Pique Newsmagazine 3112

Indigenous science is using natural regeneration to restore Western

Fertile ground

Indigenous science is using natural regeneration to restore Western ecosystems. - By Josephine Woolington / High Country News

14 WATER WOES Whistler is simplifying its water restrictions to ensure supply for fire protection in the summer months.

15 CRIME STATS Violent crime continues to trend upwards in Whistler, according to annual stats presented by the Whistler RCMP.

19 CATCH A LIFT Transit service in Whistler will get a big boost beginning next month, with 10 per cent more service hours on local roads.

23 PARK AND RIDE Work on a long-awaited parkand-ride facility in Pemberton is underway, as officials continue advocating for more transit service.

30 ITALY BOUND Squamish-based freestyle skiers Avery Krumme and Mattheus Heslop will represent Canada in Italy this month.

34 SIBLING RIVALRY Siblings Leela and Jay Gilday—together known as Sechile Sedare—perform in Whistler March 23.

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Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, LESLIE ANTHONY, ANDREW MITCHELL, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

Opinion & Columns

08 OPENING REMARKS The concept of the four-day workweek is starting to gain steam in North America—but what might it look like in Whistler?

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers respond to a recent story about Land Act amendments, and say thanks for successful fundraisers.

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST When it comes to solving snow-day congestion on local highways, the real insanity is doing nothing, writes Andrew Mitchell.

Environment & Adventure

ISSN #1206-2022

Subscriptions: $76.70/yr. within Canada, $136.60/yr. courier within Canada. $605.80/ yr. courier to USA. GST included. GST Reg. #R139517908. Canadian

SELLINGNOW

25 RANGE ROVER Mountains on every horizon; nothing and no one in sight—heli-skiing is what skiers dream about, writes Leslie Anthony.

Lifestyle & Arts

32 FORK IN THE ROAD Glenda Bartosh serves up some marvellous marmalade, just in time for spring.

38 MUSEUM MUSINGS Revisiting the second annual du Maurier International—one of the earliest tests to see if Whistler could handle an Olympic-calibre race.

50 MAXED OUT In which Max suffers through another visit from an old, boondoggling friend. Get all the local headlines in your inbox every day! Scan the QR code to receive our daily newsletter >>

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What would a four-day workweek look like in Whistler?

“Life’s too short for bad coffee.”

- Gord Downie

WORKING IN WHISTLER, for most, is not like working in other parts of the world.

For one, many of us don’t get traditional weekends.

Most Whistler workers get their days off during the slower weekday periods.

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

Either that or they don’t get days off at all, because it’s so expensive here you have to work more than one job just to get by.

For the vast majority of us, the idea that work will consume a good chunk of our lives, our personal pursuits relegated to evenings and two-day weekends, is just an accepted fact.

That’s how it was for our parents, and their parents before them.

But wasn’t technology supposed to free us from this cycle?

What if we all—wait for it—worked less, and still got paid the same?

That’s the question being posed down south by independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is not only still alive, but advocating for a 32-hour, or four-day work week for Americans with a new bill.

In a March 19 op-ed in the Washington Post, Sanders made his case for the legislation, pointing out American workers are 400-percent more productive than they were in the 1940s, yet millions are working longer hours for lower wages.

Adjusted for inflation, the average American worker makes almost $50 a week

less than they would have 50 years ago, he said.

“Let that sink in for a moment. In a 1974 office, there were no computers, email, cellphones, conference calling or Zoom. In factories and warehouses, there were no robots or sophisticated machinery, no cloud computing. In grocery stores and shops of all kinds, there were no checkout counters using bar codes,” Sanders wrote.

“Think about all the incredible advancements in technology—computers, robotics, artificial intelligence—and the huge increase in worker productivity that has been achieved. What have been the results of these changes for working people? Almost all the economic gains have gone straight to the top, while wages for workers are stagnant or worse.”

He goes on to also point out it’s really not a radical idea, as the U.S. Senate itself overwhelmingly passed 30-hour workweek

recent four-day workweek pilot made it permanent after seeing the results.

Business owners might rightly be skeptical of the math—100 per cent of the pay for 80 per cent of the work?—and whether or not it works will come down to the individual employer.

Praxis PR in Toronto is one company that adopted a permanent four-day model after an initial trial.

Employees work staggered shifts to cover the week, while the company tracks key metrics such as business results and client and employee satisfaction to make sure the new model is working.

After six months, Praxis was so impressed the company made it permanent.

“Just in my discussions with the team, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in change across those sort of core metrics and people just feeling a renewed passion for what we do

The good news is that’s down from an all-time high of 984,600 vacancies in Q2 2022. The bad news is the highest vacancy rates are still being seen in accommodation and food services (7.9 per cent).

Stats Can also notes those industries that require workers to clock overtime— like construction and manufacturing—will be most likely to require additional staff to maintain current productivity levels under the four-day workweek.

“Could it work on a larger scale? Ultimately, it depends on the individual employer to make the call—one that would have to take into consideration economic and labour conditions,” the briefing said.

The idea of working less in favour of personal enjoyment is alien to some. But then, in a biological sense, the five-day, 40-hour workweek is pretty unnatural, isn’t it?

Studies on the four-day workweek model have found increased productivity, less burnout, less turnover, and workers reporting less stress and fatigue.

legislation in 1933 (before it ultimately failed in the face of corporate opposition), and many countries have already done it or are considering it (including Belgium, France, Norway, Denmark and the U.K.).

Studies on the four-day workweek model have found increased productivity, less burnout, less turnover, and workers reporting less stress and fatigue.

The idea is gaining steam in Canada and North America—according to the Toronto Star, all 41 companies that took part in a

as communicators,” co-founder Matt Juniper told CBC News.

But a PR company in Toronto is a much different operation than, say, a service business in Whistler, where finding enough workers is already a challenge.

In a statistical brief on the four-day workweek released in September 2023, Stats Canada noted the country was still seeing a significant labour shortage, to the tune of 843,200 job vacancies, or a vacancy rate of 4.7 per cent, in the first quarter of 2023.

Does it not sometimes feel like you are fighting against all your innate instincts when you power past the snooze button each morning?

Wouldn’t something deep inside you rather be in a forest somewhere, waking up to the sound of the birds and wind? Or alone on top of a mountain?

Transitioning to a four-day workweek would be an adjustment, sure. But life is short, and making more time for ourselves is worth the discomfort. ■

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR 2023

SEA-TO-SKY MEDALLION CLUB QUALIFIERS

Each year the Greater Vancouver REALTORS® Board recognizes the Top 10% of its agents, based on properties sold, with membership in the prestigious Medallion Club. We are beyond proud of the Stilhavn Sea-to-Sky sales associates who received this honour for 2023!

Ian Tang PREC*

Neal Sikkes PREC*

Kristen Dillon

Jenna Franze PREC*

Nick Soldan Harriss, PREC*

Tara Hunter

Madison Perry

TO THE EDITOR

MLA Sturdy should ‘consider his legacy’: Lil’wat Nation

The Lil’wat Nation feels compelled to speak out against MLA Jordan Sturdy’s recent comments regarding Land Act amendments. While MLA Sturdy describes BC United’s approach to signing more than 700 agreements over 15 years, he fails to acknowledge the transactional nature of those agreements, the length of time and amount of resources required to negotiate these agreements (including 13 years for Whistler Blackcomb’s Master Development Agreement).

In addition to this, MLA Sturdy appears to be acknowledging that he has either changed his mind, or did not understand what he was voting for in 2019 when legislation adopting The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act was approved unanimously. Text from the legislature clearly spells out these implications.

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act requires the Government of British Columbia to ensure that provincial laws (both existing and future) are consistent with UNDRIP. The government must also, in

consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples, prepare and implement an action plan on how these changes will be achieved and prepare annual reports on the progress made toward implementing measures set out in the action plan. These reports must be provided to the Legislative Assembly and will therefore be public. The Act also enables the government to share statutory authority with Indigenous governing bodies by entering into decisionmaking agreements.

To advocate for status quo of tit for tat, transactional agreements that require decades

and litigation to determine whether “Adequate Consultation” has occurred is not in line with the Final Report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, nor any understanding of Reconciliation. As an elected official, a resident in Lil’wat Territory and a neighbour, we would expect much better.

The Truth is clear and Call to Action 43 of the Report from the TRC reads:

We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to fully adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration

on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation.

After more than 20 years as an elected official with the Pemberton Valley Dyking District, the Village of Pemberton and the Province of BC, we invite MLA Sturdy to consider his legacy and decide if he wants to be on the right side of Truth and Reconciliation.

Chief Dean Nelson // Lil’wat Nation

‘Heartfelt gratitude’ for successful ski-a-thon

On behalf of the Whistler Waldorf School, I extend heartfelt gratitude to all who participated in our third-annual Ski-a-thon on March 8. Despite challenging visibility conditions, it was a day of fun as 63 students from across the grades completed an impressive total of 480 T-bar laps!

Thanks to the support of everyone involved, we successfully raised an outstanding $12,000. We are excited to allocate a portion of these funds to local not-for-profit organizations including the Whistler Community Services Society, PearlSpace, and AWARE, who play a vital role in building a more resilient community for us all.

A special thank you goes out to Vail Epic Promise and Whistler Blackcomb for graciously hosting our event and contributing to its success.

With appreciation,

Jen Dodds // Director of Advancement, Whistler Waldorf School

Sea to Sky Nordics says thanks

The Sea to Sky Nordics hosted the Odlum Brown Biathlon BC Championships from March 1 to 3 at Whistler Olympic Park, which saw 102 biathletes competing from British Columbia, Alberta and Washington. It takes 60-plus volunteers to run a biathlon event of this size, and Sea to Sky Nordics is thankful for all the people who volunteered their time to help execute a successful event!

In conjunction with BC Championships, the Sea to Sky Nordics biathlon program hosted a successful online auction fundraiser, and we are grateful for the support of the dozens of local and regional businesses and organizations who sponsored the event and auction.

Melissa Laidlaw // Sea to Sky Nordics Biathlon Committee

A season of choice

Whistler isn’t all about winter. The season of indifference to it hides behind the glow of sun on snow. Some would trade a few snow days for a longer parade of green, the kind that sinks in like powder. Where we stretch out in the sunshine, absorb a little bit too much, thinking it will improve on the power of a smile. And it does, because it is possible to let the weather steal it away, on other occasions. A tourist town isn’t made for that sort of circumstance, though. It is here to share the whole experience in a matter of days, whether it seasons of one choice or another.

We like the green because it matters most, to sensibility. Snow can be all about fun. Young and old find it festive. Almost an increasing perception of distance from summer can perpetuate an infinite sense of youth. The kind of playground that sees you never wanting to

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

go home. Unless of course, you live here. Then it is special. A bit of a gamble with the want of normalcy, but that is what keeps things housed, here. The potent mix of necessity visited by so many who would otherwise find home a little too normal. A party with the flavour of choice, and it holds to the benefit of four seasons. Time to make them seem just like one, is the work of a host who serves the tourist in a best-class scenario, and it is luck that finds them here, sharing the best of talent.

It isn’t invisible, ever. The kind of people that make a home, here. They are uniquely fitted to the challenge. Most of them don’t say no to the work. It is a kind of pleasure to see them out and about. Where we might simply retire in knowing they have made room for so many others. It is a growing privilege, and it may seem to stretch the whole sense of what makes things work. Still, the chance to say no seems to be a part of what government is, and how it will make things work for the future.

It isn’t all fun. It has to fit a workable plan. So where we like the world to fit among us, isn’t much of what makes a normal town, but it comes here, anyway. Governing that, is a challenge. Making room for everyone to fit, and not leaving the best view to those who simply find it profitable. There is room to say no to that, but it seems to take some of the fun away. Something about what makes free markets work. One has to wonder, how to say no, when it arrives at the value of a home. Who can afford to buy. Where the next generation will live. All these questions reiterate the purpose of community. Saying yes too often leads to a poor example in some cases. Perhaps there is a choice of seasons, that will be missed.

Roger Duddridge // Victoria ■

Backcountry Update

AS OF WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

Winter isn’t over yet.

Gazing into the crystal ball of weather models, the future remains uncertain. However, what we can say with confidence is it appears last week’s unseasonably warm temperatures do not mean spring is here to stay. Temperatures have already started to cool off and will likely remain cool throughout the weekend. With that in mind, we expect a crust to form on the snow surface as overnight freezing levels fall to the valley bottom. While this surface crust will help bind the snow together, it may create challenging travel conditions for backcountry users. It might be time to break out the trusty ski crampons and ice axes before surfaces soften with daytime heating.

Two avalanche problems are on our radar for the upcoming weekend. The first is a persistent weak layer buried deep in the snowpack. Last weekend, a weak layer of facets overlying a crust was the culprit for numerous very large avalanches. This layer may still be susceptible to triggering by humans, especially on north-

facing terrain above 1,800 metres where the snow surface remained dry through the prolonged warm period. If triggered, avalanches on this layer will be large and destructive. The best way to mitigate this problem is to avoid shallow snowpack areas (e.g., rocky start zones) where triggering this weak layer is more likely.

The second problem will be whatever new snow accumulates on top of the crust. At the time of this writing, there is too much uncertainty to say how much snow, if any, the region will see this weekend. However, it’s worth noting that any new snow may not bond well with the crust. Backcountry users should closely monitor how new snow bonds to the old surfaces beneath it. Be prepared for variable conditions; in some areas, wind may redistribute snow into deeper pockets while leaving other areas stripped back to the crust. Continually make observations and assess conditions as you travel through the terrain and increase your exposure to avalanche terrain gradually.

As always, check avalanche.ca for the most up-to-date information before heading out. ■

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.

•Beautifully

This

•Experienceski-in/ski-outlivinginWhistler!

Failing the snow test

“INSANITY IS DOING the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Whether Albert Einstein actually said that is a matter of debate among the sort of historians who debate these things, but what isn’t debatable is the fact that treating large snowfalls as business as usual isn’t working

BY ANDREW MITCHELL

out too well for Whistler or the Sea to Sky region. We love snow, we just don’t seem to know how to handle it in large quantities.

Same goes for the authorities, their contractors, and everybody who piles into their vehicles when the snow starts flying, then acts surprised it took five hours of whiteknuckling on sheer ice to get from Squamish to Creekside—like the exact same thing doesn’t happen every single winter.

Our failure to learn the lessons of the past, and the way we continue to make the same mistakes over and over, storm after storm, year after year, is beyond frustrating at this point. It’s like rewatching a horror movie—we know exactly what’s hiding behind the door, but we’re also powerless to stop it. We’ll get another big storm next year and the exact same traffic disasters will happen.

“We’ve tried nothing and I’m all out of ideas!”

That quote is from The Simpsons, although I feel Einstein would have approved.

People often suggest we should do tire checks in Squamish whenever there’s a storm to prevent vehicles getting stuck on hills or sliding into ditches. Unfortunately, that’s just not plausible when you do the math.

For fun, let’s say the RCMP has the resources and assigns three officers to check tires in Squamish. Let’s also be extremely generous and say one officer can check the tires on one vehicle every 30 seconds, or 120 per hour. Three checkers times 120 vehicles each is all of 360 tire checks per hour in total.

How many vehicles were on the highway after the snow started flying a few weeks ago?

Five thousand? Ten thousand? More?

Tire checks aren’t a reasonable option when there are thousands of vehicles trying to get through every hour. It would take even longer to get here checking tires than to do nothing and let people navigate the chaos.

I’m also not convinced tire checks would have done much to prevent vehicles sliding around. M+S tires weren’t good enough, winter tires can slide when conditions are icy enough, and only studded tires or chains can truly provide solid traction in that kind of snow and ice.

That’s not to say there’s nothing we can do.

emergency road closures. When there’s a lot of snow falling, temporarily stop all highway traffic between Whistler and Squamish to give the plows as much time as they need to push snow and properly salt the ice underneath. Plows can’t work effectively when the roads, and sometimes ditches, are packed with vehicles.

Powder day plow delays (say that five times fast) would be short, an hour at most, and much shorter than the delays that are almost guaranteed to occur when cars, trucks and buses start to lose traction and get stuck.

And if it keeps snowing during the day and conditions deteriorate, then we can just simply close the highway and do it all again.

We also have the ability to change the default tire requirements to match the conditions, as well as dynamic signs and other resources to keep people informed.

The province currently allows M+S (mud and snow) all-season tires on the Sea to Sky highway from October to May, which are generally fine most of the time. But there are occasions—like heavy snowstorms— when actual winter/snow tires should be the minimum requirement to be out on the roads. Call it a “Heavy Snowfall Advisory” and announce it everywhere—weather sites, social media, the radio, and digital message boards, informing drivers winter tires are required, no exceptions, until the

venture out with insufficient tires, but at least having a law in place means we get to fine the people who turn snowy highways into disaster areas because they aren’t driving with the proper tires.

It’s not just the Sea to Sky highway that needs to change the way it operates. I’m sure the people who drive the Coquihalla and in communities with mountain highways experience the same things we do and are tired of the routine.

Speaking of horrible routines, almost every single morning I rely on northbound drivers to see me waiting at the Spring Creek intersection and deliberately slow down so I can make a left turn onto the highway. If they didn’t show me and all of my southboundturning neighbours the same courtesy there would be no gaps in the traffic at all. We all thank you.

And if you’re one of the people who won’t leave space and honks at anyone trying to turn onto the highway in either direction then I hope you line up for an hour, finally get to the pass scanner and realize you left it back in Vancouver with the rest of your wallet.

Meanwhile, while we wait to see if the province can do something, anything for us, as well as the people who live in Nordic, Brio or other neighbourhoods that don’t have traffic lights, maybe the province could install some road signs saying “please yield to

Whistler tinkers with water restriction stages

THE FOUR-STAGE WATER RESTRICTION SCHEDULE IS NOW DOWN TO THREE

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS

WHISTLER WANTS YOU to change the way you use water—outdoors at least.

On March 19, the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) mayor and council voted to support a staff recommendation designed to reduce the volume of potable water used for irrigation purposes, “in order to preserve the current supply of high-quality potable water for domestic use and water storage for fire protection,” according to a staff report.

The report explained drought conditions in recent years are reducing the amount of water available from the municipality’s existing water sources, paired with increasing demand due to population growth.

“This reduced supply in the late summer period and increased consumption continues to stress the Whistler water system,” the report said, noting there is concern over the community’s supply being close to or below fireprotection requirements in summer months.

The use of potable water in automatic, in-ground irrigation for lawns, trees, shrubs, and flower beds was named as a

low-hanging fruit in the search for ways to reduce water use.

Staff recommended changes to the relevant bylaw for outdoor potable water usage that would see the existing four-stage conservation program (which is determined by water supply stresses and seasonal changes) reduced to only three stages: the standard fall/winter/spring Stage 1, a summer schedule (Stage 2), and a Stage 3 that would apply severe restrictions on all water use.

The biggest change would be to Stage 2, described as “the normal summer season irrigation schedule,” and reduces the amount of time automatic, in-ground irrigation can be used from nine hours per day, seven days a week, to six hours a day, three days a week.

The new bylaw also divides Whistler neighbourhoods into two groups: Half that can irrigate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and half that can irrigate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, leaving Sunday as an irrigation-free day.

“These schedules also create recovery periods for the water system to refill reservoirs,” reads the report.

Staff said adopting the changes will allow Whistler to conserve the existing water supply for domestic use, and keep the community’s supplies within tolerances for firefighting requirements.

During questions, Councillor Ralph Forsyth asked why Whistler doesn’t simply use non-potable water for irrigation, to which the RMOW’s utilities manager, Chris Wike,

said there is not a parallel water delivery system.

Coun. Arthur De Jong noted the issue appears to be supply rather than infrastructure, and asked about additional water sources, to which Wike responded additional wells are very expensive, and a new well in Rainbow Park has been relegated to being used as a back-up by the province.

Coun. Jeff Murl had a few questions about the reservoir supply in Whistler, asking where the community’s water is held after it is pumped from wells or 21 Mile Creek, to which Wike explained the community has about a peak summer day’s worth of water capacity in various tanks on the hillsides around Whistler.

In what appeared to be a nod to industry concerns as laid out in a letter sent to the RMOW in response to the proposed bylaw changes, Coun. Cathy Jewett also queried how much engagement with the affected sectors was carried out, and Wike said they were informed of the proposed changes.

Commenting later, Jewett said she was aware changes to the bylaws will be tough for the irrigation sector, but that she weighed pressure on them with the risks to the community posed by wildfires.

“Unfortunately, we are living in a time where nothing is usual,” she said.

“It’s very important that we think of community safety, and that we’re ready when a wildfire hits, so I support ensuring that our water supply is robust enough in the case of

any wildfire.”

The writer of the letter, Heike Stippler of Heike Designs, a local horticultural company, argued in remarks during the public comment period that the irrigation sector is not an enemy of water conservation, but an ally.

“We must reduce the waste of water, but cannot sacrifice plants and soil that actually help with a lot of the serious environmental issues we are dealing with,” she said.

In her letter, she argued plant health in the community will be impacted by the water usage changes by limiting the times they can be watered, and that healthy plant life is key to a healthy community in that they filter the air, cool their surroundings, sequester carbon, play a vital role in the local ecosystems and also minimize climate events.

“If plants dry out, we increase the fire danger tenfold, we raise the temperature in our neighbourhoods, we make our air more dusty,” she wrote.

Stippler also pointed out soil that dries out between waterings requires even more water, and when applied in shorter bursts, simply runs off the soil, so a healthier landscape is better for water use.

Stippler’s letter was submitted for council’s consideration, but did not sway the vote.

Council voted unanimously to approve the bylaw changes, as well as the required enforcement changes that will permit bylaw to ensure compliance. The bylaws were adopted later at the same meeting, and are now in effect. n

IN RECOVERY New irrigation schedules will help create “recovery periods” for municipal water reservoirs.

PHOTO BY MAYCAL / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES

Violent crime trending upwards in Whistler

WHISTLER RCMP PRESENTS 2023 CRIME STATS

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS

THE END-OF-YEAR statistics from the RCMP are a mixed bag of results, with decreases in traffic collisions offset by increases in property and violent crimes.

Presenting to the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) Committee of the Whole on March 19, Staff Sgt. Sascha Banks of the Whistler RCMP detachment broke down some of the numbers.

“It’s been no secret that in the last four years there’s been an increase in property crimes … particularly when it comes to theft,” she said.

The numbers for property crimes show a moving trend in total crimes investigated by the RCMP, with 615 recorded in 2023—up from 511 in 2022 and 446 in 2021. The highpoint in the last five years was 2019, however, pre-COVID, when the local detachment investigated 714 cases.

Banks said in 2023, while seeing a similar increase over the last few years, bike thefts were still below 2019 numbers.

“I think that Whistler is not like it was in 2019—it looks a little bit different, but is that meaning that by 2024 statistics, when they come out we’re going to be back to old patterns? … [it’s] yet to be determined,” Banks said.

“There is no doubt looking from 2020 to 2023, we’re seeing an increase in those property crime statistics, and that means for this coming year there’s been a heavy focus on how we can tackle that, particularly for the bike season coming up in May.”

One category of property crimes that was up over 2020 and 2019 was fraud—which Banks clarified as online scams, fraudulent sellers and even fake rental listings.

The number of cases seen in 2023 was 100—up from 74 in 2022, 53 in 2021, 71 in 2020 and 85 in pre-COVID 2019.

The theft under $5,000 category also noted a mention, with Banks saying it was specific to shoplifting.

“We have seen a marked increase in shoplifting in the community this past year— similar numbers to what we were seeing in 2019,” she said. “So it’s a lot of ski jackets, ski pants—that type of product that seems to be going out the door.”

She said the community response team is working with Whistler businesses on ways to mitigate the increase.

Councillor Ralph Forsyth pulled up the property crime numbers and queried who the primary culprits for theft are.

“I had always thought shoplifting was something high school kids did, but is it different now, or not the case… or never the case?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t say they are not part of that group when it comes to youth,” said Banks. “We have seen an uptick as of late with kids stealing fragrances from some of our stores, but the individuals taking products like ski jackets

or clothing tend not to be part of that youth group … it tends to be adults, and groups of individuals that are working in a two or threeperson group.”

Coun. Jessie Morden queried the rental fraud item, citing personal experience, prompting Banks to talk about how people who list fraudulent rentals tend to be out of country.

Coun. Arthur De Jong picked up on the bike theft item, and asked if the RCMP has any insights on how the number of bike thefts can be reduced.

“We are currently digging in to all 43 bike thefts that we saw last year to highlight which hot spot areas we were seeing bikes stolen from,” said Banks, who said often it appeared bikes were being opportunistically stolen from the backs of trucks or from the village overnight.

“I do know that a lot of them go missing off the bike racks of peoples’ cars,” she said.

VIOLENT CRIME ON THE RISE

Moving on to violent crime statistics, Banks said the total number of cases reported is on the rise, at 304 in 2023, 295 in 2022, 278 in 2021, and 223 in 2020.

“We have an uptick in violent crimes for Whistler. We are actually above our numbers for 2019,” she said.

“As to why we are starting to see more violent offences in Whistler, it really goes to the re-opening of Whistler and the amount of people that come into the community. You will start to see those alcohol-related factors … they tend to be 80 to 90 per cent ... of the assaults.”

Also on violent crimes, domestic violence numbers are at the lowest in five years, with 28 cases reported in 2023, down from 41 in 2022.

Touching on mental health act calls, Banks reported a significant decrease, which she said could be due to more people being able to get outside and recreate post-COVID, but added the reduction in the number of calls hides the fact many of the calls were more severe.

“Those we are seeing in mental-health crisis are in more severe mental-health crisis,” she said.

As for road safety statistics, Banks reported a “marked reduction” in the total collisions within Whistler. In 2023, there were 129 collisions, down from 181 in 2022.

“This is the lowest number in five years, when it comes to collision statistics,” she said.

Additionally, Whistler has now gone five years running with zero fatal collisions. The tragic incident late in 2023 that claimed the lives of three people took place within the Squamish detachment’s reporting area, and was not reflected in Whistler numbers.

The number of incidents leading to motor vehicle damage over $1,000 is going up, however, though Banks noted it costs significantly more to repair a vehicle than it has in years past, making that category of reporting outdated.

Whistler drug raid nets ‘significant’ seizure

FOUR WHISTLER MEN ARRESTED IN LARGE-SCALE RAID ON MARCH 8

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

A LARGE-SCALE RAID on three Whistler properties earlier this month netted a “significant drug seizure” and led to multiple arrests, according to the Whistler RCMP.

In a release on Friday evening, March 15, police provided more details about the March 8 incident.

That day, at 10 a.m., “Whistler RCMP alongside the Sea to Sky RCMP General Investigations Section (GIS), Squamish RCMP, Pemberton RCMP, Integrated Emergency Response Team (IERT), and the Integrated Police Dog Services (IPDS) executed three simultaneous search warrants on residences in Emerald, Creekside, and Village neighbourhoods. Subsequently police detained multiple people and four men were arrested,” the release said.

All four men were Whistler residents in their early 30s: Three Canadians and one Australian.

They have been released pending court on charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the release said.

In the March 8 raid, police seized 2.5 kgs of cocaine, about $10,000, and an unspecified amount of MDMA.

“The Whistler RCMP and Sea to Sky GIS team started the drug investigation 10

BUSTED

months ago and have worked diligently to get us to this point, March 8 was the culmination of all their work” said Staff Sgt. Sascha Banks in the release. “We want to thank the RCMP teams: IERT, IPDS, and neighbouring detachments for their support last week. Although there was a heavy police presence last Friday, this was to ensure the safety of the Whistler community and the members involved.”

Photos shared with Pique showed police

in tactical gear with long guns and dogs in a residential yard, and chatter on social media on March 8 indicated large police presences, complete with SWAT equipment and long

guns, in the Marketplace area and at one of the entrances to Emerald.

Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the detachment at 604-932-3044. n

VIOLENT CRIME TRENDING FROM PAGE 15

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The Whistler RCMP is also apparently on the prowl: 2023 saw a huge increase in the number of tickets issued from traffic stops, at 1,601 for the year—up from 983 in 2022.

“This is a five-year top,” said Banks. “If you want to look at that specifically, that’s 600 additional traffic stops that my members conducted and gave violation tickets for. These could be speeding, running a stop sign, driving contrary to restrictions when you’re on N licenses … it’s something we’ve worked on heavily.”

On that, Coun. Cathy Jewett talked about the amount of snow Whistler received over the past few weeks and congestion on the highway, and then pivoted to snow tires.

“There’s been a lot of discussion in the community about tire checks, and we would love to hear why they are not being conducted when we have weather conditions like this,” Jewett said.

Whistler is different than most places in the province, in that when it snows, people come, responded Banks.

“When it snows, you just add that extra element of road issues on there, and it gets very difficult for the road maintenance crews to come in and do those roads and plow them when the congestion starts,” she said.

“When you’re seeing those days with heavy amounts of snow, by the time they get here, tire checks are pointless. By the time they’re in Whistler, there’s no way to take them off the roads, or if you do, good luck getting a tow truck in.”

She added weather events causing issues in Whistler also apply to Squamish, and the drain on resources required to filter out those who aren’t prepared to drive in winter conditions outweighs the benefit.

“It’s something we can work on, but it’s not the solution to the problem. I would say the majority of people that come here have the correct tires on,” she said, noting she has done tire checks herself.

Read the full story at piquenewsmagazine. com, and watch the complete report on the RMOW website. n

Whistler RCMP said they seized 2.5 kgs of cocaine, about $10,000, and an unspecified amount of MDMA in a March 8 raid.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER RCMP

Whistler studying Valley Trail expansion

MUNICIPAL STAFF ARE WORKING THROUGH A FEASIBILITY STUDY INTO LINKING FUNCTION JUNCTION TO CREEKSIDE

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS

ANOTHER GAP in the Valley Trail could be closed in the near future, with the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) pondering the possibility of an all-new stretch of trail along Alpha Lake. The gap in the trail is between Alta Lake Road and Alpha Lake Park, separating the trail to Function Junction from the rest of the network in Creekside on the northern side of the valley.

Work on feasibility studies and alignment options began back in 2021, the RMOW’s parks planner, Lorne Russell, explained at the March 19 regular council meeting, adding staff are seeking approval to make Crown Land Use applications to the province for three segments of land along the north side of Alpha Lake so studies can continue.

Four alignments were assessed, the preferred option being through Pine Point Park, with either a floating trail or a boardwalk found to be the strongest of all options when assessed on environmental outcomes, capital cost, lifecycle, construction complexity and visual impacts, among other criteria.

“The Option 1 alignment as a floating trail or a boardwalk … was selected for further consideration. This alignment is the desired line for most users, and is able to

provide grades below eight per cent,” said Russell, adding the alignment minimizes environmental impacts, “provides an opportunity for an exceptional resort experience,” and links two existing parks.

The other options (another on the north side of the lake and two on the south side) were found to be too steep or included railway or highway crossings.

Russell explained for the feasibility study to continue the RMOW will need to submit Crown Land Use applications for three segments of land along the lake shore: An old log sort location on the west side of the lake, and two 20-metre-wide corridors of aquatic Crown land between the lakeshore and the CN Rail right-of-way to both the east and west of Pine Point Park.

On the aquatic land application to the east of Pine Point Park, Russell said that segment was “a Plan B submission.”

“Our primary goal here would be to attempt to negotiate with CN Rail the use of the existing gravel pathway that currently exits Alpha Lake heading towards Pine Point Park,” he said. “This is an unpermitted trail currently, so it’s in our best interests to have a Plan B in the event that that negotiation is unsuccessful.”

Russell explained the Crown Land Use application is part of the feasibility process to check that the preferred alignment is

even possible, and doesn’t constitute any commitments to construction.

The environmental implications of studying a boardwalk or floating trail were discussed, and Russell said an environmental impact study confirmed the preferred

“I’m really captured by this project.”

- ARTHUR DE JONG

alignment is not within suitable spawning habitat of the lake. He added the project appears to be suitable for the proposed work, pending some conditions, such as a nest survey; that any boardwalk or floating trail be installed between two to five metres from the high-water mark and any riparian vegetation; and that a construction and environmental management plan be prepared within Ministry of Environment guidelines.

During questions and comments, Councillor Arthur De Jong queried the rough cost estimate for the options, and was

told the range is between $2 million and $9 million, though that is at a conceptual level, and more work is needed to understand actual costs.

“I’m really captured by this project. It is an expressway from Creekside on a bike to Function and really fills a critical need there with our big moves,” said De Jong.

“And the aesthetics … the experiential side of riding that will be outstanding.”

Coun. Cathy Jewett asked if a boardwalk along Alpha Lake would be similar to the existing boardwalk at the Nicklaus North area on Green Lake, to which Russel said yes.

Councillors gave unanimous support to staff to submit Crown Land Use applications to further the project, with Mayor Jack Crompton commenting he was disappointed only that there was not a project already in front of them to support and move ahead with.

For next steps, the RMOW will continue to validate the project’s feasibility by securing permits, agreements, acquisitions and tenures before consulting with the community and interest groups, and going on to develop a cost estimate and secure funding through RMI and grants.

According to the staff report, should works in the study proceed as planned, the RMOW expects a “shovel-ready” project in 2025 or 2026. n

Whistler secures huge transit expansion

TRANSIT SERVICES WILL INCREASE BY 7,650 HOURS IN 2024-25

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS

THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) will see a 10-per-cent expansion of public transit hours in the community starting next month.

The increase will mean there’s another 7,650 hours of service for the 2024-25 season, with the changes taking place from April 15.

RMOW Mayor Jack Crompton described the increased transit hours as a win for Whistler.

“We have been asking the province to join us in a significant transit expansion since 2021, so to see this move forward is very exciting,” he said in a release.

“Ridership and traffic congestion has returned to 2019 levels. This means we need an increase in bus hours, reliability and consistency to improve service for current users—and for those who are looking to shift towards more sustainable transportation options.”

According to the RMOW, increasing transit hours is in line with its climate action strategy, specifically efforts to shift transportation away from personal vehicles.

“The expansion is another step towards helping our residents and guests ‘Move Beyond the Car’ in Whistler,” said Crompton.

The total cost of the 7,650-hour service expansion is estimated to be about $1,119,862.

Funding for the increase will come in part through the province’s 2024-25 budget, with 46.69 per cent of additional funding coming from the province—or $553,770.

For its part, the RMOW will fund the remaining 53.31 per cent of the expansion costs, or $566,092.

According to a communications official with the RMOW, the estimated funding split could vary due to factors such as rider fares, which are collected by the contractor.

With the 7,650 hours added, annual transit hours in Whistler will jump to 82,450 hours.

According to the RMOW, the added hours will be put towards more Route 10 Valley

Express services year-round from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; 30-minute service year-round on Route 6 and Route 7; more Route 21 service in the evening with the last bus leaving Whistler village at 1:10 a.m. year-round; the reintroduction of peak hour service through Spruce Grove via Route 32; and an earlier bus on Route 5 at 8:55 a.m.

Leaning into transit is part of the RMOW’s “big moves” climate strategy, which is a plan to reduce community and corporate emissions in Whistler to 50 per cent below 2007 levels.

Notably, the municipality has acknowledged it is behind on meeting those targets, four years after initially adopting them in 2020.

“The expansion is another step towards helping our residents and guests ‘Move Beyond the Car’ in Whistler.”

- JACK CROMPTON

Mayor Crompton said the additional transit hours are a part of efforts to bring the community in line with climate goals.

“By investing in a more robust and convenient transit system, we are empowering Whistlerites to move beyond the car,” he said. “The recent report from our Climate and Environment team indicates that we need to up our game on reducing our local GHGs, and choosing more sustainable modes of transportation, like transit, is one powerful way to move the needle.”

Transit in Whistler is provided through a partnership between the provincial body, BC Transit, and the RMOW with funding shared. Whistler Transit is contracted to operate the local system. n

ROLLING ALONG Whistler’s transit system is getting a significant boost beginning next month.

RMOW hires energy advisor team to support step code adoption

FUNDED WITH A FEDERAL GRANT, THE TEAM WILL COME FROM OUTSIDE WHISTLER

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS

THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) is hiring an “energy advisor team” on a two-year term to help the municipality apply the zero carbon step code for buildings, which came into effect in January 2024.

The team and the grant funding for it, as well as the step code policy itself, is part of Whistler’s commitment to reducing its emissions by 50 per cent below 2007 levels by 2030.

“This code will be crucial in Whistler shifting towards energy-efficient and zerocarbon new construction,” said an RMOW communications official in an email to Pique explaining the decision to hire an entire team.

“However, making this shift and accelerating this work demands concerted efforts from those looking to accelerate this work, including the RMOW, builders, and property owners.”

The money for the team—$200,000 over two years—is entirely grant-funded. According to the official, the RMOW applied for grant funding through the federal department, Natural Resources Canada, in

This

January of 2023, with the funds secured as part of the municipality’s adoption of the zero carbon step code.

“Between now and March 31, 2026 (when the grant period ends), the grant money will be used to hire an energy advisor team from

outside the RMOW,” said the official.

“By hiring a consulting team, we will have access to a broader spectrum of knowledge and expertise.”

The three companies brought together for the team are Victoria-based Focal

Engineering—which touts itself as focused on energy efficiency in retrofitting old buildings and designing new ones; Bernhardt Contracting, which is also a Victoria-based company with a focus on energy efficiency; and Pinna Sustainability, a Vancouver-based consulting company with experience in the municipal sector.

According to the municipality, the team will focus on supporting an accelerated timeline for the adoption of the BC Energy Step Code; help “increase knowledge and skill development within the local building sector” related to the code; use their experience in step code application to help the RMOW apply it; and help find new financial incentives and tools.

The team is being brought on at the same time the RMOW has committed itself to speeding up its building department work, with designs to rapidly shorten wait times of applications through the hiring of additional staff and the streamlining of processes.

The team also joins at the same time the RMOW has doubled down on its messaging around climate change, with the municipality self-declaring it is not meeting its climate targets and needs to lean further into efforts around reducing both its own corporate emissions, and emissions from the wider community. n

Concussions: Advances in Prevention, Identification, andTreatment

Event Panelists:

Thursday April4 @6pm

A STEP UP A new energy advisor team will help the Resort Municipality of Whistler apply its new zero carbon step code to new builds in the resort.

Waterfront Whistler property sells for $10.35M

THE 48.5-HECTARE PROPERTY INCLUDES THE EMERALD POINT PENINSULA ON GREEN LAKE

BY SCOTT TIBBALLS

A RARE PIECE of undeveloped land in Whistler has changed hands for $10.35 million.

The land at 9700 Hwy 99 is located on the northern fringe of Whistler, with seven acres (2.8 hectares) right on the shores of Green Lake.

The entire plot sprawls across a shade under 120 acres, or 48.5 hectares (with more than 110 acres on the hill side of the highway) and is zoned for residential estate.

Forested on the hillside and hosting some of Whistler’s well-maintained mountain biking trail network, the property’s lakeside portion features more than 450 metres of waterfront on the Emerald Point Peninsula that juts into the northern half of the lake, giving the property watercraft and sea plane access, as well as strategic placement for access to the Whistler heliport and proximity to amenities in town.

President of real estate company rennie, Greg Zayadi, said it was a rare find, and a rare sale that is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.

“The seven acres with 1,500 feet of waterfront on Green Lake itself—I don’t think there is anything rarer,” he said. “There’s maybe been one other transaction in the history of the market that could rival it, but even that was a smaller piece of land.”

The sale of the property was finalized just

last week, with Whistler-based realtor Carleigh Hofman of rennie real estate acting as the buying agent for Vancouver businessman, Kyle Stevenson, who works in the mining sector as a lithium company developer.

Zayadi said the property has been on and off the market over the last couple of years, and circumstances finally lined up for a buyer to lock it down.

“It was a matter of how to make it happen,” said Zayadi. “Working with Carleigh, we found a way to do that.”

The listing agent for the transaction was John Ryan of the Whistler Real Estate Company.

The buyer, Stevenson, said there’s no place quite like the property.

“Whistler offers an unparalleled experience within a small town, boasting endless beauty, freedom and adventure,” he said in a release from rennie.

Also detailed in the release was information about possible development of the site—in that those plans are yet to be finalized.

“The acquisition of the Emerald Peninsula marks a significant milestone for Kyle Stevenson and represents his commitment to his love of Whistler and its community,” reads the release.

“As the plans for development of this unique property are still unknown, it is anticipated that when the project materializes, it will be thoughtful and will preserve

and coincide with the natural beauty and landscape that surrounds it.”

Zayadi said in conversation with Stevenson through the buying process, it was clear 9700 Hwy 99 is a legacy property.

“He just believes that it’s one of those rare opportunities that when it comes around, it’s probably the one time it will,” he said.

“For him this is that legacy property, a legacy home that he can build for himself to enjoy on the seven acres that’s on Green Lake … the 110 acres that’s on the high side, there is currently no plans for development—it is some incredible nature. It’s something that over time he’ll see what would make the most sense that does right by the land and does right by the community.”

Currently, the entire site is undeveloped, and zoned for RS-E1, or residential single estate—meaning one estate dwelling can be built on the unsubdivided lot.

As mentioned, the portion of the property on the western side of the highway includes some trails that are used by mountain bikers and feature on trailforks.

While the property sold for $10,350,000, it was originally marketed at $11,395,000.

“The price of $10.35 million is a pretty attractive price,” said Zayadi, “because a comparable assessed property is almost $20 million.

“It’ll probably never trade hands again.” n

POINT TAKEN The Emerald Point Peninsula on Green Lake in Whistler.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RENNIE REAL ESTATE

When it’s hard to talk about what’s on your mind.

It ’s okay to ask for help.

Naturespeak: Capturing the unseen— understanding the North American beaver

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE UNDER A PARTNERING AGREEMENT

Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (the “SLRD”) hereby gives notice that pursuant to section 272 of the Local Government Act, the SLRD intends to provide assistance to the Pember ton Valley Dyking District (the “PVDD”) under the terms of a proposed par tner ing agreement bet ween the SLRD and the PVDD for work perfor med by the PVDD within Electoral Area C of the SLRD

The term of the par tner ing agreement is 2 years, star ting or about March 25, 2024 and ending on or about March 24, 2026 (the “Ter m”), with the SLRD having the discretion to renew for two additional renewal terms of 2 years each. The par tner ing agreement provides that if requested by the PVDD, the SLRD may:

• at the discretion of the SLRD’s Chief Administrative Officer, provide assistance to the PVDD in the following ways:

• in respect of section 39(1)(h) of the Water Sustainabilit y Regulation, submission of provincial stream channel per mit applications to the provincial government for work to be performed by the PVDD; and

• in respect of emergency response or recovery phases under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act, submission of Emergency Approval Fund (EAF) applications to the provincial government for work to be performed by the PVDD.

• at the discretion of the SLRD Board, provide assistance to the PVDD in the following way:

• in respect of grant funding oppor tunities, submission of grant funding applications to funding author ities for work to be performed by the PVDD.

The PVDD is responsible for all costs associated with performing any author ized work under the par tner ing agreement and for indemnifying the SLRD in respect of any liabilities incurred by the SLRD as a result of any author ized work perfor med by the PVDD under the par tner ing agreement The SLRD is responsible for very limited costs, specifically professional fees related to the preparation of the par tner ing agreement, publication costs of this statutor y notice and staff time to administer the par tner ing agreement (total estimated costs are $18,000 for the Term).

BY ALEX MCCARTNEY

IT’S DIFFICULT TO DESCRIBE the sensation of coming across a North American beaver for the first time to Whistler locals. These rodents can often be seen as more of a nuisance than a gift (particularly if your house gets in the way of their latest engineering endeavour!). But look beyond, and you discover beavers are undoubtedly some of the most successful mammals on the planet.

The key to beavers’ success is their ability to shape their environments to their needs. It’s borderline obsessive for them, and is quite simply coded into their DNA! Experiments have demonstrated young beavers can be induced to attempt to build dams simply from the sound of water—despite never being taught! And what marvels these structures are. Beaver dams can stretch for hundreds of metres, and some historic maps suggest they were once so numerous they transformed entire watersheds and covered vast swathes of the continent.

But despite their numbers, they’re elusive creatures to get good photos of—a point I was sure to think to myself as I headed down to the lake before dawn with my headtorch. At sunset in fall, they are everywhere. Simply walk down to your nearest beaver-occupied lake and sit by yellow pond-lilies (a popular snack for beavers) and you are sure to see one pop its head up. But sunset does not make for great lighting, and at dawn, they disappear into their lodges, safely tucked away from the sight of predators (or photographers!).

Armed with this knowledge, and nine days of failed attempts already, I gloomily noted the lighting was looking good for a photo, which would undoubtedly never come to fruition. I sat down and waited. Perhaps I’d get a false alarm. It’s happened before with a river otter, and most convincingly, a muskrat I had initially mistook for a beaver kit.

Time passed. It was getting late, and the glow of dawn was giving way to a slightly overcast day. An 11th morning stakeout was not going to be such a terrible way to start the day tomorrow, I mused. As I cast one last glance around the lake, a flicker of movement grabbed my attention. Ripples unmistakably moving towards me around the corner of the lake; and not just ripples, they were getting larger. I flung myself to the ground for a water-level shot as the beaver emerged through the reeds. I counted under my breath for a second until it had fully come into focus and pressed the shutter. I looked back down my viewfinder for a second shot, before hesitating and putting down the camera. Laying down on the ground, I momentarily watched the beaver, before, with a splash of its tail, it was gone.

As I look at my camera later that day I feel a twinge of disappointment—it’s not quite the photo I’d hoped to get. But for me, the moment was more special than any photo. That feeling of watching a beaver at dawn, feet away from where I sat at shore, will last a lifetime; and I could finally tick Canada’s most remarkable mammal off my list.

Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to whistlernaturalists.ca. n

SUCCESSFUL STAKEOUT Capturing a photo of the elusive North American beaver requires patience.

PHOTO BY ALEX MCCARTNEY

Work underway on Pemberton’s multi-modal transport hub

VILLAGE OF PEMBERTON RECEIVED $1.8M FOR THE PROJECT IN 2022

BY ROISIN CULLEN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

LONG-AWAITED PLANS for a new parkand-ride facility in Pemberton are about to be put into action.

Site clearing for the project on Portage Road, east of Signal Hill Elementary, is already underway, with a request for proposals to come this month.

The Village of Pemberton (VOP) received just over $1.8 million for the project through the province’s Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Program in 2022.

When completed, the hub will include a 50-car parking lot, washroom and change room facilities, water fountains, bike storage, garbage receptacles, and electric-vehicle chargers.

Available to commuters seven days a week, 365 days a year, the parking lot facility will also be available for ride sharing and regional transit use, and plans include bays for BC Transit buses as a second phase to the project—if funding allows.

The VOP is in active discussions with regional partners and BC Transit to increase bus service, the village said.

OF PEMBERTON

“The Multi-Modal Transportation Hub project not only supports our advocacy for improved transit options but also supports our efforts to advance plan for the future of transit use,” the VOP said on Facebook. “In providing essential infrastructure for our community, this hub will enable us to accommodate expanded regional and local transit solutions, ultimately contributing to a more accessible and efficient transportation network that serves our community needs.”

only cover the first phase.

“BC Transit really likes this idea. We are really pushing for it,” he said, noting the second phase nearly doubles the size of the initial project, and the total project cost is upwards of $3 million.

“We have $1.8 million from the grant. We phased it. We proposed building as much as we can using the grant,” he said. “We are still trying to plan it so we can build this bus shelter,  bus loop etc., that would connect to

“Transport has been a big topic for council and for the region. We thought we better design something with future capacity.”

- THOMAS SIKORA

Options for access were explored as the project developed, including sharing access with the new l’École de Valée building.

At a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 23, manager of finance, Thomas Sikora, noted there are two phases to the project, and the funding received so far will

the French school.”

Sikora added BC Transit is eager to improve transport in the area, and to have buses running even past Pemberton.

“They want buses to go the whole way up D’Arcy,” he said. “Transport has been a big topic for council and for the region. We

thought we better design something with future capacity.”

Councillor Katrina Nightingale commended the “relentless” work Sikora has done on the project, and asked if it is possible to prioritize the bus bays ahead of everything else.

“Part of our problem is that we have the money for the multi-modal transport hub but we can’t increase our services because we don’t have the right infrastructure,” she said. “Is there a possibility about having the bays put in first, ahead of the parking area?”

Sikora explained the grant has to be specifically used for the original parking lot and hub plans.

Meanwhile, Pemberton is set to get a new bus for the Route 99 Pemberton commuter to Whistler. Senior media relations and public affairs advisor Jamie Weiss confirmed funding for the project is approved, with further details on the 2024-25 expansion to come in the near future.

Weiss said BC Transit will continue to work with the VOP on plans for the multimodal transport hub and all potential future service improvements.

“BC Transit is pleased to hear that the Village of Pemberton has secured funding for a future multi-modal transportation hub on Portage Road,” he said. “This infrastructure will improve future access to public transit in the community and support integration with other modes of transportation.” n

Host

•Accommodates

•Fullyequipped900

•2

•Commercial

•Ample

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•Connect

Pemberton to get new fire training centre worth $450K

SLRD APPROVES $110K FOR THE SPEND AFTER PEMBERTON RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING OF $340K

BY ROISIN CULLEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

FIREFIGHTERS IN PEMBERTON could soon have their own live fire training building.

At a recent Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) board meeting, directors approved allocating up to $110,000 for the project, which comes with an expected total price tag of about $450,000. The remaining $340,000 was provided through a provincial grant to the Village of Pemberton (VOP).

The VOP applied for the funding, and was shortlisted, to build a three-storey burn structure with a state-of-the-art propane fire simulator at 100-1850 Airport Road. The facility will also allow for training to take place for other fire departments in the region and beyond.

Fire Chief Cameron Adams announced the grant funding was received on Jan. 26. “We are extremely grateful to the Fire Chiefs’ Association of BC and the Office of the Fire Commissioner for awarding us the Live Fire Training Centre project grant,” wrote Adams. “The generous support provided not only enhances our training programs, but also grants our teams the opportunity to strengthen our commitment to enhancing preparedness in our region. This investment will elevate our training opportunities and strengthen our training excellence through fostering the development of safer and more resilient firefighters throughout our community. Thank you for investing in our firefighters.”

The VOP and its partners will be responsible for land, services, and facilities for the project. The current site will meet the needs, but an immediate investment of $50,000 for preload and concrete works is required in the 2024 fire budget. Investment in the training grounds is a regular inclusion in the VOP’s capital plan.

Construction of the facility is planned to start as soon as the snow clears.

Pemberton Fire Rescue’s current training base allows the force to facilitate fire training

in various ways, including vehicle extraction, search and rescue, and live fire simulation. They also built a “cold smoke” building in 2016, used to simulate the low-visibility conditions firefighters will experience when entering an involved building in a safe manner void of hazardous smoke.

At the moment, Pemberton Fire Rescue (PFR) uses a retired train car to train with any live fire—an outdated steel structure not up to standards for certification, meaning members have to go elsewhere for training at significant cost.

The use of propane at the new planned facility will also reduce exposure to carcinogens, as it will no longer be necessary to burn wood pallets for simulation.

Fire departments across the province were invited to submit applications for Class B fuel live fire training props (or burn structures). Given the need for improvements to the existing training base, Pemberton Fire Rescue applied to the Fire Chiefs Association of BC and Office of the Fire Commissioner funding stream for the $340,000 grant.

At a council meeting on Nov. 21, 2023, Deputy Fire Chief, Adam Malpus, said building the new training centre would bring PFR to “the next level.”

“This is the next step. We spend between $12,000 to $16,000 sending guys away, so that cost-saving is going to be pretty substantial,” he said. PFR will not be allowed to make a profit from the facility, a stipulation of the grant.

“We can rent it out for training and cover our costs,” he said. “We will have to staff it and have safety officers there. We have several departments who would like to use the facility.”

The structure will also greatly reduce firefighters’ exposure to hazardous smoke created when burning Class A materials. A recent NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) study identified that firefighters have a nine-per-cent greater chance of being diagnosed with cancer, and a 14-per-cent greater chance of dying from cancer than the general population. n

FIRE FUNDS Pemberton Fire Rescue’s training grounds.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEMBERTON FIRE RESCUE

Purcell Spring

HERE’S HOW it usually happens: The helicopter pulls away from the ridge, wrapping you in an envelope of swirling crystals. As the cloud dissipates and sound drifts off like a wind dying in the treetops, a weight is lifted from your life. Maybe you don’t feel it at first because the void is instantly filled by what you see—mountains on every horizon; nothing and no one in sight. But you feel it after that

BY LESLIE ANTHONY

first run. The one where you drop hundreds of vertical metres through snow so light and deep it pours up over your shoulders like water. It’s the best skiing you’ve done in a lifetime of great skiing.

It’s what skiers dream about, and, if they’ve booked it, look forward to all season. But what happens when the weather forecast is set to eat that dream alive? Our recent big snow cycle had me hungrily looking forward to an assignment at Canadian Mountain Holidays’ newest destination, CMH Purcell, when I looked a little farther ahead to see a preternatural temperature anomaly—a March warm-up of double-digits above seasonal norms and overnight freezing levels above 3,000 metres—coinciding with my dates. I crossed my fingers but the forecast was accurate and precise; between the massive snow-shedding expected in the mountains

PHOTO BY LESLIE ANTHONY

and the malign metamorphosis of powder to pig-snot, this did not look good. The weather would be glorious but the snow not so much. Would it shut us down?

Not even.

Man has always wanted to fly, and when he invented skiing—lauded as the closest thing to flying without leaving the Earth—he came damn close. It took immigrant Swiss mountain guide Hans Gmoser’s vision of soaring through a mountain wilderness on wings to experience true freedom on skis to link these ideas. In 1965, Gmoser ran the world’s first heli-skiing week in the Bugaboos,

became an iconic family business, with scion Jeff—who first heli-skied at age three—as lead guide. But what goes around comes around, and in 2021 CMH welcomed Purcell into the fold of its many heli-ski operations as the only day-skiing destination.

Man has always wanted to fly, and when he invented skiing—lauded as the closest thing to flying without leaving the Earth—he came damn close.

a sub-range of the Purcells whose name will forever be synonymous with an experience that participants immediately found transcendent. Gmoser’s CMH would birth an industry and put B.C. on the global ski map as a powder paradise. Another pioneer of the time, Rudi Gertsch, a Swiss immigrant who arrived in Banff in 1966 to land a job as a climbing guide with the CMH crew, was quickly drawn into Gmoser’s heli-skiing passion. He learned the ropes of a nascent business during its discovery years and struck out on his own in 1974 with a day-ski operation out of Golden from which, unlike a remote lodge-based operation, he could drive home each night. Purcell Heliskiing

The Purcells feature dramatic, smoothsided stone towers punching up from wide alpine bowls; their neighbours, the Selkirks, do the same on steroids. With an abundance of snow and over 2,000 sq. km (~495,000 acres) of terrain, a 10 to 15-minute flight transports skiers to a vast, pristine winter landscape. More than 250 named runs cover every conceivable type of terrain—wide-open glaciers, high-alpine bowls, gladed subalpine, open cutblocks, and steep trees. Scattered throughout the tenure are hand-built safety cabins used for lunch stops, each of which features a spectacular view. You can enjoy soup and sandwiches on a porch facing some of the runs you’ve just skied. From newbies to long-timers looking for something new, CMH is shilling its Purcell operation as “an exciting new menu item.”

Exciting and practical. Purcell also has a heli-pad at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. It’s still day skiing, but if you’re on a multiday program (as we were—any group can craft its own) you can heli-ski in/out of your

accommodations and also have the impressive inbounds skiing at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort at your disposal on down days. Bonus: a day at Purcell includes unlimited runs. Meaning if you end up exceeding the guaranteed vertical, there’s no extra charge. Say what?

Even with the decidedly un-wintery weather outlook, I shouldn’t have been surprised at the positive outcome. With heliskiing, expectations are so often exceeded they’re almost irrelevant. And with the guides’ world of experience and eye on aspect, elevation, snowpack, wildlife movement and more, somehow, despite temperatures of 15 C and higher in the alpine, we skied powder of various depths on each of three days—the last being the best. The group of first-timers I was with were all blown away, and we engaged in as much head-shaking over our good fortune as high-fiving. And I realized something: in sketchy conditions, in being able to hopscotch around hazards from one mellow spot to another, helicopters are the safest way to avoid traversing dangerous terrain in the backcountry. Purcell proved a great place to do just that in otherwise crazy heat and manky snow. Even the local touring contingent was using helicopters to be deposited on high-elevation, low-angle, north-facing glaciers.

Ultimately, when the heli pulled away from the landing zones and left us squinting through swirling crystals, we still saw the same majestic mountains we expected, skied better snow than we could have imagined, and came away with Cheshire-cat smiles, sore legs and that warm glow of a ski-dream come true.

Leslie Anthony is a Whistler-based author, editor, biologist and bon vivant who has never met a mountain he didn’t like. ■

TAKE FLIGHT The Purcells feature every conceivable type of terrain.

Fertile ground

Indigenous science is using natural regeneration to restore Western ecosystems

By Josephine Woolington

High Country News

IN 2000, SAM LEA CONVERTED HIS ONCE-PRODUCTIVE Willamette Valley onion field back into wetlands. The third-generation Oregon farmer excavated several ponds and largely left the land alone. Soon, willows arrived on the wind. Then tule appeared. About five years ago, he noticed wapato had sprouted. The edible tuber, a traditional food for Pacific Northwest Indigenous peoples, is now flourishing. The greenery covers 28 hectares. “If you look at it now, you’d think we planted it all,” Lea said.

Wapato was once abundant but hasn’t grown here since the early 1900s, when Lake Labish, a shallow body of water 16 kilometres long and north of Salem, was drained for farming. Historic accounts describe Molalla people gathering tubers in the area. “There’s a significant seed bank in the soil,” said David G. Lewis (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde), an Oregon State University anthropology and Indigenous studies assistant professor who descends from western Oregon’s Takelma, Chinook, Molalla and Santiam Kalapuya peoples. “If you leave it alone, (plants) will come back.”

At Lake Labish, cattails, tule, willows and wapato grew over thousands of years. Farmers erased evidence of the lake above ground, but belowground, decomposed vegetation that extends some six metres back preserved seeds and roots, retaining both ecological memory and a possible future.

Lea assumed swans or geese spread the wapato seeds. But water collected in the ponds he made could have reawakened long-buried tubers, souvenirs of plants that lived before the lake was drained. At other Northwestern agricultural sites, native plants have also returned, unseeded, once crops or invasive plants were removed. In an era of ecological dread, endless development and rising global temperatures, it’s hard to believe plants could endure, and even regrow.

Many plants store future generations just a few inches belowground in seed banks, where seeds, roots, buds and bulbs remain dormant. Some seeds can survive for decades—even centuries, or longer. Seed banks are “biodiversity reservoirs,” as one recent study described, and are found in ecosystems globally. Across the West, they’re present from wetlands to deserts, sand dunes and sagebrush steppes. The plants wait until conditions are just right to reappear.

To Native scientists like Lewis, they offer a new possibility, that despite generations of degradation, some landscapes can come back. Northwest plants evolved unique seed structures, hardy root systems, long-living bulbs and complex dormancy periods to survive in landscapes that faced regular disturbance by everything from volcanic eruptions to flooding, drought, fire and colonialism. Yet non-Native scientists often overlook their ability to regrow— natural regeneration. It’s a tool in restoration ecology that is both understudied and written off, even though it’s cheaper—and better—at creating resilient biodiverse landscapes.

flooding, return, plants will also return. So will pollinators, fish, birds, mammals and cultural connections to them, restoring a way of life, a long-term relationship between people and place. It’s a process that lacks a quick fix, or high-tech solution. “Tribal people, we think decades ahead, seven generations ahead,” said Ashley Russell (miluk Pamunkey k’a’uu), assistant director of culture and natural resources and a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians of the Oregon Coast. “Because we plan so far ahead, we’d like to take our time.”

Natural regeneration is neither passive nor naive. People can create conditions that encourage plants to regrow. Several tribally led projects in the Northwest combine Western science with Indigenous science. The Yakama Nation in central Washington transformed a 160-plus-hectare barley and wheat field back into wetlands once scientists recreated the water flow through the floodplain. The Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians restored a 36-hectare estuary by excavating tidal channels, allowing water to naturally revegetate the marsh. Birds, wind and water, a network of relations, helped disperse seeds. Restoration projects must first return key ingredients, like water or fire, that require an active relationship with the landscape. Without that, one former Yakama biologist said, restoration becomes more akin to farming or gardening than restoring true ecological functions. When the right conditions are present, the results are stunning.

AT OTHER GRAND RONDE

“A large part of the urge to plant is this feeling, like, ‘We broke it. We need to fix it,’” said Robin Chazdon, a senior fellow at the non-profit research organization World Resources Institute. Chazdon, who is based in Boulder, Colo., co-authored a 2017 policy brief that urged ecologists and others to consider natural regeneration. For 30 years, she has studied forests in Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil. Tropical forests, including mangroves, can regrow better on their own, without any plantings, her research found. “We don’t want to work against nature,” she said. “We want to work with nature. And nature’s figured out over these billions of years how to recover.”

Experts say restoration can be one-size-fits-all: Kill the weeds, then plant native seeds. But it’s hard to get seeds to grow, and some might not be genetically adapted to the site. Collecting and planting native seeds is the foundation of the Department of the Interior’s new National Seed Strategy Keystone Initiative, which Secretary Deb Haaland (Pueblo of Laguna) said will “help ensure we get the right seeds, in the right place, at the right time to restore our public lands and bolster climate resilience.”

Many non-Native scientists question whether restoration isn’t possible without planting because seed banks are either depleted or can’t replenish damaged landscapes fast enough. There’s an urgency, they say, given the climate and extinction crisis. If native plants return quickly, pollinators, fish, birds and mammals—a functioning ecosystem—might follow.

But this approach is based on the assumption we can rush ecological processes that have evolved over millennia. It ignores tribal land-management perspectives that value time and trust. Plants return to ecosystems in stages. Some reappear rapidly, others don’t. Some tribal scientists say if traditional ways of caring for landscapes, through fire, harvests and seasonal

properties, Oregon iris emerged in a former horse pasture. Oregon sunshine, strawberry and several species of checkermallow also sprang from the seed bank once invasive species were removed. Camas, a traditional food with star-shaped indigo flowers, has regrown throughout the valley. On one site west of Portland owned by Linfield University, the wildflowers covered half a hectare after blackberry was cleared. Camas evolved with annual harvests and fires by Kalapuyan families, who lived in the Willamette Valley. If the edible bulbs aren’t harvested frequently, or if non-native grasses crowd them out, they’ll withdraw deep into the ground, sometimes by an arm’s length, in search of water. The bulbs can live for decades. As soon as favourable growing conditions return, they send new shoots up through the soil.

Some Grand Ronde tribal members were not surprised.

“They’re kind of sitting there, waiting for those opportunities,” said Greg Archuleta, a tribal member who works for the tribe’s cultural resources department. A few years ago, he said, a small fire burned a landscaped patch off I-205 that runs through east Portland. Afterward, several native plants that weren’t there previously, including black raspberry, sprouted. Archuleta visited a few privately owned properties in the Kings Valley area north of Corvallis, where native plants appeared on their own, once landowners thinned the oak understory.

After white settlers arrived in the mid1800s, the Willamette Valley’s rich prairies and wetlands became farms, cities, shopping centres and vineyards. Despite broken treaties and exploitation, native seeds and bulbs survived underneath onion fields and pastures. This reassures Archuleta. Other tribal elders also trust native seeds wait underground and can return.

Still, many non-Native ecologists overall consider natural regeneration more of an ecological fantasy than a successful approach to restoration. “There are these interesting exceptions that tantalize us,” said Tom Kaye, an ecologist and executive director for the Institute for Applied Ecology, a Corvallis-based restoration non-profit. But typically, only a handful of plants return, and he wants a million. “If we don’t plant native seeds,” he said, “we don’t get native plants.”

Such philosophical differences play out in different restoration strategies. Nontribal projects operate on short timelines. Public grants for restoration typically fund three to five years of work but often lack money for long-term monitoring. Grantees want certainty, a guarantee that so many hectares will be seeded with native plants, so ecologists often turn to herbicides, then sow native seeds. It’s cheap and quick, but the projects tend to be cookie-cutter, a step-by-step recipe for undoing colonization on the landscape.

The Institute for Applied Ecology eradicates nearly everything using glyphosate-based or grassspecific herbicides like those found in Rodeo, Gly Star and Roundup. Over a two-year period, they spray multiple times a year, including in the spring. That keeps invasive plants from producing seed, but also kills any remaining native plants. Then workers plant locally sourced native seeds, at a cost of US$333 to $826 per acre. Sometimes about half of them don’t germinate, Kaye said. Weather, soil chemistry and the amount of weeds in the seed bank all complicate the effort.

A few years ago, the Institute tried a different approach. Tall, non-native grasses dominated a three-hectare site east of Salem, though some native plants persisted. Workers applied glyphosate twice, in December 2021 and fall of 2022, when non-native grasses germinate while native flowers are still dormant. The past two springs, delicate white flowers of native saxifrage

covered the meadow. A few months later, native yellow monkeyflower brightened all three hectares. The plants weren’t seeded.

At sites owned by the Grand Ronde, McClary initially removes large swaths of invasives in the fall using chainsaws, masticators or mowers instead of herbicides. Like many tribal ecologists, she develops an intimacy with the properties. When restoration of a landscape means bringing back not just plants, but the interaction between people and plants, the work becomes something more than grant timelines and budgets can consider.

Eventually, the tribe wants to manage its sites using fire every three to five years. It will take years and multiple burns to diminish the invasive seed bank, Archuleta said. Restoration requires even more careful thought in areas that are contaminated by chemicals found in local soils—DDT, PCBs, lead, arsenic and compounds from herbicides that prevent safe consumption of First Foods. “We’re not trying to help restore this and hope tomorrow that we can go and gather there,” Archuleta said. “We know and understand that some of these are gonna take time. We come from that mindset, of the patience that’s needed.”

Estuaries

MORE THAN A CENTURY AGO, Ole Matterand built a house where Puget Sound’s tide once moved in and out, twice a day, every day. Near the mouth of northwest Washington’s Stillaguamish River, with rugged mountains to the east and west, Matterand and other Norwegian immigrants turned the area’s salt marshes into fields for grains and other crops in the 1870s.

Matterand’s 36-hectare property followed a prominent oxbow along the Stillaguamish River just south of Stanwood. He built miles of levee and worked aggressively to keep the tide, and the Stillaguamish people, out.

The farmers prospered, but salmon populations plummeted. As many as 30,000 chinook once returned to the Stillaguamish to spawn. Now, just 725 wild fish travel back. By the late 1960s, farms and development had replaced  85 per cent of the estuary where young salmon fed in tidal marshes before heading to the ocean. Two runs of Stillaguamish chinook—summer and fall—were listed as threatened in 1999. A watershed-wide recovery plan followed.

By then, Matterand’s grandson, Stanley Matterand, had inherited the property and was leasing the land to farmers. He had no interest in salmon restoration. When the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in the early 2000s, asked if he’d consider selling, he replied, “Not until I’m dead and in the ground.”

Then, in 2010, at the age of 89, he died.

flowers would colour the marsh.

Nothing was planted. The seeds came in with the tide.

“There’s just a big melange of seeds swirling around in the tidal waters of Puget Sound,” Hood said. Nearby remnant marshes that were never developed, like those in Port Susan Bay south of zis a ba, provide enough native seeds. Tides have naturally reseeded other Puget Sound estuaries. Under the right conditions, seeds will float in, then grow.

SOME PEOPLE  with the project were skeptical when Griffith proposed not revegetating. “Where’s the planting plan?” they asked. Griffith joked he could have handed them a tide chart: “Here’s the planting plan. Twice a day, that’s when they get planted forever.”

Simply breaching levees, though, isn’t enough. Over decades, heavy agricultural equipment compacted the soil, creating an impervious clay layer up to 1.5 metres thick. “We used to think that you could just let the tides carve the channels and nature would know where the channels should be,” Hood said. Water eventually erodes channels, but salmon can’t afford to wait.

No one in his family wanted the farm, and the state agency no longer had the money. The family reached out to the Stillaguamish Tribe, which purchased part of the property in 2012. Five years later, they tore down the dilapidated house. They breached the levee and built a new, smaller one farther from the river and Puget Sound that protected nearby farms while still allowing water to flood the site. They named the property “zis a ba,” after a prominent tribal member who lived in the area in the 1800s.

For the first time in 140 years, brackish water returned to the 36 hectares. The salinity killed the remaining crops. A juniper planted near the house lost its needles.

Local farmers wondered why the tribe had drowned perfectly good farmland. The tribe wondered if, after more than a century of agriculture, native plants, and eventually salmon, would return. “A lot of the agricultural folks that we talk to say, ‘Well, that habitat is gone. You can’t restore that,’” said Jason Griffith, the tribe’s environmental program manager. “Actually, it’s pretty easy to restore.”

A few months after the tides returned, maritime bulrush poked through the mud. By the next year, the plant had spread to the horizon. “It was an instant meadow of maritime bulrush,” said Greg Hood, a research scientist with Skagit River System Cooperative, the natural resource management agency for the nearby Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Hood worked with Griffith on zis a ba’s restoration plans. “I’ve never seen anything restore so quickly,” Hood said. “It was stunning.”

In early July, Hood and Griffith wandered the site, navigating through sedges that reached to their hips. It’s even thicker now, Griffith said, smiling. Seaside arrowgrass’ spindly budding stems stretched toward the blue sky. In a few weeks, its small purple

Hood has spent several decades studying Puget Sound’s tidal marshes. Before white settlement, thickly vegetated marshes would have kept the channels—the veins of the estuary—shaded and cool, full of insects for young salmon to eat. He developed a mathematical model to predict how many channels and tidal outlets a site should have. At zis a ba, it recommended five kilometres, with seven outlets for salt water to move in and out. The channels vary in length, width and depth. They spread water across a more textured surface and allow seeds to settle. Without enough channels or outlets, highvelocity tides scour seeds away.

At Fir Island Farm Estuary Restoration Project, for example, north of zis a ba, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife constructed more than three kilometres of channels in 2016. According to Hood’s model, there should be about 11 kilometres weaving through the 53-hectare site. Tides funnel through just one outlet when Hood thinks there should be somewhere between 12 and 20. Much of the property resembles a mudflat more than a marsh. The state seeded five hectares, spending $20,000 on seeds Hood believes likely washed away. Altogether, the project cost $16.4 million.

Restoration science is relatively young, and scientists have only been restoring tidal marshes in the area for about 20 years. When construction began on Fir Island, scientists had faith that water could carve channels. But people first have to step in to prepare the site, then trust that the plants will respond.

Wetlands

Eighteen-year-old Emily Washines waited in line for food with her mother at an event hosted by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in northwestern Idaho. Her mother glanced into a large cooking pot. “That’s wapato,” she told Washines. “We used to have that, but we don’t anymore.”

The offhand comment struck Washines (Yakama Nation). Wapato: She recognized the name from a central Washington city on the Yakama Nation’s reservation, where she grew up. It must be important if a town is named after it, she thought.

More than a decade later, in 2010, Washines was in graduate school at Evergreen State College in Olympia. She asked her husband, a fellow Yakama Nation tribal member, what topic he’d suggest for her capstone project. “I would do it on the return of the wapato,” he said.

Wapato is a potato-like tuber that grows in thick patches along slow-moving water. The plant hadn’t grown on the Yakama Reservation for at least 70 years, not since white settlers drained wetlands for farms.

Beginning in the 1990s, Yakama Nation scientists, including Washines’ husband, an archaeologist, worked to transform a more than 400-acre barley and wheat field along Toppenish Creek into wetlands. The property was surrounded by farms, not far from the dry, shrubby foothills of the eastern Cascades, and the glaciated Mount Adams. First, water returned after levees were breached. A few years later, tule appeared. Willows, roses and currants followed. Then, emerald leaves sprouted—wapato. Scientists planted nothing.

At the site, called Xapnish, wapato’s return surprised everyone, even tribal elders. “They wanted to just go and see it,” said Washines, who at the time worked as the remediation and

restoration coordinator for Yakama Nation Fisheries. She took several relatives, including Johnson Meninick, out to the site. Meninick served on tribal council during the 1970s, when the Yakama Nation first prioritized returning land to historical use, especially along waterways. Once he saw the familiar leaves, he had flashbacks: He visited the area as a child, when family members gathered the starchy tubers for dinner.

Washines grew up hearing stories about First Foods. At the ceremonial table where they are served, water is poured first. Then the other foods follow. Generations ago, the people made a promise. They would speak for the foods, remember their order, and take responsibility for them. In return, the foods would care for the people.

A network of relationships is revived when water is the first to return to the landscape. Ecological memory is awakened, and foods regrow. A promise kept. At Xapnish, tribal elders say the land is teaching us something, Washines said. “And we need to take it in.”

IN THE YAKIMA VALLEY  and elsewhere in the West, water historically flowed heaviest in spring. Mountain snowmelt gushed down rivers, and water covered floodplains until summer, when flows dried up. “That is the driver of most river ecology in the West,” said Tom Elliott of Yakama Nation Fisheries, who worked on the Xapnish property. Fish migration and riparian plant regeneration evolved with spring flooding, he said. Irrigated agriculture turned this process upside-down. Reservoirs and water diversions now catch spring runoff and release it slowly throughout the summer for crops.

Toppenish Creek’s floodplain was so altered by farming scientists had no historical remnant to reference when the tribe required the property. They weren’t sure what to restore, said Tracy Hames, a biologist who helped lead the project. Tribal elders took Hames and other scientists to the site several times and recalled how their relatives paddled canoes 32 kilometres upstream, outside the creek’s main channel, without portaging. “We’d look at that and scratch our heads and say, ‘Well, I believe you, but I cannot envision what you’re talking about,’” Hames said.

The creek puzzled scientists like Hames because it moved through an unusually wide and flat floodplain where canoeing seemed impossible. Scientists spent 15 years researching the geologic, hydrologic and cultural history of the creek and the surrounding areas. In one area, Hames pulled preserved beaver-chewed sticks out of the mud below the ash layer from Mount Mazama, which erupted 7,700 years ago, creating Crater Lake. “A lightbulb went off,” he said. He suddenly understood, from a Western science perspective, what tribal elders had been saying all along. Extensive beaver dams raised water levels along Toppenish Creek, creating an abundance of wetlands and wapato.

To restore Xapnish, workers breached levees along the creek so water could move across the floodplain. They created basalt structures that functioned like beaver dams, raising water levels. As the tribe purchased more land in the 1990s and 2000s, they also secured associated water rights. Rather than using the creek for irrigation, they used their right for instream flow and acquired nearly all the irrigation rights along the creek. “That’s when you can really rockand-roll and start doing some stuff,” Hames said.

After the levees were breached, non-native cattails sprouted. To remove them, the tribe dried up the wetlands by closing a water gate, among other methods, mimicking how water would naturally dwindle by late summer. For two years, they performed what Hames called a “cut and flood” method. They mowed cattails to their stalks, burned them, and inundated the area. Water seeped into the freshly cut plants, killing them. “Then all the good native stuff started coming up,” Hames said.

A photo taken in 1995 after the property was purchased shows a sparse streambank. By 2006, willows grew so thickly the creek was no longer visible. Tall green tule beds replaced rows of golden grains. Soon after, tribal members began harvesting the tules. Beavers, swans and wood ducks—a biodiverse wetland—also returned.

Hames worked with the Yakama Nation for 22 years to restore thousands of hectares. The strategy was simple: Bring back the water, control the weeds, and see what happens. “Never once did I ever plant a wetland plant in any of our projects,” said Hames, who is now the executive director of the non-profit Wisconsin Wetlands Association. The results were surprising and yet expected, a testament to the tribe’s expertise. Many wetland restoration projects lack such intimate place knowledge. They’ll get a site wet without considering how water originally flowed across the landscape. Such projects often end in weeds, Hames said. Project managers plant native seeds, garden it for five years, check their boxes and leave.

The Yakama Nation continues to manage water levels at Xapnish, burning the site and mowing to control invasives, Elliott said. It’s a relationship to be maintained in perpetuity. “I don’t think anything is ever done in this landscape,” he said.

SOON AFTER WAPATO RETURNED,  Washines brought her infant daughter to Xapnish so she could see the plant, smell the rushes and the mud, and start to form memories around it.

One of Washines’ earliest memories is of sitting at a ceremonial table where traditional foods were served. She was four, her chin barely above the table, as she listened to her grandmother speak of their responsibility to care for the foods. Then food was placed on the table.

First came water. Then fish, deer, roots and berries. Then water again.

“If you don’t have the water, the other food isn’t going to be able to follow,” Washines said.

Josephine Woolington is a writer and musician based in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. She is the author of  Where We Call Home: Lands, Seas, and Skies of the Pacific Northwest.

This is a condensed version of an article that originally appeared in the March 2024 print edition of High Country News  with the headline “Regeneration Underground.”

Read it in full at hcn.org. n

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Avery Krumme, Mattheus Heslop named to Canadian junior worlds team

THE SQUAMISH-BASED FREESTYLE SKIERS WILL SEE ACTION IN ITALY FROM MARCH 22 TO 30

BY DAVID SONG

AVERY KRUMME and Mattheus Heslop are Italy bound.

The two Squamolian freestyle skiers are off to Livigno to represent Canada at the FIS Junior World Championships.

Krumme has been on quite the tear this season, with two golds and three silver medals across Canada Cup slopestyle and big air events in the Yukon, Sun Peaks and Horseshoe Valley, Ont. Heslop has been grinding away on the Nor-Am circuit, with his best 2024 result a 17th place in slopestyle at Mammoth Mountain.

Whistler-based coach Shonny Charbonneau will accompany the young Canadians at what is both their and her first world-level competition.

“It’s amazing,” said Krumme. “It really means a lot to get opportunities like that, and to have the experiences that not many others have.”

BOUNCING BACK

At 15 years old, Krumme has already displayed palpable resilience. She missed the entire 202223 campaign after breaking both collarbones, but paid her dues in the rehab process. As a result, she’s come back swinging and imposed her will on the competition more often than not.

“I was just motivated by my love of the

sport: getting back out there, pushing my limits and being better than I was before,” Krumme said.

Adds Charbonneau: “More than anyone, Avery works hard and stays focused during training. She’s always on time. I think she was able to come back super strong because she always goes to the gym and she is a really hard worker.”

Krumme’s father, Ray, is not surprised by this turn of events. He knows his daughter to be a determined person who got past the initial letdown of being injured to change her mindset for the better. Krumme added more weight training to her routine and learned to use her time more intentionally.

Having buckets of natural talent doesn’t hurt either. Freestyle BC coach Graham

“I’m just waiting for that opportunity so she can do it.”

“Avery’s always had this natural style with skiing,” concurs Charbonneau. “Even when she first tries a new trick, she’ll usually land it with style. She’s always thinking ahead about what new skills she has to learn for certain competitions … and nitpicking her tricks just to make them perfect, which is really cool to see from an athlete of her age.”

CONFIDENT, NOT COCKY

Heslop is no slouch himself when it comes to talent and work ethic.

Since his early teens, Heslop has been winning medals in big air, slopestyle and moguls. It’s uncommon for any freestyler

“I was just motivated by my love of the sport: getting back out there, pushing my limits and being better than I was before.”

- AVERY KRUMME

Pollock lauds Krumme’s ability to spin in all four directions since she was 11 years of age: unusual for someone so young. She’s innately composed on her skis—if anything, Pollock has tried to rein her in at times so they can further cement her foundational skills during her youth.

“My two cents: I know she’s going to be one of the best skiers in the world,” he said.

to achieve consistent success in all three, causing Pollock to take notice. Right off the bat, Heslop impressed his new mentor with his ability, poise and coachable nature.

Now he’s ready to strut his stuff at an allnew level.

“Being a part of a team that’s representing my country is an honour, and I’m really looking forward to spending more time with

my fellow competitors from around the world,” Heslop said.

Freestyle training is a year-round commitment, and the 18-year-old splits his time between the gym and the trampoline whenever he’s not on snow. He knows what he’s capable of, and doesn’t shy away from a good challenge.

“‘Confident’ is a word you can use to describe Mattheus,” remarked Pollock. “It’s not so much confidence that he shuts me as his coach down—he listens to basically whatever I say as long as it’s a good idea, but then that confidence allows him to trust me and himself to really push his boundaries.

“To be perfectly honest, I can’t say I’m surprised by the trajectory that his career has taken. He’s super talented, but I don’t want that to overshadow how much work he actually puts in and his dedication to the sport.”

Heslop, of course, doesn’t do it alone, and he made sure to thank the coaches and loved ones who help him pull off his high-flying endeavours.

“I have an amazing support system through my family, friends, ski community and coaches, as well as Coast Mountain Academy and their high-performance program,” he said. “I’m also incredibly grateful to Urban Alpine here in Squamish for their generous support over the years.”

Both Krumme and Heslop would love to podium at Junior Worlds, and the folks in their corner want that for them. More important than accolades, however, are the experiences they stand to gain while overseas.

“I want them to go and have the best time possible,” Pollock expressed. “Meet some lifelong friends, eat some really good food and just have the best time skiing with some of the best athletes in the world.”  n

ITALY BOUND Avery Krumme (left) and Mattheus Heslop of Squamish are representing Canada at the 2024 FIS Junior World Championship.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL KRUMME

SPORTS THE SCORE

Freestyle Whistler acquires new sloped landing bag

THE AIRBAG, AS WELL AS THE PLANNED CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE, WILL HELP LOCAL ATHLETES TRAIN AT HOME LIKE NEVER BEFORE

BY DAVID SONG

BY INVESTING in a number of key facility upgrades, Freestyle Whistler hopes to make the sport of skiing more affordable and accessible to all.

Club leaders have finally managed to secure a brand-new 32-metre landing bag. Program director Chris Muir explains that— unlike the organization’s old airbag, rented from a company in Squamish—the new equipment is shaped like a slope and thus able to accurately replicate any given jump in the terrain park.

Whistler Blackcomb’s (WB) grooming department has also pitched in, building two landing bag ramps that are virtually identical to certain jumps found in the park. This adds an element of safety and familiarity for young athletes as they work on a variety of tricks: like the double 1080 that often serves as an introduction to high-level freestyle.

“It’ll be an amazing learning tool for the kids to progress, but also to keep progression safe,” said Ray Krumme, whose daughter Avery will compete at the FIS Junior World Championships alongside fellow Squamolian Mattheus Heslop. “With the amount of landing bags that are popping up all over the world, if you don’t have one nearby you’re not going to develop athletes that are competitive on a national or international level.”

Previously, Freestyle Whistler club members had to visit out-of-province facilities like the iMaximise snow park in SainteAgathe-des-Monts, Que. to brush up on their skills. Now they have an opportunity to train as much as realistically possible in their own backyard, reducing both travel fatigue and financial pressure.

“Freestyle skiing does have a barrier to it, which is cost, so any training we can do at home is incredibly important,” Muir said.

STATE-OF-THE-ART TRAINING

More good stuff is on the way.

Freestyle Whistler continues to deal with WB, Canada Snowboard and Freestyle Canada

SPUD VALLEY NORDICS

Spud Valley Nordic Ski Association would like to thank the Village of Pemberton, the SLRD and the Pemberton & District Initiative Fund Program

for the PVUS grant the we received for the 2023/2024 ski season which subsidized the registration fees for the Spud Valley kids who joined the Track Attack Corridor Race team as well as contributed to the race coach salary and covered the cost of race fees for all Spud Valley Nordics kids competing in events at various locations throughout the province

regarding the construction of a new Centre of Excellence (COE), and Muir anticipates ground to break sometime next spring or summer. This building is meant to encompass the current airbag as well as an even larger 60-metre bag and an improved water ramp setup.

WB’s current water ramps, while not obsolete, are hardly cutting-edge. They see plenty of action throughout each summer, catering to everyone from youth athletes to members of the national and provincial moguls teams. The ramps themselves are ideally designed for moguls skiers and, while helpful, cannot offer an optimal training experience for slopestylers.

Plus, one must currently travel to Austria or Australia in order to practice on a 60-metre landing pad, with neither trip being particularly cheap or expedient. (Quebec’s airbag is similar in size to Freestyle Whistler’s current apparatus).

The COE would address both limitations.

“It’s meant to be an absolute state-of-theart summer training facility for freestyle skiers and snowboarders,” Muir explained. “Our hope is to be able to welcome the rest of Canada, as well as other countries. The one part of our plan that would be very different from anywhere else in the world is that we would run this facility in April and May, while the ski season is going.”

Training with the kinds of amenities the COE will one day possess is proven to be effective. Four Freestyle Whistler boys: Jude Oliver, Elijah Krumme, Ty Reichert and Yamato Buhler, spent time in Quebec last fall and ended up competing at a Canada Cup event in Sun Peaks.

Oliver had the best results there: 16th in big air and 22nd in slopestyle, but all acquitted themselves fairly well.

“Quebec’s an expensive trip for parents … but in terms of value for training, it’s there,” said Ty’s father, Stephen. “Having a new airbag and a COE is a great opportunity [for them to get even better].

“The kids are just developing like crazy right now. My kid’s in the 14-year-old age group and he has never seen a group like this before. They were competing against 17, 18 and 19-year-olds in Sun Peaks, and not a single one of them looked out of place.”  n

SAFE LANDING Left to right: Freestyle Whistler athletes Eli Krumme, Jude Oliver, Yamato Buhler and Ty Reichert.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN REICHERT

FORK IN THE ROAD

M-m-mmarvellous marmalade just in time for spring

TRY WHIPPING UP A BATCH. KIDS LOVE IT, JUST LIKE PADDINGTON BEAR!

FROM PEMBY TO SQUAMISH , you’d be hard-pressed to find a fridge anywhere in the Sea to Sky without a jar of m-m-m-marvellous marmalade on the shelves.

Sue and Bob Adams; Bob Barnett; even “Grateful Greg” Reamsbottom, crucial half of The Hairfarmers—the perennially favourite band that delivers Whistler’s soundtrack: All have marmalade of one type or other on their shelves. Good chance Greg’s will be homemade.

Marmalade is a centuries-old, cross-

BY GLENDA BARTOSH

cultural delight. The word “marmalade” originally referred to quince jam and came from the Portuguese word for quinces, marmelo. There’s ginger marmalade, tomato marmalade, kumquat marmalade and, yes, even Portuguese quince marmelada, but most of us think “orange” when it comes to marmalade. (The word “orange” actually comes from the Sanskrit, naranga.)

But when I think marmalade, I think Seville orange, also known as the sour orange or bitter orange. It originated in southern Vietnam, and was imported into Spain and Portugal in the 12th century. There it quickly displaced quince as the main ingredient in marmalade.

ORANGE YOU GLAD THEY’RE HERE Three different Seville oranges, with their distinctive peels and flavour, all grown in California and fresh off the truck.

PHOTO BY GLENDA BARTOSH

All marmalades are really quite marvellous in their intensity and density, and it’s so easy to whip up a marvel of your own. The joy of sugar preserves, as a true marmalade is, is that you rely on the natural reaction between the sugar, the fruit acids and the fruit’s own pectin. Try the recipe below hubbie invented. The result is so delicious you won’t be able to keep your hand out of the pot.

I did a much simpler little experiment using three different Seville oranges. All were grown in California and I wanted to taste each. Boy, were they different! The smaller, darker one (see above) was the tastiest, with loads of that punchy bitter pow of a classic Seville orange. The largest one was good—full

of seeds like any Seville orange—but the fruit’s flavour was much closer to a regular orange. The peel, however, was pure Seville.

I thinly sliced about a cup of peel with the white pith intact, squeezed the juice from the segments, and put it all, uncovered, into a small, heavy saucepan with enough regular orange juice to barely cover it and three tablespoons of sugar. You might want more, but I like it zingy. That’s it. No pectin needed, there’s enough in the peel to thicken it.

Be playful! Slowly simmer it for about 20 minutes, adding more OJ or sugar as you like. It thickens as it cools, so I quit when mine was thinner than marmalade, more like a cranberry sauce. Great with yogurt, toast and

PETER’S SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE

Wash and halve 1 pound of Seville oranges. Squeeze the juice into a medium-sized bowl. Toss the seeds. Scrape the membranes from the peels and put them in a cheesecloth bag (a piece of clean pantyhose will do); tie it up. Finely shred about a third of the peels and mince the rest. Add them to the juice, along with the bag of membranes and about 1.25 pints of water. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. The next day dump the whole lot into a pot. Add another 1.25 pints of cold water. Bring it slowly to a boil. Simmer gently, stirring often, until the peels are tender, about 20 minutes. Measure the volume of the mixture, and add 2 cups sugar, preferably raw organic with its fuller flavour, for every cup of mixture. Bring it back to a rolling boil. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring constantly. When it’s done to your liking, remove the old bag, and pour your marmalade into sterilized jars.

DIANNE’S MARVELLOUS HAM GLAZE

Heat together in a pot: 2 cups orange juice, 1/2 c. maple syrup, 1/4 c. marmalade, 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes until well blended. Use a 5- to 6-pound cooked ham shank, bone-in. Remove the skin and score the fat in a diamond design and stud with cloves, for a classic touch and flavour. Place on a wire rack in a roasting pan lined with foil, which makes it easy to clean. Bake 2-3 hours at 325 F, pouring 1/4 cup of glaze over ham every 1/2 hr. or so. You can also cover the ham with foil or a lid if things start getting too brown. Yum!

roast chicken.

Whip it up with your kids home on spring break, then make your own marmalade sandwiches to keep under your hats for emergencies, like Paddington bear does.

Easter is springing up soon, and if you’re planning on ham you couldn’t find a tastier glaze than this marmalade-y one, below, compliments of one of my oldest pals, Dianne Faux. She once ran the women’s shelter in Squamish, a branch of which is soon coming to Whistler.

You can also find some very good commercial marmalades, Seville orange and otherwise. The original Dundee-style marmalade of Scotland goes back to 1797 and, you guessed it, Dundee, Scotland, where it was produced by one James Keiller, whose mother made a batch of jam from Seville oranges a little worse for the wear after the importing ship navigated a raging storm. See? Imperfect produce can have excellent outcomes.

London Drugs offers good Scottish brands, like Mackays, a relative newcomer, started in 1938, and Robertson’s, which harkens back to 1864 and is an official supplier to the royal household.

But if you want an outstanding local one, try Vancouver-based Le Meadow’s Pantry. Owner Genevieve Blanchet cooks her marmalades in small batches in traditional copper pots, offering three varieties, including a U.K. award-winning one. But it’s her Seville orange marmalade that’s my favourite—only two ingredients, pure cane sugar and Seville oranges. No pectin added, as it should be.

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who plays more in the kitchen the older she gets. n

‘Interconnected as people’

LEELA AND JAY GILDAY PERFORM MARCH 23 IN WHISTLER AS SECHILE SEDARE

BY DAVID SONG

IN THE NATIVE TONGUE of the Dene First Nation, “Sechile Sedare” (pronounced ‘sehchee-leh’ ‘seh-dahr-eh’) means my younger brother, my older sister. Leela and Jay Gilday chose that simple, yet profound name for their musical collaboration because it is defined by their relationship with one another.

“I really love my little brother, so the name of our group is like a tribute to how interconnected we are as people,” says Leela. “In the Dene language, you can’t refer to somebody as just ‘my brother’ or ‘my sister.’ You have to refer to them as ‘my older brother,’ or ‘my older sister,’ so you’re always placing yourself in relationship with them.”

Both siblings are accomplished individual performers. Leela won the 2021 Juno Award for Indigenous Artist of the Year, while Jay earned a Western Canadian Music Award in 2017. They’ve only toured Canada as a pair for two years or so, but have already grown even closer through the experience.

In stylistic terms, Sechile Sedare falls into the vein of folk. Its leads are appreciated by fans for their harmonically resonant voices and narrative-driven songwriting.

“We were going along in our solo careers and we still both perform with our own

projects, but coming together to write music was a really meaningful and nourishing thing for both of us to do because it allowed us to look back on our family history, our collective place within the community, and tell some of those stories together,” Leela explains.

‘PROUD TO BE DENE’

Storytelling is a cornerstone of many Indigenous cultures, and the Gildays are no exception. In their songs, they express authentic tales of their loved ones and their relationship to traditional lands, waterways,

with Jay and is also working on her seventh, which will feature lyrics entirely in the Dene language. She’s spent a lot of time mentoring First Nations youth in songwriting and vocal empowerment as well.

“I’m very proud to be Dene,” says Leela. “I’m proud to be from the North, and I’m really happy to be able to share that worldview. For us, making that human connection with people is at the core of it. If people come to our shows who are not Indigenous and hear something they feel interested in or attracted by, that’s just the beautiful power of music in uniting people.”

“When you’re out on the land, you have to be aware of not only its bounty, but its power.”

- LEELA GILDAY

foods and customs. They appreciate their heritage deeply and use their platform to honour it.

Jay, who describes himself as “a vagabond turned mailman,” is based out of Edmonton, Alta. but spends a fair amount of time on the road. He’s immersed himself in a number of genres, including folk, blues, rock and soul.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEELA GILDAY

For her part, Leela has worked in the music industry for about 23 years. She’s co-releasing her sixth, currently untitled full-length album

POWER OF THE LAND

Another type of power which has influenced Leela—both as a songwriter and as a person— is that possessed by nature.

Leela resides in Yellowknife with her husband and has relatives living around the Northwest Territories. Her family line can be traced back thousands of years there, and she cherishes the chance to literally walk in the footsteps of ancestors. Many gifted individuals can still be found up north

today, from scientists and artists to “bush professors”: those who live off the land.  Said land, majestic though it may be, harbours danger.

“I’ve lost many friends and family to the land,” Leela admits. “When you’re out on the land, you have to be aware of not only its bounty, but its power. Being raised in that kind of environment makes life seem more precious or more urgent, and you have a greater sense of how tiny you are in the larger scale of things. But it’s also a very, very warm community.”

Jay and his family moved to Yellowknife for seven months amidst the COVID19 pandemic. It was the first time his kids experienced the home of their forefathers, and also the first time Jay and Leela lived in the same city since adolescence. They began composing their first songs together in 2021, and Sechile Sedare was born.

The siblings have never performed in Whistler before, and eagerly await their opportunity to do so.

“One of the things that resonated with me when I lived in Vancouver [during the early 2000s] is that the beauty of the land and ocean is so strong in the Sea to Sky,” reminisces Leela. “You just look up at these giant mountains that have been there for millennia, and then you’ll look out at this powerful ocean. Being in that environment raises similar feelings to what I have about the power of the north.”

Sechile Sedare plays March 23 at 8 p.m. at the Maury Young Arts Centre. Tickets and more information can be found at artswhistler. com/calendar-upcoming/arts-whistler-livepresents-sechile-sedare. n

HARMONIC RELATIONS Siblings Leela and Jay Gilday represent the Dene First Nation in their musical partnership called “Sechile Sedare.”

‘A different way of looking at the world’

BRITISH X-RAY ARTIST NICK VEASEY SPEAKS MARCH 30

BY DAVID SONG

IT’S NO SECRET that we live in a superficial world fixated on image, branding and what looks good. That’s true in many realms: whether it’s the fashion industry pushing novel styles upon us, manufacturers catering to various lifestyles with their products, or even interpersonally, where many folks tend to sweep conflict under the rug instead of addressing it.

Nick Veasey doesn’t like to be superficial. He prefers to peel back the layers and go deeper, and that’s exactly what he does in his career.

The British national once worked in design and advertising, where he grew to love the power of photography. After gaining the confidence to strike out on his own, he spent nearly 30 years levelling up his skillset and portfolio. His works are now on display across multiple continents: including the Whistler Contemporary Gallery (WCG), London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and the world’s largest photography exhibit: Fotografiska, Stockholm.

However, what really sets Veasey apart is his medium of choice. He’s not a painter, illustrator or sculptor. Instead, he utilizes X-rays.

BEAUTY FROM ASHES

X-rays were first discovered in 1895 by German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. If you’re a nerd, you might know them to possess the second-shortest wavelengths among all forms of electromagnetic radiation. Only the gamma rays generated by supernovae and nuclear bombs are more powerful and energetic.

If you’re a layperson, you likely don’t care about the physics of X-rays, but you’ve seen many instantly-recognizable images of bones and tissue in a human body. If you’re a Whistlerite, your sporting endeavours may have caused you to need multiple such scans during your lifetime. Plus, many of us have had to subject ourselves and our luggage to airport security devices which make sure we’re not carrying concealed weapons for nefarious purposes.

“This society of ours, consumed as it is by image, is also becoming increasingly controlled by security and surveillance,” Veasey says in a press release. “Take a flight, or go into a high-profile courtroom and your belongings will be X-rayed. The post arriving in corporations and government departments has often been X-rayed. Security cameras track our every move. Mobile phone receptions place us at any given time.”

Pretty though its images can be, X-rays generate sickness and damage DNA if used irresponsibly. Veasey is anything but irresponsible, operating mostly out of Kent, England in a building with 700-millimetre thick concrete walls that contain the potent

TRANSPARENT, SEE? British artist Nick Veasey has spent almost 30 years perfecting his unique brand of X-ray art.

ionizing radiation within. A film processor and X-ray machines of varying output help him ply his trade.

Veasey’s subjects run the gamut from vehicles to clothing to still depictions of people and animals. Large objects may require dozens or even hundreds of separate images, assembled and enhanced on a highresolution scanner before being touched up by a group of specialists on his team.

The end result is a unique picture that far outstrips your conventional medical X-ray in terms of detail and aesthetic appeal.

TO ANALYZE, OR TO CREATE?

Every artist is faced with innovation and challenge in their career, but very few deal with the intersection of art and science as much as Veasey does. It’s an unusual marriage of philosophies, to say the least.

“Science is all about data,” says Veasey. “It’s about information and trying to solve problems, whereas my art really is just experimental. It’s not there for any particular reason.”

The 62-year-old tends to find himself in a kind of courting process with the scientific minds in his network. Initially, they push back on his desire to take a new image when functional images of a given subject already exist. He stands his ground, assuring them the only way to prove the value of a new image is to actually make it.

On March 30, Veasey will make his inaugural visit not only to Whistler, but Canada in general, where he’ll give a talk at the Four Seasons Hotel. Learn more at whistlerart.com/artist/nick-veasey

Find the full story at piquenewsmagazine. com. n

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK VEASEY

Pursuant to Section464 (3)ofthe Local Government Act this is to providenotice of intent of theSquamish-Lillooet Regional District to amend theElectoral Area C Zoning BylawNo. 765, 2002, in amanner consistent with theElectoral Area COfficial Community Plan BylawNo. 689,1999 and forthe purposeofresidentialdevelopment Public notice is hereby giveninaccordancewithSection 467 of the Local Government Act regarding thefollowing bylaw:

•Squamish-Lillooet RegionalDistrictElectoral Area CZoning BylawNo. 765, 2002, Amendment BylawNo. 1850-2024

PURPOSEOFBYLAW No.1850-2024

Thebylaw is associated with an applicationtoamend thezoning at 15002 Upper Lillooet RiverForestService Road to providefor an operator residencefacilityfor employeesofthe Boulder Creek and Upper Lillooet RiverHydroelectric Facilities. Thecurrent operator residence facilitieshavebeen operatingonatemporary basis, and thelocationhas presented challenges foraccessand safety reasons.The land at theproposed new site is not currently in use, but theareawas previously used fora temporaryconstructioncampduringthe construction of theUpper Lillooet Riverand Boulder Creek HydroelectricFacilities. Theareawas reclaimedfollowing decommissioning of thetemporary camp.The bylawproposes to rezone thesubject parcelfromRural Residential1 Zone (Resource Management Subzone) (RR1(RM)) to RR8 –BoulderCreek Operator Residence– asitespecificnew zone providingfor employee housingfor up to 20 persons on a6.78-hectare parcelofland.Siteservicing, includingelectricity,water and septic,isalready in place.

MEDICINE BAG WORKSHOP

Theproponenthas submittedanapplicationtothe Ministry of Forestsfor aCrown Land Tenureonthe subjectparceltoprovide forthe employee housing/operator residence forthe operational lifeofthe hydroelectric facilities(more than 30 years).The SLRD Zoning Amendmentapplicationand Ministry of ForestsCrown Land Tenureapplication arebeing processedconcurrently,withadoptionofAmendment Bylaw1850-2024 being contingent on theCrown Land Tenure.Asthe proposed zoning amendmentisconsistent with theofficialcommunity pan and thepurposeistopermita residentialdevelopment, theSLRDmustnot hold apublic hearingonthe proposed bylaw. Theareacovered by Bylaw1850-2024 is THAT PARCELORTRACT OF UNSURVEYED CROWN LAND IN THEVICINITYOFBOULDER CREEK TOGETHER WITH UNSURVEYED CROWN FORESHOREORLANDCOVERED BY WATER BEINGPARTOFTHE BED OF BOULDERCREEK ALLWITHINLILLOOETDISTRICT, CONTAINING 6.78 HECTARES, MORE OR LESS as outlined on the mapincluded in this notice:

INFORMATION&SUBMISSIONS

Acopy of theproposed bylawand relevant background documentsmay be inspectedat theRegional District office,1350 AsterStreet, Pemberton, BC,duringofficehours8:00amto 4:00 pm from March13toMarch 26, 2024 not including weekendsand statutoryholidaysoronthe SLRD websiteat https://www.slrd.bc.ca/inside-slrd/ no ti ce s/ publ ic -h ear in g- or -m eet in gs /n ot ic e- publ ichearing-not-held-electoral-area-c Writtensubmissions (mailoremail) must be received at theSLRDofficenolater than 4:00 pm TuesdayMarch 26,2024.

TheSLRDBoard will be consideringfirstreading of Amendment Bylaw1850-2024 at theMarch 27,2024 SLRD Boardmeeting. Allpersons whobelieve that theirinterest in thepropertyisaffected by theproposed bylawshallbeafforded areasonable opportunity to present writtensubmissions respecting matters contained in thebylaw Writtensubmissions must be addressedto“SLRD BoardofDirectors,” and include your name andcommunity of residence. Until4:00pmonMarch 26,2024, written submissionswill be received at thefollowing: Email: planning@slrd.bc.ca

Hard Copy:Squamish-LillooetRegional District PlanningDepartment PO Box219,Pemberton, BC V0N2L0

1. MEDICINE BAG WORKSHOP

Use buckskin, beads and hide lacing to craft a handmade medicine bag! Traditionally, medicine bags were used to hold medicinal herbs or treasures that provide protection for the wearer who may be on a spirit quest, hunting and gathering, journeying to a neighbouring community, or everyday protection and reminders.

> Date: March 23, 3 p.m.

> Location: Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre

> Cost: $20

2. A DAY AT THE IMPROV! A KIDS’ IMPROV & ACTING EXPERIENCE!

Join Whistler’s family entertainer extraordinaire, Ira Pettle, for a full-day improv and acting workshop like no other! These camps are not just for kids showing an aptitude for performing, either. Ira’s camps are great for kids who need support coming out of their shells and discovering themselves, all through play! It truly is transformative on so many levels. March 23: Ages 6 to 8, March 24: Ages 9 to 12.

> Date: March 23 & 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

> Location: The Point Artist-Run Centre

> Cost: $75

3. HARRY POTTER WORKSHOP

Join artist Helen Webb for an enchanting Harry Potter Workshop where magic comes to life! You’ll have the opportunity to make wands, sorting hats, and mini mandrakes, and discover the secrets of the wizarding world. Whether you’re a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, this event is perfect for all aspiring witches and wizards. Suitable for ages 7 and up.

> Date: March 24, 1 to 4 p.m.

> Location: Audain Art Museum

> Cost: $34.94

4. PVTA TRAIL EXPO AND TRAIL DAY

The Pemberton Valley Trails Association (PVTA) is hosting its annual Trail Expo and Spring Trail Day on April 6 to bring the community and different user groups together over a shared love of the local trails. The PVTA will also launch its inaugural fundraiser event Trail Jams at the Legion that evening.  Find full details at pembertontrails.com/events.

> Date: April 6

> Location: Multiple venues

> Cost: Free

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SQUAMISH LIL’WAT CULTURAL CENTRE

2024-2028 FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN INVITATION FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Regional Districts are required to adopt a five-year financial plan, setting out the proposed expenditures and funding sources for each service. The financial plan is to be made available for public consultation. Accordingly, members of the public are encouraged to provide written submissions and comments on the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s Draft 2024-2028 Financial Plan. Submissions and comments should be forwarded to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District by one of the following means:

Mail: Box 219, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0

Email: info@slrd.bc.ca

The 2024-2028 Draft Financial Plan is available for review on the SLRD website at: www.slrd.bc.ca

The SLRD Board will consider a bylaw to adopt the 2024-2028 Financial Plan at the March 27, 2024 Board meeting.

The Big Test: The 1967 du Maurier International Ski Race

BY REBECCA MACKAY

JUST OVER A YEAR after Whistler Mountain opened in 1966, the Garibaldi Olympic Development Association (GODA) hosted the second annual du Maurier International—an event that brought top ski racers from around the world to Whistler.

GODA Charters, or Greyhound. Driving was an option, but parking at today’s Creekside area was limited. The event organizers had parking available at Brandywine Falls, with a shuttle ready to transport the public to the base of the mountain. Though the organizers ensured there were extra trains and buses, transport did not go as smoothly as expected.

The competition was a test to see if Whistler could handle a race of such a calibre, in hopes of eventually hosting the Olympics.

So, how did the first international ski race at Whistler go? Thanks to the publication Ski Trails, we have the full coverage of the event.

The du Maurier International was created in partnership with the Canadian Amateur Ski Association (CASA) and du Maurier Cigarettes. The cigarette company saw the potential for advertising and promotion through skiing events. After receiving approval from the Federation International de Ski (FIS), the first competition was held in 1966, and was split in two halves at different locations, Mt. Norquay (Alberta) and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Quebec). The race consisted of two disciplines, slalom and giant slalom, in both men’s and women’s categories.

The Whistler event took place Jan. 28 and 29, 1967. CASA was responsible for organizing it, while du Maurier Cigarettes sponsored the promotion and transportation for the athletes. Because the resort was fairly new with limited resources, there was a lot of planning and consideration for racers and spectators.

Luckily, it was a big snow year, and the courses were well-packed and many racers complimented the construction. Aside from Canadian skiers, the race drew professional athletes from the United States, Austria, France, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, West Germany, and Finland.

Spectators were charged an entry fee of $1 or $2 if they chose to use the gondola to view the race. Transportation options from Vancouver were a train via the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, or a bus via Squamish Coachlines,

On both days, the giant slalom was scheduled at 9:30 a.m. and the slalom at 1 p.m. Some trains arrived halfway through the first race, and some buses did not leave Vancouver to make the two-hour journey until 8 a.m. As the race started at mid-station, it took about 30 minutes to hike up to the area, and by that time many spectators did not see much. The slalom was at the base of the mountain and easier to view.

The race results were particularly exciting for Canadians. Nancy Greene placed first in both races, beating France’s Christine Goitschel by two seconds in the slalom, and Switzerland’s Ruth Adolf by four seconds in the giant slalom. In the men’s category, Norway’s Haakon Mjoen won slalom and Austria’s Werner Bleiner won giant slalom, though Canadian Peter Duncan placed fifth in both races.

Did Whistler pass the test? Yes and no. Hosting Whistler’s first international skiing event proved the mountain terrain was capable of holding Olympic-level competitions; however, the resort still did not have enough resources to accommodate the athletes and number of spectators. The success of the event strengthened GODA’s 1976 Olympic bid, which, due to a few factors, ultimately went to a previous host, Austria.

The summer Olympics was scheduled to be in Montreal, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not want to have two Olympics back-to-back in the same country. After awarding the bid to Denver, Colo., it was rejected by the state due to environmental concerns. Whistler was reconsidered, but the new NDP provincial government did not support the bid. Though disappointing, it gave Whistler more time to develop its resources. n

SMOKE SHOW A crowd of people at the slalom course, which was located beside the Valley T-bar. The weekend saw a mix of conditions (rain, snow, wind, and fog) that affected visibility for racers and spectators.

MACLAURIN

1

MOVING The Whistler Health Care Foundation and Back in Action Physiotherapy & Massage got Whistler moving earlier this year with more than 130 participants racking up kilometres in support of Whistler Community Services Society programs. All in, the partnership raised $9,175. Pictured from left to right: Kara Bayley, Ainslie Conway, Sharon Tyrrell, Jackie Dickinson and Jen Black. PHOTO COURTESY OF CLARE OGILVIE 2 TRAIL TAILS Unseasonable warmth in the corridor means an early start to mountain biking for many. PHOTO BY SCOTT TIBBALLS 3 SWAN LAKE Some visitors spotted swanning about on Green Lake last week. PHOTO BY SARAH STROTHER 4 CLUB SANDWICH Rotary Club of Whistler president Grant Loyer (right) presented the Mature Action Community’s Kathy White (left) and Whistler 360’s Dr. Karin Kausky (centre) with Paul Harris Fellowships at a recent Rotary gathering. PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN MARTIN 5 SEEING GREEN The Mature Action Community’s St. Patrick’s Day party at the Alpine Café on March 14 was nothing short of a “wonderful event.”

PHOTO BY DOUG WYLIE

Roland's Pub is open for lunch Wednesdays & Thursdays from 11:30am!

Join our lunch club!

Get 10 stamps on your lunch card and your 11th lunch is free* (Restrictions apply)

Children are welcome everyday until 10pm, so bring the kids in for brunch on the weekends from 11am - 2pm

CALL FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS

Applications are now being accepted for our April 1st, 2024 Spring Funding Deadline.

The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation is dedicated to providing financial support to community groups and charities whose activities provide benefit to residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor in the areas of health, human services, education recreation arts & culture and the environment Special emphasis is placed on children youth and family programs For more information, eligibility requirements and to complete an application, please visit our website at whistlerblackcombfoundation.com, Or contact Mei Madden, Executive Director at mmadden@whistlerblackcombfoundation.com

The Four Seasons Whistler is looking to add to our employee housing inventory!

We are fortunate to have existing, long term relationships with many local home and property owners and are continuing to expand our housing inventory

What can we offer?

Commitment from the Four Seasons on ensuring your property is well looked after secure long term rental management of tenancy by dedicated Housing Team, with the peace of mind knowing your property is in good hands

Does this sound like it could be a fit?

Please email Odeta.Bartasiute@fourseasons.com

ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology

WEEK OF MARCH 22

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I suspect you will soon have far more beginners’ luck than you ever thought possible. For best results—to generate even more wildly abundant torrents of good luck—you could adopt what Zen Buddhists called “beginner’s mind.” That means gazing upon everyone and everything as if encountering it for the first time. Here are other qualities I expect to be flowing freely through you in the coming weeks: spontaneity, curiosity, innocence, candour, and unpredictability. To the degree that you cultivate these states, you will invite even more beginner’s luck into your life.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus artist Salvador Dali was prone to exaggerate for dramatic effect. We should remember that as we read his quote: “Mistakes are almost always of a sacred nature. Never try to correct them. On the contrary: Rationalize them; understand them thoroughly.” While that eccentric advice may not always be 100-per-cent accurate or useful, I think it will be true and helpful for you in the coming weeks. Have maximum fun making sacred mistakes, Taurus! Learn all you can from them. Use them to improve your life.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The professional fun advisors here at Free Will Astrology International Headquarters have concluded that your Party Hardy Potential Rating for the coming weeks is 9.8 (out of 10). In fact, this may be the Party Hardy Phase of the Year for you. You could gather the benefits of maximum revelry and conviviality with minimal side effects. Here’s a meditation to get you in the right mood: Imagine mixing business and pleasure with such panache that they blend into a gleeful, fruitful synergy.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian author and psychotherapist Virginia Satir (1916–1988) was renowned as the “Mother of Family Therapy.” Her research led her to conclude, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” That 12-hug recommendation seems daunting to achieve, but I hope you will strive for it in the coming weeks. You are in a phase when maximum growth is possible—and pushing to the frontiers of hugging will help you activate the full potential. (PS: Don’t force anyone to hug you. Make sure it’s consensual.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Have you been genuinely amazed anytime recently? Have you done something truly amazing? If not, it’s time to play catch-up. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you need and deserve exciting adventures that boggle your soul in all the best ways. You should be wandering out on the frontiers and tracking down provocative mysteries. You could grow even smarter than you already are if you expose yourself to challenges that will amaze you and inspire you to be amazing.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I invite you to perform a magic spell that will help prepare you for the rich, slippery soul work you have ahead of you. I’ll offer a suggestion, but feel free to compose your own ritual. First, go outside where it’s raining or misting, or find a waterfall. Stand with your legs apart and arms spread out as you turn your face up toward the falling moisture. As you drink it in, tell yourself you will be extra fluid and flowing in the coming weeks. Promise yourself you will stimulate and treasure succulent feelings. You will cultivate the sensation that everything you need is streaming in your direction.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are gliding into the climax of your re-education about togetherness, intimacy, and collaboration. The lessons you’ve been learning have deepened your reservoir of wisdom about the nature of love. And in the coming weeks, even further teachings will arrive; even more openings and invitations will be available. You will be offered the chance to earn what could in effect be a master’s degree in relationships. It’ll be challenging work, but rewarding and interesting. Do as

BY ROB BREZSNY

best as you can. Don’t demand perfection from yourself or anyone else.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Now is not a favourable phase to gamble on unknown entities. Nor should you allow seemingly well-meaning people to transgress your boundaries. Another Big No: Don’t heed the advice of fear-mongers or nagging scolds, whether they’re inside or outside your head. On the other hand, dear Scorpio, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for the following actions. 1. Phase out attachments to alliances and love interests that have exhausted their possibilities. 2. Seek the necessary resources to transform or outgrow a frustrating fact about your life. 3. Name truths that other people seem intent on ignoring and avoiding. 4. Conjure simple, small, slow, practical magic to make simple, small, slow, practical progress.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Falling in love is fun! It’s also exciting, enriching, inspiring, transformative, world-shaking, and educational. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if we could keep falling in love anew three or four times a year for as long as we live? We might always be our best selves, showing our most creative and generous sides, continually expanding our power to express our soulful intelligence. Alas, it’s not practical or realistic to always be falling in love with another new person. Here’s a possible alternative: What if we enlarged our understanding of what we could fall in love with? Maybe we would become perpetually infatuated with brilliant teachings, magical places, high adventures, and great art and music. The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to cultivate this skill.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I’m perplexed by spiritual teachers who fanatically preach the doctrine that we should BE HERE NOW as much as possible. Living with full enjoyment in the present moment is a valuable practice, but dismissing or demeaning the past is shortsighted. Our lives are forged from our histories. We should revere the stories we are made of, visit them regularly, and keep learning from them. Keep this in mind, Capricorn. It’s an excellent time to heal your memories and to be healed by them. Cultivate deep gratitude for your past as you give the old days all your love. Enjoy this quote from novelist Gregory Maguire: “Memory is part of the present. It builds us up inside; it knits our bones to our muscles and keeps our heart pumping. It is memory that reminds our bodies to work, and memory that reminds our spirits to work, too: it keeps us who we are.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Controversial author William S. Burroughs was a rough, tough troublemaker. But he had some wisdom that will soon be extra useful for you. He said that love is the best natural painkiller available. I bring this to your attention not because I believe you will experience more pain than the rest of us in the coming months. Rather, I am predicting you will have extra power to alleviate your pain—especially when you raise your capacity to give and receive love.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The planet Saturn entered Pisces in March 2023 and won’t depart for good until February 2026. Is that a bad thing or good thing for you Pisceans? Some astrologers might say you are in a challenging time when you must make cutbacks and take on increased responsibility. I have a different perspective. I believe this is a phase when you can get closer than ever before to knowing exactly what you want and how to accomplish what you want. In my view, you are being called to shed secondary wishes that distract you from your life’s central goals. I see this period as a homecoming—your invitation to glide into robust alignment with your soul’s code.

Meditate on “creative destruction.” How could you generate benefits by getting rid of burdens? Newsletter. FreeWillAstrology.com.

Fairmont Chateau

Chalet and Condo Rental contracts for our Hotel Team Members. Our leaders are mature, career driven drivers that know the word respect. Contract terms for property Owners are stress free with no commissions and includes representation from our 4 person fulltime Housing Department working with you 24/7; maintaining all aspects of the tenancy including quarterly inspections.

A great next move for Whistler property Owners that have tired with the Airbnb game or Property Fees. Let’s see if we can make a match and develop a long-term relationship here. General inquiries please email mark.munn@fairmont.com

Hi I’m Tux! I’ve found myself at WAG in my golden years and am looking for a retirement home where I will be doted on and cared for forever. I was very well loved by my previous pet parent but sadly they could not keep me when their health declined. As you can see, I do need to work on my own health too as I’m a chonky girl. I’m currently on a vet-prescribed diet and have been visiting the vet for routine care to help with my joints and weight. As a senior gal, my ideal home will be able to chaperone me to my vet check-ups, understand my continued care plan and provide me with a calm environment to help me age gracefully.

Age: Approx. 12 Years Old

Breed: Domestic Shorthair

Gender: Female Size: XL

To learn more about Tux and donate to her Critical Care fund, visit our website at whistlerwag.com

Current Opportunities

Project Engineer | Full Time, Permanent

Salary: $95,347

Planning Assistant | Full Time, Seasonal (May - August)

Salary: $23.44 per hour

In addition to the satisfaction of giving back to this incredible community, take a look at what our benefit package has to offer for all full time, permanent team member:

9-Day Fortnight - BC Municipal Pension Plan - Extended Medical Benefits - Dental Coverage - Vision Benefits - Free Fitness Centre access - Keeping it Active Allowance

Interested? Send your resume to recruiting@pemberton.ca.

For a full job description or to learn more, visit pemberton.ca/employment.

The

Guard

• Part-Time

• Starting at $23 per hour

• No Experience Necessary

• Bene ts Packages Available

HYDROVAC

HEAVY

MECHANIC, Whistler – Red Seal Certi ed, Commercial Truck & Transport, Transport Trailer required. CVSE Inspector’s ticket, Air Conditioning ticket, Class 1 or 3 with air brakes preferred. Toolbox available for rent. $37.70-$39.80 per hour.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SPECIALIST – Keen eye for detail and pro ciency in data entry and management required. Completion of accounting courses preferred. $24-$28 per hour.

ACCOUNTANT – Prepare nancial information, statements, reports and develop internal control procedures. CPA or working towards designation preferred. $26-$32 per hour.

Vacasa’s forward-thinking approach and industry-leading technology help set us apart as the largest full-service vacation rental company in North America.

We are seeking individuals with a passion for providing exceptional vacation experiences for our Owners and Guests.

We offer competitive wages and bene ts: Travel allowance for Squamish/Pemberton-based employees OR Ski Pass/Activity allowance, Extended Medical, RRSP match, Fun & Safe Work Environment-Great Team, opportunities to grow and more.

Night Duty Manager $26.50 per hour

Maintenance Technician $26.25 per hour

(**THE ABOVE POSITIONS PLUS SIGNING BONUS** $1000 FT)

Owner Relations Manager $55,000 per year

Full Time all year round

Apply online today!

https://www.vacasa.com/careers/positions or email: paul.globisch@vacasa.com or call to nd out more details at 604-698-0520

We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected

Our

We are currently hiring:

Carpenters $30 - $45.50/hourly. Wage based on experience. Red Seal is 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 (Also includes Family Benefits.)

• 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!

DOUG

BUSH SURVEY SERVICES LTD.

is looking for a SURVEY

FIELD TECHNICIAN:

High

Preferably with a technical school program in geomatics

LTD.

is looking for a

SURVEY FIELD TECHNICIAN:

CULINARY

• Executive Sous Chef ($90,000 to $100,000/yr)

• Sous Chef ($65,000/yr)

• Chef de Partie ($26.50/hr)

• Cook1 ($23/hr)

LOSS PREVENTION

• Loss Prevention Supervisor ($22.50/hr)

FOOD

&

• Casual Banquet Servers ($22/hr)

• Server ($16.75/hr)

• Jr Server ($16.75/hr) SALES

• Sales Coordinator ($50,000-$52,000/yr)

ENGINEERING

Subsidized Staff Housing

Complimentary Staff Meals

Winter Wellness Package

Worldwide Hotel Discounts

©2023 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Tourism Whistler/Justa Jeskova. Whistler.

We are currently seeking a detail-oriented and driven individual to join our team as a FIELD SURVEYOR.

8349

Experience and Pro cient in the use of robotic survey instruments and GPS equipment is an asset. Work in engineering and building construction layout, topographic site surveys, site improvement surveys and precise monitoring.

362

Preferably with a technical school program in geomatics

Experience and Pro cient in the use of robotic survey instruments and GPS equipment is an asset.

157

Work in engineering and building construction layout, topographic site surveys, site improvement surveys and precise monitoring.

564 71

541

836

Please call Ian @ 604-932-3314 or email @ ian@dbss.ca

789

www.whistlerwag.com Looking to adopt? For an updated list of who is available, check out our website. Answers #33 MEDIUM#33

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Resort Municipality of Whistler Employment Opportunities

• Building Applicant Services Supervisor

Startingat$38.07anhour

• Legislative and Privacy Coordinator

Startingat$44.24anhour

• Labourer I – Turf

Startingat $32.91anhour

• Labourer I – Horticulture

Resort Municipality of Whistler Employment Opportunities

Startingat $32.91anhour

· Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

· Legislative and Privacy Coordinator

• Labourer III – FireSmart

· Skate Host

· Program Leader

Startingat$34.08anhour

· Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Supervisor

· Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

• Labourer III – Roads

· Labourer I – Village Maintenance

· Solid Waste Technician

· Accountant

Startingat$34.08anhour

· Youth and Public Services Specialist

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers

Dishwashers

Servers

PUZZLES

ACROSS

1 Cheer for Pavarotti

6 Aide, for short

10 Love god

14 Like some driveways

19 Crowbar

20 Making all stops

22 Washed out

24 Rousseau title

25 FBI operative

26 Soap plant

27 Treasure —

28 Young student

29 Mud

30 Raines and Fitzgerald

32 Traverse

34 — majesty

35 Getty or Parsons

39 Formal pronouncements

41 Slid

43 Laughing

45 Keen

47 Characteristic

48 Fond du —

51 Deliver a sermon

53 Aquatic bird

55 Wapiti

56 Ocean off Cal.

59 First man

61 Bombs and bullets

62 False god

64 Pea or bean

66 Muddle with drink

68 Bark

70 Sultana

72 Warning signal

73 Wet and partially frozen

75 “Lorna —”

77 Wyoming range

79 Email folder

80 Regard highly

82 Perch

84 Started up a PC again

86 Handle roughly

88 Zippy

90 Ohio players

91 Stately 95 Stadium event

97 Church assistant

101 Shoestring

102 General drift

104 “— on Sunday”

106 Cook’s creations

108 Notched 110 Call for

112 Abbr. in citations

to 115 Commendable trait

117 Verne’s captain

118 Help desk client 120 Veer 121 — Somerhalder

122 Cheer from the bleachers

124 Solar plexus

126 Sugar substitute

128 Genus of macaws

129 Reef material

131 Himalayan nation

133 Recess

135 Violent whirlpool

139

First appearance

141 Erudite

145 “La — Bonita”

146 Mayhem

148 Kind of seal

150 Lunar “sea”

151 Fixed gaze

153 Fathered

155 Binge

157 Assumed as fact

158 Scenes

159 Catch in a loop

160 Toast start

161 Make into law

162 Mountain ridge

163 Luminesce

164 Water barriers

165 Softens

DOWN

1 Point the nger at

2 Philbin of TV

3 Avoid

4 Super cial layer

5 Kitchen scrap

6 In the manner of

7 A few

8 Censure

9 Somewhat gangling

10 Fore-and- —

11 Painter — Chagall

12 Bouquets

13 Uprising

14 Vitality

15 Protective charm

16 Venomous creature

17 Beethoven’s “Fur —”

18 Removed

21 Soak through

23 “A Streetcar Named —”

31 Red deer

33 Information booth

36 Sass

37 Pasternak character

38 Foeman

40 Island near Bonaire

42 Long walks

44 Domesticated

46 Make into braids

48 “Chocolate” dogs

49 Dancer — Astaire

50 — belli

52 Pigment

54 Light show device

56 Thick soup

57 Change for the better

58 100 yrs.

60 Nearly all

63 Metric unit

65 Main idea

67 Motif

69 Not very good

70 React

71 Prize name

74 Essential for making bread

76 Actor — Beery

78 Stem joints

81 Toned down

83 Duration

85 “Odd Couple” name

87 Of ax

89 Hindu mother goddess

91 Ave —

92 Oak-to-be

93 Tell jokes

94 One showing promise

96 Counter argue

98 Calendar abbr.

99 Florida city

100 Happen again

101 Son of Jacob

103 Instant noodles

105 Gone up

107 Razed NY stadium

109 Money in Madrid

111 Observed

113 — -may-care

116 Third rock from the sun

119 Paddy

123 Pester

125 Fencing blade

126 Drank noisily

127 “Gotcha!”

129 Red wine

130 “I’ve Been — You Too Long”

132 Disconcert

134 White fur

135 Beethoven’s “— Solemnis”

136 Moving about

137 Gladden

138 Fable’s lesson

140 — incognita

142 Of warships

143 Put up

144 Fender mishaps

147 Spotted food sh

149 Judge

152 Compass pt.

154 Moisture

156 Letter for pluralizing

157 Cherished one LAST

WEEKS’ ANSWERS

•

• Each 3x3

A shadowy Whistler figure returns…

“THIS TRULY IS A four-season resort,” I was thinking to myself.

Sittin’ in the sun on Dusty’s smokin’ patio on a recent globally-warmed, prespring, spring day, I was wallowing in the third season—second beer—of the day. It was obviously the kind of activity capable of inducing deep, philosophical thoughts… or reducing them to vacuous marketing or political slogans.

BY G.D. MAXWELL

Since heading up, I’d skied ice, creamy snow, corn snow and finally dirty schmoo. If it had only rained a few minutes, the day would have qualified as a Total Whistler Experience.

There was hope in my chest winter would/ will return, just as it had after our last faux spring break in February, but there was also a nagging premonition it wouldn’t. This year, 2024, was, hopefully still is, going to be the best year for spring skiing. Why? For the first time in a long time, Whistler Mountain stays open late while they shoehorn a new Jersey Cream lift in across the valley.

I had a standing order with the best waitress the United Kingdom ever produced to replenish whatever I was drinking whenever my glass fell below the one-inch mark, order to stand until further notice. Judging by its rate of descent, I reckoned the sun had another hour or so before it was punctured by the jagged peaks of the Tantalus Range and late winter returned to reclaim the patio. At my current rate of consumption that would be another—divide by four, carry the two—math is hard... a few more refreshing beverages.

I closed my eyes and let the sun beat down on me.

“Paisan! Long damn time, no see-um.” The voice croaked out of nowhere.

Sometimes, when my body, maybe yours too, is weary from a hard day of work or a harder day of play, and I close my eyes and stare at the inside of my eyelids and the sun’s shining really hard, after awhile, sometimes, a very psychedelic checkerboard swirly pattern begins to mess with my confused optical nerve, creating a vortex sort of effect and making everything feel very, very strange.

But not as strange as having that feeling interrupted by J.J.

Even with my eyes still closed, I could hear him finish my beer. But I didn’t hear him walking away. Instead, I heard the sound of a metal chair scraping across the patio’s bricks and the whoomph of his bulk sitting down.

“J.J.,” I said, eyes still closed, hoping I was wrong, knowing I wasn’t. “I thought you’d checked out of this place for fresh horizons or something. It’s been… a long time? I guess.”

“Hey, man, you can check out any time you’d like, but you can…”

“No J.J., don’t do this to me. Noooo…”

“…never leave.”

“Let’s get one thing straight, J.J. If you’re going to sit down, drink my beer, con me

out of a few more—and I know you are—The Rule stands. This—encircling the sonic space around me—is an Eagles-free zone. No Eagles. No John Denver. No pseudo-philosophy gleaned from American Pie. Ever! Capiche?”

“Sorry, dude. Just messin’ witcha.”

J.J., Whistler’s only private eye, has been messin’ wit’ me for as long as I’ve been in town. One of those shadowy figures this place has in abundance. He claimed to be ex-CIA, ex-National Security, etc. Claimed to be drinking buddies with Mark Felt and know what really happened to Jimmy Hoffa. In short, a sociopath who could be relied on to spin a good tale and drink on your tab until you cut him off.

“So, I know I’ll be sorry, but what are you up to these days?” I asked, sorrily.

“Like why the Big Moves aren’t quite living up to the hoped-for accomplishments. Let’s face it, J.J., you’re about the least green person I know. You still think recycle means grabbing someone’s bike and going for a ride? And aside from that, I’m having trouble believing anyone at muni hall would be crazy enough to bring you on to consult about anything, unless freeloading has become a municipal priority.”

“Ouch. You’re harshin’ my buzz, dude. I’m a troubleshooter from way back and yeah, there’s trouble meetin’ the goals set out by the Big Movem... Moves.”

“So, don’t take this the wrong way, J.J, but how’d you get hired on as a consultant? I mean, you have what most people would consider absolutely no qualifications

There was hope in my chest winter would/will return, just as it had after our last faux spring break in February, but there was also a nagging premonition it wouldn’t.

“I’m a consulting on Whistler’s Big Movements,” he said, motioning for another round.

“I think you mean Big Moves? But I like the unintended association,” I replied.

“Whatever.”

“Really,” I said. “I guess that explains a couple of things.”

“Like what?”

whatsoever for the job.”

“I just started submitting invoices,” he said. “You think anyone would really notice?”

I looked at him in stunned silence. Was he kidding? Was this another ridiculous J.J. statement? Was he trying to see if he could push me far enough to pick up a beer glass and wallop him upside the head with it?

“Okay, J.J. Please tell me you’re just

kidding. You’re not really submitting invoices into the abyss and getting paid, are you?”

“You think I’m lying. Well, ask yourself this question. You of all people know I obviously have no visible means of support. It’s not like the P.I. business is exactly brisk. Covid pretty much killed it. S’not like you can sleuth on Zoom, you know. I caught on to this consultant thing a decade ago reading about the Phoenix pay system for federal employees. It seemed like such a boondoggle I began submitting invoices under a phoney baloney IT consulting firm name. Imagine my surprise when cheques began coming in?”

“Bullsh....”

“Seriously, dude. The whole consultant thing really is transparent. Invisible would be a better word. Everybody knows IT anything is expensive, rarely works and is overseen by people who don’t understand it to begin with. If most of those boondoggles were dogs, you’d have them put down long ago.”

“The thought had crossed my mind.”

“I thought I was getting paid pretty well. But then I started billing for ArriveCan. Chaching!”

“Oh sweet Jesus. Say it ain’t so.”

“It is sooo so. But now that the heat’s on in Ottawa about that, I thought I’d try fishin’ a little closer to home.”

“And the muni is paying you?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, don’t get your hopes up. I don’t think they’re that loose with their controls. And you live here. You really want them after you?”

“No. That’s why I’m billing in your name.” “What?!”

“Calm down. Think of it as an early April Fools joke.”

“I’m not laughing.”

“You’ll think it’s more amusing after another beer.” ■

PHOTO BY VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES

3