Protecting B.C. old-growth forests could yield $10.9B in benefits, report finds. - By Stefan Labbé
06 OPENING REMARKS Where will electoral reform rank amongst the priorities of Canada’s new federal government?
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers share a new date and location for Art on the Lake, and share thanks for the staff at the Whistler Health Care Centre.
30 RANGE ROVER Leslie Anthony gets up close and personal with the new Audain exhibit, The Coast Mountains: Recent Works by Edward Burtynsky
54 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST It’s perfectly possible to do things that matter and have a great time in the process, writes Lizi McLoughlin.
10 ON TO OTTAWA The Liberal Party’s Patrick Weiler won a third term in the April 28 federal election, while his party earned a fourth-straight mandate.
14 BIG BUSINESS A new report estimates Canada’s outdoor recreation economy is bigger than many realize.
36 BEER ME It may be beer league, but rec hockey in Whistler attracts loads of local talent (and spectators) to the Meadow Park Sports Centre.
40 PROM DATE Whistler Secondary School brings Carrie: The Musical to the Maury Young Arts Centre from May 7 to 10.
COVER I’d rather see the forest for the trees than for gold. Unless the point is to leave the trees alone so they can earn the gold themselves. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
Time to deliver on electoral reform in Canada
JUST LIKE THAT, Canada’s 45th general election is over nearly as quickly as it began.
The Liberal Party’s Patrick Weiler will return for a third term, under a minority government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
For many Canadians west of the Great Lakes, federal elections can often be an exercise in frustration, if only for the fact our new government is often decided before many of us have even cast a ballot.
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
This year’s vote was at least somewhat unique in that the final results weren’t known until well after polls across the country had closed, and B.C.’s results were at least for once consequential in the grand scheme of things— but the sense of Western alienation isn’t about to subside anytime soon.
One assumes addressing that little pickle will be among Carney’s first tasks—Canada needs unity now more than ever, as an army of bots and actual traitors throw a predictable secession tantrum—but if he really wants to cement his legacy for generations to come, he’ll do what his predecessor didn’t have the guts to do.
He’ll deliver on proportional representation, once and for all.
Asked about the possibility at an April 25 campaign event in Sault Ste. Marie, Carney had this to say about it: “There may be a point where we’ve advanced on other immediate pressing priorities, particularly the [economic] crisis—that’s our intention— that those more structural issues in our democracy can be addressed.”
Not exactly a rousing endorsement
of electoral reform, but at least it’s not an outright dismissal.
It may seem like a boring, unsexy policy point to argue for, but if Canada doesn’t do something about its current first-pastthe-post system, the political alienation will only grow. The results of this week’s election—the Liberals with 169 seats to the Conservatives’ 144, while the Bloc Quebecois (22), NDP (seven) and Green Party (one) pick up the scraps—effectively reduce us to a two-party system.
How many people cast a vote in this election that was not fully aligned with their beliefs or values? How many voted out of fear, peer pressure, or what they felt was a necessity? How many have been doing so for more elections than they care to count?
Worse, how many don’t bother to vote at all?
majority when they clearly don’t represent the majority of the people… as is so often the case here in Canada.
It would mean a collection of MPs from all parties, working together to represent the constituents who elected them, and removing the winner-take-all system would presumably disincentivize the aggressive, divisive tactics infecting our politics of late.
More than 90 countries use it, to great success, and if not for Justin Trudeau’s famous broken election promise—that the 2015 election would be Canada’s last using first-past-the-post—Canada would already be counted among them.
Would we all be holding hands and singing kumbaya under the country’s biggest Maple Leaf? Not bloody likely, but at least we’d all have proper representation and a seat at the table.
representing the Liberal and Conservative parties, but the most enlightening moments arguably came when the other candidates got the mic.
Peyman Askari, the Iranian immigrant with a sharp intellect and a principled defence of Libertarian values, representing the People’s Party; the Green Party’s Lauren Greenlaw, the lone female voice and a fierce advocate for the environment (also, her name is an aptronym, a word I just learned this week); Jäger Rosenberg, the 18-yearold NDP upstart arguing passionately for progressive policies and the most vulnerable; the Rhino Party’s Gordon Jeffrey, with his refreshing satirical voice and cutting jabs at the establishment parties.
Under our current system, all of that robust debate, those crucial differing viewpoints, are whittled down to what you see on the
How many people cast a vote in this election that was not fully aligned with their beliefs or values? How many voted out of fear, peer pressure, or what they felt was a necessity? How many have been doing so for more elections than they care to count?
With proportional representation (supported by 68 per cent of Canadians, according to a national poll by EKOS in late January), Canadians could ditch the talk of strategic voting and vote their conscience.
In the simplest terms, proportional representation means the percentage of seats a party has in the legislature reflects the percentage of people who voted for that party. In other words, if a party gets 40 per cent of the vote, it should get 40 per cent of the seats—and no parties should form a
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The West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding’s slate of candidates in the 2025 election can almost serve as a microcosm of why proportional representation is so necessary.
Go watch the recording of the Whistler all-candidates debate, while keeping your own partisan preferences tucked safely to the side (easier said than done for many), and consider the different viewpoints being presented.
The bulk of the questions were predictably directed at the two front runners,
surface—another Liberal victory in the riding. And so it’s only natural so many feel disillusioned with our politics, and the results we get at the ballot box.
This is not to take away from Weiler, who has been a hard worker and an effective representative for Whistler and the Sea to Sky.
But one hopes he’ll use his presumably growing influence in the Liberal Party to help lead the charge on electoral reform—and make the 2025 election the last held under first-past-the-post. n
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Art on the Lake gets Lost
Hey there Whistler, we’ve got some news! As an organization that’s grounded in creativity, Arts Whistler likes to keep things fresh, so after hosting Art on the Lake at Alta Lake for the past five years we’re shaking things up. This summer, Whistler’s favourite major art show (as voted by readers in Pique’s Best of Whistler 2024), will be at Lost Lake Park on July 10 and 11.
Why the change? Lost Lake Park is more accessible for everyone, by foot, bike or shuttle and the lake can be explored just as easily on an inflatable donut as a standup paddleboard. After two years of sketchy weather in August, we’re going to see what the weather gods will offer us in July. So many people tell us they book their days off or holidays around Art on the Lake, so open that calendar and block July 10 and 11 for two days of arts awesomeness, on and around Lost Lake.
We’re excited to share more details soon.
Best wishes,
Mo Douglas and the Arts Whistler team
Whistler Health Care Centre and its staff is a ‘gift’
I had the misfortune of developing cellulitis after a total knee replacement surgery in Calgary on April 16. I left Calgary on April 18, so I was back
in Whistler, where I live, when I got the infection. That meant I had to go to the Whistler Health Care Centre (WHCC) six days in a row for IV antibiotics. The doctors were not taking any chances.
If you have ever had knee replacement surgery, you know you go through hell afterwards
so adding IV antibiotics into the mix was brutal. But this blow was softened by the fact that we have an extraordinary facility in the WHCC with extraordinary staff. What a gift we have, here at Whistler, with that medical centre and its people.
Special thank yous out to nurses Lindsey,
Write to us! Letters to the editor must contain the writer’s name, address and a daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 450 words. Pique Newsmagazine reserves the right to edit, condense or refrain from publishing any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine. Send them to edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com before 11 a.m. on Tuesday for consideration in that week’s paper.
Linda, Lou, Tania, Carly, Vickie and colleagues; Dr. Annie Gareau, Dr. Rich Benson, Dr. James Cranston, Dr. Paul Walden, Dr. Lev Becker and colleagues; Sandra in X-ray and colleagues; Eleanor and Christie at reception and colleagues. Rosemary Keevil // Whistler
Pemberton showing ‘true leadership’ by joining Sue Big Oil
This letter was sent to Pemberton’s mayor and council, and shared with Pique.
I want to sincerely thank you for your courageous decision to join the Sue Big Oil campaign. By standing up to hold fossil fuel companies accountable, you are showing true leadership and commitment to protecting our community and future generations from the escalating costs and impacts of climate change.
Your bravery in taking this important step inspires hope and demonstrates that local governments can be powerful agents of change. Thank you for prioritizing the well-being of Pemberton and standing up for climate justice.
With gratitude,
Peter Skeels // Pemberton
Smiling into the face of darkness
It was late Saturday night when I first read reports online about the horrific and senseless incident at the recent Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver. Initial reports were of several deaths and several serious injuries after an SUV drove
NickDavies, Whistlerlocal andexperiencedfamilylawyer practisingacrossBCandYukon. Callat 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca
through a crowd of people, but it sounded likely to be much worse, a feeling confirmed the next day when it was announced that 11 people had been killed and dozens more injured.
Almost Immediately I thought of a recent interaction days earlier at Westland Insurance in Marketplace. The happy and helpful Filipino insurance agent helping me, whose name escapes me, left a positive impression. I asked her jokingly if there were any grumpy people in the Philippines. She just laughed and then laughed some more as I asked her why Filipinos always seemed so happy and friendly... she told me she didn’t know why. I think maybe it’s in their DNA or perhaps it comes from their deep faith and love of family and community. I told her she reminded me of Nancy from Nesters Market and asked her if she knew Nancy, she replied yes and went on to say that Nancy’s daughter also worked with her at Westland Insurance.
Nancy is another beautiful local soul that always talks with a laugh and a smile and makes me smile whenever we chat at Nesters.
Not only are the Filipinos I meet in Whistler some of the happiest people around, they are hard working and have a clear sense of community and faith... I can only imagine this terrible event has torn a large hole in the hearts of many Filipinos as it surely did in mine.
While I am not a religious person myself, I do feel a spiritual connection to life, mostly in the mountains and forests, and the sad news of this tragedy hit me hard emotionally and had me teared up and sending out as much love and
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
compassion as I could to everyone affected.
Premier David Eby’s talk at the church service the following Sunday was very heartfelt and touching. I saw a side of him I had not seen before and was very impressed. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Canadian community as a whole could take a lesson from our Filipino friends and neighbours? Not only by being more cheerful, but more importantly seeking unity and common ground even with those we may disagree with politically.
The ongoing mental-health crisis and the need for action is something I believe 99.9 per cent of us can likely agree upon. Imagine what we could do together pulling as a team!
I realize there were some problems and abuse with the large institutions in the past and nothing is going to be perfect. That said, the streets don’t seem like the right place to leave people struggling with addiction and mental health. The strain it puts on the police and paramedics is costly on many levels. Too often these days we seem to be pulling in opposite directions and then somehow we expect positive results from our elected leaders. Well guess what? There is no leader with a magic wand coming to save us. It’s up to all of us to find the common ground and fight for it together. Be the change we want to see.
Prayers and much love to all the Filipinos in Whistler and around the province and country... I love you all for the joy you bring in the most mundane moments of everyday life!
Be strong, smile on and may we all be blessed by your endless positivity!
Patrick Weiler wins third term; Liberals to form minority
‘THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE, HUMBLING EXPERIENCE. I COULDN’T BE MORE EXCITED BY IT’
BY LIZ MCDONALD
INCUMBENT LIBERAL MP Patrick Weiler held his seat in the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding on election day, April 28, sticking to polling predictions from 338 Canada and making history as the first Liberal to be elected back-to-back-to-back in the riding.
While the results initially flipped back and forth between blue and red, as time went on, Weiler pulled ahead of his main competitor, the Conservative Party’s Keith Roy, and all other names on the ballot.
Pique reached him by phone at his campaign headquarters in West Vancouver shortly after the results came in.
“I’m over the moon about the results,” Weiler said. “The trust and faith people in this riding have put in me is humbling and I couldn’t be more excited to serve the riding.”
Weiler is the first-ever Liberal re-elected in the riding, and the first to be elected three times in a row.
“The vibe was incredible, it was packed. Everybody is really happy with results in
the riding and across the country. It was a touching moment to see family and friends here, and those who’ve become my friends and family,” Weiler said when asked how the evening went at his campaign headquarters.
Nationally, Weiler’s Liberals will form a minority government, with Prime Minister Mark Carney at the helm, leading or elected in 169 ridings to the Conservative Party’s 144, the Bloc Quebecois’s 22, the NDP’s seven and the Green Party’s one as of Pique’s weekly deadline.
“No. 1 is making sure to focus on issues important to people in our riding, ensuring we get more housing, affordable housing in our riding, build a really strong economy so people don’t get left behind and make sure we have the strongest defence for what’s coming south of the border, whether that’s provincial trade barriers or diversifying economy, that’s critical,” Weiler said. “I look forward to working with Mark Carney and our team to make that happen.”
“Whether people voted for me or didn’t, I’ll be their member of Parliament and be their voice.”
- PATRICK WEILER
The national results were unexpected six months ago, a fact not lost on Weiler.
“Six months ago everything looked very different but I never lost faith in our party,” he said. “I knew we were the party with the best chances to deal with what we are in now. Mark Carney is the best leader and we have a plan. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. This riding is diverse, it’s huge, but we put together an incredible group of people and you can see the results.”
His first steps for his third term are to focus on the issues that matter to voters here.
And while not every ballot cast had his name checked, Weiler also took a moment to say he hears the issues that matter to all residents of West Vancouver-Sunshine CoastSea to Sky Country.
“Whether people voted for me or didn’t, I’ll be their member of Parliament and be their voice. I take to heart the issues other parties ran on and I will do everything in my power to represent them,” he said.
“This is an incredible, humbling experience. I couldn’t be more excited by it.”
With 231 of 231 polls reporting, Weiler led
Roy 38,361 to 21,124. The Green Party’s Lauren Greenlaw was third with 2,205 votes, followed by the NDP’s Jäger Rosenberg with 2,077, the PPC’s Peyman Askari with 308, and the Rhino Party’s Gordon Jeffrey with 100.
Roy commented on the results in an election night text to Pique
“I would like to congratulate Patrick Weiler on his victory and I would like to thank the over 20,000 people who put their trust in me and the Conservative Party,” he said.
Voter turnout for the riding was 71.17 per cent, with 64,175 of 90,173 registered voters in the riding casting a ballot.
ON THE ENVIRONMENT, INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND ELECTORAL REFORM
Greenlaw congratulated Weiler but felt the election could have gone another way.
“I hope he knows that he won this off of the backs of the Greens, because the number of people who told me that they have a green heart or that they bleed green, but they’re voting Liberal because he’s green Liberal, which is not a thing. With those votes, I would have won this election. And this election was run on just the temperature of fear. It was a strong fear about tariffs, fear about the conservatives, and also hate, a lot of hate towards people and that was a really difficult thing to experience,” Greenlaw said, shortly after the win was called for Weiler. She added the short election campaign
THREE FOR THREE Newly re-elected West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
MP Patrick Weiler makes a victory speech to his supporters at his West Vancouver campaign headquarters on Monday, April 28.
“completely benefits the large parties and the incumbents.”
She also pointed out that the environment and Indigenous rights did not have a focus in the campaign.
“Last night, as I was driving home from the Earth Day Festival in Roberts Creek, which was so beautiful and amazing, I saw my first ever forest fire in our foothills. And that was the last day of this campaign, a campaign where nobody cared about climate change,” Greenlaw said.
She also said it became more clear to her during the campaign how much Canada needs electoral reform.
“This election, like I said, was driven by fear and by hate,” Greenlaw said. “You either fear the Conservatives, which I think is fair, or you hate the Liberals because they’ve lied, which I think is fair, and if we had electoral reform, we would potentially be able to feed these young parties and feed these small parties so that they have voices.”
She pointed out Weiler said in the
NEWS WHISTLER
your stuff,” said Rosenberg, talking from NDP headquarters in Burnaby. “And I think we’re going to rebuild and build back stronger.”
The first-time federal candidate finished in fourth place in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, with 3.2 per cent of the vote. Rosenberg called the result “definitely disappointing.”
“It wasn’t the result we were hoping for. But I mean, given situation of the race, I’m still quite happy with the campaign I ran,” he said.
“I’m 18 years old. I know a lot of people kind of get caught up on that, but when I had the opportunity to connect with voters directly, I think there was a real like of what I was having to say. It’s just with such a short campaign, we didn’t really have time to connect with most voters, so they ended up voting for a prime minister instead of a local candidate.”
Rosenberg congratulated Weiler. “He has a lot of work to do and he has some high expectations to serve, but I hope he does it,”
“We need to really [play] hardball when it comes to electoral reform, because the Liberals are never going to do it on their own.”
- JÄGER ROSENBERG
Squamish debate he would advocate for electoral reform, so that is her expectation.
Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May was declared winner of her riding, Saanich–Gulf Islands, with 39.1 per cent of the total vote.
Greenlaw was relieved to see the win.
“I was reading the polls this morning, and it’s very vague how these polls are put together. But I was really worried that we wouldn’t even have one seat ... because it was looking like we were all going to lose,” she said.
“It did not look good for Elizabeth May. So I’m very thankful [she kept her seat] because in this election, it’s been completely dictated by people voting Conservative because they hate the Liberals, and people voting Liberal because they’re scared of Conservatives, and the Greens are in there offering an alternative voice.”
Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault was, however, declared defeated in the Montreal riding of Outremont. Liberal cabinet minister Rachel Bendayan is projected to win that seat for the fourth time.
-Indigo Lemay-Conway
NDP LOSES OFFICIAL PARTY STATUS
As NDP leader Jagmeet Singh lost his seat in Burnaby Central, coming in third in his riding with 18 per cent of the vote and conceding not only the election but stepping down as party leader Monday night, Gibsons-raised Rosenberg says he was standing behind him.
“Our party’s continuing on. We’re really good at rebuilding, and I think sometimes you need to get punched a little bit to figure out
he said. “I know his heart’s in the right place, even if we don’t agree on everything. So I hope he does a good job as MP.”
Rosenberg said he’s considering running for office in the future (even teasing a municipal run). “I’m not going anywhere either way,” he said. “I’m going to keep being active, and I’m going to keep advocating for important issues like environment and mental health that really need strong advocates because they’re so often under-covered.”
Though the NDP has lost official party status (which requires 12 seats in the House of Commons), its seven MPs stand to play a key role in a possible minority government. Asked what he’ll be looking for from his colleagues heading to Ottawa, Rosenberg said electoral reform.
“We need to really [play] hardball when it comes to electoral reform, because the Liberals are never going to do it on their own,” said Rosenberg. “We’ve seen with this election how easy it can be to get stuck in a two-party system, and once that happens, democracy is doomed.
“We need to really push that forward, so all votes count equally, and so people aren’t forced to vote out of fear, and they can vote for who they want.
“It’s going to be a hard fight to rebuild the party, but I’m optimistic about the future of the party,” Rosenberg added. “I think we need a complete rebrand and maybe even a name change, and we need to look into working with the Greens more closely. But we outperformed expectations. We held together, and we have some really good MPs that are going back to Ottawa, and we need to make sure that we appreciate Canadians’ votes, and we can’t ever take it for granted.”
- Bronwyn Beairsto n
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Whistler municipality defends zoning bylaws in homeowners’ rental dispute
THE
RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER ARGUES ITS ZONING IN HORSTMAN ESTATES IS LAWFUL, COUNTERING HOMEOWNERS’ CLAIMS THAT SHORT-TERM RENTALS SHOULD BE ALLOWED
BY LIZ MCDONALD
THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) has filed a defence against a legal challenge from homeowners seeking to overturn zoning restrictions that prevent shortterm tourist rentals on their Horstman Estates properties. In a response submitted April 11 to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the RMOW argues its decisions to terminate a land-use contract and adopt a new community plan are reasonable, procedurally fair, and legally sound. The original petition, filed March 4 by Alan and Lenore Gelfand and Steven and Katherine Nichols, claims the RMOW unfairly eliminated their right to operate rentals, escalating a yearslong debate over Whistler’s residential zoning.
The petitioners’ properties, strata lots at 4930 and 4950 Horstman Lane, are valued at $7.54 million and $6.62 million, respectively. The homeowners argue these high-value properties, located in Horstman Estates, were historically permitted for tourist accommodations, a use they say the RMOW has now unjustly restricted. The municipality counters that the properties have always been zoned for single-family residential use, a designation it has lawfully maintained.
On March 4, the Gelfands and Nichols filed a petition challenging two RMOW decisions: the adoption of the Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw No. 2199 in 2020, which they claim reclassified their properties as “residential-very low (detached),” and the Land Use Contract (LUC) Termination Bylaw No. 2323 in 2022, which rezoned Horstman Estates to RS3 (Single Family Residential Three). As reported by Pique on March 20, the petitioners argue these changes were unreasonable, ignoring a late-1980s land-use contract and a 1983 “warm bed policy” that allegedly permitted short-term rentals without requiring rental pool covenants. They also claim procedural unfairness, asserting inadequate notice and consultation, and cite decades of rental activity—supported by RMOW-collected commercial fees until a 2024 stop order—as evidence of their right to continue, bolstered by a 1999 legal opinion suggesting such use was permissible.
The petitioners further contend the zoning restrictions harm their investments, reducing the economic value of properties. They seek court orders to amend the bylaws and issue business licences for tourist accommodations, arguing the RMOW’s actions defy historical precedent.
The RMOW traces its zoning authority to the 1975 Resort Municipality of Whistler Act, which established it as B.C.’s first resort
municipality. The properties fall under a 1979 land-use contract, amended in 1988, and a 1989 covenant, both restricting the lots to “single residential buildings” for one family or up to six unrelated persons living as a domestic unit. The RMOW argues this definition excludes commercial tourist rentals, a stance reinforced by court rulings like Whistler v. Miller (2001) and Whistler v. Wright (2003), which found short-term rentals incompatible with residential use.
In 2022, the RMOW terminated the land-use contract, as mandated by the Local Government Act, rezoning Horstman Estates to RS3 to maintain its residential status. The 2020 OCP, designating the properties as “Residential – Low to Medium (Detached/Multiple),” is a policy document, not a zoning decision, the RMOW says, and is not bound by prior plans. The municipality denies the petitioners’ claim that the “warm bed policy” applies, noting no rental pool covenants exist on their properties.
The RMOW asserts its decisions are subject to a “reasonableness” standard, citing Canada v. Vavilov (2019) and 1120732 BC Ltd. v. Whistler (2020), placing the burden on petitioners to prove otherwise. It argues zoning is discretionary under the Local Government Act, and it was not obligated to permit tourist rentals, even if previously tolerated.
The RMOW refutes claims of procedural unfairness, detailing public hearings held on April 16, 2019, for the OCP, and April 19, 2022, for the LUC Termination Bylaw, with proper notice. The petitioners were not entitled to personal OCP notice, as it applied broadly, and Alan Gelfand participated in the LUC hearing, the RMOW notes.
The RMOW dismisses the petitioners’ estoppel argument—that past fee collection implied rental approval—citing cases like Immeubles Jacques Robitaille inc. v. Quebec (2014), which hold municipalities cannot be bound by acquiescence. It also deems the 1999 legal opinion irrelevant and corrects the petitioners’ claim of a May 10, 2022, “public hearing,” clarifying it was a regular council meeting.
The petitioners seek a court order to force bylaw amendments and business licences, which the RMOW argues is invalid, as these are discretionary acts and no 2025 licence applications exist. The petition is also untimely, filed nearly three years after the LUC Termination Bylaw and five years after the OCP, beyond the Local Government Act’s one-month notice period, risking dismissal for delay.
The RMOW estimates a two-day hearing which is scheduled for June 23, 2025. None of the allegations have been proven in court. n
Outdoor recreation economy rivals oil and gas in Canada, new report shows
PROTECT OUR WINTERS CANADA CALLS FOR STRONGER RECOGNITION OF OUTDOOR RECREATION’S $101-BILLION CONTRIBUTION
BY LIZ MCDONALD
HOW DO YOU PUT a price on a hike? Not the value of the soil under towering Douglas firs, nor the years it takes for these giants to soar above your head, nor the tonnes of carbon they quietly capture. More likely, you think about the health, the friendships, and the moments of joy nature freely offers.
But the numbers matter, too—and according to Protect Our Winters (POW) Canada, outdoor recreation’s contribution to the economy is bigger than many realize.
In a first-of-its-kind national report, POW Canada estimates the outdoor recreation economy generates $101.6 billion annually, directly supports 1,096,849 full-time jobs, and rivals industries like agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and pharmaceuticals. It’s nearly on par with the oil and gas sector, which generates $139.2 billion.
“The biggest fact that came out is the pure size of the outdoor recreation economy,” said Anik Champoux, programs and marketing director of POW. “So it’s $101.6 billion in the comparison with other industries, like as an example, oil and gas is $139 billion. We’re almost the same size; bigger than forestry, bigger than agriculture, bigger than fisheries, bigger than pharmaceuticals.”
Despite this, outdoor recreation isn’t formally recognized as a standalone economic sector in Canada, unlike industries like energy or agriculture. “It’s not seen as a category yet. So that was kind of our hope with this report,” she said. “We actually think that it’s much larger, but we wanted to be certain with our numbers.”
The study covers 23 recreation industries, including hiking, skiing, climbing, snowmobiling, and kayaking. But because of gaps in available data, 13 activities—such as tent camping, trail running, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and tobogganing—were excluded, meaning the true number is likely higher.
While the dollars and cents are impressive, POW points out outdoor recreation’s impact extends far beyond the economy.
The report highlights outdoor recreation’s role in creating healthy, thriving communities. It cites research suggesting participation can reduce Canada’s public health-care costs by $3.9 billion to $23 billion annually.
It also ties outdoor recreation to reconciliation. “The outdoor recreation industry has a long history of directly and indirectly contributing to the displacement and exclusion of Indigenous peoples across Canada,” the report notes. Building inclusive, Indigenousled tourism and recreation businesses is one way the sector can support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 92.
The economic report is fuelling POW’s town
hall tour, which stopped in Whistler April 6. The idea, explained POW’s representatives, is not just to share findings but to listen to communities.
“We know that 50 per cent of emissions can be controlled by municipalities, and in this time of federal elections, all the kind of turmoil that’s happening, I think we sort of understood that people are just wanting to know what to do,” Champoux said. “Coming down to a grassroots level and really focusing on things that you can have impact on, we thought would be really compelling.”
At the Whistler event, public transit emerged as a major concern. “What came out of Whistler specifically is public transit and addressing transit, transportation issues in the [Sea to Sky] region,” said Nat Knowles, climate scientist at POW. She pointed out that transportation and affordable housing are both connected to climate change. “If housing is not affordable, more people are being pushed out of the community to Squamish or elsewhere, which puts more pressure back on transportation.”
Climate emissions from tourism also loom large. Knowles explained tourists arriving by car from Washington state generate far fewer emissions than long-haul visitors from places like Australia, despite bringing similar economic benefits. “The amount that people spend on travel actually gets counted inside economic impact sometimes, but the emissions are very different,” she said.
Climate change is already reshaping the outdoor recreation economy. Knowles referred to Whistler’s precarious freeze line, noting “a quarter of a degree can be the difference between rain and snow and where that freezing level is lying.”
She also warned of cascading impacts: reduced snowpack, droughts, wildfires, flooding and landslides—all harder to predict and prepare for. “The increasing unpredictability of both weather and these cascading impacts,” she said, pose real threats to communities and businesses dependent on stable conditions.
While the outdoor recreation sector has always known its broader value, POW hopes this report gives it new political weight. “This is like us being able to speak the language of the economy,” Champoux said. “There’s so much value beyond just dollars and cents.”
Champoux and Knowles emphasized outdoor recreation brings quality jobs, healthier communities, and a deep connection to nature that numbers alone can’t capture. Still, the ability to show the federal government a billion-dollar figure—and one million jobs— could be a powerful tool.
To bolster its voice, POW is encouraging Canadians to become members. “That’s our clout when we work on policy or meet with government officials,” Champoux said. “Having more supporters just helps with your clout for government influence.” n
The Coast Mountains
Recent Works by Edward Burtynsky
April 27 – September 15, 2025
Tim Dattels & Kristine Johnson
Rand & Lynda Lomas
Dane & Jayne Touchet
Trueman Rowold Family Laura Howard & Dieter Turowski Poseley Family Kelly & Louis-Vincent Gave
Sea to Sky suffered ‘significant loss’ in ecosystem health over the last 40 years
LANDSCAPE DISTURBANCES HAVE UNDERMINED WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY PATHWAYS
BY LUKE FAULKS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
CRITICAL WILDLIFE connectivity
pathways are being undermined as the Sea to Sky develops to keep pace with a growing population, according to a briefing presented to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) on April 23.
“There’s been significant loss which coincides with where a lot of the rapid development has been happening in the Squamish area and also in similar cities in the north of the Sea to Sky region,” said the Squamish Environment Society’s (SES) Katherine Andy.
“This has major implications on ecosystem health as a whole and resilience of the ecosystem. Not only that, but it is also impacting the ability for wildlife to navigate the landscape as they find suitable habitat.”
The research project emphasizes the role of ecological connectivity in conservation, which refers to species’ ability to move from one key habitat to another.
“These networks comprise a patchwork of habitat core areas and smaller stepping stone patches linked by wildlife corridors that allow species to move freely across the landscape,” according to the report. “They safeguard
access to food and shelter and increase the capabilities of wildlife to find mates, maintain healthy populations and seek protection from various environmental threats.”
Protected areas represent 33 per cent of the total area of habitats in the broader Sea to Sky region; however, those areas are mostly undisturbed and at higher elevations, so they don’t always help protect pathways of connectivity that boost biodiversity and guarantee long-term ecosystem resilience— particularly in the face of human landscape disturbance and climate change.
“The extent and pace of change caused by human activity and natural hazard processes in these areas threaten the health, connectivity and longer-term resilience of terrestrial ecosystems at both local and regional scales,” per the report.
The SES is looking to build an interactive tool the SLRD can use to inform conservation efforts under its regional growth strategy. It also hopes the work will provide the basis for a new wildlife connectivity action plan and support conservation policies around the Átl’k_a7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region and surrounding areas of the Sea to Sky corridor.
To those ends, the society is taking a different approach to modelling. A traditional model would map out connectivity networks for each species within a community, take all
STOP LOSS Red areas on the map indicate where the greatest losses in ecosystem health have taken place between 1985 and 2025.
MAP
BY SQUAMISH ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY PROJECT
the habitat patches and movement pathways that matter to each species in a community, and put them together into one map.
The issue with that approach, Andy explained, is policymakers have to balance conservation goals with their development goals. As a result, it’s often “difficult to prioritize which habitat patches and movement pathways should be of highest concert or highest impact.”
The team collected data on 18 focal— meaning a species that acts as an indicator for a particular ecosystem or area—mammalian
and herptile (referring to reptiles and amphibian) species, and produced a map with a grading system.
The green parts of the map show core habitat patches that are of the highest value to those 18 focal species. They are also connected by movement pathways or corridors expressed in priority based on how often those pathways are used. The darkest blue sections of the map show the highest connectivity potential, representing the most important areas for conservation.
The briefing report was well received by the SLRD. In response to a question from Squamish director Chris Pettingill, Andy explained the 18 species were chosen due to the expressed priorities of partner organizations—including multiple levels of government, other conservation groups and research outfits—and the concerns shared by interviews with locals. She added those 18 species were also the animals most likely to have complete, readily available data.
“We need enough empirical data to create those maps to complete Stage 1 of that model,” she told the board. “So in the future, if there’s the potential for it with adequate data, we’re not aiming to exclude any species.”
The SLRD moved to award $40,000 to the SES to pay for the final year of its wildlife connectivity project. n
Whistler Blackcomb test-driving new Shoulder Season Community Meal Program
THE INITIATIVE RUNS FROM MAY 1 UNTIL MAY 29 AND PROVIDES NUTRITIOUS MEALS FOR THE COST OF $10 APIECE
BY DAVID SONG
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB (WB) is unveiling a new Shoulder Season Community Meal Program to meet the needs of locals who may find themselves falling on hard times.
For one night a week between May 1 and May 29, Merlin’s Bar and Grill will play host to an accessible hot meal for the affordable price of $10 per person (taxes included). WB’s Food and Beverage division, led by Wolfgang Sterr, is at the head of this undertaking.
Through community stakeholder meetings and activities over the last year, WB identified areas of need facing Sea to Sky residents. Sterr and his colleagues on the company’s leadership team—COO Belinda Trembath, Josh Buchanan, Kate Roddick, Brian Sudaholc and Kyle Murphy—became aware of specific food insecurity issues as they volunteered at the Whistler Food Bank this past winter.
“It’s through conversations with the Whistler Community Services team that we understood: the need for the Food Bank actually ramps up in the spring and fall, because the disposable income of individuals in town kind of shrinks a little bit until guests come back and full operations are resumed,” Sterr explained. “The idea came up that we
could host community dinners. We wanted to make it affordable and cost-neutral, so that way we lend our expertise to buy the food, cook the food, and serve the food.
“There’s no profit being made. As well, we donated 50 tickets to the Food Bank so they have the ability to give those tickets to the most in need.”
we need to make sure we provide nutritious food,” Sterr elaborated. “It needs to be good protein, such as fresh chicken breast. When the team came back and they had frozen vegetables on the menu, I said, ‘no, absolutely not.’ Let’s make sure we have real carrots and beans and whatever is available, because we want to make sure that individuals are getting
“We wanted to make it affordable and cost-neutral, so that way we lend our expertise to buy the food, cook the food, and serve the food.”
- WOLFGANG STERR
‘THIS IS ABOUT DOING RIGHT’
When rebranding known establishments like the Horstman Hut, Sterr is focused on providing guests with a memorable and tasty dining experience. As far as the Shoulder Season Program is concerned, nutritional value becomes a priority: soup or salad, protein, vegetables, starch, and dessert every night.
“When we developed the menu, I said
value and nutrition from this meal. That is what they’re not able to afford because of their job situation.”
Two rotating menus have been prepared, both capable of accommodating people with dietary restrictions like vegans, vegetarians and those who are gluten-free. Individuals of all ages are welcome to take advantage of the meals, and takeout options are available.
Sterr has also challenged his peers in WB’s other divisions to co-host dinners, with their respective teams on hand to welcome guests, check tickets, serve food, clean and build relationships with everyone who shows up.
While Phase 1 of the program concludes at May’s end, WB plans to revamp it based on user feedback and operational lessons learned. If the initiative proves successful, a second phase with one to two extra meal nights per week and engagement from community partners is in the works from Thanksgiving to mid-November.
“I’ve already talked to the GM of the Westin and the GM of the Hilton. They came up to me after we announced [the program] to the community that they would be interested in participating,” Sterr revealed. “We would look to the fall, when the season goes from summer to winter, for other businesses like them to put their own dinner on one specific weekday for probably four to five weeks.
“This is about the community. It’s not about WB. It’s not about WB employees. This is about doing right, which is one of our core values. It was incredible, the feedback we’ve been getting from the Whistler Community Services team as well as from stakeholders we meet regularly with. When they heard we’re getting this initiative up and rolling, they all felt like it was a cause to get behind.” n
Black bear killed in Whistler after attacking, biting woman
NEWS BRIEFS: SLRD PONDERS DISTRICT-WIDE FILM PERMITTING PROCESS
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
A BLACK BEAR was killed in Whistler on April 28 after knocking a woman to the ground and biting her, according to the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW).
The Conservation Officer Service is investigating the incident, the RMOW said in an emailed statement.
“At approx. 8:30 p.m., a woman was walking her leashed dog in the Kadenwood neighbourhood when she was knocked to the ground and bitten by a bear. She was transported by ambulance and received medical attention for non-life threatening injuries,” the statement read. “Conservation Officers responded to the scene alongside police, firefighters and paramedics. COs conducted a sweep of the attack site and located a black bear nearby, which matched witness descriptions of the offending animal. The bear was dispatched due to public safety concerns.”
The COS has received a report of possible cubs in the surrounding areas where the woman was attacked, a ministry spokesperson told Pique.
“COs are searching the area. If cubs are located, they will be assessed for rehabilitation at a permitted rearing facility,” they said. “No cubs were reported
in the area or observed by COs during the response or for several hours afterwards.”
Instances of black bears attacking humans are exceedingly rare. The Kadenwood neighbourhood is the site of an infamous 2018 bear-feeding case, in which a Whistler woman was ultimately fined $10,500 for repeatedly feeding bears, but Conservation Officers said they were unable to confirm a connection.
According to the COS, “the black bear in this attack did not have an ear tag, and the COS cannot confirm whether it had a conflict history,” a spokesperson said. “The COS cannot stress enough the importance of not feeding bears and other dangerous wildlife, which can create a serious risk to public safety, as well as the safety of the bear. Violators can face fines under the Wildlife Act. Reports can be made to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline.”
The COS thanked its law enforcement and emergency responder partners for their assistance.
“Thankfully the victim was not more seriously injured,” said COS Sgt. Chris Doyle in a statement. “The COS is receiving reports of bear activity in Whistler and surrounding areas. We encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with safety precautions in case of wildlife encounters.”
Conservation Officers are continuing to investigate the incident, the RMOW said. People
are encouraged to familiarize themselves with safety precautions in case of wildlife encounters. For more resources, visit WildSafeBC.com
FIRST-IN-THE-PROVINCE FILM PERMITTING
At its April board meeting, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) picked up on a thread from a 2017 session, which recommended that staff develop a district-wide film permit policy that clarifies or streamlines the permitting process, minimizes the impact of filming on locals, ensures appropriate liability insurance and indemnification are in place, and encourages filming as an economic benefit to the area.
The board originally put off the film permit question, but voted to put it back on the docket in November 2024.
“Our goal is that we would model ourselves after those very successful film permit processes that are around here and in the Lower Mainland which have a very quick turnaround time and are very reliable on the indemnification and hold no harm that film permits bring,” said SLRD CAO Heather Paul. “So our goal is that it would alleviate the burden on staff to make decisions and the film permitting process would be addressing that in a timely manner.”
Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford cited the environmental impact of filming as needing regulation. The unique landscapes under the SLRD’s purview—which directors repeatedly cited as bringing film and TV projects to the area in the first place—are home to a number of sensitive environmental areas and at-risk species.
Paul said the permitting process would address relevant aspects of the SLRD’s strategic priorities; namely, impacts to wildlife and the environment.
Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton motioned that staff focus the development of the filming policy on holding no harm on the SLRD related to the construction of film sets and a process that provides a timely turnaround of permits.
He also suggested the board exercise some restraint when it comes to the permitting process, not wanting to see the policy “grow beyond the planter box it’s in,” and adding that the province already has regulations around filming.
“We wouldn’t be inserting ourselves into the already-established film permitting process that the province has on public lands and parks,” Paul later clarified. “That would be outside of our jurisdiction. This is mainly focused on private lands and where the SLRD has jurisdiction.”
Electoral Area B director Vivian-Birch Jones suggested looking to Squamish and Whistler’s already-established film permitting processes.
- Luke Faulks n
How to build a secret poetry appreciation society
‘COME, AND WE’LL HOLD SPACE FOR YOU’
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
KERRY DOREY is a multi-hyphenate: he’s an actor and a voice artist; he leads sound baths at Village Yoga; and—between you and me— he’s a member of Pemberton’s growing Secret Poetry Appreciation Society.
Poetry has always been in the wings for Dorey; he was an actor for more than 30 years in Toronto, and when he moved out to Pemberton and began leading sound baths at Village Yoga, poetry became central.
“I realized I’d been sort of working with language all my life,” he said. “And started reading poetry more for the sound baths that I do, because when people are lying in a space and trying to sort of just relax, sometimes just the notion of listening to some words being read to them can guide their thinking.”
POETRY THROUGH SOUND BATHS
However you engage in poetry is legitimate; old English poets never quite resonated with Dorey, so he looked to more contemporary writers. That was his in. And pairing recitations with sound baths has become a go-to medium for him to share poetry with others.
In the same way you can crank up some tunes on your drive home to decompress,
Dorey uses sound baths to transition the body from a fight-or-flight state into a rest-anddigest state using chimes, gongs and a host of other instruments.
“The bottom line is just that it creates the opportunity for people to just relax and be able to transition their body from this sort of sympathetic fight-or-flight state that we’re always in to this sort of parasympathetic restand-digest state,” he said. “Because we don’t really know how to rest very well and we don’t really know how to let go very well.”
That’s not to say the impact of a sound
to him—which you can do at Village Yoga or through Lisa Richardson’s Wellness Almanac blog—you can hear why the pairing is so natural; Dorey’s voice is deep and resonant, gravelly but clear with an emotional core. It complements the sound baths.
“I think poems have a beautiful way of just pointing at an idea, and poets are able to articulate something that we can only sometimes think about,” he said.
“And so some poems that will resonate about just being present, being in the moment, thinking about the little things that
“[P]oets are able to articulate something that we can only sometimes think about.”
- KERRY DOREY
bath is going to be the same for everyone; much like how listening to any song can resonate differently for different people, sound baths can elicit disparate emotions and reactions based on who’s listening.
“I’m not going to tell you this is exactly how you’re going to feel, because everybody is going to experience it a different way depending on what they bring into the room,” said Dorey.
“They can make you go, ‘Oh, I remember this,’ or, ‘This makes me feel anxious,’ or, ‘It makes me feel relaxed and peaceful.’”
A few years back, Dorey decided to pair his sound baths with poetry readings. Listening
pass us by during the day, that a poet is able to articulate and say, ‘Oh, this is something that I’ve noticed, and maybe it’s important that you have a think about this, too.’”
‘I THINK WE’RE THE START OF IT’
Dorey said Richardson—repeatedly voted Pemberton’s favourite local writer—was one of the first people he met when he moved to Pemberton six years ago. And in turn, he was one of the first she asked to be a part of the Society.
“Lisa just has a love of language, and an
enthusiasm that is contagious,” said Dorey. “We just started sharing poems back and forth with one another.
“She asked me what I thought about inviting other people to sort of share poems. And so I said, ‘Well, I’ll start it off for you and I,’ and I did a poem and it sort of just started these people going.”
The Society is here to stay—and it’s growing. Richardson and Dorey, along with Society members Johanna Molloy and Lisa Sambo, led a poetry pop-up at the Pemberton & District Public Library in April.
“[Johanna] is a beautiful writer and is Irish… I just could listen to her speak forever because she is a beautiful voice,” said Dorey. “And Lisa, I’ve only just met her, but she brings a cultural element to it and shares some beautiful things about the local language.”
Becoming a part of the Secret Poetry Appreciation Society is easier than you might think; whether it’s in writing or spoken aloud, produced by others or written at your desk at home, you just have to love poetry.
“I think it’s anybody who wants to be involved, anybody who’s the secret admirer of poetry,” said Dorey. “Come, and we’ll hold space for you.”
After that recent poetry pop-up at the Pemberton library, the Society is looking to share its love of poetry—and hopefully bring fellow secret poetry appreciators out of their shells around the Sea to Sky.
Dorey sees it as the start of Pemberton’s poetic tradition.
“I think we’re beginning it. I think we’re the start of it,” he said. “We’re collaborating with all these people. And there’s clearly an interest, you just sort of put it out there and see how it resonates with people.” n
TAKE A HINT You won’t find a website or Facebook page for the Poetry Society, but there are hints of it around Pemberton.
PHOTO BY CRYSTAL CONROY PHOTOGRAPHY
BC Parks announces Joffre Lakes closure, day-pass dates
THE APRIL 25
TO MAY 16
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
CLOSURE PROVIDES LIL’WAT NATION AND N’QUATQUA TIME TO CARRY OUT TRADITIONAL PRACTICES
THE POPULAR JOFFRE LAKES Park area will be temporarily closed from April 25 to May 16 as part of an ongoing partnership agreement between BC Parks, Lil’wat Nation and N’Quatqua Nation. The closures are intended to balance the increasing number of tourists flocking to the area with the Nations’ traditional and environmental priorities.
“The temporary closures are intended to respect the Nations’ need for space and privacy to practice cultural activities, while ensuring opportunities for people to use the park,” according to a release from BC Parks.
When Joffre re-opens on Saturday, May 17, adults and youth older than 12 will need a free day-use pass to visit the park. The Province will post future closure dates for 2025 “as soon as possible.”
The park, known as ‘Pipi7íyekw,’ is one of the busiest in the province, with increasing numbers of visitors coming to the area to hike, camp, mountain bike and hunt.
Since 2018, BC Parks, N’Quatqua and Lil’wat Nation have collaborated through a technical working group to implement a joint
visitor use management strategy.
A key issue for the partnership is addressing the environmental degradation caused by an influx of tourists. Tourism can cause soil erosion, disturb wildlife and strain water supplies. As
Pique has previously reported, the Joffre Lakes and wider Duffey corridor are considered a “banquet place” for First Nations, where minerals can be gathered, plants harvested, and animals can be hunted or trapped.
The park was first closed for a month in 2023.
Lil’wat political chief Dean Nelson explained at the time the Nation had requested meetings with the B.C. government to discuss closures but was never granted a meeting, leading to the surprise assertion of Lil’wat and N’Quatqua’s rights to steward their unceded lands and territories, as established by a 2014 ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada.
In 2024, the Park was closed thrice, for less than a month each time, through a partnership approach between BC Parks, Lil’wat and N’Quatqua.
Day-use passes have been used at Joffre Lakes since 2021 to ensure parking access and reduce crowding. The passes can be reserved online at 7 a.m. up to two days before a planned visit on BC Parks’ website.
Reservable dates for backcountry camping at Upper Joffre Lake will also be posted shortly.
The province noted there may still be snow at Joffre Park and in the parking lot. Users regularly post trail conditions on the AllTrails app.
For more information about dayuse passes this summer, visit bcparks.ca/ reservations/day-use-passes. n
DAY BY DAY Day-use passes will be required for Joffre Lakes visitors ages 12 and up after May 17. PHOTO BY LEONU / GETTY IMAGES
Areyou aWhistlerlandlordlookingfordependable tenants? Zero Ceiling Societyisseeking rentalunitstosublettoour programgraduates,whoare established communitymembers.
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Thepublicisinvited to reviewand commentontheBC TimberSales Chinook –SquamishField Team(BC TS DSQ) ForestOperations MapID 2265,showingproposed road constructionandcutblockdevelopment under Forest Stewardship Plan#941withinForest DevelopmentUnitsin theSea to Sk yResourceDistric t. Themapwillbevalid fortheoperating periodfrom May31,2025 –May 31,2028.Duringtheoperating period,the TimberSales Managermayinviteapplications forTimberSale Licenses forthehar vestingofcutblocksshownonthemapandapply for roadpermits to construc troadsshownonthemap.
Themapis available forpublic review andcomment online,at: fomnrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects and by searching2265astheFOM Numberunderthe “find”function.
Themapisalsoavailableforin-person review andcomment by appointmentattheBC TS DSQoffice, MondaytoFridayfrom8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at:
101- 42000 LoggersLane, Squamish, B.C.,V8BO8H
Commentswillbeacceptedbet ween May1–May 30,2025.Comments may besubmittedonline at fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects,emailed to BCTS.Squamish@gov.bc.ca,deliveredin-person at theaddressabove duringbusinesshours, ormailed to theaddressabovetothe attentionof theBC TS Squamish PlanningDepartment.
If youhavequestionsor requireassistance, pleaseemail BCTS.Squamish@gov.bc.ca.
ED BURTYNSKY is excited to talk about the Black Tusk.
We’re at the end of a walk-and-talk with the celebrated Canadian photo-artist for the opening of his new exhibit at the Audain Art Museum. On until Sept. 15 and part of the 2025 Capture Photography Festival, The Coast Mountains: Recent Works by Edward Burtynsky occupies the Audain’s signature upper gallery space. Introduced a few minutes prior by
BY LESLIE ANTHONY
Audain director Curtis Collins, Burtynsky has led us past six other massive, wall-shrinking images while sharing thoughts on his favoured large-format cameras, the process of capturing such shots by helicopter, the post-production need to deal with haze from wildfire smoke, and how the works juxtapose the pristine grandeur of B.C.’s mountains with glacier retreat due to climate change.
Now, fronting the space’s large terminal window, a sun-soaked day of exuberant spring green-up contrasting the moody gunmetal skies, bleak rock and rotting ice of the imagery, Collins segues Burtynsky’s final address with a story of returning from an event in Vancouver the previous day and detouring off Highway 99 to show him Alexander Falls, knowing the return trip down the Callaghan Valley would be revelatory.
“I was hoping it would be like seeing an old friend, because Black Tusk is visible all the way back,” beams Collins. “And Ed was like, Wow. So now he’s going to tell you what you see if you look closely at his image of it.”
As the Sea to Sky’s brand darling and centrepiece of the Fire & Ice Aspiring GeoRegion, Black Tusk has a history of being revelatory, and, even if this image is void of the ice melt depicted in the others, having direct relation to the region’s glacial heritage. Originally believed to be the erosionrevealed plug of an ancient stratovolcano, the Tusk has been reinterpreted, based on rock type and cooling patterns, as lava injected directly from below into the two-kilometrethick Cordilleran ice sheet that periodically blanketed Whistler during the Pleistocene.
“We flew around it a couple of times before I decided there was one iconic view that had this drama to it. So we hovered in that pocket for a while as I shot,” says Burtynsky. “I could see people on it—which I was excited about— but didn’t realize how many; I’m sure there are over 30. You actually don’t even see them until you stare at it for a while and then they just start to appear.”
Closing in, you see what he means. That this spire, so wild and stark from a distance of even a few metres, is actually braided with trails and bristling with hikers. It goes to the heart of what Burtynsky intended as an artist since he began capturing landscapes with a four-by-five camera back in the late-’70s— conceiving the primary viewer experience as big, museum-scale prints, and that seeing these photos in a book, magazine, phone or computer are all secondary experiences. This approach allows viewers to assess the composition from a distance, get the feel and drama of a first-impression. “Then I’m kind of inviting you to go for a deep dive into the detail and [make] other discoveries about the
work that you can’t get without being in its presence,” he says. “It’s a body experience: You walk into the scene, you walk away. It’s not something static. And at the same time, it’s all looking towards nature.”
Nature is where Burtynsky’s journey started, he acknowledges, noting that if he didn’t love nature he couldn’t do this kind of work. “We’re privileged in Canada—especially B.C.—to have a window on what nature intended,” he says.
This differs fundamentally from the manicured natural areas of Europe which are rife with human intention—a palimpsest over the kind of nature-lost-to-human-will that otherwise features prominently in his other work. He reflects on an early assignment to shoot “Evidence of Man” when he was studying photography at Toronto’s Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). “It was like being given a hall pass to be an observer of our species. My thinking was, ‘If there was another intelligent species in the universe, what would I show them so they could understand what we’re doing?’”
Artists typically have a reference point, and Burtynsky’s is deeply geological, his ongoing inquiry into how we humans have modified or scarified the Earth’s surface at scale—depicting the largest mines, tailings piles, quarries, dams and other projects. Though his breakout work in the 1980s and 1990s deftly addressed this theme, it really came to the international fore with 2003’s Manufactured Landscapes, a series of images conveying, among other things, the result of Western consumerism on the industrialization of China and the environmental devastation caused by these ambitions. A subsequent documentary film showed how the grandeur of Burtynsky’s images is often in tension with the compromised environments they depict. Considering the myriad crises caused
and faced by humanity, explorations of our ever-expanding footprint and the substantial ways this is reshaping the planet’s surface have landed very much on the existential nose, winning him the 2005 TED Prize and the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2016.
This ethos is very much continued in the current exhibit. “The Coast Mountains are one of the last remaining areas of extensive glaciation at this elevation and latitude. And they’re disappearing quickly,” he says. “I’m not telling anybody something they don’t already know. But this is a kind of a record, a kind of a contemplation of the fact that they’re with us still,” he says.
Coming on the heels of the Whistler Institute’s presentation, “Melting Glaciers, Healthy Watersheds & You,” the Audain’s Burtynsky exhibition brings into sharp focus a picture that all who dwell in the Sea to Sky have been staring at for decades. “Estimates are that most of Western Canada’s glaciers will be lost to melting within the next 80 years. By the end of this century, they could all be gone,” Burtynsky reflects. “My daughters, who are in their 20s, will not be looking at the same world when they are my age. These images are a reminder of what’s being lost—relics of ancient ice and an essential resource for ecosystems and freshwater in these parts of the world.”
This makes the seven images on display in the Audain the epitome of purpose: they are at once grandiose, muscular, and worrisome. In other words, transformational in a way that can both inform and inspire to action. “I don’t call myself an environmentalist,” Burtynsky had noted in his introduction. “I work to be revelatory, not accusatory.”
Leslie Anthony is a Whistler-based author, editor, biologist and bon vivant who has never met a mountain he didn’t like. n
Canada flinches at giving Carney the mandate he was hoping for
SAME SONG, probably a different dance partner.
We went to bed Monday sending Mark Carney into the lion’s den as an elected Liberal prime minister to stare down and subdue Donald Trump. But Canadians gave him anything but the strongest political hand.
Carney will apparently lead a third straight minority government–only now, one in which, of all things, the separatist Bloc Québécois has leverage for Liberal viability. Mathematically, the NDP can return as the support the Liberals need to rule–they’re four short of a majority, and the
BY KIRK LAPOINTE
NDP has seven seats–but it would be folly to bypass the Bloc Québécois and not bow to a party with 23 seats in a politically important province. Trump must be chuckling, though, at the prospect of contending with a prime minister beholden to a party that wants to leave Canada.
The result was not quite what the latest polls had predicted—a majority Liberal government, not one falling short by single digits. Quebec delivered it the government, but Ontario didn’t deliver its majority. Still, it amounted to an extraordinary reversal of Liberal fortunes, considering Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives held a two-dozenpoint poll lead only a dozen weeks ago, considering also that many thought not so long ago the Liberals might be rendered rubble this election.
What was clear in the result, apart from the remnant considerable division of a tighter-than-expected outcome, was that not even Trump’s threats to sovereignty could make Canadians forgive and forget what the Liberals wrought over three terms, even if under new leadership. Indeed, Poilievre built the party’s base Monday, earning roughly 20 more seats and its largest slice of the vote since 1988. That being said, it was his hesitance at first to denounce Trump—and to call out Trump’s supporters in his own party—that opened a door Carney calmly and luckily walked through.
The fear Trump stoked with every Truth Social post and Oval Office taunt landed clearly with traditional NDP voters, who fled the coop for Carney—if only to ensure it would not be Poilievre across the table from the U.S. president or across the Commons as the prime minister. Its vote collapse was epic; federal politics are, for the time being, a matter of two national parties not three. The NDP will no longer hold official party status in the Commons, and its leader of nearly eight years, Jagmeet Singh, finished third in his Burnaby riding and bade farewell to politics in his concession speech. Carney owes him no small amount of gratitude, and Poilievre erred in making the NDP such a target for so long—he ought to have been
keeping them alive to deprive the Liberals of oxygen.
Amid glacial vote-counting late Monday, Poilievre looked like he, too, might lose his seat. Tuesday it was confirmed. It was evident he has no intention of stepping aside as opposition leader, regardless, although he will need to put on the charm offensive to retain his caucus support after such an historic squandering of public support. With no seat in the Commons after seven straight wins in his riding, it’s difficult to see how he makes lemonade out of these lemons. His party has a nasty trait of eating its leaders alive. As with the NDP, the election post-mortem will require Conservatives to rethink. They had the government on the ropes, defined all but one of the election issues, yet could not convince Canadians that the changes they proposed were pressing necessities with an apprehended threat in the wind.
Carney is certainly courageous for taking on the task of taking on the world’s most powerful man. But as he does, he has some domestic healing suddenly on the agenda. He has to deliver on what most winners say on election night—that they’ll endeavour to represent everyone, even adversaries—as he represents the country in its most significant existential moment. The issues he was able to sidestep—affordability, housing, immigration, crime—do not disappear simply because he is at Mar-a-Lago with elbows up.
He will need to renew his party as he seizes control of it from the Trudeau team, set aside some of its tired troops, and multitask as not just a savvy foil to our neighbouring leader but a shrewd enabler of a more prosperous, confident country. He needs to work across the political aisle to apply the force of all parties in the fight ahead with America. It plants a small worry that his campaign lost steam in the home stretch, and that the more Canadians saw of Carney’s pilfering of policy and reticence to be candid about his holdings (or, for that matter, of his conversation with Trump), the less they were enthralled.
“As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,” he said in his latenight acceptance speech. “President Trump is trying to break us so he can own us. That will never happen.”
No one really knows what kind of negotiator, much less what kind of prime minister, we have on our hands. But if he is true to his word—that he will make mistakes, but own them, and that he will lead with humility, as he certainly must have felt Monday in not earning a dominant victory—then perhaps a successful defence of Canada at the bargaining table will prevail as his brand and will carve him quickly into history. Fumble it, though, and the carving will be upon him.
Kirk LaPointe is a Glacier Media columnist with an extensive background in journalism. He is vice-president in the office of the chairman at Fulmer & Co. n
PROTECTING B.C. OLD-GROWTH FORESTS COULD YIELD $10.9B IN BENEFITS, REPORT FINDS
PBY STEFAN LABBÉ
rotecting the most at-risk old growth forests in two B.C. timber supply areas would lead to $10.9 billion in economic benefits over the next century, a new report has found.
However, those gains would be wiped out if logging were to carry on as it is today across the Prince George and Okanagan timber supply areas, concluded the environmental consulting firm ESSA Technologies in a report published in early April.
Together, the two timber supply areas (TSA) contain about 10 per cent of B.C.’s total old-growth forests mapped in 2021.
If they were fully protected, modelling in the report found the two regions’ old-growth forests could generate up to $43.1 billion in net economic benefits over the next 100 years. That accounts for $4.1 billion in losses in timber production across the two supply areas.
Rachel Holt, an independent forest ecologist who advised on the report in its early stages, said the results did not surprise her in a province where the only value that’s regularly modelled with any veracity is timber volume.
“It’s so blindingly obvious that we are not effectively taking account of all the other values in the forest,” Holt said. “The amount of carbon in the forest in B.C. is off the scale.
“And the amount that’s lost when we harvest is phenomenally high.”
Protecting old-growth could avoid billions in damages
The large dollar value placed on protecting only some of B.C.’s old-growth trees largely comes from the forests’ capacity to suck carbon out of the air and store it in trees and soil—phenomena known as carbon sequestration and storage.
Using the federal government’s definition for the social cost of carbon, ESSA Technologies calculated how failing to capture and store forest carbon would make climate change worse.
The metric includes a number of knock-on effects, including shifts in net agricultural productivity, damage to human health, property destruction from increased flood risk, disruption of energy systems and a drop in the value of ecosystem services.
Protecting old-growth forests was also found to lead to benefits in tourism and recreation—$300 million in the Prince George TSA and $491 million in the Okanagan TSA—and nontimber forest products like floral greenery, wild edibles, medicinal plants and landscaping and restoration products, among others.
“This report is an important step in recognizing the true value of our lands and resources,” said Grand Chief
Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, in a statement.
“It affirms what First Nations have always known—that sustainable stewardship and Indigenous knowledge are key to long-term prosperity.”
The report factored in losses due to a decline in logging. It did not analyze potential positive knock-on effects of protecting old growth forests, such as improving the supply and quality of drinking water, dampening impacts from floods, providing habitat to wildlife, and benefits to culture and education.
Overall, the authors say their numbers likely represent an under-estimate of the total economic value of preserving forests in the two timber supply areas.
Wildfire activity remains a wildcard
The report comes four years after an independent panel convened by the province to carry out an old-growth strategic review recommended that B.C. defer logging on 2.6 million hectares of old forest.
ESSA Technologies used that recommendation as a baseline, running models showing the value of ignoring and following that recommendation. It then looked at the impacts of deferring logging in all priority old-growth forests across the two TSA’s, and deferring logging in 100 per cent of their old-growth forests.
Because the two areas are particularly prone to wildfire, the authors also modelled how deferring 100 per cent of old growth would play out if wildfire activity doubled.
“In all cases except the increased wildfire scenario, our results suggest society would be better off protecting oldgrowth than logging it, largely because these forests provide significant climate change mitigation services from carbon storage and sequestration,” the report says.
Results also suggest the Okanagan TSA will act as an overall source of carbon, releasing more than it absorbs, over the next century unless all old-growth harvesting is halted. Prince George’s harvest area would remain a net carbon sink, the report found.
If old-growth logging were fully deferred in both timber
“
This report is an important step in recognizing the true value of our lands and resources. It affirms what First Nations have always known—that sustainable stewardship and Indigenous knowledge are key to long-term prosperity.”
- Grand Chief Stewart Phillip
supply areas, they would absorb another 28 million tonnes of carbon—equivalent to the emissions released from burning 63 million barrels of oil.
Numbers come as pressure mounts on B.C.’s forestry industry
Jens Wieting, a senior policy and science advisor with the Sierra Club BC—which partially funded the report— said the emerging trade war with the current U.S. administration appears to have placed the environment on the back-burner in favour of expanded resource extraction.
“It’s a very pivotal moment,” Wieting said.
“This report shows we will pay a price if we weaken environmental standards instead of strengthening them.”
While not the focus of the report, the authors suggested paying for the protection of B.C.’s old-growth areas could be achieved through government and philanthropic grants, or conservation financing. Other potential revenue sources included tourist access fees, revenue sharing with timber harvest and carbon markets.
The report comes a day after the BC Lumber Trade Council confirmed the U.S. Department of Commerce had made a preliminary decision to more than double countervailing duties on imports of Canadian softwood lumber. The combined effect would raise the total duty rate to 34.45 per cent, up from the current 14.4 per cent.
Council president Kurt Niquidet told BIV that if the proposed hikes remain in place, they could come into effect by the fall.
Meanwhile, more than 600 forestry executives, politicians and other officials gathered in Prince George at an annual BC Council of Forestry Industries (COFI) convention.
The meeting focused on how the province’s industry could respond to U.S. tariffs while convincing government to eliminate red tape and ramp up the amount the timber industry can cut every year.
COFI president and CEO Kim Haakstad did not respond to a request to comment on the old-growth report’s conclusions.
Decline in forestry jobs not made up for by tourism
The latest study was an effort to scale up previous modelling that put a monetary value on a small timber supply area near Port Renfrew, where many of the jobs lost in the forestry industry were projected to be made up for by gains in tourism.
The latest ESSA Technologies report concluded it still makes more economic sense to keep old-growth trees in the ground. But tourism didn’t see as big of a relative boost in the two Interior TSAs as on Vancouver Island.
Under baseline conditions, the report estimated there would be 2,333 full-time equivalent jobs—direct and indirect— connected to forestry across B.C.
Depending on the scenario, the authors found deferring more old-growth forests would lead to a reduction in that workforce of between 206 and 659 jobs.
In both areas, forest-based recreational tourism jobs would see only a small increase as old-growth deferrals go up.
The result, concluded the report, is that while B.C. would
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be better off overall deferring more old growth, the trade-off is there would be fewer overall jobs in the forest tourism and logging sectors.
The study did not analyze the job impact on other sectors. Holt, who served on the B.C. government’s old-growth technical advisory panel, said the scope of the report provided only a narrow view of the impacts of deferring more old growth in B.C.
She pointed to real costs of losing biodiversity and the potential to create more jobs in value-added wood manufacturing, instead of shipping barely processed wood products out of the province.
Instead of designing a forestry system that maximizes benefits for everyone, Holt said B.C.’s industry has created an extremely low number of jobs per tree cut.
“Yes, it’s a flaw in the report,” said the ecologist. “But they were doing a particular thing and they did it.”
What’s needed now, said Holt, is correcting for a forestry system that misses the value in anything that is not timber.
“We have not designed a forestry industry that is sensible,” she said. “We don’t even pretend to value carbon.
“This is about blind, wilful avoidance of basic facts that will lead to serious problems.” n
PHOTO BY TWIGYMULEFORD / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
On February 25,2025 Councilpassedaresolutionapprovingthe fundingamounts totheFFSRecipientsataRegular Council Meeting. The FFSRecipientsare providingimportantservicestotheWhistlercommunityand Councilhas determinedthattheassistancebeingprovidedbytheRMOWfurthers thegoalsof theWhistlercommunityasidentifiedinWhistler’sOfficialCommunityPlan.All fundingundertheseagreementsisduetobepaidin2025, subjecttotheFFS Recipientssatisfyingmilestonesthroughout2025 andcontinuedavailabilityof funding.
LOCAL ATHLETE JORDAN GLASSER TALKS HOCKEY AFTER CLINCHING A WSHA DIVISION 1 TITLE WITH THE GIBBONS RAIDERS
BY DAVID SONG
WHEN YOU THINK of Whistler, you probably envision skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking. It may be one of the few Canadian towns where hockey does not reign supreme and actually takes a backseat to other sports. However, a subcultural shift may be afoot—and not just due to the emergence of successful professionals like Garrett Milan of the Athens Rock Lobsters.
“Hockey, from the youth perspective, has gained a ton of popularity,” opines Jordan Glasser, a local beer league player and CrossFit gym owner. “I don’t know the numbers, but I certainly could feel it in this town. So many of my friends’ kids play hockey, so many girls and boys. As much as skiing is the epicentre and mountain biking is the epicentre, hockey has really gained popularity.”
A similar trend can be found on the adult recreational scene as lots of folks are involved with the Whistler Sportsmans Hockey Association (WSHA). Glasser and his Gibbons Raiders climbed the mountain earlier this month to win a Division 1 trophy.
The Dubh Linn Gate Marmots were a tough opponent, pushing the Raiders in a hotly-contested best-of-five series that went the distance, but Glasser’s squad emerged victorious with an overall postseason record of 5-2.
“I think that was the most fun finals I’ve ever played in,” Glasser said. “The teams in general have great respect for each other. The players do respect each other. Violence
‘YOU LOOK UP TO STANDING ROOM ONLY’
The aforementioned mix of guys receive a good mix of fan support from seasonal employees and longtime residents alike.
Meadow Park Sports Centre’s (MPSC) compact bleachers allow people to sit just a few metres away from the ice, which Glasser calls an “incredible” experience for those
“The players have gotten a hell of a lot better in the last 15 years ... They’ve got a ton of skill.”
- JORDAN GLASSER
can happen in team sports, especially in the playoffs when no one likes to lose, but a big shout out to the league. It takes a lot of people to make it happen.
“We all know it’s beer league, yet … truth be told, winning is a great feeling. There’s something a little bit special when you do it with teammates. I’m near 50. There’s a player of ours who’s cracked the age 50 milestone, a bunch over 40, but also a bunch in their early 20s. We’re a good mix of guys that play well for each other ... and I play now against some of my friends’ kids.”
who haven’t been exposed to hockey before.
“The whole year there’s been fans out,” he recalled. “The Whistler Blackcomb staff brought in a lot of their younger seasonal staff. I’m sure we all heard about the incident that caused [a short ban] on fans attending games, but to be honest that wasn’t the norm. Everyone was usually well-behaved.
“It’s crazy to think: you’re near 50, you’re playing a team sport and you look up to standing room only. It’s an awesome feeling. You certainly try just a little bit harder.” Glasser played hockey in his youth and
was a dedicated beer-leaguer during the early 2000s, when the Raiders were known as the Mongolie Grillers. He retired in 2010 as life got busy and ice times got pushed later and later (11:45 p.m. puck drops weren’t unheard of)—but felt an itch to lace up the skates again last year.
That itch originated in part from Glasser’s desire for community. Whistler is loaded with options for individual athletes and adrenaline junkies, but he missed the team environment of hockey and asked the Raiders if they could use one more warm body. Fortunately they had room, and Glasser switched from defence to left wing.
“The players have gotten a hell of a lot better in the last 15 years. There’s no chance I could hang with any of the young kids while trying to skate backwards,” he admitted. “They’ve got a ton of skill. A lot of these guys were semi-pro, there’s talent and it’s exciting to watch, [even if it’s not] the NHL.”
In any case, Glasser notched 14 goals and 34 points in 24 matches—enough for fourthbest on his team.
“It was reassuring that after 12 to 15 years off, I could jump back in and play without missing much of a fitness beat—it was actually the mind that was pretty slow,” said Glasser. “Fitness diversity is key for longevity … and that is certainly part of my core philosophy. As adults, don’t stop playing sports. I can’t wait for another fun season.” n
BEER FACTOR The Gibbons Raiders won the 2025 WSHA Division 1 Championship at Meadow Park Sports Centre.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN GLASSER
Whistler Wolves take aim at big 2025 season
THE LOCAL RUGBY LEAGUE SQUAD HOPES TO DEFEND ITS RLBC TITLE, WITH AN EXPANDED YOUTH PROGRAM AND NINES TOURNAMENT ALSO ON DECK
BY DAVID SONG
THE WHISTLER WOLVES are back up and running.
As incumbent Rugby League British Columbia (RLBC) champions, the Wolves are hungry to defend their throne. Yet they’re even hungrier about one long-term goal: foster the growth of Sea to Sky rugby.
Head coach Blake Stewart reports that 22 players showed up to the first training session in late April, with half the group being composed of newcomers. He also holds aspirations of growing Whistler’s youth program from 16 registrants last year to more than 20, for a strong pipeline will make the organization more competitive at all levels.
“We won [the RLBC] for the first time in our club’s history in 2024, which was great, knowing that we’ve only been around for four years,” Stewart said. “Last year we actually had the most registered players for the men ever, and we also launched our youth program.”
Due to resource constraints, the Wolves’ underagers were only able to partake in four days of friendly matches against a squad out of Langley. This year, the plan is to establish a formal competitive structure between Whistler, Langley and a Vancouver-based unit: a six-week campaign that minimizes travel for all involved and leads directly into a Grand Final.
Stewart knows demand is high: at the end of 2024 he heard virtually all of his young athletes clamouring for more. Players will again range from 15 to 19 years old this summer, depending on experience and talent level.
ON AND OFF THE FIELD
As for the senior men, fellowship was vital to their unprecedented breakthrough in
league action, with team-voted Player of the Year Harvey Lew and captain Josh Michalik spearheading the charge.
“We kept on building camaraderie. I think last year was an all-time high for the club, regardless if they were in the first 13 or a [bench player], everyone was going for a common goal,” recounted Stewart. “We were able to get buses to every single away game, and I do think that helped us come together as a group a lot more.
“Everyone just bought into what we do. I think for the last four years, it was always about figuring out what we wanted to be as a club, but [in 2024] everyone clicked into gear. We had a bit of an identity of what the rules are and what everyone wanted to help—that showed on and off the field. To be honest, it was easily the strongest position we’ve been in both on and off. For all those reasons, that’s why we’re able to deliver.”
The fun will kick off on May 31 as RLBC’s annual Nines tournament circles back to Whistler. Having won this particular contest in 2023, the Wolves look forward to adding another trophy to their case.
“It’s a great way to start the season and it’s a pretty relaxed day,” Stewart said. “It’s a way to introduce people that have never seen rugby league because of the shorter games— they’re only 18 minutes long and you get to play a lot of games in one day so that learning curve can happen quite quickly.”
Whistler shares a number of athletes with the Axemen from Squamish, who play rugby union in winter and spring months. Having come off a notable season in their own right, Axemen veterans bring both experience and positive momentum to the Wolves dressing room in a symbiotic relationship for both clubs.
The Wolves are currently in need of a sponsor for their youth team, and Stewart hopes that anyone interested to help will reach out to the organization’s Facebook or Instagram pages. n
BACK AT IT The Whistler Wolves rugby league team.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BLAKE STEWART
Three cheers— and a hug—for all things Filipino!
FROM FABULOUS FOOD TO BUILDING COMMUNITY, FILIPINOS
CONNECT SEA TO SKY
MANY WORK BEHIND the scenes.
But many don’t. Some are early childhood educators. Some are bank tellers or engineers who maintain huge building systems. They analyze samples at Whistler Medical Clinic’s lab, and greet you at the eye clinic. They ring through your groceries, and answer your questions at the visitors’ centre.
Some were born in Sea to Sky, others
BY GLENDA BARTOSH
were born in the Philippines and came here later in life. But whatever they do—as chefs, dental assistants, BC Transit drivers, and more—Filipinos do it with skill, smarts and a dedication all rooted in a philosophy of neighbourly cooperation and kindness that’s appreciated world-wide, especially in places like Whistler.
Now that appreciation runs deeper than ever after the horrific SUV attack at the Lapu Lapu street festival in Vancouver, which so far has claimed 11 lives and changed forever how people see the Filipino community, including its values.
In Sea to Sky, where an estimated 2,000plus Filipinos live and work (most of them in Whistler and Squamish), it’s hard to come up with an aspect of local life they don’t touch. The Egido family—with dad Ernesto, mom Arlene, and son Arnel—is a perfect example.
Arlene might have helped you choose some good macupuno “coconut string” ice cream at their family-run shop, Cebu De Oro
Services and Mini Grocery in Cheakamus Crossing—a business they started right after the 2010 Winter Olympics, which transformed Whistler.
Maybe Arlene has suggested how to cook your cod fillets at the seafood section she’s in charge of at Fresh St. Market, where she’s worked for 17 years after coming to Whistler in 1991. Or maybe you’ve heard her sing in Our Lady of the Mountains’ church choir, which Arnel directs and was part of a special mass held Monday night in memory of those festival victims.
Love the sushi at that local favourite, Sushi Village? (Celebrating its 40th anniversary!)
Then you’ll know Ernesto, who’s been sushi chef there for nearly 30 years. Fondly known as “Nester” by the regulars—a nickname started by Japanese kids who thought “Ernesto” sounded like “Nesters”—he enjoys a storied past.
Previously, he was sushi chef for years at Irori Sushi in Nancy Greene Lodge until it closed and Sushi Village scooped him up. Before that Ernesto was the first sushi chef in San Jose, Costa Rica, after mastering his craft at some of the Philippines’ finest sushi places in Cebu City and Manila.
Much of his distinguished international career is due to the best advice he got from his
mentors: “Love your work, they told me. And I took it to heart,” Ernesto says.
Part of that means sampling his creations before a customer walks in the door so he knows exactly what he’s serving. No surprise that after all these years Ernesto still loves sushi. His favourite? Maguro, or tuna—a legend in the world of sushi.
“It’s healthy. Good for everything,” he says.
As for Arnel, you might have gone to school with him at Myrtle Philip Elementary or Whistler Secondary; sung in that choir he directs; shopped at his Filipino specialty store Grand Food Mart in Burnaby; or had him teach you in his role as a clinical nurse educator at Burnaby General Hospital. (You got it—like so many “half ‘n’ halfers” in Sea to Sky, Ernesto lives part-time in Whistler and part-time in Metro Vancouver.)
You might have also crossed paths with Arnel via the newly minted Barangay Sea to
ARLENE EGIDO’S CHICKEN ADOBO
Clean and prepare 300 gm. of chicken, or about 3/4 lb.—whatever cuts you like. In a large pan on medium heat, add 2-3 tbsp. of vegetable oil. Once heated, add 5 garlic cloves, chopped (Arlene likes lots of garlic), and 1 small chopped onion. Sautee a few minutes. Add the chicken and brown it for about 10 minutes. Add about 1/8 c. soy sauce and 1/4 c. vinegar. Reduce the heat and cover, gently simmering it all about 10 minutes. Add 2 bay leaves, crushed or whole, and a pinch of black pepper. Cover and simmer another 20-30 minutes, then check the flavour. If it’s too acidic, add 1/2 tsp. or so of sugar to balance the flavours. Arlene likes her adobo sauce thick. The meat will release moisture, but if it gets too dry, add some water as needed. Continue simmering until it’s done, about 1/2 hr. Serve your chicken or pork adobo with steamed white rice and any Asian green vegetable, like bok choy. Good with pandesal, the sweet/salty Filipino buns available at the Egidos’ shop at Cheakamus Crossing or Grand Food Mart in Burnaby along with many other Filipino products—like that great macupuno ice cream for dessert. n
Sky. As reported in Pique, it’s the corridor’s first Filipino non-profit society started by Hannyliz Villafuerte “to create a deeper sense of belonging and promote Filipino culture and representation locally.”
Hannyliz is president; Ernesto, along with Arthur Santiago, shares the vice-president’s role of the society, which helps local Filipinos navigate ordinary times and times of strife, like these. It’s all based on that unique Filipino approach mentioned earlier—bayaniahan, an ancient tradition of working together to accomplish a difficult task. For instance, long ago when someone needed to move, the neighbourhood banded together to lift the traditional bamboo house and literally move it to a new location.
“The barangay is like a small community unit in the Philippines where people go to ask for assistance—anything they need assistance with,” says Arnel. “If they move or need help with difficult neighbours, they come together in the barangay and share the resources.
“It gives people a platform for their voices to be heard where it’s open and connected, and to make something good of it.”
Speaking of connecting and making something good, try your hand at traditional Filipino cooking with this recipe, below, from Arlene. Good with chicken or pork.
“Adobo is a very simple recipe that’s very easy, the way we do it,” she says. Arnel will be the first to tell you it’s delicious. In fact, Arlene wants to open a Filipino eatery at Whistler. We’ll be all the luckier if she does.
Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who knows that food is one of the best ways to connect. n
ALL IN THE FAMILY The Egidos (l to r)—Arlene, Arlen and Ernesto—in their Whistler shop, Cebu De Oro Services and Mini Grocery, which offers many Filipino products and services.
PHOTO BY ROSE REYES
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
Whistler Secondary School brings Carrie: The Musical to the Maury Young
SHOWS
WILL RUN FROM MAY 7 TO 10
BY DAVID SONG
FRESH OFF LAST YEAR’S successful showing of Heathers: Teen Edition, the Whistler Secondary School (WSS) musical theatre department is getting ready for its next act.
Carrie: The Musical is based on the 1974 Stephen King horror novel of the same name and focuses on a lonely high-schooler named Carrie White. Relentlessly abused by bullies and her fanatical religious mother, Carrie ultimately decides to fight back after discovering she has telekinesis.
The original musical released in 1988 to disastrous results, becoming one of the costliest failures in Broadway history with just five performances. A 2012 off-Broadway revival met with more success, and the story has since become fairly popular with adolescent viewers.
“It deals with themes like bullying, being an outcast, all the usual high-school types of drama that resonate more with students,” remarks WSS theatre teacher Conor Niwinski. “I was a little lukewarm to [the play], being as dark as it was, but at its core I still feel like there’s a good message to be had. Heathers was also a little bit on the edgier
side, so I think that helps with the hesitations a bit. I hope the cast can, once again, take the best messages and try to convey that to the audience.”
SHOWS WITH MEANING
Key actors include a trio of seniors: Kiara Felice as the titular character, Solomon Denessen as Carrie’s friend and love interest Tommy Ross, and Deanne Santos as fellow student Freida.
Felice opines: “I think both shows have a
honoured to be a part of another show that has so much depth.”
For Santos, who did not perform last year, the journey is even more personal.
“I wanted to pay tribute to my late friend that passed a while back … and experience Grade 12 to the absolute fullest,” she explains. “My friend did a lot of theatre during high school. He got the main role for almost everything and he has shared very valuable messages with me, especially when it comes to singing and just being yourself. In a way
“It deals with themes like bullying, being an outcast, all the usual highschool types of drama...”
- CONOR NIWINSKI
very deep message. For instance, Heathers was about drug addiction and mental health, and Carrie’s the same way with the aspect of school bullying. From playing the mean girl Heather Duke last year to being the girl who gets picked on a lot, being in only one or two group numbers … I’m trying to step up my acting, really show that people can be vulnerable and I can do more than just play the mean girl.”
“I’m excited to bring another show that has meaning to it,” Denessen adds. “There are a lot of great musicals out there, but a lot of them don’t have a lot of depth. I’m just
I feel like this will contribute back to him by putting all those lessons into work and showcasing what I have learned through him.”
‘I THINK THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB’
WSS theatre students have a tall task ahead of them. The department graduated seven 12th-graders last year, including 2024’s leads Tia Horn and John Paguia—all of whom Niwinski describes as role models who created a positive experience for their peers. Luckily the current upperclassmen are filling voids, whether that’s
Felice staging and choreographing a number or Denessen pushing himself in a new type of role.
“This is a much more difficult role for me personally,” he says. “Last year it was kind of easy to rest comfortably in the comedic aspects of my character, whereas this year it’s much more serious. I’m enjoying exploring that more and dealing with the more serious subjects.
“In full honesty, it’s been hard without the same cast we had last year because there was magic in a bottle. I’m just trying to step up the professionalism, trying to step up the singing and the level of vocals that we’re doing. We have amazing cast members this year as well.” Santos agrees, revealing she has been warmly welcomed into the cast. She feels like the experience is akin to “being adopted into another family.”
“I think they do a phenomenal job,” Niwinski says about his pupils. “There’s been a lot of good moments where people have stepped up into different things. Musicals, unlike straight plays, I feel [can] bring a larger community in the school closer together because there’s a lot more going on. Coming together as a singing chorus, which is typical at the end of every musical, has the ability to create a really good vibe for everyone. There’s more for stage crew to do … so even if you can’t sing or can’t dance or whatever, there might be other ways you can contribute.”
For tickets and showtimes to WSS’ rendition of Carrie: The Musical, which runs May 7 to 10, visit sd48whistlersecondary.org. n
John Baldwin publishes Coast Mountain High Routes
THE NEW GUIDEBOOK DOCUMENTS 2,700 KILOMETRES WORTH OF ALPINE TRAVERSES, MANY OF WHICH HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN COVERED
BY DAVID SONG
JOHN BALDWIN loves mountains, and he wants to share that passion with anybody who might be interested.
That’s why he’s recently authored a new guidebook, Coast Mountain High Routes. This volume chronicles 46 summer alpine traverses that would cover more than 2,700 kilometres if put together. Some can be done in three days, while others demand three weeks of your time, and Baldwin (who has experienced them all) figures you’d need 421 days to complete the book’s journeys… if everything goes according to plan.
A few routes, like a summertime variation of the Spearhead Traverse and jaunts around Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, may be known to Sea to Sky denizens. However, Baldwin claims the vast majority of his itineraries have not been documented in any other guidebook. Some particularly remote offerings venture through the high grasslands of the Chilcotin or above deep coastal inlets as far north as Bella Coola.
In all, 525 colour photographs show off the splendour of these locations for readers who might need a little bit of convincing.
“There’s so many amazing places we have. We’re just surrounded by these incredible mountains, and I’ve been poking away at all these kinds of obscure places,” Baldwin says. “I’d like to share that with people. Not everyone knows about them, and they’re not crowded—all these places are wilderness. I think people would be stoked to know about them and go explore a little bit themselves.”
If you grab a copy of Coast Mountain High Routes, know that you’re putting yourself in trustworthy hands. Baldwin has been skiing since he was 14 years old, with multiple decades of backcountry navigation, hiking and mountaineering under his belt. He’s also published another guidebook, Exploring the Coast Mountains on Skis, and the third edition of this work dates back to 2009.
‘NEVER RETRACE YOUR STEPS’
Baldwin understands all too well the importance of doing one’s homework before embarking on a high route.
“When you’re in the mountains, lots can happen,” he says. “Weather can change. You’ve got to be prepared in case there’s an accident, all that kind of thing. There’s quite a bit of planning involved.”
Coast Mountain High Routes sorts its trips using a four-tier difficulty rating system, from green to double-black diamond. Relatively easy outings more or less consist of long walks through meadows, while the most challenging ask adventurers to navigate glaciers and proficiently utilize mountaineering equipment.
The book’s description elaborates: “these are the great skyline traverses—off-trail hikes through large remote mountainous regions, continuously in the alpine, and a bit like being on a summit for an entire trip. With elements of thru-hiking, backpacking and mountaineering, you carry your camp on your back, never retrace your steps, and travel over terrain that is always new.”
Once you’ve leafed through the volume and chosen a particular route, head online to check out Baldwin’s database of digital routes. These go over the nitty-gritty details, while the book serves more of an introductory and inspirational role.
Baldwin hopes people will continue to find his resources beneficial.
“When I was starting out and I [went] somewhere or didn’t know something, a guidebook was always super helpful,” he remarks. “I really feel like giving back, and I’ve had people come up to me and say that because of something I’ve written, they’ve had the best trip of their lifetime. It’s really special when you can help somebody do that.”
Learn more about Coast Mountain High Routes at johnbaldwin.ca/coast-mountainhigh-routes.asp and find Baldwin’s digital routes at caltopo.com/m/QHC7MGL. n
VIEW FROM ABOVE Looking down Jervis Inlet from the shoulder of Mount Pearkes on a high route around Princess Louisa Inlet west of Whistler.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN BALDWIN
Pemberton’s 2025 Mountain Muse Festival lineup revealed ‘ROCK
OUT, GROOVE, TRIP OUT OR BUST-A-MOVE’
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
THE PEMBERTON Arts Council (PAC) has unveiled the official line-up for the 2025 Mountain Muse Festival. The Valley’s preeminent music festival returns on June 13 and 14 with eight musical acts—half local, half welcome guests.
“It’s just a great party in downtown Pemberton,” said PAC executive director Cléa Thomas. “It’s going to be fun, there’s going to be some really good bands, great food at the farmers’ market and it’s in June so the weather should be awesome.”
The PAC winnowed the evenings’ performances down to eight bands from more than100 applicants. Thomas said she wanted a balance of local talent while also introducing attendees to new acts.
“We want to promote local bands, but it’s also fun for people living here to see something different,” she said. “We have some pretty exciting bands coming in.”
FAMILY-FRIENDLY FRIDAY
This year’s festival will look a little different. Friday, June 13 kicks off the proceedings with a free, family-friendly event at Pioneer Park, which coincides with the Pemberton Farmers’
Market. Four bands will be on hand to entertain guests, who will have access to local vendors and entertainment geared towards kids.
The evening begins with Sheri Marie Ptolemy, a country singer-songwriter from Pemberton. Her music is inspired by her natural surroundings, with natural themes woven into her pieces. Her latest
“We have some pretty exciting bands coming in.”
- CLEA THOMAS
EP, Hometown, “features six songs inspired by her experiences leaving her small-town life and chasing her dreams of becoming a country artist.”
Then, at 4 p.m., The Spiritual Warriors take the stage. The internationally acclaimed musical group out of Lil’wat Nation roots its style in Indigenous chants and contemporary roots like rock and reggae. The multi-lingual band performs most of its songs in U’cwalmicwts and is passionate
about preserving and promoting its language and culture.
The first out-of-towners, Henry Chung and the Spontaneous Combustion, hit the stage at 5 p.m. Their lead, Henry, is one of the premiere blues harmonica players and bandleaders in Asia and North America— inducted into the U.S. Harmonica Hall of Fame in 2004 and rated “one of Washington’s top jazz and blues musicians” by the Washington Post in 2005.
Last up is Bu Von Blume from the Comox Valley—a highly interactive, family-friendly act revolving around love, unity and silliness. In their own words, “Bu Von Blume is funk. Bu Von Blume is disco. Bu Von Blume is cumbia, punk, ska, soul, balkan. Whatever it takes to get the people moving and grooving, really.”
The evening wraps at about 7 p.m. so folks can get plenty of sleep in before the next day’s late night.
THE MAIN EVENT
On Saturday, June 14, the main event kicks off at the Downtown Community Barn at 7:30 pm. The event, geared towards those aged 19 and up, will feature refreshments and, of course, live music.
Prince George’s Kiziah and the Kreatures are set to bring their pop-rock fusion to the stage. Band leader Kiziah Arias is joined by
Colin Hines on lead guitar, Justin Gendreau on drums, and Shit Hot Mike on bass, creating a powerful musical experience.
Then, at 8:30, it’s back to the local talent with Mars Crossing—a five-piece, guitardriven rock band that blends southern/classic rock, blues, funk, country and pop. The band features vocalist Caleb McKenzie, Mike Grenzer and Joseph Salay on guitar, Tom Rimmer on drums, and their newest member, Brad Nichols, on bass.
The Pemberton section of the night continues with Valley institution The Zummers, a four-piece indie folk/rock band that won both the 2024 Whistler Music Search and the 2025 Squamish Battle of the Bands within six months of its founding. The Zummers expect fans to “rock out, groove, trip out or bust-a-move.”
And finally, Paris Pick takes the stage with her unique brand of yatch-pop music. Back from Whitehorse, Yukon to B.C., where she was born, Pick delivers “uplifting songs about personal growth, love, and heartache, all perfectly weaved together with crunchycute fuzz guitar solos and mid-’70s inspired vocal melodies that leave listeners swooning.”
Tickets for the second night are on sale on the PAC website. Early bird tickets, available until May 15, are $35. Tickets will cost $40 after that. Prices are 15 per cent off for PAC members. n
PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE
Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events
ALTA LAKE BIRD WALK
ALTA LAKE BIRD WALK
Join the Whistler Naturalists on the first Saturday of the month for a walk to Rainbow Park. Open to anyone interested in learning about birds and contributing as a citizen scientist. Connect with experienced birders who are happy to share their knowledge.
> May 3, 7 a.m.
> Bottom of Lorimer Road
WANNABE: A SPICE GIRLS TRIBUTE
Get ready to spice up your life! Wannabe: A Spice Girls Tribute is presented by Arts Whistler Live! and part of the Spice Up the West tour. A night of pure ’90s nostalgia, relive the glory days of Beanie Babies, Ring-Pops and platform shoes as these powerhouse performers take you back to 1996 when Ginger, Baby, Scary, Posh, and Sporty ruled the world. With 65 million records sold, the Spice Girls became the best-selling girl group of all time.
> May 4, 8 p.m.
> Maury Young Arts Centre
IN CONVERSATION WITH CHELSEA HANDLER
Join moderator Jeanette Bruce in welcoming Chelsea Handler to Whistler’s local literary scene and celebrate her new book, I’ll Have What She’s Having. Chelsea
will read from the hilarious and tender essays in her book as she shares her unforgettable story of becoming the woman she always wanted to be. Surprisingly vulnerable, and always outrageous, Chelsea Handler captures the antic-filled, exhilarating and joyful life she’s built—a life that makes the rest of us think: I’ll Have What She’s Having.
> May 5, 7 p.m.
> Rainbow Theatre
BARBED CHOIR
Do you love to sing? Do you love meeting new people? Do you like all types of rock music, new and old? Head on down to sing with Barbed Choir - Whistler’s rock choir. Meetings are drop-in, no registration or experience necessary.
> May 7, 7 p.m.
> Whistler Public Library
ANTI-RACISM CAFE
The Whistler Multicultural Society Resilience invites you to a space for open dialogue and connection around social justice—for individuals passionate about equity, inclusion, community resilience and systemic change.
Join us in celebrating Asian Heritage Month. Together, we’ll deepen our understanding, and strengthen our allyship in the fight against racism. Complimentary snacks and beverages provided!
> May 8, 4:30 to 6 p.m.
> Nicklaus North Golf Course
FILE PHOTO BY VICTOR ALFONSO
Full moon over Whistler
BY ALLYN PRINGLE
IN JANUARY 1988 , Whistler Mountain announced a new event for the lift company to coincide with the full moon on Feb. 2. More than 100 skiers could buy tickets to a “moonlighting” evening that included a full-course dinner at the Roundhouse and a moonlit ski down to the valley guided by patrollers and instructors, followed by a “moondance party” at Dusty’s with live entertainment. The idea for the event reportedly came from Bernie Protsch, a ski patroller, and Werner Defilla, vice president of food and beverage, who had both seen similar events while working in Switzerland. The first full-moon event apparently went well, with
“just wanted to go outside and go ice skating.” Knowing the event was still ongoing, however, their party of six to eight people decided to stay inside until those at the Roundhouse had departed. Once the official guests had headed down the hill, the unofficial party went for a moonlit skate, had a few more drinks, and then decided to go skiing.
With the help of two snowmobiles driven by Gord and another friend, the party did multiple laps of Upper Whiskey Jack before rolling one of the sleds, breaking the flag, the key and the windshield. It was about 4 a.m. by the time they got the machine back up to the Alpine Service Building, and Janet stayed up to do the 5 a.m. weather reading, a daily duty of the alpine caretaker. Later that day, Janet and Gord went to the office of Jamie
another planned during the World Cup week in March. What the participants did not know, however, was that theirs was not the only party on Whistler Mountain that evening.
At a recent Speaker Series event featuring mountain caretakers, Janet Love Morrison, Laird Brown and Colleen Warner shared stories from their time living on Whistler Mountain in the 1980s. Laird and Colleen spent more than two years living at midstation and Janet and Gord Harder lived at the Alpine Service Building at the top of the Red Chair. According to Janet, while guests and staff (including Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation president Lorne Borgal) were enjoying a finedining experience at the Roundhouse, she and Gord decided to have their own party at their place.
At the time, Laird had built an ice rink between the Roundhouse and the Alpine Service Building and, according to Janet, they
Tattersfield to confess what had happened to the snowmobile. He looked at them, asked if everyone was alright, and said, “OK.”
Being out in the alpine during a full moon was far from a new experience for Gord and some of his friends. Prior to the construction of the Peak Chair in 1986, the Peak Bros. would camp on the peak for every full moon, hiking up for about an hour from the top of the T-bar at the end of the ski day and setting up tents. According to Shawn Hughes (also known as SO), this tradition went on faithfully every winter full moon for more than six years. The construction of the Whistler Express Gondola in the summer of 1988 made the alpine caretaker position redundant and the mid-station and valley caretaker positions were phased out over the next few years. Whistler Mountain’s full-moon dinners at the Roundhouse, however, continued into the 1990s. n
ARIES (March 21-April 19): To create microgardens, you plant vegetables and herbs in small containers placed on your porch, balcony, window sills, and kitchen counter. Lettuce, peas, spinach, and basil might be among your small bounties. I encourage you to use this practice as a main metaphor in the coming weeks. In other words, gravitate away from huge, expansive visions, and instead work creatively within existing constraints. For now, at least, “less is more” should be your operative motto. Meditate on how apparent limitations might lead to inviting innovations. Seek out abundance in unlikely places.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus author Nellie Bly (1864–1922) was a daring trailblazer. It was almost impossible for a woman to be a journalist in the 19th century, but she did it anyway. One of her sensational groundbreaking stories came when she did an undercover assignment in New York’s Women’s Lunatic Asylum. Her reporting on the neglect and brutality there prompted major reforms. I nominate Bly as your role model for the foreseeable future. You are, I believe, poised for epic, even heroic adventures, in service to a greater good. (PS: Bly also made a solo trip around the world and wrote 15 books.)
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini painter Henri Rousseau (1844–1910) never saw a jungle in person. In fact, he never left his native country of France. But he painted some of modern art’s most vivid jungle scenes. How did that happen? Well, he visited zoos and botanical gardens, perused images of tropical forests in books, and heard stories from soldiers who had visited jungles abroad. But mostly, he had a flourishing imagination that he treated with reverent respect. I urge you to follow his lead, Gemini. Through the joyful, extravagant power of your imagination, get the inspiration and education you need. The next three weeks will be prime time to do so.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): No, ruby-throated hummingbirds don’t hitch rides on airplanes or the backs of geese. They make their epic migrations completely under their own power. To get to their wintering grounds, many fly alone from the southern United States to the Yucatan Peninsula, crossing the 800-kilometre expanse of the Gulf of Mexico in 20 hours. I don’t recommend you attempt heroic feats like theirs in the coming weeks, Cancerian. More than usual, you need and deserve to call on support and help. Don’t be shy about getting the exact boosts you require. It’s time to harvest the favours you are owed and to be specific in articulating your wishes.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The golden pheasant is dazzling. Among the bright colours that appear in its plumage are gold, red, orange, yellow, blue, black, green, cinnamon, and chestnut. In accordance with astrological omens, I name this charismatic bird to be your spirit creature for the coming weeks. Feel free to embrace your inner golden pheasant and express it vividly wherever you go. This is a perfect time to boldly showcase your beauty and magnificence, even as you fully display your talents and assets. I brazenly predict that your enthusiastic expression of self-love will be a good influence on almost everyone you encounter.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo poet and visual artist Dorothea Tanning (1910–2012) had a few mottoes that endlessly nurtured her abundant creative output. Here’s one: “Keep your eye on your inner world and keep away from ads, idiots, and movie stars.” As excellent as that advice is, it’s a challenge to follow it all the time. If we want to function effectively, we can’t always be focused on our inner worlds. However, I do believe you are now in a phase when you’re wise to heed her counsel more than usual. Your soul’s depths have a lot to teach you. Your deep intuition is full of useful revelations. Don’t get distracted from them by listening too much to ads, idiots, and celebrities.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is essential for the functioning of your body and every
BREZSNY
other animal’s. It carries instructions about how to build proteins, and your cells are full of it. We humans can’t edit this magic substance, but octopuses can. They do it on the fly, enabling them to adapt quickly to changing environmental conditions. Even though you Libras can’t match their amazing power with RNA, you do have a substantial capacity to rewrite your plans and adjust your mindset. And this talent of yours will be especially available to you in the coming weeks. Your flexibility and adaptability will not only help you navigate surprises but may also open up exciting new opportunities.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Is there a sanctuary you can retreat to? A relaxing oasis where you can slip away from the world’s colourful madness? I would love for you to be bold enough to seek the precise healing you need. You have every right to escape the rotting status quo and give yourself full permission to hide from pressure, demands, and expectations. Is there music that brings you deep consolation? Are there books and teachers that activate your profound soul wisdom? Keep that good stuff nearby. It’s time for focused relief and regeneration.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The chemical element known as arsenic is notoriously toxic for humans, but has long been useful in small amounts. Ancient Chinese metallurgists discovered that blending it with copper and tin made the finest, strongest bronze. In modern times, arsenic fortifies the lead in car batteries. People in the 19th century sometimes ingested tiny doses as a stimulant. In this spirit, Sagittarius, I invite you to transform potentially challenging elements in your life into sources of strength. Can you find ways to incorporate iffy factors instead of eliminating them? I assure you that you have the power to recognize value in things others may neglect or reject.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Renowned Capricorn author Henry Miller (1891–1980) had to wait far too long before getting readers in his home country, the United States. American censors regarded his explosive texts as too racy and sexy. They forbade the publication of his books until he was 69 years old! His spirit was forever resolute and uncrushable, though. In accordance with astrological omens, Capricorn, I recommend you adopt his counsel on the subject of wonders and marvels. Miller wrote, “The miracle is that the honey is always there, right under your nose, only you were too busy searching elsewhere to realize it.” Here’s another gem from Miller: He advised us “to make the miracle more and more miraculous, to swear allegiance to nothing, but live only miraculously, think only miraculously, die miraculously.”
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): For now, everything depends on your foundation, your roots, and your support system. If I were you, I would devote myself to nurturing them. Please note that you’re not in any jeopardy. I don’t foresee strains or tremors. But your graduation to your next set of interesting challenges will require you to be snugly stable, secure, and steady. This is one time when being thoroughly ensconced in your comfort zone is a beautiful asset, not a detriment to be transcended.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The coming weeks are a favourable time for you to build symbolic bridges. I hope you will link resources that aren’t yet linked. I hope you will work to connect people whose merger would help you, and I hope you will begin planning to move from where you are now to the next chapter of your life. I advise you to not model your metaphorical bridges after modern steel suspension bridges, though. Instead, be inspired by the flexible, natural, and intimate bridges made by the ancient Incas. Woven from ichu grass via community efforts, they were strong enough to span rivers and canyons in the Andes mountains.
Homework: Take yourself on a date to a mysterious situation that fascinates you. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates
In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com
We promotefromwithinandarelookingtostrengthenouramazingteam.Opportunities for advancement intomanagementpositionsalways exist for the right candidates.Don’t missout onbeingabletobuildwiththeteamthatbuildsthemostsignificantprojectsinWhistler Send your resumetoinfo@evrfinehomes.com We lookforwardtohearingfrom you!
THERE’S SOMETHING so silly about being a skier in the spring. While in the middle of winter, we could arguably be accused of taking ourselves (and our sport) a little too seriously, that’s never the case once the sun comes out.
Whether you prefer testing the limits of the “death before download” creed, or hiking
BY LIZI MCLOUGHLIN
with your skis for miles in the dirt in search of the snowline, there’s something wonderfully absurd about our collective commitment to sliding on snow at this time of year. For me, it’s the very best of mountain culture—illogical, optimistic, and sublimely ridiculous.
Which is a stark contrast to how things look from a global perspective right now. At times like this, it’s easy to question whether the hours we spend messing around in the mountains matter. Should we be doing something more useful with all that time, energy, and money?
I was thinking about this while doing some quintessentially silly spring skiing over the Easter weekend. We spent three days side-
stepping through creeks and survival skiing through thawed-out forest to a backcountry hut, in the hopes that the corn gods would be good to us. They weren’t, so once we’d skied the best of the crust, we passed the hours drinking tea and leafing through old copies of the Varsity Outdoor Club (VOC) Journal.
The journals detail the (mis)-adventures of UBC students dating back generations (the club was founded in 1917, and the first journal was published in 1958). At least half the stories included some drastic miscalculation of time/ gear/food/ability, and the rest involved some sort of deliberately planned absurdity.
Taken together, the journals were a 60-plus
are they enough? At a time where there’s more than enough problems in need of solutions, I’d argue we can’t stop there. We need inspiration, and then we need to act—which is easier said than done.
As I drove back from the hut, content and covered in alder-induced scrapes and bruises, I listened to an interview with author Oliver Burkeman. In it, he spoke about how in Western culture we often equate “things that are worth doing” with “things that feel hard.”
What a succinct way to sum up our collective inertia. We feel like we must either suffer for the greater good, or selfishly turn our backs on bigger problems so we can have
We feel like we must either suffer for the greater good, or selfishly turn our backs on bigger problems so we can have a good time.
year chronicle of the disproportionate energy and effort we’re willing to expend to make memories in the mountains. They were a compelling argument that, whatever is going on in the outside world, there’s something that does matter about the time we spend connecting with nature, and each other.
But if these experiences are just escapism,
a good time. How many of us truly want to make that trade-off? And how quickly do we get suspicious when something seems both worthwhile, and, dare I say it… fun?
Yet I think those of us lucky enough to live in the mountains know that’s not really the choice we face. It’s perfectly possible to do things that matter and have a great time in
the process.
Take this story I stumbled across: a couple summers ago, the roof of one of the VOC huts collapsed, and they launched a mammoth effort to repair it before the whole hut gave out for good.
A new roof was designed, fundraised for, and built by dozens of students and alumni. Only a few had any technical knowledge— most showed up with naive enthusiasm, a willingness to forgo sleep, and figured it out on the fly.
By the end of the summer, the hut had a new roof, preserving it for backcountry adventurers for decades to come. The team members were tired, dirty, and extremely proud of what they’d achieved. And as their trip reports made clear, they’d also had a hell of a lot of fun.
We’ve all had experiences like this. But the idea that we can solve difficult problems, while also having a great time, is rarely taken seriously—and it should be. As long as we’re sold a stark choice—between fixing the things that are broken, or having fun—we’re liable to stay stuck, either spiralling in an endless doomscroll, or wilfully ignoring the “real world” and running away to the hills.
We should ask ourselves: who does it serve when those are our only options? And what would be possible if we tried a different, sillier way to do things that matter?
Lizi McLoughlin is a local non-profit leader, an average-but-enthusiastic mountain athlete, and an eternal optimist. n
