Pique Newsmagazine 3101 by Pacific Coastal Publications LP

JANUARY 5, 2024 ISSUE 31.01

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THE COLD FRONTS

BALANCING OUT Whistler property values took a modest dip last year

RECORD USAGE Demand at the WCSS hit all-time high in November

SIMPLE MATH Manitoba artist April Matheson returns to the resort

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

24 Year in Review Revisiting some of the highs and lows of the year that was. - By Pique staff

14 BALANCING OUT

Whistler property values

20 WHIPPET GOOD

Pemberton author Kelsey Bare-

took a modest dip last year after several years of growth, according to

ham is preparing to launch a new children’s book, Tippet: The Whippet of

BC Assessment.

the North.

15 RECORD USAGE

Demand at the Whistler Com-

31 JOY RIDER

Seventeen-year-old Kayla Constantini

munity Services Society hit an all-time peak in November, numbers execu-

joins a Whistler-dominated class of riders at this year’s Freeride Junior

tive director Jackie Dickinson called “alarmingly high.”

World Championships.

18 BUILD, BABY, BUILD

34 SIMPLE MATH

More housing will be

built in Whistler this year after council gave its assent for a new project in

Manitoba artist April Matheson returns

to the resort as the Whistler Contemporary Gallery’s Artist-in-Residence.

Cheakamus Crossing on Dec. 19.

COVER Sea to Sunrise—the view from the lookout, south over Squamish, past Anvil and toward the Sunshine Coast and VanCity. Andy will often sketch in this area overlooking Squamish and the Tantalus Range. - By Andy Anissimoff // artinbc.com

4 JANUARY 5, 2024

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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

THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Weekend Forec Ins

SEE PAGE 11 >>

Weekend Forecast Inside

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS

Rather than offer half-baked predictions for the new year, editor Braden

Dupuis serves up a Whistler wishlist for 2024.

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers push back against “unbridled enthusiasm” for electric vehicles, and draw attention to the upcoming Northlands rezoning.

13 SKI-TOWN RUNDOWN Whistler and B.C. are having a terrible start to winter—so who’s getting all the snow?

46 MAXED OUT G.D. Maxwell has seen the future… or a future. It is not what he expected. Environment & Adventure

23 THE OUTSIDER Think before you post about your avalanche near-miss, writes columnist Vince Shuley.

Lifestyle & Arts

32 EPICURIOUS A new pop-up at the Four Seasons Whistler is serving up inventive Whisky cocktails in a cosy, library-styled setting.

35 MUSEUM MUSINGS Looking back on the opening of Whistler’s first grocery store.

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. The entire contents of Pique Newsmagazine are copyright 2024 by Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of WPLP, a division of Glacier Media). No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the Publisher.

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In no event shall unsolicited material subject this publication to any claim or fees. Copyright in letters and other (unsolicited) materials submitted and accepted for publication remains with the author but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms. Letters to the Editor must contain the author’s name, address and daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 250 words. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine. Pique Newsmagazine is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact (edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil. ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. This organization replaces the BC Press council (and any mention of it).

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OPENING REMARKS

A Whistler wishlist for 2024 BEING THE PRAGMATIC, even-keeled realist I am, I did not fall for the insane hype last month around where Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani might sign this offseason… at first. Then some Toronto Blue Jays “insiders”— or insider adjacents—started tweeting: Ohtani is definitely on a plane to Toronto right now to sign with the team; his alleged flight coincides with a supposed day of luck in Japanese culture; his Japanese compatriot (and Toronto

BY BRADEN DUPUIS Blue Jay) Yusei Kikuchi definitely reserved the entire upper floor of a posh Toronto sushi restaurant for that same night; Ohtani’s dog’s name (which is top secret) is a tell of where he plans to sign. Like many Jays fans, I was fully onboard the hype train at this point, daydreaming about placing an order for an Ohtani home jersey. If you follow baseball, you know the rest. It was all bullshit; a swirling fever dream of unfounded rumours, some possibly floated by Ohtani’s camp itself to bolster the bargaining position with his preferred team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. And on Dec. 11, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700-million contract with the Dodgers—the largest contract in professional sports history. It is likely Ohtani was never going to sign in Toronto. But for a brief 24- to 48-hour period, there was hope, even for us realists— because a small cadre of insiders put their credibility on the line (and got burned—c’est la vie). It serves as a timely reminder that even the best, supposedly most knowledgeable inside sources can sometimes get it wrong, or be led astray—and that predicting the future with any degree of accuracy is almost always a fool’s errand. So, rather than feed you a list of “informed predictions” for the year ahead

that almost certainly will not come true, we’re going to take a page from the Toronto Blue Jays insiders, and try to wish our preferred outcomes into existence.

AND… ACTION!

In 2023, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) adopted the community’s first Housing Action Plan—a move named Best Council Decision by Pique readers in this year’s Best of Whistler poll. That’s all well and good, and the plan does contain plenty of exciting initiatives to guide the future of housing in Whistler… but if we’re talking a 2024 housing wishlist, the ask is the same as at the outset of 2023: that the RMOW take serious, concrete measures to address the loss of private suites in the community. It’s crucial to keep building employee housing, as the RMOW and Whistler Housing Authority have done with great success in recent years. Optimizing the existing supply—a key plank in the new Housing Action Plan—is arguably more important. By the end of 2024, we hope to see real, measurable progress on preserving and optimizing Whistler’s housing stock—

only issue. The bus servicing the route is of lower quality than typical BC Transit buses, and doesn’t have a bike rack. Residents bemoan its lack of consistency and regularity, saying they often wait by the side of the road for a bus that never comes. It is indicative of a much larger issue with transportation in the region. In the letters section of last week’s Pique, Whistlerite Brian Buchholz called the lack of regional transit in the Sea to Sky a “profound failure”—we concur. As we’ve written in this space ad nauseum, the case for getting it done is clear: with less housing availability in Whistler, more are commuting. Get their passenger vehicles off the highway as much as possible, and you get less congestion, fewer accidents and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Regional transit would help ease the employment burden for local businesses, and on health-care facilities, while also bolstering tourism in the corridor. It has been a perennial promise, and woeful white whale, of local leaders going back decades. With a provincial election slated for Oct.

in 2018 that Calgary-based Concorde Group planned to bring a fully-fledged bowling alley and game centre to the heart of Whistler Village. Sadly, the proposal died an unceremonious death after Concorde walked away in early 2019. The closure of Whistler’s Village 8 Cinemas in January 2023 dealt another blow to indoor activities in the resort—an area in which we are already severely lacking. Venues such as the Whistler Racket Club, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Audain Art Museum, or Escape! Whistler offer activities to pass the time when the weather isn’t cooperating. But high atop the wishlist for 2024 is more weatherproof activities for Whistler, like a bowling alley and movie theatre—particularly as the warm weather and rainy days stick around into 2024.

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW

And on that note, one item tops all the others when it comes to wishes for 2024. Whistler needs snow, and it needs it bad. Not just to bolster the ski season, but to head-off the early impacts of another bonedry summer in Whistler’s forests.

With a provincial election slated for Oct. 19, the corridor is due for another kick at the regional transit can—expect the issue to be front and centre in the riding come election season this fall.

including tangible policy measures (with teeth!) that will actually address the holes in the resort’s housing continuum.

CONNECTING THE REGION

Last month, Pique heard from young people in Mount Currie who said they are scared to take a local bus route due to anti-social behaviour. Many people who use the route are drunk and cause fights, they said—but that’s not the

19, the corridor is due for another kick at the regional transit can—expect the issue to be front and centre in the riding come election season this fall.

NEED MORE PROOF?

As a university student, I always looked forward to my birthday—the only day of the year I could ever convince my friends to go bowling with me. So imagine my absolute delight to learn

This 2.5 bedroom gem of a townhouse features an updated kitchen, renovated bathroom, wood flooring, and numerous unseen improvements like new drywall, electrical, and soundproofing. Cozy up by the wood-burning fireplace in winter and relax on the spacious porch in summer. Plenty of storage with an exterior shed and a 400 sq ft crawl space. Conveniently located near Meadow Park Sports Centre, Alpine Cafe, local high school, and the Valley Trail system for easy navigation throughout Whistler. Ideal weekend retreat or full-time residence.

And it’s not just a Whistler problem. According to the BC Government, the provincial average for all snow weather stations in the province was just 68 per cent of median as of Dec. 18. A lower snowpack in the alpine this winter will mean increased chances for drought and wildfire in the spring and summer. So let’s all channel our favourite Blue Jays insider and wish with all our might that the snow is coming soon. ■

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘Unbridled enthusiasm’ for electric vehicles is misplaced With a series of wildfire-filled summers, and now the threat of a rained-out winter in a ski resort, the need to drastically reduce greenhouse gases is no doubt an emergency, especially here in B.C. Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) could play a role with this initiative, but I must challenge MP Patrick Weiler’s optimistic declaration that “there is little or no environmental impact with the operation of a ZEV over time” (Pique, Dec. 29, “Zero-emissions vehicle standard lauded by Sea to Sky MP”). I can’t blame Mr. Weiler, however, as this unfortunate misconception is shared even by many environmentalists. By fixating on tail-pipe emissions, we overlook many other negative impacts of driving cars and trucks... Noise. Road traffic is the biggest contributor to so-called “noise pollution” (which in fact should be more accurately considered soundscape pollution). Though somewhat quieter than their gasoline-powered counterparts, ZEVs still produce enough noise to negatively impact the health of both human and non-human animals, especially along high-speed corridors like Highway 99.

“[E]ntire salmon runs have been wiped out by road run-off.” - TOM DEMARCO

Roadkill. A frog or a bird struck by a ZEV is just as dead as one struck by a conventional vehicle. Globally, motor traffic kills billions of vertebrate animals every year and trillions of insects. It also kills 1.2 million human beings.

Roads and sprawl. As long as we believe personal ZEVs are harmless, presumably we will continue to develop civilization to accommodate them, which means ever more roads and parking lots. Cumulatively, these

have had a devastating impact on wildlife, especially through habitat fragmentation. The lighting associated with this infrastructure also imposes serious consequences on nocturnal wildlife. Largely independent of its contribution to global warming, the explosion in popularity of personal motor transportation over the past 50 years is now widely recognized as one of the most important contributing elements to the world’s biodiversity crisis. Non-Exhaust Emissions (NEE). A vastly underestimated issue, any motorized vehicle carefully driven at modest speed on correctly inflated tires will generate 1.5 trillion ultrafine particulates every kilometre, mostly through tire wear. Because they are heavier, so-called ZEVs produce even more NEE. It is estimated that every year enough particulates are produced from roads to fill 30 large container ships. Wear of brake pads and of road paint contribute another four ships’ worth of these toxins. At least 10 per cent and maybe more like 30 per cent of all the plastic in the world’s oceans originates from roads. In nearby Puget Sound, entire salmon runs have been wiped out by road run-off. So I hope politicians like Mr. Weiler and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will reconsider their unbridled enthusiasm for private ZEVs, and instead focus their attention on means to reduce Canadians’ over-reliance on personal motor transportation. Rather than dedicating billions of dollars to subsidize the manufacture and purchase of electric cars, these funds would be

WHISTLER · PEMBERTON · SQUAMISH Squamish

Whistler

Squamish

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516-38033 Second Ave.

SOLD

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$1,099,000

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2 B E D I 2 BAT H I 8 5 9 SQF T Short description of property listing - no more than 30 words. in Git,Squamish tem am ea sant Specializing omnis alitio de sa es quis maios eate pre-sale opportunities. dolupti quid quatumendus, ut excerferiae ommostori quaecep tatibus. Get incum touch for information

about upcoming projects. Whistler Creekside DAVID LEWIS

PETER PREC CUDMORE david@davidlewisliving.com

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LOCAL EXPERTS 10 JANUARY 5, 2024

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Short description of property listing - no than words. Git, tem am ea sant 4more BED | 330 BATH | 2,565 SQFT omnis alitio de sa es quis maios eate •dolupti Enjoyquid magnificent mountain views quatumendus, ut excerferiae cum quaecep tatibus. •ommostori Walking distance to tennis courts and private lake

Short description of property listing - no more than words. Git, tem am ea sant 2 BED | 230 BATH | 898 SQFT omnis alitio de sa es quis maios eate • Stunning corner unit dolupti quid quatumendus, ut excerferiae •ommostori Spectacular of the Chief, Diamond cumviews quaecep tatibus. Head, Mamquam mountains

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• Excellent rental income or perfect full time Whistler Upper Village occupancy

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NATIONWIDE EXPOSURE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 403 G3 Horstman House more wisely redirected to improving infrastructure for passenger rail, transit and cycling. And why not subsidize e-bike purchase? Funds could be bolstered by a surtax on the purchase of all personal gasoline-powered cars and trucks. This approach would not only be more effective for greenhouse gas reduction, but would benefit every living organism on the planet. Tom DeMarco // Whistler

Help shape recreation in Whistler this year Conditions on the hill have been less than ideal so far this season. A portent of things to come, an El Niño aberration, or just Pacific Coast weather? I will defer to the experts for guidance. A beneficiary of the inclement weather has been the bustling Whistler Racket Club, where courts are at a premium as both locals

and visitors look for alternative forms of recreation. Most Whistlerites are aware that the Northlands, where the club is situated, will be developed in the coming years. In fact, the developer will shortly submit new plans which will hopefully include details of a new recreational amenity. We as a community will have sight of these plans in the new year when an extensive public consultation will take place. Common sense would dictate Whistler has a weatherproof recreational amenity for a host of reasons, including the physical/mental health benefits of playing sport and having an alternative to winter and even summer outdoor activities in the event of rain/smoke. The Resort Municipality of Whistler has promised a robust engagement, so it is up to us, the community, to help shape a facility that endures. This will be a one-off opportunity. Guy Darby // Whistler ■

Ski home to this top ﬂoor 2 bedroom quartershare on Blackcomb.

$339,000 WH IS TLER’S #1 RE/MAX AGENT

Warner Real Estate Team

2501 Gondola Way 9.81 Ski-In Acres

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

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.

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.

Backcountry Update AS OF WEDNESDAY, JAN. 3

A decent storm is forecast for Friday, just before the first weekend of 2024. Above 500 metres, we’re expecting 15 to 30 centimetres of snow. After the storm passes, it will get a bit colder, and the skies should clear, likely sometime on Saturday morning. While I am sure we’ll all be excited to see some fresh snow and sunshine, it will be important to manage expectations. This storm is expected to come in with enough wind to make wind-slab avalanches a concern, so you’ll likely be looking to avoid terrain below ridgetops in wind-exposed areas. In the last days of December, a persistent weak layer about a metre

down surprised a few people with large avalanches. It currently looks like this layer has gained strength and is becoming less of a concern, but make sure to check the latest forecast at avalanche.ca for up-todate conditions. Travel below treeline remains challenging, with very low snow cover. As you get closer to the treeline, there should be more snow covering the rocks, stumps, and logs, which could actually make for some decent riding conditions. However, continue to assume that any snow lump could hide something solid underneath it. We hope you get a chance to enjoy some time outdoors with your friends this weekend! ■

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

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New Price Pan Pacific Mountainside is a superbly located full service hotel within the heart of Whistler Village. The Pan Pacific Mountainside has something for everyone. Complimentary Services & Amenities that can be enjoyed by owners and guests include; ski valet and equipment lockers, bike valet & golf storage & in-resort shuttle service available 8 am-10 pm. This is in addition to other hotel amenities such as; 24-hour Front Desk and Concierge, daily housekeeping, coin-operated laundry facilities and vending machines, secure underground parkade, allseason - heated, outdoor saltwater pool with dual whirlpools, fitness facility, therapeutic Eucalyptus steam room & dry cleaning services. 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

JANUARY 5, 2024

CONSIDERING SELLING IN 2024? Say no more. JACOB PALLISTER

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TEAM TRELEAVEN IS IN THE MARKET. WE ARE LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL PROPERTIES TO SELL IN 2024, LET’S CHAT. Thanks for all your love, kindness and support Doug, without you and your persistence and good instincts, we wouldn’t be where we are at today! J. T.

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Howe Sound Minor Ball

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING JAN 10TH! Please join us at the Howe Sound Brew Pub - Garibaldi rm 7pm

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

#219-2202 GONDOLA WAY WHISTLER

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6144 EAGLE DRIVE WHISTLER CAY HEIGHTS

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*PREC

12 JANUARY 5, 2024

SKI-TOWN RUNDOWN

Ski-Town Rundown: Where is the snow? AS IT TURNS OUT, Whistler isn’t the only B.C. ski area struggling with high temperatures and low snowfall as 2024 gets underway. As of Jan. 2, Whistler Blackcomb had a base depth of about 99 centimetres, with 147 of 234 trails open and 23 of 27 lifts operational— about 63 per cent of the resort. The B.C. government’s Jan. 1 snow and water bulletin won’t be posted until Jan. 9, but

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

Whitehead told CBC unseasonably warm weather impacts the ski area once every eight years or so—so it’s something staff are prepared for.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Looking south, Vail Ski Resort in Colorado has a base depth of about 94 cm, with 240 of 275 trails open and 27 of 31 lifts operating (about 81 per cent).

“We’re not too far below normal at this point for most of Colorado ...”

as of Pique’s weekly deadline, the provincial average for all snow weather stations in the province was just 68 per cent of median. Here’s the lay of the land at ski resorts near and far as of Tuesday, Jan. 2.

POWDER PLAY

year, with 140 of 144 trails open, 11 of 11 lifts running, and a base depth of 66 cm. At Kamloops’ Sun Peaks, 106 of 137 trails are open, and 12 out of 13 lifts operational— about 77 per cent of the resort. Sun Peaks is reporting a base depth of up to 76 cm as the new year gets underway. And in Revelstoke, 32 of 59 trails are open, and four of six lifts (about 54 per cent), with a base depth of up to 79 cm. So while conditions are definitely

B.C. is offering up a mixed bag for skiing in early 2024, with just one resort—Powder King north of Prince George—reportedly open 100 per cent. As of Jan. 2, all 38 of Powder King’s trails were open, and three of three lifts operational, with a base depth of up to 135 centimetres. In a close second is Panorama Mountain resort in the Interior, which was reportedly 97-per-cent operational to start the new

- ZACH HIRIS

challenging, most B.C. ski resorts are making the best of it. Some, however, aren’t so lucky. As of this writing, West Vancouver’s Mt. Seymour Resort is temporarily closed as officials wait for snow. “We had a bit of a weak start, but the rain last week washed us out,” Mt. Seymour marketing and communications manager Simon Whitehead told CBC in the last week of December. “Luckily the forecast is looking much stronger for next week, so we’ll hopefully be back in business pretty soon.”

Around the bend at Aspen-Snowmass, officials are reporting a base depth of 86 cm, with 282 of 366 trails open and 33 of 41 lifts operational (or about 77 per cent). So while there is more snow in Colorado than in B.C. at the moment, like their Canadian counterparts, U.S. officials are still awaiting the real arrival of winter. According to the Aspen Times, Colorado’s mountains are experiencing their worst snowfall season in recent memory. The last time Colorado saw this little snow in December was 2013, National Weather Service forecaster Zach Hiris told the Times.

“We’re not too far below normal at this point for most of Colorado; most of the bigger basins are sitting somewhere between 60 and 80 per cent of snowpack,” he said. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates it will be at least another 100 days until snowpack is at its median peak.

WHERE IS ALL THE SNOW?

So, if the snow isn’t falling in Canada and the U.S., which ski resorts are seeing the goods? According to snow-forecast.com’s World Snow Overview, Russia or France is the place to be if you’re looking for an abundance of fresh powder in the week ahead. Dombai resort in Russia could see a whopping 80 cm in the next three days, according to snow-forecast.com, while a smattering of French ski areas will see up to 40 cm before the end of the week. Of the 20 resorts listed on snow-forecast’s worldwide outlook, only two—Alpenglow and Eagle Crest Ski Area—are located in North America (and none in Canada). So if you’re desperate for snow and short on patience, best pack your balaclava. We hear it’s cold in Russia. Ski-Town Rundown is a new column from Pique Newsmagazine highlighting news from other ski resorts, near and far. Got a skiing news tip? Email editor Braden Dupuis at edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com. ■

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NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler property values take a modest dip for 2024 assessments PROPERTY MARKET VALUES ARE STABILIZING AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF GROWTH, ACCORDING TO BC ASSESSMENT

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS WHISTLER’S PROPERTY values are taking a breather for 2024, after years of double-digit growth. The value of a single-family residential home in Whistler as of July 1 was $2,842,000, according to BC Assessment numbers released Jan. 2—a two-per-cent decrease compared to the same period a year prior. The decrease comes after two years of double-digit growth: Last year, single-family property values rose by 11 per cent, while the year before, values rose by 29 per cent. Strata properties (condos and townhomes) also saw a decrease in value by one per cent to $1,349,000. Assessed property values are released every January, reflecting the market rate of properties across the province as of July 1 the previous year. The modest declines in Whistler reflect similar stabilizations across British Columbia, according to BC Assessment’s Bryan Murao. “What we’ve seen in Whistler this year is pretty consistent with similar markets around the province,” he said in an interview with Pique. According to BC Assessments’ press

LEVEL BEST The value of single-family homes in Whistler began to level off in 2023. PHOTO BY GUNTER MARX PHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES

14 JANUARY 5, 2024

release for the province-wide numbers, most markets in B.C. are seeing changes in the range of minus five per cent to five per cent. “What we’re seeing in Whistler is relatively consistent with, say, West Vancouver, at minus two per cent, as well,” said Murao. Values in the Sea to Sky corridor were similarly muted compared to previous years: The average value of a single-family residential property in Squamish declined by one per cent to $1,475,000, while in Pemberton the average increased by one per cent to $1,340,000—changes which Murao again said were well within range for B.C. Respectively, those changes were plus eight per cent and plus 16 per cent in 2023. Notably, Murao said location, location, location didn’t have such a huge impact on

2024’s numbers. “The market forces that we’ve seen have an impact on the 2024 roll assessments are pretty consistent everywhere because of how tied they are to interest rates, it’s not really a locational factor. Interest rates are hitting the entire residential market,” he said. “We’ve seen a bit of a standstill where vendors are not necessarily feeling pressure to sell yet, but purchasers aren’t necessarily feeling pressure to buy—and because of that we haven’t really seen a lot of price movement either way.” The BC Assessment numbers provide municipal governments with the foundation by which they can determine property tax rates.

THE TOP-10 HIGHEST-VALUED SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES IN WHISTLER: 5432 Stonebridge Drive: $31,001,000 (17th in B.C.) 5462 Stonebridge Drive: $27,693,000 (33rd in B.C.) 3837 Sunridge Drive: $26,030,000 (42nd in B.C.) 3105 Hillcrest Lane: $25,217,000 (47th in B.C.) 3359 Lakeside Road: $25,158,000 (48th in B.C.) 3102 St Anton Way: $23,558,000 (60th in B.C.) 4844 Summit Lane: $19,488,000 (105th in B.C.) 5425 Stonebridge Drive: $19,381,000 (110th in B.C.) 2982 High Point Drive: $18,689,000 (124th in B.C.) 2978 High Point Drive: $18,667,000 (125th in B.C.). n

The new assessment notices will arrive in the mail in the coming days. Property owners can head to bcassessment.ca for detailed information on their 2024 assessment. Those who wish to challenge the assessment can do so by contacting BC Assessment as indicated on their notice, as soon as possible this month. Appeals can be submitted until Jan. 31. Despite the softening of Whistler property values, with 60 of the province’s 500 top-valued residential properties here in the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the community is still king of top values in the province outside of the Greater Vancouver municipalities of Vancouver (with 271 on the list) and West Vancouver (with 91 on the list). The highest-value residential property in Whistler is 5432 Stonebridge Drive, which is valued at $31,001,000, putting it at 17th place in the province. The second-highest valued property is 5462 Stonebridge Drive—an address keen readers will remember as the highest-valued property on the market in Whistler in 2023 when it sold for $32 million. The property lands at 33 on the top-500 list, at an assessed value of $27,693,000. Every property on the list is seven figures, while 500th place on the list also goes to a Whistler property; 2970 High Point Drive, valued at $12,158,000. The top position provincially goes to 3085 Point Grey Drive, in Vancouver, valued at $81,765,000. That property is owned by Lululemon founder, Chip Wilson. n

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler Community Services Society sees record-breaking numbers in November THERE WERE MORE THAN 1,900 VISITS TO THE WHISTLER FOOD BANK IN NOVEMBER, THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN THE SOCIETY’S 30-YEAR HISTORY

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS NOVEMBER WAS A record-setting month for the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS), with all-time high numbers of visits to the Whistler Food Bank, outreach efforts, and services rendered through its counselling assistance program. Speaking at the Dec. 19 Whistler council meeting, executive director of WCSS, Jackie Dickinson, said the organization spent every cent of the $15,400 it got from the RMOW for its counselling assistance program in 2023. “As of Jan. 1 [2023] to December, we’ve supported over 147 people in the community to get clinical counselling,” said Dickinson. “The very challenging news that comes along with this is we are currently over budget—which means we are spending more than budgeted for, for the counselling assistance program, but that’s not a weakness. As you’ve heard me say many times in this place, it is a true sign of

this program get the support they need—we are not going to turn people away.” WCSS’s counselling assistance program is designed to provide clinical mental and emotional counselling to Whistler residents who cannot otherwise afford it, for whatever reason. The program was the single largest recipient of the RMOW’s CEP funding in 2023, when the municipality also vended out more than $160,000 in funds to a total of 40 community groups. Moving forward, Dickinson said the wider community should consider advocating for employers to provide extended health benefits plans so more people can access counselling when needed as a way to help. She also said Vancouver Coastal Health needs to see the numbers and know what sort of supports are needed. “I think it really speaks to the fact that, more than ever, people are asking for help and needing help, and we need to continue to address that,” Dickinson said, adding it goes beyond mental-health services and clinical

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PRICE IMPROVEMENT

“[M]ore than ever, people are asking for help and needing help, and we need to continue to address that.” - JACKIE DICKINSON

2 5 F I T Z S I M M O N S WA L K strength in our community.” It is a strength because so many feel they can reach out and get the help they need, Dickinson told Pique afterwards, when she shared more detail into how over-budget the program was, considering the WCSS’ fiscal year went from April through to the following March. “At this point, year to date, [the counselling program is] about $8,000 over-budget,” she said. WCSS has another three months in the current fiscal year. Its counselling program had a little over $30k budgeted for the year. “One of two things may happen… we may see not the same uptake for the remainder of the fiscal year, or we may have to consider allocating more funding to this program, fundraising more, and applying for more grants for it if that usage continues,” Dickinson said. “Regardless of what happens, we are going to ensure that people that qualify for

$ 5 ,1 9 5 ,0 0 0 N O G S T

counselling. “We know that people are asking for this type of help because they’re housing insecure and finances are stressed … there are a lot of things that are impacting their mental health and well-being, so this is a statistic that speaks louder and clearer about the essential needs of our community,” she said. “And if we are unable to support the people in those areas, then additional levels of support are going to be required.” The counselling program was underutilized as recently as a decade ago.

FOOD BANK SEES RECORD NUMBERS

The counselling services program wasn’t the only program seeing record numbers and

SEE PAGE 16 >> JANUARY 5, 2024

NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 15 growth over the last few years—one-to-one outreach hit a new record at 1,200 in November, while the number of visits to the Whistler Food Bank, operated by the WCSS, is also well up, at more than 1,900 in the last month. “These numbers are alarmingly high,” said Dickinson, noting that even at the height of the pandemic and the economic shutdown in 2020, WCSS saw visits averaging out at 1,400 a month. “We saw numbers in the last year and a half that have sat around 1,400, 1,500, at times 1,700, but we’ve never seen 1,900 visits in the 30 year-plus history of this program, per month.” The main reason so many are using the food bank is housing insecurity—a big change from pre-pandemic, when most visits were from members of the community who were sick or injured, and facing high medical costs. There are a few factors at play, but Dickinson said that for November 2023, officials suspect the poor start to winter has something to do with the spike. “I think these numbers are high because there’s a delay in weather and snow and people going to work and getting a lot of shifts,” she said. “I am happy to report that those numbers will be significantly lower in December, which shows that people are getting employed, and they’re getting hours that they need.” In a more broad sense, housing insecurity is an issue for many in Whistler, but Dickinson said the community’s reputation as a difficult

AT YOUR SERVICE Whistler Community Services Society staff and volunteers pose for a group photo at the organization’s annual general meeting in June. FILE PHOTO

place for seasonal workers to find somewhere to stay is preceding itself. “One of the theories that we came up with last year in October 2022 (when there was another spike), was that some people are needing to arrive in Whistler earlier than anticipated to secure housing, and the people that are trying to secure housing are dealing with really high costs that they did not anticipate,” she said, explaining that longerthan-expected Airbnb stays was denying new residents access to proper kitchen facilities, and drawing down on savings faster than planned. “We saw so many posts (on Facebook)

this fall where people, in efforts to stay here and secure staff housing, had to Airbnb for multiple months. That has a tremendous impact.” Dickinson added it’s not just a newcomer problem, however, and that even if those seeking WCSS’ help were new to Whistler, they are still entitled to whatever assistance WCSS can offer. “Most people have this thought that the high usage of our food bank is related to newcomers and new residents, and people who haven’t been here a long time. The reality is that we may see some of those individuals, but we are seeing people who have lived here

for many, many years needing access to a food bank,” she said. “I think when people ask, ‘who are these people, what age are they, and where did they come from?’ … none of that really matters. They’re here, they’re Whistlerites, they belong to this community, and we have to find a way to support them, because we value what they bring and what they offer.” Going forward, Dickinson said WCSS will do as much as possible to meet demand— through applying for more grants, doing more fundraising, and ensuring every dollar goes as far as possible. Learn more at mywcss.org. n

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16 JANUARY 5, 2024

NEWS WHISTLER

RMOW gives two thumbs up to WDC’s Lot 5 housing project THE NEXT BUILD IN CHEAKAMUS CROSSING PHASE 2 IS EXPECTED TO ADD 104 RENTAL UNITS TO THE WHISTLER MARKET

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS MORE HOUSING IS ON THE WAY in 2024, after Whistler’s mayor and council voted to endorse the Whistler 2020 Development Corporation’s (WDC) project plan for Lot 5 at Cheakamus Crossing Phase 2 on Dec. 19. The Lot 5 project is envisioned to add 104 units to the Whistler rental market, and has been in active planning since spring. Council heard a slightly-revised and further-along assessment of the project at the Dec. 19 council meeting. Staff were seeking council’s endorsement to continue with the project as presented. In his presentation, the RMOW’s manager of planning, John Chapman, gave a brief rundown of what Lot 5 will be made up of: Two buildings with a shared parkade, with studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units all restricted to rentals. “This responds to our community need. It considers the WHA (Whistler Housing Authority) rental waitlist, and our housing needs report,” he said. When complete, the building will be owned and operated by the WHA. As of December 2023, the project is estimated to cost $47.7 million—a number that accounts for inflation, and uses lessons learned from previous WDC projects underway

to guide expectations. According to Chapman, the currently under-construction Lot 2B project (across the street from Lot 5, at 1450 Mount Fee Road) saw a 17-per-cent increase in cost estimates during construction. “If we look at a similar increase on this budget, that would account for an additional $6.8 million,” said Chapman in talking about cost certainty. “I think we can caveat at this point that the Lot 5 design is somewhat further advanced at this stage than the previous building was, and that does give us some greater confidence in the project plan, the accuracy of the [$47.7m] estimate.” The project plan as presented has five sources of funding suggested, with three to make up the RMOW’s equity contribution, which is estimated to be $20 million. Those three sources of RMOW equity funding are the WHA’s surplus funds and the RMOW’s two housing reserve funds in the Cheakamus Crossing Affordable Employee Housing Reserve and the RMOW Employee Housing Reserve. Two additional funding sources are not locked in, being grant funding applications pending with BC Builds, and the Community Housing Fund. Chapman said RMOW staff are working to line up Lot 5 with those sources. Both are expected to announce projects that will

be supported in the first quarter of 2024. The amount of funding from the grant sources (if any) will determine how much equity funding the RMOW will need to plow into the project. Looking ahead, Chapman said the project plan will proceed to a housing agreement with the RMOW in January, and a development permit in February. A decision to allocate equity to the project will be needed in the first quarter of the year, and a building permit is expected to be issued by March.

“This responds to our community need.” - JOHN CHAPMAN

Construction could start as early as spring 2024 with framing in 2025, and occupancy in the second or third quarter of 2026. Councillor Jen Ford, who moved the motion to endorse the staff recommendation, said it is an important project that helps the RMOW have some influence over the housing situation in Whistler. “We have a letter later on in our package talking about rental rates in this town, of

which we have zero control. Here’s where we do have control over rental rates, and this shows real commitment, and anything we can do to keep it moving, we gotta go, go, go,” she said. All members of council spoke to the item, indicating support and excitement to see it moving ahead. Mayor Jack Crompton applauded the RMOW for having the bravery to wade into the housing market in the way it has, constructing housing owned by the municipality. “The idea of driving past buildings that have had so much work put into them by people who work at the RMOW, by members of this council and others who dig in and get their hands dirty, and by volunteers from our town is a really big deal and I’m grateful for it,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting to be going down this path, and there is a heck of a lot more to do, so let’s not pat ourselves on the back too much, and get back to work in the new year on it.” Council voted to endorse the project plan, with staff bound to return to council if the equity required for the project changes by more than 10 per cent (though the equity decision is not slated to happen until 2024). Council also directed staff to draft a housing agreement restricting the building to rental tenure only, with maximum rental rates designed to ensure long-term affordability. n

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JANUARY 5, 2024

NEWS WHISTLER

Sian Blyth named executive director of Whistler Adaptive Sports Program BLYTH FOUNDED WHISTLER ADAPTIVE BACK IN 1998

BY DAVID SONG AFTER A DECADE-LONG stint with BC Wheelchair Basketball, Sian Blyth is back with the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP)—the very charity she founded some 25 years ago. She ran the ship as a volunteer back then, but today, she’s the new executive director. “What it means to me is to return to a program that I obviously have a huge passion for, and to build on the great work that everybody—from the staff to the partners to all of our funders, supporters, volunteers and athletes—have built, and to help it move into this new, bright future,” Blyth said. There are plenty of exciting initiatives for Blyth and her team to sink their teeth into, including the Canadian Armed Forcessponsored Soldier On program, the new adaptive downhill race at Crankworx, and of course the 2025 Invictus Games. WASP communications lead Jennifer Brown looks forward to all of it. “It’s an amazing juncture for this organization at the moment,” Brown said. “We have a full team in place, a really, really strong team with a huge amount of experience … and this incredibly exciting, wider stage for adaptive sports. Sian is clearly an amazing

leader, bringing us all together with so much energy and enthusiasm.” Maintaining the ability for regular participants to still access WASP’s programs is really important, but “obviously the Invictus Games have a big global lens on it,” added Blyth. “It’s so important that the world can see there is so much out there for individuals with disabilities to access. You never know, but there will be people that watch the Games on TV, or see it just wandering through Whistler, whose lives will be impacted at some stage in the future. “Even though I’ve been involved in this area of work for 25 years, I still come across, on a fairly regular basis, people who did not know that some of these opportunities are there. [They didn’t know] about adaptive snowshoeing, for example, or didn’t know that we have an adaptive swimming program in the Sea to Sky corridor.” Ten years at the helm of BC Wheelchair Basketball have taught Blyth many things, above all the power of adaptive sport to level the playing field for handicapped individuals. The vast majority of players she came into contact with are not highperformance athletes, but everyday people who play wheelchair basketball once a week. She’s also seen many young kids discover a new and life-giving recreational outlet.

ADAPTATION New Whistler Adaptive Sports Program executive director Sian Blyth. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER ADAPTIVE SPORTS PROGRAM

‘INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIPS’

Blyth emigrated to Canada roughly a quartercentury ago, and has a nursing background where she helped patients with spinal cord injuries build their confidence and quality of life through outdoor activity. Naturally, the British expatriate wished to see similar things happen in the Sea to Sky, so she approached Whistler Blackcomb with a business plan that

ultimately became WASP. As former executive director Chelsey Walker, now with the Invictus Games, took the reins at WASP for some 17 years, Blyth moved on to other endeavours. She was at various points the High Performance Director at BC Adaptive Snowsports and a board member with Freestyle Vancouver, Freestyle Canada, the Take a Hike Foundation, the Disabled Skiers Association of British Columbia (DSABC), and Freestyle BC, where she still serves. As her kids grew up, they fell in love with freestyle skiing, and the Blyth family have been Whistler weekend warriors for some 20 years. Adaptive sports have always been Blyth’s passion, and she credits the Sea to Sky community for helping WASP become what it is today. “[The organization] has evolved to where it is because of the incredible partnerships that have been built: the incredible partnership with Whistler Blackcomb, with the municipality and with the greater community,” said Blyth. “We are where we are, and we are going where we’re going, because of the great partnerships in this community.” In 2022-23, 108 WASP volunteers helped facilitate more than 10,000 lessons to 468 athletes. The organization is also in the midst of its annual holiday fundraising effort, which donors can check out at whistleradaptive. com/donate. n

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DEC 26 - JAN 14 7 am - 7 pm

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Jan 3 - 31 Mon, Wed, Fri 12 - 7 pm Sat & Sun 10 am - 5 pm

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18 JANUARY 5, 2024

NEWS WHISTLER

RMOW enters the snowmaking business COUNCIL BRIEFS: COMMUNITY GROUPS REPORT BACK ON ANNUAL FUNDING

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS WHISTLER’S LOST LAKE area now has a snowmaking gun on site to help bolster the popular Lost Lake Trails for the 23-24 season— at least when the weather will allow it. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) installed new infrastructure in the park as part of a multi-faceted project in the cards for almost three years. The project was completed in spring 2023, with the municipality spending a little over $150,000 on top of a $750,000 grant from the provincial government’s Tourism Dependent Community Fund. Those funds were all secured by early 2021 and were reported on by Pique as part of the 2021 budget amendment. The project itself included a connection to an existing water-supply line, piping, and connection infrastructure for snowmaking equipment. According to the RMOW, the system also provides seasonal fire protection, and is intended to eventually include a microhydro generation plant to develop electricity to operate the snowmaking system and complement the park’s electrical needs. The RMOW now has a snowmaking gun on site and ready to go, “if it gets to the right temperature,” a communications official said. “We are also learning whether guns work

GUN SHOW The Resort Municipality of Whistler is set to join the snowmaking game—weather permitting. PHOTO BY MIKE CRANE / GETTY IMAGES

in this topography or not. As the mountain snowmakers will tell you, their elevation helps a lot with the large fleet on the hill,” they said. For this year, it is a test and we do need to reach more ideal temperatures for it to perform, but we’re quite pleased with what we were able to do before this latest warming trend.” There are 25 kilometres of trails in the Lost Lake Park area for cross-country skiing. There needs to be about 30 centimetres of snow base, and colder conditions to allow for grooming the trails for winter operations. As of early January, conditions have not allowed the trails to open, with mild temperatures and rain preventing buildup of an adequate base.

COMMUNITY ENRICHED

A slate of 40 community groups reported back on how they collectively spent more than $167,000 of RMOW grant funding in 2023 at the Dec. 19 council meeting. The funds, given out as part of the RMOW’s Community Enrichment Program (CEP), are vended out annually to organizations contributing to the growth and development of the community. The funds come from the RMOW’s general revenue, and the CEP program was severely over-subscribed in 2023, with community organizations initially requesting more than $358,250.23 against a $167,113 budget.

Allocations varied from as little as $1,000 each to the Whistler Independent Supported Housing Society and Girl Guides Canada, to more than $10,000 to Whistler Community Services Society, Howe Sound Women’s Centre, and Whistler Sport Legacies Society. The money was spent across a wide array of programs, from allowing the local BC Luge Association to buy teamwear for a growing local enrolment and print raffle tickets for further fundraising, to helping Sea to Sky Community Services operate a playgroup for families with young children in Whistler, to giving the Whistler Farmers’ Market the funds to continue providing waste-management services at its markets in 2023. “The 2023 CEP recipients have demonstrated a high level of dedication in providing programs and/or services that support and contribute to the growth of the Whistler community,” read a staff report to council. “Most organizations utilized their grant funds on equipment, supplies, general operations, advertising or salaries for counsellors, experts, and additional fund coordinators.” The report noted beneficiaries said the funds helped make a significant contribution to their program objectives. n

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JANUARY 5, 2024

NEWS PEMBERTON

Pemberton author raises money to publish Tippet: The Whippet of the North THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IS HELPING GET THE HEARTWARMING TALE ONTO BOOKSHELVES

BY RÓISÍN CULLEN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A PEMBERTON AUTHOR’S TALE about a forlorn pup, Tippet: The Whippet of the North, is set to hit bookshelves this year after a successful fundraising campaign. Kelsey Bareham is already a well-known name in the world of children’s literature. Her debut, self-published book, Wally Learns to Ski, is a fan favourite in Whistler and has sold between 4,000 and 5,000 copies to date. She penned the popular story when she was just 16-yearsold, and published right before the Olympics came to town. Earlier this year, Bareham decided it was time to get her second book onto shelves. The new book outlines the plight of Tippet, a dog unceremoniously dumped at a farm and feed in the north. The pup adapts to a climate he was not built for, and makes some friends along the way. A fun little twist ensures

BARE AMBITION Kelsey Bareham and her two books. PHOTO COURTESY OF KELSEY BAREHAM

20 JANUARY 5, 2024

Tippet’s tale will capture the attention of kids and parents alike. The main characters are loosely based on Bareham’s own parents, she said. Bareham faced the age-old artist’s battle between keeping control over her project and getting it out to as many people as possible. “It wasn’t in my budget to print it again,” she said. “I had tried when I had first written

really excited to have an agent. It didn’t really do the story justice. I am pretty proud of it.” Going with a big publishing house could have sacrificed exactly what makes Tippet so special. The cool rhyming scheme and beautiful, hand-painted illustrations would have been scrapped. “The dream is to be published by the big publishers,” said Bareham. “I was willing to

“I appreciate the way I have full creative control with it.” - KELSEY BAREHAM

Tippet. I got an agent from New York. She wanted to put it onto lots of different notable desks. I got feedback from all the big publishers. She had pitched it for about a year. She thought it was too long, so she cut the book in half. I didn’t really didn’t want to do that but she was the professional. I was just

sacrifice the integrity of my art if it meant I was going to get published by one of the big publishing houses. I’m quite glad now. They also want to pair you up with an illustrator. They are not as interested in people that do both. I appreciate the way I have full creative control with it. It gives me a lot more

opportunity to say what I want to say, to present it the way I had it in my mind.” Getting a 10X10, 32-page book to print costs $10,000. The innovative author set up a Kickstarter campaign to get the project off the ground, and so far 127 backers have pledged towards her goal. The book was picked up by Amazon and Kindle, and will also be available in print at Whistler’s Armchair Books. Bareham said she wanted to keep the production as local as she could. “I wanted to keep it in Canada, because I thought it would be good to keep the industry local,” she said. “I can appreciate buying locally. It’s really important. Sarah from Armchair Books also pledged $1,000 to the Kickstarter campaign to get the book started.” The local author was blown away by support from the community. “I am humbled and inspired by the generosity of our community in helping artists achieve their dreams,” she said. “I couldn’t have made the first print happen without the support of the community, and I am awed by the kindness and enthusiasm I’ve received about the project.” Tippet: The Whippet of the North’s Kickstarter campaign runs until Jan 12. ■

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JANUARY 5, 2024

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

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Whistler Accessibility and Inclusion Committee Membership The Resort Municipality of Whistler is seeking qualiﬁed applicants to serve in a voluntary capacity on the Accessibility and Inclusion Committee for a two-year commitment from February 15, 2024, to February 14, 2026. Applications are being sought for two community members.

SCIENCE MATTERS

Resolutions for a happy, fossil-free new year! DID YOU MAKE ANY New Year’s resolutions? Anyone resolve to help end consumer capitalism? If we come together and resolve to do better for each other and the planet, we could find a better path. It would be easier if the gas, oil and coal industries and their supporters would resolve to clean up their act, but the COP28 climate conference in the United Arab Emirates at the end of 2023 showed they’ve only resolved to do as little as possible while raking in massive profits and fuelling not only a climate crisis but an affordability one as well. Many are trying to fool the public with disingenuous propaganda about carbon

BY DAVID SUZUKI capture and commitments to reducing emissions—but only from extraction and production, and not the real dangerous emissions from burning the fuels as intended. A cap on oil and gas industry emissions, as Canada’s government has promised, is important, but it’s just a small step. We need to leave fossil fuels in the ground! The evidence for runaway climate change and its catastrophic consequences is indisputable—and plain to see for anyone paying attention to the rapidly increasing extreme weather events, flooding, droughts, heat domes and more. The evidence for the

including a survivable climate! We need to get serious. We can’t keep living in denial. Human-caused climate disruption is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. But it’s not a challenge without solutions. We’ve all seen how rapidly technology can advance when we put our minds to it. Just look at the phenomenal change in computing power. Most of us now carry computers in our pockets or purses that are more powerful than the massive systems that first put people on the moon! We see similar advances in energy and energy storage technologies. Power from wind and solar is now less expensive than power from coal, gas and oil, even with storage. It’s also more efficient—and far less polluting. And it’s not subject to volatile markets and industry profiteering. But what can we do in our own lives? How can we push back against an industry that has such a hold on global economies and such great influence over politicians? First, we need to be informed. And despite—or perhaps because of—the plethora of information out there, that can be a challenge. But if we employ critical-thinking skills and learn to evaluate sources to know which are credible and which aren’t, we can put the pieces together. We also have to free ourselves from the consumer prison we’ve created. Working long hours and going into debt so we can have more stuff isn’t the way to happiness. We especially have to advocate for better transportation options. The idea of the private automobile— using machines made of tonnes of metal,

Working long hours and going into debt so we can have more stuff isn’t the way to happiness.

The Accessibility and Inclusion Committee is a volunteer committee appointed by Council to advise on matters concerning accessibility and inclusion in Whistler. The Committee’s Terms of Reference can be viewed at: whistler.ca/AIC Nominees may include: • Persons with disabilities; • Caregivers; and • Professionals in the accommodation or tourism sectors whose roles include inclusion and accessibility. Apply by submitting a brief statement that reﬂects your interest in participating on this Committee to the Planning Department: By mail: Planning Department Resort Municipality of Whistler 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC V8E 0X5 By email: planning@whistler.ca Phone: 604-935-8170 Submission deadline: Thursday, January 18, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/AIC

22 JANUARY 5, 2024

incredible benefits of shifting from burning polluting fuels to cleaner energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal is also clear. The most obvious is that it will help stabilize the climate and prevent even greater acceleration of costly consequences, from rising health-care costs to infrastructure and agriculture damage. But conserving energy and using cleaner energy sources will also create more and better employment, increase economic opportunities and avoid millions of preventable deaths and illnesses, as well as slowing a growing crisis of migrants leaving increasingly inhospitable parts of the planet. If done right, it can even lead to great equality. Who doesn’t want cleaner air and water, better opportunities, more equality and greater societal stability? Apparently, fossil fuel executives and their supporters, who value money and power above all else,

plastic and other materials to move less than a hundred kilograms of people, especially burning massive amounts of fossil fuels to do so—doesn’t make sense, other than as a way to increase oil and auto industry profits. Most of all, we need to come together to make our voices heard. Whether it’s joining protests, writing letters and signing petitions, talking to friends and family, letting politicians know they’ll only earn our support when they take the climate crisis seriously, or all or some of the above, we can make a difference. Above all, let’s resolve to be kind to each other! Here’s to a happier new year! David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington. ■

THE OUTSIDER

Think before you post about your avalanche near-miss The following is the inner dialogue of a concerned Whistler skier.

I’M NOT SURE if it’s just me getting on in the years, but the world seems to be a growing collection of worrying trends. Wars are raging, populism is on the rise, and everything from

BY VINCE SHULEY housing to a bag of potatoes from Fresh St. Market is costing an arm and a leg. Chill, bro. At least we can go skiing. At the end of the day, what more do you need? Yeah, skiing is awesome. But even that’s full of worrying trends. Like climate change. How many winters do you think we have left before they have to pull the pin on skiing as a sport? Have you seen the Vancouver TV news stories covering the North Shore mountains? It’s starting to look more and more like the Aussie ski seasons; ever shorter and full of rain. Whoa, slow down there, Greta. Skiing isn’t going anywhere. We’re just having a bad year. You’ve been kicking around town long enough to see at least two or three years as bad as this. And you didn’t go through an existential crisis then…

SLOPE SENSE The decision to ski a slope should come down to avoiding a potential avalanche, rather than the best way to ski away from an avalanche safely. PHOTO BY VICHO T / GETTY IMAGES

You’re right. The world isn’t ending—not yet anyway. There’ll be more pow days. But it’s not just the weather I’m worried about. Or the crowded weekends with the highway clogged all the way back to powerline hill. Heck, it’s not even about Vail Resorts. What is it then? Is it the tumour-like growth of paid parking that’s got your knickers in a twist? No, it’s not the paid parking. I managed to get my e-bike ski-ready this winter, so I’m good! I’m actually the most concerned about the backcountry. More specifically,

So if they’re getting educated, what’s the problem? It’s how backcountry skiers and splitboarders are learning after their courses. The coastal snowpack we have in Whistler is quite forgiving compared to say, the Rockies or the Kootenays. The folks out in the Interior seem to have a bit more respect for the terrain under their sticks because the snowpack isn’t as stable. The South Coast is like the freakin’ Wild West. Too many cowboys on the coast? This is starting to sound familiar…

We’ve always had cowboy skiers pushing it when the conditions were sketchy. But now that every bro with a camera and a YouTube channel is in need of content, we’re seeing more sketchy decisions and nearmisses getting normalized. the people going out there and the decisions they’re making. Are you going to get on your high horse about avalanche education again? They all did their damn AST 1, so don’t give me that lecture on underpreparedness. It’s not about avalanche education—not really. The avalanche education is better than it’s ever been. It’s taught by pretty smart people. They even focus a bit more on the psychology of decision-making nowadays, rather than just the dry theory of snow science.

Yeah, you could say that. We’ve always had cowboy skiers pushing it when the conditions were sketchy. But now that every bro with a camera and a YouTube channel is in need of content, we’re seeing more sketchy decisions and near-misses getting normalized. Like last week. A snowboarder dropped into a line he knew was probably going to slide, but did it anyway because he had a planned route into a “safe zone.” The guy was so convinced his plan was sound he posted about it on social media, telling everyone it was in the name of “avalanche awareness.” But owning up to your mistakes in the backcountry is good, right? Taking accountability for the decision and the

factors that led up to it? That’s just it. He didn’t admit he made a mistake, he just said “you need to know what you’re doing.” The arrogance is infuriating. He basically communicated that if you’re going to ski a slope with a high chance of sliding, you can probably still ski it as long as you have an island of safety along your route. Isn’t that good? Spotting a safe zone in case the slope rips out? It is, usually. But it sounded like he decided to ski a dangerously loaded slope because there was an island of safety, not because he was confident in the slope’s stability. Did you see the terrain trap below? He was one turn away from SAR having to scrape him off the side of the mountain. That’s fair, I suppose, but to each their own when it comes to risk tolerance, right? People are allowed to take the risks they deem worth the turns. It’s a free country. Yeah, but the most harmful part was how it was put out to the online ski touring community. It normalizes this very high level of risk, as long as skiers convince themselves they have a “game plan.” C’mon. Can’t you trust the intelligence of the ski-touring community to make the right decisions for themselves? No comment. Vince Shuley wishes you a safe 2024 season in the backcountry. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. ■

JANUARY 5, 2024

FEATURE STORY

24 JANUARY 5, 2024

FEATURE STORY

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

As another calendar runs out its final days, newsrooms the world

over turn their attentions to a time-honoured tradition: the Blackening of the Fingertips. Well, those still fortunate to produce a printed product, anyway. Here in Whistler, we don’t take the community’s support for granted—your advertising dollars and your charitable donations ensure a fresh issue of Pique hits the stands each Friday, and will for the foreseeable future. So thank you, today and always, for supporting local news. It enables us to keep building our expansive Pique print archive—the one that will officially reach 30 years old in 2024 (and closer to 50 if you include the Whistler Question archives, also under the Pique umbrella)—and the one where we undertake the annual tradition of flipping through each and every issue, compiling all the top news, sports, and arts stories of the year. Hence the ink-stained fingertips. What did our review of all that old ink tell us about 2023? Looking back on 12 months of Pique, it was a year defined by abnormal weather, of rising fees, and of friends gone too soon. That’s only the broad view, of course. As with any year, it’s impossible to capture every moment, or give proper weight and deference to each and every headline in a tidy, end-of-year wrap-up. This is just a snapshot; an incomplete reflection of one year of newspaper headlines. As always and with everything, your mileage may vary.

TOP STORIES According to Pique readers in this year’s Best of Whistler poll, the biggest news story of the year was the closure of Village 8 Cinemas—Whistler’s only movie theatre—in the first week of 2023. Its loss is especially painful given the rainy start to B.C.’s 2023-24 ski season, now garnering headlines across the world. “We’ve been trying to manage this location for a long time. It’s been really, really super challenging,” Gina Facca, chief operating officer of Imagine Cinemas, told Pique last year. “It

THE CLOSURE OF WHISTLER’S VILLAGE 8 CINEMAS IN JANUARY WAS THE BIGGEST NEWS STORY OF 2023, ACCORDING TO PIQUE READERS. PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

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.” Efforts to revive the theatre in the months after its closure did not gain traction, though Tourism Whistler says it plans to investigate more weather-independent activities for the resort in 2024. The other big newsmaker of 2023 was the Whistler 360 Health Collaborative Society—the innovative new model of health-care delivery making waves in the resort. And 2023 was a banner year for Whistler 360, between opening up new clinic space and connecting hundreds of Whistlerites with a new family doctor. “The magic or secret sauce of W360 is the complete culture shift from a physician- and nurse practitioner-led small business model of delivery to a community-led, and governed, non-profit society model. This shifts the focus from ‘surviving’ as a small business to thriving as a multidisciplinary team that is committed to, and accountable for, the wellness of the community,” said board member and local physician Karin Kausky, in a March email to Pique. “Being part of a successful, committed, community group that has created a model of excellence, has reinvigorated and sparked joy in the entire team, both on the clinical and community side.” In early June, a grizzly bear was tranquilized and relocated from the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club after its grazing forced a rerouting of the Whistler Half Marathon, kicking off a summer of increased reports of grizzly sightings in the resort. In August, a Pique Freedom of Information request revealed reports of Whistler grizzly encounters have effectively doubled in recent years. In 2016, just six grizzly bear conflicts were reported in Whistler. That number jumped to 13 in 2017, before levelling off at 12 conflict reports in both 2018 and 2019. In 2020, 18 grizzly conflicts were reported, followed by 13 in 2021. In 2022, however, the number of reported grizzly conflicts jumped to 28, and from Jan. 1 to July 5, 2023, the COS received 30 reports of grizzly conflicts (20 of which came in June, and nine in May). In October, community members joined forces with search-and-rescue groups from near and far in the search for missing senior Robert McKean, who went missing with his dog on the morning of Oct. 9. The mass effort was suspended Oct. 15, with searchers turning up no sign of the 80-year-old Whistlerite, who has dementia. But the search will continue locally, said Whistler Search and Rescue’s Brad Sills. “It’s just horrible. It really is, and you really, really, really want to bring closure,” Sills said. “After the first couple of days you go, ‘Well, you know, he’s 80 years old, 130 pounds, he’s lightly dressed, and it’s been pouring rain and it’s cold. The survivability rate… you have to be realistic.”

AT MUNICIPAL HALL At Whistler’s municipal hall, 2023 was a year defined by—what else?—rising fees. Property taxes, permitting fees, year-round pay parking, recreation user fees, cemetery fees… if you pay for it, chances are it got more expensive last year. But when it wasn’t hiking fees, the Resort Municipality of Whistler had plenty else on the work plan in 2023. The best decision by council in 2023, as voted by readers in this year’s Best of Whistler poll, was adopting the community’s first Housing Action Plan. The wide-ranging plan identifies completed and ongoing efforts around housing in the resort, as well as providing a framework to guide future initiatives, and is 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.

WHISTLER’S RAINBOW PARK WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION FOR MUCH OF 2023, MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF MANY A LOCAL. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER

JANUARY 5, 2024

FEATURE STORY

BY DAVID SONG

They say you win some, you lose some. I’d like to suggest this familiar proverb is representative of the sporting year we’ve just had. As usual, the Sea to Sky corridor was the stage (or the home base) for all kinds of talented athletes, whether they were winning championships or taking young careers to the next level. Of course, no one truly remains undefeated, and the victories we witnessed go alongside some notable losses for our community. Let’s look back at some of 2023’s biggest highlights and lowlights, beginning with the Nordic Junior World Ski Championships.

Cleared for takeoff in Callaghan Valley

ALEXANDRIA LOUTITT OF CALGARY TAKES FLIGHT AT THE 2023 NORDIC SKI WORLD JUNIORS IN WHISTLER. PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH Also high on the list, according to readers, is the approval of cannabis retail stores in the resort—the first of which, A Little Bud, opened its doors in Function Junction in October. “I’m going to be honest with you, it’s been even better than what we expected,” said Randy Tingskou, who owns A Little Bud with his wife, as dozens of eager customers filled his shop on its first day of operations Oct. 11. “And we had high hopes for this, so it’s wonderful to see. But Whistler certainly seems like a cannabis-friendly community.” Who could have guessed? In March, public outcry over a proposed redesign of Rainbow Park sent the municipality back to the drawing board, and in May, the park officially closed for construction (with work still on track for completion in 2024).

HOW ‘BOUT THIS WEATHER? On a broader scale, it was a year defined by abnormal weather and a rapidly changing climate. The summer in B.C. was marred by wildfire smoke and evacuations—though Whistler escaped unscathed with no major blazes sparking near municipal boundaries. When it was all said and done, 2023 amounted to the worst wildfire season on record in B.C., with more than 2.84 million hectares of land burned. The severity of the situation led local officials to mull a permanent campfire ban for Whistler in the summer months—another move lauded by locals in Pique’s Best of Whistler poll. The unique weather wasn’t contained to summer fires alone, as higher-than-normal temperatures continued to urge local glaciers further into recession. In September, local mountaineer, glaciologist, and “force of nature” Karl Ricker passed the torch to a new generation after 50 years of monitoring Whistler’s glaciers. But even after all that time, Ricker doesn’t take a romantic view of his work. “I’m a hard-nosed scientist. Glaciers come and glaciers go—that’s what’s been going on for millions of years,” Ricker told Pique. “If people have attachment to a glacier, well, they can have it, and that’s their prerogative, I’m not going to interfere. But as far as I’m concerned, glaciers have been fluctuating back and forth for millennia and it’s not about to stop.” On the mountain, a rocky start to spring skiing operations led to a swarm of pitchforks and torches from locals and guests alike, prompting Whistler Blackcomb to rethink its local communication strategies—with encouraging early results. And the weather anomalies didn’t subside in the waning days of 2023—the end of the year brought rain, rain, and more rain to the valley, as temperatures hovered well above freezing.

26 JANUARY 5, 2024

The last time Whistler Olympic Park (WOP) hosted a large international competition with multiple disciplines on the fly, it was 2010 and Brian McKeever was on his way to three Paralympic gold medals. It happened again from Jan. 27 to Feb. 5, when FIS brought the Nordic World Juniors to town—the first time since 1997 said event had taken place in Canada. More than 500 athletes from 37 nations descended upon Callaghan Valley for 10 days of skiing, shooting and jumping. Scandinavian teams took command of the field, but a few Canadians also made their presence felt—none more than Alexandria Loutitt. Not long after her 19th birthday, the ski-jumping phenom ascended to victory in Whistler as the only one to break 100 metres on both of her massive leaps. She thus became the first Canadian female ever to earn World Juniors gold in her sport. Loutitt wasn’t done there. In March, she became the inaugural woman to win a senior World Championship while representing the Maple Leaf. That breakthrough in Planica, Slovenia also made her the just second athlete, male or female, to clinch both Worlds and the World Juniors in the same year. Canadian ski jumpers train in Slovenia due to a lack of funding and opportunity at home. After her championship performance in Whistler, Loutitt reminded her followers that WOP— which boasts the only operational ski jump in Canada—is a world-class facility deserving of support. Meanwhile, Xavier McKeever returned to his uncle Brian’s old stomping grounds as a national-level cross-country skier hungry for a return to form. The Albertan fell short of his own high expectations with two top-16 results in his individual races, but joined Alison Mackie, Luke Allan and Alexandra Luxmoore for sixth in the mixed team relay. Indeed, Canada’s best skinny-skiing efforts came in the relays. Rémi Drolet, Liliane Gagnon, Jasmine Lyons and Sasha Masson replicated McKeever and company’s effort with their own sixth place in the U23 mixed relay, falling just 32 seconds short of bronze. Gagnon and Lyons had previously secured two of the Maple Leaf’s best individual finishes with 12th and 13th, respectively, in the women’s 20-kilometre mass start, while 2022 Olympian Drolet ended up 17th among men. It’s an encouraging sign of collective potential for a nation seeking new stars in the wake of five-time World Championship medallist Alex Harvey’s retirement. Furthermore, the World Juniors generated a wave of momentum that has buoyed local Nordic organizations. Dan Wilson, president and treasurer of Whistler Nordics, encountered club members of all ages on location throughout the event. Today’s youths do not remember the Vancouver Olympics—if they were even alive at that time—but watching Canadians test their mettle against the world has no doubt inspired some to focus on their own athletic journeys.

The people versus UTMB As the Sea to Sky’s Nordic sport realm welcomed a world-class event with open arms, its trailrunning community lost a gem when Gary Robbins and Geoff Langford announced the demise of Whistler Alpine Meadows (WAM) on Feb. 10 under controversial circumstances. The longtime Coast Mountain Trail Running (CMTR) frontmen cited a lack of timely communication and unexpected new rules from Vail Resorts as key factors in their decision. WAM had been a marquee contest for six years, offering a variety of distances up to and including a 100-mile ultramarathon that wound its way through the Fitzsimmons Range. Scores of athletes from around the globe loved the race, with Pembertonian Maude Cyr describing it as “the most beautiful” she’d ever been part of. More than just a fan favourite, WAM was also a relevant economic driver. The 2022 iteration created $717,000 in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the municipality of Whistler, $971,000 for

FEATURE STORY British Columbia, and $1.2 million for Canada. It also generated nearly $273,000 in local taxes, $337,000 in provincial taxes, and just under $416,500 in federal tax revenue. Such benefits notwithstanding, Whistler Blackcomb’s senior communications manager Dane Gergovich noted in a mid-February email that his organization “identified a number of safety issues that were compounded by the lack of a medical plan that would adequately meet the needs of a race of this size and scope.” Gergovich also wrote that CMTR leadership cancelled the event after being asked to deliver a revamped safety plan by a certain deadline. But wait, there’s more. In late October, the UTMB Group and Ironman Group announced Ultra Trail Whistler: its first Canadian World Series race. The news prompted Robbins to tell his side of the story in painstaking detail with a blog post accusing Vail Resorts of intentionally hastening WAM’s eradication. Robbins writes that Vail decision-makers failed to communicate clearly, then ambushed CMTR with demands superfluous to the operation of a trail-running event. Robbins’ post immediately became a must-read for trail runners across British Columbia and beyond. Legions made their fury known, decrying UTMB and Ironman while voicing staunch support for CMTR. Tom Barlow called for a total boycott of Ultra Trail Whistler and the Everesting event (which Vail had scheduled during WAM’s traditional weekend) in his early November letter to Pique. Instead, Barlow is encouraging people to back the new local race Robbins is working on to compete with UTMB. “From Manchester to San Francisco and beyond, I’ve had people revere Robbins and the team at CMTR,” Barlow wrote. “I’d argue there’s not a place in the world where world champions run with people of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds. All of these consistently well-organized and remarkable events are supported by passionate volunteers, illustrating how deep the spirit of genuine community is. “The races themselves allow those who live, work, and play on these unceded territories to appreciate our local geographies and their histories. I hope Vail will choose to do better.” He’s hardly alone in that sentiment. “We had an alpine playground before you, UTMB,” said Ellie Greenwood on her X account. “Our local dedicated race directors…had a super VK, 25k, 50k, 110k and 100 miler but got pushed out last year. Good luck getting locals to volunteer, we’ll be helping at the other super CMTR events instead.” “This is not just being met with heavy backlash in the Sea to Sky corridor or even just in B.C.,” commented Alex Dunn on Pique’s website. “This is spreading worldwide through the trail/ mountain/ultra-running community. The Eastern States 100 has recently cut ties with UTMB as they were an ‘index race’ for UTMB. Others will follow. “Gary Robbins is highly respected in the world of ultra running: one of the truly great people in this sport. The races that Gary and his CMTR team put on are always top notch. I have had the pleasure of racing in a few of them.” Robbins feels he’s already voiced his piece. He indicated in a subsequent blog he has no interest in an extended PR battle with Vail or UTMB, instead urging fellow athletes to continue practicing their sport in an ethical way. “Come race season, you do you and go and vote with your hard-earned dollars,” Robbins said. Now, we’ll see if the passionate, multinational crowd of runners we’ve already heard from can make their stand.

Two Squamish brothers became the first to conquer 1199 in an epic turn of events. Those men were Jakob and Dane Jewett, who came roaring out of the gate to win the elite and U19 races respectively. For Jakob, it was a long-awaited homecoming after a series of injuries that left him laid up for considerable chunks of his young career. Meanwhile, Dane expressed the intent to “risk his life” for gold before the biggest win of his life—a statement that may or may not have been hyperbolic. In any case, Dane crushed a beast of a track in three minutes, 28 seconds and change. That was better than anyone else in any age group: faster than his big brother, and World Cup veteran Mark Wallace (who took silver), and reigning King of Crankworx Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (bronze). On the women’s side of the Canadian Open DH, another Squamolian named Miranda Miller dusted off her downhill bike to grab third in front of friends and family. She didn’t come close to Austrian victor Valentina Höll—nobody did—but it was a hefty achievement regardless for a 33-year-old who’s been focused on enduro lately. Miller and the Jewett brothers gave Sea to Sky fans something to celebrate on the first day of Crankworx. Georgia Astle kept it rolling with an air DH silver medal. Ben Thompson earned Rider of the Day honours in the same Joyride contest that saw Emil Johansson cap off his immaculate undefeated season. It all built up to the festival’s last day, when Whistlerites, Squamolians and Pembertonians alike dominated the Canadian Open Enduro. Jesse Melamed, Rhys Verner and Remi Gauvin swept the men’s elite podium, while Brittany Phelan, Miller and Florencia Espiñeira Herreros secured the hardware among ladies. Wei Tien Ho claimed victory in the U21 men’s race as Elly Hoskin won silver in the women’s U21. Another Sea to Sky sweep occurred in the men’s U17 courtesy of Mateo Quist, Mason Cruickshanks and Jack Hague. All six elite medallists are part of the same tight-knit group, and they probably partied deep into the night. Lord knows they had plenty to celebrate. Melamed followed up his 2022 Enduro World Series (EWS) championship season by bringing glory to new team Canyon CLLCTV. Verner had a coming-out party as a top threat after being viewed as an underdog for much of his career. Miller added another notch to her storied career, while Gauvin carried the mail admirably for Rocky Mountain Race Face (RMRF) after Melamed’s exit. Then there’s Ho, who—like Phelan—is a two-sport athlete. He showed out on home soil months after being named to the Freeride World Tour (FWT) as a skier. Managing director Darren Kinnaird labeled Crankworx 2022 as “the world’s largest mountain biking family reunion.” 2023 was no doubt a worthy sequel.

A TRAIL RUNNER MAKES HIS WAY AGAINST THE PICTURESQUE BACKDROP OF WHISTLER. PHOTO BY MATTHEW SYLVESTRE / COURTESY OF WHISTLER BLACKCOMB

Cyclist’s paradise Let’s end on a high note, shall we? Crankworx isn’t going away anytime soon. Much the opposite, it keeps innovating with new features like the 1199 track: two-and-a-half kilometres of gnarly downhill carnage that pushes even top-flight riders to their limits. Organizers set up the Canadian Open DH in Creekside for the first time, spreading the festival beyond its historical confines in the Fitzsimmons zone.

LEFT—JAKOB JEWETT (IN YELLOW) EMBRACES HIS BROTHER DANE AS A CROWD OF THRILLED FANS LOOK ON AT THE 2023 CANADIAN OPEN DH. PHOTO BY CLINT TRAHAN / COURTESY OF CRANKWORX WHISTLER

JANUARY 5, 2024

FEATURE STORY MANABU IKEDA’S EXHIBIT FLOWERS FROM THE WRECKAGE WAS A HIGHLIGHT AT THE AUDAIN ART MUSEUM THIS YEAR. PHOTO BY ERIC BAILLIES / COURTESY OF MANABU IKEDA AND THE MIZUMA ART GALLERY

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS

Whistler’s arts and culture scene always has plenty on the go, and 2023 was the first full year back for just about every event you can think of.

It was a cracker of a year for events in Whistler, with new books, art exhibits up the wazoo, community initiatives and more across the board. Beloved festivals came roaring back, others endured, and the music scene was seemingly non-stop.

EVENTS You’d be hard pressed to find a week of no fun in Whistler. Whether it’s world-class sporting events, art exhibits or live music, there’s a little (and a lot) of just about everything for everyone. Events seemed to either be making a glorious comeback, or were celebrating a big year for longevity in 2023. The year started with the Snowed-in Comedy tour back in Whistler in January, becoming somewhat of a staple of the new year. Whistler Pride is another staple of the winter season, with hundreds of fabulous locals and visitors alike taking to the slopes, and bringing a little rainbow goodness to town through late January in what was the festival’s 30th year in Whistler. The Point Artist-Run Centre’s Winter Carnival kept the party going in February, returning for the first time since 2020 in an all-ages festival of fun. It was a year of milestones for the stand-out events on the annual calendar, with the Whistler Children’s Festival celebrating 40 years in May. As one of Arts Whistler’s original major events, it has come a long way in the decades since its launch, turning into an integral family-friendly landmark event over the years. The World Ski and Snowboard Festival (WSSF) returned in a “pared back” form for 2023, following a few years of scaling-back, and then the pandemic. Inspired by love for the mountains and everything about mountain culture, WSSF, presented by Gibbons Whistler, will be back yet again in 2024.

ART ON THE LAKE RETURNED FOR ANOTHER YEAR WITH LIVE BANDS, ART, AND PERFORMANCE ACROSS TWO DAYS ON AND AROUND ALTA LAKE. PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH / COURTESY OF ARTS WHISTLER

Of course there were also Canada Day festivities—although the RMOW nixed the parade for a third year running, much to the dismay of locals, there is always plenty to do in the village and along the stroll. The Whistler Village Beer Festival celebrated 10 years of operations in September, while Art on the Lake returned in 2023 as well—a “uniquely Whistler” event made up of live music, art demos and performances for all ages… on and around Alta Lake. The homegrown interactive art exhibit proves quite the challenge for planning. But who doesn’t want something a little quirky to make the world more fun? A regular event of province-wide fame, the Whistler Writers Festival, did its thing in October, drawing in a bevy of literary talent, giving readers and writers in the community their annual opportunity to feast on ideas, while also collecting inspiration for their own creativity.

VENUES What’s a whole raft of events and happenings without the places that make it happen? The Audain Art Museum hosted The Collectors’ Cosmos in the first part of 2023, an exhibit of 170 works of 16th and 17th century Dutch and Flemish prints. It was in stark contrast to the exhibit that came right before it, Out of Control: The Concrete Art of Skateboarding, and represented the range of art and creativity the museum wants on show. The pieces featured in the exhibit offered not only a glimpse at early Northern European printmaking, but also a look at what life, science, society, and even the landscape was like during that period. Still with Audain, the gallery expanded its Emily Carr collection in 2023, adding Survival, a 1940 28-by-23-inch oil on canvas work by the famed Canadian painter. Then there was the Flowers from the Wreckage exhibit from July to October, while the museum saw out the year with the Gathie Falk: Revelations exhibit from November through to early 2024.

THE FLAG STOP THEATRE & ARTS FESTIVAL ONCE AGAIN LIT UP THE POINT ARTIST-RUN CENTRE IN AUGUST. PHOTO BY YULIA GLADYSHEVA / COURTESY OF THE POINT

28 JANUARY 5, 2024

FEATURE STORY

A GRIZZLY BEAR AND HER CUBS IN FRONT OF A PEMBERTON FARMER’S TRACTOR. PHOTO BY BRUCE RONAYNE

ARMCHAIR BOOKS’ SARAH TEMPORALE, LEFT, BOUGHT THE SHOP FROM LONGTIME OWNER AND MANAGER DAN ELLIS IN 2023. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN ELLIS The Point Artist-Run Centre had a busy year, too, with its flagship event, the Flag Stop Theatre and Arts Festival making a reliable return in August. Don’t forget all the Spring Artist Sessions through March, all the music jam sessions, and a whole lot of art in its busy calendar. Staying with art, the Maury Young Arts Centre kept a full calendar of events and exhibits through the year, ending with Andrea Mueller’s Inconsistent Memory exhibit. In the music scene, well, there was a lot. After years of not much, and 2022’s relatively slow start, 2023 was the year of the party. The Summer Concert Series was a hit as usual, with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra kicking off the party in June, and then popular artists like Dear Rouge, Bruce Cockburn and more keeping the music going all summer.

COMMUNITY Whistler once again opened its heart in 2023, with the community’s diversity on display from January through to the end of the year. The resort’s growing Ukrainian community welcomed the Orthodox new year in January, a year into the Russian invasion back home. Whistler businesses were hard at work being innovative and creative, while some integral local businesses changed hands to loyal employees—like Armchair Books, which was sold to longtime staffer Sarah Temporale back in March, taking on the mantle from the Ellis family which ran it for 41 years. The Sea to Sky got its own little love letter from author Bronwyn Preece in her book, Sea to Sky Alphabet, which wove the characteristics of the region through an educational tale about more than just the region’s beauty, but its character and spirit. There were plenty of other locally-sourced books launched through the year. Rimrock Café also changed hands, with Chris McKinney and Steve Maile taking over after having worked there for more than 20 years. Meanwhile, the owners of Roland’s Creekside Pub were inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame in July. In sad news for the Whistler news community, Paul Burrows, who founded the Whistler Question (Whistler’s first newspaper of record, and a precursor to today’s Pique) died in March. On the community group front, the Whistler Children’s Chorus was going strong as of September, recruiting new members and getting into the swing of the season.

' ' CULLEN BY ROISIN

The clash between nature versus progress is always a recurring

theme for Pemberton—and this year was no different. Borders come up frequently when talking about current affairs in Pemberton—the border between downtown and the natural beauty that surrounds us; the border (or electric fences) between local farmers and grizzly bears; and, most importantly, the borders, real and perceived, between Pemberton and the Lil’wat Nation. It is clear the two communities are moving forward to a shared future, and are in the middle of a period of substantial change.

GOING DEEPER In September, the Village of Pemberton (VOP) paused its Official Community Plan review process so officials can focus on building a “deeper and more meaningful” relationship with the Lil’wat Nation. The VOP is now using the extra time to renew its protocol agreement with the Lil’wat Nation, as well as gain a better understanding of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The pause is also being used to foster a more collaborative relationship between the two parties. “[The OCP update] requires deep and meaningful consultation with Lil’wat Nation and its leadership and its community,” said Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman. “We recognize that this is not only because our lands are unceded, but also because our futures are tied together. We share values. We share goals … a water source, emergency preparedness, the overarching health of our communities, the love of the land. “For all of those reasons, council took the decision to put a pause on the OCP process to work with Lil’wat Nation on a renewed protocol. This is the first step in this meaningful consultation.” With the move, council once again stressed just how important its relationship with the Lil’wat is—”Cultivating Trust” is one of five broad strategic priorities for the remainder of council’s term, outlined in its Strategic Plan.

JANUARY 5, 2024

FEATURE STORY ROAD TO RECONCILIATION The sudden closure of Joffre Lakes in August, prompted by two local First Nations, made headlines all over the world. The Líl’wat Nation and N’Quatqua First Nation announced they were “shutting down” access to the park in a joint statement on Wednesday, Aug. 23. In a statement sent to Glacier Media the following week, the Nations said their access to resources has not been prioritized. The tourism boom of Joffre Lakes and the so-called Instagram log was a great example of a debate going on all across Canada. Interestingly, many school children in Xet’òlacw Community School only visited the cultural site for the first time this year. “I like Joffre Lakes because it’s colourful and beautiful,” one student told Pique. “When you go there the birds land on you because they are so used to tourists feeding them. They might forget how to feed themselves. I like it when it’s quiet. When it’s busy, there’s a lot of garbage.” Lil’wat Nation Chief Dean Nelson compared Joffre Lakes to an amusement park in an interview with Pique in October. It’s a commodity for them,” he said. “People think they have to be there, to take the picture there.” Nelson suggested a year-round closure of the park could be explored in the near future.

Wild, wild horses

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Talk of wild horses in Pemberton has dominated Facebook posts, coffee row, and council meetings for the past few years. Cultural differences, multiple jurisdictional boundaries, drivers disobeying speed limits, an unwanted highway, and debates over where these majestic animals belong have divided the community. This fall, two separate collisions on Highway 99 led to the death of two horses and an injured driver. The collisions prompted many in Lil’wat Nation and Pemberton to take action to save the horses and protect drivers. Pique spoke to the owner of the horses, Wayne Andrews, for a Dec. 8 cover feature. Andrews said enclosing the horses would go against everything he stands for. “That’s like colonizing us,” he says. “That’s really mean and cruel. It’s like keeping horses on a reserve. We have a hard time speaking out, because we are so used to being punished. It’s all from the boarding schools.” The issues surrounding the wild horses aren’t going away any time soon, and it will be interesting to watch communities on both sides of the border work together on solutions in 2024. Grizzly bears were also pushing borders in Pemberton this year, with some families in Pemberton Meadows saying they are living in fear. Residents say they are worried it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or killed. Experts with the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative are helping people learn how to co-exist with grizzlies, but are calling for a designated Grizzly Bear Management Specialist in the Sea to Sky. At a Squamish-Lillooet Regional District board meeting in the fall, Area C Director Russell Mack said the province needs to take action during the bears’ hibernation period. He pointed out a grizzly bear was frequenting his backyard at the time of the meeting. “Something serious is going to happen,” he said. “These are apex predators. They are not pets as people are making them out to be. Somebody is going to walk into one at the wrong time.” ■

THE LIL’WAT NATION’S WAYNE ANDREWS. PHOTO BY ROI'SI'N CULLEN

SPORTS THE SCORE

Kayla Constantini finds ‘pure joy’ in freeride skiing THE 17-YEAR-OLD IS ONE OF SIX WHISTLER FREERIDE ATHLETES HEADED TO JUNIOR WORLDS

BY DAVID SONG KAYLA CONSTANTINI can be shy at times, according to her mom, Bev. Get the 17-year-old on skis, however, and you’ll see a different side: a talented, unfettered athlete with a burning love for her favourite sport. “Freeride skiing is my ultimate passion, and what makes it truly special is the shared experience with my friends,” said Kayla. “Every day on the mountain becomes an exhilarating adventure, filled with laughter, challenges, and the joy of navigating the slopes together. “The freedom that freeride skiing provides is unparalleled, allowing us to rip around the mountain, hit cliffs, and carve through powder-filled bowls. It’s a dynamic and ever-changing playground that keeps the adrenaline p umping. What adds to the magic is the incredible community of coaches who serve as mentors. Their guidance and expertise enhance the experience.” Whistler Freeride Club (WFC) coaches like Derek Foose and Jen Ashton have done well to foster the next generation of top-tier Sea to Sky talent. Come Jan. 20 to 26, Kayla will join fellow club members Drea Dimma, Kane Gascoigne, Lukas Bennett, Nate Wilson, and

DROPPING IN Kayla Constantini hits a drop on a bluebird day. PHOTO BY JAYDEN INNIS

Kieren Ferguson to represent Canada at the 2024 Freeride Junior World Championships (FJWC). Never before has the entire Canadian roster been drawn from the ranks of Whistlerites.

‘A PERMANENT FIXTURE’

Kayla moved to Whistler from Vancouver at seven years of age, though she began skiing five years before that. Her older siblings, brother Cole and sister Amanda, were both high-level athletes in their own right, but she

continued to grow since then, and the fuel for her engine remains an unwavering dedication to excellence in all she sets her mind to. “As a parent, witnessing her growth both as an athlete and an individual has been a truly rewarding experience,” said Bev. “Skiing has not only honed her skills, but also instilled a profound sense of confidence, a quality particularly noteworthy for a young teenage girl. Her journey has been shaped by the guidance of exceptional coaches and inspiring female role models who have empowered her with the belief that she can achieve anything.” Perhaps it is now Amanda’s turn to be

“The freedom that freeride skiing provides is unparalleled...” - KAYLA CONSTANTINI

felt especially captivated by Amanda’s journey from the beginning. “At just two years old, I snagged her ski boots and stubbornly clung to them until I could hit the bunny hill,” remembered Kayla. “Once I got my chance, it was pure joy, and those boots? Well, they became a permanent fixture—I never wanted to take them off again.” Kayla followed Amanda through the WFC pipeline, and her first notable contest was the North American Freeride Championship in Snowbird, Utah at 11 years old. She’s

inspired by her younger sister. The elder Constantini plans to join Kayla and company in Kappl, Austria to support them on the world stage.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

It takes a village to raise a child, and also to develop an athlete. The Constantini family praises the WFC for being that village. “The Whistler Freeride Club is my home away from home, and its tight-knit community is the heartbeat of my freeride

experience,” said Kayla. “Joining this club means becoming part of a freeride family, where shared adventures and supportive connections extend beyond the slopes. It’s not just about perfecting skills, but about conquering challenges and sharing in the joy of each other’s successes. “The club’s training programs, guided by expert coaches, are equally essential. Every time we hit the slopes, it’s like taking a step forward, challenging myself, and making sure each ride down the mountain is more fun and exciting than the last.” Bev knows first-hand the challenges that arise in parenting a high-end skier, but she describes the experience as exhilarating and fulfilling in equal measure. Despite her own reservations, she won’t take for granted the sight of watching her kids navigate foreboding terrain with apparently fearless gusto. “Our experience with the Whistler Freeride Club has been overwhelmingly positive. The commitment to athlete development, safety, and fostering a supportive team perfectly aligns with our family values,” Bev said. “The freeride coaches have played a crucial role in Kayla’s journey, and we are grateful for the professionalism, care, and fun they bring to the program. Their support extends beyond the mountain, reflecting the exceptional individuals they are.” WFC alum Marcus Goguen made a huge splash in January 2023 when he struck gold at the previous FJWC. Kayla and her peers are no doubt gunning for the top of the podium themselves. ■

JANUARY 5, 2024

EPICURIOUS

Four Seasons Whistler ‘library bar’ serves up inventive whisky cocktails POP-UP DESIGNED BY THE MACALLAN A COSY WINTER HIDEAWAY

BY SARAH STROTHER WHEN ONE imagines après in Whistler—or a festive bar to share evening cocktails with friends—a library doesn’t typically spring to mind. But this winter, the Four Seasons has created a memorable cocktail experience with a bookish feel. Four Seasons Whistler has partnered with another luxury brand: The Macallan, distillery of some of the finest single-malt whiskies of Scotland. Together, they’ve designed a temporary “library” in the Four Seasons that feels like a cosy whisky bar with a storied past. With panelled wood, comfy sofas and book shelves filled with aged whisky bottles and treasured books and art, the experience whisks you away to a castle in the Scottish highlands and its secret library hideaway. That’s just the experience Nils Schabert,

BOOK IT The Library by The Macallan—a cosy new pop-up at the Four Seasons Whistler—is open now until March 31. PHOTO BY ERIK MCRITCHIE PHOTOGRAPHY / COURTESY OF THE FOUR SEASONS WHISTLER

32 JANUARY 5, 2024

brand specialist for The Macallan, wanted to create. But knowing whisky is often an acquired taste, he’s sought to create an elegant experience that won’t only appeal to whisky lovers. “I wanted to create a different concept ... to create cocktails where the flavour of

extensive menu of The Macallan’s favourite and limited edition casks, will convert any timid, first-time whisky drinker. The “Between Pages” cocktail, for instance, pairs Macallan Double Cask 12-yearold whisky with an Earl Grey tea reduction and verjus (juice of unripened grapes) that brings out the vanilla, caramel and apricot

“I wanted to create a different concept ... to create cocktails where the flavour of The Macallan stands out without being overstated.” - NILS SCHABERT

The Macallan stands out without being overstated,” he said. “Cocktails where people will say ‘I love the space, I love the brand, I love everything that this concept is about, but I don’t like whisky, so how can we make this work?’” With that in mind, Schabert has created five signature cocktails that, in addition to an

flavours of the whisky. It’s sweet, but not too overpowering, with a shimmer of gold from the viscosity of a carbonated finish. Another novel cocktail on the menu, keeping with the library theme, is the “Cloud Atlas.” Similar to “Between Pages,” it’s not incredibly strong in terms of alcohol content, but has delicate flavours of dried fruit and

fermented plums using Macallan Sherry Oak 12 years old. It’s mixed with vermouth and a tarragon- and thyme-infused honey that gives it a sweetness and viscosity that lingers over the tongue. The cocktail is finished with what looks to be a dollop of whipped cream, but is in fact a foam made from a dry Oloroso sherry— the same sherry Macallan uses to season the casks before they go to the distillery. Schabert named the “Cloud Atlas” cocktail for the title of the David Mitchell novel, which Schabert describes as “about how passion, love and creativity can survive centuries.” A lover of books, and not surprisingly whisky too, Schabert says this is ultimately what The Macallan stands for: “beautiful craftsmanship, creativity and the love and passion we have for our product and also how we carry it over almost 200 years.” While this library pop-up bar may not be centuries old, let your imagination take you there with an inventive whisky cocktail. The Library Bar by The Macallan is open daily from 4 to 10 p.m. through the winter season until March 31. Learn more at fourseasons.com/whistler/dining/lounges/ the-library-macallan. n

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH OPEN DAILY: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

FITNESS CLASS SCHEDULE JANUARY 5

JANUARY 6

JANUARY 7

JANUARY 8

JANUARY 9

JANUARY 10

JANUARY 11

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

I Mountain Ready Conditioning 7:30-8:30 a.m. Carly

I Strength and Mobility 7:30-8:30 a.m. Anna

I Spin Mixer 7:30-8:30 a.m. Sylvie

I Strength & Cardio 7:30-8:30 a.m. Lou

I Strong Glutes and Core 7:30-8:30 a.m Jess

F Swim Fit Endurance 7:30-8:30 a.m. Marie-Anne *Try it for $5 I Aqua Fit Deep 8:45-9:45 a.m. Marie-Anne I Full Body HIIT 9-10 a.m. Andy

I Low Impact Strength 9-10 a.m. Lou

F Vinyasa Flow 9-10 a.m. Nicki *Try it for $5

I Yin & Yang Yoga 9-10 a.m. Heidi

I Zumba 10:30-11:30 a.m Susie

I Aqua Fit Shallow 8:45-9:45 a.m. Marie-Anne

I Low Impact Strength 9-10 a.m. Anna

I Functional Strength & Conditioning 9-10 a.m. Mel

I Strength & Stability 9-10 a.m. Lou

F Swim Fit Endurance 10-11 a.m. Marie Anne *Try it for $5

R Be The Change 10:30-11:30 a.m. Katrina *Try it for $5

R Swim Fit Stroke & Technique 10-11 a.m. Marie-Anne *Try it for $5

I Gentle Fit 1-2 p.m. Diana

I Gentle Fit 1-2 p.m. Diana R Lift Club 3:45-4:45 p.m. Eric *Try it for $5 I TRX Mixer 5:15-6 p.m. Andy

I Mountain Ready Conditioning 5:30-6:30 p.m. Carly

I HIIT Express 5:15-6 p.m. Alex

F Spin 5:45-6:45 p.m. Marie-Anne *Try it for $5

F Spin 5:15-6:15 Courtney *Try it for $5 F Prenatal Fitness 5:30-6:30 p.m. Katrina *Try it for $5

F Spin 6:15-7:15 p.m. Alex *Try it for $5 R Pilates Mat Class I Dance Fitness 6:15-7:15 p.m. Liv 6:45-7:45 p.m. Mel *Try it for $5

I Zumba 6:30-7:30 p.m. Carmen

I Slow Flow Yoga 8-9 p.m. Laura

F Bike Fit 6:45-7:45 p.m. Katrina *Try it for $5 I Yoga Roll & Release 8-9 p.m. Laura

POOL HOURS JAN 5 FRIDAY

LAP POOL

JAN 6 SATURDAY

JAN 7 SUNDAY

JAN 9 TUESDAY

JAN 10 WEDNESDAY

JAN 11 THURSDAY

6 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. & 6-8 p.m.

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

6 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. & 6-8 p.m.

9 a.m.- 12 p.m. & 4-8p.m.

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. & 4-8 p.m.

6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

6 a.m. to 8p.m.

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

LEISURE 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 9 a.m.- 8 p.m. POOL HOT SPOTS

JAN 8 MONDAY

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

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ARTS SCENE

April Matheson to visit Whistler Contemporary Gallery as Artist-in-Residence THE MANITOBA PAINTER WILL BE IN TOWN JAN. 7 TO 11

BY DAVID SONG IN ANOTHER LIFE, April Matheson might have been a pharmacist. She came close, but a dreadful feeling settled in her gut two weeks before university. The Ontarian realized her imminent career choice would one day land her in a whitewalled building illuminated by fluorescent light, telling elderly people the prescription they sought wasn’t covered by their insurance. She’d always been a science kid, but she didn’t want that life. Matheson pivoted on short notice toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Manitoba—a school that previously attracted her with its pharmacy program. She grinded through a brutal academic schedule as a result of her last-minute major change, and pursued no projects beyond what her degree required for her. Today, Matheson is pushing 40 and headed to the Whistler Contemporary Gallery (WCG) from Jan. 7 to 11 as an Artist-inResidence. It will be her second Sea to Sky trip this year after an April residency at the Fairmont. The path she took to reach this point is unconventional, as is her style of content creation.

CREATIVE CLIMATE Manitoba artist April Matheson returns to Whistler this month. PHOTO BY APRIL MATHESON

34 JANUARY 5, 2024

GETTING IT RIGHT

Growing up in Fort Frances, a Northwest Ontario town of just under 7,500 on the American border, Matheson’s artistic aptitude co-existed with her science chops from a young age. She’s been drawing since before she could talk, but never seriously pursued art as a kid. Even after completing her undergraduate degree, she initially found work at an independent boutique. “People in cold climates are creative because they have to be,” Matheson says. “I was given a lot of creative responsibility for store design and marketing, and it was a lot of fun curating collections of clothing for people to wear. I think I liked it because there’s a psychology element to it and a math element to it.” There’s nothing wrong with any of that. Plenty of art-school grads build careers outside of straight-up drawing and painting— but Matheson eventually realized something else about herself. Her creativity was, for many years, hamstrung by her own perfectionism and a weighty fear of being criticized. “About five years ago, it occurred to me that I wasn’t creating because I was afraid of ‘not getting it right,’” Matheson admits. “So I started experimenting with different mediums and techniques, initially just scribbling on paper and eventually progressing to more complex works. The goal was just to play and make a mess, and through that I developed a process I absolutely love that defies the traditional usage of oil paint. “Essentially I’m making a painting, covering it in oil paint, then repeatedly

removing bits of the oil paint to reveal little windows to the image underneath. It’s unconventional, breaks the rules, and it’s uniquely mine.” Matheson hesitates to liken her style to any particular genre. Instead, she prefers for viewers to behold her work and decide how to interpret it. People have certainly begun to take notice. A watershed moment in Matheson’s career came in November 2020: her first solo art show. COVID-related restrictions wiped out the typical opening reception and tempered her expectation with regard to public response. Yet an interior designer walked in during the very first hour of that rainy Tuesday, pointed to the largest piece in Matheson’s collection and declared she needed it. The woman was trying to build her dream home, and felt Matheson’s work fit perfectly. It was an unexpected but welcome reminder to Matheson that if she continues to make what she loves, people will respond with love.

REMOVE AND REVEAL

Newfound creative courage has liberated Matheson from the trepidation-inducing tendencies of her perfectionist side. Her method, referred to as “remove and reveal” by others, is a break from the technical constraints of the realism she grew up with. Now, Matheson experiments with all sorts of mediums, including acrylic, oil, and collage, in an unfettered way.

She happily accepted WCG’s invitation to collaborate, and remembers a sense of communal positivity from her last visit to Whistler, near the end of ski season. Matheson isn’t burdening herself with any expectations going into this residency. Instead, she hopes simply to meet people and have a good time. “I really enjoy connecting with people, which I don’t get to do when I’m in my studio with a lot of podcasts and whatever album I’m fixated on at the moment,” she says. “Nothing was calculated about [my Fairmont residency]. My process is really almost meditative for people to watch. For me, it feels like a marathon: once I lay down some paint, I have a few hours of time to etch it all off.” More than anything else, Matheson hopes to encourage others to express their creative selves without fear. “There’s a gatekeeping aspect to art, but I think we all participated in some way,” she opines. “We all grew up colouring and drawing and painting; at some point we’re like, ‘oh, I’m not good at that,’ and I just think that’s really kind of sad. The big thread that I noticed talking with people [during my first residency] is that they were all a little shy about their creative hobbies. “It was nice to also talk to little kids … and tell them: ‘keep painting, you don’t have to follow the rules,’ giving them advice that I wish I would have got when I was younger. I was so afraid of art for such a long time—I was so afraid of making a mistake or people not liking it—and then I had to train myself out of it over a multi-year period.” n

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STOCK SOLID The Willoughby family checks out the new Grocery Store, where empty gaps in the shelves show that some goods are missing. WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION, 1981

Whistler’s first fullservice grocery store BY ALLYN PRINGLE IT IS RARE any event goes exactly according to plan—no matter how much you might attempt to expect the unexpected, there is almost always something that comes up. This was certainly the case for the opening of the Whistler Grocery Store, Whistler’s first dedicated supermarket, in January 1981. The Grocery Store was scheduled to open on Thursday, Jan. 22, 1981. At the time, there were few businesses open in Whistler Village and, while the buildings around Village Square were recognizable to those familiar with the Village today, many of the other buildings were still under construction or yet to be started. The Blackcomb Lodge, the first major lodging to open in the Village, opened Dec. 29, 1980, and its restaurant Russell’s opened in January, though the Brass Rail Lounge in the same building was still unfinished. Tapley’s Pub was also slated to open in January, followed by Stoney’s Restaurant the following month. Delays to the various openings in the Village started in December, when it began to rain on Dec. 24 and kept raining. By Dec. 26, flooding was occurring around the Lower Mainland and other areas of British Columbia, and Highway 99 was washed out around Culliton Creek and north of the Rutherford Creek junction, cutting Whistler off from the rest of the Sea to Sky. The road reopened by the beginning of 1981, but closed again on Jan. 21 when the detour around the Culliton Creek wash out was itself washed out. The rain also caused problems on the mountains, particularly on Blackcomb, which had only begun operating Dec. 4. Higher elevations had good skiing, and both mountains worked hard to make snow when possible, and move it around in order to get skiers to the lifts, but there was very limited terrain, and long lines to download each afternoon (Blackcomb reportedly even began handing out lemonade to those waiting to download Lift 2). Whistler Mountain was able

to continue operating in a limited capacity, but Blackcomb temporarily shut down operations and laid off staff. Both the Blackcomb Lodge and Tapley’s Pub delayed their opening for a few days to a week because of the weather and road closures. The Grocery Store’s manager, Ted Pryce-Jones, however, decided to open as scheduled on Thursday, Jan. 22, though not exactly as planned. According to the Whistler Question, Pryce-Jones decided to open “when it became apparent that the Whistler and Pemberton residents were in danger of running out of certain foodstuffs.” Even though the Grocery Store had no fresh meat or produce, residents “flooded” the store to buy milk, bread, cereal, and other foods. In order to meet the demand for milk, Pryce-Jones organized daily Dairyland deliveries by rail, which also supplied restaurants and other goods. Deliveries were limited by the availability of freight space, and by the time the highway reopened on Monday, Jan. 26, the Grocery Store and other stores that carried food had run out of fresh produce and milk. Because of the lack of supply, Pryce-Jones decided to delay the Grocery Store’s Grand Opening Sale until they could restock, but the store did offer various “In Store Specials.” By the end of the month, regular deliveries had resumed, and the Grocery Store did very good business, especially in fresh produce, where Pryce-Jones reported “people buying the vegetables and fruit almost as fast as it could be put out.” The store was open seven days a week and, perhaps unsurprisingly, was busiest between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., when skiers came down from the mountains (it did begin snowing by the end of the month). The Grocery Store was able to offer its Grand Opening Sale from Feb. 5 to 8, just a little later than expected, and continued to be busy as the only full-service grocery store in Whistler. Despite a somewhat shaky start, the Grocery Store continues to operate today out of the same space in the Hearthstone building more than 40 years later. n

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JANUARY 5, 2024

Tsetspa7 Forestry LP Tsetspa7 Forest Service LP

Black Mount Logging Inc. Richmond Plywood Corporation Limited In-SHUCK-ch Forestry LP Lessels May Leblanc Leblanc Bros. Logging Ltd. Northwest Squamish Forestry Ltd. JV In-SHUCK-ch Development Corp. A83924, A90770, A81015, A82698, A19209, A20482, A20541, A19215

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

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.

MONTHLY BIRD WALK PHOTO BY LIZ BARRETT / WHISTLERSWILDTHINGS. COM

MONTHLY BIRD WALK Join the Whistler Naturalists for a bird walk on the first Saturday of each month. The bird walks are at Alta Lake covering many types of habitat. They’re free and open to anyone interested in birds. You’ll be joined by birding experts who compile a detailed inventory list on year-round bird activity. > Jan. 6, 9 a.m. > Bottom of Lorimer Road > Free

BEER YOGA Toast to a day well spent on the slopes – because nothing says après like downward dogs and craft suds! Join Nicki from Wild Yoga Collective to wind down your time on the mountain and level up your après experience. Sip, stretch, and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow beer enthusiasts as you balance your way into a unique après-ski. Yoga mats are provided. > Jan. 6, 4 to 5 p.m. > ALGN Whistler > $27.96

MAKING CONNECTIONS DEMENTIA FRIENDLY SOCIAL CLUB MAC’s Making Connections is a weekly program for people with dementia and their caregivers on

Wednesday mornings. More like a social club, this program starts with 45 minutes of gentle fitness, followed by games and brain-stimulating activities, and socializing over a light lunch. The goal is to slow cognitive decline in the afflicted and allow caregivers to bond, share experiences and develop their own support network. Register at whistlermac.org under the events tab, Making Connections Program. Prepay by e-transfer to treasurer-mcp@whistlermac.org. > Jan. 10, 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. > Catholic Church of Whistler > $5

ARTS WHISTLER LIVE! PRESENTS: TENNYSON KING Tennyson King is an award-winning nomadic indie folk musician. His unique sound infuses rock and roll with earthy roots, blues and psychedelic elements. Armed with an electric and acoustic guitar, kick drum, and the Zhongruan, Tennyson captivates audiences with his reverberant sound intertwined with humorous tales of life on the road. If you’re looking for a place where your soul can be wild, and your heavy heart soothed, follow the sound of Tennyson’s crisp, round voice as he plucks an electric chord and hammers out a beat on the kick-drum. > Jan. 11, doors at 7 p.m. > Maury Young Arts Centre > $30

THE 2023-2024 PEMBERTON GUIDE on stands now!

AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF

36 JANUARY 5, 2024

PARTIAL RECALL

1 NEW YEAR’S PADDLE The new year is starting off on a warm note—challenging conditions for skiing, but great for a paddle on Green Lake! PHOTO COURTESY OF IAIN GRUNWELL 2 ALPINE OPEN Alpine Café owners Martini Bart and Kevin Wood celebrate the opening of the newly renovated space in Alpine in late December. PHOTO BY SUSAN HUTCHINSON 3 NIGHT SLIDERS Families enjoy some late-night sliding at the foot of Whistler Mountain on Dec. 30, 2023. PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS 4 FOOT TRAFFIC Whistler’s Village Stroll saw plenty of foot traffic over the holidays, despite the near complete absence of snow in the valley. PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

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ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF JANUARY 5 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The plan I will propose in

Roland's Pub is open for lunch Wednesdays & Thursdays from 11:30am! Join our lunch club! Get 10 stamps on your lunch card and your 11th lunch is free* (Restrictions apply) Children are welcome everyday until 10pm, so bring the kids in for brunch on the weekends from 11am - 2pm.

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this horoscope is for temporary use. I’m not recommending you stick to it for all of 2024, but just for the next 15 to 18 days. If you do, I believe it will set you up for beautiful success in the coming months. Here’s my idea: Embark on a free-form extravaganza of playing and having fun. Just for now, set aside your ambition. Don’t worry about improving yourself and producing results. Simply enjoy a phase of suspending inhibitions, creatively messing around, having nothing to prove, and being motivated by the quest for joy. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Climate change is impacting rainbows. Rising temperatures and drier conditions mean that some parts of the world will get fewer rainbows, and other areas will get more. Canada and Siberia will benefit, while the Mediterranean will be less well-endowed with sky-borne arcs of colour that come from sunlit rain. But I predict that no matter where you live, the rainbow will be a potent and regular symbol for you Bulls in 2024—more than ever before. That means you will have increased reasons to entertain hope and more power to find beauty. On occasion, there may even be very good luck at the metaphorical rainbow’s end. If you’re an LGBTQIA2S+ Taurus, be on high alert for breakthroughs in your ability to get the appreciation you deserve. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As one of your inspirational stories for 2024, I offer this tale from singer-songwriter Tom Waits: “Once upon a time, there was a crooked tree and a straight tree. They grew next to each other. Every day, the straight tree would look at the crooked tree and say, ‘You’re crooked. You’ve always been crooked, and you’ll continue to be crooked. But look at me! I’m tall, and I’m straight.’ Then one day, lumberjacks came to the forest and looked around. The manager in charge said, ‘Cut all the straight trees.’ And that crooked tree is still there to this day, growing strong and growing strange.” (PS: Here’s more from Gemini writer Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Be true to your own act, and congratulate yourself if you have done something strange and extravagant.”) CANCER (June 21-July 22): Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849) developed a fascination for his country’s iconic Mount Fuji. In his seventies, he produced a series of woodblock prints titled Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. Later, he added three books of prints collectively called One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji. Some art historians say his obsession stemmed from the legend that the mountain was home to the secret of immortality. The coming year will be a fine time for you Cancerians to celebrate and concentrate on your own Mount Fuji-like passion. Sometime soon, identify what it is, and start making plans to commune with it intensely. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): If you will ever in your life go viral—that is, create or do something that suddenly becomes widely known and influential—I bet it will be in 2024. Even if you don’t produce TikTok videos seen by 10 million people, you are at least likely to become more visible in your local community or field of endeavour. Of course, I would prefer that your fame and clout spread because of the good deeds you do, not the weird deeds. So I urge you to cultivate high integrity and a wildly generous spirit in the coming months. Be a role model who inspires and uplifts. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I expect 2024 to be a freespirited, wide-ranging, big-vision type of year for you, dear Virgo. I predict you will feel an abundance of urges to travel, roam, and explore. You will be more excited than anxious about the prospect of leaving your comfort zone, and you will have a special fondness for getting your mind expanded by interesting encounters. That doesn’t mean you will avoid all awkwardness and confusion. Some of that stuff will happen, though it will usually evolve into educational adventures. And the extra good news is that wandering out in nature will provide even more inspiration

and healing than usual. Treasure this quote from conservationist Rachel Carson: “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure: the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring.” LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I am pleased to inform you that a visit to hell will not be on your itinerary in 2024. You may be invited to take a few excursions into the realm that depth psychologists call the underworld, but that’s a good thing. There you will be able to hunt for treasures that have been hidden and uncover secrets that will illuminate your epic, months-long quest for wholeness. It may sometimes be dark and shadowy down there below, but almost always dark and shadowy in ways that will lead you to healing. (I will reiterate what I implied above: The underworld is NOT hell.) SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I hope that working hard on togetherness will be a fun project for you in the coming months. To do it well, you must outgrow some habitual ways of doing friendship and intimacy. You will have to be imaginative and ingenious. Are you willing to believe that you do not yet know all there is to know about being a fantastic ally and partner? Are you ready to approach the arts of collaboration and cooperation as if enhancing your skills is the most important thing you can do? For the sake of your best selfish goals, be a brilliant teammate in 2024. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Each of us is a complex, kaleidoscopic work of art, whether or not we consciously approach our destiny in that spirit. Every day, we use our creative imagination to craft new elements of the masterpiece known as the story of our life. Leos come by this fun project naturally, but you Sagittarians also have great potential to embrace it with glee and panache. I trust you will be especially keen on enjoying this sacred work in 2024. And right now, today and in the coming weeks, will be an excellent time to ramp up the scintillating drama. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “I am against sex education in schools because sex is more fun when it’s dirty and sinful.” So said Capricorn author Florence King. I reject and rebel against that perverse declaration— and encourage you to disavow it, too, in 2024. In my astrological opinion, the coming months will be a favourable time to learn everything about sex and eros that you don’t already know. I hope you will dive deep as you gather a rich array of teachings about how to enjoy the art of making love more than ever before. (Consider consulting tantric manuals like Margo Anand’s The Art of Sexual Magic: Cultivating Sexual Energy to Transform Your Life.) AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Singer-songwriter Tori Amos says she’s sure she was burned for being a witch in a previous lifetime. I suspect most of us had past incarnations in which we were punished simply for being our beautiful selves. I bring this up, Aquarius, because I think 2024 will be a favourable time to get some healing from any ancient hurt like that. You will have a series of experiences that could help you recover from the illusion that being faithful to your truth is somehow wrong. Life will conspire with you to help you reclaim more of the full audacity to be your gorgeous, genuine self. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I believe 2024 will be one of the best years ever for your education. Your willingness and eagerness to learn will be at a peak. Your knack for attracting inspirational teachers will be excellent. It’s likely you will be exceptionally curious and open to good influences. My advice is to be alert for lessons not just from obvious sources of wisdom and revelation, but also from unexpected founts. Don’t be too sure you know where revelations and illumination might come from. Homework: Make three predictions about your life in 2024. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

/whistlermagazine

38 JANUARY 5, 2024

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7 2 5 9 6 2 Lil’wat Nation Employment Opportunities 8 4 Ullus Community2Centre • • • • • •

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.

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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The Marketing Administrator is responsible for supporting the Data Marketing & Creative Services department by handling various administrative tasks to ensure the smooth operation of marketing programs. The ideal candidate will have experience in an administrative role, an interest in marketing, strong communication and written skills, and be organized and able to manage a diverse range of tasks. What we offer: part time flexible schedule

6 2 9 5 4 3 7 8 1

approach that balances # 32 with a1hybrid 2 5 6 4 3 7 9 8

in-office and remote work, access to 7 8 fund 3 9to1support 5 2 health 4 6 and a wellness well-being, and1supportive team 6 4 and 9 7a fun 2 8 5 3 environment. 8 3 7 1 9 2 5 6 4 The starting 5 6 2wage 3 range 8 4 for 9 this 7 1role is $25 -4$26.60 9 1 per 5 hour. 6 7 3 8 2

TO VIEW CAREER 2 7OUR 6 4 3 9 OPPORTUNITIES, 8 1 5 AND TO APPLY, VISIT US ONLINE AT: 3 5 4 8 7 1 6 2 9 WHISTLER.COM/CAREERS.

9 1 8 2 5 6 4 3 7

4/11/2005

We are looking to hire another member to our team at Straightline. Experience in Plumbing is required. Gas Fitting and HVAC would be preferred but not essential. Wages are based on experience. Part-time or Full-time positions available.

Please call 604-935-8771 or email straightlineplumbingandheating@gmail.com for more information.

CULINARY • Chef de Partie ($26.00) • Demi Chef de Partie ($24.50)

PLAY HERE

FOOD & BEVERAGE • Outlet Manager ($65,000-$70,000)

SERVICE EXPRESS • Concierge ($20.00) • Service Express Agent ($20.50) LOSS PREVENTION • Loss Prevention Supervisor ($23.00) • Overnight Loss Prevention Agent ($21.50)

» piquenewsmagazine.com/jobs

COORDINATOR, DESTINATION EXPERIENCE Full Time, Year Round

Love a good challenge? Passionate about the place you call home? Tourism Whistler is looking for community-loving, mountain-appreciating, environment-respecting people to join our team. Tourism Whistler’s Destination Experience department takes a leadership role in improving the Whistler experience and the long-term success and sustainability of Whistler’s tourism economy. The team facilitates the creation of new experiences, attracts and retains events, and promotes meaningful and memorable visitor interactions aligned with the Whistler brand. The Coordinator, Destination Experience supports the fulfillment of Tourism Whistler’s goals and objectives through maintaining the administration needs of the department, with a focus on building strong relationships with our partners and members. What we offer: nine-day fortnight schedule, a hybrid approach that balances in-office and remote work, an excellent benefits package, a commitment to health and wellness, and a fun and supportive team environment. The starting salary range for this role is $48,000 - $52,000 annually.

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

PERKS & BENEFITS • Subsidized Staff Housing • Complimentary Staff Meals • Winter Wellness Package • Worldwide Hotel Discounts

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 JANUARY 5, 2024

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.

NOW HIRING!

• Extended health plan available. • We can hire skilled foreign workers and support permanent residency applications. • Short-term accommodation available free of charge. Long term housing options available as well.

Full Time Meat Manager

($64,480 – $76,960 (+ benefits) depending on experience)

Send your resume to: Dough@spearheadsph.com

Full Time Assistant Meat Manager

Dental Reception/ Administration

($54,080 – $70,720 (+ benefits) depending on experience)

Our Team enjoys: ü

Flexible schedules

Training and experience

Substantial Employee Discount Card & Benefits

Prime location in Pemberton

Short commute = less time, more $$$

Position available: previous dental/medical reception experience preferred. Please send resume to info@atwelldental.com

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.

We've Got You Covered VISITORS’ GUIDE 2017-2018 FREE

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

We’re Hiring! Experienced Carpenters

(**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

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

42 JANUARY 5, 2024

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.

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 Leader Skate Host •···· Program Records Digitization Coordinator Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Supervisor

starting of $29.14 per hour ·· Solid Waste Labourer Iwage – Technician Village Maintenance Application deadline: January 12, 2024. ·· Accountant Youth and Public Services Specialist Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers

HIRING NEW EMPLOYEES POULTON POWER Electrical Services Residential/Commercial (Operating in the Sea to Sky Corridor for 12 years)

Looking for Apprentices (All Levels) & Electricians Work Sites located primarily in Squamish & Whistler. Also cover West Vancouver & Pemberton

BENEFITS

Full time work • On Job training • Company Vehicles Please send resumes to

poultonpower@gmail.com Questions, call: 604-698-8488

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.

Y APPL

coastalmountain.ca/careers instagram.com/coastalmountainexcavations

WE ARE

HIRING! CERTIFIED DENTAL ASSISTANTS $30-35/Hour Full or Part Time Available Relocation Bonus Available Send Your Resume To Us liz@whistlerdental.com APPLY NOW

MORE INFORMATION whistlerdental.com/careers

JANUARY 5, 2024

PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 16 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 34 36 37 39 41 43 44 45 48 50 52 55 57 59 63 64 66 68 69 70 72 73 74 75

Merely polite Wild Lightweight wood Actor -- Earl Jones Violin maker Medieval lord Equally Dwelling place Bundled hay Entertainment award Fragrant evergreen Perfume ritually Era Shrek, for one “-- Around the Clock” Cling Actor -- Danson Oodles Telescope part Yellow part of an egg -- de cologne Comes together Nonbeliever Farm denizen Kind of bean Holy Colorful fish Shine softly Fodder in storage Run -- of the law Convinced Stamped out Singer -- Crosby Command for a pooch “-- Miserables” Box for travel Tripod part Unit of work Fly high

76 78 79 80 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 93 95 96 100 101 102 104 105 106 107 109 110 111 112 115 117 118 119 121 122 123 125 127 129 132 134 136

Produce flowers Female deer Instance Power plant component Also Women of rank Put forth Jump over Roadway material Action movie prop “For -- a jolly good fellow” Move slowly Oil bottle Annoy Important characteristic Game period -- Beta Kappa “-- Marner” Israel’s airline Actor -- Diesel One of the Gabor sisters Woeful cry Stone Skating jump Closely confined Enthusiasm dampener (2 wds.) Insect’s middle segment Go after One of Disney’s dwarfs Twelve months Rocker -- Clapton Casino employee Cable channel Trudge Puts into confinement Further Break a fast Black Tropical fruit

137 141 142 144 146 148 149 151 153 155 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164

Interlock Title for monks Poker stakes Serv. branch Stage skirt Poor grade Beer Captures Nearby planet Actress -- Dern Turn aside Rye fungus Composition for piano Battery type Cotton fabric Many a reggae musician Road divisions Guinness and Baldwin

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 31

Conspiracy Insect stage Manservant Native of (suffix) Beach resort Broccoli bit Truman’s successor Chronicle (abbr.) Kanten “Bad, Bad -- Brown” Work still undone Country festival Hats Glide on wheels Antenna Face card Honest --- Carlo Ford that flopped Pips Willing

33 35 38 40 42 44 46 47 49 51 52 53 54 56 58 60 61 62 64 65 67 69 71 75 76 77 79 81 82 84 85 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97

Tooth on a wheel Cooking style of a region “Dunno” gesture Modified leaf Cabbage Black tie celebration Moray Certain vote Legal wrong Rock singer -- Jagger Cavalry weapon Flaming Line dance Greeting Prison bigwig Map book Flock members Inched Burn -- volente Pairs Ring Turf Word in a telegram Drills Sorcerer of old Budgetary concern Kitchen honcho Greek letter Big cup Ring out Hard to get right Mend Masticates “Bolero” composer Fill with joy Detective Charlie -Gratuity Go for a swim Show off, slangily Of an eye part

2 4

3 9

98 99 101 103 104 107 108 110 111 113 114 116 117 120 122 124 126 128

Wash Inscribe Item in a nursery Kindled Precision Swiss peaks Hold “Tempest” spirit Apparition Borscht ingredient Yarn Command (abbr.) 100 yrs. Coffee variety Health concern Babble John -- Passos Diverts

129 130 131 133 135 138 139 140 142 143 145 147 150 152 154 156

Scale note (hyph.) Valiant Avid -- firma Kind of orange Bring out Ice tower among glaciers Coin toss result Dilettantish Droops Crumbly cheese Arm bone Goof Olla Convent dweller Trouble

LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

1 2 7 8

1 5

6 3

3 8 6

4 6

6 2

2 7

HARD

3 9

4 2 # 29

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: HARD

3 5 2 1 4 6 7 9 1 7 1 6 2 9 8 4 1 8 4 2 5 3 2 3

HARD # 31 Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

ANSWERS ON PAGE 40

44 JANUARY 5, 2024

CALL THE EXPERTS

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JANUARY 5, 2024

MAXED OUT

Visions of Whistler’s future I HAVE SEEN the future... or a future. It is not what I expected. Growing up, I—and I think I can safely assume you—saw tantalizing visions of the future. They were generally of two types: idealistic or apocalyptic. The ideal vision of the future, for the sake of shorthand, may be described by the

BY G.D. MAXWELL underlying “reality” of Star Trek. Life on Earth has settled into a pattern of peace and prosperity, with some amazing tech thrown in. There is no real want, people are able to pursue their passion, and the bad guys all come from other solar systems, parallel universes and times, and we try to reason with them before powering up our photon torpedoes. The apocalyptic vision is, perhaps, that of Blade Runner. A dark, bleak, constantly raining—no cracks about our current ski season—dog-eat-dog world where amazing tech is just as likely to be a threat to your existence as a boost. Ah, dystopia, where art thou sting? I’ve given up on self-driving, flying cars; robot maids; and food replicators. I’m pretty certain I won’t live long enough to see self-driving terrestrial cars that can, say, navigate the Sea to Sky highway in a blinding snowstorm, assuming there ever is one again. And I’m increasingly convinced things will end, at least for humans, with a whimper, not a bang, although there are a number of countries in the world sorely testing that optimism, if you consider whimpering into non-existence optimistic. But I have seen the future and, not surprisingly, it’s nothing like the future seen around the confines of municipal hall. In a single word, the future is this: Automobiles. Private automobiles, if you’ll permit two words. This is not the future envisioned by our local planners and leaders. If you don’t believe me, check out the muni’s Climate Action Big Moves. Big Move (BM) No. 1 is Move Beyond the Car. The goal of BM No. 1 is this: “By 2030, 50 per cent of all trips in Whistler are by transit and active transport.” While transit is generally understood, active transport is walking, biking, maybe e-scooters. While acknowledging 33 per cent of fulltime residents already commute to work by the preferred methods, averaging out summer and winter, there are several initiatives to persuade the other two-thirds to get with the program. These include keeping transit fares “affordable,” queue jumpers, bus acceleration lanes, and/or dedicated bus lanes. More about those shortly. BM No. 2 is “decarbonize passenger and commercial transport.” The goal is, “by 2030, 50 per cent of all vehicle kilometres travelled are from zero-emission vehicles.” And therein lies the ideology trap. BM No. 2 should be BM No. 1. No need to take my word

46 JANUARY 5, 2024

PHOTOSHOP GENERATED AI

for it. The federal government has regulated it. Their Christmas present to the country was the announcement of amendments to the Passenger Automobile and Light Truck Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations. Under the new regulations, 20 per cent of the vehicles—passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks—for sale in Canada in 2026 have to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). That percentage jumps to 60 per cent by 2030, and 100 per cent five years later. So what? So this. The thrust of BM No. 1 is the commuting habits of full-time residents. By definition, very few are crawling to the resort every day,

accelerated flight path. But they’re still going to be disappointed, they’re still going to grouse about Whistler being too crowded—lookin’ at you, No. 21 in the west rating—if they can’t find a convenient place to park. Parking might have been a bit more convenient if council had held out and forced the additional parking required for Whistler Blackcomb’s new Fitz chair, but ideology trumped reality in that decision. So let’s read this in conjunction with a study recently released by the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, their Canadian Suburbs Atlas. If you tend

Dedicated transit lanes are the key to getting more people to use transit, and the only key to getting day trippers from the Lower Mainland to use satellite parking and transit to the Village. stuck in gridlock from the bottom of powerline hill to the village, and not a lot are going south in gridlock from Lorimer Road to well south of Function Junction later in the day. And while the flow of traffic is better outside of ski season, Highway 99 is still a well-travelled, north-south highway. Many of those folks whiling away their time in gridlock are people coming to Whistler to do whatever they do here. Nothing in BM No. 1 is going to make that easier. Nothing is going to reduce their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions until more of them are driving ZEVs, which happily is now on an

towards wonkishness you can find the study at schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/research/ canadian-suburbs-atlas/. Reduced to the executive version of even the executive summary, the study underscores the fact the vast majority of Canadians live in some form of suburbs and commute, at least to some extent, by private auto. It reinforces this by pointing out that’s where most of the growth in housing inventory is being created, and those realities are unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Now, back to BM No. 1. Whether transit in Whistler is affordable depends on your

own coefficient of affordability, impacted, naturally, by how much you pay for everything else, the logistics of you and your family, and other factors. But, like flying cars, I’m pretty sure I’m not going to live long enough to see the quantum of improvement in the “overall transit travel experience” to have it make a big enough dent to take the No. 1 spot. The reason is simple. As pathetic as Highway 99 is through Whistler—five traffic lights, single lane north, multiple sections of single lane south—the likelihood of it getting better before we’re all driving ZEVs is slim. Transit will never be an attractive option on a mass scale until it becomes efficient and flexible. It will never become efficient until there are dedicated transit lanes from just south of Function Junction where the northbound road chokes from two lanes to one, all the way to Emerald. Convincing people that sitting in a gridlocked bus is better than sitting in the same gridlock in your car is a losing proposition. Dedicated transit lanes are the key to getting more people to use transit, and the only key to getting day trippers from the Lower Mainland to use satellite parking and transit to the Village. The key to getting more locals to opt for transit in the winter—and keeping us out of the day skier lots—will be end-of-trip storage facilities. Even I would bus it if I didn’t have to schlep my gear. So, let’s lose the ideology blinders, remember it’s the resort part of the Resort Municipality of Whistler that makes this place possible, and make nice enough with Victoria and MOTI to make transit a reality instead of wishful thinking. ■

LD SO

#1 - 2641 Whistler Road: Congratulations and a huge thank you to my Clients for trusting me with the sale of their beautiful property. Call or email me anytime and allow me to help you make your next move in Whistler or Pemberton. $2,650,000 Laura Wetaski 604-938-3798

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 Maggi Thornhill PREC*

604-905-8199

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. $7,900,000 Connie Spear 604-910-1103

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. $1,325,000 604-966-7640

1087 Madeley Place: Award-winning Vision Pacific 2012 quality-built 4 bed / 2.5 bath close to 2,500 sq.ft. Cheakamus Crossing home on the doorstep to outdoor adventure around Whistler! You’ll love the quiet cul-du-sac corner lot location $2,950,000 (GST Exempt) Kathy White PREC* 604-616-6933

38063 Keel Way, Squamish: Welcome to SEA and SKY by BOSA-Kingswood Properties! This 2.5 bed, 2 bath townhouse offers stunning Chief mountain views, 9’ ceilings, 2-car parking. Coming soon: 17,000 sqft amenity facility and a pedestrian bridge to downtown Squamish. $1,099,900

1012 Glacier View Drive, Squamish: This stunning Highlands home offers unparalleled ocean views, 5 bed/5 bath main house with in-floor heating, 3-car garage, office, and potential for 2 one-bedroom suites. Ideal investment property. $2,199,000

Angie Vazquez PREC*

Ken Achenbach

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! $4,999,000 Rob Boyd - Boyd Team 604-935-9172

324 3309 Ptarmigan Place: 324 Greyhawk. 2 bedrooms plus loft, 2 baths. South facing. 1,470 square feet. Excellent views of Blackcomb Mountain. Phase 1 zoning allow for nightly rentals. Covered Parking, Hot Tub, Sauna $1,995,000 Javier Hidalgo

604-320-2426

778-318-5900

Follow your dream, home. ENGEL & VÖLKERS WHISTLER Whistler Village Shop

Squamish Station Shop

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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squamish.evrealestate.com

778-318-5900

8378 Glen Abbey Lane

Goldenwood - Green Lake Estates

#10 - 8030 Nicklaus North Blvd. Englewood Greens

8200 Gun Lake Rd West Gun Lake, BC

3D TOUR: rem.ax/10englewood

TOWNHOUSE

4 | 2,228 SQFT

$5,898,000

TOWNHOUSE

Bob

Cameron*

604.935.2214

#781/782 4090 Whistler Way Westin Resort

CHALET

Dave

3 | 1,711 SQFT

$2,770,000

Beattie*

604.905.8855

Montebello - Quarter Ownership

Sharpe

604.902.2779

Rainbow

BROCHURE: rem.ax/enclaverainbow

CONDO

$1,225,000

$1,425,000 Ski Jump Rise

4722 Settebello Drive

3D TOUR: rem.ax/781westin

2 | 876 SQFT

Dave

3 | 1,416 SQFT

TOWNHOUSE

Denise

3 | 1,378 SQFT

604.902.2033

$695,000

Brown

2958 Stanley Road

10 BUILDING LOTS

Laura

Barkman

604.905.8777

#122 - 4315 Northlands Blvd.

Birken

Whistler Village - Cascade Lodge

Matt

FROM:

$1,695,000

Chiasson

604.935.9171

2281 Brandywine Way Bayshores

3D TOUR rem.ax/2281brandy

CHALET

CONDO

5 | 2,352 SQFT

Matt

$999,000

604.935.0762

Kusiak

.5 | 273 SQFT

Richard

5.5 | 2,263 SQFT

$429,000

604.902.4260

$2,499,000

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR OPEN HOUSES: TEXT Open to : 604.229.0067

We Welcome Foreign Buyers in Whistler

Grenfell

Sally

Warner*

604.932.7741