Pique Newsmagazine 3028

Indigenous tourism rising

B.C.’s Indigenous tourism sector is thriving—but not everyone is benefitting. -

14 CAMPFIRE BAN

As forests around the resort get drier and fire risk rises, Whistler is mulling a permanent campfire ban in the summer months.

15

PERMIT, PLEASE

The Resort Municipality of Whistler looks to address permit wait times—but recruitment and retention remain a major sticking point.

22 TAKE CARE

The Whistler Institute hopes to fill gaps in local daycare options by offering Early Childhood Education training in the resort.

By Robert Wisla

26 FOREST FUNDS

For the first time since it was founded four years ago, Pemberton’s Spel’kúmtn Community Forest is distributing funds to its shareholders.

34 RARE AIR

Pemberton’s James Elliott is the first-ever Canadian to complete the gruelling Red Bull X-Alps.

38 CLASH OF KINGS

Bedouin Soundclash returns to Whistler after a five-year absence to play the Summer Concert Series.

COVER I would like to learn more. I would like to connect more. I am grateful that this is a conversation here—we should all be aware of the land we set foot on. Best to tread lightly rather than trample, although it seems the latter has been the go-to for far too long. - By Jon Parris //

@jon.parris.art

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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 Is Whistler too busy? Is it busier now than it was five years ago? It’s all relative, writes editor Braden Dupuis.

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers weigh in on efficiency at municipal hall, safety on resort roads, and that big house up on the hill.

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST For development projects big and small, gaining Indigenous support is crucial, writes columnist Robert Wisla.

58 MAXED OUT Canadians deserve better from their politics than what’s currently on offer from the Liberal and Conservative parties, writes G.D. Maxwell.

Environment & Adventure

28 RANGE ROVER Leslie Anthony retraces his path to becoming a biologist—beginning with his days as a curious, creature-catching child in a Toronto-area suburb.

Lifestyle & Arts

36 EPICURIOUS After 16 years in Whistler kitchens, longtime local chef Erin Stone is branching out with a new meal delivery service.

44 MUSEUM MUSINGS Remembering the early days of summer in Whistler—then known as Alta Lake—when fishing was king.

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Is Whistler too busy? It’s all relative

I AM OFTEN reminded of a visit from my father some years back, during which we found ourselves waiting to turn left at the stop sign at Lorimer and Northlands.

As a stream of vehicles passed in front

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

of us, I lamented how much I hated this particular left-hand turn sometimes.

It’s just so damn busy, I said, after we were forced to wait for three minutes or so that felt like an eternity.

Having worked for several years as a truck driver in Fort McMurray, Alta., my father only laughed.

“This is not busy—try driving in Fort Mac at rush hour!” he said.

I think of that anecdote nearly every time I turn left onto Lorimer, and have to wait more than a few seconds.

In recent years, save for the pandemicinduced down period of 2020 through 2021, there has been no shortage of talk about the busyness of Whistler; of overtourism and the impacts of potential future growth.

We heard the Balance Model Initiative predict more visitors, more residents, and 50-per-cent more traffic congestion by 2040; we saw record numbers of users in our parks, to the tune of a 77-per-cent increase from 2019 to 2021.

And yet, for all the discussion, one gets the sense that the gravity of our current situation has yet to truly hit us—that Whistler doesn’t yet know what “busy” actually means.

Sure, in the nine years I’ve lived in Whistler, we have seen our share of good years and bad years, our ebbs and flows of visitors, and locals can always predict when

traffic will be at its worst: at the beginning and end of a powder day, for example, or on any long weekend.

Locals know the best times to go (better hit the highway in the early afternoon if you’re driving north from Function on a sunny Friday) and when it’s best to just stay home (Ironman, anyone?).

But this is the first year I have actually felt the resort getting busier, day in and day out.

When I make the drive to and from Pique’s Function Junction office each day, I get the sense there are more cars on the road than in previous years.

But according to the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s traffic counter on Highway 99 at Brio, the average daily volume of traffic is actually just on par, and in some cases slightly below, where it was in 2022.

The highest month on record was August 2018, when just over 27,000 cars

otherwise known as The Month the Earth Stood Still.

But as the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic and its travel restrictions lessened, then went away entirely, the number of cars passing the Brio counter each day slowly climbed.

In 2020, the 12 daily averages per month added up to 223,228 (bear with me here, as this equation is far from an exact science—but it does show which way things are trending).

In 2021, the averages added up 244,838, and in 2022 they hit 262,684.

So, relative to the last three years, Whistler is getting busier.

But we’ve still got a long ways to go before things get out of hand.

And, relatively speaking, Whistler is still not that busy.

Take the 2010 Games, as one example. I wasn’t here for the Olympics, but I suspect

Saskatchewan licence plates.

More than once I found myself cursing the day I decided to make that drive. I’ll never do it again, but I’m glad I did once—because it affords me valuable perspective.

And that particular concrete hellscape is not even the worst in North America—that honour goes to the section of Highway 401 that passes through Toronto, which reportedly carries an average of 500,000 vehicles per day (I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the Creekside Crawl to that clogged commute every time).

So as I’ve pondered the subtle changes in our local traffic flows, I’ve come to a somewhat distressing (if obvious) conclusion: it can, and in all likelihood will, get much worse in the years ahead.

That’s why the work of the RMOW’s Balance Model Initiative will be crucial moving forward.

passed the tracker each day, northbound and southbound, on average.

For comparison, August 2021’s average was 26,549, and August 2022’s was 25,785.

The highest daily average recorded so far in 2023 was 22,589 in March—well below the numbers posted in the record-setting August 2018.

So why does it suddenly feel busier?

That answer, again, can be found in relativity.

The lowest daily average on record is 9,598 cars, which were tallied in April 2020—

those who were remember an altogether different stratosphere of “busyness”—one that makes recent years look positively quaint in comparison.

Or compare our local and regional perspective to that of more populated areas.

I recall a somewhat ill-advised road trip I once took into the heart of Los Angeles, driving hungover through an endless maze of concrete freeways, some five or six lanes wide, alongside a swarm of aggressive Californian drivers laughing at the bumpkins with the

As of May, the RMOW said it was working on a “review and refinement of the tool, to ensure the model is as strong as possible,” a communications official said at the time.

“An external consultant has since been contracted to add an additional layer of strength, and we’ve started testing problems to see if it is delivering as expected,” they said. “We are now in the final stages of Version 2 and should be back before Council in the next few months.”

So expect more on that soon—relatively quickly, let’s hope. ■

The highest month on record was August 2018, when just over 27,000 cars passed the tracker each day, northbound and southbound, on average.

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A n d i t ’s n ot b e c a u s e of a ny t h i n g we ’ ve d o n e

Re ce n t l y, C a na da p a s s e d t h e O n li n e N ew s Ac t , a l s o k n ow n a s B ill C-18 , w h i ch ha s l e d to a s t a n d off b e t we e n t h e gove r n m e n t , G o o g l e a n d M e t a t h e p a re n t co m p a ny b e h i n d Fa ce b o o k a n d I n s t a g r a m

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T h e Pi q u e N ew s ma g a zi n e tea m

What are the RMOW’s ‘core values?’

This letter is in response to Pique editor Braden Dupuis’ Opening Remarks in the June 30 issue (“It’s time to talk about efficiency at the Resort Municipality of Whistler”).

The best organizations establish and operate according to core values. Also referred to as guiding principles, core values establish the way the people in an organization conduct their day-to-day business.

Core values deal with personal ethics or ideals that guide all employees when making decisions, building relationships, and solving problems. They are the start point for establishing an organization’s culture.

Some examples of core values are integrity, service, accountability, collaboration, loyalty, leadership, honesty, reliability, fairness, teamwork, and transparency.

Once established, core values apply to everyone throughout the organization. They form part of all planning efforts and drive the organization’s day-to-day operations and culture. They drive the hiring and retention policies, and where they are re-enforced, lead to a very strong and functional organization that makes decisions and easily interacts with its stakeholders.

Imagine for a moment if the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) had a core value such as “service.” If this was so, then perhaps

the lack of efficiency that Mr. Dupuis speaks of would cease to be an everyday occurrence?

Perhaps the core value of “transparency” would resolve the issues of obfuscation with the RMOW communications department? Perhaps this value would make it more difficult for the elected body or its designated committees to sequester behind closed-door meetings?

The RMOW vision and mission are not complemented by a statement of core values. Therefore, RMOW staff, as well as mayor and council, have no guiding principles to help them work through the processes to achieve the vision and mission and create value. So, we often see disjointed planning and activities, questionable decisions, delays, and sometime even a lack of accountability.

Mr. Dupuis ponders, “who will tighten

up this massive and ever-growing ship?” If “leadership” was a stated core value, then the person accountable for RMOW planning and day-to-day conduct of the RMOW team would have defined and laid out core values a long time ago. It seems obvious who this person should be.

Dixon Lawson // Whistler

That house on the hill, revisited

Last summer I wrote a letter about the large house, high on the west side of Alta Lake that can be seen from almost anywhere in Whistler (see Pique, July 26, 2022). My complaint was that it kept all of its lights on 365 nights of the year, whether anyone was there or not, causing energy inefficiency and light pollution

that dimmed the stars. I would have preferred to knock on the door and ask the owner to turn down the lights, but security on the property was too great, and I resorted to writing a letter.

Less than a week after Pique published the letter, the lights went dark and they have stayed that way. The residents across the valley appreciate the owner’s action and we would like to thank them belatedly.

Jim Pipe // Whistler

Whistler needs solutions for ‘very dangerous’ transportation network

This letter was addressed to Whistler’s mayor and council, and shared with Pique

I am very concerned about the safety of people getting around Whistler. We have a transportation network that is very dangerous.

Based on ICBC stats from the past five years (that includes low-traffic COVID years), Whistler is a very dangerous place to get around. How dangerous? In total, there were 1,012 crashes involving motor vehicles, and 258 crashes that involved injury or fatality.

That’s 258 lives changed.

It is beholden upon you, our elected officials, to work with the data, and structure policy accordingly.

Every week, someone in Whistler is actually injured by a licensed and insured ICBC customer. One per week!

If you are to take the safety of Whistler

The neighbourhood of Alpine Meadows presents an attractive blend of natural beauty,

residents seriously, you would 100-per-cent be looking at ways to reduce crashes and injuries on our roads, involving cars.

As our town’s leaders, please focus your precious “safety” oxygen on the real danger to our residents: CARS!

There is so much data and information available from around the world on how to deal with improving mobility choices. To hear Councillors [Cathy] Jewett and [Arthur] De Jong argue that more education and enforcement is necessary shows how out of touch they are with the rest of the real world. I challenge council and RMOW staff to provide one study that proves that education and enforcement improve transportation safety.

Never one to come without solutions— and if you are sincere in your desire to make transportation in Whistler safer—I propose the following.

Start with intersections you know are injuring people, i.e.: There have been 38 crashes and eight people injured at the intersection of Blackcomb Way and Lorimer Road. Build a safer intersection. Then move to the next most dangerous intersection.

Create a network where e-bikes can be separated from cars, and pedestrians— there are hundreds of examples that prove that this does work to increase biking, and keep people safer.

And when local residents come to you with safety concerns about e-bikes, please tell them:

“I share your safety concerns, and we are looking at the data and we are reacting accordingly. While e-bikes might scare you, they are not statistically dangerous, plus we need to make it safer and easier for them to get around. Anything we do to slow and impede biking, goes contrary to our stated transportation goals and our climate goals.

“We’ve been slow to respond, and don’t yet have a vision for a better future, but we’re working on it … We are actively looking at ways to improve speed and safety for bikers in and around the village and rest of the valley. Our goals is to have car trips replaced with

e-bike trips, which will make our town much safer and healthier.”

Brendan Ladner // Whistler

Myrtle Philip PAC shares thanks On behalf of the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) and the Grade 7 Graduation Committee of Myrtle Philip Community School, we would love to share our appreciation to the many vendors that have helped make all our school events feel like the community is there for us. A big thank you to Bruce at Nesters Market and Ian and Paulina at Fresh Street Market for nourishing our community school with

- BRENDAN LADNER

fresh, healthy food (cupcakes) for our events. They both help so much with our barbecues and big and little extras throughout the year. The Circle, Showcase and McDonald’s donated some fun prizes to our Grade 7 grad party, and the kids loved it. Thank you to Caroline, Laura and Sam from the Whistler Youth Centre for all your hard work hosting the party. It was a good send-off for those kids heading to secondary school.

Community is important, and we thank you all.

Jodi Carter // Myrtle Philip Community School’s PAC and Grade 7 Grad Committee n

There have been 38 crashes and eight people injured at the intersection of Blackcomb Way and Lorimer Road. Build a safer intersection. Then move to the next most dangerous intersection.

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J o s h C ra n e 6 0 4 9 0 2 6 1 0 6 | j o s h @ j o s h c ra n e c a w h i s t l e r r e a l e s t a t e m a r ke t c o m 120-4090 Whistler Way Whistler B C V8E 1J3

Why Cayoosh and Jumbo Glacier ski resorts failed

ON JUNE 16 , Lil’wat Nation’s Skalúlmecw Chief Dean Nelson declined to participate in the ceremonial re-signing of the 2020 Framework Agreement between the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), the Province of British Columbia and Whistler Blackcomb.

Nelson said he didn’t sign the document because he felt the relationship between the

BY ROBERT WISLA

rwisla@piquenewsmagazine.com

parties involved wasn’t where it should be, and the lines of communication need to be opened further.

“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 said.

Recently, we witnessed a clear example of a similar relationship failing during the push for a new 2030 Winter Olympics bid. For several months, the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, and Lil’wat Nations collaborated with the Canadian Olympic Committee to bring the games back to B.C.

Initially, there was significant support for the bid. Sun Peaks Mountain Resort

Municipality and the RMOW endorsed it unanimously, and the City of Vancouver followed suit shortly after. However, when the bid reached the province’s desk, it was abruptly shut down, reportedly without any prior notice to the Nations involved.

Following the province’s announcement, Squamish Nation Councillor Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams said, “True reconciliation was never acted upon,” and the Nations “suffocated from a true colonial process.”

A lack of clear communication between First Nations and government is a running theme in modern B.C. and Canada. Over the last few decades, the relationship between both parties has experienced some notable setbacks, particularly regarding the expansion of the ski industry, resulting in a few proposed ski resorts causing deep division among Indigenous communities throughout the province.

In the 1990s, shortly after the provincial government controversially upgraded the Duffey Lake Road to a two-lane highway, a proposal surfaced to build a $500-million ski resort northeast of Pemberton in the Melville Creek Valley in the Cayoosh Mountain Range.

In 1991, Al and Nancy Greene Raine, through their company NGR Resort Consultants, led the effort to create the Cayoosh Mountain Resort with an upper and lower village, 14 lifts, a conference centre, shops, and lodging for up to 14,000 overnight guests.

Due in part to poor communication and relationship-building between the proponents,

the provincial government, and the surrounding St’at’imc First Nations, who claimed the area as part of their traditional territory, the project became mired in controversy for more than a decade, resulting in road blockades, the creation of the (ongoing) Sutikalh land defender camp, and protests, before finally being shelved in 2005.

Another more recent example is the Jumbo Glacier Ski Resort in the Kootenays, about 53 kilometres east of Invermere. The $450-million proposed ski area would have had close to 5,500 bed units and 23 lifts capable of accommodating 2,700 daily skiers over 60 square kilometres.

Negotiations fell through between the backers and the local Ktunaxa Nation regarding the resort project. The Ktunaxa Nation holds that the area is part of its traditional territory, and opposed the project on cultural grounds, since the land is sacred to its community.

The provincial and regional governments proceeded with the development despite opposition from the Nation, and even though no residents officially lived there, they created a new mountain resort municipality from scratch with an appointed mayor and two councillors to speed along the creation of the resort.

After several years, numerous protests and a Supreme Court challenge, the project ended up being delayed and eventually sent back to review by the provincial government. It was officially put on ice in 2020, with the land turned into an Indigenous Conservation Area.

One of the lessons we can learn from the failure of Cayoosh and Jumbo resorts is that if you want to succeed and build a strong tourism economy, you need strong relationships with Indigenous communities, proper and meaningful consultation, and partnerships that give everyone a fair share of the economic pie.

Whistler is of course no stranger to that process, either. Its 2013 Official Community Plan was quashed by a Supreme Court judge, who deemed the RMOW did not adequately consult local First Nations prior to its approval by the province. That decision set the municipality’s OCP back nearly a decade (a reworked version was finally adopted in 2020).

One of the reasons to be optimistic about the planned Valemount Glacier Ski Resort is that, throughout the process, the proponents worked with the local Simpcw First Nation and gained its support for the project. While several challenges remain, having the support of the local Nation makes a big difference, and shows that substantial projects can move ahead if done right.

Although there has been progress in building stronger relationships, consultation and collaboration in the tourism industry over the last few decades, more work is required as the industry continues to grow and develop in the province.

Building strong relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, especially in the tourism sector, is crucial to the success of both. ■

Municipality mulling permanent summer campfire ban for Whistler

‘OUR FORESTS ARE A GROWING, TICKING TIMEBOMB—AND THE FUSE IS GETTING DRIER’

BY BRANDON BARRETT

ARTHUR DE JONG has never been shy about what drove him into local politics. Now in his second term at municipal hall, the former mountain planning and environmental resource manager for Whistler Blackcomb said, “I’m a councillor because of my environmental concerns, and [the risk of wildfire] is No. 1 on that list.”

And with good reason. The common refrain you hear not just from De Jong and his fellow councillors, but from local firefighters as well, is that it’s not a matter of if a devastating wildfire hits the resort, but when.

“I think we’re very fortunate” to have avoided a major wildfire, said Whistler Fire Rescue Service Chief Thomas Doherty. “Unfortunately, it might be a matter of time, but we need to do everything we can to mitigate the risk here.”

After a tinder-dry late spring, and with the images of town-razing blazes in Fort McMurray, Lytton, and California still wedged firmly in mind, resort officials are mulling a permanent campfire ban for Whistler that would, if approved, go into effect in the summer months.

“I 100-per-cent would back that today,” said De Jong.

“Our forests are a growing, ticking

timebomb — and the fuse is getting drier.”

The potential move doesn’t come without precedent. In June, the Whistler Fire Rescue Service decided to maintain a campfire ban locally even after the provincial Coastal Fire Centre lifted its fire ban for the Sea to Sky.

“Anytime we’re seeing this increased drying trend over the summer and long fire season, we have to look at all different options to mitigate the risk posed to the Whistler community. [A campfire ban] is one thing, obviously, to be considered, and we still have to have lots of discussion around that,” Doherty said. “We understand everyone enjoys sitting around a campfire with family

months between June and September, it takes away a lot of that confusion.”

De Jong would like to take the campfire ban a step further, when Whistler is in an extreme danger rating, by considering closing specific areas more prone to the spread of wildfire.

“I’m taking the Whistler Blackcomb model as an example,” he said. “If you’re on the Peak 2 Peak and look at the south aspect of Blackcomb, below the Rendezvous [Lodge], it is very dry forest, with steep slopes. If a fire started mid-slope, the damage it could do to the Peak 2 Peak and the public risk in the Rendezvous area is very significant.”

the record-setting month of May, when persistent hot, dry conditions meant the region’s snowpack was at a fraction of its historical levels, melting at a quicker pace than forecasters can remember.

“It turns out May was the hottest May, at least in recorded history, for B.C., and that’s when we saw pretty dramatic melts of the snowpack,” noted Jonathan Boyd, hydrologist for the B.C. River Forecast Centre. “From a provincial perspective, it was the fastest melt of the snowpack, based on our monitoring stations, that we’ve ever seen.”

Snowpack levels have a direct connection to wildfire risk.

“When the snowpack is lower and it melts rapidly, the ground, usually covered by snow, can dry out quicker,” Boyd explained. “This was also a year where there was a lot less precipitation than normal, so the combination of the snowpack … and the speed at which it melted, with how dry it’s been at the start of summer, can elevate the risk.”

and friends, telling stories and roasting marshmallows, but they do pose an inherent risk to the community in wildfire season.”

Part of the rationale behind a potential ban is mitigating the uncertainty that can come from toggling between different firedanger ratings—particularly in a town that regularly welcomes visitors and newcomers.

“Through the months of June, July, August, and even September, we’re typically in high or extreme conditions, and going back and forth from a [campfire] ban being lifted to not being lifted, it creates a lot of confusion in the community,” explained Doherty. “If we look at something more standardized in the

De Jong said more research is needed to understand Whistler’s specific “trigger zones” and the risks posed there.

“I want to study further where our highest risk points are in the valley, or either side of the valley, and should we have closures in specific areas?” he said. “It’s one thing to get into an extreme rating; it’s another thing after you’ve been in extreme three, four weeks and there are fires all over B.C. and the province’s firefighting resources are exhausted. There’s a point where you really need to buckle down in in terms of escalating risk within that extreme rating.”

Adding to the risk this fire season was

Snowpack levels for the South Coast region dipped from 98 per cent of their historical average on May 1, to 52 per cent by June 1. By June 15, the last bulletin the River Forecast Centre issued for the season, it had fallen further to just 30 per cent of normal.

“It really was quite extraordinary how rapid the snow melted,” Boyd added.

Whistler’s current fire danger rating is extreme, meaning campfires are banned.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler offers free FireSmart home assessments to help residents identify specific actions and upgrades they can take to reduce wildfire risk on their property. Learn more at whistler.ca/firesmart. n

BLAZE BAN The Resort Municipality of Whistler is considering implementing a permanent summer campfire ban.

PHOTO BY VISUALCOMMUNICATIONS / E+ COLLECTION / GETTY IMAGES

“[W]e need to do everything we can to mitigate the risk here.”

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RMOW building department working to streamline permitting processes

LACK OF QUALIFIED, FULL-TIME PLAN EXAMINERS A MAJOR FACTOR IN SLUGGISH PROCESSING

BY ROBERT WISLA

STAFFING SHORTAGES and complicated processes continue to affect permitting wait times at the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), but work is underway to change that.

At the July 4 Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting, building department manager Melissa Hollis outlined the challenges and presented strategies to reduce staff workloads and improve wait times.

According to Hollis, the main obstacle the RMOW faces in processing permits is a shortage of qualified personnel and ongoing difficulty recruiting new staff.

“As is the case in much of the Sea to Sky corridor, recruitment of qualified staff continues to be a huge challenge to the department,” Hollis said, noting the plan examiner team is the worst affected.

“We currently only have two permanent, full-time plan examiners, and what is contributing largely to the processing times … is the review process.”

While the building department has had moderate success filling vacancies on the building inspection team, adding two new full-time inspectors and a casual plumbing inspector in the last 12 months, the lack of plan checkers remains the main bottleneck in processing permits.

As of June 1, the wait time for initial reviews of building permit applications was five months for single-family residential homes and duplexes, eight months for multifamily and commercial developments, and five months for stand-alone plumbing permits.

Recruiting new employees has been an uphill task for the RMOW, as the lack of housing and the high cost of living in the resort have constrained the ability of recruiters to find interested candidates.

Hollis explained the department hired a recruiter who reached out to 108 qualified people across Canada, and only had a 50-percent response rate, of which 80 per cent were uninterested. Their reasons varied, from the location of the position to being happy with where they are or close to retirement.

“A big concern was location, tied to security of finding a residence and tying that into compensation,” Hollis said. “If someone is living in a lower-cost location and being paid the same, they weren’t willing to move.”

The building department is working to adapt to the challenging staffing situation by changing internal processes, identifying efficiencies, and streamlining document processes.

“We’re looking at opportunities to help improve our communication and resources for applicants to be able to submit a more complete and compliant application,” Hollis said.

Hollis highlighted Kelowna as an example of a B.C. municipality that undertook a similar review of its workflow and processes and successfully reduced permitting wait times.

The City of Kelowna implemented a front-desk plan checker to assist applicants with submissions to quickly turn around simple permits such as restoration and flood repairs. The RMOW is exploring how to structure a similar service, and reviewing what kind of recruitment and resources are required.

“We are redoing some of our application checklist forms to allow the team to have a good tool to only accept complete applications, but also to make the information clearer for the applicant,” Hollis said.

As part of this change, the department is looking at ways to tie in website improvements to make the process easier, and exploring ways to allow applicants to see where they are in the permit process.

Hollis said the building department aims to complete a substantial amount of the initiatives within six months, including redesigning the application forms, adding a frequently asked question section to the website, and providing guidelines for permit applicants.

“We will continue our recruitment on the plan examiner side, and Stage 1 of our digitization project will be complete by the fall, that is, taking all of our historical records and having them in a digital

BUILDING BLOCKS Permitting wait times remain an ongoing problem for the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

Pictured is a house under construction in Whistler Cay.

PHOTO BY ROBERT WISLA

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Woman dies after falling off Black Tusk

‘IN MY 47 YEARS OF SAR VOLUNTEERISM, THIS IS THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF SOMEONE FALLING OFF THE PEAK,’ SAYS WSAR MANAGER

BY BRANDON BARRETT

A VERMONT WOMAN is dead after reportedly falling from the popular Black Tusk mountain in Garibaldi Provincial Park on Monday, July 10.

Police originally reported that 28-year-old Nicole Killian was hiking in the late morning when she fell off the so-called “Chimney” portion of Black Tusk, a nearly vertical section near the mountain’s peak, but Whistler Search and Rescue manager Brad Sills clarified on Wednesday, July 12 that the woman actually fell from the mountain’s summit.

“In my 47 years of SAR volunteerism, this is the first occurrence of someone falling off the peak,” he wrote in an email.

Along with RCMP, members of Whistler Search and Rescue and BC Ambulance paramedics—including an air ambulance— attended the scene to provide medical aid. Killian succumbed to her injuries a short time later, police said.

A member of the Richmond rescue team in her native Vermont, Killian was a nurse practitioner who would “want everyone to be safe in their travels and in the backcountry wherever they may be,” Mounties said in a release.

“Nicole was a rescuer of dogs and people

BUILDING PERMITS FROM PAGE 15

format to help with efficiencies of data management,” Hollis said.

In the next few months, the RMOW will transition to only accepting complete applications, and incomplete applications will be rejected.

If all goes according to plan, by Jan. 1, the building department will have all

workflow and admin processes defined and documented, and will be close to beginning the second stage of the digitization program.

Mayor Jack Crompton welcomed the report, and said he is encouraged to see the progress—but acknowledged more work needs to be done.

“What we reviewed today is that there is

alike. She loved her friends and family deeply,” read a statement from the Killian family provided to police. “She had just earned her doctorate as a Nurse Practitioner from NYU after working tirelessly in the ER and Rescue. She was impeccably herself and is irreplaceable.”

RCMP, the BC Coroners Service and BC Parks will work on a joint investigation into the fatal incident, police said.

“Garibaldi Provincial Park and the Black Tusk is a highly popular area in the Sea to Sky and although readily travelled, this remains a technical and advanced-level hike,” said Staff Sgt. Sascha Banks in the release.

Anyone who was in the area at the time with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Whistler RCMP detachment at 604-932-3044. n

no single solution to reducing wait times for permit applications,” Crompton said.

“We are challenged with recruiting key staff despite best efforts to do so and have ideas for how we can improve service to applicants so that we can make the system easier to navigate. We are focused on continual improvement.” n

TRAGIC FALL Nicole Killian, 28, of Richmond, VT.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEA TO SKY RCMP

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RMOW approves funding for municipal hall expansion

AS THE RMOW’S STAFF CONTINUES TO GROW, SPACE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONSTRAINED

BY ROBERT WISLA

THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler’s (RMOW) municipal hall will soon expand to help ease growing space constraints.

On July 4, mayor and council awarded a $1,397,000 contract to NRB Modular Solutions to design and construct a 189-square-metre, one-floor addition to the north annex of the municipal hall complex.

NRB Modular Solutions’ bid came in six per cent over the RMOW’s estimate of $1,322,727, and well below the other competing offer from Freeport Construction Management, which came in at a little more than $2 million.

According to Andy Chalk, the RMOW’s facilities construction manager, the addition is required to make space for existing RMOW staff on the second floor of the Public Safety Building as it goes through renovations, which will increase the floor area and the eventual relocation of the Whistler RCMP detachment into the space.

“This option that we’re looking at here today provides a few additional offices. It would remove the trailer in the parking lot and will satisfy the RCMP needs moving forward.” he said.

The addition means the modular office

space will be within the same footprint as the existing north annex building, turning the one-floor area into a two-storey structure with a bridge connection to municipal hall.

NRB will construct the modular building away from the actual site and transport it in sections to its eventual home. The plan involves placing the current building on top of the newly built one to create an additional level. Once assembled, renovations inside the second floor will follow suit.

In addition to this new building, exit stairs, circulation upgrades, and landscaping will also be completed. Municipal hall will

also receive fire protection upgrades during construction, and removing the trailer in the parking lot will provide up to six additional parking spaces. Staff will be encouraged to work remotely during the upgrades.

“We will rely heavily on remote work policy, and we will exhaust all our other options for offices that exist at the Public Works Yard, municipal hall and perhaps the Alta Vista Public Works Yard,” Chalk said.

Chalk noted that one downside of the project is it is aimed at keeping up with current space constraints for employees, but does not address future staffing needs

at the RMOW.

Chief administrative officer Ginny Cullen echoed that sentiment at Tuesday’s council meeting. “We can barely fit all our staff. We won’t fit all of our staff given this upgrade,” she said. “This is to fit the minimum of what we can, and we still don’t have enough for who we have working for us now.”

Municipal hall is the oldest building in Village Centre, built in the early 1970s near Alta Lake before serving as the resort’s original Keg Steakhouse. In the 1980s, the RMOW moved the building to its current location and undertook several renovations over the years to adapt to the community’s changing needs.

With the growing age of municipal hall in mind, Councillor Jeff Murl raised a question about the remaining lifespan of the building, as the expansion project is “only getting us to the bare minimum.”

Chalk explained the building should last for a long time yet if the RMOW does its job well and continues investing in upgrades. “However, we may outgrow that building before it is ready to pull down, so I think that will be probably the decision that needs to be made—where do we go from here?” he said.

The project still requires a development permit. The RMOW anticipates a 22-week construction period and completion of the addition by Nov. 30. n

ON THE MOVE Whistler’s municipal hall moving to its current location in 1981.

WHISTLER QUESTION ARCHIVES

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Whistler Institute looks to fill daycare gap by offering ECE training

SCHOOL WILL USE GRANT FUNDS TO PREPARE APPLICATION FOR FULLY SUBSIDIZED EARLY-CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM

BY BRANDON BARRETT

LOCAL COUNCILLOR Jessie Morden has been waiting a long time to get her daughter into daycare.

“My daughter is two, and we’ve been on the list for two years now and still can’t get in. We’re on every list in Whistler,” she said. Morden’s story is not unusual for Whistler, or, for that matter, B.C. According to a recent report from the Canadian Centre of Policy Alternatives, nearly two out of three B.C. children not yet in Kindergarten live in so-called child-care deserts—postal codes with more than three children below school age for every full-time licensed child-care space. Even as $10-a-day child-care rolls out across Canada, “one of the major remaining stumbling blocks is that there simply aren’t enough child-care spaces to meet the demand,” the study concluded.

In Whistler, with its high proportion of young families and longstanding worker shortage, the impact is even more acute, as identified in the municipality’s 2020 Whistler Child Care Project Action Plan. “The biggest barriers to providing child care in Whistler

relate to the ability to attract and retain qualified staff in existing facilities, as well as access to facilities,” the report stated.

Now, the Whistler Institute is looking to reverse that trend. Recent recipient of two separate grants, from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation and the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) Community Enrichment

people who want to work but they can’t put their child into child-care spaces, it’s part of that whole cycle of the labour shortage. We know there is a shortage, and we are trying to look at how to alleviate that in different ways. This would mean more new parents can go back to work.”

Cheyne said the grant funding will

program will encourage local nannies—of which there are many in Whistler—to obtain their ECE certification.

“There’s a Facebook nanny site and so many people in town offer nanny services, some of whom may not be trained in that field specifically, so this would give them the opportunity to be trained to work in that field and stay here,” she said. “I think it’s going to be beneficial to everybody to have this training in Whistler.”

Program, the charity will use the combined $5,200 to prepare its application to offer an Early Childhood Education (ECE) training program locally that would be fully subsidized to qualified students through the province’s Project-Based Labour Market Training program. If approved, the certification course would be facilitated by Sprott Shaw College.

“Daycare is so intrinsically connected to the workforce shortage we are seeing in Whistler,” said Suki Cheyne, executive director of the Whistler Institute. “If there are

be used for community and stakeholder engagement and outreach, which will include consulting with local daycare facilities to better understand local needs.

At this point, there’s no guarantee the application will get the go-ahead, but given the resort’s glaring lack of daycare spaces, WorkBC has indicated the Whistler Institute has “a good chance at being successful,” Cheyne said.

Morden, who gave birth to her second child earlier this year, is hopeful a local training

Morden said she is scheduled to meet soon with Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton and fellow councillor Jen Ford to discuss the local daycare issue and how they can effectively lobby the province for improvements at September’s Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention in Vancouver. One major ask? Expanding $10-aday child-care options in the resort.

“It would be huge to have that at every centre and to make it easy and fluid within the system so that everyone can benefit from it, rather than just a shortlist of people,” Morden said.

If all goes according to plan, Cheyne said the Whistler Institute expects to offer the nine-month ECE program in late 2023 or early 2024. For more information, visit whistlerinstitute.com. n

“Daycare is so intrinsically connected

- SUKI CHEYNE

Coyotes attack dog in Whistler’s Emerald Estates

‘[T]HEY ARE A BIG PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM—AND THEY’RE HERE TO STAY’

BY BRANDON BARRETT

A WHISTLER DOG is on the mend after surviving a coyote attack last month.

The Conservation Officer Service (COS) confirmed it received a report on June 23 of a small dog attacked by a pair of coyotes. The dog’s owner, who wished to stay anonymous, told Pique in an email the miniature dachshund was “snatched” by the side of the house mere moments after the dog jumped out of the car.

“We were not just letting her wander around the property,” they added.

The owners said they had noticed coyotes hanging around their house for some time, including under their back patio and around the side of the property, seemingly unafraid of humans. They said they contacted the COS in March, but no action was taken.

But there’s not much conservation officers can do until coyotes become a threat to people, said the COS’ Tim Schumacher.

“The COS is responsible for public safety, so if there is a coyote approaching people in an aggressive manner, that’s when we could get involved,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that people’s pets are taken by all sorts of predators in B.C., but at the end of the day, it’s part of nature.”

The best way to keep pets safe, Schumacher said, is to ensure they are on-leash at all times, and to properly secure attractants.

“We don’t want to feed pets outdoors or have general attractants around the home, because that attracts mice and rats,” he explained. “If our properties are clean, then we are less likely to have coyotes around. But we do live in a rural area and there is a reasonable expectation that we will come into contact with wildlife at some point. Coyotes in the community or on the outskirts of a community is a very common thing.”

Asked if it was unusual to see coyotes milling around a single property for extended

periods, Schumacher said he wasn’t sure why the animals would behave that way, but noted “coyotes do have dens and they do have a territory they would frequent, and they are territorial animals and can be territorial with other dogs. In this case, a nine-pound dog, in the coyote’s view, that dog is prey.”

In response, the owner said they were surprised at what little could be done by conservation officers over a group of coyotes they believe pose a threat to the neighbourhood.

The dachshund reportedly spent three days at the vet recovering from her injuries, which included wounds to her neck, bruising to her lower abdomen, and a suspected

punctured trachea. The owners said the vet bills have amounted to about $5,000 so far.

In April, the COS warned of heightened coyote activity around Whistler, after “more reports of coyotes than usual” compared to past years, said Staff Sgt. Simon Gravel at the time. There have been upwards of 300 coyotes reports this year across the Sea to Sky, and nine in Whistler.

The COS also has fewer management options for coyotes compared to Whistler’s more visible animal resident, the black bear. Unlike black bears, the COS will not relocate aggressive coyotes out of the community, as research has shown it is not an effective management technique for the species, for a variety of reasons.

Catching coyotes often involves bodygripping traps, “a dangerous activity that can be extremely damaging and traumatizing,” according to non-profit Coyote Watch Canada, and can also target other species, such as dogs, cats and even people.

Relocation to other coyotes’ territory can also put the animals at risk of conflict, not to mention the threat of spreading disease and disrupting ecological systems.

“A lot of research has been done showing that relocation of coyotes is not successful, and the other aspect of that is they are a big part of our ecosystem—and they’re here to stay,” Gravel said in April. n

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IN RECOVERY A Whistler dachshund is on the mend after it was attacked by coyotes last month.

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Conservative Party stalwart John Weston won’t run in 2025

WESTON PLANS TO FOCUS ON NON-PROFIT CANADIAN HEALTH AND FITNESS INSTITUTE

BY ROBERT WISLA

FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS, John Weston has been a familiar name on the ballot in the federal West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding.

Following the retirement of longtime member of Parliament John Reynolds in 2006, Weston carried the banner of the Conservative Party of Canada in the riding for five of the last six federal elections, between 2006 to 2021 (missing only 2019, when Gabrielle Loren ran in his stead). He was elected twice, in 2008 and 2011.

With the October 2025 federal election growing closer and the potential of a snap election always looming, Weston has increasingly been hearing calls to run again, but has decided to focus on other endeavours.

On June 16, Weston officially announced he would not seek the Conservative Party nomination for the riding, citing a desire to focus his efforts on the Canadian Health and Fitness Institute, a non-profit he founded in 2017, which aims to make Canada the fittest nation on earth.

“I decided to not run again for office on the presumption that I can get more done in public life working on this non-profit,” Weston said.

Weston wanted to clarify his election intentions to encourage more people to think about running for the party. He noted that, while the nomination contest is not formally open, informally, there’s a gap with the traditional candidate-of-record out of the picture.

“I hope there will be a very hotly contested race among conservatives who want to represent the party in the next federal election,” Weston said.

“I think that it really helps the community when people get out and start talking about issues that relate to our health as a community, and how we all work together with all of our differences to support the neediest people in our community and to proclaim the best practices of our high-achieving members of the community.”

Weston encouraged residents to look at the prospects of being a member of Parliament, noting that it’s a demanding but gratifying job. He added that a contested nomination “breathes fresh air of freedom when different people agreeably disagree in a race to represent a party.”

As for the prospects for the future candidate, the riding is gearing up for another close race.

Traditionally, the West Vancouver portion of the riding votes Conservative by a considerable margin, with the remaining

areas flipping between the Greens, Liberals, NDP and Conservatives. Since 2008, the riding has been something of a bellwether, with its winning candidate representing the party that forms government every election.

In 2021, the Conservatives came within 3.9 per cent of winning the riding in what ended up being a close three-way race between Patrick Weiler, representing the Liberals, Weston with the Conservatives, and Avi Lewis with the New Democratic

closely behind with 27 per cent.

The riding will change shape in the next election, as the 2022 Electoral Boundaries Commission proposed the removal of the Xwemelch’stn, formally known as the Capilano Indian Reserve No. 5, located on the southern boundary of West Vancouver, as well as a significant portion of West Vancouver between 21st Street and Highway 99. Both sections will be added to the neighbouring North Vancouver riding.

Incumbent Weiler has not announced if he will seek re-election in the next federal election, and so far, neither the NDP nor Green Party has confirmed candidates.

Weston believes the party has a good shot at winning back the seat. He hopes that as the election grows nearer, people look at the party’s leader, the party itself, and the individual running locally before making their decision.

Party. Weiler won the riding with 33.9 per cent of the vote, the smallest winning margin in the riding’s history.

Poll aggregator 338Canada.com, which takes national poll averages and applies them to local ridings, is projecting a toss-up between the Liberals and Conservatives with 31 per cent each, with the NDP following

“I’ll just say that it’s going to be a hotly contested race, as it always is. And there will be some very good candidates who run for all the parties; there always are,” Weston said.

“I would say that anybody who wants this job should start early. Think about the things that matter in this community and this country and make sure that they consult with the people in their lives who really ought to be consulted and can add to that decision. It’s a big decision.” n

“I hope there will be a very hotly contested race...”

- JOHN WESTON

Naturespeak: Whistler’s wondrous wetlands

BY ALANA HIGGINSON

WHEN YOU HEAR the word wetland, what comes to mind?

Dark, sinister places filled with mosquitos, like the Dead Marshes in The Lord of the Rings or the fire swamp in the Princess Bride ? Or are you one of the lucky ones who knows that wetlands are a true treasure, teeming with life?

Wetlands are one of nature’s most valuable ecosystems, filled with cattails and yellow pond lilies, red-wing blackbirds and common yellow warblers, northwestern salamanders and Pacific tree frogs. Offering a peaceful escape from fast-paced urban centres, wetlands are a quiet place to listen to the birds sing and frogs croak while dragonflies flutter by. If you enjoy a scenic paddle with the possibility of spotting busy beavers, wetlands provide the perfect place to spend a few hours exploring in your canoe or kayak.

So, what defines a wetland? Well, they are much more than lands that are wet. Marshes, swamps, bogs, fens, shallow ponds, and estuaries all fit the description. Some are permanently wet, others just seasonally, but they all share three features: The presence of water for at least part of the year; soils modified by the presence of water; and plants that have adapted to these wet, low-oxygen soils.

More than half of the world’s original wetlands have already disappeared, and others are degrading or disappearing three times faster than forests. Like other developed areas in British Columbia,

Whistler has lost more than 70 per cent of its wetlands due to land-use changes. Those that remain are surrounded by development, reduced in size, or disconnected from other natural spaces, making it hard for wildlife to

safely access them.

In Whistler, wetland and riparian habitats are rare, covering only 2.3 per cent of the municipality, so it’s crucial to understand and protect wetlands that are still intact. From maintaining water flow during flood and droughts, to providing critical habitat for many plants and animals—including twothirds of the species at risk in B.C.—wetlands offer a multitude of functions that benefit the planet. In their role as “the kidneys of the Earth,” wetlands clean and filter water as it flows through them. Some sequester carbon, while others provide raw materials and food resources such as rice or cranberries. B.C.’s wetlands provide services worth more than $100 billion annually.

If you want to get your boots wet and see some wetlands, the Whistler Naturalists are partnering with the BC Wildlife Federation to bring a Map our Marshes workshop to Whistler on August 19 and 20, where we’ll be visiting and learning about all things wetlands!

The BCWF’s Wetlands Education Program works to restore, enhance, and conserve wetlands across the province while creating a community of wetland stewards who can continue this work. If you’re interested in registering for the workshop or learning more about wetlands, please visit the BCWF website at tinyurl.com/bdfw2655 or bcwfbogblog.com.

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

GET LOST You can learn about Whistler’s wetlands at the bog at Lost Lake.

PHOTO BY LESLIE ANTHONY

Lil’wat Nation, Village of Pemberton each receive $329K from lumber sales

IT’S THE FIRST TIME FUNDS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO SPEL’KÚMTN COMMUNITY FOREST SHAREHOLDERS

BY BRANDON BARRETT

FOR THE FIRST TIME since it was formed four years ago, the Spel’kúmtn Community Forest (SCF) has distributed funds to its shareholders from the sale of commercial timber, money that will be used, in part, to support locally focused projects in Pemberton and Mount Currie.

Incorporated in 2019 as a limited partnership between the Lil’wat Nation and Village of Pemberton (VOP), the SCF is a community-led forest located on 17,727 hectares of unceded, traditional Lil’wat land that is designed to promote reconciliation and increase benefits to the respective communities. Each partner is receiving $329,000 as a disbursement of funds from the harvest and sale of timber in 2021 and 2022. The same amount has also been earmarked for a newly created Partnership Project Fund, which is aimed at boosting locally focused projects that “align with the shared community values outlined in SCF’s management plan,” according to a release.

“The intention of the Spel’kúmtn Community Forest was always to create direct benefit for the communities,” said Lil’wat Nation CAO Kerry Mehaffey in the release. “This initial distribution demonstrates how collaboration can benefit both communities, and we are extremely excited to see the Partnership Project Fund grow to create a

larger-scale legacy project.”

In 2021, the SCF’s shortened first year of operations, 5,107 cubic metres of timber were harvested, followed by 21,000 m3 last year. The province has set the SCF’s annual allowable cut at 11,000 m3, but, because the forest operates in a five-year cut control period, foresters are permitted to go over their allowable cut amount in a given year to catch up.

“[2022] was a big year for us and a much larger harvest than we would anticipate in the future,” Andrea Blaikie, executive director of the forest, told Pique

the trees, the size of the trees, and the location of the trees as well,” Tindall said. “It’s looking at the ecosystem and the use of the trees beyond just their age.”

As it stands, the vast majority of oldgrowth trees—considered 250 years or older in B.C.—are protected in the SCF, with the bulk of commercial timber logged in 2021 and 2022 between the ages of zero and 50. No old growth is planned for harvest this year.

Blaikie added that about 95 per cent of the timber harvested sold within B.C. last year to local and regional distributors—including Continental Pole in Mount Currie. The SCF

“The revenues open amazing opportunities for our communities and projects that align with the SCF’s guiding values of environmental stewardship, reconciliation, and relationship building, that are at the centre of our collaboration,” said Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman in a statement.

With operations managed by Lil’wat Forestry Ventures, the Nation is influencing the approach to harvesting in a number of ways, Blaikie said.

“We have the opportunity to use ageold, but new-to-us forest practices,” she said, highlighting single-stem helicopter harvesting as an example of a modern logging technique that “opens up the canopy in a way that fire would have done more traditionally.”

At its core, the SCF offers a welcome opportunity for Lil’wat and VOP leadership to collaborate beyond the scope of local politics.

“It’s a private partnership, so there is a bit more flexibility,” Blaikie noted. “The funds put into that partner fund have no strings attached, so there is an opportunity for project building around a focus of reconciliation at the grassroots level. I think that’s special.”

As Whistler’s Cheakamus Community Forest—where the Lil’wat is also a partner, along with the Squamish Nation and Resort Municipality of Whistler—mulls a potential permanent ban on old-growth logging, the SCF has taken a different approach, explained Klay Tindall, GM of forest operations for Lil’wat Forestry Ventures.

“The Lil’wat Nation is working on updating their forestry plan, and they are not specifically only looking at the age of the trees. They’re looking at the cultural value of

benefitted from rebounding timber prices in 2022, thanks in part to strong demand for plywood and veneer.

“There’s a high demand for those two products with the amount of building going on,” Tindall said.

According to the BC Community Forest Association, the value of timber sales increased by 26 per cent in 2022. “At the same time, Spel’kúmtn is still in its early years and is a relatively small tenure so a disbursement of this size is notable,” the release said.

The SCF welcomed its new board on June 1, which counts three representatives each from the Lil’wat Nation and VOP. Blaikie said one of the board’s first major priorities will be determining the eligibility criteria for the new Partnership Project Fund.

“It’s meant to be something that will benefit both communities equally, with a focus on reconciliation and the land,” she added. “The Lil’wat are deeply rooted to this land, and the idea is to bring that focus to the wider community.”

Learn more at spelkumtncf.com. n

FOREST FOR THE TREES An overhead view of the Spel’kúmtn Community Forest in Pemberton.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

“It’s meant to be something that will benefit both communities equally, with a focus on reconciliation and the land.”

- ANDREA BLAIKIE

Pemberton’s Gravitron Trail renamed by Lil’wat Nation in honour of late SLRD staffer Graham Haywood

PUBLIC INVITED TO RENAMING AND DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR KACWEPCWÉPA TRAIL ON JULY 15

BY BRANDON BARRETT

A PEMBERTON-AREA mountain bike trail has been renamed and redeveloped in honour of the Lil’wat Nation’s former land manager and longtime Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) staffer, Graham Haywood.

With funding from the SLRD, the former Gravitron Trail has been renamed Kacwepcwépa, given by the Lil’wat, an Ucwalmícwts phrase meaning “to come back to memory.”

Haywood, who died in 2020, was the SLRD’s senior project coordinator, and had also served as interim director of legislative and corporate services. Before joining the SLRD, he worked as a land manager for the Lil’wat Nation, known for his warmth, honesty, and appreciation for the land.

“Graham’s kind-hearted nature, and compassion were greatly valued in Lil’wat, as we are sure they were everywhere he went,” said P’sit7 Casey Dick-Wyatt, director of lands and resources at the Lil’wat Nation, in a release. “Graham developed lasting bonds and left good feelings in the hearts of those who he worked closely with and those he met briefly along the way. To this day, his name is mentioned in admiration. His love of the land and good intentions allowed for deep trust and honest exchanges with those around him. We know he left doing what he loved, and his legacy in Lil’wat will not be forgotten. We all remember his silent, cheeky smile.”

An avid mountain biker, Haywood also served as a board member and volunteer for the Pemberton Valley Trails Association (PVTA), and in consultation with his family, the SLRD partnered with the Lil’wat Nation and the PVTA to commemorate him.

“Graham was a positive, energetic force with an infectious smile and a great sense of

humour. He completed projects with passion and knowledge and was always 100-per-cent committed to anything he was involved with. He played a pivotal role in the development of the Pemberton Trails Master Plan and signage on the Pemberton trails,” said former PVTA president Bill Stiles in the release. “It was an honour to have Graham on the PVTA board. He dedicated many volunteer hours to the PVTA and his service to the community will always be remembered. The PVTA is honoured to be a part of the trail dedication to Graham.”

The SLRD’s Electoral Area Directors’ Committee committed up to $12,000 in funding for the project, which the PVTA will use to revitalize the double-black diamond trail, repairing drainage and trail surfaces “while retaining the exhilarating experience for riders,” the SLRD said in the release.

“The SLRD team is humbled by the commitment that Graham had to his work, to his family and to his community,” said SLRD board chair, Jen Ford, in the release. “Not only was Graham a much-loved and respected member of the SLRD team, he was also an ambassador for the region, and an outdoor adventure enthusiast who volunteered locally to help build some of the trails that continue to be enjoyed by many. It is our hope that this tribute will be one more way of ensuring that Graham’s memory lives on in the community that he so greatly loved.”

The public is invited to a renaming and trail dedication ceremony on Saturday, July 15, starting at 1 p.m., at the Kacwepcwépa trailhead, located approximately 9.5 kilometres up the Mackenzie Basin Forest Service Road, adjacent to the transmission tower. Maxine Bruce, Lil’wat councillor, the Nation’s territorial stewardship manager, and a longtime coworker of Haywood’s, will lead the ceremony. Representatives from the Lil’wat Nation, the PVTA and SLRD will also be in attendance. n

RIDE ON Graham Haywood, pictured, was an avid mountain biker and former board member for the Pemberton Valley Trails Association.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SQUAMISHFUNERALCHAPEL.COM

The path

BEING A BIOLOGIST isn’t something you usually need to defend, or that gets called out in a derogatory way. But it is the case that fewer politicians, government institutions or other systemic orthodoxies outside of scientific or naturalist circles actually want

BY LESLIE ANTHONY

to know what you know. Largely because you will supply information that’s bad news and creates a conflict—an inconvenient truth, as it were. Yet, despite its flagging utility in today’s greed-and-entitlement addled world, I like knowing what I know. As well as recalling the path that led there. On a warm summer day in Whistler, nothing pulls me back to the halcyon days of childhood like recalling how nature found me.

When my family moved to Don Mills in the 1960s, the Toronto suburb was making waves as Canada’s first “planned community.” A paragon of urban organization, the ’hood most came to know from textbooks was an urban-rural quilt of undeveloped lots, overgrown pasture,

and deep, dark ravines where tiny streams bubbled toward the coffee-coloured Don River. The Don was no Amazon, but its bramble-clogged valleys were my personal jungle, green tendrils lapping a nascent concrete mosaic.

Thick forest still edged our street, continuing northward, we imagined, to Hudson Bay. And, for the first few years, it indeed felt like we lived on the edge of something approximating wilderness: a parade of displaced deer, fox, raccoons, rabbits and birdlife was welcomed by cheering children weaned on a diet of anthropomorphized storybook animals. Paradoxically, those same animals were despised by the books’ suppliers—parents who’d spent their life savings on neat little homes with manicured grounds that a bevy of bewildered wildlife was now chewing up.

But that march was heaven-sent for me, as I crouched against cold metal window wells scooping out toads that tumbled in with regularity; hung speechless over the handlebars of my bike, eyeing a northern brown snake coiled on a roll of cedar snow fencing; and, in an almost mystical event, saw my first leopard frog, a doomed creature sitting iridescent in a shaft of light by the only remaining puddle in a rapidly vanishing ravine.

The encounters moved beyond wideeyed observation as my brothers and I were bundled off to conservation areas to run wild while my parents read books and ate boiled eggs. When it was time to leave, they’d pry us soaking and reeking from

the creek or brush, along with a bounty of crayfish, water bugs, frogs and salamanders. Animals roamed and fouled the car on the ride home; our laundry was fouler still.

Looking back, the cliché of a grasshopper in a jar was an inelegant experiment in desire. Not desire to possess an organism, per se, but to possess knowledge of it. Like most kids, we hung onto things because we were unable to differentiate between the two. Instead of suggesting that more might be gleaned by tipping the jar’s contents back into the soup of the wild, our parents simply tolerated a garage brimming with animals we had no idea how to care for. It would take me a while to grok the bigger picture.

In the summer of my sixth year, I spent several weeks at day-camp. I have only the dewiest, most translucent memories of Camp Mil-da-la-ca’s watery juice, soggy cookies, forced sing-songs, faux campfires, insipid games, dyed feathers, and braided plastic bracelets. One memory, however, burns bright as the day it happened.

Mil-da-la-ca was wedged between the newly opened Don Valley Parkway and the base of the valley’s western slope. A bus dropped kids on a street above, where counsellors ushered them down a trail through towering oak and maple to the valley floor, which levelled onto grassy former farmland punctuated by a few crabapple trees.

On a furlough from bracelet-making one day, I found myself angling toward the cauliflower shade of a large, twisted crabapple in the centre of camp. As I

approached the ageing arbour, something moved sharply in the periphery of my vision. I looked, but whatever it was had stopped, vanishing completely. I took another step and it moved again, but all I caught were blades of grass bending right and left before it disappeared; I held still, scanning the ground, unaware that the key to an animal’s crypsis was the very immobility I was encouraging.

It was a dance that would repeat itself a thousand times before I even reached puberty; a School of Stealth that became so deeply ingrained in my neural patterning that to this day the unmistakable susurration of something sliding through grass or leaves will stop me in my tracks. Meanwhile, I was learning a valuable lesson from an invisible teacher. The questions my naïve senses struggled to answer in those few seconds opened up a dialogue with nature that blossomed into a lifelong conversation. The defining turn onto a long and winding road of study and writing about everything from biodiversity loss to climate change to the folly of old-growth logging started with a visual puzzle under an apple tree.

At the time, however, I understood only this: if I moved, whatever was hiding would reappear. So I took another step. A black band sprang from the grass and raced toward the tree. And with all the lobotomized bravado of a little boy, I dove for it.

Leslie Anthony is a biologist, writer and author of several popular books on environmental science. ■

BOYS WILL BE BOYS Leslie Anthony and his brothers showing off their latest finds in a mid-’60s, Toronto-area suburb.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

B.C.’s tourismIndigenous sector thriving —but everyone is

Amos says.

“It shifts our identity of who we are as a people here. With reconciliation, there’s economic reconciliation, but there’s also education, which is a big component of that learning, and when you’re travelling, that’s part of the richness of B.C., the diversity that we have here.”

As the Indigenous tourism landscape continues to grow, so too does the diversity of experiences on tap, adds Amos.

BY ROBERT WISLA

Over the last few decades, First Nations have become a significant portion of British Columbia’s massive tourism industry, from running resorts, casinos, hotels and gas stations to wineries and experience tours. Across the province, there has been substantial growth in Indigenous-led tourism.

A labour market report by Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) found that, in 2017, more than 400 Indigenous tourismfocused businesses were operating in the province, which contributed about $705 million in gross domestic output to the provincial economy and more than 7,400 full-time jobs, 48 per cent of which were filled by Indigenous people. These businesses represented $387 million in wages and salaries and more than $39 million in tax revenue.

While the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on tourism in B.C., industry experts today expect to see a significant rebound in Indigenous tourism over the coming years as visitors, both local and international, are increasingly interested in authentic experiences and learning more about Indigenous culture and traditions.

A growing industry

Paula Amos, of Hesquiaht and Squamish Nation heritage, serves as the chief marketing and development officer for ITBC, an organization dedicated to advancing Indigenous tourism throughout the province by fostering partnerships, building capacity, and advocating for industry growth.

Indigenous-led tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the industry, and that growth is mainly due to more travellers seeking a deeper understanding of the people and places they visit, according to Amos.

“I’ve been working with Indigenous Tourism BC for over 20 years, and my goal was always to work in economic development for Indigenous people. But I think the biggest return for me is that we get to educate visitors about who we are ... through tourism,”

“Wherever you go, you’re going to have a different experience. And we have so many different languages in the province,” she says. “There is a lot of rich history here that people don’t know about, to learn about it, besides the dark history. It’s an exciting industry, and I think it’s giving voice to Indigenous people.”

With more than 200 First Nations speaking 34 languages and close to 60 dialects, B.C. has one of the most diverse makeups of Indigenous people in the country. According to the 2021

Indigenous tourism operations significant growth in recent in rural areas, but some communities aren’t getting

Indigenous sector is —but not is bene tting

to purchase the existing tourism assets; it’s expanding their portfolio for economic development,” Amos says.

“[B.C. has long] been a rich province for fisheries, forestry, oil and gas. But tourism has always been a strong industry as well, and now we’re seeing more and more First Nations communities getting involved.”

A regional success story

If you’re looking for a prime example of an Indigenous tourism success story, you can’t do much better than the Xwisten Experience Tour, which has grown significantly over the past two decades.

The Xwisten, also known as the Bridge River Indian Band, a community and people within the larger St’át’imc Nation, is located 11 kilometres north of the District of Lillooet. For the past 19 years, the band has sought to educate people from across the world on their people’s distinct culture, language,

Throughout the one- or three-hour-long tours, local guides take visitors through the Xwisten’s traditional fishing grounds, along the Bridge and Fraser rivers, where the St’át’imc people have lived and fished for thousands of years.

The experience allows visitors to gain an understanding of the unique culture, traditions and language of the Xwisten people, and provides significant economic benefits to the rural community.

Band member Nikki Raven Frank is in her third year as a tour guide, following in the footsteps of her mother, one of the Xwisten’s original guides when the experience tour launched in 2004.

“We really want to share the experience and the knowledge and the culture of our St’át’imc Nation to any guests and travellers who want to come through,” Frank says. “It’s just

mainly about showing the culture and how our ancestors survived for centuries.”

The three-hour tour includes a visit to an excavated pit house where members of the Xwisten lived for centuries, offering insights into how and where the Band fishes—along with a meal. In this case, salmon caught fresh from the river and barbecued at the Bearfoot Grill.

The tours have grown considerably in popularity over the last 20 years, especially in the previous decade, with tourists coming from near and far, particularly after the Sea to Sky portion of Highway 99 was upgraded ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

“The neat thing about this tourism is seeing it becoming very successful over the years,” Frank says. “I definitely see a lot more tourism happening because a lot of my tourists do come from Whistler [and] the Sea to Sky, and I see our community finally going on the map after 20 years.”

As the tours grew in popularity, the Band expanded them, adding better signage, a concession stand, viewing platforms, and employing more band members to work as guides and various other positions.

“We didn’t have the website or brochures or anything [in the beginning], and every year we’ve expanded, and having this business grow, just by word of mouth, all the way internationally through social media, is great,” Frank says.

“They love the sights, the views, the stories, the songs. I always sing our guests some of our traditional songs inside the pit house to give it a stronger feel,” she adds of the visitors she sees on the tour.

“A lot of people don’t know about St’át’imc culture, but by the end of the tour, they have a better understanding of what the people have been through.”

It’s through these first-hand experiences, shaped by the people who have lived on these lands for generations, that true empathy is created.

“More people are knowing more about our people; they have more sympathy and understanding, because that’s what we talk about as well,” Frank says. “I just want to keep on encouraging people to take our tour. We look forward to meeting everyone. And we’re always open and welcoming.”

Indigenous tourism at a Sea to Sky high

census, 290,210 people identify as Indigenous (Metis, First Nations and Inuit) in the province, making up nearly six per cent of B.C.’s population overall, and representing 16 per cent of Canada’s total Indigenous population.

While international visitors continue to make up the majority of tourists seeking out Indigenous cultural experiences, Amos says, over the last few years, Canadians are becoming more interested in First Nations culture and traditions themselves, particularly after the harrowing 2021 discovery of children’s remains at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

“It’s been interesting, because the international travellers were always the key market, mainly for Indigenous tourism businesses, but during the pandemic, with reconciliation, with UNDRIP and also the finding of the 215 [children], that seems to have shifted,” she says.

“Locals want to learn more about Indigenous First Nations people and Indigenous people in British Columbia. So, we are seeing growth happen for Indigenous tourism from the domestic market, which is great for businesses because they were able to survive through the pandemic.”

According to Amos, Indigenous communities are increasingly viewing tourism as a vital economic driver, with First Nations across B.C. buying existing tourism operations and making them their own. She highlighted examples such as the Heiltsuk Nation on the Central Coast purchasing the Shearwater Resort and Marina, the Gitxaala Nation buying the Crest Hotel in Prince Rupert, and other nations purchasing resorts in the Thompson Okanagan region.

“I think for people during the pandemic who were thinking of retiring or getting out of the industry, they got out of the industry. But First Nations people are now seeing tourism as an economic driver. It’s become an opportunity

In the Sea to Sky, the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations have led the way in developing a variety of successful tourism-focused operations across the region.

The most significant of these is inarguably the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) in Whistler, the awardwinning Indigenous museum that shares the stories of both Nations on whose shared, unceded territory it sits.

Heather Paul is the executive director of the SLCC. Over her time working for the organization, she has seen the positive effects the museum has brought, both culturally and economically, to the Nations and wider community.

“The SLCC was built as a legacy of the shared agreement between the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation. At that time, it was an unprecedented, shared agreement, and it’s often said also to be a legacy of the [2010] Olympics,” Paul says.

“Its purpose is to share the culture, language and history of both Nations and how distinct and unique they are within the world and also, over the last three years, has turned into an essential service for the community as well,” she adds.

“As the road and the path towards Truth and Reconciliation lands more in the classrooms and at dinner tables, in the workplace, those conversations are becoming more at the forefront. People are looking towards places like cultural centres to learn, and it is your first stop

operations have seen recent years, particularly First Nations getting their piece of the pie

PHOTO BY RYAN ROBINSON COURTESY OF THE SLCC

PHOTO BY RYAN ROBINSON COURTESY OF THE SLCC

in understanding people who were originally from whose territory you’re on.”

The SLCC provides substantial benefits to the Nations through meaningful employment for 56-plus people, 95 per cent of which are Indigenous and mostly live on reserves, ranging from the Lower Mainland to Mount Currie and beyond. Paul says that, in 2022, the SLCC paid more than $1.2 million in payroll and contracts to Indigenous people.

In addition to meaningful employment, Paul says the organization is also working to deliver a sense of community to the Indigenous staff who may not feel like they belong in Whistler.

“We’ve worked hard and created programs to improve that sense of belonging, and part of that was educating the community about stories and the culture and the language and getting to know [the SLCC’s cultural ambassadors] by name: who they are, what they love and how they love. How they show up in authentic and giving ways, for not only the community, but for the world, as we open our doors to tourism.”

Approximately 46 per cent of visitors to the SLCC come from outside of Canada, with the remainder from the Sea to Sky (21 per cent), British Columbia (19 per cent), and the rest of Canada (14 per cent).

Paul sees the SLCC as an important step towards wider Truth and Reconciliation, a hub of educational programming that has helped people from far and wide better understand the unique and distinct cultures of the Squamish and Lil’wat.

“We estimated we’ve had about 500,000 people go through the museum experience since we opened, and I would guess 499,900 have been changed,” she says.

“Whether they’re changed in the sense that they understand an Indigenous perspective and lens or learn something about the culture, the flora, the people or the language that makes them think differently, or as simple as our ambassadors teaching someone when they leave to not use the word Indian again.”

That knowledge doesn’t start and end with each individual visitor either, Paul says.

“That story travels with them when they share what they learned when they were here; those stories end up at the dinner tables with family and friends. The truth keeps pushing itself forward like a paddle in a canoe,” she adds.

An emotional Paul describes the SLCC’s ambassadors as one of the greatest gifts Whistler has been given in the last 15 years.

“They gift themselves with their time in a space that can be tricky and uncomfortable with questions that are fuelled from ignorance, that the person doesn’t mean, but still can hurt,” she says.

“They show up every day and do it again with joy and pride because they’re speaking the voices of their ancestors and their great-great-grandchildren who they go out and love even though they haven’t been born yet.”

Is everyone benefitting from Indigenous tourism’s growth?

While increased visitation can bring substantial benefits to Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities alike, it can also bring challenges to smaller First Nation communities which, in

some cases, are not seeing the economic benefits while bearing the brunt of the negative impacts, such as increased pollution, littering, nascent trespassing and increased traffic through their reserve communities.

N’Quatqua is one such Nation that is not receiving its fair share of the Sea to Sky tourism pie; located about 77 km north of Whistler’s Village Centre, near the shores of Anderson Lake, in the last few pandemic-fuelled years, the small community of about 400 people experienced a surge in traffic, as more visitors travelled through their reserve to reach the remote lake.

“The numbers are growing pretty fast. They have to go right through the middle of our community. There are literally hundreds of boats that have to go by our community,” says N’Quatqua Chief Micah Thevarge.

“Now people are noticing the pollution in the lake because we have so many boats, and we don’t know if boats are being pulled out of the ocean and right into the lake, and then they’re gone from one lake to another without being cleaned.”

With the added traffic, Thevarge says many N’Quatqua are growing increasingly concerned that one of their kids, pets or free-range animals might get hit by a passing vehicle, which would pull away the already scant resources from the community.

“I think the biggest thing for me still is the pressure on all the emergency services, all the first responders, like the police. The tribal police have to cover so much area already, and they’re short-staffed, and when we have more traffic, there’ll be a lot of accidents and stuff like that. So, it takes away services from the community members,” he says.

According to Thevarge, the Nation began to see an increase in traffic due to the closure of Joffre and Lillooet lakes during the pandemic, as well as through people discovering Anderson Lake via social media.

While traffic through the community continues to rise, Thevarge says none of it supports the Nation.

“N’Quatqua doesn’t benefit from it at all,” he adds.

While the Nation used to operate a gas station and convenience store in the heart of the reserve, it closed down in 2022 due to myriad complex factors, resulting in the community losing one of the few means it had to capture some of the economic benefits from passing visitors.

“Right now, only a few community members with private property are benefiting from the tourists; they either own a campsite on their private property, or maybe they allow helicopters to land on their private property to do heli-skiing in the mountains,” Thevarge says. “That affects our people because it’s our backcountry, and when we go hiking out there and touring around ourselves, we’re finding all this garbage and stuff that could only be the heli-skiers or the snowmobilers that leave it up there.”

Thevarge says his community doesn’t really have a relationship with regional tourism advocacy organizations, and explained that managing this growing number of tourists is challenging for a small band with limited capacity and other pressing priorities.

“There are fishing tours that come out of Pemberton, or come out of wherever, and so they’re utilizing our lakes and rivers

and bringing more people in, and ... there’s no consultation whatsoever for running a business in and around our community,” Thevarge says.

Thevarge says the Nation is looking at hiring an economic development manager who would focus on opportunities in and around the community and make plans for tourism and other business endeavours, but is waiting until the completion of a new administrative building before starting the process.

Growing relationships

Managing growing tourism in Indigenous communities either not wanting or not equipped to handle waves of visitors can be challenging. That’s why impressing the proper etiquette on tourists visiting these cultural areas is crucial to prevent accidental disturbances of spiritual sites or traditional foraging grounds.

Melody Thacker works for Tourism Lillooet, and manages the Lillooet Visitor Information Centre at the historic Miyazaki House and says there is an ongoing effort to grow tourism opportunities with local First Nation communities and improve cultural awareness of the land.

“As a local resident, even before I worked here, I’ve been pretty vocal as an activist, and I have for a long time tried to gently say to people you’re on unceded territory, and if you want to go to these [First Nation] areas, you should have permission,” Thacker says.

“When I send people out to Xwisten or farther out, say up the Bridge River Valley towards Gold Bridge or the Yalakom, I do a lot of explaining. Sometimes, I will spend upwards of an hour with people talking to them about safety, respect, fire safety, invasive species, animals, and where they can go and where they’re not open to go.”

Tourism Pemberton executive director Christine Raymond says there is ongoing consultation with the Lil’wat Nation on managing tourism in the region, especially when new projects are proposed, but that doesn’t happen to the same degree with smaller surrounding St’át’imc communities—something she’s eager to change.

“If we think that there’s a conversation and there’s not, then let’s have that conversation,” Raymond says. “How can we support them, and how can we bring those dollars, and how can we share [the benefits of tourism]?”

Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of BC, says that building relationships with Indigenous communities is key to the overall success of the industry across the province, and there is a vested interest in growing the sub-sector.

“It’s vital for our sector to succeed that communities and businesses that are non-Indigenous in nature, particularly the businesses, have to have relationships with First Nations. With all of the bands and individuals that are decision-makers within First Nations, it’s vital that those relationships are cemented and nurtured and ongoing for the success of our sector now and into the foreseeable future,” he says.

“I think just from a social licence perspective and opportunity perspective, to partner with First Nations, those relationships are vital. I wouldn’t suggest, though, that they’ve necessarily been cemented across the board within every community or every business in every part of the province. We still have a way to go.” ■

PHOTO COURTESY OF

PHOTO BY ROBERT WISLA

James Elliott of Pemberton becomes first-ever Canadian to complete the Red Bull X-Alps

ELLIOTT FINISHED 22ND, COVERING MORE THAN 1,220 KILOMETRES ON FOOT AND VIA PARAGLIDER

BY DAVID SONG

JAMES ELLIOTT has boldly gone where no Canadian has ever gone before.

On June 22, the Pembertonian touched down at Zell am See in the Austrian Alps, completing a 1,223-kilometre journey in 11 days, seven hours, 30 minutes and 47 seconds. In so doing, he etched his name into history as the first hike-and-fly athlete from Canada ever to complete the legendary Red Bull X-Alps adventure race.

Elliott wound up 22nd out of 23 finishers and 32 total entrants.

“It was everything I thought it would be and a bit more,” he admitted. “I wasn’t sure, to be honest, whether or not I was going to finish. I was totally blown away.”

After optimal weather throughout the first five days of the event, conditions took a turn for the worse. Elliott found himself grounded at various inopportune points, losing out on precious chances to ride the strong midday thermals. One mistake led to another, enabling athletes whom Elliott had already passed to catch back up and supersede him.

“It became much more physical at that point, so it was about managing fatigue, it was trying to keep our spirits up as a team,” said the 40-year-old. “You’ve got to keep looking

forward and putting one foot in front of the other—literally and figuratively.”

Pressing on in the face of inclement weather and the consequences of his own miscalculations, Elliott would not be denied. He glided, hiked and clawed his way westward around 15 Turnpoints scattered across five nations, spending time in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Rounding Mont Blanc, he and his opponents then embarked on a return route across northern Italy.

On Elliott’s final day of competition, he made his way across the main chain of the

The race has most definitely not gotten easier, but the athletes have become stronger and their gear more advanced.

“A lot of these teams are a lot more organized than they were even 10 years ago, and the equipment is becoming much lighter and higher-performance,” Elliott explained. “On the consumer side, we do have access to very highly detailed weather forecasting, which is really important for us to position ourselves in the right place at the right time.”

Swiss hike-and-fly maestro Chrigel Maurer leveraged every piece of intel and the

(six days, 18 hours and nearly six minutes) and Maxime Pinot (six days, 18 hours and 48 minutes) rounded out the podium.

Elisabeth Egger from Austria made history in her own right as the first woman to ever complete the race. She reached Zell am See in 21st place, taking 10 days, five hours and just over 18 minutes.

‘FREEDOM OF FLYING’

Of course, Maurer, Egger and other Europeans enjoy a massive advantage over their opponents from elsewhere in the world. Paragliding is nearly as ubiquitous in Europe as skiing and mountain biking, though it remains niche in many other areas. Only one North American other than Elliott managed to finish: 20th-place contender Logan Walters of the United States.

Elliott aims to do his part in changing that.

Alps to reach Turnpoint Schmittenhöhe, teeing himself up for a short flight onto a floating platform in the middle of Lake Zell— his odyssey complete.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

While Elliott has broken new ground for Canada, he also took part in an event that was itself historic. Generally speaking, only 15 to 20 per cent of any given field managed to make it through previous iterations of the X-Alps. That’s a far cry from the near-68-percent success rate seen this year.

best gear money can buy—along with his own wealth of experience and athletic ability—to conquer the race in a mind-boggling six days, six hours and a shade under two minutes. With many of those hours spent airborne, it was not only his career-best effort, but the fastest time in X-Alps history.

Maurer has now won eight straight editions of the biannual Red Bull epic, a feat that may never be replicated. However, 17 competitors finished within 24 hours of Switzerland’s champion, making this the closest X-Alps event on record.

A pair of Frenchmen, Damien Lacaze

“It’s really an honour to make a bit of history and be the first Canadian to cross the finish line in this race,” he said. “We face so many more challenges than your average European competitor. It’s logistically very challenging and expensive to get an entire team overseas—a lot of this comes at our personal expense.

“I hope that my success raises the profile of our sport in Canada and North America, and that more people will look at [paragliding] as an enjoyable pastime. Whether or not they compete, hopefully their eyes will be opened to see some of the benefits our sport can bring: just the absolute freedom of flying.”

Full results are available at redbullxalps. com/the-race/race-results-2023. n

AIR PLAY On June 22, James Elliott became the first Canadian to finish the daunting Red Bull X-Alps hike-and-fly race.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RED BULL CONTENT POOL

“It was everything I thought it would be and a bit more.”

- JAMES ELLIOTT

Andréane Lanthier Nadeau seeks Crankworx redemption

THE SQUAMISH NATIVE FINISHED FIFTH IN 2022’S ENDURO THANKS TO AN UNTIMELY CRASH

BY DAVID SONG

ANDRÉANE LANTHIER NADEAU wants another kick at the can.

On August 7, 2022, Lanthier Nadeau took off as one of the Sea to Sky’s best hopes for a medal in the Enduro World Series (EWS) race at Crankworx Whistler. The Squamish native got off to a fast start, matching eventual victor Harriet Harnden stride for stride through four stages. She gritted her teeth when her injured ankle flared up, all the while pressing through ill-timed mechanical issues.

What Lanthier Nadeau couldn’t overcome was a crash on the fifth and final stage. It didn’t take her out of the running completely, but it dashed her hopes of a podium result. The Squamolian had to settle for fifth, watching as Great Britain’s Harnden, Morgane Charre of France and Chilean-born Florencia Espiñeira Herreros swept the medals in that order.

Espiñeira Herreros has lived in Whistler for some time, so it wasn’t a total loss for Sea to Sky fans. Nonetheless, Lanthier Nadeau headed home unsatisfied.

“Last year was a massive heartbreak,” she said. “I was leading the whole weekend of racing … but a miscalculation and a crash on the last stage put me back four places into fifth and off the podium. A big and hard loss for me.”

She’s had nearly a year to reflect on it, learn from it, and to continue building herself up. Her second chance comes July 30 at this year’s iteration of the Canadian Open Enduro.

FOND MEMORIES

Like most professional athletes, Lanthier Nadeau has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. She’s tasted victory on home soil before, having won the last two runnings of the Squamish Enduro, and is a legitimate contender on the world stage. She loves what she does, even in the face of devastating accidents and disappointing results.

“The sport of enduro is special to me because it’s a sport where you ‘race’ by yourself against the clock, but where you get to share the hardships of a huge day on the bike with your competitors,” Lanthier Nadeau explained. “Sometimes, the transfers can be really physical and a big effort, and you get to share that with the girls, but then you also get to refocus and drop into the zone on your own in the stages.

“I think it facilitates amazing sportsmanship within the competitors, and to me that’s what makes the sport special.”

Lanthier Nadeau first began mountain biking at eight years of age. Her mother, also an avid cyclist, accompanied her to every training session during that first year because their local club had no coverage for participants so young. Lanthier Nadeau was close to her mom as she grew up in a small

suburb of Quebec City—which is no surprise as they spent most Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from April to September on two wheels together.

“I owe a lot to my mom,” said the Francophone athlete. “Some of my fondest memories with her are from these early days of biking together.”

FROM XC TO ENDURO

Much like her former Rocky Mountain Race Face (RMRF) teammate Jesse Melamed, Lanthier Nadeau started out as a cross-country athlete. She raced on the international circuit across the junior, U23 and elite categories and initially moved to the West Coast in pursuit of an Olympic dream. Not long afterwards, she signed on with RMRF.

Lanthier Nadeau estimates that her first brush with Crankworx Whistler came in 2013 or 2014, at one of many cross-country World Cups that have since blurred together in memory. Her inaugural Crankworx event took place in August 2015—lacking a full kit of her own, she had to use Melamed’s bike and jersey.

Melamed is surely glad he allowed Lanthier Nadeau to borrow his gear that day. In time, the two combined with Remi Gauvin to form the Sea to Sky’s premier three-headed enduro dragon. Together, they launched RMRF to second overall in last year’s EWS team standings.

With Melamed now racing for Canyon CLLCTV, the torch falls to Lanthier Nadeau and Gauvin to continue a tradition of excellence.

Even if she should fail to podium come month’s end, Lanthier Nadeau realizes how special it is to race in Whistler. Many flock to what is essentially her backyard from across oceans to experience the Sea to Sky’s rare mixture of accessible and challenging trails.

“The quality and quantity of amazing trails is what puts any race in Whistler in a category of its own, and having friends and family cheering is such a good time,” Lanthier Nadeau said. “I think it is so important to have high-level races in Canada and not only in Europe. It showcases the highest level of racing to the Canadian fans, and it is just as amazing for the riders to experience this different crowd!”

Crankworx Whistler kicks off July 21. n

“I think it is so important to have high-level races in Canada and not only in Europe.”

- ANDRÉANE LANTHIER NADEAU

Longtime Whistler chef Erin Stone launches meal delivery service

MOLLY’S MEALS OFFERS A ROTATING MENU OF RESTAURANT-QUALITY DISHES FROM THE FORMER STONESEDGE KITCHEN HEAD CHEF

BY BRANDON BARRETT

AT A CERTAIN POINT in the pandemic, The Great Resignation that saw millions of workers leave their jobs eventually shifted into the Great Reshuffle, as many of those same employees switched careers in search of greener pastures.

For chefs like Whistler’s Erin Stone, COVID offered the silver lining of time and space—always a rarity in the restaurant world—to reconsider her future. After 16 years spent in Whistler kitchens, including at award-wining tapas and brunch spot, Elements, and, more recently, at the Gibbons-owned elevated eatery, Stonesedge, she decided it was time to set off on her own.

“I think it was just time for me to take a bit of a break from it, especially with COVID,” she said. “It was pretty full-on in the kitchen, and there was a lot of pressure on everyone that was in there.”

That’s how the longtime chef came to launch Molly’s Meals, a new meal delivery service that offers a rotating menu of fromscratch, restaurant-quality dishes brought right to your door.

“I definitely am trying to keep it as seasonal as possible, which is easier in the summer with the local produce around, and

sometimes it might be Mexican flavours in there, for example. This week, we have a tuna bowl inspired by a sushi roll.” Stone also provides tasty vegan and vegetarian options, and can accommodate other dietary needs as well. And, unlike larger delivery services like HelloFresh or Chef’s Table, the meals are all pre-prepped and cooked, so it’s

Molly’s Meals as a moniker is a nod to Stone’s grandma, Molly, who would regularly bring the family together in small-town New Zealand over an unfussy, homecooked feast. For years, Stone had visions of opening her own café named after her grandmother, but opted for the lower overhead of a delivery service instead, making use of the rental kitchen she works part-time out of making gelato for homegrown Whistler brand, Lucia Gelato.

“We were just always over [at my grandmother’s] after school and on holidays, and she would always be cooking and baking and we would help out,” Stone recalled. “She didn’t cook very fancy. It was all your basic meat and vegetables and that sort of stuff, but everything was always great and everyone enjoyed dinners around there as well. It was the central location for our family to meet up.”

then I take my ideas from there and switch up the menu every couple of weeks to keep it different for people,” Stone said. “I make everything from scratch myself; nothing is brought in. I make it all.”

Stone draws on her ample experience to craft menus from a variety of cuisines and influences.

“It’s a fusion of flavours,” she said. “I take flavours from around the world, so

as simple as reheating.

In a fast-paced tourist town like Whistler, Stone saw a niche that needed filling.

“My thoughts were people are either working a lot, so they may not have time to cook for themselves, or they’re here to have fun, be outside and enjoy themselves, but can still have something homemade that they wouldn’t have necessarily made themselves,” she said.

There’s no question meal delivery kits went mainstream in the pandemic. According to market research firm, the NPD Group, pre-COVID, less than one out of every seven Canadian households had ordered a meal kit. In 2020, that figure rose to nearly one in four—a 50-per-cent increase.

Currently, Molly’s Meals delivers on Saturday afternoons and, starting July 19, Wednesdays as well. Orders need to be placed at least 48 hours in advance.

Learn more, and order, at mollysmeals.ca. n

MEALS ON WHEELS Erin Stone, who has cooked in Whistler kitchens for the past 16 years, has officially launched her new culinary delivery service, Molly’s Meals.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

“It’s a fusion of flavours. I take flavours from around the world, so sometimes it might be Mexican flavours in there, for example.”

- ERIN STONE

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)

Bedouin Soundclash returning to Whistler after five-year absence

THE JUNO-WINNING BAND GRACES WHISTLER OLYMPIC PLAZA ON JULY 14

BY DAVID SONG

JAY MALINOWSKI and Eon Sinclair are not ones to rest on their laurels. For more than 20 years, they have blended different instruments, genres and styles together in an eclectic mosaic that defies traditional definitions. Their band, Bedouin Soundclash, has earned Juno nods, pumped out many a Top 10 radio hit, and continues today to be a genuine example of musical diversity.

On July 14, Bedouin Soundclash brings its award-winning act to Whistler Olympic Plaza in the next leg of the municipality’s Summer Concert Series.

A SERENDIPITOUS BEGINNING

Bedouin Soundclash’s range stems in large part from the differing backgrounds of its frontmen. Malinowski met Sinclair at Queen’s University: they were both 18 years old and happened to be living in the same dormitory.

Their meeting was pure luck, their tastes in music divergent. Malinowski grew up listening to punk rock and reggae, but Sinclair had never heard of bands like The Specials or The Clash—nor was Malinowski familiar with his new acquaintance’s vast dancehall collection. Nonetheless, they began playing together, realized they were striking the same chords, and decided to keep it up.

Bedouin Soundclash was born from the partnership of Malinowski’s vocals and

guitar play with Sinclair’s bass skills. Other band members have come and gone, but the men remain lifelong friends who keep each other sharp.

“We’re very different people, so that helps,” Malinowski says. “It’s really hard to work with someone who’s exactly like you.”

Although music was his first love, Malinowski was admittedly “not good at listening to instruction” in high school. He pivoted, studying painting in postsecondary, and had a gallery deal in place upon completing his art degree. Yet there was something about interior decorating for rich lawyers and businessmen in Toronto that left him wanting more in life—something that only a musical career could provide.

“My gallery dealer told me: if you start [playing music], your art career is over,” Malinowski recalls. He did it anyway.

eight years later.

“We went around the world in 2010, and I think we were just exhausted,” says Malinowski. “There’s only so much a band can do until it has to take a break for everyone’s health.”

THE SECOND ACT

For a time, the band members went their own ways. Malinowski established his own solo act, Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast, and wrote an e-book titled Skulls & Bones: 14 Letters from a Sailor at the End of the World. Sinclair, meanwhile, re-entered the DJing scene in Toronto.

Both artists kept in touch. Their paths crossed again in 2016 when Malinowski wrote the song “Clockwork,” which struck him as Bedouin-worthy material. After many hours

mid-2010s for broadening his scope.

“I love writing songs, and I think every time you write one, you get better,” he says. “You know, the songs I wrote for [We Will Meet in a Hurricane] I think are the best Bedouin songs. Obviously I’m biased, I like the last things that we do more, but I do think the latest record is the strongest record we’ve put out.”

Malinowski and Sinclair are wellacquainted with Whistler, having performed as Bedouin Soundclash during the 2018 Summer Concert Series. Roughly a decade prior to that, they played what they would describe as a “wild show” up at Olympic Station with American hip-hop group The Roots.

Plus, as a Vancouver native, Malinowski spent numerous weekends during his adolescence snowboarding and partying in Whistler. He looks back fondly on his childhood memories in the Sea to Sky, and looks forward to helping fans make memories of their own.

“Over the course of 20 years, I’ve realized how valuable community is in music, or with whatever you do creatively,” says Malinowski. “It’s more or less free, it doesn’t take up any space, it’s not an object … there’s something very different about it than a lot of different arts, and I find that that’s what’s always attracted me.

The inaugural Bedouin Soundclash album, Root Fire, dropped in 2001, and paved the way for Sounding a Mosaic, Malinowski and Sinclair’s critically acclaimed second effort. Their first Juno Award for Canada’s Best New Group followed in 2006, and two more Juno nominations came in 2008.

Then, in 2011, Bedouin Soundclash stepped away from the music industry. Their next album would not materialize until

of recording in New Orleans and Vancouver, “Clockwork” became part of their comeback album: MASS.

While Bedouin Soundclash is still very much the same band that formed more than two decades ago, it has evolved, as have its leading men. Malinowski, in particular, feels his songwriting abilities have grown leaps and bounds, and he credits working with classical musicians in the

“Anyone is able to tell you if they like [a song] or not and there’s no context needed. You don’t need a degree, you don’t need anything—you can just be like, ‘I like this, it resonates with me,’ and [music] resonates with people around the world.”

DJ J to the U will perform an opening act on July 14 at 6:30 p.m. before Bedouin Soundclash takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. n

SOUND OFF Jay Malinowski (left) and Eon Sinclair founded Bedouin Soundclash in 2000, and have been recognized with multiple Juno nominations, and one win, for their work.

PHOTO BY STEPH MONTANI

“There’s only so much a band can do until it has to take a break for everyone’s health.”

- JAY MALINOWSKI

Ira Pettle named finalist for Children’s Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards

PETTLE RELEASED HIS FIRST ALBUM, A LITTLE BIT, IN DECEMBER

BY DAVID SONG

LAST DECEMBER, Ira Pettle crossed an item off his bucket list when he launched his debut album, A Little Bit. Co-written with Norman Foote, the album features an eclectic mix of genres across its 10 songs and is aimed at audiences young and old.

The record made some waves, and now Pettle finds himself a finalist for Children’s Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards.

Pettle, a newcomer to the music industry, doesn’t fully grasp the gravity of such a nomination or what it could mean for him going forward. He does understand that it’s a big deal—and it was enough to move him to tears.

“I got an email that said I’d been nominated, and I just started crying,” Pettle admits. “I just didn’t know how to even process that. I’m kind of in shock.”

AN ORGANIC PROCESS

The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out Pettle’s performance commitments for a time, but gave him something just as valuable—a cleared calendar and the opportunity to hunt down a very old dream. That dream, of course, was to make original music: something he had flirted with since childhood. At 45 years of age, Pettle finally decided to step up to the plate and take a swing at recording his own album.

Foote, a Juno-nominated musician, played no small role in helping Pettle refine the raw materials in his head into pure melodies and tempered lyrics.

“It was a very organic process,” Pettle remembers. “The answers weren’t known

in advance of the songs being created. We didn’t know we were going to end up with 10 songs. A whole bunch of the melodies that ended up happening, we didn’t know those were going to be the melodies until we discovered them.”

Though he’s primarily known as a children’s entertainer, Pettle didn’t craft A Little Bit with any particular demographic in mind. The album is simply a musical expression of a time in his life, its lyrics rich with deep and honest messaging for those willing to look. It’s also laid-back, conversational listening full to the brim with youthful energy: Barenaked Ladies meets Jack Johnson meets Pettle, in a manner of speaking.

Anyone with both the passion and the aptitude to work with children and youth on a regular basis understands one thing: kids are young, not stupid. Of course, they can be immature and may lack in life experience, but they are also far more intelligent and perceptive than a dismissive adult may assume. Pettle keeps this truth front of mind, and he never tries to dumb down any of his content.

“When people ask me, how are you so good with kids, my answer is pretty simple: I listen to them. I respect them. I don’t treat them like children. I treat them like young people, and they respond to that,” Pettle explains.

“That’s the magic secret: just respect them as human beings, not any less.”

‘I FELT THE MAGIC’

For as long as he can remember, Pettle has been drawn towards young people. He feels that, through interacting with them, he can connect with his inner child and keep himself

PET SOUNDS Whistler’s Ira Pettle doing his thing onstage. Pettle is a finalist for Children’s Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Jam-packed lineup of theatre, music and comedy announced for Whistler’s 12th annual Flag Stop Festival

THE GRASSROOTS EVENTS KICKS OFF AUG. 8 AND 9 IN FLORENCE PETERSEN PARK, FOLLOWED BY MORE LAKESIDE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE POINT AUG. 11 AND 12

BY BRANDON BARRETT

WHISTLER’S BELOVED grassroots event, the Flag Stop Theatre & Arts Festival, returns for its 12th edition next month with a robust lineup of gripping theatre, side-splitting comedy, and dancefloor-packing live music.

For the second year in a row, Flag Stop will bring the festivities beyond its traditional lakeside home at The Point Artist-Run Centre, kicking off Tuesday, Aug. 8 and Wednesday, Aug. 9 with live bands, a homegrown comedy troupe, a guided walk, and free children’s entertainment, all at Florence Petersen Park in Whistler Village.

The outdoor evening shows will feature bands Dustin Bentall & The Blue Wranglers, Whistler’s own Introduce Wolves, Balkan Shmalkan, the Lil’wat Nation’s Spiritual Warriors, and DJs, as well as Travis the Magician. Also on tap is the locally produced comedy variety show Laugh Out LIVE!, fresh off its sold-out second season, and a hilarious walk through the woods led by actor and comedian Jacques Lalonde. In the afternoon, there will also be free children’s entertainment

and performances.

“Enjoy a folk festival atmosphere in the centre of Whistler Village with stages, food tables, beer and wine garden and a spectacular lineup of entertainment,” read a release from the Point Artist-Run Centre’s artistic director, Stephen Vogler.

IRA PETTLE FROM PAGE 39

young at heart. Yet he is just as capable of catering to a more mature audience, for instance with his adults-only comedy show Laugh Out LIVE.

Pettle’s versatility stems in part from his theatre background. The Thornhill, Ont. native trained as a performer at The Second City’s Toronto location and the Randolph College for The Performing Arts. Shortly after graduation, he was poised to begin his career but decided first to drive to the West Coast and dip his toes in the Pacific Ocean with a friend.

That jaunt was 13 years ago. Pettle has called the Sea to Sky home ever since.

It all started when a woman he’d just met asked him to be her date at a wedding in

Resume your Flag Stop festivities at The Point on Alta Lake on Friday, Aug. 11 and Saturday, Aug. 12 with the stage premiere of two original plays, one by Whistler playwright Karen McLeod and the other by North Vancouver writer John McGie, all staged on Flag Stop’s unique floating stage. That will

be followed by dinner and dancing to two live bands (TBA) inside the historic lodge. [Full disclosure: The author of this article is performing as part of this year’s festival.] For more information, and to buy tickets, visit thepointartists.com/events/flag-stoptheatre-arts-festival. ■

Whistler. Pettle agreed to go. The following morning, he walked to the base of Whistler Gondola, realizing he yearned to explore more of the majestic mountains all around.  Pettle found a job and a six-week sublet in town that same September day. Mere months after the 2010 Olympics put Whistler on the map for good, he made it his home without knowing anyone or anything in the area.

“I felt the magic, if you will,” he says. “I felt something that was like, you know: this could be a place where I could create. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I felt something that made me stay.”

In time, Pettle established himself in the Sea to Sky as a family entertainer, putting on a variety of acts including the DJ Ira Dance

Party. He continues to use his theatre training today by developing his debut record into a musical theatre production, A Little Bit, Live!, while he teased a second album to come in the next year or two.

Youngsters and grown-ups may enjoy his stuff in different ways, for different reasons, but Pettle isn’t too concerned about that.

“Our job as creators is to just create and let the people consume it however they will,” he says. “I don’t take for granted the role that I play in the world as a performing artist … to get people feeling and thinking and moving. Maybe this [Western Canadian Music Awards] nomination will open up some doors for me, but for the most part, I’m not doing it for the money.” ■

Artist Dinner Series

Presents

A Summer Taste & Tour of Japanese Art Manabu Ikeda + Chef Koji Chiba

Experience an elevated and intimate evening of fine dining. This all-inclusive dinner includes a signature cocktail reception, six-course Japanese menu and an exclusive tour of Manabu Ikeda: Flowers from the Wreckage .

For pricing, booking and more information, visit audainartmuseum.com/manabu-ikeda-koji-chiba/

Photo credits: Oisin McHugh

ARTS SCENE

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

MOVIES IN THE PLAZA

JUL8-15

MOVIES IN THE PLAZA: COOL RUNNINGS

Make Movies in the Plaza your new summer tradition and get cosy on the Great Lawn at Whistler Olympic Plaza for a cinematic experience under the stars. Movies are scheduled on select Wednesday and Saturday evenings this summer and are free to watch. There is a free bike valet available on site. Showing on Saturday, July 15 is the winter-sports classic, Cool Runnings

> July 15, 8 p.m.

> Whistler Olympic Plaza

> Free

SUNDAY CONCERT SERIES AT THE POINT: THE COURAGEOUS MOUNTAIN RANGERS

This summer, The Point Artist-Run Centre features live outdoor concerts on Sundays under the lakeside tent or inside the Heritage Lodge. Enjoy top musical acts from Whistler, the Sea to Sky and Vancouver while enjoying a drink from the bar and taking in the beautiful lakeside scenery.

Are you yearning for some hard-driving bluegrass, latin jazz, Texas swing, maybe a Ween cover, and plenty of originals?! Come on down for The Courageous Mountain Rangers on July 16.

> July 16, 3 to 6 p.m.

> the Point Artist-Run Centre

> $15

HEAR AND NOW: IN THE PARK

Join us for a live and local music series every Sunday from July 9 to September 3 in Rebagliati Park*.

Immerse yourself in diverse genres, connect with fellow music lovers, and let the melodies transport you to a world of sonic delight. Don’t miss this vibrant community experience where live music meets the beauty of nature.

These concerts are free and everyone is welcome.

*Due to grass maintenance in Rebagliati Park, the July 16 concert will be at Lost Lake Park.

Catch JennaMae & The Groove Section on July 16 and Stephen Vogler & The West Coast Front on July 23.

> July 16 to Sept. 3, 1 to 3 p.m.

> Lost Lake Park (July 16), Rebagliati Park (July 23-Sept. 3)

> Free

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.

On July 16, the choir will sing “About Damn Time” by Lizzo. A bonus session is planned for July 18 at the Pemberton and District Public Library, where the choir will sing “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper. Find more info at facebook.com/groups/barbedchoir.

> July 16 & 18

> Whistler Public Library, Pemberton and District Public Library

> Free

PHOTO BY DOUG RYAN

PURE TALENT Nancy Knapton is a woman of many talents. Here she is bartending a beautiful backyard wedding in Creekside on Saturday, July 8 after styling the hair of some of the guests. PHOTO BY CATHERINE POWER-CHARTRAND 2 ABBEY ROAD Pemberton resident Mark Mendonca of Grimms Gourmet and Deli captured this “once-in-a-lifetime” shot of a mom and three cubs recreating a famous Beatles album cover in Spud Valley on July 10. PHOTO BY MARK MENDONCA 3 BLOWN AWAY A brief windstorm on Thursday, July 6 took out some trees in Whistler Village. PHOTO BY CHRIS STARCK / @STARCKPHOTOGRAPHY 4 PARTY HARD Creekside Market store manager Kent Dawson gives a speech at the store’s summer staff party held at Whistler Brewing on July

PHOTO BY TESSA SWEENEY 5 DOUBLE TROUBLE Pique’s art director Jon Parris and Teebo prep for a bike ride. Excellent form, JP. PHOTO BY JON PARRIS

Fishing at Alta Lake

BY ALLYN PRINGLE

BEFORE WHISTLER became a ski resort, Alta Lake was known as a summer and fishing destination, drawing visitors and summer residents each year to join the relatively small population of residents who stayed in the area year-round. Summers were busy, and groups such as the Alta Lake Community Club (ALCC) and Alta Lake Sailing Club regularly hosted events during the season, including dances, regattas, and a Fish Derby.

Fishing was a popular activity for both residents and visitors to Alta Lake, and getting to eat what they caught could turn into a social occasion. For David Fairhurst, whose parents owned Cypress Lodge and who was a child at Alta Lake in the 1960s and 1970s, fishing was also something to do at a time when there were relatively few children in the area and very few organized activities. As David remembered in an interview earlier this year, “You could go and do your own thing… Myself, I used to spend a lot of time fishing, tromping around the creeks and the lakes and stuff.”

According to Carol Fairhurst, her brother grew up fishing from “the day that he could see a fish,” and he and their father would be out in a boat fishing all the time. Both David and Carol remember there being lots of fish. As David recalled, “Every body of water was teeming with fish,” and he would catch rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, bull trout, and kokanee. Most of the fish that David remembered catching were average-sized trout, though he did remember a few rainbow trout that were 16- to 18-inches long, which were considered “really big fish.”

Some of the fish would be eaten fresh, some frozen, and others smoked. This abundance of fish meant that the freezers at Cypress Lodge and the Fairhurst family

home would sometimes fill up. Florence Petersen, who was a close friend of the Fairhurst family, wrote in 2006 that “Knowing that Andy [Petersen] liked to barbecue fish on the hibachi, David would come over every so often to ask if it was ‘time for a fish fry?’ We knew that this was the sign that he needed another freezer to store his catch!”

Fish fries were a good reason for a get-together, whether it was an informal gathering of friends or an official event organized by the ALCC. Carol recalled taking either a dock with a motor or a boat out on Alta Lake and motoring around while people caught fish and they barbecued them on the spot.

John Burge, whose family first stayed at Cypress Lodge in 1956 and then built their own cabin to visit each summer, remembered the ALCC Fish Derby and the big community fish fries that would happen at the end of the summer. Though John didn’t enjoy fishing, his parents did. According to him, “If they got a big fish, they would … take it to Dick [Fairhurst] at Cypress Lodge and it would be frozen. Whoever got the biggest fish would win a prize at the end of the summer.” Though he didn’t recall the specific prize, the 1959 ALCC newsletter announced that the Fish Derby prize would be $10 for the largest rainbow trout caught in Alta Lake “by any legal method.” All of the fish that had been saved from July through September would be thawed and cooked, and eaten on the grass at the Cypress Lodge point.

As skiing and winters became more popular, fishing and summers became less prominent. Today, there are not as many fish in the lakes and creeks, and all fishing in Whistler is now catch-and-release. Fishing is no longer the main draw for visitors, but other activities like mountain biking have once again made summer a busy season for the area. n

WHAT A CATCH Dick Fairhurst’s mother, Elizabeth Fairhurst, shows how it’s done. FAIRHURST COLLECTION

Free Will Astrology

WEEK OF JULY 14

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Many astrologers enjoy meditating on the heavenly body Chiron. With an orbit between Saturn and Uranus, it is an anomalous object that has qualities of both a comet and a minor planet. Its name is derived from a character in ancient Greek myth: the wisest teacher and healer of all the centaurs. Chiron is now in the sign of Aries and will be there for a while. Let’s invoke its symbolic power to inspire two quests in the coming months: 1. Seek a teacher who excites your love of life. 2. Seek a healer who alleviates any hurts that interfere with your love of life.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s high time for some high culture! You are in a phase to get rich benefits from reading Shakespeare, listening to Beethoven, and enjoying paintings by Matisse and Picasso. You’d also benefit lavishly from communing with the work of virtuosos like Mozart, Michelangelo, and novelist Haruki Murakami. However, I think you would garner even greater emotional treasures from reading Virginia Woolf, listening to Janelle Monáe’s music, and enjoying Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings. For extra credit, get cosy with the books of Simone Weil, listen to Patti Smith’s music, and see Frida Kahlo’s art. If you read between the lines here, you understand I’m telling you that the most excellent thing to do for your mental and spiritual health is to commune with brilliant women artists, writers, and musicians.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The French phrase j’ajoute (translated as “I adjust”) is a chess term used when a player is about to adjust their pieces but does not yet intend to make a move. J’ajoute might be an apt motto for you to invoke in the coming days. You are not ready to make major shifts in the way you play the games you’re involved in. But it’s an excellent time to meditate on that prospect. You will gain clarity and refine your perspective if you tinker with and rearrange the overall look and feel of things.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Simpsons animated show has been on TV for 34 seasons. Ten-year-old Bart Simpson is one of the stars. He is a mischievous rascal who’s ingenious in defying authority. Sometimes teachers catch him in his rebellious acts and punish him by making him write apologetic affirmations on the classroom blackboard. For example: “I will not strut around like I own the place. I will not obey the voices in my head. I will not express my feelings through chaos. I will not trade pants with others. I will not instigate revolution. I am not deliciously saucy. I cannot absolve sins. Hot dogs are not bookmarks.” In accordance with your unruly astrological omens, Cancerian, I authorize you to do things Bart said he wouldn’t do. You have a license to be deliciously saucy.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Early in her career, Leo actor Lisa Kudrow endured disappointments. She auditioned for the TV show Saturday Night Live, but wasn’t chosen. She was cast as a main character in the TV show Frasier, but was replaced during the filming of the pilot episode. A few months later, though, she landed a key role in the new TV show Friends. In retrospect, she was glad she got fired from Frasier so she could be available for Friends. Frasier was popular, but Friends was a super hit. Kudrow won numerous awards for her work on the show and rode her fame to a successful film career. Will there be a Frasier moment for you in the coming months, dear Leo? That’s what I suspect. So keep the faith.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The coming weeks will be a good time to seek helpful clues and guidance from your nightly dreams. Take steps to remember them—maybe keep a pen and notebook next to your bed. Here are a few possible dream scenes and their meanings. 1. A dream of planting a tree means you’re primed to begin a project that will grow for years. 2. A dream of riding in a spaceship suggests you yearn to make your future come more alive in your life. 3. A dream of taking a long trip or standing on a mountaintop may signify you’re ready to come to new

BY ROB BREZSNY

conclusions about your life story. (PS: Even if you don’t have these specific dreams, the interpretations I offered are still apt.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In reviewing the life work of neurologist and author Oliver Sacks, critic Patricia Holt said he marvelled at how “average people not only adapt to injury and disease but also create something transcendent out of a condition others call disability.” Sacks specialized in collaborating with neurological patients who used their seeming debilitations “to uncover otherwise unknown resources and create lives of originality and innovation.” I bring this up, Libra, because I suspect that in the coming months, you will have extra power to turn your apparent weaknesses or liabilities into assets.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s a mistake to believe we must ration our love as if we only have so much to offer. The fact is, the more love we give, the more we have available to give. As we tap into our deepest source of generosity, we discover we have greater reserves of it than we imagined. What I’ve just said is always true, but it’s especially apropos for you right now. You are in a phase when you can dramatically expand your understanding of how many blessings you have to dole out.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Home computers didn’t become common until the 1980s. During the previous decade, small start-up companies with adventurous experimenters did the grunt work that made the digital revolution possible. Many early adapters worked out of garages in the Silicon Valley area of Northern California. They preferred to devote their modest resources to the actual work rather than to fancy labs. I suspect the coming months will invite you to do something similar, Sagittarius: to be discerning about how you allocate your resources as you plan and implement your vigorous transformations.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I’m tempted to call this upcoming chapter of your life story “The Partial Conquest of Loneliness.” Other good titles might be “Restoration of Degraded Treasure” or “Turning a Confusing Triumph into a Gratifying One” or “Replacing a Mediocre Kind of Strength with the Right Kind.” Can you guess that I foresee an exciting and productive time for you in the coming weeks? To best prepare, drop as many expectations and assumptions as you can so you will be fully available for the novel and sometimes surprising opportunities. Life will offer you fresh perspectives.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): By 1582, the inexact old Julian calendar used by the Western world for 13 centuries was out of whack because it had no leap years. The spring equinox was occurring too early, on March 10. Pope Gregory commissioned scientists who devised a more accurate way to account for the passage of time. The problem was that the new calendar needed a modification that required the day after October 4 to be October 15. Eleven days went missing—permanently. People were resentful and resistant, though eventually all of Europe made the conversion. In that spirit, Aquarius, I ask you to consider an adjustment that requires a shift in habits. It may be inconvenient at first, but will ultimately be good for you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean novelist Peter De Vries wrote, “Sometimes I write drunk and revise sober, and sometimes I write sober and revise drunk. But you have to have both elements in creation—the Apollonian and the Dionysian, or spontaneity and restraint, emotion and discipline.” In the coming weeks, you Pisces folks will be skilled at weaving these modes as you practice what you love to do. You’ll be a master of cultivating dynamic balance; a wizard of blending creativity and organization; a productive change-maker who fosters both structure and morale.

Homework: What’s the best gift you could give yourself right now? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates EXPANDED

AUDIO HOROSCOPES

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

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OPEN HOUSE

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When: Saturday, July 22nd, 2 - 5 pm

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Prospect Place Pemberton is a 59-unit townhome proposal located a short walk from the downtown amenities and businesses in Pemberton. Our proposal contemplates a mix of 3 Bedroom + Den, 3 Bedroom, and 2 Bedroom units, The land encompassing Prospect Place Pemberton is identified within the Village of Pemberton Official Community Plan as Residential Zoning

If you can’t make one of the information sessions, check us out on our website at Prospectplacepemberton.ca, send us an email, we want to hear your thoughts and answer your questions

Developer contact: Hannah van Mook

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Services

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Group Fitness Classes

Fridays – Gentle Fit

12 - 1 pm w Diana

Saturdays – Low Impact

9 - 10 am w Hazel

Mondays – Mountain Ready

7:30 - 8:30 am w Steve

Tuesdays – Strength & Mobility

7:30 - 8:30 am w Anna

Wednesdays – Walk ‘n’ Workout

Come

We

are hiring Temporary Placement - July to November https://bit.ly/3pqmrV2 WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING: PERKS & BENEFITS: YOUR EXPERIENCE & SKILLS: • Responsible for Tour Account Billing and handling guest inquiries • Additional tasks may include Group Billing, Attending Group PreConvention Meetings and Investigating Charge-backs • Posting cash Mail Receipts • Other duties as assigned

Environmental Coordinator (Regular, Full-time)

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

The Environmental Services department provides water systems, sewer systems, solid waste management, street lighting systems, flood and debris flow structures, parks and trails development and services, building and facility management, and capital infrastructure projects for the four electoral areas of the Regional District.

The SLRD is seeking an organized, self-motivated individual with great interpersonal skills to fill the position of Environmental Coordinator. Reporting to the Director of Environmental Services, the Environmental Coordinator is responsible for the administration and coordination of activities that support the delivery of the SLRD’s utility and environmental services.

The ideal candidate will possess a degree or diploma in an environmental discipline or related field and a minimum of 3 years of recent administration experience in a local government or engineering environment. An equivalent combination of experience and education supplemented by business, computer and/or public administration courses may be considered. For further information, please refer to the full job description at www.slrd.bc.ca/employment. Salary will be determined commensurate with experience. This position also offers a comprehensive benefits package, participation in the Municipal Pension Plan, a compressed work week (9-day fortnight) and flexible work from home opportunities.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their cover letter and resume (preferably in pdf format) by email to careers@slrd.bc.ca. This posting will remain open until filled, with application review commencing on July 17, 2023.

8:50 - 10 am w M-A

Thursdays – Mnt Ready

7:30 - 8:30 am w Anna

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Email

details

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

» piquenewsmagazine.com/jobs PLAY HERE

Why Work at Whistler Waldorf School?

•

Current Opportunity

Senior Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Operator Full Time, Permanent (CUPE 2010)

Responsible for the operation and maintenance of our Class II Waste Water Treatment facility, we’re looking for candidates who are comfortable working independently and understand the health and safety measures related to WWTP operations.

Join the Village of Pemberton team and give back to this incredible community by being a part of the exciting projects taking place throughout the Village. In addition to the satisfaction of giving back to the community, take a look at what our benefit package has to offer for all full time, permanent staff:

9-Day Fortnight - BC Municipal Pension Plan - Extended Medical Benefits - Dental Coverage - Vision Benefits - Free Fitness Centre access - Keeping it Active Allowance

Interested? Send your resume to recruiting@pemberton.ca. For a full job description or to learn more, visit pemberton.ca/employment

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District

quotations for miscellaneous services including moving of boxes and basic carpentry (including building and assembling shelves) at our Pemberton office. A minimum of two people are required for this work (one day).

Please email quotes, including August availability, to: planning@slrd.bc.ca with Moving/ Carpentry Assistance in the subject line.

Deadline July 31, 2023 @ 4:30pm.

Lil’wat Nation Employment Opportunities

Ullus Community Center

Transition House Support Worker Family Enhancement Worker

Skel7awlh Steward – Lands & Resources

Financial Reporting Manager

FireSmart Coordinator

GIS Technician & Administrative Assistant

Lil’wat

Operations Manager

Xetolacw Community School

Custodian

Please visit our career page for more information: https://lilwat.ca/careers/

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We are seeking individuals with a passion for providing exceptional vacation experiences for our Owners and Guests.

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Guest Service Agent Night Auditor

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

For more information on all we have to offer, please visit

Position Title: Program and Contracts Manager

Location: Mount Currie, BC (Hybrid negotiable)

Type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: $65,000 to $75,000 (Based on experience)

Other Benefits: SSHS offers a competitive benefits and employment package for full-time staff

Closing Date: July 31, 2023

About Us: SSHS is a non-profit Indigenous Health Organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Indigenous communities. Our organization provides culturally appropriate healthcare services, programs, and initiatives to support the holistic health of Indigenous individuals and families.

Position Overview: Southern Stl’atl’imx Health Society (SSHS) is seeking a highly motivated and skilled full-time Program and Contracts Manager to join our Indigenous non-profit health organization. The Program and Contracts Manager will play a pivotal role in overseeing and managing various programs and contracts and agreements aimed at improving the health and well-being of the four communities that SSHS serves: N’Quatqua, Samahquam, Skatin, and Xa’xtsa First Nations. This position requires exceptional organizational skills, strong leadership abilities, and an indepth understanding of Indigenous culture and health issues. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of programs, managing contracts, agreements, and partnerships, and supporting the organization's mission “to honour the health of The People by working together to deliver holistic health services”.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Management:

• Develop, implement, and monitor programs and initiatives focused on improving health outcomes for Indigenous communities.

• Collaborate with internal teams, community partners, and stakeholders and Rightsholders to ensure programs align with community health plans, community needs, and organizational goals.

• Establish and track program goals, objectives, and performance metrics to evaluate program effectiveness.

• Oversee project and program work plans, program budgets, resource allocation, and ensure compliance with funding requirements, including quantitative and qualitative reporting.

Contract Management:

• Lead the development, negotiation, and management of contracts with funders, government agencies, and other partners.

• Ensure compliance with contract terms, deliverables, and reporting requirements.

• Monitor contract performance, including budget management and tracking of key milestones.

• Collaborate with finance and legal teams to ensure contractual obligations and documentation are in place.

• Collaborate with team leads across the various programs to complete required reporting (financial and narrative).

• Maintain a reporting tracker that can be shared with the Health Director and board of directors as required.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field (e.g., public health, Indigenous studies, business administration, social work) is preferred but not mandatory. Master's degree is an asset.

• Demonstrated experience in program/project management, contract management, or a related field (2+ years), preferably within the Indigenous health sector. Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate is an asset but not mandatory.

• In-depth understanding of Indigenous health issues, cultural sensitivity, and experience working with Indigenous communities.

• Strong project management skills, including the ability to develop and manage budgets, timelines, and deliverables.

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders.

• Strong leadership and team management abilities, with a collaborative and inclusive approach.

• Proven ability to build and maintain partnerships with Indigenous organizations, community leaders, and funders.

• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Proficiency in relevant computer applications and software.

For a list of all position responsibilities, qualifications and any other special requirements, please refer to www.sshs.ca for an exhaustive job description.

Please submit resume and cover letter by email to Julia Schneider, Executive Assistant to the Interim Health Director, at julia.schneider@sshs.ca.

Please include in the subject line your name and the position you are applying for.

Thank you for your interest!

JOB POSTING: PROGRAM AND CONTRACTS MANAGER

JOB POSTING: BOOKKEEPER

Journalist

Pique Newsmagazine has a rare opportunity for an experienced and committed journalist to cover local news, politics and First Nations issues while working with a team based in North America’s premier mountain resort.

The successful candidate will be tasked with covering the Lil’wat Nation and the Village of Pemberton—neighbouring communities with a unique relationship, both of which are growing substantially year over year.

The candidate will produce 8-10 relevant news stories per week, as well as at least four cover features during an initial one-year term of employment. The role includes some evening and weekend coverage, and the successful candidate will be required to be in the Mount Currie and Pemberton area regularly.

You have a degree in journalism, are passionate about news and politics, and have a sense of what makes a compelling local news story. You seek to engage and inform your community in print and online platforms, and use social media effectively. You are self-motivated, efficient and deadline driven, with a curious, critical mind and an acute attention to detail. You are able to work well both on your own and with a team.

Ideally, you have experience in covering First Nations, municipal council, elections, and governments at all levels. Other relevant skills include copy editing, long-form feature writing, video editing, and Instagram posting and story creation.

The stories you produce will be shared on Pique Newsmagazine’s website and social channels, as well as those of our sister publications and through other news outlets as part of the federal government’s Local Journalism Initiative.

This is a 12-month position funded through the federal government’s Local Journalism Initiative.

Located in the mountain resort town of Whistler, British Columbia, Pique Newsmagazine is the unequivocal leader in reporting, interpreting and understanding the culture of the Coast Mountains and what it means to those who live, work and play in Whistler.

At 29 years young, we’ve established ourselves as the locals’ publication that is inquisitive and edgy, provoking conversation and building community. With our peers we’re acknowledged perennial winners at the BC & Yukon Community Newsmedia Awards (BCYCNA) and Canadian Community Newsmedia Awards (CCNA) for general excellence and reporting categories, as well as several Webster Awards honours over the years.

We’re known for our unique artsy design, weekly long-form features and comprehensive news coverage, but of course our reach is global, with loyal readers from all over the world who come to piquenewsmagazine.com daily for the best Whistler storytelling and news source.

To apply, send your resume, clippings, or other relevant materials, as well as a cover letter making the case for why we should hire you, by 4 p.m. on July 21 to: Braden Dupuis at bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com

Position Title: Bookkeeper

Location: Mount Currie, BC (Virtual or Hybrid negotiable)

Type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: $48,000 to $52,000 (Based on experience)

Other Benefits: SSHS offers a competitive benefits and employment package for full-time staff

Closing Date: July 31, 2023

About Us: SSHS is a non-profit Indigenous Health Organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Indigenous communities. Our organization provides culturally appropriate healthcare services, programs, and initiatives to support the holistic health of Indigenous individuals and families.

Position Overview: We are seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Bookkeeper to join our team. As the Bookkeeper, you will be responsible for helping manage the financial records and transactions of our organization, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and financial stability.

Key Responsibilities:

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and general ledger.

• Process invoices, receipts, payments, and other financial transactions in a timely manner.

• Assist in preparing and reconciling financial statements, conducting audits, and generating financial reports.

• Assist in budget preparation, monitoring, and financial analysis.

• Collaborate with the Health Director and team members to develop and implement effective financial processes and procedures.

• Ensure compliance with financial regulations and internal policies.

Qualifications:

• A degree, diploma or certificate in Accounting, Finance, or a related field is an asset but not required.

• Previous experience as a Bookkeeper or in a similar financial role, preferably in a non-profit organization or healthcare sector.

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles and financial regulations.

• Proficiency in accounting software (Sage50 an asset) and MS Office Suite, particularly Excel.

• Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and time management.

• Satisfy requirements for a criminal record check.

For a list of all position responsibilities, qualifications and any other special requirements, please refer to www.sshs.ca for an exhaustive job description.

Please submit resume and cover letter by email to Julia Schneider, Executive Assistant to the Interim Health Director, at julia.schneider@sshs.ca. Please include in the subject line your name and the position you are applying for.

Thank you for your interest!

Protect your pooch this summer!

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With increasing temperatures, it is far too dangerous for dogs to be left in vehicles. Heat stroke, coma and death can result even with the windows left open.

HIRING WE ARE

Why work for us?

Bylaw Enforcement & Animal Control

Community Planning

Economic Development

Engineering

Facilities

Public Works

RCMP

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

• Community Patrol Officer – Casual/On-Call (Multiple Positions)

• Plan Checker – Temporary Full-Time

• Plan Examiner 2 – Regular Full-Time

• Business Development Specialist – Regular Part-Time

• Engineering Technician – Regular Full-Time

• Assistant Manager of Facilities – Regular Full-Time

• Utilities Technologist – Regular Full-Time

• Utilities Operator In Training (OIT) – Temporary FullTime (2 positions)

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

• Detachment Clerk – Casual/On-Call

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

• Recreation Program Leader- Biking - Temporary PartTime (4 positions)

Recreation

• Recreation Program Instructor 1 – Biking – Temporary Part-Time (3 positions)

• Recreation Program Leader - Temporary Part-Time (multiple positions)

• Recreation Program Instructor 1 – Biking – Casual/OnCall (Multiple Positions)

Senior Management

Legislative Services

• Director of Human Resources – Regular Full-Time

• Clerk 4 – Regular Full-Time

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.

squamish.ca/careers

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

Fine dining experience is an asset but if you have a passion for food, are hard working and willing to learn, we would love to hear from you.

LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

Canadians deserve better

GROWING UP in the U.S., a political junkie from a young age, I was drawn to Thomas Jefferson. He was an intelligent firebrand. His writings on human rights and freedoms helped spawn the American Revolutionary War. He was the principal hand that drafted the Declaration of Independence. He died on the fourth of July. Good trick.

I wasn’t impressed with the disconnect between his words about all men being created equal and his ownership of men and women, but what wealthy, Virginia

BY G.D. MAXWELL

plantation owner didn’t? The eyes of the present are a poor judge of the mores of the past.

But I draw the line at his observation, “The government you elect is the government you deserve.” I don’t believe you or I deserve the government(s) that have been elected in recent memory. And while I can’t fault the tautological reasoning of the statement, one step back from the actual election is where the fault lies—do we really deserve the choices presented to us at election time?

In Canada, party leaders are chosen by a few “members” of each party, presented to the rest of us at election time and, as has been the case for as long as I remember, are elevated to the position of Prime Minister in an exercise best known as a selection of the lesser of two evils.

Is this really what we deserve?

Most Canadians apparently don’t think so. A recent Nanos Research poll, conducted for and reported by The Globe and Mail, underscores our current undeserved choices. Across the country, 53 per cent of those polled would like to see someone other than Justin Trudeau leading the Liberal party. And in the nothing-to-brag-about race, 51 per cent would like to see someone other than Pierre Poilievre spearheading the Conservative Party.

In a different time and different place, numbers like those would result in leaders falling on their swords... or staging a coup, suspending civil liberties and declaring themselves dictator for life. Gladly, we’re in this time and this place.

But those poll results are probably coloured by this time. To paraphrase Shakespeare’s Richard III, now is the summer of our discontent.

Every time we step into a grocery store it seems everything we want to buy costs more. Noticeably more. Painfully more, in many cases. Whether your tastes run to steak or KD, the jump in price seems to be relentless. The overwhelming food bank statistics across the country bear this out. And at the same time, we’re entertained, well, outraged, by the leaders of the grocery cartels telling Parliamentary committees they’re just makin’ ends meat

themselves... don’t bother to look at our stock prices, just listen to our lies.

Meanwhile, the country is, literally, on fire. From coast to coast to coast, unprecedented wildfires are devouring unprecedented amounts of forests, and doing so sooner in the year than historically. Staying with the juxtaposition of winter and summer, U.S. weather people now joke about the smoke coming down from Canada instead of winter’s cold. Or is that smoke just payback for all the

But our leaders continue to choose not to lead. They’d rather snipe at each other, try to score political points, drive a cultural wedge further and deeper into the national psyche, fiddle while Canada burns... or floods... or both.

We deserve this?

Digging deeper into the Nanos numbers, it would appear the PM has more to worry about than PP. Fewer than half the respondents who tend to vote Liberal, 42 per cent, want to see Justin

So how in the world do we deserve either of these leaders? The country celebrated passing the many-zeroed 40 million residents last month. That’s a pretty large number of people from which to choose party leaders. Despite the law of large numbers, you’d be hard-pressed to find any consensus on a person to replace either of the two leaders. And many people wouldn’t be able to even name a possible replacement.

The disengagement and dearth of choices is likely emblematic of our wonky first-past-the-post election system. It was not for no reason Trudeau’s first broken promise was to scrap that broken system. Without it, he wouldn’t be PM, and he wouldn’t be in a position to likely continue to be PM after the next election. On the other hand, our Parliament might well be as stable as, say, Italy’s.

acid rain they sent our way for decades? Either way, the amount of carbon dioxide released by wildfires is making a joke out of the puny efforts of people to reduce their own carbon footprints.

Many Canadians rate climate change high on their things-to-worry-about list. Many are freaked out about their inability to find and afford a place to live, whether they’re in the market to rent or buy. Wages and salaries can’t keep up with the cost of living. Immigration is either the solution or the problem, maybe both.

continue as leader. But it was only in May he said he was the guy who was going to be at the helm at the next election.

And despite his penchant to strengthen the impression he’s a wingnut every time he posts a video or opens his mouth, PP enjoys the support of 71 per cent of Conservative voters. Those numbers probably provide cold comfort, given the Conservative thumping in June’s four byelections and the undercurrent of Conservative voters who find his populist nonsense off-putting and too Trumpian.

Having “won” the last two elections with fewer votes—but more seats—than the Conservatives, and having hammered out a natural supply-and-confidence agreement with the NDP who, regardless of how slow and prodding they view the Liberals, understand they have a much better chance of influencing their policies than they ever will with the Conservatives, it remains very likely the outcome of the next election will be another Liberal minority government. With an even greater gap in the overall number of votes.

So whether we deserve the government we elect or whether we deserve better, we shall plod along in mediocrity toward an uncertain future. After all, we are Canadian. ■

[O]ur leaders continue to choose not to lead. They’d rather snipe at each other, try to score political points, drive a cultural wedge further and deeper into the national psyche…

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER J. MORRIS / GETTY IMAGES

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204 - 4360 Lorimer Road : Superb location, excellent investment! This one bdrm plus den in Marketplace Lodge offers two bathrooms, an open floorplan, gas fireplace and south facing deck. Flexible zoning allows nightly rental, full time rental and unlimited owner use. No GST! $1,339,000

Laura Wetaski 604-938-3798

9036 Riverside Drive: Beautiful newly completed timber frame home. Resting on a stunning 1.58 acre lot in the desirable community of WedgeWoods. Featuring 4 large bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms & a huge flex space. This home is an entertainers dream! $5,100,000

Kerry Batt PREC*

604-902-5422

314 - 4360 Lorimer Road: This beautifully renovated studio boasts a top-floor location with a full kitchen and cozy living room complete with a gas fireplace, includes brand-new furniture, flooring and appliances. Perfect for weekend getaways or nightly rentals. $839,000 + GST

Jody Wright

604-935-4680

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

Nick Swinburne PREC*

604-932-8899

313 - 2021 Karen Crescent: Whistler Creek Lodge has it all. Steps from all of the amenities Creekside has to offer. Live in this unit full time or rent it out nightly. Enjoy the outdoor pool and much more! $899,000

Maddi MacDonald

604-313-2029

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

whistler.evrealestate.com

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