What’s next for the Sea to Sky highway? - By Adelaide Tiller
06 OPENING REMARKS As the Resort Municipality of Whistler approaches its 50th birthday, editor Braden Dupuis offers some helpful self-improvement tips (courtesy of Reader’s Digest).
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers make the case for Green voices in Victoria, muse about municipal spending, and offer both thanks and apologies.
11 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Social norms have turned what could be a caring question into something trite, writes David Song—because people don’t often answer it candidly.
54 MAXED OUT Even from a distance, there seems to be a cultural change taking place in the U.S., writes G.D. Maxwell—one that will further devalue the distrust and hatred of recent years.
12 STILL STRUGGLING Annual stats from the Whistler Community Services Society show increased donations—and increased use of services.
13 HOME FREE Former Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden and ski-industry legend Hugh Smythe will receive the Freedom of the Municipality at a ceremony next month.
34 OFF-ROAD WARRIORS Local talent was on full display at the XTERRA Whistler triathlon on Sept. 14 and 15.
38 STRING THEORY The Sea to Sky String Orchestra shows no signs of slowing down as it celebrates its 10th anniversary this month.
COVER You can drive fast if you want to, you can leave your friends behind. ‘Cause your friends don’t drive fast, and if they drive fast, well they’re no friends of mine. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
Canadian Publications Mail Product. Sales Agreement #40016549.
Five things the Resort Municipality of Whistler should do before it turns 50
IN ONE YEAR’S TIME, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) will reach a major historical milestone, when it celebrates 50 years since its incorporation on Sept. 6, 1975.
In the grand scheme of the universe, and
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
on a more relatable scale, British Columbia and Canada, Whistler is but a baby; a curious young chap bouncing and bobbing on its
Across the pond, towns and cities have literal centuries of history underneath their cobblestoned streets—archives presumably bursting with archaic meeting minutes and hard-earned historical lessons.
If Europe is the wizened old mentor, here in Canada, we are the precocious young teenager, still sussing out an answer to the question all our aunts and uncles won’t stop asking: What do you want to be when you grow up?
It’s a big question (one I personally never had an answer to—still don’t, really).
But even if you thought you did, was it the right one? Or were you just saying something so your relatives would shut up?
At times of deep soul-searching and reflection such as these, there is only one source we trust: Reader’s Digest
Luckily, the good folks at that revered institution (publishing downright wholesome content since 1922) have already tackled this topic with their August article titled “50 things everyone should do before they’re 50.”
Astute readers will note that piece is geared towards human beings, and the RMOW is, in fact, a local government.
But we’re not about to let minor semantics get in the way of such tantalizing low-hanging fruit.
So without further ado, here are five things the RMOW should do before it turns 50.
GET TO A HEALTHY WEIGHT
According to Reader’s Digest, shedding those extra fat folds is never going to be easier than it will be if you start today.
“Maintaining a healthy weight has all kinds of health benefits, not to mention the confidence boost you’ll get from achieving a difficult goal,” they write.
What does a “healthy weight” look like in the context of our local government?
That’s a matter of opinion or philosophy— but it could certainly be argued there is fat to trim at municipal hall.
With another municipal budget just
While it is true a local government cannot technically “fall in love,” the bit about open hearts and vulnerability leading to personal growth is absolutely relevant.
Whistler would be well-served by letting its guard down, dialling back on the Whistler Exceptionalism, and understanding that not everything needs to be perfect and pristine.
Sometimes, good enough is good enough.
LOOK UP AN EX
Reader’s Digest isn’t suggesting we actually make contact with our old flames, but rather, use them as a point of reflection.
Looking up an ex can either “help you remember the fun times or make you realize how much better off you are now.”
In the context of our local government, the closest thing to an “ex” is past mayors and councils.
who I had met, interviewed, and interacted with a dozen times or more.
Sitting around a table with a small handful of Whistler locals, said CAO attempted to introduce me, then a reporter for Pique, to the group.
“And this is…” he looked at me, completely blanking on my name.
“Gentleman from the media,” he concluded.
Let me tell you, fair readers: I have never felt more disrespected by our local government… until they sued us a few years after that.
Frivolous, ill-advised lawsuits aside, it is simply good manners to remember people’s names. Even if they are just lowly, inkstained wretches.
GET THERAPY
Uh oh… I fear this (already paper-thin) premise is falling apart.
lawsuits aside, it is simply good manners to remember people’s names. Even if they are just lowly, ink-stained
months away, now is a perfect time for the local bean counters to consider counting fewer beans, and more rice.
FALL IN LOVE
Falling in love is the “ultimate risk,” Reader’s Digest says—but one that can come with huge rewards.
“Even if it isn’t the love of a lifetime, learning to open your heart and be vulnerable can only help you grow as a person.”
Before Whistler turns 50 next year, it can’t hurt to reacquaint ourselves with the hard work, immense accomplishments (and relevant missteps) forged by those who came before us.
NEVER FORGET SOMEONE’S NAME AGAIN
One of my favourite interactions with the RMOW involved one of its trademark open houses, and a certain former chief administrative officer
Can a municipal government get therapy? Not really.
But if Whistler were to see a hypothetical bureaucratic therapist before its 50th birthday, here are some of the issues and disorders it might like to discuss: narcissism, self-aggrandization, obsessive compulsive disorder, selective mutism, delirium, dissociative identity disorder, and addiction/substance-use disorder.
The first step to self-improvement is admitting you sometimes can’t do it alone. n
Green voices are needed in Victoria
This letter is in response to the Maxed Out column in the Sept. 13 edition of Pique (“Now is the time for pragmatic politics”).
As usual, G.D. has some good points in his argument for strategic voting in the upcoming Oct. 19 provincial election. However, in this case, I believe he is missing the specifics of the people who live in “the corridor.”
Our riding is different from most of the other Lower Mainland ridings. A majority of people who live here are here for the lifestyle. We like the outdoors and active living, which our natural environment makes possible in many different ways. Because the Green Party of BC is the most progressive in terms of protecting that very environment we love so much, people in our riding feel more connected to the policies of the Greens than the NDP.
While in other ridings G.D’s strategy, to consolidate the centre-left vote behind an NDP candidate, may be the best one to beat the Conservative candidate, this may not be the case in our riding. In fact, my opinion is that the best strategy to prevent a Conservative win in the West Vancouver-Sea to Sky riding is to put the centre-left vote behind the Green candidate.
“Our riding is different from most of the other Lower Mainland ridings.”
- ERICH BAUMANN
For the proof that ours is an absolutely winnable riding for the Greens, just go back to the 2020 election when the race between the Green and the Liberal candidate was so close the ballots had to be recounted. The Greens ended up just 60 votes short of the Liberals.
FIGHTFOR ABCTHAT
So how would that play out in the overall provincial election—say the Greens get a seat or several seats in the next legislature? And let’s say the NDP ends up one or several seats short of a majority. Sound familiar? Well, it should, because that is what happened in
PUTSPEOPLE FIRST
the 2017 B.C. election. Then the NDP and the Greens got together with a confidence-andsupply agreement and formed government.
And what was accomplished during that parliamentary term? We now have the most progressive climate protection policy in Canada called CleanBC. We also, finally, have a new forest protection plan called the Forest and Range Practices Act. However, as of late the NDP seems to be lacking focus and determination in following its own environmental policies. Examples are its continued subsidies and support of fossil fuel infrastructure such as gas pipelines and LNG export facilities, such as Woodfibre in Squamish and some indications that it may scrap the pollution pay principle for CO2. We absolutely need the Green voice in Victoria to keep the NDP on track!
Erich Baumann // Whistler
Economic sense lost on government
I happily drive to and from the city at least four times a week. Taken at the speed limit, it’s quite pleasant, giving me time to reflect on my businesses. Plural. Weekends, I am up at 4 a.m. and get home around 6 p.m. It’s work. It’s hard. It’s what I do by choice. If it made economic sense, then I would stay in the city some nights, but hotels are brutally expensive. This week, some of our taxpayer-funded officials are attending the Union of BC Municipalities Convention and staying in the
city at a cost of $31,500.
Economic sense is lost when it comes to government spending.
Patrick Smyth // Whistler
Thanks for World Championship support
I am deeply grateful for Whistler’s incredible support in sending me to the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Andorra. Chromag, Troy Lee Designs, Handlebar Pizza, Shimano, ZEP Racing, and Fairmont Chateau Whistler—you’ve all played an important role in this journey, and I can’t thank you enough.
Thank you to the biking community for attending my fundraiser and participating in my raffle. Your support made the World Championships possible and gave me the confidence and resources to compete. I am truly honoured to represent Canada with such amazing brands.
I will carry your support as I continue developing my biking career. Thank you for believing in me and helping to make this dream a reality.
Megan Bedard // Whistler
A sincere apology
I sincerely apologize to the woman turning into
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Myrtle Philip on Wednesday, Sept. 11 who I cursed at and called every vulgar name in the book (some of which have never come out of my mouth before). I obviously let my emotions get the best of me and I am truly sorry!
You said afterwards that you were stopping at the crosswalk. I panicked and obviously thought you were going to hit me. Just a minor wipeout.
I should have just brushed it off and rode into the sunset without any interaction. Again, I’m sorry and feel horrible for what I said!
Sincerely, the big dummy who shouldn’t be riding a bike.
Kevin LaBatte // Whistler
Whistler Nordics says thanks
On behalf of Whistler Nordics, thank you to the Real Estate Association of Whistler (REAW) for their generous contribution to our organization for the upcoming 2024-25 crosscountry ski season. The donation through the REAW Community Grants Program will support coordination of the Skill Development Program to encourage increased enrolment and introduce cross-country skiing to more youth in the Sea to Sky region.
Dan Wilson // Whistler n
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.
Let’s be real with each other
“HOW ARE YOU?”
We’re all familiar with that query. It’s one of the most ubiquitous greetings in the world, exchanged innumerable times throughout the English-speaking world each day by friends, coworkers, family members and strangers alike. This quick phrase is remarkably versatile—you can say it as a barista serving
BY DAVID SONG
a customer you met five seconds ago, or you can say it to your significant other because want to know what’s happening in their life.
Prevailing social conventions have turned what could be a caring question into an awfully trite one, because people don’t often answer the question candidly.
When someone asks me how I am—no matter who they are—I try not to say “I’m well” unless that’s actually the case. When I’m having a mediocre day, I’ll indicate as much. When I’m struggling, I’ll admit to it. My friends know that when I tell them, “I’m fine,” that’s a step down from “everything is awesome!”
Lots of people are different in this regard. For them, “How are you?” triggers some
variation of “good” that seems to come out of their mouths as naturally as a knee-jerk reflex—regardless of how they’re actually faring in life.
Along similar lines: when I mention I’m going through a rough patch, I occasionally get an odd look or an awkward reply. It’s as if the person asking about my day was expecting (or perhaps desiring) the standard answer of “I’m good, how are you?” which rendered them unprepared for honesty.
to live in an echo chamber surrounded by yesmen than to seriously reconsider your beliefs.
I would posit a similar underlying impulse is at play here. It is easy to limit most of our social encounters to the superficial, having a few brief “how are you?” moments before proceeding with our lives. It is much less convenient to hear another human admit to being unwell, let alone to ask about what’s going on.
Of course, we shouldn’t just begin ranting
Of course, we shouldn’t just begin ranting every time somebody greets us.
Behaving genuinely doesn’t equate to jettisoning our troubles in another’s lap without regard...
This type of insincerity is commonplace and detrimental to our relationships with one another. It normalizes avoiding genuine and worthwhile interactions because they require us to go out of our way.
every time somebody greets us. Behaving genuinely doesn’t equate to jettisoning our troubles in another’s lap without regard for the situation at hand or whether that person asked for a play-by-play of our frustrations.
connections with.
Even so, maybe we should reconsider choosing insincerity as our default modus operandi. Being disingenuous about the small stuff can lead to other unhealthy behaviours—for instance, gossiping behind someone’s back rather than confronting them directly about an issue. Our everyday habits define how we act in the face of major or unexpected developments.
Others also won’t be able to help you if you keep everything bottled up inside.
Case in point: the other day, an acquaintance of mine at the local CrossFit gym (let’s refer to her as “C”) asked me how I was doing. I’d been feeling down because of some personal disappointments, and I could easily have withheld them. C and I have only known each other a brief time, so why should I trust her with any element of my personal life?
Instead, I told C about some of what happened and was taken aback by how much she cared. Her words of encouragement meant a lot to me.
What you reap is what you sow, and no relationship of any kind can thrive without effort from both parties.
There’s no formula for human interaction, and I’m not trying to deputize myself as some kind of guru in that department. Yet I think we’d all benefit from being authentic with each other, so long as we do it wisely and appropriately. n dsong@piquenewsmagazine.com
You might have read my column from last May, titled, “Your opinion doesn’t matter.” In it, I argue we all tend to treat our own viewpoints as authoritative, which hinders us from true growth. After all, it is much easier
Nor are we obligated to be a best friend or therapist to everyone who crosses our paths. Each of us has only so much time and bandwidth to invest in others, and there will always be people we’re unable to build deep
‘This is a town that is really struggling’
WCSS NUMBERS SHOW INCREASED DONATIONS—AND INCREASED USE OF SERVICES
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
THE WHISTLER COMMUNITY Services Society (WCSS) AGM on Sept. 11 offered a lookin at the state of need in the community, with numbers showing increased usage of the various programs offered.
The AGM showcased the people behind WCSS and a year of activity—and numbers that revealed increasing donations and increasing need.
“This past year was pretty rock and roll with demand for our services through the roof,” said outgoing chair of the WCSS board, Steve Aikins, in comments at the AGM.
“Outreach services are up, [and] breakfast servings are up 30 per cent, closing in on 100,000 servings.”
Also of note, Aikins reported use of the food bank was up by 34 per cent in the previous financial year—but the current financial year is seeing seemingly sustained growth, too.
“We thought last year was crazy, [this year] food bank visits are up by 45 per cent, outreach by 30 per cent … So again, another huge challenge,” he said, saying WCSS was running on budget as of the end of August, but it would be a challenge to end the year the same.
Aikins noted WCSS has become a staple for many in Whistler over the last few years.
“The food bank was overrun during COVID. The first four months of this year,
we’re serving almost three times the number of clients that we did during COVID—how is that even possible?” he said. “This is a town that is really struggling, and it’s a shame to see, [but] it’s also really beautiful to see how WCSS has become a rock for this community.”
The numbers showcase a story of increased need—but also increased giving by the community.
In raw numbers, total revenues over the last three years have continued to climb year-on-year thanks to the three pillars of revenue sources: The WCSS thrift stores, non-government donations, and government donations.
costs are up, supplies are up, wages are up,” said WCSS financial controller Jason Fleming in explaining the numbers.
“Everything has gotten expensive in the last few years, and nothing has been different for WCSS.”
With expenses factored in, the numbers wash out to a deficit of $59,685 for 2024 after WCSS posted a surplus of $256,050 in 2023.
While the thrift stores are bringing in more revenue, they’re also costing more to run. In 2023, their run of costs was $1.42 million, and in 2024 it was up to $1.66 million. Likewise, program costs went from $1.55 million in 2023 to $1.74 million in 2024. General and
“[W]e’re serving almost three times the number of clients that we did during COVID—how is that even possible?”
- STEVE AIKINS
According to WCSS’ financial statements, thrift-store revenues were at $2.23 million in 2024, up from $2.07 million in 2023.
Donations from non-government sources were up, at $1.06 million (compared to $1.01 million the year prior), while government contributions from all three levels of government were down as the pandemic receded.
Overall, revenues stood at $3.49 million for 2024, up from $3.37 in 2023.
“Everything has gone up—this has been the same for everyone in their normal lives. Whether you have a business, at your home,
administrative expenses also saw a bump, from $136,000 in 2023, to $152,000 in 2024.
Fleming explained that “program costs are really scaling up with demand from the community,” but added there were plenty of wins, too, with the annual “Nightwalk” doubling the amount raised in only a year.
While the numbers shared Sept. 11 were for the previous financial year, Fleming echoed sentiments by Aikins that this year is much the same.
“Looking forward for this fiscal year … we’re kind of seeing the same as the
previous year,” he said. “There’s still a lot of demand, and there’s a lot coming in from the community so we want to thank everybody for shopping at the stores, for donating your time, your talent, your treasure, whatever it may be. The community needs it, so thank you.” WCSS is able to run deficits because it operates under non-profit best practices of maintaining reserves of operating costs to ensure it can continue keeping its doors open even when financial situations change.
Speaking with Pique afterwards, executive director of WCSS, Jackie Dickinson, said the organization continues to see housing acting as the main reason people use WCSS’ services.
“What we do know is the primary reason people come to the food bank is related to a lack of affordable housing, and that has changed,” she said.
“Pre-pandemic, the reason people came to us was illness and injury. It’s still one of our top-three reasons, but we know a lack of affordability is the primary reason that’s affecting everybody. Every part of our community, from senior citizens to newborn babies, the common theme is lack of affordable housing.”
Dickinson said trends for this year show usage of WCSS’ various programs is the same, and even trending higher.
“So that’s going to require more revenue,” she said.
“The fact our financial situation has been different in previous years is what’s allowing us to keep this engine going. It’s important to bring awareness that the financial scorecard has changed for WCSS, and so we’re going to have to think differently about how we raise revenue for our programming, but it will never come at the expense of people not getting the help they need.” n
FEED THE NEED Executive director Jackie Dickinson (right) introduces Whistler Community Services Society staff at the 2024 AGM.
PHOTO BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
NEWS WHISTLER
‘A great honour’: RMOW to award Freedom of the Municipality to two community members
HUGH SMYTHE AND NANCY WILHELM-MORDEN WILL RECEIVE TOP HONOURS FROM THE MUNICIPALITY
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
TWO UPSTANDING members of the Whistler community are in line to receive recognition for their contributions over the years.
Community builder Hugh Smythe and former Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden will receive the Freedom of the Municipality at the Oct. 22 regular council meeting.
In inviting the community to attend, Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton described both Smythe and Wilhelm-Morden as integral to what Whistler is today.
“The freedom of the municipality honours citizens for their outstanding contributions to the community. It’s the highest honour that a municipality can award a resident,” he said at the Sept. 10 council meeting. Previous recipients include former mayors, council members, and pioneers of Whistler.
“Hugh is recognized for his visionary work positioning Whistler as a world leader in the ski industry, he is on the wall in the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame, and he’s recognized around the world as a real leader in the ski business,” said Crompton.
“Nancy has gone from Whistler squatter to being awarded Queen’s Counsel as a lawyer. She was Whistler’s first female mayor, she was the recipient of the YWCA women of distinction award, she was a big part of starting the community foundation of Whistler and so many other things that make this town a better place.”
Responding to the news they’d be getting the awards, both recipients expressed
gratitude for the recognition.
“I’ve lived in Whistler for 50 years,” said Wilhelm-Morden.
“My husband and I have worked our entire lives here; raised our children here. Along the way I have tried my best to give back to the community I love. It is a great honour to receive this award. I hope it inspires future community leaders and in particular young women to know they can make a difference,” she said.
Smythe said the news he will receive the award came as a surprise.
“It actually took a while to fully sink in,” he said in a statement to Pique
“I am incredibly humbled to be joining this esteemed group of people who have shaped so much of Whistler in such a variety of ways since its very earliest beginnings. This deeply appreciated recognition really belongs to all the people I worked alongside over the years, at both mountains, going all the way back to 1966.
“Everything we contributed in making Whistler such an amazing place to ski, work, live and play was a team effort among a whole lot of people passionate about our wonderful mountains and the opportunities for our community.”
Both Smythe and Wilhelm-Morden will receive the Freedom of the Municipality at the Oct. 22 regular council meeting, held at the Maury Young Arts Centre, in the Franz Wilhelmsen Theatre. Council meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. (Franz Wilhelmsen was another recipient of the award.)
“You’re all invited,” said Crompton. “Please come out, we’re going to celebrate them well on Oct. 22.” n
• Contested and Uncontested Divorce • Asset and Property Division
• Asset and Property Division • Parenting Arrangements
• Child and Spousal Support • Chi d and Spousal Support
• Court Applications • Separat on Agreements
We can also help with Marriage Agreements (often called pre-nuptials) and Cohabitat on Agreements
CALL FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS
Applications are now being accepted for our October 1, 2024 Fall Funding Deadline.
The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation is dedicated to providing financial support to community groups and charities whose activities provide benefit to residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor in the areas of health, human services, education, recreation, arts & culture and the environment. Special emphasis is placed on children, youth and family programs For more information, eligibility requirements and to complete an application, please visit our website at whistlerblackcombfoundation.com, Or contact Mei Madden, Executive Director at mmadden@whistlerblackcombfoundation.com
FREE FOR ALL Hugh Smythe and Nancy Wilhelm-Morden will receive the Freedom of the Municipality from the RMOW on Oct. 22.
KARIN EMOND
No policy change on a single study, but RMOW accepts fuel-thinning paper
MAYOR JACK CROMPTON AND RMOW STAFF WELCOMED
A LOCALLY SOURCED RESEARCH PAPER INTO FUEL-THINNING IN WHISTLER’S FORESTS, BUT SAID THERE IS MORE TO FIRE MITIGATION THAN THINNING ALONE
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
WHISTLER’S MAYOR and council has formally referred an independent local study into the effects of fuel-thinning to its staff after its author submitted it to them with a request the practice be stopped—but told her one study was unlikely to change policy on the matter.
Speaking at the Sept. 10 regular council meeting during the public comment period, Rhonda Millikin, a retired ecologist, submitted her self-funded, peer-reviewed study and stressed the weight of the work put in, and the implications of its findings.
“Fuel-thinning compromises the natural resilience of Whistler’s forest to wildfire,” she said.
“Fuel-thinning increases solar radiation, wind speed and ambient air temperature, and decreases relative humidity and dead fuel moisture … The combined effect that we observed was a 58-per-cent increase in wildfire potential in spring, and a 37-per-cent increase in wildfire potential in late summer.”
Millikin’s study, co-authored by herself, a fire scientist, and a professor of statistics, was published in August after years of research and review. Shared with media
after publication, the study tested Millikin’s hypothesis that fuel-thinning—being the removal of undergrowth in a bid to reduce fuel for potential fires—had the opposite effect to its stated goal. Fuel-thinning is a widespread practice, and in Whistler is part of wider wildfire mitigation efforts.
In submitting her study, Millikin challenged Whistler’s council by asking what else was needed to stop the practice.
In response, Mayor Jack Crompton said the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) accepted a lot of input on fire safety and would be referring the study to staff for them to dig into, but added the results of one study are not enough to change course.
“We’re not going to be making policy based on a single paper. We’re going to be making policy based on the best information we can collect from experts in the field and from our professional staff here,” he said.
Millikin pressed on, asking the RMOW to divert funding from fuel-thinning to establish “green breaks” and sprinklers on the edges of the community, and criticizing the science behind FireSmart, which is another component of Whistler’s wildfire mitigation efforts aimed at properties in the community, encouraging fuel-thinning in neighbourhoods.
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“The current practices for FireSmart are based on principles of fuel-thinning, and as such, our paper … also justifies a stop of FireSmart while we pilot green fuel breaks, rainwater catchment and sprinklers,” she said.
She suggested incentives move away from FireSmarting of property, to encouraging rainwater catchment, sprinklers, and green fuel breaks on private property instead.
Crompton said policy changes can’t be made on such short notice, while the RMOW’s general manager of climate action, planning and development services, Dale Mikkelsen, spoke about the RMOW’s fuel-thinning monitoring program, which is ongoing and expected to be complete by the end of 2025. That data will inform whether the program needs to be updated.
Mikkelsen stressed that fuel-thinning is one part of the overall wildfire mitigation works at the RMOW, and added they welcomed the study by Millikin into the procedure as important information.
“Fuel-thinning and FireSmarting is a new process for all of us,” he said. “It’s something that we’re invested in and the safety of the community is very important to us, so this research is an important addendum to the work we’re doing and we look forward to reviewing that.”
After the public comment period, and in receiving the study and referring it to staff for review, councillors were receptive to the work done, but expressed some misgivings about the reliance on the community’s limited water in sprinkler systems for fire security.
Councillor Cathy Jewett said the RMOW has “limited resources” as far as that idea goes, but added non-potable water used in irrigation for parks is in use already. “That’s something we certainly need to do more of,” she said.
Coun. Arthur De Jong said he appreciated the science, but went on to say frontline experiences point to the effectiveness of fuelthinning.
“There’s science, but there’s also the experiences from the frontline,” he said, using the 2015 Elaho fire as an example.
“The fire experts came to me and they said Coastal fire behaviour has changed, the fires now … burnt into mineral soil. They advised me I had to rethink the safety of our ski area.”
De Jong was previously the senior manager of planning and environment with Whistler Blackcomb, and spoke of some of the efforts made to ensure fire security, which included fuel-thinning on certain parts of the mountain.
“We’ve had some active fires, especially SEE PAGE 16 >>
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Rebecca Belmore is an internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist. Rooted in the political and social realities of Indigenous communities, Belmore’s works make evocative connections between bodies, land, and language. A member of the Lac Seul First Nation on traditional Anishinaabe territories in Northwestern Ontario, her performative practice focuses on issues of place and identity while confronting contemporary challenges faced by indigenous peoples throughout North America.
Belmore’s work has been exhibited at the Polygon Gallery, Audain Art Museum, Grunt Gallery, Vancouver Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Ontario, and National Gallery of Canada, as well as internationally in the United States, Mexico, Cuba, Germany, Greece and Australia.
In 2005, she was Canada’s official representative at the Venice Biennale where she created Fountain for the Canadian Pavilion. She was also commissioned by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, in 2014, to produce an original work entitled trace , which consists of a blanket of hand pressed clay beads. As a performance-installation based artist, Belmore’s places of residence have oscilated between Vancouver and Toronto over the course of her extensive practice.
Throughout her career Rebecca Belmore has received multiple awards, including the Jack and Doris Shadbolt Foundation’s VIVA Award (2004), the Hnatyshyn Visual Arts Award (2009), the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts (2013), the Gershon Iskowitz Prize (2016), and Honorary Doctorates from Ontario College of Art & Design University (2005) and Emily Carr University of Art + Design (2017).
The Audain Prize for the visual arts is one of Canada’s most prestigious honours. Worth $100,000, the prize is awarded to a senior artist in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the arts. Recipients of the Audain Prize are highly acclaimed Canadian cultural icons. Since 2004, the Audain Prize has been awarded to 19 of British Columbia’s leading visual artists, selected each year by an independent jury.
THE COMMUNITY WORKS FUND WILL CONTINUE ALL THE WAY TO 2034
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
THE CASH WILL CONTINUE to flow from provincial coffers into Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) pockets after the province renewed a long-standing funding agreement with local governments.
The Community Works Fund agreement (CWF) is a 10-year agreement between individual municipalities, the province, and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), which will vend out $1.6 billion in federal funding handed to the province over the course of the agreement.
Under the agreement signed by the RMOW, Whistler is set to receive more than $700,000 annually for the next five years. Future projections beyond five years are not yet out, but the money is divided between all of British Columbia’s municipalities and regional districts based on population.
Money from the CWF can be spent on a wide range of municipal projects, with the scope of spending expanded under the 20242034 renewed agreement.
According to the program guide from UBCM, municipalities can now spend the funds on more things such as an expansion of the definition of projects that come under “resilience,” meaning Whistler can now spend
the money on new construction of public infrastructure intended to prevent, mitigate, or protect against the impacts of climate change, natural hazards or extreme weather— meaning fires.
Additionally, the funds can be spent on fire trucks as stand-alone expenses, feasibility studies, and detailed design projects can be
“[W]e’ll be looking at a broad range of possible uses...”
- RMOW
funded without having a shovel-ready project at the other end. Housing needs reports also qualify under the new rules.
That’s moot for now in the RMOW, though, with CWF funds to Whistler spoken for on an ongoing basis, having been earmarked for solid waste programs for years.
“In the past, we’ve used these funds to support projects related to solid waste, including the Whistler Landfill reconstruction, the compost facility upgrade, and improvements to streetscape waste collection in Whistler,” said a communications official
Notice of Proposed Zoning andParking AmendmentBylaw -NoPublicHearing to be held
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
Formoreinformation visit: whistler.ca
Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca
in an email to Pique.
“As part of the 2025 budget process, we’ll be looking at a broad range of possible uses for these funds and identifying priorities that align with the opportunities outlined in the program guide.”
On the paper trail side of things, local governments have new requirements on reporting as required by the agreement, with annual reporting on each project now expected to include standardized output metrics (such as metres of road, metres of pipe or number of facilities), potentially as a means for the provincial government to track and collate the overall effectiveness of
FUEL-THINNING FROM PAGE 14
in the Crystal Zone, where we’ve been able to watch the fire behaviour move through thinned areas … We’ve found that [fuelthinning has] given us a lot more capacity to fight the fires,” he said, explaining while stopping a fire in the canopy is difficult, in thinned areas it was easier to get to the fire.
“We need to take this science, I think it will help us adapt better where we need to do the interface thinning and where not to, so I certainly receive it with open arms,” he said.
the program, rather than just through dollars spent. Municipalities will also need to report outcomes of each project.
Other communities in the Sea to Sky have also received new CWF agreements. The District of Squamish is set to receive nearly $1.15 million annually starting this year under the agreement, while the Village of Pemberton, with a smaller population, receives $218,000. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District receives more than $380,000 annually.
Whistler’s mayor and council signed off on the new agreement and reporting requirements at the Sept. 10 regular council meeting. n
“With the climate research that I’ve done, when our temperatures over the next 20 to 40 years go up three to five, six degrees C, we will be in more of an Interior climate,” he said. “So there’s a lot more to discuss here, but certainly the experiences from the frontline are very compelling, that when fuel-thinning is done at locations, it really makes a difference.”
Councillors voted unanimously to receive the study from Millikin, and refer it to staff. n
Lastly, he spoke of the impact of climate change on the region. The Coastal forest, he said, was unlikely to have the characteristics of a Coastal forest with higher humidity for much longer—but rather, Interior forests.
Resor t Municipality of Whistler Notice | Tax Sale Proper ties
Pursuant to Section 645 of the Local Government Act, the properties listed below will be offered for sale by public auction on Monday, October 07, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. in the Flute Room of Municipal Hall at 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC , unless delinquent taxes plus interest are paid Payment for either the settlement of outstanding taxes prior to tax sale, or purchase of property at tax sale must be CASH or CERTIFIED FUNDS.
Those who wish to bid on properties must register between 9:30 a.m. and 9:50 a.m. on Monday, October 07, 2024 at Municipal Hall. Photo ID is required for registration
Please note that under Section 648 of the Local Government Act a person authorized by Council may bid for the municipality at the tax sale up to a maximum amount set by Council Any person being declared the tax sale purchaser must pay the fu ll amount of the purchase price by 1:00 p.m. the same day. Failure to pay will result in the property being offered for sale again.
Property purchased at tax sale is subject to redemption by the registered property owner within one year from the day the annual tax sale began. Redemption price will be the upset price at the time of tax sale, plus required maintenance costs, plus any taxes paid by the purchaser, plus interest at rates established under section 11( 3) of the Taxation Act on the preceding and any surplus bid.
Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca
Whistler rallies around Dan DesBecquets
THE LONGTIME RESIDENT IS BATTLING A RARE FORM OF CANCER, BURKITT-LIKE LYMPHOMA
BY LIZ MCDONALD
DAN DESBECQUETS was living a healthy albeit hectic life, riding his bike in Squamish and Whistler, skateboarding and waterskiing, working for Whistler Blackcomb, and raising two kids with his wife. Then, he discovered a small lump under his armpit while putting on deodorant.
After a few days, the size didn’t reduce, and he went to the clinic. What doctors originally thought was an infected sweat gland turned out to be aggressive B-cell Lymphoma, classified as “Burkitt-like lymphoma.”
Burkitt lymphoma cancer is rare, affecting 2.5 people in every million adults. Burkittlike lymphoma is even rarer. DesBecquets’ lump presentation was atypical, he said in an email, which he composed in bed from the BC Cancer care centre in Vancouver.
“Normally, people would have symptoms like fever, weight loss or night sweats and by that point they are very sick, with the cancer most likely in their organs, brain, bone marrow and other parts of their body. I however had none of those,” he wrote.
“I was very lucky to have the lump in my armpit present as the first sign and also very lucky that the doctors looked after me as well as they did on my initial visit to the ER. I was
told that normally young people can miss the signs as they are young and healthy, and their symptoms may not be as obvious.”
DesBecquets has been in hospital since May for treatment, and he described the leadup to his stay as “surreal.”
His doctors told him to do what he enjoyed before moving to the hospital, so he rode his bike in Squamish with friends, and then his wife Nicole and their two kids joined him for a ride at Lost Lake. The 39-year-old was jumping on his trampoline and having a birthday party with goodbye drinks before getting admitted May 22.
“To be told you have aggressive cancer while having no symptoms is difficult for the brain to accept. Now that I’m in the hospital, it seems normal,” he explained.
CHANGING ROUTINES WITH CANCER
In response to the news, his friend, Thomas Thacker, organized a GoFundMe for DesBecquets. With more than $55,000 raised, it has already surpassed the initial goal of $20,000. The money will offset the financial burden on DesBecquets’ family so he can fully focus on treatment.
The fundraiser came as a surprise to his family, and DesBecquets said the organizer, Thacker, has “a heart of gold.”
Resort Municipality of Whistler NOTICE | 2025 Council Meeting Dates
Council will meet in the Franz Wilhelmsen Theatre at Maury Young Arts Centre, 4335 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, British Columbia, starting at 5:30 p.m. on the following Tuesdays in 2025:
January 7
January 21
April 8
April 29
July 8
July 22
October 7
October 21
February 4
February 25
May 13
May 27
August 12
March 11
March 25
June 10
June 24
September 2
September 16
November 4 November 18 December 2 December 16
Notice of the 2025 Council Meeting Schedule is given in accordance with sections 94 and 127 of the Community Charter.
Pauline Lysaght, Corporate Officer
Resort Municipality of Whistler Whistler.ca/councilmeetings
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
DesBecquets moved to Whistler at 18, pursuing the well-trodden path many have sought before him—riding and partying. Eventually, his priorities shifted, but his passion for outdoor activities and the community in Whistler did not. The change of pace has given him a lot of time to think about life.
“The biggest change in my life has been the amount of time that I have not been able to spend with my kids… The other major change to my life that cancer has brought, be it good or bad, is the amount of time that I have to sit back and think about life,” he wrote.
He’ll spend four to six months in the hospital in total, undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy before moving to a bone marrow transplant ward, where he is now. His wife, Nicole, visits him daily, driving the Sea to Sky highway from Whistler and arriving with a smoothie in hand.
Whenever he’s up to the task, he goes outside and walks laps on the patio outside his ward or plays lawn games his wife brought to the hospital.
“I think being active has played a huge part in how well my treatment has gone so far. When the weather is not as nice, or when I’m too tired, I keep myself busy by doing puzzles, Sudoku and reading a good book that friends have kindly dropped off,” he wrote about his days in the hospital.
“Before, it was always go, go, go. Now I have nothing but time to think and talk about the things happening in my life and the ‘whatifs.’ I think it’s important to talk about the positive AND negative things happening in your life, it clears your brain and allows you to process what’s happening in a better way.”
While DesBecquets is working on overcoming his diagnosis, countless people stepped up to the plate to help him through the journey.
He called his wife, Nicole, a superhero for advocating for him in the medical system, taking notes at appointments and driving back and forth from Whistler to Vancouver every day. She has owned Whistler Hat Gallery for 18 years, and her staff have made sure she can
SEE PAGE 20 >>
FIGHTING SPIRIT Dan DesBecquets and his wife Nicole, with their two children, Gabe and Andi. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN DESBECQUETS
Zero Ceiling gets five new ceilings to house Whistler youth
THE LOCAL NON-PROFIT HAS SECURED FIVE UNITS IN THE NEW WVHS BUILDING IN CHEAKAMUS CROSSING
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
WHISTLER’S OWN Zero Ceiling is one of the lucky new tenants of the Whistler Valley Housing Society’s (WVHS) new building in Cheakamus Crossing, allowing the social non-profit to house eight young people in the community.
“For the last five years we have been working with the Resort Municipality of Whistler and the community at large to find Zero Ceiling a stable home in Whistler, and our long search is over,” said co-executive director of Zero Ceiling, Sean Easton.
“We have been in conversation with WVHS as they worked hard to bring more affordable housing to Whistler. Zero Ceiling is a grateful recipient of five units, housing eight program participants. These new units are in addition to a three-bedroom WHA unit that Zero Ceiling has had since 2021,” he said.
The WVHS cut the ribbon on its new 30-unit building—The Nest—in Cheakamus Crossing in July, following a rapid construction period.
“We are so proud of the heightened standard of living that we can provide to our program’s community members,” said Easton.
“This move has also provided the
opportunity for us to serve more people— increasing the number of people we can support, from nine to 11. We are housing more people for the same amount of rent, and it is a huge relief to no longer rely on private market rentals.”
Easton said Zero Ceiling could house program participants in the units for only $500 a month thanks to federal government support, “bringing true social housing to Whistler.
“As we settle into our new homes, we are preparing to welcome five new community members into our program this fall in preparation for the winter season,” he said.
Easton and Zero Ceiling expressed
GET WITH THE PROGRAM One of Zero Ceiling’s new units in the WVHS building in Cheakamus Crossing, Whistler, complete with all-new IKEA furniture thanks to a Whistler Blackcomb Foundation grant.
DAN DESBECQUETS FROM PAGE 18
take time away and focus on her family.
Extended family flew from Australia to help, and DesBecquets’ coworkers at Whistler Blackcomb have helped in myriad ways, whether it was raising money as individuals, chopping and stacking wood all summer, or taking care of programming for his kids in ski and bike schools, to name just a few ways they’ve pitched in.
“Over the years, people have often commented that Whistler isn’t the same as it used to be. Like most towns, Whistler probably
has changed, but when you’re in need, this town rallies like no other,” he said. “While it has changed in many ways, the heart is still there, and Nicole and I have seen this firsthand during this period.”
‘MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE IS HEARD’
Since being diagnosed with cancer, DesBecquets wants to highlight how important it is to tune into your body and act if something doesn’t feel right.
gratitude to the WVHS for working with them to provide housing, and to the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation for providing a grant to completely furnish the new units.
“We spent the month with the young people in our program essentially doing some life skills building IKEA furniture,” said Easton. The grant allowed the units to be fully furnished with all-new everything.
With the win, the non-profit has a new goal of raising $350,000 by the end of 2024 to support its services, with two fundraising events coming up.
The annual fundraising party will be held at Dusty’s on Oct. 19, while the end-of-year fundraising drive is ongoing. n
Because he quickly sought medical care, the cancer didn’t spread to his organs. He walked into the oncologist and stem cell doctors’ offices, which they aren’t used to seeing.
“If something doesn’t feel right, get another opinion. If you feel the wait is too long, call other hospitals, or ask about private options,” he wrote. “Throughout my diagnosis period, we pushed to get things done earlier by following up with doctors on tests, not waiting and falling through the cracks. You need to make sure your voice is heard.” n
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ZERO CEILING
A bloomin’ good time amongst Whistler’s wildflowers
WHILE THE WILDFLOWER SEASON IS ENDING, LOCALS CAN HELP PRESERVE THE SEASONS TO COME BY LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE FLORA AROUND US
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
FROM THE VALLEY FLOOR through to the high alpine, you don’t need to be an outdoor enthusiast to enjoy the wildflowers that bring a healthy dash of colour to Whistler in the warmer months.
Besides looking down at the trail and up to the meadows, flowers dominate social media for a hot minute every year. Whistler Blackcomb, for its part, leans into the attraction, and wildflowers count as a key draw for the region overall.
Marc Bourdon, who has researched and authored guidebooks for hikers in the area, suggested that besides everywhere, hikers can find the best wildflowers in a handful of areas, such as the trail between Taylor Meadows to Helm Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park; the meadows around Helm Lake; Brandywine Meadows; the meadows along Conflict Lake in the Callaghan Conservancy; the south-side traverse of the High Note trail on Whistler; Singing Pass and the area around Russet Lake between Blackcomb and Whistler; and the meadows above Semaphore Lakes off the Duffy northwest of Pemberton.
“You can find wildflowers all across the valley at all elevations depending on the time of year,” he said.
Whistler itself offers a unique opportunity in that people can take ski lifts into the subalpine and alpine terrain.
“Normally, to view the best wildflowers, you have to be willing to hike into the alpine, which can be fairly strenuous and long depending on the area and trail,” Bourdon said.
While it’s September and the wildflowers are winding down, Bourdon said the annual
year to year, often by a couple of weeks or more. Sunny, moist meadows in the subalpine tend to show the greatest diversity of flowers.”
While there’s lots of colours to enjoy during wildflower season, Whistler as a whole is host to some invasive species that are worth knowing about and keeping an eye out for. Flowers such as the orange hawkweed, common foxglove and bachelor’s button (orange, pink and blue) might offer bright
“You can find wildflowers all across the valley at all elevations...”
- MARC BOURDON
bloom runs from low to high elevation, from south to north—so you’ve got a good chance to see something for quite a few months, depending on your willingness to go out of your way.
“In Whistler, flowers typically start to appear in the valley in April or May, but this very much depends on the year—how much snow is down low and what are the spring temperatures?” he said. “The peak alpine wildflower bloom in Garibaldi Park (and around Whistler in general) typically occurs in mid to late July, but again this varies from
colours to the local spectrum, but they are damaging additions to the natural landscape hiding in plain sight.
Claude-Anne Godbout-Gauthier of the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council (SSISC) said the quality of the environment and the likelihood of invasive flowers hiding amongst the wildflowers comes down to how welltravelled an area is.
“We tend to see more invasive species along what we call built environments—lots that are under construction, built trails and parks,” she said.
“Largely because they’re being moved by shoes, moved around by construction, or the changes in the built environment. It’s also because invasives are more adaptable than other typical native plants, so they’re able to thrive in less-than-ideal conditions like gravel or dry conditions.”
COMMUNITY SCIENCE
Up in the alpine, conditions remain good, however—but Godbout-Gauthier said organizations like the SSISC need more eyes on the ground to know more about how healthy the environment is. Lucky for them, there are lots of outdoorsy folks in the region.
“We rely on what we call community science because we need other eyes on the ground,” she said.
“I think of them as adventurers in general—to play outside is very useful. We love to get in touch with them because they tend to be into nature anyway; if we can put a bug in their ear that there’s some intruders they can keep an eye out for, they can let us know.”
More data means a better environment, and the adventurous folks can help preserve the area by reading up on invasive species.
“Being curious about the flora that’s
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<< FROM PAGE 22
around us and recognizing invasive wildflowers is really the first step to helping stop their spread,” said Godbout-Gauthier.
“So by recognizing invasive wildflowers people can act as our eyes on the ground to help us better understand the distribution of those plant species. It’s a question of community science—they can help with information, help inform prioritization and help inform a plan of attack for later on. In that sense, plant identification is really the first step, and with that comes the ability to report them.”
Hikers can download apps such as iNaturalist, or go through the SSISC website to report sightings of invasive species taking root in the region. The iNaturalist app teaches users about what sort of flora they are looking at, and can alert users to whether it’s invasive or native. Data collected can be used by SSISC.
“From the user’s end, it’s a neat way to understand what you’re looking at, and for the scientists that use that data it’s beneficial, obviously,” Godbout-Gauthier said.
For those with green thumbs who want to get involved, Pique asked the devil’s advocate question: Why not just pull out invasive species when you see it?
Godbout-Gauthier cautioned against just ripping out any invasive species you see, whether it be around town, on a trail or in the backcountry.
“For one, you may or may not be on land where you’re allowed to do that,” she said.
“It’s very important to get the permission of the landowner or manager before taking things into your own hands, because it’s also their responsibility to handle that. We don’t want any vigilante, guerrilla gardening happening.
“The second thing is that it might not actually be effective—depending on the plant, it may be detrimental. Some plants have root systems such that they can start again from just a fragment of root, and then they come out with a vengeance. By pulling out one plant you may be doing more damage than otherwise. Then the question is what are you going to do with this plant that you just pulled up? If you were to dispose of it responsibly you have to take it with you, and odds are that may not happen.”
Instead, Godbout-Gauthier asked eager
locals to lean in to what the SSISC does best.
“When you spot something invasive, instead of taking things into your own hands and pulling it up, you should report it,” she said. “It’s an incentive for us and other folks to go and look into it and get a better sense of the plant distribution. It might allow us to discover that it’s a bigger problem than we thought, which we wouldn’t have found out about if you’d just pulled a plant and kept it to yourself.”
ACTIONS TO TAKE TODAY
While the region is host to immense biodiversity in wildflowers, there are also many different invasive plants creeping into the region.
The SSISC doesn’t want to blast everyone with warnings about everything all the time, so Godbout-Gauthier said instead, they focus their messaging on plants at different times of the year.
Outdoor recreators don’t have to do much to help out, besides reporting.
“There’s also steps that people can take whether they know if there’s invasive species around or not, such as cautionary, preventative steps,” she said. “There’s a program called ‘play, clean, go’ that targets people who play outside, whether it’s hiking, horseback riding, dog walking, mountain biking—the goal is to play, clean your gear to make sure there’s no plant parts or plant seeds, and then go on your merry way to your next adventure.
“Those are preventative. Whether you know you’ve encountered an invasive plant on your hike or not, it’s just good practice. It’s fairly low effort and easy to do. Anyone can do it.”
The SSISC works with partners across the Sea to Sky, and closely here in Whistler, where while the draw of wildflowers is hard to measure in tourism, it still plays a part in the quality of the natural environment around us.
“There’s no ecotourism if there’s no eco to look at, and not just look at but experience,” said Godbout-Gauthier.
“Culturally it has a huge impact, and there would be huge repercussions to lose that. I’m not sure you can disentangle the Whistler community from its surrounding environment. It’s our responsibility as a community to sustain the environment.” n
STAY WILD Wildflowers are a major draw in the Whistler area over summer.
PHOTO BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
Raising the number of roofs in Pemberton
SHOULD
POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS
BREAK GROUND, THE VILLAGE WILL EXCEED EXPECTED NEED IN FIVE- AND 20-YEAR
SCENARIOS
BY LIZ MCDONALD
PEMBERTON’S INTERIM housing needs report predicts the village could have a surplus of units in the next five to 20 years.
The Village of Pemberton (VOP) heard the report during its regular council meeting Sept. 10. The report is legislatively required because of amendments to the Local Government Act, and Pemberton’s was finished well ahead of the Jan. 1, 2025 deadline set by the province.
Angus Kwan, a summer student working with the village’s planning department, presented the report.
“The purpose of these reports is to help provide an understanding of current and future housing needs and the different nuances surrounding housing,” Kwan said.
“These documents are critical in developing a housing strategy for Pemberton. Most importantly in the interim report are the five- and 20-year housing projections, which are calculated using a methodology prescribed by the province. This methodology is made up of six different components added together to determine the required number of housing units needed over each period.”
It’s unclear how this requirement will play out with Pemberton’s OCP, as it has been on hold for a year to foster relationship with the Lil’wat Nation.
The provincial method includes six components to calculate needs: units needed “to reduce extreme core housing
The report standardizes methods for determining housing needs in municipalities and regional districts, and requires their update every five years thereafter. Municipalities are required to update zoning bylaws and official community plans (OCP) to accommodate the identified number of units needed by Dec. 31, 2025.
UNITS BY PROVINCIAL COMPONENTS
Both forecasts break down the number of units needed for each of the six components.
In five years, it is estimated 11 units are necessary for extreme core housing need, four units to counter homelessness, 32 for suppressed household formation, 175 for anticipated household growth, two units to meet the rental vacancy rate and 47 for a demand buffer, which totals 271 units needed in the next five years.
The outlook for the next 20 years shows Pemberton will need 46 units for people
“[H]opefully we’ll be able to continue providing [for] the important gaps in our housing.”
- MIKE RICHMAN
need,” which is when someone pays more than 50 per cent of income for their home; units to reduce homelessness; units to counter “suppressed household formation,” which means households that would have formed but didn’t because the cost of living suppresses their ability to do so; supply to meet the next five to 20 years; enough places to get the vacancy rate to three per cent; and “units to meet local demand.”
The number of units needed by 2029 is calculated to be 271, and in 20 years, it is calculated 1,076 units are necessary.
with extreme core housing needs, nine units for homelessness, 128 units for suppressed households to form, 699 units allotted for anticipated household growth, eight for rental vacancy rate and a buffer of 186, equalling 1,076 units by 2044.
To meet the needs, Kwan said staff audited what is available in the village’s jurisdiction and ultimately found a potential oversupply of future housing.
“Village staff had done an audit of the land in the village’s jurisdiction, an audit of current and upcoming development and building activity, and have looked at forecasts in our pre-
zoning initiatives to determine where the village stands meeting the housing requirements mandated by the province,” Kwan explained.
Staff found more than 500 potential available units for single-family homes and secondary suites on vacant residential lots and lots with space for additional units.
“In the development pipeline, over 1,500 units are being anticipated for projects currently under construction, and those going through the application process,” Kwan said.
“An early look at the village’s pre-zoning initiatives gives us a rough approximation of an additional 1,400 units if single-family lots are upzoned to allow four dwelling units, and this number could be much higher if parcels near the downtown area are upzoned for higher density as well.
“The village is in a unique situation of having an oversupply of housing coming in and is in a healthy position in meeting the five- and 20-year housing requirements from the province.”
The good news comes with a caveat.
Mayor Mike Richman noted while the report is promising, lingering questions remain around developers following through and what the housing market will do.
“It’s encouraging to know that we have the ability to potentially provide [this housing]. We know that market and other factors do come in. We’ve seen some potential developments start making movements, and then pull back,” he said. “So, I’m hopeful … this is super informative and super helpful for the work that we have ahead, and hopefully we’ll be able to continue providing [for] the important gaps in our housing.” n
Pemberton’s annual drinking water data revealed
WHILE CONSUMPTION IS STAYING STEADY, MANGANESE CONTINUES TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE
BY LIZ MCDONALD
PEMBERTON’S WATER consumption levels and quality from 2023 were on display at the Village of Pemberton’s (VOP) regular council meeting on Sept. 10.
The report, which covers water quality and water use, showed water consumption last year was slightly down compared with 2022, and there are lingering issues with manganese.
PEMBERTON’S WATER USE
The average daily flow in 2023 was 2,052 cubic metres, about on par with the 2,055 cubic metres measured daily in 2022.
In total, the VOP consumed 748,115 cubic metres of water in 2023. Broken down by Pemberton’s 2021 population (3,407), that’s 219.58 cubic metres per year, per person.
High-use water days saw residents turning on the taps and using about 4,034 cubic metres, down from the year before. However, since the number of high-use days
MAC on infants due to the sensitivity of that population, but notes the limit is valuable for all Canadians. Health Canada’s MAC for the mineral is 120 µg/L.
The average of 11 samplings shows manganese levels for wells two and three were 88.4 µg/L and 47.5 µg/L, respectively, for 2023.
The village also uses Health Canada’s aesthetic objective (AO) of 0.02 mg/L (20 µg/L), as the mineral discolours water, which causes concern from consumers.
Well two exceeded both criteria levels once, and well three exceeded the AO once.
The short-term solution for reducing manganese in local water is well redevelopment. Redevelopment means flushing a well and cleaning the filter screen that gets caked with minerals, according to Csima. Well two was redeveloped this year, and well three is on the horizon for 2025.
Despite the redevelopment of well two, which did improve the well’s efficiency, it didn’t completely remove manganese.
“The quality did not improve as much as we had hoped,” Csima said. “We were hoping that might help with some of the manganese
“The quality did not improve as much as we had hoped ... we’re keeping an eye [on it] and doing work on the treatment plant.”
- TOM CSIMA
has gone up, water use averages evened out year over year.
“We’ll start to see that number still go up as more properties get developed as well. But our water conservation efforts should be to bring down at least the high-day amounts,” said Tom Csima, manager of operations and projects, in presenting the report to council.
Other causes in variation aside from population growth, according to the report, include “climatic factors, conservation efforts and leak detection and repairs.”
PEMBERTON’S WATER QUALITY
Water chemistry testing found results for Pemberton’s water quality were within Health Canada’s Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC), but manganese is gradually increasing in wells two and three.
Manganese is naturally occurring, and present in water from rock and soil weathering or mining, industrial discharges and landfill leaching, according to Health Canada’s guidelines. Some studies show neurological effects from manganese in drinking water for children, and Health Canada bases its
levels. They did come down, but we’re not at zero … We’re keeping an eye [on it] and doing work on the treatment plant.”
In 2021, the VOP kicked off a preliminary study on its water-treatment system, and the report notes preliminary designs are coming in 2024 for a new water-treatment plant that can treat for manganese.
Other issues related to the local water supply include corrosive, low-pH water. Source water for Pemberton is naturally acidic, which can leach metals—like lead—from taps. The town adjusts pH levels to counter this, but it is still suggested by Vancouver Coastal Health to flush taps until water turns cold.
VCH has directed residents since 2015 to flush their pipes to prevent lead leaching into their drinking supply from pipes in homes, and Pique has documented the stories of concerned residents over the years.
The province requires municipalities to publish annual drinking water reports through the Action Plan for Safe Drinking Water in British Columbia (2002). The report is publicly available and submitted to VCH.
A video recording of the meeting is available on YouTube. n
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BC NDP’s third try at involuntary care may shape election stakes
BY ROB SHAW
and research added sophistication and medical expertise to the proposal.
PREMIER DAVID
EBY unveiled his plan
Sunday, Sept. 15 to place the most severely addicted, brain-damaged, street-entrenched people into involuntary long-term care—a detailed and reasonable proposal that, unfortunately for the BC NDP, may be four years, two premiers and two elections too late.
The second was the endorsement from three prominent First Nations leaders. The NDP’s original two attempts at involuntary care had none. On Sunday, the chiefs of the Katzie, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam nations said they support the initiative to save the lives of their members.
Eby announced legislative changes to expand forced treatment for those suffering concurrent mental health, brain injury and addictions issues, as well as new secure treatment facilities around the province, new secure wings inside B.C. prisons and new provisions to help parents assign youth into treatment against their will.
“What is apparent is that we cannot wait,” he said.
The proposal now has more money attached, locations identified for the first prison and community facilities, draft legislation in the works, data to underpin the conclusions and clinical guidelines for physicians—though all of it rests on the BC NDP winning re-election.
“I feel a huge urgency around these issues,” Eby said. “I wish we could have done this many years ago.”
“This is a group of people that need intensive, interventionist support. They are not able to ask for help for themselves. They will not benefit from voluntary treatment. They require somebody to step [in] and recognize that they lack the capacity to look after themselves, make decisions to keep themselves safe.”
If that sounds familiar it’s because the BC NDP have been promising, and then reneging, on the issue since 2020.
That’s when then-premier John Horgan first introduced involuntary care legislation to allow youth to be held in hospital for up to a week after an overdose to get proper addictions and mental-health supports.
“I believe this is an important bill because I’ve talked to parents who’ve lost children, and they wanted action,” Horgan said at the time.
“They wanted government to do something, so there was at least a legacy for the loss of a loved one in their family.”
But Horgan faced criticism from groups that said such a change could scare youth from seeking help, traumatize Indigenous people whose family members were previously held by the state, violate civil rights and leave kids more vulnerable to overdoses if they chose to keep using.
Horgan backed off in 2021.
Then Eby came along, making involuntary care a centrepiece of his 2022 BC NDP leadership bid.
“This policy of non-intervention is one that can’t continue,” he said at the time.
“If we can prevent some deaths and intervene earlier to support people, so that they at least have a shot, I think we should do it.”
Eby won the leadership and became premier. He faced off against the same critics as Horgan. Within four months, he backed down too.
In those intervening years, heartbreaking horror stories have piled up on the government.
Horgan was compelled to act after meeting families like Rachel Staples and Brock Eurchuk in Victoria, whose 16-year-old teen Elliot died of an overdose in 2018 after they were unable to compel their son into treatment as he slid into street drugs, and unable to access his medical history to know how badly he was in the grips of addiction.
Six years later, the parents of 13-year-old Brianna MacDonald tell a similar story, as they were unable to convince health-care officials to hold their daughter for treatment after suspected overdoses. Brianna was found dead in an Abbotsford homeless camp last month.
“They’ve had plenty of opportunity to be able to do this in the past, and they decided not to,” BC Conservative Leader John Rustad told me on Sunday. “And here they are now, flip-flopping and running against what their history has been.”
Rustad accused the NDP of ignoring families for years on the issue and only acting now out of political survival.
The Conservatives have been pushing involuntary care, consistently, for months. Their proposal, though far less detailed, is likely similar enough to Eby’s as to be a wash in the minds of voters.
The question, then, is not necessarily who has the better plan for involuntary care, but who British Columbians trust more to actually follow through and get it done in power.
On the one side, a new, untested party with a consistent message but no track record of actually executing anything.
On the other, an experienced government, reversing course on major files in the twilight of its term as it scrambles to better read the public mood.
Involuntary care becoming part of the mass of evolving issues that voters will have to make a judgment call on when they mark their ballots on Oct. 19.
That led to Sunday, where the NDP reversed its previous reversal on involuntary care—which, just to be clear, reversed the reversal before that too.
The government’s third attempt at involuntary care had two major differences.
The first was Dr. Daniel Vigo, an outside expert in addictions that Eby hired to investigate the issue. Vigo’s data collection
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
What Tom Thomson shows us
Well, Tom Thomson came paddling past / I’m pretty sure it was him
And he spoke so softly in accordance / to the growing of the dim
He said, “I’ll bring on a brand new renaissance / ‘cause I think I’m ready
When I was shaking all night long / but my hands were steady”
— The Tragically Hip, “Three Pistols,” Road Apples, 1991
IT’S A BIG TELL that a song written more than 70 years after its subject’s death was still instantly recognizable—no questions asked, no explanation necessary—by the generation it was birthed into. Such is our national fascination— nay, obsession—with painter Tom Thomson.
“If you ask someone who their favourite
BY LESLIE ANTHONY
Canadian artist is, a high percentage will say Tom Thomson,” notes Audain Art Museum director Curtis Collins. “But if you ask them movie is, they don’t go back to silent films as their point of reference.”
And yet, though Thomson’s name and century-old works still resonate with oddly urgent pop-cultural cachet, there are even deeper, uncelebrated reasons for his contemporary relevance. “You can view any art exhibition through multiple lenses,” adds Collins, “and the greater latitude you have with the experience, the more you’ll take away.”
Suggesting that no matter what visitors glean from a spin through the Audain’s current show, “Tom Thomson: North Star,” more subtle juxtapositions are to be extracted when the work is viewed beyond typical art-appreciation parameters like embodiment or rendering.
There is, naturally, an art-history perspective, the risks Thomson took with colour and technique that shine in the small sketches gathered by the Audain—painterly Polaroids of what he really experienced before transforming some into more-staid studio works. But there’s also an environmental perspective, covering not just the legerdemain of access to “iconic” scenery, but the style that gives cover to what the artist really exposes. Finally, there exists a socio-cultural-political perspective in which the circumstances of the times shed less-flattering light on what we see.
To begin, some perspective on the development of art in Canada, which, like most advancements in the early colonial dominion represents an import—or at least logical derivation. “Essentially, what we see at the time are Thomson and others grafting the techniques and concerns of European post-impressionists onto the Canadian landscape,” says Collins.
But the Canadian landscape reflected back more than the bucolic scenes of cultivated fields and hay bales spotting
rolling countrysides, city parks, or emerging technology captured by post-impressionist French painters. It was alive in a way that commanded attention, seen in the verve of Thomson’s more innovative moves as a painter.
Complex colour schemes and bold brush work rejected the received pastoralism of the time—a generational shift that reverberates into the present. “He was a very intuitive painter, responding to the landscape with an unparalleled immediacy in palette and brushstroke,” notes Collins of a characteristic not quite as evident even among Thomson’s Group of Seven buddies (despite the frequent assumption he belonged to the venerable cabal, Thomson was only Group-of-Seven adjacent—like B.C.’s Emily Carr). “You can see this by comparing his sketches and studies— which literally crackle with the moment they were made—to larger studio pieces that feel more constructed and stilted.”
Regardless of provenance, all Thomson’s imagery promotes a raw, terra nullius vision of the country, as celebrated in his quintessential final painting, The West Wind, completed just months before his tragic 1917 accidental drowning (or was it?) in Algonquin Park’s Canoe Lake and immortalized as “the spirit of Canada made manifest in a picture,” by the Group of Seven’s Arthur Lismer.
Though a main connection point with Thomson’s work, there’s a problem with this view: if it existed at all 300 years into a fur and timber trade that laid waste to Canada’s forests and wildlife, terra nullius wasn’t to be
found in the compromised environs where Thomson laboured over canvases.
The early 20th century represented firstgeneration tourism in Canada, which followed the route of the transcontinental railroad in the western mountain parks, but in Ontario comprised the near-north “wilderness” of Algonquin Park. Established in 1893—not to stop the logging levelling it but to create a wildlife sanctuary and protect headwaters of the major rivers flowing from it—Algonquin became a destination for sightseers and fishermen like Thomson, who came by train and generally stayed at one of its several lakeside hotels. Thus, while Thomson carries much of the water for Canadian self-identity as a relationship to wilderness—reflected in photos of his time in Algonquin as an adventurer clad in woolly socks and breaches sleeping in a damp, buggy, canvas tent—he gained access only because of the unsustainable, rapaciously wasteful logging and other extraction enterprises of the era that, in the way of all monopoly capitalism, built private railroads to exploit resources and bring in settlers.
This isn’t an indictment but a simple reality—one seldom reflected in the received view of Thomson’s art. In Tea Lake Dam, however, what’s missing says it all: the forested area viewed today at this picnic site is treeless in the painting. Still, Thomson did occasionally depict abandoned logging machinery and, in one instance, longboats full of loggers paddling a lake—often mistaken for First Nations canoes. Which brings us to the
socio-cultural-political front.
Moving into its own as a nation state, Canada was in need of identity that Thomson and the Group of Seven helped deliver. In the process, however, Indigenous peoples were excluded. Having been moved out of their traditional lands and onto reserves after the 1850s, by 1900ish First Nations had been erased socio-culturally and politically (as non-voting wards of the state). And so we see empty, unoccupied Algonquin landscapes that reverberate with the height of oppression of First Nations in central Canada.
Unsettling as it is to go beyond cherished ideals, there’s also the complex problem of Thomson himself. His description as a loner has led to all sorts of speculation, including that his frequently employed lone-tree trope (like Purple Hill, pictured here) was self-referential, such that the single, wind-lashed, misshapen pine depicted in The West Wind is no portal to the beauty of a landscape beyond—a landscape that may or may not, along with its occupants, have been erased—but an anchor for the one image that seems rooted in our collective psyches: a man alone against the north.
“Tom Thomson: North Star” ends Oct. 14. Be sure to check out the Audain’s next large show, “Curve! Women Carvers on the West Coast,” which covers 14 female artists from the 1960s to the present with.
Leslie Anthony is a Whistler-based author, editor, biologist and bon vivant who has never met a mountain he didn’t like. n
A MAN ALONE Tom Thomson (1877–1917), Purple Hill, 1916, oil on wood panel, 21.6 x 26.7 cm, Gift of Mrs. H.P. de Pencier, McMichael Canadian Art Collection.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AUDAIN
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SEA TO SKY HIGHWAY?
BY ADELAIDE TILLER
Squamish resident Allan Rutherford is fed up with feeling held hostage in his own town. Rutherford, a volunteer driver for Better at Home and MediCar, is one of numerous Squamish residents who avoid travelling on the Sea to Sky highway on the weekends. The reason? The recent number of incidents.
In July, for example, there was at least one incident every weekend. The five-day span between July 19 and 23 saw four separate accidents. In the first week of August, there were incidents on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th.
Since Rutherford chooses not to leave Squamish between Friday afternoon and Monday morning, he says his weekends have become “incredibly boring.”
While ICBC data for 2024 will not be available until spring or summer 2025, Cpl. Melissa Jongema, BC Highway Patrol media relations officer, says this year to date, there has been one fatality on the Sea to Sky based on their records.
It may not seem like it, but according to their data, collisions resulting in damages of more than $10,000 are down compared to previous years.
However, crashes on the highway have felt particularly frequent over the summer for those who travel it often or live in the corridor. The popular Sea to Sky Road Conditions Facebook group has become a digital hub for quick alerts of near-live-time collisions, construction, and delays. Commiseration over safety concerns is commonplace among the 73,000 group members.
The man currently at the group’s helm is tourism and transport expert Matthew Paugh. Paugh is president of the Canadian Tour Guide Association of British Columbia. As a former airport transfer driver and, more recently, a trainer of commercial drivers, he is uniquely qualified to moderate the forum.
Paugh believes Rutherford is not extremist for staying put in Squamish during the weekends; he says it’s a comment he sees constantly. While some residents steer clear of the highway for fear of safety, Paugh believes most of the avoidance is rooted in anticipation of lengthy road closures caused by someone else’s collision.
“People understand the odds, they won’t be involved in the accident itself ... but when that two- or three-vehicle incident does occur, thousands of vehicles are affected,” he says. “The convenience factor is gone when they have to sit in hot summer afternoon traffic.”
AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY
In speaking with Pique, Paugh and Rutherford both described a phenomenon they incessantly observe: drivers speeding up before merges but shaving off mere minutes by the time they arrive at their destination. The contrary approach of “slower can be faster” is explained in a book Paugh frequently references: Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do by Tom Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt discusses how a Variable Speed Limit System can mitigate traffic by reducing speed limits. He notes England’s M25 motorway, which alters speed limits on a digital sign according to weather conditions and traffic. We have this same system on a 30-kilometre stretch of the Sea to Sky from Squamish to Whistler.
A key difference is the system across the Atlantic
encourages drivers to comply with the updated limit beyond just a merit system or occasional patrol; license-plate cameras punish speeders.
It may seem counterintuitive to reduce the speed of vehicles upstream when there is congestion, but studies show the Variable Speed Limit System works. Vanderbilt cites a study of the M25 that discovered drivers spent less time in stop-and-go traffic, their trip times declined, and the crash rate reduced by 20 per cent.
MORE THAN COMPLAINTS
Three incidents caused hours-long delays between April 29 and May 2 last year. During those delays, Paugh saw people writing online that they were running out of insulin or needed formula for their infant. His frustrations culminated in that moment, and he felt urged to direct his frustration beyond the void of complaints.
“We’re all going to complain about things, because it’s easier to complain than it is to do ... but don’t complain as the only thing,” he says.
With his platform and expertise, Paugh launched a petition to increase Sea to Sky highway safety. In the same vein as enforcement cameras used on the M25, one of the petition requests is average-speed-over-distance cameras. The
ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE REQUESTS
There is a plethora of physical infrastructure demands, too. Some are calling for barriers where making a left turn onto the highway is prohibited. For example, vehicles returning to the highway from Cat Lake Road cannot turn left to head southbound, yet many still attempt to do so because there is nothing to block them.
Where vehicles can turn left onto Highway 99 at hightraffic intersections, concerned residents and commuters see a need for development. Eric Barry—a longtime resident of the corridor who commuted from Squamish to Whistler for 15 years—says the intersection of Highway 99, Alice Lake Road, and Squamish Valley Road is a prime example of a place needing crucial adjustments.
Barry’s opinion is supported by ICBC data from 2020 to 2023, which shows the intersection consistently had one of the top-10 collision counts for Squamish intersections.
An accident at the location on July 28 garnered many comments from people saying they have been requesting amendments such as traffic lights, an under or overpass, or prohibiting left-hand turns but implementing a U-turn route.
When asked whether the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure plans on addressing these appeals,
“People want to complain, but they don’t want to be held accountable. They think everyone else is the problem.” -Matthew Paugh
PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW PAUGH
LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Paugh’s petition has received more than 2,600 signatures to date. Still, he says that number is relatively low proportional to the population of communities along the Sea to Sky and how many people have complained.
“People want to complain, but they don’t want to be held accountable. They think everyone else is the problem,” says Paugh. “This [camera technology] would hold everybody equally accountable, and they don’t want to be a part of that solution.”
Like Paugh, Jehan Jiwa believes a large part of the solution lies in more responsibility for drivers. Jiwa was involved in a life-altering collision on the Sea to Sky in January 2023, and has felt the impact of low-stakes penalties.
“I just read that if a person is caught evading fare on our transit, it’s a $173 fine. But my guy got $109 for almost killing me,” she says.
If Jiwa had the chance to speak with someone disapproving of camera enforcement, she’d say: “You never think it’s going to be you until it’s you. Up until the second our cars collided, I didn’t think we were going to be in this accident. Then my whole life fell apart because of something I didn’t do—my dad, the driver,
officials, Sturdy noted, “if you had term limits, then there’s nothing to lose. It’s easier to make the right decision when
BUREAUCRATIC CONSTRAINTS
Paugh’s advocacy did not entirely fall upon deaf ears—he has received communication from West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager, Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford, Green Party
“I just read that if a person is caught evading fare on our transit, it’s a $173 fine. But my guy got $109 for almost killing me.” -Jehan Jiwa
candidate Jeremy Valeriote, Squamish Councillor John French and Whistler Councillor Jen Ford (who is also running for the NDP in this fall’s
But there is much more at play than hearing French met with Rob Fleming, the minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, but later told Paugh the minister met with him and listened to him, but nothing
Municipalities must work with applicable ministries and higher orders of government on larger projects like highway intersections. Without the monetary resources from the top,
To illustrate, the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s budget for 2023-2027 allots some money for highway intersection upgrades. However, it is noted design and planning will occur alongside the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
To add to administrative roadblocks, TransLink—a public provincial agency—is grappling with major funding gaps. Users in Metro Vancouver may see service cuts as early as next year, with the possibility of up to 145 bus route closures.
This is a nuanced discussion with many complexities, including
a hot potato.
“Nobody wants to touch [it],” he says.
There are adversarial opinions in the discourse of averagespeed-over-distance cameras. While some believe it will save lives, others see it as a cash cow for the government or say speeding isn’t the issue.
“But the reality is, if you’re going too fast and something happens, you have less time to react. It’s simple physics. No matter what the government’s laws are, the laws of physics are still the same,” says Paugh.
ICBC data bolsters his point. Between 2010 and 2019, speeding was the leading factor in crashes resulting in a fatality for six of those 10 years. Speeding was tied with distracted driving/inattention for three of those years.
Whether local elected officials agree with Paugh or not, they will be less likely to tackle this issue if they’re weighing re-election and hear the outspoken opposition to heftier penalties or ostensible “inconveniences” on the road.
West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy, who will not seek re-election in October, spoke on a related matter in a previous Pique article.
While discussing the benefits of term limits for elected
As Vanderbilt points out in the case of the United States, much more attention is given to terrorism or war than road safety—with constant headlines, suspicions, and buzz about homeland security. Road safety is not a sexy issue, but far more Americans die from driving than war or terrorism.
He explains that in polls after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the people who were in favour of limiting civil liberties in the name of public safety were the same people who opposed traffic measures to reduce fatalities.
This disconnect is not only prevalent in the United States. Uneven appraisal of risk is a human tendency, especially while driving. Vanderbilt writes that drivers engage in more risktaking behaviours when they feel safer. Therefore, the answer is not entirely safer infrastructure. But camera enforcement can’t eliminate all risky behaviour, either. Perhaps the answer lies in a combination of both.
As Paugh says, the modern car is a kingdom of personalized temperature, noise, comfort, and ease. It also affords a great deal of anonymity. If an officer isn’t there to enforce it, who cares if I make a left turn out of Cat Lake Road?
With a lack of consensus, money, or dialogue among officials, there may not be any significant changes in the near future. n
PHOTO COURTESY OF JEHAN JIWA
Local talent on full display at XTERRA Whistler triathlon
THE 2024 EDITION OF THE LOCAL OFF-ROAD EVENT HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF
BY DAVID SONG
AN UNPRECEDENTED 405 individual athletes flocked to Lost Lake Park on Sept. 14 and 15 for the latest XTERRA Whistler off-road triathlon, including 96 minors. A number of teens enjoyed the benefit of new age categories (14-15, 16-17 and 18-19) as they raced for qualifying spots at a brand-new XTERRA Youth World Championship scheduled for 2025 in Italy.
Ethan Wood tossed his name into the hat by crushing his sprint in one hour, 21 minutes and 33 seconds. That blistering time was the fastest by any individual across all divisions, and a minute off the race record set in 2019.
Pembertonians know Wood as a tough and versatile athlete. He was last year’s national cyclocross king and also placed second overall in the Canada Cup XC Series. The 16-year-old found the swim to be his weakest skill, but remained poised throughout his Sunday foray.
Cordelia Hultman (1:42:37) also distinguished herself in the sprints, besting her fellow 19-year-old rival Lydia Schwartz (2:57:41) by a large margin.
Over in the men’s elite championship,
Elliot Holtham took gold with a marvellous showing (2:32:50). His friend and closest rival, Nathan Killam, was unable to finish the race after experiencing mechanical issues on his bike.
Christy Drever (3:04:38) locked down her second consecutive women’s elite title, aided in part by a personal best swim. The Squamish resident elected to pace herself in preparation for the upcoming XTERRA World Championships, but a back-half rally by Angela
PARTICIPANTS
As one of Whistler’s best-known endurance maestros, Shoniker didn’t quite catch Drever but did earn top spot among female amateurs (3:09:03). She stood on the podium next to her male counterpart, Markus Roggen (2:48:16).
“We have amazing volunteers, and the majority of people have good experiences,” said race director Kristian Manietta. “The course is amazing. It’s challenging. It’s what people want from an XTERRA community event.”
“We have amazing volunteers, and the majority of people have good experiences.”
- KRISTIAN MANIETTA
Shoniker forced her to put pedal to the metal.
“Fun day playing on the trails at XTERRA Whistler where the sun was shining,” Drever wrote on social media. “I executed the race that I was hoping for as a final tune up before [worlds] with a PR swim, a controlled and clean bike and a strong run. This technical and challenging off-road course is a classic and I loved every minute of it.
“There’s no guarantee in racing and although I had the honour of bib No. 1, I still had to work hard to finish as the lead female. Thank you to the organizers and volunteers for putting on a top-notch event.”
BRAVE FACES
Distance wasn’t the only challenge faced by this year’s athletes.
Youngsters between the ages of five and 15 were scheduled to race on Saturday, and the weather did not cooperate. Instead there were multiple rounds of chilly wind and driving rain—not exactly what the doctor ordered.
Sylvie Lawrie-Lie and James Pinfold soldiered on to victory among their fellow U15 girls and boys, respectively. Triumph in the age 9-13 bracket went to Waverly Lawrie-Lie and Brock Schmidt. Last but not least, Cleo Dignon and James Holtham were winners in
the U8 discipline.
“It was just an insane amount of water coming from the sky, but you know what? Kids put on their brave faces and got it done,” Manietta recounted. “I won’t lie, there were definitely some tears … especially coming off the bike. It’s very funny watching Sea to Sky parents though. [Many told their children]: ‘get running, that will warm you up.’ Eventually those tears were forgotten with pizza, medals and pride.”
Not much can be done about inclement weather, but Manietta and his team are always looking for ways to make XTERRA Whistler and other local competitions run more efficiently. They’re dedicated to the pursuit of improvement, not unlike the athletes who run in their races.
“We’re reflecting this week on [how things went], speaking with our key supporters, volunteers and crew to get feedback—plus Tourism Whistler and XTERRA Global,” said Manietta. “Our relationship with the Resort Municipality of Whistler is getting better every year. Our relationship with the officials was the best it’s been this year. I won’t lie: we all love getting positive feedback, but when we get the not-so-positive feedback, we take it to heart.
“Even if the problem wasn’t on you, as a race director it’s still on me. We take [constructive criticism] on board, and we just aim to do better.”
View full results from the 2024 XTERRA Whistler triathlon at zone4.ca/event/2024/ j9QO6n. n
PHOTO BY SCOTT ROBARTS
Axemen finish preseason with gritty effort in Whistler
THE LOCAL RUGBY TEAM DOWNED VANCOUVER AND KITSILANO 12-0
BY DAVID SONG
THE AXEMEN RUGBY Club reacquainted itself with home turf at Whistler Secondary School (WSS) during preseason action on Sept. 14 against a blended unit featuring the Vancouver Rowers and Kitsilano Kats.
Brandon Head and Stuart Jones each scored a try in a 12-0 Axemen win beneath mercurial skies. Although a brief stretch of sunlight quickly gave way to consistent rain, both teams managed to play a clean and disciplined match.
“This was our final preseason game,” head coach Steve List noted. “It’s a lot different playing a game versus training, so there was definitely a step up in intensity and a bit of physicality. I’m really happy with how the guys stepped up. Obviously, keeping [the Rowers and Kats] to zero points in that regular 60 minutes of play was really pleasing.”
Added Axemen captain Ian Skuse: “It was a really good performance. We had over 30 guys signed up and ready to play again. I think we played some really, really good rugby—lots of positive combinations of older guys coming back to the Axemen and new guys making their debut.”
It is Skuse’s first campaign at the helm of his local rugby branch, a distinction of which he is immensely proud.
“The Axemen are a lot more than just a sports team,” he remarked. “It’s a community. There’s lots of people like me who move here [to the Sea to Sky] and want to meet friends and find a community. That’s why I’m honoured to take on the captaincy. Going forward, I want to keep that welcoming environment here. I want us to have men’s teams [for all skill levels]. We’ve got a great youth section, we’ve got a women’s section, and I just want us to be inclusive.”
“What you want from your leader is for people to follow them, right?” List asked rhetorically. “Skuse is not going to talk about something if he’s not going to do it himself. He leads by example. He was a captain before he was named captain … whether that be on the field moving us around the game, to off the field helping organize people and recruit. Everyone respects him.”
‘SHOULDERS ON BODIES’
A few other Axemen players also earned their respect on Saturday despite being held off the scoresheet.
Jackson McEvoy was his usual bruising self from whistle to whistle, galvanizing teammates by lowering his shoulder and trucking an opponent several times. Josh Michalik also generated buzz with multiple swift runs deep into enemy territory.
“On the field, Jackson is a big threat,” said List. “We call him a triple threat. He’s a physical presence. He can run the ball and is good with the ball in hand. He can kick it,
TO
a preseason lineout against the Vancouver Rowers and Kitsilano Kats (red and white) in Whistler on Sept. 14.
PHOTO BY DAVID SONG
like we saw today. He’s a guy that you want on your side. Off the field, he’s a really good guy as well.”
Michalik, meanwhile, is one of the Sea to Sky area’s top young rugby talents. He was named to Team Canada this March for a rugby league exhibition in Las Vegas alongside fellow Axemen Blake Mahovic and Gus Murphy. Together, they helped the Maple Leaf grind out a 16-16 tie against the American national roster.
Both sides displayed tenacity this weekend, with the Rowers and Kats making three determined offensive pushes. Each time they advanced to within metres or even inches of the Axemen try line, only to be halted in the end.
“We just gave it everything,” Michalik spoke of his team’s resilience. “Our defence has helped us win championships in previous years. For us to hold [our rivals] out on our goal line three times today echoes a lot about the heart that the boys have. It shows what we’re willing to do for each other, on the pitch and off the pitch.”
Commented List: “The attack will decide how much you win the game by, but defence will win you the game—defence will win you the league. When you defend, it’s a team effort, and guys take a lot of pride in it. [They know] that’s where they’re tested. There were a few times in that game where we could have maybe let a try in, but people just found it in themselves to get shoulders on bodies.”
After the fixture, both squads engaged in training exercises meant to simulate various game scenarios, like playing from behind and more goal-line defence.
Learn more about the Axemen Rugby Club and its season-long programs at axemenrugbyclub.com. n
Open Bus
and GobyBike Celebration
Tuesday,September 24
12 noon to 4pm Village Gate BoulevardBus Shelter (atNorthlands)
GoByBikeScavenger Hunt and prizes
Options for Bike ParkinginWhistler
The Umo electronicfareprogram and Umo App
The Whistler transit schedule (winter startsNov.2)
Whistler’s Transit FutureExpansion Plans
BusReady&Kids Ride Free programs
Transit App,Google Transit and Umo
Free Safety Items:Whistles, SnowflakeReflectors, Bike lights &more
AXE
GRIND The Axemen (blue, white and green) contest
New Whistler Cooking Club is far from half-baked
RICHARD KINAR AND HUGH FLINT WANT TO TEACH THE SCIENCE OF FOOD TO HOME COOKS
BY LIZ MCDONALD
WHISTLER AND PEMBERTON are known for having fresh, locally produced food and an award-winning restaurant scene.
But food lovers in the village have a new asset that merges local food supply with elevated home cooking, thanks to lifelong chef Hugh Flint and foodie Richard Kinar. The duo is teaming up to start the Whistler Cooking Club. The pair makes a smart team, merging Flint’s knowledge as a chef and his experience teaching nutrition-based cooking classes at the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) with Kinar’s dream of improving people’s confidence in the kitchen with food science.
Growing up, Flint spent his days in the garden or going to a market with his mom for fresh produce. He wants to reconnect people with this “intrinsic” part of their life.
“Food was always central to everything we did as a family, and what I’ve noticed is that it’s very separate for a lot of people in the modern world. It’s a hassle and something they have to do, rather than something that’s integrated into their life,” Flint said.
“So, my goal is to really help people make cooking part of their life, something intrinsic
that really fuels the rest of their life in a positive way.”
COOKING SCIENCE
The team will take insights from two books Kinar has been poring over for months: The Food Lab, by J. Kenji López-Alt and Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat. Both are available for loan at the Whistler Public Library or for purchase at Armchair Books.
cook a piece of chicken, cook a piece of fish, shop for the same groceries, rinse and repeat.
“I always relied on a recipe or what my mom had cooked at home,” he said.
Learning food science has improved his confidence, and Flint and Kinar aim to do the same for other would-be home cooks.
Instead of always following along with a recipe, club members can become a guide— knowing what went wrong or what went right, how to effectively season, and to gain
“[M]y goal is to really help people make cooking part of their life...”
- HUGH FLINT
In 900 pages, The Food Lab takes readers into the science behind American delights like steak or mac and cheese, examining “heat, energy, and molecules that create great food,” according to the author’s website.
Salt Fat Acid Heat comes from a New York Times Magazine food columnist and the book also has a series available on Netflix.
“I’ve been using the principles in my own cast iron frying pan here in the condo, and the outcome has been amazing,” Kinar explained.
“So, I really wanted to share that with other people.”
He wasn’t always focused on cooking science, though. Kinar found himself unmotivated from repetitive meal prep—
confidence buying fresh produce and building a dinner plan around it.
AT-HOME LAB
The plan for the club is straightforward. The group learns about a subject like grilling and a few recipes under that subject. They get a recipe sheet referencing techniques from the textbooks, and then they gather to cook together. Flint comes with the ingredients, offering guidance and personal experience with the concepts. When all is said and done, club members sit down together and enjoy a meal.
To show and not just tell Pique the science and delight behind cooking
local food, Kinar dropped off locally grown shishito peppers for this reporter to try her hand at cooking. I’d never heard of the pepper, which he said are commonly found at farmers’ markets.
The shishitos came from Pemberton and have a wrinkled green skin and a long, skinny stem. At first glance, one could confuse them with a habanero, though they are rarely spicy. Instructions were simple: rub on olive oil, season with salt and pepper in a bowl, put onto a hot cast iron pan and lightly blister the skin.
The peppers popped in the pan and steam rose from the stove as I tossed them a few times. Once plated, I applied a bit more salt and fresh lemon juice. It was an incredibly simple appetizer with an elevated flavour. The salt and lemon balanced each other out and they were a delightful new addition to my somewhat meagre and repetitive cooking repertoire.
I likely would never have picked them up while out shopping, which gives credence to Kinar’s belief that people ignore what they don’t know.
“People tend to gloss over things that they’re not familiar with,” he said.
So, if readers are looking to expand their skill set with like-minded individuals, send an email to Kinar at richard.kinar@gmail.com.
The two are working on a Facebook group and hope to start lessons ahead of Thanksgiving and Christmas, times when cooking for friends and family can come with anxiety, and getting a reservation in Whistler is about as competitive as buying flour in 2020. n
JOIN THE CLUB Hugh Flint hopes to merge his lifelong passion for cooking with education through a new local cooking club.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HUGH FLINT
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE
•
SWEAT • SQUASH
Sea to Sky String Orchestra marks 10th anniversary
THE GROUP IS A FAMILIAR SIGHT AT LOCAL EVENTS AND HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING
BY DAVID SONG
CLASSICAL MUSIC FANS rejoice: the Sea to Sky String Orchestra has reached its 10th anniversary and displays no sign of slowing down.
Over the last decade, the Orchestra has swelled from just six players to a roster of 20. They average half a dozen concerts per year, including their gigs at holiday events, the Whistler Writers Festival (WWF), Sea to Sky Gondola and various local fundraisers. Four traditional instruments make up their collective toolbox: violin, viola, cello and double bass.
Yuko Iwanaga is the only director in Orchestra history. She moved from Tokyo to Canada in 1994 with a suitcase, skis and a violin, and has found plenty of use for all three items. An alumna of the Suzuki Method’s highest level (postgraduate No. 4), Iwanaga has 19 years of private teaching experience under her belt, including high school strings at the Whistler Waldorf School.
“Sharing various songs and coaching the Orchestra gives me great joy, especially bringing in music from my youth,” says Iwanaga. “It brings back so many great memories. There are no limits when it comes to music! I don’t really try to lead; I just focus on sharing the best from what I know.”
Charlotte Jacklein, who plays viola, figures she and her cohorts have played in more than 60 community concerts to date. She was quick to heap praise on Iwanaga for facilitating it all.
“Yuko is one of the most incredibly inspiring and dedicated human beings I have ever met,” Jacklein remarks. “She is a wonderful, quiet leader who guides us and encourages us, even when we think something might not be possible, and she is so dedicated to bringing music to the world.
“Yuko has this incredible gift where she
Recognized composers like Mozart, Vivaldi and Mendelssohn feature prominently in the Orchestra’s repertoire, complemented by modern-day soundtracks like Game of Thrones and Pirates of the Caribbean
Some folks are surprised to learn of Whistler’s healthy classical niche. The genre is often associated with urban centres instead of resort towns, but Sea to Sky musicians are dedicated enough to make up for their smaller numbers.
“In so many ways, I feel that over time we’ve developed certain traditions that we
“I love how when we all play together, the worries of the world drop away...”
- CHARLOTTE JACKLEIN
encourages people and makes them stretch beyond what they think is possible, but in the kindest, gentlest way you could imagine.”
WORKING TO CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
Simply put, the Orchestra is a group of passionate musicians who love classical music and love sharing it with their community. They represent a wide range of professions: doctors, firefighters, nurses, teachers like Iwanaga and Jacklein, and more. Some have immersed themselves in the musical realm since childhood, while others have picked their instruments back up after hiatuses in adult life.
as players look forward to,” says Jacklein. “For example, one tradition is playing a free Christmas concert at the Fairmont lobby, usually around the winter solstice. For many of us, that really is an important part of the holiday season. It feels very special, and it’s a gift that we love to give.
“I love how when we all play together, the worries of the world drop away a bit and I feel really present in the moment … connected to the people around me as we work together to create something beautiful.”
MUSIC: A PART OF LIFE
When asked to reflect on her memories of
the Orchestra, three broad experiences came to Jacklein’s mind: seeing young kids awed at their first orchestral experience, travellers expressing how happy they are to enjoy classical music in the Sea to Sky, and clearlyemotional audience members sharing how a given piece reminded them of a special person or moment in their life.
“Music has played a big role in our lives, and so we love to show young people what different opportunities are out there,” Jacklein expresses. “Often, it’s pretty easy to see what athletic opportunities exist in the Sea to Sky: biking, skiing, snowboarding, all those great things. But, it’s not always obvious that there also are musical or creative opportunities. Sometimes, it can take a little while for young people to find their niche and for some [of them], music might just be a fit where they feel inspired.”
Iwanaga agrees wholeheartedly.
“Music was never an extra activity [for me], but rather a part of life. It is a special way to speak and express one’s soul,” she says. “Communicating without words through an instrument is so special. I think it is so important at any age to hear the harmony, the sound and feel, and interpret them freely to one’s life experience.”
If any proficient string player, especially a cellist, feels inspired to take up a new hobby, the Orchestra is looking for talent to fill some recent vacancies. According to Jacklein, the desired skill level is Royal Conservatory of Music Level 7, Suzuki Volume 8 or an equivalent curriculum.
Learn more about the Sea to Sky String Orchestra at facebook.com/p/Sea-to-SkyString-Orchestra-100049203942229/. n
WORLD ON A STRING The Sea to Sky String Orchestra marked its 10th anniversary in September.
PHOTO BY NINA LAFLAMME PHOTOGRAPHY
Local painter Alli van Gruen contributes to New York art exhibit
THE WHISTLERITE’S WORK IS ON DISPLAY FROM SEPT. 13 TO 22 AT MANHATTAN’S VAN DER PLAS GALLERY
BY DAVID SONG
ALLI VAN GRUEN is bound for New York City.
Not permanently, of course, but the longtime Whistlerite has jetted off to the Van Der Plas Gallery in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. There, her work will be displayed between Sept. 13 and 22 as part of a special series titled All Art+: a recurring opportunity for up-and-comers and mid-career creatives to dip their feet into the unrivalled New York market.
These days, van Gruen has pivoted her attention back to painting the human figure— specifically her own. Such content will be her contribution to “The Seasons,” the current theme of All Art+.
“As I get older, I’m just noticing that I’m drawn to paint images that are more highly personal to me,” explains van Gruen. “I’ve been on this path for a while now. I have a lot of reference material in old family slides, and I’m naturally drawn to doing my interpretation of those moments in my family growing up. I’m [attracted] to nostalgia. It helps me to better understand myself and how I got to be where I am today.”
The body of work to be shown in New York was inspired by a workshop on Cortes Island, she said.
“It involved learning about recreating a culture of collective thriving and creating new worlds where nobody’s left behind,” she said. “There was a lot of movement, a lot of dance, and based on that experience I thought it would be cool to paint my body in motion. I strive to not be really tight and exact. I want to be more loose and expressive.”
SAYING YES TO OPPORTUNITY
van Gruen’s friends and family know her as an expressive individual. She’s always
been that way, dating back to childhood in Toronto. Her strengths and personality traits naturally led her to a degree at the Ontario College of Art and Design, and she resided abroad in Florence, Italy during her final year of study.
It was an eye-opening time that helped her mature as a creator and as a person.
“It’s always good to see what other people are doing,” van Gruen says. “I find that the best art happens when artists work together, share ideas and are supportive of each other. Living in Florence for a year was an incredible, memorable foundation, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me that I’ve always cherished.”
Having lived in Whistler for more than 30 years, van Gruen’s career has ebbed and flowed with the competing demands of life and family. She is skilled in painting a mixture of landscapes, abstract themes and people using both acrylic and watercolour mediums. Arts Whistler has granted her numerous opportunities to showcase her portfolio, a fact for which she remains grateful.
“[Whistlerites] have always been very supportive, and Arts Whistler is a great supporter of the arts,” van Gruen points out.
The Big Apple, with its winding traffic snakes and unceasing hustle and bustle, is a far cry from the Sea to Sky corridor in nearly every way. Yet it’s also a globally-renowned hub of fine art where all kinds of people choose to reside, and that’s a wonderful thing for any creatively-minded individual.
“I think it’s just important to always say yes to these opportunities,” remarks van Gruen. “You never know where something might lead. I’m pretty careful and quiet by nature, and so it’s good for me to push myself and get out of my comfort zone in the big city. It’s going to be very exciting.”
Learn more about All Art+ and the Van Der Plas Gallery at vanderplasgallery.com/ current. n
NEW YORK, NEW YORK Whistler painter Alli van Gruen stops to smell some flowers.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLI VAN GRUEN
Book Review—Races, by Valerie Jerome
BY DONNA SAVAGE AND LIBBY MCKEEVER
RACES, written by Valerie Jerome, recounts the “trials and triumphs of Canada’s fastest family .” Valerie Jerome is the sister of Harry Jerome, the Canadian sprinter who “was once the fastest man on Earth ” Harry held the 100-yard world record, was a three-time Olympian and an Olympic bronze medallist. The author was also an outstanding athlete in her own right.
For anyone living in British Columbia between the 1940s and 1980s, there is a good chance most would not be aware of the storied lives of two of Canada’s most accomplished athletes. The Jerome siblings are Black, and in the foreword, Valerie writes, “it is time Canadians knew the truth. This is mine.” Jerome’s truth, told through her life story, describes the open and hidden racism existing at the time. This affected her and Harry’s ability to perform, seek jobs and be accepted in public settings. Harry strove to be a superb athlete while trying to maintain a sense of self in the grim reality of suffering racially motivated abuse by others.
The author relates the disturbing story of the Jerome children’s upbringing. Their dad was a loving man, but his job as a porter for the Canadian National Railway meant he was often out of town for long periods.
Valerie Jerome tells the story of their violent mother—who passed as white, and rejected her children because they were “too Black.” Neglectful, verbally and physically abusive, their mother would disappear from the house, leaving the children to fend for themselves, and at times they ended up in care. It wasn’t until she was an adult that Valerie understood their mother was mentally ill.
Sport was a place the siblings could shine and be successful. It was a great equalizer and helped both Harry and Valerie find their place in this tumultuous time.
“Harry’s chief struggle was not on the track. His greatest obstacle was shared by Black people in the U.S. and Canada,” Valerie writes.
The pervasive, everyday threat of racism always had him on guard and never let him forget that people considered him lessthan. Harry rose above these obstacles, and when he retired from competition, found his passion in instilling the love of sport in children, putting his energy into “designing the Premier Sports Award to improve the quality of physical education.”
Soon after his death, the Harry Jerome Award was created to recognize and celebrate achievement in the Black community throughout Canada.
Alongside the detailing of her brother’s life and his achievements, Jerome threads in her own story. She documents her love of athletics, of competing, and her marriage
and subsequent birth of her son. Stuart was a boy who showed no sign of interest in sports, but Valerie loved “reading at bedtime, walking him to the park, playing games, holding him for hours, and above all laughing together.” All the things she never received from her mother.
Harry died abruptly of a brain aneurysm at the age of 42, and Valerie felt compelled to write their story, including the ones Harry was unable to tell. The author has divided her book into three main sections: The Starting Line (1888-1957), On Your Marks (1958-1962) and
The Finish Line (1963-1982). These segments chronicle the family’s origins, including stories and tales of Jerome’s grandfather Army Howard, “the dusky boy” who competed in the 1912 Olympic games in Stockholm; the pervasive racism; Valerie’s love of teaching; and the legacy of Harry Jerome.
“For years, the fiction of Canada’s innocence has dominated the discourse,” Valerie writes. “Canadians, or at least those who think they know their country’s history, take comfort in the belief that Canada was never as bad for Black people as the United States.” As Jerome’s story unfolds, it is clear this is untrue. The truth told through the life experiences described in this book will hopefully awaken Canadians and give fuel to the fire for change.
Donna Savage was born the same year as Valerie Jerome, and like many Canadians, feels that she was unaware. In Grade 10, Donna found herself in a 100-yard sprint with Valerie. Right out of the blocks, Donna looked up to see Valerie already yards in front of the whole field. Donna went on to pursue a career in physical education and is an avid reader.
Libby McKeever is a retired youth librarian who is an avid reader and writer of both fiction and creative non-fiction.
Catch Valerie Jerome at the Whistler Writers Festival’s Reading Event 8: Setting the Record Straight: Non-Fiction Reading Event on Oct. 19. Find more info and tickets at whistlerwritersfest.com. n
OFF TO THE RACES Catch Valerie Jerome at the Whistler Writers Festival on Oct. 19.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER WRITERS FESTIVAL
PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE
Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events
TEENY TINY ART SHOW
FAIRMONT FRIDAYS
Kick off your weekend right by celebrating slopeside at the Mallard Lounge’s famous Fairmont Fridays. Featuring boot-stomping live music, refreshing cocktails and delectable bites. Hop on the Fairmont guest shuttle from the Village for a complimentary lift to the Upper Village, or enjoy a leisurely stroll there.
> Sept. 20, 5 to 7 p.m.
> Mallard Lounge
> $6 Beer, $7 Wine, $9 Featured Cocktail and $10 Appetizers
WORCA TRAIL NIGHTS
Grab some old friends or come meet some new ones. Volunteer with WORCA (Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association) and get digging. Trail Nights run on Tuesday evenings in early/late season and Sunday mornings when fire risk is higher. They are typically three to four hours in duration and refreshments are provided by the trail night sponsor. Volunteers are rewarded with a Whistler Mountain Bike Park ticket for every three trail nights completed!
> Sept. 22
> Various locations
> WORCA membership required
WHISTLER FARMERS’ MARKET
A feast for your senses, the Whistler Farmers’ Market features local produce, tasty food, local artisans, live entertainment and family activities.
> Sept. 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
> Upper Village Stroll
> Free
INTRO TO NATURE JOURNALING
Delve into creative writing and noticing nature out back in Florence Petersen Park. Starting with some soulful reflections in nature, moving into natureinspired poetry play, and then getting adventurous with drawing and basic observation templates to track and
identify what is happening in nature.
> Sept. 22, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
> Florence Petersen Park
> Free
TEENY TINY ART SHOW
The Teeny Tiny Show is back for its seventh year, proving great things indeed come in small packages. Last year there were more than 250 submissions from local artists who poured their creativity into meticulously crafting original works, each measuring 3” x 3” or smaller. Don’t miss out on this captivating event that celebrates the remarkable talent of local artists in a truly miniature form. It is free, and everyone is welcome!
> Sept. 18 to Oct. 26
> Maury Young Arts Centre
> Prices vary
COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
Join in to discover a new book every month with fellow bookworms. Book club meetings are on the last Monday of the month.
> Sept. 23, 7 p.m.
> Whistler Public Library
> Free
RAFEED IN WHISTLER: DRAMATIC READINGS
Rafeed Elahi Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi author now living in Surrey, offers a special recitation of his romantic comedy novel, Rules of Eternity , which was published in December 2023. Along with the recitation, Rafeed will act out some scenes and engage in conversation with the audience. This is not a typical author event—you won’t want to miss Rafeed in Whistler!
> Sept. 24, 6 to 8 p.m.
> Whistler Public Library
> Free
Thursdaysfrom11:30am! Join ourlunchclub! Get10stampsonyourlunchcardand your 11th lunchisfree* (Restrictionsapply) Childrenare welcomeeverydayuntil 10pm, so bringthe kids in forbrunchon theweekends from 11am- 2pm.
LET'ST ALKA BOUT REGIONAL
Recalling the 1989 Blackcomb Can-Am Challenge
BY REBECCA MACKAY
WE LOVE getting personal curiosity requests, as they give us a chance to dive into the archives to learn and share more.
Last week we wrote about the race events Blackcomb Mountain held when it entered the mountain bike scene, including the CanAm Challenge. Ken Austin, who competed in the race, recently reached out to see if we had photographs and to see if his memory of the event was correct. He gave us quite a story!
The second annual Labatt’s Can-Am Challenge in 1989 took place from Aug. 18 to 20, and saw approximately 350 riders compete for $10,000 in cash and prizes.
Austin rode for Ridley’s Cycle in Calgary and participated in all four races. The crosscountry race started off the weekend on the Friday, with dual slalom on the Saturday, and the uphill and descent on the Sunday.
According to Austin, he went “too hard having fun the day before [the cross-country race], then drinking only water, with no fuel
the Kamikaze Descent.
“Right away, we were in the clouds, couldn’t see my handlebars for quite a stretch,” Austin recalls. “There were braver fools crying in the ditches with broken collarbones and such. In the dense fog, as I crawled along, Greg Herbold came flying by, as if it was a clear day! He must have pre-rode the course quite a bit, days before, to have it memorized.”
Several Whistler riders placed well in the top three of many categories. Cindy Devine beat California’s Cindy Whitehead in the Women’s Pro. Whitehead captured the top spot the year prior.
The Can-Am Challenge was another success with strong attendance. Though the first two years did attract many pros, some did not see a point in competing, as these races were not sanctioned and did not count towards points for being on a national team. According to the Whistler Question, in 1990 there was a rule change for the world championships, where each country could only have five riders, which resulted in fewer American riders participating in the Can-Am
“Right away, we were in the clouds, couldn’t see my handlebars for quite a stretch.”
- KEN AUSTIN
ext. 224
mix.” Envy kicked in when he saw the Ritchey Team had a fuel station for its riders, “as the rest of us were dumb enough to be only on water, no support, no special fuels.”
The next day was not much better with the dual slalom, but Austin’s teammate Pete Lawrence did well.
Austin smashed the uphill climb and finished in sixth place, but “never having climbed that hard for that long, [Austin] spent the entire lunch break at the gondola station trying to not get a massive butt cheek cramp, gently stretching. The glutes were just twitching to lock up.”
So far for the weekend, the weather had been perfect for each race, until the clouds rolled in on Sunday afternoon, just in time for
Challenge than usual.
A year later, the Can-Am Challenge was renamed to the Blackcomb Challenge. It was the fourth and final stop in the Canada Cup Points Series. The Canadian Cycling Association created the series to establish a national ranking system for riders when choosing a national MTB team.
The Blackcomb Challenge occurred again the next year, but in 1993 there was instead the Labatt/BRC Mountain Bike Race weekend, which in previous years was a series that took place over the course of the summer. We always love hearing more stories. Have one to tell, or have items or photographs we can preserve in our collections? Email us at archives@whistlermuseum.org. n
FOG JAM Ken Austin riding through the clouds before descending down Blackcomb.
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20 BY ROB
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Few of the vegetables grown in the 21st century are in their original wild form. Many are the result of crossbreeding carried out by humans. The intention is to increase the nutritional value of the food, boost its yield, improve its resistance to insect predators, and help it survive weather extremes. I invite you to apply the metaphor of crossbreeding to your life in the coming months. You will place yourself in maximum alignment with cosmic rhythms if you conjure up new blends. So be a mix master, Aries. Favour amalgamations and collaborations. Transform jumbles and hodgepodges into graceful composites. Make “alloy” and “hybrid” your words of power.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “All I ask is the chance to prove that money can’t make me happy,” quipped comedian Spike Milligan. I propose we make that your running joke for the next eight months. If there was ever a time when you could get rich more quickly, it would be between now and mid-2025. And the chances of that happening may be enhanced considerably if you optimize your relationship with work. What can you do now to help ensure you will be working at a well-paying job you like for years to come?
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The World Health Organization says that 3.5 billion people in the world don’t have access to safe toilets; 2.2 billion live without safe drinking water; 2 billion don’t have facilities in their homes to wash their hands with soap and water. But it’s almost certain that you don’t suffer from these basic privations. Most likely, you get all the water you require to be secure and healthy. You have what you need to cook food and make drinks. You can take baths or showers whenever you want. You wash your clothes easily. Maybe you water a garden. I bring this to your attention because now is an excellent time to celebrate the water in your life. It’s also a favourable time to be extra fluid and flowing and juicy. Here’s a fun riddle for you: What could you do to make your inner life wetter and better lubricated?
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian rapper and actor Jaden Smith has won a few mid-level awards and has been nominated for a Grammy. But I was surprised that he said, “I don’t think I’m as revolutionary as Galileo, but I don’t think I’m not as revolutionary as Galileo.” If I’m interpreting his sly brag correctly, Jaden is suggesting that maybe he is indeed pretty damn revolutionary. I’m thrilled he said it because I love to see you Cancerians overcome your natural inclination to be overly humble and self-effacing. It’s OK with me if you sometimes push too far. In the coming weeks, I am giving you a license to wander into the frontiers of braggadocio.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Research by psychologists at Queen’s University in Canada concluded the average human has about 6,200 thoughts every day. Other studies suggest 75 per cent of our thoughts are negative, and 95 per cent are repetitive. But here’s the good news, Leo: My astrological analysis suggests the amount of your negative and repetitive thoughts could diminish in the coming weeks. You might even get those percentages down to 35 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively. Just imagine how refreshed you will feel. With all that rejuvenating energy coursing through your brain, you may generate positive, unique thoughts at an astounding rate. Take maximum advantage, please!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You have probably heard the platitude, “Be cautious about what you wish for. You might get it.” The implied warning is that if your big desires are fulfilled, your life may change in unpredictable ways that require major adjustments. That’s useful advice. However, I have often found that the “major adjustments” necessary are often interesting and healing—strenuous, perhaps, but ultimately enlivening. In my vision of your future, Virgo, the consequences of
BREZSNY
your completed goal will fit that description. You will be mostly pleased with the adaptations you must undertake in response to your success.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The bird known as the grayheaded albatross makes long, continuous flights without touching down on the ground. I propose we nominate this robust traveller to be one of your inspirational animals in the coming months. I suspect that you, too, will be capable of prolonged, vigorous quests that unleash interesting changes in your life. I don’t necessarily mean your quests will involve literal long-distance travel. They may, but they might also take the form of vast and deep explorations of your inner terrain. Or maybe you will engage in bold efforts to investigate mysteries that will dramatically open your mind and heart.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are in a good position and frame of mind to go hunting for a novel problem or two. I’m half-joking, but I’m also very serious. I believe you are primed to track down interesting dilemmas that will bring out the best in you and attract the educational experiences you need. These provocative riddles will ensure that boring old riddles and paltry hassles won’t bother you. Bonus prediction: You are also likely to dream up an original new “sin” that will stir up lucky fun.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your spinning and weaving abilities will be strong in the coming weeks. I predict that your knack for creating sturdy, beautiful webs will catch the resources and influences you require. Like a spider, you must simply prepare the scenarios to attract what you need, then patiently relax while it all comes to you. Refining the metaphor further, I will tell you that you have symbolic resemblances to the spiders known as cross orbweavers. They produce seven different kinds of silk, each useful in its own way—and in a sense, so can you. Your versatility will help you succeed in interesting ways. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn basketball player JamesOn Curry had the briefest career of anyone who ever played in America’s top professional league. Around his birthday in 2010, while a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, he appeared on the court for 3.9 seconds—and never returned. Such a short-lived effort is unusual for the Capricorn tribe—and will not characterize your destiny in the coming months. I predict you will generate an intense outpouring of your sign’s more typical expressions: durability, diligence, persistence, tenacity, resilience, determination, resolve, and steadfastness. Ready to get underway in earnest?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s a good time for you to embrace the serpent, metaphorically speaking. You may even enjoy riding and playing with and learning from the serpent. The coming weeks will also be a favourable phase for you to kiss the wind and consult with the ancestors and wrestle with the most fascinating questions you know. So get a wild look in your eyes, dear Aquarius. Dare to shed mediocre pleasures so you can better pursue spectacular pleasures. Experiment only with smart gambles and highintegrity temptations, and flee the other kinds. PS: If you challenge the past to a duel (a prospect I approve of), be well-armed with the future.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Panda bears don’t seem to enjoy having sex. The typical length of their mating encounters is from 30 seconds to two minutes. There was a dramatic exception to the rule in 2015, however. Lu Lu and Zhen Zhen, pandas living at the Sichuan Giant Panda Research Center in China, snuggled and embraced for 18 minutes. It was unprecedented. I encourage you, too, to break your previous records for tender cuddling and erotic play in the coming weeks. The longer and slower you go, the more likely it is you will generate spiritual epiphanies and awakenings.
Homework: What can you do to boost your ability to have fun? 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
RENT SELL HIRE
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Whistler Home Exchange
looking for longer term
67 years old .. no pets .. non smoker very quiet .. ski gear stays in locker room. I love cooking .. I can help with winter chores .. or help care for a home.
Strong local references
Please contact me at richard.kinar@gmail.com
Fairmont Chateau
Whistler Resort is growing its Housing portfolio and sourcing additional Chalet and Condo Rental contracts for our Hotel Team Members. Our leaders are mature, career driven drivers that know the word respect. Contract terms for property Owners are stress free with no commissions and includes representation from our 4 person fulltime Housing Department working with you 24/7; maintaining all aspects of the tenancy including quarterly inspections. A great next move for Whistler property Owners that have tired with the Airbnb game or Property Fees. Let’s see if we can make a match and develop a long-term relationship here. General inquiries please email mark.munn@fairmont.com
Car included. Call +61 0412 450 826 bjbeban@gmail.com
Our team of people is what sets us apart from other builders. As we continue to grow as the leader in luxury projects in Whistler, our team needs to expand with us.
We are currently hiring:
Labourers ($20 - $30 hourly)
Carpenters Helpers /Apprentices 1st to 4th year ($25 - $35 hourly)
Experienced Carpenters ($30 - $45 hourly)
Carpenter Foremen ($40 - $50 hourly)
Rates vary based on experience and qualifications. Red seal a bonus but not mandatory.
EVR is committed to the long-term retention and skills development of our team. We are passionate about investing in our team’s future.
We offer:
• Top Wages
• Training & Tuition Reimbursement (Need help getting your Red Seal?)
• $500 Annual Tool Allowance
• Extended Health and Dental Benefits for you and your family
• Flexible Schedule - Work Life Balance. (We get it. We love to ski and bike too.)
• Assistance with Work Visa and Permanent Residency (We can help!)
• Positive Work Environment
We promote from within and are looking to strengthen our amazing team. Opportunities for advancement into management positions always exist for the right candidates. Don’t miss out on being able to build with the team that builds the most significant projects in Whistler. Send your resume to info@evrfinehomes.com We look forward to hearing from you!
www.evrfinehomes.com
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT SSHS
• Men's Health Lead
($53 000 $60 000)
• Community Health Nurse ($90 000 - $100 000)
• Home and Community Care Nurse ($90 000-$110 000)
• Clinical Services Manager ($100 000 - $125 000)
• Community-Based Support Workers X2 (Part-time)
About Us: SSHS is a non-profit Indigenous Health Organization dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities. Our organization provides culturally appropriate healthcare services, programs, and initiatives to support the holistic health of Indigenous individuals and families.
Send your application to Julia.schneider@sshs.ca Learn more at sshs.ca/careers/
ÚlÍus Community Centre
•
Community Programs ($88,015 to $101,556 per year)
• Elders’ Activity Coordinator - temporary ($20.90 to 29.45 per hour)
• Financial Reporting Manager ($59,878 to $74,564 per year)
• Transition House Support Worker ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
• Family Mentor ($38,038 to $53,599 per year)
• Social Worker ($80,371 to $91,673 per year)
• Health & Healing Administrator ($93,475 to $101,556 per year)
• Family Enhancement Worker ($38,038 to $53,599 per year)
• Recreation Assistant ($17.40 to $20.90 per hour)
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
• Indigenous Support Worker – Academic ($38,038 - $53,599 per year)
• Receptionist ($17.40 to $20.90 per hour)
LiÍwat Business Group
• Payroll Accountant & Benefits Coordinator ($50,000 to $70,000 per year)
Benefits
• Pension Plan • Employee Assistance Program
• Gym facility • Extended Health Benefits • Professional Development
Work with us
Join our rapidly growing company and build yourself a sucessful career in construction.
HIRING EXPERIENCED (3+ years): The starting wage is dependent on experience and qualifications.
$37.50 - $43.00/hr Carpenters
$30.00 - $37.50/hr
We offer opportunities for growth, competitive pay, a comprehensive benefits package, company cell phone plan, and plenty of fun social events. gavanconstruction.ca /careers
Whistler’s award-winning publication is seeking a Reporter
Pique Newsmagazine has a rare opportunity for an experienced and committed journalist to cover local news, politics and First Nations issues while working with a team based in North America’s premier mountain resort.
The successful candidate will be tasked with covering the Lil’wat Nation and the Village of Pemberton—neighbouring communities with a unique relationship, both of which are growing substantially year over year.
The candidate will produce 8-10 relevant news stories per week, as well as at least four cover features during an initial one-year term of employment. The role includes some evening and weekend coverage, and the successful candidate will be required to be in the Mount Currie and Pemberton area regularly.
You have a degree in journalism, are passionate about news and politics, and have a sense of what makes a compelling local news story. You seek to engage and inform your community in print and online platforms, and use social media effectively. You are self-motivated, efficient and deadline driven, with a curious, critical mind and an acute attention to detail. You are able to work well both on your own and with a team.
Ideally, you have experience in covering First Nations, municipal council, elections, and governments at all levels. Other relevant skills include copy editing, long-form feature writing, video editing, and Instagram posting and story creation.
Please send resumes to nancy@atwelldental.com
The stories you produce will be shared on Pique Newsmagazine’s website and social channels, as well as those of our sister publications and through other news outlets as part of the federal government’s Local Journalism Initiative.
This is a 12-month position funded through the federal government’s Local Journalism Initiative.
Located in the mountain resort town of Whistler, British Columbia, Pique Newsmagazine is the unequivocal leader in reporting, interpreting and understanding the culture of the Coast Mountains and what it means to those who live, work and play in Whistler. At 29 years young, we’ve established ourselves as the locals’ publication that is inquisitive and edgy, provoking conversation and building community. With our peers we’re acknowledged perennial winners at the BC & Yukon Community Newsmedia Awards (BCYCNA) and Canadian Community Newsmedia Awards (CCNA) for general excellence and reporting categories, as well as several Webster Awards honours over the years.
We’re known for our unique artsy design, weekly long-form features and comprehensive news coverage, but of course our reach is global, with loyal readers from all over the world who come to piquenewsmagazine.com daily for the best Whistler storytelling and news source.
To apply, send your resume, clippings, or other relevant materials, as well as a cover letter making the case for why we should hire you, by 4 p.m. on October 4 to Braden Dupuis, bdupuis@ piquenewsmagazine.com
JOB POSTING: COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSE
Position Title: Community Health Nurse
Location: Mount Currie, BC
Type: Full-time employee or contractor
Salary: $90, 000 - $110, 000 (based on experience)
Other Benefits: SSHS offers a competitive benefits and employment package for full-time staff
Position Start Date: As soon as possible
About Us: SSHS is a non-profit Indigenous Health Organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Indigenous communities. Our organization provides culturally appropriate healthcare services, programs, and initiatives to support the holistic health of Indigenous individuals and families.
Position Overview: SSHS is seeking a self-motivated, autonomous Community Health Nurse to provide care to adult community members (19+) of 3 remote First Nation communities by: being responsible for full scope nursing care to a variety of clients, constantly promoting health and wellness education, and aligning care out of community. This is a non-union position. You will be supported through First Nations Health Authority nursing practice support and Vancouver Coastal Health.
Qualifications:
• Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)
• Current CPR course for Health Care Providers (HCP)
• Completion of specialty nursing certificate/certified practice (BCCNM) as applicable and two (2) years' recent, related public health nursing experience including experience related to the population applicable to the job or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• A good understanding of First Nations cultural principles and protocols
• Competent working knowledge of nursing processes, standards of practice and ethics
• Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s license
Additional preference given to candidates with:
• BCCDC immunization competency certification
• BCCDC STI certified practice
• Canadian Diabetic Educator Certification
• POATSP RN Certification
• Sanyas indigenous cultural safety
• Rural/remote nursing certified practice
Knowledge and Abilities:
• Care for clients with acute, chronic and palliative care needs, mental health and substance use issues.
• Deliver direct care, and provide care management to assist clients to manage their own care and navigate through the various services available within the community settings.
• Work in partnership with the client and family to establish wellness goals that are safe, realistic, and reasonable.
• Work in an interprofessional team model in collaboration with the primary care provider, and other care providers
• Knowledge of acute, chronic disease, palliative, mental health and substance use and health management and selfmanagement support
• Knowledge of community resources available for client/family support and related health services.
• Demonstrate ability to assess safety and risk prior to entering familiar and unfamiliar home environments.
• Comprehensive knowledge of public health nursing theory, practices and procedures.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Demonstrate ability to deal sensitively and tactfully with clients and provide culturally sensitive nursing services to diverse and marginalized populations
• Demonstrate ability to participate in the development and delivery of educational materials
• Confidentiality - Demonstrate ability to maintain client/caregivers’ privacy and confidentiality with respect to communication, documentation, and data, including when traveling between client homes and office/care settings
• Demonstrate computer literacy to operate a computerized client care information system as well as applicable word processing, spreadsheet and database software applications.
Special Requirements:
• This position requires travel to remote Indigenous communities served by SSHS, accessed by Forest Service Roads (FSRs) that require driving on rough gravel roads during all four seasons.
Please submit resume and cover letter by email to Julia Schneider, Executive Assistant, at julia.schneider@sshs.ca.
Please include in the subject line your name and the position you are applying for.
Thank you for your interest!
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.
SNOWPLOW OPERATOR, Whistler – Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s Licence required. Must be available from November 15 through March 31. On-the-job training provided. Wage depending on experience. $28-35.02 per hour.
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ACCESS CONTROL TECHNICIAN
Great opportunity for a self-motivated, organized, and energetic person to excel in the field of Access Control.
Key duties include installing, troubleshooting, and repairing access control systems, as well as working collaboratively with the team. Ideal candidates will have experience with access control systems, conduit running, wiring, and low voltage troubleshooting. Must be able to work independently, possess strong customer service skills, and excel in a fast-paced environment.
Please reply to ryan@alpinelock.com with a resume and cover letter outlining your suitability and qualifications for the position.
No drop-ins or phone calls please, apply only by email.
Feast for the senses
BY G.D. MAXWELL
SO MANY years ago I can hardly remember— repression and denial being keys to positive mental health—I would spend an inordinate amount of time every Sunday evening ironing shirts for the coming work week. Inordinate because I wasn’t very accomplished at the task and, perhaps surprisingly, never really got better with practice. Or maybe it was just the Zen-like state of watching wrinkles slowly disappear that hampered my progress. Whatever.
I performed the task because the laundry I’d formerly sent shirts to seemed to have an overpowered hydraulic press that inevitably broke buttons. And sewing on new buttons—assuming I ever had a supply of new buttons—was something at which I was far less skilled than ironing. More than once I fell back on hoping my tie would hide the missing buttons but that seemed sub-optimal, career wise.
At the risk of losing what readers I have left, this is a good time to say my point, should there be one, has nothing to do with ironing shirts. It has to do with the sense of hearing. Hearing without seeing.
Hearing without seeing is an important survival skill. Think unseen-but-heard bear, cougar, whatever, while you’re out walking in the forest. Or, more frequently, the horrible scraping sound of a marginally-controlled skier/boarder right behind you on an icy run.
One Sunday evening’s ironing marathon coincided with a political debate. Lost in the fog of time is the minor detail of whether it was a U.S. presidential debate or a Canadian party leaders’ debate. Not important.
What was important, and what surprised me, was the heightened sense and mental picture I had of the candidates because I wasn’t able to see them speak, only hear them speak. The inflection and nuance in their voices, their delivery, their timbre, cadence and rate of speech left me with a very different sense of whether they were being honest or just shining me on than I would have had if I’d been distracted by their visage.
Those moments of aural disconnectedness were like visual tells gamblers search opponents’ faces for. They verily screamed, “Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
So I was interested in revisiting that phenomenon last week when, bobbing at anchor somewhere in the San Juan Islands, I was only able to pick up the much-awaited presidential debate between former president Trump and hopeful president Harris on a Sirius radio that amazingly has worked now for more than a decade without any subscription. Magic radio.
I was also keenly aware I probably wouldn’t have watched the debate if I’d had the chance because I recoil in horror at the sight of the former president.
What I heard was a relatively calm woman with a hopeful, inclusive, even joyful vision of the future on one side and a grumpy,
paranoid, narcissistic, bigoted, untruthful old man who dreamed of being a dictator on the other. A woman who embodied and embraced the potential that lay within the kaleidoscopic reality of the country’s diverse population and a rich, white man who believed everyone who wasn’t like him was a criminal, a threat, a scourge.
He was darkness; she was light. He was the Evil Empire; she was the Rebel Alliance. He was hopelessness; she was hope.
From the opening statement, Kamala Harris managed to do what no other person
and their willingness to stick it out to the end, parrying the parade of former “most brilliant” people in his administration who have come out decrying how unhinged and incompetent he is, defending the honour of the Jan. 6 rioters, claiming he’d end the aggression in Ukraine and Israel in a day, the porkies kept on coming and getting weirder and weirder.
They culminated in his explosion about the dietary preferences of immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. “They’re eating the dogs. The people that came in—they’re eating the
Even from a distance there seems to be a cultural change taking place, one that will further devalue the distrust and hatred he personifies.
had done in a debate with Trump—she got under his skin, put him on his heels, made him play defence and sent him completely off message. She made him sound both dangerous and ridiculous. He spent most of the two hours defending himself, preening his bruised ego and rebutting her volleys with all the creativity of a schoolyard bully responding with, “Oh yeah?”
His statements got more and more unbelievable. Whether it was defending the size of his crowds at campaign rallies
cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” The claim, recently repeated by his vice presidential candidate, was so outrageous one of the debate hosts had to weigh in and remind the increasingly loony candidate Springfield city officials claimed there was no evidence of any truth to the social media claim.
What I missed by listening and not watching I read about later and am sorry I couldn’t see. It was the looks of utter disbelief on Ms. Harris’ face at so many of his
unbelievable—except for the true MAGAcites who seem to believe everything he says— claims.
Even staunch Republican heavyweight Carl Rove was nonplussed by the meandering, ineffective performance of the former president. He summed up his analysis of the lopsided debate by writing, “there’s no putting lipstick on this pig. Mr. Trump was crushed by a woman he previously dismissed as ‘dumb as a rock.’ Which raises the question: What does that make him?”
For the second time since Joe Biden’s departure, I have some hope my former home and native land won’t end up with the chaos and fury that were the hallmarks of Trump’s four years of hell. Even from a distance there seems to be a cultural change taking place, one that will further devalue the distrust and hatred he personifies.
After the chaotic experience of his first term, the crushing personal toll people lived through during the pandemic years, the disruption it brought on in all aspects of commercial life that still linger, the global inflationary spiral that’s left all but the wealthiest feeling economically vulnerable, there is a deep longing for better days, for hope, for community, for the kind of joy Ms. Harris seems to personify, especially by comparison to her opponent. There seems to be a growing culture ready for a positive change.
We’ll find out in early November. After that, we’ll find out whether it might migrate across the northern border and take root in this country. n
