The story behind Lil’wat and N’Quatqua’s ceremony for Joffre - By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
06
OPENING REMARKS With coyotes on the prowl, it’s a good time to reflect on the importance of caring for the place we live, and for effective communication about animal-wildlife interactions.
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In this week’s letters, the Rotary thanks supporters for another successful Brandywine Boogie.
24 THE OUTSIDER Hiking presents a distraction-free way to get to know your companions, writes Vince Shuley.
46 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST To heal, we must first recognize truths silenced by systems and reclaim what was stolen, writes Georgina Dan.
10 STEEP BUILDS Council considers drastically increasing development charges.
12 MIND THE MIND The Kelty Foundation launches programming to support youth mental health.
30 TWILIGHT YEAR Andréane Lanthier Nadeau reflects on her decision to retire from enduro racing.
34 CHUCKLE CHAMPS Arts Whistler brings long-time CBC comedians to town for ‘A Perfectly Reasonable Night of Comedy.’
COVER Probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to have nation-wide closures. A solid break from the land to let it heal and recover from the burden of human traffic. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
Coyotes in Whistler: learning to live with our wild neighbours
COYOTES HAVE become increasingly visible in Whistler this month, with the Resort Municipality of Whistler sharing alerts from the Conservation Officer Service about animals
BY LIZ MCDONALD
emcdonald@piquenewsmagazine.com
spotted in the Lower Sproatt and Blueberry areas. Reports describe “escorting behaviour,” in which coyotes follow people, most often those walking dogs, as a way of guiding them out of the animals’ territory. The Fur-Bearers, a wildlife advocacy group, notes this type of behaviour is common in early morning or evening hours and is frequently experienced by individuals walking dogs, which coyotes may perceive as threats to their families.
These sightings are not anomalies. They reflect a broader ecological reality: coyotes defending denning areas, responding to pets as potential intruders, and adapting to Whistler’s heavily used trail network. Human activity in wildlife corridors makes such encounters inevitable, and the presence of coyotes offers a reminder that we share this valley with other species.
The ecological role of coyotes is significant. They help control populations of rodents and rabbits, limiting crop damage and the spread of disease. In areas where larger predators
are absent, coyotes fill an important niche, maintaining balance in the food web. They are also scavengers, removing carrion from the landscape and helping keep ecosystems clean. The province’s Ministry of Environment emphasizes that coyotes are adaptable and capable of thriving in urban as well as rural settings. Their presence in Whistler is not new, but sightings are becoming more frequent as human development and recreation overlap with natural habitats.
While coyotes are generally wary of people, conflicts can arise, most often involving pets. When coyotes lose their fear of humans because of easy food sources, the risk of aggressive encounters increases. The
should be reported through the provincial Report All Poachers and Polluters line. Whistler’s recent coyote sightings should not trigger fear but rather foster perspective. These animals are part of the valley’s ecological fabric, just as black bears, eagles, and salmon are. They provide balance to local ecosystems while also reminding us that Whistler remains, at its heart, a community set within the wild. Public safety must still be taken seriously. That means adapting our habits, from how we manage waste to how we recreate with our dogs, and ensuring visitors are equally aware of how to respond to wildlife.
The municipality’s alerts are a necessary tool, but they are not enough. These coyote
outreach to local media, and regular briefings would ensure the entire community receives accurate, contextual information that cannot be buried by an algorithm.
This is where the COS and RMOW need to do better. Wildlife safety is not just a matter of individual responsibility; it is also a matter of public accountability. When information about potentially dangerous wildlife interactions is confined to a Facebook post or municipal website, the message fails to reach the full audience who need it. Journalists in this community are ready and willing to provide balanced, accurate coverage of these issues. Authorities should work with them, not around them.
In areas where larger predators are absent, coyotes fill an important niche, maintaining balance in the food web. They are also scavengers, removing carrion from the landscape and helping keep ecosystems clean.
Conservation Officer Service and WildSafeBC both stress the importance of simple steps: keep dogs on leash, secure garbage and compost, and never feed coyotes, intentionally or otherwise. If an encounter does occur, the best response is to remain calm, avoid running, pick up small children or pets, and make yourself appear larger by waving your arms or making noise. Backing away slowly is key. Aggressive or unusually bold behaviour
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sightings were pushed through RMOW social media channels, where they can be easily missed or quickly lost in the churn of posts. In a community where residents and visitors rely on trusted news outlets for reliable and timely information, social media alone is not a sufficient communication strategy. If a coyote bites a pet or displays aggressive behaviour on a popular trail, that is news — and it deserves to be treated as such. Press releases, direct
Coyotes are not leaving Whistler. Their presence is a sign of a functioning ecosystem, and their survival depends on our willingness to respect boundaries. The challenge before us is one of coexistence: to live responsibly in a mountain community that is still very much part of the wild. Meeting that challenge requires cooperation — between residents and wildlife, yes, but also between institutions and the people they serve. n
Edgar Degas, Racehorses, c. 1895-1899. Pastel on tracing paper, mounted on cardboard, 55.8 x 64.8 cm.
Purchased 1950. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Photo: NGC.
Organized by
We need to make Big Oil pay for climate catastrophe
From deadly heat waves to raging wildfires and floods, individuals and communities across the nation are paying a steep price for climate disasters. Families are facing higher insurance premiums, soaring food costs, and mounting rebuilding bills.
Meanwhile, the fossil fuel companies driving this crisis are raking in record profits – without paying a dime toward the damages they have caused. They have expected damaging climate change for 40 years, and effectively hidden the information.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We need to require, through legislation, that Big Oil contribute a share of profits to provincial and federal funds. Those climate funds would help prevent disasters, rebuild communities after disasters, protect frontline neighborhoods, and invest in resilience so we’re better prepared for the next storms, floods, fires.
As a long-time resident of Whistler, I have watched the changes we are experiencing –loss of glaciers, hotter drier forests, worse insect infestations, water restrictions, and more.
The time to act was yesterday. But the best we can do is act now—before the next disaster strikes.
I urge everyone to take part in the Sept 20 Day of Action for the Climate.
Pru Moore // Whistler
‘We have what’s called mission creep, not fiscal discipline’
We all understand that costs go up. Inflation affects groceries, fuel, and wages, and our
municipal government is not immune. But there is a difference between keeping pace with reality and raising taxes well beyond what is justified.
Since 2022, RMOW has raised property taxes far beyond what inflation and population growth would justify. Inflation last year was around 2.4 percent, our population grew by less than two percent, yet Council approved an increase of more than eight percent. They’ve done it again for 2025.
The numbers tell the story. In 2022,
Whistler’s operating budget worked out to be about $6,700 per resident. By 2024, it was nearly $7,500. That’s an 11 percent jump in just two years. Costs are rising. Are services improving at the same rate? Yea…no.
Council’s own surveys show residents would rather postpone new amenities than face steep tax hikes. Instead, the municipality seems intent on expanding its reach. One just has to look at the budget survey results. Climate action and online service are taking a backseat to things like affordability. Go figure. The same survey cited that a significant portion of respondents felt they did not receive good value for their tax dollars
We have what’s called mission creep, not fiscal discipline.
We need our taxpayer salaried council to show a per-capita budget trend, explain where the extra dollars are going, and present an alternative that ties tax growth to inflation plus population. Anything more erodes affordability and weakens public trust in our elected officials as we come into an election year.
Patrick Smyth // Whistler, BC
Rotary’s annual Brandywine Boogie a huge success
The Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium held its annual “Brandywine Boogie” race on September 20, drawing enthusiastic participation from community members and visitors alike. With clear skies, energetic runners, and strong
community spirit, the event was hailed as a resounding success.
More than 180 participants laced up their shoes for the race, while families, friends, and supporters cheered them on along the course. The event wasn’t just about friendly competition — it was about making a difference. Through entry fees, sponsorships and donations, the
“We couldn’t have achieved this without the dedication of our volunteers...”
- THOMAS CHRISTENSEN
Rotary Club raised over $9,000. Additional funds from our club plus a Rotary grant of $6,000 will bring our total up to $18,000 which will go directly to the Engaruka Middle School’s Sustainable Water Storage and Irrigation System. This school is located in a semi-arid region of northern Tanazani within the Arusha Region. This year’s funds will support the purchase and installation of a 10,000 water storage tank and water distribution system.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Since the school has added irrigation to the farm, they are now producing enough food to feed over 1,000 people- 400 students and surrounding villagers.
Race organizer Thomas Christensen expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed: “We couldn’t have achieved this without the dedication of our volunteers, the generosity of our sponsors, and the energy of our participants. The funds raised will have a real impact on our international project in Tanzania.”
We are so thankful to our title sponsor, Helly Hansen, who have supported us for over 8 years. Special thanks to Nesters, Blackcomb Liquor Store, Whistler Sailing Association, Tenderfoot Boogie 2025, Blended Smoothie Program, Listel Hotel, SLCC – Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Whistler Kitchen Work, Forecast Coffee, Hollow Tree candles, Lululemon, Cutting Edge Signs and Anette Martin.
The Rotary Club has a long history of service in Whistler, and this event has become one of its most anticipated fundraisers. Beyond raising money, the race highlights Rotary’s mission of bringing people together to create lasting change.
As the finish line celebrations wrapped up, plans were already underway for next year’s event. “We’re thrilled with this year’s turnout,” said Rotary Club President Anette Martin. “The support shows how much our community believes in Rotary’s work, and we look forward to building on this momentum.”
Rotary Club Whistler Millennium // Whistler n
#72BlackTusk Drive
NickDavies, Whistlerlocal andexperiencedfamilylawyer practisingacrossBCandYukon. Callat 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca
Council eyes higher fees for developers as population growth looms
RMOW’S DRAFT BYLAW WOULD BOOST CHARGES ON LARGER PROJECTS, HARMONIZE EXISTING FEES AND RAISE $65 MILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOUSING OVER A 20-YEAR HORIZON
BY LIZ MCDONALD
THE COST OF BUILDING in Whistler may soon rise.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) recently reviewed a draft works and services charges bylaw that would overhaul how developers pay for municipal infrastructure. The proposal would replace the flat, per-parcel fee system with a levy based on a project’s size. It would also consolidate five existing bylaws into one, while adding new parks and transit levies and extending employee housing charges to residential projects.
“The belief here is that all new development in this town creates the need for employees. Those employees need to be housed, and everybody should be making a small contribution to employee housing going forward,” said Ted Battison, general manager, corporate services and public safety.
The new bylaw would also apply to some redevelopments.
“If it is redeveloping into something that is either larger or different or has multiple units to it, the difference between the historic
CRUNCHING NUMBERS Works and services charges paid for development in Whistler could soon be going up for the first time since 2000.
size and the new size of the building would be subject to works and service charges,” Battison told council. Redevelopments that keep to the same size would only pay the new parks and transit levies.
FROM FLAT FEES TO SCALED CHARGES
Funds raised go toward sewer, water, transportation, parks, transit, recreation and
$48,667, while a 400-square-metre home would owe $82,552.
Staff argued that although these figures may appear steep, they are similar—or even lower—as a percentage of overall costs compared to the year 2000.
To ensure Whistler remains competitive, the RMOW benchmarked the proposed fees against communities including Surrey, Burnaby, Sun Peaks, Langley Township, Port Moody, Mission and Squamish. The modelling
“...we need $65 million worth of investment to support that growth. ”
- TED BATTISON
employee housing.
A staff report to council on Sept. 16 noted the existing fee—set in 2000—cost single-family homeowners between 1.2 and three per cent of their project’s value. All builds, regardless of size, paid $13,093. With construction costs rising since then, the relative impact of the fee has dropped.
“In 2025, current WS charges now represent only 0.3 to 0.9 per cent of the estimated construction costs for representative singlefamily home construction,” the report stated.
Under the proposed model, a 200-square-metre home would pay $30,745.
A 300-square-metre build would pay
showed Whistler’s rates for a 400-squaremetre family home fell in the middle of the pack. Industrial and commercial properties showed a similar trend.
PLANNING FOR GROWTH
Staff said the fee increases are meant to cover infrastructure costs as Whistler continues to expand. A recent growth projection estimates the community could reach 70,000 residents by 2050—a “conservative” scenario, according to the town’s 30-Year Major Building Facilities Strategy.
A 20-year outlook staff used to determine
the amount of money required to upgrade services to meet projections in population growth is $65 million.
Smaller projects would continue to pay proportionally less, reflecting their lower peak demands on infrastructure. Larger builds create higher usage, requiring more complex infrastructure—such as bigger pipes and water reservoirs—to handle demand beyond average daily use.
Affordable employee housing projects that are covenant-restricted would see reduced or waived employee housing levies.
ENGAGEMENT AND TIMELINE
Public and stakeholder engagement sessions are planned for September and October, with results expected in November and December. The bylaw is scheduled to proceed through first, second and third readings, with adoption targeted for February 2026.
The overhaul was prompted in part by Bill 44, provincial legislation requiring municipalities to allow more infill housing by relaxing zoning. Battison noted that this growth also requires municipalities to plan— and pay—for additional densities.
COUNCIL DEBATE
Coun. Ralph Forsyth asked whether the RMOW could avoid a rush of developers seeking permits before the higher fees
PHOTO BY RYANJLANE / E+ / GETTY IMAGES
NEWS WHISTLER
Whistler man sentenced to 15 months for cocaine trafficking
EVAN JAMES STOTT WILL SERVE HIS SENTENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AFTER PLEADING GUILTY IN NORTH VANCOUVER PROVINCIAL COURT TO TRAFFICKING A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.
BY LIZ MCDONALD
A WHISTLER MAN has been sentenced to 15 months in jail to be served in the community for charges related to drug trafficking.
Evan James Stott pleaded guilty Sept. 18 in North Vancouver provincial court to trafficking a controlled substance.
He was charged Dec. 11, 2024, after Sea to Sky RCMP–Whistler carried out an undercover investigation in which Stott and two others were alleged to have trafficked cocaine in Whistler nightclubs, according to submissions made during sentencing.
The other two men, Edric Horne, 29, and Gavin Butler, 31, are also alleged to have committed offences, but those allegations have not been proven in court.
Stott’s sentence followed a joint submission from Crown and defence.
In her decision, the judge noted evidence showing Stott displayed “pro-social”
INCREASE FROM PAGE 10
take effect.
Battison replied that the municipality could phase in the increases, but that would reduce revenue while leaving taxpayers responsible for more of the $65-million bill. Another option would be to delay adding the parks and transit levies, but upgrades would still need to be funded from reserves or general revenues.
Mayor Jack Crompton asked if rates could be adjusted when the RMOW receives grants. Battison confirmed the bylaw will be reviewed annually for inflation and can be reduced if
behaviours, was gainfully employed and remains so. She said he was motivated to traffic cocaine because of his addiction.
What began as recreational use while working in the service industry developed into a dependence, leading him to require more money to pay for his addiction. Since his arrest, Stott has attended Narcotics Anonymous meetings, left the service industry, and now supports his mother, who is in poor health.
He had no prior criminal record, is 31, indicated early on that he would plead guilty, and submitted numerous letters of support from friends who described him as compassionate and valued in the community.
Stott must serve the first eight months of his sentence under house arrest, confined to his residence or property. For the remaining seven months, he will be under a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, seven days a week. He is permitted to leave once a week for limited hours to run personal errands, but cannot breach his conditions without written permission. n
grants help offset costs.
“So, by doing that on an annual basis, we have the opportunity to both keep the rates current with inflation over time but also adjust downward as we get the opportunity for grants to be recognized,” Battison said.
But he stressed the bottom-line remains the same.
“If we grow to 3,700 units and 60,500 people, we need $65 million worth of investment to support that growth. Just to cover it. If it is not coming from the new development, it is coming from ratepayers.” n
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DRUG BUST Whistler RCMP said they seized 2.5 kgs of cocaine (worth about $250,000), about $10,000, and an unspecified amount of MDMA in a March 8 raid.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER RCMP
Kind Mind program brings proactive mental health lessons to Sea to Sky schools
CREATED BY THE KELTY PATRICK DENNEHY FOUNDATION, THE PROGRAM LAUNCHES IN LOCAL CLASSROOMS THIS FALL, AIMING TO BREAK STIGMA AND STRENGTHEN FAMILY CONNECTIONS.
BY LIZ MCDONALD
A NEW SCHOOL-BASED mental health program is set to reach hundreds of Sea to Sky families this fall, with the goal of equipping children and parents alike with tools to recognize and respond to emotional challenges.
The Kind Mind program, developed by the Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation, will roll out in October at Signal Hill, Myrtle Phillip and Spring Creek elementary schools, followed by Squamish Elementary later in the month. The four-week program ends with a celebratory “Confid-Dance” in early November.
Founded by Kerry and Ginny Dennehy after the loss of their son Kelty to suicide in 2001, the foundation has raised more than $7 million for mental health initiatives. Their latest project, Kind Mind Month, reflects lessons the family has learned through both grief and advocacy.
“After we lost our son, we were in grief and decided right away to establish a foundation to warn others about the
dangers of depression and suicide,”
Kerry Dennehy said in an interview. “We wanted to influence ideas in a stigma-free environment, where kids could relate to themselves and their peers, and take those messages back to their parents.”
The program combines classroom lessons with take-home resources, including workbooks, fridge magnets and wristbands. Each participating school also hosts a parent and caregiver workshop led by partners such
as the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre at BC Children’s Hospital, Foundry, Crisis Centre and Kids Help Phone.
In its first six months, Kind Mind reached more than 5,000 families across B.C. Surveys show 90 per cent of parents said it strengthened communication within their household, while 74 per cent discovered new mental health resources they hadn’t known about before.
By the 2025/26 school year, the program
is projected to reach more than 23,000 families in the Lower Mainland and nearly 1,500 in the Sea to Sky. More than 75 schools have already expressed interest, according to the foundation.
Dennehy said bringing the initiative into classrooms is intentional, as schools are places where children gather, learn and form habits.
“I think it’s a lifestyle lesson,” he said. “Besides English and mathematics, lifestyle skills are needed in schools. And if we can mix some education along with the reward of a dance at the end, it shines a big light on the stigma around mental health and brings it out into the open so all can learn.”
The local rollout is supported by the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, the Whistler Health Care Foundation and Whistler Community Services Society.
For the Dennehy family, it is also a way of giving back to a community that has long supported their work.
“Whistler residents have been so generous with us,” Dennehy said. “We wanted to show that we’re working right here in the community as well.” n
MINDFUL MOMENTS The Kelty Foundation is running mental health programming in Sea to Sky Schools this fall PHOTO COURTESY OF THE KELTY FOUNDATION
SLRD advances WedgeWoods rezoning to second reading
DIRECTORS DISCUSS SAFETY CONCERNS AROUND OVERPASS CONSTRUCTION
BY LUKE FAULKS Local Journalism Initiative reporter
THE SQUAMISH-LILLOOET Regional District (SLRD) board has given second reading to a rezoning bylaw that would allow a 12-unit duplex development west of Highway 99 across from WedgeWoods Estates, moving the proposal one step closer to adoption.
The development includes a $2.4-million cash contribution—$200,000 per unit— in lieu of a previous commitment to affordable rental housing, plus a $432,000 land donation, bringing the total amenity package to $2.83 million.
Suggested transit and highway-crossing infrastructure, meant to connect the new development to transit and trail access in the existing WedgeWoods neighbourhood, would be built in the first phase of the project, and the $2.4 million cash contribution would be earmarked for future affordable housing units.
“This is essentially what was presented to the board previously,” planner Alix MacKay told directors. “The developer has committed to addressing the transit infrastructure component and the highway underpass while maintaining the previously presented community benefits package.”
PROJECT DETAILS AND CHANGES
MacKay told directors the proposal now covers three residential lots and one servicing lot, with six duplexes housing 12 units.
“All of those units are now proposed to be market housing in the range of 2,000 to 2,200 square feet,” she said, noting earlier plans that included non-market units had been removed at the board’s direction.
Each home would have a double garage with Level 2 electric vehicle chargers and an additional driveway space. A common facilities building would provide mail and waste diversion services. Stormwater would be managed using bioswales and rain gardens—green infrastructure that uses soils and vegetation to capture and filter water.
Transit access was a flashpoint when the project was last discussed. Since then, the developer has confirmed plans for a bus turnaround and shelter with bike rack on the east side of Highway 99 to serve northand south-bound travellers. Residents in the new development will access that transit stop via a new highway underpass just south of the existing entrance to the WedgeWoods neighbourhood.
“The proponent is committed to delivering a pedestrian underpass [under Highway 99],” MacKay told the board. “It will improve safe access to the existing trail network for all
area residents and members of the public,” including the Sea to Sky Trail and the Kill Me Thrill Me mountain bike trail.
The project is planned in two phases: eight units in the first, four in the second. Originally, the pedestrian underpass was tied to the second phase, but directors—starting with Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman— pressed to bring it forward.
“If the market slips and the developer decides that phase two doesn’t go ahead for a number of years, there’s the potential that phase one is built with eight units and there’s no underpass,” he argued. That arrangement would leave residents in the new development without safe means of crossing the highway to access public transit.
MacKay noted the timing for construction of the underpass would be part of the development agreement staff would work on following the second reading, rather than part of the zoning amendment up for second reading.
Developer David Ehrhardt responded that he could accept shifting the timing forward, with the caveat that it be operational before occupancy permits are issued for the first phase.
AMENITY PACKAGE
The board also reviewed the community amenity contribution (CAC) package, valued at more than $2.8 million overall.
Director Stoner suggested the $2.4 million cash contribution should be earmarked specifically for affordable housing.
“Given that we’ve moved towards making these all market units, I do want that cash contribution to be earmarked for affordable housing, and that’s a core component for me to... support this application,” she said. The cash contribution replaces a previous commitment to provide affordable rental housing units.
Others, including SLRD chair Jen Ford, cautioned against restricting the funds.
“We didn’t want to hamstring or tie that money up into a reserve that we couldn’t access if we decide that there’s another use for it that better serves our community,” she said.
The board ultimately motioned to devote the cash contribution for affordable housing and to have the eventual development agreement include transit infrastructure and the underpass as part of the first phase.
Before adoption, the developer must obtain Ministry of Transportation approval for highway access, secure an archaeological review and water/wastewater approvals, and finalize transit design with BC Transit.
Staff will also bring back a full development agreement, locking in the phasing, cash payments, infrastructure, wildfire protection measures and environmental safeguards. n
Naturespeak: A fungal crescendo is beginning
BY CHLOE VAN LOON
DURING MY MID-TO-LATE summer forest wanderings, I was pleasantly surprised to find fresh Mycena species and lobster mushrooms (Hypomyces lactifluorum). These encounters sparked a desire to refresh my knowledge on the signals our local fungi require to form a mushroom.
Recall that when we admire a mushroom, we’re not actually seeing the whole organism. The mushroom is simply the reproductive structure—the “fruit”—of a much larger body called the mycelium. This subterranean web of thread-like filaments (hyphae) creep through soil, wood, and organic matter, tirelessly absorbing nutrients. For a mushroom to form, the mycelium must not only accumulate enough energy but also receive the right environmental signals.
Temperature and rainfall act as the conductor, cueing our local fungi when it’s their turn to perform, a.k.a. “pop,” who would have guessed… significant drops in temperatures mean it’s time for the fungi to get reproducing before winter sets in. After a dry spell, when the mycelium has been quietly conserving energy, a soaking rainfall rehydrates the network. Cue the emergence of mushroom enthusiasts, who can be seen hitting the trails a day or two after heavy rain.
Other factors influence fruiting as well.
Nutrient availability matters, and some fungi are mycorrhizal, forming symbiotic relationships with plants; in other words, they’re working in harmony with each other.
Fungal fruiting cycles are linked to the health of their host. The sugars from the tree are fuel for the fungus, and in return the tree gets a boost of water and essential minerals. A healthy, productive tree is necessary for the fungus to have enough energy to produce a mushroom. I believe this energy component
is something we tend to forget about.
Mushrooms are also surprisingly sensitive and attuned to their surroundings. They detect and respond not only to temperature and moisture but also to light, toxins, and electrical fields. Like plants, they can “see” colours of light—but unlike plants, fungi also possess opsins, the same pigments found in animal eyes. Ooooooooo.
Of course, the mycelial network is not idle while waiting for perfect conditions. Living on organic matter, decomposer fungi are
breaking down dead material and recycling the building blocks of our forests.
Climate change adds another layer of complexity to this fungal symphony. Studies have found that the timing of fungal fruiting has already shifted in response to climate change, with many species fruiting later in the fall or exhibiting reduced yields in warm, dry years (Kauserud et al., 2008; Diez et al., 2013). This means that the timing of classic Sea to Sky species may change as weather patterns become less predictable.
Ultimately, each mushroom that bursts from the forest floor is a marvel of timing and adaptation. Merlin Sheldrake writes in Entangled Life that some mushrooms, like stinkhorns, even grow with enough force to push through asphalt! What we are witnessing isn’t random—it’s a sporetacular performance full of energy and power orchestrated by sophisticated underground networks that steadily help maintain the forest’s tempo year-round.
If you’re interested in experiencing the fungal diversity of our forests first-hand, mark your calendars for the 2025 Fungus Among Us Festival, which will take place Oct. 17 and 18. See whistlernaturalists.ca for festival events and ticket information.
Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to whistlernaturalists.ca. n
FUN GUYS These fungal fruiting bodies easily pushed aside moss and twigs after accumulating the power and environmental cues to do so.
PHOTO BY JOERN ROHDE
Franz Wilhelmsen
OCT. 7, 1918 — APRIL 30, 1998
The Resort Municipality of Whistler from time to time recognizes certain persons in the community who have contributed of themselves to help make Whistler a better place for all to enjoy. The community recognizes these outstanding contributions by declaring them: “Freeman of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.”
BY G.D. MAXWELL
FRANZ WILHELMSEN is generally regarded as the Father of Whistler. Ironically, after moving to Vancouver in 1946 from Norway, his goal was to become the father of Fisherman’s Cove, a site he had his eyes on to develop. Fisherman’s Cove’s loss; Whistler’s gain.
Franz found Canada, and vice versa, in 1940. He was stationed in Toronto as part of the Royal Norwegian Air Force shortly after the start of the Second World War. He met his future wife, Annette Seagram—of the Seagram Distillery family—in Muskoka and returned to Norway for a year at war’s end before settling in Vancouver.
Franz was fundamental to the Whistler story. He was, in fact, if not the catalyst, certainly a key player. Like so much of Whistler history prior to the launch of the Whistler Question, the details vary depending on the source.
But Franz was there at the beginning. He was at the forefront of that group of Vancouver businessmen who formed the Garibaldi Olympic Development Association. He served as the first president of Garibaldi Lifts Ltd., the company formed to raise funding and turn London Mountain into a ski hill when it was incorporated late in 1960. It was a position he held for the next 20 years.
Earlier that year, Sidney Dawes, Canada’s representative on the International Olympic Committee, helicoptered over London Mountain searching for a mountain suited to the dream of a future Olympic site. Impressed by its vast and varied terrain, Dawes landed where he envisioned an Olympic Village might be built, roughly the current town site of Whistler, where he found six feet of snow on the ground... in the middle of March!
It was the stuff of dreams.
Franz and Stefan Ples gathered weather pattern information about the mountain. They favoured developing the gentler north side, believing it was most suited for lift installation and capable of offering excellent skiing for all abilities. This was consistent with the analysis provided by Willy Schaefler—designer of Squaw Valley’s Olympic runs—of the mountain’s terrain.
But Noranda Mining Company had claims on the north side so plans were moved to the southwest aspect, with its much steeper terrain, which eventually
became Creekside.
To put the challenge of developing what would become Whistler Mountain in perspective, there was, at the time, zero infrastructure: no roads, no water system, no power. Just snow and mountain and dreams. The province committed to building a highway from Squamish if the nascent company raised the capital for development.
Raising the funds necessary wasn’t easy, but was eventually accomplished and construction began in May of 1964.
Franz understood the “wet” coast weather demanded a gondola from the base and purchased a four-passenger gondola, a double chair and two T-bars from Mueller Lifts in Switzerland.
By the end of 1965, London Mountain had a new name and was ready for an unofficial opening that took place just before Christmas. Finally, on Feb. 15, 1966, 400 skiers bought a $5 lift ticket, boarded the gondola and got to see what Franz and his crew had created: a base lodge, midmountain lift station, warming hut on the “summit,” and six runs... none groomed. Whistler was launched and the Greater Vancouver Tourist Bureau named Franz Man of the Year. The dream was a reality.
But it was a far cry from what Whistler eventually became. Franz’s designs—with, of course, the help of others—made the most of the difficult southwest aspect. Hugh Smythe, who joined Whistler in 1966, said, in retrospect, “Franz did a fabulous job designing
Whistler Mountain. It’s tough to improve on his remarkable vision. I didn’t truly appreciate how much of a visionary Franz was until I started to develop Blackcomb. Then I understood what it must have entailed, undertaking this task 15 years earlier.”
Development didn’t stop. A T-bar at the Creekside base was moved in 1966 to provide access to Glacier Bowl. The same year, the Blue chair was installed near the base of today’s Harmony Chair, opening even more fresh terrain for the adventurous.
The first Green chair followed for the 1968-69 season, providing the initial liftaccessed skiing on the north side of the mountain. Even without a way back up, skiers were, by then, skiing down to what is now the Village and making their way back to Creekside by various means.
Franz was the guiding hand throughout. But his vision of the mountain and his willingness to extend the reach of Whistler wasn’t complete until the province gave a green light to developing Blackcomb. That decision forced his hand.
Franz never took Blackcomb seriously, especially in the beginning. And he viewed the development of Whistler Village as something of a pain. It strong-armed him into building more lifts on the north side and duplicating many of the services already operating at Creekside.
But he rose to the challenge, installing the Black and Olympic chairs in 1980 as well as the Village chairlift. Skiers embarking from the Village took that chair, then the
Olympic, Black and Green chair to reach the Roundhouse. The first Village Gondola was operational in 1988, five years after Franz’s retirement.
Anyone who’s skied Whistler has probably enjoyed Franz’s legacy and felt his presence. One of the best runs on the mountain starts with the open field skiing at Franz’s Meadows, links to Upper Franz run and, best of all, drains into Lower Franz’s, which is the best sub-alpine run on the mountain.
His contribution founding Whistler is, perhaps, surpassed by his ability to not only keep it going but also grow it into one of the world’s best ski resorts. Among his accolades, he was awarded the Queen’s medal in 1977, was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame as a builder in 1996, received the W.A.C. Bennett Award for his contribution to sport in B.C. and was honoured with the Freedom of the Municipality upon his retirement in 1983.
As his employee, later his rival and fellow Freedom holder Smythe remembers Franz, “[he] was one of the most valuable mentors in my career. He was incredibly perceptive, had a great sense of humour and was charming and gentlemanly in every situation.”
Personally, it was Franz’s passing in 1998 that led me to begin to delve into the rich, if brief, history of this town and these mountains. Franz and Whistler will be forever linked. n
PHOTO FROM THE WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION / COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER MUSEUM
Fare products sold in the Whistler Transit System willhave updated prices and policychanges:
DayPASSwill replace Transfers and willcapfares daily after a second trip Thismeansyou’ll neverpaymore thanthevalueof a DayPASSin a single transitday.
Products purchased before October 1 willcontinue tobeaccepteduntil used up.
SLRD presses province for action on deteriorating Hurley Road and Pemberton Meadows culverts
AREA A DIRECTOR SAL DEMARE IS URGING THE PROVINCE TO REVIEW A 2014 FUNDING AGREEMENT THAT COVERS MAINTENANCE ON THE INCREASINGLY BUSY HURLEY FSR
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
AFTER ANOTHER BUSY summer driving season, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is reckoning with impacts to road infrastructure.
During Sept. 18 committee of the whole meeting, Area A director Sal DeMare urged the province to review how the Hurley Forest Service Road is serviced.
“For the months that the Hurley [is] open every year, the road is heavily used by tourists, visitors and property owners,” DeMare wrote in his report.
“This route is also essential for SLRD Electoral Area A’s economic development initiatives and over the years, it has seen a significant increase in vehicle traffic without any corresponding increase in the annual maintenance program/budget.”
Currently, the 74-kilometre, mostly unpaved route connecting the Bridge River and Pemberton Valleys is graded only three times a year, pending the availability of funds.
In between gradings, the roadbed becomes rough, with steep inclines and major potholes forming. Drought conditions in recent years have further limited grading,
since dry conditions risk sparking fires when machinery hits exposed rock.
The website isurvivedthehurley.com, which posts regular updates on the mountain road’s state notes that while most of the summer’s fires in the area are under control, they have received “multiple complaints of the Hurley being in the worst shape [it’s been] in a long time.”
“These kinds of conditions create safety concerns as drivers try to avoid
outdated funding arrangement with the provincial government. Under a 2014 agreement, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT) transfers $30,000 each fiscal year for three annual gradings. Additional funding has to be sought for other maintenance and improvements, like clearing ditches and road widening.
The 2024 Area A OCP update noted, “The residents of Area A would like to see the Hurley River FSR maintained to a consistent
“These kinds of conditions create safety concerns as drivers try to avoid the deteriorated road sections...”
- SAL DEMARE
the deteriorated road sections and, in so doing, do not stay on their side of the road,” DeMare wrote.
He added that the Hurley saw a “major increase” in vehicles during the pandemic.
In 2019, according to the Area A Official Community Plan (OCP), vehicle counters on the Hurley clocked 135 vehicles per day. That figure rose to 310 vehicles per day by 2023. DeMare wrote the number of travellers on the Hurley has yet to return to those lower, pre-Pandemic levels.
He said the issue at the core of the Huley’s deteriorating conditions is an
level with ongoing funding for maintenance [as required] to keep the road at a good consistent level of upkeep over the years.”
The SLRD motioned to write to Forests Minister Ravi Parmar to request a review of the road’s maintenance agreement.
Corroded culverts in Pemberton Meadows
Alongside DeMare’s call, the board is also seeking immediate action from MOTT on two deteriorating culverts under Pemberton Meadows Road at Ryan Creek.
A staff report warned that one of the province-owned culverts is now “severely corroded, split and partially blocked,”
making it both structurally compromised and non-functional.
“Given that [Pemberton Meadows Road] also functions as a dyke in this area, this culvert failure could lead to direct flooding of adjacent private properties, posing a significant public safety risk,” staff said.
Correspondence between the SLRD, the Pemberton Valley Dyking District (PVDD), and the province on this particular issue stretches back to April 2024. The problem has forced the PVDD to delay flap-gate replacements because of the instability of the culverts. Staff cautioned that leaving the issue unaddressed “could expose the Province to legal and reputational risks.”
During the Sept. 18 board discussion, Pemberton mayor Mike Richman expressed exasperation with the lack of provincial response.
“We’ve been making this request since April last year,” he told the board. “We’ve gotten nothing, and it’s now deteriorated to such a level.”
Area C director Russell Mack echoed that sentiment.
“This is just one thing. I mean, we ask for stuff constantly from MOTT to get maintenance done and we get minimal help,” he told the Board. “We need to be slightly forceful in our request and say, ‘Enough is enough. Somebody’s going to get seriously hurt.’”
The board ultimately voted to send a letter urging immediate repairs and to request a meeting between the minister, SLRDchair Jen Ford and vice-chair Mack. n
DANGER ZONE Hurley River Forest Service Road direction sign in Pemberton.
$1M IN FUNDING FOR THE PEMBERTON COMMUNITY SERVICES HUB IS CONTINGENT ON APPROVAL FROM THE PROVINCIAL HEALTH MINISTRY
BY LUKE FAULKS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
THE SEA TO SKY Regional Hospital District (SSRHD) has voted to pursue a provincial health facility designation for the Harrow Road Community Hub in Pemberton, a move that could unlock $1 million in regional funding for the project.
At a Sept. 17 meeting, directors unanimously supported submitting an application under Section 49 of the Hospital District Act, which allows the Minister of Health to designate a facility as a health centre for cost-sharing purposes.
“As you may remember, we have allocated a million dollars in the 2025 budget for this project,” explained the SSRHD’s deputy director of finance, Colin Hodgins “However, that funding is continuing on receiving designation as a health facility under Section 49 of the Hospital District Act.”
WHAT DESIGNATION INVOLVES
Hodgins said the application process requires a handful of components.
“We need a letter or resolution from this board supporting that the facility be designated as a health facility,” he told the SSRHD. “We need a letter of support from the local health authority, and there’s some additional information regarding having a nonprofit society manage those funds.”
He noted the process is “kind of done on a case-by-case basis,” with limited public information available on the Ministry’s requirements for approving a health facility, but that support is being sought from healthcare providers in the Sea to Sky.
SRHD CAO Heather Paul emphasized that any potential involvement from Foundry or Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) could strengthen the case.
“Although we can apply without it, the chances of being approved are more possible with Foundry [or] VCH entering into that building and operating,” she explained.
After a brief discussion, the board voted in favour of two resolutions: to provide a letter of support to the province endorsing the designation of the Harrow Road Community Hub as a health facility, and to direct staff to develop and submit the full application.
HARROW ROAD AND THE FUNDING HURDLE
District board. The SSRHDsubsequently included $1 million in its 2025 budget for the hub.
But that money can only flow once the Ministry of Health grants a health facility designation, as required by SSRHD’s“nontraditional funding policy,” which involves additional hurdles for health facilities operated by non-profits, rather than by Vancouver Coastal Health.
That condition has created some uncertainty. SSRHD chair and Squamish councillor Jenna Stoner previously noted that if Harrow Road fails to “get across the line,” the earmarked $1 million would sit unused in reserves rather than supporting services.
The amount of funding the facility can receive will also determine whether the Foundry facility in Pemberton will be a “hub” or “satellite” of the Squamish Foundry site; the difference being in the scope of services on offer.
During a May 27 meeting, Mayor Mike Richman told Pemberton’s council “Pemberton [is] not on the map for a full Foundry,” but rather a satellite hub of the Squamish location. But given Pemberton’s location will service “youth and families from the Village and throughout the SquamishLillooet Regional District,” a full Foundry, or “hub,” would be more appropriate.
During a follow-up session on June 24, Richman added the hub “will also support all the Indigenous communities in the area, and there’s already an effort going on to make sure that there are culturally sensitive and accessible services.”
The Harrow Road Project, led by Sea to Sky Community Services, is a $41-million development under construction in Pemberton that will deliver 63 affordable housing units and a 9,000-square-foot community hub. The hub is planned to house more than 30 SSCS programs alongside dedicated space for a Foundry youth mental health satellite and VCHservices.
In October 2024, SSCS presented the proposal to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional
Pemberton voted to seek a meeting with the minster of health, Josie Osborne, at the upcoming Union of British Columbia Municipalities to discuss the future Foundry location.
SSCS has argued the project is a “once-ina-lifetime opportunity to co-locate affordable housing, health services, and social programs in one integrated space,” addressing gaps in youth mental health, substance use services and family supports in one of B.C.’s fastestgrowing communities. n
HEALTH HUNT Harrow road construction.
PHOTO BY LUKE FAULKS
ThisHousekeeping Week,wecelebratetheincredibleteamthatmakes FourSeasonsResort andResidences Whistlershine. Yourcare,attention to detail,andthoughtfultouchesbring our resort to lifeeverysingleday.Thankyouforallthatyoudo —todayandalways.
ONE OF THE best parts of exercising and recreating with your friends is how much time you get to talk to one another. Skin track chats during big ski touring days are my favorite in the winter. From the car, you usually have a long approach of somewhere up to two or three hours before the terrain, weather and
BY VINCE SHULEY
snowpack conditions require more of your attention. During these approach hours, there is little in the way of external distractions, save a bit of route finding to make sure the party is on course. In bigger groups, the fast folk push forward while the chill folk hang back, creating self-seeded conversation groups that reconvene at breaks and transition points. I’ve made many friends on skin tracks over the years and deepened relationships with existing friends.
Skiing the resort for friendly chats is a bit more interrupted. You have your roughly seven to eleven-minute chairlift ride, which are great for chats, especially if your group occupies the majority of the seats on the
chair. Sometimes groups crossover their conversations with something in common, whether it’s “how do those things ski?” or “I’ve travelled there too, it’s amazing.” Shuffling through lift lines can be a hive of conversation as well, though the close proximity of so many people does make the conversation less intimate.
In the summer, mountain bike climb trails can also be a venue for great conversation, but the notoriously steep climbs of Whistler and the Sea to Sky leave many bikers out of breath. The speedups and slowdowns of rolling terrain can add an awkward distance for keeping the conversation going, as can the noise of rattling drivetrains and squeaky breaks. Mountain
hiking, which I’ve come to appreciate more in recent years. You may not get to where you’re going particularly fast or enjoy a thrilling descent back down the mountain, but it does give you access to areas in the summer that aren’t accessible any other way. Hiking slows down your time in the wilderness, letting you soak up the forest or alpine atmosphere for longer, and you observe more natural activity than you would when blowing by at a higher speed. It’s also great for deep and meaningful conversations that can last for hours.
Recently, my brother flew from Australia to visit me in Squamish. We had just over two weeks for his vacation in Canada, the most time we had spent on-on-one since we were
Conversations flowed like water, with periods of comfortable silence when we had to negotiate sinking mud bogs or downclimb steep slopes holding onto chains or ropes.
bikers tend to have the best parts of their conversations on the drive to the trailhead, or more importantly, at the brewery afterwards.
And trail running? I’m not sure who is able to hold pleasant conversations at those elevated heart rates, but those folks are more aerobically fit than I ever will be.
One of my less frequent activities is
teenagers. Getting together like this had been challenging over the last two decades while I emigrated to Canada and he raised three children. But we had the opportunity this year to catch up on some of that lost sibling time. And it just so happened my brother had become quite the through-hiking enthusiast. With two weeks off from our regular lives,
we booked up the first eight days by hiking on Vancouver Island’s North Coast Trail. The long, arduous and self-supported trip meant we were carrying heavy packs, moving slowly over technical terrain and trudging along rugged beaches for five to eight hours a day. Conversations flowed like water, with periods of comfortable silence when we had to negotiate sinking mud bogs or down-climb steep slopes holding onto chains or ropes. At some points along our six-day journey we would simply run out of things to say, and just soldier on until the next talking point presented itself. Every evening we made camp on a different remote sandy beach in Cape Scott Provincial Park, when conversations over rehydrated meals would turn to how lucky we were that it wasn’t raining and how beautiful and remote our camping spot was. We made sure to bring a flask of whiskey, for a toast every evening to Vancouver Island’s north coast.
The North Coast Trail was the first major through-hike I’d attempted in BC. It was hard work, had it’s share of Type 2 misery and by the end I was glad it was over. But the time I spent hiking on that trail felt like I was getting to know my brother all over again. That hike gave us time to slow down, disconnect from the outside world and enjoy solitude from other human beings for a while. There’s no better conversation starter than that.
Vince Shuley has hiked sufficiently for the year of 2025. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince n
PHOTO BY VINCE SHULEY
SCIENCE MATTERS
Costly geoengineering schemes could stall real solutions
BECAUSE THE FOSSIL fuel industry and its supporters have done everything they can to stall needed solutions to the climate crisis, some people say we must now engineer our way out of the mess we created. Many are promoting schemes that block sunlight from reaching Earth, reflect more of it back into space or absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
Have we really reached that point? Would blocking sunlight by putting reflective particles such as toxic sulphur dioxide into the upper atmosphere cool the planet? Or spraying seawater into the lower atmosphere to increase reflective cloud cover? How about thickening ice with pumped seawater? Building massive
of Massachusetts Amherst professor Rob DeConto, one of 42 scientists behind the analysis. “They also detract attention from the root cause of the climate crisis — the unabated burning of fossil fuels, something we know how to begin addressing using established technologies.”
The researchers conclude that money and effort would be put to better use in reducing the emissions that are the primary cause of global heating.
“We’re hopeful that we can eliminate emissions by 2050,” University of Exeter professor Martin Siegert, who led the analysis, said. “Anything that drifts us away from doing that will make the world less safe and less habitable.”
BY DAVID SUZUKI
What are the risks? What would be the
A United Kingdom government office, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency, is spending £56.8 million (about C$106 million) to explore some of these “climate cooling approaches” or “climate interventions.”
ARIA points out that “climate tipping points — abrupt changes in the Earth system that, if crossed, could have devastating and essentially irreversible consequences” are “distinctly possible over the next century.”
It notes, however, that, “There is no substitute for decarbonisation, which is the only sustainable way to lower the chances of such tipping points and their effects from occurring.”
Many scientists worry that these geoengineering plans are an expensive distraction from the need to cut emissions and that they could have severe unforeseen and undesirable environmental consequences.
As the Guardian reports, the Arctic and Antarctic are heating much faster than the
The Guardian reports that, in reviewing polar geoengineering schemes, researchers examined six criteria: “effectiveness, cost, scale and time issues, environment risks, governance challenges and the risk of raising false hopes.” The plans failed on all counts.
The researchers point out that methods such as pumping seawater onto polar ice and scattering tiny glass beads onto the ice are, respectively, “technologically, logistically and financially unrealistic” and “could be toxic to wildlife.”
Some are clearly designed to allow the destructive fossil fuel industry to keep operating. In Canada, the government has just announced plans for a costly “carbon capture, utilization and storage” project in the Alberta oilsands, hyping the plan as a way to “support a strong conventional energy sector while driving down emissions and emissions intensity.” But they just count production emissions, which are only a fraction of the deadly emissions from burning the fuels.
Cost for renewable energy and storage have plummeted, making these technologies far more cost-effective than fossil fuels — and they’re more efficient.
There’s no good reason to keep the polluting, climate-altering fossil fuel industry going, other than to put more money into the pockets of oligarchs and shareholders and give
Cost for renewable energy and storage have plummeted, making these technologies far more cost-effective than fossil fuels — and they’re more efficient.
rest of the planet, which has focused attention on ways to cool the poles. Melting ice exposes more dark land and water, which absorb solar radiation rather than reflecting it. Proposals include increasing ice cover by pumping seawater onto it or scattering glass beads onto the ice to reflect more sunlight.
New research published in Frontiers in Science suggests that methods being considered for polar regions are flawed and only treat the symptoms and not the causes of global heating.
“These geoengineering proposals are unimaginably expensive and risky for fragile polar environments,” said University
governments easy ways to make the economy appear healthy over the short term, while putting everyone’s health and survival at risk.
We may well be at the point where we have to consider drastic measures to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of going all out on solutions that have already proven to be effective.
David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington. Learn more at davidsuzuki.org. n
AL DAY FO TH AND CILIATIO NATIO TR RECO
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Patrick Weiler
Memberof Parliament West Vancouver-SunshineCoastSeatoSky Country
6367BruceStreet West Vancouver, BC V7W2G5
Tel.604-913-2664
Patrick.Weiler@parl.gc.ca
PatrickWeiler.libparl.ca
PatrickBWeiler
‘We are still
The story behind Lil’wat and N’Quatqua’s two-hour ceremony on one of the
STORY AND PHOTOS
BY LUKE FAULKS,
On Aug. 22, a peaceful demonstration in Mount Currie brings traffic on Highway 99 to a halt.
At the intersection of Highway 99, the Pemberton Portage Road and Lillooet Lake Road, Lil’wat’s Lhpatq Maxine Bruce lifts her voice over the distant background hum of engines to kick off the proceedings at 10 a.m.
“This is about mending our hearts,” Lhpatq tells members of Lil’wat Nation, N’Quatqua First Nation, St’at’imc Chiefs Council and friends in attendance.
“We’ve been working with the province, trying to address too many visitors at Joffre,” she explains as a handful of drivers wander up from their cars to check out the demonstration.
still here’
busiest intersections in the Sea to Sky
“We set dates for reconnection, for harvesting, for ceremony. But the province talks contrary to how we talk. So today, we take this time to remind them we are here.”
At the heart of the standoff is a dispute over timing and jurisdiction. The Nations had identified a two-month closure at Joffre Lakes, from Aug. 22 to Oct. 23, to reconnect with the land on their traditional territory and allow the park to heal from the impacts of tourism.
Instead, on Aug. 19, BC Parks announced a month-long closure from Sept. 2 to Oct. 3— half of what the Nation had told the province they wanted back in December 2024 and announced publicly in May of this year. The Parks service announcement led to a swift condemnation from the Nations on Aug. 20 and a quickly organized protest on Aug. 22.
Peaceful demonstrators held the intersection for two hours to illustrate a key point: that Lil’wat traditional territory serves as the means to access Joffre Lakes or Lillooet to the north or Pemberton, Whistler and Vancouver to the south.
For community members, that daily reality comes at a cost.
“This road is under trespass,” Lil’wat Kúkwpi7 Skalulmecw political chief Dean Nelson says. “People fly through here at 50 km/h, 60 km/h all the time. Our community is treated like a highway.”
A fraught relationship
The highway protest was not the Nations’ first confrontation with BC Parks, but it marked a serious breakdown in what had been a tenuous but functional relationship.
In 2018, BC Parks, N’Quatqua and Lil’wat Nation collaborated on a joint management strategy to address the environmental impacts of tourism on Joffre Lakes Park. The strategy led to the introduction of day-use passes in 2021 to ensure parking access and reduce crowding.
Still, the partnership hasn’t been easy.
In August 2023, a conflict over Joffre’s jurisdiction became public when the Nations announced they were closing the park without provincial support. At the time, the Nations wrote that, “while successes have been gained through our partnership in terms of implementing a cap on the number of visitors and a day-use pass permit, access to the resources by Lil’wat and N’Quatqua has not been prioritized.”
By spring 2024, the province and the two communities had struck a tentative framework for seasonal closures: three temporary shutdowns each year, designed to balance public access with Indigenous stewardship.
The park was successfully closed again in 2025 from April 26 to May 16 and June 13 to 27.
WHISTLERCHILDREN’SCENTRE
Ifyouhavebeenpartofourjourneyovertheyearsbring th e whol e familyfo r anafternoonofconnectio n an d celebration.Enjo y liv e music, a welcom e drink,tast y snacks,andafewwordsfromsomespecialspeakers. ExploretheCentre’shistoryandshareinfourdecades ofcommunity,care,andlearning-onelittlefootstepat atime.
Sunday,October5th
3pmto5pm
Talks break down
Chief Nelson recalls those first two closures of 2025 went ahead smoothly, echoing the previous year of cooperation.
“We thought it was an agreement, but I guess it wasn’t set in stone,” Nelson says of the third planned closure. “And this just came up like a big sock in the gut.”
Nelson says the timing, rather than the length of the closure, was a particular sticking point for the province: the Nations wanted Joffre closed from Aug. 22 to Oct. 23, while BC Parks insisted on keeping the park open over the busy Labour Day weekend.
Nelson points to staff turnover at BC Parks as another major factor in the relationship breaking down.
“We had allies in the park system—those stewards there. They used to go above and beyond to help out. They’re all gone,” he says. “They understood what was going on because they saw everything that goes on there.”
Newly elected N’Quatqua chief Travis Peters describes the shift that followed a meeting with provincial officials. After a visit with Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks on May 18 at Joffre, the Nations were hopeful the three closures would go off without a hitch.
“On site with the minister it seemed to go well,” Peters recalls. “It was good to be on the land to share why it’s important to us. But then the next meeting, it fell through. The higher-ups came in, and it was like corporate memory had been pushed aside. Then suddenly the minister made the decision not to close as we asked.
“Disheartening,” he adds.
The result, Nelson says, was not partnership but paternalism.
“It comes out as collaboration, but it’s not. It’s a dictation of dates,” he says. “That’s not reconciliation. That’s the same old story.”
Leaders speak up
The demonstration in Mount Currie gave both chiefs a chance to address their citizens directly, alongside elders, spiritual leaders and other political officials.
“We have to remind the general public that this is going on.”
- LIL’WAT’S
“We are here because we have to remind people that we are still here, that we have rights,” Nelson tells the gathering. “Time and time again, we have to do these things. We have to remind the general public that this is going on. The government talks about partnership, but really, they’re dictating to us. They say reconciliation, but they dictate.”
The question now, according to Lil’wat staff, is whether BC Parks is willing to return to the table in good faith.
Lhpatq stresses the issue is time-sensitive; one of the initiatives planned for this year was a review of the park, led by Lil’wat personnel.
“One of the most important things that we had scheduled to implement today was the cumulative impact assessment,” says Lhpatq
to the Aug. 22 assembly. “We had the Lil’wat stewardship technicians ready to go up and collect that raw data. What is the impact to our land and our resources? You can see from a distance, but we needed that chance to study it properly”
Sea to Sky politicians were quick to show support. Federal MP Patrick Weiler stood among the demonstrators in Mount Currie.
“The impact of being disconnected from the land is an ongoing trauma for Lil’wat, N’Quatqua, and for all First Nations,” he says. “We need to make space for that cultural connection, to promote healing and true reconciliation. I’m here to be a witness and a partner in creating a better future where we can walk forward on the right path.”
The next day, BC Green MLA Jeremy Valeriote added his voice in a statement of support.
“If we are to fulfil our commitments under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, we must understand why these periods are important,” he writes. “Ensuring Indigenous people can gather, heal, and practice their traditions is not just a constitutional right—it’s the right thing to do.”
Closing words
The park is officially closed to visitors until Oct. 3. Still, Lil’wat’s messaging around Joffre Lakes continues to share the two-month closure date. Casey Gonzalez, Lil’wat’s director of land, resources and infrastructure, says while the Nation’s extra days won’t be enforced, visitors are urged to consider other hikes until the reconnection period wraps on Oct. 23.
“I would ask that they be respectful of the Nation’s wishes and the Nation’s need to reconnect with our territory and peace and time and space,” she tells Pique
Lil’wat and N’Quatqua leaders say they remain open to dialogue but are unwilling to compromise on their stewardship role.
“Our harvesting dates are based on the land, not on calendars,” Lil’wat title and rights department coordinator Xzúmalus Roxanne Joe says. “Our flora and fauna don’t care about the Labour Day long weekend. We need this time, and we’re not going away.”
Peters emphasizes reconciliation requires more than rushed timelines and dictated outcomes. “Meaningful consultation means actually sitting down and listening,” he says. “Our referrals department needs 60 to 90 days to respond. Shortened timelines are antithetical to meaningful consultation.”
He adds the peaceful gathering in Mount Currie gives him hope.
“It’s disheartening to see they didn’t honour our requested dates. But it’s good to see all of you here today,” he says. “Our guardians are ready to work. Make sure you eat, stay hydrated, look after one another, and be safe.”
Around noon on Aug. 22, protests begin to wind down with voices lifted in song and elders offering words of grounding.
“Governments try to erase our footprint from Mother Earth, but we know who we are and where we come from,” one elder shares. “We never surrendered. We never ceded. These lands are ours, and our responsibility is to care for them.” n
Applicationsarenowbeingacceptedforour st October 1, 2025FallFundingDeadline.
toresidentsoftheSeatoSkyCorridor in theareasofhealth,humanservices, education,recreation,arts&culture andtheenvironment.Specialemphasis isplacedonchildren,youthandfamilyprograms. Formoreinformation, eligibilityrequirementsandtocompleteanapplication,pleasevisitour websiteatwhistlerblackcombfoundation.com,OrcontactMeiMadden, ExecutiveDirectoratmmadden@whistlerblackcombfoundation.com
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Those whowish to bidonpropertiesmust registerbetween9:30a.m.and9:50a.m.on Monday, September29,2025 at MunicipalHall.PhotoIDis required for registration.
PleasenotethatunderSection648oftheLocalGovernmentActapersonauthorized by Council maybid forthemunicipality at thetax saleup to amaximumamount set by Council.Anypersonbeingdeclaredthetax salepurchasermustpaythefull amountofthepurchaseprice by 1:00p.m.the sameday. Failure to paywill resultin thepropertybeingoffered for saleagain.
Propertypurchased at tax saleissubject to redemption by the registeredproperty ownerwithinone yearfromthedaytheannualtax salebegan.Redemptionprice willbetheupsetprice at thetimeoftax sale,plus requiredmaintenance costs,plus anytaxespaid by thepurchaser,plusinterest atratesestablishedunder section11( 3) ofthe TaxationActontheprecedingandanysurplusbid.
502482.005014-850-150 4930HORSTMAN LANE PL VAS2482 LT 5DL 3903NWD
Resort Municipality ofWhistler whistler.ca
‘Focused on enjoying every moment’
ANDRÉANE LANTHIER NADEAU REFLECTS ON THE TWILIGHT OF HER CAREER
BY DAVID SONG
ANDRÉANE LANTHIER Nadeau understands that she is facing the back nine of her days as a competitive mountain biker.
She’s been there and done that as one of Canada’s top female enduro riders in nations like France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Nine UCI World Cup (EDR) podiums and a bevy of top-10 finishes show her perennial dependability against elite opposition. Yet time stops for nobody, and the 32-yearold admitted in an interview with BIKE Magazine that she will mull retirement at the end of 2025.
Nadeau has no intention of quietly fading out, however. She is challenging herself by adding downhill to her repertoire and proving to be more than just an alsoran. The Squamolian became Canadian DH Mountain Bike Champion this July in Sun Peaks, losing to only Norway›s Mille Johnset. Johnset won the OG Canadian Open DH at Crankworx Whistler weeks ago and is a dedicated downhiller. No shame in falling to
someone like that.
“It’s for sure a surprise,” Nadeau said about her Sun Peaks breakthrough. “DH is not my focus, but I know I can ride well when I’m happy. I have been struggling at the World Cup in enduro this year, so I thought using DH Nationals to try out a more relaxed approach to racing would be a good idea. I was totally detached from the outcome and just focused
the Commencal Supreme V5 is such a good downhill bike I love to race on. Plus, the speed from the downhill bike helps me go faster on the enduro bike.
“The future of DH racing is looking very good for the up-and-coming young Canadian women. They have to continue to learn and push their limits, but there is incredible potential coming up the ranks.”
“Downhill in Canada has such a good vibe.”
- ANDREANE LANTHIER NADEAU
on enjoying every moment, so it is funny to end up with a good result because this is such a classic lesson.”
Indeed, Nadeau’s best EDR outing of this campaign was sixth in Pietra Ligure, Italy. She is not one to make excuses, but reveals that crashes and illnesses have laid her low at untimely junctures. Fortunately, home turf has been kind to the Squamolian veteran.
“Downhill in Canada has such good vibes,” remarked Nadeau. “I love to take part in the races that Stephen Exley puts on, and
ALL GOOD THINGS
Nadeau was formerly a bright-eyed, bushytailed youngster in the discipline of cross-country. She was raised by her mom near Quebec City and began riding at eight years of age before moving out west to try and make an Olympic roster.
In August 2015, Nadeau had to borrow future teammate Jesse Melamed’s equipment to participate in her first enduro race under the Crankworx Whistler umbrella. She, Melamed and Remi Gauvin would lend
their abilities to Rocky Mountain Race Face for years to come, peaking together with a secondoverall team finish in the 2022 Enduro World Series (EWS).
However, all good things must come to an end. Nadeau left to sign with Commencal and Melamed threw his lot in with Canyon CLLCTV, while Gauvin stuck around to be part of Rocky Mountain›s merger with Tribe Pyrenees Gravity.
Despite her somewhat increased focus on downhill as of late, make no mistake: Nadeau still has enduro chops. She grabbed silver at the Canadian Open Enduro in August and identified elite ladies winner Elly Hoskin as the sport›s future. Hoskin, in turn, shouted out Nadeau as an inspiration.
“That’s super kind of [Elly],” Nadeau said. “I always hope to lead by example. It feels nice to hear that from a World Cup enduro winner: a huge achievement from her this year.” Nadeau wrapped up her season with ninth at the same World Championship Hoskin prevailed in on Labour Day. She congratulated her fellow Canucks on Instagram and expressed gratitude for sharing memories with the likes of Hoskin and men’s bronze medallist Elliot Jamieson.
There are, perhaps, two factors which just might tempt Nadeau away from hanging up her helmet. She wants World Cup redemption in Whistler after falling to fifth three years ago, and she also desires to finally win a Canadian Open Enduro. n
RELAX AND WIN Andréane Lanthier Nadeau won the ladies’ national title at the 2025 Canadian Downhill (DH) Mountain Bike Championships in Sun Peaks, B.C.
PHOTO BY CLINT TRAHAN
Hemstreet fourth at Lenzerheide World Cup downhill, Goldstone crashes out and MacPhee sixth in short track
SKI JUMPER ALEXANDRIA LOUTITT TO MISS 2026 OLYMPICS
BY DAVID SONG
IT’S BEEN AN EVENTFUL week for Sea to Sky athletes in both summer and winter sports.
Gracey Hemstreet just missed a World Cup downhill podium on Sept. 20, settling for fourth in Lenzerheide, Switzerland (3:15.051). Instead it was Tahnée Seagrave plundering the Bike Kingdom for gold (3:11.579) and Nina Hoffmann clinching silver (3:11.640). Valentina Höll went home with bronze (3:12.394).
Jackson Goldstone was unable to stay upright after his unprecedented World Championships triumph earlier this month in Champéry. He wound up 25th after a crash, looking on as Amaury Pierron emerged victorious (2:44.699). Henri Kiefer finished second (2:45.106) and Lachlan Stevens-McNab was third (2:45.513).
Canada’s top dog in the U23 ladies’ crosscountry short track was Ella MacPhee, who broke the beam in sixth (19:39). Valentina Corvi (19:26), Vida Lopez de San Roman (19:27) and Katharina Sadnik (19:30) landed on the podium in that order.
WORLD CUP UPDATE
The women’s World Cup overall downhill title remains up for grabs. Höll leads with 1804 points and Hemstreet is currently the runnerup (1667), but Seagrave’s win cements her third-place spot (1504) and there’s room for further improvement.
“I was not feeling good all week, I just wanted to be kind to myself and make myself feel better,” admitted Seagrave in a press release. “I really didn’t expect to win…the track was super different, the nerves and you start picturing every bad scenario, that was new to me. The run to me didn’t feel very good. I was surprised when I saw my time and I definitely thought that it would get beaten.”
Regarding her slight mistake in the course’s top section, the Brit added: “It was in a horrible spot. I just pushed down on my cranks as hard as I could. It was a nice spot afterwards to re-settle and get back into the flow. I was good.”
“Tasted the tarmac pretty hard in practice with a brief hospital visit to check everything was okay,” Hemstreet revealed on social media. “I managed to piece the weekend together and grab a fourth in finals which I’m stoked about. It’s been a great European block and I’m looking forward to what the next two rounds will bring.”
Loïc Bruni stays atop the men’s downhill overall (1629) in spite of his fifth-place result in Lenzerheide, while Goldstone’s grip on second is tight (1529) with breathing room over Loris Vergier (1073) and the rest of the competition. Pierronoccupies fourth at the moment (995).
“I really didn’t expect that one. It was quite a nightmare weekend for me, a lot of problems with mechanicals,” Pierronsaid in a release. “Everything looked like it was going wrong, I
had no expectations and gave everything I had today and it was enough for the win.
“I injured myself at the end of last year so all winter was tough, and then I was injured again in mid-season with my collarbone. It has been a hell of a season, it’s not over yet. If I can keep going this way then hopefully we can have more success.”
MacPhee is third in the U23 shorttrack ranking (523), well within striking distance of both Corvi (560) and World Cup leader Sadnik (591).
‘THIS IS A SETBACK IN MY JOURNEY, BUT IT’S NOT THE END’
Meanwhile, the Canadian ski jumping contingent took a big hit on Sept. 19 as Alexandria Loutitt experienced a season-ending knee injury during a Summer Grand Prix at the Olympic jumps in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Loutitt is the first Canuck to win a World Championship at both the senior and junior levels, having achieved her Nordic World Juniors breakthrough in Whistler. She also owns 11 individual World Cup podiums, but will no longer be able to participate in the 2026 Olympics.
“I am heartbroken that this injury will prevent me from representing Canada at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games. I feel like I’m letting down my family, friends, and teammates as well as the incredible sponsors that have embraced my journey. This is the toughest part for me to accept,” said Loutitt, who was a summer season-best fourth in Grand Prix action one day before her knee buckled.
She also told the media: “I know that I am still young, and I am grateful for everything I’ve already achieved in ski jumping. This is a setback in my journey, but it’s not the end. I will put in as much hard work into my recovery as my Olympic preparation and come back stronger for the future.”
With Loutitt destined for surgery and a one-year rehabilitation period, Canada will rely on Abigail Strate to lead its women’s ski jump roster. Strate’s most recent Grand Prix victories came on Aug. 10 in Courchevel, France and Sept. 18 at Val di Fiemme. n
SEASONAL SUCCESS Gracey Hemstreet won her first downhill World Cup on June 1, 2025 in France.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UCI
Whistler Cornucopia returns from Nov.
6 to 16
A BEVY OF NEW AND REVAMPED PROGRAMMING IS ON THE SCHEDULE
BY DAVID SONG
CORNUCOPIA is returning for its 29th year.
As Whistler’s primary food and drink festival, it’s only fitting that Cornucopia has expanded to a lineup of more than 100 programs and activities across 11 days. This includes an array of new offerings and novel changes to returning favourites.
With a Twist: Silent Disco takes place on Nov. 9. Just like last year, this event invites guests to choose their own adventure with a colourful selection of beverages. With three DJs going to work on separate channels, one has full control over their personal soundtrack as they dance and drink alongside likeminded revellers.
Unlike last year, six bartenders are prepared to vie for fan approval during the festivities, with each serving a signature creation. Expect industry standouts and fastrising newcomers alike to join the contest.
On the same day, teenagers get to try their hand at cooking in a Junior Chef workshop. Jason Dabbagh has spent his life teaching high school students how to make food, and youth aged 13 to 17 will prepare a nutritious meal under his tutelage.
“I would love, and this is really my passion, for these kids to be able to make this dish for their families,” Dabbagh told Pique Newsmagazine. “There’s nothing more satisfying to me than a young person coming back and telling me they made this dish for their families and it turned out delicious. They just glow. Their family members are so proud, and it’s something they can then teach somebody else.”
The Comedy Kitchen marks its 10th anniversary on Nov. 13, with a nationally renowned lineup of comedians headlined by
Straight Up, delves into the world of James Bond this year. On Nov. 15, the Famous Players Band will light up a night of premium spirits, a dance floor, a charity casino and other thematic elements worthy of Agent 007 and his universe. Snacks will be available throughout the night and drinks are included with each ticket.
Last but not least: the brand-new Cocktail Gameshow runs on Nov. 16. Hosted by Nick Peach and his BareBones Bartending academy (i.e. Canada’s longest running cocktail workshop program), this offering is part drink
“Cornucopia has always been about celebrating the vibrant flavours and experiences that make Whistler such a remarkable culinary destination, and this year we’re pushing the boundaries even further”
- JUSTINA ARMSTRONG
Juno Award winner Ivan Decker. He will be joined by Erica Sigurdson, a two-time Leo Award recipient, and others to be announced.
A day later, the Taste of Canada Night Market delivers a brand-new theme highlighting Indigenous cuisine alongside both national and local dishes and alcoholic beverages.
One of Cornucopia’s signature events,
workshop, part live competition and part comedic act.
‘INSPIRE, CONNECT AND DELIGHT’
But wait, there’s more. 16 new wineries are also joining
Cornucopia, including Black Hills Estate Winery, Quails’ Gate Estate Winery, Phantom Creek, and Moraine Winery. Many are also celebrated in the 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada, including Quails’ Gate (no. 6 in Canada), Stags Hollow (no. 15), Black Hills (no. 21), and Lightning Rock (no. 23).
Meanwhile, the Culinary Stage Series brings in an acclaimed lineup of chefs such as Dabbagh, Chopped Canada winner Alana Maas and Paul Natrall, a member of the Squamish Nation who founded Mr. Bannock Food Truck.
“In Indigenous food culture, a lot of teachings are oral,” explained Natrall in a press release. “I learned a lot from my grandmothers and mom while I was in the kitchen with them.”
Various wine pairings and seminars will be led by top-flight sommeliers like Chris Turyk, Ian Casterton, Kurtis Kolt and Keith Nicholson.
“Cornucopia has always been about celebrating the vibrant flavours and experiences that make Whistler such a remarkable culinary destination, and this year we’re pushing the boundaries even further,” said Justina Armstrong, event director at Whistler Cornucopia, in a release. “From new winery showcases and innovative culinary events to hands-on workshops for aspiring chefs, Cornucopia 2025 is designed to inspire, connect, and delight everyone who joins us.” Tickets and packages for Whistler Cornucopia are on sale. Visit www.whistlercornucopia.com to browse the full schedule. n
TOAST TIME Guests share drinks at the Whistler Cornucopia in 2023.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WHISTLER CORNUCOPIA
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
Arts Whistler to unite CBC comedic stars at ‘A Perfectly Reasonable Night of Comedy’
THE
OCT. 10 SHOW FEATURES PAT KELLY AND PETER OLDRING FROM THIS IS THAT, PLUS CAROLYN TAYLOR OF BARONESS VON SKETCH
BY DAVID SONG
WHAT’S BETTER than one nationally acclaimed comedic talent? Why, three of them on the same stage.
Arts Whistler is prepared to deliver such an experience on Oct. 10 with A Perfectly Reasonable Night of Comedy, which unites Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring of This is That renown with Baroness Von Sketch frontwoman Carolyn Taylor. All three once sharpened their skills at The Second City, a famous North American improvisational comedy enterprise, before realizing success with various CBC programming.
“Our comedy careers in the last little bit have involved doing radio or television shows, which are all very highly structured,” Kelly said. “We were wanting to get together and create something where we could go out night after night…getting back to our roots, being able to explore and have some improvisational fun.”
This is That was a satirical news broadcast featured for nine seasons on CBC Radio. Despite its medium of presentation,
the show was not as heavily scripted as one might assume. Kelly and Oldring enjoy brainstorming flexible content roadmaps that provide entertaining premises, but enable them to crack jokes organically rather than being married to the same lines every night.
Conversely, Baroness Von Sketch is a fiveseason TV series led by an all-female cast: Taylor, Aurora Browne, Meredith MacNeill
level because he’s just being funny, but if you look a little deeper: he’s poking fun at the fabric of the way people behave.”
He adds: “Carolyn’s got a very smart approach to comedy. She’s hyper-intelligent when it comes to the things she wants to satirize and make fun of, and it becomes very personal for her. She has a very keen eye on the structure of a sketch, creating
“Couldn’t have asked for a bigger dream to come true.”
- PAT KELLY
and Jennifer Whalen. True to its name, it was a sketch comedy program defined by humorous, scripted scenes and earned three Canadian Screen Awards during its runtime.
“Peter and I have been performing comedy together since we were teenagers, and I think our relationship has never really changed as far as the things that we respect about each other,” said Kelly. “I’m still completely enamoured with Peter’s ability to pull out the absurdity of humanity in a way that is still charming—almost like he is Canada’s Will Ferrell. People are laughing on a very basic
those containers that are maybe a little more thought-out than [what Peter and I do when] left to our own devices. She looks at the three of us as individuals and says: ‘here’s what we all do really well. This sketch fits us all in nicely.’”
‘LET’S
GO AND MILK IT FOR ALL IT’S WORTH’
Kelly and Oldring last visited Whistler in 2016, filming a TED Talk parody in town as part of This is That. Both understand that, while
locals may be stereotyped as one-dimensional athletes or adrenaline junkies, Whistler is actually home to a thriving arts community with a strong comedic and cultural IQ. They were “pleasantly surprised” at how keen their audience was nine years ago and look forward to renewing acquaintances.
Over time, Kelly believes he’s become seasoned at improv: an art form he is truly passionate about. He hopes that Whistlerites will come ready for a healthy dose of spontaneity.
“There’s something really energizing to revisit that muscle and find that part of you still has the ability to have the synapses in your brain fire fast in front of an audience,” Kelly remarks. “There’s so many things that are pulling people in so many different ways these days. A lot of people have a lot of opinions and things on their mind. To be able to pull the satire from all of these experiences is a skill I’ve honed over the years. It’s nice to come back together with [Peter and Carolyn] who speak that language.
“If you talked to the teenage versions of ourselves and said: ‘one day you’ll be able to tour across Canada and fill theatres with people who know who you are’…that’s unbelievable. Couldn’t have asked for a bigger dream to come true. We’re getting older, so let’s not take it for granted. Let’s go and milk it for all it’s worth and soak all the joy out of it we possibly can. Hopefully that comes across on stage.” n
THREE COMICS From left to right: Pat Kelly, Peter Oldring, Carolyn Taylor PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKY SMYKALA/ARTS WHISTLER
Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang
BY JEANETTE BRUCE
WOMEN VERSUS THE VOID. No, I’m not talking about me and the gals on a Friday night. I’m talking about my new favourite sub-genre of contemporary literature, in which female protagonists are faced with anxiety, dread, and the banality of existence (finally!), often through a darkly humorous lens. Of course, anyone who’s read The Bell Jar or Jane Eyre (two women, one void) knows that this isn’t a new concept - womanhood has always been complex and messy. But for the last five years or so, it seems like women in contemporary literature are really sinking their teeth into ennui, and I am here for it. (I wonder what collective experiences from the last decade could be causing this?)
Enter Julie Chan is Dead by debut author Liann Zhang. Julie is stuck in a dead-end job and thoroughly ensconced under the controlling thumb of her manipulative aunt when an irresistible opportunity is thrust upon her. She’s in the right (wrong?) place at the right time when the body of her estranged identical twin is discovered; a case of mistaken identity allows Julie to cast off her own dull existence and assume her twin’s persona.
“I’m coming in.” I make my way into her apartment and drop my backpack on the kitchen counter. “It’s Julie, by the way, if you’re here. I was worried after you called me.” I turn on the lights as I pass by the switches. A fly whizzes by my ear.
There’s something rancid in the air. A whiff of a Jo Malone candle from my right, but then something rotten. A bit like fruit. It’s coming from the kitchen. She probably forgot to take out the trash. My search makes me feel like a kid playing hide-and-seek. I look inside her bedroom. The bathroom. Her closet, which, oh my god, is a walk-in.”
Julie becomes Chloe, a wealthy and popular social media influencer, and the transformation is seemingly effortless, until Julie begins to uncover the more sinister aspects of Chloe’s success. (I’m reeling. How can she be so casual about all of this? As if mixing murder and Vogue in the same breath is as natural as syrup on pancakes ) The deeper she dives, the more secrets she discovers, and soon, Julie realizes that the cause of her twin’s untimely death may be coming for her next.
“I’ve always believed I was of little worth–perhaps because my aunt would tell me so. But what if I hadn’t? If she had cultivated my strengths, could I have been successful without stealing someone’s life? I’ve been thrust into Chloe’s identity and have adapted to it with ease, like my sister’s life was always within my reach, like I was always capable.”
For those of you who are feeling voidcurious, Julie Chan is Dead is a great entrypoint into this sub-genre. It has the twists and fast pacing of a thriller and the pop culture references of millennial chick lit, but, in addition to the macabre premise, there is a delicious layer of grime that takes the novel
in a decidedly unhinged direction. Julie Chan will appeal to a wider variety of readers than Mona Awad, Ottessa Moshfegh, Han Kang, or Ling Ling Huang (some of the Queens of Existential Dread, in my opinion), but it’s undeniable that Liann Zhang is their slightlyless-feral bedfellow. If Yellowface and Bunny had a baby and took that baby to the beach, she’d be Julie Chan (sitting under a large umbrella, reading odd books for odd women).
If you only use “weird” as a compliment and often find yourself thinking “good for her!” when faced with a badly-behaved woman, Julie Chan is Dead will give you life. After this highly readable debut, I can’t wait to see whether Liann Zhang descends further into the darkness with her next offering.
Liann Zhang is a second-generation Chinese Canadian who splits her time between Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario. After a short stint as a skincare content creator, she graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology. Julie Chan Is Dead is her first novel.
Zhang appears at the Whistler Writers Festival in All Hallows Eve: Murder and Mayhem with Laugh Out LIVE! and fellow writer Susan Juby on October 31st. Tickets available at https://whistlerwritersfest.com/
Jeanette Bruce (she/her) has worked as the Program & Communications Coordinator at Whistler Public Library since 2015.
Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Jeanette is passionate about building community through music and literature; she is proud to be at the helm of the decadelong, monthly Community Book Club and two local choirs, the Whistler Children’s Chorus and Barbed Choir. n
To jointhesetrainingsessions,participantsmusthaveaWhistler Triathlon Club(WTC)Membership. Availableonlineatwww.whistlertriathlonclub.com Pleaseemail:treasurer@whistlertriathlonclub.comtosecureyourtraining andyourWTCMembership.
DEEP DIVE If you’re looking for a new sub-genre of fiction, try diving into July Chan is Dead.
PHOTO BY JEANETTE BRUCE
ARTS
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
ULTRA TRAIL WHISTLER BY UTMB
The UTMB World Series returns to Canada in 2025. For its second year, there will be four race distances of 10km, 25km, 50km, and 100km taking trail runners on a journey that highlights the best of Whistler and its surrounding trails.
> Sept. 27 to 28
> Various locations
INNER GODDESS YOGA WORKSHOP
Why goddesses? Because they embody the powerful, sensual and compassionate archetypes women have drawn on for centuries. Master International Yoga Instructor Janet Corvino guides a journey to connect with your inner goddess through movement, breath and embodied exploration. Expect to leave feeling empowered, awakened and deeply in tune with your feminine essence.
> Sept. 27, 5:15 p.m.
> Yogacara Whistler
WHISTLER FARMERS’ MARKET
full story of life in Whistler, past and present. Whether it’s a quick memory or a deeper reflection, your voice matters. Recordings will become part of the Museum’s collection to help preserve Whistler’s history for future generations.
> Sept. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
> Whistler Public Library
BARBED CHOIR
Do you love to sing? Do you love meeting new people? Do you like all types of rock music, new and old? Head on down to sing with Barbed Choir - Whistler’s rock choir. Meetings are drop-in, no registration or experience necessary.
> Oct. 1, 7 p.m.
> Whistler Public Library
AFTER SCHOOL ART
After School Art engages students in discussions and activities that deepen their understanding of art-making in British Columbia, including its history, methods, materials, and techniques in carving, painting and photography, while fostering appreciation for artistic styles, cultural contexts, and the region’s diverse and evolving art forms.
> Oct. 2, 3 p.m.
> Audain Art Museum
A feast for your senses, the Whistler Farmers’ Market features local produce, tasty food, local artisans, live entertainment and family activities. Markets happen every Sunday until Thanksgiving on October 13, with the addition of Saturday markets on June 28, August 2, August 30 and October 11.
> Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
> Upper Village Stroll
TELL YOUR STORY: RMOW’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY
As part of Whistler’s 50th anniversary, the Whistler Museum is collecting community stories to help tell the
YOGA AT THE AUDAIN
Revel in the stunning architecture of the Audain Art Museum every Thursday as you work through a calming one-hour practice with rotating instructors. Classes emphasize breathing, alignment and ease as you stretch and strengthen your body and mind. Registration includes access to the galleries on the day of from 11 AM to 6 PM.
> Oct. 2, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
> Audain Art Museum
MUSEUM MUSINGS & ASTROLOGY
Binty was here
BY ALLYN PRINGLE
OPERATING FROM 1965 to 1992, the first gondola installed on Whistler Mountain was a hard working lift that brought skiers (and later snowboarders) from the valley base at today’s Creekside to the bottom of the Red Chair. Gondola cars from this lift can still be found today throughout the valley and beyond, including in the Whistler Museum. They often show signs of their years of use, from dents to scratches to added stickers. If you look closely at some of the gondola cars, you might even find a name or two scratched into the surface. One name that could be found on many of the cars over the years was Binty, also known as Vincent Massey.
The Massey family began visiting in the early 1960s when Geoffrey Massey, the well known architect, became involved in the Garibaldi Olympic Development Association. He and his wife Ruth brought their four children, including Binty, up to ski regularly. Looking back at his childhood visits to Whistler Mountain, Binty recalled a lot of snow, slow lifts, and long line ups. According to him, “It was such a cold ride up, it would take about 40 or 50 minutes to get up out of the valley to the Roundhouse because the lifts were so slow.” By the time they reached the Roundhouse, they would be
so cold that they would go straight inside to warm up. Despite this, to Binty, Whistler was “a big deal, it was a big mountain.”
According to Hugh Smythe, who began working for Whistler Mountain soon after it opened in 1966, Binty and his “mischievous look” became well known to lift company employees, especially after his name started appearing on more and more gondola cars.
As Hugh saw it, “his goal was to carve his
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Tonglen, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation, you visualize yourself breathing in the suffering, pain, or negativity of other people, then imagine breathing out relief, healing, or compassion toward them. The practice can also be done on your own behalf. The goal is to transform tension and stress into courage, vitality, and healing. I recommend this practice, Aries. Can you turn your scars into interesting tattoos? Can you find mysterious opportunities lurking in the dilemmas? Can you provide grace for others as you feed your own fire?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In a YouTube video, I watched Korean artisans make hanji paper in the same way their predecessors have for 1,300 years. It was complicated and meditative. They peeled off the inner bark of mulberry trees, then soaked it, cooked it, and pounded it into pulp. After mixing the mash with the aibika plant, they spread it out on screens and let it dry. I learned that this gorgeous, luminous paper can endure for a thousand years. I hope you draw inspiration from this process, Taurus. Experiment with softening what has felt unyielding. Treat what’s tough or inflexible with steady, artful effort. Be imaginative and persistent as you shape raw materials into beautiful things you can use for a long time.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Legendary jazz musician Sun Ra was a Gemini who claimed to be from the planet Saturn. He aspired to live in a state of “cosmic discipline”—not just in his musical training but in his devotion to self-improvement, aesthetic exploration, and a connection to transcendent realities. He fused outrageous style with sacred order, chaos with clarity. I invite you to draw inspiration from him. Put your personal flair in service to noble ideas. Align your exuberant self-expression with your higher purpose. Show off if it helps wake people up.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In Inuit tradition, qarrtsiluni means “waiting in the darkness for something to burst forth.” It refers to the sacred pause before creativity erupts,
name in the plastic of the gondola cars in every car.” Unfortunately, this made lift company president Franz Wilhelmsen “apoplectic” and one of Hugh’s assigned tasks was to try and catch Binty in the act.
Binty, who grew up in Horseshoe Bay, moved to Whistler full-time after finishing high school. Unfortunately for him, the winter of 1976/77 is best remembered by those who were there as the year that Whistler
OF SEPTEMBER 26 BY ROB
before the quest begins, before the light returns. This is an apt description of your current state, Cancerian. Tend your inner stillness like a fire about to ignite. Don’t rush it. Honour the hush. The energies you store up will find their proper shape in a few weeks. Trust that the silence is not absence but incubation. Luminosity will bloom from this pregnant pause.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’re feeling the stirrings of a desire that’s at least half-wild. A surprising vision or opportunity has begun to roar softly within you. But here’s key advice: Don’t chase it recklessly. Practice strategic boldness. Choose where and how you shine. Your radiance is potent, but it will be most effective when offered deliberately, with conscious artistry. You’re being asked to embody the kind of leadership that inspires, not dominates. Be the sun that warms but doesn’t scorch! PS: People are observing you to learn how to shine.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If humans ever perfect time-travel, I’m going to the Library of Alexandria in ancient Egypt. It was crammed with papyrus scrolls by authors from all over the world. It was also a gathering point for smart people who loved to compare notes across disciplines. Poets argued amiably with mathematicians. Astronomers discussed inspirations with physicians. Breakthroughs flowed feely because ideas were allowed to migrate, hybridize, and be challenged without rancour. Consider emulating that rich mélange, Virgo. Convene unlike minds, cross-pollinate, and entertain unprecedented questions. The influences you need next will arrive via unexpected connections.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The ancient Mesopotamians believed each person had a personal god called an ilu who acted as a protector, guide, and intercessor with the greater gods. You’re in a phase when your own ilu is extra active and ready to undergo an evolutionary transformation. So assume that you will be able to call on potent help, Libra.
BREZSNY
Be alert for how your instincts and intuitions are becoming more acute and specific. If you feel an odd nudge or a dream insists on being remembered, take it seriously. You’re being steered toward deeper nourishment.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In Venice, Italy, floods periodically damage books at libraries and bookstores. Trained volunteers restore them with meticulous, handson methods. They use absorbent paper and towels to separate and dry the pages, working page by page. I offer this vignette as a useful metaphor, Scorpio. Why? Because I suspect that a rich part of your story needs repair. It’s at risk of becoming irrelevant, even irretrievable. Your assignment is to nurse it back to full health and coherence. Give it your tender attention as you rehabilitate its meaning. Rediscover and revive its lessons and wisdom.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In classical Indian music, a raga is not a fixed composition but a flexible framework. It’s defined by a specific scale, characteristic melodic phrases, and a traditional time of day for performance. Musicians improvise and express emotion within that expansive set of constraints. Unlike Western compositions, which are written out and repeated verbatim, a raga has different notes each time it’s played. I think this beautiful art form can be inspirational for you, Sagittarius. Choose the right time and tone for what you’re creating. Dedicate yourself to a high-minded intention and then play around with flair and delight. Define three non-negotiable elements and let everything else breathe.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In medieval European monasteries, scribes left blank pages in certain texts. This was not done by accident, but to allow for future revelations. Later readers and scribes might fill these spaces with additional text, marginalia, and personal notes. Books were seen as living documents. I recommend a metaphorical version of this practice to you, Capricorn. You will thrive by keeping spaces empty and allowing for
Mountain closed for skiing for three weeks in January. Warm rain after the holidays worsened already marginal conditions and then the weather got cold and dry, which made for great ice skating but no skiing. After working construction in Whistler for a year, Binty decided to go to art school.
A few decades later, after Binty and his wife Cheryl had moved back to Whistler and started a family, his labeling of the gondola cars appeared again in what might seem like an unexpected setting: a fundraising event of the Myrtle Philip Community School (MPCS) Parent Advisory Council (PAC).
The Amuse Cruises of the 1990s were held to raise money for the MPSC, which opened in its Lorimer Road location in September 1992. They were held at the Fairmont Chateau and featured skits put together by the parents from different classes. One such skit at the event held in November 1992 featured a recentlydecommissioned gondola car and Hugh Smythe reenacting some of the tasks that came up during his early days working for Whistler Mountain, including attempts to stop Binty from adding his name to the lift. While the gondola car included in the skit made it a bit more obvious (“Binty was here” was painted on in large letters), it’s likely that if any attendees had examined it closely, they might have found the familiar name scratched into a window at least twenty years before. n
the unknown to ripen. You may sometimes feel an urge to define, control, and fortify, but acting on that impulse could interfere with the gifts that life wants to bring you. Honour what is as-yet unwritten.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In West African Vodún cosmology, the deity named Lêgba guards the crossroads. He is the mediator and gatekeeper between the human world and spirit realm. He speaks all languages and serves as the first point of contact for communication with other spirits. In the weeks ahead, Aquarius, you may find yourself in Lêgba’s domain: between past and future, fact and fantasy, solitude and communion. You may also become a channel for others, intuiting or translating what they can’t articulate. I won’t be surprised if you know things your rational mind doesn’t fully understand. I bet a longlocked door will swing open and a long-denied connection will finally coalesce. You’re not just passing through the crossroads. You are the crossroads.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 1977, NASA launched two Voyager spacecraft into the abyss. Both carried a message in the form of a golden record to any extraterrestrial who might find it. There were greetings in 55 languages, natural sounds like whale songs and thunderstorms, music by Chuck Berry and others, plus more than 100 images and diagrams explaining how to find Earth. It was science as a love letter, realism with a dash of audacity. I invite you to craft your own version of a golden record, Pisces. Distil a message that says who you are and what you are seeking: clear enough to be decoded by strangers, warm enough to be welcomed by friends you haven’t met. Put it where the desired audience can hear it: portfolio, outreach note, manifesto, demo. Send signals that will make the right replies inevitable.
Homework: You know that insult you fling at yourself? Stop flinging it! Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.
HOOLIGAN HEYDAY Hugh Smythe reenacts his days working for the lift company as a lineup of parents look on. WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION, 1992
The Events& Community Manager overseestheMuseum’sprograms, events,and publicengagement. The roleincludesmanagingthe Museum’sonlinepresence, developingandpromoting events forallages, contributing to exhibitionand publication content,andbuilding communitypartnerships to expandtheMuseum’s reachandimpact. Moreinformationonthispositioncanbe foundhere: https://whistlermuseum.org/employment/
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Ourteamofpeopleis whatsetsusapartfromotherbuilders.As wecontinue to growasthe leaderinluxury projectsinWhistler,ourteamneeds to expand withus.
We are currentlyhiring:
Labourers ($20-$30hourly)
CarpentersHelpers/Apprentices1st to4th year ($25-$35hourly)
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Send your resume to info@evrfinehomes.com We lookforward to hearingfrom you!
JOBPOSTING:
Community Health Nurse
Salary: $90000-110000
PositionOverview: providecaretoadult communitymembers(19+) of three(3) remoteFirstNationcommunities by beingresponsible forfull scopenursingcare to avariety of clients,constantly promotinghealthand wellnesseducation,andaligningcare outofcommunity
Qualifications:
•Current practicingregistrationas aRegisteredNursewiththeBC College of NursesandMidwives (BCCNM)
StandardBusiscurrentlyseekingdedicatedandsafety-mindedSchoolBusDrivers to joinourteam.Thisisanessentialrolethatoffersjobsecurity,a flexiblescheduleand allows youtomakea difference by transportingourchildrentoschoolsafely.
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•Part-timehours- perfectfor astay-at-homeparent,entrepreneur, or retiree!
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PositionDetails
•MondaytoFriday– nomandatorynightsorweekendwork
•Splitshifts •Wage- $26.14perhour
JobDescription
As aSchoolBusDriverinWhistler, youwillworka splitshift,drivingapproximately 3hoursin themorningand3 hoursintheafternoon. Youwillbeassigned aroute that fallsbetweenthe hoursof6:30am- 9:30aminthemorningandbetween2:00pm -5:00pmintheafternoon. Agoodknowledgeofthesurroundingareaisessential.
Love hospitality?Thrive ondelivering exceptionalguest experiences?Join Pemberton Valley Lodge,an awardwinningboutiquehotelinthebreathtakingSea-to-Sky Corridor, asournext GuestServicesManager
WH Y YO U’ LL LO VEITHERE
ü Competitivepay&benefits (SalaryRange$59,000-$65,000)
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ü LeadandinspireourGuestServices team
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ü 2+ yearsinhotelfrontofficeorguestservices leadership
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Critical Care Fund
Our Critical Care Fund helps animals who require extra medical help. This fund is supported 100% by community donations. Please support this fund and be a savior for an animal in need.
Providesleadership of acomprehensive range ofnursing programswithin community andpublic health
CommunityHealthNurse
Providecaretoadultmembers(19+),being responsibleoffullscopenursing care to avariety ofclients, constantlypromotinghealthand wellnesseducation,andaligning careoutof community
Home &Community Care Nurse
Providecaretoadult communitymembers(19+), being responsibleforfullscopenursing care to homecareclientsandmemberswithchronic diseases,constantlypromotinghealthand wellness education,andaligning careoutof community
Child &FamilyServices
FamilyPreservationWorker
SupportsSSHSfamiliesthroughculturally sensitiveprogramsandservices,promoting children’ssafetyand qualityoflife. This role coordinatesresourcestoenhancefamilyunity, empowering familiesasprimarycaregivers
Jordans Principle
JordansPrincipleAdministrativeAssistant
Providesadministrativesupport to theJordan’s PrincipleServiceCoordinator, Service Coordination delivery,andsupportcommunity building activities asneeded.Disseminate informationtothepublicand to serviceproviders and community-basedprofessionalstopromote Jordan’sPrinciple and reduceservicebarriers for IndigenouschildreninBC.
Early ChildhoodDevelopment
ECDProgram Coordinator
TheECD Coordinatoroverseesquality programming in N’Quatqua,Skatin,and Samahquam, includingEarlyChildhood DevelopmentDrop-ins, Playgroups,andlicensed childcare. They supportchildrenaged0-6and theirfamiliesusingastrengths-basedapproach, managing programplanning,staffing,resources, recordkeeping,andreporting.
Administration
Bookkeeper
TheBookkeeperwillplayacrucial role in managing thefinancial recordsandtransactions forSSHS,ensuring precision,compliance, and overallfinancial stability. This detail-oriented individualwill be motivated to assist our accounting team in maintaining accuratefinancial recordsandhandling daily bookkeeping tasks.
ABOUTUS
SSHSis anon-profitIndigenous HealthOrganizationdedicated to improvingthehealthand wellbeingofIndigenous communities.Ourorganization providesculturallyappropriate healthcare services,programs andinitiatives to supportthe holistichealthofIndigenous individualsand families.
SSHS teammemberstravel fromourofficeinMountCurrie, BCinto thecommunities,often drivingalong aForestService Road foruptotwo hoursor beinghelicopteredin. This ensuresthatSSHSmembersfromnewborns to Eldershave access to thehealthand wellnesssupports at theirhealth stations,orhealthspace,intheir home communities.
ORANGE SHIRT DAY began in 2013 in Williams Lake, B.C., when Phyllis Webstad, a Northern Secwepemc woman, shared her story of arriving at residential school at six years old wearing a brand-new orange shirt, gifted by her grandmother. The shirt was taken away on her first day, and she never saw it again. A memory that symbolized the loss of culture and identity experienced by so many children.
Now, September 30 has grown from a grassroots movement into the federally recognized National Day for Truth and
and attempted erasure, yet they continue to stand rooted in their languages, teachings and ways of being. Healing is not a simple path; it requires the courage to speak truths that were silenced and to reclaim what was stolen. Survival itself is a form of resistance, and healing is an act of sovereignty. Within the stories of survivors and their families, we find not only scars of what was endured, but also the living proof of resilience, culture, and love that refused to be extinguished.
Wearing an orange shirt is meaningful. It honours survivors and remembers the children who never came home. But it cannot stop there. It is only a first step toward something much bigger. True reconciliation requires listening, learning, and taking action to change the systems that continue to harm Indigenous communities today.
BY GEORGINA DAN
truth, justice, and healing for generations. Ongoing research about residential schools has highlighted how these systems directly impacted the Squamish Nation and Líl’wat Nation, deepening our understanding of their intergenerational effects.
The Squamish Nation’s Yúusnew ’ as Family project, launched in 2022, is dedicated to documenting the truths of St. Paul’s Indian Residential School. Survivors’ stories are being recorded, land-based surveys are underway, and cultural healing practices are offered regularly to support community wellness. On September 13, 2025, community members gathered once again for an update, a reminder that truth-telling is not a thing of the past, but an ongoing responsibility.
The impacts of residential schools remain deeply felt, with survivors and generations after them still working to understand, name, and heal from the harm. Overrepresentation in the justice and child welfare systems, addictions, suicide, poverty, poor housing conditions, loss of cultural identity, dysfunctional family structures, and difficulty meeting basic needs are all part of that legacy.
Amongst all this hurt, we must also recognize the strength it takes to survive and to heal. Generations of Indigenous people have carried the weight of loss, displacement
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation calls on us to understand that Indigenous Peoples face more than the lasting trauma of residential schools. There is ongoing racism, resistance to Indigenous voices, and continued struggles for recognition on their
Working in a safe place like the Squamish wat Cultural Centre, I haven’t really been exposed to people unwilling to learn. I have witnessed and experienced racism in my life, but reading the comments that surfaced online after the Province’s announcement about Pipi7íyekw Joffre Lakes opened my eyes to a new level of racism, one that was harsh, more public, and more normalized than what I had seen before.
The Líl’wat Nation and N’Quatqua Nation were under the impression they had reached an agreement with B.C. to close the park from August 22 to October 23 this year. On August 19, however, the Province announced that the park would remain open over Labour Day weekend and that the closure would be shortened from two months to one. According to the Nations, B.C. moved forward without alerting them beforehand, despite their opposition to a shorter closure. While the
weekend the park was originally supposed to shut down, with rocks being spray-painted with graffiti. This is not the first time the agreement has been disregarded. In 2023, the park was supposed to close from August 23 to September 30, but it reopened early on September 19.
The impacts of residential schools remain deeply felt, with survivors and generations after them still working to understand, name, and heal from the harm.
ministry noted it held multiple meetings with the Nations, Líl’wat and N’Quatqua say these discussions failed to reach a collaborative resolution. In its announcement, the ministry explained it chose a schedule it believes “balances cultural practices, conservation goals and public access to the park.” A Líl’wat Nation Councillor shared that the delayed closure led to vandalism over the
For me, this issue feels personal. My mom talks about how my grandfather used to hunt in the area of Pipi7ye ’kw, and as Líl’wat, we would also gather medicines there. These stories remind me that our connection to this land is not abstract or distant; it is lived, carried through our families, and tied to the ways we provided for ourselves and kept our knowledge alive. When the park was closed,
it was my first time really being able to enjoy and learn from other Nation members who were also finally able to connect with the land. That experience made me realize how closures like this are not just about rest or ceremony, but about restoring bonds that colonial systems, including the Indian Act, worked so hard to break. It also highlighted how, too often, recreational use has been chosen over Indigenous sustenance and cultural practices, further marginalizing our relationship with these lands.
This isn’t just about a park. It’s an example of how the rights, agreements, and voices of Indigenous Peoples are still frequently overlooked. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation asks us to see that residential schools are part of a much larger system of injustices, many of which continue to impact daily life for Indigenous communities. Understanding these ongoing realities is essential for moving toward true reconciliation.
Truth before reconciliation means understanding that these aren’t just stories of the past–they are living realities that continue to shape the present. On this day, and every day, let us honour survivors, acknowledge the wrongs, and work together toward a future grounded in justice, respect, and healing. n
LAND STEWARDS The closures of Joffre are part of Lil'wat's efforts to restore land and Indigenous practices.
