Sweeping bans have affected the iconic brand due to its use of ‘forever chemicals.’ - By Will Johnson
06 OPENING REMARKS There are no shortage of questions and concerns surrounding a second Trump presidency, writes editor Braden Dupuis—but how might tariffs impact tourism?
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In this week’s letters, readers share feedback on mountain ops and safety, and thanks for helping hands.
11 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST This holiday season, Alyssa Noel is dreaming of an unaesthetic Christmas.
50 MAXED OUT Max ducks the proverbial ropes to probe the possibility of a backcountry responsibility code.
12 THROUGH THE ROOF Prospective renters in Whistler have a lot to navigate— from scams and mould to sky-high rent.
13 SNOW SAVIOUR A snowboarder is grateful after surviving a snow-immersion event on Blackcomb Mountain opening day.
32 SILVER SLIDER North American Cup skeleton racing wrapped last week with a silver for Team Canada’s Ryan Kuehn.
36
WARRIOR’S
CODE
Lil’wat Nation band The Spiritual Warriors is once again up for a Native American Music Award in the category of Best Folk Recording—but they need your help.
COVER Did you know if you wanted to dress up like Scot Schmidt in the ’90s you’re only a few eBay clicks away!? I can attest, The North Face suits are all still waterproof, and I’ve had garments much younger disintegrate since owning and thoroughly abusing my vintage ones.- By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
Is Donald Trump good for Canadian tourism?
AS THE DUST settles south of the border following another contentious election season, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is preparing for a second term while making pledges that are cause for concern for Canadian business leaders—most notably his promise to implement a 25-per-cent tariff on all Canadian goods.
There are of course a whole host of other implications and questions tied to the
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
return of Trump—what becomes of efforts to combat climate change? NATO? Canada’s abundance of water?—but the threat of significant tariffs is currently front-andcentre for leaders of all stripes.
While it may not come to fruition, Canada is preparing for the worst.
“If Canadian tariffs are imposed by the U.S. government, that would certainly be a real concern for Canada’s economy, noting that increased costs of Canadian goods to American consumers would be detrimental to Canada’s exports, with the potential outcome being reduced demand for Canadian goods leading to unsold inventory, higher unemployment and declining Canadian GDP,” said Tourism Whistler’s president and CEO Barrett Fisher, in an email.
“While American consumers will also be negatively impacted by tariffs, Canada’s tourism industry is a potential anomaly within the economic mix, as a corresponding weaker Canadian dollar is advantageous for American visitors whose U.S. dollar goes much further in Canada. Canadians who typically travel to the U.S. will also find their
dollar goes further here in Canada.”
Which begs the question: is Donald Trump good for tourism in Canada?
“If our Canadian dollar drops further against the U.S. greenback, then that could actually compel more people, particularly from border states, to want to travel to Canada, just simply because of the advantage,” said Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC).
“The other consideration here is that tourism could be then one of the bright lights in all of this, in other words, other sectors may suffer, but the tourism industry could actually come out reasonably favourably.”
During a Nov. 29 visit with Trump at his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Fla., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reportedly promised the incoming president tougher border controls— which itself could have implications for tourism, Judas noted.
Judas said, adding the industry is optimistic about the year ahead under new NDP tourism minister Spencer Chandra Herbert.
That said, the industry is still looking for concrete action (including more funding) and for tourism to be part of the broader economic plan in the province.
Judas noted tourism wasn’t mentioned by any party during the October provincial election campaign.
“We think that tourism has a potential for investment, it’s got potential for new product development and growth,” he said. “We’d like to see some of the infrastructure further developed in different places around the province, whether that’s highways or airports, or ferry terminals, investment in new ferries—things like that would be helpful.”
Judas and TIABC are also hoping for a boost to Destination BC’s $60-million
For now, all eyes remain on the threat of a 25-per-cent tariff.
Louise Walker, executive director of the Whistler Chamber, noted Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have a long history of collaboration and free trade.
“The tariff would impact certain export sectors more than others, creating job losses. In addition, the tariffs would impact supply chains, which in turn impacts consumer costs,” Walker said in an email, noting the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab estimates the tariff would shrink Canada’s GDP by 2.6 per cent (or roughly CAD $78 billion), costing Canadians approximately $1,900 per person annually.
“While the tariffs would have the greatest impact on sectors such as energy and automotive, we would see a knock-on impact across businesses and employees in both Canada and the U.S., our closest neighbours
“If our Canadian dollar drops further against the U.S. greenback, then that could actually compel more people, particularly from border states, to want to travel to Canada, just simply because of the advantage.”
- WALT JUDAS
“Could that mean that Canadians will experience tighter border security going forward, meaning longer wait lines, etc., and they’ll decide not to go into the States?” he said. “Or conversely, Americans may find that it’s much more difficult to go back and forth as well.”
For now there are more questions than answers, both in the tourism sector and beyond.
Generally, and depending on the region, tourism in B.C. enjoyed good fortunes in 2024,
marketing budget, which is out of step with the rising costs seen over the last five years.
“When you think about costs having gone up in the last five years about 20 per cent, at the very least you need to keep pace with the costs,” he said. “So if you look at other jurisdictions—Alberta, Ontario, etc.,—you can draw comparisons there, but at minimum, 20 per cent. But I think as costs continue to go up, our dollar is losing value, [and] you really have to adjust accordingly.”
and with whom we have strong and valued connections,” Walker said. “Many businesses already see the impact of cost-of-living challenges on discretionary spending, such as travel, eating out and participating in leisure activities. We need fast and constructive action so that the two nations can work collaboratively to avoid the consequences of job losses and higher prices.”
Here’s hoping Trudeau’s Florida dinner date pays dividends. n
PAUL O’MARA
More on reckless skiers at Whistler Blackcomb
I had to share my story after reading Braden Dupuis’ article in the Nov. 29 issue of Pique regarding a skier being hit on the Dave Murray run on Whistler Mountain (“Ski responsibly in Whistler this winter”).
On March 17, 2024, I was skiing Dave Murray on the slope below the timing flats. I was hit from behind by a 10-to-12-year-old boy who was in ski school. You can only imagine how fast a young boy was going to knock over a 200-pound person.
A woman stopped to ask if I was all right. I said I was. The woman then turned to the ski-school instructor and said the student was going way too fast. His response was that it is a black run and they can go as fast as they want. That may be true if they are in control. The instructor never apologized and was very rude when the woman continued to say the skischool student was going too fast.
His response is just another example of how poor the attitude of some Whistler Blackcomb employees is. While I realize the mountain safety crew and the patrol cannot always be everywhere, there appears to be an increasing number of reckless or out-of-control skiers on Whistler and Blackcomb.
I tried to share my incident with Whistler Blackcomb COO Belinda Trembath as she is ultimately in charge of both mountains. However, it is impossible to email Belinda as her email is not provided to the public.
Bryce Leigh // Whistler
Thankful
for helping hands in Whistler
On Tuesday, Nov. 26 I had an accident while doing some volunteer work sampling the waters of Green Lake from my canoe. I would
like to thank all of those who came to my aid and helped me recover.
As I slowly swam to shore, I could eventually see property owners running to the shore with blankets. I was helped to stumble onto the beach. Police and paramedics (Bob and Bobby) had been called and they stripped off my many layers of wet clothing and heavy boots.
In the clinic I met Drs. Maddie and Lev with their team in the trauma room including nurses Racheal and Emma. I was assessed and rewarming procedures were instituted. I was
also attended by lab technicians, receptionists and others, all doing their jobs efficiently and with a smile.
In the meantime, search-and-rescue personnel located my car with my dog Misha inside. They went out on the lake and retrieved my canoe, anchor and some of my gear. They packed everything up, loaded the canoe on my car and drove it to the Whistler clinic. They brought Misha into the trauma room to be at my side.
I am sure I did not get all the names right and apologize for those I have forgotten. I am so thankful to everyone in this wonderful community of Whistler who every day go out of their way to help each other and those who provide essential emergency services.
Jan “John” Piotr Blachut // Whistler
$100K pricetag for RMOW website
‘outrageous’
I see that $100,000 is slated for the maintenance and development of the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s website.
Having developed multiple platforms in
FOR THE RECORD
The Nov. 29 instalment of Maxed Out erroneously stated a municipal lawsuit was decided by a judge. The case was in fact settled. Pique regrets the error. n
•Eastaccessto Valley Trail,MeadowPark,biking. •Great residencew/suite,weekenderorholdingproperty.
the past, including database and E-commerce heavy ones, this amount is outrageous. Tax and spend. That’s the Canadian way.
Patrick Smyth // Whistler
Whistler Blackcomb improvements not logical
I have been a Whistler Blackcomb season pass holder for 36 of the 42 years since I moved from
organization in the village and on the mountain that winter (2020-21) was amazing. People on the mountain were aware of the dangers of the pandemic. Cooperation was at a high.
But in the past two years there have been two developments that I don’t understand the logic of at all.
The Fitzsimmons eight-pack makes no sense to me because it drops skiers/riders off at Garbo, which is a four-pack. The backup the
“The Fitzsimmons eight-pack makes no sense to me becaue it drops skiers/riders off at Garbo, which is a four-pack.”
- IAN LONDON
Montreal to Vancouver. My daughters became strong big-mountain skiers through the club/ Mountain Adventure/Freeride programs. I love Whistler—the mountain, the beauty, the municipality and the people (permanent residents, and part-time residents like me). I respect the nature, do my part to protect the environment and buy local whenever possible. I lived in Whistler with my dog for 10 weeks during COVID and felt like a true local. The job/
mountain wanted to relieve in the village was moved to the bottom of Garbo. From a skier perspective it makes zero sense. In my opinion it would have been better to put the eight-pack at Harmony and move Harmony’s six-pack to the Peak.
Then there’s the new parking rules at Base II and in the village. I’ve been parking at Base II (mostly Lot 7, but Lot 8 when 7 is full) for many years. I appreciate the desire to
Backcountry Update
AS OF WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4
Many winter enthusiasts in the Sea to Sky have delighted in some good early season exploration. Strong storms rolled through in late November, and by early December the snowpack reached nearly 150 centimetres at treeline near Whistler. The prevailing mindset has been to embrace the conditions while they last, knowing things can change quickly.
Indeed, they did. Earlier this week, unseasonably warm weather swept in. A strong southwest flow brought several days of mild air temperatures and sustained high freezing levels. Treeline air temperatures soared, accompanied by clear skies. This warm spell destabilized the recent snow and accelerated settlement in the snowpack. Small, sun-induced, wet, loose avalanches were observed, especially on steep, sunexposed slopes. Additional signs of instability such as tree bombs, pinwheels, and moist spring-like snow surfaces highlighted the atypical December weather.
Fortunately, the only constant in life is
change! An atmospheric river-like flow should bring precipitation to the South Coast through the weekend. While weather models differ in the exact impact for the Sea to Sky region, strong wind, moderate freezing levels, and heavy precipitation are likely. Avalanche danger is expected to rise as the storm develops. It could be a great time to enjoy the recent snowfall at the resort, or even to relax by the pool if rain hits the mountaintops. Be sure to check the latest avalanche forecast and weather updates for detailed insights into the storm’s progression.
As the storm subsides, the lure of exploring in the backcountry could be strong. However, early season conditions demand caution. Avalanches at this time of year are especially dangerous due to limited snowpack depth and potential injuries from exposed rocks and ground roughness. As usual, check the forecast at avalanche.ca before venturing into the backcountry and consider submitting a Mountain Information Network (MIN) report to share local conditions.
CONDITIONS MAY VARY AND CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY Check for the most current conditions before heading out into the backcountry. Daily updates for the areas adjacent to Whistler Blackcomb are available at 604-938-7676, or surf to www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountain-info/ snow-report#backcountry or go to www.avalanche.ca.
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.
Spacious3 bedroomandd en quartershare withprivatehot tub andgarage- withinwalking distancetoWhistlerVillage.
encourage carpools, but not everybody who is on the mountain (spending money on passes, food, etc.) is part of a carpool. My daughters have moved on with their lives. My friends that I used to ski with have given up the sport. The result for me (and I am sure many others) is
a.m. is not helpful at all.
I’m not sure who came up with these two “improvements to the winter mountain experience” but you clearly did not think this through.
I would really like to hear responses to my opinions.
“We are thankful to all of our partners and to the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, which kicked off the paddle raise with $25,000...”
- HEATHER ODENDAAL
you hope you can get into Lot 8 at Base II or end up paying upwards of $20/day for day lot parking unless it is full and then you don’t get to be on the mountain at all that day. How fair is that?
You’re penalizing loyal Whistler skiers/ riders because they are not part of a carpool. I realize this carpool rule is a trial this season and it applies only to weekends and statutory holidays, but that’s when most people ski. And that the carpool rule doesn’t apply after 11
Whistler Community Foundation Glow Gala ‘a night to cherish’
On behalf of myself and my co-chair Catherine Dorazio, I would like to thank all those who supported the 25th Anniversary Glow Gala supporting the Whistler Community Foundation. The Glow Gala, held on Friday, Nov. 29 at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, was a night to cherish, bringing together more than 200 longtime and emerging supporters from the community and raising more than $100,000.
We are thankful to all of our partners and to the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, which kicked off the paddle raise with $25,000—and that the audience raised a paddle to match it. And appreciate that the Wayne Flebbe Arts Fund reached out to help us share the importance of legacy giving to our success.
On behalf of the Glow Gala Committee, thank you all for your contributions—it supports us in building a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant community for everyone.
Heather Odendaal // Co-chair, event producer, 2024 Glow Gala for WCF n
WE HAVE a new Christmas wreath hanging on our door this holiday season.
It’s cut out of cardboard and has gobs of white glue securing foraged ferns, dried leaves and clipped twigs to it.
This new creation replaces a pricey wreath I purchased at Billies in Squamish a few years back in a flurry of holy-shit-I’m-a-mom-I-
have-to-make-Christmas-special panic. But I’ll happily pack away that arguably more aesthetic offering in place of this cut-andpaste version because my three-year-old saw that neighbours had wreaths on their doors and she wanted to make her own.
It has already blown off the hanger once, but I fished it out of a puddle, gave it a shake and hung it back up. It brings me so much joy to see this handcrafted holiday cheer on our door.
All of this is build up to my controversial opinion: your white Christmas lights suck.
OK, they don’t suck. They actually look really great. I can tell you’re classy and put a lot of effort into your decorations.
I mean, now that I’m thinking about it, you probably never have to rewash your
laundry because it sat in the washing machine too long, do you? I bet your car is vacuumed regularly and you buy new winter boots before they have a full-fledged hole in them.
Wait, do I want to be a white-light person?
Maybe, but I don’t think you can switch. You’re born one or the other.
But back to my argument. White lights are
Next you’re going to tell me you outsourced your gingerbread house to professionals and you bought one of those fake trees with the lights permanently installed in them so they don’t look haphazard and twisted.
Come to think of it, I’d hazard a guess coloured-Christmas-light people like me are the ones who go and cut down a kind-
not what Christmas should be. It shouldn’t be crisp, formal adult whites. It should be fun and whimsical, messy and bright.
Santa isn’t sleek. He’s big and bouncy. His cheeks are too red and his beard is too long. He’s not going to greet your kids with a firm handshake. He’s got a warm lap and a hug and he is ready to hear about all the pricey items your little one has dreamed up.
of-shitty/kind-of-charming Charlie Brown Christmas tree while white-light people are the ones who are buying a gloriously bushy, perfectly grown version from a Christmas tree lot.
White-light people, you would not like the tree we got last year. Its branches could barely hold up ornaments and when we left for the holidays we forgot it needed watering
and then, when we tried to get it out of the house, it shed literally EVERY SINGLE needle onto the floor. No, I’m not exaggerating for effect. We found stray brown tree needles until March.
But, you know what, we strapped on a baby and grabbed a be-mittened toddler and a saw and we went on an adventure to get that tree. And afterwards we made hot chocolate— actually, I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty sure we bought it from Starbucks and also I think the dog licked the snowman cookie and I had to go back and get a second one—and decorated the tree and made a Christmas memory.
Christmas is meant to be tacky, messy, and joyful. (Like looking in a mirror!)
Tinsel? That stuff is a beautiful, sparkly nightmare!
Inflatable lawn decorations? My one-yearold learned the word “penguin” when she saw our neighbour’s because it brought her so much joy.
Stockings hung by the chimney with care? They look best when the letters that used to spell your name are falling off because of decades of greedily ripping them open in the pre-dawn on Dec. 25.
Christmas Day itself? It’s wrapping paper everywhere and piles of dishes and noisy families and general chaos.
At least, I would argue that’s the best way to do it.
But you can take my opinion with a grain of salt because I’m not a white-light person. n
Scams, mould, and sky-high rent: The state of Whistler’s rental market
SHORT ON WORK AND HIGH ON STRESS, PROSPECTIVE RENTERS ARRIVING EARLIER THAN EVER BEFORE TO SECURE WINTER HOUSING
BY BRANDON BARRETT
WHEN HEGEL JAMES’ lease expired this fall, the local chef visited a rental property in Bayshores prepared to sign his name on the dotted line if the space suited his needs. The landlord was even willing to turn over the key right then and there—just as soon as James forked over the rent money. Sensing something was amiss, James asked to try the keys. They didn’t work.
“It’s hard because sometimes they have the room and you can see the room, but after that they want the pay immediately. The room exists but after that they don’t talk to you anymore,” said the Mexican national and Whistler resident of four years.
A spokesperson for the Whistler RCMP noted there has been an increase in reported housing scams over the past year, but was unable to say by how much or whether there has been a corresponding rise in in-person scams, similar to what James described, without further analysis of the files.
“We see a variety of frauds/scams being reported in Whistler, including short-term and long-term rentals/housing, romance fraud, crypto investment scams, and Canada Revenue Agency fraud (to name a few),” Sea to Sky RCMP Cpl. Katrina Boehmer wrote in an email.
The scams are another consequence of a notoriously competitive market that is pushing prospective renters to arrive earlier in the year than ever before to secure housing ahead of the winter.
“Now there are so many challenges and scams related to the market that people are having to come earlier to secure safe housing,” said Jackie Dickinson, executive director of the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS),
who noted that instead of early fall, she’s hearing from clients who arrived in town in late summer, not comfortable with arranging housing online before they land here. “That might not line up with their employment, which leaves them in vulnerable positions.”
Stats from the social service provider and operator of the local food bank bear that out. November was another record-breaking month for the Whistler Food Bank, with 2,262 visits, up 35 per cent from the same period last year. While reasons for using the food bank vary, Dickinson said injury and illness used to top the list; now, the top two reasons are underemployment and a lack of affordable housing. Roughly 60 per cent of local food bank users now report spending more than 60 per cent of their income on housing. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation recommends spending no more than 32 per
access to temporary housing at no cost based on financial needs, emergency situations, and extenuating circumstances, WCSS is likely to surpass the program’s $20,000 budget less than three quarters into its fiscal year, Dickinson said.
While there’s ample competition for rental units at the lower end of the market, the same can’t be said for Whistler’s luxury housing. Ben Thomas, founder and owner of VIP Mountain Holidays, said with bookings way down after a poor snow year and affordability concerns at the fore, clients are less willing to put their homes on the vacation rental market, instead looking for long-term tenants.
“Now there are so many challenges and scams related to the market that people have to come earlier...”
- JACKIE DICKINSON
cent of your average pre-tax monthly income on housing.
Although Whistler’s seasonal workforce— young, international, and often unfamiliar with local tenancy laws—are typically among the most vulnerable when it comes to housing, Dickinson said the lack of availability, employment and rising costs are forcing renters across the economic spectrum into compromised situations.
“We are definitely hearing about the state of the housing people find themselves in, and this could be anyone, whether they’re spending multiple thousands of dollars on rent or not,” she said. “We hear lots of stories of people dealing with unsafe situations, like mould or other conditions.”
WCSS’ Emergency Housing Program is also seeing increased demand. Providing
“We have landlords that would like to rent to various executive families, but the demand is not there anymore. Some might consider renting to seasonal workers, but the price gap is the issue. These are very nice homes, not the same as those on Eagle Drive,” he said. “Then you’ve got local families with a max budget of $3,000 a month, which is reasonable, but people don’t want to rent for that. It’s just not enough. It’s a fundamental economic problem where there is supply, but a gap in the price point.”
Part of the drop in bookings, Thomas posited, is the changing demographics of Whistler Blackcomb’s (WB) customer base. With parent company Vail Resorts’ emphasis on its Epic Pass, the centrepiece of the Colorado company’s suite of pass products offering access to WB and 17 other ski areas,
the average long-haul, destination skier is less inclined to make the trip to Whistler.
“Long-term loyal customers that have been coming to Whistler the past 15, 20 years, those guys have suddenly stopped coming. They have noticed Whistler has changed; costs are up and it’s no longer the same vibe of the resort they’ve grown to love,” Thomas said. “They have been replaced by Epic Pass holders, and by definition, Epic Pass holders are very fickle and wait to go where the snow is. We’ve found the booking window has really come down as we’ve switched to Epic Pass holders.”
Jen Biberdorf, administrator of the 44,000-member Whistler Housing Rentals for Locals Facebook group, said Whistler’s rental market this winter is largely similar to years past—“prices are high and availability is low.” But she has noted more availability than usual next door in Pemberton.
“There’s so much available still,” she said. “Normally Pemberton is a couple weeks behind when Whistler runs out of options, but there are still about a dozen rentals available here.”
Although she’s noted prices in Pemberton have risen, as they have in other rental markets, less competition, cheaper cost of living and relative quietude are enticing options for Whistlerites willing to make the move.
Unable to land a unit in the resort, James is one of those Whistlerites who has been pushed to Pemberton, where he’s crashing on a friend’s couch. He commutes to Whistler by bus for work
“I‘m looking for something in Whistler, but I think I have more options in Pemberton. I think I’m going to stay in Pemberton. It’s just really hard to live in Pemberton when you work in Whistler,” he said.
The market challenges persist despite a raft of new staff housing coming online in recent years. Since 2018, the Whistler Housing
Snowboarder rescued on Blackcomb Mountain
EARLY
SEASON CONDITIONS MEAN SKIERS AND BOARDERS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTRA CAUTION IN AND OUT OF
BY LIZ MCDONALD
WHILE EARLY SEASON conditions created a flurry of activity at Whistler Blackcomb, one resident wants to remind outdoor adventurers of the hazards in and out of bounds.
On Nov. 21, opening day at Blackcomb, Cale Watson was riding with friends. He and five pals grabbed the first chair on Jersey Cream and went left at the top of the lift. They traversed as far as they could on skier’s right and eventually found pillowy powder on Staircase. He let his friends ride out first, and they all bombed down the mountain. Suddenly, as Watson rode at the back of his group, he cartwheeled headfirst into deep, unconsolidated snow.
“I was in this hole upside down, and there was a lot of pressure in my head. I was in a scorpion position, which was completely pitch black,” Watson said. To make matters worse, snow filled his mouth on impact.
“There could not have possibly been more snow in my mouth, I was choking on it,” he said.
Watson has been riding for 32 years and has his Avalanche Skills Training (AST) Level 1. While AST teaches riders to stay calm during an avalanche and make space to breathe, getting buried in powder inbounds with a snow-caked mouth was another situation entirely.
HOUSING FROM PAGE 12
recent years. Since 2018, the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) has opened five new residentrestricted rental apartment buildings, bringing its inventory of non-market rental housing to 818 beds. Between ownership and rental, more than 7,300 Whistlerites live in below-market WHA housing.
The reimagined Whistler Valley Housing Society opened its own building in Cheakamus this summer. Called The Nest, it is the resort’s first affordable rental project that earmarked a portion of its units based on
BOUNDS
His immediate focus was removing snow lodged in his mouth, taking precious energy in the emergency. Next, he changed positions to remove pressure on his head and then started digging around his face to clear the snow away.
“Every time, more snow would just come back, and I was suffocating on it,” he said. For a moment, he thought he would die inbounds on opening day.
As he frantically pushed the snow away, light finally pierced the blackness.
“So, I started pushing more snow away faster and faster, and the snow broke open, and I could see blue sky and gasp for air,” he said. “And then, another guy in a yellow jacket was pulling me out.”
The man in the yellow jacket was Pete Rozsa. Rozsa was riding alone that day, and as he stopped for a rest, he looked right and saw a snowboard sticking out of the snow.
“I waited a minute. The board wasn’t really moving, so I called out,” Rozsa said. “There was no response, so I slid over, and I noticed that there were legs attached.”
Rozsa noticed Watson’s legs move. He immediately started digging, and soon a face appeared.
“I can’t remember my exact words, something like, ‘Are you OK? It’s OK, buddy,’ kind of thing,” he said. “And then I started to dig around his body and his arms, and then he kind
SEE PAGE 14 >>
social need, with half of its 30 units allocated to social service providers, and the other half for eligible Whistler-based workers.
“I think that building is something to celebrate this year,” Dickinson said. “We were able to meet a lot of people and families in difficult circumstances and … it was really powerful to make referrals and have people housed there. It changes their whole mental health knowing they have safe housing.”
Check back with Pique in the coming weeks for more stories from the local housing
CLOSE CALL Cale Watson (left) and Pete Rozsa (right) met for the first time on Blackcomb Mountain, when Rozsa rescued Watson, who was buried in unconsolidated snow.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALE WATSON AND PETE ROZSA
‘I have a newfound gratitude for Canada Post’
CHRISTINA NICK HAS STOPPED HER ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CARD MISSIVES IN LIGHT OF THE CANADA POST STRIKE, SAYING HIGHER-COST OPTIONS FROM COURIERS GIVE HER AN APPRECIATION FOR THE NATIONAL POSTAL SERVICE
BY LIZ MCDONALD
AS THE CANADIAN union of Postal Workers (CUPW) strike enters its third week, impacting small businesses, residents, government and postal workers, one Whistlerite with a long list of pen pals is facing a different challenge than the average postal service user.
Christina Nick is an artist who first fell in love with letter-writing when she finished university. She travelled to different countries throughout her 20s and would send postcards to friends along the way.
“In the 1990s, that’s how we communicated. It was an economical way to communicate, and it was also lots of fun,” Nick said. “I love writing letters, and I love sending postcards to people, and it just continued.”
What inked the practice into her life was meeting an older couple in France. All three were artists, and they started a working relationship. The trio would spend summers together making sculptures, and then Nick would return to Whistler, save up money, and make her way back to the Republic. But their working relationship continued in the space in between, as did Nick’s grasp of the French language.
“We would discuss through letter-writing our ideas on future projects. I would reply to their letter in French, but with lots of sketches. And this went on over the years,” she said. “I eventually learned French a lot better through their help, but our letter-writing continued, and I believe it’s why we had a very, very strong foundation in our friendship.”
Now, this old mode of communication is a novel way to stay in touch. Each year, Nick uses her skills as an artist and creates Christmas cards, sending them to about 80 correspondents. She relies on Canada Post to get the letters where they need to go. This year, she won’t be sending Christmas cards.
But there was one person she needed to get a card to—a sick friend in California. Sending a piece of paper thousands of kilometres through Canada Post usually costs her about $3. But through United Parcel Service (UPS), it costs Nick $40.
“I have a newfound gratitude for Canada Post,” she said of the cost through UPS.
Ultimately, the strike is impacting her relationships and she hopes it ends by the new year, so she can continue giving her gift of writing to loved ones.
“When I write a letter to someone, I’m in the process of constantly thinking about that one person, and I believe that that’s really valuable,” Nick said. “When is it that we just focus on one thing for, say, an hour? It’s kind of rare to focus on thinking about one person, and that’s what ends up happening. And it’s a little bit of a gift... It’s not just the fact that they receive a letter, it’s that instinctively they know you were thinking about them for that whole entire time while you wrote that letter.”
POSTAL STRIKE’S LOCAL IMPACT
Currently, more than 55,000 postal workers are on strike over contract negotiations with Canada Post. According to an update on CUPW’s website from Dec. 2, they are reviewing Canada Post’s “comprehensive framework” presented to the union Dec. 1, and are going back to the bargaining table once asked by mediators. In an update on Canada Post’s website, the Crown corporation said its proposal aims “to bring
license renewals will go out online, and the RMOW said it will “adjust and provide some flexibility as needed” during the strike.
For outgoing cheques, the RMOW is engaging with suppliers for alternative payment options. Incoming payments to the RMOW are available online, and residents with financial needs can contact the municipality by emailing finance@whistler. ca or calling 604-932-5535.
For a full list of how to pay bills, fines and more, visit the municipality’s website.
In terms of advocacy for businesses, Louise Walker, executive director of the Whistler Chamber, said the national Canadian Chamber has written to federal ministers about the strike’s impact.
greater flexibility to the corporation’s delivery model, while also demonstrating movement on other key issues.”
Pique reached out to the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and the Whistler Chamber to learn what advice and advocacy each is engaging in.
The RMOW said most of its services are available online through MyWhistler, and staff can field questions and concerns over phone or email. Reminders for municipal
SNOWBOARDER RESCUED FROM PAGE 13
kind of freaked out for a second … because there was still some snow coming back into the hole.”
Eventually, Watson calmed down and Rozsa prepared to go on his way. As the two went to part ways, Watson asked Rozsa for his name.
“I was in shock, so I said, ‘My name is Pete.” Rozsa went to walk away and then paused before asking Watson the same question.
“That was kind of it for our interaction,” Rozsa said.
‘THERE SHOULD BE FRIENDS ON A POWDER DAY’
Watson found his friends and kept riding, and he had an amazing time. It wasn’t until a few days later the experience sunk in.
“I didn’t have time to really slow down until days later when the gravity of the whole
thing really hit me,” he said.
For Rozsa, the incident was different. After saving his new acquaintance, Rozsa ended his day and called his wife.
“I was done with the hill that day,” he said.
The biggest takeaway from the incident for Rozsa is re-evaluating how he rides.
“I think I’m going to pick and choose my terrain a little better,” he said. “Accidents happen, and I have a whistle and a phone, but it’s not good enough. If you see something suspicious in the snow, spend the time and look, because you never know what you’ll find.”
Overall, Rozsa estimates the rescue and recovery lasted three minutes. Watson was close enough to the surface that with help, he could get out.
“They say there’s no friends on a powder day. Well, there should be friends on a powder day.”
“It was highlighted that the strike is damaging to Canada’s retail sector, especially rural communities and e-commerce small business,” she wrote in an email. “The timing is terrible and impacts wider provincial and national supply chains, delaying deliveries and adding another increased expense to the escalating cost of doing business. On behalf of the Chamber network, the Canadian Chamber urged the ministers to immediately intervene and resolve the dispute.” n
As for Watson, he said if he could have changed anything, it would be closing his mouth before impact. He and Rozsa plan on having a get together in the coming weeks and he’s grateful for having his life saved.
Retired RCMP officer Steve Leclair heard about the incident and plans to nominate Rozsa for a St. John’s Ambulance Award for his heroic actions. He also reached out to Pique about it, hoping readers will be cautious in the early season.
“I share this to bring attention to the danger that is posed by early season skiing and riding with respect to snow immersion particularly as we have been so fortunate to have such a great start to the season,” LeClair wrote in an email. “Remember that hazards exist inside and outside the ski area boundary—ski and ride with care!” n
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Pick up the latest issue of your favourite read in Whistler.
GOING POSTAL The Canadian Union of Postal Workers strike is impacting Whistler residents ahead of the holiday season.
PHOTO BY IMAGEEGAMI / ISTOCK /
Mapping project identifies 30% of Whistler as ‘very high’ priority wildlife habitat
UPDATED PRIORITY HABITAT FRAMEWORK ‘MOST COMPREHENSIVE’ SERIES OF ECOLOGICAL MAPS IN RMOW HISTORY
BY BRANDON BARRETT
THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) has identified the community’s most important wildlife habitat in an update to a years-long project called “the most comprehensive and informative” series of ecological maps ever produced by the RMOW.
The Priority Habitat Framework (PHF) is a strategic document intended to guide land-use planning and conservancy efforts at municipal hall.
“This project is essentially a biodiversity conservation strategy for Whistler, a guide to help us protect critical spaces for Whistler’s most ecologically important species, to support local biodiversity, and so much more,” explained Tina Symko, RMOW environmental coordinator, in a Nov. 19 presentation to council.
The project builds on years of previous work that culminated, in 2018, with an initial priority habitat report that identified and defined Whistler’s priority habitat areas and ranked local wildlife species according to several factors. This most recent update makes refinements to the priority habitat list first developed in 2018, namely, adding ancient forests, those 400 years and older, to the old forest priority habitat type.
“These are globally significant ecosystems, and you can’t get much rarer than that from a local, provincial or global standpoint,” said Bob Brett, longtime local ecologist who was contracted by the RMOW to complete the habitat mapping and prioritization.
The project identified 20 different ecosystem-based and species-based habitats. The corresponding set of publicly available geographic information system maps include the RMOW’s first-ever speciesbased habitat maps for multiple species of local importance, including beavers, salmonid fish, Western toads, goshawks, mountain goats, and grizzly bears.
“Simply put, protecting key habitat for these key species means protecting habitat for many, many more,” Symko explained.
Initial implementation of the PHF, which began in fall 2023, involved scoring each priority habitat based on three main factors: rarity, connectivity, and importance to key local species. The updated framework only includes habitat that was scored as high or very high importance. Approximately 30 per cent of the 24,586 hectares within Whistler’s municipal boundaries has been identified as very high priority habitat, while roughly 19 per cent of the 2,550-ha. of developable area within Whistler has been deemed the same.
Councillor Cathy Jewett asked whether the PHF would address enforcement on
issues such as off-leash dogs disturbing shorebird nesting habitat at Green Lake and unauthorized brush-cutting in designated riparian zones.
“That’s certainly the intention,” Symko said. “We’ll be looking at a range of protection measures, from fencing to policy and regulations. In terms of how we apply this, right now we’re literally getting the lay of the land with the mapping.”
The PHF includes several connectivityfocused maps, including recruitment and future forests; east and west mountainside greenbelts; and cross-valley greenbelts, which weren’t assigned a score as part of the PHF overview map, but are no less important to local biodiversity.
“These connectivity maps can help us look ahead to see how we might maintain key habitat connections across our community in the future,” Symko said.
A focus on connectivity emphasizes taking a long view of Whistler’s development, Brett said.
“The whole idea is placing within context anything we do on the landscape,” he explained, noting how development has impacted the area between the Nesters waste depot and Nicklaus North Golf Course over the years.
“That used to be a very big wildlife corridor, and now it’s much less valuable than it would have been 40 years ago. I’m not saying that was the right or wrong decision. All I’m saying is that right now, we have an opportunity going forward to make sure we don’t infill so much that we prevent [connections] from happening in the future.”
Over the next six months, RMOW staff plan to familiarize themselves with the updated mapping and share them with external partners. In the long term, the PHF will be used to assess the condition of specific habitat areas, particularly on Whistler’s developable land. This assessment will inform the development of a restoration strategy on habitat where it is required.
The updated maps can be viewed at whistler.ca/services/maps. n
HIGH PRIORITY Whistler’s priority habitat overview map. High-priority areas are coloured in red.
SCREENSHOT / RMOW
Report details pair of bobsled passenger injuries at Whistler Sliding Centre
TEN SUCH INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN RECORDED SINCE 2011
BY DAVID SONG
A NEW REPORT by the British Columbia Safety Authority—or Technical Safety BC—has cast light on a pair of incidents at the Whistler Sliding Centre (WSC) in late 2023 and early 2024 that resulted in guest injury.
Technical Safety BC’s findings deemed both ailments were caused by compression force during normal ride operation focused on the front of both patrons’ vertebrae.
According to the report: since 2011 a total of approximately 50,000 individuals have done the public bobsled experience, with 10 documented incidents. These afflicted patrons ranged from 37 to 63 years of age, including six women and four men. Only two had noted pre-existing conditions.
Nine of these situations took place in 2015 or later.
Injury warnings given by WSC staff prior to December 2023 were exclusive to riders with pre-existing health conditions. Therefore, the report asserts that clients who identified as healthy may not have understood they were also at risk of injury.
“The Public Bobsleigh Program at the Whistler Sliding Centre is unique. It provides the general public the opportunity to experience this high-adrenaline sport in authentic equipment with world-class pilots,” said Roger Soane, president and CEO of Whistler Sport Legacies (WSL).
“Safety is a priority at the Whistler Sliding Centre, and we will continue to work on educating our guests and mitigating the risk involved in this activity.”
PRIOR CONTEXT
The WSC hosted a private company for a holiday event on Nov. 23, 2023. During this event, the corporation’s employees had an opportunity to partake in the venue’s passenger bobsled experience—which involves up to three clients riding in a sled driven by a professional pilot working for the WSC.
One rider sustained a back injury during the ride. After receiving on-site medical care, the individual (Patron 1) was transported to the Whistler Medical Centre (WMC). Patron 1 was diagnosed with a back fracture before undergoing surgery at the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH): an operation that required an extended rehabilitation.
On Feb. 9, 2024, another WSC client experienced back pain during regular, public operation of the passenger bobsled experience while in a sled with two other visitors and a professional pilot. The individual (Patron 2) also received medical care on-site before going to the WMC and VGH for more tests. A back fracture was discovered, and Patron 2 expects to face significant recovery time despite not needing surgery.
The report states G-forces were
SLED SAFETY A passenger bobsled makes its way down track at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER SLIDING CENTRE
concentrated due to the ergonomics of seat No. 4 in the sled. Unlike seats No. 2 and 3, this rearmost seat required clients to lean forward to grasp handholds positioned in front of the individual’s torso. As a result, the patrons’ core muscles (which would otherwise support their spine) were disengaged.
Moreover, seat No. 4’s footrests were located in a way as to raise the guests’ knees and bend their legs. This vulnerable posture rotates the pelvis forward, increasing stress on the front of the vertebrae.
Seven of the guests injured since 2011 were occupying seat No. 4.
The WSC was originally designed in accordance with International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) regulations for professional and amateur sliding athletes at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
After the Olympics, Whistler Sport Legacies (WSL) took over operation of the track and received a permit from Technical Safety BC in March 2011 to commence public skeleton and bobsled rides.
Passenger sleds are launched from corner 7—as opposed to bobsled and skeleton athletes who launch from the top. From this point, bobsleds are advertised by the WSC as reaching speeds of 125 kilometres/hour with four Gs of acceleration.
Public sleds also differ from competition sleds. They feature wider seats with foam pads, taller sides to provide more protection in the event of a rollover, cables along the interior for clients to grasp, and braking mechanisms in the front of the vehicle to be operated by a trained pilot.
RESPONSE TO PREVIOUS INCIDENTS
The report outlines that WSL made a number of administrative changes to the public pre-
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Ontario woman suing Whistler Blackcomb over Tube Park injury
PLAINTIFF SAYS SHE BROKE HER TIBIA AND FIBULA AFTER ICE-COVERED MATTING FAILED TO CURB HER SPEED
BY BRANDON BARRETT
AN ONTARIO WOMAN is suing Whistler Blackcomb after she was allegedly injured in a tube park accident in early 2023. In a notice of civil claim filed last week in B.C.’s Supreme Court, Edith Shum of Markham,
Ont. said she was injured after crashing into a barrier/netting at the bottom of a run in Whistler Blackcomb’s Tube Park on Jan. 5, 2023.
“The matting at the bottom of the tubing run was covered in ice/snow and failed to appropriately arrest the speed of her tube,” the claim read. Shum purportedly broke her right tibia and fibula in the crash. She is seeking general,
ride safety orientation over time, including additional warning language, a checklist to filter out passengers based on known medical conditions, and the introduction of full refunds for those who opt out due to safety concerns.
No documented physical changes to the track, track starting position, or bobsleds were made until late 2023, when the handholds on one particular sled were elevated slightly to match those on other sleds.
After February 2024, WSL hired a consultant who conducted speed and G-force testing for its passenger bobsled experience. These tests found that maximum G-forces occurred in curve 16 of the track in the 4 to 4.5
G range. These forces do not differ noticeably across seats No. 2 to 4.
An independent biomechanical engineer contributing to the report deemed that 4 to 4.5 G-forces is below the anticipated tolerance level of human vertebrae and would not be expected to cause a fracture without other aggravating factors.
In any case, Patron 1 stated in an anonymous interview for the report that they remembered signing a waiver but didn’t “recall [WSC staff] saying anything about possible injuries.” They said that “going down the bobsleigh was fine until the very last curve, and as we were coming out of the curve I felt a very … strong pain in my middle back.”
special and in-trust damages, as well as past and future health-care costs.
The suit alleged that, among other things, Whistler Blackcomb failed to properly inspect the area for hazards; failed to provide adequate lighting; and failed to warn or adequately warn Shum of the hazards they knew or ought to have known were present.
Shum’s civil claim said her injuries have
Patron 1 said they were instructed to sit up, look ahead, and make themself “look big in the seat.” However, due to consistent downward G-forces that normally occur during the ride, they added: “For the most part going down I was able to follow their instructions … by the end, if I’m being transparent, it was pretty difficult near that final curve.”
Patron 2 contributes: “[WSC staff] compare [passenger bobsleigh] to a roller-coaster, but in a roller-coaster the G-force isn’t sustained. You get weightlessness, G-force, uphills, etc. The G-force on the bobsled is constant. As you went down, the pressure increased, it was the second or third to last [corner] I could feel my back get more and more compressed …
caused and continue to cause her pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of housekeeping capacity, permanent physical disability, loss of physical, mental and emotional health, and loss of earnings, past and prospective.
Whistler Blackcomb has 21 days to file a response to the civil claim. None of the above allegations have been proven in court. n
at one point I felt like I got the wind knocked out of me.”
Due to the size of the other clients in the vehicle, Patron 2 said they were asked to move to the very back of the sled.
The report concludes by stating: “WSL engaged a third party to conduct a risk analysis which independently identified similar risk factors as those identified in this report.
“This investigation report has been provided to the WSL for review to further their knowledge of any risks associated with the ride and to support their work in advancing safe outcomes for all passengers on their bobsleigh experience.” n
B.C. man sentenced to two years over child exploitation crimes in Whistler
KERON MARK SALANG-OY PLED GUILTY TO POSSESSION AND DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, TWO COUNTS OF LURING A MINOR
BY BRANDON BARRETT
A B.C. MAN has been sentenced to nearly two years imprisonment over child exploitation crimes that took place in Whistler and Vancouver during the pandemic.
In September 2023, Keron Mark Salang-Oy, 26, pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing and distributing child pornography, and two counts of telecommunicating to lure children under 18.
On Friday, Nov. 29 in North Vancouver Provincial Court, the Philippines native was sentenced to six months less a day in prison for each of the four counts, which are to be served consecutively. He will also serve three years probation, with several conditions attached, following his release.
The charges stemmed from a Sea to Sky RCMP investigation launched in 2021, when the RCMP’s BC Integrated Child Exploitation Unit shared information with Whistler Mounties about a Facebook user caught uploading and sharing exploitative images of youth. Salang-Oy reportedly shared one image and 19 videos of child exploitation material through Facebook Messenger with close to 200 recipients. Upon his arrest in April 2021, Salang-Oy’s cellphones were found to contain 14 images and 103 videos of child exploitation material.
“Mr. Salang-Oy’s collection of child exploitation material was not overly large by comparison to other cases, and there was no evidence that he had organized it in any particular fashion,” said Justice Jospeh Galati during sentencing. “However, his collection did include material at the most serious end of the spectrum.”
The court on Friday heard harrowing details of the abuse depicted in the imagery, with victims ranging in age from an infant to mid-teens.
In police’s subsequent investigation, Salang-Oy was also found to have contacted two young girls online and recorded a video chat with them for the purpose of trying to create child pornography. The court heard how Salang-Oy tried to persuade both girls to reveal intimate parts of their body, and in one video, he was recorded masturbating.
Salang-Oy has maintained he was not aware possessing and distributing child exploitation material was illegal. The 26-yearold was seriously injured in a 2015 motor vehicle accident in the Philippines that appears to have led to memory and other cognitive problems, although he has never been diagnosed or treated for a mental-health condition. Several letters written in support of Salang-Oy attested to these cognitive issues and argued that a sentence served in prison,
rather than in the community, could undo the progress he has made so far in counselling.
While these potential cognitive limitations must be taken into account in sentencing, Judge Galati said he found no reason to believe they reduced Salang-Oy’s moral culpability.
“I find that Mr. Salang-Oy knew what he was doing was morally wrong, even allowing for what I find is the remote possibility that
he did not appreciate that accessing and distributing child exploitation material was illegal,” said the judge, noting how Salang-Oy initially tried to hide himself upon arrest and later indicated to investigators that he did not distribute certain photos in his possession because they were of his niece.
Salang-Oy has no prior criminal record and has been compliant with bail conditions since April 2021. Assessments found he shows no imminent indicators of risk and has responded positively to supervision and counselling, the court heard.
Along with mandatory probation, upon his release, Salang-Oy is not permitted to attend public places where people under the age of 16 can reasonably be expected; cannot have any contact or communication with any person under the age of 16; and cannot use any computer capable of accessing the internet. The exceptions to those conditions are if he is in the immediate presence of an adult aware of these orders, or has written permission from his probation officer. He also has to register his cellphone with his probation officer, and is not permitted to own any other mobile device unless he has written permission to do so. He must also undergo counselling as directed by his probation officer. Salang-Oy will be registered to the National Sex Offender Registry. He currently resides in Surrey. n
ON THE DOCKET Keron Mark Salang-Oy was sentenced to two years in prison on Nov. 29.
PHOTO BY MARGARITA-YOUNG/ ISTOCK EDITORIAL / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
‘We lost a sweet and purehearted soul’
FRIENDS AND FAMILY REMEMBER CELESTIA VERGARA, WHO WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A DRIVER IN PEMBERTON NOV. 29
BY BRANDON BARRETT
A WOMAN WHO was killed in a Pemberton road accident last week is being remembered as a devoted friend, sister and daughter with a kind heart and radiant smile.
Loved ones on social media have identified Celestia Vergara as the pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of Highway 99 and Pemberton Portage Road the evening of Friday, Nov. 29. She was reportedly treated on the scene by first responders but did not survive, police said.
“On November 29, 2024, our hearts shattered as we lost a sweet and purehearted soul,” read a GoFundMe campaign set up in the wake of Vergara’s death by organizer Margaux Anadia. “Known for her radiant smile and compassionate spirit, she touched the lives of everyone around her. Her beauty shone not only outwardly but, more importantly, through the kindness and love she shared with those she cared about.
Official details from the accident remain scarce. In a statement, Sea to Sky RCMP said police responded to a report of a collision involving a pedestrian at approximately 7:30 p.m. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and was cooperating with the investigation. It is unknown if Mounties have recommended charges against the driver.
“Because the investigation is ongoing, there isn’t much we can say at this time,” wrote the Sea to Sky RCMP’s media relations officer, Cpl. Katrina Boehmer, in an email.
The police statement referred further questions to the BC Coroners Service. A spokesperson for the coroner said in an email it couldn’t comment with the investigation ongoing, other than to say “the coroner will examine all information available to them, which would include the road and weather conditions at the time of the crash.”
A native of the Philippines, Vergara’s dream was to work in Canada, “a goal
“Known for her radiant smile and compassionate spirit, she touched the lives of everyone around her.”
- MARGEAUX ANADIA
she achieved through hard work and determination, building her career step by step in the Philippines before earning a working visa,” Anadia wrote. “Tragically, her time in her dream country was cut short after only a year, leaving all of us grieving the loss of such bright and promising life.”
In a message on the GoFundMe page,
Vergara’s sister, Grace, described the immense loss she and her family have suffered.
“Our life will never be the same again. She’s my one and only sister. A loving, kindhearted and selfless daughter, sister and a friend. Everyone loves her. Everyone is longing for her presence. It’s just so painful this happened. I can’t imagine
losing someone so lovely in a tragic way,” she wrote. “My heart is in excruciating pain, especially our dear mom. My mom told me she protected us from childhood not to get bruises or even mosquito bites, and now this happened. This is really heartbreaking and the worst feeling I ever experienced in my entire life.”
At press time, the GoFundMe had raised more than $8,700 of its $20,000 goal. Anadia, who did not return a request for comment, wrote that she increased the initial fundraising target from $4,000 to $20,000 after “overwhelming support.”
The funds will be used to support Vergara’s family and “help ease the burden of this unexpected love and pay tribute to the beautiful legacy she leaves behind,” Anadia wrote. “A legacy of love, kindness, and unwavering strength.” n
RADIANT SMILE The Phillipines’ Celestia Vergara’s dream was to work in Canada. A GoFundMe campaign for Vergara’s family had at press time raised more than $8,700. GOFUNDME
Pemberton man creates T-shirts for a good cause
WHILE DESIGNER SAYS THE T-SHIRT IS A CONVERSATION STARTER, THERE’S A DEEPER MEANING BEHIND THE DESIGN AND A GOOD CAUSE TO BOOT
BY LIZ MCDONALD
WHEN PEMBERTON resident Ben Davies was growing up riding at Blackcomb Mountain, there were two types of groms—brown-baggers or hot-lunch kids. Being a brown-bagging youth himself, he and his friends would often see hot-lunch kids leave delicious food on the table before they went back to shred. Being savvy and hungry kids, they did the right thing.
“If a tourist left a plate of fries, you’re getting in on it,” he said.
Now, Davies is all grown up, but he still sees the importance of raising brown-bagging kids himself. Recently, his kids asked him to connect their ski passes with his credit card so they could buy food on the mountain.
“There’s no damn way I was doing that. I told them, ‘We’re garbage bears,’” he said.
The penchant for finding food where it’s available is a lesson he and other creatures in Pemberton share. As residents know all too well, black bears and grizzly bears, hungry before hibernation, will find any available source of calories and can get into improperly stored garbage.
Davies has reflected on his similarity to bears, turning the affinity into a T-shirt. The shirts are available for purchase, with a portion of proceeds going to Pemberton Secondary School’s (PSS) Sea to Sky Ski Bike and Board Academy.
Davies’ T-shirt features a bear holding an assault rifle protecting a garbage dump. Eagles and a Mount Currie-esq summit are in the background, and his wife created the logo. He’s aware some viewers could misconstrue
the image.
“I thought it’d be funny. It’s a conversation piece,” he said. “Some people look at it as a joke, and some people, for some reason, get offended.”
What shouldn’t offend viewers is his goal of fundraising for youth access to sports.
Ten per cent of sales goes to PSS’ Bike and Board Academy, which Davies described as a “hands-on, guided experience,” that is available for youth in Grades 10 to 12 at PSS.
He prints the shirts in Vancouver, and a further play on the trash theme comes from the font, which is the same used for artwork
“I thought it’d be funny. It’s a conversation piece.”
- BEN DAVIES
on the cartoon by Art Spiegelman, Garbage Pail Kids (though this reporter had to admit she had no idea what that meant).
“It was just more of an idea to do something with the kids, and garbage bears just fit because I’m not hooking up my credit card,” he said. “You can have a hot chocolate pack, instant noodles and a granola bar. Or, you can clean up what the tourists aren’t finishing.”
It’s a lesson his kids seem to be receptive to, considering they’re proudly wearing the T-shirts.
To buy a Pemberton garbage bear T-shirt, reach out to Davies on Facebook. n
Celebrating the incredible life of Paul Venner, AKA “Pappa” on December 14th from 1:30-4pm at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
Paul truly lived a full and colorful life. He was a loving father, husband, THE BEST grandfather, a great friend, uncle and a brother who is greatly missed by many.
There is also a Ski for PV day on Dec 13th. Meet inside the Round House (Whistler) at 10 am. with cheers at Pappa’s Office, AKA The GLC after 2pm.
Donations to the Sea to Sky Hospice greatly appreciated. Live Stream of the event will also be available.
Getyourfreesnowflake reflector. Attach a Whistlersnowflake reflectortoyour packor jacket toincreasevisibility atnight.
Industry hijacks global climate and biodiversity summits
UNDER GLOBAL consumer-capitalism, power and wealth are concentrated in the hands of oligarchs, billionaires and CEOs, supported by the politicians they fund. That was evident at the 29th United Nations Conference of the Parties climate summit (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November and at the earlier COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia.
Close to 1,800 coal, oil and gas industry lobbyists attended COP29, outnumbering delegates from all but three countries (the host, next year’s host Brazil, and Turkey). As reports, “The 10 most climatevulnerable nations have only a combined 1,033
with contemporary withdrawals from the atmosphere the hundreds of millions of years’ worth of carbon being brought to the surface.”
This year marked the 29th global climate conference, and the 16th nature summit. Yet, despite some important progress, gas, oil and coal production continues to rise, along with corresponding climate-altering emissions, and destructive industrial agriculture continues to dominate food systems. Had we been serious about the climate and biodiversity crises when we first knew about them decades ago, we could have made a somewhat gradual and orderly shift to better ways of powering and feeding societies.
BY DAVID SUZUKI
delegates at the negotiations.” Many countries, including Canada, had industry representatives in their delegations, which gave them privileged
Azerbaijan is an oil-producing nation. Just before the talks, COP29’s chief executive Elnur Soltanov—also the country’s deputy energy minister and a former oil industry executive—was filmed agreeing to facilitate
Now the situation is critical. Although renewable energy growth is creating jobs and helping economies, we can’t get out of this accelerating mess without rapidly changing our ways of life and economic systems. We’re not meeting the emissions reduction targets negotiated over 29 years of climate conferences, which scientists say are necessary to avoid catastrophic heating. And hyper-consumerism is killing us with pollution, resource depletion, nature destruction and climate disruption.
Not only have industries and their CEOs and billionaire owners hijacked the conferences where solutions and agreements are negotiated, they’ve also captured politicians and governments, many of whom appear to know little or nothing about climate, physics, nature or science, and care only about power and profit.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company ADNOC, chaired last year’s climate conference there. Leaked documents showed the UAE planned to promote deals for its national oil and gas companies at meetings with other countries.
The industrial agriculture sector also sent hundreds of lobbyists to this year’s climate conference. And the biodiversity
The result is that even politicians who have some understanding of global heating and biodiversity loss don’t treat them as the emergencies they are. Worse, many deny or ignore the crises altogether, often repeating fossil fuel industry messaging and disinformation. Some, including in Canada, are campaigning against effective but still
Most of the industry representatives promote expensive and often unproven technical solutions...
conference drew 1,261 lobbyists representing “pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, agrochemicals, food and beverage processing and tech,” the Guardian reports.
only partial solutions such as carbon pricing. We can’t leave our future up to governments. And what we do leave up to them must be guided by our voices, not industry lobbyists, CEOs and billionaires. Those of us in democratic countries have an especially important responsibility. We must speak up, protest, educate ourselves and others and get involved in politics.
Most of the industry representatives promote expensive and often unproven technical solutions that allow them to continue or even expand business as usual (often with massive taxpayer subsidies), but lobby against some of the most effective solutions. The biodiversity conference ended on Nov. 2 with many issues unresolved.
If we truly care about our future and a healthy, climate-safe future for the children and grandchildren and those yet to be born, we must take a stand. If we care about nature of which we are a part and that we all depend on for survival, we must not be silent.
Time is running out.
Results from the climate conference weren’t much better. As George Monbiot wrote in the Guardian, governments were “prepared to consider any policy except those that might actually succeed: leaving fossil fuels in the ground and ending most livestock farming.” Instead, he noted that much of the focus was on carbon markets, “a futile, impossible attempt to offset
David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington. n
The Outsider’s Whistler Film Festival Picks
IF YOU’VE EVER worked or volunteered in the film industry, or witnessed it behind the scenes, you’ll know it’s a tough gig. From concept to capture, it takes some very motivated souls to see a film project of any size through to the end. There’s the creative
BY VINCE SHULEY
challenge of making an original piece of work that people are actually going to watch. There’s the long and often arduous funding process, where filmmakers petition investors and sponsors or apply for government grants for the money to actually get the project off the ground. Then there’s the tedious process of planning and pre-production; securing filming locations and permits, booking talent and making sure film crews can safely do their jobs in the field. After the footage is captured, it may seem like the hard part is over, but that’s when the post-production shifts into high gear with editing, colour grading, after effects and often re-edits. Then, near the end, you have to market and promote, which—you guessed it— takes lots of time, money and energy to make sure people actually see the film.
The good news is filmmakers are some of the most motivated souls in the visual arts. They embrace the above challenges wholeheartedly,
every project making them a little bit wiser to the practical production and logistical tasks, all while their creativity and craft grows.
I’ve never made anything more complex than a ski expedition video for YouTube, but having worked with production houses and some very talented directors, I have nothing but the highest respect for filmmakers who want to bring their creative vision to life through motion picture.
The Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has been showcasing the work of independent and burgeoning Canadian film talent for more than 20 years. Like many Whistler locals, I haven’t taken nearly as much
blockades against old-growth logging in 2020 and 2021? In the documentary Fairy Creek, director Jen Muranetz documents the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, one that made international headlines and garnered support from all over the world. The film is a visceral display of contemporary environmental activism and the lengths activists are willing to go to protect British Columbia’s last old-growth forests. I only ever saw social media posts and read mainstream news stories on the subject, so I’m looking forward to seeing what really went on behind the scenes. Watch it Saturday, Dec. 7 at 3:45 p.m.
[T]his week we all have more quality films than we know what to do with, so don’t just stay at home and watch Netflix after skiing.
advantage as I should of this artistic festival coming to our doorstep. Whether it was the steady trickle of public relations emails or a renewed curiosity in the festival’s programming this year, I decided to set time aside for watching some quality Canadian independent films. Not ski films or the Red Bull-fuelled action sports material we always seem to be awash with. But real stories and documentaries about real people and the difference they hope to make in the world. The following are the films that caught my attention this year.
Do you remember the Fairy Creek
Resident Orca dives into a fight for survival and freedom for Lolita, an orca captured 53 years ago and currently performing for the entertainment of crowds in the smallest killer whale tank in North America. The quest to free Lolita triggers an unlikely partnership between Indigenous matriarchs, a billionaire philanthropist, killer whale experts, and the aquarium’s new owner. Catch it on Friday, Dec. 6 at 4:45 p.m.
On the fiction side, if you’re a fan of classic Kurosawa films, or you just really enjoyed watching the series Shōgun this year, WFF is hosting the Canadian premiere
of Bushido. It’s a story of an exiled ronin falsely accused by an old clan acquaintance, forcing him to once again take up his sword in pursuit of justice. Described as a “John Wick meets Shōgun period drama that redefines the samurai genre,” this film will definitely show some heads rolling. It screens Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1:15 p.m.
For something a bit more to the tune of our familiar mountain film festivals, Mountain Culture Shorts: Bold Pursuits From Sky to Ice will screen four short films documenting kayakers sending it off ice waterfalls in Svalbard, a cold weather aerialist exploring acrobatics in the Canadian Rockies, a base jumper snowboarding off Goat Mountain near Squamish and pro skier and stuntman Rory Bushfield barefoot waterskiing behind his airplane. The films all screen on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8:30 p.m.
The closest cinema we have now is in West Vancouver, so it’s no surprise Whistler locals don’t get out to the movies much. But this week we all have more quality films than we know what to do with, so don’t just stay at home and watch Netflix after skiing. There are film events, panels and an opportunity to meet and talk with the top film talent we have in town this week. And if you’re an industry insider or just want to get to know more about how to make successful films in 2024, you’ll want to check out the WFF Content Summit. Ever wanted to learn how to be a showrunner? Get yourself along to these sessions and learn from the best.
For a full list of WFF showtimes, head to whistlerfilmfestival.com/browse/2024.
Vince Shuley is not missing out on the WFF this year. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince.shuley@gmail. com or Instagram @whis_vince. n
The end Gore-Tex? of
Sweeping bans have affected the iconic brand due to its use of ‘forever chemicals’
By Will Johnson
Sometimes it’s the only option.
The wildlife photographer lying face down in the snow for hours, waiting for that perfect moment. The search-and-rescue team tromping through the forest looking for a missing person in thigh-deep snowdrifts. Or even just the weekend warrior looking to spend a few hours on the slope. All of them need a reliable way to stay warm and dry.
Some coats can do that, but can they breathe, too? Do they give your perspiration an exit hatch? Because if not, you’ve got a moisture problem on both sides of the material.
That was the brilliance of Gore-Tex from the start. Sure, their rain jackets could block out the cold. But the real marvel was how they allowed sweat vapours to easily escape through its porous structure. This eliminated the clammy skin that results from activities like ice climbing or snowboarding, allowing people to not only be warm but also comfortable. Sometimes that meant the difference between life and death.
But at what cost?
The new Nalgene
First it happened to the Nalgene bottle.
The seemingly indestructible and cleverly designed water containers, which were all the rage amongst hikers, outdoor enthusiasts and just about everybody during the ’90s and early 2000s, were knocked off their cultural perch when academic studies were released asserting the
In Whistler, Gore-Tex has been the first choice for outdoor professionals working in the elements for many years, whether in search-and-rescue, mountain guiding or avalanche management. Though their coats are significantly more expensive than much of their competition, Gore-Tex earned a loyal following in the Sea to Sky corridor and became ubiquitous on the chairlifts.
It’s almost like it was too good to be true.
What are PFAs?
Basically, Gore-Tex jackets were reliably the best raincoats around for a long time, but the waterproofing came with a cost: they were treated with a class of water and stain-resistant “forever chemicals” commonly referred to as PFAs, and that eventually drew the attention and condemnation of environmental advocates worldwide.
Not only do PFAs take a thousand years or longer to break down—the attribute that earned them their nickname—but they also pose serious health concerns for humans. These chemicals are present in a huge range of consumer products, all of them impacted by the coming bans, including nonstick cookware, eye makeup and stain-resistant carpets.
As awareness about these chemicals has grown, lawsuits have followed. The company is currently struggling to do damage control, rolling out alternative materials and fabrics, but their image is now sporting a pretty serious black eye.
“PFTE is a fluoropolymer. Fluoropolymers are extremely valuable materials that have unique properties and enable high-performing products. For example, the use of fluoropolymers will enhance the durability of a product, enabling a longer life and lowering its environmental footprint,” the Gore-Tex website reads.
“This fluoropolymer is inert, insoluble in water, extremely stable and not biodegradable. Therefore, it does not degrade to become a source of … environmental concern.”
Outer Layer
POROUS MEMBRANE [PFAs]
bottles were leaching a dangerous chemical.
In 2007, Mountain Equipment Co-op pulled all the bottles from its shelves, replacing them with BPA-free alternatives, and many other stores soon followed suit. Even though the science involved was controversial and inconclusive, the once-ubiquitous bottles were suddenly relegated to the dustheap of history, unable to regain the company’s prominence during the following decades.
Now the same thing is occurring with Gore-Tex, the popular waterproofing material and high-end outdoor brand. Following court decisions in the U.S., chemicals used in the oncebeloved product—perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, or PFAs—are now being banned across North America. The company has pulled its effected products from store shelves, promising to redesign and rebrand, but the damage has largely been done.
Is it possible this is the end of Gore-Tex as we know it?
Raincoats and moon missions
To understand the Gore-Tex story, first you have to understand the name refers to multiple things. Gore-Tex refers to the products themselves, primarily expensive, high-end jackets, and has become as synonymous with “waterproof coat” as Kleenex is with tissue paper. It’s also the name of the company, of course, but mostly it refers to a patented material created more than 50 years ago.
First invented in 1969 by William and Robert Gore, this fabric membrane is constructed from something called polytetrafluoroethylene (PFTE) that allows vapours to pass through its pores while keeping water out. It went commercial in 1976, and their fabrics were even used during NASA’s first mission to the moon. Their success was similarly meteoric.
If you visit the Gore-Tex website, you will see they also manufacture gloves, hats, socks and footwear, and break their outerwear offerings into categories based on use: snowboarding/ skiing, hiking, running and everyday. They team up with brands such as Arc’teryx, Ecco and Mammut, and are constantly introducing innovative new technologies such as their recent Invisible Fit running shoes.
Their early motto: “Guaranteed to keep you dry.”
INNER Layer
The writing on the wall
According to a ruling in California, all products treated with forever chemicals will be completely banned in that state starting in January 2025. This is part of a domino effect across all of North America, with stores clearing whole sections of rain jackets and Gore-Tex itself pulling its existing products.
Pretty soon, it will be significantly harder to find a jacket with this form of waterproofing. According to Whistler outdoor enthusiast and Pique columnist Vince Shuley, that’s actually a good thing.
“I think it’s going to be an interesting time for the outdoor industry sector. The days of unfettered waterproofness at any cost are now behind us,” he says.
“My understanding is the more environmentally friendly something gets, the less waterproof it is. That applies for the membrane, the inside fabric, as well as the chemical spray repellant.”
This means the existing Gore-Tex coats may become prized possessions, particularly for those whose job requires staying warm and dry in extreme conditions. There’s no reason why a good Gore-Tex coat shouldn’t last a lifetime, with a few repairs, but Shuley wonders if people will embrace a more sustainable approach like this.
“Hopefully this gives people the motivation they always should’ve had to take care of their Gore-Tex. I’ve been writing for years that people should spend more money on high-quality products and not to treat it like fashion, or like it’s disposable,” he says.
“Take care of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s the new colour or the latest style.”
A seismic shift
Working in the mountains simply requires waterproof clothing—sometimes it’s the difference between coming home alive or not. That’s why Shuley is concerned some professionals may end up left in the cold, or scrambling to find good Gore-Tex through some other means.
“This will have an absolutely enormous impact on the day-to-day work of mountain
professionals if they can’t get Gore-Tex. If there’s a blanket ban and they can’t rely on the jackets they used to, that will affect outdoor guides and avalanche technicians and all those sorts of people who go out in the elements,” he says.
“This is a seismic shift when it comes to being able to do things important to them.”
He’s skeptical of recent attempts to fill Gore-Tex’s shoes.
“Gore-Tex isn’t the only game in town. There are other membranes that do quite well, and it’s become a bit of an arms race to find water-repellent fabrics that are compliant and work well. For the majority of recreationalists touring the Whistler backcountry, these new garments will probably be fine. But professionals are a different story.”
But if that’s true, nobody’s ringing alarm bells yet. According to the president of the Canada West Ski Areas Association, Chris Nicolson, he hasn’t heard anything concerning from patrol,
“Anecdotally, it seems like the more the news goes around the more people are rushing to either buy more Gore-Tex before the regulations come in, or hold on to their existing coats and treat them to renew their water repellency. ”
- VINCE SHULEY
risk management and mountain managers.
“The ski areas said this was not new, manufacturers and their clients have been adjusting for some time already, and many manufacturers already use other technology (i.e.) brands,” Nicolson says.
“Those I spoke to felt there was comparable alternatives, and depending on the fabric may need slight adjustments like washing the fabric more frequently.”
Pique reached out to several local retailers for their take—none responded.
Like Nalgene, Gore-Tex isn’t taking this situation laying down—and has already found a way to pivot into the future. On its website, the next generation of Gore-Tex products is already on proud display.
“We believe we have a responsibility to help find solutions that lead to a better tomorrow. The EPE (expanded polyethylene) membrane in next-generation Gore-Tex products is a key milestone in our responsible performance journey,” it reads.
The new material is “light and thin, yet strong, and it’s PFAS-free.”
Forever is a long time
This all brings us to the next problem—what to do with existing Gore-Tex products that are treated with forever chemicals. Not only have they become a hotter commodity since word of the incoming ban got out, there’s increased incentive to keep them out of landfills.
“Anecdotally, it seems like the more the news goes around the more people are rushing to either buy more Gore-Tex before the regulations come in, or hold on to their existing coats and treat them to renew their water repellency,” says Shuley.
He views this as a positive development.
“This is giving people the motivation they should’ve always had to take care of their Gore-Tex and make it last long-term,” he says.
“If the zipper goes, you can get it fixed. If there’s a tear in the fabric, you can replenish the water repellency many, many times. There’s no reason why you can’t keep a coat like that for decades, as long as you take care of it properly.”
Meanwhile, other companies have been circling the Gore-Tex kill like buzzards, looking for their piece of the market.
“Gore-Tex isn’t the only game in town. There are other membranes that do quite well, so now we have a bit of an arms race to get new water-repellent fabrics that are compliant but still work quite well,” Shuley says. “And for the majority of recreationalists touring Whistler Blackcomb, those new garments should probably be fine.” n
SHOP IN-STORE
Ryan Kuehn wins silver as North American Cup skeleton concludes in Whistler
NINTH
AGAIN FOR LONE CANUCK MACKENZIE ADAMS AMONG WOMEN
BY DAVID SONG
RYAN KUEHN helped Team Canada finish out the 2024 Whistler North American Cup (NAC) Nov. 29 on a good note with silver around his neck, earned after two clean runs and a total time of one minute and 48.58 seconds.
That left him just under 1.3 seconds behind Florian Auer, who again proved to be the class of the men’s skeleton field (1:47.29). Nicholas Timmings rounded out the podium with bronze (+1.89).
Friday’s ladies podium was identical to the day before, with Kendall Wesenberg golden (1:50.42), Laura Vargas entrenched in runnerup position (+1.83) and Katie Tannenbaum finishing third (+1.85).
Canadian Mackenzie Adams was relegated to ninth once more (+6.66).
Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) technical coach Kevin Boyer is proud of his athletes’ efforts and looks forward to more.
“Very pleased with Ryan’s performance,” he said. “I thought he put down two really solid runs and he was training consistently all week. Any time an athlete can pull together a consistent performance on race day … we’re thrilled, especially since [he sat out]
Thursday’s race.
“And Mackenzie’s a fighter. I think we had some hard moments in training for her, but over the last two days she battled and left it all out there. Credit to Kendall and Florian for having fantastic runs and well-deserved wins. That puts into perspective where we’re at and what we need to be doing to move forward, but everybody answered the bell.”
his sled in a way he thought would prove fruitful—even though the weather was difficult to predict.
“The Austrian was a very tough competitor. I needed something to give me an edge so I had to gamble a bit, but it still paid off,” said Kuehn. “I’m really happy with how I did today. It was an important race for me, and as always it’s such an honour to be able to
“Any time an athlete can pull together a consistent performance on race day ... we’re thrilled, especially since [he sat out] Thursday’s race.”
- KEVIN BOYER
‘WE’RE JUST STARTING TO GET OUR SEASON ROLLING’
Kuehn has recently spent three weeks training in Asia, where he slid down very different tracks from those in Europe and North America. The extra experience paid off, as did a last-minute gear decision.
Relatively sunny weather last Thursday softened the Whistler Sliding Centre’s blazingfast ice, lending itself well to a given sled setup. Cloudier, snowier conditions the day after added frost to the track, giving athletes something to ponder.
Making a judgment call, Kuehn rejigged
raise a Canadian flag for your country.”
Look beyond the podium and you’ll find some ingredients for future success on Canada’s skeleton roster, especially on the men’s side.
Josip Brusic, Thursday’s bronze medallist, was in contention after one run but fell back into sixth after a few key (but preventable) errors in his second attempt. Whistlerite Jacob Coleman finished seventh, but consistently made up time in the latter half of his runs. Then there’s ex-University of Manitoba sprinter Sébastien Régnier, the only man to achieve two push times faster than
4.65 seconds (4.61 and 4.56).
“We’re just starting to get our season rolling here, so as a team we’ll be back [in Whistler] multiple times for more training opportunities this year,” explained Boyer, who placed 17th at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. “With newer athletes that we’re bringing down to Park City [in December], it’s really about fundamentals and basics, making sure they’re enjoying the sport, getting down safely and enjoying the experience of putting on the Maple Leaf.
“Having current World Champion Hallie Clarke as well as Jane Channell on our team, we’ve got really solid vets who are pushing to compete at [the next Olympics]. The quicker we can get our recruits and younger athletes in that same environment, [the more we can] hopefully inspire them to continue. I think they’re naturally driven, which makes our jobs easy.”
Kuehn won’t be joining his teammates in Park City, but he’s got the Junior Skeleton World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland highlighted on his calendar. The Calgarian raced in that venue for the 2018 Youth Olympics and expects to meet many of the same opponents there in January.
“I am extremely hopeful to put down a podium finish in St. Moritz,” Kuehn revealed. “That’s the race to really prove myself and prove all the experience and potential that I have, I believe.”
Full skeleton results from the Whistler NAC can be viewed at ibsf.org/en/races-andresults. n
TOP SIX The North American Cup men’s skeleton top six in Whistler on Nov. 29, including silver medallist Ryan Kuehn (back left).
PHOTO BY DAVID SONG
Skeleton bronze for Josip Brusic at 2024 Whistler North American Cup
MACKENZIE ADAMS FINISHES NINTH AS LONE CANADIAN WOMAN IN FIELD
BY DAVID SONG
JOSIP BRUSIC paced Canada on Thursday, Nov. 28 with a North American Cup (NAC) bronze medal.
Brusic notched a combined two-run time of one minute and 48.74 seconds, which was 1.7 seconds back of triumphant Austrian Florian Auer. Nicholas Timmings from Australia locked down the runner-up spot (+1.49).
“In [terms of] ranking I’m pretty pleased, but my performance today wasn’t the best,” said Brusic. “I could have done a lot better on the ice and I could have chased for my personal best. I was just off it by about twotenths [of a second]. Wanted to do more, but I’m happy with what I got.
“We want to look where we’re going, but that makes us slow because our head acts as a parachute. When we bring it down, we become more aerodynamic. I’ll be trying to keep my head down [more] as I start hitting 120 kilometres per hour—not being scared of that, and just embracing it.”
On the ladies’ front, Kendall Wesenberg netted gold for Team USA (1:50.20) with a convincing performance. Silver went to Laura Vargas of Colombia (+0.51) and Virgin Islands native Katie Tannenbaum earned bronze (+2.71).
Mackenzie Adams placed ninth (+6.89) as the event’s only Canuck, but is keeping the small victories in mind.
“I brought my downtime down by two seconds today, which is pretty good for me,” explained Adams, who also reached her goal by completing each run in less than a minute (58.61 and 58.48 seconds, to be exact). “You have to be a fast thinker [in Whistler] and you need to be able to adapt to whatever’s going on.”
FUNDAMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
Change is afoot in the Canadian skeleton program with two-time Olympic veteran Mirela Rahneva, former Whistlerite Tirza Lara and three-time NAC medallist Blake Enzie all on
hiatus from skeleton.
That leaves reigning World Champion Hallie Clarke and Jane Channell as the roster’s most decorated personnel, with both focused on World Cup races this season.
Brusic and Adams found themselves in the mix alongside Jordan Rwiyamilira (sixth on Thursday), Jacob Coleman (eighth), Sébastien Régnier (ninth), Marc-Antoine Vigneault (10th), Brayden Posyluzny (13th) and Ryan Kuehn (DNS).
“I’m really happy for Josip. He’s going into his third year, so a bronze medal is great,” said national team manager and technical coach Micaela Widmer. “I’m really excited to see what he can do because I think Josip has the ability to win this race [in Whistler].
“And Mackenzie comes to the track and works hard. She’s an amazing teammate, always there to help out when we need her.”
Fortunately, Adams won’t be the lone Canadian woman on the NAC for long. Four NextGen recruits (Emily Bateman, Julia Hamilton, Madeline Parra and Roselyn Houde) will join her for the next block of races in Park City, Utah in early December. All have come up through the RBC Training Ground pipeline, and Widmer expressed optimism for how they might develop in the future.
Developmental team member Brusic is arguably Canada’s senior male skeleton athlete for now, but along with Sébastien Régnier, the NextGen cohort also includes Dion Charles, Massimo Ardizzoni, Zander Greco, Andrew Piderbeisky, Peyton Mecham, Jesse Plante, Simon Salisbury and Eliot Trembley waiting in the wings
The 2026 Winter Olympics might be out of reach for the present generation, but Widmer emphasized the opportunity they have to prepare themselves for long-term success.
“I think that at the North American Cup level, we are really focused on developing sliding fundamentals, great push technique, being a great teammate and building the culture of skeleton,” she elaborated. “It’s a little bit more about participation and learning … not saying our athletes will be out of [Olympic contention], but we’re trying to achieve different outcomes.” n
ALONG FOR THE SLIDE Josip Brusic races in Whistler on Nov. 28.
PHOTO BY DAVID SONG
Light, local and lovely—gifts that keep on giving
TURN UP THAT SIMPLICITY DIAL TO SLEIGH YOUR HOLIDAY STRESS
GETTING THINGS all holiday-fied? Jazzed about the good times ahead, be they quiet times by the fire or fired-up party times?
Fingers crossed—postal strike notwithstanding—that you’re also way more excited than stressed about what to give all those good boys and girls on your Santa list this season, while trying to minimize the 3 millionplus containers of goods shipped annually through Vancouver ports alone. Remember, it all comes via fossil-fuel-fired freighters and trucks, not a reindeer-driven sleigh.
BY GLENDA BARTOSH
Just in time to deliver the real goods for this most wonderful time of the year, here’s my latest offering of gifts that disappear, or otherwise spell l-o-v-e and l-o-c-a-l in the best possible ways: They’re as mindful of our precious natural world as you are of your own precious family, friends and community.
You needn’t go posh or big time to give generously. And you don’t need to spend bucks you don’t have. Even the simplest gifts express kindness and care, or maybe I should say, they especially do. Like cooking up a favourite dish and sharing it with a neighbour.
Offering to clean a snow-bound sidewalk. Or helping stack a load of firewood. Then ditching the digital, and telling them all about it with a phone call or homemade card slipped under their door.
Or donate to causes your giftee believes in. The need is greater than ever in light of the crises we face—in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan; in our natural world.
Closer to home, an annual membership to the very good Whistler Naturalists, or the equally good Arts Whistler make for excellent gifts. Likewise, namesake donations to WAG, Whistler’s animal shelter.
And don’t forget that while the Sea to Sky might seem like some perfect, idealized place to live, the food banks in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton are deluged. They welcome any contributions—in volunteer time, food or cash donations. Whistler Community Services, which runs Whistler’s food bank, also reminds us that donations over $25 receive a tax receipt, and monetary donations generate more bang for our bucks than food donations.
PIECING THINGS TOGETHER
If you’re still puzzled about what to give, Whistler Museum has got you covered. Tops is their latest 1,000-piece puzzle featuring a favourite Whistler image that people voted on.
As the museum’s Allyn Pringle notes, “Too much snow with an overcast sky and snowy trees makes for a very difficult puzzle.” So this year’s winner is a beautiful archival image of Whistler Mountain’s downhill course from the George Benjamin Collection. (Photographer and local denizen of the infamous Toad Hall, George—or Benji,
as he was fondly known—landed in Whistler in 1968 and made a lasting impression.)
Get yours soon—last year’s puzzle, with a 1980s image of the Roundhouse, sold out fast. Otherwise, check out the museum gift shop, offering everything from mugs and more with the classic “W” logo to stuffy versions of local wildlife, including bears (of course!), raccoons and owls. Speaking of animals, they also sell the classic Toad Hall poster.
In a more supportive vein, if you buy a copy of longtime Whistlerite John Hetherington’s A BC Odyssey: Canoeing through British Columbia in 1970, all proceeds go to the museum’s building fund. Plus annual memberships to the museum, or to one of Whistler’s other cultural keystones, the Audain Art Museum and Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, support these valued institutions and make great gifts anytime.
MORE EASY LIVING, EASY GIVING
If you (unfortunately) missed the fabulous annual Arts Whistler Holiday Market, held in conjunction with Bratz Biz last weekend, you can still connect via the Holiday Market website with most vendors, including two of Whistler’s legendary artists—Andrea “Likes Art” Mueller (painting, photography, cool custom clothing, and more) and Chili Thom Studio.
I’ve always loved that quote of Chili’s, “Your experience in nature depends on how you choose to position yourself within it.” So if you have kids searching for ideas on how they’re going to relate to nature, thoughtful gifts for them—and others—can be found on the well-curated shelves of Whistler’s iconic and only bookstore, Armchair Books. Founded back in 1982, when Whistler
Village was barely out of training pants itself, Armchair (so named for the eponymous glacier hanging high like a sentinel in the mountaintops over Whistler) still occupies its original location in the heart of the village.
For those young nature lovers, check out the fun and fabulous Weird and Wonderful Nature: Tales of More Than 100 Unique Plants, Animals and Phenomena from DK Books. Author Ben Hoare is a seasoned nature writer, and makes it fun and easy to learn about quirky stuff, like why Mexican jumping beans jump.
If that isn’t quite the right fit, Armchair has a huge selection of books for kids of all ages, including “big people” nature-lovers. (If you’re a local, you get 10 per cent off plus free delivery if you can’t make it in person, or you’re simply done with Amazon.) They stock 20-plus guidebooks to Whistler and beyond, as well as titles by local authors, like Stella Harvey, founder of Whistler’s amazing writers festival, which has hosted the likes of Canadian icons Grant Lawrence and Miriam Toews; Olympian alpine skier Mike Janyk, who grew up in Whistler from age 13, along with his sister, Britt; and longtime Whistler resident and world adventurer, Todd Lawson.
But if it’s a local cookbook you want, make it BReD: The Cookbook by Ed and Natasha Tatton of the eternally popular and award-winning vegan bakery BReD, located at Whistler Creekside.
Vegan, local, gorgeous to behold. What more could you ask for, or give, at this special time of year?
Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who tips her elf hat to Allyn Pringle for turning her on to the word “holiday-fied.” n
STILL PUZZLED? If gift-giving has you baffled, check out Whistler Museum’s gift shop. This year’s custom 1,000-piece puzzle, featuring a photo of Whistler Mountain’s downhill course by legendary local George Benjamin, will solve everything.
PHOTO BY BRAD NICHOLS / WHISTLER MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
F
R
I
The Spiritual Warriors nominated for 2025 Native American Music Awards
FANS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENCOURAGED TO VOTE BEFORE JANUARY
BY DAVID SONG
THE SPIRITUAL WARRIORS are up once more for the Native American Music Awards (NAMA).
Lead singer and songwriter Leroy Joe can’t remember exactly how many times his band has been in the NAMA running, but figures it’s been at least 12 or 13 nominations. They’ve clinched a pair of accolades to date: Best Historical Linguistic Album in 2013 and Best World Recording in 2019. This time the group is nominated in the Best Folk Recording category.
Joining Leroy in the Spiritual Warriors are his daughter Daisy on vocals, percussionist Rich Doucet, keyboard player Quentin De Lorenzis, Cuyler Biller on guitar and bassist Sheldon Powell.
They’ve collaborated with Norm Fisher, a bass maestro who has toured with multiplatinum rocker Bryan Adams and eight-time Juno recipient Colin James, as well as drummer Richard Brown from Vancouver. The group is also known for partnering with other First Nations artists to write music and
perform live.
“I’m so happy,” said Leroy. “This gives us more credibility, and not only that: I’m thinking about our Nation, our culture and our language. [This nomination] puts Lil’wat Nation more on the map, and it gets people to recognize that world music is happening right here in our territory—in British Columbia. A lot of times we think about world music,
explains. “I was primarily a rock and blues musician and had slowly gotten into reggae and bluegrass, but I transposed one of our traditional songs—the berry-picking song— onto the guitar. Then I just started writing lyrics around it and using our chant.
“I’m a language keeper as well. I want to share and teach about our language to our people to keep it alive.”
“I was primarily a rock and blues musician and had slowly gotten into reggae and bluegrass, but I transposed one of our traditional songs—the berry-picking song— onto the guitar. Then I just started writing lyrics around it and using our chant.”
- LEROY JOE
we think about Africa or South America or whatever … I’m almost at a loss for words.”
Indigenize is the name of the group’s latest album. Four of its eight tracks are sung entirely in the Lil’wat language of Ucwalmicwts, with English interspersed throughout the rest of the offering.
“That idea came to me years ago when I was at a music school in Nelson, B.C.,” Leroy
A MUSICAL FAMILY
If you haven’t heard the Spiritual Warriors perform before, they make for an eclectic listening experience. Their stuff can be described as contemporary Indigenous music: a fusion of reggae, hip hop, rock and pop with the ancient Lil’wat language and chanting styles.
The band first coalesced approximately
17 years ago beneath another name (Kalan Wi), with Leroy and Doucet part of that original core. Things changed and some people moved on, but the moniker “Spiritual Warriors” has stuck since 2014. Leroy chose that name to honour his great-grandfather (who was a medicine man) and other First Nations folks from past generations who served their communities by being rooted within spirituality.
Familial connections among the group are also represented by Daisy’s presence. She volunteered to be their main female singer when she was 14 years old, and is still on board at age 26.
“That’s a pretty amazing thing,” remarks Leroy. “We’re keeping on. I’ve always wanted to make music, like recordings, but [then I had] a family and needed to work. I thought the dream was over, but then it kind of just started happening. We grew up in a musical family. Uncles, grandparents, cousins … we all played music.”
NAMA winners are chosen by popular vote, and an organization spokesperson revealed in an email to Pique that ballots will remain open until at least January 2025 in order to “keep the momentum going and [raise] awareness for all our artists.” With hundreds of nominees involved, Leroy encourages his fellow community members to cast their vote early and often.
Visit nativeamericanmusicawards.com/ official-voting-ballot to have your say. n
LANGUAGE KEEPERS Award-winning Lil’wat Nation band The Spiritual Warriors.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEROY JOE
Stephen Vogler’s West Coast Front to reunite with C.R. Avery
BOTH BANDS WILL PLAY TOGETHER DEC. 6 IN WHISTLER AND DEC. 7 IN PEMBERTON
BY DAVID SONG
WITH THE 2024 Whistler Film Festival (WFF) featuring a heavy dose of music, it is fitting that locals will have two exciting concerts to check out around the same time.
Stephen Vogler, director of the Point Artist-Run Centre (PARC), is bringing his West Coast Front band to Après Après on Dec. 6 and the Pemho Pub on Dec. 7. He’ll be joined by C.R. Avery and the Prime-Time Players on both nights.
The groups previously teamed up at August’s Flag Stop Festival to a rousing audience reception.
For those not in the know: the West Coast Front represents an evolution of Vogler’s old band, Some Assembly Required. He changed its name for the 2021-22 season after releasing an EP dubbed Corn Chips & Bourbon. The West Coast Front specializes in reggae, ska and roots rock.
Avery, meanwhile, has toured the globe both solo and with various backing bands in tow. Together they’ve livened up stages with everything from rock and country to hip hop, outlaw blues and beatboxing. Thirteentime Grammy nominee Charlie Musselwhite is one of many people impressed with Avery’s talent, remarking that “no one plays like him, no one.”
Not limited to one creative realm, Avery has directed and produced a pair of featurelength movies: Victory on East Hastings (featuring a live musical and theatrical act) and The Bar Without a Neon Sign (which screened in Japan, New Zealand and the United States).
A SPECIAL AND OPEN-MINDED BUNCH
Vogler first met Avery years ago at a previous edition of the Whistler Writers Festival (WWF). The exact date eludes him, but he remembers Avery performing spoken word and music with great aplomb. Naturally, Vogler invited his new acquaintance to an event called Creative 5 Eclectic—something of a predecessor to the now-established PARC.
“C.R. spans artistic disciplines seamlessly,” Vogler says. “He’s a poet and a born performer and you never quite know
what you’re going to get. Yes, it’s great having him on the bill and collaborating with him.”
For Avery, the respect is mutual.
“The Point community has been really good to me, and of course Stephen plays a huge part in that,” he expresses. “There I’ve performed with a scratch DJ and burlesque, with my cinematic opera, with my rock-’n’-roll band and most recently with my soul revival group. There’s a special and open-minded bunch [in Whistler].
“Stephen and I had a blast [at the Flag Stop Festival] with his punk and ska background and me bringing the dirty blues and hip-hop. Stephen’s my kind of guitar player … like a soul player, a guitar player for the working class wanting to have fun.”
‘THE ORIGINAL NORTHERN STAR’
Every artist starts somewhere, and for Avery that first proving ground was an Ottawa coffee house named Rasputin’s. He played there with a number of bands as a 17-year-old, commenting that “there were lots of chances to get up on stage underage if you had a beard.”
Avery then branched out to Kingston and Hamilton on the shores of Lake Ontario, where he became a skilled pianist, singer and composer.
One of Avery’s favourite records is Jack Johnson, crafted by Miles Davis and named after the first black heavyweight champion in boxing. This particular album proved Davis’ trumpet could complement rock riffs and string arrangements—so why shouldn’t Avery likewise dabble in an eclectic range of sounds?
As of this writing, Avery is in Whistler editing his third film. This one’s called HipHop For Hobo Sailors and it’s loaded with dialogue and songs from Bob Dylan. “It feels very Irish, like I’m going back to the original northern star of poetry that set me ablaze all those years ago,” says Avery. “Music and movies have always been married, even in the silent film area.”
Speaking of films: both of Vogler and Avery’s upcoming concerts will begin at 9 p.m., giving WFF patrons a chance to finish their daily viewership before giving their eyes a rest and enjoying some live music.
Visit members.aprespass.ca/events.aspx for tickets to the Dec. 6 show in Whistler and pemho.com/events for tickets to Dec.7 in Pemberton. n
UNITED FRONT The West Coast Front band during a performance.
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN VOGLER
SHOLTOSHAW
PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE
WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL
WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL
This year marks the Whistler Film Festival’s 24th edition of “Canada’s Coolest Film Festival” with live and virtual events to connect audiences, filmmakers and industry. Events include film premieres, industry summits, talent programs, celebrations and special guest appearances by actors and directors. From the hottest indies to award-season fare, WFF offers a hotbed of discovery and talent, an essential destination for the industry to connect, and a festive cinematic celebration for film fans and filmmakers alike.
> Ends Dec. 8
> Multiple venues
> Ticket and package prices vary
ALTA LAKE BIRD WALK
Join the Whistler Naturalists on the first Saturday of the month for a walk to Rainbow Park. Open to anyone interested in learning about birds and contributing as a citizen scientist. There will be experienced birders on hand who are happy to share their knowledge.
> Dec. 7, 9 a.m.
> Bottom of Lorimer Road
> Free
WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL: ROCK THE FEST
Wear your best band tee and bring your favourite song requests—from Queen to The Tragically Hip to Taylor Swift—and witness an unforgettable face-off between two of rock ‘n’ roll’s hottest keyboardists, Mick Dalla Vee (Randy Bachman Band) and Andrew Johns (Alice Cooper). Celebrate the Whistler Film Festival in style with an exciting silent auction, Heads & Tails, a special raffle with amazing prizes to be won, and more.
> Dec. 7, 8 p.m.
> Whistler Conference Centre
> $75
JOHN CLINTON
Join for a cocktail reception followed by an inspiring presentation from John Clinton, who shares unique insights into the process and philosophy behind his celebrated sculptures. Known for his intricate work with materials like wood, bronze and metal, Clinton’s art explores themes of movement, form and balance, captivating viewers with a harmonious blend of nature and structure.
> Dec. 7, 4 to 6 p.m.
> Four Seasons Resort Whistler
> Reservation required
WHISTLER BESPOKE MARKET
Come explore the Bespoke Market for a curated holiday shopping experience showcasing creative entrepreneurs including designers, small shop owners, and makers. Socially conscious shoppers will find a selection of items such as handcrafted jewellery, one-of-a-kind art, natural skincare, artisanal foods and beverages, slow fashion and home goods from 30-plus vendors.
> Dec. 7 to 8, various times
> Audain Art Museum
> Regular tickets start at $10
ALPINE CAFE CHRISTMAS MARKET
Alpine Cafe is hosting its own Christmas Market, featuring a 50/50 draw, food bank collection,
and
> Dec. 8, 1:30 to 4 p.m.
and
> Alpine Cafe
AS EA SO NOFG IVIN G
Aheartfeltinitiativededicated to fosteringcommunityspiritand supportinglocalnon-profits.
Planning your perfect Whistler wedding? PICK UP YOUR COPY TODAY!
Whistler’s first season
BY ALLYN PRINGLE
IN JANUARY 1966, skiers in the Lower Mainland saw the beginning of two new ventures: Whistler Mountain held its opening day on Jan. 15 and Ski Trails published its first issue on Jan. 20 (though a typographical error dates the first issue as Jan. 20, 1965). Luckily for us at the Whistler Museum, this means the opening season of Whistler Mountain is documented throughout the first volume of Ski Trails, which was published every two weeks.
The aim of Ski Trails, according to editor Michael Horsey, was “to provide an informative and entertaining service for B.C. skiers,” while targeting “the average recreational skier who wants to know about new skiing areas, new products and what other skiers are thinking about.” To that end, Ski Trails published longer pieces detailing specific resorts and ski areas and what they had to offer, beginning with Whistler Mountain in its first issue. It also published articles on new ski signs, ski fashions, regular columns that listed new developments and events, and letters from readers, as well as more comical pieces that commented on the ski culture of the 1960s. Throughout its first volume, Ski Trails also published race results for the various races and ski clubs in the
This
the second issue published Jan. 29, Ski Trails reported on long lineups for the gondola and T-bars that still weren’t in operation. This trend continued into February, with a photo caption that read “Backed up like rush hour traffic, these skiers queue at Tower 9 at the Whistler chairlift.”
Because Ski Trails reported on ski areas throughout the province, we know this problem was not unique to Whistler Mountain, and all of the mountains considered local to the Lower Mainland were experiencing capacity difficulties. The staff at Ski Trails attributed this to a “ski boom” of about 80,000 skiers in the area, leading to “predictable results” including long lineups and crowded slopes.
For Whistler Mountain, this problem was partially alleviated by the Feb. 26 issue, which reported that “the opening of the two T-bars at Whistler has reduced lineups and is giving skiers a full day of skiing.” At that time, Whistler had one T-bar located in the valley and another above the chairlift (today’s Red Chair) near its current location.
Throughout Whistler Mountain’s first season, Ski Trails continued to update skiers about new developments and events such as the First Aid Ski Patrol fundraiser to help build a ski patrol cabin, road conditions, and plans for the next season, while continuing to situate the ski area within the context of other
trend continued into
February, with a photo caption that read “Backed up like rush hour traffic, these skiers queue at Tower 9 at the Whistler chairlift.”
province, often including names that would become very familiar in the Whistler area such as Andrée Vajda (Janyk), Bob Calladine and Karen Dokka (Vagelatos).
In its first issue, Ski Trails announced that “the hottest skiing news for Lower Mainland skiers is coming from the cold, cold slopes of Whistler Mountain,” and listed the different facilities, accommodations and après options available. It would appear the early season did not go off without a hitch, however, and by
ski areas in the province.
As we head into another winter season in Whistler, skiers (and now snowboarders) are sure to experience a very different Whistler Mountain than the one reported throughout Ski Trails in 1966. While we have quite a few issues of Ski Trails in our collection spanning from 1966 to 1973, we do not have a full run. If you happen to come across an issue while cleaning out an attic or crawlspace, we would love to see it! n
HAPPY TRAILS This photo appeared in the third issue of Ski Trails.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER MUSEUM
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
WEEK OF DECEMBER 6 BY ROB
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Blaming others for our problems is rarely helpful. If we expend emotional energy focusing on how people have offended and hurt us, we diminish our motivation to heal ourselves. We may also get distracted from changing the behaviour that ushered us into the mess. So yes, it’s wise to accept responsibility for the part we have played in propagating predicaments. However, I believe it’s also counterproductive to be relentlessly serious about this or any other psychological principle. We all benefit from having mischievous fun as we rebel against tendencies we have to be dogmatic and fanatical. That’s why I am authorizing you to celebrate a good-humoured Complaint Fest. For a limited time only, feel free to unleash fantasies in which you uninhibitedly and hilariously castigate everyone who has done you wrong.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): What you are experiencing may not be a major, earth-shaking rite of passage. But it’s sufficiently challenging and potentially rewarding to qualify as a pivotal breakthrough and turning point. And I’m pleased to say that any suffering you’re enduring will be constructive and educational. You may look back at this transition as a liberating initiation. You will feel deep gratification that you have clambered up to a higher level of mastery through the power of your intelligent love and feisty integrity.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are now about halfway between your last birthday and next birthday. In the prophecy industry, we call this your Unbirthday Season. It is usually a time when you receive an abundance of feedback—whether you want it or not. I encourage you to want it! Solicit it. Even pay for it. Not all of it will be true or useful, of course, but the part that is true and useful will be very much so. You could gather a wealth of information that will help you fine-tune your drive for success and joy in the months to come.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Legend tells us that the Buddha achieved enlightenment while meditating beneath the Bodhi Tree in Bihar, India. He was there for many weeks. At one point, a huge storm came and pelted the sacred spot with heavy rain. Just in time, the King of Serpents arrived, a giant cobra with a massive hood. He shielded the Buddha from the onslaught for the duration. Now I am predicting that you, too, will receive an unexpected form of protection and nurturing in the coming weeks. Be ready to open your mind about what help looks and feels like. It may not be entirely familiar.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In written form, the Japanese term oubaitori is comprised of four kanji, or characters. They denote four fruit trees that bloom in the spring: cherry, plum, peach, and apricot. Each tree’s flowers blossom in their own sweet time, exactly when they are ready, neither early nor late. The poetic meaning of oubaitori is that we humans do the same: We grow and ripen at our own unique pace. That’s why it’s senseless to compare our rate of unfoldment to anyone else’s. We each have our own timing, our own rhythm. These ideas are especially apropos for you right now, Leo.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I hope you will hunker down in your bunker. I hope you will junk all defunct versions of your spunky funkiness and seek out fresh forms of spunky funkiness. In other words, Virgo, I believe it’s crucial for you to get as relaxed and grounded as possible. You have a mandate to explore ultimate versions of stability and solidity. Shore up your foundations, please. Grow deeper roots. Dig down as deep as you can to strengthen and tone your relationship with the core of your being.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Every one of us is a hypocrite at least some of the time. Now and then, we all ignore or outrightly violate our own high standards. We may even engage in behaviour that we criticize in others. But here’s the good news for you, Libra.
BREZSNY
In the coming weeks and months, you may be as unhypocritical as you have ever been. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you are likely to be consistently faithful to your ideals. Your actual effects on people will closely match your intended effects. The American idiom is, “Do you practice what you preach?” I expect the answer to that question will be yes as it pertains to you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author George Orwell advised us that if we don’t analyze and understand the past, we are likely to repeat the mistakes of the past. Alas, few people take heed. Their knowledge of our collective history is meagre, as is their grasp of recurring trends in their personal lives. But now here’s the good news, dear Scorpio: In the coming months, you will have exceptional power to avoid replicating past ignorance and errors—IF you meditate regularly on the lessons available through a close study of your life story.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In his song “Voodoo Child,” Sagittarian musician Jimi Hendrix brags, “Well, I stand up next to a mountain / And I chop it down with the edge of my hand.” I encourage you to unleash fantasies like that in the coming days, Sagittarius. Can you shoot lightning bolts from your eyes? Sure you can. Can you change water into wine? Fly to the moon and back in a magic boat? Win the Nobel Prize for Being Yourself? In your imagination, yes you can. And these exercises will prime you for an array of more realistic escapades, like smashing a mental block, torching an outmoded fear, and demolishing an unnecessary inhibition or taboo. To supercharge your practical power, intensify your imagination’s audacity.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The name of my column is “Free Will Astrology” because I aspire to nurture, inspire, and liberate your free will. A key component in that effort is to help you build your skills as a critical thinker. That’s why I encourage you to question everything I tell you. Don’t just assume that my counsel is always right and true for you. Likewise, I hope you are discerning in your dealings with all teachers, experts, and leaders—especially in the coming weeks and months. You are in a phase of your cycle when it’s even more crucial than usual to be a good-natured skeptic who poses exuberant, penetrating questions. To serve your soul’s health, refine your practice of the art of creative rebellion.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be like a beautifully made fountain that people love to visit, Aquarius. Not like a metaphorical geyser or stream or waterfall out in the natural world, but a three-tiered marble fountain. What does that entail? Here are hints. The water of the fountain cascades upward, but not too high or hard, and then it showers down gently into a pool. Its flow is steady and unflagging. Its sound is mellifluous and relaxing. The endless dance of the bubbles and currents is invigorating and calming, exuberant and rejuvenating. Be like a fountain.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Around this time of year, persimmon trees in my neighbourhood have shed their leaves but are teeming with dazzling orange fruits. Pomegranate trees are similar. Their leaves have fallen off but their red fruits are ready to eat. I love how these rebels offer their sweet, ripe gifts as our winter season approaches. They remind me of the current state of your destiny, Pisces. Your gorgeous fertility is waxing. The blessings you have to offer are at a peak. I invite you to be extra generous as you share your gifts with those who are worthy of them—and maybe even a few who aren’t entirely worthy.
Homework: What can you make or do in 2025 that you have never made or done before? Start dreaming. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates EXPANDED
In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com
RENT SELL HIRE
Classifieds Where locals look
CALL OR PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED WITH OUR ONLINE SERVICE FOR EITHER PRINT OR ONLINE...OR BOTH! Get the added punch to make your business ad standout with a classified display ad.
Position Overview: SSHS is seeking a self-motivated, autonomous Home and Community Care Nurse to provide care to adult community members (19+) of three (3) remote First Nations communities by being responsible for full scope nursing care to home care clients and members with chronic diseases, constantly promoting health and wellness education, and aligning care out of community.
Qualifications:
• Current practicing registration as a License Practical Nurse (LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN) with the BC College of Nurse and Midwives (BCCNM)
• Current CPR course for Health Care Providers (HCP)
Knowledge and Abilities:
• Care for clients with acute, chronic, palliative, mental health, and substance use needs.
• Deliver direct care and care management, empowering clients to navigate community services.
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• Completion of specialty nursing certificate/certified practice (BCCNM) as applicable and two (2) years’ recent, related public health nursing experience including experience related to the population applicable to the job or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Collaborate with clients, families, and interprofessional teams to establish realistic wellness goals.
• Partner with primary care providers and other care professionals.
Special:
• This position is requires travel to indigenous communities served by SSHS, accessed by Forest Service Road
• SSHS offers a competitive benefits and employment package to full time employees
See full job posting on the careers page of our website: sshs.ca/careers/ Apply now by sending your resume and cover letter via email: julia.schneider@sshs.ca
Job Opportunity: Crusher Operator
Whistler Aggregates is seeking a skilled Crusher Operator with a strong background in maintenance and safety to join our team. This is a year-round position offering competitive wages, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to work in a safe, supportive environment.
Position Highlights:
5. Location: Whistler, BC
6. Role: Operate the crusher from the control tower, ensuring optimal performance and safety
7. Requirements:
1. Strong understanding of crushers and operational procedures
2. Proficiency in lock-out/tag-out protocols for safe maintenance and repairs
3. Preferred background in equipment maintenance and troubleshooting
4. Ability to work effectively under the guidelines of the Mine Act
8. Expectations: Safety-focused, reliable, and diligent in daily tasks
Join a trusted team at Whistler Aggregates! If you’re a dedicated crusher operator with the skills and commitment to safety we’re looking for, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply Now and
JOB POSTING
Health Assistant
Position Overview: The Men's Health Assistant supports and fosters health and healing among Stl'atl'imx men by creating a supportive environment for storytelling, mentoring leadership development, and building peer support networks that promote culturally safe healing and wellness.
Key Responsibilities:*
• Supports the facilitation and management of the Men's Health Program
• Support men's activities (traditional harvesting, outdoor skills, etc.).
• Create culturally safe spaces for men to gather, share perspectives, and build consensus.
• Mentor volunteer leaders, provide nutritious meals, and ensure participant safety.
• Maintain records, drive participants to events (using SSHS vehicles), and uphold confidentiality.
• building group consensus regarding men's group activities
See full job posting on the careers page/website: sshs.ca/careers/ Apply now by sending your resume and cover letter via email: julia.schneider@sshs.ca
Qualifications & Skills:
• Excellent verbal communication
• Knowledge of Stl'at'imx cultural/traditional practices (Uwalmicwts language is an asset)
• Experience working with Stl'at'imx communities (construction/building experience an asset)
• Consensus-building, conflict management, and teamwork skills.
Special:
• This position is requires travel to indigenous communities served by SSHS, accessed by Forest Service Road
• SSHS offers a competitive benefits and employment package to full time employees
2 Bedrooms and 1 Bathroom suite available for rent in Pemberton Plateau. Unit is available for immediate occupancy, December 15th or January 1st. Private Entrance, clean, new washer and dryer, one parking stall at property. cable and Wi-Fi is included. Unit just repainted. $2500 per month, utilities not included. Contact
Warehouse Lien Act Whereas the following registered owners are indebted to Cooper’s Towing Ltd. for unpaid
and storage fees plus any related charges that may accrue. Notice is hereby given that on December 14, 2024, at noon or thereafter the goods will be seized and sold.
1. Olivia McLean 1992 Toyota Tercel VIN: JT2EL43DXN0161538 $3297.00
2. Wilson Jazz Alexandra 1997 Chevrolet S10 Vin: 1GCCS1948V8124528 $3234.00
• Social Worker ($80,371.20 - $91,673.40 per year)
• Transition House Support Worker ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
Lil’wat Health & Healing + Pqusnalhcw Health Centre
• Custodian ($17.40 to $20.90 per hour)
• Program Manager ($57,330 to $64,610.00 per year)
• Operations Manager ($59,878.00 to $73,564.40 per year)
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
• Family Mentor ($38,038 to $53,599 per year)
• Early Childhood Educator ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
Xet’òlacw Community School
Employee Health & Wellness Plan available
• Elementary School Teacher - Grade 3 ($60,015 to $109,520 per year)
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 - Commercial Truck & Transport, Transport Trailer, Class 1 or 3 air brakes preferred. 4x10 or 5x8 schedule. Red Seal certi ed 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.
• Camp Counsellor ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
• High School English and Humanities
Teacher ($60,015 to $109,520 per year)
Community Development
• Cultural Camp Supervisor ($46,683.00 to $63,973.00 per year)
requires:
requires: Front Desk Staff
Front Desk Staff
$22/hour F/T & P/T hours available
Must be available Friday, Saturday & Sundays
Must be available Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturdays
Duties include pre arrival & post departure check of vacation rental units
Duties include pre arrival & post departure check of vacation rental units
Some duties include: providing resort information & directions, providing information about the lodge, changing light bulbs, troubleshooting WIFI and Cable, unloading the occasional dishwasher.
Some duties include: providing resort information & directions, providing information about the lodge, changing light bulbs, troubleshooting WIFI and Cable, unloading the occasional dishwasher.
We are looking for someone who has attention to detail, is able to work independently, can communicate clearly, is a problem-solver, is willing to use a computer and can self lead completing daily tasks.
We are looking for someone who has attention to detail, is able to work independently, can communicate clearly, is a problem-solver, is willing to use a computer and can self lead completing daily tasks. Please
Please
WORK AT A HELI SKI LODGE
Hiring a Head Chef
team is dedicated to perfecting the travel experience through the highest standards of hospitality.
We are looking for an exceptional culinary leader to add their creativity, passion, and talents to our team, The Head Chef will lead the kitchen teams in delivering a culinary program set to impress even the most discerning clients.
Candidates must thrive in a dynamic working environment, be hardworking, like meeting new people, and be highly skilled at creating delicious and healthy meals. Working here is a lifestyle, and candidates must enjoy working in an intimate and remote environment.
• Highly skilled in preparation, presentation, and plating.
• Sound knowledge of baking, butchery, and cooking in a variety of themes.
• Strong time and inventory management skills with a high tolerance for being flexible.
This position requires good communication, teamwork, and time management skills.
2 weeks on, 1 week off year round or seasonal position with a competitive rate, housing, meals and transportation all included.
To apply email employment@bellacoolahelisports.com.
Employment Opportunity
Facilities Maintenance I - Custodian Auxiliarypositionwithawageof$28.85perhour.
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!
The other side of the ropes
Before delving into this week’s piffle, I’d like to issue a correction to last week’s. Having received information that turned out to be incorrect, I wrote about a judge that didn’t exist settling the case involving Liz Barrett. Oops. No judge. No decision. But a voluntary settlement between the parties. I regret the error. I regret more not having the chance to correct it before last week’s Pique was printed. I can safely promise it’ll never happen again.
On with the show.
BY G.D. MAXWELL
IT WILL PROBABLY come as a shock to many of you who have already been skiing or boarding this season but believe it or not, there is still an alpine responsibility code. No, really. I know you know what it is but I also know you know there are a lot of people out there, skiing and boarding within close proximity to you, for whom its existence would quite likely come as a complete surprise. Some of them can be forgiven, or at least understood. They’re just learning to ski or board and in case you’ve forgotten what that was like, I haven’t.
When you’re new to snow sports, especially if you’re (a) an adult and (b) trying to learn the ropes without the aid of instruction and/or with the aid of wellmeaning but seriously flawed advice from friends, several things conspire to make an already challenging process an even greater challenge.
The law of gravity seems temporarily suspended. Not the law of gravity that drags you downhill at a terrifyingly accelerating rate but the law of gravity that formerly kept you upright. Perhaps that’s actually the law of balance, if such a thing exists. Whatever.
What you used to think of as your finelyhoned control and coordination abandons you the moment you bind your feet to skis or a snowboard and mocks your pathetic efforts to regulate your speed, direction and vertical relationship with the ground you’re travelling across.
Add to that the strange reality you find yourself in. It’s cold! Cold numbs your senses, at least the ones that haven’t completely left you. There is quite possibly limited visibility; even if there isn’t, there is because goggles reduce your field of vision and a white world, punctuated with treed borders, is not a natural landscape unless you’ve spent a lot of time on ski runs… which you haven’t since you’re just learning. There are people all around you moving in what seems like, at best, a completely random way and, at worst, on a collision course with everyone else. And if that isn’t enough to make you wonder what kind of rabbit hole you’ve dropped into, there is the disorienting howl of snowguns, spraying their stinging shards of ice and altering the very ground over which you fall, er, travel.
I feel for those among us just starting
out. But I’m glad they’ve decided to join the madness. Their enthusiasm is our future and many of them are the new employees we’ve hired to make this resort work. For those reasons alone, I cut them and their seemingly random wanderings some slack. Like potholes on crowded urban streets, I accept their presence and know it is my responsibility to avoid them. Sooner or later they’ll get better and might notice those yellow signs on the first dozen tower poles as they ride up chairlifts.
I’m a little less forgiving of those on the slopes who are obviously skilled but equally obviously… what’s the word I’m looking for? Stupid? Perhaps a bit harsh. Ignorant? Doesn’t entirely capture it. Un-mindful, not to say mindless? Getting closer. Selfish? Entitled? Yeah, I’ll go with that. Or all the above.
backcountry, slackcountry, nearcountry, take your pick or call it what you will. Enough guys and girls are being driven out there that it’s getting harder and harder to call it the path less taken. More and more it is the path taken and more and more it’s taken by people who bring their bad in-bounds habits with them. Problem is, the consequences of those bad habits, usually just painful on the slopes, can be deadly in the area beyond control.
That’s why, this time every year, there’s renewed interest in chasing a ghost, a backcountry responsibility code.
Backcountry responsibility code? On some level, the whole idea is anathema. The other side of the ropes, the vast snowy ranges of Western Canada, are all about the freedom of the hills. We don’t need no stinkin’ rules.
Which is exactly why we do need some stinkin’ rules.
Outside the resort, the concept of responsibility takes on a whole new world of meaning. In the backcountry, we’re responsible for everything.
Regardless of skill, it takes a stupid, ignorant, un-mindful, selfish, entitled kind of person to do a warp-speed slalom through an over-crowded run full of unskilled people moving unpredictably. Making it down to the bottom of the next chair without incident relies more on luck than talent. Congratulations if you made it. Hope you didn’t end anyone’s season if you didn’t.
It’s enough to drive a guy to duck the ropes and seek solitude, if not solace, in the
We need rules inside the resort for the same reason we need rules in society in general. Rules nudge people closer to the social contract. They make living together possible. They underpin civilization.
Inside the resort we need rules to make us responsible for our own actions and, for the most part, to keep us from slamming into each other. But inside the resort, Whistler Blackcomb has taken responsibility for providing a safe—and I use the word fully
appreciating its many nuanced meanings— environment.
Outside the resort, the concept of responsibility takes on a whole new world of meaning. In the backcountry, we’re responsible for everything Every action we take, every decision we make, every situation we encounter. First and foremost, we’re responsible for getting ourselves and our friends home safely or, if that’s not possible, surviving until someone else can.
Our chances of colliding with another traveller are slim. Our chances of bringing a tsunami of snow down on other travellers is far greater. Our responsibility to others— who, in some cases, we may not even know are there—is three-dimensional because the consequences of every step we take, every line we ski, propagate uphill, downhill and sideways in patterns that will, quite literally, blow our minds.
We hardly need to know anything to ski in-bounds. We almost need to know everything if we want to ski uncontrolled terrain successfully… every time. And we’ve all known enough really smart backcountry skiers who are no longer with us to understand sometimes even that’s not enough. That’s because snow doesn’t care what you know or who made the mistake. Snow’s not impressed with how smart you are or how many successful trips you’ve taken into the backcountry. Snow’s indifferent to the advances we’ve made and the insights we’ve gained into the science of snow, weather, physics and avalanche modelling. When the conditions are right—and there are so many right combinations—snow lets go.
A responsibility code won’t change that. But it might get some more people thinking and acting more mindfully—in-bounds and, especially, out in the wild places. Be safe. n
