SNOW! FREE SNOW! FREE SNOW! FREEEE SNOOOOW! BORN IS THE KING OF ALL THE FREE SNOW!
Yuletide Yarns
Festive folktales to share around the fireplace. - By Katherine Fawcett, Kate Heskett and Alan Forsythe
06 OPENING REMARKS Whistler “orphans” take comfort knowing family will still be there the next time they’re home for Christmas. But what happens when that might not be true?
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In this week’s letters, readers weigh in on reckless skiers at Whistler Blackcomb, Gore-Tex replacements, and regional transit in the Sea to Sky.
11 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST In which reporter Liz McDonald argues her new hypothesis: choosing a partner is a lot like choosing the right pair of skis.
70 MAXED OUT Christmas has no shortage of classic carols to sing with your kids, writes G.D. Maxwell—but are the lyrics what they seem?
12 SEASON OF GIVING Whistler charities are feeling the squeeze this holiday season—here are just a few of the ways you can give back over Christmas.
13 VILLAGE VISIONARY Remembering Al Raine, the legendary ski coach, political leader, and Whistler Village visionary who died Dec. 14 after a battle with ALS.
46 JOIN THE CLUB A trio of Whistler locals are set to compete at the 2025 Junior Freeride World Championships in Kappl, Austria next month.
52 JOY TO THE WORLD Whistler’s Christmas Eve Carol Service celebrates 40 years of yuletide cheer.
COVER Self portrait, 2065. Or 3024 if I am in fact appointed to be the next Santa Claus! - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
Home for the holidays
WORKING IN NEWS is a curious profession at the best of times, but even more so over the holidays.
Especially for a publication like Pique, which tends to produce its biggest issues of the year during the Christmas weeks.
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
So while most are spending December thinking about their shopping, or travel Pique and its reporters are often worrying about sources picking up the phone so they can produce enough stories to round out the holiday papers (how dare people work in professions that allow them to prioritize themselves and their own needs?).
The Christmas crunch is inevitably exacerbated by our big end-of-year features, Best of Whistler and Year in Review, which are a lot of work in themselves (but a labour of love, of course—watch for those in the weeks ahead).
As such, it’s not easy to make it home to family over the holidays when you work for Pique. In my first nine Christmases with the paper, only two were spent with family: one because they came to see me, and another because I was able to fly home on the promise of working remotely.
And at the risk of stating the obvious, spending Christmas away from family is kinda depressing.
It’s a problem many so-called Whistler “orphans” face—just the nature of the tourism industry beast. Many Whistler jobs
exist to serve the visitor, and most of our visitors come to enjoy our winter wonderland over the holidays.
So we don’t complain (well, at least not publicly. We definitely do complain).
We make due with good friends and good food, and the knowledge our family will still be there the next time we have some time to spare.
But what happens when that might not be true?
It’s a question I’ve found myself grappling with a lot this past year.
Growing up, my family used to spend every Christmas Eve at my grandma and grandpa’s rural store in Mayview, Sask.
It was a cherished tradition, one looked
moved to the city.
I still remember my last visit, that summer. I walked around the house and the well-maintained grounds outside (a passion and point of pride for both my grandparents) taking pictures of everything so I would never forget what was.
All four of my grandparents were still alive at that time. So while the distance from Whistler to Saskatchewan was difficult, it wasn’t entirely painful. I would see them the next time I made it home, whenever that was.
But since 2020, three of my four grandparents have passed. Being so far away, often buried in deadlines and work responsibilities, I wasn’t able to attend any of their funerals.
But maybe it doesn’t always have to be. Without getting too specific, personal circumstances this year have prompted a change in that philosophy.
And this year, as the annual Pique Christmas rush approached, I made a new decision.
I will go home, no matter the cost, or the professional inconvenience.
I will watch for breaking news in Whistler from afar; produce two issues of Pique from the prairie tundra, even if I have to stare repeatedly at a frozen computer screen and a spinning beach ball, if it means I can spend Christmas with my family.
It might be the longest thing I’ll ever do, but life is too short—getting shorter every
as the annual Pique Christmas rush approached, I made a new decision. I will go home, no matter the cost,
forward to every fall—games and laughs around the fire, near the gigantic Christmas tree so carefully decorated by nan, all the presents piled up underneath, as all our favourite Christmas albums provided the soundtrack. It didn’t matter that some of them were objectively hokey or terrible— they were ours.
A literal convenience store just steps away, stocked with all the treats a spoiled kid could ever ask for.
Those memories will last forever, though the tradition itself is long gone—the store was sold in the fall of 2015, when my grandparents
The long journey over or through the mountains to the prairies, whether by plane or car, was just too expensive and inconvenient, I decided.
Each time I was presented with the choice, explicitly or otherwise, work and my own comfort and convenience won out over family.
Whether or not it was the right choice, I made it—mourned alone, at a distance—and there’s no reversing those decisions.
What’s that empty phrase we like to use in regards to regrettable things like this?
It is what it is.
day, every year, every missed milestone and every lonely holiday.
For all of us.
And none of us know how many Christmases we have left with the ones who mean the most.
So the next time you get to make one of those fateful decisions, I hope you avoid the similar errors of selfish convenience I’ve gone with in the past.
I hope you make it work, whatever the cost or inconvenience.
And I hope you have a Merry Christmas, whoever you’re spending it with. n
On-mountain recklessness too common in Whistler
On the topic of mountain safety: Braden Dupuis’ editorial, Ian London’s letter to the editor and a full-page column by Max, all in two issues, let alone last season’s similar articles. Hmm, just how common is this issue? Sadly, all too common, and I won’t repeat the valid points made in recent issues of Pique. Increasingly we all take chances skiing here. Yes, greater upload capacity and an ever-shrinking ski area (yet the acres advertised remain the same) combined with natural choke points on both mountains has led us to this issue.
Too many experienced skiers/boarders have lost their civil code and simply care about their experience and no one else, too often scaring new skiers out of their wits. Though I would love it if all skiers knew and acted upon the code, that seems to be an anachronism of the ’60s/’70s (“fill in your sitzmark!” i.e.: a snow divot from falling).
In the last two years, my wife has been hit three times by out-of-control snowboarders, two rather dramatic (one on a backboard out to the clinic) to the point she fears skiing here. Only one admitted to their error. She is not alone in this fear.
One of the worst choke points that can be corrected is the last part of the S turn on lower Dave descending to the Timing Flats (by
the green Olympic rings). Everyone funnels through a very narrow point yet, slightly to the north, is the run used in the Olympics yet never open. The cost to provide two routes must be so low, but nothing is done. Typical, from what I see; the place is run by absent accountants somewhere far, far away.
I have skied here since opening year, was a volunteer First Aid Ski Patroller for three years, have owned a Creekside condo since 2003 and wintered here full time since 2014 yet, like so many others, our exodus is at hand. Many left
due to the high cost of being here, others from a dislike of Vail Corp., and ours, at the end of this season, due to safety issues.
The upside of all this is that other B.C. ski resorts are the lucky recipients of such an exodus. Red Mountain, Silver Star, Big White and yes, Sun Peaks, where we are moving to. It’s been good for Nancy Greene Raine for decades, so we know it will be the same for us. All so sad, but the current reality of Whistler Blackcomb.
Ken Snowball // Whistler
In response to ‘The end of Gore-Tex?’
If there were no professional complaints about the new products it’s because no questions were asked (see Pique, Dec. 6: “The end of Gore-Tex?”).
The new product provided last year by Whistler’s largest employer were effective in colour and the employer’s willingness to be cutting-edge, and probably cost-effective.
They were, however, not useful as outdoor wear, uniforms, pants or jackets.
Maybe ask around.
Dan Davis // Whistler
Regional transit won’t solve Sea to Sky’s real issues
Our MLA, Jeremy Valeriote, and his party have done a deal with the BC NDP that includes regional transit in the Sea to Sky.
Great start, but it won’t even put a dent on the idiocy of wanton development of the corridor that has been unchecked without anyone thinking about the increases we need in infrastructure. Lions Bay. Has anyone done the math on that one? A bus between Squamish and Whistler and Pemberton does zero to solve the real issue of moving goods and people from the Greater Vancouver Regional District. People commute daily from the city. People come and play here daily. Millions of them annually. How does regional transit help?
The Sea to Sky is in danger of becoming over-developed. Our municipalities seem to
think highways are a provincial responsibility. Well, they are. The same municipalities balk at the idea of doing anything beyond their districts as they offload any responsibility to Victoria while allowing more development to be approved.
Development cost charges (DCC) are not going to regional infrastructure. That is a fact. Should DCC’s go into regional coffers? Yup. Should the entire British Columbia Municipal Act be torn up and rewritten? Absolutely. That isn’t happening anytime soon, so let’s work with what we have.
We need to be like the rest of the planet, where trains rule.
If our MLA brings forward real measures to improve the flow of people from the city northward, then he will have the support from us all here in Sea to Sky country.
Even me. A diehard conservative.
Patrick
Smyth // Whistler
All I want for Christmas
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is a passenger train.
Perhaps this train stretches from Vancouver to Squamish to Whistler, and if you’re feeling very generous, all the way up to Pemberton? We even have an existing train track for you to use!
As you know, your swimming pool up at the North Pole is getting larger and larger each year due to the warming climate. We are
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
also experiencing significant climate change events here in the Sea to Sky, and even though we are loving our electric Teslas, we need an alternative way to move people around the corridor.
If the elves can’t build a passenger train this year, what about more dedicated bike lanes, and dedicated bus transit lanes? I guess you can’t really put those in your sleigh, so what if you gave some certain members of the
“If the elves can’t build a passenger train this year, what about more dedicated bike lanes...”
- MARK BARSEVSKIS
public road paint, concrete, and some asphalt to help build them?
Anyway, I hope you have a safe and efficient trip around the world this Christmas Eve. Please consider a commuter train for our community—just imagine, you then wouldn’t have to make so many vehicles and you could just focus on making toys for the children.
Mark Barsevskis // Whistler n
Backcountry Update
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18
Due to the nature of publishing around the holidays, we’re writing this column well ahead of publishing date—too far in advance to have the specifics of what the avalanche conditions might have in store for this weekend. Sometimes, it’s very clear what’s going to happen with the snowpack, the avalanche problems, and the weather even a long way in advance. However, this week is one of those tricky times where we just don’t have a lot of confidence this far out. Avalanche hazard in the Whistler area is expected to remain elevated through the weekend, primarily due to warm temperatures and ongoing snowfall. That means conditions will require careful assessment for anyone venturing into the backcountry. Make sure you’re choosing terrain that’s appropriate for the conditions.
The snowpack structure is currently fairly straightforward, and we are not seeing any layers of concern at the time of writing. The elevated avalanche hazard is being driven by
the weather, namely high freezing levels and continued precipitation. A low pressure system arriving on the weekend will ensure freezing levels stay elevated on Friday and Saturday, while delivering a continuous feed of moisture Saturday and Sunday.
Looking ahead, avalanche hazard may begin to ease after the weekend. The forecast suggests temperatures will cool and the snowpack will settle further. However, with changing weather patterns and additional snowfall, it’s important to monitor updated avalanche forecasts before heading into the mountains. We publish a new forecast every afternoon and make updates the following morning when it’s warranted.
If you plan to head into the backcountry, ensure you and your crew carry essential avalanche safety gear: a transceiver, probe, and shovel. An emergency satellite communication device is also strongly recommended. Enjoy the fresh snow—and stay safe out there. n
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.
DATING AND SKIING have a lot in common. Don’t believe me? Read on to learn about my newly formed hypothesis. Will I regret publishing this in years to come? Maybe.
When you first decide to take the leap and try skiing, you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing. You don’t know what you like; hell, you don’t even know
BY LIZ MCDONALD
emcdonald@piquenewsmagazine.com
what you want. You have zero technique, let alone, ahem, skill. Unless you seek professional help, you’re riffing off what friends tell you to do. Their advice may or may not be helpful, depending on how experienced they are at sliding downhill. None of that really matters right away, though, because what you’re looking for is something(one) that fits and will go out with you. Simple, right?
So, you get that new-to-you pair of skis, or maybe your tastes lean more towards snowboards. Whatever tickles your fancy. Excitement and nerves vibrate through your body before your first day on the mountain. Questions arise like, “Will I get hurt?” and, “I hope I don’t make a fool of myself.” There’s
also the tender and naïve thought, “Maybe they’ll be the one.” Oh, to be young.
Eventually, you start to get to know one another, pushing yourself and your partner to the limit. Some days are spent under blue skies, ripping corduroy, cheeks flushed from exertion. Others, tears shed when you go
most pleasure with your partner, waxing for optimal performance and getting your edges just right.
But one day, you realize you want something(one) different—someone who can take you to new places. Outgrowing young love, you don’t have that floaty feeling you
As years pass, you realize skis are not a one-size-fits-all situation. Your desires are too diverse for only one mountain partner. What you were looking for wasn’t the perfect pair. You want a quiver of skis for different needs—a poly-skiing relationship!
head over heels in the worst way possible. Fear and pain make you question whether skiing is right for you. But the love is strong, and you bravely move through injuries, getting closer and working better together.
Then, there’s attuning to the relationship’s needs. You learn how to get the
crave, and your friends rave about. Instead, you’re struggling, sinking into powder other people seem to play in easily.
You’ll look back fondly on the times shared, but you know deep down they just aren’t the right mountain partner anymore. So, you say goodbye in spring and you’re in
the market again by fall.
But it turns out, you still don’t know what you want and need. Sure, something with a bigger waist to carry you over powder, or perhaps the higher-priced touring setup where you can get wild. It would be great if they had more style than your last partner, too. Either way, it’s all just more experimenting for seasons to come.
There was that time you gave a splitboard a chance—disaster, let’s not even talk about it. You tried going out with a set of Nordics, but the thrill just wasn’t there. The park skis hurt you so bad you thought you’d never open up to skiing again.
Pair after pair, you learn what you’re looking for. Eventually, what you want doesn’t come in one perfect package. You need a pair of rock skis, powder skis, touring skis, and all-mountain skis; the list goes on and on. Then, there are the accoutrements for frigid days, spring conditions, goggles for bluebird and flat light, socks, boots, bibs. The list never stops.
As years pass, you realize skis are not a one-size-fits-all situation. Your desires are too diverse for only one mountain partner. What you were looking for wasn’t the perfect pair. You want a quiver of skis for different needs—a poly-skiing relationship! And even better, but perhaps unrealistic for your human partners—the skis all get along quite well when they mingle in the shed. Happy ski season, Whistler! n
These Whistler organizations need your support
WITH
THE SEASON OF GIVING UPON US, WHISTLER COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY, ZERO CEILING AND MORE COULD USE YOUR HELP
BY LIZ MCDONALD
WITH CHRISTMAS fast approaching, Whistler organizations need support to help provide services over the holidays and in years to come. The Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) is facing empty shelves and ever-increasing use, and Zero Ceiling needs more donations to help reach its annual fundraising goal, while other local organizations are also feeling the squeeze.
WCSS provides more than 30 services for residents. From community outreach services providing mental-health access to financial assistance and more, the work WCSS does isn’t possible without community donations.
Jackie Dickinson, executive director for WCSS, said because of a rise in service use this year, they have an increased need for donations.
“We are incredibly grateful; the community has been very generous,” she said. “But like many social enterprises, businesses and non-profits, demand has gone up and our need to raise funds has gone up with it.”
Demand is most easily visible on the shelves at WCSS’ food bank.
November was the food bank’s busiest month on record in WCSS’ 35-year history, with 2,262 visits. That month also saw the highest-ever use in a single day: 273 people came through the food bank in four hours.
WCSS is just over halfway through its fiscal year that started April 1, 2024, and the No. 1 reason people are accessing services is underemployment and casual employment due to a slow start to the season.
“While we’ve seen great support, it is startling to see shelves empty at a time when we’re getting a lot of donations,” Dickinson said. “I haven’t ever seen our shelves this empty.”
While WCSS has strong purchasing power, the non-profit is on track to exceed amounts budgeted for this fiscal year at the food bank, spending $6,000 every two weeks to fill the shelves in addition to the food
in September and October of this year, which Dickinson attributes to lack of employment, off-season reduction in physical exercise outlets, and new people coming into the community earlier to secure housing before getting hours at their jobs.
To donate to WCSS, head to mywcss.org.
Meanwhile, Zero Ceiling, a social service non-profit which aims to end homelessness in B.C., has an end-of-year goal to reach $350,000 in donations. The funds will help support its services, including “supportive housing, supportive employment, case management, life skills education, mental-
“While we’ve seen great support, it is startling to see shelves empty at a time when we’re getting a lot of donations.”
- JACKIE DICKINSON
people donate. WCSS budgeted $154,000 for the 2024-25 fiscal year, a $27,000 increase from the prior fiscal. For next year, it projects allocating $200,000.
“This amount does not account for the tireless efforts of our team several days a week to recover food from local grocers, which helps offset purchasing costs,” Dickinson said. “Local food drives also continue to play a critical role in filling our shelves.”
The food bank isn’t the only service WCSS provides which has seen increased use. Mental-health support use was higher
health supports, and outdoor recreation,” according to its website.
With little time left in 2024 to meet their fundraising goal, the Zero Ceiling team is currently sitting at more than $122,000, or 35 per cent of their target. They will continue asking for contributions into the new year.
Currently, 11 people have supportive housing through Zero Ceiling. This September, it received five units at The Nest in Cheakamus Crossing from the Whistler Valley Housing Society (WVHS), adding more permanent homes to its previous three-bedroom holdings.
Sean Easton, co-executive director, said they have 11 people in their program, and highlighted the new housing provided to youth in the community from WVHS.
“We’re looking for support to continue to do good work. We recognize over this time of year, people are looking to give,” he said. “Our goal continues into next year and every bit is a success.”
Emily Suckling, development manager for Zero Ceiling, said donations not only provide opportunities for youth but to those behind the scenes at the non-profit.
“When people support us, we feel strength, hope and comfort. It makes us feel confident in what we’re doing knowing we have people moving alongside us,” she said.
The two were cooking up a holiday meal for youth in the program when Pique reached them by phone, another way they show up to provide for the universal need to spend time with family and friends.
In terms of the number of people who still need supportive housing in Whistler, Easton cited the most recent Resort Municipality of Whistler housing needs report. The ski town needs 22 supportive housing units, and currently, there are 11 offered by Zero Ceiling.
People can donate to Zero Ceiling online at zeroceiling.org
For more ways to give back this Christmas, residents and guests to the resort can check out the Whistler Community Foundation, the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, Whistler Animals Galore, the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment, PearlSpace, and so many more.
Head to whistlerfoundation.com/work/ non-profit-network/volunteer-in-whistler to find the best fit for you. n
Whistler Community Services Society’s empty food bank shelves on Dec. 10.
PHOTO BY JACKIE DICKINSON
Al Raine knew it took a Village
THE LEGENDARY SKI COACH, POLITICAL LEADER, AND WHISTLER VILLAGE VISIONARY DIED DEC. 14 AFTER BATTLE WITH ALS
BY BRANDON BARRETT
IN THE OCT. 28, 1978 episode of the current affairs show, Webster!, award-winning journalist and host Jack Webster spoke with Al Raine and his wife, Olympic champion skier and eventual senator, Nancy Greene Raine, about the future of Whistler.
Throughout the interview, Webster peppered the Raines with questions about Whistler’s viability as a global ski destination. Who’s going to pay for the new lifts? Didn’t Whistler just have a horrible snow season?
Raine took the questions in stride, always responding cooly, calmly, and with the confidence of a man who had a vision and believed in it wholeheartedly.
“Certainly, the major money, the major development at Whistler will be in the Village,” said Raine, two years before ground would be broken on the former site of the town dump. “It will be the hotels and the facilities that cater to the people who come to ski, who come to play golf and swim in the summertime.”
With the benefit of hindsight, Raine’s comments may seem self-evident. But, in 1978, just three years after the creation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), there’s no denying their prescience.
“Visionary is a word that gets used so often, but when it comes to Al, it fits,” said Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton, who counted Raine as a mentor until his final days. “Al’s clarity of vision for what Whistler would and could be was something special.”
Raine died Saturday, Dec. 14 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He was 83.
A former president of the Whistler Resort Association, and alderman on Whistler’s original council, Raine was also Sun Peaks’ first and only mayor, announcing his resignation the day before his passing. Despite a long career in government, it was Raine’s love of skiing that would come to define—and, indeed, transform—his life.
The first in his family to take up the sport, Raine discovered skiing through the free lessons The Vancouver Sun offered to its paperboys. He quickly grew obsessed. In 1962, at the age of 21, Raine moved to Europe to hone his competitive skiing. When he returned to Canada three years later, he landed a job at Red Mountain in Rossland, before moving to Quebec to coach the Montreal Ski Hawks, a role that got him noticed at the national level. In 1968, Raine took over as head coach and program director for the Canadian Alpine Ski Team. During his five-year stint, Raine would help to modernize Canada’s ski programs and set the stage for the emergence of the so-called “Crazy Canucks,” a golden age for the national team.
“His personality, I would best describe him first as a coach,” said Greene Raine, who met her future husband while he headed the national program. “Everyone he worked with through his years, he coached and he led and he made their careers better.”
Raine’s impact on the ski industry would go far beyond the slopes. In 1974, a year after landing in Whistler with his wife and twin sons, the Raines’ proposal to develop Powder Mountain, west of Whistler, was rejected by the NDP, which was not interested in investing in the “elite” sport. Raine responded with a speech outlining the economic potential of tourism and, specifically, winter sports. A few weeks later, the province hired Raine to assess the potential for ski resorts in the Sea to Sky. Many of Raine’s ideas, including the notion of Blackcomb’s skiing potential and the suggestion that a Whistler town centre be pedestrian-oriented, made their way into the final provincial report.
In another sign of Raine’s clarity of vision, the province contracted him as B.C.’s provincial ski coordinator in 1975, a role that saw him complete 45 site evaluations and develop B.C.’s first commercial alpine ski policy.
“All of the growth in Canadian skiing has pretty much been in B.C., and all due to that alpine ski policy,” said Hugh Smythe, inaugural president of Blackcomb Mountain.
Raine coordinated the province’s proposal call to develop Blackcomb and was instrumental in securing Fortress as the new ski resort’s proponent.
Appointed to Whistler’s inaugural council in 1975, Raine’s vision and work ethic were on full display at a time when officials were tasked with creating an entire municipality out of whole cloth.
“We started out with absolutely nothing,” recalled John Hetherington, who served on that first council with Raine. “He was a pretty forceful guy and when he would state his opinion, you had to really consider it. It wasn’t something you could just let go.”
That strength of will was evident when the RMOW was tasked with landing on a design concept for Whistler Village. Raine, having
Wishingyoulaughter, love,andallthejoys of theseason. appy h ng yo o o 604 9 ys!
VILLAGE VISIONARY Al Raine in 1982. WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION / COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER MUSEUM
Whistler counsellors innovate new approach to therapy
FREE MEN’S GROUP COUNSELLING, PAIRED WITH SKIING, AIMS TO REDUCE SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION RATES IN THE SEA TO SKY
BY LIZ MCDONALD
A NEW PROGRAM in Whistler aims to change the model of men’s mental-health support.
Slope Side Support Society is a new pilot therapy program launching in 2025, created by founder Krista Scott. The society is offering free group therapy for male-identifying participants aged 18-plus and merging it with skiing at Whistler Blackcomb.
Slope Side hosted a kick-off fundraiser at RMU Whistler on Thursday, Dec. 12, where community members learned about the initiative and won raffle prizes from community sponsors.
Scott, a registered clinical counsellor, has researched mental health in ski towns since university. About a year and a half ago, she noticed her male peers were struggling and the Sea to Sky corridor had lost several people to suicide. The losses spurred further research into statistics around men’s access to mental-health services, using data from Statistics Canada and the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
“Men are three times more likely to die by suicide, and suicide was the second leading cause of death for Canadian men under 50. Included in this research was a stat I really held onto: men only make up 30 per cent
of the people who utilize mental-health services,” Scott said.
While the reasons men don’t access mental-health services can vary, Scott inferred services may not meet men where they are or provide what they need.
“This is where Slope Side comes in,” she said. “This is a ski-town specific service that incorporates the thing that brought many of us here in the first place: our love of snow sports. We are looking to blend this passion with therapy to hopefully capture the demographic that needs it most.”
While adventure therapy does exist for other sports, Slope Side Support’s model removes the financial barrier associated with this style of therapy.
Greg McDonnell, a registered clinical counsellor, and Taylor Macdougall, a registered social worker, are the male counsellors who will facilitate discussion and be on-mountain with participants. McDonnell has 30 years of experience and specializes in trauma, family systems and individual therapy. Macdougall has worked in mental health since 2012, and currently works with Vancouver Coastal Health in Whistler and Pemberton.
The community’s response ahead of the launch shows there’s an appetite for what’s on offer. Numerous sponsors provided raffle prizes for the Dec. 12 meet-and-greet, and Arc’teryx Whistler is sponsoring the pilot
season. The Hilton Whistler, Copper Cayuse Outfitters, 21 Steps, Ride Wraps, Scandinave Spa Whistler, Chromag, Escape Whistler, Whistler Bungee, Blackcomb Helicopters and more have stepped up to help the program get off the ground.
The new year sessions run Jan. 17, Feb. 9, March 7 and April 13. The group chose a mixture of Fridays and Sunday morning sessions because hosting in the week and on the weekend will hopefully provide flexibility for varying work schedules.
Scott knows the days and times might be a barrier for some people, and she hopes in the future there will be more time slots.
People can sign up for as many or as few sessions as they want on Slope Side’s website, and there’s no pressure to share in group
AL RAINE FROM PAGE 13
spent ample time in the old pedestrian ski villages of the Swiss Alps, knew the original proposal, with its multi-storey hotels, didn’t work. In 1978, he travelled to Colorado, seeking input from Eldon Beck, an architect known for designing Vail. The pair’s vision aligned, and if Beck was the brains behind the Village, Raine was the thrust that made it happen.
“Whistler Village was not a walk in the
therapy.
There are chairlift chat opportunities in the program, where participants can have a conversation about what’s on their mind with McDonnell or Macdougall while they’re out for the day. Scott said that approach is another way of making therapy low-barrier.
“Some people might not feel comfortable in a group. The point of chairlift chats is you get access to a therapist that you’re skiing with,” she said. “It feels super casual, non-intimidating, low-barrier, and in a smaller group size.”
Since it’s a pilot program, Scott said the main goal is to gauge demand and get feedback. All feedback on the program, positive or constructive, is welcome, she added.
Read more at slopesidesupport.com. n
park for any stretch of the imagination,” said Smythe. “If you had to pick one person, in my opinion it was Al who was responsible for what we now have and enjoy in Whistler Village. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his perseverance and determination on getting that through all the roadblocks, because there were many.”
A celebration of life is planned in Sun Peaks for Jan. 15. n
‘A deal’s a deal’: Whistler council denies developer request to jack price of restricted housing by 16%
CITING ESCALATING CONSTRUCTION COSTS, DEVELOPER OF 2077 GARIBALDI WAY WANTS TO INCREASE MAX PRICE OF EMPLOYEERESTRICTED UNITS—AFTER HOUSING AGREEMENT WAS INKED
BY BRANDON BARRETT
DAN HARMON and his family were excited to make the move back to Whistler after being pre-approved for an employee unit at a new housing project in Nordic. They even sold their Pemberton home in October, weeks before the developer’s promised pre-Christmas move-in.
But as that date approached, Harmon still hadn’t been able to pin down the developer, Robert Velenosi, on the final sale price for the unit at 2077 Garibaldi Way, called The Landing. It wasn’t long before his alarm bells started going off.
“We had our suspicions early on, but there was never any communication from the developer in the months leading up to this that his intention was to increase the price,” said Harmon.
On Tuesday, Dec. 17, Whistler’s mayor and council flatly rejected a request from Velenosi to increase the maximum allowable price for the project’s 14 employeerestricted units by 16.1 per cent, more than two years after a binding housing agreement and covenant were inked.
“It’s been a very tough period in the building world, so I have sympathy for developers, absolutely, in this climate, but a deal’s a deal,” said Councillor Cathy Jewett, who also serves as chair of the Whistler Valley Housing Society.
Velenosi’s unprecedented request at such a late stage comes at a time of escalating costs for builders, one of the reasons the developer cited for wanting to modify the covenant. In a July 18 meeting with municipal staff, Velenosi reportedly expressed concern he had to absorb a substantial increase in construction costs since the housing agreement was finalized in 2022. The 16.1-per-cent increase he requested reflects the change in construction price indexes over that period for townhouses in metropolitan areas. If approved, the increase would have bumped the initial max sales price from $591.53 per square foot to $681.53, representing more than $120,000 in additional expected costs for prospective buyers.
“Raising the price by 16 per cent will significantly change the affordability of these homes, and it will mean we can no longer afford to purchase a unit,” said Alon Greenberg at Tuesday’s council meeting, who added he is No. 3 on the purchase waitlist for The Landing.
Buyers could have faced further headaches if a new max price was set, which would have required a new housing agreement that municipal staff said wouldn’t be possible until Jan. 23 at the earliest.
“Interested buyers have taken the necessary steps to purchase these units and are facing housing insecurity and delays that will challenge expected occupancy,” said municipal planning director Melissa Laidlaw.
In justifying such an unusual move just days before prospective buyers believed they would be signing a contract, Velenosi pointed to another mixed-use development at Nordic, 5298 Alta Lake Road. That project did have its housing agreement modified, but it was reconsidered for reasons specific to the project, “not to absorb rising construction costs,” explained Laidlaw. In that case, the agreement was modified for two primary reasons: added costs associated with the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) mandating the building of public washrooms in an adjacent park as a community amenity; and because of more than a year of delays in processing the application due to the RMOW not meeting its statutory requirements applicable to the Official Community Plan amendment bylaw.
Although The Landing was considered under the RMOW’s Private Sector Employee Housing Initiative, an effort to recruit developers to build resident-restricted housing on underdeveloped private lands, Velenosi argued he should be able to pass on increased costs to purchasers in the same way the Whistler Housing Authority and Whistler Development Corporation do. However, given both are municipal subsidiaries, they are unable to take on the same level of financial risk, a staff report said. As part of the housing agreement Velenosi signed, the developer also has six market units to sell as part of The Landing, along with the 14 employee units.
“This was a fully transparent procedure, and the developer was granted significant market density as part of the approval,” said Mayor Jack Crompton. “The deal is a good one, and I want to just say how excited I am to see people move into these homes. This is a good news story about a project that will see families be able to stay in this community and continue to contribute in really important ways.”
After the developer’s request was voted down, staff expect the pre-sales process for 2077 Garibaldi Way to continue as planned. n
One dead, one still unaccounted for in Lions Bay landslide
THOUSANDS STRANDED IN WHISTLER AND SQUAMISH OVERNIGHT DEC. 14
BY JENNIFER THUNCHER jthuncher@squamishchief.com
IT WASN’T the weekend anyone expected.
Early Saturday, Dec. 14, a landslide changed the trajectory of the day, and weekend, for thousands of people.
Mud and trees tumbled from Magnesia Creek, affecting Glendale Avenue at the north end of Lions Bay, and spilling debris across Highway 99, near the Brunswick Beach exit, stopping traffic in both directions for almost 24 hours.
Some residents were evacuated, and tragically, one home on Glendale Drive in Lions Bay was displaced by the slide.
One of the residents believed to be in the home was found dead by search crews on Saturday.
As of publication time, a second person was still unaccounted for.
The Village of Lions Bay declared a state of emergency on Sunday night, Dec. 15.
In a press release, the municipal government cited the debris flow “that has caused property and structural damage and loss of life.”
management and response teams through the Sea to Sky corridor.
“We extend our deepest [sympathies] to the family and members of our community. In addition, we would like to thank all first responders and supporting agencies for their dedication and professionalism during this challenging time,” reads the release.
The cause of the slide above Magnesia Creek is under investigation.
Ministry of Transport and Canada Task Force 1 geotechnical engineers investigated and determined further slide activity was unlikely.
WORKING TOGETHER
With the highway shut, many people were trapped on either side of the slide, unable to get to their destinations.
Thankfully, the cleanup took less than 24 hours.
The highway reopened on Sunday morning, Dec. 15, at about 6:30 a.m.
Agencies whose personnel worked to make sure the road was clear were the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, RCMP, BC Ambulance Service, Miller Capilano Highway Services, the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, Squamish Nation, the District of Squamish, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the SquamishLillooet Regional District, the Village of Lions Bay, North Shore Emergency Management, and Health Emergency Management B.C.
While North Vancouver and Whistler municipalities both opened receiving centres for those trapped overnight without a place to stay, the District of Squamish did not.
Asked why, a spokesperson for the District told The Squamish Chief that events such as the landslide at Lions Bay are a coordinated effort between local and provincial emergency
“Due to the limited supply of hotel accommodations in Squamish and that many of the individuals impacted were located in Whistler, the District did not open a reception centre in Squamish,” the spokesperson said. “The Resort Municipality of Whistler was well-equipped to receive travellers and were able to open a reception centre at the Fairmont Chateau. Our focus was to ensure impacted individuals were aware of the available resources in the area and kept up to date on the highway closure.”
The municipality considers opening a reception centre when there is a localized event that impacts Squamish directly.
“As reception centres are resource intensive, we work with our neighbouring communities to determine where resources are best used to meet the needs of those impacted.”
Historically speaking, the closure was minor compared to past incidents, such as in 1991, when the Loggers Creek landslide closed the highway north of Lions Bay for 12 days.
BE PREPARED
The District of Squamish warns residents to be prepared for the unexpected when travelling in B.C., especially during weather events.
“Know the risks and ensure that you are informed about the latest advisories in areas that you may be travelling through,” the spokesperson said.
“The District is grateful to all Squamish residents and businesses who supported those impacted by the landslide.”
During this difficult time, the Sea to Sky community came together in remarkable ways. Strangers opened their homes to those stranded, offering beds and meals, and even took stranded strangers to a Christmas party with their friends. On the Sea to Sky Road Conditions page on Facebook, messages of gratitude poured in, thanking locals for sharing updates, giving rides, and lending a helping hand.
- With a file from Bhagyashree Chatterjee n
NATURAL DISASTER Trees and debris blocking Highway 99 at Lions Bay on the morning of Dec. 14.
PHOTO BY MATT GUNN
5425 Stonebridge Drive
$25,000,000
Follow your dream, home.
5425 Stonebridge Drive: a world-class, 5.5-acre estate in exclusive Stonebridge, Whistler. The culmination of the very best of alpine resort living – including awe-inspiring views of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, three separate residences for an uncompromised lifestyle, and the utmost in privacy –this legacy property offers a rare opportunity in Whistler’s most esteemed enclave.
Learn more at www.5425stonebridge.com.
MIKE RAMPF, PREC*
ENGEL & VÖLKERS VANCOUVER
130 - 1152 Mainland Street | Vancouver, BC V6B 4X2
M +1 (604) 616-0115
mike@yourwhistler.com | yourwhistler.com
*Personal Real Estate Corporation
GREGG BAKER, PREC* ENGEL & VÖLKERS VANCOUVER
130 - 1152 Mainland Street | Vancouver, BC V6B 4X2
M +1 (604) 649-1259
gregg@greggbaker.ca | greggbaker.ca
*Personal Real Estate Corporation
Charges laid in relation to Whistler drug bust
POLICE BRIEFS: WHISTLERITE CHARGED WITH DISARMING OFFICER; MOLINARO TRIAL POSTPONED
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
THREE MEN ARE FACING drug trafficking charges in relation to a large-scale bust in Whistler earlier this year.
The men, two Canadian citizens and one Australian national, made their first appearance in court on Dec. 11, according to a release from the Whistler RCMP.
“In the spring of 2023, the Sea to Sky RCMP—Whistler initiated a proactive project named E-NEWPORT, targeting drug trafficking within the Resort Municipality of Whistler,” the release said.
“In March 2024, Whistler RCMP alongside the Sea to Sky RCMP General Investigations Section, Squamish RCMP, Pemberton RCMP, Integrated Emergency Response Team, and the Integrated Police Dog Services executed three simultaneous search warrants on Whistler residences and subsequently police arrested four men.”
Evan Stott, 29, is charged with four counts of trafficking a controlled substance; Edric Horne, 29, is charged with one count of possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking; and Gavin Butler, 31, is charged with three counts of trafficking a controlled substance, one count of possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, and
one count of possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of exporting from Canada, according to the release.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
“I want to acknowledge the extensive work from the team in Whistler and the BCRCMP including the Whistler frontline members, Community Response Team and the Sea to Sky General Investigations Section,” said Staff Sgt. Sascha Banks in the release. “The dedication by the investigators to the community of Whistler, its residents and visitors was paramount in this lengthy investigation. Their professionalism and skill set shows in the charge approval by the Public Prosecution Service on Mr. Stott, Mr. Horne, and Mr. Butler. We will now transition to working with our stakeholders, partners, and community members on the emphasis of how we can ensure this type of organized crime is identifiable, continues to be investigated, and is unwelcome in Whistler.”
The March 8 arrest drew considerable attention, as police executed a large-scale bust at multiple properties in Whistler, seizing 2.5 kgs of cocaine, about $10,000, and an unspecified amount of MDMA in the process.
Photos shared with Pique showed police in tactical gear with long guns and dogs in a residential yard, and chatter on social media indicated large police presences, complete with SWAT equipment and long guns, in the
CHARGES LAID Whistler RCMP, in conjunction with other law enforcement, conducted a large-scale raid across the resort on March 8, complete with dogs, SWAT gear and long guns.
PHOTO BY MURRAY FRASER
Marketplace area and at one of the entrances to Emerald.
Anyone with any information, concerns, or questions is asked to contact the Whistler RCMP detachment at 604-932-3044 or connect with a police officer in person at 4315 Blackcomb Way.
WHISTLERITE CHARGED WITH DISARMING OFFICER
A Whistler man was in court this week over charges stemming from a police incident last year.
In a statement, Whistler RCMP said they responded to a report of a suspicious person at a local residence on March 7, 2023. Charges were eventually laid against 26-year-old Matthew Blair after he reportedly attempted to disarm a peace officer while engaged in the execution of their duty, and for being unlawfully in a house.
A police spokesperson said they couldn’t provide more detailed information with the matter now before the court.
Blair was back in court Dec. 18 in North Vancouver, after Pique ’s weekly press deadline.
In Canada’s Criminal Code, being unlawfully in a dwelling-house differs from the charge of break-and-enter. Breakingand-entering is a crime that involves illegally entering a property with the intent to commit an indictable offence. Being unlawfully in a dwelling refers to the crime of being in someone’s home without their permission, but without the intent to commit a separate crime.
- Brandon Barrett
SEE PAGE 24 >>
Jury offers recommendations following coroner’s inquest into Whistlerite’s police-involved death
AMONG THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOLLOWING JASON KOEHLER’S 2020 DEATH IS CALL FOR RCMP TO EVALUATE FEASIBILITY OF STANDALONE, IN-PERSON TRAINING FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND DE-ESCALATION TACTICS
BY BRANDON BARRETT
A JURY has returned with recommendations as part of a coroner’s inquest into the policeinvolved death of Whistler business owner Jason Koehler, who was tasered, pepper sprayed and struck while resisting arrest in a 2020 incident in Whistler Village.
to a 2021 independent investigation that cleared the RCMP of any wrongdoing.
A coroner ruled Koehler’s death as accidental, caused by the combined effects of cocaine and methamphetamine toxicity, dilated cardiomyopathy, and struggle during physical restraint.
A coroner’s inquest is mandatory for any death that occurs while a person is detained by or in the custody of a peace officer, and where
“We have been advised of these recommendations and are taking them very seriously.”
- RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER
Koehler, 47, who owned smoking accessories shop 2 Guys with Pipes, died March 8, 2020 after police were called to respond to a disturbance at Stonesedge Kitchen on the Village Stroll. Officers reportedly struggled to control Koehler, who resisted arrest, and over the course of the incident, deployed a taser six times, as well as using pepper spray, batons, and physical blows to subdue him, according
RCMP BRIEFS FROM PAGE 22
MOLINARO CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL POSTPONED UNTIL MARCH
The trial of Pemberton man Roger Molinaro, who is facing charges related to child sexual assault, has been postponed until March.
Closing arguments were originally slated for Dec. 11 to 13, but are now scheduled to begin March 17 in Pemberton Provincial Court.
Molinaro was originally found guilty in November 2021 on several charges related to the abuse of minors and was sentenced to five and a half years in jail in August 2022. He successfully appealed the conviction last December, and was subsequently granted a new trial, which began Oct. 15.
Molinaro’s legal team argued on appeal the trial judge’s approach to the evidence was irreparably flawed and enabled guilty verdicts that overlooked serious credibility and reliability concerns regarding the testimony
the public has an interest in being informed. While juries can make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances, coroner’s inquests are not intended to find legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.
Following nearly two weeks of testimony
SEE PAGE 26 >>
of witnesses.
The defence argued at trial the complainants’ evidence lacked specificity, involved material inconsistencies and claims or descriptions of what occurred that were “implausible,” Justice Joyce DeWitt-Van Oosten said in the Dec. 11, 2023 decision.
The Court of Appeal ordered the convictions on all counts be set aside, with an acquittal entered on one of them, and a new trial ordered for the rest.
Over eight days in October, the Pemberton court heard at times difficult testimony from the alleged victims and their family members, frequently a retreading of the original 2021 trial.
Molinaro did not take the witness stand.
The longtime Pembertonian and businessman was arrested in April 2020 after police launched an investigation into historical allegations of abuse.
- Brandon Barrett n
From top: Dale Marie Campbell, Woman Who Brought the Salmon, 2021; Veronica Waechter, Reflections, 2019; Freda Diesing, Old Woman with Labret, 1973.
in Burnaby Coroners’ Court, the jury came back with eight recommendations for health officials, the RCMP, and the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW). The first recommendation called on B.C.’s health minister and Vancouver Coastal Health to increase community-based mental-health resources, including “case workers working collaboratively with federal and provincial corrections and community groups.”
In a notice of civil claim filed in June 2020, Koehler’s family said he had a history of mental-health issues that had previously brought him into contact with police.
Five recommendations were directed at the commanding officer of the RCMP’s “E” Division. One called for Mounties to evaluate the feasibility of “standalone and in-person training regarding civil liberties, mental health, and de-escalation tactics” for all police officers.
In the same 2020 notice of civil claim, Koehler’s family alleged the first three attending officers resorted to the use of physical force “with limited efforts to de-escalating the situation and no reason to believe bodily harm to anyone was imminent.” In addition to using excessive force, the claim also alleged that a fourth officer arrived on the scene and made “a poorly handled situation substantially worse by acting with malice or gross negligence,” and along with the other officers, continued to use force “long after it should have been clear that such force was unnecessary.”
RCMP officers are trained to use its Incident Management Intervention Model to assess and manage risk in encounters with the public. In September, the federal agency said it was updating the model to assess current training standards on the use of force and to review de-escalation training across Canada.
Another jury recommendation asked police to study the feasibility of counselling and psychological evaluation, fully funded by the RCMP, for police officers after major incidents before going back to active duty.
The Burnaby court heard this month how it took some time for investigators from the Independent Investigation Office of B.C. (IIO), the civilian watchdog that cleared RCMP of
any wrongdoing in Koehler’s death, to reach one of the involved officers for questioning after they had taken leave from work following Koehler’s death.
The jury also recommended Whistler RCMP evaluate the Car 99 program, an initiative that sees a nurse practitioner accompany an officer on proactive calls and check-ups, and the feasibility of expanding it to seven days a week.
Another recommendation asked Mounties to ensure all police cars are equipped with automatic external defibrillators. An autopsy noted Koehler had an enlarged heart, and dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes the heart’s chambers to enlarge and weaken, was listed as a contributing cause in his death.
The final recommendation for police was to consider updating its software “for easy access to pictures of any persons of interest.” According to the 2021 IIO investigation into Koehler’s death, the encounter soon grew physical after Koehler reportedly “snatched” an ID from an officer’s hand.
In a statement, the RCMP said it “respects the Coroner’s Inquest process and participates fully in those related to in-custody deaths involving the RCMP. Where recommendations are made by the Coroner, the RCMP will conduct a thorough review of those recommendations to determine any implications as well as how best to undertake implementation, if necessary. In some cases, our own internal review may result in similar recommendations which are either already implemented or in progress by the time the
Inquest occurs.”
The last two recommendations were for Whistler’s local government. The first called on the RMOW to evaluate better points of entry for emergency vehicles to access various areas of the village. The final recommendation asked the municipality to consider placing “sufficient” automatic external defibrillators around the village.
“We have been advised of these recommendations and are taking them very seriously. It is important to evaluate and consider where changes may be warranted to improve safety within the municipality,” said a municipal communications official in a statement.
Regarding access to Whistler Village, “we currently have numerous access points which were required during the development of the Village,” the statement went on. “We continue to ensure that ongoing planning and design support public safety throughout the Village neighbourhood. We also work closely with Vail [Resorts] and other partners to review, optimize, and update movement in the Village area, including access/egress points.”
There are currently 25 AED units throughout Whistler, nine of which are in the village itself, the RMOW said. There has not yet been an analysis as to whether this number is sufficient.
The court heard from more than a dozen witnesses over the course of the inquest, including Koehler’s mother, a local emergency physician, a toxicologist, an investigator with the IIO, and a use-of-force instructor from the Vancouver Police Department. n
RECOMMENDATIONS TABLED Community members laid flowers in front of 2 Guys with Pipes in remembrance of store owner Jason Koehler, who died following a police incident in March 2020.
FROM GIVING FOOD TO DO-IT-YOURSELF GIFTS, THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS TO REDUCE WASTE IN WHISTLER OVER THE HOLIDAYS
BY LIZ MCDONALD
CRUMPLED WRAPPING PAPER, tinsel and pine needles will soon be strewn about the floor of many Whistlerites’ homes, remnants of another holiday season come and gone.
But the waste produced from Christmas joy doesn’t disappear overnight. What if instead of creating waste this holiday season, we re-thought how to celebrate with the environment in mind? The Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) has tips on how to do just that.
Executive director Pegah Pourkarimi explained reducing the impact on the planet over the holidays doesn’t mean we need to bin meaningful connections.
“This is one of my favourite personal topics,” Pourkarimi said. “You can give thoughtful, experience-based gifts. Look at doing things together as opposed to giving something that won’t be used in two months,” she said.
For hosting events and giving gifts, she suggests reusing gift bags and minimizing single-use items. Replacing paper plates and plastic cutlery with re-useable ones is another easy way to cut down on waste.
“Running the dishwasher is better for the environment than the convenience of having
single-use items,” she said.
If folks don’t have enough plates to go around their festive table, another option includes a policy of BYOP: bring your own plate.
On planning a waste-free feast, Pourkarimi’s also got great suggestions from her background in food production.
“Look at portion sizes so food doesn’t go to waste. Use leftovers creatively, support local and seasonal foods,” she said. “I grew up cooking and have run food businesses for over 12 years now, so I have different base-level knowledge than other people might. What I always tell people who ask is, ‘just have a go of it. Burn a meal or two, recognize what can be adjusted and shifted.’ Search on Google what can be done with turkey and carrot leftovers and go from there.”
For folks celebrating Christmas, she suggested they opt for a living tree. Buying a living tree means you can plant it and watch it grow in years to come, should you have yard space.
If not, there are do-it-yourself methods to creating a Christmas tree from reclaimed wood, driftwood or materials around your house.
“You can use it again each year. Any way we can use what you already have helps,” Pourkarimi said. “My family also makes ornaments, collecting natural items.
With a bit of string and craft glue we make our ornaments. The kids love it. It gives us an experience together and it becomes their own little treasure over the years.”
Pourkarimi added creating homemade
decorations is a way families can incorporate their own climate action plan into holidays, which will likely resonate with youth who are deeply familiar with climate change.
“Most humans just want the opportunity for meaningful engagement, to feel included and be part of something. I really do think that people thrive when time is offered,” she said.
What can you recycle?
Despite our best efforts to reduce consumption and waste, there are still bound to be bits and bobs leftover which need to be appropriately disposed of.
Whistler’s waste depots have you covered.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler has a how-to guide for holiday recycling (find it at whistler.ca/wastefreeholiday).
Paper gift wrap (free from tape), paper cups and gift bags, cookie tins, plastic trays, greeting cards, shipping boxes, corrugated cardboard boxes and aluminum foil and foil trays are accepted in multi-family collection rooms or depots.
The Nesters and Function Junction waste depots also accept batteries, Christmas lights and old electronics.
What they can’t accept are toys, padded envelopes, foiled gift wrap or ribbons and bows.
From Dec. 26 to Jan. 13, the Nesters and Function Junction waste depots also accept Christmas trees for disposal. Organics are also accepted at Nesters and Function. n
WASTE NOT With a little care, Whistlerites can reduce their holiday waste in countless ways.
PHOTO BY ALLKINDZA / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Birken Society looking to scoop Gates Lake Park from Pemberton
THE BIRKEN RECREATION & CULTURAL SOCIETY SAYS THE PARK’S CURRENT GOVERNANCE MODEL PUTS UP TOO MANY BARRIERS TO COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
WITH A LOW BUDGET and small population to program for, the Birken Recreation and Cultural Society (BRCS) has its work cut out for it.
In recent years, Gates Lake Community Park has become a go-to spot for BRCS events. The park—a 30-minute drive up the Pemberton Portage Road from Pemberton— has hosted some of the Society’s favourite events, from summer markets and Easteregg hunts to singing and putting up lights at Christmastime.
But there’s a catch.
“In order to go down and do those things, we have to call the Village of Pemberton— their recreation department—and ask for permission, which we thought was really odd,” said Patti Rodger Kirkpatrick, chair of the BRCS.
“It was just this piece of extra red tape with a bunch of paperwork that had to be filled out.”
PARKS FUNDING IN THE SLRD
The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) purchased the 1.2-hectare park in 2013 with the goal of “developing a community park to enhance recreation and leisure opportunities for residents living in the Mount Currie to D’Arcy corridor.”
Under a 1997 bylaw, the SLRD uses tax revenue collected from residents of Pemberton and SLRD Electoral Area C to fund recreation services, which are then distributed to a regional body like the Village of Pemberton (VOP). That regional body uses the funding to help manage recreational services like Gates Lake Community Park.
During COVID, Rodger Kirkpatrick pitched the rest of the board on an unprecedented move for the BRCS: assuming management and funding of Gates Lake Community Park. The BRCS would receive the SLRD funding that the VOP gets, with additional expenditures based on the hiring of a new executive director and insurance upgrades. BRCS’ proposed operating budget is $25,084.
A shift in park management wouldn’t be unheard of for the SLRD.
In 1998, the SLRD shifted responsibility for overseeing day-to-day operations to the VOP. The Village then passed that responsibility to the Resort Municipality of Whistler in 2000. In 2007, the SLRD once again assumed management, before a service delivery agreement shifted it back to the VOP in 2019.
But a VOP staff report from March suggested looking for new managers for the facility.
“[I]t has been agreed that it does not necessarily make sense for the Village to oversee operations of Gates Lake Park,” the report read. “As such, SLRD staff will be exploring options for the future park management.”
Enter the BRCS.
DELEGATION TO THE SLRD
On Dec. 5, Rodger Kirkpatrick took her idea to the SLRD’s Pemberton Valley Utilities & Services committee. It was met with enthusiasm from board members.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Russell Mack, Electoral Area C Director at the SLRD. “Because you folks are really engaged, I think it would be, if nothing else, a really good test to see how this would work because maybe it would work somewhere else ... I’m fully supportive of this.”
Area C’s alternate director, Jan Kennett, was also supportive.
“I’m all for it,” Kennett said. “I think it reduces the layer of work that has to be done from the Village. As far as I’m concerned, I think it’s wonderful.”
Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman echoed the general support from the board and the village on the issue.
The VOP staff report from March suggested extending the current contract, which places the VOP in control of the park until Dec. 31, 2025. Any changes in ownership
would have to occur after that.
“We have to work within the contracts that we currently have and see those through,” said Richman. “But I think that gives us time to work through the process and figure out what that looks like.”
Staff are currently looking at the issue, but Richman said stakeholders have a clear “runway” to look at how to put things together and hammer out an agreement.
Rodger Kirkpatrick said the year gives the BRCS time to review the legality and liabilities associated with the changeover.
NEXT STEPS
Rodger Kirkpatrick is excited for what unfettered access to the park could mean for the BRCS.
“I think we could start organizing kids programming for the summer months,” she said. “Or, you know, maybe have a canteen down there where you sell [food], and hire a local kid on the weekends to manage it.”
She’s also excited about the prospect of hiring local for a new executive director position that will oversee management and funding of Gates Lake Community Park. BRCS’ proposal includes $14,000 for a salaried employee who would oversee the park on a day-to-day basis.
“It gives us the opportunity to hire somebody to help, gives us an opportunity to hire local people in the park,” Rodger Kirkpatrick said. n
OPEN THE GATES The Birken Recreation and Cultural Society made its case to the SquamishLillooet Regional District for oversight of Gates Lake Community Park earlier this month.
Donations down as demand for Lil’wat Christmas hampers increases
THE NATION’S CHRISTMAS SPIRIT TEAM IS SEEING A RECORD DECLINE IN DONATIONS
BY LUKE FAULKS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
EVERY YEAR, dozens of volunteers with the Lil’wat Christmas Spirit Team assemble food and gift hampers for families in need.
This year, the team is facing increasing demand for the hampers. In 2023, the Nation produced about 400 hampers. This year, the team will assemble 510.
But the program isn’t cheap, and donations have been scarce.
Jolene Andrew, director of community development for the Nation, said part of the issue might be due to delays caused by the postal service strike.
“There are a lot of donations we’re not seeing right now,” she said. “We’re way under where we were last year, and we figure that some of those donations are in the mail.”
Larger charities, like the Salvation Army, have reported significant drops in seasonal giving via mail compared to this time last year. The outfit says donations have decreased by 50 per cent since the strike began, amounting to a $9.3-million loss compared to this time last year.
The department is working hard to make up for a shortfall in donations, despite having a surplus from the previous year’s Christmas hampers.
“We do want to keep seeing those donations come in because otherwise we’re piece-mealing it from different parts of the budget,” said Andrew. “And then, the Nation will have to find the money somewhere
else.”
This year’s hampers have already gone out to 396 homes. Those hampers each include a turkey, and a combined total of $8,000 in gifts, $1,200 in wrapping paper, and more than $19,000 in gift cards to allow recipients to purchase food.
Demand for food banks is spiking across Canada.
A report by Food Banks Canada this fall found there were more than two million visits to Canadian food banks in March 2024— a six-per-cent increase from the previous year, and a 90-per-cent increase from 2019.
Andrew said despite the decline in donations, work on the hampers is moving forward.
She’s grateful for all the work the organizing committee and volunteers have put in this year.
“We’re just really grateful to the response that we’ve already gotten,” she said. “All the volunteers on the Christmas spirit team are taking time away from their families to put all the hampers together.
“They’re really championing what it means to come from a place of abundance and really trying to come together for the community.”
If you want to donate to the hamper project, Andrew suggested e-transferring finance@lilwat.ca and including a note that says the money is for the Christmas hamper or Christmas Spirit Team. She also said the Nation is happy to pick up cheques.
Donations over $25 can be written off as charitable contributions. Donations are encouraged, year-round. n
SEASONAL SPIRIT The Lil’wat Christmas Spirit Team is seeing increased demand for Christmas hampers.
PHOTO BY NANO / E+ / GETTY IMAGES
$1,599,999
$1,099,000
OPINION
Freeland’s poison pen letter might be the final blow to Trudeau
THE OLD SAYING is that a week is a long time in politics.
Try a day.
A finance minister quits hours, yes hours, before she was going to have to stand in the House of Commons to read an economic statement she might not believe in for a prime minister she now doesn’t believe in, either.
She quits.
The finance minister-in-waiting, the person who would have been replacing her later this week had she read that statement, supposedly leaves the prime minister at the altar.
He is missing in action. A loyalist has been put in place, for who knows how long.
BY KIRK LAPOINTE
The NDP leader who had propped the prime minister now believes he needs to quit.
He could take it down in a confidence vote, given the support elsewhere in the Commons, but remains a bit fuzzy on what he’ll do, though.
So, it seems, do about 60 or so of the governing-side MPs. That he needs to retain caucus support speaks volumes about his task ahead with the country.
For the record, the Bloc Québecois leader said the Trudeau government is over and the Conservative leader wants what he keeps calling a “carbon election.” We may get one soon, yet.
The statement in question predicts a $61.9-billion deficit this past year, a $48.3-billion deficit next, indicative of a truck
Rather than take one more bullet and stand in the Commons as the dead minister walking, Freeland grabbed a piece of letterhead, summoned her skills as a former journalist, and penned quite the poison.
In her letter she talked about “political gimmicks” of the government, about being “at odds” for some time with the boss, about how people know “when we are working for them” and not “focused on ourselves,” and how she had no “honest” or “viable” choice but to quit.
Interesting, the largest gimmick in Trudeau’s plan—$250 cheques for a lot of Canadians, which didn’t enjoy broad political support—is nowhere to be found.
The Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, took advantage of the gap to ask in the Commons: “I have a question for the finance minister. Who are you?”
It is another loyalist, Dominic LeBlanc, who was rushed into the role after a conversation with Trudeau on the afternoon of the government’s day to forget. He has three portfolios—finance, public safety, intergovernmental affairs—and the CanadaU.S. file.
Ah, yes, the Canada-U.S. file. The demotion that likely was Freeland’s last straw.
LeBlanc was, at least, at Mar-a-Lago with Trudeau and Trump two weeks ago. Trump hated Freeland, said he never wanted to be in a room with her again.
She warned in her letter Monday of the “grave” danger to the country Trump’s tariff threat posed. She wanted the country to keep its “powder dry” financially to deal with the possibly ruinous economic consequences of the recession and inflation that might ensue.
That she was offered an empty shell of a ministry without portfolio, without
She warned in her letter Monday of the “grave” danger to the country Trump’s tariff threat posed.
careening through its guardrails and taking the government over a cliff.
Nothing like this has hit the Trudeau government. Nothing like this has struck any government in memory.
The resigned minister, Chrystia Freeland, took bullet after bullet for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, dealing with premiers, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, excessive spending, scandals of substance, quarrels in caucus and cabinet, and the depressing reality of a country that had long since lost faith, and she never blinked.
But when the prime minister told her Friday that their disagreements over the federal economic direction and her position on them were untenable—and that she would lose her job, perhaps as soon as Wednesday—she learned just how short the leash is and how short the memories are when it comes to fidelity. This is the killer instinct Trudeau has when he’s not boasting about his female-laden cabinet.
Th ec asua le leganc eoft hi ss paciou s 4-bedroom ,2 .5 -b at hh ouse(recentl y upgraded)offersa fantasticResortlifestyle on aprivatecornerlotina popularlocal neighbourhood.
Step sf ro mw alking &b ikin gt rails , plus re laxingsound sofa nearbyrive r. Enjo yw orld -c lass re creatio natW histle r Blackcom ba ndCallagha nO lympic Park.EasyaccesstoFunctionJunction, Creekside &WhistlerVillage.
GS Te xempt,nostrata(HOA )f ees , re sidentia lz onin g( no tW HA),currentl y exemptfromForeignBuye rB an &B C Speculation Tax.
authority, to contend with this threat was indicative of how far she had fallen in her boss’ eyes. She might appear on the surface as a leadership candidate one day, but staying as long as she did with Trudeau might be a hill too hard for her party, much less the voters, to climb. As for Mark Carney, the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor and the man with all of the leverage at the moment, he was wise not to take the finance job or enter the government at Trudeau’s behest. This is not like rescuing someone in a burning building; it would be entering it and staying.
Trudeau is not going anywhere now, but neither is his government. End days are upon the Liberal government, now in its 10th year.
A decade in politics, after all, is a truly long time.
Kirk LaPointe is a Glacier Media columnist with an extensive background in journalism. n
KATHYWHITE
Good things come…
THE PHRASE “76 centimetres in 48 hours” has a certain ring to it, doesn’t it? Not because this number of centimetres of snow in this amount of time has any special meaning. It’s really just about the first number being significantly higher than the second number. Ergo, that big-ass snowstorm that hit us hard and fast last weekend.
BY VINCE SHULEY
It began on Friday afternoon, Dec. 13, and the snow that fell on Saturday was one of those daytime storms when the skiing just got better and better and better. Early risers got the first tracks, but the deepest turns weren’t found until the early afternoon. Returning to your vehicle after skiing and finding the better part of 20 centimetres caked to your windshield… If that doesn’t motivate you to come back and ski the next day, nothing will.
And many did. With a break in the weather forecasted for late Sunday morning and a high chance of the alpine lifts opening, skiers and riders poured up the freshly cleared highway. Another 30 centimetres fell overnight, setting up the dream double Whistler Blackcomb whammy of deep midmountain pow and even deeper alpine, which had been hammered by the storm for the last 48 hours.
But it’s not always a home run for
everyone involved. When it comes to playing your hand for the alpine, you either have to go all-in or know when to fold ‘em. This smallyet-critical decision can drastically change the course of your day.
I’m normally a diehard Blackcomb skier, but when the weather breaks, there’s nothing quite like a couple backside Peak laps to fill the tank. Spotting an opportunity last weekend to do exactly that, I took a punt on Whistler Mountain and lined up for the Peak Chair just before 11 a.m. I was by no means the first to the party. Some had been there since 9:30 a.m. and knew full well they were in for a wait. But how long until it opened?
The first hour blew by relatively quickly. Standing in the singles line, I struck up a conversation with Phil, a ski dad who lives in Kitsilano and has been coming up to Whistler to ski most of his life. Like me, Phil is a patient
wait time, a false positive ripped through the crowd with hoots, hollers and screams incorrectly signalling it was finally time. Once reality set in, the hoots and hollers were replaced by grumbles and complaints. Some folks gave up in frustration and walked away. But not me and Phil. We were in it for the long haul. Besides, how much longer could it be?
At the two-hour mark I started to get uncomfortable. Conversations were starting to turn from happy-go-lucky waiting game to what-the-hell-are-we-doing-here? Everyone
Few skiers and riders would sign up for a saga this long. But once you get past the first 45 minutes or so of waiting, the FOMO takes over and you begin to double down.
man and didn’t mind slogging it out in the cold if it meant putting his skis down an alpine slope with more than 50 centimetres caked to it. We chatted about everything from ideal slackcountry setups to the current state of local news media.
The second hour of waiting was when folks started to grow restless. The alpine bombs from the first hour were now quiet, and all attention was on the ski patrollers who would come by every 30 minutes or so. Around the 90-minute mark of total
was cold and many were hungry, thinking it couldn’t be more than another 20 minutes an hour ago. The nervous stamping of ski boots, lunging of legs and swinging of arms in an attempt to stay warm were losing their appeal. The most frustrated people started venting at passing patrollers and lift operators. Things were getting tense.
And then, at 1:22 p.m.—two hours and 24 minutes after I lined up—Peak Chair finally opened. People were almost in disbelief thinking it was yet another red herring, but
the rope came down and slowly but surely we all loaded up and got our best run of the 202425 season (so far).
Few skiers and riders would sign up for a saga this long. But once you get past the first 45 minutes or so of waiting, the FOMO takes over and you begin to double down. It has worked for me many, many times in the past, nailing the timing just so, or putting in more than an hour of patience for the reward of the best skiing. But this one didn’t quite balance out. The run I skied was amazing, but it was all over in minutes and I didn’t have time in my day for another run. The time I put into waiting was simply too long to feel like I made the most of my Sunday. But that’s part of the game sometimes.
I’ll bookend this account by stating I do not put any fault on Whistler Mountain Ski Patrol or their operations staff for making us wait. It was a fierce storm with fiercer wind in the alpine, and rumour had it pocket avalanche slabs were releasing all over the Peak Chair terrain while the patrollers were trying to make it safe. On this day, the snow was not behaving the way it normally does. As a result, a few hundred people had a frustratingly long wait, one we all chose to put ourselves through in the name of pow.
Vince Shuley hopes Phil’s lap down West Cirque was just as good as his own. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. n
EYES ON THE PRIZE The long wait for Peak Chair last Sunday was a self-inflicted wound for dedicated skiers and riders.
Themapisalso availableforin-personreviewand comment byappointmentat the BC Timber SalesSquamishO ffice, MondaytoFridayfrom8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 101-42000 LoggersLane, Squamish,B.C.,V8B0H3
CommentswillbeacceptedbetweenDecember20,2024–January 19,2025. Commentsmaybesubmittedonlineat fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects,emailed to BCTS.Squamish@gov.bc.ca,deliveredin-persontothe addressabove duringbusinesshours, ormailed to the addressabove to theattentionofBC TS Squamish.
If youhavequestionsor comments, or require assistance, please contact: BCTS.Squamish@gov.bc.ca.
Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum
By Katherine Fawcett
ary nodded.
And that was all the encouragement The Little Drummer Boy needed. He looked around, wide-eyed. It wasn’t every day you got to play for a Lord and Saviour. His heart pounded. This was his big break.
Yes, it was a barn. A stable, if you will.
Yes, the cattle were lowing.
Yes, there was hay and dirt all over the ground. The walls, really just broken planks and pieces of rock piled on top of one another, did nothing to keep out the chill that came upon the midnight clear.
But there was something mystical about being there.
A star, unlike any he’d seen in his entire nine and a half years, shone brightly overhead. It was a star of wonder. Star of light. Dust, or perhaps dried flakes of donkey manure, glittered in a shaft of silver that beamed through cracks in the stable roof. All was calm. All was bright.
A Herald Angel had appeared to him earlier that day. Told him he needed to get himself over moor and mountain; to follow yonder star and honour the newborn king.
“And bring a present,” said the angel.
“But I am a poor boy! I have no gift to bring!”
The angel told him to figure it out, then disappeared.
So here he was, he and his drum. But in the back of his mind, he thought of his sister, back home. He really wished she was there too.
The baby, fresh as an olive picked right off the tree, lay in a feeding trough—hopefully cleaned out first, but probably not— wrapped in rags. Surprisingly, no crying he made.
It was hard to believe that this tiny baby, cute and content as he was, could be king of kings. But that’s what the angel had said. And who was he, a simple drummer boy, to argue with an angel that was heard on high?
Mary looked down at the sleeping child, so tender and mild, then back at him, up to her husband’s tired face, and again to him.
It was go-time.
The animals at his place—mostly rodents and one mangy stray cat—never kept time.
He wished he had parents who had encouraged him; looked at him in the same loving way this woman looked at her begotten son.
But most of all, he felt badly about the way he’d left his sister, back in their hut.
His sister! If he came across as a half-decent musician, well Carol was a child prodigy. In all honesty, she was the one who should have come here. Not him. She was by far the better musician. She practiced 10 times more than he did and could play her bells so sweetly they sounded like the cooing of at least three turtle doves.
“Come with me, Carol!” he’d begged her after the angel took off. “You and your bells! Me and my drum! We can make it a duo. It’ll be like heav’n and nature singing!”
But his sister told him she didn’t believe in virgin births or angels or things like that. “Besides,” she said. “I’m a girl musician. The world’s not ready.”
The Little Drummer Boy mustered up his courage. He took a deep breath, firmly laid the palm of his hand upon the drum’s soft, stretched hide. ‘Pa.’ One simple beat to kick it off. He played again. ‘Rum pa.’ A couple of sweet eighth notes. A final ‘pum pum,’ of really solid quarter notes. It was sublime. Hypnotic. Memorable. He played his best and looped the riff over and over until he felt as if this would be a night people would remember for all time. Sort of an, O, holy night.
The whole family—Mary, the dad, the baby, plus some portly, well-dressed strangers from somewhere called Orie and Tar, and some shepherds the Little Drummer Boy recognized from the Little Town of Bethlehem market—were all listening. Even the ox and lamb kept time. One gently pawed the ground and the other nodded its fuzzy head.
Yet there was a bittersweet edge.
“You could wear one of my tunics,” said the Little Drummer Boy. “No one will know your gender.” She didn’t go for it, so he tried another tack.
“Look, I’m not trying to make you believe things you don’t believe. Just bring your bells and come celebrate love, gift-giving, peace, and a nice family gathering.”
“Sorry, bro.” She bit into a juicy fig. “You’re on your own.”
He’d snarled something about her being stubborn as an ass and stomped away. Big sisters had a way of getting under your skin, but he missed her terribly right now. They were kin, and t’was the season.
Nevertheless, he kept playing. He reined in his focus and ramped up the intensity of the beat. A crescendo mid-phrase. A slight accent on the opening rum and the second pum.
Just when he was starting to go with a bit of syncopation the Little Drummer Boy noticed something miraculous. That baby, no more than an hour old and apparently destined to change history, curled up his cherubic lips, wrinkled his nose, and smiled at him. It was a genuine, love-filled, joyful smile. And in that very moment, bells rang through the silent night. He knew right away that it was his sister Carol—of the bells—playing in the distance, and her music rang merrily on high throughout the land. It was so beautiful! How could the world not be ready for a girl musician? He’d make it his life’s purpose to work on that.
The Little Drummer Boy played for a while more—until Mary nodded off and the shepherds headed back to watch their flocks by night.
On his way out, one of the well-dressed men slipped The Little Drummer Boy a small drawstring bag made of red velvet. He peeked inside. It was filled with gold coins that sparkled in the starlight.
“In the spirit of the night, take this,” said the man through a thick beard of white. “It’s for you and your sister.”
The Little Drummer Boy was dumbstruck. He bowed in gratitude. “I humbly thank you, kind sir. But, how did you know about my sister?”
There was a twinkle in the man’s eye. He laid a finger aside of his nose and said “I am a wise man. I know the joy of Christmas Carol.”
Katherine Fawcett is a Squamish-based author, teacher and musician. Her latest books are The Swan Suit and The Little Washer of Sorrows. Read more of her work at katherinefawcett.com.
A Tail of Too Xmas
By Kate Heskett
loud crash sounded from the kitchen and HD sleepily turned his ears towards the sound.
“For fu—”
“Na-ah-ah,” Father said. “Not on Xmas, you promised.”
Mother exhaled loudly, letting her lips flap together. “Fine,” she said, and bent to pick up the roasting pans, dropping them with an even louder clang onto the counter. She rolled her shoulders in an effort to shed the stress, but even in his half-awake state HD knew the day would only get worse.
It happened every year, at the time of least daylight. An uncharacteristically early morning of cooking and cleaning and the ghastly wind sucker. He did enjoy getting his breakfast early, but hated coming back to find that his bed had been moved off the couch. And the kids, trying at the best of times, running down the stairs and being very loud, tearing into the boxes with shiny paper that HD had specifically been banned from playing with. He’d mostly complied, but one around the back smelled particularly delicious, and he couldn’t help sneaking a couple of covert nibbles. Surely a few bites of such sumptuous fare was fair trade for being so rudely awakened? He wrapped his tail tightly around his paws and tried to focus on the comforting smells beginning to waft from the oven as they mixed with the earthy sweetness of the decorated pine.
It had been a cold and wintry day when a stranger first knocked on his door. HD was cuddled up with his brothers and sisters, recovering from a game of hunt-and-tackle. The woman at the door smelt of things he didn’t have names for and carried a large plastic case.
“Are you sure you want the black one? He’s a bit of a handful,” his human warned.
“All cats are a handful,” replied the stranger.
“I’ve started calling him Houdini,” his human chuckled, as she reached down and plucked the black kitten from his home.
“The kitten, the ah…” getting it together, the stranger changed tack. “I mean, Merry Xmas hon! Your present is loose in the house somewhere.”
Heart pumping with fear and acting on instinct, HD had shot straight to the top of a pine tree, hiding high in the branches. He knew he should stay still to avoid capture, and he tried, but something shiny caught his eye. Hanging off the tip of the branch was a silver ball, and inside the silver ball a black kitten was looking back at him. Another kitten to play with! HD wriggled his butt and jumped, catching the cat-ball in his paws. For a moment he was swinging in the air, suspended from the tree like a furry ornament, before the whole thing came crashing down on top of him. Tangled in a pile of coloured boxes he clawed his way to freedom, sending shredded paper flying. The humans came running and HD darted for cover—
Behind an armchair, too exposed!
Across the mantlepiece, cards and decorations flying, too flimsy!
Finally to the top of the bookcase, here! where he cowered motionless, senses still at full alert.
The first nights in the new house were scary. Locked away in a cold laundry by himself, HD had cried for his brothers and sisters. During the days he patrolled the doors and windows, sensing the outside air on his whiskers and looking for an escape from the white-tiled prison. Alert, his ears would twitch when he heard the stranger’s footsteps coming, and he’d jump up on top of the dryer and crouch down in his “ready” position, paws outstretched and fluffy butt wriggling dangerously.
On the third night, as the woman bent down to fill up his food bowl, HD launched himself from his hiding place on top of the dryer and landed on the back of her head, becoming tangled in the thick brown hair. He tried to hold on, but his sharp nails pierced her scalp like tiny needles and she shrieked and bolted upright, sending HD flying through the open laundry door.
An other appeared in the doorway. “Honey what happened?”
“The stupid cat flew at me! It was in my hair—”
“The cat? What cat?”
With no idea where he went, a trap was set for HD, and in the morning he was dropped unceremoniously at the local shelter, where he spent Xmas alone.
The smell of crushed pine needles still strong in his mind, HD shuddered awake. He sat up and gave his belly a few licks, running his pink tongue along his black fur, before turning his back to the kitchen and plonking down on the couch with a huff. He tried to be positive. Maybe this year will be different, he thought. Then the doorbell rang. He stayed very still, but the sticky hands of a newly mobile human groped at his soft belly, digging its nails into his flesh. He hissed a warning at it to back off and the toddler fell on its bottom, crying. Satisfied that justice had been served, HD was cleaning between his toes when the other small humans started yelling and throwing things. Backed into a corner, HD yeowled for help, but the large humans were filling their glasses with rum and eggnog, wilfully ignoring the sounds of their offspring in the other room.
A blue plastic dog bounced painfully off HD’s nose, and he arched his back and hissed at the children, finally drawing attention to his plight.
“What’s going on in there?” Mother called.
“Nothing!” came a chorus of angelic voices.
With his attackers momentarily distracted, Houdini saw his escape. He leapt from the couch to the Xmas tree, knocking it off balance, and as the tree toppled towards the kids, he jumped over their heads, across the coffee table and into the laundry, where he settled into his favourite hiding place on top of the dryer. As he listened to the adults trying to calm the children he knew he was in trouble. His heart raced as he thought about what came next. The cat carrier. The car. The lonely shelter.
He didn’t mean to ruin things, it’s just that sometimes it all becomes too much. The noise, the strange smells, the humans who don’t understand that he needs his own space to feel safe and happy. HD knew he should go out and try to apologize, but he wasn’t ready for the cat shelter just yet. He wrapped his tail around his sore nose and tried to ignore everything.
After a while he realized there was no screaming, no loud voices, only the sound of knives and forks on plates and the delicious scents of freshly roasted meats. HD’s mouth watered and his tummy rumbled. It’d been hours since he’d eaten anything. Maybe he could make a quick trip to his bowl without being seen?
Sticking close to the walls, Houdini stealthed towards his food bowl, hoping for a last meal of his favourite kibble. Arriving, he froze. A handmade card sat next to his bowl—a picture of a black cat, a red heart and misshapen letters that said Sorry HD—and his bowl was full to the brim with turkey and gravy, a crisp of bacon on the side. Before he could dig in, a pair of arms scooped him into the air.
In the human’s hands was the present he’d chewed the hole in, and a card. On the card it said, “To Houdini, the cat who hates Xmas.”
A soft voice whispered in his ear, “Merry Xmas, you silly cat.”
Kate Heskett is a Whistler-based writer, canoe guide and collector of stories. They are an awardwinning poet and their work was recently published in the Lupine Review. Originally from Australia, Kate is firmly stuck in the Whistler bubble, trying their best to grow more than just kale and still working on their first novel.
Santa Claus vs. The Hobbits
By Alan Forsythe
Now, a lot of you out there have heard endless stories about Santa Claus, jolly old St. Nick, what have you, and they’re always the happy stories, the ones that make Christmas brighter, but I’m here to tell you that Santa has a dark side or at least he did, and this is the story of how he came back from the brink.
It’s funny how unexpected the events that provide the forks in the road can be, for Santa it was hobbits. Three somewhat annoying hobbits, to be precise.
Let me back up a bit. It was more than a few years ago now, on a stormy Christmas Eve, when ol’ Santa was hitting the bottle pretty hard, and to be honest, I wasn’t doing much better. We were both down in this dive bar near the port on the east side, figuratively about as far from the North Pole as you can get.
Santa was a rye drinker back then, and was most of the way through a bottle of Canadian Club, when three cheery hobbits entered the bar, like they hadn’t a care in this cold, cruel world. To say they looked out of place in that seedy bar would be the understatement of the century. I was sitting at the bar next to Santa, who was grumbling into his rye something about ungrateful elves and upstart reindeer. The hobbits sat next to me, putting me between them and Santa, which, I thought, was for the best. But nonetheless, the one sitting closest to me leaned back, so as to look past me to Santa, and said,
“Santa Claus is it? Shouldn’t you be off doing something else?”
Well, I’ll tell you, Santa in those dark days did not like being reminded of his image as a jolly old gift-giver. I guess, like any drunk, he didn’t want to be reminded of how far he’d fallen, and the life he used to have. He certainly didn’t want to be reminded of those facts by a hobbit of all people (for whom, even at the best of times, he didn’t have much patience for).
Santa growled at them and that dissuaded any further enquiries for the time being. However, one of them, the one furthest from me, and the fattest of the bunch, proceeded to ask the bartender if he had any elderberry wine. That made Santa snort into his rye, and he laughed maliciously.
“Elderberry wine? You’re in the wrong place, hobbits.”
“I really don’t see why that should be an issue,” said the fat hobbit, clearly upset that Santa would laugh at him simply for his choice of libation.
“Yes, and shouldn’t you be off delivering presents? It is Christmas Eve, if I’m not mistaken,” chimed in the first hobbit. Well, that was enough for Santa. Like I said, he was deep into a bottle of rye already, and let me tell you, back then, he was not a happy drunk. Just about anything would set him off, but a trio of happy-go-lucky hobbits looking for elderberry wine in a dive bar?
That was bound to light up Santa, and not in a festive way.
So Santa pushed his stool back and walked over to the hobbit, who just grinned up at him foolishly. Now, Santa is often portrayed as fat and jolly, but that’s not reality—he’s just a big guy, a big, solid guy. I mean, how can you deliver presents all over the world and not build up some muscle? Oh sure, magic’s involved, but that only goes so far. The point being, Santa towered over this poor little hobbit, filled with all the rage a burnt-out, bitter drunk can manage (which is considerable), looking to do some serious damage to said hobbit, and he was more than capable of doing it, even in his inebriated state.
“Got something you wanna say to me hobbit?”
“Just cheer up Santa, it’s never as bad as you might think.” And on the heels of that goodnatured sentiment, Santa answered with a haymaker, aimed straight at the cheery hobbit’s head. Except suddenly, the hobbit wasn’t there. I mean like, just gone, in the blink of an eye. And Santa followed his punch with all his weight behind it, throwing him off balance, and went crashing into the bar, head first. It did send the other two hobbits scrambling, though not for the door. They stuck around to find out the fate of their friend. Who then, just like that, reappeared behind Santa, and gave him a swift kick to his backside.
Santa turned in a blind rage, and promptly tripped over his own bar stool, falling to the ground, grasping for the smiling hobbit as he did so. The hobbit in turn disappeared again, poof, just like that. Then I saw the rye bottle Santa had been drinking from lift from the bar, float in the air over Santa, and instantly the hobbit appeared, holding it, and proceeded to pour the remains of it over Santa’s face.
He was absolutely sputtering with rage, so much so he simply flailed impotently at the hobbit, who, in the final humiliation, dropped the bottle on Santa, giving him a pretty good bonk on the nose, before disappearing again.
Santa didn’t even try to get up. In pain, and clearly humiliated, he lay there holding his bleeding nose, yelling insults that would make a sailor blush.
The hobbit reappeared next to his friends and calmly ushered them out the door, apparently off to find their Christmas cheer in more welcoming surroundings.
Once they were gone, I helped Santa to his feet and brushed him off. I figured he’d immediately order a shot or two and get back to what he was doing before those hobbits entered his life, drinking himself to death.
But no. He looked down at himself, then at me, said I hadn’t been a good boy that year, but then neither had he, and marched himself out the door, looking strangely sober.
Of course you all know the rest. Santa went back to the North Pole, made up with Mrs. Claus and the elves, and got back into the gift-giving business.
He’ll still join me for a hot toddy every so often, in the slow season of course, and only if I promise not to bring up hobbits. The encounter with those three hobbits may have been his turning point for the better… nonetheless, he sure still hated hobbits.
Born and raised on the North Shore, Alan Forsythe has been skiing Whistler since he was 10, and writing fiction for almost as long. You can find his collection of short stories and novels on amazon.ca. n
Whistler Freeride Club qualifies three for 2025 Junior Worlds
KAYLA
CONSTANTINI, KOHEN TACILAUSKAS AND TANNEN DESBRISAY ARE HEADED TO AUSTRIA
BY DAVID SONG
IN 2023, Marcus Goguen delivered Junior Freeride World Championships gold to the Whistler Freeride Club (WFC): the organization that raised him. Lukas Bennett mirrored Goguen’s triumph the following year. Now, three more locals are poised to do everything they can to keep the streak alive.
The WFC is sending Kayla Constantini, Kohen Tacilauskas and Tannen DesBrisay to Kappl, Austria for the 2025 Junior Worlds. Constantini is raring to go on what she hopes will be her revenge tour. The WFC alum finished 10th at her inaugural Junior Worlds outing. Yet she’s got potential to better that mark, as evidenced by the fact she wrapped up last season as Canada’s top U19 female freerider and third overall in IFSA rankings. Tacilauskas and DesBrisay placed ninth and 26th, respectively, in the 202324 standings and are Kappl-bound for the first time.
A SECOND CHANCE
Do-overs won’t always materialize in sport or in life, but Constantini means to take full advantage of hers.
“To get a second chance, especially on a world stage competing against the best riders … I actually couldn’t be more excited,” she said. “It’s such an amazing place and the venue is insane. Having that kind of opportunity come around again, I just can’t believe it.”
Constantini learned from last year that she need not be stressed at the Junior Worlds. Somewhat counterintuitively, she felt less pressure in Austria than she does at many of her other events. Meeting like-minded skiers from around the globe is a lot of fun, and that keeps her focused on the task at hand.
At 18 years old, Constantini is now a WFC alum studying business at the University of Victoria. She’s been figuring out how to juggle her course load and the demands of independent life with training and contests. In the process, she has only become more grateful for being raised in Whistler’s wintery paradise.
One more hurrah with two former clubmates lies ahead.
“It kind of brings you closer together, [going to Kappl] with people I’m not very close to at the moment,” said Constantini. “I’ve had the best time ever in the Whistler Freeride Club and it’s not going to end because eventually, all my friends are going to be in the same boat as me and we can have a whole gang to ski with [as young adults]. I still ski with some of my coaches every now and then.
“I aged out and I’m moving on to a new chapter in my life, but I’ll always be there in a way.”
A LOT TO LOOK UP TO
Tacilauskas was born and raised in Whistler. His parents wasted no time getting skis onto his feet as a two-year-old at the base of Blackcomb Mountain, and he pretty much never looked back.
Now 17, the young man looks forward to the grandest competition of his career.
“It means a lot,” said Tacilauskas about the opportunity. “There’s a lot I have to look up to, with Marcus and Lukas being two reigning champions for Canada from the Whistler Freeride Club. It’s going to be very hard, but I think Tannen, Kayla and I can [reach the podium] as well.”
When asked why he decided to commit to freeride, Tacilauskas explained he feels it’s the most creative way to ski and that he’d prefer to be in the high mountains versus, say, the terrain park. He’ll never forget his eight years with WFC, exploring incredible terrain alongside friends and trusted coaches.
“Tannen and Kayla are both very creative,” Tacilauskas said. “They both love to just go for it and do as much as they can on the mountain. Everybody’s always pushing each other in Whistler. We’re always trying to get better.”
Tacilauskas’ lone gold medal from the previous campaign came in Stevens Pass, and he added to that bronze on home snow. Yet the local shredder names Lake Louise as a highlight because there he notched silver with a performance he’s truly proud of.
His goal for Junior Worlds is much the same: put down a run that makes him happy, and do a good job representing the Maple Leaf.
‘SUPER EXCITED’
DesBrisay almost failed to make the cut.
Placing first and second at two local contests got the teenager’s 2023-24 season off to a nice start, but a crash at the IFSA Junior Freeride Championships in Breckenridge, Colo. nearly derailed it all. DesBrisay ended up with 2,085 overall points, qualifying for Junior Worlds by a tiny five-point margin.
“I’m super excited,” he said. “I’m just thinking about [Austria] as my redemption run for Colorado. [It’s so] rewarding to land something you’ve been dreaming of, and the rush of adrenaline you get from being scared but then [your run working out] is super cool.”
Like Tacilauskas, DesBrisay began skiing when he was two years of age. The pair have been good friends dating back to their snowschool days and can hardly be more thrilled to go to Kappl together. Yet DesBrisay has never skied in Europe, and the new locale will bring new hurdles.
Unlike in North America, European freeride organizers do not let their athletes physically set foot on a venue before a given contest. All inspections of snow and terrain must occur from a distance, through binoculars.
“It’s definitely a skill that I need to work on, but it’s also really cool because you usually get better snow for your competition run,” elaborated DesBrisay, 17. “It makes things feel a bit more exciting when you’re skiing a line you’ve never even stood on top of before.”
The 2025 Junior Worlds run Jan. 13 to 16, 2025. n
POWDER HOUNDS Kayla Constantini throws up powder on the mountain.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL OVERBECK
Thank you for your business, friendship, referrals and support!
Caronne Marino
PERSONALREALESTATECORPORATION
604.905.8324
cmarino@rennie.com| caronnemarino.com
Over 20 yearsinresortreal estate sales experience!
The FOM can beviewedathttps://fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects, a ndbysearchin g License e usin g th e ‘find’function.Alternativel y, t heinformatio n containe d inth e FO M ca n bemadeavailabl e fo r in-personviewingduringnormalbusinesshoursatChartwellResource GroupLtd.’s officeat#201– 1121Commercial Place,SquamishBC.
Comment s ca n besubmitte d anytim e durin g th e 30-da y period t hroughhttps://fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects , e-maile d to S pelkumtun.FOM@crgl.ca,ormaile d toth e addres s notedabove PleasereferencetheFOMIDwhensubmittingcomments.
Following the reviewand commentperiod,thisFOM may berelied upontoapplyforaRoadPermitorCuttingPermitfora3-yearperiod, endingJanuary21st,2028.
Local U11 soccer team raises $2,750 for Pemberton Food Bank
AREA BUSINESSES MURPHY CONSTRUCTION, JT HEAVY EQUIPMENT REPAIR AND WIRE-IT ELECTRICAL DONATED TO THE CAUSE
BY DAVID SONG
SOCCER IS KNOWN as the beautiful game, and few things are more beautiful than youngsters uniting to serve a cause greater than themselves.
The Pemberton Youth Soccer Association (PYSA) U11 boys squad, also known as the Rapids, set out earlier this fall to raise $1 for the Pemberton Food Bank for every goal scored during their quartet of games.
Players’ families joined in to match the donations dollar-for-dollar, raising $1,000. News of the undertaking reached PYSA coach and Murphy Construction owner Graham Murphy, who invited the team to his office to learn more about why they wished to support the Food Bank.
One young athlete is quoted in a press release as saying: “Some people need a little extra help right now. They need food to live their life and be healthy.”
Murphy matched their donation, remarking: “Soccer is a lifelong sport. You’re making amazing friendships and playing a sport you love, but this is what’s important.”
With further contributions by local businesses JT Heavy Equipment Repair and Wire-It Electrical, the grand total rose to $2,750.
“This initiative has gained more momentum than we ever imagined,” said a PYSA spokesperson in a release. “It’s a testament to the power of teamwork, compassion, and community support.”
‘THE MORE
WE INVEST IN
THE COMMUNITY, THE BETTER IT IS’
Pemberton resident Victoria Watson, whose son plays for the Rapids, took up a central role in organizing the fundraiser.
“I wanted to create a charitable element to the kids playing, and some awareness for our little players,” she explained. “I think the Food Bank is a great way because food is, of
course, something that’s very understandable for children. We didn’t really expect that the boys would achieve a goal count of 27 … and I think the initiative applied some additional healthy pressure for the kids.
“People want to donate to the Food Bank, but they may feel that donating $20 independently isn’t significant enough. With a group of people, $20 times 20 families is a lot of food.”
The Rapids played their fundraising matches in October and November. They haven’t had a lot of exposure to playing teams outside the Sea to Sky, but excitement for their common mission dampened any sense of intimidation that might otherwise have been present. Of course the boys wanted to win—any group of kids does—but they also cared about how many times they were putting the ball in the net.
“It created nice discussion on the way down to the games and on the way home,” remembered Watson. “All of the kids were constantly like: ‘[how many goals] are we at?’ and I think it improved their overall game. They were passing better, behaving more like a team. They were playing different positions than they normally would to fill gaps. Family and friends were showing up to games on the North Shore and donating to the Food Bank as well.”
She continues: “The more we invest in the community, the better it is, and talking to kids about community at a young age is important. I think the more secure their community feels, the more harmonious our children will feel as they grow up because nobody’s getting left behind. It’s so important to look out for one another and know that if there’s a time where [my family and I] need help in the future, we’ve done everything we can to pay it forward.”
According to an email from the Sea to Sky Community Services Society (SCSS), the Pemberton Food Bank provided meals to nearly 1,300 individuals in 2023. Over the past five years it has served 1,828 households, 1,048 children, and facilitated 40,149 visits.To donate or learn more, visit sscs.ca/pembertonfood-bank. n
GIVING BACK The 2024 Pemberton Youth Soccer Association U11 Rapids.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINE COWIN
SHOP IN-STORE
Have yourself a merry little moment
TIME OUT OF TIME AT CHRISTMAS
EVEN IF you don’t celebrate Christmas, most of us get into the feeling of Christmas this time of year—including the stressed out, crabby bits. And that can draw out all kinds of interesting phenomena, two of which share a pretty cool upside-down correlation.
BY GLENDA BARTOSH
First off, no matter what, you’ll run out of time. It’s like time insidiously turns itself inside out like a rubber glove pulled off a wet hand, wiping out any sense of utility. Thought you were totally under control for the holidays two weeks ago and now find yourself, along with all your good intentions, unravelling? Yep, that’s the festive-rubber-glove time warp.
My advice, if you haven’t already got your Christmas machinations under control, is just forget it. Take a break, head up the mountain or curl up under a quilt because you probably aren’t going to get it all done anyway.
A good Whistler pal told me years ago that she stopped trying to make a perfect Christmas because she realized she was driving everyone nuts—her family, her friends, guests, even the dog. She’d get so wound up and stressed out that she ended up alienating everyone and making Christmas hell.
Hubbie gently tried pointing this out again
and again, and, after years of glazing over, she finally got it. She said it was the time she caught herself screaming at the dog to stop dropping its hairs all over the floor she’d just damp-mopped. After that, she let it all go—or at least the bits that didn’t really matter—and tried to have some fun herself. Good idea.
My gift to you this holiday season is some reassurance. If you thought you had a lot more time to prep for Christmas, and everything else, when you were younger, you’re not imagining it. You’re also not romanticizing les temps perdue. Or falling into the “ratio of life” trap, although that probably plays into it, too.
No, what you’re basically experiencing is what science confirms. And it’s got to do with our basal metabolic rate and other biological
of habit in most of our modern, secular world, especially in this era of digital dominance. Christmas cards have morphed into texts, postal strike or not; Christmas newsletters get posted on Substack. So much for hand-writing cards in a room glowing in candlelight.
I like this reminder Dr. Andrew Weil shared a while back. It restores a breath of loveliness to the concept of ritual. After all, what are celebrations about this time of year, if not ritual and tradition?
Rituals are simply activities that invite us to step out of ordinary time. That in itself is an enchanting idea. They can play an important role in maintaining emotional good health—deepening relationships; allowing us to express important values; and offering a
So maybe start a ritual that makes you happy. Walk in the snow on Christmas Eve with your kids, especially if that’s what you did with your family when you were little.
functions. Bottom line: as we age, the part of our brains that measures time like an internal clock actually speeds up so that our subjective sense of time changes accordingly. If you think it’s bad now, my mom, who’s edging towards 100, warns that it gets even worse as you really age. Weeks whiz by like days. Days feel like hours.
In the midst of all that whizzing, the second holiday phenomenon might help. And that has to do with ritual.
Ritual almost feels like a weird concept these days, relegated to the realms of steampunk and Goth. It’s definitely slipped out
sense of security and continuity. Psychologists have explained that much of the material clutter people cling to is a futile attempt to cling to meaning and memories. You know, like dutifully hanging on to your great-aunt’s ugly turkey platter because it reminds you of her. Some call that memory hoarding.
Experts suggest finding other, nonmaterial ways to honour those feelings and memories, like taking a moment to just sit and think about your great-aunt in a place or at a time that reminds you of her. That’s a ritual.
Rituals can be as mundane as walking the
dog every morning, or taking time out to stare at a candle flame. You know what they are— they give us a sense of calm in the storm and that wonderful feeling of stepping out of daily routines and stress.
The thing is that just when we need them most, like during the holly-daze, rituals and traditions can get swept aside. It’s got something to do with that swelling sense of obligation compounded by a crushing sense of time slipping away, Ironically, those precious rituals we’re tempted to drop can deliver more pleasure and Christmas spirit than most of the other stuff we feel driven to do.
So maybe start a ritual that makes you happy. Walk in the snow on Christmas Eve with your kids, especially if that’s what you did with your family when you were little. Make modest gifts or treats—and stop making them when it feels more like obligation than pleasure.
Start your own low-key traditions. Tell stories between Christmas dinner—however big or small—and dessert: The naughtiest thing you did as a kid during the holidays; the best friend you ever had; your craziest Christmas memory. If you’re on your own, write them down or call up a pal. Set up candles, one for each person you’ve loved or who has loved you. Each night before Christmas, winter solstice, or whatever date suits you, light one and think of them. Or simply take a moment in the woods to pause and wonder.
These are the kinds of small rituals that stop time, transcend the everyday and remind us who we are. They can also shine a light on where we’re coming from and where we might be going.
Maybe try one. And enjoy the feeling of Christmas, however you spend it.
Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who invents new little traditions each Christmas since life is always changing. n
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
SWEAT
Forty years of yuletide cheer at Whistler’s Christmas Eve Carol Service
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
AT WHISTLER’S SKIER’S CHAPEL, THE SERVICE NOW WELCOMES HUNDREDS OF ATTENDEES EVERY YEAR
services reflected that fact.
BY BRANDON BARRETT
THROUGH HER YEARS as a choir singer and leader, Jeanette Bruce has harmonized with her fair share of vocalists. But still nothing can quite compare to the hundreds of voices singing in unison for Whistler’s Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols, which marks its 40th anniversary this holiday season.
“When you’ve got 50, 60 people in the choir that already sound incredible and then you add 1,000 audience members singing ‘Joy to the World,’ it’s spectacular,” says Bruce, director of the Whistler Children’s Chorus, which, alongside the adult choir, the Whistler Singers, performs at the carol service every year. “I’m a proponent of people singing together. Making music together is one of the best ways to build community. It’s kind of like nothing else.”
The resort’s longest-running annual arts event after the Whistler Children’s Festival, the Christmas Eve Carol Service can trace its origins to the Whistler Skier’s Chapel, where the first service was held in 1985. Known for its distinctive A-frame design, the chapel was one of the first interdenominational churches in Canada, and those early Christmas Eve
“It used to be the priest from the Catholic church and the pastor from the Whistler Community Church and the minister from the Whistler United Church, all three of them used to be an integral part of the carol service,” says Alison Hunter, director of the Whistler Singers. “This carol service is interdenominational and is for people of all
in-person in 2022, again at the library, before an 11th-hour ice storm forced organizers to cancel. Last year marked the first service since COVID with in-person attendees, but the library was only able to hold about 300 or so people, with more eager carollers outside joining the sing-a-long.
“We very much want it to be come one, come all and hopefully fill that ballroom
“We very much want it to be come one, come all and hopefully fill that ballroom again.”
- JEANETTE BRUCE
faiths and people without faith.”
Numerous venues have hosted the service over the years, from the Skier’s Chapel to the conference centre, and its current home, The Westin. In fact, this Christmas Eve will mark the first time since 2019 the service will be able to hold the more than 2,000 attendees it had at its peak, after the pandemic, and weather, conspired to throw a wrench in the plans. In 2020, with physical distancing measures in place, the service went virtual, livestreamed from Hunter’s backyard. It was virtual again the following year, filmed indoors at the library. The service was slated to be back
again,” says Bruce.
It was through Shannon Susko, whose kids have sang in the Whistler Children’s Chorus over the years, and her company, Metronomics, that the service acquired the sponsorship dollars required to return to The Westin.
“It’s just amazing, They are paying all the bills,” says Hunter, adding it’s the first time the event has had a corporate sponsor.
This year’s program will feature classic Christmas carols most know and love, along with a series of new readings by notable locals, such as Susko, Mayor Jack Crompton,
and Councillor Jeff Murl.
“It was time to update [the readings],” Hunter says. “The message is really, yeah, there was a baby that was born on Christmas, but every child that’s born, every baby is a miracle and every baby is a hope for a greater world. It doesn’t matter what people believe as long as they believe that there’s hope.”
The carol service is distinct in terms of Whistler events in that it attracts a healthy number of both locals and visitors.
“It often feels like one or the other, so it’s great to see the blend of visitors and locals. We have gotten lots of visitors who have made it their own tradition when they come to Whistler every Christmas,” says Bruce.
In a town where so many are far from home on the holidays, the event provides a welcome sense of community and connection at a time of year when that can be difficult.
“We have a moment in the carol service where we stop and everybody turns and wishes everybody else a merry Christmas. It’s a beautiful moment,” Hunter says. “We have a lot of people in Whistler who don’t have family or people of their own, and this is a place where they can come, be welcomed and be a part of the Christmas spirit.”
The event is free to attend, although donations are welcome. Half the donations will go towards outreach services at the Whistler Community Services Society, while the other half will fund choral performances in 2025.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with the service starting at 6:30 p.m. Learn more at whistlerchorus.org. n
SONGS OF THE SEASON Whistler’s Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols returns to The Westin this year.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JEANETTE BRUCE
Canadian icons, Sea to Sky mainstays team up for Whistler Invictus Village concert series
LIVE MUSIC RUNS FROM FEB. 9 TO 13, FEATURING JUNO NOMINEES LIKE HEY OCEAN! AND LOCALS SUCH AS TAYLOR JAMES, BIG LOVE AND IRA PETTLE
BY DAVID SONG
FIVE JUNO WINNERS or nominees will be on hand come February to anchor a starstudded musical lineup for the Whistler Invictus Village Main Stage—and they’re all sharing their talent at no cost to attendees.
Hey Ocean!, a band known for its upbeat West Coast pop and indie rock, is part of the quintet. They’ll be sharing the spotlight with Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo fame, Ontarian singer-songwriter Barney Bentall, eight-man outfit Five Alarm Funk, and Skratch Bastid: the first Canadian DJ to be nominated for Producer of the Year at any iteration of the Juno Awards.
Regarding the opportunity, David Vertesi spoke on behalf of his fellow Hey Ocean! bandmates Ashleigh Ball and David Beckingham.
“We’re excited. I think it’s always nice to come up to Whistler—hopefully it won’t be too cold,” he says. “We haven’t been playing much over the last few years, so I couldn’t even tell you the last time we played there.”
Some locals may remember Ball visited the Sea to Sky last July to perform in Whistler’s Summer Concert Series with the Lazy Syrup Orchestra, also part of the Invictus Main Stage roster.
‘DISTANCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER’
The trio has taken multiple hiatuses since first beginning their joint career in Vancouver. One such break happened from 2014 (a decade into their history) to 2017, and it concluded with the release of their fourth album The Hurt of Happiness. Yet Vertesi and company would go their separate ways again during the COVID pandemic.
Not that they’ve lacked for things to do.
Each band member invests heavily in his or her own solo pursuits: from Ball’s voice acting in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic animated franchise to Beckingham’s work overseeing choirs. Now, however, they’ve reunited just in time for Hey Ocean!’s 20th anniversary.
“Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” Vertesi remarks with a chuckle. “When you’re really in the thick of it with each other … you sort of crave some space and not always having to compromise on everything. But all three of us really appreciate what [we bring] to the project. The ways in which I make music with Dave and Ashley? You can’t really replace that.
“They’re both great people and they both exude an artistic nature. There’s always something creative bubbling … and that’s what’s fun in the long-term. We’re all a little inspired by what each of us does individually, so it makes working together all the more exciting.”
Hey Ocean! members have also parted with their previous record labels. That’s not as jarring of a transition as it may sound like, for Vertesi, Ball and Beckingham are rather DIY in their careers. No one’s going to work harder for your own music than you, and the industry has evolved to a point where flying solo is more professionally viable than it was in the past.
In any case, the group remains appreciative for any and all fan support.
“More than any kind of industry recognition, the stories we hear from fans and that personal connection is still the most meaningful to all of us. I can say that pretty confidently,” says Vertesi. “We’ve had people telling us what our albums meant to them: people who have gone through really hard times with our music there to support them and people who have fallen in love and gotten married with our music.”
He goes on: “You can get caught up in the ins and outs of the industry, but
Th e FO M canbeviewedathttps://fom .n rs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects, a ndbysearchin g Licenseeusin g th e ‘find’function.Alternativel y, theinformationcontainedintheFOMcanbemadeavailableforin-person viewingduringnormalbusinesshoursatChartwellResourceGroupLtd.’s officeat#201– 1121CommercialPlace,SquamishBC.
C omment s canbesubmitte d anytim e durin g th e 30-da y period t hroughhttps://fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects,e-maile d to Lilwat.FOM@crgl.ca,ormailedtothe address notedabove Pleasereference theFOMIDwhensubmittingcomments.
Followingth e reviewan d commentperiod , thisFO M ma y berelie d upontoapply fora RoadPermitorCutting Permitfora 3-yearperiod, endingJanuary21st,2028
WAVE-MAKERS Juno-nominated indie band Hey Ocean!
PHOTO BY LUKE ANDERSON
ARTS SCENE
it’s a great reminder when you have those conversations … somebody’s out there being affected in a tangible way by the music we’ve made. I feel like everyone’s so obsessed with high scores, like, ‘what’s your [number of streams] on Spotify?’ But those numbers don’t necessarily show you how deeply you connect with people.”
‘ALWAYS AN HONOUR’
For Taylor James, there is no greater or more unique privilege than playing for the benefit of active duty soldiers and veterans.
James is one of many Sea to Sky artists chosen for the Whistler Invictus Village alongside The Hairfarmers, DJ Foxy Moron, Big Love, Ira Pettle, DJ Vinyl Ritchie, the Spiritual Warriors and DJ Whitness.
“I have a history with performing for Canadian troops and it’s always an honour to do anything that’s involved with people who have served our country and allowed us to live the life that we live,” James says.
Throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, James has been part of initiatives that send musicians around the world to perform for Canadian military members. She has gone to Egypt, Dubai, Sarajevo and Greece, helping put on shows and sharing meals with troops.
Healthy civilian engagement can be vital for the mental health of soldiers, particularly those who have seen combat. One anecdote from Egypt, circa 2008, enters James’ mind.
“We arrived in Cairo and had to take a bus
to the Sinai desert,” she recalls. “A couple of young soldiers rode the bus with us, and they were quite affected because they’d been on the front lines. They were only [about 20], and you could see that their lives were changed forever. We complain about things when we have the most incredible freedom living here, and you just don’t realize what’s actually going on to give us that freedom.”
James is familiar with several of the artists beneath the Invictus banner. She’s performed with Cuddy at the Country Music Awards, and Bentall is a personal friend. Doug Craig
and Greg Reamsbottom of The Hairfarmers, meanwhile, did their part to help her establish a reputation in Whistler.
INCREDIBLE BUZZ
Big Love Band frontman Erik van Meerbergen and Pettle are likewise humbled to perform for the Invictus Games.
“Whistler’s rooted in celebrating sport and it’s got an incredible cultural scene, but when you combine the two, it’s such a powerful thing,” van Meerbergen says. “There’s
so much respect for men and women who [serve], and to see them compete: it’s the spirit of sport. We saw it with the Olympics, and Invictus is bringing sport back [to Whistler] in such a unique way.”
Pettle reveals: “When I got the call [to be part of the Invictus concert roster], I was extremely excited. Happy to be sharing a stage with some really amazing local names and some big Canadian names. This will definitely be a first for me, and it’s a beautiful heartcentred opportunity for our community.”
The Whistler Invictus Village is meant to fit seamlessly into town. Family activities, TV screens displaying the competition and other interactive activities will line the Village Stroll, giving people something to check out while allowing skiers and snowboarders to operate unimpeded. For live performances, be sure to visit the Main Stage located near the Whistler Conference Centre.
All in all, it’s music to van Meerbergen’s ears.
“[Village Square] is such a cool location,” he says. “That’s where they had a stage for the Olympics and I think [Invictus organizers] are creating incredible buzz. I’ve worked personally with them on some Arts Whistler events like Art on the Lake, and they’ve spread word of how the Invictus Games differ from other sport competitions. I feel like the spirit of Whistler is at its most refined when you bring everyone together in that atmosphere.”
Find more details about the Whistler Invictus Village and its music offerings from Feb. 9 to 13 at invictusgames2025.ca. n
LOCAL TALENT Whistler musician Taylor James is one of several locals enhancing the Invictus musical lineup.
PHOTO BY JOERN ROHDE / COURTESY OF TAYLOR JAMES
ErinMcCardleStiel
1014405Blackcomb Way
Discoverthischarming 2bedtownhomefeaturing 2beautifullyrenovatedbathroomsandanupgraded kitchenequippedwithbrand-newstainlesssteel appliancesandelegantquartzcountertops. Après at homeinfrontofthecozyfireplace. Enjoythe convenienceofground-floorlivingwitheasyaccess tothevibrantvillage,whereyoucanexploreshops, dining,andentertainmentjust ashortwalktoworld classWhistler,Blackcomblifts.
Listedat$1,690,000.
6049020520
erin@erinmccardlestiel.com
Sunshine Coast SunshineCoast FunFacts FunFacts number 1 1
Notic e isherebygive n thatCheakamu s Communit y Forest , holder of License #K3V, isseeking publicreviewand commentonForest O perationsMa p (FOM )ID #2029,whic h iscovere d byForest StewardshipPlan#912fora30-dayperiodfromDecember20th,2024, toJanuary20th,2025.ThisFOMconsistsof4proposedcutblocks,as wellastheassociatedroads,locatedinthegeneralareainandaround BrandywinecreekintheSeatoSkyNaturalResourceDistrict.
The FOM canbeviewedathttps://fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects, and bysearching Licensee using the ‘find’function orthroughthe CheakamusCommunityForestwebsiteHarvestingPlans page Itcanalso bemadeavailableforin-personviewingduringnormalbusinesshours atChartwellResourceGroupLtd.’sofficeat#201– 1121Commercial Place,SquamishBC.
Comment s ca n besubmitte d an ytim e durin g th e 30-da y period t hroughhttps://fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects , e-maile d to Cheakamus.FOM@crgl.ca,ormailedtotheaddressnotedabove.Please referencetheFOMIDwhensubmittingcomments.
Followingthe reviewand comment period,thisFOM may berelied upon toapplyforaRoadPermitorCuttingPermitfora3-yearperiod,ending January21st,2028.
PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE
Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events
DRESS LIKE SANTA DAY
HOLIDAY MAGIC AT WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK
Embrace the spirit of winter with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, or a delicious meal in the mountains. Join for a magical evening on Dec. 23 and 30 to ski under the stars and holiday lights. On Dec. 25, bring out your holiday sweaters, Santa hats, or reindeer antlers for a day of festive fun.
> Dec. 20 to Jan. 5, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
> Whistler Olympic Park
VIP BOUNCY CASTLE EXPERIENCE
Celebrate the beginning of the school winter holidays with the first-ever, VIP Bouncy Castle Experience. An evening filled with fun, food, and various activities for the young and the young at heart. Live auction, wine tasting, games and more! A reception-style dinner includes an array of food for both kids and adults featuring carved prime rib and a chocolate fountain for dessert.
> Dec. 20, 6 to 9 p.m.
> Whistler Conference Centre
> Tickets start at $27
CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Join Whistler’s favourite characters for a dramatic reading of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic in everyone’s favourite living room, Whistler Public Library’s Fireplace Lounge. Slip comfortably into the spirit(s) of Christmas and become children once again as you listen to one of the most cherished Christmas stories. Pyjamas optional. This event is free to attend, but donations to the Whistler Food Bank are encouraged.
> Dec. 20, 7 p.m.
> Whistler Public Library
> Registration required
DRESS LIKE SANTA DAY
Skiers and riders of all ages are invited to put on their best Santa or Mrs. Claus ensembles to spread Christmas cheer around Whistler Blackcomb. In return, a free lift ticket will be gifted to the first 100 people to arrive at the Whistler Village Gondola, at the base of Whistler Mountain, in full Santa or Mrs. Claus attire. Lift tickets will only be awarded to the first 100 in line, and not everyone is guaranteed a ticket.
> Dec. 20, 8 a.m.
> Whistler Village Gondola
THE STORY OF THE NUTCRACKER
An adapted classical ballet set to original Tchaikovsky music featuring local Pemberton dancers and professional ballet dancers from Vancouver!
> Dec. 21, 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
> Maury Young Arts Centre
> Tickets start at $14
WINTERSPHERE
The ultimate, indoor winter wonderland experience awaits you this holiday season. Wintersphere celebrates this magical time of year with festive activities for the entire family! Join in the fun with visits from Santa, entertainers, a holiday café, kids crafts, signature holiday maze and much more. Please note that Wintersphere is closed on Dec. 25.
> Dec. 21 to Jan. 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
> Whistler Conference Centre > Free
The Great 2x4 Race: Part II
BY ALLYN PRINGLE
LAST WEEK we introduced “The Great 2x4 Race,” a ski-race challenge to Dave Murray from Whistler Question sports columnist Doug Sack in 1984. As a very new skier, Sack’s challenge to the former Crazy Canuck was ambitious, even if Murray would be strapped to a pair of twoby-four planks.
On Dec. 13, 1984, Sack used his “Inside Edge” column to report on his first experience on the hill. According to him, his “first bash at skiing last week could roughly be called a success in that I got back down alive off Whistler.” It wasn’t all bad and Sack was determined to continue, despite the steep learning curve, adding that “the scenery ain’t bad either.” Sack continued to report on his skiing progress over the next few months, building up interest in the coming race by exaggerating his failures, triumphs, and the developing worry lines of Murray.
and, luckily for Sack, then the Canadian sales rep for RD (Research Dynamic) Skis’ new Coyote skis out of Sun Valley, Idaho. Niewerth arranged for a pair of 200 Coyotes for Sack as he set about learning the art of gate training from Blackcomb Ski Club coach Dave Kerwynn. Gate training began with a run down the GS course with no instruction, letting Kerwynn get an idea of what he was working with. From there, the pair worked to correct mistakes and improve Sack’s time. His first runs and wipeouts down a race course gave Sack a new perspective on ski racing, a sport he had not previously spent much time following. On March 28, Sack wrote: “Ski racing very well could be the ultimate pinnacle of athletic challenge and satisfaction. The thin razor’s edge is so clearly defined: if you go too fast, you wipeout; if you don’t go fast enough, you struck out.”
Over the early months of 1985, plans for the race solidified. A date was chosen (April 22, 1985) and a format decided on. Though Murray nixed the anvil and anchor Sack had originally
“Ski racing very well could be the ultimate pinnacle of athletic challenge and satisfaction…”
- DOUG SACK
Early in the new year, Sack got some professional help with his endeavour, beginning with a lesson on Skidder on Blackcomb Mountain from Nancy Greene and leading to his announcement on Jan. 17 that he was “the weekday King of Lower Gandy Dancer!” (Sack also, in the same article, addressed Greene to ask “what are the poles for?”). Continuing to practice on Blackcomb (specifically on Skidder for two weeks), Sack progressed to longer runs and longer skis, trying out blue runs and 190s in February and likening the experience to “driving a load of timber downhill with no brakes.”
In March, Sack finally got his own brand new pair of skis instead of the rentals he had been using. While attending the Volvo Ski Show, Sack got to talking to Casey Niewerth, owner of Skyline Sports stores in Vancouver, Whistler Mountain’s original Jolly Green Giant,
proposed, he did consent to race on the pair of two-by-four planks that had been dubbed “Crazy Canuck Demos.”
Despite challenging a former national ski team member and current director of skiing to a race, Sack did not expect to become a highly proficient or technical skier in his first season, calling that goal “hopeless.” Instead, he reportedly wanted to claim bragging rights by being able to “ski gates fast enough to make Murray wipeout on his two-by-fours” and become a good enough skier to “cover the national championships on mountain and get back down to the bottom alive,” a reasonable goal for a sports reporter in a town that hosted World Cup races and took ski racing quite seriously.
We’ll be back next week with race results and a conclusion to the unique race on Whistler Mountain. n
IN STYLE Doug Sack shows off his ski fashion.
WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION, 1985
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
WEEK OF DECEMBER 20 BY ROB
ARIES (March 21-April 19): If you worked eight hours per day, seven days a week, it would take you 300 years to count to the number one billion. I don’t recommend you try that. I also discourage you from pursuing any other trivial tasks that have zero power to advance your long-term dreams. In a similar spirit, I will ask you to phase out minor longings that distract you from your major longings. Please, Aries, I also beg you to shed frivolous obsessions that waste energy you should instead devote to passionate fascinations. The counsel I’m offering here is always applicable, of course, but you especially need to heed it in the coming months.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1951, minister and author Norman Vincent Peale was working on a new book. As he wrote, he would regularly read passages to his wife, Ruth. She liked it a lot, but he was far less confident in its worth. After a while, he got so discouraged he threw the manuscript in the trash. Unbeknownst to him, Ruth retrieved it and stealthily showed it to her husband’s publisher, who loved it. The book went on to sell five million copies. Its title? The Power of Positive Thinking. I hope that in 2025, you will benefit from at least one equivalent to Ruth in your life, Taurus. Two or three would be even better. You need big boosters and fervent supporters. If you don’t have any, go round them up.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I love how colourfully the creek next to my house expresses itself. As high tide approaches, it flows south. When low tide is on its way, it flows north. The variety of its colours is infinite, with every shade and blend of green, grey, blue, and brown. It’s never the same shape. Its curves and width are constantly shifting. Among the birds that enhance its beauty are mallards, sandpipers, herons, grebes, egrets, and cormorants. This magnificent body of water has been a fascinating and delightful teacher for me. One of my wishes for you in 2025, Gemini, is that you will commune regularly with equally inspiring phenomena. I also predict you will do just that. Extra beauty should be on your agenda!
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Just 81 billionaires have commandeered half of the world’s wealth. Even worse, those greedy hoarders are usually taxed the least. That’s hard to believe! How is it even possible that such a travesty has come to pass? I also wonder if many of us nonbillionaires have milder versions of these proclivities. Are there a few parts of me that get most of the goodies that my life provides, while other parts of me get scant attention and nourishment? The answer is yes. For example, the part of me that loves to be a creative artist receives much of my enthusiasm, while the part of me that enjoys socializing gets little juice. How about you, Cancerian? I suggest you explore this theme in the coming weeks and months. Take steps to achieve greater parity between the parts of you that get all they need and the parts of you that don’t.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Anthropologist Robin Dunbar theorizes that most of us have limits to our social connections. Typically, our closest circle includes five loved ones. We may also have 15 good friends, 50 fond allies, 150 meaningful contacts, and 1,500 people we know. If you are interested in expanding any of these spheres, Leo, the coming months will be an excellent time to do so. In addition, or as an alternative, you might also choose to focus on deepening the relationships you have with existing companions and confederates.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the best-selling novel of the 19th century. It was written by a Virgo, Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her story about the enslavement of African Americans in the U.S. was not only popular. It awakened many people to the intimate horrors of the calamity—and ultimately played a key role in energizing the abolitionist movement. I believe you are potentially capable of achieving your own version of that dual success in the coming months. You could generate
BREZSNY
accomplishments that are personally gratifying even as they perform a good service for the world.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will be teased with an abundance of invitations to grow in 2025. You will be encouraged to add to your current skills and expertise. You will be nudged to expand your understanding of what exactly you are doing here on planet Earth. That’s not all, Libra! You will be pushed to dissolve shrunken expectations, transcend limitations, and learn many new lessons. Here’s my question: Will you respond with full heart and open mind to all these possibilities? Or will you sometimes neglect and avoid them? I dare you to embrace every challenge that interests you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio-born Rudolf Karel was a 20th-century Czech composer who created 17 major works, including symphonies and operas. His work was interrupted when Nazi Germany invaded and occupied his homeland. He joined the Czech resistance, but was eventually arrested and confined to Pankrác Prison. There he managed to compose a fairy-tale opera, Three Hairs of the Wise Old Man. No musical instruments were available in jail, of course, so he worked entirely in his imagination and wrote down the score using toilet paper and charcoal. I firmly believe you will not be incarcerated like Karel in the coming months, Scorpio. But you may have to be extra resourceful and resilient as you find ways to carry out your best work. I have faith that you can do it!
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): What is the perfect gift I could offer you this holiday season? I have decided on a large square black box with nothing inside. There would be a gold ribbon around it bearing the words, “The Fruitful Treasure of Pregnant Emptiness.” With this mysterious blessing, I would be fondly urging you to purge your soul of expectations and assumptions as you cruise into 2025. I would be giving you the message, “May you nurture a freewheeling voracity for novel adventures and fresh experiences.”
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): One of my paramount wishes for you in 2025 is this: You will deepen your devotion to taking good care of yourself. You will study and learn more about the sweet secrets to keeping yourself in prime mental and physical health. I’m not suggesting you have been remiss about this sacred work in the past. But I am saying that this will be a favourable time to boost your knowledge to new heights about what precisely keeps your body and emotions in top shape. The creative repertoire of self-care that you cultivate in the coming months will serve you well for the rest of your long life.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): To fulfil your life mission, to do what you came here to Earth to do, you must carry out many tasks. One of the most important is to offer your love with hearty ingenuity. What are the best ways to do that? Where should you direct your generous care and compassion? And which recipients of your blessings are likely to reciprocate in ways that are meaningful to you? While Jupiter is cruising through Gemini, as it is now and until June 2025, life will send you rich and useful answers to these questions. Be alert!
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Mysteries of the past will be extra responsive to your investigations in 2025. Persistent riddles from your life’s earlier years may be solvable. I encourage you to be aggressive in collecting previously inaccessible legacies. Track down missing heirlooms and family secrets. Just assume that ancestors and dead relatives have more to offer you than ever before. If you have been curious about your genealogy, the coming months will be a good time to explore it. I wish you happy hunting as you search for the blessings of yesteryear—and figure out how use them in the present.
Homework: Get yourself a holiday gift that’s beyond what you imagine you deserve. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates
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
Î
Î
Î
Î
Î No reposting
listings
Î Trusted by locals
Î Make your listing stand out with featured locations
The Museum is currently seeking:
Marketing Coordinator
Support with advertising, social media, content creation, media relations, sales, and digital engagement.
• Full-Time
• $55,000 - $57,500 per year
• Health Benefits
• Transit Allowance
• Wellness Benefit
Apply and learn more:
Cardinal Concrete, A Division of Lafarge Canada Inc is the leading supplier of ready-mix concrete in the Sea to Sky Corridor. We are currently seeking a career oriented individual to fill the role of Commercial Transport/Heavy Duty Mechanic at our Head Office Location in Squamish, BC. This is a skilled position which primarily involves preventative maintenance and repair of a large fleet of commercial transport vehicles including concrete mixer trucks, dump trucks, trailers, forklifts and light-duty trucks.
Minimum Qualifications:
• B.C. Certificate of Qualification, and/or Interprovincial Ticket as a Commercial Transport Mechanic, and/or Heavy Duty Mechanic Ticket
• 3-5 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience
Compensation $45.57 to $49.07
To view a full copy of this Job Description visit: www.cardinalconcrete.ca/about/careers Apply to: info@cardinalconcrete.ca
Our team of people is what sets us apart from other builders. As we continue to grow as the leader in luxury projects in Whistler, our team needs to expand with us.
We are currently hiring:
Labourers ($20 - $30 hourly)
Carpenters Helpers /Apprentices 1st to 4th year ($25 - $35 hourly)
Experienced Carpenters ($30 - $45 hourly)
Carpenter Foremen ($40 - $50 hourly)
Rates vary based on experience and qualifications. Red seal a bonus but not mandatory.
EVR is committed to the long-term retention and skills development of our team. We are passionate about investing in our team’s future.
We offer:
• Top Wages
• Training & Tuition Reimbursement (Need help getting your Red Seal?)
• $500 Annual Tool Allowance
• Extended Health and Dental Benefits for you and your family
• Flexible Schedule - Work Life Balance. (We get it. We love to ski and bike too.)
• Assistance with Work Visa and Permanent Residency (We can help!)
• Positive Work Environment
We promote from within and are looking to strengthen our amazing team. Opportunities for advancement into management positions always exist for the right candidates. Don’t miss out on being able to build with the team that builds the most significant projects in Whistler.
Send your resume to info@evrfinehomes.com We look forward to hearing from you!
JOB POSTING
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
JOB POSTING
Clinical Services Nurse
Salary: $100 000 - $125 000
Child & Family Services
Child & Family Services
Child & Family Services
Position Overview: The Clinical Services Manager provides leadership of a comprehensive range of nursing programs within community and public health, home care and patient travel in four First Nations communities of N’quatqua, Samahquam, and Skatin
• Social Worker ($80,371.20 - $91,673.40 per year)
• Social Worker ($80,371.20 to $91,673.40 per year)
• Social Worker ($80,371.20 - $91,673.40 per year)
Primary Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
• Transition House Support Worker ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
• Transition House Support Worker ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
• Transition House Support Worker ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
Lil’wat Health & Healing + Pqusnalhcw Health Centre
• Transition House Outreach Worker ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
Lil’wat Health & Healing + Pqusnalhcw Health Centre
• Develop policies and guidelines for treatment services.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from a recognized university
Lil’wat Health & Healing + Pqusnalhcw Health Centre
• Custodian ($17.40 to $20.90 per hour)
• Custodian ($17.40 to $20.90 per hour)
• Program Manager ($57,330 to $64,610.00 per year)
• Program Manager ($57,330 to $64,610.00 per year)
• Program Manager ($57,330 to $64,610.00 per year)
• Health Care Assistant ($38,038 to $53,599 per year)
• Manage community, public health, primary care, and home care programs.
• 5+ years nursing experience, including:
• Operations Manager ($59,878.00 to $73,564.40 per year)Would you please highlight/emphasize this position?
• Operations Manager ($59,878.00 to $73,564.40 per year)Would you please highlight/emphasize this position?
• Operations Manager ($59,878.00 to $73,564.40 per year)
• Family Mentor ($38,038 to $53,599 per year)
• Ensure nursing care standards and best practices.
• Public health (maternal, infant, child, youth, mental wellness, addictions)
• Family Mentor ($38,038 to $53,599 per year) - Would you please highlight/emphasize this position?
• Family Mentor ($38,038 to $53,599 per year) - Would you please highlight/emphasize this position?
• Early Childhood Educator ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
• Provide leadership, mentoring, and guidance to staff.
• Early Childhood Educator ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
• Early Childhood Educator ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
Ts’zil Learning Centre
Xet’òlacw Community School
Xet’òlacw Community School
• Program Mentor – ECE ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)
Xet’òlacw Community School
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to enhance community health.
• Home care (elder health, chronic disease management, injury prevention)
• 1+ year management experience
• Elementary School Teacher - Grade 3 ($60,015 to $109,520 per year)
• Elementary School Teacher - Grade 3 ($60,015 to $109,520 per year)
• Supervise nurses and administrative staff.
• Current RN registration with BCCNM
• Current CPR (HCP) certification
• Camp Counsellor ($20.90 to $29.45 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
• High School English and Humanities Teacher ($60,015 to $109,520 per year)
• High School English and Humanities Teacher ($60,015 to $109,520 per year)
• Cultural Camp Supervisor
Community Development
Community Development
($46,683.00 to $63,973.00 per year)
• Manage health facility operations, including scheduling, prioritizing, and evaluating performance.
Special:
• This position is requires travel to indigenous communities served by SSHS, accessed by Forest Service Road
• Band Social Development Worker Assistant ($17.40 to $20.90 per hour)
• Cultural Camp Supervisor ($46,683.00 to $63,973.00 per year)
• Cultural Camp Supervisor ($46,683.00 to $63,973.00 per year)
Please visit our career page for more information: https://lilwat.ca/careers/
Please visit our career page for more information: https://lilwat.ca/careers/
Please visit our career page for more information: https://lilwat.ca/careers/
WE’RE HIRING
website: www.pembertontrails.com Email resume and cover letter to: vicepresident@pembertontrails.com
• SSHS offers a competitive benefits and employment package to full time employees
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
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Employee Health & Wellness Plan available
HYDROVAC OPERATOR – Valid Class 1 or Class 3 with air brakes required. Manual transmission. Ground Disturbance II. 2 years operating hydro excavation equipment preferred. $35-$40.45 per hour.
HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, Squamish– Minimum 5 years or 5,000 hours operating experience on excavator. Full-time, Monday – Friday. $33-$42 per hour.
HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC - 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.
The chilling discomfort of Christmas carols
WITH SO MANY things going on in the world to dismay and scare those who pay attention, from madmen holding power in so many countries to our own Gong Show in Ottawa, and because of the holiday time of year, I find myself remembering easier days when I was small, as were comforts.
BY G.D. MAXWELL
But in doing so, I remember things weren’t scary then, just differently scary. Christmas carols, for example.
Case in point: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” The benevolent, jolly Santa of Coca Cola always made me a little uneasy. Perhaps it was the large bas-relief Santa that appeared on the living room wall the same day the Christmas tree appeared or maybe it was the department store Santas who always seemed to have eaten garlic just before I sat on their laps. Whatever the reason, my relationship with Santa wasn’t the stuff of Norman Rockwell paintings.
And that song always struck me as terrifying and threatening.
From the opening line, “You better watch out!” I was worried. What kind of threat is that? Don’t cry, don’t pout, don’t be naughty. What’s left? Can I at least eat, since you’ve cut out most of the rest of my favourite things?
Do you have any idea how discomforting it is to be told—as a kid who has a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night in a pitch-black room—“He sees you when you’re sleeping; he knows when you’re awake?” So the old perv is watching me, lying in bed, wide awake in the middle of the night, waiting to see if I’m going to be bad or good or just wet my bed because now I’m too scared to get up to pee? And he’s making a list he can check twice to determine whether I get the object of my Christmas desire or a lump of coal? Just shoot me now.
We had a neighbour who had a very cool, old Wurlitzer jukebox. Every Christmas he’d hang a speaker on the front of his house and bombard us with carols late into the evening. I found “Frosty the Snowman” chilling in more ways than one.
I was born in snowy Iowa the year after Gene Autry recorded “Frosty the Snowman.” I built a lot of snowmen as a small child. Thankfully, none of them ever came to life. But from the time I became aware of the words to “Frosty the Snowman,” it was something I lived in mortal fear of.
Frosty may have danced around after he magically came to life, but that was just the beginning. He was alive as he could be. He could laugh and play just the same as you and me.
I lived in a neighbourhood full of children, many of whom were older and bigger than me and not a few of whom enjoyed thumpetty thumping me. The last thing I wanted was a big fat kid made out of snow, swinging a
broomstick in his hand, running over the hills of snow I could barely wade through, wanting to thump me and then mock me by yelling, “catch me if you can.”
Worse yet, he wasn’t even afraid of cops!
And why should he be? What could they do to him? Send him to juvie? He’d just melt and they’d only have a puddle on the floor to try and punish.
My snowman phobia wasn’t made any easier by the thought that even adults had issues with snowmen. There were the lines in “Winter Wonderland” about building a snowman in a meadow—I won’t even mention how incongruous that seems—and
couldn’t explain what exactly it meant to “certain” poor shepherds in fields as they lay.
“The first Noel the angel did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay....”
Being even then a bit of a language nerd, I was familiar with the word as an adjective or pronoun. But for the life of me I couldn’t understand what it was supposed to convey as, seemingly, a noun. What does it mean to certain someone? Can only shepherds be certained? Only poor ones? Can they certain each other or are angels required?
I’m still a bit uncomfortable when December rolls around and carols begin to be, well, everywhere. But Merry Christmas anyway.
pretending he was a parson who could marry you and/or a circus clown. What is it with snowmen?
As I grew older, I found carols sometimes confusing. Pouring over maps of the world I never could find Orient Are. Still can’t.
And leading up to a concert of carols in grade school, I thoroughly alienated my fourth-grade teacher who, try as she might,
Can ordinary people certain other people? Accidentally or on purpose? Could I certain a particular girl I was fond of? If so, would I get in trouble?
I didn’t want to ask her about certaining and admit my ignorance of all things certain. But she asked me, after we’d practiced the song, if I’d forgotten the words.
“No,” I responded. “I know the words.”
“Well, if you know the words, why weren’t you singing?”
“Because I was wondering what certaining was. What does it mean to certain someone?”
That was when I learned a Grade 4 student should never ask a Grade 4 teacher a question she doesn’t know the answer to.
I’m pretty certain she’d never given much thought—clearly not as much thought as I’d given—to the question. It quickly became clear she was uncertain and hadn’t, until that very minute, bothered to ponder certain as a verb. She finessed an answer, told me the problem was the word “was” in the second line. Without it, the sentence made sense and they probably threw in an unnecessary was to make it flow. I thought it would flow just fine without the was but I wasn’t about to press the point any further.
I’m still a bit uncomfortable when December rolls around and carols begin to be, well, everywhere. But Merry Christmas anyway.
And a final reminder about tonight’s reading of A Christmas Carol... the Dickens one, not anything we’re going to sing. It’s at the library, at 7 p.m. There’ll be angelic music—no lyrics—by Alison Hunter. Your favourite people, Happy Jack Crompton, Leslie Anthony, Belinda Trembath, Anne Townley, Chris Quinlan and me will do our best to entertain you and it’s free. But be thoughtful and let the library know you’re coming so they can put out a seat for you. Email them at: publicservices@whistlerlibrary.ca. n
