Pique Newsmagazine 3052

DECEMBER 29, 2023 ISSUE 30.52

WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM

FREE THE JEANS

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of

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COST RECOVERY RMOW hikes fees for minor bylaw variances

15

SLOW START Local officials staying optimistic after dismal start to season

64

FINAL COUNTDOWN Whistler photographer named Red Bull Illume finalist

WHISTLER

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

60

64

36 Best of Whistler Presenting the best of Whistler’s best, as decided by Pique readers. - By Pique staff

14 COST RECOVERY

The cost of applying for a

30 TRANSIT TROUBLES

Some young people in

variance in Whistler is set to rise significantly after council voted to hike

Mount Currie say they are scared to use a local bus route due to antisocial

fees on Dec. 19.

behaviour.

15 SLOW START

Local officials are staying optimistic

about the weather after a dismal start to the 2023-24 ski season.

60 BOB AND WEAVE

Whistler bobsledder Talia

Melun is taking a large leap forward in her burgeoning career by qualifying for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.

18 WHEEL TALK

The Whistler Off Road Cycling Associa-

64 FINAL COUNTDOWN

Local photographer

tion is leaving another year in the dust and riding strong after 12 months

Mason Mashon crossed an item off his bucket list when he was named a

of normal operations.

Red Bull Illume finalist.

COVER Let 2024 be the year of the shit-eating grin! - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art 4 DECEMBER 29, 2023

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PH: (604) 938-0202 FAX: (604) 938-0201 www.piquenewsmagazine.com

Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com Editor BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@piquenewsmagazine.com Production Manager AMIR SHAHRESTANI - ashahrestani@piquenewsmagazine.com Art Director JON PARRIS - jparris@piquenewsmagazine.com Advertising Representatives TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com GEORGIA BUTLER - gbutler@wplpmedia.com Digital/Sales Coordinator KATIE DOUGLAS - kbechtel@wplpmedia.com Production - production@piquenewsmagazine.com Arts Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Reporters SCOTT TIBBALLS - stibballs@piquenewsmagazine.com RÓISÍN CULLEN - rcullen@piquenewsmagazine.com DAVID SONG - sports@piquenewsmagazine.com ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Classifieds and Reception - mail@piquenewsmagazine.com Office and Accounts Manager HEIDI RODE - hrode@wplpmedia.com Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, LESLIE ANTHONY, ANDREW MITCHELL,

NEW

NEW

THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Weekend Forecast Inside

Weekend Forec Ins

SEE PAGE 11 >>

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS

A fresh year ahead stands for possibility and hope, writes editor Braden

Dupuis—and hope is a wonderful thing to be addicted to.

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers call out the lack of regional transit in the Sea to Sky, and advocate for a new community centre in Whistler.

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST As 2023 splutters to a close, columnist Andrew Mitchell makes a case for optimism in the year ahead.

78 MAXED OUT Without further ado… the 2023 Maxies are here.

Environment & Adventure

34 RANGE ROVER Columnist Leslie Anthony reflects on a trip to Switzerland’s Hotel Chesa Grischuna—a creaking wooden edifice more icon than inn.

Lifestyle & Arts

62 FORK IN THE ROAD Glenda Bartosh serves up a nod to the past and some hope for the future with her “best of” foodstuff picks.

68 MUSEUM MUSINGS Whistler has hosted many elite competitions, from World Cup races for various sports to the Whistler Cup that celebrated its 30th edition earlier this year.

ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of Pacific Coastal Publishing Limited Partnership, a division of Glacier Media) distributed to over 150 locations from Squamish to D’arcy.

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OPENING REMARKS

Fifty-two weeks later “As long as the red dice are in the air, the gambler has hope. And hope is a wonderful thing to be addicted to.”

- Norm Macdonald

IT’S FUNNY HOW SMALL our lives can seem in retrospect.

All the big, unknown anxieties that cloud our futures look so harmless and unassuming when viewed in reverse—often leaving us to

BY BRADEN DUPUIS wonder what the hell we were so anxious about anyway.

I’ve always found something romantic in the preservation of personal history, and the nostalgia it invokes—even if I sometimes take my own personal documentation to near obsessive-compulsive lengths.

Case in point: In the final week of 2022, I took a scrap piece of paper and charted out the year ahead in Pique issues.

Once finished, I was left with a structured, empty outline just missing the specifics.

On the left was each issue number for the year ahead, separated by months. On the right, a long list of potential ideas for editorials.

Sitting there on the cusp of 2023, that blank sheet of paper represented in my mind near-limitless potential and possibility. Fiftytwo weeks of stories to tell; questions to pose; criticisms to level—the sublime, solitary moment between when the dice leave your hand and settle their faces upside on the table.

The graph became a fixture in my files for the next 12 months; an oddly satisfying ritualistic reflection of the year in progress,

filled out week by week.

Fifty-two weeks later, the mental roadmap is complete, ready to be archived away for future reference and nostalgia.

Without further ado, here are just a few of the themes and topics that defined the Opening Remarks page in 2023.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Like any other year, 2023 came with plenty of adversity.

Canada’s cost-of-living crisis only worsened, as Whistler’s local housing woes seemingly reached new depths—two topics that made multiple appearances in the editorial pages of Pique.

8 DECEMBER 29, 2023

With that said, council’s friendly cooperation does not exempt it from criticism.

In 2023, we took issue with the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s spending and lack of efficiency, its double standards around

In the bubble, it was also a year marked by struggles with male mental health and grizzly bear management, and an ongoing conversation around growth and overtourism.

Expect all of these topics to stay relevant in 2024.

its own development projects, and council’s decision to limit public input at council meetings, among other things.

What’s going to grind our gears in 2024?

Pick up the next 52 Piques to find out!

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

GUIDEPOSTS

But Whistler had much to be thankful for in 2023, too.

The Whistler 360 Health Collaborative made wildly impressive strides this year,

Asking Price - $4,395,000 Asking -$4,750,000 Asking price - $349,000 21-4617 Blackcomb Way 9612 Emerald Drive 112B-2020 London Lane

Virtual Tour

HALL OF SHAME

departure for two dear friends and colleagues, Brandon Barrett and Megan Lalonde; and provides valuable insight into my frame of mind at any given time—and at least some sort of vague guidance telling us where we might be headed next.

So—as we reflect on the past 12 months, did we live up to the promises of December 2022? Could we have done more?

Does it even matter?

Not really. We take stock of our wins, reflect on our losses. Pick up any pieces worth carrying with us, and move forward.

The graph is going to get filled out whether we’re paying attention or not—might as well stack the odds in our favour as best we can.

As December comes to a close, I pull out

The dice are in the air, no telling yet where they’ll land—and hope is a wonderful thing to be addicted to.

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connecting hundreds of locals with a new family doctor, and the resort managed to avoid any noticeable impacts from B.C.’s worst-ever year for wildfires, as officials make progress on building wildfire resiliency.

And, unlike many municipal councils and local governments in B.C., Whistler’s mayor and council operated in relative harmony— something we should not take for granted.

In a more intangible sense, the graph offers personal context for the year that was.

It reminds me of vacations, and how I spent my time off; marks the point of

a new blank piece of paper, carefully lining its left side with all the issues to come in the months ahead.

Fifty-two weeks from now, it will represent accomplishment. History. Context. A quickand-easy reference guide for future editorial content.

For now, it represents possibility.

Potential. A clean bill of health and an unblemished criminal record. Hope.

The dice are in the air, no telling yet where they’ll land—and hope is a wonderful thing to be addicted to. ■

Iconic Whistler Hair Salon For Sale!

Welcome to The Loft Salon, a cornerstone in Whistler’s beauty scene since 2001. With two decades of shaping the local landscape, This flourishing salon, with a diverse clientele spanning over two decades, is now available for ownership by the next lucky successor, as the owner is looking to retire. Serving a varied clientele, The Loft Salon is known for its commitment to excellence. This turn-key operation includes all equipment for a smooth transition. A comprehensive training package equips the new owner with the necessary knowledge and skills. The sale also includes $35,000 of inventory, offering even more value. Seize the opportunity to own and continue the legacy of The Loft Salon in the heart of Whistler.

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$150,000 WHISTLER

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR and a profound failure.

Whistler, Squamish, and Pemberton councils, along with the provincial government, must recommit and elevate this critical transportation and environmental priority. Make this long, long overdue transit upgrade happen in 2024—please.

Brian Buchholz // Whistler

Lack of regional transit in the Sea to Sky a ‘profound failure’ Unlike those using the recently announced increaseed transit service along the Calgary, Banff, Canmore, and Lake Louise corridor, once again this winter citizens and visitors travelling the Sea to Sky highway through the Christmas rush and ski season won’t have to put up with a similar, pesky increase in the number of transit buses clogging the road from Vancouver to Pemby.

Closer to home, there has been a decade of much (too much?) talk, regional studies, staff and consultant reports, and the wringing of political hands about our “traffic backups, accidents and the environment” regarding our poor corridor transit. Despite the avalanche of documentation and verbiage, the political and bureaucratic gridlock has hold, and a reliable, robust and continuing corridor bus service eludes us!?

I worked for CP Rail and the PGE (CN Rail today), and don’t see rail service from North Vancouver as a starter.

That our political masters on each strata seem unable/unwilling to find and negotiate a financial and operational transit service model for our “world-class resort” is unacceptable,

Whistler needs a new community recreation centre

“Make this long, long overdue transit upgrade happen in 2024—please.”

- BRIAN BUCHHOLZ

Write to us! Letters to the editor must contain the writer’s name, address and a daytime telephone number.

Maximum length is 450 words. Pique Newsmagazine reserves the right to edit, condense or refrain from publishing any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine. Send them to edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com before 11 a.m. on Tuesday for consideration in that week’s paper.

I recently read an article in Pique regarding the need for a new community recreation centre, the proposal being to use part of the Whistler Golf Club. I fully support any efforts to replace the aging centre we have. The pool is outdated and too small, the weight room is antique, but perhaps the skating rink could be preserved if a smaller footprint is needed for a new location.

I would suggest a new community centre similar to the Delbrook Community Recreation Centre in North Vancouver, with high ceilings, at least two floors, an Olympic pool and separate recreational pools, hockey and curling rinks, etc. I don’t support the use of the golf course land. Whistler needs visitors in the off season, and golf is a large attraction—18-hole golf, not nine.

I hope Pique will do further editorials on this, and that we can form a committee to rapidly consider the options.

With a growing residential community,

MARSHALL VINER

PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION Viner & Associatese: t: 604-935-6287 e: marshall@marshallviner.com t: 604.935.2287 marshall@marshallviner.com marshallviner.com

Happy New Year

8065 Nicklaus N. Blvd

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8072 Cypress Place

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4 Bedroom / 4 Bathroom

3.19 Acres

• Lakefront views across Green Lake

• Original owners since 1960’s, lot is currently zoned to be subdivided into 5 new estate homes, or kept as one family compound w multiple homes/guest cabins.

+ office & media room

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• An oasis of privacy in Cypress Place

• Ample space for a mountain retreat, a luxurious cabin, or an eco-friendly dwelling.

• One of the best lots in the Nicklaus North Golf Course • Decks for morning sun facing Whistler and Blackcomb Mtns or afternoon on the West deck overlooking Green Lake

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$9,995,000

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Register at marshallviner.com to receive weekly real estate updates.

10 DECEMBER 29, 2023

8384 Mountain View Dr.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR I believe the support is there for a new community centre. I would be interested in serving on any planning committee.

Thomas Moody// Whistler

Put fact over hyperbole when discussing Canada’s economy Notwithstanding the dubious connection between Whistler’s increased property tax and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau referred to in Pique’s letters last week (Pique, Dec. 22: “Why another tax increase in Whistler?”), the reference to inflation combined with Mr. Poilievre’s constant refrain about the Liberals causing inflation and his rant that Canada is broken, etc., I thought it a reasonable inquiry to look into how Canada is actually faring compared to the rest of the developed world.

Lo and behold, inflation being a worldwide problem, we are virtually tied with the U.S. for the second-lowest inflation in the G7 countries. Germany, Italy, France and the U.K. all have higher rates of inflation.

Furthermore, Canada’s Gross Domestic Product per capita is better (higher) than the U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Japan.

Only the U.S. is higher.

And then there’s the whine about government debt, when in fact, in terms of debt as a percentage of GDP, only the U.K. and Japan have lower debt.

Hate Trudeau if you must, but it seems to

The Sea to Sky corridor didn’t see a white Christmas, but a wet and slushy one instead.

A series of warmer-than-usual fronts have hammered the coast this holiday week, bringing waves of snow and rain with strong winds. As a result, snow and avalanche conditions in the mountains change significantly with elevation.

Dry and wind-affected snow can be found in the alpine, likely making for reasonable turns if you can access areas sheltered from the strong, southerly winds. As you descend back towards the trailhead, the snow surface will shift to moist and rain-affected, or become crusty and challenging. The snowpack remains very shallow at low elevations, with those

We wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

WH IS TLER’S #1 RE/MAX AGENT

“Fact-checking is always a worthwhile exercise.”

Warner Real Estate Team

- RICK COLEMAN

me that when it comes to Canada’s economic health, we should strive to put fact over misinforming hyperbole perpetrated by politically motivated bombast.

Fact-checking is always a worthwhile exercise.

Rick Coleman // Whistler n

Backcountry Update AS OF WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27

Thank you for all of your support this year.

early-season hazards of creeks, stumps, and rocks still lurking in plain sight. These are tough conditions to navigate, and should be considered in your trip plan each day.

Looking forward to this weekend and the end of the year, this weather pattern is set to continue.

Like a record on repeat, avalanche danger will rise as freezing levels do the same, accompanied by precipitation and wind once again. Our uncertainty over whether this will help or hurt riding conditions depends completely on the freezing level, and just how high the rain-to-snow transition will be.

Here’s hoping 2024 brings us a fresh start for the rest of winter! n

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

Register at marshallviner.com to receive weekly real estate updates

Wishing you all a

Happy New Year Viner & Associates

604-935-6287

marshall@marshallviner.com

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Feature Listing Tucked away from the street, down a long driveway on a wonderful & flat 17,470 sq/ft lot you will find the ever so private & charming; 8171 Meadow Lane.

Wonderfully spread across 2 levels and 3,243 sq/ft of interior living space - this home really is the perfect option for family living. There is plenty of space for play, enjoying the scenery of the beautiful outdoors, relaxing, BBQing - the options are vast and round out this fantastic property offering.

Learn more at maggithornhill.evrealestate.com MAGGI THORNHILL PREC* · ENGEL & VÖLKERS WHISTLER 4314 Main Street | Suite 36 | Whistler | BC V8E 1A8 0 +1-604-932-1875 | M +1-604-905-8199 maggi.thornhill@evrealestate.com *Personal Real Estate Corporation

DECEMBER 29, 2023

11

ATTENTION ALL BUYERS & SELLERS! JACOB PALLISTER

604.352.9736 Jacob.pallister@gmail.com

DOUG TRELEAVEN

604.905.8626 douglas.treleaven@gmail.com

ALL THE BEST IN 2024

Is it now the h time to BUY in Whistler? h l OR Is it now the h time to SELL? IT REALLY ALL DEPENDS ON YOU! Let’s chat, call us at no obligation

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12 DECEMBER 29, 2023

PIQUE N’ YER INTEREST

Grounds for optimism AS 2023 SPLUTTERS to a close, it’s easy to feel like the world clipped an edge on a death cookie and is now tumbling towards a steep cliff, shedding bits of equipment as we go.

We’ve got bloody wars (eight in Africa alone), natural disasters, peak political polarization that makes progress difficult, looming environmental catastrophes on every front, economic uncertainty, global crises in

BY ANDREW MITCHELL housing and affordability, and, to cap it off, so much distraction and disinformation in our public discourse that people can’t even agree on basic facts or what our priorities should be.

It’s tough to be an optimist when the glass is too shattered to gauge how much liquid was inside of it before it was thrown against the wall.

But I like to end things on high notes. I would classify myself as a reluctant optimist, meaning someone who starts off as the worst kind of pessimist, quick to despair before gradually rationalizing all the reasons why everything will probably work out in the end.

It’s just as annoying as it sounds.

In that spirit, I can truly say 2023 wasn’t all bad, although it was easy to miss the

walnuts in the steaming pile of fruitcake we got served.

For example, as we stare down the prospect of a hotter, drier planet, investment in renewable energy is accelerating. Last year was the first year renewable energy production outstripped coal energy in the U.S. Globally, solar energy manufacturers sold more than 295 gigawatts’ worth of panels, which was more than 45-per-cent higher than the previous record year. That production number is expected to more than triple over the next two years.

Alberta, despite its focus on fossil fuels, installed three-quarters of all wind and solar in the entire country in 2022 after private energy companies in that province did the math.

In Norway, more than 80 per cent of private vehicles sold in 2023 were electric.

In B.C., it was almost 21 per cent—far from Norway, but about seven-per-cent higher than the previous year. Canada has also committed to phasing out gas vehicles by 2035, following the lead of California. Car manufacturers have taken notice, with global electric car sales jumping by 68 per cent.

There are also signs nuclear energy may be making a comeback in Canada, with construction getting underway on the first new plant being built in Ontario in decades.

Canada also signed onto an international commitment to triple nuclear power generation by 2050.

While there’s no denying we’re incredibly

late to be addressing climate change, it seems we haven’t completely given up.

There was other good news on the environmental front as well—the ozone layer is finally healing after an international ban on damaging aerosols, there was a massive EU ban on pesticides that affect bee populations, there were breakthroughs in fusion energy production, and almost 200 countries signed the “high seas” treaty to protect marine life.

There are also signs Canadians are somewhat resistant to our manipulative and negative media environment, which seems hellbent on making everyone feel as angry and hopeless as possible before the next federal election in 2025. A new IPSOS poll found that, despite the non-stop doom and gloom, about 70 per cent of Canadians are at least cautiously optimistic about 2024. That’s up from about 60 per cent at the start of 2023.

The world runs on confidence, and we’re not quite out of that yet.

One reason for the upbeat view could be the fact the economy did not technically slide into recession this year as a result of higher interest rates, while inflation is levelling out and the prices of some things have started coming down. A steady GDP won’t solve all of our problems—not even close—but at least it prevents things from getting worse.

Canada’s housing crisis is also finally being taken seriously, with all levels of government stepping up in different ways. Some of the housing initiatives to move forward in the

past year include federal funding for lowincome housing projects; GST cuts on new rental housing construction; wider bans on overnight rentals through services like Airbnb; and new zoning that allows for singlefamily homes in Toronto and Vancouver to be converted to, or replaced by, fourplexes, while also doing away with the outdated parking requirements that hamper a lot of new developments.

Another positive story—for me anyway— is the return of consequences through civil suits. Most recently we saw Rudy Guiliani ordered to pay $148 million for maligning two election workers in Georgia. Former President Donald Trump is being sued by the state of New York for lying on financial documents, and was successfully sued for sexual assault.

Fox News lost a massive suit launched by a voting machine company after knowingly spreading lies about the 2020 election (later settling for $800 million). Blowhard Alex Jones lost a $1-billion judgment for lying about the Sandy Hook school shooting. The list goes on.

When we wake up on New Year’s Day, at least temporarily committed to our own resolutions, the reality is the world will still be a mess in countless ways. If it helps, it always has been, to some degree—the good old days weren’t as golden as we remember, we just forget what it was like because it all eventually worked out in some way. Here’s hoping 2024 will be no different. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

RMOW updates fees for minor bylaw variances APPLICANTS WILL PAY $4,000 RATHER THAN $800—AN INCREASE DESIGNED TO MIRROR THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH APPLICATIONS TO THE BOARD OF VARIANCE

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS THE COST OF APPLYING for a variance in Whistler is set to rise significantly.

On Dec. 19, Whistler’s mayor and council voted to update the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s Board of Variance (BOV) bylaw, including changes which will see the application fee increase from $800 to $4,000 per submission.

The BOV is a quasi-judicial body independent from the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) council that exists to consider minor variances to local zoning bylaws. Applications that come before it must be minor, and adhering to the relevant bylaws without a variance must be considered undue hardship on the applicant.

According to a staff report to council, the most common applications considered by the BOV are to do with the zoning and parking bylaw—often in regards to setbacks and structure heights.

In her presentation at the Dec. 19 council meeting, planning analyst Lindsay Clarke said the BOV bylaw changes bring it in line with the land-use procedures and fees bylaw, which was updated in 2022.

“Overall, these changes will result in more clarity with administering the board, and more flexibility within the planning department, which will enable management

MILEAGE MAY VARY Application fees for minor variances related to things like construction projects in Whistler will soon rise.

FILE PHOTO

14 DECEMBER 29, 2023

to utilize staff resources more efficiently,” said Clarke.

Besides bureaucratic housekeeping and tidying up of the bylaw (which was last updated in 2015), the public-facing changes include removing a self-imposed deadline on the BOV to consider any applications within 35 days of submission and the previously mentioned increase in the fees associated with submitting an application.

Clarke explained the increase in fees— from $800 to $4,000—is necessary for cost recovery, and a means to encourage more complete applications and more thorough

RMOW website to educate possible applicants on which avenue they should take in seeking a variance—whether it be a minor variance overseen by the BOV, or a variance that would require a delegated decision from staff or a council decision.

“This is an effort to get variance applications in the correct permitting path from the beginning, and avoid these inefficiencies,” said Clarke.

The $4,000 is not an arbitrary number— in her presentation, Clarke said the average cost of processing an application to the BOV is about $4,000, while a delegated variance

“This is an important cost recovery that makes a lot of sense to me.”

- JACK CROMPTON

submissions by raising the bar. “[S]ome applicants don’t understand the limited powers of the board, and have the wrong impression that it’s a cheaper and faster process, and they end up submitting applications that are completely outside the jurisdiction of the board, and then need to reapply for a development variance permit,” she said.

“As you can imagine, this creates a lot of duplicate work, and it’s an inefficient use of the board, staff, and applicants’ time.”

Clarke said along with the fee increase, more information will be shared on the

permit is $3,500, and a non-delegated development variance permit (decided on by council) is $5,300. The costs are associated with staff time, procedural steps, public notification, feedback, agenda packages, meetings, minutes and more.

Under the new bylaw, all applications now include the possibility of a 25-per-cent refund, if the application is withdrawn prior to public notice going out. The existing bylaw allows for no refunds.

During questions, Councillor Ralph Forsyth queried whether there was any pushback on the $4,000 fee, and was told the

number has not yet been shared widely.

Coun. Jeff Murl also asked about the increase, wondering whether the original $800 was way out of line in 2015 when it was adopted, or if there has been a 400-per-cent increase in staff costs. He was told the original fee was way out of line eight years ago.

Murl also asked whether the $4,000 fee will drive potential applicants away.

“I think it will do the opposite,” said Clarke.

“Anecdotally, over the last three years of the BOV… half of the applications in each year were either cancelled before they proceeded to a board meeting because the applicant understood that they were outside the jurisdiction of the board, or they went to the board and were denied.”

That last question came from Mayor Jack Crompton, who was told that under the previous system, most of the $4,000 average cost of processing a BOV application was borne by the general taxpayer, with only the $800 coming from the applicant.

“I think that properly charging for this service allows us not to be charging general property taxpayers for work being done in other peoples’ homes, and that’s important,” said Crompton in his remarks before council voted.

“This is an important cost recovery that makes a lot of sense to me.”

Council voted unanimously to support the bylaw updates. The changed fee structure will be advertised on the RMOW website, shared with the Canadian Home Builders Association’s local branch, and advertised again when the bylaw is formally adopted at a future meeting. n

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler officials staying optimistic after winter’s slow start

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IT HASN’T BEEN THE DREAM start to the winter season in Whistler, but Whistler Blackcomb (WB) officials are still hopeful the weather will come through.

“We are optimistic cooler valley temperatures and snowfall will return to our ski area,” said WB’s manager of mountain operations, Adam Francis.

“We will capitalize on any cold temperature windows and produce artificial snow, and expect natural snowfall to augment our snow … production to open more areas shortly.”

As Christmas Day approached, 38 per cent of WB’s terrain was open, a little under a month after opening day.

The weather hasn’t been all that great since then, with what little snow the valley floor has seen mostly rained out, limiting skiout conditions.

Further up, conditions are better, with 2,000 acres of terrain to ski on.

As colder temperatures returned to the valley in the lead-up to Christmas, WB maximized its snowmaking efforts, with all 354 snow guns firing on the mountains, Francis said.

“This production will help fortify existing ski-outs and also build base on unopened skiout areas. The exact date to finish and mark ski-outs is unknown,” he said.

While the start of the 23-24 season has proven warmer and drier than a typical year, “we certainly have had similar early low snow startups in prior years that delivered favourable snow accumulation amounts into the new year,” Francis said.

“We have a long season ahead of us, and are expecting typical snow levels to develop and support our operations through our expected finish.”

Senior manager of communications with WB, Dane Gergovich, asked guests to be patient with mountain operations as conditions change. “[Snowfall] is encouraging, but it may present some challenges to our patrol and mountain ops teams as they work hard to open up terrain, especially given the recent milder temperatures and rain we have received,” he said.

Gergovich encouraged those coming to Whistler to plan ahead by using as many of the resources available to guests as possible: The WB website, the WB app, DriveBC for road conditions, and the weather forecast.

“Use them and always bear in mind that conditions on-mountain and in-resort can change,” he said.

The optimism that the poor early-season conditions won’t hold extends to Tourism

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“We would all love to see more snow … but unfortunately we can’t control the weather,” said Tourism Whistler’s manager of communications, Lauren Everest.

“The slow start to the season in terms of natural snowfall has actually demonstrated Whistler’s strengths. While many ski areas around B.C. had to delay their openings this year, Whistler Blackcomb was able to open as planned on Nov. 23 thanks to its extensive snowmaking infrastructure. And as a resort, Whistler also offers many great weatherindependent activities so we have the ability to deliver a positive guest experience regardless.”

Everest said the weather conditions experienced so far aren’t a standard for Whistler, but a slow start “is not unusual, and it is not an indication of how the entire season is going to play out,” she said.

“For example, we experienced below average snowfall in November and December during the 19-20 season, and then we saw a record-setting January. Everything can change with one good storm cycle.”

Weather so far aside, Tourism Whistler is forecasting visitor numbers in the 23-24 season to be similar to 22-23, which was back up to pre-pandemic visitation numbers.

“We are seeing a lot of strength from B.C. and Canada, and while some of our key international markets have been slower to rebound than originally expected (for example, the U.K. and Australia), we are anticipating growth from the U.S. and Mexico markets this winter,” said Everest. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

WORCA leaves another year in the dust WHISTLER’S MOUNTAIN BIKING COMMUNITY IS RIDING STRONG AFTER A FULL YEAR OF NORMAL OPERATIONS

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS WHISTLER’S REPUTATION as a mecca of everything outdoors is certainly helped along by the trails that criss-cross the mountain sides next to the community, with hundreds of kilometres of recreational routes in the hills, and a well-established and maintained network on the valley floor linking neighbourhoods north to south.

One of the biggest players in the mountain biking space besides Whistler Blackcomb and the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) itself is the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association (WORCA), which acts as an advocate and guardian for more than 200km worth of trails, organizes events, and raises funds to build infrastructure.

Trevor Ferrao, WORCA’s executive director, told Pique 2023 was a pretty standard year—and after the last few years, that was a great spot for the organization to find itself in.

“Since the pandemic ended, we’ve been building back up to our normal events,” he said. “And this was a full year of events.”

So, what events were on the calendar?

First, there was the Back Forty marathon cross country race in July, which Ferrao said was well-received.

“It was the third year, and we doubled our

18 DECEMBER 29, 2023

registration numbers,” he said.

The Back Forty is a three-stage marathon race that in 2023 used trails in Cheakamus and the West Side, with numbers capped at 250 riders, and funds going towards trail construction and mountain bike programming for the Indigenous Life Sport Academy. “[There was] lots more participation from everyone … We had people outside the Sea to Sky racing, as well,” Ferrao said.

New on the calendar was the Witsend women’s enduro race, which happened in late September on almost 20km of trail east of Green Lake. With 100 riders signing up for the first year, Ferrao said the event was a hit WORCA wants to repeat in coming years.

“There’s definitely demand for that event,” he said. “We had wanted to organize that for a few years, and some of our volunteer directors did a huge amount of work to get that event going. We had about a hundred racers this year, and we’ll be looking to grow that as more people know about the event next year.”

TRAILS IN 2023 AND BEYOND

The majority of WORCA’s efforts go towards developing and maintaining trails—no mean feat, considering there are more than 200km of multi-use trails falling to the association to maintain.

It’s what the people want, too: In a

recent member survey, trail maintenance was identified by more than 70 per cent of respondents as being “extremely important” for WORCA to pursue, with no other response coming close (though “mountain biking advocacy” was seen as extremely important by a little more than 50 per cent of participants).

“The majority of our work is maintenance work,” said Ferrao.

“We have 11 people on our trail crew working through the summer, and they cover work across the whole network. We try to spread maintenance to make sure all the trails are getting the work they need.”

WORCA posts regular trail updates through the season, giving members and the general public a look-in at which areas are receiving love. According to Ferrao, the regular maintenance includes major repairs and updates on well-used trails, with the intent that users don’t wear them out in a season. In 2023, trail crews spent time working on the Rockwork trilogy on the West Side, and there was also a lot of bridge work done on A River Runs Through It, an advanced trail northwest of Alta Lake.

It’s not all just maintaining what already exists, though—WORCA is slowly expanding the network, too.

“Among the major projects we’ve been constructing, we’ve had Far Out (a series of four blue trails) and Flashback (another series

of blue trails looping back from Far Out) in Cheakamus,” said Ferrao, who described the new trails as a multi-year project to build out the network in the growing Cheakamus area.

“Most of our work is done by volunteers on trail nights, but obviously our trail crew needs to do a lot of work to prepare the sites and do all the experienced work required.”

A US$20,000 grant from Fox Factory was poured straight into the Flashback trail works in 2023, said Ferrao, who added it was used to make the trail suitable for adaptive mountain bikers.

“That was the first time we’ve built a trail to adaptive standards, and that was a great success. Having that money allows our trail crew to go in and do loads of work,” he said.

Ferrao said developing the trails to be suitable for adaptive riders is proving a hit, so WORCA will lean into making more trails accessible for more users in the future.

Looking ahead, the Cheakamus trails will settle into a maintenance schedule after the latest round of works, with the WORCA team hoping to divert attention to other areas.

“This was a major project. We used a lot of kilometres of new trail, and so the next project that we have that we’re waiting for our approvals for is on the west side, going from Into the Mystic down to Function Junction,”

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“That’s the next major one, and we’ve been waiting for a long time for the province to give approval, so we’re hoping that comes through soon so we can start making plans for that.”

It’s still a wish-list trail, but the proposed new route would be a blue run lower down the hillside from the well-loved trails above the area such as Lord of the Squirrels, which is only open for a few months over the summer.

“Having a trail lower down will provide access to people for a longer period of time through the year,” Ferrao said.

SEEKING FEEDBACK AND PARTICIPATION

TRAILBLAZERS Members of WORCA’s trail crew at work on a section of A River Runs Through It in September.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WORCA

CAMPS A HIT, EVEN WHEN THROTTLED

WORCA also ran its popular youth camps (aka, Dirt Camps) over 2023, though on a slightly different schedule due to a challenge all businesses in Whistler face: Housing. “[The camps] have been going strong through the year, with really positive feedback,” said Ferrao.

“The numbers have dropped slightly, [but] that’s mostly due to labour shortages in Whistler, related to housing and all the rest.”

He explained that, despite the challenges, “[WORCA] ran as many as we could with the number of coaches that we could hire.”

In previous years, WORCA’s Dirt Camps have been well-subscribed, with 260 registrations in 2022.

The camps run for nine weeks through

the height of summer, with camps every week in July and August for kids aged six to 15.

In the camps, participants learn about skill development, exploring trails, trail etiquette, and stewardship.

WORKING ON PUTTING THE TRAILS TO BED

As winter closes in, WORCAs trail crews get busy doing as much work as they can on trails closer to the valley floor, hoping to get ahead so when the snow recedes in the new year, riders can hit the trails sooner rather than later.

“There’s a lot of work after the snow melts to make sure things are good to go,” said Ferrao, who explained the crews’ post-winter prep includes filling in holes, tidying things

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up, and making sure the snow cover did as little damage to the trails as possible.

While WORCA has 11 trail crew members, Ferrao said volunteer hours are vital to the health of the trail network, with 14 “trail nights” run through the season.

Ferrao estimates WORCA benefited from more than 1,500 volunteer hours in 2023.

“We focused all of that on the Flashback project, [but] we’ve still got a huge amount of work there,” he said.

“Some sections of that trail are open, so people have been riding and we’re getting really positive feedback from the community.

We couldn’t do it without the volunteer work, so it’s a huge amount of support that we really appreciate from the community.”

Aside from WORCA’s recent membership survey (which you can read online), the RMOW also recently sought feedback for its Recreational Trails Strategy (RTS), which covers all of the 200km-plus trails WORCA looks after, along with all other trails the RMOW takes responsibility for.

“We encouraged as many members as possible to fill in that RTS survey,” said Ferrao, who added initial reports from the RMOW from the RTS process showed the strategy is “broadly in line with what we were expecting to see.”

The RTS is currently being formulated, and the survey circulated by the RMOW was seeking feedback on a 115-page document of core content designed to identify general needs for development, preservation and management across 11 trail areas identified by the municipality from Brandywine to Cougar Mountain.

“It will be interesting to see exactly what sort of response the community have, especially for the different areas that they’ve identified,” said Ferrao.

“It will be interesting to see if people agree with what’s being recommended, because those recommendations are going to feed into a trails master plan as part of the RTS, which is where there’ll be a lot more involvement from other stakeholders, and we’ll see more detail on where new trails might be able to be created in the future.”

A more complete RTS document will be presented in 2024. n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Zero-emissions vehicle standard lauded by Sea to Sky MP PATRICK WEILER SAID SQUAMISH IS ALREADY LEADING THE WAY IN UPTAKE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES 15 years, putting in place a 100-per-cent ZEV sales target by 2035 will help end the use of polluting light-duty vehicles by 2050,” reads the government release on the standard.

The new federal standard is not as aggressive as the B.C. provincial standard (introduced in October), but still reaches the same 100-percent ZEV target by 2035. Comparing the two, the B.C. standard sets targets of 26 per cent ZEV sales by 2026 (compared to 20 federally), 90 per cent by 2030 (60 per cent federally), and 100 per cent by 2035.

Governed by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, automakers will be issued credits for each ZEV they sell, with credits determined by how far a vehicle can travel while only powered by a battery. Automakers can bank credits if they sell more than the required percentage of vehicles, or sell them to other automakers. They can also make up 10 per cent of the credits they need annually by investing in public charging stations.

Companies that don’t meet the target will generate a deficit they must discharge within three model years.

Weiler said B.C. is already well ahead of the curve in electric vehicle sales (21 per cent in 2022), and is setting the standard for Canada.

“B.C. leads the way with zero-emissions mandates, and we can see the impact of that.

We want a model that is good practice, and to replicate that elsewhere. B.C. has for a long

time been an innovator, and this is another good example of that,” he said.

“We’re not quite where Norway is, where over 80 per cent of new vehicles sold last year were zero-emissions vehicles, but we’re certainly leading in North America, and that’s why we’re seeing it’s easier to get an electric vehicle here than it is in other provinces.”

Electric vehicles are known to be more expensive than their internal-combustion counterparts—an issue acknowledged by Canadian governments, which offer incentives to early ZEV buyers to bring the price tags closer to parity. Weiler said in the long-run, ZEVs make more sense for Canadians due to lower fuel and maintenance costs, and even now are dropping in price and becoming more affordable.

Another common issue raised by critics of ZEV adoption is their higher mineral requirements. Weiler said encouraging more sustainable mining practices is an important part of the equation in decarbonizing the global economy, but dismissed a common trope that electric vehicles are somehow more damaging to the environment than their gaspowered counterparts due to the resources needed to create them.

“I categorically dismiss the notion that electric vehicles are somehow less environmentally sustainable than gaspowered cars,” he said.

“The materials that are required to build it

in the first place have slightly higher impact, but when we’re talking about Canada, already 85 per cent of our grid is non-emitting, and we’re committed to getting to 100 per cent by 2030. There is little to no environmental impact with the operation of the vehicle over time, whereas when we’re talking about gasoline-powered, that is a quarter of our emissions in Canada, so imagine if we’re able to draw that down to near zero.”

The proliferation of electric vehicles globally is another opportunity for Canada, said Weiler.

“We’ve brought forward our critical minerals strategy, and provinces like British Columbia are large producers of copper, so we need to expand on that and do it in a sustainable way.”

Consumer purchases of ZEVs under the new Zero Emissions Vehicle Standard will be supported by the federal government investing $2 billion in its incentives program, which offers up to $5,000 in incentives to buyers across the country. Coupled with provincial incentives, buyers in B.C. can have as much as $9,000 knocked off the price of a ZEV if they qualify.

There will also be efforts to vastly expand the public charger network in Canada.

Currently, there are more than 25,000 across the country, and the government plans to install more than 43,000 more. n

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SQUAMISH and the Sea to Sky set the standard for zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) adoption in Canada, according to West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country MP Patrick Weiler.

“While B.C is leading the country in terms of zero-emissions vehicle adoption rates, the leading metropolitan area is actually Squamish,” said Weiler immediately after the federal government released its Electric Vehicle Availability Standard earlier this month.

“Right now in Canada, transportation is our second-biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions—it’s about a quarter of Canada’s emissions,” he said.

The new standard, announced by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on Tuesday, Dec. 19, is designed to phase out the sale of vehicles powered solely by gas or diesel completely by 2035, by ramping up the percentage of ZEVs required to be sold by automakers in Canada over a 12-year period.

The standard, which will be rolled out Canada-wide, starts with a 20-per-cent ZEV sales requirement in 2026, and keeps going up each year until it’s 100 per cent by 2035.

“Given that the average age of a vehicle is

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NEWS WHISTLER

SLRD adopts new engagement policy ELECTED OFFICIALS WELCOME THE NEW POLICY, WITH ONE LAMENTING A LACK OF TRUST FOR THE ORGANIZATION FROM THE COMMUNITY

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS THE SQUAMISH-LILLOOET Regional District (SLRD) has officially adopted a new engagement policy which will guide the organization, its staff and elected officials through a more robust public engagement process.

The policy, along with formal training and a toolkit for staff, is part of a raft of new measures to bring the SLRD’s engagement in line with best practices provincially.

To achieve that, the new policy will follow the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) framework, which is used by member municipalities in their own engagement approaches.

The IAP2 works on a spectrum of engagement, ranging from informing people on issues to empowering the public to decide on matters itself. The new SLRD engagement policy sets out how public engagement is applied to projects and helps define where the public can, should, or must be engaged.

Speaking to the policy and the various resources developed to back it up, the SLRD’s communication and engagement manager, Patricia Westerholm, explained the rationale behind the work done, and what the SLRD heard from the public during surveys.

“It was really clear from the survey results that we have a lot of opportunities to improve our work in this space,” she said at the SLRD’s Dec. 14 Committee of the Whole meeting.

“The public were not satisfied with the level of engagement opportunities that we were offering, they didn’t feel like they had a lot of communication around opportunities when they were available, and that there were not necessarily creative opportunities to engage in SLRD decisions.”

Survey results did a lot to inform the SLRD: More than 58 per cent of respondents said they don’t believe the SLRD clearly communicates its decision-making processes; more than 55 per cent said they don’t believe it adequately considers community feedback; more than 61 per cent said the SLRD doesn’t communicate what can and can’t be influenced by community input; and 47 per cent don’t believe the SLRD even welcomes the public’s input at all.

Westerholm said the survey results show the community wants to be involved and to know more about projects underway, but there are barriers to engagement ranging from lack of awareness to timing and accessibility of engagement events.

“We know obviously that the public wants opportunities to participate and provide input. The SLRD wants to encourage and facilitate that work, and

there’s lots of room to improve, so we’re looking at the opportunities to provide more opportunities for engagement,” said Westerholm, adding newly applied online engagement tools are already helping move the dial on that item.

The response from SLRD directors was overwhelmingly positive towards the new engagement tools and policy, with discussion kicking off on a need to balance community expectations and desire to be engaged with the SLRD’s capacity to make engagement happen—and the cost of that engagement.

Councillor Jenna Stoner of Squamish articulated her thoughts by drawing on the survey results.

“The survey results are interesting in that 20 per cent believe they should be empowered on at least some topics … and another 25 per cent believe they should be involved or collaborated with. That’s a really high-level expectation of engagement … the cost, the time, the capacity to do that is huge,” she said, stressing it’s not something the SLRD shouldn’t strive for, but the district needs to balance cost against those expectations given the community’s well-known desire to limit tax increases. “[The engagement approach is] super robust and I think it’s where we want to be, but if I think about the operational side of implementation, it’s a little bit terrifying.”

Area D director, Tony Rainbow, also indicated support, and stressed the need for a solid engagement approach.

“Building trust is one of the things this will do, and we don’t have that at the moment,” he said. “In my view, based on interactions [with the public] in Area D … we are not a trusted organization.”

Rainbow said he believes the SLRD board of directors is also not a trusted body, citing a lack of engagement with the board from the public.

“The only voice that area residents have is through their area director. They don’t know the municipal directors and they have no opportunity to engage with them or very little opportunity to engage with them, and they see you as meddling with events that they don’t want you to meddle with. That’s the kind of comment that I get to deal with,” said Rainbow, explaining he is often defending the SLRD board and explaining the role of municipal directors.

“I am forever making that sort of defense, and I shouldn’t have to, because the way that the board operates should be in a way that the people get to see that happening,” he said, adding putting board meetings online has gone a long way to improve the situation.

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NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler Blackcomb Foundation doles out more than $318K to community groups WBF’S TELUS WINTER CLASSIC SET FOR MARCH 1 AND 2, 2024

BY BRADEN DUPUIS MORE THAN A DOZEN community groups in the Sea to Sky are the lucky recipients of funding from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation (WBF) this winter.

The WBF announced it donated more than $318,000 to 16 different organizations in a release on Dec. 18.

“The foundation is committed to helping organizations that benefit residents of the Sea to Sky corridor. It is truly rewarding to disburse grant funds to these amazing local non-profits who are working tirelessly to continue to improve our communities,” said Mei Madden, executive director of the WBF, in the release.

The biggest recipient in this fall’s round of funding is homeless youth advocacy organization Zero Ceiling, which received $50,000, followed by $40,000 to strengthen food security programs at Sea to Sky Community Services.

The Whistler Professional Firefighters Association, meanwhile, received nearly $31,000 for formal mental health training for the peer support team at Whistler Fire Rescue.

Arts Whistler received just under $28,000 for its sound system replacement

project, while the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association got nearly $28,000 to buy e-bikes for trail maintenance workers.

Further, the Squamish Helping Hands Society received $25,000 for its Meals on Wheels program, and the Squamish Food Bank Society was granted $16,000 to support its food hub programs.

Other successful recipients this fall were the St’at’imc Northern Tribe Powwow Society, BC Luge Association, Signal Hill Elementary School, Whistler Film Festival Society, Axemen Rugby Club, Pemberton Off Road Cycling

Association, Pemberton Canoe Association, and the Whistler Gymnastics Club.

“The Foundation also matched all Whistler Blackcomb employee donations to the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Environmental Fund, which supports environmental projects in the Sea to Sky Corridor,” the release said.

The WBF has donated more than $19 million in financial grants to registered Sea to Sky charities since its inception in 1992, making it the largest fundraising organization in the area.

Its mandate is to support larger, more

everlasting community projects, as well as to build a stronger relationship with residents of the community.

The WBF provides grants to groups that offer benefits to locals in the areas of health, human services, education, recreation, arts and culture, and the environment, with a special emphasis on youth and family programs.

You can help support the WBF at its popular charity fundraising event, the TELUS Winter Classic, on March 1 and 2, 2024.

Learn more about the foundation at whistlerblackcombfoundation.com. n

SLRD ENGAGEMENT FROM PAGE 24 The SLRD started streaming and recording its various meetings online during the pandemic. Previously, meetings had to be attended in person. The meetings are most often held in Pemberton.

Rainbow said with a new engagement policy and clear framework, more can be done to educate the public on the SLRD’s role and reach, and the public’s influence over its decisions.

Area C director, Russell Mack, said he agreed, citing his own experience.

“I spend a lot of time defending the

regional district with my constituents. An awful lot of them … don’t have a clue what we do here, and they’re very negative about our existence,” he said.

“I think it’s extremely important to get that positive communication out there as to what we do, and how we work together and all that kind of stuff, because people out there, for whatever reason, they don’t pay attention unless it actually affects them.

“I think it’s really important to get a positive spin out there so they know if they need to ask a question, who to come and

ask and all that sort of stuff. I don’t think we’ve been very good at that over the years.

We’re moving towards that, and that’s a good thing, because I think that will really help our position.”

The rest of discussion around the item hinged on setting expectations and the potential the new engagement policy has to increase public education about the SLRD’s role and ability to affect change.

The board voted unanimously to approve the new engagement policy at the Dec. 14 board meeting. n

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Notice of Public Viewing Forest Stewardship Plan Replacement A replacement of the above noted Licensees’ Forest Stewardship Plan is proposed. Testspa7 is a First Nations owned company located within the Lower Lillooet River Valley, within the Sea to Sky Natural Resource District. This Forest Stewardship Plan covers the Tuwasus Creek, Sloquet Creek, Douglas Creek, Gowan Creek, and Rogers Creek areas.

As per Section 20 of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation, notice is hereby given to all First Nations, Guide Outfitters, Trappers, Private Landowners, Water Users, Other Stakeholders, and the General Public to review the Forest Stewardship Plan so that your comments and concerns can be addressed.

This Forest Stewardship Plan will be available for public review and comment beginning on December 28th, 2023, for a period of 60 days. The document can be viewed online by contacting wstaven@crgl.ca, or in person at the following locations: Chartwell Resource Group Ltd. #201 – 1121 Commercial Place, Squamish, BC • V8B 0S5 Tsetspa7 Forestry LP 7338 Industrial Way Pemberton, BC • V0N 2L0 Comments should be directed to Wes Staven, RPF, at Chartwell Resource Group Ltd. at (604) 390-3426.

DECEMBER 29, 2023

27

NEWS WHISTLER

Stoner steps up as new hospital board chair THE SQUAMISH COUNCILLOR TAKES THE HELM FROM WHISTLER COUN. JEN FORD

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS THE SEA TO SKY REGIONAL Hospital District (SSRHD) has seen a reshuffle at the top, with the chair and vice chair switching places at the Dec. 13 board meeting.

Whistler Councillor Jen Ford, who has served as chair of the board for the last five years, has passed the torch to Squamish Councillor Jenna Stoner, who steps into the role after a year as vice chair.

“While health-care delivery is very much the responsibility of the provincial government, Regional Hospital Districts are a unique entity that aim to advocate and deliver on local health-care priorities within the region,” said Stoner in an email to Pique.

“I sought this role because health-care is such a critical issue across the Sea to Sky and I believe that the SSRHD can play an important role in advocating for local priorities and building strong partnerships to deliver on those priorities.”

Stoner said she hopes to continue the SSRHD’s direction over the last few years in building relationships with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), local health-care delivery partners, and other regional hospital districts to improve health-care needs and delivery.

NEW CHAIR Squamish Councillor Jenna Stoner is taking Whistler Councillor Jen Ford’s spot as chair of the Sea to Sky Regional Hospital District’s hospital board.

SQUAMISH CHIEF FILE PHOTO

“I hope to build on this work, so that we can help to realize some of the immediate space and equipment needs in the corridor.

VCH is in the midst of their Sea to Sky Master Planning process, so I also see that as a big

opportunity in the coming year to work together to define short-, medium- and longterm needs across the Sea to Sky.” Securing a new CT scanner at Squamish General Hospital and getting more office

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28 DECEMBER 29, 2023

space at the Pemberton Health Centre are two of the projects Stoner sees as priorities.

Stoner was acclaimed as the new board chair at the Dec. 13 meeting, with now-former chair Jen Ford acclaimed as vice chair.

“I think it’s a good time for [Stoner] to step into the role and share some of the load,” said Ford.

“We’ve done a lot of really great work with Vancouver Coastal Health and the Hospital District, and with all of the foundations in the corridor, so it just made sense.”

She highlighted progress made building relationships with other regional boards, and securing a trauma room at the Whistler Health Care Centre as items she is most proud of in her time as chair.

Ford served as chair from 2019 to 2023— the same years she was working closely with, and then on the executive of, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

Ford currently serves as past president with UBCM, while Stoner was recently elected as third vice president there.

The Sea to Sky Regional Hospital District, which includes Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, and the SLRD’s Areas C and D (around Pemberton and down to Britannia Beach) exists to borrow funds and finance construction projects and equipment purchases at health-care facilities within the hospital district boundary. ■

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NEWS PEMBERTON

Youth of Lil’wat Nation scared to take BC Transit bus due to anti-social behaviour PEOPLE REGULARLY DRINK ALCOHOL ON ROUTE 100 PEMBERTON LOCAL, AND FIGHTS BREAK OUT ON BOARD

BY RÓISÍN CULLEN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter SOME LIL’WAT NATION youth say they are scared to take the local bus from Mount Currie to Pemberton due to anti-social behaviour and fighting on board.

The Route 100 Pemberton local bus is smaller than its Whistler counterparts, and does not have a bike rack. Community members rely greatly on the service, as there is no other form of public transportation or taxi company in the area.

Twenty-two-year-old Aiyana Kalani has taken the local route since she was in high school. Sadly, she will only get on the bus as a last resort, opting to pay others for rides

ROUTE PROBLEMS Mount Currie residents are raising concerns about anti-social behaviour on a local bus route.

IMAGE COURTESY OF BC TRANSIT

instead if possible.

“Security issues are one of the main problems,” she said. “The bus drivers are not paid enough to deal with these issues. The issues they have to deal with on the local route

anxiety before getting on.”

Kalani said she still feels anxious stepping onto the bus, and the issues have only gotten worse. She relayed one fight she witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which one

“The bus drivers are not paid enough to deal with these issues.”

- AIYANA KALANI

are just too hard. Fights break out. People get on without paying. They act like it’s not a public transit system.”

Bus drivers struggle to curtail drinking on the bus, she added.

“There is a lot of heavy drinking on the bus. There are signs up saying ‘no drinking,’” said Kalani. “When I was in high school, I really didn’t like having to catch the bus.

It really worried me. I would get really bad

passenger physically kicked another off the bus.

“We need a transit security officer, or for the drivers to be better trained and able to deal with situations like that,” she said. “Having more bus runs would also be very beneficial.”

The anti-social behaviour often begins at the bus stop on Frontier Street in Pemberton, said Kalani, who is a youth worker.

“We like to call it ‘Pigeon Park,’ because there is a lot of people who just hang out and

loiter around there,” she said. “I notice that there are a lot of arguments, fights, and just a lot of unnecessary drama that doesn’t need to be around the bus stop. I feel like a lot of the youth I work with are too scared to catch the bus just because of the behaviour that is on it.”

Earlier this month, Mount Currie resident Melissa James wrote to Pique to draw attention to the issues with the route. Pique also spoke with another Mount Currie woman voicing similar concerns, though she declined to go on the record.

BC Transit’s senior media relations and public affairs advisor, Jamie Weiss, said BC Transit is aware of recent concerns about “illegal and inappropriate behaviour on buses in the Mount Currie area.

“BC Transit’s top priority is safety, and we work hard to improve safety on board our buses for customers and drivers,” he said, adding the company’s safety systems include

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NEWS PEMBERTON

$1.5M repair work on Lil’wat Nation homes complete TWENTY-THREE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN FIVE BUILDINGS WERE REPAIRED THANKS TO FEDERAL FUNDING

BY RÓISÍN CULLEN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A MAJOR REPAIR project in Mount Currie supported by the federal government is now complete. The Lil’wat Nation received $1.5 million worth of financial support to repair 23 existing affordable housing units in the community.

With the project complete, the five buildings owned and managed by the Lil’wat Nation on Juniper and Istken Lanes in Mount Currie are now more accessible and energy efficient. The major construction project, led by Murphy Construction, also provided employment and skills training to members of the Lil’wat Nation.

Funding for the much-needed renovation work included $460,000 from the federal government through the Affordable Housing Fund, $1.1 million through Indigenous Services Canada, $62,200 in rebates from BC Hydro and $622,215 in cash equity from the Lil’wat Nation.

Member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, Patrick Weiler, said in a statement the government recognizes the importance of building culturally appropriate housing for Indigenous people.

“The National Housing Co-Investment

Fund supports projects that facilitate community integration and social support in a culturally respectful way, such as this one in Lil’wat Nation,” he said. “Through continued partnerships with Indigenous leaders and organizations, we are helping create better opportunities for housing that is not only affordable and secure, but also

culturally appropriate and empowering for communities across the province.”

Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu, said housing is essential to a person’s well-being.

“This is an important initiative led by the community that will make a concrete difference in the lives of many families,” she

said. “Indigenous Peoples experience unique barriers when it comes to housing, which is why we will support initiatives, just like the one in Lil’wat First Nation, to help secure sustainable housing for community members.

A home transcends being just a residence; it plays a pivotal role in shaping people’s vision of the future.” n

work hard to provide safe and reliable service, and we will be investigating these concerns further.”

But safety isn’t the only concern with the route. Locals have also expressed frustration over frequency and timeliness, and noted the bus serving the route is of poorer quality than other routes. Its lack of a bike rack only puts Mount Currie residents at a further disadvantage.

Kalani said she has often waited for a bus that never made it up to Mount Currie, adding community members do not receive any sort of notification when this happens.

“I have been stranded in Pemberton a few times before,” she said. “I ended up having to get my mom to come get me. We picked up a lot of people. We had a full car. We just loaded in as many people as we could to help get them home. They were all stuck as well.”

Michelle Fernandes, communications and engagement advisor for the Village of Pemberton, said the local route is a vital service for the community.

“Pemberton Valley Transit is provided through a cost-shared partnership between the Village of Pemberton, Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, Líl’wat Nation, BC Transit, and the provincial government. The 100 Route bus service is a key component in connecting our communities, and the Village recognizes the importance of delivering an accessible and reliable transportation service,” she said, adding council is committed to ensuring locals are getting the best possible service.

“Our council remains committed to actively engaging in advocacy and sourcing funding opportunities to increase transit service within our community and between our neighbouring communities.” n

LIL’WAT BUS FROM PAGE 30 operator emergency notification protocols and enhanced radio communication to support managing on-road incidents; transit supervisors to provide support to drivers as necessary; and partnerships with first responders including police, fire and ambulance to support quicker responses to transit-related incidents.

Weiss urged people to report anti-social behaviour on BC Transit buses.

“If someone is the victim of an inappropriate or illegal activity, or sees something that is inappropriate or illegal on the bus, please tell the driver immediately or call the police,” he said. “Though incidents of this nature are rare on BC Transit buses and at bus stops, we take these reports very seriously and work closely with police to follow the legal process for complaints. BC Transit and our local government partners

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Three of the biggest ways that the federal government has improved the lives of British Columbians: HOUSING

With some of the most expensive housing in the country, and extremely tight rental markets, it is critical both to build more affordable housing and increase the housing supply to improve local affordability across the board.

We are committed to working with all orders of government to tackle the housing crisis.

Accordingly, this year, I announced more than $95 million in federal funding to build 515 units, including in West Vancouver, projects in Squamish, Whistler and Bowen Island, in Mount Currie and N’Quatqua, along with support for infrastructure upgrades to help accommodate an increasing population. The federal government has now invested in creating over a thousand housing units across the riding since I was first elected in 2019, and there is more on the way.

To restore affordability in the housing market, we are also: ● Supporting municipalities with the Housing Accelerator Fund to incentivize municipalities to remove prohibitive zoning barriers and incentivize building ● Removing the GST from new purpose-built rental housing ● Cracking down on non-compliant short-term rentals with the tax code and supporting municipal enforcement ● Creating a new Canadian Mortgage Charter to ensure Canadians at financial risk can access tailored mortgage relief when renewing their mortgages

HEALTHCARE

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2023 saw a doubling of the number of nurses registered. ● Approving a pilot program to temporarily decriminalize small possession of drugs to encourage those suffering from addiction to get the help they need, while investing in mental health and addiction services, and harm reduction projects, including an investment in Squamish. ● Launching the 9-8-8 National Suicide Crisis Helpline to ensure emergency access to suicide prevention and emotional support. A new Foundry Centre was launched in Squamish, and a further Foundry is coming in Sechelt as part of the 35 centres that will be established through our bilateral agreement with BC.

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connected to spectacular natural environment and want to see it and the biodiversity it supports protected. In 2023, the federal government: ● Updated the Canadian Environmental Protection Act with my amendment to enshrine a right to a healthy, clean, and sustainable environment for the first time in federal law. ● Announced a historic $1 billion Nature Agreement with the BC government and First Nations that charts the path to protect 30% of lands by 2030, including prioritizing the most ecologically valuable areas, such as our old growth forests, and protecting

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RANGE ROVER

Hotel as work of art MY WORK AS A SKI and travel writer has taken me to many memorable places.

Often, it’s a landscape that sticks with me— or how the weather I experienced made those landforms come to life.

Sometimes it’s the quality or the verve of what I did there that resonates. Once in a while it’s a person whose passion or forbearance lives in memory. And then, much more occasionally,

BY LESLIE ANTHONY it’s an institution of some kind that rattles the neurons in unforeseen ways.

Such was the case on a trip to the Swiss resort of Klosters last year. The romantic postcard village stands in stark contrast to the bustling alpine metropolis of Davos but a few kilometres distant, and though it’s a town I’d visited before, skiing over from Davos, and even stayed in once, I hadn’t had occasion to take its pulse or explore its understated mien. Last year, however, I had occasion to stay somewhere that opened my eyes to a celebrated history—Hotel Chesa Grischuna, a creaking wooden edifice that seemed more icon than inn.

That the “Chesa”—as all know it—was conceived as a thoughtful work with a message is apparent to even the most casual sidewalk passerby, but revelatory when you

PEACE OF MIND The Chesa Grischuna in Switzerland offered peace, solace and camaraderie to a generation.

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34 DECEMBER 29, 2023

dig into the details.

Erected by Hans Guler, scion of a family of mountain guides, in 1938, and turning on classic Swiss multistory post-and-beam style, the many joyous inclusions on the external walls and interior by local painters and artisans was no frivolous community art project. Rather, it was coordinated conscious resistance intended to show that some Swiss wanted nothing to do with the simple, stripped-down, neo-classical architecture and iconography being encouraged (and often imposed) by the Nazi party to enforce its ideology among Germanic countries.

Given the protest baked into it, no small

I have the good fortune to not only stay a few nights, but to be guided through both structure and story by the Chesa’s new owner, former television journalist Astrid von Stockar, whose current passion project is to protect the hotel’s heritage and many salient details. With a sparkle in her eye, Astrid flew me through the restaurant, pointing out original chairs, cushions held by leather straps, and even the first china—for each of which she has sourced people capable of doing restoration or identical replacement.

Some of this she has taken on herself.

For example, stressing over how to fix the affront of too-short curtains, she discovered

I have the good fortune to not only stay a few nights, but to be guided through both structure and story by the Chesa’s new owner... wonder that Klosters, with its Goldilocks isolation (not too much, not too little), and the light-beacon Chesa, presented as postwar crucibles that attracted the royal families of Sweden, the Netherlands and Britain, as well as writers, producers, directors and stars like Gene Kelly, Greta Garbo, Gregory Peck, Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn, Yul Brynner, Paul Newman and others looking to escape attention during Hollywood’s Golden Age. While mucky-mucks and celebrities that literally defined American royalty could be spotted nightly in the hotel’s restaurant (to this day one of the Alps’ best with its genuine feel and impeccable service), residents left them alone, gifting them with alpine quietude.

enough original fabric turned up in the hems to simply lengthen them. When she identifies King Charles III’s favourite table—the round one in the corner with windows on both sides—I realize I’ve sat there before with friends. Finally, she shows me the part of the dining area, now taken by tables, from which an old grand piano was once moved; we follow the instrument’s trail downstairs to where it now occupies space on the legendary basement bar’s famous dance floor, scene of much merriment and tales of Gene Kelly tapdancing on the bar-top. Astrid even cracks the door to the Chesa’s famous two-lane bowling alley, added in the 1950s.

Upstairs again, sitting to dine, it’s

impossible not to register the woodwork, panelled ceilings and decor as eye-drawing art that was intended to be seen from this angle.

For Astrid, who had come here as a visitor since she was a child, the Chesa “is the heart of Klosters,” and like all hearts, in need of tending. For someone whose work once turned on storytelling, the Chesa and its guestbook represent hundreds of stories braided into a larger tale of the town’s character and nexus of history—like the small painting with which a young Winston Churchill bid adieu, adding “My only regret is having to leave this wonderful place.”

As American writer and Klosters resident, Irwin Shaw, penned of the town in one of his post-war stories: In the angry days through which the world was passing, there was a ray of hope in this good-natured polyglot chorus of people who were not threatening each other, who smiled at strangers, who had collected in these shining white hills merely to enjoy the innocent pleasures of sun and snow…

Beyond those who visited often, Greta Garbo’s longstanding residency in Klosters became an identity statement: if the notoriously publicity-shy star felt safe here, so could anyone. Everything was on the down-low and visitors adopted a humble demeanour; they didn’t brag, show wealth, or smash champagne bottles. Even today, Switzerland is a place where globally famous folk famously find refuge (think Tina Turner and Shania Twain), something for which Klosters in the 1950s was both bauplan and microcosm.

As art reflecting this ethos, the Chesa Grischuna offered peace, solace and camaraderie to a generation.

Leslie Anthony is a Whistler-based author, editor, biologist and bon vivant who has never met a mountain he didn’t like. ■

Join us for the Get Moving Challenge presented by

Back in Action Physiotherapy and WHCF in support of the WCSS rehabilitation program.

Move 50 km in January and help those in need access vital rehab services to get them back to work, play and life.

For more information, and to register go to the WHCF website: www.whistlerhealthcarefoundation.org Follow @whistlerhealthcarefoundation and @biaphysiowhistler for daily inspiration and prizes!

WWW.WHISTLERLAWYER.CA adam@whistlerlawyer.ca | 604.905.5180

Talk to us about your next renovation or custom home We can help!

CUSTOM HOMES & RENOVATIONS

604.907.2237 marc@balmoralconstruction.com balmoralconstruction.com

DECEMBER 29, 2023

35

FEATURE STORY

Best The

of

stller Whiist

Photos by David Buzzard // www.davidbuzzard.com

36 DECEMBER 29, 2023

FEATURE STORY

Quintessential Whistler FAVOURITE WHISTLERITE: JEREMY “STINKY” PETERSON What’s that smell?

That, friends, could only be the smell of success, as Jeremy “Stinky” Peterson—longtime local and owner of the popular Whistler Village pub Stinky’s on the Stroll—is your favourite Whistlerite for 2023.

It’s Peterson’s first time taking the honour, after finishing second in 2022.

“I’m blown away, to be quite honest,” he said, when reached by phone. “I don’t know what to say but wow. I feel pretty good.”

Feeling good is the name of the game at Stinky’s, where Peterson goes above and beyond to put a smile on the face of his patrons.

“I call it Whistler’s little hidden gem,” he says of the bar, which he figures is what put him over the top with Pique readers in this year’s Best of Whistler poll.

Originally from Ottawa, Peterson moved to the resort nearly 30 years ago, landing his first job as a bagel chef at the now defunct Bagel Street Café before moving into a bartending role at legendary village pub Citta’ (which itself closed in 2014, with the Beacon taking its place).

As explained by his pub’s website, Stinky isn’t actually, er, stinky. That is to say, the longstanding nickname comes from a character on classic Canadian TV comedy The Red Green Show, and not an aversion to showering, or a particularly untrustworthy fart.

Stinky’s on the Stroll is celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2024, so guests and locals alike will have extra reason to pop in and see the man himself in person.

“I want to do a big one for that … and just try to give back to the community,” he said.

“There’s a lot of fun things we’re going to be doing. I’m always doing something. I’m always trying to have fun.”

Legendary local freeskier/filmmaker and seven-time Favourite Whistlerite Mike Douglas returned to the top three this year after missing out in 2022, while last year’s winner, Mayor Jack Crompton, came third.

FAVOURITE VOLUNTEER: DENISE WOOD For the third year in a row (and the fourth time overall), Denise Wood is Whistler’s favourite volunteer.

But even given her repeated recognition in the category, the news still came as a surprise.

“It can’t be. Get out. Really?” she said, when Pique shared the news.

“I’m kinda shocked. Oh my goodness. That is so kind of people.”

With 14 years under her belt, Wood is the longest-serving volunteer at Whistler Animals Galore (WAG)—Whistler’s perennial favourite non-profit.

The resort’s affinity for dogs might explain Wood’s recent dynasty in the category.

“One of the things that I do is, it’s silly, but I make bandanas—really fun dog bandanas, and all the money goes to WAG,” she said.

“Our friends at Happy Pets, who are incredible, sell them, and they don’t take a profit, and our friends at WOW Treats, who are often at the farmers’ market, they sell them as well … everybody comes together to sell them and no one takes a dime.

“So maybe people start to know me through that, because when I’m selling them I get really active on Instagram with them.”

Lately it’s been mostly business as usual at WAG, though adoptions have slowed somewhat, which is “not typically usual,” Wood said.

“We’re really trying hard to get some of our longer-term dogs adopted, like Lola,” Wood said, referring to the shelter’s five-year resident pitbull (and star of many a WAG Instagram post).

Other than that, the WAG team is dreaming up fun events for the future, hosting regular shelter days, and working to find homes for some of their more challenging cases, Wood said.

“The WAG team is an absolutely incredibly group of people—the staff and the volunteers— and I just feel really, really lucky to be a part of that,” she added.

“And just really happy to be a part of seeing these animals get a second chance at life.”

Andy Sward—famous for his Million Bottle Pledge, and a common sight picking litter on the side of the Sea to Sky Highway— came second, while Heather Hall came third.

Thank you Whistler for voting us your

FAVOURITE FITNESS ACTIVITY PROVIDER whistler.ca/recreation

THANK YOU FROM THE WHISTLER COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY

Thank you for voting the Re-Use-It Centre as Whistler’s Best Clothing Store we are truly grateful for everyone’s support!

FAVOURITE WHISTLER NON-PROFIT: WHISTLER ANIMALS GALORE The dogs just won’t be denied in Whistler—for the 11th year running, Whistler Animals Galore (WAG) is the community’s favourite non-profit, as voted by Pique readers.

And there are plenty of ways you can support the WAG team in its efforts this Christmas and beyond.

There’s a holiday matching campaign, with Moguls Coffee House and Zog’s Whistler pledging to match every dollar donated up to $20,000 (for a total fundraising goal of $40,000), and some sweet merch for sale at whistlerwag.com.

DECEMBER 29, 2023

37

FEATURE STORY The closure of Whistler’s Village 8 Cinemas on Jan. 5 was the most significant thing to happen in the resort all year, according to Pique readers—even though the news itself came in late 2022.

Several people reached out to Pique in the intervening months, hoping beyond hope they might be able to revive the popular movie theatre, but as far as we can tell, none of those efforts got off the ground.

“We’ve been trying to manage this location for a long time. It’s been really, really super challenging,” said Gina Facca, chief operating officer of Imagine Cinemas, of the closure. “It was challenging before COVID, to be perfectly honest with you … Our home base is in Ontario, and it’s difficult to manage something that’s three [time zones] away and however many kilometres away.”

But operating the theatre only became more challenging with COVID, Facca added.

“It’s been really difficult to get labour,” she said. “A lot of the (seasonals) that would come in from Australia and New Zealand and England, they’re just not available anymore, so it’s just been super challenging.”

The resounding success of Whistler 360—the trailblazing, collaborative model of healthcare that connected hundreds of Whistlerites with a new family doctor in 2023—is your second favourite news story of the year, followed by the opening of Whistler’s first cannabis retail store in October.

BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN: CLIMATE CHANGE

Best Breakfast: Wild Wood Café You can also donate pet food and supplies, or even become a corporate donor if you’re a business owner.

And of course, you can always consider adopting, or apply to become a volunteer.

The Whistler Community Services Society—a veritable one-stop-shop of social support in the community—came second, followed by Zero Ceiling, the advocacy organization dedicated to ending youth homeless.

BEST COUNCIL DECISION: HOUSING ACTION PLAN Council’s continued focus on housing, including the unveiling of Whistler’s first Housing Action Plan in May, was its best contribution to the community in 2023, according to Pique readers.

The wide-ranging plan identifies completed and ongoing efforts around housing in the resort, as well as providing a framework to guide future initiatives.

It’s broken into six core efforts: monitor supply and identify needs; protect and optimize employee housing; leverage municipal lands; utilize and expand financing tools; encourage the private sector; and remove red-tape barriers.

Where the plan takes housing in Whistler in the long-term remains to be seen, but in the eyes of Pique readers, at least, it’s a good start.

The long-anticipated approval of cannabis retail in the resort—and the opening of A Little Bud in Function Junction, Whistler’s first brick-and-mortar weed shop—came second.

Though not a concrete decision (yet), council’s consideration of a permanent campfire ban in the resort during the summer months came third.

WORST COUNCIL DECISION: YEAR-ROUND PAY PARKING Whistlerites’ biggest pet peeve reared its ugly head again in 2023.

Given the long and contentious history of pay parking in the resort, it’s no surprise council’s decision to implement year-round pay parking in Day Lots 4 and 5 is Pique readers’ leastfavourite of 2023.

According to the municipality, the move aims to promote parking turnover, reduce automobile usage, and get non-residents to pay their share for the local transportation system.

“Paying for parking is one of the few ways non-residents participate in funding Whistler’s transition to other modes of transportation. Transit and other preferred modes of transportation are funded by parking fees, which ultimately reduces the costs for much-needed climate action infrastructure,” said Mayor Jack Crompton at the time.

Upgrading Rainbow Park—and the resulting months-long closure of the popular summer hangout spot—came in second.

The decision to not bring back the resort’s beloved Canada Day parade came third.

BIGGEST NEWS STORY: VILLAGE 8 CLOSES FOR GOOD The biggest news story of the year occurred in the first week of 2023.

38 DECEMBER 29, 2023

After the worst wildfire season on record in B.C., Whistlerites went with the one-two punch of climate change and wildfires as their biggest environmental concerns in 2023.

According to the B.C. government, this year, more than 2.84 million hectares of forest and land burned, while tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate and hundreds lost homes and structures.

That’s to say nothing of the impacts to cultural and ecological values, infrastructure, and local economies, or the indirect impacts to agriculture and tourism—or the unquantifiable impacts to people’s health and well-being.

Old-growth logging came third.

- Braden Dupuis

Restaurants & Cafes BEST COFFEE 1) Mount Currie Coffee Co. 2) Forecast 3) Blenz

BEST BREAKFAST 1) Wild Wood Café 2) The Southside Diner 3) Elements

BEST LUNCH 1) Samurai Sushi 2) Forecast 3) La Cantina

BEST CASUAL DINING 1) Samurai Sushi 2) 21 Steps 3) Earls

THANK YOU WHISTLER FOR VOTING ME FOR VOTING ME Best Realtor FOR 2023 F O R 2 0Realtor 23 Best CARMYN MARCANO Realtor Advisor D +1 604-719-7646 Hello@CarmynMarcano.com CarmynMarcano.com

FEATURE STORY

BEST FINE DINING 1) Rimrock Café 2) Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar 3) Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar

BEST DESSERT 1) Purebread 2) Rimrock Café 3) Cows

BEST WINE LIST 1) Rimrock Café 2) Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar 3) Bearfoot Bistro

BEST BURGER 1) Splitz Grill 2) Caramba Restaurant 3) Roland’s Creekside Pub

BEST PIZZA 1) Functional Pie Pizzeria 2) Creekbread 3) Pizzeria Antico

2) Rimrock Café 3) Sushi Village

FAVOURITE TAKEOUT 1) Samurai Sushi 2) Barn Nork 3) Functional Pie Pizzeria

SAMURAI SUSHI FOR THE PEOPLE Since taking over Samurai Sushi here in Whistler in 2018, co-owners Takuya Ota and Evan Choi have spent a lot of time and effort leaning into being a staple for the community through consistency and loyalty to their customers.

“We didn’t close the restaurant during the pandemic, not for a single day,” said Ota. “We kept our restaurant open so we could serve the community.”

“Part of it was because we needed to support our staff, but at the same time a big part of it was keeping the community running. Based on the day-to-day customer communication and who is loyal to our restaurant, we have so many locals that use our restaurant, and we knew that it would be difficult for them not having us opening our restaurant. That was part of the reason why we kept our restaurant open.”

That loyalty comes back to Samurai Sushi, as seen by this year’s 2023 Best of Whistler results: Samurai Sushi was voted the top local establishment in three different categories: Best Lunch, Best Casual Dining, and Favourite Takeout.

“We are happy to be acknowledged, and we are honoured that people voted for us,” said Ota. “We strive to manage our business and run our restaurant specifically for the locals—that’s what our market and focus is: How we can grow together with the locals.”

Ota explained that, while tourists are part of the equation, for himself and Choi, it is important to keep prices affordable for locals, doors open, staff supported, and everyone happy.

“We keep our price as reasonable as possible, even with inflation and the cost of food and payroll … We are trying to be reasonable, and the best for everybody in Whistler.”

Ota and Choi own and operate two locations: Samurai Sushi in Nesters, and Samurai Bowl in Whistler Creekside.

- Scott Tibballs

BEST STEAK 1) Hy’s Steakhouse 2) Rimrock Café 3) The Keg Steakhouse

BEST SUSHI 1) Sushi Village 2) Nagomi Sushi 3) Samurai Sushi

BEST HEALTHY MEAL 1) The Green Moustache Café 2) Naked Sprout Café and Eatery 3) Main Street Poke

FAVOURITE FOOD POP-UP 1) Lucia Gelato 2) Whistler Wood Fired Pizza Company 3) Spcy Grls

BEST OFF-SEASON DEAL 1) Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar

40 DECEMBER 29, 2023

Best Lunch/Best Casual Dining/ Favourite Takeout: Samurai Sushi Best Pizza: Functional Pie

FEATURE STORY

BEST WINGS 1) Roland’s Creekside Pub 2) Dusty’s Bar & BBQ 3) Crystal Lounge

BEST BAR/PUB 1) Dubh Linn Gate 2) Stinky’s on the Stroll 3) Beacon Pub & Eatery

Best Bar/Pub: Dubh Linn Gate

BEST PATIO

Favourite Whistlerite: Jeremy “Stinky” Peterson

1) Table Nineteen 2) Dusty’s Bar & BBQ 3) Beacon Pub & Eatery

BEST COCKTAIL 1) The Raven Room 2) Bar Oso 3) 21 Steps

BEST BEER SELECTION 1) Coast Mountain Brewing 2) Dubh Linn Gate 3) Beacon Pub & Eatery

FAVOURITE LOCALS’ HANGOUT 1) Stinky’s on the Stroll 2) Roland’s Creekside Pub 3) Tapley’s Pub

ROLAND’S RAKES IN ANOTHER YEAR OF RECOGNITION

Bars, Pubs & Clubs BEST APRÈS 1) Dusty’s Bar & BBQ 2) Dubh Linn Gate 3) Garibaldi Lift Co.

BEST NACHOS 1) Dubh Linn Gate 2) Dusty’s Bar & BBQ 3) Stinky’s on the Stroll

42 DECEMBER 29, 2023

Roland’s Creekside Pub is a regular in Pique’s Best of Whistler readers’ poll, and plenty of Whistlerites are regulars at Roland’s—2023 is no exception.

Getting top accolades for best wings in town, and appearing yet again as one of the locals’ favourite hangout spots, the popular Creekside establishment has built a following that sees it through thick and thin.

“Because we focus on the locals, that’s one of the reasons that we are a locals’ favourite,” said owner Karen Roland.

“We cater to them; We want them here because they live here 365 days a year and support us year-round. The tourists are a bonus, but at the end of the day, the locals are the ones that come and support us, and they are the majority of our business. So that’s who we focus on, who we love the most.”

Roland herself has been recognized for her place in the hospitality industry, being inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame earlier in 2023, along with her brother, Mike Roland, who operates the attached Roland’s Beer and Wine store.

Roland’s has been getting into the swing of things through 2023, and is now open for lunch on Wednesdays and Thursdays thanks to success on the staffing front.

Roland’s joy at being able to open during the week helps explain why the popular establishment is so well-frequented by locals.

“We have a lot of lunch regulars that come here loyally, and when we had to close down during the week and only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, that put a monkey wrench into a lot of peoples lunch plans,” she said.

To the locals, Roland sends a lot of thanks.

“Thank you for your continued support,” she said. “You are what kept us in business during COVID, and we couldn’t have survived without you.”

- Scott Tibballs

FEATURE STORY

Arts, Arts, Media Media & & Culture Culture FAVOURITE ARTIST/ARTISAN 1) Andrea Mueller 2) Kris Kupskay 3) Dave Petko

FAVOURITE MAJOR ART SHOW 1) Dirt Diaries 2) Art on the Lake 3) Manabu Ikeda: Flowers from the Wreckage

FAVOURITE ARTS & CULTURE EVENT, FESTIVAL OR SERIES 1) Crankworx 2) Art on the Lake 3) Whistler Summer Concert Series

FAVOURITE PHOTOGRAPHER 1) Blake Jorgenson, Rob Perry 2) Joern Rohde 3) Logan Swayze

FAVOURITE LOCAL FILMMAKER 1) Kris Dontas 2) Jeff Thomas 3) John Burke

FAVOURITE MUSIC ARTIST/BAND 1) The Hairfarmers 2) Red Chair 3) Brother Twang

Favourite Local Filmmaker: Kris Dontas ‘A WHISTLER IMAGE’ Blake Jorgenson has lived in Whistler for three decades, and he has plenty to show for his career— including, most recently, recognition as Pique’s favourite photographer. It’s an achievement he certainly doesn’t take for granted.

“I guess [I feel] a lot of gratitude,” he said. “It’s just a big thank you and appreciation for liking my work and liking how I’ve represented the community. You know, I think that’s the main thing that every artist needs: the encouragement to keep going both from yourself and from other people.”

Jorgenson and the man he shares top spot with—Rob Perry—have something in common.

Both moved to Whistler from out east (though Perry went further, coming from the U.K.) and launched into a brand-new Sea to Sky adventure. Jorgenson was only 18 when he showed up, and he soon developed an urge to document everything he saw.

Social media wasn’t a thing back then, so the Ontario native picked up a camera. Nowadays, he can’t do so without asking himself: what makes a true Whistler-worthy picture?

“Even when I travel, I still shoot as if I’m in Whistler,” Jorgenson said. “I still shoot what I’ve always considered a Whistler image, and so that’s the influence of this area, this people and this environment. Whistler has a lot of drama and mood because of the weather, and I think I’ve been learning to embrace that. If you fight it and wait for sunny days all the time, you’ll miss out.”

Though he lacks formal post-secondary training in the arts, Jorgenson thinks he essentially graduated from university in the Sea to Sky when it comes to perfecting his craft and learning life lessons along the way. He’s watched the local photography scene grow by leaps and bounds during his time, and admires the young shooters out there who are finding success at an earlier age than he did.

“I think it’s been a wonderful experience, being able to spend a lot of time documenting those outdoor experiences with your friends,” said Jorgenson. “That’s the main thing that everybody’s striving for, and it’s not easy to make a living out of doing that, but it is possible and I like to think that I’m one of those people that has inspired a lot of people.”

THE DARK KNIGHT OF THE CAMERA Kris Dontas likens himself to Batman.

By day, he’s Bruce Wayne—though instead of being a billionaire playboy, he teaches at Myrtle Philip Community School alongside his brother Kevin. By night they trade their syllabuses for cameras and become local heroes on the arts scene, with Ryan Proctor as the third member of their Bat-family: Two Dontas One Proctor Productions.

They’ve no doubt left a mark, for Kris was voted Whistler’s favourite filmmaker this year by Pique readers.

“This year, especially, we put a lot of effort into the 72-Hour Filmmaker Showdown, and especially into Dirt Diaries, and to be recognized with this acknowledgement and award is just amazing,” he said.

Born and raised in a small town called Corunna, Ont., the Dontas brothers moved to Whistler about 11 years ago. Their love of shooting video goes back well beyond that: Kris remembers asking for a video camera for Christmas when he was in Grade 8. He got one, and the rest is history.

A versatile filmmaker, Kris’ range runs the gauntlet from real estate videography to comedic storytelling based on sarcasm, wit and creativity. He and his crew’s submission for the 72-Hour Showdown this April, Would You Rather, netted them a $5,000 grand prize from the World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF). Even in light of such success, Kris isn’t sure if he’ll ever focus on shooting year-round.

“I get that asked every single day: are you going to leave teaching?” he said. “I can’t honestly answer that right now. I like the balance of both. I am curious to see what full-time filmmaking could look like, but I do love stepping into a classroom and changing the lives of 20 small people.

“I think teaching comes naturally to my brother and I. We grew up coaching sailing, swimming, that kind of thing, so educating is very natural to us. And then the schedule of teaching lends itself … to quite a lovely bit of time off to do these other side jobs.”

- David Song

44 DECEMBER 29, 2023

Thank You

WHISTLER! WHISTLER

For Voting Us Best Construction Company WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR CLIENTS FOR PUTTING THEIR TRUST IN US AND THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM FOR MAKING THIS YEAR A HUGE SUCCESS.

604-962-8836 www.tmbuilders.ca

FEATURE STORY 2) Dave Murray Downhill 3) Ridge Runner

FAVOURITE SLACKCOUNTRY RUN/AREA 1) Million Dollar Ridge 2) Khyber Pass 3) Flute Backside

FAVOURITE BIKE TRAIL 1) Crank It Up 2) A-line 3) Flashback

FAVOURITE GOLF COURSE

Favourite Junior Athlete: Anthony Shelly

Sports & Recreation FAVOURITE SUMMER ATHLETE 1) Finn Iles 2) Jesse Melamed 3) Jackson Goldstone

FAVOURITE WINTER ATHLETE 1) Stan Rey 2) Marcus Goguen 3) Marielle Thompson

1) Nicklaus North 2) Fairmont Chateau Whistler 3) Whistler Golf Club

FAVOURITE ADVENTURE TOUR COMPANY 1) Canadian Wilderness Adventures 2) TAG: The Adventure Group 3) Blackcomb Helicopters

NICKLAUS: THE STANDARD If you’re a golfer, the name Nicklaus means something.

Jack Nicklaus won 73 PGA Tour events in his unparalleled career, and designing dozens of world-class golf courses is equally a part of his legacy. Perhaps that’s why Nicklaus North has been voted Whistler’s favourite course once again, and by a considerable margin—garnering more than 45 per cent of total votes.

Five sets of tee decks allow Nicklaus North guests to choose their own adventure: from a long and demanding 18 holes to a more leisurely and forgiving outing with friends. The venue’s trees and waterways are always well-groomed in the summer to complement Whistler’s natural beauty, and golfers can unwind on one of the Sea to Sky’s more popular patios whenever they’re not hitting the ball.

Gavin Eckford, who just wrapped up his second year as general manager, knows the place all too well.

“Coming back as GM felt pretty familiar [after working there for 10 years in the 2000s],” he said. “Some of the people on the management team I’ve known for decades, so we’ve had good relationships already.”

FAVOURITE JUNIOR ATHLETE 1) Anthony Shelly 2) Juliette Pelchat, Mhairi Smart 3) Floyd Guy

FAVOURITE PARK 1) Rainbow Park 2) Lost Lake Park 3) Alpha Park

FAVOURITE WHISTLER BLACKCOMB SKI RUN 1) Peak to Creek

46 DECEMBER 29, 2023

Favourite Adventure Tour Company: Canadian Wilderness Adventures

P: DAVID MCCOLM

Thank You

for VOTING US FAVOURITE HOTEL

1 604 938 800 CHATEAU-WHISTLER.COM

FEATURE STORY

voted whistler’s best beer selection 6 YEARS!

2022

thank you for voting for us once again!

- David Song

Business Services

2020

BEST NEW BUSINESS 1) Rockit Coffee 2) A Little Bud 3) Mekong

2018

2019

Nicklaus North’s team is well-versed in readying their venue each spring to take advantage of Whistler’s relatively short golf season. Eckford believes that his employees help make a lasting impression on visitors year-in, year-out: whether they’re raking bunkers, serving in the Table Nineteen restaurant or fielding questions in the golf shop.

The staff is also capable of fostering high-end talent, of which Stewart Walker is an ideal example. The Whistler Secondary School grad is officially a part of Long Island University’s golf team after sharpening his skills under Nicklaus North’s director of golf Andrew Smart and director of instruction Graham Kehoe.

“Stewart is a phenomenal player,” Eckford said. “He’s definitely the best to have come out of Nicklaus North. You get a little bit of recognition out of it, a little bit of satisfaction knowing that the club played a small part in developing such a skilled athlete.”

BEST SKI SHOP located in whistler’s function junction

coastmountainbrewing.com

1) Coastal Culture Sports 2) Fanatyk Co. 3) Comor

BEST SNOWBOARD SHOP

We are immensely grateful to the vibrant community of Whistler for once again honoring Creekside Dental with the prestigious title of the best dental office in the "Best of Whistler" awards.

Your continued trust and support inspire us to maintain our commitment to exceptional care and service.

Thank you for allowing us to serve this incredible community we are truly privileged to be a part of it!

Happy Holidays

from all of us at Creekside Dental!

317-2063 LAKE PLACID ROAD in Franz’s Trail beside Creekside Market

PH: 604 938 1550 • www.creeksidedentalwhistler.com

48 DECEMBER 29, 2023

1) Showcase Snowboard Surf & Skate Shop 2) Evolution 3) The Circle

BEST BIKE SHOP 1) Coastal Culture Sports 2) Evolution 3) Fanatyk Co.

Best New Business: Rockit Coffee

thank you!

Best Customer Service

Best Grocery Store

For four years running the people of Whistler have chosen us as the best customer service providers in town. As customer service is a big priority to us, we take great pride in taking home this award year after year! THANK YOU!

WOW! This means so much to everyone at Creekside Market! Thank you from the bottom of our shopping carts for choosing to shop local every day you visit our store.

CREEKSIDE VILLAGE 604.938.9301

@whistlercreeksidemarket /CreeksideMarket

FEATURE STORY

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE 1) Creekside Market 2) A Little Bud 3) Fairmont Chateau Whistler

FAVOURITE WHISTLER REALTOR 1) Carmyn Marcano 2) Katelyn Spink 3) Maggi Thornhill

FAVOURITE BUILDER OR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

Favourite Whistler Realtor: Carmyn Marcano

1) TM Builders 2) RDC Fine Homes 3) CVC Custom Builders

BEST CLOTHING STORE

FAVOURITE ELECTRICIAN OR ELECTRICIAN COMPANY

1) Re-Use-It Centre 2) Aritzia 3) The Beach

1) Noble Electric, Rainbow Electric Ltd., and Spark Electrical 2) Switched On Electrical 3) Peak Electric

BEST JEWELRY STORE

FAVOURITE PLUMBER OR PLUMBING COMPANY

1) Keir Fine Jewellery 2) Ruby Tuesday Accessories 3) 3 singing birds

1) Lee Carter Plumbing 2) Spearhead Plumbing & Heating 3) Whistler Mechanical

BEST HAIR SALON/BARBERSHOP

BEST STORE FOR GIFTS

1) Elevation Hair Studio 2) Farfalla Hair & Esthetics 3) Mountain Chic Hair Lounge

1) 3 singing birds 2) Whistler Kitchen Works 3) Get the Goods

BEST GROCERY STORE

FAVOURITE HOTEL

1) Creekside Market 2) Fresh St. Market 3) Your Independent Grocer

1) Fairmont Chateau Whistler 2) Nita Lake Lodge 3) The Westin Resort & Spa

50 DECEMBER 29, 2023

Thank you for relaxing with us

SCANDINAV E.COM

THANK YOU! HONOURED TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS

2023

WHISTLER'S BEST STEAK CANADA'S PREMIER STEAKHOUSE 4308 Main Street | 604.905.5555 www.hyssteakhouse.com DECEMBER 29, 2023

51

FEATURE STORY

restaurant + cocktail bar Happy Holiday's from our family to yours!

We are so excited to celebrate our fifth win for best cocktail in Whistler as we move into our fifth year of serving you!

We are forever grateful for your endless support, shared laughs and our great times spent together.

We look forward to hosting you soon

OPEN 3 PM - 1 AM daily LOCATED Pan Pacific Village Centre Hotel

MENU

604 962 0311 THERAVENROOM.CA

Best Ski Shop + Best Bike Shop: Coastal Culture Sports

COASTAL CULTURE GREETS CUSTOMERS LIKE ‘OLD FRIENDS’ Coastal Culture’s winning duo Ryan Brown and Thomas Stacker put their success down to their store’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere. It is this friendly nature that led to their store being named the best spot to scoop bikes and skis in this year’s Best of Whistler poll.

Brown explained popping into a sports store should never be an intimidating experience, regardless of your skill level.

“We are friendly,” he said. “I think we are a little down-to-Earth as well. Sometimes, people can be overwhelmed walking into sports stores. I think we are just able to greet them like an old friend. Just being simple and friendly would be the secret sauce.”

It hasn’t been an easy run for bike shops around B.C., after COVID-19 led to a major stock shortage, followed by a glut of bikes clogging up shops.

“Inventory has been our No. 1 challenge the last two years,” said Brown. “We couldn’t get inventory, and then we got too much of it. The price increases are not fair to anybody, either.

Just trying to control inventory levels has been challenging, for most shops.”

Like most Whistler residents, the team at Coastal Culture is ready for the snow to start falling and the tourists to start rolling in.

“We are lucky that Whistler has a lot of in and out traffic,” said Brown. “Most businesses in Whistler have felt the in and out being a little slower than usual during the last six weeks!”

Brown thanked the store’s loyal customer base for another great year.

“We literally have people come in saying that they could have bought online but they prefer to have that person-to-person feel,” he said.

Congratulations

to our wonderful staff on being voted

Whistler’s Best Electricians in 2023!

This win is yours. You guys really are #1.

We would also like to send out a big THANK YOU to all of our fantastic clients and to everyone who voted for us. It is truly an honour. We look forward to serving you in 2024.

STAFF AT WHISTLER’S BEST SNOWBOARD SHOP ARE DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS Staff at Showcase Snowboard Surf & Skate Shop—Whistler’s favourite snowboard shop for 2023, according to Pique readers—are just waiting for the snow to start falling, so they can show off all their cool stock.

The store has called its current Whistler Village location home for more than two decades, and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Manager John Frye said customers are always the No. 1 priority.

“We have a great selection of products, a great team, and a goal for our customer service to be No. 1,” he said, adding that, like all ski and snowboard shops in town, Showcase’s crew is hoping for more snow to arrive soon.

“Once that comes, people will follow,” Frye said.

“Hopefully then things will be back to normal. We are just hoping for that snow to fly. We just want snow like everyone else.”

Frye loves chatting about his snowboarding passion with everyone who comes through the shop’s doors. Their staff all share a similar infectious enthusiasm for the sport.

“We try to hire people that are passionate about snowboarding and passionate about Whistler,” he said. “That conveys over to our customers. That’s our winning formula.”

- Roisin Cullen

52 DECEMBER 29, 2023

A huge heartfelt thank you to everybody that voted for Lee Carter Plumbing as the...

BEST PLUMBING COMPANY IN WHISTLER! Thank you to our loyal customers, all the tradespeople who we work with and to everybody who recommends our services to others - it really means a lot! We credit this award to our employees who have made this happen with their incredible skill and hard work! Thank you LCP team!

Happy Holidays one and all!

May the New Year bring lots of love, happiness, health, prosperity and snow!

Lee Carter Plumbing Ltd.

Tel: 604 698 8665 • Email: info@lcplumbing.ca

Season’s greetings, and many thanks for voting us

WHISTLER’S FAVOURITE

BURGER Dine in Di i & Take T k out. t Si Since ‘97 ‘97.

DECEMBER 29, 2023

53

FEATURE STORY

Health & Fitness FAVOURITE SPA 1) Scandinave Spa Whistler 2) The Spa at Nita Lake Lodge 3) The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Whistler

FAVOURITE CHIROPRACTOR OR CHIROPRACTOR PRACTICE Thank you Whistler for voting us Favourite Physiotherapy Provider 2023.

All our staff are STOKED to keep Whistler folks playing and help them get ‘Back in Action ‘ when the unfortunate side effects of our amazing outdoor pursuits occur. Aches and pains are our specialty and we love helping to prevent injuries as well as fix them.

Call, email or book online

FAVOURITE PHYSIOTHERAPY PROVIDER 1) Back in Action 2) Peak Performance Physiotherapy and Massage 3) The Movement Lab

FAVOURITE MASSAGE PROVIDER

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1) Whistler Chiropractic Clinic 2) Andrea Bologna (Village Centre Chiropractic) 3) Adam Underhill

‘we keep you playing’

1) Nita Lake Lodge 2) Back in Action 3) Scandinave Spa Whistler

FAVOURITE DENTAL PRACTICE 1) Creekside Dental 2) Whistler Dental 3) Whistler Smiles Dental Clinic

FAVOURITE DOCTOR OR NURSE

NEW WINTER WHISTLER MAGAZINE IS OUT!

1) Dr. Karin Kausky 2) Dr. Tom DeMarco 3) Dr. Brennan McKnight

Best Grocery Store: Creekside Market

WHISTLER’S PREMIER VISITOR MAGAZINE SINCE 1980 Get your new edition in hotel rooms and select locations around Whistler.

54 DECEMBER 29, 2023

/whistlermagazine

Raised by Mountains...

THANKS PIQUE READERS FOR VOTING FOR US!

Igniting Memories

BEST SUSHI Kanpai!

Thank you for voting Keir Fine Jewellery as Whistler's

BEST JEWELLERY STORE sushivillage.com | 604.932.3330

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DECEMBER 29, 2023

55

FEATURE STORY

WE ARE SO HONOURED TO BE VOTED

h Best Lunc ual Dining Best Cas out e k a T e t i r Favou We would like to thank all of our customers for their continued support over the year, and wish you all the best for 2024. We are happy to announce our Winter Specials for you to enjoy

TemDon $12.25

Asparagus Roll $5.95

Spicy Yama Salmon Roll $8.75

Farmers Roll $8.50

Favourite Fitness Activity Provider: Meadow Park Sports Centre

We are open everyday from 11am-9pm at Samurai Sushi - Nesters, 12pm-9pm at Samurai Bowl - Creekside including New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day

FAVOURITE FITNESS ACTIVITY PROVIDER 1) Meadow Park Sports Centre 2) Altitude Fitness 3) Whistler Core Climbing & Fitness Gym 10 Thank you to all of our clients for voting for us again

FAVOURITE BEAUTY AND AESTHETICS PROVIDER 1) The Spa at Nita Lake Lodge 2) Farfalla Hair & Esthetics 3) Be Beauty Laser & Esthetics

BACK IN ACTION HELPS PEOPLE ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE

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Back in Action’s 10 elite physiotherapists are always ready to get people back on their bikes, their skis or just into their work boots. Co-owner Bianca Matheson believes the business has always stood out amongst the crowd.

“Our athletic background and our involvement with the elite national sports organizations makes a difference. We love this community,” she said. “We are passionate about getting people active and back to do whatever they love as quickly as possible.”

The team at Back in Action is always looking at what they can do better to make life easier for loyal customers and tourists alike.

“We have been innovative,” said Matheson. “We developed an app that helped Whistler Blackcomb employees strengthen up for the ski season and detect their own ski injuries.”

And Whistler’s favourite physiotherapy provider has big goals for 2024.

New addition and three-time Olympian Kelsey Serwa will run its gym base program for work safe rehab.

“We have a really good concussion program going,” said Matheson. “We are expanding this year down to the Cheakamus’ Athlete’s Centre. We will be able to have a base to see some of the people that live there. We are also about to start an active rehab gym program.”

Customers are often surprised they don’t have to suffer through pain.

“It’s great to get people back to enjoying themselves,” Matheson said.

“Sometimes, people think they have to live with something especially people with chronic things. They are amazed by the results they can get.”

- Roisin Cullen

A MASSIVE THANKS to each and every one of you that voted for us Best Pizza in Whistler once again.We are so lucky to have you all as such amazing fans and friends of Functional Pie. From our family to you and yours... Happy Holidays and all the best for you in 2024

www.functionalpie.ca • 604-962-3141

DECEMBER 29, 2023

57

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Weatherhood’s network includes 300% more sensors between Sechelt and Chilliwack than were previously in place, and updates forecast six times more often throughout the day.

SPORTS THE SCORE

Local bobsledder Talia Melun qualifies for 2024 Youth Olympics WHISTLERITE MELUN AND TEAMMATE ISAAK ULMER HAVE BOTH SECURED THEIR SPOTS IN SOUTH KOREA

BY DAVID SONG TALIA MELUN and Isaak Ulmer have each taken a large leap forward in their burgeoning bobsled careers by qualifying for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.

Both are leaving their mark on the Omega Youth Series abroad. Melun’s best-ever finish was fourth on Nov. 10 in Pyeongchang, while Ulmer has a fourth-place effort of his own from March 15 in Lake Placid, N.Y. “I have been working towards this goal since I first started, pretty much … but I never thought I’d actually reach it,” Melun said. “It took a lot of training, a lot of money and a lot of time, and I didn’t really think that I would be able to qualify, so it’s really, really amazing that I got to.”

Ulmer is likewise thrilled about the opportunity. “It’s probably one of the highlights of my career so far,” he said. “I’m really proud to do all this work and have it pay off.”

The teens have the privilege of being coached by Chris Spring, a four-time Olympian and eight-time IBSF World Cup medallist.

Having retired at 39 years of age back in September, Spring now gives back to his

MAKING A MARK Whistler bobsledder Talia Melun works on her sled.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MELANIE BITNER/ WHISTLER SPORT LEGACIES

60 DECEMBER 29, 2023

favourite sport by mentoring new generations.

“This is the first time I’ve been a part of it as a coach, and it’s really special,” said the veteran slider. “It’s a goal that [Talia and Isaak] both set out to achieve—to qualify for these Games—and to have achieved it in the timeframe that they did, with the results that they have, it makes me really proud. I’m really excited to be coaching them at the upcoming Youth Olympic Games as well.”

GRASSROOTS

Melun is a homegrown talent, having lived in Whistler her whole life. The 15-year-old and her big brother Noah were exposed to sliding sports from an early age because their dad Phillippe works at the Whistler Sliding Centre (WSC). Both kids found their way into the local bobsled pipeline, although Noah recently stepped away from competing.

The sibling rivalry was inevitable, but it’s had a healthy impact on both.

“I always wanted to be better than Noah,” Melun said. “I always wanted to beat him in some way. Sometimes I did. Sometimes I didn’t. But I think it was definitely pushing the both of us a lot.

“Our relationship is still great. I still talk to him about all the other athletes and what’s going on, and we are still sliding together in Whistler. He just has other opportunities that don’t really allow him to slide as much.”

As one of several athletes who benefit from having a world-class track in their backyard,

Melun has felt the love from all her coaches and the staff who know her personally—and of course her dad. It’s a tightly-knit crew up at the WSC, and she wouldn’t be the same without it.

She’s also grateful for her travelling support system, like Spring and Ulmer.

“Chris is such a good coach,” Melun said.

“So supportive, super nice, but also a lot of fun.

I could not ask for a better coach to be coming with us on all of these trips into the Olympics.

Isaak is super supportive too. You can ask him any questions about anything. He’s a perfect teammate, and it’s been really great competing alongside and travelling with him.”

YOU AGAINST YOURSELF

If you ask a sliding athlete what they love most about their sport, chances are they’ll talk about the speed, the rush, and the adrenaline. Not to say Ulmer doesn’t enjoy those things, but a different element came to mind when he described his love of bobsled.

“I really like the feeling of driving down the track, and I like how I have control of what I’m doing,” he explained. “It’s not full control—you can sometimes go out of control and crash—but you can influence yourself.

Also, you’re kind of competing against yourself, and there’s just the time you get. You can’t influence the other person when they’re going down the track.”

Ulmer was raised in Calgary, Alta. He found bobsled through a school program that took him to the Ice House, a WinSport

facility that gives athletes the opportunity to master launching their sleds. Ulmer was also influenced by his father, Lyndon, who spent time at Calgary’s Olympic sliding track until it closed in 2019.

Unlike Melun, Ulmer has only driven the WSC a handful of times. Initially he found the world’s fastest ice to be difficult and off-putting, but since has warmed up to the challenge. He also credits Spring with helping him adapt to a variety of venues.

“We joke around playing games, but he’s also really knowledgeable,” Ulmer commented. “When we went to Lillehammer [in Norway], he’s never driven that track before, but with all the experience that he has, he can look at the track and decipher what needs to be done.”

And as someone who appreciates the art of driving a perfect line, the 17-year-old praised Melun’s demeanour and competence.

“She’s probably one of the most calm drivers I’ve met, and she’s really skilled,” he said. “She doesn’t stress about anything … and if you have questions while driving, she knows [the answers] somehow even though it could be our first day on the track.”

With the 2024 Youth Olympics scheduled for Jan. 19 to Feb. 1, Melun and Ulmer are raring to put their best foot forward, but fundraising continues to be an issue.

Melun’s crowdfunding platform can be found at makeachamp.com/taliamelun, and Ulmer’s at gofundme.com/f/isaak-make-it-to-the2024-youth-olympics. n

SPORTS THE SCORE

Cedar Pidgeon wins Canadian National Lead Climbing Championship

Don’t Miss Out Be Part of

THE 17-YEAR-OLD FROM SQUAMISH ALSO PLACED TENTH AT YOUTH WORLDS IN SOUTH KOREA

BY DAVID SONG CEDAR PIDGEON loves to climb. She’s pretty good at it, too.

The Squamish native rose up to become this year’s Canadian National Lead Climbing Champion in her age group, besting runnerup Sophie Buitendyk and bronze medallist Molly Dreher. It was a hotly-contested final at the Richmond Olympic Oval, with all three female podium finishers unable to secure their 39th hold. Yet Cedar had outperformed her opponents in the semifinals, netting her gold.

“Hard work actually gets you places,” she said. “If you’re willing to put in the time and the effort and the—I don’t want to say dedication, because it’s a little bit cringy, but yes, dedication—then you can actually achieve your goals. It’s a good milestone for me, and I’m excited for future training and competitions at that level.”

Cedar started climbing virtually as soon as she could walk. She loves it because of its versatility: unlike other sports, which can involve repetitive movements and activities, climbing presents a dynamic challenge based on the discipline and venue at hand. Lead climbers, boulderers and speed athletes must excel at different skills, and the various indoor gyms on Earth are supplemented— and usually upstaged—by nature’s wealth of mountains and rocky faces.

Some people focus on the regimented indoor competitive side of climbing, but Cedar makes sure to branch out.

“I think having a dual relationship with climbing inside and outside is really healthy for my involvement with the sport,” she said. “It keeps me from plateauing mentally.

A lot of my really, really close friends in climbing, they do both. I can climb with them in competitions and try to be on the same level as them, but then we can also go outside, screw around and just enjoy nature.”

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

Thomasina Pidgeon, Cedar’s mom, began climbing in her mid-to-late twenties, but didn’t enter her first contest until her forties.

That’s indeed an exceptionally late start, but the elder Pidgeon doesn’t regret her path, as climbing has taken her from Europe to Australia to the United States. It’s also given her a common language with her now 17-yearold daughter.

“Cedar works really hard,” said Thomasina. “It wasn’t always like that—when she was younger, she just climbed for fun. But lately, in the last year and a half, she’s been a lot more focused than she was before, and I think she’s perhaps more inspired by paying attention to other climbers that are on, say,

NEW HEIGHTS Cedar Pidgeon at the 2023 bouldering nationals.

PHOTO BY JIWOONG HONG

the World Cup circuit.”

One of Cedar’s formative international experiences took place at the International Federation of Sport Climbing Youth World Championships in South Korea. She’d written herself a note at eight years of age expressing her desire to attend that very event, and it came to fruition last August with a 10th-place effort.

Not a shabby way to fulfil a childhood dream.

“It was really fun, really rewarding,” Cedar said. “It was my goal that whole year, so I was really happy when I qualified [with a bronze medal at the Canadian Youth National Championships]. Going to Korea was really fun because I just got to bond with the rest of the team and climb among a bunch of other kids my age from all around the world.”

“She’s done better than I ever have,” admitted Thomasina with a laugh. “It’s cool to see her become more confident and believe in herself more. I think that kind of thinking just translates to everything else, and success breeds success. She learns from other people’s mistakes really easily. People make mistakes all the time, especially in climbing, and you can [pick up on it] if you pay attention.”

According to Thomasina, who is both parent and coach to her only child, Cedar once held a bit of a fixed mindset with regard to sport. Yet learning to think outside the box and improve on her weaknesses paid dividends. The two enjoy a harmonious relationship, albeit one occasionally marked by the normal arguments between mother and daughter.

“My mom is one of the people who has had a huge impact on me,” said Cedar. “I mean, she’s the reason I started climbing, and she’s been my coach for my whole life, but more recently, she’s been more involved.”

There are many routes the young Squamolian can take from here, both on and off the wall. She isn’t ready to commit fully to a professional career, but hopes to take a run at the World Cup in the future. ■

$5 Cover Notice of Proposed Zoning Amendment Bylaw - No Public Hearing to be Held

Zoning Amendment Bylaw (Cheakamus Crossing Phase 2 RM-CD2 Zone) No. 2419, 2023 (the “proposed Bylaw”) Purpose: The purpose of the proposed Bylaw is to amend the RM-CD2 zone to allow additional density on Lot 5 at 1475 Mount Fee Road. The bylaw proposes to increase the Gross Floor Area (GFA) and Floor Space Ratio (FSR). The bylaw also proposes to remove the requirement to step back the fourth storey, reduce the required parking to a minimum of one stall per dwelling unit and to permit a greater proportion of the required parking to be surface parking.

Subject Lands: The lands that are the subject of the proposed Bylaw are shown on the map attached to this notice, and are legally described as LOT 5 DISTRICT LOT 8073 GROUP 1 NEW WESTMINSTER DISTRICT PLAN EPP111931 Bylaw Readings: Consideration of the first, second and third readings of the proposed Bylaw will be at the Regular Council Meeting on January 9, 2024.

To learn more: A copy of the proposed Bylaw and background documentation are available for review from December 27, 2023 to January 9, 2024 at: • Municipal Hall at 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, during regular office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (statutory holidays excluded) • Online on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) website at: whistler.ca/RZ001181

For more information visit: whistler.ca/RZ001181

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR A COPY OF THE PROPOSED BYLAW AND BACKGROUND DOCUMENTATION

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/RZ001181

DECEMBER 29, 2023

61

FORK IN THE ROAD

Get stuffed with my picks for ‘best of’ foodstuff A NOD TO THE PAST AND SOME HOPE FOR THE FUTURE “FOODSTUFF” IS ONE of the best words ever. I like its hybridized reach, plus it always reminds me that for years Pique food columns—which, although intermittent at times, started with the first issue Nov. 25, 1994—ran under the clever standing header “Get Stuffed.” (For all you non-journos, a standing header is just that, a header that “stands” every issue and flags readers that that article or section appears regularly. It’s usually located above the headline, which summarizes story content.)

Yes, long before “Fork in the Road” and maybe before, or after, “Epicurious” (no one

BY GLENDA BARTOSH can quite remember), but definitely before the bare-bones “Food and Drink” header, “Get Stuffed” was a winner.

In fact, my first column ran under “Get Stuffed” back in 2002. It was all about coffee.

“The cheapest legal excitement money can buy,” touted the headline, which was maybe one of the best I’ve ever written.

From there, things got somewhat less exciting as I went on to describe quirks about coffee, including how longtime local and current parking lot mogul, Jim Watts, is a self-described coffee snob who’s always had a coffee grinder and a French press long before it was cool to do so. And how he opened Whistler’s first B&B along with his old pal, Stewart Muir, who eventually went on to his first paid reporter’s job at the now-defunct Whistler Question before climbing to one of the top editorial spots at the Vancouver Sun. It, the B&B, was cheap, as in bring-yourown-sleeping-bags cheap, but breakfast was always a big deal, especially the French press coffee.

But I digress—a bit (add winking emoji)— from the “best of” theme, a long-standing tradition this time of year for Pique, and for any other smart publication that has to do a sterling job on a tight budget, producing trusted, readable, locally-generated content. If you ever run a publication, do the same. Readers love it,

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN Selling Rimrock Café in-house to two talented, longtime employees in 2023 was one of the best legacy moves at Whistler ever.

PHOTO BY SAROTE PRUKSACHAT / MOMENT / GETTY IMAGES

and you can put it together weeks before the crush of the festive holidays, so at least some staffers can enjoy a well-deserved break from deadlines—for a day or two.

At risk of sounding disloyal to my own self, I’ve always thought “Get Stuffed” should get the “best of” award for a standing food column header in Pique, or anywhere.

Don’t get me wrong. I really like “Fork in the Road”, a header that grew from a collaborative effort and one that totally reflects my style, namely branching out from the idea of “food” in every which way— expected, like that original coffee column in 2001, and unexpected, like this one taking a peek under the skirts of newspapering.

Apparently it’s worked, for both Pique and me, bucking the trend of the early days when there were only three staffers and no one wanted to write about food.

Whether I tie food to art, science, the environment or quirky locals, it’s kept me interested in food-stuffing matters these 21 years—a timeframe, Mr. Barnett points out, that’s longer than his own. (Bob sold Pique to Glacier Media in 2013, after 19 years in The Big Chair.)

He’s also shared a little insider tidbit that just might change my vote in the header department.

Early in the game, Brian Walker pitched Bob on the idea for a food column. He would write it for Pique in exchange for free restaurant meals. Brilliant! And you’d expect no less from the incomparable Mr. Walker, who landed in Whistler 30-plus years ago.

Currently the supervisor of Whistler’s two recycling yards, Brian’s always been a big proponent of the arts and live entertainment, plus he likes seeing front-line workers—like all those service people in all those eateries we love to vote for in the annual “best of” issue—treated right.

In fact, those two values fuelled Brian’s mayoral campaign—again—in 2022, after Jack Crompton won by acclamation in 2018.

One of his planks was resurrecting his idea for a University of Whistler to connect qualified workers directly to employers, something he’d previously proposed in Pique.

As noted, it wasn’t the first time he’d been published in Pique. Nor was it the first time the University of Whistler arose. Far as I know, that distinction goes to another character,

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Brad Cooper, reporter/editor at the Whistler Question back in the ’80s, right before my reporter days and shortly before I owned it.

On a whim, Brad printed up “University of Whistler” bumper stickers that people went wild for. Seems they were a sly reference to enrolling in, maybe even graduating from, the hippie-jock/stoner lifestyle school of the day.

As for my vote for best food column header in Pique, and beyond, I’ll have to sleep on it one more night, but I think it might go to Brian’s “Thought for Food.” Yowser. That might be the best ever, flipping the tired old cliché (food for thought) on its tired old head, and telling it like it is… um, was: Bagging free meals in exchange for writing about food.

On that spunky note, I have one more “best of” vote for food in 2023, and that’s for best Whistler restaurant move. It’s one that bodes well for one of the best Whistler restaurants ever, and follows the same game plan Mario Enero had when it came time to sell his “baby”—Caramba!.

This year, longtime employees, Chris McKinney and Steve Maile, who are also legends unto themselves, bought Rimrock Café from the two legendary guys who started it, Bob Dawson and Rolf Gunther. Chris will run the kitchen, like Rolf did, and Steve will manage the place, like Bob. Kudos to Bob and Rolf, for A), running such an iconic place (and I don’t use the term lightly) for so long, and B), wanting to sell in-house. It bodes well for the business, the new owners, customers of all vintages—and gives us all a slice of hope for the future. Doing good always beats selling out.

I also really like this story because I wanted an in-house deal when it was time for me to sell my old newspaper, the Question, partly because it echoed how Paul and Jane Burrows had sold in-house to me.

In my case, it didn’t quite happen, but the above-mentioned Stewart Muir and our thentypesetter, Jan Gavin, gave it the old college try, and the whole process helped bond our friendship tighter.

Here’s to a more positive 2024, with more people choosing goodness over profit.

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who always celebrates collaborative, cooperative ventures. n

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JAN 4 THURSDAY

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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

whistler.ca/recreation | whistler.ca | 604-935-7529 @RMWhistler |

@rmwhistler |

@rmowhistler

ARTS SCENE

Whistler photographer Mason Mashon named Red Bull Illume finalist MASHON TEAMED UP WITH NORWEGIAN OLYMPIAN TORGEIR BERGREM FOR HIS SHOT

BY DAVID SONG MASON MASHON has followed the Red Bull Illume photography contest for at least 15 years. Now, he can cross something off his bucket list and call himself a finalist in that very event.

The Whistlerite’s submission—a stunning image of Torgeir Bergrem throwing up snow next to a solitary evergreen tree—made it to the final round of 2023’s Red Bull Illume alongside 49 other worthy offerings from photographers around the world. It wasn’t easy for Mashon to get his shot. He, Bergrem and their team had been camped out in subalpine terrain between Whistler and Squamish for about two weeks, anticipating the arrival of a hefty spring storm.

As the snowfall began to ramp up, Mashon deployed his drone, which he’d used only once before. He searched for terrain with depth, where the aircraft’s onboard light could pick up differing textures. Howling winds and near-whiteout conditions threatened to knock his machine from the sky, but it battled through valiantly.

That gave Mashon and Bergrem a short window: roughly 15 minutes before the drone’s light ran out of power. That’s all the time they ended up needing.

Mashon spotted the lone, snow-covered tree and immediately took note of it. Bergrem, leaning on his wealth of backcountry experience, navigated there in complete darkness.

Mashon’s Sony Alpha 1 captured snowboarder and tree nearly perfectly, but he hesitated to submit it for contest consideration. He’d already backed out of the Illume once before, two years ago, believing he lacked content of sufficient quality. He waited until the last moment to throw his hat in the ring this time, and it’s safe to say he doesn’t regret it.

The victor’s crown ultimately went to Australia’s Krystle Wright: the first woman ever to clinch an overall Illume title.

Nonetheless, Mashon is proud of his work.

“Even just to get into the semifinals was

SILENT NIGHT Mason Mashon’s entry into the 2023 Red Bull Illume contest, featuring Norwegian Olympian Torgeir Bergrem.

PHOTO BY MASON MASHON

an honour, but to be recognized in the finals is a whole other level of excitement,” he said.

‘PHOTOGRAPHY REALLY OPENED MY EYES’

Although he was born in Vernon, B.C., Mashon moved to the West Coast after high school and began spending summers mountain biking in Whistler. Before long, he put down roots in the Sea to Sky and fell in love with the process of creating images with other people. Mashon decided in his early twenties to begin pursuing photography full-time, and he caught a break at the 2010 World Ski and Snowboard Festival Pro Photographer Showdown.

Mashon earned a wild card entry in the contest with a three-minute showcase of his best work. That gave him the opportunity to assemble a nine-minute slideshow, but he lacked enough material to fill it at the time.

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Quitting his job at Hy’s Steakhouse, Mashon jumped in his truck and hit the road to look for newer, more exciting photo ops.

He knew he probably wouldn’t beat out more experienced shooters in the WSSF event, but that didn’t matter. His turning point had come.

“Photography really opened my eyes to the world,” said Mashon. “To live in all those environments and be shooting is probably the best thing that has happened to me, and I’ve learned a lot from all those different travels.

“When I look at action sports photography, you’re combining the technical aspects of creating an image with someone’s peak performance athletically. A lot of sports have these fleeting moments, and I feel like that’s when some of my best work has been captured.

All sorts of things are lining up—the weather, the environment, conditions—and then also the athlete and photographer. All these things

ES

are what make a beautiful action sports image.”

The right photo can’t come together without the right subject, and Mashon was pleased by his first collaboration with Bergrem.

The Norwegian boasts a solid snowboarding resume, including two Olympic Games and an X Games bronze medal in addition to everything he’s done on the mountain.

“He’s an incredibly motivated athlete, and his work ethic over that whole shoot was really awesome,” Mashon said of Bergrem. “To watch the things he did on his snowboard over the course of those two weeks was pretty rad. The other guys on the crew there were super rad also: snowboarders with good style and motivation.

“I think that’s the recipe for success: having creative vision both athletically and photographically, and understanding both sides of that. As the guy who knew the areas and knew what they wanted to ride, I kind of steered them towards some cool stuff to shoot.” n

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64 DECEMBER 29, 2023

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ARTS SCENE

Local makeup artist Helen Hamilton launches flowerpressing business FLORA & FRAME IS A NEW STARTUP THAT ALLOWS CLIENTS TO PRESERVE AND FRAME BOUQUETS OF FLOWERS

SAVING MEMORIES

Hamilton ran the idea by members of her existing clientele, and they were all in.

“Brides definitely love the idea of keeping those flowers and having them on the wall to enjoy for a lifetime, really,” she said. “And I’ve had lots of friends reach out, as they’ve got some special-occasion flowers. There are also partners that want to do something for their girlfriends.”

An established entrepreneur in the Sea to Sky corridor, Hamilton is known for her Strange Daze Collective pre-loved and vintage clothing pop-ups in addition to her work in the wedding industry. Throughout it all, she’s remained environmentally conscious, and

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• Asset and Property Division

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• Parenting Arrangements

• Child and Spousal Support

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BY DAVID SONG FLOWERS HAVE LONG been a staple of first dates and weddings alike. They freshen up newly-christened homes and adorn gardens passed down through generations. Yet flowers only last so long, and many meet their end in a dumpster or a compost heap. But what if you could preserve flowers and the memories they represent?

That’s the question Helen Hamilton chose to address when she started up Flora & Frame, a Whistler business that offers clients the ability to press and preserve entire bouquets.

It’s a niche industry, to say the least.

Hamilton has only ever known one person who enjoyed preserving flowers: her grandmother, Jean Rosemary Clark.

“It was something she loved to do,” Hamilton reminisced. “We would be out walking in parks and in the forest, and she would often collect wildflowers or just from her garden, and she would just press them in books. She had little gold frames all around her house.

“Funnily enough, [my sister and I] never did it with her when we were children.”

Clark passed away six months short of what would have been her 100th birthday.

Hamilton hated seeing all the flowers from Clark’s brightly-decorated funeral go to waste—so she and her sister decided to save many of them and bring them back to Canada.

Despite her lack of experience, Hamilton’s initial foray into flower-pressing proved successful. At first, it was simply a way for her and her loved ones to honour the late matriarch of their family. Yet Hamilton is also a goal-oriented person, and before long the wheels started turning in her head.

The Surrey, England native has already worked as a freelance wedding hair and makeup artist for some time. She knows how much most brides spend on bouquets, which are largely thrown out after the big day. Could there be an opportunity to help women hold onto all of those flowers?

DIVORCE LAWYER

Marriage Agreements (often called pre-nuptials) and Cohabitation Agreements.

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332-4370 Lorimer Road Whistler Tel: 604-932-3211 k.emond@raceandco.com

RACEANDCOMPANY.COM

FRAME ON Whistler makeup artist Helen Hamilton started a flower-pressing business called Flora & Frame in 2023.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HELEN HAMILTON

intends to stick to her principles with Flora & Frame.

“I’ve always come up with ideas to live a lifestyle that allows me to [be my own boss], but I am always hesitant to create products or do a business that involves mass manufacture. It doesn’t fit well with me,” Hamilton explained.

“Obviously, in the modern world, it’s really hard to avoid that if you want to do a business of any kind, but I stick to more environmentally friendly, sustainable businesses that can run alongside saving or recycling something, because I really do think that’s the way we need to think now.”

Hamilton and her team try to preserve as many flowers as possible from each order and aim to eventually make their frames from recycled wood. She thinks her new venture could really take off in the next few years, given the number of weddings taking place in Whistler. If all goes well, she intends to expand operations and begin serving more areas throughout the province.

Flora & Frame also helps Hamilton stay in touch with her feminine side in a part of the world where action sports are prevalent.

She is an avid cyclist, snowboarder and skateboarder, but feels it is healthy to balance those pursuits with more relaxing, meditative work. Above all, she hopes to help more people buy and enjoy flowers with confidence.

“I’ve always loved flowers, but I’ve always been a little bit more reserved about buying them too often, given that that growth cycle is not super sustainable,” she said. “It’s amazing to preserve them in time, because otherwise they would just slowly die. I find it really fascinating that you can take that flower and preserve it in time, and it lasts forever.”

For more information, visit floraandframe. com. ■

DECEMBER 29, 2023

65

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

Whistler’s finest sweater selection for 30 years

NEW YEAR’S EVE PHOTO BY MIKE CRANE / COURTESY OF TOURISM WHISTLER

NEW YEAR’S EVE IN WHISTLER VILLAGE

On the Village Stroll - close to the Visitor Centre

whistlersweatershop.com

OUR LADY OF THE MOUNTAINS WHISTLER CATHOLIC CHURCH

www.whistlercatholicchurch.ca • Email: whistlercatholicchurch@telus.net

2023/24 New Year’s Mass Schedule

Our Lady of the Mountains, 6299 Lorimer Road, Whistler, BC St. Christopher’s, Highway 99, Mount Currie, BC St. Francis of Assisi, 1360 Pemberton Farm W., Pemberton, BC

Saturday 30th Dec

5:00 pm

Whistler, Our Lady of the Mountains

New Year’s Eve:

9:00 am 11:30 am 1:00 pm 5:00 pm

Whistler, Our Lady of the Mountains Mt. Currie, St. Christopher’s Pemberton, St. Francis of Assisi Whistler, Our Lady of the Mountains

9:00 am 11:30 am 1:00 pm

Whistler, Our Lady of the Mountains Mt. Currie, St. Christopher’s Pemberton, St. Francis of Assisi

Anticipatory Mass New Year’s Day:

View online at www.whistlercatholicchurch.ca

May the Gift of God’s only Son fill your heart with great peace God’s son.

66 DECEMBER 29, 2023

WINTERSPHERE

Usher in the new year with a sense of wonder, connection, and the magic of a non-alcoholic celebration in Whistler Village. This all-ages New Year’s Eve celebration offers relaxation with yoga, high-energy dance classes, outdoor activities like disco skating, and the grand finale Luminosity parade, Fire & Ice Show, and fireworks.

No need to drive—take free, local transit on Dec. 31 all day to the end of service at 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2024.

Find more info at whistler.com/christmas/#nye. > Dec. 31, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. > Various locations > Free

LAUGH OUT LIVE! PRESENTS: RESTING GRINCH FACE, 2!

Get ready to jingle all the way to laughter with Laugh Out LIVE!’s new holidays show, Resting Grinch Face, 2!

It’s a holiday comedy extravaganza more festive than Whoville’s holiday feast! Join us for a merry mix of high energy improv, side-splitting sketch, and uproarious stand-up comedy that will have your heart growing three sizes bigger! It’s Saturday Night Live meets Whose Line Is It Anyway? meets the Price is Right meets Whistler! > Dec. 29 and 30, doors at 7:15 p.m. > Whistler Conference Centre > $35

FOR SALE

The ultimate winter wonderland experience awaits you this holiday season. Wintersphere celebrates this magical time of year with festive activities for the entire family! Join in the fun with visits from Santa, entertainers, a holiday café, kids crafts, signature holiday maze and much more. This spectacular, festive pop-up is a true holiday favourite for locals and visitors alike. Learn more at wintersphere.ca. > Dec. 23 to Jan. 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Dec. 31 (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) > Whistler Conference Centre > Free

CROSS COUNTRY BC TECK COAST CUP SERIES Looking to improve your cross-country racing? The Teck Regional Cup Series offers affordable and accessible competitive opportunities for developing athletes. All Regional Cup races offer age-appropriate categories for children 14 years of age and younger, and most offer the full spectrum of categories for skiers of all ages. Find more info at crosscountrybc.ca/teckregional-cup-program. > Dec. 30 > Whistler Olympic Park, Callaghan Valley

1 Bdrm, 1 Bthrm townhome in desirable Alta Vista neighbourhood a short walk to both Lakeside Park & Wayside Park on Alta Lake

Zoning permits both weekend Cottage Use by an out-of-town owner or full-time occupancy by an owner or long-term renter.

In-Unit Washer & Dryer. Gas Fireplace. Balcony faces to the sunny south. On the Valley Trail between Village & Creekside, below Whistler Mountain, close to Alta Lake.

On-site mail delivery. Re-cycling & Waste Shed. Storage Locker. Ideal for lake lovers.

ASKING PRICE: $775,000 (no gst applicable).

Duane Kercher, Real Estate Agent & Managing Broker Real Estate Sales & Long-Term Rental Management Cell: 604-932-7849 Email: duane@whistlerproperty.com

A SEASON OF GIVING

Brought to you by

Support your local community.

Support your local non-profits.

There are a number of reasons to refocus your gifting habits this year.

Whether you’re concerned about the environment, not sure what to purchase or looking for more far-reaching presents, take a look at the community around you.Through out the Sea to Sky, we’re lucky to have a very caring communities, from environmental to health to homelessness, there are many worthwhile causes to consider. During difficult times it is more important then ever to provide assistance if we can.

Please consider making a donation to one of these worthy local causes.

guidedby.ca/spotlights/sea-to-sky-season-of-giving

TEAM GFL – 2023

ANOTHER GREAT YEAR SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES 2023 Total Donations $140,500

Whistler Whistler Adaptive Sports $80,000 Garibaldi Volunteer Fire Department Fundraiser Luge Canada races Whistler Beer Festival Whistler BMX Whistler Children’s Centre Society Whistler Disc Golf Tournament Whistler Half Marathon: Crohn’s and Colitis Findraiser

Pemberton Green River Motorcross Association Pemberton BMX Club Pemberton Off Road Cycling Association Pemberton Secondary School Grads

Squamish Between Shifts Theatre Black Tusk Nordic Society: Junior World Cup Black Tusk Snowmobile Club Brackendale Fall Fair Cat Lake Snowmobile Shack District of Squamish Fire Hall Glacier Air: Women in Flight event Grateful Shred Fundraiser Hospice Fundraiser HSSS-Grads Makeway Charitable Society: Stream Keepers, Herring survey Nordic BC Cup #1 race Raincity Distillery: Squamish Off Road Association 2023 Fundraiser StS Nordics: Biathlon BC Cup Sikh Temple: Fifth Guru Festival

Squamish Days Logger Sports Squamish Dragon Boat Society Squamish Enduro bike race: for Search and Rescue Squamish Community Christmas Care Squamish Off Road Cycling Association Squamish Off Road Triathlon SORCA Kids Bike park at Brennan Park Squamish Nation: Ayas Men, Men Child & Family Services - Youth Camp Squamish Nation: Baker Memorial Fundraiser Team AeroMedical: Search and Rescue Valleycliffe Elementary School Carnival 99 Trials Race

38950 Queens Way 604-892-5604 •www.gflenv.com DECEMBER 29, 2023

67

MUSEUM MUSINGS

Winter is here!

Learn to navigate winter in Whistler like a pro.

Get all the info you need to keep your finger on the pulse for: • Storms • Parking • Winter Driving • Skating details • And more...

Scan the QR code to learn more.

UP AND OVER Participants in the 1985 Sun Life Corporate Cup navigate through the obstacle course wearing snowshoes.

WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION, 1985

Cup runneth over

BY ALLYN PRINGLE

Resort Municipality of Whistler https://whistler.ca/blog

Christmas tree drop-off is available at the Nesters and Function Junction waste depots between December 26 and January 14 from 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

whistler.ca/waste 68 DECEMBER 29, 2023

WHISTLER HAS HOSTED many Cup competitions, from World Cup races for various sports (such as the Eberspächer Luge World Cup races held at the Whistler Sliding Centre earlier this month) to the Whistler Cup that celebrated its 30th edition earlier this year.

Most of the participants in these events are professional athletes, or, like in the Whistler Cup, younger competitive athletes. In 1983, however, the first Sun Life Whistler Corporate Cup pitted teams of corporate employees against each other in hopes of winning prizes and bragging rights.

Over one weekend in January 1983, 25 teams competed for the overall Corporate Cup title. Teams came from companies, firms, union locals or professional groups, and had to be made up of 10 full-time employees.

Each team also had to have a minimum of three men and three women. In its first year, participants included teams from the Vancouver City Police Department, BC Hydro, and Canada Safeway.

These teams went head to head in six different events. The first was golf on the Whistler Golf Course, with holes ranging in length from 50 metres to 90 m, and made more difficult by the presence of snow. There was also a five-kilometre, cross-country ski race on the Lost Lake trails; a downhill race adjacent to the 1982 World Cup downhill run (the only World Cup race to have finished just above Whistler Village); a snowshoe obstacle course; an inner-tube pull named “Sliding Inflation”; and a snow sculpture competition called “Frozen Assets.”

At the end of the weekend, an awards ceremony recognized the team and individuals who performed the best. Prizes included skis, boots, stays at Delta hotels, and more, as well as prizes from the event sponsors Sun Life and Molson. The team from Envirocon came out ahead, due in part to

their “dramatic” sculpture of a B.C. salmon, which put them ahead of the Vancouver Police, who had created a representation of a reclining pig. According to event organizer Laurie Vance, “We had 250 people who had a positive experience at Whistler,” and the first meeting for the next Corporate Cup was already planned. Vance also thanked the sponsors and the more than 100 volunteers who helped make the event a success.

The 1984 Corporate Cup was very similar to the first event. The makeup of teams and form of most of the events stayed the same, though the winning team was from Touche Ross, an accounting and consulting firm.

The biggest change was probably the subject matter of Frozen Assets, which saw entries such as “1984 George Orwell” (a likeness of the author by BC Hydro), a mermaid, a giant telephone, and two different BC Places (BC Place was completed in 1983).

The team from Touche Ross successfully defended its title against 19 other teams in 1985. The Beauvallon Club, the only team to enter from Whistler, came second, while the team from ICBC finished third.

Though the downhill race was replaced with a dual slalom race, most of the competition remained similar to the one held in 1983.

The standout sculpture of 1985, according to the Whistler Question photographers, seems to have been “Reclining Nude in a Bathtub,”

by Pacific Press.

By 1986, the organization of the Corporate Cup was taken over by June Paley.

That year, the competition was held earlier (“too early” according to Paley), and had only 10 teams. Nevertheless, the teams that competed enjoyed themselves, and the title again went to Touche Ross. There is no record of a Corporate Cup in 1987; instead, different events took its place in January, such as other races and the Finlandia Ice Festival, which featured ice carving rather than snow sculpting. The last Corporate Cup held in Whistler took place in 1986, leaving Touche Ross the undefeated winner. n

PARTIAL RECALL

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1 NO, MAN A single, solitary snowman soaks up what little snow the Whistler Valley received in the lead-up to Christmas 2023. PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS 2 CANADIAN CHRISTMAS A game of shinny on Beaver Pond in early December provided a perfectly Canadian photo-op. PHOTO BY BRAD UNGER 3 SINGING ON THE STROLL A group of local residents took part in their 13th annual Caroling on the Stroll on Dec. 20 to bring some Christmas spirit and cheer to locals and visitors alike. In spite of the “clear snow” that was falling, many revellers stopped to watch and join in the singing. PHOTO BY JUDITH DYER 4 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS No Christmas in Whistler is complete without at least one festive, overcrowded meal in a cramped apartment. PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGIA BUTLER 5 SIGN OF THE TIMES Can’t find a place to live in Whistler this winter? Can’t hurt to get creative—like Liny with their sticker campaign, spotted at Your Independent Grocer in Rainbow. PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS! Send your recent snaps to arts@piquenewsmagazine.com

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Get the BC RECYCLEPEDIA App

LOUNGER S OF THE WEEK

Thank You

to everyone for making us Your Whistler Favourite Locals Hangout

www.rcbc.ca RECYCLING COUNCIL OF B.C. MEMBER

Happy New Year!

Stay Stinky!

21-4314 Main Street

Love Team Stinky’s!!!

Stay Stinky & Go Sports DECEMBER 29, 2023

69

Notice of Intention to Consider Issuance of a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) for Cannabis Retail The Resort Municipality of Whistler gives Notice of Intention to consider issuance of a TUP for Cannabis Retail at its Regular Meeting of Council on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. This is rescheduled from the Regular Meeting of Council on December 19, 2023.

The purpose of the TUP is to allow a cannabis retail business in a designated location. In addition to bylaw requirements, TUP for cannabis retail applicants must demonstrate alignment with the Cannabis Retail Policy and be approved

by Council.

TUP for Cannabis Retail Application - Nesters Plaza TUP00116

The Nest

#103– 7015 Nesters Road

To learn more: A copy of the application materials are available for review: • In-person: at Municipal Hall, 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, during regular office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (statutory holidays excluded) • Online: on the RMOW website at whistler.ca/TUP00116 How to provide input: Written comments must be received by 5:00 pm on January 8, 2024, to cannabis@whistler.ca, or to the RMOW Planning Department, 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC V8E 0X5. Include “TUP00116 TUP for ‘The Nest’” in the subject line, your name and mailing address.

Written comments received by December 26, 2023, will be included in the Council package and published on January 5, 2024. Any written comments submitted after December 26, 2023 but no later than January 8, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. will be distributed to Council in a late correspondence package.

Attend the meeting: All are welcome to attend the Council meeting on January 9, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.: • In-person: at the Franz Wilhelmsen Theatre in the Maury Young Arts Centre at 4335 Blackcomb Way • Online: via digital broadcast available at whistler.ca/council

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/CannabisRetail

pics r u o y e r Sha with us

e #mypiqu

P U S @M Y W O L L O F

IQUE

70 DECEMBER 29, 2023

ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF DECEMBER 29 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Among couples who share

their finances, 39 per cent lie to their partners about money. If you have been among that 39 per cent, please don’t be in 2024. In fact, I hope you will be as candid as possible about most matters with every key ally in your life.

It will be a time when the more honest and forthcoming you are, the more resources you will have at your disposal. Your commitment to telling the truth as kindly but completely as possible will earn you interesting rewards.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): According to tradition in ancient Israel, a Jubilee year happened every half-century.

It was a “trumpet blast of liberty,” in the words of the Old Testament book Leviticus. During this grace period, enslaved people were supposed to be freed. Debts were forgiven, taxes cancelled, and prisoners released. People were encouraged to work less and engage in more revelry. I boldly proclaim that 2024 should be a Jubilee Year for you Bulls. To launch the fun, make a list of the alleviations and emancipations you will claim in the months ahead.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Make peace with their devils, and you will do the same with yours.” The magazine Dark’s Art Parlor provides us with this essential wisdom about how to conduct vibrant relationships. I invite you to make liberal use of it in 2024. Why? Because I suspect you will come to deeply appreciate how all your worthwhile bonds inevitably require you to engage with each other’s wounds, shadows, and unripeness. To say it another way, healthy alliances require you to deal respectfully and compassionately with each other’s darkness. The disagreements and misunderstandings the two of you face are not flaws that discolour perfect intimacy. They are often rich opportunities to enrich togetherness.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian author Franz Kafka wrote more than 500 letters to his love interest Felice Bauer. Her outpouring of affection wasn’t as voluminous, but was still very warm. At one point, Kafka wryly communicated to her, “Please suggest a remedy to stop me trembling with joy like a lunatic when I receive and read your letters.” He added, “You have given me a gift such as I never even dreamt of finding in this life.”

I will be outrageous here and predict that 2024 will bring you, too, a gift such as you never dreamt of finding in this life. It may or may not involve romantic love, but it will feel like an ultimate blessing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Renowned inventor Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) felt an extraordinary closeness with sparrows, finches, pigeons, and other wild birds. He loved feeding them, conversing with them, and inviting them into his home through open windows. He even fell in love with a special pigeon he called White Dove. He said, “I loved her as a man loves a woman, and she loved me. As long as I had her, there was a purpose to my life.” I bring this to your attention because I suspect 2024 will be an excellent time to upgrade your relationship with birds, Leo. Your power to employ and enjoy the metaphorical power of flight will be at a maximum.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “All the world’s a stage,” wrote Shakespeare. He was comparing life to a theatrical drama, suggesting we are all performers attached to playing roles. In response, a band called the Kingpins released the song “All the World’s a Cage.” The lyrics include these lines: “You promised that the world was mine / You chained me to the borderline / Now I’m just sitting here doing time / All the world’s a cage.” These thoughts are the prelude to my advice for you. I believe that in 2024, you are poised to live your life in a world that is neither like a stage nor a cage. You will have unusually ample freedom from expectations, artificial constraints, and the inertia of the past. It will be an excellent time to break free from outdated self-images and your habitual persona.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): At age 10, an American girl named Becky Schroeder launched her career as an inventor. Two years later, she got her first of many patents

for a product that enables people to read and write in the dark. I propose we make her one of your role models for 2024. No matter how old you are, I suspect you will be doing precocious things. You will understand life like a person at least 10 years older than you. You will master abilities that a casual observer might think you learned improbably fast. You may even have seemingly supernatural conversations with the Future You. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here are excellent questions for you to meditate on throughout 2024. 1. Who and what do you love? Who and what makes you spill over with adoration, caring, and longing? 2. How often do you feel deep waves of love? Would you like to feel more of them? If so, how could you? 3. What are the most practical and beautiful ways you express love for whom and what you love? Would you like to enhance the ways you express love, and if so, how? 4. Is there anything you can or should do to intensify your love for yourself?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Like the rest of the planet, Scotland used to be a wild land. It had vast swaths of virgin forests and undomesticated animals.

Then humans came. They cut the trees, dug up charcoal, and brought agriculture. Many native species died, and most forests disappeared. In recent years, though, a rewilding movement has arisen. Now Scotland is on the way to restoring the ancient health of the land. Native flora and fauna are returning. In accordance with astrological omens, I propose that you launch your own personal rewilding project in 2024. What would that look like? How might you accomplish it?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn-born Lebron James is one of the greatest players in basketball history.

Even more interesting from my perspective is that he is an exuberant activist and philanthropist. His list of magnificent contributions is too long to detail here. Here are a few examples: his bountiful support for charities like After-School All-Stars, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Children’s Defense Fund, and his own Family Foundation. I suggest you make Lebron one of your role models in 2024.

It will be a time when you can have more potent and farreaching effects than ever before through the power of your compassion, generosity, and beneficence.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I propose we make the shark your soul creature in 2024. Not because some shark species are apex predators at the top of the food chain. Rather, I propose you embrace the shark as an inspirational role model because it is a stalwart, steadfast champion with spectacular endurance. Its lineage goes back 400 million years. Sharks were on Earth before there were dinosaurs, mammals, and grass. Saturn’s rings didn’t exist yet when the first sharks swam in the oceans. Here are the adjectives I expect you to specialize in during the coming months: resolute, staunch, indomitable, sturdy, resilient.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the 19th century, many scientists believed in the bogus theory of eugenics, which proposed that we could upgrade the genetic quality of the human race through selective breeding. Here’s a further example of experts’ ignorance: Until the 1800s, most scientists dismissed the notion that stones fell from the sky, even though meteorites had been seen by countless people since ancient times. Scientists also rejected the idea that large reptiles once roamed the Earth, at least until the 19th century, when it became clear that dinosaurs had existed and had become extinct. The moral of the story is that even the smartest among us can be addicted to delusional beliefs and theories. I hope this inspires you to engage in a purge of your own outmoded dogmas in 2024.

A beginner’s mind can be your superpower! Discover a slew of new ways to think and see.

Homework: Enjoy free articles and audios from my new book: https://bit.ly/lovelifegifts.

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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Fairmont Chateau Whistler Resort is growing its Housing portfolio and sourcing additional Chalet and Condo Rental contracts for our Hotel Team Members. Our leaders are mature, career driven drivers that know the word respect. Contract terms for property Owners are stress free with no commissions and includes representation from our 4 person fulltime Housing Department working with you 24/7; maintaining all aspects of the tenancy including quarterly inspections.

A great next move for Whistler property Owners that have tired with the Airbnb game or Property Fees. Let’s see if we can make a match and develop a long-term relationship here. General inquiries please email mark.munn@fairmont.com

Hi, I’m Brandy and I recently arrived at WAG with my 6 puppies who are all ready for adoption after receiving the urgent care we so needed. I’m a sweet young mom who can’t wait to find a home to call my own and be the centre of your world this holiday season and beyond!

Breed: Pitbull Mix Gender: Female Age: Around 1-2 years old Size: Medium Visit whistlerwag.com to learn more about me and make my dreams come true!”

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• Kitchen and Bath • Renovations & Repairs • Drywall • Painting • Finishing • Minor Electrical & Plumbing

Ray Wiebe 604.935.2432 Pat Wiebe 604.902.9300 raymondo99.69@gmail.com DECEMBER 29, 2023

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We’re Hiring!

Structural Steel Project Manager

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HOME SERVICES

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CLEANING

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Peak Cleaners ^^

Part Time Work at Recycle Depot Sites – Nesters/Function – Training provided – send resume to denise.imbeau@gflenv.com

3 MOVING AND STORAGE

This is a rewarding career opportunity in the structural steel industry.

The Project Manager is an integral member of the project team.

Responsible for all stages of structural projects of varying size and complexity.

Full-time permanent position, competitive wage & benefits package.

Send Application to - info@wwswelding.ca

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We’re Hiring! Experienced Carpenters 6

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big or small we do it all!

Call 604-902-MOVE www.alltimemoving.ca

Capilano Univeristy Settlement Services Assistant Location: Whistler Schedule: 25 hours per week Position type: 12-month temporary The Settlement Services Assistant, under the Dean’s supervision, aids immigrants individually or in groups. They facilitate access to public services, community resources, and establish mentoring/hosting programs by identifying needs and making referrals to community agencies.

What you’ll bring Diploma in a human/social service field Proficiency in a second language Two years of related experience Salary: $26.27-$36.06/hr Apply: http://tinyurl.com/tb87xvdt

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION? WANT TO COME AND WORK FOR A GREAT TEAM WITH LOTS OF ROOM FOR CAREER GROWTH? APPLY TO CONNECT@TMBUILDERS.CA BENEFITS, FULL TIME WORK, WAGES $30-$45 BASED ON EXPERIENCE

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4/11/2005

Group Fitness Classes Friday – Gentle Fit 1-2 pm w Diana Saturdays – Low Impact Strength 9-10a w Lou Mondays - Happy New Year - No Classes Tuesdays - Slow Flow Yoga 8-9pm w Laura Wednesdays – Functional Strength & Conditioning 9- 10am w Mel Thursdays – Strength & Stability 9-10 am w Lou

See our full page schedule ad in this issue of Pique for details

Whistler’s premier visitor magazine is on stands now!

Look for our Winter 2024 Issue!

Find it on select stands and in Whistler hotel rooms.

Lil’wat Nation

Employment Opportunities Ullus Community Centre • • • • • • •

Financial Reporting Manager ($93,475.20 - $101,556 per year) Family Enhancement Worker ($38,038 - $53,599 per year) Band Social Development Worker Assistant ($17.10-$20.90 per hour) Administrative Assistant, Community Services ($38,038 - $53,599 per year) Accounts Receivable coordinator ($38,038 - $53,599 per year) Transition House Support worker ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour) Administrative Assistant, Lands and Resources ($38,038 - $53,599 per year)

Xet’òlacw Community School

• Cam Counsellor ($20.90- $29.45 per hour) • Education Assistant ($38,038 - $53,599 per year) • Social Worker/ Counsellor ($80,371.20 to $91,673.40 per year)

Lil’wat Health & Healing

• Nurse Manager ($59,878 - $99,717.80 per year) • Assistant Health Director ($93,475.20 - $101,556 per year) • Homemaker ($38,038 - $53,599 per year)

Lil’wat Business Group

• Cashier ($17.10 to $18.50 per hour)

Benefits Pension Plan • Employee Assistance Program • Gym facility Extended Health Benefits • Professional Development Please visit our career page for more information: https://lilwat.ca/careers/

Vacasa’s forward-thinking approach and industry-leading technology help set us apart as the largest full-service vacation rental company in North America.

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

We offer competitive wages and benefits: Travel allowance for Squamish/Pemberton-based employees OR Ski Pass/Activity allowance, Extended Medical, RRSP match, Fun & Safe Work Environment-Great Team, opportunities to grow and more.

Housekeeping Supervisor (**SIGNING BONUS** $1000 FT) $24.50 per hour

Owner Relations Manager (Full-Time, Year-Round) Annual Salary $55,000

Guest Service Agent (Full-Time, Year-Round) $23.25 per hour

Apply online today! https://www.vacasa.com/careers/positions or email: paul.globisch@vacasa.com or call to find out more details at 604-698-0520 We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Come build with the best team.

Our team of people is what sets us apart from other builders. As we continue to grow as the leader in luxury projects in Whistler, our team needs to expand with us.

We are currently hiring: Experienced Carpenters $30 - $45.50/hourly. Wage based on experience. Red Seal is a bonus, but not mandatory.

EVR is committed to the long-term retention and skills development of our team. We are passionate about investing in our team’s future.

We offer: • Top Wages • Training & Tuition Reimbursement (Need help getting your Red Seal?)

• $500 Annual Tool Allowance • Extended Health and Dental Benefits (Also includes Family Benefits.)

• Flexible Schedule - Work Life Balance. (We get it. We love to ski and bike too.)

• Assistance with Work Visa and Permanent Residency (We can help.)

• Positive Work Environment We promote from within and are looking to strengthen our amazing team. Opportunities for advancement into management positions always exist for the right candidates. Don’t miss out on being able to build with the team that builds the most significant projects in Whistler.

Send your resume to info@evrfinehomes.com We look forward to hearing from you!

www.evrfinehomes.com DECEMBER 29, 2023

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NOW HIRING: NOW HIRING:

NOW HIRING THE FOLLOWING ATV & BUGGY GUIDES NOW HIRING THE FOLLOWING ATV & BUGGY GUIDES CANOE GUIDES FULL TIMEGUIDES ROLES: CANOE FULL TIME ROLES: JEEP GUIDES

NOW HIRING! Full Time Meat Manager

($64,480 – $76,960 (+ benefits) depending on experience)

Full Time Assistant Meat Manager ($54,080 – $70,720 (+ benefits) depending on experience)

Our Team enjoys: Flexible schedules

ü

Training and experience

ü

Substantial Employee Discount Card & Benefits

ü

Prime location in Pemberton

ü

Short commute = less time, more $$$

V I L L A G E

S U I T E S

WE'RE HIRING CHIEF ENGINEER

(The salary range for this position is $74,000 to $97,000 annually)

ASSISTANT ROOMS MANAGER (The salary range for this position is $49,000 to $58,000 annually)

HOUSEKEEPING (The hourly range for this position is $21.98 to $24.26 per hour)

STAFF HOUSING AVAILABLE.COMPETITIVE RATES & BENEFITS.GLOBAL DISCOUNTS.GLOBAL CAREER.

Join the #1 Global Leader in Hospitality. Apply at Jobs.Marriott.com.

Contact Adela.Celustkova@deltahotels.com for more information, or drop by and talk to us - we love to meet new people.

74 DECEMBER 29, 2023

GUEST REPS GUEST EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE REPS

Education: Inform and educate users about watershed CRYSTAL HUT FONDUEresponsible – BOH (COOK / KITCHEN HELPER) boundaries to promote usage If you are interested in joining our team, If you are interested in joining ourtoteam, Maintenance: Occasionally, you’ll need please submit your resume to plow the IN RESORT SALES & MARKETING parking area toplease ensure it remains accessible submit your resume to employment@canadian01.com employment@canadian01.com

The standard working hours are from 6:00am to 11:00am

Download or fill out our online application at https://www.pembertonsupermarket.com/ about/employment/ or stop by the store and we will give you an application to fill out.

You can also email us at jobs@pembertonsupermarket.com or call us at 604-894-3663.

W H I S T L E R

SHUTTLE DRIVERS

all over the world.are Flexible schedules amazing staff parties definite perks ofand the job. areResponsibilities: definite perks of the job.

Full job descriptions at: Fee Collection: YouFull will in charge jobbe descriptions at: of collecting trail www.canadianwilderness.com/employment/ CRYSTAL HUT FONDUE fees from snowmobilers – FOH (SUPERVISOR / SERVER) www.canadianwilderness.com/employment/

IN MARKETING IN RESORT RESORT MARKETING Work Schedule:

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D E L T A

JEEP GUIDES E-BIKE GUIDES SNOWMOBILE GUIDES E-BIKE GUIDES SNOWMOBILE GUIDES SHUTTLE DRIVERS SHUTTLE DRIVERS RESERVATION AGENTS SNOWSHOE GUIDES RESERVATION AGENTS We offer a fun, outdoor work environment with a great team of SNOWSHOE GUIDES We offer a fun, outdoor An work environment withalways a greatchallengteam of like-minded individuals. always changing, NOW HIRING THE FOLLOWING SPROATT TRAILHEAD like-minded An always changing, always challenging work dayindividuals. with the opportunity to connect with people from ingover work day with the opportunity to connect with people from ATTENDANT all the world.

Flexible schedules and amazing staff parties FULL TIME POSITIONS: SHUTTLE DRIVERS

PERKS INCLUDE: PERKS INCLUDE: 4-5 days per week TOP INDUSTRY Pay PAYRate – SPIRIT PASS PROGRAM – $25/hr TOP INDUSTRY PAY – SPIRIT PASS PROGRAM – FLEXIBLE FREE ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES –– FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE SCHEDULE –– FREE Requirements: FRIENDS & DISCOUNTS & FAMILY FAMILY DISCOUNTS Must haveFRIENDS own vehicle to commute to the trailhead

Visit Visit canadianwilderness.com/employment canadianwilderness.com/employment for full and how how to to apply. apply. for full job job description description and

Sushi Village is hiring experienced Japanese Chefs in Whistler.

• Preparing Sushi and cooking other Japanese traditional food.

• Plan menu and ensure food meets quality standards.

• Estimate food requirements and estimate food and labour costs.

• Instruct Kitchen Helpers and Cooks in preparation, cooking, and presentation of food.

• Supervise Cooks and Kitchen helpers.

• Assist Head Chef with recruiting and hiring kitchen staff • Inspecting ingredients for quality and freshness and supervising all food preparation.

• Create new menus and specials.

• Ensure excellent customer services at the Sushi bar.

• Work as a team and ensure orders are completed in timely manner.

Qualifications: • Completion of secondary school and minimum of 3 years of experience as a cook/chef Full-time, Permanent, All season Language: English 40 hours per week • $27.50 per hour Benefits: 4% vacation pay, Extended benefits paid by the employer.

(Dental, disability, health care, paramedical and Vision care) Bonus, Gratuities, Pension Plan, Free Parking, Staff housing.

Start date: As soon as possible.

Address: 10, 11 – 4340 Sundial Place, Whistler, BC, V8E 1G5 Apply by email at info@sushivillage.com

Staff Accommodation, Perks & Benefits

SUPERVISOR, SPORT AND PROGRAMS Whistler Olympic Park is hiring a Supervisor, Sport and Programs to oversee the day-to-day scheduling and programing of the Sport School and Volunteer programs

CIVIL CONSTRUCTION AND SNOW SERVICES BUILDING AN EXCELLENT COMPANY, PEOPLE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND RESULTS

Our ideal candidate: Instruct individuals, groups, and children in cross-country skiing, classic and skate, snowshoeing and other activities Lead the Nordic sport and sport school programs Supervise, train and schedule day-to-day Sport School operations Wage commensurate with experience starts at $26/hr

What we offer:

PROFESSIONALISM

RELIABLE AND HONEST

PROBLEM SOLVERS

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

STRONG WORK ETHIC

Staff accommodation options

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Benefit package & perks incl. health & wellness options, WB season pass financing & more

HYDROVAC OPERATOR, Squamish - Valid Class 1 or Class 3 with air brakes required. Manual transmission. 2 years experience preferred. $32-$37 per hour.

APPLY NOW! whistlerolympicpark.com/careers

Resort Municipality of Whistler Resort Municipality of Whistler

Employment Opportunities Employment Opportunities ·· Legislative and Privacy Coordinator Lifeguard/Swim Instructor ·· Program Leader Skate Host ·· Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Supervisor ·· Solid Waste Technician Labourer I – Village Maintenance starting wage of $29.14 per hour ·· Accountant Youth and Public Services Specialist

SNOWPLOW OPERATOR, Whistler - Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s Licence required. Must be available from November 15 through March 31. Prior work experience an asset but all those with a willingness to work hard and learn are welcome to apply; on-the-job training is provided. $28-$33 per hour.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, Squamish - Minimum 5 years or 5,000 hours operating experience on excavator. Full-time, Monday – Friday. $33-$42 per hour.

HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC, Whistler – Red Seal Certified, Commercial Truck & Transport, Transport Trailer required. CVSE Inspector’s ticket, Air Conditioning ticket, Class 1 or 3 with air brakes, and several years’ experience preferred. $37.70-$39.80 per hour.

NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION SAFETY OFFICER – NCSO® Designation and commitment to building on existing OHS program with team required. We are COR® Certified. $32-$35 per hour.

• Records Digitization Coordinator Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers

Free Housing Join our team of Plumbers and Gas Fitters Hiring 3rd and 4th year apprentice or journeyman candidates with experience in service/repair work.

• Wage range $35 - 50 per hour.

• Providing fully stocked truck, tools, and phone.

Y APPL

coastalmountain.ca/careers instagram.com/coastalmountainexcavations

WE ARE

HIRING! CERTIFIED DENTAL ASSISTANTS

• Extended health plan available.

$30-35/Hour

• We can hire skilled foreign workers and support permanent residency applications.

Full or Part Time Available

• Short-term accommodation available free of charge. Long term housing options available as well.

Send your resume to: Dough@spearheadsph.com

Relocation Bonus Available Send Your Resume To Us liz@whistlerdental.com APPLY NOW

MORE INFORMATION whistlerdental.com/careers

DECEMBER 29, 2023

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PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 10 14 18 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 29 30 32 34 36 37 38 39 41 43 44 45 47 49 52 53 55 59 60 62 64 65 66 67 69 71 72

Allotment Actuality Plan in secret Understands Poolside structure Woodwind instrument -- avis Make joyous Stays away from Ponce de -Yoked animals Stockings Raucous Flavor enhancer Flow back Gothic arch Fish-eating bird Play part Valuable stone Soap plant Kiln for tobacco Superlative suffix Sir’s counterpart Fictitious reason Very funny Of high quality Omen Essential thing Arranged in groups Carousel animal Gumshoe Arrow “-- Doone” Eastern nursemaid Part of NASA Rink surface Poet’s preposition Himalayan legend Write

73 74 75 77 78 80 82 84 85 87 88 89 90 92 93 94 96 97 99 102 104 105 106 107 108 110 112 114 115 117 119 120 121 123 125 126 129 131 132 133

Wine variety Annex Blood, -- and tears Trouble Bit of sand Wear out Something very different (2 wds.)

Pretend Pate de foie -Get right Money for a church Set an upper limit on Appraisals Actress -- Zellweger Expert Get mellow The dawn personified Brainy Steal from Recipe instruction Destroy an interior Skill Theater lights Cook in water Decorate Chew on Some have attachments Despicable one Cast a sidelong glance “Like -- -- out of ...”

Angered Jinxed Poet -- Teasdale Rumpled Healthy upstairs T-man (abbr.)

Walden’s water Great Italian poet Barrel plug Wellness resort

136 138 140 141 142 143 145 147 149 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158

Plumbing problem Responsibility Spy org.

Nosebag filler Strikebreaker Blob Colorful fish Scottish garment Marine creatures Crystal-filled stone Horse Actress -- Falco Laughed aloud Hurried Actor -- Sharif Part of NFL Cubic meter

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 23 28 31 33

Milan’s opera house La -Chaos “It’s -- time!”

SWAT action Finale Senseless act Help in crime Bill and -Run-down dwelling Puzzle Undisciplined Cookie brand “Last -- in Paris” O.T. book Isle of -Improbable story Cache Take on River in Austria Fixed Honest -Droid cousin

35 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 54 56 57 58 60 61 63 66 68 70 73 74 75 76 79 80 81 83 84 85 86 89 91 92 95 97 98

Pinna Olympic event Contend Ooze out Implement Alternative to cable Musical work Safe-travel org.

Helen of -Lad Motor or mobile Tea variety (2 wds.)

Chair part Garden implement Dangerous Undivided Newspaper Slant Dagger handle Done to a -Party Adheres Support for a roof Bet -- said than done -- generis Corrupt -- Van Winkle Suet Tank filler Abbr. on maps False appearance Elope to -- Green Sprinted Junta Observe Cry of disappointment Small dog Worked under cover Give shape to

100 101 103 105 106 107 109 111 113 114 116 118 120 122 124 125 126

River in France Ran, as dye Goofs Prize Flowing garmnent Caliber -- tide “Will Trent” station In error Body organ Sagged Tutor Frankness -- Arbor “Wheel” buy (2 wds.)

Take legal action Append

127 128 130 132 133 134 135 137 139 141 142 144 146 148 150

Rum drink Scrabble pieces Cathedral Kind of nut Make a point Composition Tolerate Fall into a chair Meat product Go quickly “Right away!”

Lyric poem Southern constellation Actress -- Lupino Greek island

LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

4

1

1

5

9 4 1 7 6 8 3 7 8 1 9 2 5 9 8 6 5 4 9 5 6 8

MEDIUM

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Enter a digit from 1 through 9 in each cell, in such a way that: • Each horizontal row contains each digit exactly once • Each vertical column contains each digit exactly once • Each 3x3 box contains each digit exactly once Solving a sudoku puzzle does not require any mathematics; simple logic suffices.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM

6 2 4

7 9 8 3 4 6

2 7 3 1 5 2 1 9 8 9

6 5 5 1 3 9 4

MEDIUM # 31 Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

ANSWERS ON PAGE 72

76 DECEMBER 29, 2023

CALL THE EXPERTS

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BLINDS & SHADES

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BLINDS & SHADES

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SUNCREST WINDOW COVERINGS

WINDOW COVERINGS Whistler’s Source for Blinds since 1989

Custom Blinds • Shades • Draperies

• BLINDS • SHADES

• SHUTTERS • DRAPERY

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Custom Window Treatments Contact us today for a free quote or consultation info@suncrestwindowcoverings.com

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CARPET CLEANING

CHIMNEY

BLACK BEAR CARPET CLEANING LTD.

BLACKCOMB CHIMNEY PATROL LTD.

• Carpets • Upholstery • Tiles

• Furnace • Airducts • Dryer vents 100% ECO FRIENDLY CERTIFIED

www.blackbearcarpetcleaning.ca • 604 698 6610

David Weldon david@summersnow.ca 604-938-3521

• Wood blinds • Sunscreens • Shades • Motorization

www.summersnow.ca

Summer Snow Finishings Limited

CLEANING

Serving Whistler since 1986

Specialized in cleaning

• Full service cleaning • Residential, commercial & construction • Carpet/ upholstery cleaning • Property Maintenance • Established 2011

604.932.1388 / 1.877.932.5775 blackcombchimney@yahoo.ca

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Chimneys, Furnace & Airducts, Dryer vents.

Using Tea tree oil based products since the begining for a better future

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GLASS

HEATING AND COOLING

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AUTO GLASS SPECIALISTS

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THE COMPLETE GLASS CENTRE

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT MANAGERS THAT CARE • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • LONG TERM RENTALS • BOUQUE STYLE STRATA MANAGEMENT

Call for a free consultation Info@avesta1.com

604-815-4545 • www.avesta1.com

PLUMBING AND HEATING

RENOVATION

604-262-6801

SURVEYING

DOUG BUSH

Madrona Harmony Builders • Specializing in Small Projects • Kitchens/Bathrooms (including design) • “Fix-it” Jobs • Electrical, IT & Controls • Proven 40 year track record with luxury homes to renos

northridgemechanical.ca

Contact Us 604-764-5665

Help@MadronaHarmony.com

“Taking your Aspiration to Reality”

SURVEY SERVICES LTD. dbss.ca PH: 604-932-3314 • Whistler, B.C.

STU PINKNEY stu@dbss.ca

IAN STIRK ian@dbss.ca

DECEMBER 29, 2023

77

MAXED OUT

Presenting: The 2023 Maxies WELL, here we go again. Being familiar with the calendar, the end of the year did not surprise me. That said, the task of culling the year’s events to select the 2023 Maxies did. I wasn’t planning on still doing this by year’s end, but if planning had anything whatsoever to do with the way my life has unfolded, I’d be a retired lawyer in New Mexico.

So here we go.

MOUNTAIN STUFF: The Best: Communication. Surprised? Me too. Since Vail’s takeover, communication has best been described as non-existent... unless it was about a new lift. But last spring, the management of Whistler Blackcomb (WB)

BY G.D. MAXWELL FILE PHOTO

decided they needed to do a better job of communicating with local stakeholders. And so they have been, regularly. It’s a welcome step. Bet you thought I was going to say the new Fitz chair. As if.

The Worst: Communication... or lack thereof.

Monday, April 17 is a day that will live in infamy.

Okay, that’s just hyperbole. But putting the Blackcomb gondy on a weekend-only schedule the day after Whistler shut down—and on a powder day—with virtually no advance warning, notwithstanding the fact they knew before the season started it would happen, brought out the pitchforks and torches. Justly deserved. It also led to The Best, above, so something good did come out of it.

The Hope: Might be wishful thinking, but it seems the WB team is operating with more autonomy these days. New CEO at Vail, new COO at Whistler from a Commonwealth country. Hope springs eternal.

The Future: WB breaks ground on Glacier 8 staff housing building. The first new construction in so many years I’d have to do a lot of research to know exactly how long. But it’s a good thing.

GOVERNMENT STUFF: Warm, Isn’t It: Punching a hole in the ozone much larger than the size of Dubai, 84,000 “environmentalists” and oil company executives flew to that country to release hot air and faint hope. COP28 was a success for mentioning, toothlessly, fossil fuels and the need to feel guilty about burning them. COP28 was a failure for A) holding it in Dubai and, B) having it led by petromaniacs and buckling to Big Oil. Stay In That Closet: Remenda Swanson wrote a book about what it was like when her teen son came out as gay. She’s been sharing the story across Canada. Her alma mater, Humboldt Collegiate Institute in

78 DECEMBER 29, 2023

Saskatchewan, said, “Thanks, but no thanks,” when she approached them about speaking there. Why the cold shoulder? In August, Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government banned third-party organizations from presenting sexual education in school, as part of a suite of straight-sex-only directives.

Don’t ask; don’t tell; and don’t listen to those outside deviants.

All the News: The Liberal government’s Bill C-18—the Online News Act—was supposed to be a bonanza for Canada’s media outlets, forcing online media platforms to compensate news organizations for links to their material.

No need to compensate when Facebook simply dropped the news of Canada entirely.

While Google has now capitulated, the very large part of the population that gets its news from Facebook—shame on you—no longer knows Canadian news exists.

and sewer, permitting fees, parking rates, user recreation fees, burial fees, and year-round pay parking in lots 4 and 5. Let’s hope it’s not a long engagement.

Collaborative Society opens up its patient registry and begins to provide medical services more easily to more Whistleratics with less hassle. Congratulations.

Engagement Part II—Jack Be Nimble: Council illustrates the strategic importance of engagement by holding a surprise special council meeting... on a Friday, with virtually no public notice, to approve—Councillor Ralph Forsyth dissenting—WB’s new Fitz lift, waive the requirement to add parking, and settle for a paltry $200k/year instead.

Give When It Hurts: As they’ve done so often in the past, Whistleratics demonstrated the depth of compassion and generosity that exists in this community when they raised $47,000 one evening through a silent auction for Wayne Wiltse. Don’t mean to single Wayne out—we’ve seen this again and again when people we know need help.

Engagement Part III—That’s Old News: After a six-month experiment limiting public Q&A at council meetings to items either on the night’s agenda or discussed during the past two council meetings, they’ve made the new, slimmed-down engagement permanent, but tossed in a bone to allow public statements, not just questions. Glad we’ve got a new manager

Take When It’s Needed: It seems every day Whistler Community Services Society opens the door to the Food Bank new records are broken in a hungry town with painfully high food prices. When you donate, or buy from the Re-Use-It or Re-Build-It Centres, or volunteer, you make it happen for everyone who lives and works here.

When you donate, or buy from the Re-Use-It or Re-Build-It Centres, or volunteer, you make it happen for everyone who lives and works here.

Is It Safe: With a declared opioid epidemic almost old enough to vote, the B.C. government puts the boots to any effort at safe supply, something repeated studies have pointed to as the single best solution to drug users dying from tainted drugs. Oh, the humanity.

Engagement Part I—We Feel Your Pain: One of the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) council’s priorities for the year is community engagement. So far, they’ve engaged us with an 8.4-per-cent property tax increase, an additional announced 8.18 per cent next year, increases for water, solid waste

of engagement; don’t know how we’d get all this done otherwise.

Engagement Part IV—Nothin’ to See Here, Folks: Knowing we’d all just rather get on with our Canada Day barbecues, the RMOW cancels the Covid-interrupted Canada Day Parade. Maybe next year we’ll be invited to Pemberton’s; I heard it was a really good one.

LIFE IN THE BUBBLE: What’s Up, Doc: The Whistler 360 Health

Learn From the Past: The Whistler Museum has embarked on a fundraising campaign to support a new, bigger building. This year, among other events and displays, they’ve entertained us with a celebration of the Peak Bros. comic strip in February, Tales of Toad Hall in April and local legend Roger McCarthy’s induction into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.

Visit, contribute, enjoy.

Leverage for the Future: In 1983, a couple of far-sighted folks started the Whistler Valley Housing Society. They managed to build a 20-unit rental property in Creekside. Decades later, with their mortgage paid off, they leveraged that into a new building springing from the ground in Cheakamus Crossing. It’s how things get done.

Keeping It Local: Dan Ellis decided it was time to sell the best bookstore going, Armchair Books. Dan took it over from his mother, and we’re all fortunate he managed to sell it to Sarah Temporale, his longtime manager. Take that, Amazon! ■

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HAPPY NEW YEAR

1563 Spring Creek Drive: Explore mountain luxury in this architecturally designed retreat. A southwest-facing sanctuary with a 66’ infinity pool, hot tub, steam, outdoor cantina, outdoor gas fire bowl and a chef’s dream kitchen.

Enjoying stunning panoramic views.$7,900,000 Connie Spear 604-910-1103

#329 - 2050 Lake Placid Road: Lake Placid Lodge offers 3359 Osprey Place: Stunning mountain and valley views outstanding amenities in an exceptional location! It’s just from this spectacular property perched above the Whistler steps to Whistler Mtn’s NEW Gondola. This cozy corner Golf Course in coveted Blueberry Hill Estates. Flexible unit, has an open living, dining and kitchen area with in suite zoning allows your own use, nightly rental or both. 6 beds, 6 laundry and lovely mountain views. $979,000 bathrooms and many options available. $7,900,000 Laura Wetaski 604-938-3798 Jane Frazee 604-935-2135

9112 Corduroy Run Court: Best priced lot in Whistler + great views & privacy. Over 1 acre, a size that is usually unavailable in this town. Build an up to 5,920 sq.ft. dream home + large coach house. $1,325,000

8633 Fissile Lane: Welcome to 8633 Fissile Lane; a charming family property in the popular Alpine Meadows neighbourhood where there is an excellent mix of full-time locals as well as 2nd home owners. $2,299,000

Ken Achenbach

Maggi Thornhill PREC*

604-905-8199

RE

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TA L

604-966-7640

2928 Big Timber Court: One of the last large lots over 27,000 sq. / 2,500 sq.m. in exclusive Kadenwood neighbourhood.

Access Whistler Mtn. ski in-out trails & Creekside via private gondola. Build your legacy home or Phase 1 Nightly Rental residence. $4,250,000 (GST Exempt). Artist drawing.

Kathy White PREC* 604-616-6933

8348 Mountain View Drive: This post & beam masterpiece wants to become your new mountain retreat. Fully renovated in 2021, the 5br/4ba home is tastefully furnished, with 3 fireplaces, 2 living areas, patios, hot tub, 2-car garage and heated driveway. Take a closer look! $5,500,000 Rob Boyd - Boyd Team 604-935-9172

7471 Urdal Road, Pemberton: Nestled in the heart of Pemberton, this remarkable 10-acre property boasts a prime location, convenience, breathtaking 360-degree views, and endless possibilities. $6,495,000 Steve Legge PREC*

604-902-3335

1990 Dowad Dr, Squamish: Gorgeous state of the art home in Squamish’s new Skyridge area. Enjoy unobstructed SW facing views, 4 Beds, 5 Bath, private pool, 2 car garage, and more! Available for a 6-12 month lease. Contact Jake for more information. $8,000/mo. Rental.

Jake Breuer 604-698-7259

Follow your dream, home.

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

150-1200 Hunter Place · Squamish BC V8B 0G8 · Phone +1 604-932-1875

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*PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION. ©2023 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated.

#206 - 7331 Arbutus Street Winchester - Pemberton

#122 - 4315 Northlands Blvd.

Whistler Village - Cascade Lodge

#1503 - 3050 Hillcrest Drive Alta Vista Pointe

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CONDO

CONDO

TOWNHOUSE

2 | 821 SQFT

Matt

.5 | 273 SQFT

Richard

2.5 | 1,532 SQFT

$639,000

604.935.0762

$429,000

604.902.4260

$1,699,000

Kusiak

#4415 - 4399 Blackcomb Way Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre

Grenfell

#301 - 2202 Gondola Way First Tracks Lodge

Sally

Warner*

604.932.7741

7501 Pebble Creek Drive The Ridge - Peberton

NEW PRICE

CONDO

CONDO

2 | 972 SQFT

Sherry

$999,900

604.932.131

Baker

#50 - 1450 Vine Road

Pemberton - Peaks

2 | 1,246 SQFT

$2,249,000

VACANT LAND

Theresa McCaffrey

604.902.1700

33,226 SQFT

$695,000

#602/604 4050 Whistler Way

8184 Alpine Way

CONDO

CHALET

Hilton Whistler Resort

Ursula Morel*

604.932.8629

Alpine Meadows

3D TOUR rem.ax/50peaks

TOWNHOUSE

3 | 1,344 SQFT

$920,000

Alexi

604.935.0757

Hamilton

2 | 1,166 SQFT

Anastasia

3 | 1,579 SQFT

$840,000

604.902.3292

$1,975,000

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Skryabina

Ann

Chiasson

604.932.7651