From one mountain town to another. - By Vince Shuley
06 OPENING REMARKS The math doesn’t quite add up when it comes to fuel prices in the Sea to Sky, writes editor Braden Dupuis.
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter-writers weigh in on bicycle helmet safety and live music in the resort.
16 THE OUTSIDER Vince Shuley explores the art of the summer camping setup as he looks to upgrade his own gear.
38 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Someone else’s enthusiasm can be the grease the old thinking patterns need, writes Lisa Richardson—and influence flows in all directions.
10 GROUNDED APPROACH Management of the Whistler heliport is returning to municipal hands, marking the end of a 30-year run for the Whistler Heliport Society.
11 COP TALK Whistler RCMP Insp. Robert Dykstra breaks down some notable stats and calls for the year to date.
22 TOP TALENT For Whistler Minor Hockey alum Tommy Lafreniere, getting drafted by the Edmonton Oilers is a dream come true.
26 TRICKY BALANCE Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk reflects on her career ahead of her July 18 show in Whistler.
COVER Deer Valley Resort has one of the biggest bike parks in Utah with about 1,000 vertical metres and just under 100 km of trails. - Photo courtesy of Deer Valley Resort
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
Justa Jeskova
The math doesn’t quite add up on gas prices in the Sea to Sky
ON JULY 14, the average price of gas in Canada was 137.8 per litre, according to gasbuddy.com.
Across the provinces, the cheapest gas around was unsurprisingly found in Alberta, with an average of 129.5. The highest? British Columbia (also unsurprisingly), with an
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
In our fair province, the cheapest gas to be found on July 14 was at a Fas Gas Plus in the small city of Enderby, south of Salmon Arm: a downright miraculous $1 per litre (seriously… how? The next lowest was 131.9 at a Husky in Sparwood).
On the comparatively remote West Coast of Vancouver Island, you would have paid 160.9 stopping in Ucluelet on July 14. And across the Georgia Strait, in Tsaawwassen, you would have seen prices in the 166.9-range— likely the highest in the entire province.
And up the Sea to Sky highway, in Whistler, gas was listed at 161.9 on July 14, where it has hovered for months. Pemberton showed similar prices, give or take a penny or two.
According to the Government of Canada, there are four key factors influencing gas pricing across the country: taxes, competition and consumer choice, the amount sold, and the type and location of stations.
But to Jordan Sturdy, longtime Pemberton farmer and former MLA, when looking at Vancouver and the Sea to Sky, the math just doesn’t add up.
In a July 9 post on Facebook, Sturdy called on residents to write the premier and energy minister while comparing gas prices in Langley (149.9) and Pemberton (161.9).
Fuel prices in Metro Van, which includes Langley, are inflated by taxes of 27 cents, Sturdy said: 1.75 to general revenue, 6.75 to the B.C. Transportation Financing Authority, and 18.5 to Translink.
In the Sea to Sky, taxes amount to 14.5 cents, he noted: 7.75 to general revenue, and 6.75 to the BCTFA.
“In other words, after pulling out all the taxes the price of fuel in Langley would be 122.9 and on the same day in Pemberton (or Whistler or Squamish) the price of gas without taxes would be 147.4, a 24.5-cent difference,” he wrote. “The question has to be ‘why?’”
It’s a question Sturdy has been asking for years, both during his time in the legislature and in the pages of Pique. And it’s not exactly a new revelation. Back in 2019, Sturdy noted, the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) collected all the data needed for a proper submission to the Canadian Competition Bureau. And in
profit, while Vancouver stations only took five.
More than four years later, nothing has changed—Sea to Sky drivers are still getting hosed at the pumps.
“It’s disappointing … that the minister seems unwilling to take existing data and create a submission to the competition bureau,” Sturdy said in a follow-up phone call with Pique
“Because at the end of the day, the competition bureau may just say, well, you need more competition. But it just seems that we are paying so much more money both in the Sea to Sky and on the Sunshine Coast than virtually anybody else in the province. It extracts tens of millions of dollars out of our pockets on an annual basis if that spread was annualized.”
In the Sea to Sky, the margins for fuel stations are “enormous,” Sturdy added, “and I guess the perception is we just have to accept it.”
For a government that talks a big game about affordability, “it certainly seems to me
But while it’s easy to talk ideals, the reality on the ground is much more difficult for many drivers. Purchasing a car is a major decision—one some people will only make a few times in their life, if that. Ditching internal combustion engines for good is necessary, but it’s still going to take some time. We still need gas stations, and it would be great to not get ripped off in the meantime.
And whether or not you’re fuelling up yourself, high local fuel costs impact all of us—at the grocery store, at the restaurants, built in to the products we buy, because the bottom line of businesses takes the hit.
Sturdy said he’s spending upwards of $20,000 a year on fuel for his farm.
“Maybe it’s not collusion in the way that we think of it in a formal sense, of they all get together in the middle of the night over cigars and decide how much to charge us for fuel,” he said. “But we’re missing something in the Sea
“Maybe it’s not collusion in the way that we think of it in a formal sense, of they all get together in the middle of the night over cigars and decide how much to charge us for fuel. But we’re missing something in the Sea to Sky...”
- JORDAN STURDY
2021, the BCUC acknowledged the issue.
“Retail prices in regions adjacent to regions with higher fuel taxes (e.g., Vancouver) exhibit similar pump prices to those in higher tax regions despite lower tax rates (e.g., Squamish),” it said in a release at the time. And while Squamish drivers were paying significantly less tax at the pump compared to Vancouver—39 cents to 52, respectively—Squamish gas stations were taking an average of 20 cents in their retail
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that it’s a very low-hanging piece of fruit. They have all the data,” he said.
“Obviously with the carbon tax gone, that’s made a significant difference, but the fact that we’re still 20-some-odd cents higher than Vancouver, it’s craziness.”
The army of Tesla drivers in Whistler, and the cyclists and the e-bike brigade will smugly look on all this and scoff—tell the rest of us to get with the times and upgrade to something better for the planet (and our wallets).
to Sky that the rest of the province, virtually, doesn’t have to deal with.”
Pique reached out to both the premier’s office and the energy minister, but did not receive a response before our weekly press deadline. We’ll update the web version of this story at piquenewsmagazine.com when and if we have more info to share.
In the meantime, you can contact them yourself at premier@gov.bc.ca and EMLI. minister@gov.bc.ca. n
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The Coast
Edward Burtynsky, CoastMountains#3,TheBlack Tusk,BritishColumbia,Canada,2023
April 27 – September 15, 2025
Recent Works byEdward Burtynsky
Edward Burtynsky, CoastMountains#3,TheBlack Tusk,BritishColumbia,Canada,2023
The Coast Mountains
Community safety is a team sport
In his letter to the editor in the July 11 Pique, Dr. Thomas DeMarco argues that enforcing B.C.’s bicycle-helmet law is a “witch hunt” that diverts RCMP resources from “more important” offences such as speeding and impaired driving. He maintains that utilitarian cycling is already safer and healthier than driving, that motorists are the “primary threat,” and that mandatory helmets discourage people from riding.
Dr. DeMarco and I want the same thing: more people riding and fewer people getting hurt. Where we differ is in how we reach that destination.
Health benefits versus head-injury risk—yes, regular cycling confers strong cardiovascular and mental-health benefits. Those benefits are not cancelled because a rider straps on 250 grams of foam. What does undermine health is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Peer-reviewed Canadian evidence shows that wearing a properly fitted helmet cuts the risk of serious head injury by about 60 per cent and TBI by 53 per cent.
A national cost study found that cyclists who sustain TBIs without helmets burden the health-care system at nearly double the cost of helmeted riders. A $30 ticket—which converts to a discount and is voided on proof of purchase—is a modest investment against those human and fiscal losses.
Does helmet enforcement “kill” cycling?
International meta-analyses show that allages helmet legislation reliably increases helmet use and reduces head-injury rates; impacts on overall ridership are mixed and generally modest. Even in jurisdictions with strict helmet laws, cycling volumes rebound once riders adapt. Meanwhile, severe head injuries fall sharply. Public policy can embrace two truths at once: cycling is healthy and helmets save brains when things go wrong.
Shared responsibility, not “windshield
blame”—Dr. DeMarco frames motorists as the sole hazard and implies cyclists are innocent bystanders. The data—and a quick watch at Village Gate—say the picture is more nuanced. According to ICBC statistics, nearly four out of five cyclist crashes in B.C. happen at intersections.
Some are caused by drivers; others involve riders who roll red lights, ignore stop signs, ride the wrong way, or blast through pedestrian zones on high-speed e-bikes—behaviours our detachment fields complaints about every week. Pedestrians rightly fear a silent 30-km/h
e-bike in a “no-cycle” zone as much as a distracted driver in a four-tonne SUV. Road safety is a shared duty: motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians must each respect the rules and one another’s space.
How our finite resources are actually used—road-safety enforcement is not a zerosum game. Since January, Sea to Sky officers have issued 500-plus violation tickets for speeding, distracted driving, and other highrisk motor-vehicle offences, and we continue to remove impaired drivers from the road. Helmet checks account for a small fraction of our work and are timed for midsummer, when rider volumes, visitor numbers, and collision risk all peak. One patrol car can—and often does— stop an impaired driver, a texting motorist, and an un-helmeted cyclist in the same shift.
Enforcement, education and prevention in one step—our June 26 news release explains the campaign model. Enforcement: Officers issue a $30 ticket only after a verbal reminder fails; Education: The ticket itself lists the headinjury statistics above; Prevention: The ticket doubles as a coupon for a discounted helmet at seven local shops; return with a receipt and the ticket is cancelled. This partnership keeps riders on the road and court dockets clear.
Building safer streets together—helmets are not a substitute for better infrastructure. We continue to work with the Resort Municipality of Whistler on traffic-calming, upgraded lighting, and separated pathways, and our members deliver bike-safety sessions in local schools.
Those capital projects take years and budgets; helmets protect heads today.
Community safety is a team sport. If residents have practical suggestions—whether for educational campaigns, engineering tweaks, or enforcement priorities—my door and inbox remain open. Constructive ideas move us all forward.
A ticket that morphs into a discount is hardly punitive; it is a practical nudge toward equipment proven to save lives and dollars. Let’s keep the debate rolling—but let’s keep the wheels, and the people on them, upright and uninjured while we do.
Sincerely,
Insp. Robert Dykstra // Officer in Charge, Sea to Sky RCMP
A brilliant juxtaposition
What a brilliant juxtaposition, whether intentional or not, in an op-ed in the July 11 Pique. Lizi McLoughlin wrote in her excellent article, “Enough is enough,” about billionaires, wealth inequality and how many people struggle to afford to live among what appears to be abundant resources.
On the opposite page, a “one-of-a-kind masterpiece” property on Sunridge Plateau is advertised for just under $10 million. If you can’t afford that (but I’m sure you can), you could slum it at Fitzsimmons Walk on Nancy Greene Drive, a mere snip at nearly $5 million.
Simon Goodman // Pemberton
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
What Whistler music scene?
As a longtime Whistlerite and musician I have to ask, what do you mean by a music “scene?” (Pique, July 4, “The music in the mountains”). Because whatever this is here in Whistler it is not a “scene.”
There is hardly any original music heard anymore and certainly not much of a scene’s shared ethos. Live music in Whistler is almost entirely a bunch of middle-aged musicians playing cover songs to wealthy, middle-aged tourists.
A good start to fixing this would be a place like a community hall or rec centre to rent affordably, just like every other town (except Whistler) has in B.C. Until that happens there is no live music “scene” in Whistler.
Peter Vogler // Whistler
Bring back 54•40
54•40 put on a killer show last Friday, July 11!
I think half of Whistler was out for it.
This bare-bones Vancouver rock band got the crowd rocking starting with the guitar intro and never stopped from there till the last encore. It would be great to see them back every year, just as it has been an annual event every Thanksgiving at the Commodore for decades.
Canada should be very proud of its musicians nationally, provincially and locally. Kudos to DJ Shotski who got the crowd primed for the band.
Whistler heliport management returns to municipal hands
AFTER THREE DECADES UNDER PRIVATE MANAGEMENT, THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY
BY LIZ MCDONALD
MANAGEMENT OF WHISTLER’S heliport will soon shift to the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), marking the end of a 30-year run by the Whistler Heliport Society (WHS).
Located north of Green Lake, the facility has been operated independently by the WHS since the early 1990s. But in 2023, the society informed the municipality it could “no longer manage the facility effectively,” according to a staff report presented to council on July 8.
To ensure continued operation, the RMOW has signed a management services agreement with a contractor to oversee daily heliport operations and ensure compliance with Transport Canada regulations, said Erin Marriner, the RMOW’s legislative services special projects coordinator.
A brief history included in the municipal report notes the heliport was ready for landings by 1991, featuring a central public pad and five leased areas. Over the years, it has supported heli-skiing, medical evacuations and sightseeing flights. Ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics, the facility expanded to include a sixth lease area for the Canadian Armed Forces.
Throughout this time, the RMOW held the provincial land lease, while the WHS managed day-to-day operations under a sublease. That lease has since expired and is currently operating on a month-to-month basis while the RMOW negotiates a new agreement with the province.
The WHS was composed of representatives from local helicopter companies with a vested interest in leasing space at the facility.
OF WHISTLER IS ASSUMING CONTROL OF HELIPORT
landing and overnight parking fees, conducting maintenance, ensuring regulatory compliance, submitting reports, meeting with elected officials, and planning upgrades.
Landing fees will vary by helicopter weight: $70 for light, $90 for medium, and $130 for heavy helicopters. Overnight parking—by advance booking only—will cost $100. Emergency landings and those by
“Our proposed rates fall somewhat above the average for some small towns and cities...”
- ERIN MARRINER
Blackcomb Helicopters, Whistler Heli-Ski and Coast to Coast Holdings Ltd. are the current heliport tenants.
The heliport was originally established in response to safety concerns in the 1980s, when private helicopters frequently landed near residential areas. Noise complaints and proximity to homes prompted the municipality to seek provincial and federal funding for a dedicated public landing pad at the north end of town.
Going forward, the RMOW has contracted a third-party operator to manage the site. Their responsibilities include collecting
leaseholders are exempt from fees.
“Our proposed rates fall somewhat above the average for some small towns and cities, but remain below what’s charged at airports like Vancouver and Victoria,” said Marriner.
The new fees are expected to be roughly double what the WHS previously charged, according to the staff report, which estimates annual gross revenue of $15,000 to $20,000. The increase reflects the cost of maintaining the facility and bringing rates in line with current market conditions.
Councillor Jeff Murl questioned why the WHS had stepped away from its longtime
management role, especially considering the financial benefits leaseholders once enjoyed.
“It seems like the leaseholders, given the fees have doubled, are giving up a sweet deal to monitor themselves. How come they couldn’t get it together and carry on as it was?” he asked.
Marriner said she had not investigated the full history, but suspected the WHS recognized they would incur higher costs under a new agreement covering both leased and itinerant use of the heliport.
Coun. Cathy Jewett raised concerns about helicopters landing in residential neighbourhoods, referencing two landings she had witnessed by a chopper. The heliport was initially developed to curb such activity, but staff were unable to confirm which regulations govern residential landings.
Due to its independent nature, little public information exists about WHS operations. However, the group made headlines in 2018 when it filed a civil suit against Coast to Coast Holdings Ltd. and its owner-operator. WHS alleged the company used the heliport without a valid lease or membership. In response, Coast to Coast argued its owner, Denis Vincent, was also an operator of Spearhead Aviation, which did hold a lease.
A judge later granted an injunction permitting Spearhead to continue using the Whistler Municipal Heliport.
A new webpage on the RMOW website will soon provide heliport details for itinerant users. n
CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF A helicopter sits on a landing pad at Whistler’s municipal heliport July 15.
PHOTO BY LIZ MCDONALD
A catch-up conversation with the Whistler RCMP
INSP. ROBERT DYKSTRA DETAILS CRIME STATS FOR 2025 AND NOTABLE CASES IN THE COMMUNITY
BY LIZ MCDONALD
IT’S BEEN A BUSY YEAR so far for the Whistler RCMP, with a rise in calls for service and more than a few notable cases under investigation.
In a recent sit-down with Pique, the Sea to Sky’s officer-in-charge Insp. Robert Dykstra talked stats to date, a bike park assault that went viral, the search for missing person Illya Rechytskyy, how the RCMP is approaching unhoused people, and more.
CALLS FOR SERVICE UP 15 PER CENT
In compiling crime statistics, police use a fiveyear rolling average, which smooths out the impact of short-term variations, providing a more accurate picture, Dykstra said. Then they compare the 2025 quarter to the rolling five-year average by quarter or year-to-date.
Total calls for service this year are up by about 15 per cent, with 2,688 calls so far.
“[We’re] definitely tracking higher than in previous years, which is a lot of times driven by population growth,” Dykstra said. “Even though it is five years after, we’re still kind of seeing the increases in people coming into the community post-COVID.”
Violent crime in 2025 is 17 per cent higher than the rolling average. Other years have seen an increase as high as 155 per cent, so while 17 per cent may seem like a lot, it isn’t cause for concern, according to Dykstra.
The driver of increased violent crime in Whistler is predominantly related to uttering threats, which, as a subset of violent crime, has risen by 150 per cent.
“They don’t always lead to charges, but we have investigated a much higher number
of those, year-to-date in 2025, than we have in previous years. But that would have an impact on those numbers,” Dykstra said.
Property crime is up about nine per cent, which Dykstra said is often related to theft under $5,000 from unlocked vehicles, as well as ski and bike thefts. These crimes can easily be prevented by locking vehicles and securing pricey gear. For bikes, Dykstra highlighted 529 Garage, which helps police return stolen bikes to their rightful owners.
“We’re still kind of seeing the increases in people coming into the community post-COVID.”
- ROBERT DYKSTRA
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act calls have trended higher, with 27 investigations in 2025, compared to the five-year average of 17.6.
Mental-health calls for service are up by 20 per cent, with 112 calls in 2025—an increase driven in part by a new role in the force. Car 99 launched as a pilot project in the corridor in 2023, and pairs police with nurse practitioners to do proactive follow-ups and check-ins—similar to having a mobile integrated crisis response (MICR) program, where an officer is directly working on mentalhealth investigations. Dykstra said the officer has had strong success with individuals in the community, and the number of calls for service is higher than in previous years
AT YOUR SERVICE Total calls for service are up by about 15 per cent this year, according to the Whistler RCMP. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SEA TO SKY RCMP
Bystanders recognized for saving skier’s life at Whistler Blackcomb
AFTER A MAN WENT INTO CARDIAC ARREST AT THE CREEKSIDE GONDOLA, FAST-ACTING STAFF ENSURED HE SURVIVED
BY LIZ MCDONALD
UNLESS YOU’RE A first responder, it’s not every day your actions can help save someone’s life.
But last March at Whistler Blackcomb, five bystanders did just that when a skier went into sudden cardiac arrest at the base of the Creekside Gondola. On July 6, BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) awarded them Vital Link Awards in recognition of their efforts.
Abby Torrijos and Hayden Seers, two of the first to respond, attended the ceremony, where BCEHS primary care paramedic Bobby Currie presented the honours. According to a BCEHS spokesperson, Vital Link Awards “honour the skilful actions of one or more bystanders at a cardiac arrest emergency.”
Pique spoke with Torrijos, who was working as a lift operator and was the first to respond to the incident, about what happened that day—and the impact it had on her.
Although she had taken first-aid training five years earlier, Torrijos said she had never had to use it until that day. She described the experience as “quite a shock,” given her limited experience with emergencies.
“Hayden’s the only person out of us that has experience in that area. I was very grateful that he was there at the time,” she said.
Torrijos has since moved on from Whistler Blackcomb to travel across Canada, but she said she relied on others involved in the rescue in the days following the incident.
“We’re all very grateful that we’re close. We could lean on one another after the incident, because it was quite a shock.”
Some time later, she received an email letting her know she’d won the Vital Link Award. While surprised, she said she appreciated the recognition.
because having a designated officer means staff are generating the files themselves, rather than being called to attend.
Collisions are down about 20 per cent, which Dykstra said he’d like to attribute to an eight-per-cent increase in ticketing.
While the Whistler RCMP does not yet have statistics to show whether higher crime rates are directly related to increased visitation, Dykstra said this year police are beginning to track this type of data at the request of the Resort Municipality of Whistler. The visitor definition excludes second-homeowners and workers.
“It is interesting to get a sense of, you know, is it local issues? Is it tourists? Like, what is the population of folks that are causing the most of our work?” he said.
So, aside from statistics, what are some notable files from the past month?
SOCIAL MEDIA SLEUTHS
A viral video of a man throwing a bike into a river at Whistler Blackcomb’s bike park caught the attention of social media scrollers and the Whistler RCMP.
Dykstra came across the video on Instagram and asked staff about it, and they had already started a file and investigation.
“I think sometimes people don’t realize that when we see something like that on Instagram, that we were going to follow up on it,” Dykstra said. “We did ... we’ve arrested
Ski patrol connected Torrijos with a 911 dispatcher. At the same time, a woman with a medical background emerged from the gondola and began directing bystanders to lay the man on the ground and start CPR.
One of Torrijos’ friends, Seers—a
“This man came down from the gondola with his son, and he came to me, and he was complaining of chest pain. I went and got him a chair while his son went to the shops to get aspirin. In the time he was sitting in the chair, he’d, I think, gone into cardiac arrest,” she explained. “I assume that’s what was happening, because his eyes rolled back and he started not being able to breathe, and he kind of [lost consciousness]. And then I was like, screaming, yelling out for a doctor, also calling patrol.”
that individual, and he’s been released on an undertaking. We’re waiting to determine if charges will be approved.”
Two separate fire investigations in June also relied on video evidence and community tips to crack the case. Dykstra said an outpouring of informative tips and video footage assisted RCMP in determining the identity of individuals involved in both ignitions, who he said were “literally playing with fire.”
Dykstra pointed to anxiety from the Dryden Creek wildfire as a possible reason why there was a significant number of tips for these cases.
“Having the community involved in crime prevention and/or solving crime is a huge partnership that needs to be in place,” Dykstra said. “We do what we can do, but a lot of times we don’t see everything.”
The incidents became an opportunity for education and conversation with parents and youth about the potential dangers of forest fires and property damage from starting a fire, which is banned in Whistler.
HOPES FOR WATER RECOVERY
Missing person Illya Rechytskyy is still tragically nowhere to be found after being swept away in the Cheakamus River on Canada Day.
Dykstra highlighted the coordinated effort aimed at finding the victims, including Whistler and Pemberton SAR helicopter flyovers, officers going out with SAR, drone
registered nurse from Australia—arrived on the scene and took over chest compressions.
As a crowd gathered, Torrijos helped disperse onlookers and cleared gates at the Creekside Gondola so paramedics could access the scene.
Another bystander brought a defibrillator, arriving just as ski patrol showed up with another. The device delivered an electric shock to help restore the man’s heartbeat.
“Then the ambulance came and took him away,” Torrijos said.
searches in rugged terrain and significant shoreline scouting.
The family has also been actively searching, alongside community members, and adhering to guidance from the Whistler RCMP.
“We believe he is deceased, which is really sad,” Dykstra said. “He remains missing, and the file is going to remain open and under active investigation until we can locate him.”
Once dangerous conditions on the river calm down, the inspector said searches for Rechytskyy’s body can proceed.
COMPASSION FOR CAMPERS
One hot-button issue for some Whistlerites is long-term camping on Crown land. Dykstra said the issue, while important, isn’t nearly as intense as in nearby Squamish, but the force’s priority remains public safety and compassion for people who often have no other option.
“In a lot of cases, not all cases, but in a lot of cases, what you see are people that don’t have the income to live in or rent or own housing, and so they’re trying to survive, and so this is where they go in order to be able to have a place to stay,” he stressed.
Dykstra said the RCMP patrols and checks for safety issues, and would only have the authority to intervene through an order to remove people from the property.
“We would follow through and try to do it in as compassionate a way as we possibly can,” he said. “We haven’t had a ton of complaints related to some of the camps around Whistler.
The experience also gave her insight into how bystanders can help during emergencies.
“Any help is help. And don’t be afraid to like, yell out for help to people around you. There might be someone who knows what they’re doing or has more experience than you do,” she said. “Just kind of keep levelheaded. I’m just grateful for the whole situation, like all of us fell into place and did our role at the time. But yeah, my advice is even just doing the first-aid course, like I’ve done one five years ago. But even doing that was helpful at the time.” n
At least it hasn’t come to my attention that that’s something that is a problem.”
CAR 99 AND MENTAL HEALTH
As for Whistler’s Car 99, while the local detachment has an officer working these cases, they have yet to get approval from Vancouver Coastal Health for the nurse to work alongside them.
This type of policing differs in terms of the level of support and the proactive nature of the role.
“The follow-up piece is really huge,” Dykstra said. “You don’t always see that in all aspects of policing, because you just don’t have the ability to do it.”
The investigator has had good results with two individuals who have various mental illnesses, including bipolar and schizophrenia. When they’re in crisis, several files are created. However, what they needed was wrap-around support and long-term follow-up, achieved by working with local partners, including nurses, doctors, and community organizations.
“Contacts with them have demonstrated that they’re actually doing better than they were, which is good, which means they’re getting the support and assistance that they require,” Dykstra said. “Again, sometimes our work isn’t always about arresting people. Sometimes, yes, in mental health, we have to apprehend somebody, but that’s the only way that they’re able to then get in and get the support and assistance that they need.” n
VITAL ACTIONS Abby Torrijos and Hayden Seers are two of five people honoured for their quick actions which helped save the life of a person who went into cardiac arrest at Whistler Blackcomb.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BCEHS
Advocates call for new Sea to Sky regional hospital and Canada’s first wellness village in presentation to regional district
PROPONENTS
SAY THE INTEGRATED HEALTH CAMPUS COULD ATTRACT MEDICAL TALENT AND RESHAPE CARE DELIVERY IN THE CORRIDOR
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A GROUP OF LOCAL physicians and community members are calling for a reimagining of health-care in the Sea to Sky corridor—a new regional hospital co-located within a master-planned wellness village, which they say would be the first of its kind in Canada.
The proposal, presented to the Sea to Sky Regional Hospital District (SSRHD) board on June 25, argues the aging Squamish General Hospital is no longer capable of meeting the demands of the fast-growing corridor and that simply upgrading the existing facility is no longer feasible.
“Our growing region must have a new regional hospital planned by local physicians,”
Grant McRadu, a former municipal administrator and one of the advocates behind the proposal, told the board. “Anything short of that commitment is just tinkering with the lives of those who presently live and will move to the Sea to Sky region.”
The group of advocates for a new facility, which includes Dr. Steven Masselink and Dr. Richard Cudmore—the current and former medical directors of Squamish General Hospital, respectively—are looking to a site within the District of Squamish that could accommodate both a modern regional hospital and a surrounding wellness village. They say that additional space around the hospital could house complementary medical, biomedical, and long-term care facilities, as well as seniors’
housing and workforce accommodations.
McRadu said the idea is inspired by similar “wellness villages” in Europe and the United States, which bundle hospitals with research, treatment and wellness hubs in walkable, purpose-built communities.
“Hospitals are expensive, but our vision proposes a way forward for a hospital to become a large economic magnet,” he told the board. “Hospitals attract other symbiotic medical and biomedical facilities.”
McRadu’s group believes their vision would be the first fully master-planned health and wellness campus in the country, designed from the ground up to integrate medical services with long-term residential, recreational and employment opportunities.
PLANNING FOR FUTURE CARE
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is currently midway through its Health Vision Sea to Sky master planning process, which is evaluating long-term health-care needs across the region. McRadu said while VCH’s CFO and the former chair of the board have both expressed support for the concept of clustering health facilities around hospitals, he’s frustrated that local physicians have been largely excluded from the planning process.
“VCH is once again in another round of community engagements that are neglecting input from local Sea to Sky medical professionals,” he said. “We now need our communities to understand the enormous health challenges our current hospital is facing
and most importantly, we are now looking to you, the SLRD hospital board to become the local champion that will lead VCH to approve the funding of a new regional district hospital.”
VCH did not respond to a request for comment before Pique’s publication deadline.
Cudmore, who has practiced in Squamish since 1978, described the current hospital as desperately outdated.
“There’s not enough beds, there is a very small [emergency] department. We have almost no diagnostics, no CT, no MRI, and we’ve got very little space for our [operating rooms]. We have no facilities for pediatrics. Our psychiatry department has no space to manage inpatients or outpatients,” he told the board.
Cudmore said any new facility must be built with the future in mind.
“Our vision is one of a regional district hospital that meets the needs from Lillooet down to Squamish,” he told the board. “We envisage the hospital meeting the needs for the next 30 to 50 years.”
Although the group’s primary goal is to see VCH commit to funding a new hospital, the proposed wellness village offers an opportunity to address systemic health-care challenges, including the recruitment and retention of medical professionals. Retired Squamish lawyer Brian Hughes, another member of the delegation, told the board traditional hospital builds put communities in direct competition with one another for scarce medical staff.
“The concept of the wellness village and that ability to attract other biomedical facilities is something that’s unique,” he said
FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD
Squamish director Chris Pettingill questioned whether the Sea to Sky population is large enough to support the full scope of the wellness village vision. Hughes acknowledged that the group had not fully analyzed the population thresholds, but emphasized that the hospital itself remains the primary objective.
“Our No. 1 concern right now is a new regional district hospital,” said Cudmore. “If it has land around it that can support medical issues—be it research, be it accommodations, be it offices for physicians, chiropractors and the like, that’s fine. But the main focus is we have to get the hospital built.”
The SSRHD board voted to advocate that VCH move quickly to approve funding and construction of a new Sea to Sky regional hospital. Hospital board chair Jenna Stoner said a new hospital remains a top priority.
Stoner added the wellness village concept presents “very, very interesting” opportunities for both health-care delivery and economic development.
“I think it merits more discussion amongst this board and as well with the District of Squamish council for how we actually advance that economic development piece and the research you folks are talking about,” she told the delegation.
The proposal comes as Vancouver Coastal Health continues public engagement on its draft Health Vision Sea to Sky clinical services plans, which are expected to shape health infrastructure investments for the next 10 years and beyond. n
Naturespeak: Springtails—tiny friends at our feet
BY PETE LYPKIE
AS WE WALK through our natural surroundings, we may unwittingly pass thousands of tiny soil inhabitants. The soil is neither inert nor boring, but is actually teeming with life on many scales. It’s a home for bacteria that perform composting actions that make nutrients available, a home for tiny fungi that break down wood fibres and leaves, and it contains a full ecosystem of interacting invertebrates.
On a larger scale, we may be familiar with things like millipedes, centipedes, spiders and beetles, many of which are fairly visible to us even at their smallest, but there’s another size level between the micro and macro, the so-called “mesofauna.” Among them, we have everything from herbivores like many springtails that graze on algae, yeast, pollen, and fungi, up to tiny pursuit predators like mites and pseudoscorpions that have to catch and eat their prey. It’s a wild kingdom down there on a tiny scale.
You may not have heard about springtails before, but they are tiny, non-insect invertebrates that have six legs and no wings. They can live in basically any terrestrial
environment from mossy forests to grassy plains, and even deserts or the sea shore. They can live under the soil or in leaf litter on the forest floor, but many also climb up and live on plants and trees.
One thing that makes springtails unique and gives them their name is their fantastic escape tool—curled underneath them, they
have a powerful jumping mechanism that can instantly propel them away from danger, almost like a fighter pilot’s ejection seat! They hold it in place against their belly, ready at any moment to quickly flip it out against the ground and spring away to safety.
Although there are currently about 9,000 species of springtails known from around
the world, there are probably many more we haven’t found yet. Here in the wet forests and mountains of the Pacific Coast, we have such a beautiful variety of them, and yet many are still unknown to science. Despite many of them having intricate and colourful patterns, their tiny size and their ability to hide within forest moss and leaf litter means a lot of them have still evaded our notice.
Next time you’re out for a walk in the woods, take a close look at a wet, mossy log and you may see a bunch of these slow-moving critters grazing on the thin layer of algae and yeast on the log’s surface. They’re a bit easier to find with a magnifying glass or loupe. If you have a camera that’s able to zoom in, you can also record your sightings on iNaturalist and someone might be able to tell you what species you’ve found. But who knows? Maybe the tiny springtail you’ve spotted is an entirely new species no one has seen before. Keep your eyes peeled!
Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to whistlernaturalists.ca. Join the Naturalists at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30 at the Whistler Public Library for Pete’s presentation on these fascinating creatures. Admission by donation. n
SPRING IN YOUR STEP Springtails frolicking on a false chanterelle.
Pemberton mulls new zoning for shipping containers, hears more concerns over Urdal development
THE HOT-BUTTON TOPICS WERE DISCUSSED ALONGSIDE NEW RULES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION DURING COUNCIL MEETINGS
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
PEMBERTON’S MAYOR and councillors enjoyed a lively council meeting on Tuesday, July 15, with residents tuning in to talk about zoning issues around using shipping containers for business and to share ongoing concerns about the environmental impact of a proposed development at 7471 Urdal—timed with the passage of council’s new rules on public engagement.
BIG-BOX BUSINESSES
Mountain Glass and Mirror owner Shayne May wrote in to challenge a 2018 bylaw that prohibits shipping and cargo containers on a property, unless they are listed as a permitted use in a given zone. He wrote that the Village was fining him for a shipping container that has been a part of his business for the last seven years.
He argued the bylaw was either being selectively applied—as neighbouring businesses also use the containers to facilitate their enterprises—or was woefully out of date.
A separate business owner, Garth Phare of Pemberton Valley Hardware, backed him up on the latter.
“Though these structures may not fit the bylaws of the day, we must recognize these bylaws were put in place before Pemberton had unmanageable increases in commercial [and] industrial property values,” Phare wrote to council.
“[Shipping containers] offer a very fast way for any business to create space within their operation by creating instant storage for a fraction of the price of having to purchase more land or building a structure,” he added.
Council was amenable to reconsidering
CONTAINER CONCERNS Business owners tuned in to the July 15 Pemberton council meeting to defend using shipping containers on properties to help mitigate “unmanageable increases in commercial [and] industrial property values.”
the 2018 bylaw in light of those pressures on businesses. Councillor Jennie Helmer motioned to have staff look into updating the zoning bylaw, including whether it would apply to selected lots or to the entire downtown core.
“I think this is a time to open up the policy itself and make sure it fits the contemporary scene,” she told council.
The current fine levied against Mountain Glass and Mirror was put on hold pending the bylaw re-consideration.
URDAL BACK ON THE AGENDA
Following successive council meetings where residents wrote in, tuned in and spoke up, Pembertonians continued to share their concerns over the Urdal development.
A letter from resident Natalie Livermore led the charge at the council meeting.
“While presented as modest infill under the Village’s [small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH)] program, the scale, intensity, and configuration of the [Urdal] project are incompatible with the land-use designation, the intent of SSMUH policy, and the surrounding neighbourhood context,” she wrote.
Other residents shared concerns about developing on the floodplain, which can significantly increase flood risk and severity— both for the developed area and surrounding
areas. Construction can reduce the floodplain’s natural capacity to absorb floodwaters, forcing water to rise higher and flow faster, leading to increased downstream flooding and potentially causing bottlenecks upstream.
“Does council feel like it’s a good idea to be developing … areas that are wetlands in a floodplain community?” asked one in-person attendee. “Because I was sandbagging my housing during the last atmospheric river [and] that is a huge amount of water that is being dispersed out into these areas that we’re now talking about filling in.”
Mayor Mike Richman asked residents to wait until an environmental assessment has been conducted on the site, which will determine “whether it’s a wetland or a spot that gets wet certain times of year.”
Mayor and council reiterated the development is still in the earliest stages, with specs on the proposed development not yet publicly available through the Village’s development portal.
As the development potentially moves ahead, the officials assured those assembled they’ll be transparent with the environmental impacts of the site.
“Pushing the water [downstream] to others is absolutely a concern that we’ve looked at. I get it. We all get it. Nobody is taking this lightly. What I’m trying to do is give you confidence that
those things are being considered,” Richman told Livermore and her group.
“It feels like we’re having a couple of conversations prematurely. When [the development] does get discussed, when the flood hazard assessment is complete, [we’ll] get to see [it], so we have that level of comfort and can have that conversation with residents.”
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
The comparatively well-attended council meeting also featured the passage of new rules governing attendance and engagement with council.
Council passed two bylaws updating procedural elements of council meetings, including the addition of a public input period at the top of the public council meeting’s agenda.
“That’ll allow people to give us some food for thought before we even get into the conversation, then we can have questions at the end about how we got to a decision,” said Richman about the change.
During both the opening comment and closing question periods, there will be a limit of two minutes per person. Attendees will have to register to participate in advance of the question period “if the topic is not related to an agenda item from the current or former meeting.” n
PHOTO BY SHUTTER2U
Pemberton Cars and Coffee turns parking lot into community hub
THE GRASSROOTS CLUB IS EQUAL PARTS CAR SHOW, SOCIAL MIXER AND INFORMAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
WHEN CLARK BLUMBERG looked at the empty carpool lot in Pemberton’s multi-modal hub, he didn’t see vacant parking spaces—he saw potential.
“There’s a nice park there, benches, a coffee shop across the street, lots of food all around... So that’s kind of central, and we’ll just do it there,” Blumberg recalled.
That “it” became Pemberton Cars and Coffee: a low-key, family-friendly car meetup that’s grown from a trial event in May into a well-attended community gathering. The get-together is modelled after similar meetups across the Lower Mainland.
“We were just basically a bunch of car guys that were kind of attached to the Sea to Sky Car Club in Whistler,” Blumberg recalled. “But there wasn’t really a lot of activity going on with them … So I thought, ‘Well, we should do something.’”
Blumberg, a retired jet engine specialist, has hosted two events so far and recently launched a Facebook group to organize and share photos. The page now has more than 50 members. He’s also collaborating with local businesses like the Village Barber Shop to co-host larger gatherings, including an upcoming car show at the Downtown Community Barn in late August.
Blumberg said the group isn’t just for serious collectors or gearheads.
“Anything that rolls and goes is welcome to come out,” he told Pique. “We’re not like a snob thing. We want everybody to be involved.”
That inclusive spirit has attracted a wide range of vehicles—from vintage Porsches to old Beetles to motorcycles and even jacked-up bush trucks. At one event, a Unimog camper even rolled up. And while Blumberg admits the Pemberton collector scene is small—“probably about 25 oldies in this area”—he said you’d be surprised at the vehicles often hiding in the meadows and barns.
Still, it’s the human connections that seem to matter most.
“There’s a lot of young guys that are just getting into the hobby and really need help mechanically,” said Blumberg. “And lot of the people there are mechanics or technical people. Everybody’s always willing to share information … It’s not like you’re alone in your garage trying to figure it all out on YouTube videos.”
Blumberg also sees the get-together as an outing for young families. He’ll often let kids climb through his bright red 1969 Beetle, a model he’s happy to open up for photos and exploration.
“You never know how you’re going to inspire somebody,” he told Pique. “Maybe they get interested in the old cars or classic cars.
“Plus, they’re always looking for someplace to take the kids out on a Sunday, [to] get them out of the house, change the scenery. I mean, kids need that. Parents need that, too.”
“Anything that rolls and goes is welcome to come out.”
- CLARK BLUMBERG
If there’s a mission statement for Pemberton Cars and Coffee, it’s simple: build community. And show off a little chrome while you’re at it.
“I’ve been very friendly with all the people coming,” Blumberg said. “It rubs off on them. And everybody’s talking to one another, having a great time. A lot of times, too, they’re not even talking about the cars—they’re just talking about whatever’s going on.”
Whether you’re rolling up in a Harley or a half-rusted camper, there’s a spot for you.
Check out Pemberton Cars and Coffee’s Facebook page for information on upcoming events. The Village Barber Car Show returns to Pemberton on Aug. 24 at the Downtown Community Barn. n
We welcomeapplications fromall qualifiedcandidates!
ON A ROLL Organizer Clark Blumberg’s red 1969 Beetle is a popular part of the monthly car meets. PHOTO COURTESY OF PEMBERTON CARS AND COFFEE
Upgrading the summer camping setup
CAMPGROUND PARKING, commonly referred to as “car camping,” is a cherished summer activity in Canada. It’s easy enough to bring the kids, the baby, the dog, and if you have enough storage on your vehicle, a litany of summer toys including (but not limited to) paddleboards, kayaks, mountain bikes and bocce ball sets.
BY VINCE SHULEY
Depending on the campground and time of year, car camping comes with the caveat of having dozens if not hundreds of other campers around you. For those seeking more of a wilderness experience, the hordes of people, RVs and screaming kids found in Provincial and private campgrounds can be somewhat of a turnoff.
The vastness of Canada does give you options, though. Smaller recreational sites or “rec sites” are much more remote, with access often requiring you to drive on gravel forestry roads. The facilities at rec sites are far more basic. There are no showers or potable water taps and toilets are usually just a humble outhouse. You also have to bring everything with you (including water) and
pack everything out. Rec sites are sprinkled all over B.C. and offer a much more “outdoor” camping experience for those willing to make the longer drive on rougher roads.
From here, the only option to go more remote for your weekend camping is to hike into the backcountry. This requires a different set of gear, subbing out heavy and bulky items for lightweight and compact ones. Your tent and sleeping gear need to fit in (or be strapped to) your backpack, and depending on where you
about reaching one spot as much as it is about making it there.
Technically, you could overland and camp in a regular dome tent, but these journeys usually require you to pull off on the side of a gravel road to camp. Having a sleeping system attached to your 4x4 vehicle is a lot more comfortable and convenient. This is a sizable investment, especially if you’re getting into the world of rooftop tents (RTT), truck campers and Sprinter vans.
There’s also an option that mixes the elements of car camping and backcountry camping, loosely referred to as “overlanding.”
want to camp, you might need a 4x4 vehicle to access the trailhead.
When you get to your spot it’s usually easy enough to get some distance from the other humans and enjoy some real wilderness. Just remember to bear-proof your food.
There’s also an option that mixes the elements of car camping and backcountry camping, loosely referred to as “overlanding.” With the rise of vehicle-based outdoor exploration in recent years, what is considered true overlanding (and what is not) has been under debate. Purist website xoverland.com describes it as follows: self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal. The key words here are “remote” and “self-reliant,” but overlanding is typically thought of as off-road travel that isn’t
I’m not sure if overlanding is my thing yet, but I have a trip planned on Northern Vancouver Island in late summer that will be a good test. I have my truck, which in order to make sleepready (without blowing the entire summer budget), needs a rooftop tent mounted on it. The RTT just needs to mount to a bed rack (which bridges the sides of my pickup bed with hefty steel bars) and off we go on an adventure.
It might sound simple, and if you’re not picky, it probably is. But I tend to overanalyze these things for the perfect optimization, which results in hours of research and decision paralysis before finally pulling the trigger on a purchase.
Let’s start with the RTT. They come in various styles, but most are a choice between softshell (usually bigger and more comfortable)
and hardshell. I know I want a hardshell style because 1) I want it to set up and tear down quickly, and 2) I want the best possible aerodynamics for fuel economy. Those parameters narrow down the field substantially. For the rack, I need something that’s going to fit on the six-foot-long bed on my Tacoma and not have it look weird, so the more common shorter racks for Tacoma five-foot beds are not an option. The height of the racks will determine how high the tent sits, so if I want decent aerodynamics I need to keep the rack height at about 12 inches.
I also want to maintain access to my truck bed and perhaps even fit a couple of large, 29-inch-wheeled mountain bikes over the tailgate, but I’ve realized this quickly starts to get incompatible. For an optimized RTT setup, you have to balance your priorities of aerodynamics, bed storage versatility and physical fitment of the RTT itself. Some of these hardshell RTTs are between 83 and 92 inches long, so if you want to keep them at the level of your truck’s roofline you’ll have up to a foot of the RTT hanging off the back of your truck. That’s going to look bad, park bad and be a general pain when you’re walking around the back of the truck. Options exist to have a side-opening hardshell RTT, which trade shorter length with more height when closed, which is currently the most optimized solution I can find.
Better pull the trigger on all this before the summer is over. Stay tuned as this upgraded setup takes shape.
Vince Shuley is spending a lot of time on Facebook Marketplace to equip his truck. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. n
Buried Potential: Why Whistler’s Food Waste Problem Persists
BY ALEXANDRA CUSCHIERI
IF YOU’RE FOLLOWING Whistler’s environmental progress, you’ll know we’re far from hitting our 2030 landfill target.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) set an ambitious goal to cut landfill waste to 2,400 tonnes by 2030. But in 2025, we’re still landfilling nearly five times that amount. So much so that councillors are starting to question if the target is realistic.
Still, as discussed at a recent council meeting, the goal is within reach—but it will take hard work.
Food waste is one of the largest and most preventable contributors to landfill. A third of landfill waste is organic, mostly food, which releases a powerful greenhouse gas when buried. Worse, we lose the chance to turn it into nutrient-rich soil.
That’s why AWARE is focusing on a clear, measurable aim: cutting organic waste to landfill by five per cent.
THE NEW SOLID WASTE BYLAW
Whistler’s food businesses and multi-family residences are legally required to separate organics for collection, yet many still don’t.
On June 24, council updated the Solid Waste Bylaw to ban food scraps from landfill. Waste loads with high food content now face a $290/tonne surcharge, on top of the $232/tonne landfill fee—compared to just $80/tonne for separated organics.
All industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) sites and multi-family residences must separate food scraps. Film sets, public events, construction sites, and catered events must also provide organic waste bins. Non-compliance can lead to fines up to $2,000 per day.
WHY WHISTLER SHOULD BE LEADING
Whistler is known for its world-class nature, outdoor experiences, and a community that values sustainability. What sets Whistler apart is also its unique ability to tackle food waste effectively.
We have a recipe for success: local laws requiring food waste separation, a hauler (GFL) that collects organics for composting, and a nearby facility turning scraps into nutrient-rich soil.
Few communities are better positioned to keep food out of landfill; yet thousands of tonnes still end up buried every year.
SO, WHAT’S GOING WRONG?
AWARE’s From Waste to Action campaign shows many businesses want to do the right thing. But good intentions aren’t enough when systems are unclear, responsibilities fragmented, and enforcement inconsistent.
Common barriers include confusing waste rooms, seasonal staff turnover, and weak enforcement. Bins are often hidden in
back rooms or loading bays, unlabelled or disorganized, making it hard for staff to sort correctly. With Whistler’s constantly changing workforce, without clear signage and ongoing training, even good systems quickly break down. And without regular checks or consequences, food waste still ends up in landfill bins.
Solving Whistler’s food waste problem takes more than good intentions; it requires a community-wide shift in mindset and management, from bin rooms to boardrooms.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
It starts with a circular mindset—treating surplus food not as garbage, but as a resource to repurpose, redistribute, or compost. It means food businesses, stratas, landlords, and janitorial staff working together to ensure shared waste rooms are accessible, clearly labelled, and well-maintained.
With high staff turnover in hospitality, training can’t be a one-off. Signage, onboarding tools, and checklists need to be part of daily operations.
Tracking waste helps businesses reduce it, and more transparency from haulers and inspectors can show what’s working, and what’s not.
And while education is key, accountability matters, too. Stronger bylaw enforcement helps level the playing field and supports those doing the right thing.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? A CALL TO ACTION
The food waste piling up in our landfill isn’t coming from one source. It’s the collective result of habits across restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, events, condos, and homes. We don’t need to revise our landfill targets. We need to revise our approach.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION TODAY:
Own or manage a food business without clear signage or organics collection? AWARE is offering free support to help set up systems, train your team, and connect with a hauler.
Share a waste room where another tenant is contaminating compost? Speak up. Talk to them, talk to us, or contact the RMOW.
Live in a condo without composting? If your building has 12-plus units (built after 1981), it’s required. Talk to your property manager or strata.
Whistler has the tools, infrastructure, and community values to lead by example. With nearly a third of our landfill waste made up of organics, reducing food waste is one of the most tangible and achievable climate actions we can take.
But only if we’re willing to do the hard work. Head to awarewhistler.org to get started.
This campaign is made possible thanks to the generous support of GFL Environmental. AWARE works with the community to deliver bold, evidence-based solutions to the environmental issues that affect Whistler.
By Vince Shuley 100HOURS IN PARK CITY, UTAH
hen you think of Utah, what comes to mind? If I donned my recreation hat, I immediately think of the big outdoor attractions—the Slickrock mountain bike trail in Moab, the towering monoliths of Zion National Park and some of the lowest moisture content powder snow in the world, snow that even rivals that of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. If I donned my cultural hat, I think of the Sundance Film Festival, a deep pioneering history and religious conservatism led by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Having never set foot in this landlocked U.S. state, the opportunity to explore a small part of Utah came this spring. The tourism board of Park City invited a group of journalists to explore the mountain biking offerings in the area. It was a loaded, three-day itinerary bookended with quick airport transfers to Salt Lake City International Airport. What could I possibly fit into 100 hours in and around Park City?
Arrival over the Great Salt Lake
Salt Lake City is a relatively quick two-hour flight from Vancouver, and I made sure to book the window seat for my first birds-eye view of the region. The aptly named Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and the namesake for Utah’s capital city. The shrinking body of water is bifurcated by a railroad causeway built in 1959, which I later learn has led to different salinity levels and different types of bacteria and algae growing on each side. This is why the north arm has a purple-pink hue and the south arm is more of the typical blue-green colour.
I keep an eye out for any remaining snow on the ridges, but the late June heat has reduced it to a few remaining white ribbons. While my mind wanders about how these mountains would look in February, I’m not here to ski. I’m here to sample a slice of Utah’s world-famous mountain biking, and maybe a few other fun things if I cram them into the next 100 hours. I land in Salt Lake City and jump on my airport transfer to Park City, wasting no time during my short visit.
Day 1 Wilderness Biking and Apple Wine Sipping
Our group picks up our rental bikes at White Pine Touring, the local Park City outfitter. A green 2025 Specialized Stumpjumper has a hang tag with my name on it and I’m glad I’ll be riding a bike quite familiar to my Sea to Sky daily driver. We load up the van and drive east for 30 minutes, passing through the small town of Kamas, where I spot a youth driving an oversized ATV down the side of the highway, ball cap on backwards and free as an eagle.
“This area deserves to have mountain biking,” says our guide Julie Salmi from the driver’s seat of the van. “It’s only been permitted by the US Forestry Service in the last four years. The powersports community is quite sizable here. The folks riding ATVs, side-by-sides and snowmobiles don’t want to lose any access on account of mountain bikers.”
We pull into the trailhead parking lot for the Slate Creek Trail and I step out into the mid-morning heat. The peaks and ridges of the Uinta Mountains are not as steep or prominent as what I’m used to in coastal B.C., but the stats are impressive. Castle Peak (3,103 metres) stands above us in the distance and I begin to feel the altitude as we set off from the trailhead at a respectable elevation of 2,150 m.
As a relatively new build, Slate Creek Trail was designed to be as accessible as possible. The grade of the climb never feels that steep, taking advantage of the contoured terrain for an almost leisurely climb over the next five kilometres. It’s the perfect ascent trail for the mix of abilities and fitness levels in our group, the guides finding the shadiest sections of trail to take breaks and regroup.
“This is the gateway to the Western Uintas,” says our other
guide Scott House, who now works a senior role for Park City Chamber of Commerce, but occasionally enjoys coming out for a rock star shift as a mountain bike guide. “Slate Creek gives you that true backcountry feel of wilderness, but the trail here is built so well that anyone can have fun riding it.”
We drop into the descent trail, the rolling terrain contours making for fast flow riding. The trail is in surprisingly good condition given the June heat, my tires still getting great traction on the berms. The foliage opens up to reveal views of the stretching high desert valley below, but my eyes stay focused on the trail, searching for every fun side hit. Back at the parking lot, my watch gives me the stats of a 14.5-kilometre ride with 412 m of elevation gain. Not bad for a quick, single-loop sample of Uinta backcountry riding. Enthusiastic riders can easily treble that elevation gain with two other blue descent loops.
On our way back to Park City, we call in to a yet-toopen cidery by the name of Dendric Estate. Apples may be what they ferment here, everything from the fruit trees to the fermentation tanks looks like it’s been plucked from a European winery. Founders Brendan and Carly Coyle are creating a unique type of cider by balancing acids and tannins with dryness, very different from traditional sweet ciders. The still liquid they offer us is more reminiscent of a classy Sauvignon Blanc than any cider I’ve ever tried.
Day 1 summary: fruitful.
Day 2 Dipping a toe in Deer Valley
Deer Valley Resort has a reputation as one of the most affluent ski hills in North America, and perhaps the world. While many luxury resorts in the U.S. can similarly boast their own hives of hillside mansions that locals jokingly refer as a “10-10-10 build” (10,000 square feet, purchased for $10 million, vacant for 10 months of the year), Deer Valley’s commitment to the premium skier experience is legendary among the West Coast elite. Snowboarders are still not allowed to ride here, and daily ticket sales are capped to ensure manageable lift-line waits. The quality of grooming is a point of pride, matched only by the highest level of customer service towards its guests.
But what of the summer? Among its more mainstream activities like hiking, Deer Valley Resort has one of the biggest bike parks in Utah with about 1,000 vertical metres and just under 100 km of trails, ranging from old-school tech to fastflowing jumps and berms, a handful designed by none other than Whistler’s trail consultancy Gravity Logic. The resort is in a period of rapid expansion, with seven new chairlifts scheduled to open for the 2025-26 season.
That busy construction and development unfortunately means a closure of upper-mountain lifts and trails, so our group happily settles for a lower-mountain sampler. The signature flow experience is a high-speed blue trail called Regulator, and with my experience riding the Whistler Mountain Bike Park together with the familiar Gravity Logic design, I feel right at home and I’m clearing most jumps on the first run. To mix it up, on the next lap our guide takes us down Devo for some oldschool World Cup Downhill flavour.
The rock gardens are sharp, the trail narrow and the hairpin turns tight, requiring all the technical line choice I can muster. We dust ourselves off for lunch, our pads and jerseys seeming out of place on the patio at the famed Stein Eriksen Lodge. The Deer Valley hospitality does not disappoint, and we’re welcomed in our dirty bike gear just like any other high-end guest.
Day 2 summary: warm biking, warmer welcomes.
Day 3 Fly fishing the Provo and Savouring the Summit
For the third day of activities, our group gets to choose between another day of riding bike park (this time at Woodward, about 20
“Slate Creek gives you that true backcountry feel of wilderness, but the trail here is built so well that anyone can have fun riding it.” - Scott House
PHOTO COURTESY OF
PHOTO COURTESY OF DENDRIC ESTATE
PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY
“If it moves too fast, the fish will know something’s up. Keep your line in the slower lanes of the river, closer to the edge. Good luck!” - Tom White
minutes south of Park City), or try our hand at fly-fishing. The skate park-inspired flow trails and jump lines at Woodward are tempting, but having never fished a river in my life, I opt for the latter. I’m reassured the half-day of fly-fishing is fully guided by Jans (the local fly-fishing outfitter in Park City), so I don’t have to worry about spending my morning as a clueless never-ever in a new sport.
Our guide is Tom White, a retired firefighter from California who now works as a realtor in Park City. Having fly-fished since his youth, he sort of fell into this part-time guiding job after walking into the fly shop at Jans a few years ago. On the drive out to the Provo River through the Heber Valley, White points out the many new housing developments.
“This was supposed to be the affordable-housing solution for Park City, but not anymore,” he says. “All these developments are banking on Deer Valley’s resort expansion, and proximity to another ski hill base just keeps driving the prices up.”
During the drive, I explain to White the model of the Whistler Housing Authority, which piques his interest as a realtor. He mentions Park City’s municipal government offers a similar program, though it’s restricted to lower-income and lower-net-worth households. I later learn Park City currently has 674 deed-restricted units (69 per cent rental and 31 per cent owner-occupied), which is a far cry from Whistler’s total 3,800 units.
As we approach the Provo River the conversation quickly turns back towards fishing. It’s Saturday morning, and our group isn’t exactly catching the proverbial worm. But our knowledgeable guide steers us towards a quiet spot on the banks where they know there’ll be “guaranteed opportunities” to catch a fish.
Dressed in waders and shouldering a fly rod, I follow White shin-deep into the river. He deftly ties a nymph (a hooked fly lure that mimics the larvae-stage of aquatic insects that float at or just below the surface of the water), a tiny set of weights to keep the nymph submerged and an indicator ball, which will bob below the surface if I have a potential catch. White walks me through the casting techniques and the methods to make them appear as natural as possible as it floats down river.
“If it moves too fast, the fish will know something’s up,” he says as he demonstrates an expert cast. “Keep your line in the slower lanes of the river, closer to the edge. Good luck!”
After about 20 minutes of practice and working my way up the river’s lanes, I get a bite. White shouts orders to reel in when my rod is slack and hold when my rod is bent, patiently tiring the fish out. I see the fish surface and White nets it. With a bit of help and guidance, I’ve taken my first tiny, splashy steps into the world of fly-fishing.
For our final evening, we join our hosts on Park City’s iconic Main Street, a central boulevard of flagship outdoor apparel stores, luxury fashion, restaurants and of course, real estate brokerages. Tonight it’s all closed off to vehicle traffic for Savor the Summit, a culinary celebration where the town’s top restaurants push their tables into the middle of Main Street for perhaps Utah’s longest long table dining experience.
Park City’s locals are out in force, wine is flowing and the food somehow gets better with every course. Live music resonates from the stage at the bottom of the hill as the sun dips below the mountains on the horizon, the sky flaring a similar shade of pink to the northern arm of Great Salt Lake. This really takes the concept of an outdoor dinner party to a whole other level, and it’s the perfect cap to my 100 hours in and around Park City.
Day 3 Summary: fresh experiences, new friends.
On my flight home the next morning I realize these 100 hours were but a scratch on the surface of Park City and its surrounding valleys. There are hundreds more trails to explore, dozens more rivers to fish and no shortage of good food and friendly people. I see myself returning again for bikes, though I may choose a cooler month to avoid getting cooked in the high desert heat. And that winter powder probably deserves a look, too.
Vince Shuley travelled to Utah as a guest of Mountain Biking Park City. n
PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEER PARK RESORT
PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY
‘I saw my name pop up on the screen and I was so excited’
WHISTLER
MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION ALUM TOMMY LAFRENIÈRE CELEBRATES BECOMING AN EDMONTON OILERS DRAFT PICK
BY DAVID SONG
WHEN TOMMY LAFRENIÈRE first jumped onto the rink at Meadow Park Sports Centre, he was four years old—and it was basically love at first stride. Mountain biking and skiing are great, but for him, tying one’s skates and handling a puck brings up “a different feeling” that naturally ignited his love of hockey.
Now, Lafrenière has realized a dream most of his peers can only fantasize about. He’s been drafted by an NHL franchise.
After trading its first and second rounders to the Philadelphia Flyers and Arizona Coyotes, respectively, the Edmonton Oilers approached this year’s NHL Entry Draft with the 83rd pick as their highest. They chose to use it on Lafrenière: a six-foot-tall, 172-pound forward who began his journey in the Whistler Minor Hockey Association (WMHA).
“Honestly, I really couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I was with my whole family. We were in Whistler, actually, and it was just a surreal moment. My agent had called me, like, 15 seconds prior to the pick. I think our TV was delayed a little bit, but he just said ‘congrats’ and I didn’t really know what was going on.
“Then I saw my name pop up on the screen and I was so excited. I was in shock, and everybody was yelling around me. It was such a cool moment. I’ll remember it forever.”
Lafrenière ranked second among WHL rookies in scoring this past season, with 23 goals and 56 points in 68 games as a member
of the Kamloops Blazers in 2024-25. Most scouting reports note his effort level, speed and two-way acumen, and he takes pride in playing an honest game.
“I’m a hardworking player. Some teams would say I’ve [got a] motor,” Lafrenière remarked. “I never stop, and I think that’s one of the biggest things you need to be in hockey and in life … a hardworking person. Just bringing that to the ice is really huge.”
DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY
Although he was born in Montreal, Que., Lafrenière lived in Whistler between the ages of four and 12. His family moved back to Montreal after that, but he would return to British Columbia and spend four years at the Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford before suiting up for Kamloops.
for me. I had to learn how to play at that pace, at that [WHL] skill level,” he admitted. “I had really good teammates, good coaches as well. They told me what to do and I played the right way. I shadowed a lot of veteran players … and I owe it all to them.”
Lafrenière spent the first week of July at an Edmonton development camp participating in on-ice sessions, off-ice workouts, meals cooked by private chefs and a few recreational activities
“I shadowed a lot of veteran players … and I owe it all to them.”
- TOMMY LAFRENIÈRE
It was not all fun and games at Yale. Lafrenière got through some demanding times there, but maintains it’s “one of the best programs you can go to” with outstanding coaches, classes and facilities. Eventually a 30-game, 58-point campaign with Yale’s U18 Prep team helped the Whistlerite raise his stock, which in turn led to the Blazers.
Dressing in nine games to start his WHL tenure in 2023-24, Lafrenière registered four points.
“At the start, I’d say it was definitely hard
such as paintball. He met the Oilers coaching staff (including head coach Kris Knoblauch) and hung out with fellow prospects like Asher Barnett, David Lewandowski, Aidan Park as well as Daniel Salonen.
‘ONE PER CENT BETTER EVERY SINGLE DAY’
Through it all, Lafrenière has not forgotten his roots. He’s still in contact with his Whistler friend group and even feels a ping of
jealousy watching them graduate from high school together, despite his own successful exploits.
“Whistler Minor Hockey was so awesome to me,” gushed the 18-year-old. “I loved going to that rink. I loved playing for that team. We did some special things with that team. I had great coaches and honestly, it’s a really special place in my heart. I loved those 6 a.m. practices. I loved driving to Vancouver.”
Of course, the real work begins now. According to TSN, roughly 30 per cent of third-round picks like Lafrenière end up becoming NHL regulars—which aren’t good odds. Fortunately, the young Blazer has his tireless work ethic to rely on, with one Central Division NHL scout likening him to “a smaller Nick Suzuki.”
Lafrenière will take that compliment all day long.
“I’ve watched Nick Suzuki play since I was a little kid,” he said. “I kind of used him as my player comparison when I was talking to teams at the combine. He’s such a good player. He’s so much fun to watch, and just being compared to him is something special, for sure.”
And if he had the chance to mentor some younger players in the future, Lafrenière would exhort them to “work as hard as they can every single day to try and get one-percent better every single day.” n
DRAFT-DAY DREAM Tommy Lafreniere is all smiles on the ice as a member of the Kamloops Blazers.
PHOTO BY BRIAN JOHNSON/KAMLOOPS BLAZERS
Jackson Goldstone falls short of history, gets silver in Pal Arinsal
GRACEY HEMSTREET CRASHES, WINDS UP FIFTH
BY DAVID SONG
JACKSON GOLDSTONE had his crack at an unprecedented fifth straight UCI World Cup downhill triumph on Saturday in Pal Arinsal, Andorra, but ended up 1.2 seconds shy of the mark.
Instead the Squamolian was forced to accept silver (2:35.646) as Loic Bruni emerged victorious on his local course (2:34.637). Bruni’s compatriot, Loris Vergier, earned bronze (2:36.534).
“Second best on the day. Ready for a break now,” Goldstone quipped on his Instagram account.
Disappointment also struck Gracey Hemstreet, who went down late in her run and squandered a promising lead to finish fifth (3:02.083). Tahnee Seagrave clinched gold for Great Britain (2:56.835) ahead of Austrian Valentina Höll (2:58.651) and Norwegian Mille Johnset (2:58.825) in that order.
‘BATTLING WITH JACKSON THIS SEASON ... PUSHED ME TO COME HERE’
Pal Arinsal’s 2.1-kilometre venue enables riders to gain speed in its top section before a difficult rock garden and a technical wooded section. Goldstone navigated the track better than most despite his relatively slight frame, but could only look on as Bruni bested his time from pillar to post.
Bruni took the first of five World Championship titles in Andorra almost a decade ago, but hasn’t won a World Cup since mid-May in Bielsko-Biala, Poland.
“It means a lot. Battling with Jackson [Goldstone] this season and having to let him be better pushed me to come here with so much motivation,” said the Frenchman in a press release about his 12th career victory. “I had a lot of redemption and big feelings from last year, crashing at the UCI World Championships. I really wanted this one. The track was difficult and fully flat out, not much to do but open the gas.
“A lot of guys were incredibly fast today, and
I’m so happy I could be a bit looser and crazier than everybody. Jackson was on fire again, so it’s really cool to beat him fair and square. It’s been a cool season, and I’m happy to be back on top. One hell of a day. I looked at Loris [Vergier]’s time, and it was insane—2:36 was the fastest time of the whole weekend by far. I wasn’t sure I could beat that, but I gave everything I had, and in my head I thought: ‘it’s time, enough messing around.’ I’m really happy I avoided mistakes and took a risk in one section, which paid off.”
Goldstone does stay the overall men’s downhill leader with 1,406 points, 137 more than Bruni (1,269) while Vergier lies further back (926).
‘SHE WAS SO PINNED AT THE BOTTOM’
Things were unfolding smoothly for Hemstreet... until they weren’t.
Hemstreet entered the women’s final as fastest qualifier and erased an early deficit on her way to what could have been a golden run. Unfortunately, an ill-timed crash coming out of the bottom section dashed the Sunshine Coast native’s hopes.
Reigning world champ Höll was the first athlete to break the two-minute barrier. She’s won twice in Pal Arinsal before, but her explosive start wasn’t quite enough to outperform a surging Seagrave.
The Brit told reporters: “I knew Gracey [Hemstreet] was going to win. She was so pinned at the bottom, I’m kind of gutted that she crashed so close to the end. I’m happy with my performance today. I wasn’t committed as some of the other girls [in the rock garden] so I knew I had to do as much damage as I could where I was good.
“Gracey was a bit further back than me yesterday [on the top section], so when I saw that she was within a second I knew she was going to do something special. This season has been a bit frustrating, but I feel like during such a long season you have to sacrifice a few races here and there. Hopefully mine are done.”
Höll remains atop the ladies’ overall (1,344) with Hemstreet in striking distance (1,225). Seagrave’s latest breakthrough augments her third-place position (1,152). n
SECONDS SHY Jackson Goldstone races on July 12 in Pal Arinsal, Andorra.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UCI
CHIEFPARTNERS
MEDIAPARTNERS
LEAR NM OR E
Rosé all day: Mediterranean nights at the Four Seasons Whistler
EVERY THURSDAY THROUGH SUMMER, RIVIERA AND ROSÉ BRINGS LIVE MUSIC, FRESH SEAFOOD, AND COASTAL CHARM TO THE BRAIDWOOD TAVERN COURTYARD
BY LIZ MCDONALD
SPENDING AN EVENING under goldenhour light, sharing an elegant meal with friends, is a summer tradition. When paired with the intentional curation of staff at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler, it can evoke memories of a European seaside escape.
Tucked into the courtyard of the Braidwood Tavern, the resort’s newest summer offering, Riviera and Rosé, transports guests to the Mediterranean coast—complete with the Coast Mountains as a dramatic backdrop. Every Thursday evening until Sept. 4, diners are invited to immerse themselves in a sensory celebration of flavours, sights and sounds at an al fresco buffet inspired by the sea.
Upon entering the courtyard, guests are greeted by a whimsical Vespa photo booth beneath a pergola. Lemon tree accents add a splash of sunshine, while expansive umbrellas offer shelter from the sun. A gentle water feature trickles in the background, complementing the relaxed setting as guests recline in cushioned chaises and sip their first glass of wine.
Attentive staff begin the experience with a pour of rosé to highlight the wines on offer, while cocktail selections such as the Beekeeper and Mex I Can provide playful nods to summer
ingredients and flair.
As the event’s name suggests, rosé is the star of the evening, with a wine list featuring selections from France, Italy and British Columbia. A standout option is 11 Minutes by Famiglia Pasqua, a complex, floralforward rosé made from native varietals in northeastern Italy. Soft grape pressing and aromatic hints of fruit and spice make it a vibrant, refreshing choice.
Paired with fresh Pacific oysters from Sawmill Bay on Read Island, it’s easy to imagine the scent of sea salt in the air.
But with long summer days often spent hiking, biking or on the mountain, the event also delivers hearty fare to help guests refuel.
A second trip to the buffet is almost inevitable. Blue and white tagines—traditional North African cooking vessels—overflow with couscous and seasonal vegetables. Hortopita, a savoury Greek pie made with leafy greens and herbs, offers an earthy balance. There’s also ricotta and spinach-stuffed lumache pasta, and a rich, seafood-forward cioppino, or fish stew, to round out trip two.
“Thursday is always the day that locals come to us for our events.”
- CHELAN GOONETILLEKE
The meal begins with a spread of French, Spanish and Italian cheeses and charcuterie. The scent of fresh bread wafts through the air, accompanied by a mezze selection of hummus, moutabal, labneh, Greek salad and marinated olives—perfect for grazing and conversation.
As guests dine and mingle, local musician Steph Lundy sets the tone with acoustic ballads. A Sea to Sky artist originally from Salt Spring Island, Lundy brings laid-back charm with covers of artists like Noah Kahan, adding to the casual, sun-kissed ambience.
Younger guests are entertained by a balloon artist twisting inflatable creations, and the family-friendly atmosphere ensures plenty of space for kids to roam while parents relax.
Though Riviera and Rosé is new this summer, the event builds on a long tradition of Thursday gatherings at the Four Seasons. In previous years, the resort hosted La Dolce Vita, an Italian-themed celebration of slow living. Before that, a beloved weekly barbecue drew locals and families for nearly two decades.
“Thursday is always the day that locals come to us for our events,” Four Seasons general
manager Chelan Goonetilleke told Pique last year. “For the past 20 years, we had our famous barbecue. Locals, families and their dogs would all line the streets for these events. A few years ago, we renovated the space.”
That renovation opened the door for fresh offerings like Riviera and Rosé, which blend luxury with approachability.
Carnivores and seafood lovers alike will appreciate the flame-kissed selections, which may include roasted lamb, seasonal fish, chicken shawarma and steaming pans of seafood paella. For this writer, it was impossible to resist a second helping of the paella, despite knowing a decadent dessert awaited.
To finish the evening, guests are treated to a pair of palate-pleasing sweets. A lemon trifle olive oil cake offers a bright, zesty lift, while a rich yet airy tiramisu provides the perfect bittersweet ending to a night of indulgence and ease.
The event runs weekly through the summer, with pricing that may surprise for the experience on offer. Adults dine for $68, while kids under 12 eat for $35.
Whether you’re a Whistler local or a visitor seeking a taste of the Mediterranean with mountain views, Riviera and Rosé delivers a slice of vacation magic—no passport required. n
RAISE A GLASS As the event’s name suggests, rosé is the star of the evening, with a wine list featuring selections from France, Italy and British Columbia.
MEADOWPARKSPORTSCENTRE
F FLEXIBLEREGISTRATION Flex-reg’classeshavea separatefeeand allowyoutoregisterfor classesonthedaysthatfit yourschedule.
R REGISTEREDFITNESS Registeredfitnessclasses have aseparatefeeanda definedstartandenddate. Pre-registrationisrequired fortheentire setofclasses.
I INCLUDEDFITNESS Theseclassesareincluded withyourpriceofadmission fornoextracharge.
‘I am humbled, because I know I got lucky to be there’
CHANTAL KREVIAZUK REFLECTS ON HER CAREER AHEAD OF HER JULY 18 SHOW IN WHISTLER
BY DAVID SONG
CANADIANS ARE well-acquainted with Chantal Kreviazuk’s name. The Winnipegger is a decorated classical pianist, outspoken humanitarian, part-time actress and beloved singer-songwriter with three Juno awards under her belt. According to Nielsen Music and Billboard’s Canada 150 charts, she was the 51st best-selling Canadian artist in Canada from the beginning of her career to 2016.
Yet when asked to reflect on her many exploits, Kreviazuk directed the spotlight towards others.
“I just recorded an album of songs that I wrote or was featured on with other artists. I’m not usually one to take stock, but having these 13 songs that I wrote with absolutely massive, extraordinary superstar artists really does cause me to pause a moment,” she remarks. “At the end of the day, I think it’s all luck. You get minutes on the court, as they say in sports, you learn on the job, then you’re able to build a skill set and a confidence that you can ultimately go in a room with anyone.
“To know that I was a part of Kendrick Lamar‘s career and identity; to know that
I was a part of Drake’s career, or Christina Aguilera having some really major success in her journey, is something I can claim as my identity on my path after all these years.
I guess I’m finally able to take stock. It’s wild. I am humbled, because I know I got lucky to be there.”
Kreviazuk views her decades in the music industry as a tricky balance. Sometimes one realizes that one is there to support people—not unlike a loving mother or
justice. She and husband Raine Maida, lead singer of Canadian rock royalty Our Lady Peace, were inducted into the Order of Canada and given the Alan Waters Humanitarian Award for backing non-profits like War Child and Artists Against Racism. Kreviazuk insists she would never pursue money-making to the
“I guess I’m finally able to take stock. It’s wild.”
- CHANTAL KREVIAZUK
therapist—instead of passing judgment. Were she to give her younger self advice, these words come to mind: “Stay in your lane and just understand that we’re all on a journey. People learn what they want to learn, when they want to learn it, and no one‘s teaching anyone else. The idea of a teacher, well … someone has to sign up for it in order to be taught. Myself included.”
‘I THINK ABOUT WHAT I WANT TO SAY’
Not to be overlooked in any discussion of Kreviazuk’s life is her passion for social
exclusion of all other causes, no matter how she made a living.
The woman is also unafraid to ruffle feathers, as seen when she performed Canada’s national anthem at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off hockey final—and sang “that only us command” rather than “in all of us command” to protest U.S. president Donald Trump’s rhetoric of annexation. Despite a wave of boos from American fans, Kreviazuk figures it was “the most patriotic moment of her life” while affirming the strength, kindness and resilience of Canadians.
She’s deliberate about how to deploy her musical platform, that’s for sure.
“I don’t think too much about genre. I think about what I want to say, why I want to say it and the genre always reveals itself,” Kreviazuk elaborates. “For example, I thought I had finished my first solo project of original songs in quite a while, [but] realized I have another song in me that I’ve been writing my whole life. It’s quite different … almost has more of a folk kind of country rock thing to it. There’s elements of the Rolling Stones, but it’s ultimately a straight folklore song and I don’t really care.”
Some locals may remember Kreviazuk’s previous appearances in Olympic Plaza. She’s thrilled to be returning and believes “at her core” that “Whistler is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.”
Kreviazuk has multiple new undertakings in the works. Beyond the aforementioned two albums, she and Maida are writing a double memoir: a behind-the-scenes look at their shared lives.
“It’s going to be a lot of content,” she promises. “I’m really excited and looking forward to being dialled-in to what brought me to this place and that is the music … the core, creative soul of me, if you will.”
DJ LAZY FNGZ is up to open the show on July 18 at 6:30 p.m. and Kreviazuk takes the baton one hour later. For more details visit whistler.com/events/concerts. n
TAKING STOCK Canadian singer-songwriter, actress and humanitarian Chantal Kreviazuk.
PHOTO BY RAPHAEL MAZZUCCO
Paco Versailles makes Whistler debut on July 24
THE DUO OF RYAN MERCHANT AND VAHAGNI ARYAN BLEND FRENCH DANCE MUSIC WITH FLAMENCO GUITAR
BY DAVID SONG
EVER HEARD OF “Dancemenco”?
This novel subgenre is the calling card of Paco Versailles, a musical act composed of songwriter/producer Ryan Merchant and Spanish-trained flamenco guitarist Vahagni Aryan. They met in the mid-2010s on tour with Merchant’s other band, Capital Cities, and became fast friends with a desire to collaborate. Merchant has a background in French pop and dance music production, and he thought it would be interesting to marry that style with Aryan’s approach to flamenco.
To understand the fruits of their labour, it is helpful to grasp what flamenco actually is.
“In a nutshell: it’s gypsy music indigenous to the Andalusian province of Spain, the southern province,” Aryan explains. “When the gypsies migrated into Spain [and joined] with the Moorish culture that was there already, it created this little brew of musical culture which became known as flamenco. Typically people think it’s Spanish folk music, but it’s absolutely not … there’s a totally different northern Spanish influence that is very different from the southern influence.
“[Flamenco] is based around the guitar being the accompaniment and harmonic instrument. My interpretation is a little different … growing up in Los Angeles, I was constantly influenced by so many other genres of music, so I kind of interpret it in my own way. I don’t really know how to describe that, but I try to be as creative as I can.”
Merchant elaborates that Dancemenco is a version of disco dance music being rhythmically driven by the flamenco guitar whilst featuring pop songwriting sensibilities. The name “Paco Versailles” is derived from iconic Spanish guitar player Paco de Lucía and the Parisian suburb of Versailles, where French electronic maestros Daft Punk and Air originated.
“When we make music, we have a sound and we have these core elements, but I think it manifests in different ways,” remarks Merchant. “We have one song from our last album that has more of a salsa influence, so we don’t necessarily confine ourselves to
having every song be totally on the nose. We have a cover of a Highwaymen song called ‘Silver Stallion.’ We just put out a cover of a Genesis song. A lot of influences find their way into our recordings and then into the live set.”
Early versions of Dancemenco were featured at Los Angeles parties Merchant organized in 2019 as a testbed for musical experiments. He and Aryan started with three tracks, which evidently met with a positiveenough reception so they forged on.
Friends of Paco Versailles have reported their music is beginning to seep into the global consciousness: from restaurants in Boston and casinos in Las Vegas to bars in Ibiza. Whistler represents fresh territory, but Merchant expects to feel right at home: he loves mountains no matter what time of year it is.
Aryan is likewise excited for the show. He feels the duo has barely scratched the surface of their potential audience base and will jump at every chance to “preach the gospel of Paco” to new listeners.
“What we’re starting to embrace right now is the notion of not overthinking the musicmaking process,” says Merchant. “We’re in this very free-flowing state of our career … and I think we’ve been making some of [our best music] maybe since the beginning. You don’t really have a lot of control over how the world interprets your music, how they accept you.
“All you have control over is just making stuff that feels inspired and getting out of your own way. If you commit to that ethos and continue to put out good music, it’s like the universe starts to reward you over time.”
From his perspective, Aryan would add: “The best thing you can do for yourself is be as honest as possible. There’s so much going on in this industry where you have to have your social media game up, you have to post content and you have to do X, Y and Z. Sometimes you stop and think to yourself: ‘is this what I want to be doing, or do I just want to make really good music and play really good shows, putting a majority of my effort and time into things that make me happy?’”
On July 24, DJ Olly Watt sets the table at 6:30 p.m. for Paco Versailles at 7:30 p.m. Find details at whistler.com/events/concerts. n
A Whistler Naturalists presentation for Whistler
DANCE PARTY Paco Versailles frontmen Ryan Merchant (left) and Vahagni Aryan. PHOTO COURTESY OF COOPER ANSTETT
Joy
Meet the Maker: Mycelyum Mushrooms at Nesters Whistler
We’re excited to welcome Joy Dutcher, co-founder of Mycelyum, to
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
FOREST BATHING
Join
Stop
AUDAIN ARTIST DINNER SERIES: GATHERED LEAVES
Step into an evening where fine art meets fine dining. Enjoy a cocktail and exclusive after-hours tour of Gathered Leaves: Discoveries from the Drawings Vault, featuring rare masterworks from the National Gallery of Canada. Then, savour a seasonal four-course menu with wine pairings by Edge Catering, crafted to complement the evening’s refined ambiance.
> July 18, 5:45 p.m.
> Audain Art Museum
FOREST BATHING WITH SOCIETY OF TREES
classics to recent releases, amidst the scenic backdrop of Whistler Olympic Plaza on select Wednesday and Saturday nights. Don’t forget to bring blankets or low chairs for a cozy evening under the stars.
> July 19, 8 p.m.
> Olympic Plaza
SHERI MARIE PTOLEMY AND THE WHISTLER COWBOY JAZZ QUARTET
Forest Bathing is a calming, sensory experience that connects you to nature through sights, sounds, and smells like tree bark, flowers, and birdsong. Guided by Monica Sander Burns from the Society of Trees, participants are encouraged to slow down and be present.
> July 18, 3:30 p.m.
> Florence Petersen Park
FRIDAY PATIO SERIES
Forecast Coffee brings the summer vibes every Friday until Aug.1 with live music, drink specials and all-around good times. Whether you’re unwinding after a shift or gearing up for the evening, Forecast is the perfect place to reconnect and recharge. Grab your crew, swing by and kick back on the patio!
> July 18, 4 to 6 p.m.
> Forecast Coffee Village Square
MOVIES IN THE PLAZA: WAYNE’S WORLD
Experience a variety of free films, spanning from timeless
Enjoy a double header featuring Sheri Marie Ptolemy’s sweet country ballads and Whistler Cowboy Jazz Quartet’s mix of tunes from the 1850s to the 2000s! Hang out lakeside, on the lawn, the dock, or under the marquee tent for an afternoon of live musical entertainment. Food and drinks are available for purchase. Tickets are $10 and kids are free!
> July 20, 3 to 6 p.m.
> Point Artist-Run Centre
WILD BLUE LONG TABLE DINNER
Back for its third consecutive year, Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar is pleased to announce the return of the Long Table Dinner Series. These evenings promise an unforgettable al fresco dining experience surrounded by stunning mountain scenery in the heart of Whistler Village. Spotlighting the freshest local, seasonal ingredients sourced from the bountiful land and sea of the west coast, this is the ultimate celebration of a Canadian Summer.
> July 20, 4 p.m.
> Wild Blue Restaurant
MUSEUM MUSINGS & ASTROLOGY
‘Monument to insanity’
BY ALLYN PRINGLE
WHEN LYNN AND DAVE Mathews and Hugh Smythe arrived at Snowridge in September 1974, the Albertan ski area was not in the best shape. The lifts had stopped operating following the 1970-71 ski season and the lodge building was described as “just a total disaster.” The three were there to reopen the ski area and make it saleable, which meant they had until the beginning of the ski season in December to turn it into a going concern.
There was a lot to get done in a short amount of time, and in an oral history interview Hugh looked back at this time as “drinking from a fire hose, to say the least.” The trio were taking on all of the operations of the ski area, including the lifts, ski school, retail, hotel, restaurant, and more. According to Hugh, this experience was where he got his “MBA in ski management by trial-by-fire.”
The cable of the chairlift at Snowridge had been blown off the tower and chairs were lying on the ground. Doppelmayr took on the refurbishment of the lift and Snowridge’s two T-bars (they were, after all, Doppelmayr lifts), marking the beginning of a long relationship between Doppelmayr and Hugh.
Birds had been searching for larva in the wooden siding of the lodge and other animals had been making themselves at
home inside. Designed by Calgary architect
Joseph K. English, guest services, retail and rental space, hotel accommodations, and food services were all included in one unique building. According to Lynn, it featured a “big copper fireplace going up three floors” and had a confusing layout. She recalled at one
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): For the Dagara people of Burkina Faso, the element of fire has profound cultural meanings. It’s a symbol of innovation and inspiration. It’s a mediator between the physical and spiritual worlds and a conduit for communication with the ancestors. Through rituals, fire is a purifying and renewing force that helps people reconnect with their purpose, heal relationships, and catalyze positive change in the community. In the coming weeks, Aries, I hope you will be deeply aligned with all these symbolic meanings. What are you ready to ignite for the sake of nurturing and care? What truths need light and heat? What future visions would benefit from surges of luminosity?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the Nahuatl language spoken by Indigenous Mexicans, the word nepantla describes an in-between space. It’s a liminal threshold where a transition is in process. The old ways have fallen away, but the new ways are not yet fully formed. It’s unsettling and perhaps confusing, yet seeded with the potential for creative change. I suspect you are now in a state resembling nepantla , Taurus. Please understand that this isn’t a crisis. It’s a chrysalis. Any discomfort you feel is not a sign of failure, but a harbinger of the wisdom and power that will come by molting the identity you have outgrown. I hope you will honour the rawness and speak tenderly to yourself. You are not lost; you are mid-ritual.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The sea slug Elysia chlorotica is a small, unassuming creature that performs a remarkable feat: It eats algae and steals its chloroplasts, then incorporates them into its own body. For weeks afterward, the slug photosynthesizes sunlight like a plant. I believe, Gemini, that you are doing a metaphorical version of this biological borrowing. Some useful influence or presence you have absorbed from another is integrating into your deeper systems. You’re making it your own now. This isn’t theft, but creative borrowing. You’re not copying;
OF JULY 19 BY
you’re synthesizing and synergizing.
point seeing Hugh on the second floor and asking, “How did you get there?” His reply was, “I don’t know.” Though Dave referred to the building as a “monument to insanity,” they soon learned their way around.
In order to open a ski area in three months, Lynn, Dave and Hugh did not
ROB BREZSNY
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ancient beekeepers in Anatolia carved hives directly into rock faces, coaxing honey from the cliffs. This practice was designed to protect bees from harsh weather and predators while maximizing honey production. The bees adapted well to their unusual homes. I suspect, Cancerian, that in the coming weeks, your sweetness and bounty may also thrive in unlikely structures. It could take a minute or two for you to adjust, but that won’t be a problem. Your nectar-making instincts will guide you. So I advise you not to wait for the perfect container before beginning your work. Make honey in the best available setting.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I laughed until I sobbed as you earnestly played the game of love even after the rules had changed. I sighed till I panted as you dredged up a new problem to avoid fixing an overripe hassle. I rolled my eyes until I got dizzy as you tried to figure out the differences between stifling self-control and emancipating self-control. But all that’s in the past, right, Leo? Now I’m preparing to cheer until my voice is raspy as you trade in a dried-up old obsession in favour of a sweet, fresh, productive passion— and outgrow all the fruitless nuisances.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The ancient scribes of Mesopotamia etched records onto clay tablets with styluses, pressing wedge-shaped marks into wet earth. Once baked, these tablets endured for thousands of years. Some are still readable today. In my astrological assessment, Virgo, you are undergoing a metaphorically comparable process. Messages and expressions that are forming within you are meant to last. They may not win you immediate attention and applause. But you already suspect how crucial they will be to both your own future and the destinies of those you care for. Be bold, decisive, and precise as you choose your words.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Is there any aspect of your life
or character that is still unripe even though it is critical to your life-long journey? Have you held on to your amateur status or remained a bit dilettantish beyond the time when you might have progressed to the next highest level? Are you still a casual dabbler in a field where you could ultimately become masterful? If you answered yes to these queries, now is a perfect moment to kick yourself in the butt and leap to the next level. Waiting around for fate to kick your butt would be a mistake.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Many astrologers rightfully say that Virgo is the most detail-oriented, meticulous sign. I think you Scorpios may be the most methodical and thorough of all the signs, which means that you, too, can be meticulous and detail-oriented. A prime example is the Scorpio sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917). Eventually, his work became world-renowned, but his career developed gradually because of his painstaking patience and scrupulous devotion to excellence. I propose we make him your role model for now. Inspired by him, resist pressure for immediate results. Trust in the slow, steady refinement process.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Here are half of your words of power for the coming days: windfall, godsend, and boon. The other half are potion, remedy, and healing agent. If you’re lucky, and I think you will be, those terms will blend and overlap. The blessings that come your way will be in the form of cures and fixes. I’m being understated here so as to not sound too wildly excited about your immediate future. But I suspect you will wrangle at least one amazing victory over hardship. Your chances of a semimiraculous visitation by a benevolent intervention are as high as they have ever been.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The ancient Chinese character for “listening” contains symbols for ears, eyes, and heart. I interpret this to signify that it’s not enough to seek the truth with just one of your faculties. They must all
come alone, and some familiar faces from Whistler Mountain came to work with them at Snowridge. Little Mary, who had been known for her cinnamon buns at Whistler, joined them in the cafeteria. Roger and Jan Systad, who had both worked at the Cheakamus Inn, came as well, Roger as the restaurant’s chef and Jan to run some of the hotel operations. Rich Miller was their electrician and John Garrity was in charge of maintenance. Though not from the Whistler area, Hugh’s high-school friend Garry Davies was also hired to create the new trail signs. With a lot of work and long days, the ski area was ready to open by December 1974. They renamed the operation Fortress Mountain and branded themselves as “Alberta’s Friendly Mountain.” To that end, they hired high-school kids to work on the weekends who they bused in and would have stay at Fortress Friday and Saturday nights. Fortress also employed more than 40 fulltime staff who lived at the ski area. As the managers, one of Dave, Lynn or Hugh was always on duty. Looking back, Lynn recalled going to bed at 4 a.m. and then getting back up to work at 11 a.m., remembering, “I have never worked so hard in my life.”
Fortress had turned around by the spring of 1975 and was operating successfully. All that was left for HUMAT Management and Consultants Ltd. was to sell the ski resort for the Federal Business Development Bank. n
be engaged and working together to get the full story. You are wise to survey the world with your whole being. Keep these meditations in mind during the coming weeks, Capricorn. Your natural inclination is to be practical, take action, and get things done. But for now, your main superpower will be listening to everything. So my advice is to listen with your skin. Listen with your breath. Listen with your gut. Let your attention be so complete that the world softens and speaks to you about what you really need to know.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you would like to glide into rapt alignment with astrological rhythms, give gifts to your two closest allies. These offerings should inspire their ambitions, not indulge their cravings to be comfortable. They shouldn’t be practical necessities or consumer fetishes, but rather provocative tools or adult toys. Ideally, they will be imaginative boons that your beloved companions have been shy about asking for or intriguing prods that will help beautify their self-image. Show them you love both the person they are now and the person they are becoming.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean photographer Ansel Adams is so renowned that he’s in the International Photography Hall of Fame. We know the moment that his lifelong passion erupted. At age 14, his family gave him a simple camera and took him to Yosemite National Park in California. “The splendour of Yosemite burst upon us, and it was glorious,” he wrote later. “One wonder after another descended upon us. A new era began for me.” In the coming months, I foresee you encountering a comparable turning point, Pisces—a magical interlude awakening you to a marvel that will become an enduring presence in your life. Be alert for it. Better yet, declare your intention to shape events to ensure it happens and you’re ready for it. Make amends to the person you were in the past. They’re still alive within you. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.
RAISING THE BAR The 7th Heaven T-bar, installed on Blackcomb Mountain in 1985, was originally a lift on Fortress Mountain.
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Influence flows in all directions
THE MAN ON THE SCREEN has slung a hammock tent between two posts and loaded it up with bags of concrete, to show how much it can hold. He pokes his head above the mountain of mounds, the hammock defiantly taut, while a caption reads, “Do not try this at
BY LISA RICHARDSON
home.” The Kickstarter for the new ultralight version of Haven Tents’ outdoor sleeping system (“better sleep than your bed at home”) is underway, and my kid declares that he has found the camp setup of his dreams.
His dad and I roll our eyes. It seems like a scam. A gimmick. What’s wrong with a tent, on the ground, which we already have three of? Why would someone be raising money for their product launch on Kickstarter instead of going to the bank?
We were shaped as Outdoor Lifestylers and professionals in a different ecosystem— one where Outside Magazine, the Mountain Equipment Co-op, and topographic maps in waterproof bags and print guidebooks were north stars.
Cut to 2025. Every niche culture has evolved, digitized, memeicized, and
pandemic-supersized, leaving me holding the same cook-set and insulated mug from 30 years ago. Must-have accessories shifted from multitools and headlamps to USB rechargeable lighters, flat pack solar panels, and tents on the rooftops of cars.
My guide in this new world is my kid. And this was prophesied to me, long before I even contemplated contaminating lifestyle with family.
I don’t know if impending climate collapse has put a pause on older generations asking young couples this, but we got one question a lot: “When are you having kids?”
that, in her experience, having children didn’t ruin your lifestyle. They gave it back to you, because just as you are subsiding in your skill and strength and upward trajectory in your sports, they’re coming into their own, and you derive contact joy and inspiration from their enjoyment. She seemed to be saying that not only was it fun to pass the torch, but it gave you back some spark, too.
I’d literally never heard that before.
Not inclined to take our word for anything, my kid scoured the internet, watching video gear reviews, making his own assessments on a range of tents,
It’s hard to acknowledge that you’re becoming crusty and rigid in your thinking, especially around topics that you feel “expert” in.
It was always awkward to answer. Telling clients you’d been babysitting for that a day with their children was very effective contraception didn’t seem likely to induce a generous tip.
So, I was delicate but honest when the older woman at the heliskiing lodge asked.
“Um, it doesn’t look very compatible with my lifestyle goals,” I confessed.
She was a massage therapist, her partner a heli-guide, and they spent months at a time living at remote lodges in the mountains. And, they’d done it with kids.
She listened thoughtfully, then replied
hammock tents, pads, sleeping bags, camping pillows—all the gear he’d need for a summer of camping, a week at ancestral skills camp and a five-day through-hike.
He did not convince me that a hammock tent was a legitimate offering. It struck me as a bastard child of two otherwise incompatible outdoor nests, but happily, Haven Tents’ founder Derek Tillotson accepted my suggestion that I’m the analogue equivalent of an influencer and sent us a second to try.
Second or not, the Haven proved to be the real thing, and all the inducement needed for kiddo to log at least 14 nights
so far sleeping strung between two trees. Everyone who’s seen it set up has been duly impressed, and the lad, fully versed in all its nuances, has given multiple tours more compelling than any sales clerk. Thus, we’ve all spent more nights outside, just for the joy of sleeping under an open sky and setting up your gear.
It’s hard to acknowledge that you’re becoming crusty and rigid in your thinking, especially around topics that you feel “expert” in. It’s like your otherwise neuroplastic brain has become coated in a plaque made up of hubris, confirmation bias, sunk investment costs, and risk aversion built up with every bad-luck tale you’ve absorbed. Someone else’s enthusiasm can be the grease the old thinking patterns need…
This is what the woman at the lodge was telling me. We pass on our passions to the next generation as parents, grandparents, aunties, teachers, guides, coaches, and they then reframe them for us, by having different approaches, different relationships with technology, different language, and gift them back, afresh, sometimes unrecognizable, but definitely revitalized. It’s evolution. Not as a survival of the fittest, or the one who can grip onto their ideas of right and wrong the hardest, but of the ones most willing to listen to the next generation, the ones who prove best willing to adapt.
Lisa Richardson is a longtime contributor to Pique whose writing, journalling workshops, yoga classes and other random contributions are fuelled by her deep gratitude for place and desire to contribute to greater community resilience. n
HANGING IN THE BALANCE What’s wrong with a tent, on the ground, which we already have three of?
PHOTO BY LISA RICHARDSON
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