HEAR FROM THE CANDIDATES IN THEIR OWN WORDS BEFORE HEADING TO THE POLLS
Your Vote 2024
Hear from the B.C. election candidates in their own words before heading to the polls. - By Pique staff
06
OPENING
REMARKS
National Newspaper Week is a chance to reflect on the importance of community journalism, the evidence of which is all around you if you know where to look.
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A letter writer this week laments the supposed souring of an Olympic legacy, while another pays tribute to a Whistler icon, Hugh Smythe.
11 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Outgoing Local Journalism Initiative reporter Roisin Cullen reflects on the stories she heard and was changed by while covering the Lil’wat Nation.
70 MAXED OUT Max prepares to do something he’s never done nor ever thought he would: vote NDP.
12
RIDESHARING IS CARING
Whistler Blackcomb announces a trial program for this ski season offering free parking at select times to motorists with four or more occupants.
14
YOUTH
MOVEMENT
The Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment looks to re-engage local youth on climate action.
48 PEMBY PUNCHER Sixteen-year-old Leo Laferriere was used to finding trouble around Pemberton—until he found boxing.
54 BEST OF THE FEST
There’s plenty of literary delights on offer at this year’s Whistler Writers Festival, which runs from Oct. 17 to 20.
COVER While I’m sure the knives are out in spirit, it’s nice to see the dialogue between parties hasn’t dissolved into the mud-slinging affair we see elsewhere. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
The true value of local journalism is all around you
THIS WEEK IS National Newspaper Week in Canada, an opportunity to reflect on the integral importance journalism has to a functioning democracy and thriving community.
OK, dear reader, I can already sense your eyes glazing over. Every time I carry the torch of community news, I feel like one of those
BY BRANDON BARRETT
old-timey travelling salesmen trying his best to persuade you to open your wallet. Why yes, these Cutco knives really will last you a lifetime!
The difference is I shouldn’t have to convince you of the true value of local news. The evidence is all around you. We not only cover the goings-on of a busy resort town—the interminable council meetings, the successes and concerns of local residents, the spicy political debates, the challenging court cases, the ski races and bike competitions, non-profit AGMs and community fundraisers, art exhibits and restaurant openings, etc.—we do our level best to analyze and interpret these things, to give them some meaning. Because Whistler means something, and the people who choose to live and play here mean something, and they—you—deserve a paper of record that reflects that fact.
Making this case can sometimes feel like being the last violinist on the Titanic. You don’t need me to tell you the newspaper business, in Whistler and indeed across the country and beyond, has suffered for years now. Print revenue has been on the decline since the
dot-com boom convinced publications they needed to give away their content online for free and has only been exacerbated by a series of damaging blows since—the 2008 financial crisis, the rise of smartphones, tech giants eating into ad revenues, the erosion of public trust in media, you name it.
A whopping 516 Canadian newspapers have closed since 2008, according to a report last year by the Local News Research Project. In 2023 alone, 36 newspapers were shuttered, with only one new outlet launched. Even the big guys are slashing costs like Michael Myers on Halloween. In February, Bell Canada announced it was selling 45 local radio stations and cutting 4,800 jobs.
is at an all-time high, and competition for scarce funding sources is steep, the two sides can generate mutual benefits if their goals are aligned and their relationship is clearly laid out.
And for those who may scoff at the seeming conflict between the interests of a non-profit and those of a newsroom, the philanthropic sector has a far better ethical track record than the likes of, say, a telecom giant like Bell that has demonstrated it cares far more about its own financial well-being than the future of local journalism.
Although in its infancy, philanthropic journalism in Canada has already proven its ability to affect real change. The Narwhal,
Foundation, covered the provincial government’s now-discontinued use of birth alerts, which resulted in a disproportionate number of Indigenous babies being taken from their mothers. This eventually led to a class action lawsuit on behalf of the affected parents. There is optimism for Pique as well. While there’s no denying our weekly print product is slimmer than it used to be, and our social media engagement has taken a hit thanks to Facebook’s news ban, direct views to our site are higher than ever, hitting half a million views a month, and subscriptions to our email newsletter have been steadily climbing as well. (Sign up at piquenewsmagazine.com/account/ mailinglist.)
But there is hope. Philanthropic support for journalism is still on the ground floor in this country, but evidence suggests that “even on a modest scale it can propel powerful reporting that makes a difference,” wrote Ana Sofia Hibon, of the Inspirit Foundation, and April Lindgren, journalism professor and principal investigator for the aforementioned Local News Research Project, in an August article for Alliance Magazine
Hibon and Lindgren found at least three dozen Canadian foundations that have helped fund media outlets’ activities in some form. While there are barriers to entry, including the fact that demand for charitable services
primarily funded by environmentally minded readers and foundations, won a prestigious Michener Award for Public Service Journalism for its coverage, partnering with The Toronto Star, that led Ontario Premier Doug Ford to reverse his approval of housing developments on protected Greenbelt lands.
Closer to home, The Tyee has been punching above its weight for a long time, regularly earning national and provincial accolades for its coverage. Nearly half its budget comes from readers, while the bulk of the remainder comes from private donors, foundations, and grants.
B.C.’s IndigiNews, an Indigenous-led newsroom funded in part by the McConnell
And while our model relies on local business advertising, we also rely on generous readers who support us through voluntary pay and contribution. (Go to piquenewsmagazine. com/account/support/signup if you’d like to make a donation.)
Whether paid for through foundations or individual readers, what I’m getting at is, if you value local news, and more importantly, this weird, wondrous town we call home, keep bringing us your community concerns, your constructive criticisms, and, hey, if you can spare them, your extra coins.
Did I mention those Cutco knives really are excellent? n
Honouring a Whistler icon, Hugh Smythe
On Oct. 22, Hugh Smythe will receive the Freedom of the Municipality recognizing his contribution to the Whistler community. Many of you working in Whistler today, especially on the frontline, may not know Hugh or what he has done for this community. I would like to share a perspective.
As a tourism destination, Whistler has built its reputation for being an amazing place to visit, live and invest in large part due to Hugh. I came to Whistler in 1991 to operate a restaurant under the Blackcomb/Intrawest banner. We had a pretty good year and after the completion of my contract, I somehow convinced Hugh and a few others that I could run the food-and-beverage operation for the entire mountain. I was hired and my journey with Blackcomb and Hugh began.
I thought I had a firm grasp on the business and the effective management of labour and cost of goods. The operations scored full marks with both the health and liquor boards. Revenues were good. But for Hugh, that stuff was all expected. He wanted the unexpected. He demanded a great guest experience for every single guest, every single day. It was about the experience. Hugh looked
at the operation from the front door in, never the balance sheet out. He used Disney and the Four Seasons as our aspirational targets. The best cinnamon buns in the business; outstanding après ski; five-star dining in Christine’s; a hut experience that would rival European resorts. He was unrelenting in our quest to be excellent.
During this time, Blackcomb competed toe-to-toe with Whistler Mountain, every day. We fought for market share and we tried to be a little bit better in everything that we did. Grooming, snowmaking, rentals, F&B, lift
efficiency, safety. It was a great battle every day and once we merged, our focus shifted from battling across Fitzsimmons Creek to battling across North America.
Hugh was never satisfied. Having his office overlook the Merlin’s patio provided me with real-time feedback. And stress. When we had a great result, he made sure we had the funds to thank our staff and to celebrate the moment. But he never let us become complacent. He was naturally curious and I read more books during my time working with Hugh than I did
in university. One book title from Hugh’s library was In Search of Excellence. That was Hugh. Every day. Every guest. One at a time.
My time with Intrawest lasted 16 years and I learned more from Hugh than any person along the way. I always kept the “guest-first” philosophy in every role that followed—the Canucks, Oilers, national restaurant chains. It wasn’t really a philosophy, but rather a mission, instilled by Hugh.
The recognition that mayor and council are bestowing upon Hugh is certainly high praise. But Hugh has meant so much more to this community. I encourage every businessowner and hospitality employee to take a moment and thank Hugh, in your own way. I’ll be at the council meeting on Oct. 22 to shake his hand and say thanks for teaching me that the most important thing in business is always the guest.
Jeff Stipec // Whistler
One progressive voter’s strategy in the Sea to Sky
According to polling at 338Canada.com/bc, the majority of people in the West Vancouver–Sea to Sky riding do not want the Conservative candidate to win (almost 60 per cent), but unfortunately, the forecast gives the Conservative candidate a 99-per-cent chance of winning.
Progressives can use the polling website as a tool to help them elect a nonConservative MLA.
Winning a majority government in B.C. requires 47 seats and it is looking like either the NDP or the Conservatives could come out with a majority. With the expected outcome being so close, it is also quite possible we will end up with a minority government, with some Green MLAs holding the balance of power.
West Vancouver-Sea to Sky is one of very few ridings in B.C. that has a chance of electing a Green candidate. Jeremy Valeriote came within 60 votes of winning the riding in the last provincial election. Current polls show him to have more than 30-per-cent support.
From 2017 to 2020, the NDP and Greens shared power and by the end of the Confidence and Supply Agreement, British Columbia was the most successful province in Canada in terms of economy, environmental sustainability and social indicators. We could use more Green ideas in B.C.
The NDP candidate, Jen Ford, is polling in third place. [Editor’s Note: At press time, projections have Ford polling at 26 per cent, to Valeriote’s 30 per cent.] If the people who
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
whose focused mission it was to expand public Nordic skiing participation in Western Canada.
Much compromise was required from all of the stakeholders, including both local First Nations and the people of B.C. The common bond that glued the consensus together was the Olympic ideal of good sportsmanship and fair competition. In fact, all of the land tenure that Whistler Olympic Park now sits on was graciously forfeited by the pre-existing cross-country operator with the understanding that together, in a post-Games environment, the two entities would cooperate in building North America’s most comprehensive Nordic ski facility.
For 17 years, the two entities operated SKI Callaghan as a joint venture agreement. During that time, we built visitation from 35,000 to almost 1 million skier visits. For 17 years, a common one-price admission ticket provided access to 112 kilometres of groomed crosscountry and snowshoe trails. By all measures, the people of B.C. had been rewarded in their
“It’s time someone sat the WSL management team down and reminded them that they exist only at the community’s will.”
had been planning on voting for Ford switched their vote to Valeriote of the Green Party, the Conservatives could be defeated in this riding. North Vancouver-Seymour is in a similar but inverse situation where the Green candidate is very accomplished but is polling in third place. If I was in that riding as a Green supporter, I would change my vote to NDP to ensure a progressive win.
Consider checking out the most recent data just before you go, to make sure your vote will result in a progressive candidate for this riding.
Jill Aikens // Squamish
A spoiled 2010 Olympic legacy
This letter was originally sent to the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations, Whistler’s mayor and council, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, and Whistler Sport Legacies (WSL), and is shared here with permission.
Twenty-six years ago, I was summoned into then-Mayor Hugh O’Reilly’s office to meet with Craig MacKenzie and two Vancouver businessmen wishing to initiate a bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. What followed over the next 10 years was an incredible journey as we literally built the winning bids and moved on to Games preparation. Along the way, I worked with some truly visionary people
trust of the operators to fulfil this vision.
So… what happened? I was shaken by the recent Whistler Olympic Park press release that stated this year’s season pass offering (and day tickets) would only provide access to their own facilities, including a much-reduced trail system of 55 km. Has petty bureaucracy and empire building suffocated the notions of fair play?
Of late, Whistler Olympic Park’s focus appears to have shifted to more of a private sector management philosophy with increasingly more emphasis placed on commercial film locations and RV campgrounds. This, despite an ongoing, substantial annual stipend from the provincially funded legacy fund and an enduring exemption from paying property taxes, provided on a yearly basis by both the regional district and the Resort Municipality of Whistler taxpayers.
It’s time someone sat the WSL management team down and reminded them that they exist only at the community’s will. They are not a private corporation and must answer to the public’s expectations for cooperation in delivering service and access on lands belonging to all of us.
More important, they should adhere to their own mandate to grow sport or lose the support our governments provide to them in the form of tax relief and funding.
Brad
Sills // Whistler, Founder, SKI Callaghan (ret.) 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.
What I learned listening to the oft-untold stories of the Lil’wat Nation
BY RÓISÍN CULLEN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
“WHY DID NOT ONE person stand up and say something?” Elder Duke Redbird of Saugeen First Nation asked me during a recent interview, referring to Canada’s history of residential schools. It’s a question I’ve asked since I first arrived in Canada two years ago.
As always when it comes to truly hearing the First Peoples of this land, there have been plenty of voices screaming fire that were told to keep quiet. It’s up to us whether we listen to them. These voices are now telling us that Mother Earth is in danger, that people are taking too much and not giving enough back.
As a reporter tasked with covering Lil’wat stories, I was lucky enough to learn the history of this land from the only people qualified to tell it, its rightful owners. I was told a horror story about a colonizing state and church that was left to run riot. The Truth and Reconciliation journey is a beautiful concept, but casual racism, snide looks and prejudice still exist in mountain towns.
We ask how Canada’s history happened. Why was a bully allowed free reign around the playground? Then we see the cycle repeat and repeat. I know my own grandchildren will be
asking me the same questions.
My time covering the unceded territory of the Lil’wat Nation has been a great privilege. I know the voices I have listened to here will shape the rest of my career, and more importantly, my life. Rosa Andrews, proud principal of Mount Currie’s Xet ’ ólacw Community School, told me about only taking the salmon we need from the river
journalistic landscape right now is bleak. It is extremely difficult to get unbiased news in a time when it is needed more than ever. Many outlets run biased coverage, sometimes bordering on propaganda, without a hint of shame. It has taken moving back home to Ireland to realize just how skewed some of the reporting in B.C. is. A lack of journalists in remote areas lets
I would love to see more space given to First Nations voices across the board. These are the voices that will help stop the shameful damage we have done to our planet.
and ensuring there is enough left to feed future generations. I have thought about this every day since I first heard it. These are the voices that need to ring through each and every day.
These are the voices that aren’t heard when entire communities become news deserts and when journalists become few and far between.
I have seen first-hand how reporting can change based on the country. Canada’s
misinformation run rife. I remember first trying to access news on Facebook from a dingy basement in Vancouver. I was so confused why, due to Facebook’s news ban, I couldn’t search for news on the app, why such an important need would be cut off from people in a developed country. Reporting happens at a far slower pace in B.C. than it does in Europe, something friends of mine outside journalism have remarked on. While covering the 37-year-old search for
missing Lil’wat man Stanley Morris Peters, I also saw first-hand how reporting can greatly differ depending on your race—even in the ’80s and ’90s, which isn’t that long ago in the grand scheme of things. It would be nice to say society has come leaps and bounds since then, but that is simply not true.
As my former colleague Scott Tibballs mentioned in a recent column, Canada loves opinion pieces. I don’t feel any more qualified to give my views on Indigenous affairs than a barfly in the Longhorn. I would love to see more space given to First Nations voices across the board. These are the voices that will help stop the shameful damage we have done to our planet. These are the voices that will teach us how to live in harmony with wildlife.
Before I left Pique, I watched on as the youngest members of Lil’wat Nation sang their traditional songs at the land blessing for the Harrow Road development. I watched as teenagers hand-drummed with their elders in the pouring rain after taking back Pipi7íyekew (Joffre Lakes).
It reminded me of an Irish saying that goes, mól an óige agus tiocfaidh sí, or praise the youth and they will flourish.
Kulmawatixs.
Go raibh míle maith agat.
Thank you. n
Whistler Blackcomb to trial carpooling incentive program this ski season
VEHICLES WITH FOUR OR MORE OCCUPANTS WILL GET FREE PRIORITY PARKING ON WEEKEND AND HOLIDAY MORNINGS
BY BRANDON BARRETT
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB (WB) will trial a carpooling incentive program this ski season it says is designed to reduce congestion and improve parking issues during peak periods.
“Road congestion and parking challenges in Whistler and along the Sea to Sky corridor have long been important issues in our community,” read a statement from WB provided to Pique on Tuesday, Oct. 8. “Whistler Blackcomb is committed to a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to improving the experience of residents and guests travelling to and within the resort.”
In effect on weekends, statutory holidays (excluding Christmas Day), and peak periods from 6 to 11 a.m., vehicles with four or more occupants will be given priority parking access in P1 at the Creekside garage and in Upper Lot 7 at Blackcomb Base II.
After 11 a.m., these lots will open to all vehicles, regardless of the number of occupants.
“It’s important to note parking in both lots remains free at all times without the need for reservations,” said Belinda Trembath, COO of Whistler Blackcomb, in an Oct. 8 presentation to mayor and council.
WB noted it reserved the trial program for peak days instead of, say, weekdays, to address higher demand. A spokesperson explained the company would “consider
in-season modifications where it makes sense and based on results and feedback.”
Asked how WB would enforce the fouroccupant threshold, the spokesperson said its parking team will “monitor access to ensure those vehicles that qualify are granted access during the allotted times.”
The incentive program is already in place at other Vail Resorts properties in North America, and has proven effective, according to the Colorado-based company that counts WB among its portfolio of 42 ski resorts.
At both Heavenly and Northstar in California, the company said carpooling was “highly utilized” after implementation last ski season. Of the reservations available in
those resorts’ busiest months.
“Early observations suggest that occupants per vehicle are low,” Trembath said of Whistler. “The opportunity to trial carpooling, which has been a success at our other North American resorts, will assist to further inform the study as it pertains to changing guest behaviour.”
Trembath is referring to a yearlong parking study that was one of four conditions attached to the Whistler council’s approval, last year, of WB’s Fitzsimmons Express upgrade. The results of the study must be shared with the municipality to improve the understanding of parking utilization in the resort, quantify how parking is being used,
“Early observations suggest that occupants per vehicle are low.”
- BELINDA TREMBATH
lots with the carpool incentive, the company said 65 per cent of guests at Heavenly and 62 per cent at Northstar took advantage of the free parking. Vail Resorts also reported guest satisfaction with the arrivals and parking experience rose 16 per cent at Heavenly, and 14 per cent at Northstar. Perhaps most importantly for Whistlerites who voiced concerns with parking congestion and delays last winter, Vail Resorts said there was a 60-per-cent reduction in the frequency and severity of travel time delays at Heavenly’s base area, and a 48-per-cent reduction at Northstar in January and February, two of
and develop a database to inform the design of future solutions.
“We will use insights to guide future initiatives for optimal community and visitor outcomes,” Trembath said. “We’re committed to being solutions-oriented. This means continuously looking at our own processes, policies and traffic patterns, analyzing our own parking capacity and constraints, while also working alongside the community and our resort partners through ongoing communication, collaboration and innovation.”
The new eight-pack chairlift opened for use in December.
The Fitzsimmons Express upgrades were not without controversy when they were greenlit by resort officials in March 2023. At two hastily organized special meetings held within the same week, mayor and council adopted a suite of bylaw amendments and a development permit that paved the way for the chairlift improvements without the usual requirement to provide additional parking.
Increasing capacity from 1,850 to 3,300 skiers per hour, under normal conditions, Vail Resorts would have been required to install an additional 725 parking spaces.
The company also had to be reminded by the municipality a permit was required four months after the project was announced. “It was a step missed on Whistler Blackcomb’s end of things,” Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) CAO Ginny Cullen said last March.
Municipal staff at the time said they rushed the development permit due to the benefits of a lift project that massively improved loading capacity. Staff also pointed to the benefit of keeping vehicles off the road, a key tenet of its Big Moves strategy, by not adding hundreds of new parking spots.
In lieu of new parking, another condition set upon Vail Resorts requires the company to pay the RMOW $200,000 annually, about $275 per parking spot, until it introduces pay parking in the lots it owns. If it does go this route, Vail Resorts must also share parking revenue with the RMOW that will fund transit and active transportation improvements.
While Vail Resorts has not announced any plans to implement pay parking on its local lots, it has done so at several of its U.S. resorts, including Heavenly and Northstar, where the carpool program was launched last ski season.
Visit Whistler Blackcomb’s FAQ page for more info on the carpool program. n
CARPOOL PARTY Whistler Blackcomb is offering free parking to vehicles with four or more occupants at select times as part of a trial program this ski season.
PHOTO BY ASCENTXMEDIA / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES
RMOW replaced aging Rotary chairs at Olympic Plaza—but forget to tell the club about it
MUSKOKA CHAIRS WERE BUILT IN EARLY 2010S IN HONOUR OF ROTARY
CLUB OF WHISTLER’S DR. KEN NICKERSON
BY BRANDON BARRETT
ONE OF THE first things now-Mayor Jack Crompton did as a new member of the Rotary Club of Whistler in the early 2010s was help paint the Muskoka chairs the charity raised funds for and had built in honour of a late Rotarian and tireless local doctor.
“We all worked out of [Rotarian and 2001 Citizen of the Year] Bob Calladine’s garage and those chairs were all done in honour of Dr. Ken Nickerson,” recalled Crompton of the surgeon and original Whistler Mountain medical patroller who died in 2010 at the age of 85.
So when Crompton learned the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) had mistakenly replaced the aging chairs this spring without notifying the club, it hit close to home.
“Needless to say, if we had a do-over, we would have been in touch about the chairs,” he said. “Rotary has been an amazing partner with the municipality over the years on all kinds of projects.”
The oversized, brightly coloured chairs were a fixture of Olympic Plaza for more than a decade, with countless locals and visitors using them as respite to read or eat lunch in on a sunny day.
“Every Rotary Club in Canada like to do community amenity projects, and before my time, probably about a dozen years ago, the members decided one contribution they wanted to make to the new Olympic Plaza were these chairs … and I think they built 18 or 20 of them and gave them to the municipality,” explained Ken Martin, former club president and current treasurer.
Emblazoned with the Rotary logo, Martin said the chairs were “a point of pride” for the club, and it wasn’t unusual for members to get positive comments about them, especially in those early years after they were installed.
“That was up until I was in the plaza and saw these chairs weren’t there anymore,” he continued. “That was a bit of a disappointing surprise.”
Martin did note the club had been
previously told the chairs were past their lifespan and the municipality wasn’t “overly keen on them.” The RMOW confirmed the decision to replace them was driven by maintenance challenges.
“The wooden chairs required frequent painting—often multiple times a year—and the wood had begun to rot. After more than 10 years of upkeep, our team sought a lowermaintenance alternative,” read a statement to Pique
This summer, the municipality installed 20 new chairs, with an additional four in reserve. The total cost of the chairs was $72,000, funded by the Municipal and Regional District Tax, generated from hotel stays. At $3,000 a pop, that might seem like a steep price tag, but the RMOW said it was less than the roughly $4,000 in yearly maintenance and labour costs each old chair necessitated.
Featuring a rust-proof, aluminum frame and “UV-resistant, post-consumer recycled plastic polymer,” the new chairs are lowmaintenance and designed to last between 15 and 20 years. (If you’re curious, they’re also painted in three “vibrant” colours, the RMOW said: “Apple Red, Leaf Green, and Sunset Orange.”)
For his part, Martin acknowledged the RMOW made an honest mistake. He credited them for helping remove and transport the old chairs when the club wanted to auction them off, mostly as keepsakes to Rotarians, for $100 each.
One chair the RMOW won’t let go of?
The one made specifically to honour Nickerson, who was known as a skilled pelvic surgeon, gynecologist, and obstetrician. The municipality will paint, restore and display the chair made to pay tribute to a man who volunteered more than 40 years of his life as a medic, patroller and mountain host for Whistler Blackcomb. In 2007, he was the recipient of a length of service award, then the longest Whistler Blackcomb had ever handed out.
“I think more people [volunteer] because they like to help out,” Dr. Nickerson told Pique at the time. “You love Whistler and you like to show people how nice it is.” n
CHAIR-LY THERE The Muskoka chairs built by the Rotary Club of Whistler that sat at Olympic Plaza for more than a decade before the RMOW replaced them—without notifying the club.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF WHISTLER
Whistler’s AWARE wants to re-engage youth on climate action
ENVIRONMENTAL CHARITY RELEASES NEW STRATEGIC PLAN LOOKING AHEAD TO 2027
BY LIZ MCDONALD
FIVE YEARS AGO, hundreds of Whistlerites took to the Village Stroll demanding urgent action to reverse the effects of climate change that had inspired millions around the world to march for the same cause that day.
While the makeup of the marchers was decidedly varied, it was Whistler’s youth— sparked by a group of Whistler Secondary students that was spearheaded by eventual Citizen of the Year nominee, 17-year-old Jade Quinn-McDonald—who led the charge.
The Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) now wants to re-inspire local youth, the inheritors of our current climate crisis, through a key program highlighted in the organization’s recently released strategic plan.
“At the end of the day, AWARE’s invitation to the youth and Whistler is that we know you have a lot on your plate. We know that these issues involving the climate can feel really overwhelming,” said AWARE’s executive director, Pegah Pourkarimi. “However, we deeply value your insight and input, and we want to hear what you have to say, so we can work together in creating a brighter and more resilient planet.”
That specific program, Project Now, is
a youth-centred opportunity with dwindling involvement. Pourkarimi hopes to engage Whistler Secondary students, with a particular focus on youth ages 15 to 16 who are involved in extracurriculars.
The program mentors youth for climate action and gives them opportunities to create and accomplish a climate action project at school or in their community.
government policies, and more.
Students, teachers or parents can learn more about the program through AWARE’s website, or fill out an expression of interest form.
Other initiatives include Circular Economy Month, running through October, with events like a repair café, a community garage sale and a clothing swap.
“At the end of the day, AWARE’s invitation to the youth of Whistler is that we know you have a lot on your plate.”
- PEGAH POURKARIMI
They can work as a team or on their own, getting paired with an expert who helps get the project off the ground.
Aside from giving youth an outlet for their fears and frustrations about climate change, students learn practical skills in project management, developing a business case, and how to effectively pitch ideas. They’ll also network with community leaders and expand their knowledge, learn about local
reinforcing interaction between AWARE, policy makers and the community, they want to move the dial on environmental action.
“There isn’t just one sole organization or industry that we can be pointing our fingers at and saying, ‘Hey, that’s not right.’ That’s a really easy way out. It really does involve us being able to work collaboratively together and recognizing that all organizations and all levels have a role to play,” she said.
The first pathway, programs, seeks to “enhance community engagement through education and action on environmental issues.” Initiatives include educational programs about nature conservation and the circular economy, community partnerships, youth engagement and supporting the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) Big Moves strategy.
FUTURE FOCUSED
Project Now is just one small tenet of AWARE’s new strategic plan, which looks ahead to 2027 and emphasizes community well-being and ensuring nature thrives.
To achieve those goals, the charity’s plan has four pillars: programs, advocacy, research and innovation and operational prerequisites. Pourkarimi explained that achieving these pathways is all about the approach. By
WHISTLER’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
The RMOW tracks its own corporate GHG emissions as well as the community’s, and it recently released emissions figures for 2023. Resort-wide, last year Whistler increased its GHG output by two per cent from 2022, which was three per cent higher than its baseline emissions year, 2007.
Whistler family home in Tapley’s Farm, with mountain views, flat backyard, and mortgage helper. Picturesque 18-acre Pemberton property with stunning views, farm status, and pond.
Lois Road, Pemberton
$4,999,000
“Whistler is not on track to meet the GHG emission reduction target of 50 per cent below 2007 by 2030,” the report noted.
Vehicles are the biggest emitters in Whistler, contributing to 53 per cent of the total pie.
Pourkarimi said one of the programs AWARE focuses on that can have a tangible benefit in line with the RMOW’s GHG reduction goals is GoByBike Week, a partnership between the municipality, AWARE and Go By Bike BC Society. Between Sept. 23 and Oct. 6, residents were encouraged to cut back on their personal emissions by biking to work, school, or for daily errands.
While Whistler isn’t on track, Pourkarimi emphasized the municipality has done “good work” since 2016, when it started the Community Energy and Climate Action Plan, which morphed into the 2020 Big Moves Strategy and its current Big Moves Climate Action Implementation Plan.
“It’s a tricky space that we’re in right now. We’re in this transition period where there’s going to be some hard decisions that need to be made as it relates to climate change. And these issues really do involve all players getting involved. So, it isn’t just a task that’s cut out for the RMOW only,” she said.
ADVOCACY, INNOVATION AND OPERATIONS
The second pathway is advocacy. Actions include creating an index of relevant Sea to
Sky interest groups, through which AWARE hopes to increase mobilization and community engagement. The charity is also looking at developing a targeted messaging campaign connected to key issues impacting Whistler, as well as creating opportunities for more structured advocacy alongside the RMOW.
The third pathway is research and innovation, with a goal to “support and integrate innovative approaches to conservation and sustainability.” Ideas include evaluating existing projects across
the country that could translate locally, and collaborating with the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations, which have traditional environmental knowledge.
Lastly, the operational prerequisite pathways will help achieve AWARE’s goals.
Pourkarimi said AWARE operates with a lean team, and to achieve the strategic goals laid out in its new plan, the group is focusing on recruiting staff, growing membership and volunteers, and seeking more funding.
“We’re focusing on what is important,
because we can’t be trying to sink our teeth into all of these initiatives and projects if we aren’t taking care of our own operations and ensuring sustainability there,” she said.
AWARE wants feedback from the community on its strategic plan, which will help them build it out further. You can send input to info@awarewhistler.org.
“A strategic plan is a framework. Now, we’re going to start to hopefully put up some walls and the other architectural facets,” Pourkarimi said. n
FUTURE FOCUSED AWARE’s strategic plan aims to reinforce interaction between the charity, policy makers and the community.
PHOTO COURTESY
Whistlerite escapes Crabapple house fire unharmed
EARLY DETECTION VIA SMOKE ALARM ALLOWED THE OCCUPANT AND THEIR PET TO EXIT THE HOME UNINJURED
BY BRANDON BARRETT
THE OCCUPANT of a Whistler home escaped unharmed after a fire broke out in the early morning hours of Thursday, Oct. 3, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) confirmed.
Crews responded to the house fire on Crabapple Drive at 5:41 a.m., with firefighters from all three local fire halls battling the blaze. Reportedly a working structure fire, the RMOW said in an emailed statement that heavy flames burned through the roof of the large family home.
Thanks to early detection via smoke alarm, the occupant and their pet exited the house uninjured.
Crews had the fire under control within two hours, the RMOW said. The flames caused “significant damage” to the top floor and roof of one section of the home.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, though it is not considered suspicious.
It was the second building fire in the span of a week the Whistler Fire Rescue Service (WFRS) had to contend with. On Thursday, Sept. 26, firefighters spent hours working to contain a stubborn blaze at Building 3 of the Gables Townhomes on Blackcomb
Way. A nearby resident and strata member who captured footage of the blaze credited crews’ quick response, as well as residents’ FireSmarting efforts over the years, for containing its spread.
“It could have been so much worse,”
Derek Schumann told Pique last week.
“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.”
Fire Prevention Week in Canada runs from Oct. 6 to 12. The WFRS reminds residents to ensure they have working smoke alarms on every floor and in each bedroom of their home. Learn more at fpw.org. n
SOUND THE ALARM Whistler firefighters battle a house fire on Crabapple Drive on Thursday, Oct. 3.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RMOW
‘The joy of mushrooms’: Fungus Among Us grows again
ANNUAL MUSHROOM FESTIVAL RETURNS OCT.
BY LIZ MCDONALD
FUNGI FANATICS will soon descend on Whistler for the annual Fungus Among Us Mushroom Festival, hosted by the Whistler Naturalists.
The event is truly reciprocal, just like mushrooms’ relationship with the Earth. Experts provide knowledge to attendees and volunteer their time at local schools, and by coming to the event, experts uncover new species and get to pursue science.
Whether attendees are mushroom masters, fungi photographers or psilocybin seekers, there’s plenty to learn on Oct. 18 and 19. The first day features talks with mushroom gurus at Legends Hotel in Creekside from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Presenters discuss a range of subjects, with beginner-friendly topics and forager perspectives, but the Whistler Naturalists’ Bob Brett said their focus is the joy and ecological function of mushrooms.
“Our main focus is not on the foraging and edibility, as much as just the joy of mushrooms,” he said. There’ll be a talk on how they interact with old-growth forest, which people are becoming more and more familiar with.”
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connections, ecologist Andy MacKinnon is coming, and Kevin Trim will talk about extreme foraging.
“[Trim] is always fun, he’s an extreme forager who puts his life at risk to get favourite mushrooms,” Brett said.
SECOND DOSE OF FUNGUS AMONG US
Then, Saturday brings B.C.’s “best lead mushroom walks” to the resort, according to the Whistler Naturalists. Each group is paired
with two leaders who set off in search of different species, with 22 experts on hand to lead the excursions from 8:45 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The event sells out each year, and participants need to leave collection baskets and dogs at home for the forest foray.
The emphasis is on information, and Brett said bringing foraging baskets ignores the overall purpose of the event.
“The emphasis is not on producing a dinner for you that night. It’s on mushrooms in general. Obviously, [eating’s] the main draw for people getting into mushrooms. But it
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takes a little bit of the focus off utilitarianism,” he said.
For cooks in attendance, a forest-to-table lunch runs from 12:30 to 2 p.m. by Milestone’s executive chef, Bruce Worden, and it’s already sold out.
“This is a cooking and tasting show put on by somebody who is really great at it,” Brett said.
There’s a display table from 2:30 to 4 p.m., where fungi of the day are labelled and explained by experts. This event is by donation, with no tickets required.
“The mushroom display is always amazing, because there’s at least 150 species that are displayed and labelled. There are experts who can describe them to people who are interested,” Brett said.
The display provides an opportunity for entry-level learning, where attendees can ask experts questions, and touch and smell the fungi without feeling overwhelmed by a lack of prior knowledge, according to Brett.
There’s also a fungi photo contest with four categories: people and fungi, sporetacular shots, gill-ty pleasures and shrooms with a view. Images must be from the Sea to Sky corridor and taken between September and October 2024. The deadline for submissions is Monday, Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. For full contest guidelines, visit whistlernaturalists.ca/fungiphoto-contest. n
FUN WITH PHOTOS The Whistler Naturalists invite photo submissions from fungi fanatics ahead of the Fungus Among Us Mushroom Festival. Fungi shots must be taken within the Sea to Sky corridor.
PHOTO BY LIZ MCDONALD
MARIKA KO ENIG
Tapley’s Halloween ‘by the community and for the community’
NEIGHBOURHOOD PREPARES FOR 41ST EDITION OF WHISTLER’S LONGEST-RUNNING FREE COMMUNITY EVENT
BY LIZ MCDONALD
TAPLEY’S FARM is counting down the days until the return of Whistler’s longest-running free community event.
On Oct. 31, upwards of 1,000 trick-or-treaters are expected in the neighbourhood to take part in a tradition going strong since 1983. In its 41st year, the event honours children’s creative spirit and recognizes local community food needs, with attendees asked to donate money or non-perishables to the Whistler Food Bank through the Scare Hunger Campaign.
Tapley’s resident and longtime co-organizer Shauna Hardy said the night takes a village to pull off.
“We have 80 houses in Tapley’s Farm; we have a minimum of 50 per cent participating. We hand out about 50,000 pieces of candy, which is crazy. We usually collect about 15,000 pieces from local donations and the neighbourhood supplements the rest,” she said.
Local grocery stores accept community donations for the neighbourhood, and the event is promoted throughout schools and daycares. Considering each participating house in the neighbourhood averages about 1,000 pieces of candy for
kids, all donations help.
“It’s really by the community for the community,” Hardy said.
TRICK OR TREAT AT TAPLEY’S FARM
Trick or treating runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and RCMP close traffic to the neighbourhood at 4 p.m. for safety. Since parking is limited, there’s the free “Park and Spook” shuttle, organized by Fastpark and supported by BC Transit and the RMOW. Shuttles take off from Marketplace at 5:07 p.m. and run until 8:25 p.m.
Marketplace has free parking from 5 to 9 p.m.
Eventually, the treats come to a bittersweet end as houses run out of candy. Supplies usually run dry by 7:30 p.m., Hardy said, when the fireworks show starts in the Myrtle Philip Community School fields.
Nesters Market sponsors the fireworks, with the Whistler Fire Rescue Service ensuring they go off safely.
According to Hardy, residents take decorating “quite seriously.”
“One house does an absolutely unbelievable pumpkin display. They have about 40 pumpkins carved,” she said. “Adults connect with other community members and
kids really see that Whistler’s spirit is alive and well at Tapley’s Farm.”
Last year also saw a black bear and a grizzly bear in the neighbourhood, which conservation officers relocated. The grizzly bear made a re-appearance on the auspicious evening, according to Hardy, who jokingly said, “they’re not invited this year.
“It was a bit dramatic. Halloween went ahead, and I’m pretty sure the fireworks scared the bear away.”
Last year, Tapley’s collected approximately $4,000 and 500 pounds of non-perishable food items, which went to food security programs at the Whistler Community Services Society-run (WCSS) food bank. Whistler Secondary School Leadership Team members will also be on hand Oct. 31 to accept donations.
In a previous interview with Pique, WCSS said cash-in-hand is particularly useful for WCSS, as the society has larger purchasing power than the average consumer and can make donations go further.
At its AGM in September, WCSS said donations and access have increased. Food bank use for the past financial year was up 34 per cent, and in the first four months of 2024, WCSS served almost three times the number of clients it did during COVID.
Monetary donations are accepted online and at the event. n
FRIGHT FEST Tapley’s neighbourhood pulls out all the stops for its annual Halloween event.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAUNA HARDY
Pemberton council divided over Parkside development covenant
OFFICIALS CAN’T AGREE WHETHER RESTRICTIVE COVENANT ON SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES WILL IMPEDE DEN DUYF PARK DEVELOPMENT
BY LIZ MCDONALD
DESPITE BEST EFFORTS to adopt zoning amendments that would lead to the approval of Pemberton’s Parkside development, council couldn’t agree on recommendations from staff.
At the Oct. 8 regular council meeting, Village of Pemberton (VOP) staff recommended dropping a proposed covenant requirement restricting the percentage of single-family dwellings at Parkside. Slated for Den Duyf Park, the project would see a 33-lot subdivision with housing spanning duplexes and triplexes, co-housing and single-family homes. The last time it came to council was May 28, when it received third reading.
During that meeting, two covenants were discussed: securing community amenity contributions and restricting the percentage of single-family homes. The second covenant saw a divided mayor and council, and months later, they still haven’t found harmony.
In May, Mayor Mike Richman and Councillor Ted Craddock were concerned over impeding development if the housing market moves in a different direction. Couns. Laura Ramsden, Katrina Nightingale
and Jennie Helmer were in favour because, they argued, including a covenant on the percentage of single-family homes would in theory still meet the growing community’s housing needs.
The same song and dance played out once again on Oct. 8, with neither side budging on their positions.
The VOP’s development services manager, Scott McRae, said staff were
sale but not built.
“I don’t know if that indicates the lack of market for this kind of project or if financing is a problem … I think if we put restrictions on that, we may not see this project go ahead like a couple of others in the community. So, I’m prepared to support it,” he said.
Nightingale, for her part, remained hesitant to move forward with a staff recommendation that would prevent the
“My concern is that ... in this pursuit for perfection, we end up encumbering the development to a point where it doesn’t have viability...”
- MIKE RICHMAN
recommending dropping the covenant because of market trends.
“Most hillside developments are developing with at least two dwelling units, and it also avoids the added burden on the title of the property that could potentially pose challenges for financing,” he said.
Craddock was in favour of staff’s recommendations, saying the VOP has provided opportunity for other types of housing in Pemberton that are currently for
kind of density she argued Pemberton needs moving forward.
“For me, the aspirational plan, with its diversity of housing and the density, speaks to two really important things. And the first is that it provides that missing middle option that we need in the duplex and triplex options. And the second thing is that the density is really necessary to get transit out to this important development hub,” she said.
Ramsden said if the covenant doesn’t
work, they could remove it.
“That’s something that I do believe we can address down the road,” she said.
Helmer echoed these points and added that a covenant is one of the few tools local governments have to influence a development’s trajectory.
Richman reiterated his agreement with the desire for a diversity of housing, but once again aired concerns over “encumbering” development.
“My concern is that … in this pursuit for perfection, we end up encumbering the development to a point where it doesn’t have the viability to get off the ground and supply what we want,” he said.
Seeing disagreement in the room, he proposed staff seek more information from the developer on the feasibility of the covenant.
“I came in prepared to support no covenant, but if somebody would like to move in a direction where we send staff back to understand, to get a better understanding from the developer, I would support that direction,” Richman conceded.
Staff were directed to go back to the developer and determine if there’s a middle way forward, given instructions to inquire whether revising the number of restricted residential lots could help and to determine whether the covenant would be a significant impediment to financing.
It’s expected they will have an answer by the next council meeting, Oct. 22. n
Pemberton plans to lean on reserves for aging infrastructure
THE VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON IS FOCUSING ON A BALANCED BUDGET AND IMPROVING RESERVES IN ITS 2025 FINANCIAL PLANNING
BY LIZ MCDONALD
PEMBERTON COUNCIL had its first look at the upcoming budget process during a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Thomas Sikora, manager of finance, presented a high-level overview of the Village of Pemberton’s (VOP) budget timeline, which ends in spring 2025.
Next year’s outlined priorities are: plan and manage growth, be prepared, protect our environment, cultivate trust, and operate with excellence. Perhaps surprising to residents, Sikora noted only 24 per cent of the budget goes to the first four priorities. That’s because the last one, operating with excellence, covers core services necessary for a functioning community, like water, sewer and road maintenance, making up the other 76 per cent of the pie.
Nov. 5 is the first pass of the VOP’s operational budget, and utility, capital, five-year plan, reserves, tax implications and funding will come at later dates, allowing a long runway for feedback on each piece.
RESERVES NEEDED FOR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE
Pemberton’s modus operandi is to continue balancing its budget and building reserves. Sikora also made sure to note preliminary market assumptions show “significant” pressure on expenses.
“We’re seeing double-digit cost increases. We’re working through challenges, understanding what’s controllable and what we can manage,” he said.
Contributing to that pressure is aging infrastructure and equipment. With age comes higher maintenance costs and failure rates, so the VOP plans to bolster reserves for infrastructural upkeep and upgrades.
When it comes to infrastructure, rising construction costs are “not something you can negotiate away,” he said.
“It’s a very healthy reminder of constraints we’re facing,” said Councillor Katrina Nightingale.
Sikora asked council to consider what service objectives they have and come prepared with ideas for the upcoming operations budget, as services are a “critical” component of the budget planning process.
“[Service objectives] are a great mechanism to change what we see in the
budget,” he said.
An example he gave of critical services councillors could advocate for include snow removal services.
MORE TIME ALLOTTED FOR BUDGET PROCESS
Pemberton staff and council will have additional time for the budgeting process, with the overall timeline for the 2025 budget coming one month earlier. There are also earlier year-end audits, operating budget comparisons, project charters, contract reviews and an upcoming budget open house.
The VOP plans to send out a survey to residents, likely in the spring, “to understand which services residents want to see, giving increased metrics to understand performance,” Sikora said.
By 2026, taxes for Pemberton’s longawaited recreation centre slated for Den Duyf Park will shuffle. Currently, taxes for the planned centre come from the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, and once the rec centre contract for Den Duyf Park is refined, tax collection will land in the lap of the VOP. While there is no net
cost increase because of the collection swap, residents will see the VOP’s tax collection for recreation increase, and their share from the SLRD will go down in equal proportions, according to Sikora.
One planned tax hike weighing on the minds of finance staff is future policing costs. Once Pemberton’s population reaches 5,000, the VOP is responsible for funding the service.
Data published by B.C.’s Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Policing and Security Branch from 2020 show costs for policing in a rural municipality with a population of about 5,000 ranges widely, from about $140,000 to more than $1.7 million.
The draft budget timeline goes from September to March, and council reviews from October until May 2025.
Sikora said public feedback is “critical” and highlighted feedback mechanisms.
Committee of the Whole budget sessions are posted online, which residents can review on the Village’s website. Sikora invites written feedback to council and staff and suggests the public attend this spring’s budget information session. Email accounting@ pemberton.ca to engage in the budget process.
“Candidly, we don’t see enough of that,” he added. n
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Why Fulmer is best for this riding
LET ME START with a disclosure: a respected friend is running for the Conservative Party of BC in my riding, West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. I write this column about Yuri Fulmer not in my role as a journalist and media executive over more than four decades, but as a voter who has witnessed politics up close, worries we are not attracting nearly enough strong candidates, and believe he
BY KIRK LAPOINTE
is the best choice in this provincial election for the riding.
I also teach ethics at UBC’s journalism school and have been an adjunct professor in the program for more than two decades, and only last week I was telling students that conflicts of interest are perplexing for people in my craft, because we at times have to cover those we know well. If you’re going to do so, I said, you have to declare your conflict so the audience can have proper context. I notice all too often that friends write about candidates without respecting the need to tell readers of these personal connections and experiences. So I want to take my own advice and be frank that I know Yuri.
With that lengthy preamble done, I watched the two all-candidates debates last week in Whistler and Squamish and drew some conclusions about his contestants. Both Jen Ford of the BC NDP and Jeremy Valeriote of the Greens have dedicated time and effort municipally to improve the quality of life, and their values appeared moored in the best spirit of public service, but the two events struck me as evidence that this election calls for a more seasoned leader with a broader understanding of what matters to those who answer the knock on the door during the campaign.
Yuri is one of British Columbia’s business success stories, someone who started as a teenager working the drive-thru at A&W to eventually own dozens of franchises and have equity in nearly 30 companies, including some in this riding. They are characterized as models of inclusion, of Indigenous reconciliation, of environmentalism, of food security, and of returning support to the community. His Fulmer Foundation is one of the province’s leading benefactors, and he is himself the worldwide chair of United Way, likely the best-known social non-profit on the
continent. He serves—although he has not participated in activities beyond graduation ceremonies during the campaign—as chancellor at Capilano University. He is a proud father of two young children. And he is a member of the Order of British Columbia. His outsized credentials aside, my business journalism background over the last decade informs my understanding from other leaders of his virtues as a highly regarded, principled and decent listener and decisionmaker. He chose earlier this year to channel his enormous energy in the next chapter of his life into a more direct form of public service through the institution of provincial politics.
Today what matters is how to contend with our most significant challenges: the deteriorating health-care system, homeownership and rental affordability, the safety of streets, the lack of a prosperity plan, the unsustainable public financial picture, and climate change.
It was distressing to hear opponents claim the Conservatives deny climate change, want to cut billions from health-care, and don’t have an immediate housing affordability plan. I’ve studied the platform, asked questions about this for my own sake, and their rhetoric doesn’t add up. It is a severe distortion of what are necessary positions of nuance in today’s unfortunate black-and-white world disgraced by social media. Every campaign is worse than the last.
In studying and chronicling power for decades in Ottawa, Toronto and here, I’ve also seen the value to ridings of having prominent representation within government and opposition. These are the MLAs and MPs who get things done, who lead the public affairs discourse, and who can deliver change. If the Conservatives are elected Oct. 19, Yuri would be a respected and vital force for the riding in the government; if for some reason it forms opposition, he would be a leading voice as a watchdog. I don’t see either opponent offering that, and I am certain that a so-called “strategic vote” for the Greens would have no effect except to further marginalize a riding already at a disadvantage in Victoria.
I will admit my mind was made up at the outset, but nothing has shaken my view in the months of his candidacy that he is the smartest choice for the betterment of the riding and the province. I say this, conflicts of interest and all, as a voter.
Kirk LaPointe is a West Vancouver columnist who writes for Glacier Media. n
Thankful for trails—and the Whistler Bike Park
AS
THE RESORT EYES THE SKI SLOPES, IT’S WORTH SHOWING SOME GRATITUDE FOR THE ONE B.C. BIKE PARK THAT’S STILL OPEN
BY THE TIME Thanksgiving rolls around every year, I recognize there are some competing priorities. The teasing dust of snow all of a sudden has people reaching into their ski and board closets to check whether their planks will survive another season. If not, it’s a great time to get some upgrades.
BY VINCE SHULEY
And the only thing that gets people nearly as excited as witnessing the first dump of snow in the valley? Fresh gear.
The annual Black Friday Sale for ski bums—otherwise known as the Turkey Sale—rolled through town last week, and the number of smiling faces in town carrying a new set of skis on their shoulder or box of new boots under their arm made it feel like opening day was right around the corner.
Five weeks really can feel like an eternity when you’re jonesing for some turns. And while plenty of retail stores managed to burn through last year’s stock of winter goods, hats off to AWARE (the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment) for organizing another bumper Fall Community Garage Sale and reducing the demand for newly manufactured goods. I walked through
the Creekside Parkade on Sunday morning, Oct. 6, with a friend and had never seen so many stalls. There was plenty of the typical garage sale junk lying around, but there were some awesome deals on well-loved ski and snowboard gear and lots of satisfied buyers.
Winter is indeed coming. But before we call our frosty banners, this weekend gives us one last kick at the can in the Whistler Bike Park. With every other bike park in B.C. now closed, Thanksgiving weekend triggers a massive pilgrimage of dirt-seekers to Whistler, for good reason. The trails are running at their best with nary a patch of dust in sight. Rail some berms, launch some jumps and smash through some rock gardens this weekend. The conditions don’t get much better.
laps, roll straight through the singles line corral and right onto the lift. Yes, there was a bit of a teething period while everyone complained about their mud fenders not fitting in the rack system, but no one will remember that about the 2024 bike season. You know what I’ll remember? Not waiting in long lines. (A disclaimer here that this weekend will inevitably have longer lines with the aforementioned closing weekend pilgrimage and only one of the three bike park lifts still open.)
While I love my trail riding and big days of pedalling, there’s a few reasons I keep coming back to the bike park, season after season.
The park just keeps getting better. Faster lifts, more trails, longer hours of operation,
Whistler is blessed with some of the most amazing trails in the world, most of them making use of the steep valley walls that make for some borderline terrifying descents.
The Whistler Bike Park really returned to form this year with the Fitzsimmons Chair upgrade in 2023 paying dividends. With a carrying capacity of five bikes and five humans per chair and a mostly self-service bike-carrying system, the efficiency of the Whistler Bike Park’s main artery meant there were far fewer lines this year. On pretty much every evening (and some weekends), I would arrive at the base of the Fitz for a few quick
more interesting ways to descend from the peak to the valley. After taking 2023 off due to injury, since 2022 I was finding all kinds of new trails in the bike park, some that were still getting broken in. It amazes me how the trail building teams keep finding new lines in the woods that make use of natural features. I’ll always welcome new ways of linking up my favourite trails.
It’s the only place I’ll ride big jumps.
Some riders have a knack for hitting massive jumps they haven’t really ridden or even seen before. Not me. When I inspect gap jumps and big step down features in the wild, I’ll rarely end up riding them. But in my home bike park, I’ve done enough laps to know the speed and how to adjust my body position in the air when I mess up the takeoff. The Whistler Bike Park is the only place I have that big-jump confidence.
It keeps my trail riding sharp. Whistler is blessed with some of the most amazing trails in the world, most of them making use of the steep valley walls that make for some borderline terrifying descents. Without the mileage and endurance I get from riding the double blacks in the bike park on my downhill bike, I honestly don’t know if I’d still be riding as aggressively in the valley or on biking road trips.
The park has its own mini-seasons. I’ll be first to admit that hot and dry spells of midsummer don’t make for the best riding conditions in the Whistler Bike Park. Braking bumps grow, potholes accumulate and chutes become a sketchy, dusty mess. When there’s zero moisture in the ground, the trail crews don’t really have a lot to work with. But the spring and fall always deliver. And there’s nothing like dropping into A-Line after a fresh rebuild.
The Whistler Bike Park isn’t for everyone. But if you live here and you ride a mountain bike, why the hell wouldn’t you ride the best bike park in the world?
Vince Shuley had a stellar 2024 bike park season. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince.shuley@gmail. com or Instagram @whis_vince. n
MY KINDA LINE The new Fitzsimmons Chair upgrade meant lines were mostly small this summer, and, in some cases, non-existent. PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY
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B.C.,
and Canadian politics in general, often get painted as being a bit dull. Of course, when you live in the shadow of the U.S. and its potent cocktail of TV-ready political sensationalism and aggressive mudslinging, anything that doesn’t quite hit that level of crazy pales in comparison.
But this B.C. election cycle has been anything but boring. You had the spurned former Liberal minister, John Rustad, leave the party where he cut his teeth to, eventually, join the upstart BC Conservatives, which he now leads. You had the spectacular crumbling of the newly minted BC United Party, helping turn the provincial race into what will likely be a two-horse affair against the incumbent NDP come Oct. 19.
The West Vancouver-Sea to Sky riding that Whistler calls home has been injected with some long overdue excitement as well. A Liberal stronghold for decades, a boundary rejigging cut nearly 4,000 voters from the riding, lopping off sections of the North Shore that have traditionally favoured red over NDP orange.
PIQUE’S 2024 B.C. ELECTION GUIDE
HEAR FROM THE CANDIDATES IN THEIR OWN WORDS BEFORE HEADING TO THE POLLS
This injected new hope into the BC Greens, who won nearly every poll north of Horseshoe Bay in the 2020 election, and who were initially declared the winners before a judicial recount gave it to the Liberals.
Needless to say, things have picked up in the riding, and the first all-candidates meeting, hosted Oct. 1 to a nearly packed Whistler crowd, was proof of that. It was, arguably, the most compelling B.C. election debate the resort has seen in years, with each candidate showcasing their strong connections to the corridor.
But don’t take it from us. As Pique has done each election season for a long time now, we offered each political hopeful the opportunity to speak to you, the voters, in their own words. Arranged in the order we received each submission, the three candidates were asked four broad questions, and given up to 1,000 words total to answer those questions how they saw fit.
The following responses have been factchecked, and lightly edited for grammar and spelling.
General voting takes place Oct. 19, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Myrtle Philip Community School and Whistler Secondary School. Advance voting opens from Oct. 10 to 13, and again on Oct. 15 and 16, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Whistler Conference Centre.
Obviously Whistler. Obviously Shauna.
I love Whistler,and for25 yearsI’ve beena leadingLuxuryRealtor® andcalledthismagicaltown my home.Fromthemoment we meet, you’llnoticeI’m working for you. My goalistohelp you achieve yourdreams, whetherthatmeanssellingyourpropertyatapricethat exceeds yourwildest expectations,helping youfind yourdreamhome,orassessing yournextsmartinvestment.
My heart is in serving this community. For over two decades, I have been deeply involved with United Way, dedicating my time and resources to drive positive change and uplift those in need. I currently serve as the first Canadian chairman of United Way Worldwide in the organization’s 137-year history. United Way Worldwide is a $5-billion charity and one of the world’s largest.
I am a proud volunteer and co-chair of the Honda Celebration of Light, bringing joy and excitement to communities through this iconic Vancouver event. In 2020, I was installed as chancellor of Capilano University, at the time the youngest university chancellor in Canada. I was reappointed in 2023 to a second term. Additionally, I was previously the chair of the BC Ferry Authority and chair of the Surrey Food Bank. Citing my “dynamic entrepreneurship and committed volunteerism,” in 2011, I have received the Order of British Columbia, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, and was named a Living Legend by Business in Vancouver.
Among my business interests are many of the world’s most innovative and sustainable businesses. I am an investor in and chair of the board of Intelligent City, building Canada’s greenest buildings. I am an investor and was the board chair of ChopValue, making climatepositive wood furniture locally on a global scale. I have made other investments in hospitality, payment processing, community solar, energy reduction and many others.
I am most proud of being the co-founder, chair and investor in Goodly Foods, which has upcycled and repurposed millions of pounds of produce and employs people with multiple barriers to employment.
If elected, what are the top three issues you will focus on?
1) AFFORDABILITY: Affordability is one of the top issues I hear when I have spoken to Whistler residents. The cost of everything has gone up under David Eby’s NDP. If we want to prosper as a province, we have to ensure that British Columbians can afford to live here. For 30 years, I have worked as an entrepreneur dedicated to giving back to my province. On Day 1, I will work hard to reduce the cost of groceries, gas, and housing by instituting the “Rustad Rebate” to exempt
Elizabeth Chaplin 604 932 1311
elizabeth@elizabethchaplin.com
$1,688,000
SQ.FT.:
$3,097,000
$1,100,000
renters and homeowners up to $3,000 a month in housing costs from provincial income taxes. [Editor’s Note: Under the Conservatives’ proposal, the tax rebate would start in 2026 at $1,500, increasing $500 every year, until hitting $3,000 in 2029.] Responsible financial management has been sorely missed in Victoria. I will bring it back.
2) HEALTH-CARE: After almost half a decade of NDP rule, our health-care system is worse than ever before. Nurses are overworked, family doctors are in short supply, and waiting times are longer than ever. As your MLA, I will implement the patients-first wait-time guarantee so that if select diagnostics or medical procedures exceed medically recommended waiting times, you have the opportunity to access the care you need at pre-approved facilities out of province and be reimbursed according to a set fee schedule. Additionally, to ensure family doctors can see more patients, we will stop tying up their time with incessant paperwork and red tape.
3)
ECONOMIC GROWTH:
Our beautiful part of the province has many things going for it, but the one thing that has persistently bogged us down is the congestion. It disrupts our social life, it hurts small businesses, and it’s a nuisance to everyone. As your MLA, I will be best situated to advocate for a strong regional transit system connecting all areas of our riding in a BC Conservative majority government. Robust regional transit, paired with the “Rustad Rebate” and responsible tax relief, will ensure that small businesses can prosper and that you can bring home more of what you earn.
If elected, how will you make life better for Whistler residents?
My whole career has been dedicated to being a problem solver, not a complainer. When I see an issue that needs fixing, I get to work on it as soon as I can. Life in Whistler and British Columbia at large can be prohibitively expensive. Job 1 will be to bring costs down. With my track record in business and in the community, I am ideally situated to be your problem solver in Victoria in a BC Conservative government.
One of the main problems that Whistler residents have spoken to me about is the over regulation of small businesses and housing construction, inflating the price of doing business and building housing, and killing families’ dreams of becoming homeowners and building prosperous futures for themselves. I will work hard to amend the Local Government Act, and other over-regulatory pieces of legislation, to tear down the unnecessary red tape and make homebuilding and business more affordable.
“I will work hard to amend the Local Government Act, and other over-regulatory pieces of legislation, to tear down the unnecessary red tape and make homebuilding
Environmental responsibility is key to maintaining Whistler’s beauty. I will not compromise on maintaining B.C.’s high environmental standards. Conservation is inherently Conservative. Today, biodiversity loss is of particular concern for many British Columbians. As your MLA, I will be your problem solver in Victoria by working hard to ensure that Whistler will be prioritized to meet its biodiversity goals and will help create plans for long-term water sustainability that include climate resilience measures and put the needs of Whistler residents first.
If elected, how will you help Whistler businesses?
Whistler is driven by small business owners, who work hard to support their families and ensure Whistler remains the lovely and inviting community that it is. Any approach to rebuilding the economy after half a decade of stagnation and mismanagement must centre around small businesses. As your MLA, I will expand the Buy BC program to prioritize B.C.-made products, which will put our small businesses first, ensuring that big transnational corporations don’t drive British Columbians out of the market. I will also advocate for the improvement of transportation infrastructure, including the development of regional transit along the Sea to Sky corridor. I recognize the importance of building strong and enduring relationships with Indigenous communities. A BC Conservative government will strengthen partnerships with Indigenous communities to build strong, mutually beneficial partnerships that support Indigenous-owner businesses and Indigenous-led development.
Jen Ford
Jen Ford
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia
Please share a brief personal bio.
Whistler is home. It’s where I live, it’s where I work, and it’s where I’m raising my kids.
I’ve spent two decades in service to my community—first, bolstering our economy working in tourism, and then in public office as a municipal councillor. I’ve been president of the Union of BC Municipalities and chair of the board for the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
I know the difference that good government can make in people’s lives. People I know have had their lives transformed by good government—whether it’s being connected to a family doctor, or by securing a lower-cost childcare spot. The BC NDP has taken action on the issues that matter to people in Whistler and to all the communities in our region, and that’s why I am running with this team. Like people across Canada and across North America, our communities are facing tough challenges and I, and the whole BC NDP team, are ready to take them on. I hope to earn the trust of the people of our region and serve all our communities as the MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.
If elected, what are the top three issues you will focus on?
People in our communities are facing tough challenges. Housing is too expensive. Too many people don’t have a family doctor. And the costs of daily life just seem to climb. We need a government that is ready to take on those tough challenges—and that’s the BC NDP. We’ve built homes for seniors, we’ve connected thousands of people to a family doctor, and we’ve cut the cost of childcare in half.
But we also know we’ve got so much more to do. Our leader, David Eby, gets up every morning focused on solving people’s problems and on making life better. And the same thing is true of every member of this team.
When it comes to John Rustad and his team, with their record of cuts, costs and cancellations, with their promise of—more—cuts, and with the weird conspiracy theories and climate science denial coming from not just some of his candidates, but also their leader, you have to ask yourself: are Rustad’s BC Conservatives up to the job? From my perspective, Rustad and his team are just too big a risk. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves to help people in B.C. build good lives in the communities they love, and we won’t stop until the job is done.
“David Eby’s Housing Action Plan is a set of bold reforms that experts say will create 300,000 more homes that middle-class people can actually afford. It’s going to do this
by eliminating the local government regulations causing the housing shortage, enabling the construction of small, multi-unit developments like townhouses, duplexes and triplexes.”
- Jen Ford
If elected, how will you make life better for Whistler residents?
I’ve spent my time in public service laser-focused on tackling our community’s housing, healthcare and other challenges—and that’s what I plan to do if I earn the trust of my neighbours and am elected MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.
David Eby’s Housing Action Plan is a set of bold reforms that experts say will create 300,000 more homes that middle-class people can actually afford. It’s going to do this by eliminating the local government regulations causing the housing shortage, enabling the construction of small, multi-unit developments like townhouses, duplexes and triplexes. Our housing reforms are showing good results, and we need to keep pushing.
We’ve had tremendous success connecting people to family doctors, not just in Whistler, but throughout the province. According to Doctors of BC, in Whistler, more than 10,000 patients
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have a family doctor—up from roughly 6,000 a year ago, thanks to the Whistler 360 Health Collaborative, which has brought on new family doctors thanks to our new family doctor payment model.
And we’re creating childcare spaces at the fastest pace in the province’s history, while cutting fees in half.
We know there’s more to do. People are still facing big challenges. And I am determined to take them on as part of a BC NDP team that is single-mindedly focused on making people’s lives better.
If elected, how will you help Whistler businesses?
Small businesses have been through a lot— including in Whistler. They’re facing global challenges like a slower economy, high interest rates and inflation right here at home.
At the BC NDP, we want a province where small businesses have the opportunity to thrive and prosper. And we’re taking action to make it happen.
We’ve given small businesses a big tax break by doubling the exemption threshold for the Employer Health Tax—meaning 90 per cent of businesses don’t pay it.
We’ve given small businesses a break on their power bills by keeping electricity rates low, and by delivering an average of $400 in savings to small businesses through the BC Electricity Affordability Credit.
And we cut the small business tax rate, keeping it 25 per cent lower than when Rustad was in government. [Editor’s Note: It was actually a 20-per-cent drop. The rate decreased from 2.5 per cent to two after the NDP took office in 2017.]
This is in addition to all the action we’ve taken to make B.C. a better place to live. Small businesses need customers, and they need workers. By acting on the housing crisis, by connecting people to family doctors, by providing skills training and lower-cost childcare, we’re making B.C. a more attractive place to live and work—helping small businesses get the skilled workers they need.
Get10stampsonyourlunchcardand your11th lunchisfree*(Restrictionsapply) Childrenare welcomeeverydayuntil 10pm,sobringthekidsinforbrunchon theweekendsfrom11am- 2pm. We’ve got you covered. Pick up the latest issue of your favourite read in Whistler.
Jeremy Valeriote
The Green Party of British Columbia
Please share a brief personal bio.
I live in Whistler with my spouse Ginny and our twin 10-year-old daughters, Nina and Rose. I am a skier through and through, and have been skiing at Whistler Blackcomb since 1992. I studied geological engineering at UBC and went on to a 25-year career in engineering design and construction monitoring, environmental consulting, and local government. I was elected to the Town of Gibsons council in 2014 and ran for the BC Greens in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky in 2020, coming within 60 votes (out of nearly 25,000) of being elected as the first-ever, mainland BC Green MLA.
I am passionate about innovative, evidence-based solutions, a non-partisan, collaborative approach to politics, and working towards the ultimate goal of healthy people living on a healthy planet.
If elected, what are the top three issues you will focus on?
If elected, my No. 1 issue will be regional transit. It’s a tragedy and a failure that this basic service hasn’t been provided yet. Every government over the past 20 years has had opportunities, but lacked the courage or will to make it happen. I will not rest until we have reliable, frequent, affordable public transit from Mount Currie to Vancouver. The BC Green platform calls for hourly services on key regional routes, of which ours is one. It makes sense for the cost of living, economic development, highway safety and congestion, and carbon emissions.
No. 2 is affordable housing. Rental and social housing construction all but ground to a halt in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Successive governments have asked the market to solve this problem, and it has spectacularly failed, so we must invest in non-market housing models like the Whistler Housing Authority. Housing must be treated as a human right, not a commodity for
PriceImprovement!
Stunningcontemporaryhomein Whistler'sprestigiousCypressPlace,offeringmodernmountainlivingatitsfinest. Theopen-conceptlivingareaandgourmetkitchenareperfectforfamilygatheringsandentertaining.8011 showcasesa newdriveway, afullypermitteddeckandstairaddition,customCaliforniaclosetsthroughout,Savant smarthomesystem,electricblinds anda numberofotherinterior/exteriorupdatesthroughout.Everydetailhas beencarefullyconsideredtoenhancecomfortandconvenience -A home designedwiththeperfectblendof luxury,comfort,andlocation..StepoutsidetoenjoythebestofWhistler’soutdoor lifestylewithdirectaccessto theValleyTrail,NicklausNorthGolfCourse,andMeadowParkRecreationCentre.Nightlyrentalsarepermitted, offeringtheflexibilitytousethepropertyas avacationhomeorinvestmentopportunity.
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investors to make profits through investment vehicles such as real estate investment trusts.
One consequence of the growing gap between demand and supply is the huge rise in rents. While property owners need to be able to raise rents to cover costs, we’ve seen gouging, with prices even doubling between tenancies. B.C. has the highest eviction rate in the country, double that of any other province, with the vast majority no-fault. [Editor’s Note: While it’s true B.C.’s estimated eviction rate of 10.5 per cent towers over other provinces, it’s not quite double in all cases. Ontario’s rate, for instance, is 6.1 per cent.] That’s why we need to implement vacancy control, with rent increases tied to units not tenants.
“Our plan is to reform the marginal tax rate paid by small businesses—which jumps from two per cent to 12 per cent when they get to half a million dollars in revenue, stifling growth and development.”
- Jeremy Valeriote
My third issue is a smooth transition to a clean, green economy that we all know we need to make for the future of our life on this planet. B.C. and Canada risk getting left behind as the U.S., Europe and China make huge investments in clean tech jobs for the future. If we continue to subsidize sunset fossil-fuel industries, and projects like Woodfibre LNG, instead of building up our innovative green tech sector, we’re missing out on big economic opportunities for years to come.
If elected, how will you make life better for Whistler residents?
I will make life better for Whistler residents by fighting to protect our winters and our spectacular natural environment. As a Green, I understand the value that our forests, waters and landscapes, bring to our community. I’m also acutely aware of how these assets—taken for granted by mainstream parties—need protecting because of their critical role in our tourism and outdoor adventure economy.
In this election, the party that will form government is a toss-up, so there is a good chance that the BC Green party will have leverage, as we did from 2017 to 2020. But even as a minority party MLA, I am confident I can make life better for residents in Whistler, Pemberton, and the whole riding, through effective, hardworking advocacy, just as Sonia Furstenau and Adam Olsen have done for constituents in their ridings. I’ve heard it suggested by some candidates that only electoral districts with a government MLA get treated well. This is what we find in corrupt states, and is not how our government works. We already have a problem with disengaged
voters; suggesting that they must vote a certain way to get services from the government further undermines faith in our democracy.
If elected, how will you help Whistler businesses?
The mainstream parties continue to promise huge subsidies to corporations (often overseas), in return for very few jobs, limited economic benefits, and considerable environmental and climate risks. In contrast, the BC Greens support evidence-based, fiscally prudent public spending, including help for small businesses—a key part of our local economy, culture and identity. Our plan is to reform the marginal tax rate paid by small businesses—which jumps from two per cent to 12 per cent when they get to half a million dollars in revenue, stifling growth and development. This is a structural flaw that the BC Greens have identified by talking to business owners, and looking at their experience, not politics or ideology.
We also know that for Whistler’s businesses to flourish, we must build a society around them that works, so that owners and staff have everything they need to thrive: secure, affordable housing; dependable transit so we have less expensive options for moving around; access to primary care and mental health services; access to affordable childcare; excellent education; access to appropriate supports for our seniors. That’s why we’ve put well-being at the centre of our platform, valuing human capital as the key driver for an entrepreneurial, innovative, and sustainable economy. n
Canadiannewspapersare powered by journalists,not AI. Theycheckthe factsso you cantrustwhat you’rereading. That’s why4in5peoplein Canadacomebackeach week formore.Thanks for keepingit realwithus. nationalnewspaperweek.ca
THE WINNING PROGRESSIVE VOTE
Thefutureisdependent on ahealthy environment. We need to endoil and gassubsidies,protect ournatural assets andprovidelong-termstablefunding for environmentalprotections
Accessible healthcare is builtthrough publicly funded options. By eliminatingpaper work and establishing communit yhealthcarecentres across theSea to Sk y, we will ensure youget thecareyou need,whenyou need it
Af fordable housingstartswithnon-market solutions. We will strengthen tenant protections, upscalenon-markethousing availability and provide26,000affordableunits ever yyear.
We’llmakesureregionalpublictransit finallycomes to theSea to Sk y! We’llalso fightfor free andfrequentlocaltransit
Pemberton’s Laferriere wins Jr. C title in Bronze Gloves Boxing Championship
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD CALLS COACH SASHA GIER ‘LIFE-CHANGING’ ROLE MODEL
BY DAVID SONG
LEO LAFERRIERE describes his past self as “a no-good kind of rebel kid.”
Many nights he would leave home looking for trouble around the familiar neighbourhoods of Pemberton. His grades were low, as was his confidence. Team sports provided some kind of outlet, but the youngster’s primary position was usually benchwarmer. He wasn’t in a good place, and he knew it.
That’s why Laferriere stepped foot inside the Whistler Boxing Club at 15 years of age.
When veteran head coach Sasha Gier first laid eyes on his new pupil, he saw a quiet, polite young man with a knack for painting— but not necessarily for punching. Of course, some fighters don’t fit the stereotypical look of a combat athlete, so he decided to humour Laferriere’s obvious interest in boxing.
Gier looks for three key attributes in every competitor: technical skill, mental toughness and physical strength. Laferriere displayed flashes of the first two immediately.
“Leo showed amazing ability—and I’m not afraid of using the word ‘amazing’ [to describe] his technical boxing,” Gier recalled. “He was picking up stuff right on the spot. Anything I was asking him to do, he would.”
Roughly a year after that first workout, Laferriere entered his first amateur bout on Sept. 15 in Chilliwack: the Bronze Gloves Boxing Championship. There, he outfought and outmanoeuvred Vancouverite David Sigua to earn the Junior C 60-kilogram title.
‘WHERE I’M SUPPOSED TO BE’ How did this unassuming, artistic maverick establish himself as a legitimate prospect?
Well, he trusted the process. Improving at a brisk rate through Whistler Boxing Club
sessions, Laferriere quickly readied himself for more difficult fare at Griffins Boxing in North Vancouver. There, he began sparring against ex-competitive fighters and members of the provincial team.
At that point, the missing link in Laferriere’s toolbox was physicality. He was outmatched by many of his stronger and more experienced opponents, yet his will remained undimmed.
“The fighters at Griffins are totally nextlevel,” said the Pemberton native. “They have a lot more opportunities than us Whistler guys. I’ve noticed that they like brawling more. [For me], it’s about good defence. I’ve been trying to take care of my head.”
Laferriere, now 16, hasn’t given up art for boxing. Much the opposite: drawing and painting helped him cut weight for his inaugural bout by giving him something to focus on besides the temptation to overeat. Still, he inevitably felt nervous as his family drove him to Chilliwack for the big night.
“My legs were shaking. I felt like everything was sucked away from me,” he remembered. “When I started walking into the gym, I was like, ‘Crap, man, I’m fighting, I’m fighting. It’s happening!’ But as soon as I saw the ring lights, all my nerves went away. It was where I’m supposed to be.”
Fortunately, Laferriere executed the game plan. Each time he threw his cross at Sigua’s chest, before punctuating the exchange with a jab or hook. Beyond that, it was constant evasive movement to nullify Sigua’s power and swarming tactics.
“Leo showed amazing ability—and I’m not afraid of using the word ‘amazing’ [to describe] his technical boxing.”
- SASHA GIER
STICK AND MOVE
Sigua was not an easy foe. Despite being shorter than Laferriere, he’s a well-built athlete with strength to complement his aggression. Furthermore, Sigua is a southpaw, meaning his lead right hand is naturally positioned to block the left jab of an orthodox boxer.
Men’s amateur boxing matches involve a trio of three-minute rounds. After Round 2, Laferriere went to his corner and reported that his conditioning was “an eight out of 10.” Gier urged him to empty his tank, getting further ahead on the judges’ scorecards even if a knockout opportunity didn’t present itself.
Laferriere answered the bell. His footwork remained precise and beautiful late into the bout, and he consistently managed to frustrate Sigua’s attack. It all led to a decisive win… but not one the Pembertonian is willing to rest on.
“I’m very happy about my victory, but as for the performance, there’s always stuff to work on,” said Laferriere. “I definitely want to work on putting my chin down more—that’s a big one, and my guard. I felt like there were times when I should have gotten hit, but my opponent didn’t hit me.”
It requires maturity to be constructively critical of oneself after a milestone, but Gier isn’t surprised by that reaction from his student, whom he describes as “a pleasant, young, respectful, strong boxer” and a role model for others in the Whistler Boxing Club.
In turn, Laferriere likens Gier to a father figure.
“Sasha straightened me up plenty,” he said. “Now I’m studying more, training more and I’m more focused. Sasha’s definitely more than just a boxing coach.”
Laferriere’s next match will take place Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. in a venue he knows well: Griffins Boxing. n
KNOCKOUT Pemberton amateur boxer Leo Laferriere, who trains mainly at the Whistler Boxing Club.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL ROSS/WHISTLER BOXING CLUB
ThanksgivingOpeningHours 9am-6pmFridaytoSunday
Special Olympics look to establish Whistler chapter
INFO SESSION TO BE HELD OCT. 11 AT MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
BY DAVID SONG
IF YOU’RE LIVING with a physical disability and want to be active, the Sea to Sky corridor is a good place. The Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP) has long facilitated options from sit-skiing to hiking, and the Invictus Games will provide an excellent platform for adaptive athletes when they come to town this February.
But what about people with developmental or intellectual disabilities like autism or Down syndrome?
That’s where Ann Franssen hopes the Special Olympics can fill a need. The organization spearheads a global movement, and as of its 50th anniversary in 2018, served more than 5 million athletes in 174 countries. Whistler does not currently have a Special Olympics chapter, though it would benefit from one.
Franssen, a developmental service professional, has worked with disabled individuals for 20 years. It’s the cause most near and dear to her heart, and the Special Olympics have been particularly worthy of her time.
“The Special Olympics are different [from my day job],” explained Franssen. “It’s more fun and more personal. The connection with
the athletes was so much easier to have than it would be in a work setting. It’s incredible to see them compete. It just blows you away, the skills they have and the excitement they put into training.”
Not everyone affiliated with the organization trains competitively, but most who do are just as dedicated as any ablebodied athlete. The Special Olympics World Games (or Special Olympiad) are held every two years, alternating between winter and summer, and to be chosen for one is viewed as a great honour. Accordingly, there are expectations: show up to practice, respect your teammates and apply yourself.
‘SOMETHING THEY HAVE, NOT SOMETHING THEY ARE’
One of the most important Special Olympics values is this: participants are never defined by their disabilities.
Within current nomenclature, athletes are not labeled as “being autistic,” for example. Instead, such a person would be referred to as “someone with autism.” It’s a small difference in wording, but a key one.
“I have arthritis, but people don’t say: ‘She’s arthritis,’ right?” Franssen asked rhetorically. “If you have hearing loss, we don’t say: ‘there’s a hearing-loss person.’ We say, ‘Oh, there’s a person with hearing loss.’ I
like to look at the disability as something they have, not something they are. If you’re ever around people with disabilities, they’re very, very up to date with what’s not appropriate to call them. They’re very good at calling someone out.”
Franssen moved to Whistler last year. Before then, she was part of a thriving Special Olympics community in Barrie, Ont. Certain sports teams there, like snowshoeing, counted up to 60 people, larger than some teams in the Toronto area.
Despite her decades coaching and volunteering with the Special Olympics, Franssen has never taken a lead role within the organization. Even so, she’s agreed to field local interest and become Whistler’s local chapter coordinator. One of her first orders of business will be an information session on Oct. 11 at Meadow Park Sports Centre from 2 to 4 p.m.
Franssen and Chelsea Tambellini, Special Olympics BC’s Lower Mainland community development coordinator, won’t just be trying to reach prospective athletes. Special Olympics branches around the world are supported by approximately 1 million volunteers, and public generosity will likewise be vital to the success of any initiative in the Sea to Sky area.
“We have a mandated ratio of [one volunteer to every three athletes], so it’s important that we don’t turn people away because we don’t have enough volunteers to help out in the sport,” Franssen said. “We would ideally like to have volunteers signed up before we start to register athletes, because we don’t want to let anyone down.”
Discover more at specialolympics.ca. n
Pursuant to Section224(2)ofthe CommunityCharter,the CounciloftheResortMunicipalityofWhistlerwill consider Permissive TaxExemptionAmendmentBylaw(2025)No.2456,2024 foradoption at theRegular Councilmeetingon Tuesday, October22,2024starting at 5:30pm at Maury YoungArts Centre,4335Blackcomb Way, WhistlerBCintheFranzWilhelmsen Theatre Permissive TaxExemptionAmendmentBylaw(2025)No.2456,2024exemptsthe followinglandand/orimprovementsfrom propertytaxesin2025through2029.Exemptions for2026andsubsequent yearswillbedependentonapproval by Council, andaresubject to change.
008073.022 1080/1090Legacy Way Whistler2010Sport LegaciesSociety Sec.224(2)(a) 5 Year 47,44048,63049,850
NEW CHAPTER Three Special Olympics athletes participate in snowshoeing.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANN FRANSSEN
A touch of the old, a twist of the new
KEEPING THE GOOD AND MAKING IT BETTER FOR A THANKFULLY GENTLE AND EASY THANKSGIVING
SOME PEOPLE might find it unsettling, but for me it’s always fun to try and rethink cultural traditions to make them even better as we make them our own. After all, we’re human beings, rooted in action, so change is our bottom line.
BY GLENDA BARTOSH
Take the mighty turkey, for instance, the icon of Canadian Thanksgiving. Yes, take it some say, and do something different, something refreshing, something better with it as more and more of us try to reimagine the Thanksgiving saga that started on the East Coast of North America some 400 years ago.
Remember, the whole concept of Thanksgiving was all thanks to the Indigenous people who welcomed the earliest European settlers with food and drink and knowledge. If that doesn’t inspire you to do your own investigating and rethink this welcome custom hallmarking the reds and coppers of autumn, I don’t know what will. (A stop at the Thunderbird Café and Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, maybe?)
We’ll get to some more of those new riffs in a sec, but first I just want to remind us all that however we choose to carry on the idea of Thanksgiving, especially since the echo of COVID is still shaping our world and the ways we interact with each other (are you missing some of your old pals, or getting sick and tired
of the post-pandemic rage like I am?) it’s more important than ever to keep the concepts of gratitude and giving alive.
The Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories tells us that “grace,” “grateful,” “gratitude” and even “gratuity” (think “tipping” the next time you pay with a piece of plastic and see the autofill window come up for your input)—all these words come from the same root: the Latin gratus meaning “pleasing” or “thankful.” And the word “thanks” comes from the Old English thancas, the plural of thanc, which meant “kindly thought or gratitude.” Surprisingly, it’s also related to the English word “think.”
So… think kind thoughts with thanks. That’s still the essence of Thanksgiving to
roasting a turkey on a hot car engine, bubbling it in a warm bath, or filling it with nanobots to cook it. I’m not making this stuff up! But I am thinking of some new ways to re-visit the mighty turkey. Ones that might open our eyes and push us a bit more towards a better way of eating.
Like maybe swerving towards some other meat or fish dish that’s not as environmentally fraught. Free-range chicken anyone? A nice spinach lasagna or portobello mushroom Wellington? Or just a heap of easy-peasy roasted veggies can be superb, especially if you don’t have anyone else to worry about. After all, it’s your Thanksgiving.
But if you’re into some kind of version of Thanksgiving turkey without an actual
So given Canadian Thanksgiving is on a Monday, why not use the opportunity to cue up more Meatless Mondays all year?
hold in our hearts. Something way more important than rustling up a big ol’ turkey and all the trimmings, anytime.
DON’T BE A TURKEY—TRY A NEW TRADITION
I know, I know—we’ve seen it all before. The weird and funky attempts at re-negotiating the mighty turkey at Thanksgiving or any feast time. Like the very bad idea of deep-frying a whole turkey that was kicking around a decade ago. How duh and dumber is that? A chunk of raw meat and skin-searing oil, all over an open flame.
Then there were the folks who suggested
turkey, or any kind of meat, here’re some concepts I chewed over with Nicholas, one of my delightful nephews, and the only person I know who’s a dedicated vegan.
A lot of us want to go vegetarian, or vegan, since it’s an excellent idea for so many reasons. Like cows being the No. 1 source of greenhouse gases. And a cruelty-free lifestyle is laudable. But we don’t quite make it fulltime. So given Canadian Thanksgiving is on a Monday, why not use the opportunity to cue up more Meatless Mondays all year?
Our pal, the internet, offers all kinds of recipes for roasting a whole cauliflower, whipping up a lentil and nut loaf, or marinating tofu with spices and orange slices
for a vegan roast. Although, as Nicholas cautions, maybe try a dry run first. The results can be underwhelming.
But to avoid those pitfalls and more, just hop on over to Nesters Market or Whistler’s Creekside Market—my favourite grocery stores since they were both started by locals for locals—for some vegan turkey alternatives.
Nesters has plenty of Tofurky plant-based roasts, complete with wild rice stuffing and gravy. Rory Eunson, assistant manager, made one a couple of years ago and can attest to it. “It’s really good,” he says. “Just follow the directions on the label.” With roasted veggies on the side—Nesters stocks lots of those tasty Pemberton potatoes—and fresh homemade cranberry sauce, (again, the directions are on the label) you can’t go wrong.
Over at Creekside Market, manager Don Gourlie has stocked up on Gardein Lightly Breaded Turk’y Cutlets, for Thanksgiving or any time. The package sports a cheeky caution: it doesn’t contain potatoes or cranberries. “I’ve heard they’re really tasty and this time of year, they’re perfect for those families who have one vegan to accommodate,” he says. Like ours!
As for dessert, they both have tons of dairy-free options in the ice cream/whipping cream department. And lots of Wendel’s gluten-free pumpkin pies from Langley.
Or never mind pie and a hot oven. Just top off your ice cream dream with some of that fresh cranberry sauce. Still traditional but so deliciously simple, sweet and tart that you, and the rest of the beings sharing this gentle Earth, will have one more thing to be thankful for.
Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who reminds you Thanksgiving is the perfect time to donate to your favourite food bank, in Whistler or beyond. n
MEADOW
PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH
‘With every story told, the world becomes a better place’
THE 2024 WHISTLER WRITERS FESTIVAL RETURNS
BY DAVID SONG
THE VISION of this latest Whistler Writers Festival (WWF) is simple, yet impactful:
“Everyone has a story to tell.”
At first glance, it seems like a no-brainer. Most authors, unless they focus exclusively on technical or scientific writing, are storytellers. Having said that, WWF executive director Rebecca Wood Barrett explains why the festival has chosen such an overarching theme for 2024.
“It’s about inviting everyone to be a part of our storytelling community, whether they’re a writer or a reader,” she says. “Part of it is about decolonizing our practices and the written word. The idea of the literary arts can feel like a barrier to some, and the publishing industry can also feel like a barrier. We wanted to intentionally talk about telling stories, and that can be part of an oral tradition as well.”
To that end, one of the main events on Wood Barrett’s mind is the Oct. 17 oral storytelling night, The Sound of Story, featuring Lil’wat author Holly Bikadi and Squamish Nation storyteller Tsawaysia Spukwus Dominique Nahanee, alongside spoken-word artist and slam poetry champion Nisha Patel and award-winning poet Bradley Peters. It will be an interesting twist on what might be viewed as traditional WWF fare.
“A lot of our events elevate from what you would think of as a traditional reading in that we have authors who are not just reading from
FROM OCT. 17 TO 20
their works, but creating a bit of a moment,” says Wood Barrett.
There’s plenty else to look forward to as well: from 2024 Giller Prize nominees Bob McDonald, Caroline Adderson and Conor Kerr, to author, photographer, and National Geographic Society alum Wade Davis, to the ever-popular Literary Cabaret, blending storytelling with live music. For those interested in a more local angle, keep an eye out for the likes of Alli Vail, Laura Sharp and Stephen Vogler.
‘A LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION’
The presence of critically acclaimed talent will always put butts in seats, and the upcoming WWF doesn’t lack in that regard.
Some of you may know McDonald from his time hosting Quirks and Quarks, a CBC Radio show dating back to 1975. The man has 13 honorary doctorates to his name, is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and works as a science correspondent for CBC TV’s The National. There’s also an asteroid named after him. McDonald is reading at the Literary Cabaret on Oct. 18 and will take part in Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast on Oct. 20.
Adderson has five novels and three shortstory volumes on her resume, including A Way to be Happy, which she’ll present at the festival. Her material has received numerous nominations, including for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, two Commonwealth Writers’ Prizes, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Rogers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist. Adderson is reading at Compassion and Happiness: A Conversation with Writers of Fiction on Oct. 19, will take part in Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast on Oct. 20.
For his part, Kerr was named one of CBC’s Writers to Watch two years ago. The Métis-
Ukrainian author-poet may be best known for his debut novel Avenue of Champions, which won the 2022 ReLIT award, got shortlisted for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award and was longlisted for the 2022 Giller Prize.
“There’s a level of sophistication that comes with a lifetime of writing,” Wood Barrett remarks. “Both Caroline and Conor have written in many genres, and Caroline’s A Way to be Happy is quite extraordinary. The characters have this particular underdog, leftto-the-side-of-society quality, and each story has a surprising turn. They’re really quite hopeful, but you don’t see it coming because they start off quite dark.
“And then Conor is at the top of his game with [his latest novel] Prairie Edge. It’s getting rave reviews and it’s described as a literary thriller, so we’re very excited to have him so people can see different sides of his work. We’ve got him participating as a poet too with [one of his collections], Old Gods.”
Kerr is reading at The One Thing: Poetry Reading and Discussion on Oct. 19 and will also take part in Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast the following day.
Meanwhile, non-fiction lovers will want to mark Oct. 19 on their calendars, when Davis returns to the festival to lead a discussion called “Beneath the Surface,” named after his latest book. The University of British Columbia anthropology professor and Harvard alum has penned 23 books, which have been translated into 22 languages. Into the Silence, his account of various British expeditions to Mount Everest, won the top accolade for English non-fiction in 2012: the Baillie Gifford Prize.
Explains Wood Barrett: “The phenomenal skill that Wade has is to draw together many of the things we already know are going on in the world in a way that is illuminating, insightful and exciting. Anybody that’s connected to the news can listen to Wade and begin to
understand the contemporary issues we’re dealing with. It’s kind of like an antidote to some of the conspiracy theories out there.”
A GREAT ENTRY POINT
While each of the aforementioned individuals and many more strut their stuff, the WWF remains committed to fostering the next generation of writers. Several workshops are planned, unpacking topics like narrative development, the publishing process and a youth-oriented approach to creating meaningful conflict within stories.
“All of the workshops are a great entry point for a new writer to be inspired and learn a little bit, but they’re also a great place for someone who is further along in their writing path to take a masterclass or even pitch a publisher or agent with their project,” says Wood Barrett. “A lot of people will come to the Festival and get their toes wet … but over the years our hope is that they will pitch to a publisher, get a contract, and learn more about the industry to put their work forward in a strong way.”
Vail is a good example of someone who’s been levelling up her portfolio. The former journalist has contributed to Whistler’s writing community in myriad ways, and her career recently hit a new zenith with the release of her debut novel, Brooklyn Thomas Isn’t Here. Wood Barrett finds it personally thrilling to watch Vail succeed, and hopes many others will do so too.
Unfortunately, money can be a hurdle.
“This has been a particularly tough year with government funding, so we encourage people who value the literary arts to get a ticket to the festival,” Wood Barrett appeals. “I think that with every story told, the world becomes a better place.”
For the complete festival schedule, and tickets, visit whistlerwritersfest.com. n
Confronting the personal in a public way at WWF poetry event
ON OCT. 19, ‘THE ONE THING’ HOSTS READINGS AND DISCUSSION WITH POETS CONOR KERR, RHEA TREGEBOV AND ALI BLYTHE
BY BRANDON BARRETT
ITALIAN NOVELIST Italo Calvino theorized that we write to learn what we don’t know.
For Mary MacDonald, the job of the poet is just that: to reach into the abyss and pull back something recognizable.
“When we’ve got these big open-ended questions, they can be too big and we back off and get scared and don’t know what to do,” she says. “We turn to poetry partly to make sense of it all, but I think it’s also to put limits and boundaries on it so it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be endless.”
MacDonald, an accomplished poet and author herself whose first short story collection, Every Crooked Thing, debuted in 2020, is the curator and moderator of a signature poetry event every year at the Whistler Writers Festival. On Oct. 19, she will lead the discussion with three Canadian poets she handpicked to read: Conor Kerr (Old Gods), Rhea Tregebov (Talking to Strangers), and Ali Blythe (Stedfast).
Titled “The One Thing,” MacDonald explains the event speaks to the truths that only that poet can put to paper.
“It may be the poet can only write the one thing that demands to be written,” she says. MacDonald’s roster of writers is proof of
that. Kerr, a Métis-Ukrainian writer living in Edmonton, often tackles his dual identity in his writing, as well as his respective cultures’ shared history of displacement.
“[Kerr] is constantly looking for his own background, he’s constantly talking about being displaced from the land, which we hear about in Canada from the Métis part of his identity, but we might not have understood about the Ukrainian part. He says, ‘I’m writing myself back to the place I’m always longing for,’” MacDonald says.
“The book is a beautiful balance between anger, which you kind of expect, and the longing for nature and what we carry with us.”
Tregebov, an associate professor emerita at UBC and former chair of the Canadian Union of Writers, also happens to be a neighbour of MacDonald’s. Although the two would “walk our dogs and yap away,” it was only recently they realized they were both writers. Tregebov’s eighth book, Talking to Strangers, is a celebration of the tiny intimacies of life, “small ideas that reach everywhere,” MacDonald says. “We get out there and talk to strangers, and for goodness sake, we talk about luck, about sidewalks, about tourists, about detox, and then we talk about grief, love and sorrow. It’s a little book that creeps up on you.”
MacDonald describes Blythe as “a
really sharp poet,” whose Stedfast is a milestone of creativity and craft. Practically every element of the book references the 19th-century Romantic poet John Keats
in some way, from the title, taken from his monumental work, Bright Star , to the poems themselves, each coming in at 14 lines, just as Keats’ sonnets did.
“Ali Blythe is really reinterpreting John Keats,” MacDonald says. “It’s a beautiful book, a real searching for self, for what’s eternal. She’s taken this last sonnet [Keats] wrote, Bright Star, reinterpreted it, and it’s just bursting into the constellations.”
MacDonald acknowledges poetry can be daunting to some, but she also knows full well it is frequently the first thing people turn to in pivotal moments.
“I think it’s really common, when it’s a funeral or a wedding or something very deep and heartfelt, for people to turn to poetry. Why do we do that when we don’t read poetry the rest of the year? I think it’s because it’s the job of a poet to bear witness, to stand up and to speak deep truths as earnestly as possible,” she says.
“That’s the power of the poem: to confront the personal and say it in a public way. It’s very profound because most people think they can’t do it. But they wanna hear it, that’s for sure.”
The One Thing: Poetry Reading and Discussion takes place Saturday, Oct. 19 from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. Tickets are $27, available at whistlerwritersfest.com. n
PUBLICLY PERSONAL Mary MacDonald moderates
The One Thing: Poetry Reading and Discussion on Oct. 19 at the Fairmont Chateau, part of the 2024 Whistler Writers Festival.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY MACDONALD
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PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE
Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events
WHISTLER TURKEY TROT
WHISTLER TURKEY TROT
Come join the Whistler Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving tradition that takes place in Lost Lake Park, the crown jewel of Whistler’s park system. This family-friendly event offers a 5k Drumstick Dash and a 10k Gravy Burner distance along some of the best trails Whistler has on offer. Join this event and work together to support Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.
> Oct. 13, 9 a.m.
> PassivHaus
> Registration required
THANKSGIVING HARVEST BRUNCH
Celebrate the tastes and bounty of the season with a relaxed Harvest Brunch in The Wildflower Restaurant. Served for those enjoying a late morning breakfast or casual noon meal.
> Oct. 13, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
> Fairmont Chateau Whistler
> $85 for adults, $39 for children aged 6 to 12
EXPLORING THE TALE TRAIL LITERARY MAP
Are you an author, reader, or literary treasure-hunter? Discover how the Tale Trail Map was created, whether your favourite B.C. authors, bookstores, or libraries are on it, and if you could be the next author included. Join Sunshine Coast creators Cathalynn Labonte-Smith, Jan DeGrass, Michael Gurney, Mike Starr, Rosa Reid, and Stephen Smith to discover how the print and online map were created in the centuries-old literary map
tradition within Canada.
> Oct. 15, 6 p.m.
> Whistler Public Library
> Free
TEENY TINY ART PARTY
More than 80 local artists have poured their creativity into meticulously crafting original works, each measuring 3” x 3” or smaller. The Teeny Tiny Art Party is your first opportunity to purchase these pocket-sized artworks and boy, do they sell fast! Make sure to attend the Art Party to secure your very own miniature masterpiece. There will also be nibbles and live music, all free of charge. Donations are always welcome.
> Oct. 16, 6 to 9 p.m.
> Maury Young Arts Centre > Free, donations encouraged
YOGA AT THE AUDAIN
Revel in the stunning architecture of the Audain Art Museum every Saturday as you work through a calming one-hour practice with rotating instructors. Classes emphasize breathing, alignment and ease as you stretch and strengthen your body and mind. Registration includes access to the galleries on the day of from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bring your mat and enjoy some mind and body wellness!
> Oct. 17, 9:30 a.m.
> Audain Art Museum
> $5 for museum members, $20 for nonmembers
PHOTO COURTESY OF WHISTLER TURKEY TROT
Bringing the Arizona heat: The 1994 Cactus Cup
BY REBECCA MACKAY
IN 1991 at Pinnacle Peak in Arizona, a group of locals called Team Aware started the Cactus Cup, a mountain bike racing event. Attracting 100 riders in its inaugural year, the Cactus Cup grew quickly, with the goal of promoting the sport and broadening the pool of racers and recreational riders.
Specialized Bicycles became the title sponsor and the event eventually toured other locations across the United States. In 1994, the Arizona event grew to welcome 1,900 participants and 20,000 spectators. That same year, organizers partnered with Blackcomb Mountain to host their first international event in Whistler.
By this time, Whistler had a strong mountain bike culture and had shown its capacity to host large, multi-day events through the Can-Am and BRC races. The second stop in the Cactus Cup Series took place from July 22 to 24 and hosted more than 300 riders, about half the expected attendance. Though many pro athletes were there, for many there were more important races going on elsewhere at the time. B.C.’s top women, Lesley Tomlinson and Alison Sydor, didn’t attend, for example, as they qualified for the Tour de France, according to The Province. The weekend was still packed, and not just with competitive racing. There was a bike expo, a kids’ rodeo and race, a fun dual slalom, and a “Meet the Pros” hoedown party at Merlin’s.
Kicking off the competition Friday morning was the Time Trial, an individual race against the clock. Later in the day was the Fatboy Criterium, when racers took to the Village Stroll riding a quarter-mile loop on Specialized’s slick Fatboy tires. Saturday’s race was the Dirt Criterium, a 1.5-kilometre, multi-lap course starting at the base of Blackcomb Mountain. The last and biggest race, the Circuit Race, took place on Sunday with a 13-km course featuring single tracks and ups and downs.
Points from these four races would
determine riders’ overall score for the event. There were four categories for the races: citizens, novice, sport, as well as expert and pro. While all classes could enter the last two races, only the experts and pros could compete in the Time Trial and Fatboy Criterium.
Throughout the weekend, the top spot in the men’s pro category rotated between Kansas’ Steve Tilford and Vancouver’s Bruce Spicer, who won the 1992 Cactus Cup in Arizona. It was a 30-degree day for the last race, and Tilford left Spicer in the dust. As Spicer told the Whistler Question , “I’m not sure if it was the heat or what, but my legs were never quite there today. I was surprised.”
In the women’s pro class, Victoria’s Melanie McQuaid took first place in what was considered her first international race.
One racer, Kevin Murray, recalls that water hoses were placed at the end of the finish line to cool off riders. However, that was not the most memorable part of his weekend. During the Saturday race, he pretzeled his front rim and had to drop his bike off at the Glacier Shop for repair. Unfortunately, the shop was broken into that evening and his Norco Rampage was stolen. Specialized provided a loaner so Murray could still compete in the last race. Despite these issues resulting in Murray giving up racing, he fondly remembers how exciting it was to see world-class racing at home.
Ultimately, the Cactus Cup saw success in Whistler. Kris Burchard from Specialized told the Question the lack of turnout was to be expected, as it takes time for an event to establish a reputation, but “the weather was great, support for the volunteers was excellent and the venue was first class.”
The Cactus Cup Series took place in Whistler the next two years, before the final main event was held in 1999. It was revitalized in 2017 back in Arizona, where it continues to this day.
Interested in learning more about mountain biking events in Whistler? Check out the Whistler Museum’s latest exhibition: Pedal to the Medal: The History of Mountain Bike Events in Whistler, until Oct. 14. n
PRICKLY SUBJECT The base of Blackcomb Mountain during the 1994 Cactus Cup.
PHOTO BY RANDY LINCKS / BLACKCOMB MOUNTAIN COLLECTION
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
WEEK OF OCTOBER 11 BY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks, you may be tempted to spar and argue more than usual. You could get sucked into the fantasy that it would make sense to wrangle, feud, and bicker. But I hope you sublimate those tendencies. The same hot energy that might lead to excessive skirmishing could just as well become a driving force to create robust harmony and resilient unity. If you simply dig further into your psyche’s resourceful depths, you will discover the inspiration to bargain, mediate, and negotiate with élan. Here’s a bold prediction: Healing compromises hammered out now could last a long time.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Question 1: “What subjects do you talk about to enchant and uplift a person who’s important to you?” Answer 1: “You talk about the feelings and yearnings of the person you hope to enchant and uplift.” Question 2: “How do you express your love with maximum intelligence?” Answer 2: “Before you ask your allies to alter themselves to enhance your relationship, you ask yourself how you might alter yourself to enhance your relationship.” Question 3: “What skill are you destined to master, even though it’s challenging for you to learn?” Answer 3: “Understanding the difference between supple passion and manic obsession.”
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1819, Gemini entrepreneur Francois-Louis Cailler became the first chocolatier to manufacture chocolate bars. His innovation didn’t save any lives, cure any disease, or fix any injustice. But it was a wonderful addition to humanity’s supply of delights. It enhanced our collective joy and pleasure. In the coming months, dear Gemini, I invite you to seek a comparable addition to your own personal world. What novel blessing might you generate or discover? What splendid resource can you add to your repertoire?
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ayurnamat is a word used by the Inuit people. It refers to when you long for the relaxed tranquility that comes from not worrying about what can’t be changed. You wish you could accept or even welcome the truth about provocative situations with equanimity. Now here’s some very good news, Cancerian. In the coming weeks, you will not just yearn for this state of calm, but will also have a heightened ability to achieve it. Congratulations! It’s a liberating, saint-like accomplishment.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Healing will be more available to you than usual. You’re extra likely to attract the help and insight you need to revive and restore your mind, soul, and body. To get started, identify two wounds or discomforts you would love to alleviate. Then consider the following actions: 1. Ruminate about what helpers and professionals might be best able to assist you. Make appointments with them.
2. Perform a ritual in which you seek blessings from your liveliest spirit guides and sympathetic ancestors. 3. Make a list of three actions you will take to make yourself feel better. 4. Treat this process not as a somber struggle, but as a celebration of your mounting vitality.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Beatles were the bestselling band of all time and among the most influential, too. Their fame and fortune were well-earned. Many of the 186 songs they composed and recorded were beautiful, interesting, and entertaining. Yet none of the four members of the band could read music. Their brilliance was intuitive and instinctual. Is there a comparable situation in your life, Virgo? A task or skill that you do well despite not being formally trained? If so, the coming months will be a good time to get better grounded. I invite you to fill in the gaps in your education.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 2010, Edurne Pasaban became the first woman to climb the world’s tallest 14 mountains, reaching the top of Shishapangma in China. In 2018, Taylor Demonbreun arrived in Toronto, completing a quest in which she visited every sovereign nation on the planet in 18 months. In 1924, explorer Alexandra David-Néel pulled off the seemingly impossible feat of
ROB BREZSNY
visiting Lhasa, Tibet, when that place was still forbidden to foreigners. Be inspired by these heroes as you ruminate about what frontier adventures you will dare to enjoy during the next six months. Design a plan to get all the educational and experimental fun you need.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Alnwick Garden is an unusual network of formal gardens in northeast England. Among its many entertaining features is the Poison Garden, which hosts 100 species of toxic and harmful plants like hemlock, strychnine, and deadly nightshade. It’s the most popular feature by far. Visitors enjoy finding out and investigating what’s not good for them. In accordance with astrological omens, Scorpio, I invite you to use this as an inspirational metaphor as you take inventory of influences that are not good for you. Every now and then, it’s healthy to acknowledge what you don’t need and shouldn’t engage with.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian Tom Rath is an inspirational author who at age 49 has managed to stay alive even though he has wrangled with a rare disease since he was 16. He writes, “This is what I believe we should all aim for: to make contributions to others’ lives that will grow infinitely in our absence. A great commonality we all share is that we only have today to invest in what could outlive us.” That’s always good advice for everyone, but it’s especially rich counsel for you Sagittarians in the coming months. I believe you will have a special capacity to dispense your best gifts those who need and want them.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn writer Susan Sontag was a public intellectual. She was an academic with a scholarly focus and an entertaining commentator on the gritty hubbub of popular culture. One of my favorite quotes by her is this one: “I like to feel dumb. That’s how I know there’s more in the world than me.” In other words, she made sure her curiosity and open-mindedness flourished by always assuming she had much more to learn. I especially recommend this perspective to you in the coming weeks.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The Salem Witch Trials took place in Massachusetts from 1692 to 1693. They were ignorant, superstitious prosecutions of people accused of practising witchcraft. The modern holiday known as Freethought Day happens every Oct. 12, the anniversary of the last witch trial. The purpose of this jubilee is to encourage us to treasure objective facts, to love using logic and reason, and to honour the value of critical thinking. It’s only observed in America now, but I propose we make it a global festival. You Aquarians are my choice to host this year’s revelries in celebration of Freethought Day. You are at the peak of your ability to generate clear, astute, liberating thoughts. Show us what it looks like to be a lucid, unbiased observer of reality.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A YouTube presenter named Andy George decided to make a chicken sandwich. But he didn’t buy the ingredients in a store. He wanted to make the sandwich from scratch. Over the next six months, he grew wheat, ground it into flour, and used it to bake bread. He milked a cow to make cheese and butter. He got sea salt from ocean water and grew a garden of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and dill for toppings. Finally, he went to a farm, bought a chicken, and did all that was necessary to turn the live bird into meat for the sandwich. In describing his process, I’m not suggesting you do something similar. Rather, I’m encouraging you to be thorough as you solidify your foundations in the coming months. Gather resources you will need for long-term projects. Be a connoisseur of the raw materials that will assure future success in whatever way you define success.
Homework: What have you denied yourself even though it would be good for you? Write a note giving yourself permission. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates EXPANDED
AUDIO HOROSCOPES
In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com
Business LicenceAmendmentBylaw(BusinessLicence Fees)No.2451,2024
TouristAccommodationAmendmentBylawNo.2457,2024
(the“proposed bylaws”)
Purpose:The bylaws willupdate thebusiness licence fees for touristaccommodation properties to increase business licenceequityand restructurethe touristaccommodation fees forshort term rentals.
BylawAdoption: Councilgave theproposed bylawfirst, secondandthird readings on October8,2024. Councilwill consideradoptionoftheproposed bylaw at theRegular CouncilmeetingonOctober22,2024.
To learnmore:A copy oftheproposed bylawis available for review fromOctober11 th to October22nd at:
• Online at theResort MunicipalityofWhistler(RMOW) website at: whistler.ca/Bylaw2451
• MunicipalHall at 4325Blackcomb Way, Whistler,BC ¡ During regularofficehoursof8:00am. to 4:30p.m.,Monday to Friday (statutoryholidays excluded)
How to provideinput: Written commentsmustbe received by 5:00pmonOctober22, 2024, to corporate@whistler.ca,or to theRMOW BylawDepartment4325Blackcomb Way, Whistler,BCV8E0X5.Include“BusinessLicenceand TouristAccommodationBylaw Updates” inthesubjectline, yournameandmailingaddress.
Written comments received by October18,2024,willbeincludedinthe Councilpackage andpublishedonOctober18,2024.Anywritten comments receivedafterOctober18, 2024,butnotlaterthanOctober22,2024, at 5:00p.m.willbedistributed toCouncilina late correspondence package.
Attendthemeeting:Allare welcome to attendthe CouncilmeetingonOctober22,2024, at 5:30p.m.:
In-person: at theFranzWilhelmsenTheatreintheMaury YoungArts Centreat 4335 Blackcomb Way
Online:viadigitalbroadcast available at whistler.ca/counc il
Resort MunicipalityofWhistler whistler.ca/council
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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.
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.
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
2 persons per
ideally located walking distance from the
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
Shuttle Driver
NOTE: “Carve out a new career path” should always be paired with a winter image
EMPLOYMENT
Do not move the position or change the typesetting of the headline. The bottom angled keyline should always align with the angled gradient jolt.
COORDINATOR, CONFERENCE SALES
reporting for Whistler Sport Legacies in the Finance Department
Our ideal candidate:
• 3+ years practical general accounting
Whistler Sliding Centre
• Accounts receivable invoicing and collections
• Month end reconciliations including all bank and balance sheet accounts
• Financial analysis and POS system reporting
What we offer:
• Brand new affordable staff accommodation •
FACILITIES ENGINEER
Full Time, Year Round
Full Time, Year Round
Love a good challenge? Passionate about the place you call home? Tourism Whistler is looking for community-loving, mountainappreciating, environment-respecting people to join our team.
If body copy is shorter, copy block can be nudged down to balance out visually in column
The Facilities Engineer is responsible for the oversight, maintenance, repairs and efficient operations of all main mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and the overall common areas at the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Course and Driving Range.
The Coordinator, Conference Sales assists the Sales Manager(s) in developing and maintaining a strong client base. Using outstanding communication, interpersonal skills, and a high level of enthusiasm and initiative, the Coordinator builds relationships and delivers superior service to our clients.
Sales related duties will be the primary focus for this role, noting that operational aspects of the business and supporting Conference Services during peak periods will be a requirement as needed.
What we offer: nine-day fortnight schedule, an excellent benefits package, a commitment to health and wellness, and a fun and supportive team environment.
The starting salary range for this role is $50,000 - $54,000 annually.
This position requires an individual who possesses a 4th Class Power Engineering Certificate (or is currently enrolled), complimented with five years of related experience gained in a commercial building or hotel. Experience and knowledge of direct digital controls, energy management systems and green initiatives is also important. Previous leadership experience, with knowledge of applicable buildings codes and health and safety practices is an asset.
TO VIEW OUR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND
APPLY, VISIT US ONLINE AT
TO VIEW OUR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO APPLY, VISIT US ONLINE AT WHISTLER.COM/CAREERS.
Tourism Whistler
Group Fitness Classes
Fridays – Gentle Fit
12:30-1:30 pm w MA
Saturday – Strong Core & Glutes
7:30-8:30 am w Jess
Mondays –HAPPY THANKSGIVING- No Classes Tuesdays – Step
9:00-10:00 am w Liz Wednesdays – Be the
See our full page schedule ad in this issue of Pique for details
Warehouse Lien Act Whereas the following registered owners are indebted to Cooper’s Towing Ltd. for unpaid towing and storage fees plus any related charges that may accrue.
Notice is hereby given that on October 26, 2024, at noon or thereafter the goods will be seized and sold.
1. Olivia McLean 1992 Toyota Tercel VIN: JT2EL43DXN0161538 $1753.50
2. Wilson Jazz Alexandra 1997 Chevrolet S10 Vin: 1GCCS1948V8124528 $1690.50
The vehicles are currently being stored at Cooper’s Towing Ltd 8065 Nesters Road Whistler, BC, V8E 0G4
For more information, please call Cooper’s Towing Ltd. @ 604-902-1930
ÚÍlus Community Centre
• Director of Community Programs ($88,015 to $101,556 per year)
• 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)
• Administrative Assistant, Community Development ($38,038 to $53,599)
• Social Worker ($80,371 to $91,673 per year)
• Family Enhancement Worker ($38,038 to $53,599 per year)
Health & Healing
• Nurse – Community Health ($41.42 to $52.81 per hour)
• Early Childhood Educator ($20.90- $29.45 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)
Come build with the best team.
Our team of people is what sets us apart from other builders. As we continue to grow as the leader in luxury projects in Whistler, our team needs to expand with us.
We are currently hiring:
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.
Crane Operator experience considered an asset.
EVR is committed to the long-term retention and skills development of our team. We are passionate about investing in our team’s future.
We offer:
• Top Wages
• Training & Tuition Reimbursement (Need help getting your Red Seal?)
• $500 Annual Tool Allowance
• Extended Health and Dental Benefits for you and your family
• Flexible Schedule - Work Life Balance. (We get it. We love to ski and bike too.)
• Assistance with Work Visa and Permanent Residency (We can help!)
• Positive Work Environment
We promote from within and are looking to strengthen our amazing team. Opportunities for advancement into management positions always exist for the right candidates. Don’t miss out on being able to build with the team that builds the most significant projects in Whistler.
Send your resume to We look forward to hearing from you!
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 $57k - $67k based on candidates experience 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.
slcc.ca/careers/
ideal candidate will have experience in diagnosing, repairing, and maintaining a variety of small engines,
time position (4/10 or 5/8) with
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
Something I’ve never done nor ever imagined I would—vote NDP
ENTERING THE backstretch of the election, it seems we’re bombarded daily with promises, grand ideas and money flowing like water out of a broken hydrant. Perhaps this is a good time to remember Canadian courts have given politicians a free pass on breaking their campaign promises. The courts relied on the
BY G.D. MAXWELL
Mendax mendax anhelat loosely translated as Liar, Liar Pants on Fire. Nothing to believe here, folks.
Given we can’t rely on the promises the leaders of the Conservatives and NDP—one of which will form the next government—have made in this too-long campaign, maybe best to look back on things they’ve said that give a better hint about what they believe and where they might lead us.
There was never a question in my mind about supporting John Rustad. I’d rather spend the rest of my life being gnawed on by fire ants than see him leading British Columbia. I could never support the man.
It would take the remainder of this column to list all the reasons. So I won’t. Don’t need to. I could stop at him denying climate change exists, eventually softening his position to, if it exists, he denies it is caused by humans’ addiction to burning fossil fuels. His climate policy consists of doubling down on more LNG plants and taking B.C. back to being hewers of wood and drawers of water.
As if that sundae needed cherries on top, his despicable epithet for safe injection sites as “drug dens” exhibits an enlightenment firmly entrenched in the mid 20th century. Extra cherry for insisting he’d fire Dr. Bonnie Henry as one of his first acts.
To borrow a trope from Kamala Harris, I’m not interested in going backwards, I’d rather move forward.
That left David Eby by default. Like my friend and colleague, Les Anthony, I wanted to throttle Eby when he announced he’d axe the carbon tax—the first in Canada—if the feds repeal theirs. It was unnecessary pandering, a sellout of principle and one of those campaign promises I sincerely hope is broken.
I’m enough of a fiscal conservative to wish he’d moderate the province’s spending. But the fact is only two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, have smaller debt-to-GDP ratios and none of the other provinces have triple-A debt ratings. Those who call for a “balanced” budget confuse governments with businesses. And ironically opposition parties who promise to balance budgets never seem to balance them when they get into power. Oh, right, a promise.
But the NDP have made the boldest strides to address the housing “crisis” of any government in Canada. They’ve invested in hospitals and health-care, something their predecessors failed to do. They’ve lowered the
cost of childcare albeit they haven’t magically created more childcare workers.
They’ve done enough to tip my balance. So I’m going to do something in this election I’ve never done before, something I never imagined I’d ever do. I’m voting NDP.
Hewing to the old chestnut that all politics is local, the choice is made far easier weighing the candidates for MLA in this riding.
Yuri Fulmer, the Conservative candidate, has an impressive record of accomplishment in the business world. Unfortunately, he’s hitched his horse to an unacceptable wagon and has a bad habit of denying his leader has made statements that are well documented.
That leaves two.
(In the interest of full disclosure, this is a good point to say my spouse is part of Jen Ford’s campaign team. I am not. I have had conversations with all three candidates but
to vote Green in this riding it was 2020. The NDP was a sure bet to form government. People were still bitter about the Christy Clark end years and Andrew Wilkinson did nothing to plaster over that.
The NDP candidate was, to be generous, terrible. Even with that, he pulled more than 6,000 votes. Jordan Sturdy, long the Liberal MLA for the riding, was still popular and hard-working, but even he admitted getting anything done sitting in opposition was difficult.
All that conspired to make 2020 the best year to, as Green candidates like to phrase it, send a message by voting Green. Our MLA wasn’t going to be a part of the government. Hell, I think I even might have voted for him; I just can’t remember because it was an election that hardly mattered.
This time, though, it matters.
We have a highly qualified candidate
I’d rather spend the rest of my life being gnawed on by fire ants than see him leading British Columbia. I could never support the man.
because of this column, I have never worked directly with any candidate for any office, locally, provincially or federally. My opinions are my own.)
Jeremy Valeriote, the Green candidate, has been running since the last election. Much has been made about his 60-vote close call in 2020. But like investments, past performance is no assurance of future gains.
If there was ever a provincial election
in Jen Ford. Fact is, this riding has never had a better-qualified candidate. Aside from her decade on Whistler council, Jen’s been president of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and chair of the SquamishLillooet Regional District board. In both those capacities, she has been face-to-face with provincial leaders and ministers and has developed working relationships with many.
As chair of the Whistler Housing Authority, she helped bring thousands of employee housing units to fruition locally and helped secure millions of dollars of low-interest and forgivable loans from the province.
As chair of the Sea to Sky District Hospital board and a director on the Whistler 360 Health board, she’s been actively involved and become knowledgeable in the riding’s and town’s delivery of health-care.
Ironically, I didn’t support Jen when she ran for council in 2011 or 2014. I thought she was a lightweight. Two years into her first term, I realized how wrong I was. She consistently showed a solid grasp of issues and almost always came down on the right side of decisions. I apologized to her for underestimating her.
Since then, she’s been a tireless worker and advocate for the issues that seem to matter most to the people who live in the Sea to Sky. I’m certain she will be an effective MLA, regardless of the outcome of this close election.
Sadly, Jeremy will not. Nothing against his energy or enthusiasm. That’s just the way our political system works.
Worse, the momentum—inexplicable though it is to me—of the Conservative party means even in this small ‘l’ liberal riding this could be a very tight race. That makes voting Green not just meaningless, but potentially a gift to the Conservative candidate.
So before you go that route ask yourself this: Would you prefer a government that shares none of your beliefs or one that shares many of them?
However you decide, exercise your democratic right and vote. I have my opinion, you have yours. Whatever happens we’ll all still be here to work for what we think is a better future. n
