A multi-year study on watershed quality in Whistler and other places in the province hopes to show how humans impact fish and whale habitat. - By Liz McDonald
06 OPENING REMARKS Whistler’s water isn’t perfect, but it’s close—and we shouldn’t take it for granted, writes editor Braden Dupuis.
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers weigh in on the possible demolition of the Gebhart/Hillman house, traffic on Highway 99, and graffiti in Whistler’s forests.
11 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Canada needs to start thinking bigger on infrastructure, writes Andrew Mitchell—including a collaborative, top-down approach to big projects.
58 MAXED OUT Max envisions B.C.’s upcoming election in three acts, with three hypothetical outcomes.
COVER Frequent tap flusher. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
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12 ROCK THE VOTE The Sea to Sky’s three provincial election candidates met in Whistler this week for the first of a series of debates ahead of the Oct. 19 vote.
14 CLOSE CALL A townhome fire in Whistler might have been much worse if not for local fire crews and FireSmart practises.
34 FLIGHT PATTERNS Pemberton entrepreneur Jerry McArthur shows off his invention the Hydroflyer—a cross between a Jet Ski and an e-foil surfboard.
38 OKTOBERFEST TWIST Arts Whistler’s new “Artstoberfest,” set for Oct. 5, is Oktoberfest with an artistic twist.
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Don’t take Whistler’s water for granted
WE TAKE A LOT for granted here in Canada.
Relative safety in our daily lives, a reputation for politeness, mundane (for the most part) political scandals.
Our access to fresh, reliable drinking water is probably top of the list.
Here in Canada, we benefit from more than 20 per cent of the world’s surface
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
freshwater and seven per cent of the world’s renewable flow, according to a February 2024 report from Yahoo Finance. We also have the
Canada has more than 2.9 trillion cubic metres of renewable internal freshwater— only Russia (4.3 trillion) and Brazil (5.7 trillion) have more.
Of course, when you live where fresh, clean water is abundant, it’s only natural you sometimes take it for granted—waste it, even.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the average American family can waste more than 680 litres of good water weekly, or 35,582 litres annually, just by being careless— leaving the faucet running while brushing their teeth, or not fixing leaks in their home plumbing systems.
Recent stats for Canada are harder to come by, but it’s a safe bet we’re just as guilty on this side of the border.
It’s hard to reconcile such water wealth when you compare it to situations around the world.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2 billion people (26 per cent of the world’s population) do not have safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion (46 per cent) lack access to safely managed sanitation.
“Between two and three billion people experience water shortages for at least
one month per year, posing severe risks to livelihoods, notably through food security and access to electricity,” UNESCO said in its 2023 World Water Development Report.
“The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to double from 930 million in 2016 to 1.7–2.4 billion people in 2050. The growing incidence of extreme and prolonged droughts is also stressing ecosystems, with dire consequences for both plant and animal species.”
Worldwide, agriculture accounts for roughly 70 per cent of freshwater withdrawals, followed by industry (just under 20 per cent) and domestic (or municipal) uses (about 12 per cent), the report said.
Groundwater supplies about 25 per cent of all water used for irrigation and half of the freshwater withdrawn for domestic purposes.
Since the 1980s, the global demand for freshwater has been increasing by just under one per cent per year, and water demand from the municipal sector has experienced a considerable increase relative to the other sectors—a trend likely
Having lived in communities all across Western Canada, and visiting even further afield, I would say we are truly blessed when it comes to Whistler’s water. I can’t recall water ever tasting cleaner, or colder from the tap, than what we get here in the resort.
But it’s not perfect. Whistler’s water is corrosive, which means it can leach metals from certain plumbing fixtures—that’s why the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) advises you to flush your taps until the water is cold before drinking it (and why it leaves water in public buildings, like the Meadow Park Sports Centre, continuously flushing throughout the day).
A 2020 report by Kerr Wood Leidal consulting engineers tested water in 11 RMOWowned buildings, only one of which showed levels of lead and copper below both the Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) and aesthetic objectives (AO) on first sampling.
Of the other buildings tested, all showed lead levels exceeding the MAC on first sampling—between .005 mg/l and .299 mg/l— except for the Maury Young Arts Centre, which
According to Health Canada, short-term exposure to copper may result in effects in the gastrointestinal tract (such as nausea, pain and vomiting, or diarrhea).
A second round of testing at six of the buildings, conducted after a five-minute flush of the taps followed by 30 minutes of stagnation, showed levels of lead and copper below both the MAC and AO.
However, the report noted a single flush at the beginning of the day is “likely not adequate,” and concluded that “all drinking water outlets in all RMOW owned/operated buildings should be flushed until cold every time they are used for consumption.”
There have been no public updates in recent years on community-wide corrosion control efforts (and the RMOW was unable to provide an update before Pique’s weekly deadline), but any permanent fixes won’t come cheap: an update in early 2020 stated the capital cost to adjust pH levels—one of the main drivers of corrosivity—throughout Whistler’s complicated water system was estimated at $5.7 million, not including any land acquisitions that may be
Since the 1980s, the global demand for freshwater has been increasing by just under one per cent per year, and water demand from the municipal sector has experienced a considerable increase relative to the other sectors—a trend likely to continue as populations urbanize and the water supply and sanitation systems servicing these cities expand.
to continue as populations urbanize and the water supply and sanitation systems servicing these cities expand.
In this week’s cover feature, you’ll read about efforts by some locals, through the Whistler Lakes Conservation Foundation (WLCF), to sample and monitor the health of Whistler’s water.
It’s important work, and we’ll be interested to hear more when the WLCF produces a report on its findings next year.
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showed only elevated levels of copper.
Three buildings—the Public Safety Building, the Spruce Grove Fieldhouse and the library—showed levels of both lead and copper exceeding the MAC.
Research has shown there is no safe chronic exposure levels to lead, and that bloodlead concentrations—even at low levels—are linked to lower IQ scores in kids aged three to five, and the associated declines in IQ are in fact greater at lower blood-lead concentrations.
required to do the work.
For now, the RMOW’s guidance for residents remains consistent, posted in bold lettering at the top of whistler.ca/drinkingwater: Remember to flush your taps!
Again, it’s not perfect, but it’s encouraging to see groups like the WLCF taking action to monitor and understand Whistler’s water.
And even with its corrosive nature, Whistler’s water is likely among the very best in the world.
Let’s not take it for granted. n
More on one of Whistler’s oldest buildings
I just read the story in Pique about how the Gebhart/Hillman house on Nita Lake could be torn down ( Pique , Sept. 27, “Whistler council approves plan…”). This follows the unfortunate tradition in Whistler of either burning or tearing down any surviving heritage buildings.
The Gebhart/Hillman house was built by Alf Gebhart sometime in the 1950s when he was the owner of the Rainbow Lumber Company, which had a sawmill where Alta Lake Park is now. The Gebharts abandoned the house, maybe in the early 1960s, and sold it to Charles Hillman, a school teacher in Vancouver. When the Whistler Mountain ski area opened for business in early 1966, the house was found by Bill Rendell and a couple of friends. They kicked out the packrats and moved in. Bill was a draughtsman and he made the “Toad Hall” sign and hung it above the entry stairs. So the Gebhart/Hillman house was the original Toad Hall.
Bill decided in late 1967 to move out and offered the place to Jim Burgess who invited me, Drew Tait, and Mike Wisnicki to move in with him. Various people lived there for three or four years until Hillman kicked everyone
out. He renovated the place and used it as a ski cabin. The Toad Hall sign went with the former inhabitants when they moved to the Soo Valley sawmill camp at the north end of Green Lake. It was hung above the stairs to the big house there. This is where the picture of all the naked people was taken with the Toad Hall sign above them on the house.
The photo became a poster, of which several thousand were printed and distributed. This poster has created endless confusion about Toad Hall ever since. Copies of the Toad Hall poster
I have read the old Toad Hall building is in rough shape, although it seemed OK when I visited there a few years ago. I had some doubts when I first heard it was to be moved, whether it could be moved. The most substantial part of the house was the basement, which had two-foot-thick masonry walls, while the main house was simple 2x4 construction. But I’ve heard about other old buildings being successfully moved, so the old Toad Hall building probably could be moved.
It is unfortunate when one of the very few surviving buildings in Whistler that pre-date the time of Whistler as a ski area could be demolished.
John Hetherington // Whistler
Merging peacefully on Highway 99
“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” (Pique, Sept. 20, “Safety Dance”).
That observation confirmed the uncertainty I’m so often aware of on Highway 99.
The merges are not of predictable length, and the behaviour of drivers even less predictable.
I’ve tried to eliminate that uncertainty. (With my 250hp, just because I’m in the right lane doesn’t mean I’m slow.) I take a little initiative.
For instance, when I’m in the right lane, as soon as I reach the 200-metre merge sign I put out my signal, and move to the left lane. Usually cars approaching in the passing lane understand. We merge peacefully.
When I’m in the passing lane, at the 200m merge sign I use a little restraint, and let cars in the right lane (who I imagine must be relieved), merge. It’s a take-and-give.
Not long ago, while I was in the right lane, a car was approaching from a distance, quite
fast. At the merge sign I put out my signal, ready to move, but the car insisted on getting past and whizzed by.
Ahead, a black pick-up noticed the apparent struggle and switched to the left lane to block the aggressive car.
Teamwork! Thank you to the driver. Ruth Tubbesing // Vancouver/Whistler
Art is not an excuse
I am writing to express my concern over the increase of graffiti in some of our forests, especially in the Train Wreck area. What some might call “art” is, in reality, a blatant act of disrespect toward nature and the community that values these spaces.
Painting trees, rocks, and bridges with graffiti not only damages the natural landscape but also shows a profound disregard for the environment and the people who enjoy these areas. Our forests are not blank canvases waiting to be defaced. They are living
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Whistler council owes the past its due respect
I recently returned from a trip to Alaska where I visited countless historic buildings connected to the gold rush of 1898. The experience was inspiring, thought-provoking and a reminder of the hardships many endured in the pursuit of a solid living. None of this would have been possible if local organizations and governments had not had the foresight and gumption to preserve those old, rickety and rotting buildings. You see, more than dust mites and restoration costs, preservationists saw profound value and opportunity in keeping the past alive. They had more than anything a kindness and curiosity towards history that, evidently, fails to extend as far south as council chambers in the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
I’m speaking of course about the recent news that the Gebhart/Hillman cabin is likely to be demolished. As mentioned in the Sept. 27 edition of Pique, a municipal report citing “extensive costs, limited functionality, and
“I understand some people may feel the urge to express themselves artistically, but this is not the way to do it.”
- EDUARDO VAZQUEZ-VELA
ecosystems that deserve to be treated with care and respect.
What makes this worse is the long-lasting impact such actions have. Graffiti on trees can harm their bark, making them vulnerable to disease, while spray-painting bridges and trailsides creates a visual disturbance in what should be a pristine setting.
I understand some people may feel the urge to express themselves artistically, but this is not the way to do it. There are many other outlets for creativity that do not involve defacing public property or damaging nature.
As a constructive solution, I propose the community work together to create more designated art spaces—murals, public walls, or sanctioned areas in the urban environment—where graffiti artists can showcase their talents without harming nature. We could even organize community art events where artists are given permission to paint in specific areas while raising awareness about the importance of respecting our natural surroundings.
I hope this letter sparks a conversation about the importance of protecting our environment from vandalism. Let’s encourage art in the right places and, most importantly, safeguard our forests and natural spaces for future generations.
Eduardo
Vazquez-Vela // Whistler
challenges with its preservation” likely means the cabin will soon be no more. In other words, finding a way to preserve, protect and promote Whistler’s history isn’t worth the financial cost.
The report states the cabin must be moved in order to make way for staff and market-value housing—ironic, as one of the reasons given for the need for demolition was its remote and inaccessible location. Look, I’m not here to argue all development needs to stop, nor am I against change. But it has become increasingly evident the rate, scale and type of changes occurring in Whistler have come at mounting and shortsighted costs to its own legacy.
Let’s be clear. With the Hillman cabin we aren’t talking about an old building; we are talking about one of the oldest buildings. A building without which Whistler may not have grown to be the community it is today.
At the very least, council owes the past it stands on its due respect. Surely there is a way to preserve the most precious parts of Whistler’s history while pushing into the future. But this will take a council that can find the courage to stand up to the status quo. A council that has some imagination. A council that can see past the narrow trap of restoration cost. If they succeed in this, the community will be all the richer for it now and into the future.
Jeffrey Watts // Pemberton 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.
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THERE WAS A graphic making the rounds last week that compared the train transit maps for Chengdu, China to Toronto, Ont., for the years 2010 and 2024, respectively. “Sad” is an understatement.
In 14 years, Chengdu’s train system grew from nothing—no subways or light rail service—into a massive, interconnected
BY ANDREW MITCHELL
network with a jaw-dropping 373 stops. Meanwhile, Toronto’s subway system lost its six-stop Scarborough line and then gained five stops on its northern line to Vaughan—a net loss of one stop in 14 years, with about 70 stops in total. The subway system has barely changed in the last 50 years, even as Toronto has grown from a smaller city of a million to a megacity of three million with another four million people living in the surrounding region.
This isn’t a Toronto problem, either. The inability to build big things—on time and near budget—is a full-blown Canadian crisis.
Look at the Site C dam, which was backfilled with water for the first time a few weeks ago after 14 years and $16 billion spent—more than double the original budget.
Or the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which the federal government bought for $4.7 billion and expected to spend another $7.4 billion to complete—construction will come in at about $29 billion.
There are countless examples of other projects that have gone over time and budget, or were needed but later abandoned because of concerns about costs. Closer to home, we’re still waiting on a replacement for the three-lane George Massey Tunnel.
The BC Liberal Party proposed a 10-lane bridge in 2017, which the NDP cancelled after determining the total cost would be closer to $12 billion with 50 years of financing. Instead they’re building an eight-lane tunnel with no light rail capability for a total cost of $4.1 billion—which presumably will need to be financed as well.
Meanwhile, south of the border, an outof-control freighter collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last year. The proposed replacement, four lanes and 2.6 kilometres long, is expected to cost $2.5 billion. What gives?
These infrastructure fails are making Canadian governments shy about taking on the big projects we sorely need. What possible incentive do elected politicians have to approve big projects if they’re hammered at the polls over every delay and penny spent? The political costs of doing nothing are less than doing something imperfectly, which is a recipe for stagnation.
And why are we so off-base when it comes to construction schedules and budgets? Do we not have good engineering and construction companies capable of accurately bidding on and delivering these projects? Is it an issue of oversight? Red tape? I get that First Nations consultation can be a challenge in getting some big projects approved, but it doesn’t come close to explaining our situation.
Making matters worse, every project we build seems to be a one-off. Every city uses different buses and trains that run on different track types and software systems, employing different companies to design and build projects from scratch. There are no economies of scale or prior experiences we’re leveraging—like adopting a single type of light rail car that gets used across Canada, or standard bridge designs that can be adapted to multiple locations.
Canada needs things. We need more transit in our major cities. We need highspeed rail options in Southern Ontario and Quebec, the Edmonton-Calgary corridor and the Vancouver-Seattle corridor. We need more electrical generation—nuclear plants, hydroelectric dams, windmill farms and solar farms connected to a smarter grid— to shift away from fossil fuels. We need bridges. We need highways. We need ferries. We need affordable housing and reliable water and sewerage. We need recreation centres and sports fields.
And yes, Whistler, we need public washrooms—even if the price tag is higher than seems reasonable. We are just as guilty of thinking small and safe as the rest of Canada, even as our population outgrows our recreation facilities, library, parks and other amenities. We all need to start thinking bigger. (See “The perils of thinking small,” Pique , Nov. 4, 2023.)
What Canada needs is a top-down approach where all jurisdictions work together to identify what projects our provinces, cities and towns need so we can stop building one-offs from scratch. We need high-level engineering and oversight of everything, like the US Army Corps of Engineers provides south of the border. We need standard plans, specs and suppliers. We need a shortlist of private companies that can deliver on time and on budget. We need a faster and streamlined approvals process that respects First Nation rights.
Most of all, we need money. We need a way for provinces and cities to borrow funds for below market rates to build infrastructure. We need to bring back public works bonds. We need taxation earmarked for infrastructure that can only be spent on infrastructure.
Most of all, we need our political parties to agree to a plan for the future so we can stop making these big projects political. Stop kicking the can and passing the buck when we’re already behind. n
Whistler gets first view at threehorse B.C. election race
IN THEIR OWN WAYS,
EACH CANDIDATE SHOWCASED THEIR STRONG CONNECTIONS TO SEA TO SKY AT OCT. 1 DEBATE
BY BRANDON BARRETT
THE SEA TO SKY has never enjoyed the same electoral sway at the provincial ballot box as the larger West Vancouver enclave that has garnered the bulk of the political spotlight in one of the most geographically far-flung ridings in B.C.
But if the Tuesday, Oct. 1 all-candidates meeting, the first held in the riding this election campaign, is any indication, the corridor will hold an outsized influence when voters head to the polls in two-and-a-half weeks’ time.
Each of the three candidates leaned on their close connections to the region at the debate, co-hosted by Arts Whistler, the Whistler Chamber, and Pique Newsmagazine in front of a nearly full Maury Young Arts Centre crowd.
There is the BC NDP’s Jen Ford, a 10-year Whistler councillor who has served as president of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), and has chaired both the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) and SquamishLillooet Regional District.
There is the BC Greens’ Jeremy Valeriote, a former Gibsons councillor, former District of Squamish staffer and husband to the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s top bureaucrat, who came within 60 votes of earning the Greens their first ever seat on the mainland in 2020.
Then there’s the BC Conservatives’ Yuri Fulmer, who, like the party he represents, is a newcomer to the modern B.C. political scene. Nonetheless, he brings a laundry list of experience both local and global, investing in 30 companies in various sectors, including Squamish-based natural food company, Chiwis, serves as global chair of United
Way, and as current chancellor of Capilano University, which took over Quest University’s Squamish campus last year.
The topics discussed at Tuesday’s meeting covered a wide range of issues, and directly reflected the interests and concerns of the corridor.
The Whistler all-candidates meeting can be viewed in its entirety at vimeo.com/ event/4621996. A more comprehensive version of this story can be found at piquenewsmagazine.com.
ON THE ISSUES: HOUSING
Responding to an audience question about each party’s housing plan for the region, Fulmer was up first, and touted the program announced by BC Conservative leader John Rustad last week dubbed the “Rustad Rebate.”
Promising a major tax rebate that would start with a $1,500-a-month exemption on rent or mortgage interest costs from provincial income taxes, the rebate would increase by $500 each year until doubling to its target amount by 2029.
“No. 1 is the Rustad Rebate, which would give every British Columbian a $3,000 tax reduction,” Fulmer explained. “It’s a real way to go quickly against affordability [challenges] for housing.”
The proposed program is slated to cost $900 million in the 2026 budget, before rising to $3.5 billion by 2029, if utilized by every home in B.C. The Conservatives have said little about how they plan to pay for it.
Fulmer also drove home the need to increase housing supply.
“We need to use Crown land to do it. We need to accelerate the permitting process. We need to accelerate the rezoning process, and we need to make sure that the private sector can build homes that are affordable for British Columbians,” he said.
Valeriote was up next and highlighted the Greens’ housing plan, released the day of
the debate, which treats “housing as a human right, not a commodity for investors,” he said. “The market’s not the only solution, and most of the current efforts have been focused on what the market can provide.”
The Greens’ platform commits $1.5 billion to build 26,000 units of non-profit and co-op housing. “That kind of investment gives people security to … participate in the economy,” noted Valeriote, before adding that “the biggest piece” of the solution is vacancy control.
As she did throughout the night, Ford held up Whistler and its local accomplishments as an example of what could be achieved at the provincial level.
“We have in Whistler the model of affordable housing that is now being replicated across the province. The Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) developed many, many homes in different forms to meet the different needs of your life cycle, whether it’s apartments for rent, or single-family homes, or duplexes and quadplexes.”
The WHA chair also credited her party’s legislation from the spring for returning 20,000 formerly short-term rental homes back into the long-term market.
“We need to continue that work. We need to continue those investments,” she added.
WOODFIBRE LNG AND INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
At one point, the candidates were asked for their views on the LNG export facility planned for Howe Sound that would see tankers shipping millions of tonnes of gas a year to markets across the globe.
Valeriote’s opposition to the polarizing project has defined his campaign, and he took the opportunity to persuade voters that it is anything but a fait accompli.
“Any government can cancel an LNG project … at any point it wants,” he said. “It is a fact that it [comes with] big compensation,
but I suggest that compensation will pale in comparison with the $2 billion in subsidies that we’re already handing over—never mind the climate costs and the health impacts.”
Both Ford and Fulmer took the opposite view: it would be virtually impossible to reverse course at this stage, with construction on the facility well underway and the Squamish Nation already approving the project on its unceded territory.
“This has not been an easy process for anyone in the Sea to Sky. It has brought division and disappointment,” Ford said. “The sad truth is the decision was made. Canada issued their approval. The Squamish Nation issued their approval. I’d be lying to you if I told you I could cancel the permits.”
The discussion led to some tense moments, particularly between Valeriote and Fulmer, with each throwing jabs over the Squamish Nation’s inherent rights, and the process that facilitated Woodfibre LNG’s ultimate approval.
“I take my guidance from Squamish Nation members who actually live in the Squamish Valley and are directly affected by this project, and not necessarily from the Squamish [Nation] council that is heavily weighted towards the North Shore,” said Valeriote.
In response, Fulmer accused Valeriote of undermining the Nation’s influence over the project—and democracy itself.
“Jeremy, you’re running for office, and democracy is the fundamental tenet of what we do in the legislature,” he said. “As a settler, to sit here and blame the Indian Act, and to look at these communities and say there’s something wrong, that they didn’t decide the way I’d like them to decide … I find that offensive.”
SMALL BUSINESS
Between taxes, supply-chain barriers, and labour costs, the price of doing small business in Whistler and beyond has only
TO THE POLLS From left to right: Yuri Fulmer, Jeremy Valeriote and Jen Ford.
PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS
escalated, as one audience member laid out. He asked both Ford and Fulmer how they would address the issue.
The Whistler councillor pointed to what the NDP has already done to help small business owners. This included doubling the exemption threshold on B.C.’s employer health tax, which resort businesses have been vocally against since it was first introduced in 2019.
“[The NDP] kept taxes 25 per cent lower than when the BC Liberals were in power,” she added.
Ford also mentioned the struggles local restaurants face around electricity and supply costs. “We’ve lowered their electricity bills to keep the lights on. We’ve given them preferential, wholesale rates on alcohol which is where restaurants make their money,” she said.
Fulmer drew on his extensive business career in his answer, which criticized the NDP’s “onerous” health tax on employers and unnecessary red tape.
“I think we need a government that actually understands what small business is about,” he noted. “That means reduced red tape. That means reduced regulation. It means if you want a permit to work in a restaurant, it shouldn’t take a year to get. It means that you should be paying a tax burden that is proportionate to what your income is, and no more.”
HOW DID THE CANDIDATES FARE?
The night was, at least by Whistler standards, one of the more professional and compelling all-candidates meetings the resort has hosted in years, a reflection of the comparatively small field and sudden prominence of a riding that has for decades been a Liberal stronghold.
The 2020 election, not to mention the disastrous implosion of the BC Liberal Party, changed all that. Four years ago, Valeriote came within a whisker of toppling Liberal incumbent MLA Jordan Sturdy, offering the Greens a glimmer of hope in a riding that has long espoused environmental values. The Greens, and Valeriote himself—the first in the race to declare his candidacy more than a year ago—are banking on those values, and particularly local opposition to Woodfibre LNG, to pay big dividends on Oct. 19.
It is, admittedly, a huge roll of the dice in an election that, provincewide, will likely come down to a coin toss between the incumbent NDP and the surging Conservatives. Both major party candidates hammered home that point, especially Fulmer, who never missed a chance to remind voters of his stance that a Green in legislature wouldn’t have the power or the resources to affect real change.
“All of the mechanisms of a governing or opposition party—staff, resources, research—are unavailable … to a singleperson party,” said Fulmer, under the assumption Valeriote could be the only Green to gain a seat in the legislature.
Even Ford, who mostly avoided taking the same kinds of swipes at her fellow candidates, reminded voters how her mindset had shifted in the past four years, when she stood on the side of the highway with Valeriote, waving his emerald-coloured sign.
“There isn’t a mechanism to move
forward the things that [Valeriote’s] promised you tonight, like regional transit,” she said. “We can’t afford to elect a climate denier to be the premier. The unfortunate truth is that voting for Jeremy this time might well be what elects (BC Conservative leader) John Rustad.”
For his part, Valeriote was clearly prepared to address the question of strategic voting, and took his opponents’ remarks in stride. In his closing statement, he urged the assembled crowd to vote with their conscience on election day.
“You’ve heard the two establishment, status-quo parties make their case. They trade power back and forth and waste a lot of time and money reversing the other’s work to score political points. The two-party system stifles creativity and innovation,” he said. “So, we can continue to live in this binary world and maybe roll the dice on which of these two is going to form government. Or you can vote for a strong alternative voice that brings forward new solutions and new ways of thinking.”
Fulmer, a relative unknown in Sea to Sky politics, likely turned the most heads at Whistler’s all-candidates meeting, according to several attendees Pique spoke with. He was arguably the most prepared, rarely looking at his notes and recalling policy decisions directly from memory.
The West Vancouver resident was also the most willing of the three to go after his opponents. His strategy relied heavily on tearing down the NDP’s approach, as well as the Greens’ slim chances at gaining seats in the legislature.
A gifted speaker, Fulmer showed cracks in the façade primarily when he was forced to defend his party, and particularly Rustad’s views. He grew defensive when asked about the Conservative leader’s stance on COVID, with Rustad last week telling the CBC he regretted getting the vaccine after he said he developed medical issues six weeks following the shot.
“John had three vaccines. I’m fully vaccinated. My family is fully vaccinated. My children are fully vaccinated,” Fulmer said. “John made one comment that he had a heart condition develop after his vaccine. He is entitled to his medical opinion, and he’s entitled to reflect on his medical opinion.”
Ford seemed to be on her backfoot through much of the night, often reading from her notes and at times interspersing her responses or questions to the other candidates with long pauses. Audience members Pique spoke with were surprised at her performance, given she brings the most direct political experience to her campaign.
The local official leaned on her stellar track record and connection to the community she has served for the past decade.
“I’ve been working for this community for a very long time, and I have put in so much work that I think has served this community well,” she said. “I’m a mom. I’m raising my 10-year-old son. He goes to Spring Creek [Community School], and all I want is the best for this community, which is why I put my hand up to do this work. And I hope you trust me. I think you do. You’ve elected me three times.”
Whistlerites head to the polls on Oct. 19. Advanced voting opens Oct. 10 to 13 at the Whistler Conference Centre. n
QUICK-ACTING CREWS, FIRESMARTING CREDITED WITH MITIGATING STUBBORN BLAZE AT GABLES TOWNHOMES
BY BRANDON BARRETT
DEREK SCHUMANN left the scene of last week’s Gables Townhomes fire convinced two factors prevented the blaze from doing more damage than it did: the rapid response of the Whistler Fire Rescue Service, and the neighbourhood’s collective FireSmarting efforts.
“It could have been so much worse,” said Schumann, who captured photo and video footage of last Wednesday’s fire at 4510 Blackcomb Way.
No injuries were reported, and the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) initially said residents in 16 units were displaced, with eight directly involved in the Sept. 25 fire. A municipal communications official later confirmed most of the units are used for short-term rentals. Five individuals are being assisted through Emergency Support Services, however, the RMOW noted there may be others who have found alternative accommodation on their own.
At press time, the cause of the fire has not been determined, although the official said it does not appear suspicious.
Schumann was first alerted to the fire at about 12:45 p.m. by a neighbour who phoned asking if he was onsite after they had heard reports of smoke billowing from Building 3 of the
Gables Townhomes. A Building 1 resident and strata member, Schumann rushed over and said he could tell “within 50 metres that there was a lot of smoke in the air. You could smell it.”
Not noticing any flames initially, Schumann told Pique smoke plumes could be seen rising from the edifice’s metal roof. Within 60 seconds or so, he said firefighters were on the scene, and Schumann waved them over to the northwest end of the building, where he said it seemed most of the smoke was emanating from.
Crews quickly began blasting both the front and back sides of Building 3 with hoses, “and continued to hit the building for the next
six or so hours,” Schumann reported.
Thirty to 45 minutes after arriving on scene, Schumann said he saw the flames burning through the flat sections of roof that weren’t made of metal.
“Once the flames broke through the roof, the fire seemed to intensify,” he said. “There was open flame billowing out the top of the building for the next four or five hours, and then the firefighters did a good job of containing that.”
The stubborn blaze seemed to “play cat-andmouse” with fire crews, described Schumann, who shot video of flames coming out of the entrances several hours after it ignited. “They
had been hitting the whole building with thousands and thousands of gallons [of water] and they would turn the hose off to hit another section, and immediately the fire would spit back out in different areas,” he added.
By evening, crews had extinguished the fire, and personnel remained onsite overnight to watch for hotspots and flare-ups.
Fortunately, the Gables Townhomes are primarily occupied by part-time residents, and there weren’t many people onsite when the fire broke out. Firefighters, along with a fire wall, did well to minimize damage to the left side of Building 3.
“One side wasn’t subject to actual fire damage, but there was lots of water and smoke damage,” Schumann said.
The question now is whether the building requires restoration or a complete rebuild, a determination that will be made by a team comprising structural engineers, the insurance company, and an adjustor.
Schumann is thankful to fire crews for the “phenomenal job” they did containing the blaze, as well as efforts from the strata and Gables residents to remove highly flammable trees from the building’s perimeter several years ago.
“If we had a lot of coniferous trees right up next to the building, they would have gone up as well,” he said. “The efforts to FireSmart the community actually work.” n
FIRE FIGHT Whistler firefighters tackle a blaze at the Gables Townhomes on Sept. 25.
PHOTO BY SCOTT SCHOBER
Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police officer charged with multiple counts of voyeurism
CST. MICHAEL ENGLISH ALLEGEDLY FILMED SEXUAL ACTS WITHOUT HIS PARTNERS’ CONSENT
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
A STL’ATL’IMX Tribal Police Service (STPS) officer is facing charges of voyeurism after allegedly filming sexual acts without his partners’ consent.
Cst. Michael English was previously placed on administrative leave, with pay, while the RCMP and Office of Police Complaints Commission investigated the allegations.
On Sept. 25, he was formally charged with three counts of voyeurism in connection to offences alleged to have been committed offduty in Pemberton and Vancouver between 2020 and 2022.
Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Chief Officer Deborah Doss-Cody said in a release tribal police became aware of “alleged activities involving a member of their service” on Dec. 22, 2022. Doss-Cody said the member’s suspension will remain in effect now that charges have been laid “until the Board and I review their current duty status.
“In our public media release on January 17, 2023, we stated that the STPS take any allegation of criminal wrongdoing by any
employee of our police service very seriously,” Doss-Cody continued. “The STPS and its employees enjoy a deep mutual trust and support with our 10 communities. We are, therefore, extremely disappointed to hear the member of the STPS has been charged with these criminal offences.”
English, and the nature of his charges, are not mentioned in the Stl’atl’imx release.
Because the allegations against English were reported to have occurred outside of STPS jurisdiction, the matter was turned over to the RCMP’s E Division, Doss-Cody noted.
“The Sea to Sky Whistler RCMP wants to acknowledge the individuals who came forward to provide information and were patient through this lengthy investigation,” said Sgt. Jeffrey Shore, NCO i/c Sea to Sky RCMP General Investigation Section, in a release. “Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of victims, and our team remains committed to standing with them and supporting them through the Court process.”
A publication ban has been put in place to protect the identities of those involved.
English made his first court appearance on Oct. 2 in North Vancouver Provincial Court, after Pique’s weekly deadline.
“This matter is now before the Courts,
and the Sea to Sky RCMP will not be releasing additional information or making any further comment,” the release said.
The STPS encourages anyone affected by this case to contact Whistler-Pemberton
RCMP Victim Services for information, and for confidential support, at 604-905-1969 or whistler_victimservices@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
Check back with Pique for more as this story develops. n
CHARGED Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Service Cst. Michael English, pictured, has been charged with three counts of voyeurism.
LOVE TO LEARN
After School Art
Drop-In Sessions
Now Open for Registration
Grades K – 2
October 3 & November 7
Grades 3 – 5
October 17 & November 21
3:00 – 4:30pm | 4350 Blackcomb Way
$15 Per Session | Members 10% Off
This program is made possible through the generosity of Allen Bell and Ola Dunin-Bell.
James Hart, The Dance Screen (The Scream Too), 2010-2013, red cedar panel with abalone, mica, acrylic, wire and yew wood. Edward John (E.J.) Hughes, Departure from Nanaimo, 1964 oil on canvas. Audain Art Museum Collection, Gifts of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa.
Vail Resorts cutting workforce in newly revealed plan
IT’S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE CUTS WILL IMPACT WHISTLER BLACKCOMB
BY LIZ MCDONALD
RESORT BEHEMOTH Vail Resorts, Inc.
released a “resource efficiency transformation plan” that includes job cuts, its fourth-quarter financials and full-year financial results Sept. 26.
Whistler Blackcomb’s parent company said in a news release it was announcing “a twoyear plan to transform the company for future growth and global expansion.”
The “resource efficiency transformation plan” is intended “to improve organizational effectiveness and scale for operating leverage as the company grows,” the release said. The company aims to save $100 million each year through the plan, which includes job cuts.
The release notes some cost efficiencies come from job cuts, “impacting less than two per cent of the company’s total workforce, including 14 per cent of its corporate workforce and less than one per cent of the company’s operations workforce.”
Management and back-end support at Vail Resorts will see cuts, and 0.2 per cent will come from front-line roles.
“No matter how big or small the impact of position eliminations, we do not take lightly any decision that affects our team members,” said Kirsten Lynch, chief executive officer, in the release. “Our team members are the core
of our mission to create an Experience of a Lifetime, and we have tremendous gratitude for their passion and commitment to our mission, our mountains, and our guests.”
Pique reached out to Whistler Blackcomb to learn if the announcement will impact local staff, but did not receive a response before publication.
FOURTH-QUARTER RESULTS
According to a release on financials, the ski giant’s net income for the fiscal year was $230.4
million, a $37.7-million loss from the previous year which netted $268.1 million.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) were $825.1 million, compared with $834.8 million in 2023.
Pass sales for the upcoming ski season in North America dipped about three per cent in units, but increased three per cent for overall sales dollars because of an eightper-cent increase in pass price compared to last year. Lynch said pass sales grew among
existing pass holders who’ve had a pass for three years or longer. Decline in total number of sales from this year to last are “driven by a decline in new pass holders.”
“Within new pass holders, we saw growth from guests who previously purchased passes but did not buy a pass in the previous season, offset by a decline of new pass purchases from guests in our database who purchased lift tickets in the past season, as well as a decline from guests who are completely new to our database,” she said.
“The decline in lift-ticket visitation in the past season, driven by challenging weather and industry normalization, reduced that audience size of guests to drive conversion into pass holders, and the weather may have delayed the decisionmaking timing for new guests.”
Skier visits declined 9.5 per cent because of poor conditions last ski season in North America and Australia, alongside an expected decline in post-COVID high visitations in 2022-23.
Lift revenue increased by 1.6 per cent, or $21.9 million, mostly from pass revenue. Non-pass revenue decreased 10.7 per cent, “primarily driven by challenging conditions at our North American resorts for a large portion of the season compared to the prior year, as well as broader industry normalization post-COVID.” n
THE LONGEST LINE A long line of skiers wait patiently in Whistler Creekside after the snow finally arrived on Jan. 6, 2024. FILE PHOTO BY JUDY CAMPARDO
VO TEINTH E PR OV INCIALELECTION
The 2024 Provincial General Election is on Saturday, October 19, 2024. There are many ways (and many days) to vote.
WHO CAN VOTE
You can votein the 2024 Provincial General Elec tion if you are:
•18 or older on Oc tober 19, 2024
•a Canadiancitizen, and
•a resident of British Columbia since April 18, 2024
VOTER REGISTRATION
Register now to save time when you vote
You can register or update yourvoter information at elections.bc.ca/register or by calling 1- 80 0- 661- 8683
Registrationonline and by phone closes at 11:59 p.m. (Pacif ic time) on Oc tober 7.
Af ter Oc tober 7, you can still register when you vote, but voting will take longer Remember to bring ID when you go to vote
WHERE AND WHEN TO VOTE
VOTE IN PERSON
Vote at a District Electoral Of fice Votingat district elec toral of fices is available now during of fice hours until 4 p.m. (Pacif ic time) on Final Voting Day.
Vote at Advance Voting
There are six days of advance voting: Oc tober 10 - 13 and 15 - 16, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (local time).
Advance voting places will be closed on Oc tober 14 (Thanksgiving)
Vote on Final Voting Day
Final Voting Day is Saturday, Oc tober 19. Voting places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Pacif ic time) on Final Voting Day.
VOTE BY MA IL
To vote by mail, request yourvoting package as soon as possible Visit elections.bc.ca/votebymail or call 1- 80 0- 661- 8683
WHERE TO VOTE
Visit wheretovote.elections.bc.ca to find voting places near you and when they are open.
NE W ELEC TORAL DISTRICTS
There are new elec toral districts for the 2024 provincial elec tion To seea map of your new elec toral district, enter your address at elections.bc.ca/mydistrict
Bowen Island Comm School 1041 Mt GardnerRd, Bowen Island BC
Gleneagles Clubhouse 6190 Marine Dr, West Vancouver, BC
Pemberton Sec School 1400 Oak St, Pemberton,BC
Squamish Valley GolfClub 2458 MamquamRd, Squamish,BC
Telus Whistler Conf Centre 4010 Whistler Way, Whistler, BC
Totem Hall 1380 Stawamus Rd, Squamish,BC
Election Day Voting Places (open8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific timeon Saturday, Oc tober 19, 2024)
Bowen Island Comm School
1041 Mt Gardner Rd, Bowen Island, BC
Don Ross Middle School
42091 Ross Rd, Squamish,BC
Garibaldi Highlands Elem School
2590 Portree Way, Squamish,BC
Howe Sound Sec School
38430 Buckley Ave, Squamish,BC
Lions Bay Comm Hall
400 Centre Rd, Lions Bay, BC
Myrtle Philip Comm School
6195 Lorimer Rd, Whistler, BC
N’Quatqua Comm Centre 762 Nquatqua, D’Arcy, BC
Pemberton Sec School 1400 Oak St Pember ton,BC
Rockridge Sec School
5350 Headland Dr West Vancouver, BC
The 55 Activity Centre 1201 Village Green Way, Squamish,BC
Totem Hall 1380 Stawamus Rd, Squamish,BC
Ts zil Learning Centre 125 Lillooet Lake Rd, Mount Currie, BC
Valleycliffe Elem 38430 West way Ave, Squamish,BC
Whistler Sec School
8000 Alpine Way, Whistler BC
District Electoral Office
West Vancouver-Sea to Sky 3814 4 2nd Ave Squamish,BC (778) 572- 4610
Hours of Operation (local time) Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Desmond Chun 1105 -3333 Brown Rd, Richmond,BC, V6X 0P6 (778) 238-8066
James Grif fiths 8581 Drif ter Way, Whistler BC V8E 0G2 (604) 816- 6616
Jatinder Sidhu 2818 Marine Dr West Vancouver BC V7 V 1L9
Whistler building permit revenues declined as muni hall worked through backlog
WHILE PERMIT WAIT TIMES IN 2024 ARE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY, THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT TO LOWER-VALUE RENOS
BY BRANDON BARRETT
SOME BUILDING PERMIT wait times have been significantly cut in Whistler this year, but a fundamental shift in the demand for and nature of the work came with a steep drop in revenues for municipal hall’s building department.
“We are seeing much slower revenues this year than expected,” explained the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) chief financial officer Carlee Price in a Sept. 24 presentation to council.
As part of an amendment to its FiveYear Financial Plan, RMOW staff detailed how the number of permit applications through the first eight months of 2024 had flattened compared to 2023, contributing to the reduction in wait times. The report said wait times for commercial and multi-family residential permits had dropped by 50 per cent or more, and more than 40 per cent for single-family residential permit applications.
“However, the nature of the work has fundamentally shifted,” the report said. “The shift has been away from higher-value, wholehome projects to lower-value renovation projects.”
Because the cost of each permit is based on the estimated value of the work,
this shift has translated into a 27-per-cent decline in value for the average permit this year compared to last. “In addition, the number of large payments related to large and complex individual projects has fallen,” read the report.
Those two factors together contributed to a whopping 39-per-cent drop in building department revenues through the first half of the fiscal year, leading to the RMOW proposing to amend its revenue expectations for the
year from $3.2 million to approximately $1.7 million. It also proposed to slash its planned expenditures for the department from approximately $2.3 million to $1.8 million, with the difference made up by a lower contribution to the municipality’s general operating reserves, “as is typically the case with changing operations,” said Price.
Fuelled by a renovation and building boom during the pandemic, combined with a severe staff shortage, a series of
complex and time-consuming land-use contract terminations mandated by the province, and a 2021 cyberattack that took municipal services offline, Whistler’s building department has in recent years had to wrestle with a massive backlog of permit applications, much to the chagrin of local builders and homeowners alike.
“The permitting and development permit process in Whistler is a disaster,” Bob Deeks, owner of local building firm RDC Fine Homes, told Pique in the summer of 2022. “When you compare it to other jurisdictions as an average against the best, it’s unimaginable.”
As of Aug. 23, 2022, the height of the backlog, the RMOW said there were 524 building permit applications and 417 requests for property information. The initial review process at that time for both single-family and commercial/multi-family permits was approximately four months.
With a target of trimming wait times by 50 per cent, the RMOW added three fulltime staff and one part-time staff to help sift through the backlog. Its Green Building Policy, unveiled in 2022, was designed in part to cut back on wait times by streamlining various development criteria checklists into one comprehensive list for buildings subject to rezoning (although it only applies at the building permit stage for “very large” homes, the RMOW said at the time). n
PERMITS, PLEASE RMOW staff have reportedly cut building permit wait times by more than 50 per cent for certain application types.
FILE PHOTO BY ROBERT WISLA
Q2 financials point to much of the same in Whistler
TOURISM STILL SHOWING EARLY SIGNS OF SLOWING, WHILE LOCAL ECONOMY REMAINS RELATIVELY STRONG
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
THE STORY TOLD by the small pile of numbers released by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) covering the second quarter of 2024 is a simple one: not much changed compared to Q1.
Speaking to the report at the Sept. 24 council meeting, the RMOW’s chief financial officer, Carlee Price, said exactly that.
“I have very few comments today because most of what has gone on in the second quarter of 2024 very closely resembles what’s gone on in the quarters immediately before that,” she said.
As a refresher, in the first-quarter financial report, Price noted tourism was showing early signs of slowing, but the local economy was relatively strong.
Fast forward three months to now: “We are seeing that tourist-supported revenues are still slowing, we are seeing that residentsupported revenues—things like Meadow Park Sports Centre and transit fares—are continuing to grow,” Price said.
Building department revenues were significantly down in the quarter, too— something Price said was also in line with trends, in that there was a shift away from whole-home construction to renovations, while
the municipality’s operating expenditures were tracking along with the budget.
On that, Price said project delivery for 2024 was achieving a rate of 25.4 per cent (the amount spent versus the amount budgeted for projects), which she said was “well above where we traditionally are at this point of mid-year.”
Some of those projects include big-ticket items such as new fire trucks, upgrades to municipal hall, expansion at the transfer station and the opening of Rainbow Park.
The RMOW’s investment portfolio also warranted some words given the Bank of Canada recently cut rates.
“The future outlook for the direction and magnitude of rate changes has worsened, meaning that additional cuts are to be expected, and those cuts will be deeper than what was anticipated a year ago,” said Price.
“Because of this, we can expect the investment income coming off our portfolio to be lower in the second half of 2024 than it was in the second half of 2023, and also to affect our interest income in the coming fiscal year.”
The full run of hard numbers can be read on the RMOW website.
During questions, Councillor Cathy Jewett noted the tourism numbers and revenues through the MRDT—or the hotel
tax—and asked whether any slowdown could be compensated for in upcoming financial reports.
“We had a fairly robust summer … would you anticipate we would be able to make up the shortfall with a successful summer?” she asked.
Price said those numbers weren’t yet in front of them, given July and August are critical for the MRDT (and therefore covered by the third-quarter report), but through data shared by Tourism Whistler, they did have an idea about room-night bookings.
“It doesn’t look terrifically encouraging, but it’s certainly not devastating either,” she said.
Commenting on the report, Coun. Arthur De Jong said Whistler was lucky.
“We don’t know where it’s going to land yet, but I think we’re so lucky with whatever we get, and that we didn’t get smoked out given where we were in spring, so we’ve had a lucky summer,” he said.
“I’ll project some optimism—I’m not sure about MRDT, but all weather forecasts are very positive for this winter,” he added.
“We used to say in the ski business that a good snow year will cheer a recession if you’re in one … not that we are in one, but I’m optimistic we’ll have a good winter this year, and hopefully that’s reflected in further revenues.” n
FINANCIAL UPDATE Whistler’s municipal hall.
FILE PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS
Whistler to purchase slice of Tamarisk strata for $105K
THE
LAND IS PART OF A PUZZLE TO COMPLETE THE VALLEY TRAIL
CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY
BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) is following through with advertised plans to expropriate a small parcel of land from a local strata to help it complete its Valley Trail puzzle.
Whistler will pay $105,000 to the Tamarisk Strata at 1400 Alta Lake Road for a 0.38-hectare slice of land separated from the bulk of the strata by Alpha Lake and Millar Creek. The funds will come from the general capital reserve, which is fed by property taxes.
As explained in a staff report, the journey began in 2018 with the RMOW and the Tamarisk strata exploring ways for the municipality to acquire the land for public recreational use, with expropriation deemed the path of least resistance.
“All parties agreed in principle that expropriation would be the most appropriate approach going forward,” reads the report, which explained securing a statutory rightof-way wasn’t possible, while the purchase of the lands was deemed unlikely given there are 200 strata owners and the sale would require 100-per-cent agreement. As a result, expropriation at market value was selected.
Signage was erected on the site earlier in 2024.
With a deadline for inquiries from owners passed on Sept. 11, staff presented Whistler’s mayor and council with the decision on approving the expropriation, which they did unanimously.
The parcel of land itself is relatively unappealing for development of anything besides public access to Alpha Lake and as another piece of the Valley Trail puzzle, as explained by staff.
The RMOW’s manager of parks and planning, Martin Pardoe, explained the parcel was hemmed in by Alpha Lake, Millar Creek and the railway line and right-of-way, and was also overlaid by a BC Hydro right-ofway, sanitary sewer lines running below it, was covered by a 30-metre CN Rail setback and a 30-metre riparian setback, and had a
covenant on it that restricted development to parking and recreation only.
“It’s functionally landlocked and largely undevelopable,” he said.
That didn’t stop the RMOW from wanting to build Valley Trail through it—the Valley Trail is recreation, after all.
“It presents an opportunity to provide new public access to Alpha Lake and potentially a Valley Trail connection … between Alpha Lake Park and the remainder of the network east and north,” Pardoe said.
Pardoe’s explanation was pretty airtight: No questions came from the council table, but councillors lined up to express excitement the community would own another little slice of parkland.
“It’s very exciting to see this missing chunk get incorporated into the Valley Trail system, and also be able to use Pine Point Park more as well and create more access and recreation,” said Councillor Cathy Jewett.
Coun. Arthur De Jong called it a “win win win” for Tamarisk and all the surrounding neighbourhoods.
“It enhances the quality of life in their neighbourhood and arguably value,” he said.
Mayor Jack Crompton said it was an exciting step, and noted there were many more steps to come if the RMOW ends up building the trail.
“But this first step is really important in securing that land and doing the minor upgrades,” he said.
The approval of the expropriation was supported unanimously, with the land to be in RMOW hands in coming months. Any future plans around public access and Valley Trail development would be contingent on the RMOW then acquiring adjacent foreshore lands next to the parcel, which are Crown lands. That process is underway and expected to be completed in early 2025.
Following that and minor “light touch” improvements to improve public safety, design, referrals and engagement would commence for the ultimate development of the Valley Trail, which Pardoe reported would not start until 2026 at the earliest. That project is currently unfunded.
PIECE OF THE PUZZLE Access to Alpha Lake is behind the RMOW’s move to expropriate a parcel of land from the Tamarisk strata on Alta Lake Road. PHOTO BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
Village of Pemberton mulling support for Sue Big Oil campaign
COUNCIL AGREED TO INVITE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM WEST COAST ENVIRONMENTAL LAW LAST MONTH
BY LIZ MCDONALD
THE VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON is inviting a representative from West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) to present on the campaign Sue Big Oil.
The motion, passed Sept. 10, came from Councillor Katrina Nightingale, who asked for her fellow elected officials to keep an open mind and allow the officials to get an informed perspective.
Sue Big Oil is a campaign that aims to get municipalities to sign a declaration and file a class-action lawsuit against the oil-and-gas industry for its role of knowingly fuelling climate change.
Much of this evidence was explored in The Petroleum Papers, by journalist Geoff Dembicki, showing how American oil industry giants who founded the oil sands in Alberta knew about climate change in 1959, but actively campaigned to create doubt that climate change exists.
CLIMATE CHANGE COSTS
“I proposed that a delegation from WCEL speak to council about the Sue Big Oil campaign because the only way to make an informed decision in the best interests of the community is to gather as much information as possible,” Nightingale wrote in an email to Pique.
“Just by virtue of the name, ‘Sue Big Oil,’ people can default to entrenched positions effectively shutting down a conversation before it has even begun.”
She said she understands skepticism around the campaign, but noted citizens bear no costs by inviting a representative from WCEL. The Village of Pemberton (VOP) has yet to confirm a meeting date.
Nightingale highlighted other B.C. communities have joined the campaign, including the District of Squamish, Cumberland, Sechelt, Port Moody, Burnaby, Slocan, View Royal, Gibsons and Qualicum Beach.
Andrew Gage, staff lawyer and secretariat member with the non-profit WCEL, said climate change costs are a fiscal concern for all levels of government, and they have a responsibility to ask themselves how they will pay.
“It’s a basic fiscal responsibility issue for elected officials,” he said. “If you know that you’ve got these looming costs, you have to ask yourself, how are we going to afford this? You can’t just assume that taxpayers will pay ever-increasing amounts of climate costs.”
He explained the first step in the campaign is getting as many municipalities as possible to sign on, collectively representing a half a million people, and have each town commit $1 for every resident.
“That helps identify which local governments are interested in this. It tells us which local governments might step up into a more leadership role of filing a lawsuit, but at the end of the day, they have to do that,” Gage said.
TINY BUDGETS, BIG BILLS
The reason Nightingale put forward the campaign is the VOP’s constrained resources. According to Nightingale, 80 per cent of the town’s “miniscule” budget “goes to keeping the lights on, the toilets flushing and clean water running.” Then, there’s Bill 44, provincial legislation mandating sweeping changes to municipal housing zoning, which requires infrastructure to support increased housing. A second example of constrained resources is the potential future costs for policing. When the VOP’s population hits 5,000, which is expected in the near future, the municipality is responsible for covering 70 per cent of policing costs.
“Now, factor in climate change. As the severity of climate-related events increases, the strain on resources is only going to become
more. One stark example is the millions of dollars required to upgrade our dikes to protect this community from more extreme flooding events,” she said.
“We all know we are extremely vulnerable to wildfire. There was significant lost revenue to local businesses and farmers with the cancellation of the Slow Food Cycle because of the Downton Lake fire in 2023 and the closure of Birkenhead Park due to wildfire means less traffic through Pemberton which impacts local businesses. We have had to budget to replace the boardwalk infrastructure around One Mile Lake due to the flooding event in January 2023.”
There’s also wildfire management, active transportation, public transit improvements, and food security, which are necessary for adapting to and mitigating climate change. They require resources the VOP does not have.
“This campaign could provide municipalities with much-needed revenue to help us do that,” Nightingale said. “As it stands now, taxpayers are shouldering the entirety of this financial burden.”
Gage said sometimes people view climate change as an urban concern, but the costs per-capita for rural communities is actually higher.
“The infrastructure is spread out over a larger area with relatively low resources in terms of being able to rebuild them and retrofit them and deal with them,” he said.
‘WHAT I FEAR MORE IS NOT DOING MY BEST’
Nightingale said her position on climate change is that it’s a mix of anthropogenic— meaning caused by humans—and natural causes, but the knowledge oil companies didn’t adhere to a precautionary principle means average citizens are bearing the costs.
The precautionary principle, according to the Government of Canada’s guiding principles for the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, states “where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures
to prevent environmental degradation.”
In other words, not being certain of an impending disaster isn’t justification for doing nothing.
“Imagine where we might be today if they had used their influence at the policy level to move us away from our dependence on fossil fuels? But they didn’t. They doubled down … were able to maintain the status quo, ensure massive profits, and undermine a more just and equitable move toward renewable energies and policies grounded in conservation and stewardship,” Nightingale said.
The intent to make profits despite harms is “egregious” to Nightingale.
“I have a fiscal responsibility to this community to do what I can to recover some of the costs associated with climate change,” she said.
Calculating the overall cost of climate change for the VOP is a large task that would require resources the village doesn’t have, according to Nightingale. However, she said officials are actively looking at improving protection for the community through things like upgrading diking infrastructure, which costs millions, and wildfire mitigation, which is “substantial.”
“I cannot emphasize enough the relentless behind-the-scenes work being done by Mayor [Mike] Richman, [chief administrative officer Elizabeth] Tracy, supported by staff and council in advocating to higher levels of government to help support us in addressing these pressing needs,” she said
Considering the backlash the Mayor of Whistler, Jack Crompton, received in late 2018 when he signed a climate accountability letter demanding major fossil-fuel companies pay for climate costs, Pique asked if Nightingale was concerned about backlash from industry.
“Absolutely not,” she said, noting all people are complicit to varying degrees, but reiterating the oil-and-gas industry is responsible for using its power for profit.
“Honestly, what I fear more is not doing my best for this community, future generations, and not having the courage to explore possibilities like this.” n
BIG MONEY From fires to floods, paying for climate change is an issue Pemberton is trying to figure out.
Basket returned to Lil’wat Nation during land blessing for Harrow Road development
BOTH PEMBERTON AND THE LIL’WAT NATION STRESSED THE NEED FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
BY RÓISÍN CULLEN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A BASKET PURCHASED in the 1970’s was returned to the Lil’wat Nation during a land-blessing ceremony for the new Harrow Road housing development in Pemberton on Sept. 24. Event coordinator Wendy Hainstock gave Lil’wat Nation elected leader Maxine Bruce the basket back at the end of the traditional blessing.
Bruce and Roxanne Joe led the land blessing with a song. They were joined by the children of Xetólacw Community School, who sang “Wind in the Meadows,” and “The Welcome Song.”
Bruce said she did not know she would receive the gift at the ceremony. It was an incredibly emotional moment for her to see a little bit of reconciliation in process.
“We are in the very beginning stages of the meaning of reconciliation,” she said. “I don’t feel it coming. I am always trying hard to put reconciliation at the forefront and to be as positive as I can. We still don’t have our land back. That one small gesture just shocked me.”
Hainstock explained to Pique her uncle, Robert Hainstock, was a lifetime educator, but grew up in traditional Coast Salish territory.
“He spent his school breaks travelling around the world studying and learning from other cultures,” she said.
Robert purchased the hand-woven cedar basket in the 1970’s in the Mount Currie area. Both the red and black bark are from the cherry tree; the red turning to black after being buried for a year. It is then dried and woven into cedar.
When Robert Hainstock died, he left behind a collection of baskets from different First Nation cultures. Now, the basket has returned to its rightful owners.
“We wanted to return and gift the basket back to the Lil’wat Nation as a gift of appreciation for blessing the land and site of the new Harrow Road Affordable Housing and Community Hub Project,” said the younger Hainstock. “Our family has worked in the non-profit, education, and community health for years, and we have high hopes for the space operated by Sea to Sky Community Services.”
Located at Harrow Road and Highway 99, the 63-unit, five-storey building will feature a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with 30 per cent allocated for market rentals, 50 per cent for “rent geared to income,” and 20 per cent for low-income households. The 9,000-square-foot bottom floor will be used for SSCS’ new offices—in which they will run 28 of the 40 programs they offer throughout the Sea to Sky—with the rest of the space slated for commercial uses. SSCS now hopes to build the development in just two years.
Pemberton’s mayor and council previously adopted a two-year permissive tax exemption for the build, and also agreed
PROJECT
PHOTO BY RÓISÍN CULLEN
to waive associated development fees totalling $311,383.
Director of housing at SSCS, Jessie Abraham, previously told Pique getting the land blessed before turning the sod was incredibly important to them.
During the ceremony, everyone was given a cedar leaf. Bruce asked attendees to channel their positive intentions into the leaf. She urged people to choose a spot on the site and to leave the leaf there after the ceremony.
At the beginning of the event, Bruce said the Lil’wat Nation’s involvement in the project was an important step for both communities.
“I come from generations and generations of Lil’wat people,” she said. “My blood is deep with this land. I really put my heart into being an environmentalist. We have the opportunity to change things in a really positive way. Being invited to this event really touched my heart.”
The elected leader drew attention to her “Every Child Matters” necklace, and stressed that protecting the next generation has always been a focus of hers.
“Sea to Sky Community Services focuses on the children and focuses on such a big issue that we are all experiencing in this valley around housing,” said Bruce. “We are all just human beings. We have this opportunity to start this new housing project in a very positive way.”
Mayor Mike Richman said he was pleased and excited to see the start of the development.
“It has been a long haul to get here,” he said. “It represents some new hope, some beginnings. It represents a very small piece of reconciliation. It represents change.”
Richman said affordable housing is needed in Pemberton more than ever.
“We all know that more and more people are discovering our valley,” he said. “We know that the growth that’s pushing its way up the corridor is in ways inevitable. We spend a lot of time planning how we will manage that growth and how we make sure services keep up. There are folks leaving our community that have been here for years because they can’t find a place to stay.” n
BLESSED Lil’wat Nation’s Maxine Bruce and Roxanne Joe led the land blessing for the new Harrow Road development.
How ‘federal Liberals and orphaned Greens’ may decide the 2024 B.C. election
BY KEITH BALDREY
TWO GROUPS OF POTENTIAL voters may prove to have a decisive impact on the outcome of the provincial election.
One group is the roughly 600,000 people who voted for the federal Liberal party in B.C. in the 2021 election. Presumably most of them voted for the BC Liberal Party— remember it?—during provincial elections, and a fair number voted for the NDP.
But with the BC Conservative Party taking a hard swing to the right and aligning itself with the positions and language used by the Pierre Poilievre-led federal Conservative Party, how much of that federal Liberal voting bloc will swing to the B.C. party?
Former BC Liberal stalwarts such as former B.C. health minister Terry Lake have already publicly expressed concerns they no longer have a “home” when it comes to supporting a political party. Former BC Liberal MLA Karin Kirkpatrick says this lack of a “home”—she says she can’t support either the BC NDP or the BC Conservatives— is what is partly motivating her to run as an independent candidate in the West Vancouver-Capilano riding.
NDP leader David Eby’s promise this past weekend of a $1,000 tax cut seems aimed directly at the middle-class federal Liberal voter. And don’t be surprised if the New Democrats convince a prominent federal Liberal—such as a current or past MP—to endorse their campaign or at least one of their candidates.
NDP
before the deadline to fill spots expired this past weekend.
The question now becomes who do those orphaned Green Party voters opt for with no Green candidate on the ballot?
Much data supports the theory that a significant decline in the Green Party vote leads to a corresponding increase in the
leader David Eby’s promise this past weekend of a $1,000 tax cut seems aimed directly at the middle-class federal Liberal voter.
The other pool of voters is a much smaller group, but they are strategically located.
These would be the roughly 20,000 people who cast votes for the BC Green Party in about nine ridings in 2020 and 2017, but now find themselves without a Green Party candidate to vote for.
That is because the BC Greens were unable to find candidates in 24 ridings
NDP’s support. Of course, many former Green voters in these key ridings may switch to the Conservatives, but a close look at the 2017 and 2020 election results suggest most will go NDP.
The decline of the Green vote in the 2020 election compared to the 2017 election in the ridings of Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, Richmond-Queensborough and Richmond-
South Centre was almost exactly the same as the increase of the NDP vote in those ridings in 2020.
It was a similar pattern in AbbotsfordMission, Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, and Vernon-Monashee—three ridings the NDP had never captured before.
And now the BC Greens are not fielding candidates in any of those ridings, which are critical ones that lie along the NDP’s path to power. Until the Greens dropped out of the Vernon riding, the NDP was pessimistic about their chances of holding the seat, given the margin of victory in 2020 was less than 500 votes. But if a majority of the almost 4,500 voters who voted for the BC Greens in 2020 cross to the NDP, the party’s chances of winning look a lot better.
On top of all this, the absence of a Green candidate in Surrey-Panorama, Surrey-Newton and the new riding of Surrey-Serpentine may further secure the NDP’s hold on them.
Federal Liberals and orphaned Greens— how they vote may well decide which party forms government after Oct. 19.
Of course, that is assuming they even vote at all.
Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC n
A FEW DAYS AGO, a 67-year-old man paid $4,000 at a Texas auction for a Taylor Swiftsigned guitar. A gift for his granddaughter? Not quite. Instead, the clearly addled Trump devotee went onstage and smashed the guitar to pieces with a hammer in front of a cheering crowd of MAGAts, a sickening act of proxy violence for what actually threatens the superstar on a daily basis. Meanwhile, had the $4k been donated elsewhere, it could have helped any number of people, including fellow MAGAts, latest victims of climate catastrophe in the U.S. Southeast.
BY LESLIE ANTHONY
Politics doesn’t get much more absurd. Oh, wait… it does. A small-minded person might not know any better than to rent performative anger on someone he considers an adversary. Plus, it’s Texas— . But someone who should know better, like the BC NDP’s David Eby, recently mused that he’d reverse a policy his government has long supported—B.C.’s successful, world-leading carbon-pricing scheme, which all serious economists agree is the most effective way of sending market signals on lowering emissions while causing the least impact to individuals and forging an economic path based on renewable energy— should the Feds drop their requirement for provinces to have a carbon levy. As far as is known, he said this for one craven reason: his union, forestry and oil-and-gas overlords might otherwise move votes to the
MAGAt, anti-science, climate-denying BC Conservatives challenging his government in the coming election. This carries the stench of desperation in a time when we can ill-afford to let criminal resource industries dictate the agenda.
And though it comes as no surprise the players behind late-stage capitalism are in lock-step decline with non-representative democracy, when it comes to climate, the stakes have never been higher than in the coming election. (People say this every election, but it’s materially true: as climate change accelerates apace, little to nothing gets done in a four-year cycle and thus, the stakes indeed ratchet up).
It’s too bad, because Eby and the NDP have ostensibly done a decent job of governing through an unprecedented period. Though falling short on some fronts, as all do, B.C.’s provincial government is one of the country’s best, working well with the Feds (for comparison, imagine a Doug Ford- or Danielle Smith-type obstructionist catastrophe here) and keeping the province productive. Like Canada, perennially ranked top-five globally in the indices of living desirability, freedom and safety, B.C. isn’t “broken” as conservatives mewl, nor in need of the destructive, costly, wholesale change they preach (e.g., tearing up agreements with First Nations, tax and service cuts, walking away from climate, less-regulated-but-more-rapacious resource extraction). What B.C. needs, rather, is improvements, in the way we’re represented, in the way evidence and policy work together, and in the way we address the No. 1 existential crisis of our times—one inextricably linked to every other concern.
“More than anything we need to go forward and not backward on climate,” says Mike Douglas, local filmmaker, climate champion and chair of Protect our Winters (POW) Canada. “And the comments from David Eby and lack of action on the environment by the NDP make me fearful they’ll take us backwards as well.”
So, how to keep moving forward with the NDP, which hopefully prevails in the election, taking more than baby steps?
On climate, environment and every social front, the choice in West Van-Sea to Sky seems clear on either a strategic voting or mathematical basis. Vote totals for our three candidates in the last provincial election were thus: the candy-coated-conservative BC Liberals (now the forlorn, adrift BC United) 9,249; BC Greens 9,189 (only 60 votes out!); and BC NDP 6,197 (who was that guy, anyway?). A quick analysis returns the following information: 1) as befits a major national outdoor-tourism destination, we’re a nature-focused, climate-concerned, resourceindustry-leery riding where the combined progressive vote was 63 per cent of the total— some 26-per-cent higher than an incumbent winner with significant name-recognition; 2) by splitting the progressive vote, we wasted a chance to elect a candidate who was on the same page about most of the concerns of that 63 per cent, but who would have also advocated for the one thing neither of the bigbox parties offered: aggressive climate policy.
That candidate was professional geological, environmental and remediation engineer, one-time Gibson’s city councillor, and BC Green Jeremy Valeriote, who in addition to having the momentum of almost winning last time around, represents the latest vanguard of a constantly increasing Green vote over the past 20 years. And he’s running again.
“The Sea to Sky is ready to vote Green,” he says. “I understand the NDP watched from the opposition bench for 16 years, but an intense need to keep the ‘enemy’ out of government can make you do the wrong thing. Changing your mind on something as critical as carbon pricing because the cons are getting votes on it is a cynical, opportunistic flip-flop that puts bad politics over good policy. I gave Eby credit for strong leadership before, but this was incredibly disappointing.”
In case you forgot (pandemics do
that), as the ardently evidence-based, nonpolarizing, conscience-of-the-legislature, BC Greens had a hugely positive impact on our democracy through a Confidence and Supply Agreement that brought the NDP to power in 2017: reforming electoral finance to take the big money of unions and corporations out of the political equation; having another referendum on electoral reform (sadly, proportional representation failed because the gov’t wanted it to fail); reforms to lobbying; the Clean BC program, with its climate action and targets, and more.
After the C&S agreement ran its course, Greens remained instrumental in getting the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People through the legislature, bringing salmon and old growth to the forefront of public discourse, and relentlessly pushing things likely to be adopted in future—free transit, four-day work week, excessive-corporate-profits tax, bringing mental-health services into the health-care system, and a new primary care model based on community health centres.
Yes, there’s an argument for having an MLA in the governing party, but we’ve been fine without one, and Green MLAs have proven how well they can represent independently of big-party orthodoxy (and obligations) to get things done. Though we know the Greens won’t form government, they’re an ever-moreeffective part of the mix—whether joining in support of the government of the day or, as the only adults in the room of an otherwise polarized legislature, holding it to account.
“Most people don’t love being told they have to vote a certain way to ‘defeat’ another party,” says Valeriote. “But this isn’t warfare, it’s democracy. People should be able to vote for what they want, and a better future for all. The good news here is that you can vote with your head and your heart! The numbers here are very clear.”
Leslie Anthony is a scientist and author who enjoys connecting the dots to reverse political and media spin. n
SIGN LANGUAGE B.C. voters will elect a new government on Oct. 19.
PHOTO BY SCOTT TIBBALLS
what’s in the water? These conservationists want to know
A multi-year study on watershed quality in Whistler and other places
in the province hopes to show how humans impact fish and whale habitat
By Liz McDonald
It’s half past 9 a.m. on Aug. 20, and rain clouds roll in over Whistler. Droplets periodically plop on Dr. Peter Ross and a team of conservationists gathered on Lake Placid Road. It’s a fitting scene, given their assignment.
conservationists Conservation
Ross is from the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a non-profit team of scientists and conservationists. Raincoast uses science-based evidence to understand what impacts coastal species, informing communities and decisionmakers and inspiring action to protect wildlife and the places it lives.
An ocean pollution expert, Ross is in Whistler for a project called Healthy Waters, in partnership with the Whistler Lakes Conservation Foundation (WLCF). While the coast doesn’t reach the ski town, water from glaciers, rivers and streams, road run-off, and tap water eventually finds its way into the frothing sea. Healthy Waters aims to show how humans impact each point.
The WLCF advocates for lake stewardship and has partnered with Raincoast on the project in Whistler, because water, whether in rivers, ditches or lakes, is all connected.
story and photos by liz mcdonald
“We can’t look at all those elements—ocean, streams and lakes—in isolation; they’re all an integral part of the watershed,” explains Lynn Kriwoken, president of the WLCF.
Ross, a tall and inquisitive man with dark-rimmed glasses, along with Kriwoken and Samantha Scott, waterquality coordinator on the project, grabs a large, stainless-steel container and a testing instrument before walking over to Jordan Creek. They’ve been going at a quick clip since 7 a.m., driving to rivers, ditches and streams, pooling samples to send to laboratories and testing in the field.
At the creek, which links Nita Lake and Alpha Lake, Kriwoken dips a black rod into the water and calls out numbers for oxygen levels, turbidity, pH and more. Ross puts a cup on a long rod into the stream and pours it into the container.
In one day, they’ll sample 15 sites from five categories: source water, stream and river, road run-off, tap water and marine samples.
It’s the third time they’ve done this in the Green River and Cheakamus River watersheds for the project. The Green River watershed drains northeast and connects to the Lillooet and Fraser rivers before reaching the Strait of Georgia—a flow that spans 975 square kilometres. The Cheakamus River watershed drains into the Squamish River before reaching the Howe Sound, covering 1,034 square kilometres. Collectively, it’s 1,909 square km.
The first two preliminary data sets, in the dry season of 2023 and the wet season in 2024, have publicly available reports that show the Green and Cheakamus watersheds are in relatively good shape.
A second report will provide a longer-term look at the health of Whistler’s watersheds, and hopefully reaffirm the initial findings.
“At the end of the two-and-a-half years, we’ll return to our partners—the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Vail Resorts—if there’s any red flags in the data that point to certain sources or pathways,” Kriwoken says.
“Then we work together with the community to talk about solutions and actions.”
What’s in
FEATURE
concern, and the results can contribute to “policies, practices and regulations at the local and national level,” according to Raincoast’s website.
“It’s a bit of a hodgepodge of different approaches to try to understand what’s going on in the environment,” Ross says of the varying regulations and guidelines. “There are different intervention steps that are possible along the journey back to Victoria and Ottawa to turn off the tap on a particular chemical that becomes a problem.”
Step 1 is identifying if a problem exists.
Whether it’s a tire-related chemical called 6PPD that kills off coho salmon, or perhaps less-expected contaminants like cocaine, DEET or lead, each tells a story about humans’ actions and represents an opportunity for individual, industry and government solutions.
Road run-off contaminants
Perhaps unsurprisingly, during the dry and wet seasons testing in 2023 and 2024, road run-off was the most contaminated category.
Contaminants included “nutrients, pesticides, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, and 6PPD-quinone.” Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl are synthetic chemicals found in lubricants, paints and much more. There were no exceedances of available guidelines, which is positive.
6PPD-quinone comes from a chemical used on tires called 6PPD. When exposed to air, it creates 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ). 6PPD stops tires from breaking down easily and helps them last longer. 6PPDQ is known to kill coho salmon. An accelerated review of the chemical is currently underway through Environment and Climate Change Canada, thanks to a request by Raincoast, the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
However, the review process won’t be finalized until June 2025. Ross says after that, there would be a phase-out and regulation, which also takes time. Plus, tires are on roads for about five years.
Dr. Peter Ross pours a sample of water into a stainless steel container.
special gardens called bioretention cells that remove up to 90 per cent of the chemical.
“The results are very encouraging … If you filter your road run-off in a storm system using natural wetlands and bioretention structures, etc., you can really remove a lot of the lethality associated with the road run-off,” Ross says.
Another interesting finding from Healthy Waters in the road run-off category is human waste.
“Either someone’s using ditches everywhere as toilets— which is, to a degree, possible—but I don’t think it explains the problem,” Ross says.
He postulates human waste is coming from leaking septic tanks or faulty connections in wastewater collection systems. Septic tanks need to be emptied when at capacity, on average every three to five years for the typical tank. They can leak when clogged or too full, and waste ends up in places like drainage ditches.
While determining exactly where human waste is coming
Raincoast Conservation Foundation recently deployed a cargo van for testing water quality in the field.
It might seem odd at first glance to sample water from homes when looking at the health of a watershed, but Ross explains tap water is very much part of the picture.
“We want people to acknowledge that we’re part of the water cycle. We’re part of the watershed,” he says. “We’re borrowing water for our own purposes from fish habit, and we’re releasing it back in the fish habitat usually more contaminated [than when] it was brought in.”
Lead found in Whistler’s tap water was previously reported thanks to a Star-Global-UBC investigation. Homes built before 1989 with copper pipes have solder with 50-per-cent lead content. In 1989, the national plumbing code was updated, compelling plumbers to reduce lead to half a per cent.
There is no safe level of lead exposure, and chronic exposure for children ages three to five is linked to lower IQ scores.
Residents can test their water for lead at relatively low costs, and if homeowners can’t afford to replace their pipes, Ross suggests getting a charcoal water filter or running the tap until it turns cold. Cold temperatures indicate the water is coming from the municipal supply and is likely no longer contaminated from sitting in lead-laden pipes.
Then, there’s the pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) found in tap water, with four types found in the dry season. Penicillin, caffeine, bisphenol A and DEET were present.
“There’s no guidance. You cannot call Vancouver Coastal Health or Fraser Health and the Ministry of Health, and say, ‘Hey, is it safe to drink our water? Here is what I found,’” Ross says. “They will just have a blank stare when you say that. That troubles me.”
Without guidelines for acceptable concentrations, people are left to wonder what’s safe for them to consume.
“The non-scientist in me is going, ‘Are you saying it’s OK to have this in my drinking water?” Ross says. “We have some work to do.”
Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, was found in high concentrations in tap water during the wet season. It’s an endocrine disruptor which effects reproductive systems for aquatic life and humans. Single-use plastics and multi-use plastics have BPA.
The most likely cause, according to the report, is from household plastic pipes and/or the municipal distribution system. There are currently no guidelines from Health Canada for BPA in drinking water, and federal environmental quality guidelines for BPAs are seven times higher than what the researchers found in tap water. Minnesota’s Department of Health in the United States has drinking water guidelines for BPA, and Whistler’s was “well below” Minnesota’s guidelines, according to the report.
From homes to rivers and oceans
Using PPCPs means they also end up in municipal wastewater treatment plants, where wastewater is treated and then released into the environment and flows into streams and rivers. There were 14 types of PPCPs found in streams and rivers. Some, like penicillin, could come from inappropriately disposing of medicine by flushing it down the toilet. But there’s also evidence of metabolized cocaine, which isn’t removed through wastewater treatment plants.
“If you’re a little fish living downstream on the Cheakamus River, you would be exposed constantly to cocaine and metformin and penicillin, because they’re being released by the municipal wastewater plant, even at low concentration,” Ross says. “That’s pseudo persistent— where it might be breaking down in the environment, but they’re constantly exposed to it.”
When discussing the report, Ross reiterates that, all things considered, the watersheds in Whistler are relatively healthy. Very few results exceeded available guidelines, but the next two data sets will provide a clearer picture of samples’ validity by showing whether these are one-off results or represent a pattern.
“This report is merely a stepping stone in the incremental journey towards a better understanding of water quality and the threats areas face,” he says.
The Healthy Waters project also
isn’t unique to Whistler. Raincoast is studying 10 other watersheds that drain into the Fraser River and Salish Sea, working with First Nations and community stakeholders. Eventually, researchers hope to develop a website that shows which contaminants are where.
“That will speak to each and every contaminant that represents potential concern in each watershed and what the priority could be in each different watershed,” Ross explains. “The caveat for that is, we’re not ready to do that yet.”
Before that happens, researchers need the data and trust from First Nations and communities.
“My experience has shown me the public, and in particular, Indigenous communities and Nations, are concerned about water quality, whether it’s drinking water or fish habitat,” Ross says. “I think that message gets lost often in the corridors of power.”
To build trust and provide real-time information to communities, Raincoast recently deployed a retrofitted cargo van, aptly named Tracker. The van allows for some testing in the field, and while many samples will still need to be sent to high-tech labs for results, having the mobile lab on hand allows for people to see what some results are and learn to test themselves.
“It was the No. 1 complaint I ran into. ‘Oh, you guys, you come in here, you do a quick study, and we never hear from you again,’” Ross says. “We bring the lab to the field, and we’re demystifying the activity, or sharing these opportunities for training and engagement and capacity building.”
The same is true for First Nations, which have historic reason to lack trust in scientists.
“Ditto for the many First Nations that we’re working with. They want science, but they also want it done in lockstep with Indigenous knowledge, and they want the ability to do things themselves,” Ross says. “They want more capacity, and that’ll give them more ability to track natural resource management issues or stewardship and restoration initiatives.”
Stay tuned for the full report, expected in 2025. n
Lynn Kriwoken (left), and Samantha Scott (right), test water samples for the Healthy Waters project.
Pemberton man invents electric hydrofoil
JERRY MCARTHUR’S HYDROFLYER COMBINES PERFORMANCE WITH ACCESSIBILITY
BY DAVID SONG
LEAVE IT TO A Pembertonian like Jerry McArthur to ask questions like: “what if I added handlebars to a surfboard?”
That may be a slight oversimplification of McArthur’s latest product, but you get the idea.
The Hydroflyer is essentially a cross between a Jet Ski and an electric foil (e-foil) surfboard, propelled by a 7.5-horsepower motor. A submerged wing mounted to the craft’s bottom allows it to rise more than three feet into the air as it approaches a top speed of 50 km/h. The deck upon which you stand contains a lithium-ion battery capable of yielding two hours of runtime and safeguarded by three layers of waterproofing.
While the Hydroflyer isn’t the fastest watercraft you could buy with $15,000 of disposable income, it is remarkably userfriendly—though that wasn’t McArthur’s original goal.
“I designed this because I wanted more control. I wanted to be able to go fast, be more aggressive and do jumps, that kind of thing,” he revealed. “So it was really made to be a performance craft. The fact that it’s
approachable to beginners is not something we really set out to do in the first place … just the added benefit of the design.
“I’ve been teaching people to e-foil for seven years, and it always made me pretty nervous. With this one, I give people five or 10 minutes of instructions and off they go.”
As a professional sports journalist, I had to test McArthur’s claims. That’s why I met up with him to put the Hydroflyer through its paces.
I BELIEVE I CAN FLY
Courteous and professional, McArthur explained the basic principles of Hydroflyer operation during our short-notice rendezvous at Lakeside Park. I mentioned that, unlike him, I had not grown up riding mountain bikes or snowmobiles, but he appeared confident his device would suit my skill level. Then he handed me a wetsuit.
I’d actually never donned a wetsuit before, so it took me a few minutes of fumbling around in the men’s bathroom before heading back to the dock. McArthur placed the Hydroflyer on its lowest power setting and held it in place while I climbed on board. Then, it was all up to me.
My first pump of the throttle pushed the Hydroflyer forward in a jerky manner. It took me four or five more tentative attempts before I decided to apply some consistent gas, and that’s when I took off at eight km/h. The faster I went, the more stable the craft became, just as McArthur had said.
But there was a problem. Unlike a bicycle, the Hydroflyer’s handlebars are fixed in place and there’s no steerable rudder. I meandered into shallow water wondering how to turn, and had to briefly dive in to reorient my steed’s nose (there’s no reverse gear, either).
McArthur, standing on the dock a few dozen metres away, reminded me I needed to lean my body left and right to control direction. Fortunately, my nascent skiing abilities had prepared me for this task, and before long I was carving wide, sweeping turns through the middle of Alta Lake. That emboldened me to go for a bit more speed, and the Hydroflyer ascended above the water.
Once I let off the gas, however, I came crashing back down and fought to absorb impact. Turns out: smooth and delicate throttle control is key.
I only fell off the Hydroflyer a single time, when my fingers slipped and punched the gas at a moment I wasn’t intending to. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing.
CHANGING THE E-FOIL GAME
McArthur discovered inspiration for the Hydroflyer in Australia. A post-high school gap year of surfing Down Under brought him into contact with e-foils, but he found most existing models too cumbersome for his liking.
That’s when he decided to flex his entrepreneurial streak.
Since early childhood, McArthur’s head has been full of ideas he’s wanted to bring to life. His first invention as a grown-up was
a reusable lid meant to attach to the tops of beer cans: a humble tool, but one that taught him his first lessons about how to make and market items.
“Thank God the Hydroflyer wasn’t my first product, or it would have just been so overwhelming. I think it would have killed me,” said McArthur.
Tapping into his Pembertonian upbringing, McArthur strapped a mountain bike to a hydrofoil and added some flotation devices. That was his prototype, and it opened his eyes to a whole new realm in the watersports world.
Development on the Hydroflyer began in earnest three or four years ago. Approximately 150 have been sold, all of them the standard “Cruiser” model, but beginner-oriented “Inflatable” and high-end “Sport” variants are in the works. All three could be ideal for the adventurous and athletic spirit of the Sea to Sky.
From WIRED Magazine to Season 16, Episode 3 of Dragon’s Den, McArthur has done the legwork in promoting his brainchild. It’s not always easy to run a business from a village, but McArthur remains loyal to his home. He still coaches with the Pemberton Youth Soccer Association (PYSA), just as his mom Anne Crowley did for 30 years, and he’s got advice for the region’s young would-be inventors.
“Your first idea is always going to need improvement, so start making it, see if it works and try to figure out if people are going to buy it without spending all your money on it first,” McArthur said. n
TAKING FLIGHT Jerry McArthur of Pemberton stands next to his Hydroflyer e-foil at Lakeside Park.
PHOTO BY DAVID SONG
Whistler hosts inaugural UTMB World Series race
THE CONTROVERSIAL ULTRA TRAIL EVENT TOOK PLACE FROM SEPT. 28 TO 29
BY DAVID SONG
THE SEA TO SKY AREA recently bore witness to the 2024 Ultra Trail Whistler competition by UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc) and Ironman. With three distances to choose from, athletes from myriad nations took on the varied terrain and evergreen forests of the Coast Mountain Range.
Things kicked off on Saturday, Sept. 28 with the 70-kilometre event. Richard Cook of the United States (7:42:45) outdueled Canadian Elliot Holtham (7:54:10) for first position, with Luke Nichols representing Australia well in third (8:18:45).
“One of the prettiest races I’ve ever run,” Cook said in a press release. When asked about his favourite parts of the venue, he elaborated: “The lakes up on the other side of Whistler Summit. Such a variety of terrain, such a variety of trails, technical stuff like high alpine. It was really, really fun.”
The women’s 70-kilometre proved to be a dominant outing for American Emma Patterson, who bested the next closest competitor by more than 23 minutes for gold (9:10:17). Julie Lesage (9:33:27), and Jennie Labrie (9:50:51) earned silver and bronze, respectively, for Canada.
Next, the 50-kilometre race set off from Creekside Plaza. It was a U.S. sweep on the men’s side, with a victorious Cade Michael (4:20:50) standing between runner-up David Norris (4:30:20) and third-place Andrew Newell (4:51:01) on the podium.
Katie Morgan (5:20:09) of Great Britain proved to be the weekend’s only non-North American champ, snatching top spot in the ladies’ 50-kilometre. Laurie Proulx wasn’t far behind (5:26:36) and Heidi Ohrling (5:45:10) completed the top three.
Last but not least, the 25-kilometre discipline began early Sunday morning.
Jonathan Gendron struck gold among male contenders (2:32:32) as Rachel Hebaus (3:06:00) emerged on top for the women. Misael Zapein (2:41:11) and John Dean (2:45:05) rounded out the men’s podium, while Anne Baylot (3:11:44), and Marguerite Royer (3:17:03) also took home ladies’ hardware.
All finishers collected Running Stones that can be applied to the UTMB Mont-Blanc draw. Event organizers stated in a press release they are grateful to have run on the shared, unceded territory of the Lil’wat People (Lil’wat7úl) and the Squamish People (Sk_wx_ wú7mesh).
This new UTMB undertaking was marred with controversy, as it was announced months after the demise of Coast Mountain Trail Running’s (CMTR) popular Whistler Alpine Meadows (WAM) event. Scores of Sea to Sky residents and athletes from abroad denounced UTMB/Ironman and Vail Resorts while voicing unequivocal support for CMTR and its leader, Gary Robbins.
While a Vail Resorts spokesperson claimed the company was “not satisfied or comfortable with how Whistler Alpine Meadows planned to address safety issues from the race [in 2022]”, Robbins told his side of the story in a lengthy blog post on his personal website.
“My personal take in the end was that we were very obviously being forced out,” he wrote. “By going about it in this manner, no one ever had to take responsibility for saying no to our event, and to [Vail’s] credit they never did say no to us. They simply pushed us out by other means.”
Ultimately, Robbins encouraged his fellow runners to “vote with [their] hardearned dollars” and support the races of their choosing. n
ImissyousomuchandmyGriefinWhistlerbringmejoyandgreatmemories. Restin Peace my beautifulSolita2011-2024
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ON THE TRAIL A scene from the 25k Race during the 2024 Ultra Trail Whistler by UTMB on Sept. 29 in Whistler.
PHOTO BY DONALD MIRALLE / COURTESY OF UTMB
Meet Araxi’s new executive chef
YING GAO HAS A LAUNDRY LIST OF EXPERIENCE IN VANCOUVER FINE-DINING—NOW, SHE’S TAKING ON WHISTLER
BY LIZ MCDONALD
ONE OF WHISTLER’S most revered culinary institutions has a new executive chef.
Chef Ying Gao started at Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar earlier this summer, bringing her lifetime of industry experience to the longstanding gourmet haunt.
Gao comes to Whistler from Vancouver, where she excelled at CinCin Ristorante + Bar, Blue Water Café, and helped open Elisa.
Gao’s passion for culinary delights is rooted in family tradition. Both of her parents are restauranteurs, owning eateries in Germany and China. She grew up in the industry eating succulent food, which inspired her career path.
“I’m pretty lucky, a lot of people cannot figure out what they want to do or what they can do. I figured out early that I want to work in restaurants,” Gao said.
While working in Vancouver fuelled her life as a chef, she found herself craving rich
access to fresh air and nature. Cue a move to Whistler.
“I really wanted to work someplace like Whistler, waking up with fresh air. You can ski and mountain bike,” she said. “So, when I thought about where, Whistler was 100-percent the most beautiful place in my heart.”
Working with Araxi’s culinary director, James Walt, was another draw.
“My dream came true,” she said. “I work in the most beautiful place, and I work with Chef James. Araxi is also a really special restaurant
never-ending supply of fresh produce for farm-to-table meals.
“In Vancouver, we don’t have that available every day,” she said. “But in Whistler, we have all the beautiful vegetables, local mushrooms, treasure foods.”
Gao will marry her training in French culinary knowledge with Chinese and Japanese ingredients at the farm-fresh locale.
As the executive chef, she’s creating a new menu aimed at impressing the international audience who sit down to dine in Whistler,
“I really wanted to work someplace like Whistler, waking up with fresh air. You can ski and mountain bike.”
- YING GAO
in my heart, because we work with the farmer using local ingredients. That is a treasure. Not a lot of local restaurants can do that, but we have been doing that for over 40 years.”
That concept draws not only guests, but staff to the table at Araxi. One of the reasons Gao gravitated towards Araxi is the seemingly
and developed the prix fixe menu this year to give back to Whistler’s community.
“We want to treat them to really good food with a really good price, making sure everybody can come here with their family and friends and enjoy some fine-dining food,” she said.
When she’s not sharing her cooking talents with guests, Gao prioritizes sharing experiences with her friends and family, bringing them along for the ride, whether she’s playing sports or going to the spa.
“If I go to the park for a picnic, I want to go with my friends and family,” she said. “I’m all about sharing life experience. I always want to share beautiful things with friends and family.”
When cooking for herself, she enjoys making a Chinese dinner at home as comfort food, prioritizing vegetables in a stir-fry.
“It’s really simple, but tasty, and warms my soul,” she said.
Since she’s new to Whistler, Gao is finding her footing in the resort and looks forward to snowboarding and snowshoeing throughout the winter.
For any up-and-coming chefs who want to pursue a similar path to Gao, she suggests they cultivate patience.
“I think it’s very simple: just be patient. Don’t give up easily. Keep training until one day you’re successful,” she said. “A lot of people just try once, and they say, ‘oh, it’s not working. I don’t want to do it again because I failed,’ you know? The only opinion, I think, is to keep trying. Never try, never know.” n
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FRESH APPROACH Araxi’s newest executive chef, Ying Gao, was drawn to Whistler’s fresh air and farm-to-table ingredients.
MEADOW
PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH
Photo: Sean St. Denis
Oktoberfest returns to Whistler with an artistic twist
THE MAURY YOUNG ARTS CENTRE WILL TRANSFORM INTO A BAVARIAN BEER HALL FOR ‘ARTSTOBERFEST’ ON OCT. 5
BY DAVID SONG
OKTOBERFEST IS COMING to the Sea to Sky in a novel form.
Arts Whistler is prepared to unveil “Artstoberfest”: a kaleidoscopic blend of Bavarian tradition and local creative spirit. The Maury Young Arts Centre will function as a hearty beer hall come Oct. 5, with top-flight beverages from Coast Mountain Brewing married with bratwursts and barbecue from meat producer Bacon Eh. Non-alcoholic options are available as well.
While guests drink and dine, Thomas Struder’s polka-style band will bring the dance floor to life with their infectious, upbeat swing music. Folks in the mood for a more laid-back option can watch ceramic artist Ruby Bryan paint a one-of-a-kind Artstoberfest beer stein in real time. Raffle tickets to win said stein cost $10, with proceeds going toward arts and culture programming in the Sea to Sky.
Rounding out the night will be various classic Oktoberfest activities, like prizes for best-dressed. The recurring Teeny Tiny Show
will serve as a decorative backdrop, featuring meticulously-crafted 3x3-inch pieces by more than 150 artists.
“It’s a super fun Oktoberfest with an awesome injection of arts, just putting a spin on a great seasonal event,” says Arts Whistler executive director Mo Douglas. “There’s participation elements and observation elements. We love bringing people into the
‘A DIFFERENT SIDE OF WHISTLER’
Artstoberfest is not to be confused with the recent Whistler Village Beer Festival (WVBF) operated by Gibbons, but it channels some of the same international energy. Whistler is home to a number of Germans and Austrians who historically have strutted around town this month in authentic dirndls and
“It’s a super fun Oktoberfest with an awesome injection of arts, just putting a spin on a great seasonal event.”
- MO DOUGLAS
Maury Young to do things that really allow the community to get together and have a lot of fun. It’s a different experience than being in the bars.
“We ask ourselves [at Arts Whistler]: how do we help diversify what happens in the resort? It might be a total arts focus, like Art on the Lake, or it might be inserting the arts into something else. It’s fun to test our own creativity and then be able to share it with the community.”
Lederhosen. Expect that demographic to show itself in force once again.
Douglas once served as director of festivals for Tourism Whistler, with eight Oktoberfests on her resumé. She and her team needed to import musicians from Vancouver’s German immigrant community in those days, but local performers like Struder have since become great assets.
This Saturday will include a few bells and
whistles even Douglas hasn’t seen before, like a stein-holding competition that’s more than meets the eye.
“They’re fairly big beer steins,” she explains. “In this case, we’re going to fill them with water. The competitors literally just have to stand there with their arms straight out and hold them for as long as they can, which sounds awfully simple but apparently it’s incredibly hard. I also think their friends may be attempting to make them laugh.”
And while the WVBF marked an unofficial end to summer, Artstoberfest promises to be a memorable gateway to fall.
“It gets a bit quieter [this time of year], which does allow the local community to breathe a little bit and take in these kinds of things,” says Douglas. “It also provides some great engagement for visitors who happen to be here this weekend. Some may come purposefully, but some just sort of discover [a new event] and they feel really lucky. It’s almost like they got a secret pass. They’ll come up and say they feel like they got to see a different side of Whistler.”
Fortunately, Artstoberfest tickets are not a secret. They are priced at $35 and each include one beer, one sausage and a limitededition koozie. The night itself will run from 6 to 9 p.m., and more details are viewable at artswhistler.com/artstoberfest. n
Russna Kaur exhibit to grace Audain Art Museum
THE
SHOW RUNS OCT. 4 TO JAN. 27 AND EMPOWERS KAUR TO WORK DIRECTLY ON UPPER
GALLERY WALLS
BY DAVID SONG
HAVE YOU EVER VISITED an exhibition where the artist literally paints onto the walls of the room? You’ll get your chance beginning Oct. 4 when the Audain Art Museum unveils Pierced into the air, the temper and secrets crept in with a cry by Russna Kaur.
The show promises to be as eclectic as its name suggests, featuring a myriad of materials like acrylic paint, canvas, wood paneling, oil pastels and textiles. While traditional framed paintings are involved, they will be adapted to interact with their surroundings in an avantgarde manner.
Kaur explains: “The Audain Museum’s architecture is really exciting, at least for me. The walls have their quirks, there’s interesting angles that were all very purposefully built, the different heights of the ceilings…and the amount of natural light the Upper Gallery gets [is intriguing].
“I will be painting directly on the walls, and in a lot of ways I see that as an extension of my painted surfaces that are going to be hanging on the walls. A lot of times when you hang a work in a space, it changes a space, and at the same time the space also changes the work.”
Audain Director and Chief Curator Dr. Curtis Collins informed Kaur that no previous visiting talent has ever rendered parts of their pieces onto a gallery wall or ceiling. These unique, immersive elements will only last until Jan. 27, 2025, when the museum’s next show is established.
Regardless, it is a valuable opportunity for Kaur’s career.
“It’s exciting to have a platform like the Audain,” she remarks. “They have works from so many amazing artists across the country, and it’s really amazing to be part of that. Just to feel supported by an institution makes a huge difference.”
‘LIKE A PUZZLE’
If Kaur sounds fairly abstract in her creative approach, that’s because she intends to be.
“For me, abstraction is a way to think for yourself, which is really exciting and inspiring,” she says. “I grew up in a Punjabi household, and as the eldest daughter, speaking your mind isn’t always encouraged or met with open arms. My art is an opportunity for me to express myself in one way, but also keep things concealed and not communicate so directly, which has been a lifelong struggle of mine.
“I also utilize a lot of vibrant old colours and contrasting textures. My large scalepaintings, like the ones that will be on display at the Audain, are often [made up of] multiple small surfaces that come together, almost like a puzzle, to create these larger compositions.”
Kaur’s life journey is somewhat
PHOTO BY ATELIER PICTURES
kaleidoscopic, much like her body of work. She once studied biology at the University of Waterloo before switching into the fine arts department. That path in turn led her to the Emily Carr University of Art + Design, where she earned a master’s degree.
Science still influences Kaur to an extent. Late nights in the lab reflect the dedication and patience required to create a compelling painting, and any biology major has done their fair share of drawing. While an artist’s endeavours bring much more freedom than do the regimented rules of scientific diagrams, Kaur feels her past studies fostered an attention to detail and an interest in that which is more than meets the eye.
The Vancouver resident also did a stint in her family’s business: Indian fashion design. She and her mom cooperated for a few years to make saris, lehengas and other types of traditional bridal or party attire. That part of her career also moulded Kaur into who she is today.
“Dealing very closely with textiles, [my family and I] combined textures and colours that you wouldn’t necessarily think fit together at first glance…but once they’re layered on top of one another, your eyes suddenly start to make all of these interesting visual connections,” she says. “You get to know about all the tiny threads in an outfit, and when you look at the fabric you see its beauty. I think that comes through in how I handle my materials when I’m creating.”
Kaur hasn’t previously displayed any of her repertoire in Whistler, but she’s been to the area many times. She looks forward to sharing the fruits of her labour with Sea to Sky denizens and visitors, particularly as the seasons change.
Learn more about Pierced into the air, the temper and secrets crept in with a cry at audainartmuseum.com/exhibitions/ russna-kaur-pierced-into-the-air. n
OFF THE WALL Vancouver artist Russna Kaur poses next to one of her paintings.
Book Review—Just Say Yes by Bob McDonald
BY LIBBY MCKEEVER
BOB MCDONALD’S new book, Just Say Yes, is a memoir that reads like a novel. It is a rollicking tale that alternates between amazing science and outrageous tales of high adventure. McDonald’s parents left school early, and so Bob had no motivation to stick with his own studies. His homelife was at times traumatic, and although he struggled in school, he went on to university, but eventually dropped out. Later in his career,
at the Ontario Science Center), McDonald found his way to a job as a demonstrator, a role where he was to entertain the audience with science experiments and a lot of silliness. He was in his element, and six years later he left to follow a career as a freelance science journalist.
McDonald understands he has been very fortunate to have travelled the world, learning about, and reporting on many aspects of science, from volcanoes in Italy and mountain gorillas in Botswana, to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This exposure, and the research needed to fulfil his work
Resort Municipality of Whistler
Notice | Tax Sale Properties
The 2024 property tax sale scheduled for Monday, October 07, 2024 at 10:00a.m. in the Flute Room of Municipal Hall at 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC is cancelled. There are no properties with delinquent taxes remaining for auction.
accessible, especially to kids (aged eight to 14 are his favourite), to engage them in hopes they will come to care about a variety of aspects of science.
McDonald has spent decades fulfilling his mother’s adage, “Get out of the house,” and suggests everyone should travel to see and experience as much as possible. “And if cost
is an issue, take out a loan. Remember, they can’t repossess a trip!” he says. Though he may not have a university degree, McDonald is a thoughtful and observant writer, and whether he is discussing climate change or Pluto’s demotion, he delivers with an ability to motivate and inspire.
Bob McDonald has been the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks since 1992. He is a regular science commentator on CBC News Network and science correspondent for CBC TV’s The National. He has received the Michael Smith Award for science promotion, Sandford Fleming Medal, McNeil Medal for the public awareness of science, and in 2011 became an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is the recipient of 13 honorary doctorates. In 2014, asteroid 332324 was officially named BOBMCDONALD in his honour. He lives in Victoria, B.C. His memoir, Just Say Yes, is out now. Catch him at the Whistler Writers Festival’s Reading Event 5: The Literary Cabaret and Reading Event 12: Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast (find more info and tickets at whistlerwritersfestival.com).
Libby McKeever is a retired Youth Librarian, an avid reader and writer of both fiction and creative non-fiction. Libby appreciates the easily digestible science that Bob McDonald delivers. Always topical and entertaining, she remembers watching Wonderstruck with her kids in the ’90s and for the past 40 years, has often listened to Quirks and Quarks on Saturday afternoons. n
SCAVENGERHUNT GO WEEK BIKE BY
Submitcompletedcardsto creid@awarewhistler.org to claimyourprize! Ateachlocation*,youwillfindane-bikestation. Lookforthesign,solvetherhymeandfillinthedottedline.
YES MAN Catch Bob McDonald at the Whistler Writers Festival this month.
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
ALTA LAKE BIRD WALK
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB
TURKEY SALE
To kick off the Thanksgiving long weekend, Whistler Blackcomb prepares you for the winter season with the legendary Turkey Sale. Take advantage of great deals on a large selection of last season’s winter gear. Remember to continue your shopping high throughout the Village, as many local retailers and businesses prepare for the winter turnover with deep discounts on a variety of items saving you up to 60 per cent!
> Oct. 4 to 14
> Various stores
WHISTLER WINE WALK
The Whistler Wine Walk is back this fall with guided walking tours of Whistler’s bustling art gallery scene. Each week, experience Whistler’s galleries in a fun and unique way, with local, regional and international artists. Enjoy a variety of interactive art experiences while sipping on wine at each stop.
> Oct. 4, 6 to 8:15 p.m.
> Various art galleries
> $25
ALTA LAKE BIRD WALK
Join the Whistler Naturalists for a bird walk on the first Saturday of each month. The walks are at Alta Lake, open to anyone interested in birds and covering many types of habitat. You’ll be joined by birding experts
who compile a detailed inventory list on year-round bird activity.
> Oct. 5, 8 a.m.
> Meet at bottom of Lorimer Road
> Free
WHISTLER 50 RELAY & ULTRA
Participate or cheer on athletes at this fun, athletic event that is open to everyone, with distances ranging from 10 km to 50 km. From first-time relay participants to experienced ultra-marathoners, there’s something for runners of all abilities, with both competitive and recreational categories. The course is centred around Whistler Olympic Plaza and Whistler’s incredible Lost Lake trails.
> Oct. 5, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
> Whistler Valley Trail
WORLD CUP WATCH PARTY
Pull a seat up at the Garibaldi Lift Company to watch the replays of the UCI Downhill World Cup series. There are seven weeks in total and replays will commence the same day as the event at 12 p.m. Stay off social media to avoid any spoilers and join the GLC in watching the full broadcast with food and drink specials alongside.
*Plusapplicabletaxesandservice charge. SCAN TO RESERVE
PHOTO BY VICTOR ALFONSO
Fall fun in Whistler
BY ELLA HEALEY
WHILE MANY locals escape Whistler for the fall months, the town can have much to offer in terms of fall festivities. Whistler has hosted fabulous fall events for decades—from hot air balloon rides and firework displays to mouthwatering food and drink festivals.
The first Fall Fair was organized in 1977 by the Alta Lake Community Club (ALCC) and took place in November at Myrtle Philip School. The ALCC worked with the Whistler Mountain Ski Club’s Ski Swap to create a lateautumn fundraising event where participants could buy crafts and baked goods, view ski demonstrations, and purchase raffle tickets. Over time, the Fall Fair became one of the ALCC’s most successful fundraisers, with 1980
attended by Willie Whistler, the mascot of the WRA, who was joined in the Village Square by Bo Bo the Clown.
This exciting version of the Fall Festival continued for the next four years. Although the festival no longer takes place, Whistler is home to a wide variety of events every fall. These days we can look forward to the Whistler Village Beer Festival, the Whistler Blackcomb Turkey Sale, the Whistler Writers Festival, and of course Cornucopia, the delicious fall food and drink celebration.
It is impossible to write about fall events without describing Whistler’s longstanding Halloween celebrations! With fewer stairs than most other neighbourhoods in the area, Tapley’s Farm has been the go-to neighbourhood for young trick-or-treaters for many years. Over time, extra precautions have been put in place to protect and
being its most successful year.
In 1981, the Fall Festival was organized by the Whistler Resort Association (WRA; better known today as Tourism Whistler). A more expansive version of the previous Fall Fair, the festival featured arts, crafts, performers, and plenty of athletic endeavours to participate in or watch such as tennis, volleyball, and softball. In addition to the land-bound activities, there were also opportunities to see the valley from above. Blackcomb Mountain offered free chairlift rides during the festival, and Chuck Bump’s hot air balloon, labelled as the “World’s Largest Hot Air Balloon,” was also available for aerial sightseeing. As the first half of Whistler Village was still under construction in 1981, the inaugural festival included a Paint a Snowflake contest that left some of the fences surrounding construction sites covered in snowflakes. The Fall Festival was also the first big event
entertain the little ghosts and goblins in the area, including closing the road to cars and holding neighbourhood competitions for the best-decorated house. Last year was Tapley’s 40th annual Halloween celebration. Complete with free hot cocoa and fireworks, the neighbourhood not only did a fantastic job maintaining the Halloween spirit, but also helped raise 400kg in donations for the Whistler Food Bank as part of the WE Scare Hunger Campaign.
However you enjoy the season, stay warm this fall and treat yourself to whatever pumpkin or cinnamon-flavoured treat your heart desires!
Ella Healey was the Summer Program Coordinator at the Whistler Museum through the Young Canada Works Program. She has now returned to her studies at the University of Victoria.
FALL FEST Willie Whistler takes a ride with Bo Bo the Clown during the first Fall Festival in 1981. WHISTLER MOUNTAIN SKI CORPORATION COLLECTION
1 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Dr. Lorna Wanosts’a7 Williams, Professor Emerita of Indigenous Education, Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Victoria and Canada Research Chair in Education and Linguistics, speaks at a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event in Pemberton on Sept. 30. Organized by Natalie Langmann of Aligned Creative, the event was the first of its kind between Pemberton and the Lil’wat Nation, Williams said.
BY
COSGROVE 2 PIQUE PARTY One of the strangest traditions at Pique Newsmagazine is how we celebrate birthdays. The days our staff, otherwise known as people, are officially one year older, is irrelevant. Instead, we weave their days into one big celebration. After all, we’re busy people with deadlines to respect. Happy birthday to Catherine Power-Chartrand, Tessa Sweeney, and our dearly departed (from the office, not the Earth) Scott Tibballs.
Connie is a seven-month-old family labrador who has taken quite the liking to running on Blackcomb. Here’s hoping she’s also making an offering to Ullr for snow to coat the run.
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
WEEK OF OCTOBER 4
BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): During some Wiccan rituals, participants are asked, “What binds you? And what will you do to free yourself from what binds you?” I recommend this exercise to you right now, Aries. Here’s a third question: Will you replace your shackles with a weaving that inspires and empowers you? In other words, will you shed what binds you and, in its stead, create a bond that links you to an influence you treasure?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If I had to name the zodiac sign that other signs are most likely to underestimate, I would say Taurus. Why? Well, many of you Bulls are rather modest and humble. You prefer to let your practical actions speak louder than fine words. Your well-grounded strength is diligent and poised, not flashy. People may misread your resilience and dependability as signs of passivity. But here’s good news, dear Taurus: In the coming weeks, you will be less likely to be undervalued and overlooked. Even those who have been ignorant of your appeal may tune in to the fullness of your tender power and earthy wisdom.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the coming days, I invite you to work on writing an essay called “People and Things I Never Knew I Liked and Loved Until Now.” To get the project started, visit places that have previously been off your radar. Wander around in uncharted territory, inviting life to surprise you. Call on every trick you know to stimulate your imagination and break out of habitual ruts of thinking. A key practice will be to experiment and improvise as you open your heart and your eyes wide. Here’s my prophecy: In the frontiers, you will encounter unruly delights that inspire you to grow wiser.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Now is an excellent time to search for new teachers, mentors, and role models. Please cooperate with life’s intention to connect you with people and animals who can inspire your journey for the months and years ahead. A good way to prepare yourself for this onslaught of grace is to contemplate the history of your educational experiences. Who are the heroes, helpers, and villains who have taught you crucial lessons? Another strategy to get ready is to think about what’s most vital for you to learn right now. What are the gaps in your understanding that need to be filled?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The English language has more synonyms than any other language. That’s in part because it’s like a magpie. It steals words from many tongues, including German, French, Old Norse, Latin, and Greek, as well as from Algonquin, Chinese, Hindi, Basque, and Tagalog. Japanese may be the next most magpie-like language. It borrows from English, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and German. In accordance with astrological possibilities, I invite you to adopt the spirit of the English and Japanese languages in the coming weeks. Freely borrow and steal influences. Be a collector of sundry inspirations, a scavenger of fun ideas, a gatherer of rich cultural diversity.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here are my bold decrees: You are entitled to extra bonuses and special privileges in the coming weeks. The biggest piece of every cake and pie should go to you, as should the freshest wonders, the most provocative revelations, and the wildest breakthroughs. I invite you to give and take extravagant amounts of everything you regard as sweet, rich, and nourishing. I hope you will begin cultivating a skill you are destined to master. I trust you will receive clear and direct answers to at least two nagging questions.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): On those infrequent occasions when I buy a new gadget, I never read the instructions. I drop the booklet in the recycling bin immediately, despite the fact that I may not know all the fine points of using my new vacuum cleaner, air purifier, or hairdryer. Research reveals that I am typical. Ninety-two per cent of all instructions get thrown away. I don’t recommend this approach to you in the coming weeks, however, whether you’re dealing with gadgets or more intangible things. You
really should call on guidance to help you navigate your way through introductory phases and new experiences.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I knew a Scorpio performance artist who did a splashy public show about private matters. She stationed herself on the rooftop of an apartment building and for 12 hours loudly described everything she felt guilty about. (She was an ex-Catholic who had been raised to regard some normal behaviour as sinful.) If you, dear Scorpio, have ever felt an urge to engage in a purge of remorse, now would be an excellent time. I suggest an alternate approach, though. Spend a half hour writing your regrets on paper, then burn the paper in the kitchen sink as you chant something like the following: “With love and compassion for myself, I apologize for my shortcomings and frailties. I declare myself free of shame and guilt. I forgive myself forever.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be HEARTY, POTENT, and DYNAMIC, Sagittarius. Don’t worry about decorum and propriety. Be in quest of lively twists that excite the adventurer in you. Avoid anyone who seems to like you best when you are anxious or tightly controlled. Don’t proceed as if you have nothing to lose; instead, act as if you have everything to win. Finally, my dear, ask life to bring you a steady stream of marvels that make you overjoyed to be alive. If you’re feeling extra bold (and I believe you will), request the delivery of a miracle or two.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Nineteenth-century Capricorn author Anne Brontë wrote The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which many critics regard as the first feminist novel. It challenged contemporary social customs. The main character, Helen, leaves her husband because he’s a bad influence on their son. She goes into hiding, becoming a single mother who supports her family by creating art. Unfortunately, after the author’s death at a young age, her older sister Charlotte suppressed the publication of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. It’s not wellknown today. I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, so as to inspire you to action. I believe the coming months will be a favourable time to get the attention and recognition you’ve been denied but thoroughly deserve. Start now! Liberate, express, and disseminate whatever has been suppressed.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What is the most important question you want to find an answer for during the next year? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to formulate that inquiry clearly and concisely. I urge you to write it out in longhand and place it in a prominent place in your home. Ponder it lightly and lovingly for two minutes every morning upon awakening and each night before sleep. (Key descriptors: “lightly and lovingly.”) As new insights float into your awareness, jot them down. One further suggestion: Create or acquire a symbolic representation of the primal question.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Scientific research suggests some foods are more addictive than cocaine. They include pizza, chocolate, potato chips, and ice cream. The good news is they are not as problematic for long-term health as cocaine. The bad news is they are not exactly healthy. (The sugar in chocolate neutralizes its modest health benefits.) With these facts in mind, Pisces, I invite you to re-order your priorities about addictive things. Now is a favourable time to figure out what substances and activities might be tonifying, invigorating addictions—and then retrain yourself to focus your addictive energy on them. Maybe you could encourage an addiction to juices that blend spinach, cucumber, kale, celery, and apple. Perhaps you could cultivate an addiction to doing a pleasurable form of exercise or reading books that thrill your imagination.
Homework: Interested in my inside thoughts about astrology? Read my book “Astrology Is Real.” Free excerpts: https://tinyurl.com/BraveBliss
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
Classifieds Where locals look
CALL OR PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED WITH OUR ONLINE SERVICE FOR EITHER PRINT OR ONLINE...OR BOTH!
Career Opportunities with the SLRD
Looking to contribute to your local community?
Consider a career in local government. Join the SLRD’s team of dedicated staff who work together to make a difference in the region.
Headquartered in Pemberton, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) delivers a wide range of regional, sub- regional and local services to its residents. The SLRD is a BC Regional District consisting of four member municipalities (Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet) and four electoral areas. Services include land use planning, solid waste management, building inspection, fire protection, emergency preparedness, 911 services, recreation, water and sewer utilities, regional transit, trails and open spaces as well as financial support for various community services. The region contains some of the most spectacular forests, waterways, and mountains in the province and affords an endless range of opportunities for outdoor adventure, making it an exceptional place to live, work and play.
The SLRD is currently accepting applications for the following positions:
• Parks and Trails Coordinator (Regular, Full-time) pay range $81,414 - $91,632/yr
• Communications Coordinator (Temporary, Full-time) pay range $39.67 - $44.65/hr
The SLRD offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, a compressed work week (nine-day fortnight), the ability to work from home, and learning and career development opportunities.
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For more information on these career opportunities, please visit www.slrd.bc.ca/employment To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume (preferably in pdf format) by email to careers@slrd.bc.ca
We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those shortlisted will be contacted.
ACCOMMODATION WANTED
Fairmont Chateau
Whistler Resort is growing its Housing portfolio and sourcing additional Rental contracts for our Hotel Team Members. We are now sourcing larger condo or chalet space for shared, 2 persons per bedroom, ideally located walking distance from the Village. 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. Let’s see if we can make a match and develop a long-term relationship here. General inquiries please email mark.munn@fairmont.com
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5th from 10:00-3:00 at 4871 Casabella Crescent
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:
Send enquiries too: Daphnenielsen@gmail.com
SERVICES BUILDING AND RENOVATIONS
• Kitchen and Bath
• Renovations & Repairs
• Drywall • Painting
• Finishing
• Minor Electrical & Plumbing Serving Whistler for over 25 years Wiebe
Ray Wiebe
604.935.2432 Pat Wiebe
604.902.9300 raymondo99.69@gmail.com
• 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!
JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT SSHS
• Community Health Nurse ($90 000 - $100 000)
• Home and Community Care Nurse ($90 000-$110 000)
• Clinical Services Manager ($100 000 - $125 000)
• Workers (Pared Support Men’s Health Lead ($53 000 $60 000)
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/
WISHES
Open interviews Mon.-Thurs. from 4-5 PM, or email your resume to schedule an alternate interview time at whistler@kegrestaurants.com
The Pinnacle Hotel Whistler has the following positions available:
The Pinnacle Hotel Whistler has the following positions available:
• MAINTENANCE PERSON P/T ($24.69-25.72 p/h)
• HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR (24.69-26.75 p/h)
• ROOM ATTENDANT ($23.69-25.75)
Please reply by email:
Please reply by email: parmstrong@pinnaclehotels.ca
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
SALES MANAGER
The SLCC - where Skwxwú7mesh and Lílwat7úl cultures meet, grow and are shared. We are looking for an individual with a passion for sales and service, as well as connection to the meaningful work of the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
Robust benefits package, RRSP match, wellness benefits, training and education allowance. Salary band starts at 57k annually. We welcome you to apply to human.resources@slcc.ca
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.
Lil’wat Nation Employment Opportunities
ÚÍlus Community Centre
• Director of Community Programs
($88,015 to $101,556 per year)
• Elders’ Activity Coordinator ( $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)
• Cultural Camps Supervisor ($46,683.00 to $63,973.00 per year)
• Social Worker ($80,371 to $91,673 per year)
• Family Enhancement Worker ($38,038 to $53,599 per year)
Health & Healing
• Health & Healing Administrator ($93,475 to $101,556 per year)
• Nurse – Community Health ($41.42 to $52.81 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)
Capital Zed is a project manager and concept developer on a mission to invigorate Creekside. It’s business concepts include Get the Good General Supply Store, Mekong Restaurant, Rockit Coffee, and with more in the works.
To complement our growing team and to support our expanding portfolio, we are currently looking for a dynamic individual to start in a full-time position as a Property Administrator. This position will be based out of Creekside but also offers work from home days. The right candidate shall be professional and responsible, goals and results oriented, works well in a team-first environment, entrepreneurial and eager learner, and don’t mind getting their hands dirty.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Manage the day-to-day requirements for 3 staff houses, including:
Checking tenants in and out
Ensuring collection of deposits and rents as well as compliance to contract terms
Coordinating the maintenance and cleaning of each house
Communicating with all tenants to make sure their needs are met and they have a good living environment
Liaise with commercial property managers, including:
Tracking rent collections and follow through on adherence to contract terms
Maintaining relationships with tenants and vendors
Monitoring the condition of the properties and provide feedback to the team
Managing administrative needs for the team, including:
Provide input to continually improve internal systems and processes for the CZ portfolio
Liaise with accounting staff to make sure all documents and invoices required are in order
Assist business managers with coordinating new projects and improvements
Help to promote and participate in community initiatives for Creekside
BENEFITS:
Competitive salary that is commensurate with experience. Range of $50,000 to $60,000 per year, but flexible based on experience
Extended health insurance
Possibility for staff housing or a rental subsidy
Ski pass
Flexible working hours and possibility to work from home
Opportunity to grow in responsibility with the organization and add to your skills
Request for other benefits can be considered
REQUIREMENTS:
A minimum of 5 years of work experience in a team environment
Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Excel and Word
Ability to multitask while staying organized and meeting deadlines
Knowledge of residential and commercial tenancy laws, contract negotiations, and building operations but no need for a property management license
Accounting competency including budgeting, account analysis and financial management
Willing to relocate or already residing within commuting distance to Creekside
Experience or desire to learn bookkeeping and accounting principles a plus Most importantly, a desire to learn new skills and problem solve as well as a long-term perspective and commitment
Please submit your resume and cover letter by email to diana@capitalzed.ca
JOB POSTING: CLINICAL SERVICES MANAGER
Position Title: Clinical Services Manager
Location: Mount Currie, BC
Type: Full-time
Salary: $100,000 - $125,000 (based on availability and experience)
Other Benefits: SSHS offers a competitive benefits and employment package
Position Start Date: As soon as possible
Deadline: September 20, 2024
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: The Clinical Services Manager provides leadership of a comprehensive range of nursing programs within community and public health, home care and patient travel in four First Nations communities of N’Quatqua, Samahquam, and Skatin.
Primary Responsibilities
• Development of policy and guidelines to support the delivery of treatment services
• Management through assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of community and public health, primary care, and home care programs.
• Ensures nursing care and practice standards are being implemented in the delivery of the programs and services.
• Provides professional support, leadership, mentoring, guidance, coaching and advice on policy, practice, and programs in a climate focused on success.
• Applies and utilizes key nursing knowledge, expertise and critical thinking to assist staff to plan, implement, and evaluate programs and interventions.
• Leads and participates in collaborative, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral partnerships to enhance the health of individuals, families, groups, and populations in First Nations communities.
• Is responsible for supervision of nurses and administrative employees, including assignment of duties and assessment of quality of work.
• Manages the health facility team by assessing community health needs, coordinating, scheduling, and assigning work, setting priorities, monitoring work, evaluating performance and initiating corrective
• Exceptional organization, interpersonal and communication skills. Qualifications
• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from a recognized university.
• Extensive experience in public health nursing across the lifespan including maternal and newborn health, infant, child & youth health, mental wellness, addictions and harm reduction.
• Experience in home care – elder health, chronic disease management and injury prevention.
• A minimum of five (5) years of nursing experience. Or a combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of 1 year in a management role.
• Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)
• Current CPR course for Health Care Providers (HCP)
• Valid Class 5 BC’s Drivers License
• Remote nursing certified practice
Knowledge and Abilities
• Knowledge of, and ability to apply, an understanding of First Nations cultural principles and protocols in work situations.
• Knowledge of First Nations cultures and backgrounds, and the understanding of how culture impacts on communication patterns, and attitudes and approaches to health issues.
• 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.
• Knowledge of provincial acts, regulations, and program policies and guidelines related to home and community care and public care nursing
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing with co-workers, physicians, clients and their families, and outside agencies
• 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 to the Interim Health at julia.schneider@sshs.ca Please include in the subject line your name and the position you are applying for.
Thank you for your interest!
JOB POSTING: 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
WISHES
WISHES
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 self-management 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!
JOB POSTING: HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE NURSE
Position Title: Home and Community Care 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
Closing Date: September 20, 2024
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 Home and Community Care Nurse to provide care to adult community members (19+) of 3 remote first nation communities by: being responsible for full scope nursing care to home care clients and members with chronic diseases, 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 License Practical Nurse (LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN) with the BC College of Nurse 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
• Sanyas indigenous cultural safety
• 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 self-management 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.
• Knowledge of provincial acts, regulations, and program policies and guidelines related to home and community care.
• 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!
JOB POSTING: MEN’S HEALTH LEAD
Position Title: Men’s Health Lead
Location: Mount Currie, BC
Type: Full-time, Contract
Salary: $53,000 to $60,000, plus benefits (Based on experience)
Benefits: SSHS offers a competitive benefits and employment package for full-time staff
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 motivated Men’s Health Lead to promote health and healing amongst Stl’atl’imx community members through: providing a safe and supportive environment for men to gather and share stories; supporting, mentoring, and bringing together Stl’atl’imx men to develop leadership skills and peer support networks that empower and encourage culturally safe healing and wellness; promoting Stl’atl’imx traditional and cultural ways; leading, organizing, and facilitating participation in traditional activities (including but not limited to gatherings, hunting, fishing, harvesting, building, etc.) that incorporate land-based healing and therapy, and harm reduction strategies; providing information about and facilitating access to mental wellness and substance use support services; and culturally aware training around mental wellness, suicide prevention, addiction, harm reduction, etc.
Key Responsibilities:
Program Management:
• Support and facilitate the delivery of the Men’s Health programming, including managing (with support from Finance/Accounting) program budgets
• Support and prepare required program quantitative and qualitative reporting
Program Delivery:
• Support Men’s Health activities as defined by the men. Examples may include: travelling the land, traditional harvesting, building projects, hunting/fishing, wilderness survival activities (e.g. training), etc.
• Organize, coordinate, and attend weekly dinners in the community
• Create a culturally safe space for men to gather and spend time with one another
• Create an environment of equality amongst the participants
• Create safe spaces where all participants can share their perspectives on activities that the Men’s Group could host
• Building group consensus regarding Men’s Group activities
• Mentor Men’s Group participants who express interest in taking a volunteer leadership role.
• Arrange for nutritious meals to be provided during events
• Support an environment of mentorship (walking together and learning from one another)
• Drive Men’s Group participants to planned events using SSHS owned vehicles.
• Maintain a log of number of attendees at events and gatherings
• Actively seeks out and supports activities that promote client, staff, visitor, and contractor safety Qualifications and Skills:
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Understands and respects Stl’atl’imx cultural practices and protocols
• Knowledgeable about Stl’atl’imx territory and Stl’atl’imx cultural and traditional practices
• An ability to speak Ucwalmicwts is considered an asset
• Experience working with Stl’atl’imx people and communities
• Construction/building experience is considered an asset
• Ability to create a safe group environment
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus in a group setting
• Ability to work independently and in teams.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality, privacy and security of information.
• Demonstrated ability to manage conflict in group settings
• First Aid Certificate – Level C
• Food Safe Certification
• Must provide a satisfactory Criminal Records with Vulnerable Sector check
• Valid B.C. Driver’s License Special Requirements:
• This position will require 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.
• Hours of work will vary depending on the activities. Work in the evening and/or on weekends may be required.
For a list of all position responsibilities, qualifications and any other special requirements, please refer to www.sshs.ca for an exhaustive job description.
Please submit resume and cover letter by email to Julia Schneider, Executive Assistant to the Interim Health Director, at
Please include in the subject line your name and the position you are applying for. Thank
for your interest!
An election in three acts
INTO ALL LIVES certain less-than-pleasant tasks fall. High on the list of such things for me is income taxes. I am probably in the minority saying I don’t mind paying them, but I’m pretty sure I’m in the majority saying I hate preparing them, or in my case preparing the information
BY G.D. MAXWELL
to give to someone who actually knows how to
In all my years of higher education, a course on income tax was the closest I ever came to earning a failing grade. I’m certain throwing myself on the mercy of the prof had something to do with eking out a passing grade.
From conversations with other folks around Tiny Town, it seems wrestling with elections is a less-than-pleasant task for quite a few of you. As a political junkie, I don’t understand why that is. As a realist, I fully understand. For much of our collective lives, political leaders seem to have done everything they can possibly do to make us skeptical, yes even cynical, about too many of those who haunt the halls of power.
But time is up for the, “I don’t know who/ what I support,” fence-sitters. Time for some tough decision-making.
In this riding, you have three choices. As a person who is frequently paralyzed by too many choices, I think it’s safe to say all of us can pick one out of three possibilities. Eenie, meenie, miney, no mo. Easier than the peaunder-the-shell game.
So what would the future look like if your vote was the only vote and the future came to pass based on just your one vote?
AN ELECTION IN THREE ACTS
ACT I—CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT
Welcome to British Columbia; we’re open for business. New life has been breathed into our forestry industry by doing away with the old-fashion stumpage charge. Instead, there’s a new value-added, end-product tax. Unfortunately, as soon as the stumpage fee was dropped, our largest export market, the U.S., imposed a crushing tariff on B.C. lumber, claiming the new value-added tax actually amounted to a large subsidy to the industry. But we’re sure that’ll work out in the end. Trump will see to that. What? He’s the king of tariffs?
No matter, we are rip-roaring in the mining business, precious metals, critical minerals, gold, copper, all of it. We’ve streamlined the approval process for new mines. Part of that was to get rid of those annoying First Nations roadblocks by repealing the province’s support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Unfortunately, that’s wound up in court, along with all of our new mining permits. But we’re sure the heartfelt efforts we’re taking towards clarity and transparency in our consultations
with First Nations will pave the way for new prosperity. If only they didn’t hate us.
While we’ve had to moderate our expectations for the Rustad Rebate—$3,000 tax breaks for renters and many homeowners— and dial back some of our planned expansion of home care, long-term care and general health-care access and support, it’s not our fault. The fiscal condition of the province under the NDP was worse than we thought. Cutting the health-care budget didn’t help. Neither did eliminating the carbon tax before we ran the numbers.
But we’ve been 100-per-cent successful in eliminating the carbon tax. Axed! And we’re
ACT II—NDP GOVERNMENT
What you’ve seen is what you’re going to get until the next election. The current government has been recognized as a leader in actually trying to do something about the housing “crisis.” We’ve certainly seen that in Whistler, most recently with the announced funding totalling $40 million for the next, large WDC/ WHA building in Cheakamus—a $27.3-million low-interest-rate construction and mortgage loan and a $12.7-million forgivable grant.
Other housing initiatives include the Homes for People plan—read, Bank of Mom & Dad for people who don’t have one—where the government will pony up 40 per cent of
Make an informed decision. Decide what’s in your best interests, the best interests of your town, riding and province.
not wasting time developing a climate policy we don’t need.
We’ve eliminated that subversive SOGI 123 from the province’s schools. You won’t have to worry about our teachers calling your little Johnnie Joanie or they behind your back anymore. You are what you are and you don’t have to look any further than your anatomy to figure that out.
And rest assured, we’re working on the other promises. Promise.
Chances of this riding being represented in a Conservative government: Slim.
the purchase price of a new home, secured by a second mortgage to be repaid, along with a share of the appreciation when owners sell or in 25 years. And the grudgingly received plan to allow three- and four-plexes on singlefamily home sites.
The gains in health-care will continue to chug along, more docs, more nurses, more and expanded hospitals. It may seem like forever, but the province has the second shortest wait times for knee—looking at you skiers—and hip replacements. Still not great, but better.
Across this riding, childcare costs have been cut to about half of what they were. Far from universal $10-per-day childcare, but helpful with the burgeoning baby boom in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton.
An imperfect but tangible climate change action plan continues to make some progress in reining in, if not reducing, the province’s GHG emissions.
We’ll likely see improving relations with First Nations. The recent negotiation recognizing the Haida Nation’s title rights to the lands of Haida Gwaii was groundbreaking. It built on the province’s Land Act, which recognizes negotiation of aboriginal claims is vastly preferable to litigation... something various governments haven’t fared very well at for decades.
Chances of this riding being represented in an NDP government: Very Good.
ACT III—A GREEN GOVER...
Oh, get real. There will never be a Green government in B.C. The best the Greens can hope for is actually being a recognized, official party after this election... and that only takes two elected MLAs.
And even then, it’ll be a solo, duet or even possibly trio of people shouting at clouds.
So there ya go. A choice of three. A civic duty to engage. A chance to shape the government that’ll run this asylum for the next few years. Make an informed decision or do a rock-paper-scissors elimination. No, don’t do that. Make an informed decision. Decide what’s in your best interests, the best interests of your town, riding and province.
