‘GLACIAL PACE’ GAINS A NEW MEANING IN THE SEA TO SKY CORRIDOR
Portofino Artisan
Turbid times
‘Glacial pace’ gains a new meaning in the Sea to Sky corridor. - By Lauren Watson
06 OPENING REMARKS Editor Braden Dupuis reflects on a trip to his home province of Saskatchewan, which is most certainly not a “hole.”
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers share an inspiring story of resilience, and say thanks for another successful Flag Stop.
11 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST In the midst of another contentious election cycle, columnist Alyssa Noel contemplates birds, turds and other reasons not to be so judgmental.
54 MAXED OUT Politics isn’t like the Olympics, writes G.D. Maxwell. If you’re not the winner you are the loser.
12 STATE OF THE UNION The Resort Municipality of Whistler is gearing up for another jam-packed Union of BC Municipalities Convention.
18 EMISSIONS CURBED Evolve’s e-bike share program in Whistler saw another big jump in users this summer, amounting to more than 14,000 kg of emissions diverted.
36 SQUASH PIT Three Whistlerites competed at the 2024 World Masters Squash Championships in Amsterdam last month.
40 SUDS
BETWEEN BUDS
The Whistler Village Beer Festival is in full swing, and the Sept. 14 main event has something for everyone (19 and up).
COVER Glacial pace seems to be an apt description of our collective response to climate change. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
AS A YOUNG , not-yet-educated intern journalist in the fair city of Prince Albert, Sask., some 15 or so years ago, I found myself on assignment with a member of the localmedia competition.
As is often the case at press conferences,
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
the two of us ended up standing around waiting for someone to approach a microphone.
In the interest of making small talk, I asked my fellow reporter, a British Columbian by birth and recent arrival to Sask., how he was liking Prince Albert.
He looked at me as if I had asked what colour the sky was.
“Are you serious?” he said.
“It’s a ****ing hole.”
And that was the end of the conversation, as far as I can recall.
His arrogant impression of my “home” city stuck with me—mostly because it was so accurate.
Having never lived anywhere else, I didn’t have much to compare it to—though deep down I knew it was a hole.
But the certainty with which he dumped on my entire known existence made me wonder what the hell was so great about B.C.
As fate would have it, a few short years later I would get a chance to learn for myself. Though Whistler, and B.C., were not on my radar when former editor Clare Ogilvie floated me the opportunity to join the Pique team, it was too good to pass up.
As a different former editor and mentor phrased it, “dude—it’s Whistler.”
You can guess the rest. I made the leap. Climbed out of the hole, and joined all the enlightened physical specimens inhabiting breathtaking Whistler, B.C.
I didn’t look, think, or act like them, but surely I could fake it. And if I faked it long enough, maybe I would make it, too.
And it didn’t take long for me to see what that other reporter (whose name I no longer recall… Ruddiger or something) was on about.
The tagline is beautiful British Columbia for a reason, and Whistler might well be the crown jewel.
And in each of my rare visits back to Saskatchewan in the 10 years since, I’ve found little to entice me back there on a permanent basis.
late last month, I felt a sick sense of melancholic longing.
For years now, the computer has rarely left my side. It was a bit like leaving behind a child, or a last goodbye to an old friend.
Melodramatic, to be sure, and more likely a symptom of some sick, professional Stockholm Syndrome than a valid emotional connection.
It had been 10 months since I last missed a Pique production day, and my brain was wrought with the layered effects of such a marathon stretch.
They call Whistler a bubble—the Bubble— for a reason. Nearly everything here happens in a vacuum. And if you stay too long inside for any one stretch you begin to lose the forest for the trees.
After a time, every minor transgression
It makes you wonder if maybe it’s not the place that dictates our prosperity and personal happiness.
Maybe it is just us, and the stories we tell ourselves.
And maybe my home isn’t such a hole after all.
That was the mindset I loaded into my car late last month, with a couple travel bags and a puppy prone to carsickness.
And this time—for the first time in 10 years—I saw things much differently.
Wide open skies in every direction made the Whistler Valley feel almost claustrophobic in comparison. Barren provincial highways without a sniff of gridlock made the Sea to Sky look like a daily death race to nowhere. Catching up with friends and family reminded me of who I really am, and where I came from.
It makes you wonder if maybe it’s not the place that dictates our prosperity and personal happiness.
Cracked roads and cold, drawn-out winters. Flat, expansive drives with nothing to see. Run-amok rumour mills because there’s just not much else to do. Rampant alcoholism and backwards-ass politics.
I had convinced myself whatshisname was right; that my home was an unenticing hole.
I was wrong. Lying. Telling stories to myself, like we all are, every day, about everything.
But then, it’s not always easy to see beyond the gleaming refractions of the Bubble.
So leaving my work computer at my desk in Pique’s Function Junction office
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or issue threatens to compound into something catastrophic. A decision made, or not, by council; muddled operations both on-mountain and off; a general lack of transparency and communication from every organization in town; a stranger walking too slow in front of you.
In that downtrodden mental state, every reader response can be read as a personal affront; every email a direct attack.
There I was, living comfortably in the most beautiful place on Earth, completely miserable.
I’m grateful for the time I got to spend there, and for the first time in 10 years, I could see myself moving back eventually.
I don’t know when. Whistler is still my home, even if I still don’t feel like I really belong after all these years.
It’s just comforting to know the world carries on outside our perfect little bubble on the edge of the world—and reassuring to know our stories won’t end when it finally breaks.
Whatever stories we may be telling ourselves at the time. n
Proving the naysayers wrong
In the midst of gloomy world news I have something positive to relate.
My incredible husband, Ross McGaw, a former Whistler resident of 35-plus years, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease some seven or eight years ago. He was forced to give up skiing and mountain biking, both of which he loved very much. Many predicted the Parkinson’s would prevent his achieving anything, including local residents—one of whom went so far as to go public with her scorn and even spread the rumour that he had died!
The naysayers included, I am sad to say, some medical professionals. Today, this valiant warrior proved the naysayers, doubters and rumour-spreaders wrong when he achieved his goal of riding an incredible 15,000 kilometres on his e-bike.
My message is a simple one: To all readers who are diagnosed with a debilitating disease—believe in yourself and ignore the doubters, you CAN achieve your goal! You can do it! Listen to your heart, listen to those who love and believe in you.
The rumour-spreaders and doubters were partly what drove us away from Whistler after all those years. But I would like also to say thank you to Whistler, which was instrumental in giving my husband so, so many positive
“Thank you to all who believed in Ross and cheered him on.”
- LINDA MCGAW
examples through the years. Thank you to all who believed in Ross and cheered him on. We love you and miss you and always will.
Linda
McGaw // Nanaimo
Thanks for another great Flag Stop
What an incredible time we had at our 13th
annual Flag Stop Theatre & Arts Festival! From Aug. 7 to 10, we were thrilled to see Florence Petersen Park and The Point buzzing with excitement, creativity, and a whole lot of fun.
The floating stage played host to two fantastic new plays, and we were blown away by the musical acts, comedy, and heartfelt monologues throughout the festival. The
turnout was amazing, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the support.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended, to the artists who dazzled us, and to the volunteers who kept things running smoothly. And, of course, a special shout-out to our presenting sponsors for your continued support: Nesters Market, Gibbons Whistler, Whistler Hardware, and Sue and Bob Adams. We also deeply appreciate the backing of the BC Arts Council, Province of BC and the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
We’re already looking forward to next year and can’t wait to see you all again!
Emma Strong // Operations Coordinator, The Point Artist-Run Centre
Pemberton sani-dump closure is
‘worrying’
News in Pique the week of Aug. 30 regarding the closing of Pemberton’s sani-dump (and Tourism Visitor Centre) is worrying.
Plenty of Pemberton/Whistler residents own trailers, RVs and campers, presumably needing to empty grey and brown waste after being away. Destination visitors through the area also need this service, plus there are many semi-resident camps squatting on local Forest Service Roads (FSR). As the article threatens, without a convenient facility available, some people may simply dump their grey and human waste alongside local FSRs or creeks. Recently, someone on a local Facebook forum reported an RV that left a storage tub of human crap as
a parting gift.
The availability and management of these facilities throughout the province should be partially funded from the provincial government’s budget for Environment (Parks, Rec Sites & Trails, Enforcement, Fish & Wildlife etc.). But therein lies the problem—the B.C.
wild spaces.
B.C. needs an increased funding model dedicated to servicing, protecting and enhancing our environment. One that reflects a reasonable portion of the taxes and revenues brought in from those who profit by using the environment: tourism, recreation gear sales,
“B.C. needs an increased funding model dedicated to servicing, protecting and enhancing our environment.”
- DAVE HARKLEY
government reportedly devotes a meagre one per cent of its budget to take care of all the outdoor things we cherish, defunded from more than five per cent over the last 50 years (according to the BC Wildlife Federation).
More people are moving to B.C. and we promote to ever more visitors, increasing pressure on fish and game, parks, trails and
logging, oil and gas, mining etc.
Not a new tax, but rather a rebalance of investment back into the environment against the revenue we take from it.
There is an election coming; perfect time to press for a return of adequate funding for B.C.’s environment ministries.
Dave Harkley // Pemberton
Write to us! Letters to the editor must contain the writer’s name, address and a daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 450 words. Pique Newsmagazine reserves the right to edit, condense or refrain from publishing any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine. Send them to edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com before 11 a.m. on Tuesday for consideration in that week’s paper.
The Loft Salon has been sold!!!
I would like to take this time to thank all of my awesome, special, loyal clients for 22 years of the best hair and business experiences I could ever have hoped for!!!!
From doing hair for celebrities for the Whistler Film Festival, to the Juno’s and Much Music Awards, to the Bear foot Bistro’s Masquerave and local groups and charities and traveling around the world as an International Guest Artist I have been blessed the most, to have become part of your lives and to know your families and children and to be able to call you, my friends! You have all become a very special to me and I have loved and cherished our times together. I am the luckiest guy on earth and had the best life ever! But it’s not over yet! After 50 years in the business, I am just wanting to slowdown a tiny bit and semi retire and not wanting any longer to own or run a business. I will work for the new owners Sam and Farah and Sadie, and I will be returning to work around the mid-October.
I am looking forward to flying our airplanes a bit more and do more hunting and fishing and traveling.So,see you all again soon, and thank you again for being my clients and friends for the last 22 years.You are all the best I could have ever hoped for!
n
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Birds, turds and other reasons not to be so judgmental
HERE’S HOW I thought things went.
You have a baby, spend your one-year maternity leave in spit-up-covered bliss, then return to your desk after tearlessly installing your bundle of joy at daycare.
It’s just what people do—“people” being driven women who care about their careers
BY ALYSSA NOEL
But that’s not always how it shakes out,
Here I am, back at my desk after a second (and, yes, final) maternity leave: part-time and heartsick over leaving the sweetest little 13-month-old crying with strangers.
All this has had me thinking lately about a theme that keeps popping up as years keep whipping by: we’re so quick to judge others when we have no idea who they are or what their lives are like.
I’ll admit it. Pre-kids, I judged stay-athome moms a little. Didn’t they have career dreams? How could they let themselves be so dependent on a partner? Isn’t it boring looking after kids and keeping a house all day?
Now, having experienced a taste of it, I can wholeheartedly say the work they do is often
harder than working a desk job (their bosses are cuter, but more demanding)—but also, in a way, more fulfilling. And, no, it’s definitely not boring.
But this logic applies to nearly every uninformed opinion we so strongly hold. Drivers who hate cyclists who creep too close to the shoulder line. Cyclists who hate drivers that are too aggressive behind the wheel.
behind closed doors, or virtually, at a stranger you’ll never have to see again.
As we get into another provincial election cycle, it would benefit everyone to take a deep breath and remember we are all people living in this beautiful province and we want what we think is best—for ourselves, our families, and this place.
It’s hard, though. Even while writing this,
The truth is, we think we know why people are making the choices they do (usually, “because they’re idiots”) but we have no idea.
We judge people who have too many kids. We judge couples who don’t have any.
When people have their dogs off-leash, we take to our keyboards and write angry missives in Facebook groups.
The truth is, we think we know why people are making the choices they do (usually, “because they’re idiots”) but we have no idea. And, let’s admit it, sometimes it feels really cathartic to have a reason to yell, in-person,
I saw an unflattering photo of BC Conservative leader John Rustad holding a parrot and my first thought was, “Look at this turd and his bird.”
It takes practice to remember that just because someone doesn’t believe the things I do, it doesn’t make them a bird-holding turd.
Often, this aggressive Pavlovian response comes from a place of fear. In this era of scorching hot summers and wildfires, I truly fear a government that doesn’t prioritize the
environment. The BC Conservative platform includes “get pipelines built” and “encourage mining”—and just a whole bunch of antiactivism rhetoric (that’s from their website).
But, I do also fear the utterly insane rising cost of living and wonder how my kids will possibly afford anything by the time they reach adulthood. And while I might not be on board with Conservative policies, if we were at a dinner party together, I might find some common ground with their candidates on that front.
Am I going to vote for them? No. Does that mean my blood pressure should shoot up every time I hear a candidate speak on these issues? Probably not.
(Let’s also take a minute for the segment of the population who probably have some choice turd words after the BC United debacle.)
I don’t know what has happened in someone’s life to shape their political views or the issues they prioritize. I mean, except BC Conservative voters who are probably old, rich and—oh crap, I’m doing it again.
This is going to be harder than I thought.
While I don’t usually love sharing my personal views in print, I will be amused if this column provokes some spicy comments.
So go ahead and call me a granolacrunching tree hugger. I’ll respond with the truth: I grew up a dirt-bike-riding, bushparty-going good ol’ gal in the heart of oil-rich rural Alberta.
Like I said, you just never know. n
Whistler welcomes UBCM opportunities around the corner
THE
ANNUAL CONVENTION IS A MEETING OF MINDS ON ALL THINGS LOCAL GOVERNMENT
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
THERE’S A FEW THINGS happening in provincial politics, in case you hadn’t noticed.
Closer than the election around the corner, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Convention is scheduled for Sept. 16 to 20.
The five-day convention will see local government representatives from across the province converge on Vancouver to talk everything municipal, press the flesh with provincial officials and vote on a brick of resolutions acting as a wish-list for local government. UBCM serves as the peak body for local government in British Columbia, lobbying higher levels of government on policy and funding.
For the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), all seven elected officials will make the journey to Vancouver along with chief administrative officer Ginny Cullen.
As explained by an RMOW communications official, “attendance at the UBCM Convention is critical as it gives us an opportunity to advocate for our community’s needs in person and solidify relationships with the people who can make these things happen.”
To that end, the RMOW has set aside a $31,500 budget for its eight-person delegation to UBCM in 2024.
ETHICS COMES UP (AGAIN)
In an interview with Pique, Mayor Jack Crompton said the RMOW is interested in a number of the resolutions to be voted on next week, picking out a particular resolution pertinent to enforcing local government codes of conduct.
“There has been a tremendous amount of discussion about this over a long period of time, and our hope is that we take one additional small step towards that as a result of UBCM this year,” said Crompton.
“[The RMOW is] advocating for a provincial ethics commissioner with a province-wide municipal code of conduct and provincial adjudication. We have our own code of conduct that we worked very hard on developing, and that code is a tremendous
“It seems to me lots has been learned about ensuring that proper ethics are adhered to, and the province can take it one step further.”
- JACK CROMPTON
“One that is of particular interest to council and myself, is the request for a provincial ethics commissioner,” he said, referring to a resolution put forward by the City of Port Moody.
That resolution by Port Moody was for UBCM to ask for the province to establish an independent oversight authority to provide guidance to municipalities on issues around codes of conduct for elected officials.
transition policy, but I believe strongly we need something that is in provincial hands. Council managing council as far as ethics is concerned isn’t an ideal scenario. The realization of a provincial commissioner would be tremendously useful.”
The issue should sound familiar— Whistler’s council signed off on a new code of conduct earlier this year at the encouragement of the provincial government. The development and discussion on the code
came to multiple meetings and soaked up hours of council meeting time, and no doubt many more hours of RMOW staff time.
The code the RMOW adopted was not unanimously supported, with a handful of issues of contention that were mostly worked through. The code was adopted and is in effect.
A thread that wove its way through the entire process the RMOW went through was that elected officials did not believe they should be generating a code of conduct that governed themselves.
The UBCM resolution is fortuitous then, and together with a paper currently being circulated by UBCM exploring making codes of conduct mandatory (and not recommended), and developing a province-wide system of administration and enforcement, Crompton said he was pleased with the issue coming back up for discussion.
Asked about timing of the idea of making further changes to codes of conduct so soon after municipalities had completed recent updates, Crompton said he believed changes so far were merely “a step in the right direction.
“It seems to me lots has been learned about ensuring that proper ethics are adhered to, and the province can take it one step further,” he said.
While the RMOW has not tested its new code of conduct—which laid out resolution processes, introduced a thirdparty investigator into the code to follow up on complaints, and laid out proportional
remedies for confirmed breaches of the code—Crompton said that is a good thing, and the RMOW is looking to the experiences of other municipalities in its motivation to push for more provincial involvement.
“We’ve learned a tremendous amount about these codes, watching what has happened around the province … My hope is that we get to a provincial code sooner rather than later,” he said. “I’ve felt that way since the beginning of this process and my hope is that UBCM is one step toward it.”
Codes of conduct have taken up a lot of municipal time across the province, both in development and application, and motivation for change. According to the paper circulated by UBCM, municipalities do not have the resources to tackle issues to do with breaches in ethics and behaviour, which it says are occurring with increasing frequency.
“There is a concern with the trend towards problematic elected official conduct and its impact on the ability of councils and boards to function,” reads the paper.
“Local governments that become mired
and infrastructure; municipal affairs; water, land and resource stewardship; the Attorney General; childcare; minister of state; finance; and tourism, arts, culture and sport.
Crompton said the meetings are invaluable, and the convention overall a huge opportunity.
“I don’t think you can overstate the value of those conversations that we have with the provincial government,” he said.
“We’re crystal clear on our main priorities, which are obviously housing, tourism and climate. On housing, we want to see more investments like we just saw on Cheakamus Crossing—$12 million is a lot of money, but we will need more to deliver the kind of housing we need for Whistlerites.
“On smart tourism we want to see partnerships on ensuring Whistler workers and business owners are beneficiaries of this industry. The case we make to government is: We make lots of money for this province and we want more of it back in the hands of Whistlerites.”
“On smart tourism we want to see partnerships on ensuring Whistler workers and business owners are beneficiaries of this industry.”
- JACK CROMPTON
in internal conflict may experience a loss of legitimacy in their own communities, and may see a related decline at elections in voter turnout, and in the number and diversity of candidates for election.”
Municipalities will vote on the resolution on an ethics commissioner at the convention. Should it be supported, the resolution will go to the province for consideration.
THE UBCM WISHLIST
UBCM is not just a meet-and-greet and an opportunity to vote on resolutions, however; municipalities also have the chance to request meetings with government ministers on specific issues relevant to them in 15-minute blocks.
For the RMOW, back in June councillors had discussed their wishlist for the convention, with requests for meetings with the minister of emergency management and climate readiness to discuss evacuation planning; the minister of finance and the minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport (separately) to discuss funding for tourismsupporting infrastructure; the housing minister; the minister for Indigenous relations and reconciliation; the minister of transportation and infrastructure to discuss regional transit; and the minister of water, lands and resource stewardship to discuss flood mitigation efforts in Fitzsimmons Creek.
The RMOW’s delegation will have a lot on its hands come the convention, with meetings secured with 10 ministers: Energy, mines and low carbon innovation; housing; environment and climate change strategy; transportation
THE ELECTION QUESTION
Of course, there’s an election happening only a month after UBCM, where ministers of a government that may or may not be re-elected will be listening to input from municipalities, together with MLAs and candidates that may find themselves in government. At the convention, attendees will have the opportunity to listen to addresses from all major parties.
In Whistler’s riding of West VancouverSea to Sky, there are currently three candidates doing the rounds to replace outgoing MLA Jordan Sturdy. One of those candidates is RMOW councillor, Jen Ford, while another candidate—Jeremy Valeriote—is married to the RMOW’s CAO, so Whistler is pretty involved. Ford, for her part, has only just stepped down from all roles with the UBCM executive after years of association. She has recused herself for the purpose of the election.
That said, Crompton didn’t linger on the election as a boon for local governments.
Asked whether the RMOW usually saw opportunity in an election year to make municipal issues heard even more at higher levels of government, he was grounded in his response, saying the municipality is focused on regional transit, housing and tourism in discussions with all candidates.
“We will definitely be paying close attention to candidate election promises,” he said.
“More importantly, over the next four years we’ll be working with whoever is elected to ensure those commitments benefit Whistler and Whistlerites.” n
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Whistler’s municipal hall to get a fire safety upgrade
THE UPGRADE IS REQUIRED TO MAKE THE NEW ANNEX BUILDING SAFE TO OCCUPY
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) is moving around some money to cover a project in the expansion of municipal hall.
In works that were “not contemplated at the time the 2024 budget was set,” the RMOW awarded a $1,138,623.10 contract to Whistler Coast Construction for a “Municipal Hall Fire Suppression System Project on Sept. 10, that according to a staff report is necessary to ensure the safe occupancy of municipal hall and the new annex building.
“The sprinkler system upgrade in Municipal Hall is required by the BCBC (British Columbia Building Code) to allow for final occupancy of the new annex building,” reads the report.
Work to improve municipal office space has been underway for almost a year, since the RMOW approved the expansion project back in October 2023 that would see the existing annex building—a temporary modular construction—gain an additional storey to increase floor space.
That project, when funding was allocated in July 2023, was tendered out for $1,397,000 at the time, and would see the then one-storey annex have a second floor added on top, with
a bridge connection to the main section of municipal hall.
A year later, the additional cost of a fire suppression system is being factored into the project.
When funding for the expansion came before Whistler council last year, the need for fire protection upgrades was noted, but not included in the overall budget. At that time, the fire suppression project was in the design phase, and according to a staff report, would be implemented at the same time as the expansion project. There were no funds allocated at the time.
According to a communications official with the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), the funds to cover the fire suppression project came from money allocated to the upgrading of the public safety building, on the same block in the village. That project was delayed, opening up the allocated funds for the fire project, allowing the project to continue without an amendment to the municipal budget for the year.
The scope of the fire suppression project is wider than just the expansion project, and includes the entirety of municipal hall rather than just the expanded annex.
In a presentation at the Sept. 10 regular council meeting, staff explained when municipal hall was initially constructed, fire regulations went as far as requiring smoke detection throughout—and a lot has changed
SAFETY DANCE
The municipal hall annex in Whistler got an addition recently, with another level added in 2024.
since then.
According to staff documents, the project will see indoor office glazing replaced with wired glass to provide a 45-minute fire separation barrier; there will be sprinklers installed on all levels of the building; there will be greater spatial separation of different parts of the building with “water curtains” in case of fire; and there will be improvements to
exits to the building.
“By implementing these measures, municipal hall will meet the requirements of the BCBC and provide a safe and secure working environment for staff,” reads the report.
The work is expected to be carried out from October through to March 2025.
The winning bidder for the project, local company, Whistler Coast Construction, offered the lowest bid, beating out two other competing bids.
With an engineers estimate (or ballpark budget) of about $1,089,500 to complete, Whistler Coast Construction’s successful bid of $1,138,623,10 came in at five per cent above estimates. The other two bids were 12 and 15 per cent over.
According to the tender award recommendation report, Whistler Coast Construction’s low bid with a 4.5-month construction schedule was recommended due to lack of major difference in timeline—and being the lowest bid.
As the funding for the project was re-allocated from another, delayed project, no budget amendment was required for the contract to be awarded. The funds for the public safety building project will be laid out in the budget process for 2025 instead.
Councillors voted unanimously to approve the project, with minimal questioning. n
Zoning andParking AmendmentBylaw (1000 Alpha Lake Road)No. 2454, 2024 (the “ProposedBylaw”)
Purpose: Thepurpose of theProposedBylaw is to amendthe IndustrialService Five (IS5)Zone texttoadd LílwatNationemployees as eligible employees foroccupying employee housingon the subjectlands.The amendmentextends this eligibilitytoonlythe employee housinginthe IS5 Zone
SubjectLands: Thelands that arethe subjectofthe Proposed Bylaware shownonthe map attached to this notice,and area portionofthe lands legally describedasDISTRICTLOT 8078 GROUP1 NEWWESTMINSTER DISTRICT
BylawReadings: Considerationofthe first, second andthird readings of theProposedBylaw willbeatthe RegularCouncil MeetingonSeptember 24,2024.
To learnmore: Acopyofthe proposed Bylawand backgrounddocumentation areavailablefor review from September 12 to September24, 2024 at:
•Onlineonthe Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) websiteat: whistler.ca/RZ001188
PHOTO BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
‘You can’t help but be inspired’
A SNEAK PEEK AT THE WHISTLER INSTITUTE’S GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES SPEAKER SERIES EVENT WITH INVICTUS GAMES ATHLETE, RETIRED CPL. LEALAND MULLER
BY LIZ MCDONALD
THE WHISTLER INSTITUTE’S Global Perspectives Speaker Series is just around the corner, with the first event set for Sept. 19.
First on deck to speak is retired Cpl. Lealand Muller, who brings his expertise as a wheelchair user and Invictus Games athlete. Prior to the event, Muller spoke to Pique about his lecture, and his journey to becoming an advocate for accessibility.
Muller first started presenting about overcoming adversity after the Invictus Games in 2023. He was in Toronto’s Pearson International Airport waiting for a flight back home to Winnipeg after the Games, and a man asked him what his Invictus shirt meant.
“I told him that’s an opportunity for veterans to overcome injury and illness through sport. And he was the president of a Rotary Club in Winnipeg,” Muller explained.
Through that chance encounter, he spoke at a Rotary event, and then was invited to speak at schools during Remembrance Day, and eventually at his physiotherapy clinic.
His first presentation for Rotary focused on what Invictus Games is and touched on overcoming adversity and tragedy. His
Remembrance Day talk to kids in Grade 6 centred around the military and veterans, whereas his physio appearance was about para sports.
“A lot of people at the clinic were curious about the para sports and all the different barriers to entry that people face getting into para sports, whether it be costs or access to equipment or access to the facilities that can be a difficult thing to overcome,” he said.
For his talk in Whistler, Muller will merge all three topics, taking the audience on his personal journey overcoming trauma through sport while advocating for accessibility in built environments or other places, like captioning for people with hearing loss.
He’s currently in Vancouver advising hotels about their accessibility opportunities ahead of the Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler, set for February 2025.
“I’ve been going out to all the different venues and looking at it from a perspective of a past competitor, but also just a wheelchair user, and trying to improve on the experience that I had in Germany,” he said.
Whether it’s having a ramp to access a building, elevators or doors wide enough for a wheelchair, barriers are built into the world Muller and others navigate every single day. These barriers can prevent someone from living their life to the fullest for the sheer amount of
planning required before they can go out.
“Everybody can use accessible adaptations and accommodations in a building,” he said. “The long-term benefits from making the world’s built environment more accessible benefits everybody.”
A 25-PER-CENT CHANCE TO WALK AGAIN
Muller sustained a catastrophic spinal cord injury which left him paralyzed from the waist down, and once he was stabilized, doctors told him there was a 25-per-cent chance he could walk again.
“That’s not something anybody wants to hear,” he said. “In that moment during the injury, I knew already how difficult life was going to be.”
Muller has made it his life’s goal to learn to walk again, in whatever capacity he’s able, whether with support or by himself.
“I have a video of me doing exactly that, just walking on my own with the parallel bars,” he said. “It has taken me six years to get to that point in the video that I’ll show [at the lecture], and I have a long way to go still. If you really, really want something, and you really believe in why you’re doing it, incredible things are possible.”
Before the injury, Muller was very active and easily picked up sports without batting an eye. Being in a wheelchair, he’s gained an appreciation for continual practice to succeed at a sport.
At the Invictus Games in 2023, he competed in discus throwing, hand cycling and wheelchair basketball, and he encourages others to try sports not to master them, per se, but out of curiosity.
“At first it was discouraging. I was used to succeeding in everything I used to try before, and now that wasn’t the case,” he said. “Eventually, over time, after practicing several hours I was able to become proficient enough to the point where I felt confident in competing in international events.”
Competing in the Games inspired him even more, with athletes adapting to sports all around him.
“You can’t help but be inspired and not let your own personal obstacles keep you down, and when you overcome those moments in sports, you can’t help but have that carry over into every other aspect of your life,” he said.
To hear Muller speak, you can get a ticket to the Whistler Institute’s Global Perspectives Speaker Series on the organization’s website and catch his Sept. 19 lecture at the Maury Young Arts Centre, with doors at 5:30 p.m. n
NATUROPATHIC
DR. ARJUNA VEERAVAGU
REGISTERED
CHRIS PARSONS
KRISTINA SOROFF
CHIROPRACTORS
DR. MARK COLVIN
DR. RICHARD McWILLIAM
E-bikers reduced big emissions in Whistler this summer
USERS OF BCAA’S EVOLVE E-BIKE SHARE PROGRAM PEDALLED
BY LIZ MCDONALD
EXPANDING E-BIKE sharing programs in Whistler has led to a significant uptick in use.
British Columbia Automobile Association’s (BCAA) Evolve E-Bike Share program expanded to eight new parking locations this summer in the Creekside parking lot and outside staff housing at Blackcomb, Brio, Westside, and in Whistler’s parks. As the bike-sharing season winds down, numbers from Evolve show a 130-percent increase in trips between mid-May and July compared to last year.
Leanne Buhler, head of Evolve E-Bike and E-Scooter Share, said the expansion to staff housing helped boost ridership.
“It got much greater exposure to locals who were most likely to use the program for those short trips in and around town as they’re working and living their life in Whistler,” Buhler said.
Forty-two per cent of trips lasted less than 20 minutes. Short trips are a sign people are integrating the vehicles into their everyday lives, and is a typical trend when locations increase, according to the head of Evolve.
“We love to see that we’re capturing those short trips, because those are the ones that really are meaningful when we talk about
MORE THAN EVER BEFORE THIS SUMMER
shifting transportation options from a vehicle to a more active and sustainable mode of transportation,” Buhler explained.
Riders also saved 14,700 kilograms in greenhouse gas emissions by e-biking.
In a press release, Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton applauded the increase in ridership.
“We are glad to see more people embracing e-bike sharing as part of their regular routines, whether it is to cycle from home to work or to get around the community,” said Crompton.
“Biking is great for your health, reduces
greenhouse gas emissions and helps us to meet our Big Moves climate action goals. Biking is also an incredibly fun and efficient way to travel around Whistler. The increase in users seen so far this season is a testament to that.”
Certain routes saw high numbers of ridership, like Lost Lake to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC), Creekside to the Whistler Conference Centre, and the Whistler Conference Centre to Lakeside Park.
Buhler pointed to parking and congestion
challenges in these locations, making e-biking the convenient option and the impetus for expanding in these heavy-traffic spots.
“They’re going to get door to door quicker, more sustainably, and they’re not going to have to battle all that traffic,” she said. “So, the reason we’re seeing uptake on those routes can be directly related to the obvious challenges we see in communities.”
Some e-bikes also featured local art, thanks to a partnership with the SLCC.
Two Indigenous artists had their work featured on 20 bikes for National Indigenous History Month in June, and the art is still on display.
Chief Ray Natraoro (Ses Siyam) from Sk_ wx_wú7mesh Úxwumixw (the Squamish Nation), and Redmond Q ’ áwam ’ Andrews, from Lil’wat7ul (the Lil’wat Nation), were tapped for the job, merging the work of leaders and youth from the two Nations.
“It’s beautiful art, and it’s really nice to see a reflection of the community on our program,” Buhler said, and when asked if there could be more partnerships on the horizon, she said Evolve will continue to look for opportunities to collaborate with community groups and artists as they keep growing in Whistler.
Evolve’s program runs until October, so be sure to get more emissions-saving trips in before the season ends. n
PEDAL POWER Chief Ray Natraoro from the Squamish Nation (left) and Redmond Q’áwam’ Andrews from the Lil’wat Nation (right) created artwork featured on Evolve’s E-Bikes in Whistler this summer.
Farmer’s Almanac brings cold news for Whistler
IF THE PREDICTIONS ARE RIGHT, WHISTLER IS IN FOR A COLD, DRY SKI SEASON
BY LIZ MCDONALD
THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC is calling for mountains of snow—just not on the West Coast.
This year’s Canadian edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac is back, and the forecast might not be what readers are hoping for this ski season.
By the Almanac’s prediction, B.C. is in for a cold and dry winter season, with heaps of snow making its way over to Manitoba and Ontario, instead. B.C.’s lower half could see colder-than-average temperatures, with the chilliest periods coming in December and January. Snowfall is expected to be below average, with late November, early December, early January, early to midMarch and early March said to be the snowiest times.
Come summer, it’s expected B.C.’s lower half could see a cool and rainy season, which will help gardeners grow seasonal feasts.
The Almanac’s website notes they predict the weather using three scientific disciplines. The first is solar science by examining sunspots that cause magnetic storms; the second is climatology, which looks at weather patterns; and the third is meteorology, which studies the atmosphere and is what short-
term weather forecasters do.
“We predict weather trends and events by comparing solar patterns and historical weather conditions with current solar
activity. We’re looking at ‘normals’ or ‘averages’ over decades, not just how the weather compared to last year. For the 2024–25 winter season, our forecasts are based on
the latest period, 1991 through 2020,” the Almanac’s website notes.
Tim Goodwin is the associate editor for The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Canadian Edition, and he said the currently predicted weather is from data from Environment Canada from 1981 to 2010. Once Environment Canada updates the historical data to include weather up to 2020, they will use that data.
“It’ll show a few more patterns of what was happening in more recent decades. But we’ve adjusted our temperature predictions to be warmer, but it’s definitely not uniform,” Goodwin explained when asked how a warming climate factors into the predictions.
The Almanac has published continuously since 1792, and Goodwin said it is the oldest continually published periodical in North America.
“Haven’t missed a year since 1792, so I like to think of the Old Farmer’s Almanac as this link to the past and the beginning,” he said, highlighting aspects of the book like sections teaching you to garden using the moon.
“Of course, we have to stay relevant. We have to stay new and exciting and interesting,” he added. “So, it’s a process when it comes to choosing what features go in every year.”
Stories in the book come from staff editorial meetings, where they pitch articles
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Non-verbal, barefoot child reunited with family: Whistler RCMP
POLICE BRIEFS: RCMP ASK FOR PUBLIC’S HELP IN SEARCH FOR STOLEN PAINTING
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
A NON-VERBAL CHILD found barefoot in Whistler Village on Sept. 7 was reunited with his family after police issued a public appeal last weekend.
On Saturday, Sept. 7 at about 10:05 p.m., the Whistler RCMP received a report of an unaccompanied child at the Dairy Queen located at 4338 Main St.
“The boy, believed to be approximately 12 years old, was found to be barefoot, and completely non-verbal,” a release said. “While the investigation has continued through the night, there is no indication where the child came from or who his family is.”
A few hours after the initial appeal, police issued a follow-up release stating the boy’s family had been located, and thanking the media and public for their help.
PAINTING STOLEN FROM FUNCTION LOBBY
The Whistler RCMP is asking for the public’s help in tracking down a painting stolen
from a Function Junction building late last month.
According to a release, the painting was stolen between Aug. 24 and 25 from the lobby of a building at 1420 Alpha Lake Road.
The art, a hard acrylic canvass, is a painting of a photograph from a local artist and is valued at approximately $6,000, the release said.
Anyone with any information regarding the theft, or any other crime, is asked to contact the Sea to Sky Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or go to the website www. solvecrime.ca. n
FARMER’S ALMANAC FROM PAGE 20
writers are passionate about and core topics the book is known for.
One story readers can look forward to is about tomatoes, but Goodwin said the piece takes a different angle and provides readers with new information they need to know.
Another piece by Goodwin is about hugging, an act that can easily be taken for granted, but suddenly was no longer an option during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While he does encourage people to buy the Almanac, which is available in many stores, for Goodwin, it’s about passing down generational knowledge.
“People are introduced to it at a young age and then they become familiar with it,” he said. “As they grow older, they pass it down to their kids and their grandkids. So, it’s got that feel of nostalgia.”
The Almanac isn’t just about the weather,
though, and there’s much to learn inside the yellow cover.
Astronomy lovers will get details about eclipses in 2025, two solar and two lunar, along with explanations, dates and visibility locations. There are puzzles, jokes, holiday recipes and more. Ever wanted to have a backyard chicken coop, or want to learn about cat behaviour? The Almanac has you covered. n
ART HEIST A photo of a painting stolen from a Function Junction lobby late last month.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER RCMP
Naturespeak: Snakes and grizzly bears, oh my!
BY ERICA VAN LOON
THIS SUMMER, my work in local wildlife conservation efforts has embraced an unlikely pairing.
Over the past year I’ve had the privilege of working with the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative, focusing on the protection and recovery of threatened grizzly populations in Southwest B.C. Often thought of as fierce carnivores, or “apex predators,” grizzlies here predominantly rely on a diet of local plant life. As an umbrella species, their presence signals healthy ecosystems. Grizzlies are meant to inhabit these landscapes, and having grown up in the Pemberton Meadows, I have a profound appreciation for the value of coexistence. However, thanks to my work with Veronica Woodruff at Pemberton-based Clear Course, my interests have taken a surprising turn toward another facet of local biodiversity— the fascinating world of herpetology.
If you asked me two months ago what herpetology was, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. I know what you’re thinking: “herpewhat”? Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles—creatures like salamanders, frogs, toads, snakes, lizards and turtles. Astoundingly, Whistler and Pemberton are home to quite an array of these species!
Spending time in the field with the knowledgeable herpetologist Dr. Leslie
Anthony, I’ve unearthed (literally, in some cases) a whole new-to-me mysterious kingdom. Though rarely intersecting, these two realms of local biodiversity have enriched my understanding of the natural world. My life is now consumed by both grizzly bears and snakes—and I have no complaints. Despite their differences in size and nature, both grizzlies and snakes are crucial for regional ecological balance and biodiversity, and deserve protection.
Did you know Pemberton is home to the rarest snake in Canada? The sharp-tailed snake,
Contia tenuis, intrigues researchers because of its puzzling distribution and secretive nature. Anthony was shocked and thrilled to find this small, cryptic species in Pemberton during the 2011 Whistler BioBlitz, given that the closest-known populations were more than 200 kilometres away on the Gulf Islands and Victoria area. Why is this species also found in Pemberton—and where else might it be hiding?
Since then, working with the Lil’wat Nation and supporting organizations, Anthony and Woodruff have aimed to answer the question of sharp-tailed snake
distribution in the Pemberton area using Artificial Cover Objects (ACOs)—a.k.a. asphalt roofing tiles—for surveying and monitoring. Snakes rely on external heat sources to regulate body temperature. Because the tiles warm quickly under the sun, they offer an ideal sub-surface basking spot. To date, we’ve strategically placed 114 ACOs that are checked periodically throughout spring, summer and fall. Sharp-tailed snakes have been detected at about a dozen sites since 2011, along with northern rubber boas, alligator lizards, and three species of gartersnakes that call Pemberton home.
In addition to being rare, the sharp-tailed snake is an endangered species. It’s crucial to understand and protect its habitat, much of which is already heavily threatened by residential and recreational developments, which also impact grizzly bears. If you happen to encounter any species of snake, lizard, frog, toad or salamander in the Pemberton area (including Whistler) take a photo and upload your observation to iNaturalist. To automatically collate all data on regional herpetology, we’ve created a special project on this global citizen-science platform called RAPSA: Reptiles and Amphibians of Pemberton and Surrounding Areas. Help us understand these amazing smaller critters we share our home with!
Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to whistlernaturalists.ca n
COME SLITHER My first sighting of a northern rubber boa (Charina bottae).
PHOTO BY ERICA VAN LOON
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Local leaders ‘help
each other find the
way’ at fourth Nuk ’ w7ántwal ’ Regional Gathering
THE LIL’WAT NATION INVITED THE VOP AND SLRD ONTO ITS LAND TO DISCUSS A BRIGHTER SHARED FUTURE
BY RÓISÍN CULLEN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
THE LIL’WAT NATION, Village of Pemberton (VOP), Samahquam and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) came together to strengthen their relationships and find a way forward at the fourth Nuk ’ w7ántwal ’ Regional Gathering on May 24.
The regional gathering funded by the UBCM Community to Community Program gave participants an opportunity to foster mutual understanding and to explore the theme “Nuk ’ w7ántwal ’ wi ku st ’ ákmenlhkalh,” which translates to “we help each other to find the way.” Additional funding and in-kind support was provided by the Líĺwat Nation, SLRD, and VOP.
The gathering in May was held at Líľwat Tsitcw (Líĺwat House), Klháka7min—the former site of the Coast Mountain Outdoor School. The 98-hectare site was returned to Líl’wat Nation by School District No. 48 in a historic agreement in 2022.
The land was once home to a Líĺwat village prior to colonization, and holds significant cultural value to the Líl’wat7úl. The Nation now hopes to develop it into a place for wellness and healing.
The agenda was facilitated by Gwen Bridge, a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation. Bridge is an expert in supporting improved dialogue and relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and organizations. In small groups, attendees delved into Lil’wat culture and history, the truths of colonization and its enduring legacies, the Indian Act, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Indigenous rights, and ongoing steps toward justice, reconciliation, and healing.
The Nuk ’ w7ántwal ’ Intergovernmental Relations Committee will continue to meet quarterly and hopes to organize another Regional Gathering next year. A “What Was Said” Report (WWSR) captured the essential themes and commitments discussed at the Gathering.
Several key themes emerged from the meaningful discussions and will shape how local leaders move forward. At its Tuesday, Sept. 10 council meeting, the VOP discussed the main takeaways from the insightful gathering and presented the WWSR. The report will also be presented to the SLRD on Sept. 25.
Storytelling was prominently recognized as a cornerstone of Indigenous culture, governance, and law. Participants emphasized it serves as a powerful tool for education, decision-making, and the transmission of knowledge to future generations.
Discussions highlighted the critical need to integrate Indigenous narratives into public decision-making processes, ensuring traditional knowledge continues to inform and guide governance practices. The
impact of intergenerational trauma within Indigenous communities was also discussed among the groups. Participants stressed the importance of understanding this trauma as a foundational step in building stronger, more empathetic relationships. Healing practices deeply connected to the land were recognized as vital in addressing these deeply rooted issues.
People at the gathering spoke about the importance of including the next generation in conversations about reconciliation and community building. Educating the younger generation was deemed essential for fostering long-term positive change.
Chief of the Lil’wat Nation, Dean Nelson, said the gathering was an opportunity to share his thoughts on the Nation’s history to those who were willing to listen.
“The history of the Líl’wat and the impacts of colonialism from inception to present must be known by all if we wish to carry on,” he said in a release. “We must continue to work toward
REGIONAL RECONCILIATION Lil’wat Chief Dean Nelson.
Lil’wat Forestry Ventures completes cultural burn in upper Tenquille Creek
THE GROUP HOPES HUCKLEBERRY GROWTH WILL KEEP BEARS IN THE AREA AND AWAY FROM NEARBY COMMUNITIES
BY RÓISÍN CULLEN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A CULTURAL BURN in the upper Tenquille Creek drainage area at the start of the summer will enhance biodiversity, stimulate berry production, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce wildfire risk according to Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV). The group, in partnership with BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), completed the burn by the end of June.
Klay Tindall, general manager of forest operations for LFV, explained the purpose of a cultural burn.
“A cultural burn is essentially putting fire back into the landscape, often in a forested or previously forested area, with the purpose of enhancing and preserving cultural values,” he said. “These fires require extensive planning, sometimes months in advance, and must be managed carefully to ensure they do not negatively impact community members.”
The cultural burn occurred over 14.6 hectares of previously harvested cut blocks. According to Tindall, grizzly bear habitats and traditional plant growth in this area were severely impacted in the past due to wildfires, compounded by human intervention through fire suppression in the area for many decades.
He said LFV’s aim was to bring back resources that will benefit the community and local wildlife.
“Our goal was to preserve the area in a way that promotes the regrowth of important resources for the benefit of the Lil’wat Nation,” said Tindall. “By reintroducing fire to stimulate huckleberry growth, we
REGIONAL
can support the grizzly bear population while also providing community members with more opportunities to harvest these traditional plants.”
Increasing the huckleberry supply at higher elevations will also encourage bears to stay in the area instead of moving down into nearby communities. Tindall believes the cultural burn will reduce bear sightings in valley bottoms and near schools in Whistler.
BCWS also played a crucial role in the cultural burn. It provided funding support for the project and assisted with the shared burn plan. The province’s wildfire service was on site to apply the fire and monitor the burn to ensure it did not impact locals.
Tindall said LFV has collaborated with the BC Wildfire Service for a decade, with many of their staff being members of the Lil’wat Nation.
“This is not the first time we have collaborated with them on Lil’wat Nation traditional territory either,” he said. “In 2022, we worked together on a prescribed burn project in the Owl Creek Drainage, nine kilometres north of Pemberton. That project had similar intended outcomes as the Tenquille Creek one.”
LFV has been learning year on year, particularly regarding the importance of pre-planning for cultural burns. Tindall said weather is a crucial factor when it comes to ensuring a burn stays manageable.
“The pre-planning process involves ensuring there is good road access to facilitate worker safety, and that all plans are in place ahead of time so the work can be done when weather conditions are suitable for burning,” he said. n
GATHERING FROM PAGE 26
justice for First Nations people and to increase understanding from the general public. We all must understand the long-term negative impacts of Residential School, we must truly come to terms of the specific intention of the applied Indian Act and reserve systems. We need to carry on undoing the impacts and take steps in removal of the destructive processes.”
Nelson said they need to carry on the conversations and seek a clearer path of reconciliation to figure out how to move forward.
Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman said the gathering allowed participants to reaffirm their commitment to collaboration and explore ways to support one another.
“Gwen Bridge’s exceptional facilitation helped us to focus deeply on relationshipbuilding and envisioning a more connected and harmonious future for all our communities,” he said in the release. “Holding the gathering at a site rich with cultural significance and historical connections added profound meaning to our discussions. As we walked the land, shared stories, and learned about its
healing properties, we were reminded of the importance of understanding, compassion, and equity in our ongoing journey together.
The commitment expressed by all participants to focus on the collective well-being of the Valley marks a significant step forward.”
SLRD Board Chair Jen Ford thanked the Chiefs and Council of Líĺwat Nation for welcoming them to Klháka7min. She reflected on a “meaningful” day on land that has been returned to the Líĺwat Nation.
“We had an opportunity to learn more about Líĺwat history and culture and speak from the heart about our relationship and how we can better support one another,” she said in the release. “I am humbled to be involved in this work and especially as we strive toward implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Each of us as individuals, and through our organizations, has a role to play in building these relationships and understanding what truth and reconciliation looks like and how we can all move forward together.” n
WEEK HOUSEKEEPING APPRECIATION
International Housekeeping Week is a chance for accommodation providers in Whistler to celebrate the back of house teams that contribute so much to the success of their operations. So much of what is required to be successful in the realm of housekeeping remains unseen to our guests, but the impact is unforgettable and sets the stage for the fabulous experiences that the resort is known for. Housekeeping week is a time to come together to recognize this work. I am grateful to be able to thank these amazing teams for their commitment to cleanliness, teamwork, dedication, and attention to detail. On behalf of the Hotel Association Whistler, I would like to thank you for all your efforts. We are so thankful for the great job you do!
Melanie Hearn General Manager, Delta Hotel Hotel Association of Whistler
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IF YOU’VE EVER been on a shoot with a mountain bike photographer or videographer, you’ll know communication between athlete and lensman is paramount. The most important communication is when the athlete should drop into their line. Some shots can take hours to set up and even months to plan, with drones in the air and the soft light hitting the ridge just so. The last thing anyone wants
BY VINCE SHULEY
to hear on these complicated sets is the rider at the top of the mountain yelling: “Wait, did you say no? Or did you say go?”
The filmmakers at Anthill Films learned that a long time ago, which is why no one in their crew ever says “go” when it’s time. They say “anytime.” It’s also what they called their latest mountain bike feature film, which was a partnership production with Red Bull Media House. ANYTIME premiered during Crankworx this summer in front of a fervent crowd at the Whistler Conference Centre, and the film is set to release for streaming Sept. 20 on Red Bull TV.
I caught up with director Darcy Wittenburg to chat about Anthill Films returning to make what they love most, working with a new generation of riders, the amazing year that women of freeride are having, and action sports films being about action again.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
PIQUE: You had just come off making two big documentaries (Long Live Chainsaw:
The life and legacy of Stevie Smith and The Engine Inside: Using bicycles to build a better future), is ANYTIME a return to the roots of Anthill Films?
DW: “Both those documentaries had a pretty heavy subject matter, especially Long Live Chainsaw. While both films had positive and bright sides to them, it was nice to make a film this time that dialled back the story a bit and focused on the action. We had all sorts of ideas on how to theme the film, but when we talked to the riders, all they really cared about was pushing themselves, seeing each other progress and getting inspired by that forward movement of the sport. So the
choosing Chile because it had the terrain our riders wanted and it was within a 30-minute heli flight of a major hospital. Riders need to know they have that safety net in order to push themselves to the edge.
For the urban slopestyle segment, we selected cities that had already hosted urban downhill races and where we could connect with locals who can organize closing down streets and building jumps off the side of houses. It’s not the first time they’ve done this sort of thing in their cities.”
It’s a big year for women’s freeride with a female category slopestyle event at Crankworx and women dropping into
“Every time we finish a film we’re always pretty hungry to start again, because you never feel like you totally nailed it, no matter what you do”
- DARCY WITTENBURG
goal for the film became ‘don’t say the word progression,’ but at the end of the day, that’s what the sport of mountain biking will always be about. Evolution, progression, whatever you want to call it, that’s the thing. So that’s what we focused the film on.”
You filmed biking in some pretty dramatic locations, including highaltitude, big-mountain riding and urban freeride settings. How did you go about selecting these locations?
“It came down to the riders and the type of terrain they wanted to be in. We selected places based on where we could call on our connections in the area (people who can help us get the project going) and how remote the place is. For example, with the big-mountain segment in Chile, we were looking at mountain ranges all over the world. But we ended up
Red Bull Rampage for the first time. How did ANYTIME celebrate this milestone?
“We made the conscious choice early on that it was high time there was a movie with 50/50 men and women. We weren’t trying to draw attention to it and we haven’t used it in the marketing of the film, really. We just wanted to create that space. We didn’t intend to separate the men and women in the film into their own segments, that just sort of happened naturally when we asked the riders who they wanted to film with. The Oregon segment had a balanced mix of genders though, and we’d like to see more of that in future films.”
You’ve always strived to push your own videography with your films—were there any special techniques or equipment you employed for ANYTIME?
“We used our backpack rig (which mounts a stabilized, backwards-facing Red camera controlled by another operator) which was great for manoeuvring through the tight streets in Mexico. When we used the same rig in Oregon I had to ride in front of the riders on an e-bike and it was quite scary matching their speeds and still making it around corners. In Chile, we had to use a Shot Over (a gyro-stabilized camera mounted directly to the nose of the helicopter) because of the scale of the lines they were riding. It was just too big to be shot on a drone. Because of the elevation we were at and how long the shots were, the drones could barely land before running out of battery. Luckily, Red Bull have their own F1 Shot Over that we could use for that segment.”
It’s been 20 years since you released your first mountain bike film (under the previous iteration of the company “The Collective”), where do you see your filmmaking going from here?
We certainly aren’t making enough money to retire any time soon, so we might have to keep going for another 20 years to keep food on the table (laughs). We’ve already been talking about how this film has the potential to have a follow up or even a trilogy. We have tons of ideas for action films that we want to do. Every time we finish a film we’re always pretty hungry to start again, because you never feel like you totally nailed it, no matter what you do. We’re all pretty happy with ANYTIME, but when we were deep in the edit we caught ourselves getting sidetracked on what we wanted to do for the next film. There’s lots coming down the pipe for sure.”
ANYTIME streams on Red Bull TV starting Sept. 20.
Vince Shuley worked marketing for Anthill Films from 2017 to 2020 and remains a huge fan of their filmwork. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince. shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. n
‘GLACIAL PACE’ GAINS A NEW MEANING IN THE SEA TO SKY CORRIDOR
BY LAUREN WATSON
Residents of the Sea to Sky corridor are used to seeing their favourite rivers, popular for cold dips on hot days, turn from flooded spring melt to clear, turquoise oases over the summer months. The photos fill social media—Mamquam Falls, Cheakamus River, and Green Lake all present as tropical pools while feeling deceivingly chilly and providing a coveted natural air-conditioning system.
But this summer, some rivers look different. Stuck in the coffee-cream motif, void of pretty reflections or glassy bottoms, the Mamquam River in Squamish has local dippers wondering—what is the cause upstream?
Although the summer beige is a new phenomenon, glaciologists are saying it is a sign B.C. glaciers have hit a tipping point, melting faster than ever before. They are predicting the ancient ice might be gone by the end of the century, with impacts upstream, downstream, and uncertainty in how the region and the province will balance priorities.
UPSTREAM: THE SCIENCE
Turbidity is a quality of flooded rivers where sediment is suspended in the water. It can also be caused by high water breaking down banks, landslides, and human activity. But often, near glaciers, it is from abrasion as the giant slabs of ice grind across the bedrock beneath during spring melt.
Historically, as glacial-fed creeks and rivers return to lower volume in the summer, the water is filtered and has time to settle. The rivers and creeks carry less fine sediment, allowing for more translucence. Large, controlled reservoirs such as the Cheakamus Lake, Daisy Lake, and Green Lake reservoirs also slow the sediment, giving it time to fall or suspend deeper, which gives the water that picture-perfect turquoise hue, called rock flour.
To understand why Mamquam River is turbid in August, you only need to go upstream. Nine Mile Bridge, up the Mamquam River Forest Service Road, is the confluence of Skookum Creek (fed by Mamquam Lake and the Mamquam Icefield) and Mamquam River (which flows from primarily aquifers and snow melt on the south side of Mamquam Mountain). This August, the division was clear. Clear as Skookum Creek mud.
According to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, the frequent and intense heat waves over the past three years, paired with less snow fall last winter, have meant many glaciers have less snow cover and are instead shedding deeper layers of glacial ice. Loss of clean, white snow cover also means loss of albedo (the amount of sunlight reflected off the surface). The lower layers of the glaciers, speckled with more sediment in pressure melted layers, absorb more heat, and accelerate the loss further. The ministry referenced the research of Dr. Brian Menounos, a professor of glaciology at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) who has been studying the region’s glaciers for almost three decades. Menounos has been working with the province and UNBC to monitor and map glacial loss, and recently published datasets on current and historical glaciers for the province.
“We think that wildfire might be playing an important role,” says Menounos over Zoom in August. “As soot and black material from the wildfire ash starts accumulating on snow and ice surfaces, it can absorb energy from the sun, much more than if it was nice, bright, and reflective. That can actually start to accelerate the melt, in addition to just the warmer air temperature.”
Last year B.C. wildfires hit a new record, burning more than seven times the average area burned in the province over the past 40 years, and surpassing most nations in annual carbon emissions, according to a recent study.
Menounos said he would need to check for landslides and human activities up Skookum Creek all the way to the icefield to say for certain the colour is only due to the melting of the lower glacial layers. However, he did say glacial retreat is likely to contribute.
“Unfortunately, most of our glaciers are expected to blink out by the end of this century,” says Menounos. “That’s simply because of our strong use of fossil fuels and the increased greenhouse gas effect that’s actually causing the temperature to rise.”
Though the changes might only be visible now, according to a study by Alexandre Bevington and Menounos in 2022 that used 38 years of archived satellite imagery, from 2011 to 2020, the process accelerated, melting seven times faster than previously recorded. He adds in the past three years, the process has accelerated further.
“Even if we were to, you know…”
Menounos stops and sighs, acknowledging his profession often bears bad news.
“This is sort of depressing—but even if we were to shut off the greenhouse gas taps tomorrow, we would still find many of these glaciers would continue to lose mass simply because they’re responding to climate from last decade, last year, but also several decades ago.”
RECREATION: RIVERS, ICE CAVES AND SKIING
Paul Carus has noticed the changes to the local rivers through increased flooding events in summer and winter. He is a longtime adventure guide and swift water rescue instructor who works on the Cheakamus and the Mamquam Rivers. The most significant change, he says over the phone in August, is that he can no longer see the bottom when running drills, meaning his students also can’t see the rocks and trees hiding under the surface, nor the depth.
Carus also guides clients to the Pemberton Icefield Ice Caves. He has noticed that, in the past decade, his terrain is shrinking. He works to educate people about what they are losing when glaciers melt. He points out the layers of mud and dirt stuck within the ice, like tree rings—years of history melting hundreds at a time. Paul hopes that by educating his clients, they understand the gravity of this change.
“I think the majority are interested,” he says. “They are coming to see it all before it disappears.”
Effects of glacier loss are old news for winter enthusiasts on Blackcomb Mountain. It has been a few years since the Horstman T-bar had to close for good.
“[I’m] pretty sure since Horstman Creek has been very clear for a lot of years, that the Horstman ‘glacier’ is no longer a glacier since it’s not moving; it’s probably considered perennial snow,” says Kristina Swerhun, a nature interpreter, and spokesperson for the Whistler Naturalists. Swerhun adds sometimes she is encouraged by seeing rock flour in the water; it at least means there is still glacier to lose.
“Hopefully, [seeing the river changes] sends a message to a lot more people than just the people who can get up and physically see the glacier...”
- KRISTINA SWERHUN
“[Rock flour] presence doesn’t mean a glacier is getting larger since some small, dying glaciers can introduce sediments to rivers (it depends on conditions at the glacier bed and presence of free water to move it),” writes Menounos in a response email. “There is a general relation, however, that the larger the glacier the more of its bed is in contact with substrate and thus can produce more sediments due to abrasion and quarrying. This is generally the case at time scales of a century or more. At shorter time scales, this simple relation breaks down.”
The changes coming will not always be obvious, but all symptoms seem to lead to the same outcome. A Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship representative laid out this grim future in an email: “In the shorter term, as glaciers decline, summer and early fall stream flows increase, and higher flows shift later in the season as glacier melt rates increase. Glacial meltwater inputs also help to regulate water temperatures, keeping them cooler. Eventually, flows in summer and early fall decline, and water temperatures rise as glaciers melt completely.”
The Ministry cited an article published in Science in 2023 that states Western Canada, along with many other parts of the world, is predicted to lose most of its glacier mass by 2100.
Though Canada will soon see its first glaciers disappear, this is a loss already felt around the world, to the point where there is now a glacier casualty list publicly available, and in countries like Iceland, funerals are held to commemorate glacier loss.
“Hopefully, [seeing the river changes] sends a message to a lot more people than just the people who can get up and physically see the glacier because I know not everybody wants to
hike. So, this is one way they can watch the changes just down the valley,” says Swerhun. “It’s a lot of really complex processes, but I don’t think people appreciate that. You know, you expect these rivers to run all year long, but that’s where we’re going to if we lose our glaciers— we may lose our creeks at certain times of the year, too.”
DOWNSTREAM: ELECTRIC DAMS AND WATER SUPPLY
BC Hydro estimated in its 2020 report that glacier melt contributes directly to about three per cent of system inflows into reservoirs, and the direct reliance on glaciers has been increasing over the past 50 years. The statistic doesn’t accommodate for the amount of glacier runoff that feeds into the run-of-the-river dams, like the ones found on the Ashlu and Mamquam Rivers, nor their contributions to aquifers.
“These glaciers are Mother Nature’s natural reservoir,” says Menounos. “They are releasing that water when seasonal snow has been depleted, times where you have a drought, or times that you have low snow.”
He references 2022 as a good example, and B.C.’s deadly heat dome, which included a record high temperature of 49.6 C in Lytton, B.C. “When it was really dry, you saw along the coast which rivers had water, those that were fed by glaciers, right? So, if you want to get a snapshot of what is going to happen in terms of thermal stress water.”
Concerns with quality of flow are just as important as quantity. Chris Wike, manager of utilities for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, wrote of the changes they are anticipating in an email. “Our team works continuously to anticipate the effects certain factors may have on our municipal water supply, such as higher temperatures, the increased possibility of drought conditions, lower snowpacks that have the potential to decrease the total water supply in our existing sources; and population growth,” he said, adding this work informed the development of Whistler’s Long-Term Water Supply Plan.
“Currently, we are mitigating these factors through conservation measures to decrease the overall demand on the water system, as well as upgrading our water supply and distribution system.”
For now, the turbid slurries flow down and onto the Howe Sound—where there are other things to worry about.
FURTHER DOWNSTREAM: THE SALMON
“We haven’t seen it run like this,” says Jordan Uittenbogaard, a fisheries technician for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) at the Tenderfoot Fish Hatchery in Paradise Valley, Squamish. He references the 2021 heat dome that caused increased turbidity, but notes the rivers ran clear when the weather cooled again. He was expecting a landslide or another impact upstream this year, saying he knows the DFO has received calls from the public expressing concern that humans caused the changes. But the rivers never returned to running clear.
The Tenderfoot Fish Hatchery conservation program aims to rebuild the Chinook population and relies on volunteer anglers to collect returning salmon, but because the fish can’t see the lures, they are having trouble.
Looking forward to the fall, Uittenbogaard has concerns the low flow and high sediment conditions will blanket the spawning beds with clay, making it difficult for the fish to lay their eggs. He says he is still waiting to see how bad it will be this fall.
“We’re doing our best, making habitat and cleaning habitat, but this is out of our control,” says Uittenbogaard.
So, is there hope?
Menounos provides guarded optimism.
“We’ll say there’s delayed hope… Hope can come back if, collectively…”
He stops.
“The science is clear, in terms of what causes snow and ice to melt, and we are largely causing that melt now due to this imbalance of Earth’s energy. I think there’s hope in the context of how… even in the U.S., for example, there’s been a transition of energy that’s been produced from fossil fuels to alternative energies and green technologies. That same thing is happening in Canada, and I think it needs to continue.”
The confluence of energy policy and climate goals remains an imitation of the Mamquam River meeting Skookum Creek.
On Oct. 19, B.C. will hold its provincial election amidst housing and economic crises. Meanwhile the IPCC has now reported the planet has warmed 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels for 12 straight months, threatening but not yet breaching the Paris Agreement limits.
The current B.C. budget projects a doubling of natural gas revenues through royalties through increased production in the Montney formations in northern B.C., as well as increasing its reliance on jobs and infrastructure from gas projects. Many of the new projects claim to have “net-zero” goals that include carbon offsets in forestry and use of electricity from BC Hydro. For the Woodfibre LNG project, set to be operational in 2027 seven kilometers south of Squamish, the net-zero plan excludes upstream and downstream emissions and methane, which is 80 times more potent in warming the planet than carbon dioxide in its first 20 years.
B.C.’s new energy framework will require all LNG projects to be powered by hydroelectricity by 2030. Clean Energy Canada, the climate and clean energy program within the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University, released a report that speculated the hydroelectric infrastructure in B.C. is not enough to support these heavy industry projects and the current trajectory for electric vehicle use. It is estimated that powering all the currently planned projects would need at least eight more Site C dams.
“So, the hope might not necessarily be for our mountain glaciers, initially, but if we come back to some sort of reduced temperature, global temperature, those glaciers will reform,” says Menounos. “But it will take some time.” n
Three Whistlerites compete at 2024 World Masters Squash Championships
CAROL EBERHARD AND BEN THOMAS FINISH TOP 30; ROB EBERHARD WITHDRAWS DUE TO INJURY
BY DAVID SONG
A TRIFECTA OF LOCALS —Carol Eberhard, her husband Rob, and Ben Thomas—joined more than 1,200 other players in Amsterdam last month for the WSF World Masters Squash Championships.
Thomas was the only Whistlerite to break into the top 20 of his age category, the men’s 50+. The reigning Pan American Masters victor also won the Canadian Nationals, and has been competing in tournaments for four decades.
Carol managed a respectable 28th among women aged 50 and up. Like Thomas, she participated in Nationals this year and is a veteran of the B.C. provincial circuit.
Rob sustained an injury that forced him to withdraw after going 2-2 in his first four matches against fellow men’s 55+ athletes. He holds previous World Masters experience from 2018, winning his consolations after an opening-round loss in Charlottesville.
The trio runs the Whistler Squash Club together. All returned home pleased with the opportunity to test themselves and connect with their 45-odd teammates representing Canada.
Carol in particular was inspired by Lauren
Wagner, a British Columbian who prevailed in the ladies’ 55+ division, as well as by Gerald Poulton and Howard Armitage earning gold and silver, respectively, among men over 80.
“Once you hit your 30s, it’s hard to compete with the 24-year-olds coming up through the squash world, but to see Lauren energized and excited about competing again is amazing,” Carol said. “To say that I participated is pretty amazing, too, so that
am also working on an app to connect the global squash community with the mission of increasing participation in the sport.”
‘THE BEAUTY OF SQUASH’
With squash set to make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, there’s never been a better time to give the sport a try.
It’s a versatile year-round pastime to
“[W]e can still be active and competitive in sport, no matter what age we are.”
- CAROL EBERHARD
was one of my biggest takeaways: we can still be active and competitive in sport, no matter what age we are.”
Unlike its previous editions, the 2024 World Masters Squash did suffer from organizational breakdowns. Numerous players failed to receive adequate communication as they dealt with unexpected gaps in the schedule and a lack of toiletries at onsite shower facilities. These hiccups did not, however, outweigh the positives of Carol and company’s latest overseas experience.
“I would like to thank my wife who has supported me over the years,” said Rob. “I
complement the more weather-dependent activities of skiing and mountain biking. If you ask Rob, it involves “the ideal combination of power, endurance, skill and mind.” There are viable pathways to collegiate play for youth and a robust social atmosphere that extends well beyond tournaments.
“On any given day, you could be playing at your best, or you could be playing not-sogreat,” remarked Carol. “Every time you’re trying to learn, get better and change your tactics to see if you can outwit or outsmart that other person. That’s kind of the beauty of squash: it’s a really great workout in a
short period of time, but it’s also such a mind game.”
Rob and Thomas know that first-hand, having played each other more than 2,000 times over the last quarter-century.
The Eberhards founded the Whistler Squash Club in 1995, around when the Meadow Park Sports Centre (MPSC) opened. Club leadership has shifted a few times since then, but Carol and Rob are back in the mix now to alleviate the pressure on Thomas— who has young kids to raise.
Going forward, the trio hopes to mirror the evolution of the Squamish Squash Club, whose membership has transformed from 80 per cent male to near gender parity. A slate of relatively recent ladies’ programs should help in that regard.
“I think the guys play because it’s a great competition, but women do because there’s more to it than just competition,” Carol opined. “Squash does add another option in Whistler that’s not about getting out there and doing things on your own.”
Kids’ and teens’ clinics are also part of the plan. The Club intends to link up with Squash BC in bringing the sport to schools, as well as eventually take local youth to Vancouver to play in the city’s growing menu of beginner junior tournaments.
Get plugged in to the Whistler Squash Club at facebook.com/whistlersquashclub and view full results from the 2024 World Squash Masters at wsfworldmasters2024.nl/ en/Draws-Results. n
SQUASH SQUAD Team Canada at the 2024 World Masters Squash Championships in Amsterdam.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROL EBERHARD
Whistler Gymnastics opens purposebuilt training facility in Pemberton
THE NEW BUILDING WILL ALLOW LOCAL YOUTH PROGRAMS TO RUN SIX DAYS A WEEK
BY DAVID SONG
AT LONG LAST, Pembertonians have a dedicated gymnastics facility to call their own.
Whistler Gymnastics has been trying to complete the initiative for a decade. Sessions previously occurred in the Pemberton and District Community Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays, eventually expanding to Wednesday evenings as well. Up to 250 kids attended these programs on a weekly basis.
It was a successful operation in many respects, but chronically sharing the Community Centre with many others did pose various logistical hurdles. According to Whistler Gymnastics program manager Catou Tyler, her organization made four previous attempts to establish a purpose-built gym in Pemberton. At one point they were a day away from signing a lease—but COVID-19 swooped in.
Fifth time’s the charm.
The brand-new building is situated at Unit 6, 7342 Industrial Way. It covers just under 3,000 square feet and is already bolstering the student experience, as well as making coaches’ lives much easier.
“First of all, there will be less wear and tear on the equipment [as we won’t need to be] setting it up and taking it down,” said Tyler. “We’ll be able to have more equipment, like a sprung floor trampoline, set up for a while. We’re running six days a week: Monday to Friday after school, and then all day on Saturdays which is new for Pemberton.”
Despite being part of the Whistler Gymnastics umbrella, Pemberton kids essentially form their own cohort in practice. Now they’ll be able to continue training with many more options at their fingertips.
‘A FOUNDATION FOR ALL SPORTS’
Toddlers as young as one year old can get their first taste of guided movement in Pemberton’s Active Start curriculum. Under the watchful eye of experienced coaches and their own
parents, they’ll learn the basics of running and jumping, balance and coordination as well as group social skills.
Fundamentals classes expand upon these building blocks with tumbling and trampoline offerings, as well as a ninja course reminiscent of NBC’s popular American Ninja Warrior show. The latter tends to attract more boys than girls, although it is marketed and run as gender-neutral.
Dedicated gymnasts can also sign up for Interclub programming, which grants them opportunities to perform at contests across the Lower Mainland. High-level athletes will have their developmental needs met close to home now more than ever before, reducing the need to go to Whistler.
Some of these individuals won’t remain in gymnastics beyond their elementary-age or teen years, but all end up learning valuable physical literacy skills that are transferable to any other sport. Bikers and skiers must know how to fall safely, for instance, while hockey and rugby players need explosiveness.
“Gymnastics is such a foundation for all sports,” Tyler said. “We’re offering more spots because we’re a new facility and we have more time, we’re recruiting more advanced-level coaches because we’ll have more advanced programming. It’s just a great opportunity. Kids won’t have to drive 45 minutes down to Cheakamus to train.”
Many families have already experienced the Pemberton arm of Whistler Gymnastics to be a community-oriented, multi-generational outfit able to meet a variety of needs. Some coaches entered the program as three or fouryear-olds, blossoming under Tyler’s wing for more than a decade before ultimately taking on their own pupils.
Going forward, Tyler and her colleagues plan to introduce new options suited for parents and infants under the age of one, as well as seniors. Programs capable of better accommodating neurodivergent students or those with special needs are also in the works.
Learn more about Whistler Gymnastics and its full slate of offerings in Pemberton at whistlergymnastics.com/programs/ pemberton-programs. n
CROSS
STRETCHING IT OUT Whistler Gymnastics opened a permanent Pemberton facility in the summer of 2024.
PHOTO BY CATOU TYLER
How’s it going in the financial zone?
ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT, PRACTICAL WAYS FOR MANAGING YOUR BUDGET ARE ALWAYS IN SEASON
IT PRETTY MUCH DEPENDS on who you ask, or which headline you read… Some say it’s been a real crunch in the ol’ pocketbook getting into back-to-school mode. Other pals I know with school-aged kids didn’t notice any difference in their spending this year.
And I’m not talking about groceries and gas. Sure, those are up from this time last year. Plus different regions are feeling the pinch as differently as my own anecdotal tales. Like, according to CBC News, while a national survey by Leger shows costs across the country
BY GLENDA BARTOSH
were up hundreds of dollars per student this year, B.C. parents spent less than the national average in five of the six categories surveyed. The exception was “extracurriculars” like hockey and school daycare.
Another survey, one by the Retail Council of Canada, showed that about half those surveyed weren’t going to spend any more at all. Bottom line: there’s nothing like good ol’ neutral data to put the lie (or not) to what you glean from chit-chat and headlines.
Last year before September hit, Statistics Canada did a bang-up job reporting on the changes in back-to-school costs. Interesting— like all the variable stories this year, 2023 saw
some items were up (like school supplies and lessons), while some were markedly down, (like computers and cellphone service costs). Clothing costs—surprise, surprise—actually ran below the rate of inflation. Huh.
I know, I know. Call me a nerd, but that’s such interesting, nuanced information. Plus it neatly illustrates how it’s worth digging beneath the quick, shallow sound bites and social media posts when you want to get a handle on things. Too bad there’s nothing posted on Stats Can to get a handle on such costs this year, but you can still find cool Canadian info on geography, farming and more.
So costs up? Costs down? Costs almost the same for you this school year? Any which way you spell it, it’s always a great idea to save those precious dollars wherever and whenever you can.
PRACTICAL SERVICES, PRACTICAL SHOPS
Along those lines, the Whistler Community Services Society offers all kinds of free, solid support (you talk, they listen) along with amazing practical services beyond their wellused and well-regarded food bank. As for any of your back-to-normal, back-to-school needs, check out the amazing items from clothing to maybe a gently used desk or backpack at their Re-Use-It and Re-Build-It stores.
It might be a challenge to find things like pens or notebooks second-hand, although I did once buy an unopened packet of paper pads for next to nothing at Urban Source on Main Street in Vancouver—a brilliant place for inexpensive creative supplies anytime.
All the while keep in mind that some people, like one of my oldest and dearest friends who successfully raised three gorgeous daughters as
a single mom on a pretty limited income in the Sea to Sky, elevate the whole thrift store thing to an art, finding brilliant “treasures” at such reasonable prices it’s unbelievable.
I also love WCSS’s current Secondhand September Challenge—an initiative started by Oxfam in the U.K. It’s a perfect antidote to “fast” fashion and over-consumption: “Can you buy nothing new for the entire month of September?” And I add, can you push that forward into October? November?
Wow! A concept after my own heart. And it’s actually fun. I haven’t bought anything new for my closet since late spring, and those were shoes that literally wore out. Other than that, I don’t think I’ve bought anything new for ages, other than lightbulbs, garden plants, books (and more books! most of them second-hand) along with the odd gift or three.
All this reminds me of another dear pal, also from Whistler way back when, who sighed deeply one day when she had to go buy something or other new, some “girly” clothing for a posh downtown event. “I hate shopping!”
TOO MUCH STUFF? TIME TO DONATE!
The Whistler Community Services Society proudly operates two popular social enterprise stores that welcome your support and your donations—their Re-Use-It Centre at 8000 Nesters Road and their Re-Build-It Centre at 1003 Lynham Road. Another good reason to shop there: In 2023 alone, those two stores saved 426,563 kilograms of waste from the Whistler landfill! n
she yelled to the universe, describing all the (wasted) time and energy and aggravation it takes to “go shopping.”
Shopping is exhausting! For we humans and for the natural world. Remember, all that “stuff” comes from somewhere. And a surprising amount of it is plastic, which largely comes from fossil fuels and/or plant-based cellulose—read, “trees.” In fact, Environmental Defence claims the manufacture of plastic goods and the like is actually Plan B for the fossil fuel industry as demand for fossil-fuelled transportation declines.
The Secondhand September Challenge offers other excellent tips on the many ways to go for nothing new. Borrow it. From your favourite neighbourhood library. Besides good books, the Whistler Public Library, for instance, offers telescopes, microscopes, board games, Kobos for eBooks, outdoor blankets, seeds, ukuleles, sewing machines, knitting machines, bike repair kits and more! Borrow something from a neighbour. Lend something back. It’s a great way to build community.
Re-purpose or repair it. It taps your creative, inventive self, and sometimes it can even put you on a whole new life path. I know more than one person who got into woodworking or fixing motorcycles for a living after they did it for themselves.
Is life costing us more? Or less? And where are those costs really embedded? A lot of these things are up to us and come down to simple decisions or strategies, if you will, that can help us get off the treadmill and find our own paths, all while chalking up savings in more ways than one.
Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who’s always appreciated a good second hand. n
GONE THRIFTING The Secondhand September Challenge offers excellent tips on the many ways to go for nothing new.
PHOTO BY LECHATNOIR / E+ / GETTY IMAGES
‘We really wanted to do some more’
NEWLY-EXPANDED WHISTLER VILLAGE BEER FESTIVAL CULMINATES WITH SEPT. 14 MAIN EVENT
BY DAVID SONG
DURING ITS FIRST edition 13 years ago, the Whistler Village Beer Festival (WVBF) spanned only two days. Now it’s a weeklong extravaganza.
Many different activities, from a “Sip and Stretch” yoga event at Creekside’s The Bhavana Studio to Whistler Brewing’s fivecourse night of food-and-drink pairing, have been popping up all over town. The Main Event weekend hits its climax on Saturday: with the Big Love Band, Red Chair, DJ Foxy Moron and Fresh Cut Grass bringing live music to Olympic Plaza.
Lawn games, food trucks and all kinds of beverages will be on tap as the WVBF
concludes with an Oktoberfest experience across Saturday and Sunday at the Longhorn Saloon. Fresh barbecue is available courtesy of Grimm’s Fine Foods, with guests receiving their first drink on the house and an exclusive souvenir stein.
“In partnership with the resort and Tourism Whistler, we really wanted to do some more peripheral programming leading up to the Main Event,” says WVBF director Brittia Thompson. “The event kind of got started as a way to drive visitation to Whistler in a quiet, dead period, but now September is just extended summer, essentially. Although the festival is produced by Gibbons, we wanted to showcase the community as a whole and what everyone can offer.”
One need not love beer, per se, to enjoy the WVBF. Non-alcoholic beverages have been part of the lineup for four years, while canned craft cocktails will return after debuting to great success in 2023.
Thompson and her team have received much positive feedback about the expanded menu and its appeal to a wider demographic, including gluten-free individuals or those
intolerant of beer. Less conventional drinks are sometimes far more popular than traditional beers and ciders, and this year some breweries are set to bring full non-alcoholic kegs.
“Last year, a lot of people were like: ‘had I known that there would have been canned cocktails or something other than beer and cider, I would have come out,’” Thompson recalls.
‘LIKE A GIANT REUNION’
Whistlerites will no doubt be familiar with three of the Main Event’s musical acts: Big Love, Red Chair and DJ Foxy Moron. Fresh Cut Grass, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer—a fivepiece ensemble that specializes in throwing it back to the 1990s and early-2000s heyday of rock, alternative and emo music.
“We always try and showcase local bands,” Thompson explains. “One year coming out of COVID, we had [more mainstream] talent but the feedback from that year actually said: ‘bring back the local bands.’ Red Chair’s been a staple: I think they’ve performed every single festival for us, and they’re just great
because they can get a crowd going.
“Then the Big Love Band with Erik van Meerbergen—whom I know through Arts Whistler—have performed at Après Après a few times, and they are just so lovely to work with. Fresh Cut Grass played a few shows in Squamish, but they’ve never played up here in Whistler yet so we’re really excited to have them. We’re really hoping that maybe they will drive up some of the Squamish crowd as well.”
Some people make it a point to attend the WVBF perennially, almost like clockwork. Thompson remembers one particular individual who got the festival logo tattooed on his leg, plus another group that returns again and again to honour their late friend (who passed away after their first visit).
“There’s definitely quite a few characters that make their appearance every year, so the WVBF is like a giant reunion,” says Thompson. “If you’re 19-plus, there’s something for everyone at the festival.”
Check out more details about the WVBF at gibbonswhistler.com/festivals-events/ whistler-village-beer-festival. n
BOTTOMS UP Crowds fill up Olympic Plaza at the 2023 Whistler Village Beer Festival.
PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH
Big Love Band set for 2024 Whistler Village Beer Festival
RED CHAIR, DJ FOXY MORON AND FRESH CUT GRASS ROUND OUT THE EVENT’S MUSIC LINEUP
BY DAVID SONG
ERIK VAN MEERBERGEN figures the last time his Big Love Band played at the Whistler Village Beer Festival (WVBF), it was 2017. He remembers enjoying a pleasant, sunny day—a far cry from the dimly lit indoor venues he’s livened up at 2 a.m. many times before. Alcohol has a funny way of lowering people’s inhibitions, and that is often a good thing for those trying to entertain them.
This Saturday, Big Love will again co-headline the WVBF. They’ll be joined by two other Sea to Sky favourites, Red Chair and DJ Foxy Moron, as well as new kids on the block Fresh Cut Grass.
Van Meerbergen is expecting a heck of a party once more.
“What I like most about the Beer Fest is: it’s sort of like a celebration for locals,” he remarks. “We have a lot of amazing events all summer, but … it does feel like the end of the big push for everyone that works and lives in town. It’s really great to be part of that and to help facilitate a bit of a celebration for everybody.
“Live music plus drinks equals [people loosening up], and that’s really the bottom line. It brings a casual environment for folks to really let their guard down and enjoy the moment. That’s definitely the feel for Beer Fest, and as musicians we feed off the energy we get from the crowd.”
Though quality cover bands will usually be able to make a living in Whistler by catering to tourist nostalgia, big events like the WVBF represent a premium opportunity for artists to put their own stuff into the limelight. Festival-goers tend to pay attention to music, and Big Love has realized success when they Trojanhorse a few original songs into a set amidst recognizable covers.
FRESH THINGS
When asked about sharing a venue with the likes of Red Chair and DJ Foxy Moron, van Meerbergen had lots of praise.
“With those guys, consistency is key,” he points out. “They’re professionals to work with. When you book them, you know what you’re going to get. They’re just great people and they’re very talented at what they do.”
A good reputation goes a long way in lots of industries, and the arts are no exception to that rule. van Meerbergen is humbled that his fellow Whistlerites continually support the Big Love Band, respecting their on-stage ability and dedication. Yet he’s also thrilled to see less established talents with smaller reputations getting chances to shine.
“I really do appreciate the Beer Festival programming team because they’re looking for fresh things—no pun intended on Fresh Cut Grass,” van Meerbergen says. “There’s a lot of programming teams that put things on in Whistler, and nobody’s lazy. People really do their homework and try to support up-andcomers. I haven’t met Fresh Cut Grass as a band yet, but I’m super excited to hear them.”
The WVBF might mark an unofficial end to summer’s arts scene, but it’s also a good transition into fall and eventually winter. According to van Meerbergen, Gibbonsowned bars like Après Après are starting to put live music on again while Whistler Blackcomb intends to follow suit with its establishments. Life as an artist isn’t always smooth sailing, but good things could be on the horizon.
“It feels like people are seeing the value in [live entertainment],” opines the Big Love frontman. “We already know the support we get from the community, and I wanted to share my gratitude for the people who are trying to make shows happen even in difficult times economically. We made it through summer, now let’s get ready for the big winter ahead.”
Learn more about the 2024 WVBF at gibbonswhistler.com/festivals-events/ whistler-village-beer-festival. n
Football Season Is Here!
Roland’sPub is open forlunchWednesdays& Thursdaysfrom11:30am!
Join ourlunchclub! Get10stampsonyourlunchcardand your 11th lunchisfree* (Restrictionsapply) Childrenare welcomeeverydayuntil 10pm, so bringthe kids in forbrunchon theweekends from 11am- 2pm.
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Join us forfun hockey everyThursdaynight Octto April.18+,all abilitieswelcome butmusthavefull gear andbeabletoplaybasic hockey.
Curiousabout becoming agoalie? Join us fora coachingsession on Sept 19th at 8:30 to seeif it’s your thing!
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE The Big Love Band (with frontman Erik van Meerbergen pictured) is one of Whistler’s most popular local music acts.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIK VAN MEERBERGEN
Book Review—Beneath the Surface of Things, by Wade Davis
BY LESLIE ANTHONY
LIKE MANY THINKERS freed to indulge things they might not otherwise have had time for, famed anthropologist, raconteur and author Wade Davis had a pandemic project. The result was this summer’s release, Beneath the Surface of Things, a collection of essays written, updated or repurposed, he says, when “everybody’s plans went through the car wash.”
Beneath isn’t the first Davis book to collate disparate ideas, but it’s the most eclectic and— for those unfamiliar with his ability to roam as widely in intellectual realms as Earthly ones— perhaps unexpected. “Being unable to travel, books displaced expeditions,” he says. “I found myself travelling through worlds of words, finding books that totally inspired me and caused me to think and write on new subjects.”
Whether his descent into the secret societies of Haitian Voodoo in The Serpent and the Rainbow , the varied cultural explorations of subsequent volumes, or his 2009 Massey Lecture synthesis, The Wayfinders, Davis’ writing has always served to open Western eyes to lesser-knownbut-equally-valid aspects of the human experience. With Beneath, however, Davis has also taken a magnifying glass to the tire tracks of modernity: the heroics of the First World War that birthed nations and provided a logical segue to the British conquest of
Everest; the history of a promised land in which Israelis and Palestinians struggle to coexist; demonization of the coca leaf, sacred plant of the Inca; and the upheavals we collectively witnessed while doomscrolling our way through the pandemic. “I’ve never thought there was something I didn’t have the right to write about,” he says.
In the opening essay, “This is America,” Davis unearths that country’s tectonic societal rifts and often delusional sense of its own history, yet wraps on a note of positivity, hope and optimism—trademark of the author’s balanced approach to humanity. Davis marshals similarly uncomfortable truths in “The Unravelling of America,” which appeared in Rolling Stone in August 2020, logging 365 million social-media impressions. Turning on the country’s appalling COVID response and civic unrest following the murder of George Floyd, it heralds the end of the American century. “I think people were desperate for something that explained the context of what was going on,” he says of a piece that deftly avoids diatribe.
While an anthropological perspective invites such analysis, Davis is careful to make clear why. In “Why Anthropology Matters” he examines not only how early practitioners gave us the world we now live in, but how the discipline is losing its way. “I grew up in the era of activism anthropology,” he says. “And now [it] just studies itself. The postmodern kind of neurosis.”
Likewise, “Beyond Climate Fear and Trepidation” may be a difficult read for activists unrealistically married—as Davis suggests with real-world data—to radical actions that might destabilize not only economic prospects for aspiring societies, but the psychological well-being of our children. Bullish on humanity’s problemsolving and technological acumen, he instead advocates for “a middle way, one that calls for sensible and open dialogue,
A lifetime of wisdom is shared in these pages...
with the goal of not just reducing carbon but improving the well-being of all.”
Anyone who has heard Davis speak is rapt by his passion, depth of knowledge and an encyclopedic recall that crosses oceans, climbs mountains, and penetrates jungles without losing the critical threads of culture, experience and ideas. One notion that crops up repeatedly provides a coda to Beneath—the ubiquity of the sacred. What does it mean to humankind? How has it shaped our species?
While religion is an “attempt to wrestle with eternity and come out on top,” the
sacred, he counters, is about life, a biological relationship: “The full measure of cultures isn’t just what they do, but the quality of their aspirations and the metaphors that drive them forward.”
A lifetime of wisdom is shared in these pages, and, in sometimes provoking, call to mind an aphorism: To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing. Davis has never shied from courting censure, speaking out in the best tradition of activist anthropology, as fearless a thinker as he is cultural adventurer. A man with a gift, perhaps, for saying the unsayable. When one thus informed looks beneath the surface of things, the seemingly routine can become revelation, the inexplicable comprehension.
Leslie Anthony is an award-winning Whistlerbased writer, editor, biologist, and occasional filmmaker. Author of a number of celebrated works of non-fiction and a former editor at several renowned outdoor publications, he channels years spent in laboratories, deserts, jungles, swamps and mountains into his writings on adventure travel, the environment and science topics ranging from fossil-smuggling to climate change to monsters both real and imagined in publications like Canadian Geographic, British Columbia, Mountain Life and Pique
Catch him and Davis in conversation at the Fairmont on Oct. 19. Find more info and tickets at whistlerwritersfest.com. n
Summer racing on Blackcomb
BY REBECCA MACKAY
THE WHISTLER MUSEUM’S latest exhibition—Pedal to the Medal: the History of Mountain Bike Events in Whistler—highlights several races and events that took place in the valley, as well as on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.
We have written previously in Museum Musings about Whistler’s first off-road race in 1982, as well as Whistler Mountain’s Can-Am Challenge. However, we have so far only referred to Blackcomb Mountain’s involvement in the sport.
In 1988, Blackcomb Mountain expanded its summer offerings with summer glacier skiing, hiking, sightseeing, and mountain biking. The latter was growing rapidly in popularity, and Blackcomb took the opportunity to host bike competitions that were the highlight of the summer.
Kicking off the racing season was a series of events presented by Bike Riders Choice, known as the BRC races. The first year held five races in June and July, including crosscountry, trials, dual slalom, uphill climb, and descent.
Riders who entered the series would see their points in each event contribute to their overall score. Major prizes, such as BRC bikes, Blackcomb ski passes, or Keg gift cards were awarded to winners, with draw prizes available to participants of three or more races.
The majority of participants were from the Sea to Sky and Vancouver, though this changed as the series grew more popular.
The first season saw plenty of punctures, broken bikes, and DNFs (did not finish), but many riders also found success. Despite getting eighth place in the Mile High Descent, Eric Crowe’s performance in the other races won him the overall title in the men’s expert class. The tightest competition was between Cindy Devine and Diana Ghikas in the women’s expert class, with the former securing the top spot by only three points.
For many riders, the BRC races prepared
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them for the Labatt’s Can-Am Challenge on Blackcomb Mountain, which took place over a weekend in August. The Can-Am had a similar format to the BRC races, with five events determining riders’ overall score, but contributed $5,000 in prize money.
It was described in the Whistler Question as Whistler’s “first full-blown international bike race.” Despite the 1986 Can-Am Challenge on Whistler Mountain attracting more than 70 competitors from across North America, the inaugural year in 1988 on Blackcomb saw 230 Canadian and American riders.
The Can-Ams were also an important part of the local MTB community, as local companies such as Backroads Whistler and Jim McConkey’s Sport Shop used the weekend to advertise their services to a larger audience.
Athletes from the U.S. dominated the pro categories, but local racers placed well in their respective categories, including Devine and Ghikas, who placed third and fourth in the Women’s Pro. Many experienced racers commented on some organizational blunders, though overall the event was a success, with Blackcomb’s dedicated staff and team of volunteers excitedly planning for the next year.
In 1989 the races saw some formatting changes, including dropping the trials event for both the BRC races and the Can-Am Challenge. They also nixed local business participation and focused only on Blackcomb MTB services, such as their retail, which disappointed some local companies.
As Eric Wight of Backroads told the Question, “it’s a North American event and we should be using it to show mountain bikers from elsewhere what a strong mountain biking community there is here in Whistler.”
Nevertheless, there continued to be a strong showing of local riders, and the event attracted more athletes from around the continent.
Keep an eye out next week as we recently had a participant from the 1989 Can-Am Challenge share his recollections of racing in the event. n
RIDERS’ CHOICE Bill Stiles (left) and Geoff “Lumpy” Leidal (right) leading the pack in a 1992 BRC cross-country race. WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION
Rustad faces long tightrope walk over political landmines
BY ROB SHAW
THERE WAS NO HIDING the smile on BC Conservative Leader John Rustad’s face as he worked his way through a jammed community hall in mid-Vancouver Island on Saturday, his music booming and the crowd roaring.
“I am so pumped,” said Rustad, as the final notes of “Uprising” by Muse echoed through the Cobble Hill Farmers Institute Main Hall. “People are so interested in change. They’ve had enough of what’s going on in this province.”
Rustad looked, and sounded like, a politician on a roll. He was fresh off defeating the rival BC United party, and absorbing the centre-right vote. More than a few orphaned United faces were spotted in the 200-plus crowd, kicking the tires of the lone surviving centre-right party.
He hit all the usual high notes in his speech—scrapping the carbon tax, SOGI, shortterm rental restrictions, Dr. Bonnie Henry, decriminalization, safe supply and more.
But what was just as interesting was the careful course Rustad charted on questions about more sensitive issues, despite the boisterous crowd urging him to do otherwise.
One woman took to the microphone calling herself “an NDP defector” who was tired of “daughters who are having their breasts amputated in the name of identity” and “teenage girls being thrown in the trash heap.”
“John, here is my question for you: What is a woman?” she asked, playing up the crowd for applause.
“Thank you so much for your question,” replied Rustad, who then, in a crafty way that underscored his 20 years of political experience, pivoted his answer into the somewhat safer territory of gender neutral
Party of British Columbia, we’re not going to reopen this debate.”
That was it. He received half-hearted applause. Some clearly wanted him to go further.
A third woman asked him if he’d get rid of electronic vote counting machines—a subject of great misinformation and inaccurate fraud claims in the United States by former U.S. president Donald Trump. British Columbia is using electronic tabulators of paper ballots in the upcoming election.
“I’d like to see Elections BC make sure there’s a 10 per cent random audit so that ballots are counted manually and compared to the numbers in randomly selected polls around the province, so that people can have confidence that what the machine is counting is the same as what is being counted physically,” said Rustad.
“I’d like to see it gone completely, but OK,” replied the woman. “My other question for you is are you interested in getting rid of the human rights tribunals? I think they are more trouble than they are worth. Every one I’ve seen come out has been a joke.”
Here, too, Rustad was careful. “I appreciate that,” he said. “I actually apologize, I haven’t given any thought to that right now.”
Perhaps Rustad could sense the reporters in the room. Or maybe he’s received strategic counsel to stay on message and not give ammunition to the NDP war room six weeks before an election. Regardless, it was fascinating to watch his message discipline as he tiptoed through landmine questions.
That alone won’t insulate Rustad from criticism, though.
On abortion, New Democrats can still argue he is silent on issues within provincial control, such as availability and coverage for the abortion pill and procedures. And on gender neutral washrooms, he will be accused of dog whistling to larger homophobic and
Perhaps Rustad could sense the reporters in the room. Or maybe he’s received strategic counsel to stay on message...
washrooms as well as his bill to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports.
“Women and girls should have their own safe places, their own washrooms and change rooms,” he said.
And then he stopped.
“I didn’t quite answer the question, but I think I’ll leave it at that,” he concluded.
Another woman at the microphone asked him about abortion.
“If you could just clarify where you stand on it and what the party is doing or not doing around it,” she said.
“Let me start by saying this, children are a blessing,” replied Rustad, who outlined how he and his wife were unable to have children due to her cervical cancer.
“But when it comes to the issue abortion, this issue is federal. And as the Conservative
transphobic sentiments.
But the party leader is not giving his critics new ammunition with which to attack him as he criss-crosses the province holding these public events.
Perhaps even more importantly, he doesn’t come across as an out-of-control extremist bogeyman for potential voters who come out to see him speak in person for the first time.
Rob Shaw has spent more than 16 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for Glacier Media. He is the co-author of the national bestselling book A Matter of Confidence, host of the weekly podcast Political Capital, and a regular guest on CBC Radio.
rob@robshawnews.com n
$10,000 for the food bank. The Whistler Community Services Society attended and shared
adopted. Formerly known as Roo and renamed Sammy, she was seen out at Birken House
Pemberton recently. It was her first time horseback riding, and the horse’s name was Ringo. Róisín
Millennium was at Armchair Books this week and met with owner Sarah. She gave a little history about the
(77), who rode his first GranFondo in 2010, had the “Best Time” by
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ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 13 BY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): One of the longest bridges in the world is the 39-kilometre-long Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. During one 13-km stretch, as it crosses Lake Pontchartrain, travellers can’t see land. That freaks out some of them. You might be experiencing a metaphorically similar passage these days, Aries. As you journey from one mode to the next, you may lose sight of familiar terrain for a while. My advice: Have faith, gaze straight ahead, and keep going.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): My horoscopes don’t necessarily answer questions that are foremost in your awareness. This might annoy you. But consider this: My horoscopes may nevertheless nudge you in unexpected directions that eventually lead you, in seemingly roundabout ways, to useful answers. The riddles I offer may stir you to gather novel experiences you didn’t realize you needed. Keep this in mind, Taurus, while reading the following: In the coming weeks, you can attract minor miracles and fun breakthroughs if you treat your life as an art project. I urge you to fully activate your imagination and ingenuity as you work on the creative masterpiece that is YOU.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The Gemini musician known as Prince got an early start on his vocation. At age 7, he wrote “Funk Machine,” his first song. Have you thought recently about how the passions of your adult life first appeared in childhood? Now is an excellent time to ruminate on this and related subjects. Why? Because you are primed to discover forgotten feelings and events that could inspire you going forward. To nurture the future, draw on the past.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You are lucky to have an opposable thumb on each of your hands. You’re not as lucky as koala bears, however, which have two opposable thumbs on each hand. But in the coming weeks, you may sometimes feel like you have extra thumbs, at least metaphorically. I suspect you will be extra dexterous and nimble in every way, including mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You could accomplish wonders of agility. You and your sexy soul may be extra supple, lithe, and flexible. These superpowers will serve you well if you decide to improvise and experiment, which I hope you will.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The internet is filled with wise quotes that are wrongly attributed. Among those frequently cited as saying words they didn’t actually say, Buddha is at the top of the list. There are so many fraudulent Buddha quotes in circulation that there’s a website devoted to tracking them down: fakebuddhaquotes.com. Here’s an example. The following statement was articulated not by Buddha but by English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray: “The world is a looking glass. It gives back to every man a true reflection of his own thoughts.” I bring these thoughts to your attention, Leo, because it’s a crucial time for you to be dedicated to truth and accuracy. You will gain power by uncovering deceptions, shams, and misrepresentations. Be a beacon of authenticity!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Peregrine falcons can move at a speed of 390 kilometres per hour. Mexican free-tailed bats reach 160 kilometres per hour, and black marlin fish go 128 kph. These animals are your spirit creatures in the coming weeks, Virgo. Although you can’t literally travel that fast (unless you’re on a jet), I am confident you can make metaphorical progress at a rapid rate. Your ability to transition into the next chapter of your life story will be at a peak. You will have a robust power to change, shift, and develop.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Mythically speaking, I envision a death and rebirth in your future. The death won’t be literal; neither you nor anyone you love will travel to the other side of the veil. Rather, I foresee the demise of a hope, the finale of a storyline, or the loss of a possibility. Feeling sad might temporarily be the right thing to do, but I want you to know that this ending will ultimately lead to
ROB BREZSNY
a fresh beginning. In fact, the new blooms ahead wouldn’t be possible without the expiration of the old ways. The novel resources that arrive will come only because an old resource has faded.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Did you ever have roommates who stole your credit card and used it to buy gifts for themselves? Does your history include a friend or loved one who told you a lie that turned out to be hurtful? Did you ever get cheated on by a lover you trusted? If anything like this has happened to you, I suspect you will soon get a karmic recompense. An atonement will unfold. A reparation will come your way. A wrong will be righted. A loss will be indemnified. My advice is to welcome the redress graciously. Use it to dissolve your resentments and retire uncomfortable parts of your past.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): One of my oldest friends is Sagittarius-born Jeffrey Brown. We had rowdy fun together in our 20s. We were mad poets who loved to party. But while I went on to become an unruly rock ’n’ roll musician, experimental novelist, and iconoclastic astrologer, Brown worked hard to become a highly respected, award-winning journalist for the PBS News Hour, a major American TV show. Among his many successes: He has brought in-depth coverage of poetry and art to mainstream TV. How did he manage to pull off such an unlikely coup? I think it’s because he channelled his wildness into disciplined expression; he converted his raw passions into practical power; he honed and refined his creativity so it wielded great clout. In the coming months, dear Sagittarius, I urge you to make him one of your inspirational role models.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let’s hypothesize that you will be alive, alert, and active on your hundredth birthday. If that joyous event comes to pass, you may have strong ideas about why you have achieved such marvellous longevity. I invite you to imagine what you will tell people on that momentous occasion. Which practices, feelings, and attitudes will have turned you into such a vigorous example of a strong human life? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to meditate on these matters. It will also be a favourable phase to explore new practices, feelings, and attitudes that will prolong your satisfying time here on planet Earth.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Few Americans are more famous than George Washington. He was a top military leader in the Revolutionary War before he became the country’s first president. George had a half-brother named Lawrence, who was 16 years older. Virtually no one knows about him now, but during his life, he was a renowned landowner, soldier, and politician. Historians say that his political influence was crucial in George’s rise to power. Is there anyone remotely comparable to Lawrence Washington in your life, Aquarius? Someone who is your advocate? Who works behind the scenes on your behalf? If not, go searching for them. The astrological omens say your chances are better than usual of finding such champions. If there are people like that, ask them for a special favour.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): More than 15 centuries ago, Christian monks decided Fridays were unlucky. Why? Because they were the special day of the pagan Goddess Freya. Friday the 13th was extra afflicted, they believed, because it combined a supposedly evil number with the inauspicious day. And how did they get their opinion that 13 was malevolent? Because it was the holy number of the Goddess and her 13-month lunar calendar. I mention this because a Friday the 13th is now upon us. If you are afraid of the things Christian monks once feared, this could be a difficult time. But if you celebrate radical empathy, ingenious intimacy, playful eros, and fertile intuition, you will be awash in good fortune. That’s what the astrological omens tell me.
Homework: Imagine an adventure you would like to create and tell stories about in the future. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates
In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com
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Xet’òlacw Community School
• Social Worker/ Counsellor( $80,371 to $91,673 per year)
• High School English and Humanities Teacher ($60,015 to $109,520 per year)
• Elementary School Teacher - Grade 3 ($60,015 to $109,520 per year)
Ts’zil Learning Center
• Receptionist ($17.40 to $20.90 per hour)
LiÍwat Business Group
• Payroll Accountant & Benefits Coordinator ($50,000 to $70,000 per year)
• Junior Heavy Equipment Operator ($28.00 to $35.00 per hour)
• Senior Heavy Equipment Operator ($35.00 to $45.00 per hour)
• Junior Labourer ($20.00 to $25.00 per hour)
• Senior Labourer ($25.00 to $32.00 per hour) Benefits
•
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Employee Health & Wellness Plan available
HYDROVAC OPERATOR – Valid Class 1 or Class 3 with air brakes required. Manual transmission. Ground Disturbance II. 2 years operating hydro excavation equipment preferred. $35-$40.45 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 - Red Seal, Commercial Truck & Transport, Transport Trailer, Class 1 or 3 air brakes preferred. 4x10 or 5x8 schedule. Red Seal certified receive $200/month tool allowance. $39.70- $47.90 per hour. 5% premium on hourly wage for Lead Hand position.
CONSTRUCTION LABOURER – Great opportunity to learn on-the-job. Stamina for physically demanding work and perseverance to brave inclement weather required. Previous experience preferred but not required. Training provided. $25-$32 per hour.
I SPENT enough time in the political science department to accidentally graduate with an undergraduate degree. That was because I developed a lasting relationship with one particular professor who, notwithstanding his long tenure and distinguished scholarship, insisted on teaching the Intro to Poli Sci course to new freshmen every autumn. Other than that, his course load consisted exclusively of senior-level and graduate student seminars.
Every autumn, he’d walk into the lecture hall, peer out over the sea of freshfaced students and launch into his lecture. “Politics,”—pregnant pause—“is all about the art of compromise and takes place in the realm of the possible, not the perfect. It’s not pretty, it can be dirty and quite often, it is amoral. If you believe politics is about ideology, right and wrong, good deeds and social justice, I’d suggest you leave now and change your major to philosophy. You have until the next class to decide.”
And then he’d leave. End of lecture. Stunned looks.
It was his version of shock and awe. It was also a reasonably good way to winnow down the freshman class. He wasn’t above arguing about the ideological underpinnings of political parties and historical movements, he just didn’t want anybody to have any illusions about the real work of politics.
His message is as relevant today as it was those many decades ago. Especially in British Columbia. Especially as it applies to the upcoming election, Oct. 19. Especially for the message it carries to people who live in competitive ridings and who are thinking of or intending to vote for their Green Party candidate.
October’s election will be a two-horse race between John Rustad’s Conservative party and David Eby’s NDP. One of the two of them will form the next government. The disappearance of BC United—notwithstanding the Black Knight announcement last Friday by the party’s executive director to run “some” candidates in an effort to not disappear entirely—has effectively consolidated the right-of-centre vote.
The left-of-centre vote will, again, be split between the NDP and the Green Party.
Only one of those has a chance of forming government. Hint: It ain’t the Greens.
But one of them has a very good chance to be the Conservative party’s new best friend. Hint: It ain’t the NDP.
For those of you who never venture into central and northern B.C., it is like a different country from the urban and semiurban confines of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. It is a conservative—lower or upper case—stronghold. Very few orange signs, even fewer green ones.
If you are an ardent Green Party supporter and live north of, say, Clinton, by all means vote your ideology. Vote Green. It won’t matter
one tiny bit and you may enjoy the smug satisfaction of outpolling the NDP.
But if you live south of there, you’d do well to remember the gift Green Party voters gave Christy Clark in the 2013 election.
The BC Liberal party had more than worn out its welcome in the previous dozen years they were the government. They cut sweet deals that transferred wealth to their business partners, put a price on everything and generally left a bad smell.
But there were legitimate questions about the ability of the NDP to run the province. The party lacked depth, was financially naïve and was stuck with a leader who displayed few leadership skills and all the charisma of a bowl of cold oatmeal.
They wasted it because they don’t know or care how the game of politics is played.
Politics isn’t like the Olympics. There isn’t a gold, silver and bronze medal winner. There is a winner. If you’re not the winner you are the loser. With the exception of a single riding—over which much fanfare was wasted—everyone who voted Green wore the big “L”; they lost.
“I voted for what I believed in.” “I voted to send a message.” Thus were rationalizations heard too often by Green voters after the election. They believed in losing. They inadvertently voted to have someone in power who shared none of their beliefs rather than compromise and vote for someone who shared most of them, albeit with less purity.
The quickest way to install a Conservative government in B.C. in October is for people to vote for Green candidates.
If ever there was an election where spoiling one’s ballot or voting for “none of the above” seemed reasonable, 2013 may have been the one.
The problem, though, was too many people didn’t spoil their ballot—they wasted it. They wasted it because they never learned the lesson my prof taught all his first-year students in that abbreviated first lecture. They wasted it because they voted their ideology. They wasted it because they voted their heart.
the past. The Liberal party breathed life into the Woodfibre LNG plant in Squamish, a sore point among Green supporters. A Conservative government would make the former Liberals look like radical tree huggers. The Conservative party doesn’t believe in climate change. They want to expand LNG and build more pipelines. They want to end B.C.’s trailblazing carbon tax. They plan to make SOGI 123 disappear. Support private health-care alternatives. All things generally absent from the Green Party platform.
The quickest way to install a Conservative government in B.C. in October is for people to vote for Green candidates. Especially in competitive ridings.
Like the one we live in.
There are lots of things the NDP have done that makes me want to roll up a Pique one of the big, fat, long-weekend ones with lots of real-estate ads—and smack them upside the head. But I fear my reaction to a Conservative government would more likely invoke my inner Bruce Cockburn wish for a rocket launcher.
There were 12 ridings where the combined NDP and Green vote exceeded the Liberal vote. In some, the Liberal and NDP candidate were close; others, not so close. So if there hadn’t been a Green candidate, some Green voters might not have voted. Few or none would have voted Liberal. Most would have voted NDP. Christy Clark would have been going on vacation.
Rustad’s Conservative party is most certainly not Ms. Clark’s Liberal party of
And that possibility is looming larger every day. The more I hear our Green candidate talk about all the things he’d do if elected, the more I wonder what planet he lives on. A solitary voice representing a party that may well come out of this election without official party status would be unheard in the legislature in Victoria. A paperweight. Might as well shout at clouds.
So if you really believe in the things the Green Party purportedly stands for, this is the election to be pragmatic. Strategic. Smart. Unless you harbour a dark fantasy about really wanting a Conservative government, shelve your ideology and vote for the better alternative. n
