you should have plenty of time to make this dream a reality. ■

is looking increasingly likely that stories published by Pique Newsmagazine—and all news stories in general—will soon disappear from your Facebook news feed.

Don’t move Meadow Park’s ball diamonds

A version of this letter was sent to Whistler’s mayor and council, and shared with Pique.

I am writing today regarding the proposed removal of both baseball diamonds in the draft Meadow Park Master Plan.

Wednesday is a busy evening at Meadow Park, kicking off at 4 p.m. Immediately following a game/practice scenario on both diamonds involving Whistler’s three U9 teams, the robust U6/U7-combined group take the fields for their practice at 5 p.m. Each of Whistler’s two U11 teams have playoff games scheduled (on each of the two diamonds respectively) at 6:30 p.m. Because of this, the U13 group’s training is cancelled, as there is nowhere else for them to safely practice, with Whistler Slo-Pitch Association (WSPA) games taking place at Spruce Grove five nights a week.

At about 8 p.m., as each of the U11 games are entering their final inning, I notice a group of young adults waiting to use the space. They cheer the kids on until the first game ends and take that field. A casual game of 500 ensues.

A few families linger at the park. It’s a pleasant evening and the kids are high on winning their second playoff game, undefeated.

Organically, a handful of these 10- and 11-yearolds join the 20-somethings out in the field while parents chat on the sidelines. The vibe is friendly, welcoming, and respectful. Most of the families involved have been at the diamonds since 4 or 5 p.m., with two kids in the sport. Dinner is a cooler packed with picnic meals and healthy snacks.

As I watch the ebb and flow of this friendly, impromptu game, I can’t help but think we are painting a picture of community.

For as long as I’ve lived in Whistler I’ve

always considered Meadow Park a locals’ park. Maybe this is naive—entitled, even—but regardless, it has been the park at which I’ve chosen to spend the most time with my children through their years.

The new master plan for Meadow Park certainly looks appealing. I understand that both WSPA and Whistler Minor Baseball (WMB) can likely make amendments and compromises to run both programs out of Spruce Grove. I do question the ability to do so as the sport continues to grow, but I digress.

I’m speaking now not as a member of either of these organizations, but as a member of our community at large; on behalf of others who might not even know these diamonds are on the chopping block, and might be surprised when they see their field—the only one in town other than Spruce Grove with the infrastructure required to safely play a pick-up game of baseball—replaced by what appears to be a larger-than-necessary dog park in a town already rich with dog parks.

People need places to play. As accessible as joining a slo-pitch team or signing your kid up for baseball may seem to most, the reality is that not everyone can afford the cost or time commitment to do so.

One shouldn’t have to join an organized sports team to participate in sport. As a community we should not lose sight of the importance of the right to play.

If this matter concerns you (and if you use Meadow Park’s baseball diamonds in any capacity, it does) please consider reaching out to mayor and council. There is plenty of time to have your voice heard, but in order to do that you need speak up.

Lindsey Ataya // Whistler

Whistler e-bike freeway is about more than climate action

I 100-per-cent agree with Vince Shuley: we need to build an e-bike freeway in Whistler (see Pique, June 11: The Outsider: How will

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e-bikes fit into Whistler’s future?).

But what if we: Preserve the Valley Trail for recreation; reduce road wear, and maintenance costs; reduce road noise; reduce microplastic emissions (tires and brakes are the No. 1 source); reduce GHG emissions; reduce road casualties; and allow our kids to travel independently?

What if we: Increase physical activity; reduce anxiety and depression; increase sense of community; reduce health-care costs; improve air quality; reduce the need for expensive private automobiles; increase spending at local businesses; reduce traffic on Highway 99…

…and we still don’t make our emissions targets?

I don’t think that making these improvements in the name of climate action will drum up the political support needed.

year. There is even a crosswalk being installed.

What we are being indoctrinated with by our local elected government is “Hey, don’t drive. Leave your cars at home! We need to reduce carbon emissions!”

Where in fact, elected officials are actuating, “Hey. More spots for you to park your cars. Drive without prejudice!”

Patrick Smyth // Whistler

Thanks for the ‘wonderful work’ at Lost Lake

I want to publicly thank the wonderful work that three employees of the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), Laurie McKinney, Brian Shaw and “Rogor” Keller performed recently, on June 1 on the nude dock of Lost Lake.

The day before, I saw that the new platforms had arrived on the beach of Lost

If there was support for meaningful climate action, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) would already have a budget and a plan.

The RMOW should launch the e-bike highway in the name of safety, community, health, and the economy.

Brendan Ladner // Whistler

Does Whistler understand induced demand?

I just don’t think the Resort Municipality of Whistler understands the concept of induced demand, especially as it promotes increased biking/walking over driving. The more spaces there are to park, the more people will drive to reach them.

There are new parking spots now on Cheakamus Lake Road across from the Interpretive Forest just past the wastewater facility. This after new parking spots were formalized on the east side of the road last

Lake, so the next morning, I went to the dock to see if the work was going to start.

When I arrived, the new entrance to the dock, in the shape of a T and a little wider, was berthed on the south side of the old entrance, parallel to it.

Laurie, Brian and Rogor started to detach the central platform (which was still in good condition) from the old part of the T-dock to then attach it to the new entrance part.

In the meantime, they also disconnected the south side of the entrance of the old dock from the land so that it can deviate a little to the north.

As Rogor pushed the central platform with his motorboat, Laurie pulled on a rope at the same time to slide it until it came face to face with the centre of the new entrance. A muchappreciated fact; Laurie and Rogor moved (at the same time) the platform with its two logs attached to the central platform.

Once the platform was centred, they attached the old platform to the new

“The more spaces there are to park, the more people will drive to reach them.”

- PATRICK SMYTH

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

dock entrance platform.

Then, they completely unhooked the old entrance platform from the ground to slide it towards a floating dock located a little further north on the lake, while directing it with the motorboat.

Then, they slid the new entrance and the old platform to the right or north side to anchor it at the same place where we entered the platform previously. It was really great to watch them work together.

All this within a few hours… under a beautiful sun.

As I like to do photography, I took the opportunity to photograph the work in progress and make a couple of videos.

The old T entrance platform now floats, attached to a floating dock. It’s really nice to see it there. Enjoy it for now, because it will be an ephemeral piece of art—Brian informed me that they will have to remove it later.

Now all that remains is to securely tie the dock to the ground.

Once again, a big thanks and a big bravo for this great teamwork.

This day will mark part of the history of the nude dock (or the clothing-optional dock as we like to call it now).

Thank you also to the municipality for taking care of our infrastructure.

Hélène Castonguay // Whistler

Whistler Gymnastics says thanks

On behalf of Whistler Gymnastics and the 332 athletes who participated in last weekend’s event, we would like to thank all the generous local businesses and families for the sponsorship, donations and volunteer hours provided.

The Whistler Gymnastics Club is a not-forprofit community club in Whistler and Pemberton that provides gymnastics classes and camps for kids and adults from recreational to competitive. The Whistler Summer Classic, our annual fundraiser, is a three-day competition bringing in more than 1,000 people. The event helps keep fees accessible for all, provide ongoing professional development for our staff, purchase equipment and provide travel assistance to various championships.

Thank you to the dozens of local businesses and individuals who supported the event.

Your support, time, and commitment is invaluable!

Marc Davidson // Executive Director, Whistler Gymnastics Club n

Multiculturalism in Whistler needs to be more than a mosaic

ON JUNE 11 , Whistler celebrated Philippines Independence Day at the local library, the first time the resort’s growing Filipino community officially marked the national holiday here.

I was surprised to learn this was the first such event here, given how integral Whistler’s

BY BRANDON BARRETT

Filipinos are to the community. Put bluntly, they are a major cog in the tourism machine that makes Whistler run: they cook the meals in our restaurants, prepare the guest rooms in our hotels, and make up the bands that play our bars and clubs (shout-out to musical wizards Art Barrientos and Juan del Castillo, who seem to play in nearly every band that exists across the Sea to Sky).

“Basically, this is a celebration for our freedom from Spain, but why we’re doing it in Whistler is because there is a huge community of Filipinos in Whistler, but we’ve never really gathered, we’ve never had any kind of celebration or any kind of get together of everyone that’s in the community, and there’s so many new Filipinos now who just got

here in Whistler,” Hannyliz Villafuerte, who collaborated on the event with the Whistler Multicultural Society, told Pique recently.

“I’ve heard so many stories of them feeling lonely. And because everyone’s so busy, I thought of getting together, and it just so happens that it’s Philippines Independence Day, which is perfect. So then we really get to have a reason together.”

This sense of loneliness is something I’ve personally heard about anecdotally more recently than at any other point I can remember from my decade-plus in Whistler. Perhaps it’s the lingering effects of a pandemic that abruptly severed so many of our social ties. Or maybe folks have less time for friends in the post-COVID rush back to work, not to mention the rising cost of living that has locals feeling like they have to work more to make ends meet.

Whatever the root cause, there’s no question that loneliness is likely amplified if you are one of the growing number of immigrants who have landed in Whistler in recent years. According to the most recent census data, the resort’s immigrant community—which totalled 3,320 in 2021—now makes up nearly a quarter of the permanent population, at 23.7 per cent, up three percentage points from the 2016 census. That of course doesn’t capture the many people from outside of Canada who

live here that aren’t permanent residents or Canadian citizens.

It’s a trend you pick up on just by listening to the growing cacophony of languages now heard around the resort. Thanks largely to my overreliance on Poparide—a ridesharing app started in Squamish—I regularly meet new Whistlerites who’ve come here from near and far, including from locales that haven’t historically turned up here in huge numbers, like Mexico, Chile, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Morocco.

While a welcome addition to the social fabric of the resort, it’s certainly not guaranteed this increase in diversity will necessarily result in added visibility. When you’re a ski town that has been steeped in the sport’s predominantly Eurocentric culture for decades, not to mention hosting close to 3 million visitors a year from around the globe, gaining recognition is an uphill battle.

That’s what makes the Whistler Multicultural Festival—which returns this month for its first in-person instalment since 2019—such a vitally important addition to Whistler’s busy event calendar. Organized by the Whistler Multicultural Society, it is the only formal opportunity the community’s immigrants and newcomers have to showcase their distinct culture, traditions and history.

Featuring an array of performances that

range from Brazilian capoeira to Swiss alphorn, along with a selection of informative workshops and delicious food stalls, it’s an event I’ve had the privilege of MCing a few times before— along with this month’s festival. What struck me almost instantly about the event is just how seriously everyone takes their performances. In a town where nearly everyone, from the locals to the visitors, has come from elsewhere, the opportunity to shine a light on what made you who you are comes with a deep responsibility to make the invisible, visible.

Canada has long prided itself on the multicultural mosaic that has defined our demographic makeup for generations. But I’d argue that approach doesn’t go far enough in a place like Whistler, where the component parts that define who we are can so easily be lost in a sea of visitors. That’s why an abiding curiosity and willingness to challenge assumptions is so valuable. Just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, Whistler has proven time and again you can’t judge somebody by their appearance alone.

And hey, if you have a curiosity about the growing diversity of people and cultures that now call the resort home, check out the Whistler Multicultural Festival on June 23, scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Whistler Public Library. Learn more at whistlerlibrary. ca/event/whistler-multicultural-festival. ■

Annual SOFI report details RMOW’s top earners

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES MAKING MORE THAN $75K ROSE 8.3 PER CENT LAST YEAR

BY ROBERT WISLA

THE ANNUAL Statements of Financial Information report (SOFI) received by Whistler’s mayor and council on June 20 shows a municipality acquiring and retaining a growing number of employees.

As in previous years, the report reveals the top earners at municipal hall who brought in more than $75,000 in total remuneration. In 2022, 169 employees made the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) list of top earners, an 8.3-per-cent increase from the 156 employees the year before, and significantly higher than the 128 employees who made the list in 2020.

In an interview with Pique, RMOW chief administrative officer (CAO) Ginny Cullen and human resources director Denise Wood explained that the increase in employees earning over $75,000 is due to increased retention, staff changing roles internally, position benchmarking against other municipalities, and an interim two-per-cent wage increase in 2022.

“The SOFI report is a provincial requirement that provides the government of B.C. and the public a snapshot of expenses and revenues for any given year to provide accountability and transparency to municipal spending,” Cullen said.

Remuneration for the RMOW’s top 169 employees totalled $17,926,459, more than half of the $32,153,888 the municipality spent on wages in 2022. The remaining $14,227,429 went to employees earning less than $75,000.

Of those 169 employees, four people made more than $200,000 in 2022, including Cullen, whose total remuneration (which, for all employees on the SOFI list,

bargaining for a new collective agreement with the union shortly.

Municipal hall is undertaking a full wage benchmark review for handbook employees this year to bring wages into line with comparative Metro Vancouver cities such as New Westminster, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam and Delta.

“That ensures that we are paying our staff comparable to similar roles in the same

Some employees also saw considerable wage increases due to moving into higherpaid roles within the RMOW, such as becoming a department manager, which Wood said also helps with retention.

The RMOW still faces difficulty recruiting employees, but the situation isn’t as dire as in 2021, when staff shortages and a ransomware attack created a significant permitting backlog. In 2022, the municipality advertised 73 job openings, hired 54 employees, and is reviewing applications for 17 positions, with four currently open.

“I’d say that, like most employers, we’re challenged with recruitment and retention in a number of areas in our organization, so not all areas, but some of them,” Cullen said. “We’re committed to recruiting and retaining experienced municipal staff who are passionate about Whistler and making a positive contribution to their community.”

includes things like employee contributions to the Canada Pension Plan, employment insurance and health benefits) was $245,155.

GM of corporate and community services Ted Battiston ($201,971); GM of infrastructure services James Hallisey ($201,055); and GM of resort experience Jessie Gresley-Jones ($200,536) were the other three. In 2021, only Cullen exceeded the $200,000 salary mark.

According to Wood, the RMOW implemented an interim two-per-cent wage increase for handbook employees and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) staff in 2022, and is heading to

type of organizations, and because of that, there are some roles that have increased in pay to be able to match the market that we’re trying to maintain equity to, or within,” Cullen said.

Increased retention is also a factor in the rising payroll, as longer tenures naturally result in higher wages. Wood noted the municipality’s yearly employee turnover is reasonably low compared to most organizations. In 2022, the RMOW had an eight-per-cent turnover, which is considerably better than the neighbouring Village of Pemberton’s 25-percent turnover rate.

Provisions of goods and services remained the most significant expense for the municipality, totalling $98,294,155 in 2022, up nearly $18 million from the $80.2 million spent in 2021. Of that, $5,762,577 went to suppliers for payments under $25,000.

The most significant payments were to Tourism Whistler ($6,136,576), followed by Corona Excavations ($5,874,436), Coastal Mountain Excavations ($5,360,295), BC Transit ($4,192,177), Receiver General ($3,720,441—for local policing costs), and GFL Environmental Inc. ($3,548,301).

Find the full SOFI report in the June 20 council package (available at whistler.ca/council) and read more at whistler.ca/budget. n

UP, UP AND AWAY The Resort Municipality of Whistler’s payroll costs have been on an upward trajectory for several years now.

FILE PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

“I’d say that, like most employers, we’re challenged with recruitment and retention in a number of areas in our organization...”

- GINNY CULLEN

don’t even understand who we are’

LIL’WAT NATION POLITICAL CHIEF DECLINES TO PARTICIPATE IN CEREMONIAL RE-SIGNING OF 2020 FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

BY MEGAN LALONDE

THE CEREMONIAL re-signing of a landmark Framework Agreement between the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), the Province of British Columbia and Whistler Blackcomb took an unexpected turn Friday morning, June 16, when Lil’wat Nation Political Chief Skalúlmecw Dean Nelson took to the podium to announce he would not re-sign the document on behalf of his people.

“We’re talking about relationships and understanding, but up to this point, we haven’t had that relationship … I’ve never really known who I’m talking with, whether it’s the governments or neighbours,” Nelson told the small crowd of stakeholders gathered at the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain.

“I’ve requested for time to build our relationship with them, but that never happened, even up to now—previous Olympics, political things. So I’m not here to disrespect anyone, but I will not be signing the agreement until we establish the relationship with the governments—all governments. We’ve never had that, and I seek that still.”

The historic agreement, however, will remain in place. It was officially signed by all five partners in June 2020. The document provides a framework that aims to strengthen government-to-government relations and promote reconciliation, by creating new opportunities for economic development. Those include the creation of an Economic Development Committee, as well as a land exchange between the RMOW and the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations, on whose unceded

shared territory the resort operates.

The 2020 signing marked the conclusion to a second phase of negotiations that began more than a decade earlier. It supersedes the 60-year Master Development Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding that put an end to the first phase of those negotiations when they were inked in 2017, as well as a subsequent Protocol Agreement signed in 2018.

In its immediate aftermath, the 2020 Framework Agreement also paved the way for the adoption of Whistler’s updated Official Community Plan.

Public health restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented a ceremonial signing from taking place when the agreement was finalized. The June 16 ceremony was an “opportunity for all parties to reaffirm their commitment to the Agreement, and the government’s commitment to reconciliation,” as Whistler Blackcomb shared in a news release prior to the event.

Nelson was the fourth of five representatives to step up to the mic at the Rendezvous on June 16, following B.C.’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Lana Popham, Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton, and Doug Pierini, senior vicepresident and chief operating officer of Vail Resorts’ Western Region. Squamish Nation Councillor Sempúlyan Stewart Gonzales took to the podium following Nelson, and confirmed he intended to sign the ceremonial declaration on behalf of Squamish Nation.

The scheduled speakers were slated to sign the ceremonial document after each had finished their remarks, but instead, the leaders convened for a conversation in the corner.

‘They

STANDING TALL Lil’wat Nation Political Chief Dean Nelson speaks at what was intended to be a ceremonial re-signing of the landmark Framework Agreement, held at Blackcomb Mountain’s Rendezvous Lodge on Friday, June 16.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW SYLVESTRE / COURTESY OF WHISTLER BLACKCOMB

Huddled in a circle, the discussion lasted for nearly 20 minutes before Crompton announced the group wouldn’t proceed with the re-signing after all. The representatives agreed “we’re not going to have an agreement signed that doesn’t have all parties’ signatures on it,” Crompton explained.

Instead, officials from the municipality, the province, and both First Nations moved straight into the planned reception in Christine’s Restaurant.

“We all want to thank Chief Dean for his leadership today,” Crompton told the room. “We’re grateful for it.”

‘IT WAS WRONG AND IT STILL IS WRONG AND WE’RE STILL THERE’

Nelson’s statement was a long time coming. His sentiments, in part, date back to the 2010 Olympics, when the stronger relationships and commitments promised to First Nations in the lead-up to the Games were never established as advertised.

“There needs to be really respectful relationships from the governments. Anyone and everyone is talking about that, but I just really felt that needed to be done,” Nelson said following the reception on Friday.

“I don’t mind moving on, but there’s no foundation, and that would be the key to it. I’ve been talking to everybody here about our needs, and they don’t even understand who we are. They see me, and I’m happy,

but go back to my community and we’re struggling with everything. I look at the prosperity of everyone, including this place,” he said, gesturing to the resort infrastructure on Blackcomb Mountain.

Making the statement went “against my nature,” he added, “but I had to do it. I couldn’t carry on … if I leave here and I did sign that thing, I’d feel bad because I let my people down because I wasn’t true to what I felt. But in the other sense, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, as I said.”

A foundation needs to be built on a true, honest understanding of “where people are at,” said Nelson. Despite the oft-cited need to prioritize reconciliation, the individuals and organizations raising that topic don’t always understand what the people living in First Nations communities need, he said.

“I really want people to understand that First Nations—I just talked to the minister about this—we’re still on a reservation, we’re still [living] under the Indian Act, and we’re still suffering from the impacts of everything,” Nelson explained. “And that’s never seen.”

“We are moving ahead, and moving ahead, and [meanwhile] people are still suffering on-reserve. That’s the truest thing I can say, is people need to understand that. That is the bottom line. In this day and age, it was wrong and it still is wrong and we’re still there.”

First Nations communities like the Lil’wat Nation’s have “been conditioned to acceptance of whatever happens, we’re on reserve and that’s the way it is,” he continued.

“I’ve heard children and my students saying that about things in the community— ‘Very good, well, that’s just the way it is on the rez.’ They grow up accepting that.”

Outsiders, meanwhile, will ask, “‘Oh, don’t you guys get funding for that?’ Yeah, there’s funding for that, but it’s programs, and the programs are the thing that drive it, and if you don’t stick within those guidelines, then oh well, too bad. Our source of revenue in the territory would be here,” Nelson said, pointing to the ski slopes outside the Rendezvous Lodge. “This would be one of the main revenue sources for us, but we don’t have that. We don’t have political voice.”

Nelson was acclaimed to another fouryear term as Lil’wat Nation’s Political Chief earlier this month, ahead of the First Nation’s election on July 15. The former Xet ’ ólacw Community School P.E. teacher served two terms on council before he was elected Political Chief in March 2015—a decision that was confirmed in a re-election held that July.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Following the speeches, Minister Popham acknowledged Nelson’s announcement was unexpected, but said “it’s not unusual to have these pauses.” It took strength for Nelson to express his concern, she added.

“And I’m really happy that he did, because it allows us to, together, step back, and then we’ll be able to move forward again at some time but when people feel like

it’s time to move.”

The Framework Agreement “was technically signed in 2020, but the work continues every day,” added Popham, who took over B.C.’s Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport file last December. “I think what we’ve reflected on, even over the last few days leading up to this moment, is that it’s a living document that was signed, and there always has to be continual checkin with community. Ironically, that’s the conversation I had last night with some folks, and today we saw that play out … There’s relationships that need to be worked on, and that’s fair, and I expect that to happen along into the future.”

Crompton has been vocal about the importance and privilege of building relationships with local First Nations throughout his five years in the mayor’s chair. Asked about his reaction to Nelson’s acknowledgement that those relationships aren’t up to par, he said, “I think it’s a recognition that we all have a tremendous amount of work to do.”

What does that work look like?

For the RMOW, it could mean increased engagement about municipal projects or improvements in the amount of information shared with its First Nations partners. To Crompton, “It probably looks like sitting down at the same table and having a meal,” he said. “I know that sounds trite, but that’s really the important part of this, is the relationships that we have with one another, and ensuring, as Chief Dean has stated so clearly, that they’re authentic.” n

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Whistler cannabis retail applications approved

FOUR STOREFRONTS PLANNED FOR THE RESORT—BUT NO FIRM TIMELINE FOR WHEN THEY’LL OPEN

BY ROBERT WISLA

NEARLY FIVE YEARS after the federal government legalized the recreational use of cannabis, Whistler has finally approved its first cannabis retail stores—though there is still no firm timeline for when they will open their doors.

On June 20, the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) mayor and council followed staff’s recommendations and voted to approve four temporary use permit (TUP) cannabis retail applications: two in Whistler Village and one each in Function Junction and Creekside.

Companies with successful applications include This is Cannabis at 201-4293 Mountain Square in the Village Centre; Main Street THC Canada at 115-4368 Main Street in Village North; Spiritleaf Whistler at 103-2011 Innsbruck Drive in Creekside; and A Little Bud at 1-1050 Millar Creek Road in Function Junction.

Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton said the approved applications demonstrated a solid commitment to the guidelines set by the RMOW.

“Many of the applications were strong; much of what we’re doing is balancing applications that have their own individual strengths and weaknesses,” Crompton said. “Ultimately we found that staff’s recommendations were thorough, balanced and useful as we made the decision.”

Staff recommended the four companies based on evaluation criteria set out in the municipality’s Cannabis Retail Policy. The requirements included (but were not limited to) commitments to reconciliation and providing economic opportunities to the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations; provisions for employee housing; providing a living wage; support for local community organizations; and leadership on climate and sustainability action.

The RMOW gave the applicants a score based on how well they met the criteria, with applicants receiving a checkmark for fully achieving the requirements, a partial score for meeting some, or an X for failing to meet any satisfactorily. According to a report to council, the Whistler RCMP reviewed all the applications and raised no concerns other than a desire for more visible, at-grade locations which are easier to patrol and observe.

“In my view, the applications that were approved did a good job of delivering on what the community has very clearly stated is important to them through the [Official Community Plan] process,” Crompton said.

Of the 10 applications received over the one-month intake period from February 13 to March 13, the Village Centre proved to be the most popular with four applications, followed by two each in Village North, Creekside and Function Junction. The Nesters Plaza permit area received no applications.

Some of the commitments to the criteria from companies included revenue-sharing arrangements with local community groups and First Nations. Successful applicant This is Cannabis, for example, committed to donating two per cent of top-line revenue annually to the Squamish and Lil’wat Nation development corporations.

Some applicants who did not receive staff endorsements felt that the grading criteria and application process had significant errors, and argued that the RMOW should have been more transparent.

Seed & Stone Cannabis founder Vikram Sachdeva said staff’s evaluation criteria didn’t fully consider the company’s track record across the province and its relationships with First Nations.

“To RMOW staff’s credit, they had come up with detailed evaluation criteria, but we feel that those criteria do not capture our operational track record of having seven licences and our First Nation relationship, and the efforts that have gone into selecting the ideal location based on ‘on the ground’ community needs and community engagement were not considered,” Sachdeva said in an emailed statement.

“We believe that these are the demonstrated aspects that capture the applicant’s potential to act in the interests of the community once approved rather than just the promises.”

Crompton stood by the RMOW’s process,

saying staff did a terrific job and that it was “a very even playing field” for all the applicants.

When it came down to voting on the specific TUP applications, Councillor Ralph Forsyth stood out as the sole voice of opposition, voting against every proposed cannabis shop.

Forsyth said he didn’t buy into the arguments of “weed tourism;” didn’t see any benefits for families; and highlighted the lack of revenue the municipality receives directly from the cannabis sales, as those go to other levels of government.

“Deep in my heart, I could [not] care less if there’s a weed store in Whistler. You can have it mailed to your house, so I don’t see any need for it,” Forsyth said. “And then the nail in the coffin or the end of the roach is that there is absolutely no benefit to the community; the RMOW receives no tax money.”

When it came time to approve the Spiritleaf application, Coun. Jessie Morden put forward a motion to approve an application from Creekside Cannabis instead, because it was the only locally-owned store of all the applications received. The motion failed, with Couns. Arthur De Jong, Jeff Murl, Cathy Jewett and Ralph Forsyth opposed. Spiritleaf’s application was approved, with Morden and Forsyth opposed.

Retailers must now obtain provincial licencing and business licences. The threeyear TUPs will begin for the businesses once they open their doors. n

Whistler family returns home after yearlong motorcycle trip

TODD, CHRISTINA AND SEANNA’S JOURNEY INCLUDED THREE CONTINENTS, 29 COUNTRIES, 377 DAYS, AND TWO MOTORCYCLE BREAK-DOWNS

BY MEGAN LALONDE

TODD LAWSON and Christina Tottle only had about 20 to 30 minutes left on the road for the day until reaching the next town. They had ridden their motorcycles across the Turkish border the day prior, with their daughter Seanna nestled in a sidecar.

“We were cruising along,” Todd recalled. “Whenever you enter a new country, it’s such a cool feeling to be experiencing it on a motorcycle, and not really knowing where we’ll sleep that night or what’s going to happen.”

His bike was running great. “And then all of a sudden, you hear that dreaded kind of sound—you don’t know what it is,” Todd remembered. Turns out, it was the engine failing. A hole blown through the piston, specifically.

It marked one of several plot twists in the epic journey that began just over a year ago, when longtime Whistler residents Todd, Christina and then-10-year-old Seanna boarded a plane bound for Ireland in May 2022. They opted to ship their bikes, one Royal Enfield and one Ural, kitted out with Seanna’s sidecar, across the pond. They planned to ride them all the way to India over the next 12 months, introducing Seanna to the joys—and

challenges—of life on the road along the way. Ultimately, their travels instead ended earlier this month in the same time zone where they started, on the shores of the Atlantic in Lisbon, Portugal.

Leading up to that November break-down, the trio made their way through the entire United Kingdom, over to France and down to Spain for the Running of the Bulls. They

headed east through Switzerland, to the Czech Republic and then to Poland, where they visited the village where Todd’s grandparents grew up, before exploring the Balkans. They camped most nights, interspersing fields and campgrounds with stays at friends’ houses and the occasional Airbnb.

But back to the broken-down bike.

They used their remaining bike to tow the

malfunctioning motorcycle into the nearest city, where the owner of the hotel they stayed at that night connected them with a mechanic. The mechanic didn’t speak English, but called a friend who did, who volunteered to serve as translator. The good news? The bike was under warranty. On the not-so-bright side, they needed to ship the bike to a Ural dealer in Istanbul, about six hours away, and wait for the replacement parts.

“You get that first day of anger and frustration out of your system, and then it’s like, ‘OK, what’s Plan B?’” said Todd.

It ended up being a rented campervan the family called home for a month, until more plot twists, like cripplingly strict visa regulations and civil unrest in Iran, interrupted their route to India.

After exploring every possible detour to get there, a plane proved to be the only feasible option, Christina said. “At that point, we were like, ‘Well, we’ve got to leave the bikes and just carry on’—let the bike get fixed; we can come back to it.”

The unexpected two-month hiatus from the saddle brought about similarly unexpected silver linings, like Christmas in Kathmandu and a week spent trekking through the Himalayas. Then, a friend they met through a motorcycle travellers’ forum lent the family

THREE OF A KIND Christina Tottle, Seanna and Todd Lawson wrapped up their yearlong, cross-continental moto journey in Portugal earlier this month.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

his bike—the same Royal Enfield model they’d stashed in the mechanic’s garage in Turkey—for a three-month, 4,000-kilometre loop through Southern India.

Once their own bike was ready for pick-up, the family continued west, through Greece and Italy and Morocco, before the bike broke down again. (Through some creativity, they were able to get it onto a ferry and to another dealer in Lisbon, who fixed the bike just in time for the end of their journey.)

It was far from Todd and Christina’s first long-haul motorcycle trip. The couple rode from Whistler to Chile over a two-year span beginning in 2004, and spent most of 2008 travelling through 15 countries in Africa.

This time was different.

More internet access and fewer nights sleeping on the side of the road, but also the added responsibilities of work. Christina teaches yoga classes virtually, while Todd is a writer, photographer, photo editor and publisher of Mountain Life magazine, and is preparing to release a book, Inside the Belly of an Elephant, this fall. Seanna, meanwhile, supplemented her experiential education with remote learning assignments before rejoining her Grade 6 class in Whistler this month.

The 11-year-old named “meeting different people from different cultures,” as a major highlight of the journey. “Hanging out with people, even though I don’t speak their language, it was cool to like…”

“Break the culture barrier and be able

to communicate even if you don’t speak the language?” her mom offered.

“Yeah,” Seanna confirmed. Her favourite countries out of the 29 they visited in the last year were Greece, Italy, Spain and Nepal, she added.

“Seanna was so amazing,” Christina said. “Every day she wanted to go on this mission.

There was not a day that went by where she was like, ‘No, I want to go home. I don’t want to ride.’”

She was “a trooper,” Todd agreed.

“We’re just super grateful and blessed to be able to have taken this journey in the first place. Almost every day someone helps you, whether it’s someone who pumps your gas or helps you at the hotel or serves you food, or whatever,” he continued.

“Every single day, someone helps you and

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it’s so nice to be able to experience that from so many different cultures. And now for our daughter, she has this in her back pocket for the rest of her life. It’ll be really cool to see what she does with it in the future.”

Seanna is already thinking about their next trip. A ride south, without having to worry about shipping or ferries sounds nice. For now, the trio is settling back into “some semblance of normal Canadian reality,” and looking forward to a summer spent exploring their backyard in Whistler, said Todd.

On the road, “Every day was different,”

he said. “There was no such thing as routine there, that we often have here, but it’s always so nice to be back home because the beauty of this place is unmatched.”

More than its physical attributes, Whistler’s “community is unparalleled,” Christina added. “Everyone here’s got your back, you know? You don’t have to look too far if you need anything at all, and that’s such a nice, comforting feeling after being in places where you don’t speak the language and you don’t know the currency and you don’t know where to find anything.” n

ROAD WARRIORS The family’s trip veered off course in the fall, when one of their two bikes broke down shortly after crossing into Turkey.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

“Every single day, someone helps you and it’s so nice to be able to experience that from so many different cultures.”

- TODD LAWSON

‘We are not immune to adversity’

WHISTLER FOOD BANK USAGE KEPT SURGING LAST YEAR—WHILE WCSS LOST STAFF

BY ROBERT WISLA

WHISTLER COMMUNITY Services Society

(WCSS) executive director Jackie Dickinson opened her remarks at the organization’s annual general meeting by talking about adversity—and how WCSS is not immune to the challenges seen in the broader Whistler community.

“What I’ve learned over the last year is that there continues to be challenges as an organization,” Dickinson said at the June 14 AGM, held at the Maury Young Arts Centre.

“What I’ve also realized is what happens within the walls of Whistler Community Services, and the challenges we face as an employer, as an organization, it mirrors what’s happening in the community. We are not immune to adversity.”

Over the past year, WCSS saw yet another surge in the number of people requiring services, as inflation and rising housing costs resulted in a climbing demand for the food bank, emergency shelter space and outreach services.

The food bank saw 13,633 visits in 2022, a 36-per-cent increase over the last four years, with youth under 19 accounting for 1,345 of that, according to Dickinson. Pre-pandemic, that number commonly

hovered around 2,500 visits a year.

The trend hasn’t slowed down in 2023 either, as June 5 was the busiest day in WCSS food bank history. Over the course of three hours in the afternoon, the organization served food 141 times to 84 households.

Dickinson said that people aged zero to 13 and seniors 70 and up are the fastestgrowing demographic of food bank visitors in Whistler. More than 60 per cent of the people requiring the service are fully employed, and more than half are spending more than 50 per cent of their gross income on housing.

The employee shortage problem facing many resort businesses did not spare WCSS in the 2022-23 financial year, as the non-profit lost about half its staff due to various factors, with about 80 per cent of these employees choosing to leave Whistler altogether.

“To lose upwards of 20 people, literally since our last AGM last year, so in a 12-month period, that’s costly for an organization,” Dickinson said.

“And not just costly from a financial standpoint, but just how that impacts teams, how that impacts people, how it impacts the culture, the people who work here and how we feel about where we live.”

Dickinson shed light on this impact at the AGM to show that, while WCSS aims to help people outside of its walls, it is not immune to the challenges the resort’s affordable

housing crisis and transient culture brings. She went on to say that Whistler needs to do more to make people feel like the ski town is a home, not just a house.

“We have people living in the community, but it isn’t their home,” Dickinson said.

“If we want to be a healthy community, if we want to thrive, if we want to support smart tourism, if we want to be a resort community that takes care of people from a whole bunch of other places, we have to take care of the people that are trying to make this a home.”

While there were challenges to fill the shoes of those who left, the non-profit experienced some positive achievements in the last year, particularly in the social enterprise division of the organization.

The Re-Use-It and Re-Build-It centres saw visitation rise considerably over the last year. The social enterprises division accounted for 62 per cent of all monetary donations to the organization and, in the process, diverted 478,838 kilograms of waste from entering the waste stream.

According to figures published in the annual report and statement of financial position, the increased revenue from this division helped the organization stay revenue-positive throughout the financial year.

“Numbers obviously cannot capture the breadth and depth of impact of this

organization, but it’s also true that no organization, social services or otherwise, can survive without a steady, ongoing flow of funds,” WCSS treasurer Carlee Price said in a presentation at the AGM.

The thrift store brought in $2,069,902, up considerably from $1,376,420 in the 2020-21 pandemic year. Donations and grant revenue sank slightly, to $1,232,431, due mainly to the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy program concluding. Including membership fees, interest, and other income, WCSS brought in $3,368,370 in revenue.

Program and thrift store expenses rose to $2,976,219 from $2,726,224 in 2021-22, and general and administrative expenses increased to $136,101 from $118,755. Wages continued to make up a significant portion of overall costs, but only three employees made more than $75,000, with a combined remuneration of $295,360, up from $264,089 in the previous year.

WCSS signed a new lease agreement with the Resort Municipality of Whistler in 2022 to permanently move the Cold Weather Emergency program to the headquarters of the non-profit at 8000 Nesters Rd. The shelter was activated for 11 nights in winter as temperatures dropped below -10 C, with 44 overnight stays.

Find more details and read WCSS’ Annual Report for yourself at mywcss.org. n

How will the Cheakamus Community Forest five-year plan impact trails?

WORCA RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL IMPACT; CCF SAYS NOTHING SET IN STONE

BY ROBERT WISLA

AT THE BEGINNING of May, Whistler’s Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) released its Draft Five-Year Harvesting Development Plan, laying out the future of logging in the forest and providing an opportunity for the public to provide input on the plan.

According to CCF executive director Heather Beresford, the goal of moving to a five-year harvesting plan is to allow the community to have a better understanding of where harvesting will take place in the 33,000-hectare forest, and allow folks the chance to provide their opinion on where the forest should head.

“In the past, the community forest has only put out sort of a one-year plan … when we do just a one-year plan, there’s not really much time to talk with the community, identify those areas of sensitivity, and make a change,” Beresford said.

“It’s only fair to the community [to let them] know what we’re planning on doing over a bit of a longer timeframe.”

The draft five-year plan lays out all the “areas of interest” for harvesting in the CCF (see for yourself at cheakamuscommunityforest. com/harvesting-plans).

In 2023, the CCF plans to harvest on five

blocks along 16 Mile FSR; three parcels in the Callaghan Valley; and to conduct wildfire fuel treatment work in the WedgeWoods area.

The CCF launched a survey on the five-year plan on SurveyMonkey and in person at a handful of public information booths, and received substantial input from the community, collecting more than 500 responses in under a month.

Some of the community’s concerns included questions on why harvesting was taking place in the forest at all, particularly with the resort so dependent on outdoor recreation, as well as a desire to protect old growth (the CCF extended its moratorium on cutting down any tree older than 250 years earlier this year, and it will remain in place until more info is gathered to make a longterm decision).

Beresford noted the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association (WORCA) is worried about the planned logging of an area above Cheakamus Lake Road, which is currently home to several popular mountain bike trails. WORCA encouraged its members to voice their concerns regarding the logging, which will take place in 2026, in the CCF’s survey.

According to WORCA’s trails and planning administrator, Nicole Koshure, the association has concerns with proposed harvest blocks in the Cheakamus and West Side areas.

RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER

NOTICE OF MEETING

ON ANNUAL REPORT

Tuesday, July 4, 2023 starting at 5:30 p m

At Maury Young Arts Centre, 4335 Blackcomb Way, Whistler BC in the Franz Wilhelmsen Theatre

NOTICE is hereby given in accordance with Section 99 of the Community Char ter that the Council of the Resor t Municipality of Whistler will be considering the annual repor t at the Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.

INSPECTION OF ANNUAL REPORT: A copy of the annu al repor t is available for public inspection on our website at www whistler ca /corporateplan or at the Customer Service Desk of Municipal Hall, 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC , during regular office hours of 8:00 a m to 4:30 p m ; Monday to Friday (statutory holidays excluded).

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Please send submissions or comments on the annual repor t prior to noon (12 :00 p m ) on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 to:

Email: corporate@whistler ca

Fax: 604-935-8109

Mail: A ttention: Legislative Services 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC , V8E 0X5

Please address your correspondence to Mayor and Council.

“Our aim is to work towards developing an operating agreement that outlines the planning and implementation process for managing trails and harvesting activities in the CCF, and how the CCF and WORCA will work together to achieve that,” Koshure said in an email. “It is our hope that by the time five-year plans are presented to the public they have already been collaboratively discussed, adjusted and a mitigation strategy implemented so that WORCA and the public can be assured that an agreed-upon set of standards and procedures have been applied to the harvest plans before they are announced.”

The harvest plans which most affect WORCA’s trail network are the layouts for 2023, 2025 and 2026, Koshure said, adding that the plans could potentially impact trails like AM/PM, Business Time, HiHi, High Side, Highline, See Colours and Puke (and its access), as well as trails in the Jane Lakes area including Salsa Verde and Southern Accent.

The 2023 plan also impacts WORCA’s proposed Mystic Function trail location (for which WORCA is still waiting on provincial approval).

Beresford noted that the CCF is talking with WORCA about the concerns, highlighting it as an example of the value of longer-term planning so that these types of situations can be dealt with far ahead

Please

of the cut, and result in saving capital on engineering and planning.

“I take the word ‘community’ in our name very seriously, and I want to be able to talk with our community,” Beresford said.

In mid-July, the CCF intends to visit the Cheakamus Lake Road trails with WORCA’s trails committee and consider the group’s feedback. The CCF will not finalize its fiveyear plan until later in the fall, and it will continue to evolve as circumstances change.

While the areas planned for logging are a relatively small percentage of the overall forest, some Whistler residents remain apprehensive about allowing commercial logging to continue in the CCF at all.

Whistler Councillor Arthur De Jong wants the RMOW to ban any form of commercial logging within the municipality’s boundaries, except for First Nations logging operations, making it a part of his campaign platform in the 2022 municipal election.

“Our forests are our most important natural asset, because if you take it away, [if] it becomes diseased or burns, then we have very significant problems,” De Jong said. “Whistler is 100-per-cent designed for tourism, and has hit it out of the park economically for tourism, so how does that fit with managing our forests?”

Find the full story at piquenewsmagazine. com. n

Saturday, July 8th at 4pm PST

Fairmont Château Whistler

4599 Chateau Blvd, Whistler

All are welcome to join us in honouring Bruce and his life that was lived to the fullest. For those unable to attend in person,

a link to join virtually will be available

“Those we love don’ t go away, they walk beside us ever yday”

join us to celebrate the incredible life of Dr. Bruce Mohr

ResultswillbepublishedinourAugust4thissue.Deadlineforsubmissionsis11:59pmonSunday,July2nd2023.Onlyonlinesubmissions willbeaccepted.Nophotocopies,faxesormailedentries.Onlyoneentryperemailaddresswillbeused.Pleasenotewetrackuser registrationfromindividualIPaddresses.Wereservetherighttoeliminatecontestentrantsiffraudissuspected.Piquemakesevery efforttocreateaconciselistofPembertonbusinessesinthemultiplechoicedropdowns.IfyouareabusinessownerinPembertonwe encourageyoutocheckthedetailsandemailuswithcorrectionsandomissionsuggestions.Emailtraffic@wplpmedia.com.

Whistler lawyer Peter Shrimpton wins provincial award for decades of pro bono work

AFTER 30 YEARS OF PRACTISING, SHRIMPTON PASSING MOUNTAIN LAW CORPORATION TO LAWYER AMANDA WELTON-HAGEN

BY BRANDON BARRETT

EVERY TUESDAY for years now, local lawyer Peter Shrimpton has met with lowincome clients, offering his services pro bono to people who couldn’t otherwise afford it.

“I am invariably relieved, elated, and just overall satisfied at the end of each of my meetings, because I’ve been able to give valuable information to someone desperately in need of it, and in return I get an abundance of gratitude,” he said. “So, as a consequence, as I joked to my wife, at our Tuesday dinners, I apparently always seem to be a much happier, much more fulfilled person at the dinner table.”

Now, Shrimpton, principal at Mountain Law Corporation, can add to his sense of fulfillment after being named the 2023 recipient of the Dugald Christie Award for Advice Services, a provincial honour recognizing a volunteer lawyer or law firm “showing outstanding commitment to pro bono service through our Summary Advice Program,” according to Access Pro Bono, an independent organization that assists more than 30,000 British Columbians a year.

Shrimpton will be honoured at a Vancouver ceremony on Friday, June 23,

the first time the award will be handed out since 2019.

“I’m really honoured,” he said. “There are about 15,000 lawyers in B.C., and many of them give a lot of their time to pro bono work, so for me to be singled out is a real honour.”

For the past decade or so, Shrimpton has offered the weekly community clinic for low-income individuals, and the cases typically run the gamut from will and estate planning to family law, criminal law and personal injuries. Prior to that, he offered similar pro-bono services directly through the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS). He has also offered free legal advice to WCSS and several other local community groups, including the Whistler Community Foundation, the Restaurant Association of Whistler, the Whistler Lakes Conservation Association, the Point Artist-Run Centre Society, and the Whistler Sailing Club. That’s on top of the time he’s spent volunteering on the board of the Whistler Youth Soccer Club, the Whistler Forum for Dialogue and Innovation, the former Whistler Village Church, and the Whistler Skiers’ Chapel, now the Whistler Interfaith Society.

Shrimpton applauded B.C.’s NDP government for the progress it has made on expanding legal access to low- and middle-

income British Columbians, particularly through the establishment, last spring, of the Everyone Legal Clinic, a first-of-its-kind public interest law incubator that offers a range of affordable legal services across the province.

“Our current provincial administration seems to be bringing in layperson-friendly revisions to our legal system to make it more understandable and more accessible,” he said. “I’ve been a strong proponent of that through my career. I have given probably

100 seminars, especially in the pre-internet days, on different areas of law to community groups, and now fortunately the internet does have some great resources, especially clicklaw.bc.ca.”

After 30 years of practising law in Whistler, Shrimpton is readying to hand the reins to lawyer and Mountain Law’s longtime corporate paralegal, Amanda Welton-Hagen.

“She’s very familiar with my business clients and probably more knowledgeable than any young lawyer,” Shrimpton said.

“It’s an incredible opportunity,” the 35-year-old Welton-Hagen wrote in an email. “Peter has taught me so much during my time with Mountain Law, and I’m glad to have his continued mentorship behind the scenes for the next several years. I’m looking forward to filling Peter’s big shoes and continuing to serve the legal needs of Whistler and the Sea to Sky corridor!”

Shrimpton said he is looking forward to travelling and spending more time with his four children and new wife, Rose, in retirement. And while he will still be around to assist Welton-Hagen in the transition, he wants his clients to keep one thing in mind.

“I won’t be giving any legal advice—so please don’t ask me!” Shrimpton said with a laugh.

Learn more at mountainlaw.com. n

Mountaintop Feast Returns Mountaintop Feast Returns

LEGAL MATTER Whistler lawyer Peter Shrimpton is handing over Mountain Law Corporation this month to Amanda Welton-Hagen after 30 years of practising law in the community.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

New housing needs report breaks down Pemberton’s accommodation crunch

SPUD VALLEY HAS SEEN NUMBER OF DWELLINGS RISE AT A SIMILAR PACE TO POPULATION, BUT PRESSURES STILL ABOUND

BY MEGAN LALONDE

A DETAILED HOUSING needs report presented to Village of Pemberton (VOP) mayor and council on Tuesday, June 20, contained a set of figures that, while nuanced, confirm what most Spud Valley residents already know: existing housing in the community is unaffordable for many, and there’s not enough of it.

VOP staff compiled the 70-page, datadriven document between December 2022 and May 2023. The provincially mandated report comes following a 2019 amendment to B.C.’s Local Government Act, requiring all municipalities and regional districts to produce a report identifying their community’s current housing needs and anticipating what those needs could look like in the future. Each municipality must release an updated report every five years.

With its detailed analysis of Pemberton’s community demographics and housing supply, the result “is a very tightly scripted affair, of what the province wants us to include, but with the noble goal of helping us understand our housing needs and trends better,” Scott McRae, VOP manager of development services told Pemberton’s elected officials at the June 20 council meeting.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO LIVE IN PEMBERTON?

As of 2021, Pemberton counted 880 homeowners and 475 renters within its community. The proportion of renters increased from 23 per cent to 35 per cent between 2016 and 2021.

The report acknowledges the cost of owning a home in Pemberton “has escalated at an eye-watering rate.” In the last decade, the average sale price for a single-detached home has increased by 130 per cent, to $1,057,020 in 2022, or by 134 per cent for condos.

The median household income in Pemberton landed at $100,000 in 2020, according to the 2021 census. Though that was significantly higher than the provincial median, housing costs remain out of reach for many residents.

The report found median shelter costs for homeowners—or the amount of money Pemberton owners typically spent on housing every month—rose from $1,760 in 2016 to $2,100 in 2021. With “affordable housing” in B.C. usually defined as costing 30 per cent or less of a resident’s income, that technically means the average two-adult household in Pemberton could easily afford their monthly housing costs. Those median shelter costs, however, would remain outside the affordable range for the typical one-parent household or non-census families, like single-person households or share houses.

But as McRae cautioned, that figure is the middle value for all Pemberton property owners, and doesn’t distinguish between “the person who bought their house 40 years ago and has no mortgage, all the way to the person who bought yesterday who has a significant mortgage.”

So, VOP staff went above and beyond the provincial requirements, and conducted a second affordability analysis, comparing Pemberton’s median household incomes with the cost of being a new homeowner in 2022 to present a more accurate reflection of typical homeownership costs today.

That analysis found home ownership costs in 2022 are unaffordable for median earners across all household types. In Pemberton, couples without children, for example, earned a median of $125,845 in 2022, meaning they could afford to spend $3,146 or less on housing each month. The report estimated monthly housing costs for a single detached dwelling in 2022 at $5,806.

A rental affordability analysis based on approximate 2021 median incomes for Pemberton renters found affordable rent for the average one-parent household would be $973, and $718 for non-census families.

Renters, however, paid a median of about $1,560 per month to live in Pemberton in 2021, representing a 22-per-cent rise from 2016’s median shelter cost of $1,281.

PEMBERTON IS BUILDING, BUT CAN’T BUILD FAST ENOUGH

The report paints a picture of a rapidlygrowing town that saw its population rise 32 per cent in just five years, reaching 3,407 as of 2021 from 2,574 in 2016. For comparison, Pemberton’s population grew by only 382 people over the decade spanning 2006 to 2016. The report found Pemberton’s housing stock grew at a similar rate as its population, by 43 per cent between 2006 and 2021.

Most of the growth stemmed from lowerdensity housing options like single-detached dwellings and row houses.

The report also pinpointed the number of dwellings needed to address Pemberton’s current and anticipated housing needs within the next five years. It found Pemberton currently lacks at least 139 rental units, and anticipates needing at least 466 new ownership dwellings and 242 rental units by 2028, for a total of 847 new dwellings.

VOP staff developed three scenarios projecting how Pemberton’s population could grow. The highest growth scenario—and the most realistic, based on current trends— assumes an average annual increase of 5.8 per cent, bringing Pemberton’s population to 5,295 by 2028.

Interestingly, the report found the VOP is technically building enough housing supply to keep up with population growth. Between 2016 and 2021, Pemberton recorded an additional 390 private dwellings. “Based on this comparison, Pemberton’s current [building] trajectory is somewhere between the medium and high scenario,” the report states.

Said McRae: “If we’re already experiencing housing pressures and we’re delivering at a rate that is higher than that medium scenario, then in order to alleviate any of these practices, we probably need to be [focusing on] the high scenario.”

The municipality has “a very dynamic population,” McRae added, driven in part by its proximity to Whistler and a high volume of seasonal workers within the region. “We have

HOUSING SNAPSHOT A new report out of Pemberton’s municipal hall offers insight into the town’s housing situation.

FILE PHOTO BY ROBERT WISLA

Pemberton Museum opens for 2023 season

THE POPULAR ATTRACTION FEATURES HISTORIC BUILDINGS, TOONIE TEAS, AND MEETING SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY

BY ROBERT WISLA

ON JUNE 6 , the Pemberton and District Museum and Archives Society officially reopened for the summer season, marking the 41st year in operation for the popular local attraction.

Charmaine Carpenter took over the role of museum curator last year from longtime curator Niki Madigan, who left after 14 years in the position, and has overseen the addition and renovations of new buildings onsite.

“The site looks amazing; we’ve done a ton of work cleaning things up and de-cluttering and just trying to make it as it used to be,” Carpenter said.

“There was just a lot of stuff everywhere, and so we’ve really done a big job of cleaning up the site so that it’s a little easier to make your way through and a little bit easier to see what you want to see.”

The Pemberton Museum features several historic buildings from Spud Valley’s past. In the last couple of years, thanks to funding from the provincial government’s Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program, two new buildings were added to the site, including a replica of the Pemberton Station Schoolhouse and the original cabin owned by Pemberton pioneer John Arn.

The replica schoolhouse has allowed the museum to host more events and, for the first time, have a winter meeting space. Carpenter wants the community to know they have room to hold gallery shows, meetings and memorials.

“Whatever people in the town need,” she said. “There’s not a lot of meeting spaces in this town where people can just sort of rent and congregate and stuff. So we’re trying to fill that void.”

One of the critical pieces of work underway for the museum is fostering a strong relationship with local First Nations and weaving together the stories of the settlers with those who have called the valley home for time immemorial.

Carpenter said that the museum is continuing to work with the Lil’wat Nation and Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) to identify and repatriate items in its collection to local First Nations. In 2019, thanks to a grant from the federal government’s Young Canada Works program, the museum hired a summer student to do a complete inventory of Lil’wat items.

So far, nine objects have been repatriated to the Lil’wat Nation, with conversations ongoing about returning the remaining objects in the inventory; until then, the museum is taking care of the items until the First Nation decides it wants them back.

The museum is also in the process of writing a new interpretive plan that will re-envision the narrative that is told. The plan will focus on the close ties local First Nations had to the region, and detail how many settlers would only have survived with the support and help of the local First Nations people.

“We’re trying to weave together the narrative of people working together as well, because that was sort of the way it happened in the valley,” Carpenter said. “And obviously, it’s not all positive. But there is a lot of positive stuff onsite.”

Pemberton residents will also be happy to hear that the museum’s well-attended Toonie Teas are returning this year.

The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will close for the season after Halloween.

Read more at pembertonmuseum.org. n

HOUSING REPORT FROM PAGE 28

about a 20-per-cent turnover rate, of residents moving either within the community or outside of the community every year,” he explained.

That’s a sign that housing types allowing for that kind of flexibility, like secondary suites, could be a good fit for the community, McRae added.

‘WE DO HAVE SOME UNIQUE NUANCES HERE’

For Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman, there were “not a ton of surprises” in the report.

“The challenges are not unique to Pemberton,” he said, “but we do have some unique nuances here, in terms of what we need in our housing market.”

Richman described the housing needs report as “a great tool” the municipality can reference when considering current and future development applications. The VOP

is currently working on a grant application for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund. Launching this summer, the $4-billion fund aims to incentivize local governments to help boost their community’s housing supply.

“We talk a lot about stepping back and the big picture, and how we focus on ensuring that the different types of housing that are needed and identified in the report are happening in tandem and happening all over the place, so that we’re capturing all these needs,” Richman said.

“Not every development is going to have, obviously, every type of housing in it, so it’ll be really interesting to see how we use this tool to make sure that as we go through different applications and look at things broadly, that we’re really hitting our targets.”

Read the full report at pemberton.ca/ public/download/files/231322. n

Ar t Den Duyf Memorial Bursar y x 3

Ar ts Whistler Award

Bob Brown/Richard Heine Memorial Rotar y Scholarship

Bonny Makarewicz Memorial Whistler

Pique Award

Canadian Home Builders Association

Chili Thom Memorial Scholarship

Creekside Dental Scholarship

Cupe 2010 Award

Cupe 779 Award

District Authority x 12

Doug and Mar y Forseth Scholarship x 2

Dylan Jones Leadership Award

Fairmont Scholarship x 4

French Immersion Scholarship

Gibbons x 3

Gordon McKeever Memorial Scholarship x 5

Class of 2023

Whistler Secondar y ’ s 27th Graduating Class

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

Gravity Logic Award

Howe Sound Student Loan Bursar y

Kelty and Riley Dennehy Scholarship x 2

Margo Fraser Memorial Award

Metronomics “All Rounder” Award x 2

Nesters Scholarship x 5

Pember ton Youth Soccer Club Bursar y Raven Scholarship x 2

Real Estate Association of Whistler Award x 2

Resor t Municipality of Whistler Award x 6

Rotar y Scholarship for Leadership and Community Organization

Sea to Sky P & VP Award

Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Bursar y Spring Creek PAC

Tinney Memorial Scholarship x 3

Tony Tyler Memorial Scholarship

Vail Epic Promise Scholars Grant

Walter Zebrowski Memorial Rotar y Scholarship x 2

Wendy Thomson Scholarship

Whistler Blackcomb FoundationPeter Xhignesse Memorial

Whistler Chamber of Commerce

Whistler Firefighters - Louise Buchholz Memorial x 2

Whistler Minor Hockey Association Scholarship x 3

Whistler Mountain Ski Club

Whistler Or thodontic x 2

Whistler Real Estate Co Award x 2

Whistler Scholarship Fund Scholarship x 5

Whistler Seawolves x 2

Whistler Secondar y PAC Award

Whistler Skating Club x 2

Whistler Youth Soccer Award x 3

From the traditional territor y of the Squamish and Lil’wat peoples, it is with sincere gratitude that we recognize the continued generosity of Whistler and corridor businesses, organizations, and individuals in their great suppor t of Whistler Secondar y graduates. These generous acts form an impor tant par tnership in the development of our youth in reaching their career and educational goals and dreams, as they become thriving, contributing members of society

Thank you from the students, parents, and staff of Whistler Secondar y.

Photo by Joern Rohde

Whistler Secondary School

ValedictorianSpeech

As you can see, there are three valedictorians this year. We know that you guys love us all and couldn’t pick just one of us. Thank you grads for all your nominations. We couldn’t be more excited to be up here today sharing our own experiences and supporting each other. We’d like to recognize that we are living, working and playing on the unceded territory of the Sḵwxwú7mesh and Lil’wat Nations.

On behalf of the grads, we are so grateful for the support from administrators, teachers and all support sta of WSS. Reflecting on the past 5 years, you have turned us into amazing people and impressive leaders.

Special shout out to my partner in crime, Ann Robson, for secretly running the whole school and always knowing exactly what we’re looking for when we run into the o ce. We appreciate you so much!

If you haven’t had Ms. Williams as a teacher, you have truly missed out because she is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and her hallway chats always make our day. Ms. Cowden, we will miss your speedy math lessons and we all know there is a method to your madness! We wish you both good luck on your next journeys, wherever retirement you!

Ms. Smyth and Ms. Stapleton you have both set us up for success. Ms Smyth we are excited that you’ll have a shorter drive to Don Ross Middle School next year and we know you will inspire many more students with your chemistry and biology lessons. Ms Stapleton, you hold a very special place in our hearts. You began teaching at WSS when we came to the school, it’s like we had our first day together. Now with you going to Queen’s next year for your masters, it’s like we’re graduating together! We can’t wait to see you both succeed! Come back to visit!

Whistler Secondary has given our class so many opportunities that allowed us to get out of our comfort zone and learn how to be leaders. Outdoor Education, sports, and Leadership Commi ee. Shout out to Mr. Hall for keeping that going even after turning into Vice Principal. These experiences have taught us how to step up into leadership roles that ultimately gave us the skills to give back to this community in a more impactful way.

I would also like to say a huge thank you to our parents and guardians on behalf of all grads. You have always supported our decisions and allowed us to experiment and try new things. For example, we were

the first class to do a Quebec Exchange in Grade 7, we asked to move grad events last minute, and even asked for a pirate costume hours before the fashion show. I know you will have our backs over the coming years, even if you’re not doing our laundry.

We are incredibly lucky to have grown up in Whistler. Most of the time, we focus on the natural beauty of this region, which I can relate to, because I’m out in the middle of the night taking photos of the mountains all the time, but what is often overlooked is the people that make up this community! The people who live here are the ones who make it such an amazing place to grow up. We live in a very open and giving community where so many are willing to donate time and resources to our class to help us succeed.

Scholarships are one of many ways the community donates to our class each year. On behalf of all grads, we want to thank all the incredible businesses, groups, associations and families for their generous donations. It is unique for a small town like Whistler to contribute such a large donation to a graduating class. This year, 45 donors contributed over $150,000 to the graduating class of WSS. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support.

This community knew what it was doing, giving us all jobs at 12 years old and teaching us leadership skills early, because look at us now. We are at Eco Club at lunch, biking right after school, then soccer. Or working at local businesses giving back to the community, then ge ing to homework after all the activities. We can’t get enough of ge ing involved in anything that comes our way. But that’s just our average Tuesday.

I am grateful to the individuals in our community who have played a pivotal role in instilling exceptional leadership skills within us. They believed in us and took us under their wing.

This community has allowed us to fail, succeed and ultimately grow as we transformed into capable leaders ourselves. Looking ahead, I am confident that each of you will use your leadership skills to make significant impacts in every community you are involved in.

Thank you so much, Jayden!

You may know me from running down the hallways, signing up for way too many things, hearing my name ge ing called down to the o ce (for meetings), or randomly singing Taylor Swift.

I for one, am super grateful to call Whistler home! More than the beautiful land, the people have been influential in shaping me into the person I am today.

When I moved to Whistler at the beginning of grade 9, I honestly thought it was going to be for a year, so I made li le e ort to get involved. However, after finding out I would be staying in grade 10, I decided to take every opportunity I could to get involved, and I’m so glad I did! I know the connections and friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime.

As I reflect on my high school experience over the years, yes, I think of the hard stressful times, but I also think of the times I’ve laughed so hard I find myself on the ground ge ing shushed in the library….The moments I’ve been stuck in the woods with ORL, and the times we’ve worked together to make a di erence in the community. We have all been through many di cult times, whether it’s ge ing through that online class we regre ed signing up for, or those “exciting” chemistry quizzes. However, I know we can each think of someone or something that has made us cry, laugh, or smile and let’s be grateful for them today.

We are extremely lucky to have the most amazing teachers ever at WSS! From Ms. Chevre e’s inspirational quotes of the day, she has always encouraged us to “Believe in yourself, and never give up!” We would like to give a HUGE shoutout to Mr.Walzl, for being the reason we can say we enjoy physics and calculus. Who can even say that they enjoy calculus lessons? Finally, I’ve been waiting for the day to say, “It’s super happy fun graduation time!”

Our grad class has set the bar for being role models. From improving the school with our new ideas to showing up with respect in the community, I’m proud of the positive impact we’ve had on others. Everyone in this class has used their strengths for the be er and can confidently say they’ve each contributed in their own way.

In addition to our individual successes, we’ve come together to overcome many challenges. One of the first setbacks we faced this year was getting our fundraising started amidst the changes in administration. Unfortunately, we couldn’t pull together a haunted house, but we did not let this stop us. Since then, we have worked extremely hard over the year to showcase the first-ever Valentine’s Day Dance, Student Short Film Festival, and the classic Fashion Show!

By Jayden Inniss, Phoenix Stanshall, Lauren Hamm

Thanks, Phoenix! An example of the Whistler community supporting our class this year was The Sea to Sky Student Short Film Festival. Sho Brooks, Kenta Tanaka and I created this unique grad fundraiser along with John Hall and Shauna Hardy. Our goal was to host an event to give youth filmmakers in the Sea To Sky corridor an opportunity to showcase their talent to the community and a panel of professional filmmakers. We reached out to local businesses searching for prizes for the filmmakers. Kenta and Sho must have bribed those businesses because we received over $3000 worth of items! T-shirts, backpacks, golf packages, bungee jumping, ski gear and a GoPro! We were blown away by the generosity of local businesses for our li le film festival. It ended up being more than a li le film festival with nine films submi ed and an audience of over 300 at the event! We are incredibly grateful that we were able to give these filmmakers a platform to gain exposure in the community and hand out some wicked prizes. On behalf of Sho, Kenta and myself, thank you to the community for the tremendous support and to the entire grad class for making this an unforge able event. We could not have done it without you.

Thanks, Jayden. Surpassing expectations, we raised $5000 over our fundraising goal this year! This will be going towards the grad legacy fund and reinvested into the community that has given us so much.

We have all taken a unique path to get where we are today. Some of us are from Spring Creek, Myrtle Phillip, Signal Hill, another province, or a completely di erent path. Additionally, many have come from all over the world to experience their grade 12 year with us! Living in such a desirable destination has allowed us to learn from a variety of cultures, and make connections with people from all over the world that we wouldn’t have met otherwise. Many of our international friends have visited since graduating and it’s Whistler’s sense of community that keeps bringing people back!

The people in Whistler blew all of my expectations away. This sounds extremely cheesy but I truly want to thank each and every one of you for welcoming me and my “unique” personality into the school community.

As we continue to grow in the next chapter of our lives, be unapologetically you, and if people don’t like or respect that, that’s

their problem. Embrace yourself and use that to help others! Take on new challenges with an open mind, and put e ort into making communities wherever you go. Build upon the skills you’ve learnt in Whistler to be even be er and more awesome members of society. Whether it’s at work, school, or in sports, always strive to have a positive impact on the people around you.

Now, if you know me, what would this speech be if it wasn’t inspired by the one and only Taylor Swift?

“Everything has changed” from when we first walked through the doors of this school. No one could have predicted the last 4 years and the challenges we’ve faced. From a global pandemic, and the quadmester system, to the Doomsday Clock being the closest it has ever been to “midnight”. “This is me trying” to be inspirational. Go out and chase your “wildest dreams”. We are all just trying to find “a place in this world”. Life is a “blank space”, and the opportunities in front of us are “bigger than the whole sky”. You aren’t always going to have “the best day” and sometimes life might be a “cruel summer” but just remember to “shake it o ” and take a moment to “breathe” before you “begin again”. When facing challenges, you might “jump then fall”, but remember to be “fearless”, “stay beautiful” and “never grow up”.

“No ma er what happens in life, be good to people, it’s a wonderful legacy to leave behind.”

Congratulations we are almost “out of

the woods” of high school, and after exams “we are never ge ing back together”. (High school exams)

Although “it’s time to go” remember to embrace “change” and I know you will all find “happiness”.

“You are the only one who gets to decide what you will be remembered for“, so as we graduate and they read o our names, hold your head high like a hero, because on a history book page, this may be the end of a decade, but the start of an age.”

“The scary news is you’re on your own now, but the cool news is, you’re on your own now!”

It was truly “enchanted” to spend the last 4 years with you all. I’ll remember this moment “Forever & Always”.

Inspire

Thank you, Jayden and Phoenix!

As we stand here today, at the start of an exciting new chapter in our lives, let us reflect on the journey we have taken with these people by our sides. The last five years have been filled with laughter, tears, triumphs, and challenges – and because this is Whistler, many full sends and broken bones – that have shaped us into the resilient individuals we are today. So, as we say farewell to this beloved place, let us carry with us these memories, the lessons, and the friendships made along the way.

Our time in high school has taught us many things. It has taught us the power of

perseverance, the value of hard work, and the fulfillment that comes from achieving our goals. It has taught us the importance of collaboration and teamwork – that we can accomplish more with others than we can alone. The lessons learned within these walls will serve as the foundation for the exciting new adventures that await us.

Remember that the friendships we have nurtured here should not be left behind. These connections have been built on shared experiences, laughter, and support. They are the threads that will help weave the fabric of our future lives. Let’s promise to maintain these friendships no ma er where life takes us. Let’s be there for one another, celebrating each other’s successes, lending a helping hand during challenging times, and always reminding each other of the remarkable potential we possess. May we always remember that although our individual paths may diverge, our bonds will continue to connect us.

Now, as we embark on our own unique paths, we must remember to carry these invaluable lessons and friendships with us. And may we never forget the power of community and the impact we can have when we come together with a shared vision. No ma er where our journeys lead us –whether it is in trades, further education, the workforce, sports, or other passions, let’s contribute to the communities we become part of and strive to be leaders who inspire, uplift, and create positive change in a world

that certainly has challenges. However, it still holds hope and tremendous possibility if we’re open, determined, principled, and collaborate rather than compete with each other.

As we enter this next chapter, let’s also remember to show gratitude for the place and the people we call home. Our roots are here, firmly grounded in the memories we have created and the community that has shaped us. Whether we find ourselves on distant shores or between Whistler’s familiar mountains, let’s be mindful of the place that has nurtured us and helped us grow. This place and these people will forever be a part of who we are, and we should give back and help to inspire future generations just as we have been inspired.

My fellow graduates, as we stand here at the various pathways of possibility that lie ahead and prepare to part ways, let’s do so with open hearts and open minds. Let’s embrace the uncertainty, relish in the adventure, and remember the lessons we have learned so we carry them as beacons of light into the next chapter. Let’s embody compassion, resilience, and a commitment to making a di erence.

So, may your dreams be boundless, your spirit unyielding, your sends still fearless, and your heart forever filled with the fond memories of our time together. And as Taylor Swift would say, “Long live the walls we crashed through. I had the time of my life with you.” Congratulations, Class of 2023! ■

Photo by Kevin Arnold

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Congratulations!

TO THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2023

Please accept our most sincere congratulations to each of you for successfully completing a significant milestone in your life - your Secondary School Graduation. May you achieve great success in your educational journey, excel in your personal pursuits, and embrace the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as you step into the world.

All the best from the Board of Education and SD48 Staff!

Whistler

Professional Firefighters, Local 3944, would like to Congratulate our GRAD 2023 scholarship recipients.

Kyla Heppell l H pell

Photo by Sea to Sky Photography

Ruby Hunter Olivia Kauffman

Metronomics "All

Rounder" Alumni

Class of 2023 Class of 2023 Wishing you the

“If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door”

greatest success in life’s next adventure

Graduating Class of 2023

Harnessing The Engine Inside

REGULAR READERS of this column may have noticed that I have an affinity for bikes. It started as a kid when my world suddenly tripled in size, all because I could get around faster on two wheels. The bikes I owned during my youth not only represented independence from my parents driving me around, but they were also

BY

a means to better physical and mental health— critical things for a growing body and mind.

I now live in a part of the world that I’d consider mountain-bike obsessed. We have some of the best trails in the world, the biggest and best bike park, and one of the biggest mountain bike festivals to celebrate it all (the only thing we’re missing is hosting a stop for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, but that’s a story for another time). But when we zoom out from the regional lens of loamy singletrack and perfectly sculpted berms, bicycles mean a lot more to a lot more people. Bikes transcend borders and cultures, and the ultra-efficient form of transportation is so much more than lessening traffic and decreasing carbon emissions. Every bike has the potential to change a life. This is the central theme of Anthill Films’ The Engine

Inside, a documentary a decade in the making which premieres Saturday, June 24 at the Maury Young Arts Centre.

“About 10 years ago we started talking about making a film to celebrate how people are using the bicycle around the world and how it can improve all of our lives,” says director and co-founder of Anthill Films Darcy Wittenburg. “At the time, we were looking at it from more of the sports and recreational perspective. Because (Anthill Films) came from mountain biking, we were thinking how we could celebrate the fun aspects of things like road cycling, gravel and adventure travel. But the more we started to dig into the stories,

a fat bike) for the second time after turning 60 years old. Or Nouran Salah, who founded Cairo’s Cycling Geckos—the first female cycling movement in Egypt—in a country where women on bikes is still not considered socially acceptable. Or Kwabena Danso, who has built a business fabricating bamboo bikes in order to affect social change for farmers, workers, and children in rural Ghana.

proper respect it deserves. That’s why it ended up being such a big part of the film.”

the more we realized we needed to make it about people. More specifically, people who represent the different sides of cycling around the world.”

After extensive research, Wittenburg and his production team at Anthill Films found six cyclists who not only had their own life-changing experience with a bike, but who champion the sport of cycling in their communities. Like Janice Tower, who recently completed the 563-kilometre transAlaska Iditarod Trail Invitational in winter (on

While the film does focus on positive change, it’s not shy in portraying the adversity the subjects of the documentary have lived through. The interviews with Indigenous mountain biker Jay Bearhead are particularly visceral, but give an important glimpse into how a person can rebound from rock bottom.

“Jay’s story ran a lot deeper than we first realized,” says Wittenburg. “The first things we knew about him were that he had recovered from addiction, he had been homeless for some time, and he credits the bike as having saved his life. The more we got to know Jay and his story, the more we learned about the circumstances of how he got there, and a big part of that was the abuse he suffered at a residential school. We wanted to do Jay’s story justice and give it the

At 83 minutes long, The Engine Inside is about twice the length of your typical action sports film. And while impressive urban cycling action is featured, the point of the film is more about our potential for change as a society. The narration is delivered by the familiar voice of Phil Ligget, whose coverage and commentary on the Tour de France for the last 50 years has earned him the moniker “The Voice of Cycling.” When you package it all together with Anthill’s stellar cinematography and sharp editing, The Engine Inside leaves the audience more motivated than ever to ride their bike—and hopefully convert a few more people to cyclists along the way.

“The Engine Inside is about unlocking the bicycle as a simple, and often overlooked, solution for many of our challenges for our society,” says Wittenburg. “The timing and the message of this film has never been as poignant or as urgent as it is now. We hope this empowers people all over the world to ride their bikes and know that a better future is possible.”

The Engine Inside won Best Storytelling and Film of the Year at IF3Bike, as well as the Outstanding Achievement Award at Better Earth International Film Festival, and is an Official Selection at the Maui Film Festival. it premieres at the Maury Young Arts Centre on June 24 at 7 p.m. (all ages) and 9 p.m. (19+). Tickets are available at.showpass.com/theengine-inside.

Vince Shuley believes in bikes. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. ■

“We hope this empowers people all over the world to ride their bikes and know that a better future is possible.”

- DARCY WITTENBURG

VINCE

SHULEY

START

ENGINES The Engine Inside premieres in Whistler on June 24.

PHOTO BY ANTHILL FILMS

Mountain mamaskeepon moving

SEA TO SKY MOMS SHOW HOW THE SOMETIMES-GRUELLING, SOMETIMES-MAGICAL NINE MONTHS OF PREGNANCY CAN UNFOLD UP THE MOUNTAIN AND ON THE TRAILS

BY ALYSSA NOEL

Mallory Hewlko had shaped her entire life and career to maximize the amount of time she could spend snowboarding.

And then she found out she was pregnant.

“Once I got over the initial shock, I was excited,” she says. “But I almost went into a bit of a depression. I started reading these online forums and it was so negative. Everything was ‘Don’t do this. Don’t drink coffee, don’t cycle past this date.’ It was all this ‘don’t, don’t, don’t.’ I was like, ‘What did I do?’ I went into this spiral of ‘My life is over before it’s over.’”

She laughs a little at the memory now.

Rather than stewing in fear for too long, she set out on a quest to find examples of what was possible instead.

“I started seeking out blogs of women who had snowboarded into their pregnancy,” she says, pointing to pro-snowboarder Kimmy Fasani as a particularly helpful example. “I have dedicated my life to this. I’m more comfortable on my snowboard than walking up stairs … What struck me was how hard it was to find those stories. In this sea of negativity I found two or three blogs that were telling me it was OK and how they managed it.”

As her pregnancy progressed, she bought bigger bibs and step-in bindings—so friends wouldn’t have to help her strap in as her belly got bigger—got the greenlight from her midwife, worked with a kinesiologist, and took it powder day to powder day.

“At no point did anybody say, ‘Oh, you should stop.’ They said, ‘If you feel good, you feel comfortable, it’s OK.’ They gave me agency to do what I wanted,” she says.

At 38 weeks pregnant, one week before being induced, Hewlko was still riding Khyber’s laps, top to bottom.

But she didn’t exactly advertise her accomplishment.

“I kept my pregnancy pretty quiet. I didn’t do any big announcements or anything like that. I barely alluded to the fact I was pregnant until I was about to have [my son]. One of the reasons was I knew I was going to get flak from people who were close to me, but I didn’t want flak from random people,” she says.

As Hewlko discovered, it can be hard to find examples of pregnant people who continue their mountain sports—skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, climbing, and trail running—well into the third trimester. Many decide they’re uncomfortable with the risks; others just don’t feel up to it. A few have conditions that prevent them from being active in the first place.

It’s a hot, sunny Thursday afternoon, and I’m a gigantic, almost-35 weeks pregnant.

I’ve spent the last few days in a spiral: will I be able to handle two kids? I have literally nothing prepared yet for this baby. How will we find childcare for two children when we can’t even manage for one?

Due to circumstances that have nothing to do with pregnancy, I haven’t run—trails, pavement, or otherwise—in a week.

But plenty of women in the Sea to Sky corridor in particular quietly continue with sports that take them on or up the mountains as their bump grows. While most say they faced some criticism—sometimes from complete strangers who felt entitled to weigh in—more often they were encouraged.

Still, considering the corridor’s current baby boom (according to Vital Statistics, that added up to 385 babies born in Squamish and Whistler in 2020 and 405 in 2021. There is no data for Pemberton), pregnant athletes remain a novel sight to see. But that could change as more studies reveal the benefits of prenatal exercise, doctors and midwives get on board with a larger range of sports, and society starts to trust women to be the experts on their own bodies.

For Hewlko—who chose, for example, to end her backcountry days sooner than her time in the resort due to her comfort—the benefits of snowboarding while pregnant were immense.

“There is something to be said for staying strong and healthy,” she says. “I think my mental health would’ve suffered a lot more [without riding].”

I strap on my belly band, leash up the dog and hit a narrow, treed path next to a river. I’m honestly a little shocked as all that mental noise melts away. My feet do what they’ve done for the last 22 years: negotiate rocks and roots and propel me forward as if it’s second nature.

Is there a risk of tripping? Yes. I’ve tumbled countless times while not pregnant, in fact. But I’ve slowed down and cut back immensely. (Let’s just say no one would be impressed by my pregnancy pace or distance on Strava.)

Skiing pregnant? Not for me. I’m simply not confident enough in my ability. Cycling? Not at this stage. Frankly, I struggle to pick anything up off the ground right now. But point me towards a running trail and suddenly I feel comfortable in my skin again. (A big thanks also to pelvic floor physios.)

During two pregnancies, I have fielded two “comments” from strangers about this: one, a mountain biker in her 20s who shouted (maybe jokingly?) that I better not shake up the baby. Another, an older woman who shot me an unmistakable dirty look as I slowly plodded past her.

Mostly though, strangers hoot their amusement and encouragement as I pass.

“At no point did anybody say, ‘Oh, you should stop.’ They said, ‘If you feel good, you feel comfortable, it’s OK.’”

Mallory Hewlko snowboarded until one week before her induction at 39 weeks. Photo submitted

Exercise

Maybe, I thought, this wouldn’t be such a novel—or even scary—thing for people to see if women who were able and wanted to continue their mountain sports through pregnancy felt comfortable doing it. Maybe if we saw more examples of what’s possible, we’d be inspired to try.

So, I put a callout to the corridor looking for women who managed to keep up their sport through pregnancy—unsure of whether anyone would want to risk the potential online backlash—and was inundated with responses.

Ski touring, horseback riding, mountain biking, backcountry hiking— even though, historically, pregnant women have been advised to avoid these sports, especially past the second trimester, many were safely and successfully continuing them. (Disclaimer: the general rule of thumb these days is it’s safe to continue what you did regularly before pregnancy. The women Pique talked to were all very experienced in their sports.)

And they wanted to share their stories.

Let’s get something out of the way first: every woman I spoke to wanted to ensure their story didn’t make other women who were unable or just not up to exercising during pregnancy feel bad about it. The point, instead, was to showcase one possibility for how this sometimes-gruelling, sometimes-magical, nine-month stretch of your life can go.

Increasingly, though, research is showing more and more reasons to be active during pregnancy if you can. And even some pregnancy complications— like gestational hypertension—that prompted doctors to advise against exercise are being rethought.

One study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in June 2020 (“Why can’t I exercise during pregnancy? Time to revisit medical ‘absolute’ and ‘relative’ contraindications: systematic review of evidence of harm and a call to action”) concluded that most medical conditions deemed contraindications to pregnant women exercising were actually based on opinion rather than evidence.

“Based on empirical evidence, we provide a call to re-evaluate clinical guidelines related to medical disorders that have previously been considered contraindications to prenatal exercise,” it concludes. “Removing barriers to physical activity during pregnancy for women with certain medical conditions may in fact be beneficial for maternal–fetal health outcomes.”

Other studies note the benefits of moderate exercise as preventing excessive weight gain, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and even lower back pain, among other things.

A small, more recent study (“Maternal and Fetal Cardiovascular Responses to Acute High-Intensity Interval and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Exercise During Pregnancy: A Randomized Crossover Trial,” published in May 2023) actually concluded an “acute bout” of high-intensity interval training was well tolerated by both the pregnant mother and fetus. (Currently, advice is to rely on the “talk test”: if you can talk during your workout, you’re probably exercising at a safe intensity.)

Another study from 2019 (“Effects of Aerobic Exercise during Pregnancy on 1-Month Infant Neuromotor Skills”) found one-month-olds whose mothers took part in 50 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise three times a week scored higher on neuromotor development tests.

So, the literature is clear. Exercise in pregnancy is well worth it. But what exactly should that entail, and how do you know your limit?

Alongside the talk test, official bodies like the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week (which can include walking) spread throughout the week.

That organization also says fewer than two out of every 10 pregnant women in this country are doing that.

“I agree with taking the patient’s individual exercise knowledge into account,” says Dr. Karen Nordahl, who practices family medicine and low-risk obstetrics at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver and published the book Fit to Deliver, in an email. “I do not necessarily want someone to start marathon training when they are pregnant, but most patients will have a lot of common sense about it all!”

Closer to home, Sara Niblock, Whistler kinesiologist and founder of Mountain Mom Strong, a program to help postpartum people successfully return to their sports, says individual athletes have to decide what they’re comfortable with.

“The guidelines say [avoid] collisions, anything that risks a fall, but it’s tricky because there’s no evidence [from studies] for that,” she says. “There’s good reason for it, but also, I’m a really good mountain biker. I felt comfortable biking pregnant. I biked the Lost Lake Trails, pretty mellow stuff. I wasn’t going down big rock rolls or anything gnarly.”

in pregnancy is well worth it. But what exactly should that entail, and how do you know your limit?

Sara Niblock, a Whistler kinesiologist—and founder of the Mountain Mom Strong program—backpacked and hiked throughout her pregnancy.

Photo by Eric Poulin

There are ethical challenges around conducting studies with regards to pregnancy and high-risk sports, she adds. Instead, researchers can conduct surveys to find out what birth outcomes were in certain circumstances.

Changes to guidelines can often be slow as a result.

“I definitely had the ‘What are you doing mountain biking? You could cause trauma! You could take a handlebar!’’’ she says. “The guidelines are the guidelines—they’re there for a reason. Trauma can cause harm. But I think in the Sea to Sky, a lot of people who continue these mountain sports into their pregnancy are super comfortable and competent and do dial back what they’re riding.”

Carrie Meltzer, a longtime local based in Pemberton, has experience with two different types of pregnancies. During her first, 10 years ago, her midwife and doctor suggested she stop biking and running when her son was stubbornly stuck in the breech position—eventually dashing her dreams of a home birth.

“[They] recommended I stop biking and running because my stomach was too tight. They thought if I relaxed by walking, there’d be more opportunity for him to flip,” she says.

“I think it’s really important you listen to your body and health-care professionals. I wanted to keep riding my bike and running at that time, but I just hiked and walked.”

Her next two pregnancies, however, allowed the Liv Cycling ambassador to ride nearly until delivery. She was able to ride one of her favourite trails the day before giving birth to her third—and actually managed to enter a bike race and win at four weeks postpartum. (Though that is certainly not the norm, and she expresses how lucky she is that her body was strong after delivery.)

“Biking worked really well for me,” she says. “I felt as long as I listened to my body and was really aware of the risks I was taking, I could continue. I had amazing pregnancies because of it.”

Pilar Lascar, who lives in Squamish, was able to climb until 35 weeks. That required a special harness and some adjustments to the activity, she says.

activity, she says.

“Climbing was basically the same with less adrenaline,” she says. “I was still happy there. The most fun part of climbing is you can share it with your friends in the crag. I was there with all of them supporting me. I’m an active person; I need to keep moving. That’s the thing I needed every day—to be touching the rock, being outside.”

She did, however, field some negative comments. While she’s seen very few pregnant women climbing, Lascar says it was rewarding to hear she inspired some people.

“I have friends younger than me who said, ‘When I get pregnant, I want to be like you—skiing and climbing and doing yoga.’ It’s like, yes, of course you can. You have to be responsible. You’re not going to learn a new sport when you’re pregnant, but if you trust your abilities, you can keep going.”

It’s not surprising to hear that most of the women who managed to keep active during the taxing task of building a human now have found ways to bring their progeny out on adventures.

“Our children join us in all our adventures and we continue to do sports and swap off,” Meltzer says. “I think having a family can make everything better. Now when I go on my bike rides, there’s a different purpose. I’m not trying to see what feature I can conquer. Now I want to ride to ride the next day. It makes me a better mom.”

purpose.

Chelsie McCutcheon, a Wet’suwet’en member living in Squamish, snowboarded until she was about six months pregnant with her son. When she was pregnant with her daughter, she was living in Calgary and skateboarded, hiked and ran.

She also works as a recreation program coordinator with the First Nations Outdoor Recreation Program, these days coaching youth in everything from mountain biking and snowboarding to rock climbing and yoga.

“I’ve been on skis and a snowboard since I was three,” she says. “It’s been my profession for the last 24 years. After pregnancy I continued coaching with newborns and my husband would meet me to breastfeed my son. I’d boogie down [the mountain] while everyone was having lunch and boogie back up to the team.”

Her daughter started snowboarding at 18 months, and rode with her as she coached.

She was surprised to become a Burton ambassador at an older age, well into her motherhood journey. “I’m riding for a company that is one of the many companies that support my vision as an Indigenous woman in the outdoor industry,” she says. “When I was pregnant with my son there was part of me that was like, ‘My career is over.’ Then it’s like, ‘No, actually, who cares about the career.’ It’s more than a career. It’s a passion.” ■

“I think it’s really important you listen to your body and health-care professionals. I wanted to keep riding my bike and running at that time, but I just hiked and walked.”

Ming Sartee biking at Camel Pass at 30 weeks pregnant with her second child. Photo submitted.

Pembertonian Maude Cyr runs to raise awareness of domestic violence

CYR WILL COVER MORE THAN 110 KILOMETRES UP THE SEA TO SKY TRAIL ON JUNE 24

BY DAVID SONG

AT FIRST GLANCE , living in the Sea to Sky corridor is a dream. What could be better than a bountiful expanse of natural splendour, from majestic mountains to cerulean lakes to trails that wind through ancient forests? There’s a reason why many flock to this area from all over the globe.

Yet our neck of the woods, just like any other, has its perennial problems. Many struggle to find affordable housing, while others fight to free themselves from the grip of substance addiction. There is also the oftunseen but ever-present spectre of domestic violence.

The Howe Sound Women’s Centre (HSWC) estimates that more than 3,800 people visit its Drop-In Centres in Whistler and Squamish each year. The abuse of women, children and handicapped individuals behind closed doors remains a sad reality.

Pemberton resident Maude Cyr wants people to realize this truth and, more importantly, that something can be done about it. That’s why, on June 24, she will be running the Sea to Sky Trail on behalf of the HSWC from Squamish up to Pemberton,

covering more than 110 kilometres in a single day to raise funds. It’s a trek she’s already made twice before, though she biked the distance in 2022 due to an injury.

BREAKING THE CYCLE

It’s fitting that a woman like Cyr is so passionate about raising awareness. She has spent nearly a decade and a half working for the French-speaking School District No. 93 (or

The longtime educator began seeking ways to make a difference. In 2020, she made her first fundraising run up the Sea to Sky Trail in partnership with the HSWC. Lingering COVID symptoms kept her out of action the following year, but she didn’t remain idle.

On her own time, Cyr discovered a program called Kids in the Know offered by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P). The program’s curriculum offers ageappropriate content from kindergarten to

often susceptible to abuse. She says that various factors, from mental illness to generational trauma, can lead some adults to mistreat others in their lives rather than using their power to support and educate.

While much of this abuse ultimately turns physical, it can also take emotional, psychological or even economic forms— in other words, manipulating vulnerable individuals while destroying their selfesteem and capacity for independence.

“This is something that just doesn’t make any sense to me,” Cyr admitted. “Children are not asking for this. They just came into the world and are hoping someone will protect them. I would love to, if I can, stop the generational cycle, because if a child is being abused, unfortunately it’s likely that they will abuse [others] later on.”

HEALING THROUGH LOCOMOTION

CSF). In fact, it was a schoolyard discussion with a colleague that touched off her mission to advocate against domestic violence.

“When the bell rang for the summer holidays, another [education assistant] told me that: ‘most of these kids are super happy to go back home, but there’s a very big amount of kids here that are not happy. They’re afraid to go home because they’re unsafe at home,’” Cyr remembered.

“And I was like: oh my God, it shouldn’t be that way.”

Grade 12, and is meant to equip students with an awareness of potential dangers in their world.

Cyr lobbied CSF decision-makers to get on board—and they did. Beginning in 2021, the district began purchasing Kids in the Know materials and making them available to teachers in British Columbia’s Francophone schools.

While Cyr knows that domestic violence isn’t always perpetrated by men, she recognizes that women and children are

There are many ways to raise awareness of domestic violence. Most do not involve blowing out your lungs and legs on a 100plus kilometre run. So why did Cyr choose the athletic approach?

As a naturally active person, the education assistant grew up snowboarding and playing multiple sports in her hometown of Rimouski, Que. Running in particular, though, helped her overcome the doldrums of postpartum depression—

MAUDE COMPLEX Maude Cyr of Pemberton loves running for sport, for leisure and to raise awareness of domestic violence for the Howe Sound Women’s Centre.

“I would love to, if I can, stop the generational cycle, because if a child is being abused, unfortunately it’s likely that they will abuse [others] later on.”

- MAUDE CYR

Dr. Andrew J. Mo ore

Pemberton Secondary student mentors female mountain bikers

REBECCA BEATON PARTNERS WITH PORCA TO RUN ‘GIRLS ON WHEELS’ YOUTH BIKING PROGRAM

BY DAVID SONG

THROUGHOUT HER adolescence, Rebecca Beaton has sought out female mentors in the world of mountain biking. Her sport, like many so-called “extreme sports,” has historically been chock-full of men. Beaton grew up competing against boys, and is used to seeing hundreds of them at her high school bike races compared to just a few tens of girls, at most.

The 17-year-old chooses to be part of the solution, teaming up with the Pemberton OffRoad Cycling Association (PORCA) last spring to launch a brand-new program. Girls On

Wheels (GOW) is billed as a teen-friendly version of the PORCA Women’s Bike Club, a place where young ladies aged 12 to 18 can spend time on two wheels. Each ride is led by a First Aid-certified adult, but this individual does not serve as a coach—rather the emphasis is on allowing teenage girls to bond and share knowledge in a non-competitive setting.

GOW began as a bi-weekly event with only four or five participants, but has since developed into a weekly Friday gathering that averages eight girls per ride—plus a monthly dirt jump session. This year, Beaton hoped to boost exposure for the initiative by way

SEE PAGE 48 >>

CYR FUNDRAISER FROM PAGE 46

which she grappled with after the birth of her first child. Based on a doctor’s recommendation, Cyr began jogging down the trails of Pemberton and was hooked.

Running has since led her into the world of ultramarathons.

Much like fellow Sea to Sky endurance ace Vicki Romanin, Cyr loves being in nature, and running for a long time in nature is “the best” for her. She first got into ultra racing about five years ago and tackles a few competitions every year—including her favourite, April’s 50-kilometre Diez Vista near Port Moody. Not one to lack for motivation, Cyr credits her coach for helping her pace herself, while snowshoeing and skiing in winter months help her keep fit.

Cyr had a support crew during her

2020 run and a truck full of food and water. This time, she’s upping the ante by being largely self-sufficient. Water will come from various creeks across her path, made potable by her filterequipped bottle, while she plans to carry electrolytes and some light food items. Others are welcome to join the run, but the Pembertonian will rely on herself to see it through.

Those who wish to donate to Cyr’s cause and the HSWC can do so online at give-can.keela.co/maude-cyr-110-kmrun-to-stop-violence.

Individuals needing assistance can call the Whistler Drop-In Centre’s 24-hour crisis line at 604-892-5711. The DropIn Centre is welcoming to people of all backgrounds and orientations. n

At Hilltop Hospice in Squamish, BC , on June 14, 2023, Doctor Andrew J. Moore, in his 81st year, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving wife and family “Andrew” to his beloved wife Pru, “Andy” or “Doc” to chums and teammates, or “AJ” as he was affectionately known to family and friends, near and far.

AJ was born in Fife, Scotland and immigrated to Canada in August 1952 at the age of 10, settling in London, Ontario. AJ’s academic prowess started early, earning accolades at ever y school he attended. While he planned on a career as a fighter pilot, AJ changed plans and graduated from University of Western Ontario’s Faculty of Medicine, class of ’66 AJ did his internship in Winnipeg before caring for patients across northern Canada as a medical officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. AJ concluded his militar y ser vice at the National Defense Medical Centre in Ottawa then moved his family to Vancouver where he completed his residenc y in Urology at Vancouver General Hospital AJ established a large and flourishing practice at St. Paul’s Hospital and enjoyed teaching interns and residents as an Associate Clinical Professor at the UBC Faculty of Medicine

Throughout his life, AJ participated in a wide range of activities, athletic and other wise. He loved football, golf and hockey, the latter as a long-time member of the Vancouver Flames Old Timers Hockey Club playing in tournaments across Europe and Nor th America He was also a highly accomplished alpine skier, beginning at Whistler Mountain in the early 1970’s when AJ would coax his Seville to conquer the winding road from Vancouver listening to a wide variety of tunes. Through the years, AJ taught his entire extended family how to ski AJ created deep friendships and fond memories hosting large, wild gatherings at his home filled with warmth and generosity and became a well-known member of the West Vancouver and Whistler communities. His home and its backyard oasis became the cherished gathering place for anyone who wanted one

AJ is predeceased by his parents George and Margaret. He is sur vived by his wife Prudence, sons Scott and David and their mother Barb, Christopher (Daviana), grandchildren Riley, Maddison, Theodore and Harper, his beloved brother Jim ( Joan), his sister-in-law Jan, nephews and nieces, Brad (Carrie) and Andrea (Dean) and their families

AJ’s family would like to extend their sincere appreciation and gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Hilltop Hospice for their compassionate and competent care and for making his last days and that of his family as comfortable and peaceful as possible A celebration of AJ’s life will be held at 3:00 pm on August 20, 2023 at Gleneagles Golf Course.

Dr Andrew Jenkins Moore was a beloved husband, father, brother, grandpa, uncle, loyal friend, teacher, and colleague His was a life well lived.

WHEELS UP Pemberton Secondary School student Rebecca Beaton (middle) helped found PORCA’s Girls on Wheels initiative, encouraging more girls to try mountain biking.

PHOTO BY JOSH DOOLEY

Tim Lischkoff, CPA, CA / tim@gskllp ca /

Specializing in accounting and tax services for corporations and their shareholders. Please contact me for an initial no-charge confidential consultation.

of images and sponsorship, and both goals were met: local photographer Josh Dooley conducted a photoshoot with the group, while mountain bike company Crankbrothers has agreed to sponsor them.

“I couldn’t have even imagined this time last year that we would have grown the program so much,” Beaton said.

FEMALE MENTORSHIP

Beaton understands the importance of women supporting each other. Although a talented athlete, she admits that the lopsided gender ratios can be intimidating, and at times, detrimental to the solidarity between female athletes.

“Biking is a really scary sport, and it’s really hard to be a female in a male-dominated sport sometimes,” said the Pemberton Secondary School (PSS) student. “It feels like there isn’t a lot of space for us. When you have a strong group of competitive girls racing each other, it’s very easy for the environment to become over-competitive and kind of destructive.”

Beaton started riding at her local BMX track when she was about seven years old. It’s no surprise she did—her family has been in the mountain bike industry for decades, with father Mark and older brother Chris both lifelong riders. In those days, Beaton was accustomed to being one of two or three girls in a primarily male crowd, and most of her social rides also took place with boys.

In 2016, the Pembertonian crashed on her

bike and suffered a concussion. Afterwards, she decided to focus on her other main sport: gymnastics. Perhaps she would have continued down that road if not for COVID-19, which shuttered gyms and indoor activities for quite some time.

At this juncture, Beaton returned to mountain biking and discovered a renewed love of the sport. She even found mentors—in 2021, Beaton was accepted into the Ride like a Girl program that paired her up with local bike guide Emily Slaco and Squamolian enduro star Andreane Lanthier Nadeau. She credits both for helping to boost her confidence and teach her about the mental side of riding.

“I started to realize that professional racers still face a lot of the same physical and mental struggles as amateur racers like

myself,” Beaton explained. “Some of what [Lanthier Nadeau] and I talked about was separating a race from your actual life. Now when I race, I only think about the girls as competitors during my actual race run.

“Outside of those few minutes, they are my friends.”

GIRLS ON WHEELS

Opportunities for consistent female mentorship have historically proven scarce in Beaton’s hometown of Pemberton, even as an increasing number of girls are joining the sport across British Columbia. She wasn’t willing to remain idle about it.

“I started dreaming about what I could do to change that,” Beaton said. “I ended

up attending a trail night with the PORCA Women’s Bike Club, where I met many ladies in the community and started talking out my dream to encourage more girls my age to ride. Bree Thorlakson, the executive director of PORCA, told me that the organization would love to support me in this.”

At that point, PORCA was already considering how to support teenage girls in athletics. The involvement of Beaton, herself a member of the PSS mountain bike team, is crucial in making the GOW environment both safe and authentic. PORCA raised awareness online via social media and advertising, while Beaton credits Thorlakson with doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work, helping create contact lists and plan trail routes suitable for all comers.

Nowadays, Beaton is a busy bee. Her academic and extracurricular commitments prevented her from attending most North Shore Mountain Bike League races during the school year, though she did help her PSS teammates to a second straight provincials win by placing second in enduro and fourth in cross-country. Being mentored by Slaco and Lanthier Nadeau has helped the Pembertonian set healthier, more personalized goals (such as starting fast instead of beating a specific opponent), and she hopes to pass on this wisdom to other teens.

“Girls just need to be welcomed,” said Beaton. “Girls just want to know that there are other girls who have their back and who have their support. They don’t have to be amazing at biking … it just takes coming out and doing your best.” n

GROUP RIDE Rebecca Beaton of Pemberton Secondary School out on a ride with the Girls on Wheels initiative she helped found.

PHOTO BY JOSH DOOLEY

Marinetti vs. Maserati

THE FUTURIST COOKBOOK —MEANT AS A PROVOCATION—STILL WHIPS UP SOME FUN

MASERATIS, Lamborghinis, Bugattis, Ferraris, Alfa Romeos—even Fiats, made in 1899 and the third car in the world after GM’s and Ford’s. All of them from Italy; all of them synonymous with speed and good design.

No wonder Futurism—the art and social movement, not to be confused with futurists, who systematically explore possibilities about the future—also started in Italy, where it largely remained.

BY GLENDA BARTOSH

Founded in Milan in the early 1900s by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Futurismo, as it’s called in Italian, is all wound up in speed, dynamism, technology, and youth. Simply speaking, Marinetti despised everything old, especially politics and traditions in art, and championed anything new that smashed up the past—including violence and war. But he also championed art united with life.

It’s a complicated movement, filled with as many cautions as creativity, but I’ve always been pretty fascinated by Futurism’s art, like Umberto Boccioni’s Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, a famous bronze depicting a figure in motion that looks like early stop-motion photography in 3-D, some

kind of chopped modern Mercury with winged feet.

On the other hand, I also have huge problems with some of Futurism, like Marinetti’s misguided notion of “war = revolution” (try telling that to the beleaguered people of Ukraine). Or the way Futurism helped spread fascism. Or its belief that the then-impending First World War was inevitable, and would deliver some kind of fantastical, utopian world order bringing humans and machines closer together to reign over nature. (I wonder what David Suzuki or Geoffrey Hinton, the “Godfather of A.I.”, would say about that.)

Still, the largely overlooked Futurists were pretty fascinating, with their many manifestos and various expressions in dance, painting, theatre, architecture, you name it. So I was excited to see one of Michael Portillo’s Great Continental Railway Journeys on Knowledge Network—the one featuring Italy, from Pisa to Lake Garda—stop at a café in Florence I’d once rambled through and needed a poke to recall.

Now Le Giubbe Rosse Restaurant, it originally opened in 1899—the same year the first Fiat rolled off the assembly line— as the Caffè Letterario Giubbe Rosse, or Giubbe Rosse Literary Café, known for its coffee and the avant-garde conversations stimulated by same along with the collection of newspapers and magazines customers relished, especially travellers and ex-pats from around the world. Eventually, the café became an incubator for all kinds of creative ideas. Something like The Point, Whistler’s dynamic and long-standing artistrun centre located in the old youth hostel on the west side of Alta Lake. (Stand by for their Indigenous Artisan Showcase opening June 23.)

Marinetti and the creative people intrigued by his ideas would meet in Le Giubbe Rosse, where you can still check out the vibe, only the Futurists are now reduced to 2-D images in great swaths of photos hanging all the way up to the ceiling, along with posters, sketches and other intriguing bits from the heyday of Futurism. But one thing that really distinguishes it from other modern art movements were the huge number of manifestos it generated on whatever captured the Futurists’ collective imagination, including cuisine.

Of course! After all, Futurism happened in Italy, and what’s more Italian than really great food?

If you want a taste of some amazing summer reading, you could do a lot worse than Marinetti’s The Futurist Cookbook just one of his many books and “a powerful offensive against the old way of cooking.” You’ll never think of cookbooks the same way again. (Penguin’s Modern Classics offers a fine inexpensive edition, or there’s a more precious Chronicle Books one, starting at US$100+ for a used copy.)

Part scandalous-for-the-time provocation, part witty joke, part starryeyed imaginings, The Futurist Cookbook offers all kinds of recipes, and I use the term loosely. There’s the “bachelor dinner” recipe, as “Futurist cooking sets out to avoid the usual pitfalls of eating alone, like the antihuman solitude that fatally drains a part of the stomach’s vital forces.”

In a dining room decorated with Futurist Aeropaintings and aerosculpture, “bachelor dinner” features a table with legs made of accordions topped with food portraits on “jingling plates bordered with bells.” One is Blonde Food Portrait: “a beautiful piece of sculpted roast veal with two long eyes of

garlic in a dishevelment of chopped boiled cabbage and small green lettuces. Dangling earrings of little red radishes soaked in honey.” Likely the closest Whistler ever got to something like that were Bearfoot Bistro’s now-defunct, legendary bacchanalian wine raves during Cornucopia.

Then there’s the Dark Man-Friend Food Portrait with its chocolate hair and moustache and “nice necktie of tripe in broth.” Plus the Food Portrait of the Enemies—seven cubes of Cremona nugget with little wells of vinegar and a big bell on one side.

You’ll also learn how to stage an “extremist banquet” which largely centres around electric fans stirring up various “perfumes”—odours from the sea and associated fish markets, smells from a barn and a lake, and more. Or an “economical dinner” like The Total Rustic made from apples cooked in the oven, then stuffed with beans “boiled in a sea of milk.”

More summer reading: If you’re a fan of Michael Portillo’s show, or someone you love is, the contemporary re-issue of Bradshaw’s 1913 Continental Railway Guide he uses in his shows makes a super idea. The bright red cover is a perfect repro of the 1913 edition, and it comes complete with the hotel ads and maps circa 1913, so you can follow along or create your own tour à la Bradshaw’s.

Much cheaper than a new Maserati, which can set you back up to $200,000. Otherwise, AutoTrader lists a second-hand 2014 Lamborghini in Richmond for as little as $159,990.

Me, I’ll stick with my 20-year-old Smart Car and just read the cookbook.

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who still hasn’t gotten over missing the Tate Modern’s big Futurist retrospective. n

BACK TO THE FUTURE F. T. Marinetti’s The Futurist Cookbook, one of many the poet wrote before his death in 1944, provoked some new takes on politics and everyday life.

PHOTO BY GLENDA BARTOSH

Big Love unveils big Sea to Sky playlist

THIS IS WHISTLER IS A SPOTIFY COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTING

LOCAL TALENT, CURATED BY ERIK VAN MEERBERGEN

BY DAVID SONG

WHISTLER IS KNOWN FOR , among other things, its live music. Artists like Big Love, Kostaman, Monty Biggins, Red Chair, and Ruckus Deluxe have been livening up area bars and establishments for years. Yet, chances are that not too many visitors have actually heard much of their own original content.

After all, most tourists want to hear covers of well-known oldies and bangers, so that’s what most live artists are hired to do. There’s nothing wrong with that—after all, what’s a good après session without some of your favourite tunes? Nonetheless, Erik Van Meerbergen (a.k.a. Big Love) wants to showcase the full diversity of Whistler’s music scene. That’s why he came up with “This is Whistler”: a playlist composed entirely of Sea to Sky artists.

There are two versions of the playlist currently on Spotify (which will also be coming to iTunes): an unfiltered, unedited collection of local tunes and a “Safe for Work” edition curated by Van Meerbergen to exclude profanity and what he calls “super heavy stuff.”

‘YOU NEVER KNOW WHO’S LISTENING’

At first, the longtime Whistlerite simply wanted to be able to appreciate his peers’ work all in the same place. Before long, he realized that others would likely be interested in a one-stop shop for homegrown music, and he was right.

Monty Biggins, whose real name is Jeff Montgomery, recently told Van Meerbergen that the playlist has been substantially growing his monthly audience on Spotify. Furthermore, in assembling the playlist, Van Meerbergen happened across numerous local musicians who tend to fly under the radar, even from his perspective.

“I’ve really discovered a lot of amazing recording artists that we don’t see playing the stages here, but are incredibly talented,” he said. “They’ve recorded some incredible music.”

As of this writing, the shorter, Safe For Work version of the playlist has reached 188 songs for more than 15 hours of grassroots content—impressive for a town of just under 14,000 residents. The project also appears to be inspiring people to record more. Van Meerbergen frequently receives messages from others asking him to add new material to the list, and he’s all too thrilled to oblige.

Local organizations have taken notice as well. Van Meerbergen reports “incredible support” from Arts Whistler and the Whistler Chamber of Commerce. His hope is that area business owners begin playing his curated collection in their shops and storefronts— something that would cost them nothing extra.

“When you go into a Starbucks and they have their Starbucks playlist, it’s a great way of

finding new music for people,” the Big Love Band frontman explained. “It’s the same concept, but it goes across our entire community.

“If you [as a business owner] click on the Safe For Work playlist and let that ride through even just one day a week, you never know who’s listening, you never know who’s going to Shazam it, and all those plays add up to a little bit of money for each of the local musicians.”

A LANDLOCKED CRUISE SHIP

Music has never been an easy career. For every Jon Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles in the world, there are many talented men and women who play because it’s their passion— not because they’re trying to top the Billboard Hot 100 week after week. Van Meerbergen has talked with many an artist who simply can’t imagine his or her life without any singing, strumming or drumming.

Big Love knows that it can be a hardknock life, and he’s seen first-hand the lingering impact of COVID-19 on the live music industry—and he remains committed to helping breathe life into Whistler’s arts scene. He spent much of his 20s managing comedy clubs and entertainment programs aboard cruise ships, but he’s always loved music, and naturally joined up with Arts Whistler in 2015.

“I always saw Whistler as essentially a cruise ship that just didn’t leave,” Van Meerbergen said. “The tourists always came in, and I always wanted to try to model what I would do here in entertainment after cruise ships, where every week brings a new crop of people to entertain.”

The London, Ont. native has done it all, from busking to hosting trivia nights to openmic sessions with other artists. These days, he is Arts Whistler’s events and program coordinator. The Big Love Band remains active, having played in last year’s Mountain Muse festival, and a variety of exciting gigs are in the works.

While “This is Whistler” is a great step in the right direction, Van Meerbergen also wants to see more venues book at least two bands per event in order to make live performing more accessible for locals who wish to share their own music.

“You’ve got to be Bruce Springsteen to do three, 45-minute sets of original content [if you’re the only act onstage],” he said. “That’s a lot, like, a couple of albums worth. For the bands that are here, if you give them 45 minutes to an hour each, they can play a solid set of original content with maybe the odd cover that they want to throw in.”

Van Meerbergen thinks that, in addition to being just plain fun, music is a great way to lift the spirits of an entire community. Life isn’t perfect, and there’s always something one could complain about (say, Rainbow Park closing for a year or the ever-present housing crisis), but artists can break up echo chambers of negativity by giving people a reason to let their hair down. It is said that humour is the best medicine, but music is right up there as well.

“It doesn’t matter what genre or style, people find something comforting in music,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important, and that’s why musicians do it as well.”

Are you a local artist with some new tunes to share? Contact Van Meerbergen at e.vanmeerbergen@gmail.com. n

SPREAD THE LOVE Erik Van Meerbergen performs onstage. The longtime Whistler musician is known for fronting the Big Love Band.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Aaron Hazel is Fairmont Whistler’s next Artist-inResidence

THE RENOWNED WILDLIFE PAINTER WILL GRACE THE SEA TO SKY WITH HIS PRESENCE ON JUNE 27 AND 28

BY DA VID SONG

ON JUNE 27 AND 28 , the Fairmont Chateau Whistler will welcome U.S. painter Aaron Hazel as its Artist-in-Residence. Hazel, who resides in Boise, Idaho, is known for his memorable depictions of wildlife and should find himself at home in the natural wonderland of the Sea to Sky.

Having spent nearly his whole life in the Pacific Northwest, Hazel deeply appreciates animals and what they can teach us.

“The preservation of wildlife is of utmost importance to me,” said the 38-year-old, who turns 39 on Canada Day. “There’s so many interesting things about wildlife that I really appreciate, plus they’re just beautiful beings. They’re cool shapes. I love their fur. There’s so many different things that are fun about them to paint.”

Hazel enjoys flexing his creative muscles in the process of depicting fauna. Often, he uses a palette knife to scrape on layers of paint in order to bring the textures of an animal’s fur to life. He’s also a fan of utilizing experimental colours, like pinks and greens and grays, to depict monochromatic creatures like polar bears.

The Idahoan blends his love and knowledge of the natural environment with considerable technical prowess. He graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. and has studied under prominent artists like impressionist Robert Moore. His work has garnered acclaim from various publications, galleries and even NFL players.

But why is Hazel choosing now to bring his talents to Whistler?

For starters, it’s good for business. Some of Hazel’s pieces are already on display with the Fairmont’s Mountain Galleries, and he knows how important it is for artists to spend face time with the galleries that support them whenever possible. By and large, it is more compelling for prospective customers when an artist personally shows up to an event and delivers their work rather than shipping it remotely.

Plus, Hazel spent more than a decade living in Seattle and Bellevue, and regrets not coming to Whistler during that period (he’s been to Vancouver multiple times). “I’ve always heard of the lore of Whistler, and I’ve always been super enchanted by it,” he said. “So, when [the Fairmont] reached out to me, I was super excited.”

GRIDIRON ASSIST

Like many of his peers, Hazel realized that the idea of supporting himself through painting would be risky, to say the least. He worked at a restaurant for six years after graduation while he sought jobs in the advertising

and marketing sectors, but in hindsight is thankful no one hired him. Slowly but surely, the Whitman College alum built his portfolio and reputation until the Seattle Seahawks began to take notice.

Hazel brushed shoulders with a number of then-Seahawks players, including strong safety Kam Chancellor and wide receiver Golden Tate, in his bartending days. That suited him just fine—the Boise native was a college basketball athlete and a diehard football fan. Hazel befriended the NFL stars as they reminisced about Chancellor and Tate’s days playing for Virginia Tech and Notre Dame, respectively.

They were impressed by his sports knowledge, but even more so by his art.

A painting that Hazel had done of outspoken All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman started making the rounds in Seahawks circles. Before long, multiple players were commissioning Hazel and promoting his material on Instagram. Chancellor, in particular, became one of his biggest fans— the four-time Pro Bowl defensive back owns at least 10 of Hazel’s works.

Hazel is used to living like an introvert, spending up to eight hours a day in studio with little human contact. Despite that, he welcomes painting live in front of people— which he will do during his brief stay at the Fairmont, challenging himself to share with others the process of crafting a masterpiece.

“It’s a nice way to get myself out there and be a little social for once,” Hazel said. “I like it when people come through and they’re watching the process. There’s definitely a vulnerability there, but it’s something to embrace, and there’s some nerves, too, but I kind of enjoy putting myself in what people would consider an uncomfortable situation.”

For more information, visit mountaingalleries.com/show/ mountain-galleries-aaron-hazel---artist-inresidence-whistler. n

IN RESIDENCE Idaho artist Aaron Hazel smiles for the camera during a painting session.

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

Join us for brunch

Children

MANABU IKEDA

Squamish-Lillooet Regional District 2022 Financial Information Reporting

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) Statements of Financial Information for 2022 will be presented to the Board at the June 28, 2023 SLRD Board meeting, which starts at 10:30 am.

SLRD Board meetings are held in the SLRD Boardroom (located at 1350 Aster Street, Pemberton) and electronically. Livestreaming of the meeting (and on-demand recording) will be available on the SLRD website at https://www.slrd.bc.ca/ inside-slrd/meetings-agendas/watch-meetings.

The reports will be available for public inspection (following the Board meeting) at the SLRD office during regular office hours. The audited financial statements are also

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JUNE23-30

MANABU IKEDA: FLOWERS FROM THE WRECKAGE

Witness this special exhibition at the Audain Art Museum for yourself.

Manabu Ikeda seeks inspiration from his surroundings to bring attention and awe to viewers, as a way of sending warnings about the painful reality of environmental disasters. Central to his practice are metaphors of human grief and undeniable aspects of life that are often beyond society’s control, including the fundamental forces of Mother Nature.

> June 24 to Oct. 9

> Audain Art Museum

> $20 for adults; $18 for seniors; $10 for young adults (19 to 25); free for kids and museum members.

WHISTLER FARMERS’ MARKET

A feast for your senses, the Whistler Farmers’ Market features local produce, tasty food, local artisans, live entertainment and family activities. Markets happen every Sunday until Thanksgiving on October 8, with the addition of Saturday markets on July 1, August 5, September 2 and October 7.

> Sunday, June 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

> Upper Village Stroll

BARBED CHOIR

Do you love to sing? Do you love meeting new people?

Do you like all types of rock music, new and old? Come out and sing with Barbed Choir, Whistler’s rock choir. Meetings are drop-in, no registration or experience necessary. At the session on June 25, the choir will sing Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow.

> Sunday, June 25, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

> Whistler Public Library

> Free

MAKING CONNECTIONS DEMENTIA FRIENDLY SOCIAL CLUB

MAC’s Making Connections is a weekly program for people with early stage dementia and their caregivers on Wednesday mornings.

More like a social club, this program starts with 45 minutes of gentle fitness, followed by games and brain-stimulating activities, and socializing over a light lunch.

The goal is to slow cognitive decline in the afflicted and allow caregivers to bond, share experiences and develop their own support network.

Register at whistlermac.org under the events tab, Making Connections Program.

Prepay by e-transfer to treasurer@whistlermac.org.

> June 28, 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

> Catholic Church of Whistler

> $5

FILE PHOTO BY GADBOIS PHOTOGRAPHY

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH

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

ARENA SCHEDULE

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

Transition Point

BY ALLYN PRINGLE

BEFORE LIFTS were built and the area became known for its snow and skiing, tourism in the valley focused on the lakes and the summer months. Though various cabins from the 1920s to the 1950s can still be seen amidst much more modern homes on the shores of Alta Lake, many of the buildings from this period are gone today due to various fires and redevelopment. Some buildings, however, managed to make the transition to year-round use, and can still be found today.

Dick Fairhurst began operating Cypress Lodge on Cypress Point in 1954. It started with a few cabins built by Dick and three pre-existing cabins and a tearoom from Harrop’s Point. Dick, his mother Elizabeth, and later his wife Kelly continued to add to and renovate the property into the 1960s. Construction began on the main lodge building in February, 1963, and was completed for the 1965 May long weekend. Though Cypress Lodge was built with summers in mind, the Fairhursts were quickly able to expand their business to include winter ski seasons. Often the cabins on the property were rented out yearround to people working in the valley. The lodge building was filled with work crews for BC Highways in summer and with skiers in winter.

In 1972, the Fairhursts sold Cypress Lodge to the Canadian Youth Hostel Association (now known as Hostelling International Canada, or HI-Canada) for $140,000. The sale included all nine buildings on the site, including the main lodge, the cabins, and the Fairhurst’s family home on the upper portion of the property.

The property was officially reopened as a hostel in July 1973. It aimed to provide affordable accommodation to individuals and groups of travellers throughout the year. In 1973, it could accommodate 21 guests and cost only $3/person, including breakfast. Over time, the hostel increased its capacity and provided housing for its staff and longterm tenants.

At a museum event in the 1990s, Alex

Kleinman remembered his days managing the hostel in the early 1970s. Because the hostel had hot running water, he would often trade showers and a warm place to hang out in exchange for chopping firewood and making small repairs to the property from some of the people squatting nearby. When three people living in a geometric dome by the side of Scotia Creek appeared at 3 a.m. one morning because a bear had walked through the tarp walls of their home, he provided them with a place to stay.

At about 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 26, 1994, one of the small, two-bedroom cabins near the lodge caught fire, according to reports in the Whistler Question and Pique Newsmagazine. Luckily, there was no one in the cabin at the time, as it was quickly engulfed by flames. The hostel staff evacuated the guests from the lodge, and guests and staff began shovelling snow against the lodge and wetting it with a garden hose to prevent the fire from spreading. Despite their efforts, when the Whistler Fire Department arrived the fire had spread to the lodge roof. The firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, but not before it had travelled through the attic bedrooms and down some of the rafters. The lodge escaped with only some charring and water damage while the small cabin was destroyed.

Alternative accommodations had to be found for the hostel guests during one of the resort’s busiest weeks of the year. The Delta Whistler Resort provided five free rooms, and other hostel guests were put up by neighbours and Greg Warham, the manager of the hostel. One local resident even offered up a five-bedroom house for the guests scheduled to arrive the following week.

The hostel continued to operate out of the Cypress Lodge property until July 1, 2010. Before it closed, the hostel had a capacity of 28 guests and eight staff members. That same month, HI-Canada opened its current location in Cheakamus Crossing with a capacity of 188 and a staff of 20. The property on Alta Lake was purchased by the Resort Municipality of Whistler, and continues to be used today as the Point Artist-Run Centre and the Whistler Sailing Association. n

GET

THE POINT A group of skiers play cards at the Whistler Youth Hostel, most likely in the 1970s. WHISTLER MOUNTAIN COLLECTION

1 PROM PALS Whistler Secondary School’s 2023 graduating class put on their finest ‘fits and headed to Whistler Village for the traditional promenade celebration on Thursday, June 15. PHOTO BY JOERN ROHDE. 2 HAPPY HIKERS Members and supporters of the Whistler Health Care Foundation braved the chilly, rainy weather when they took to Blackcomb Mountain’s Ascent Trail on Sunday, June 18, for the second annual Hike for Health. The event aimed to raise tens of thousands of dollars for primary care in the community. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 3 IN NET The Whistler Field Hockey Club thanks the Real Estate Association of Whistler for their generous $2,235 community grant. “We are a young club and we’re super grateful for the support!” noted club reps. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4 SWEET SITE In advance of the June 30 opening of Whistler Olympic Park’s new campground, these local tent campers enjoyed a sneak preview of what they described as a “quiet and scenic facility, complete with camp shop and common room with a big deck.” PHOTO BY HEATHER HALL. 5 COMMUNITY CANOE The Community Reconciliation Canoe was hauled to the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain, to serve as the backdrop at a re-signing ceremony for a Framework Agreement finalized in 2020 between the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations, the Resort Municipality

There’s no time left to waste in addressing the climate crisis

IN 1989 , I did a radio series for CBC called It’s a Matter of Survival. It examined how humans were altering the environment in detrimental ways, including heating the planet by burning massive amounts of coal, oil and gas for power and transportation. Listeners were so concerned that 17,000 sent in letters (this was pre-email days) asking what they could do. That led to the David Suzuki Foundation’s start in 1990.

It wasn’t the first time I had discussed the looming climate crisis. In 1977, I interviewed writer Isaac Asimov, who spoke about the “greenhouse effect.” He explained how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere absorbs

BY DAVID SUZUKI

infrared light, acting as a “heat shroud.” He noted that burning coal, oil and gas raises CO2 levels in the atmosphere and that, in “another 50 years or so … instead of three hundredths of a per cent, it might be five hundredths of a per cent.” (It’s now over four hundredths of a per cent.)

Even though that seems like a small increase, he said, it could melt polar ice caps, raise sea levels and cause runaway effects.

In 1988, just before the CBC series, renowned NASA scientist James Hansen testified to the U.S. Congress that climate change was, in fact, occurring and that failing to address it quickly could lead to dangerous consequences. In his presidential campaign,

weather events, growing numbers of climate refugees leaving increasingly inhospitable parts of the world.

What’s astounding is that fossil fuel spokespeople, politicians and media pundits are still saying the same things they’ve been saying for at least the past four decades— that we can’t get off fossil fuels overnight (it’s been a long night), that we need to keep burning fossil gas as a bridge fuel (it’s a long bridge), and that we can’t afford to transition to renewable energy (it’s long outdated information).

Then there are those who still deny there’s a problem at all, or who say our concerns are alarmist or hysterical. If you aren’t alarmed, you don’t understand the science.

If it seems dire, it’s because it is. But it’s not hopeless. We’re running out of time, but we’ve made progress, and we have numerous solutions—more every day. Evidence shows that employing those solutions will make the world better for just about everyone except, perhaps, those raking in massive profits from fossil fuels and destroying forests, wetlands and agricultural land. Even their lives would likely be more satisfying if they realized there’s more to life than profit and power.

Energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy storage solutions have advanced by leaps and bounds, far faster than anticipated. Not only that, but costs have fallen to the point that renewable energy is less expensive than coal, oil and gas.

Overall, we’d all be better off economically if we shifted rapidly to more affordable renewables, especially given the volatility of fossil fuel markets. Our health would be better without the pollution burning fuels

Republican candidate George H.W. Bush vowed to combat the problem if elected. Four years later, under his presidency, the U.S. became a founding member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which continues to be the international forum for efforts to address climate change.

Even though politicians of every political stripe from around the world vowed to take climate change seriously, emissions have risen by 68 per cent since then, and fossil fuels have gone from supplying 79 per cent of the world’s energy needs to 81 per cent.

Greenhouse gas emissions have reached a record high, and scientists say it’s now too late to save summer Arctic ice. We’re seeing the effects: massive wildfires in Canada—where warming is occurring faster than southern parts of the world—droughts, floods, extreme

causes. Ecosystems would improve. And, if done right, the shift could bring greater equality as power and wealth wouldn’t be as concentrated as it is in the fossil fuel economy.

Of course, we still have the responsibility to stop consuming so much, to rethink our wasteful ways of living. As human populations increase, the planet can’t support endless growth and consumption.

There are no excuses left to continue exploiting and burning any fossil fuels, and there’s no time left to waste. Nature has spoken. We must listen and act now.

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. ■

Overall, we’d all be better off economically if we shifted rapidly to more affordable renewables, especially given the volatility of fossil fuel markets.

Free Will Astrology

WEEK OF JUNE 23 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): When I was still an up-andcoming horoscope columnist, before I got widely syndicated, I supplemented my income with many other jobs. During one stretch, I wrote fortunes for a line of designer fortune cookies that were covered with gourmet chocolate and sold at the luxury department store Bloomingdale’s. The salary I got paid was meagre. Part of my compensation came in the form of hundreds of delicious but non-nutritious cookies. If you are offered a comparable deal in the coming weeks and months, Aries, my advice is to do what I didn’t do but should have done: Ask for what’s truly valuable to you instead of accepting a substitute of marginal worth.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): My mentor Ann Davies said that of all the signs of the zodiac, you Tauruses are most likely to develop finely honed intuition. At least potentially, you can tune in to the inner teacher better than the rest of us. The still, small voice rises up out of the silence and speaks to you clearly and crisply. Here’s even better news: I believe you are entering a phase when your relationship with this stellar faculty may ripen dramatically. Please take advantage of this subtly fabulous opportunity! Each day for the next 14 days, do a relaxing ritual in which you eagerly invite and welcome the guidance of your deepest inner source.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): New College in Oxford, U.K. has educated students since 1379. Among its old buildings is a dining hall that features beams made of thick oak trees. Unfortunately, most oak wood eventually attracts beetles that eat it and weaken it. Fortunately, the 14th-century founders of New College foresaw that problem. They planted an oak grove whose trees were specifically meant to be used to replace the oak beams at New College. Which they are to this day. I would love you to derive inspiration from this story, Gemini. What practical, long-term plans might you be wise to formulate in the coming months?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the Northern Hemisphere, the astrological month of Cancer begins with the sun in its greatest glory. Our home star is at its highest altitude, shining with maximum brightness. So then why is the sign of the Crab ruled by the moon? Why do the longest days of the year coincide with the ascendancy of the mistress of the night? Ahhh. These are esoteric mysteries beyond the scope of this horoscope. But here’s a hint about what they signify for you personally. One of your assets can also be a liability: your innocent openness to the wonders of life. This quality is at the heart of your beauty but can also, on occasion, make you vulnerable to being overwhelmed. That’s why it’s so important that you master the art of setting boundaries, of honing your focus, of quaffing deeply from a few cups instead of sipping from many cups.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The coming weeks will be a delicate time for your spiritual unfoldment. You are primed to recover lost powers, rediscover key truths you have forgotten, and reunite with parts of your soul you got cut off from. Will these good possibilities come to pass in their fullness? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how brave you are in seeking your healing. You must ask for what’s hard to ask for. You’ve got to find a way to feel deserving of the beauty and blessings that are available. PS: You ARE deserving. I will be cheering you on, dear Leo.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Whether or not you have been enrolled in a learning institution during the past 12 months, I suspect you have been getting a rigorous education. Among the courses you have almost completed are lessons in intimacy, cooperation, collaboration, symbiosis, and togetherness. Have you mastered all the teachings? Probably not. There were too many of them, and they were too voluminous to grasp perfectly and completely. But that’s OK. You have done well. Now you’re ready to graduate, collect your diploma, and apply what you have learned.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): History has provided contradictory reports about Isabeau of Bavaria, who served

as Queen of France from 1385 to 1422. Was she a corrupt, greedy, and indecisive fool who harmed France’s fortunes? Or was she a talented diplomat with great skill in court politics and an effective leader during the many times her husband, King Charles VI, was incapacitated by illness? I bring these facts to your attention, Libra, hoping they will inspire you to refine, adjust, and firm up your own reputation. You can’t totally control how people perceive you, but you do have some power to shape their perceptions— especially these days.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The next four weeks will be an excellent time to create and celebrate your own holidays. I recommend you dream up at least four new festivals, jubilees, anniversaries, and other excuses to party. Eight or more would be even better. They could be quirky and modest, like Do No Housework Day, Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day, or Write Bad Poetry Day. They could be more profound and impactful, like Forgive Your Parents for Everything Day, Walk on the Wild Side Day, or Stay Home from Work Because You’re Feeling So Good Day. In my astrological opinion, Scorpio, you should regard playful fun as a top priority. For more ideas, go here: tinyurl.com/CreateHolidays or tinyurl. com/NouveauHolidays or tinyurl.com/InventHolidays.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a god who stole fire from his fellow gods and gave it to humans to help them build civilization. His divine colleagues were not pleased. Why? Maybe they feared that with the power of fire, people would become like gods themselves and have no further need for gods. Anyway, Sagittarius, I hope you’re in a fire-stealing mood. It’s a good time to raise your whole world up to a higher level—to track down and acquire prizes that will lead to major enhancements. And unlike what happened to Prometheus (the other gods punished him), I think you will get away with your gambits.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let’s discuss magical doorways. Each time you sleep, you slip through magical doorways called dreams. Whether or not you recall those adventures, they offer you interesting mysteries utterly unlike the events of your daily life. Here’s another example: A magical doorway opens when an ally or loved one shares intimate knowledge of their inner realms. Becoming absorbed in books, movies, or songs is also a way to glide through a magical doorway. Another is when you discover an aspect of yourself, a corner of your being, that you didn’t know was there. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Capricorn, because I suspect the coming weeks will present an extra inviting array of magical doorways.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Psychiatrist Myron Hofer specializes in the mother-infant relationship. Among his findings: The first emotion that a newborn experiences is anxiety. Struggling to get out of the womb can be taxing, and it’s shocking to be separated from the warm, nourishing realm that has been home for months. The bad news is that most of us still carry the imprint of this original unease. The good news, Aquarius, is that the coming months will be one of the best times ever for you to heal. For optimal results, place a high priority on getting an abundance of love, support, comfort, and physical touch.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Curious blends and intriguing juxtapositions are in the works—or at least they should be. Improbable alliances might be desirable because they’re curative. Formulas with seemingly mismatched ingredients might fix a glitch, even if they never succeeded before and won’t again. I encourage you to synergize work and play. Negotiate serious business in casual settings and make yourself at home in a wild frontier.

Homework: Is there any area of your life where you are not giving your best? How could you improve?

Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates EXPANDED

AUDIO HOROSCOPES

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

THE 2023-2024 PEMBERTON GUIDE on stands now!

EVENTS | THINGS TO DO | MAPS

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

stress

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Assistant Food &

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Roland’s Pub is looking for a Kitchen Manager

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Red Door Bistro is Seeking a full time line/grill cook.

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We are currently hiring for the following positions: Carpenters Apprentices • Labourers Local Site Delivery Truck Driver Project Coordinator

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We’ve got a job you’ll love.

Nation Employment Opportunities

Ullus Community Center

Transition House Support Worker

Family Enhancement Worker

Skel7awlh Steward – Lands & Resources

Elders’ Activity Coordinator

Community Maintenance Worker

Lil’wat Health & Healing

Clinical Counsellor

Homemaker

Patient Travel Coordinator

Youth Centre

Youth Centre Coordinator

Lil’wat Business Group

Cashier

Kitchen Staff

CRANKWORX EVENT SURVEYORS

Temporary Contract

(July 20 – July 30)

The people make the place, and in Whistler’s case that couldn’t be more true. Tourism Whistler is looking for people passionate about mountain culture and sharing this special place we get to call home.

As a Crankworx Event Surveyor, you will gather key insights into the visitor experience during Crankworx. Surveyors must have a passion for Whistler, be outgoing, collect data responsibly and independently, and work in all weather conditions.

What we offer: work a minimum of six shifts during Crankworx and receive a competitive hourly wage PLUS two VIP tickets to Redbull Joyride on July 29!

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

HIRING WE ARE

Why work for us?

Building Services

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We offer competitive wages, comprehensive pension plan and health benefits, and we are driven by our passion to serve community.

• Plan Examiner 2 – Regular Full-Time

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• Labourer 1 – Temporary Full-Time (multiple positions)

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• Utility Operator 1 – Wastewater Collections – Regular Full-Time

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• Lifeguard 1 – Regular Part-Time (20-30 hours)

• Recreation Program Leader- Biking - Temporary Part-Time (4 positions)

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As an equitable and inclusive employer, we value diversity of people to best represent the community we serve and provide excellent services to our citizens. We strive to attract and retain passionate and talented individuals of all backgrounds, demographics, and life experiences.

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Glacier Media Group is growing. Check our job board regularly for the latest openings: www.glaciermedia.ca/careers

Pique Newsmagazine is seeking a Sales Coordinator.

Pique Newsmagazine is looking to fill a focal role of sales coordinator in our advertising sales department. The chosen candidate will possess uncompromising customer service and work well under pressure while thriving in a fast-paced deadline driven news media environment. The ideal applicant will have previous experience working with a print/ digital media sales team. Strong administrative and communication skills are essential in this role, and attention to detail is a must. You will be highly organized and able to act as a liaison between departments, as well as possess a high level of professionalism when dealing with clients. We offer an excellent remuneration package as well as a benefits plan.

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The Pinnacle Hotel Whistler has the following positions available:

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We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

ACROSS

DOWN

LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

Does Whistler still have a bed cap?

I’D LIKE TO POSE a question to mayor and council. Not sure I’ll get the chance, other than bumping into them serendipitously some time. Not sure when the questions I’d like to ask are likely to be connected to something on the council agenda. And despite having had the new policy explained to me, I’m not sure why—

BY G.D. MAXWELL

other than expediency—I have to wait until my curiosity links to an agenda item to ask it at the early part of council meetings formerly known as Public Question and Answer Period.

I know what you’re thinking. “What’s he want to ask?” I’ll tell you. But I’d like to keep you in suspense for a few hundred words more.

The tedium of an open public question period is understandable. Often the ultimate question only emerges after a prolonged preamble when the mayor finally insists the speaker get to her/his question. Which is often a letdown. A question already answered. A question simply unanswerable. A question no one other than the speaker comprehends.

And then there’s the “hot topic” of the moment, when 50 people want to ask the same or slightly varied question that isn’t so much a question as it is an indictment of some decision made or about to be made that may or may not result in something those 50 people are for or against. If you know what I mean.

Council meetings like that are long, testing the limits of councillors’ attention span, making them wonder what they were thinking when they thought being on council was a good idea, painfully delaying their retreat to the pub for a very needed pint.

I feel their pain. But I still want to ask my question. Two questions, actually, but they’re so closely aligned they’re really only one.

1. What is the official bed-unit cap number?

2. What is the current number we’ve already built?

We used to hear a lot about the bed-unit cap. We frequently heard it was bigger than it had been the last time we heard about it. It reminded me of Senator Iselin’s dilemma in the 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate when his domineering wife wouldn’t help him settle on a single number of card-carrying Communists in the government.

In 2020, the current Official Community Plan listed it as 61,561, and suggested we were 90-per-cent there. But, déjà vu, it seems like we’ve been closer and then further away from building out the number at various times past. So you can see how someone might be just a bit confused about this.

And there was a time employee housing wasn’t counted. Now it is. And we’re building it, since there seems to be a growing need for more employees, and many potential employees aren’t coming because there’s no place for them to live. At the same time, some

current employees are leaving because, in the words of one of them, their housing choices suck.

Oddly, though, businesses keep growing and expanding, creating the need for more and more employees and putting more and more pressure on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) to build employee housing. But then, privatizing profits and socializing costs is an old game, eh? How about just stop opening labour-intensive businesses?

But I digress.

Why, assuming there is one, does Whistler have a bed-unit cap? Good question.

people might live here before it seemed like too many people for the size of the narrow valley, the one road in/one road out nature of the place, water, sewer, and such mundane things as that.

Then they decided the best way to measure it was bed units. They reckoned there was at least one person per bed, which was the reality for many of them, since the men making this up outnumbered women in town something like 10 to 1 and rarely got lucky enough to share their lonely bed. They also failed to foresee the monster homes built now, which is why they are allotted

housing and, likely, a municipal council thinking growth is the solution.

Much as we spent the past couple of decades being driven by the measure of hotel room occupancy, thus giving rise to the festivalization and animation of Whistler, we seem now to be driven by an additional metric: the shortage of workers to fill the jobs created by business.

Not surprisingly, the two are connected. Turning Tiny Town into a year-round resort with no shoulder seasons worthy of the name, supercharged by the 2010 Olympics, there was a perceived need for more and more businesses to distract, er, satisfy the demands of more and more visitors. Hence new businesses replacing old ones, generally with a need for more staff than the previous business.

Coupled with a decline in market rentals driven by frequently noted demographic and other factors, housing for existing employees, let alone the ones needed but absent, has become paramount. Build, baby, build.

Back in the misty reaches of time—the 1960s—some of the people who built Whistler got together. One of them said, “Ya know, we’ve got a good thing going here. But maybe it’s too good. What if too many people want to move here?”

It seemed like a dumb question, since there were so few people living here they could hardly get up a good poker game, but after batting the question around, they decided a cap on development might be a good idea. Pondering how to come up with one, they hit on the notion of the valley’s carrying capacity—a measure of how many

the same number of bed units as a threebedroom townhouse. To say it’s an imprecise measure is an understatement. But believing the perfect shouldn’t be a barrier to the good enough, bed units it was.

I believe the original number was just over half of what it is now. Think inflation.

Now, I’m not naive enough to put much faith in the notion of a cap on development. I worked with developers for too long to believe they’ll just go away when we tell them we’re full. And even if they would—think pigs flying—there’ll still be businesses clamouring for workers and workers clamouring for

This, in turn, assumes there are potential employees who want to come. With employee shortages countrywide and the cost of living skyrocketing in Whistler coupled with the generally negative stories I’m told are all over (anti)social media about the housing situation here, we may be chasing a chimera.

But there is no mention and no desire to discuss whether we might be better off to just let the town find its own equilibrium point. Maybe in a few more years we’ll mature sufficiently to consider that. Maybe we’ll reach build-out and resist the mighty forces of growth.

Yeah, maybe. ■

At the same time, some current employees are leaving because, in the words of one of them, their housing choices suck.

PHOTO BY MIKE CRANE / GETTY IMAGES

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