Pique Newsmagazine 3248

Canada’s Wildest Film Festival Turns

How the Whistler Film Festival grew from a single screening to a Hollywood magnet and national launching pad for Canadian cinema

Canada’s Wildest Film Festival Turns 25

How the Whistler Film Festival grew from a single screening to a Hollywood magnet and national launching pad for Canadian cinema. - By Caroline Egan

06 OPENING REMARKS Whistler’s theatre may be gone, but the Whistler Film Festival offers a blueprint for rethinking local movie culture, writes editor Braden Dupuis.

08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers weigh in on protecting nature, and a new provincial bill related to development approvals.

28 RANGE ROVER It doesn’t matter how much snow there is, or how much snow there will eventually be, writes Leslie Anthony—Day One is frickin’ awesome.

50 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Humans need third spaces in which to gather, writes Lisa Richardson. And culture needs outlets. Actual real estate. In which to take place.

10 RISK AVERSION The Cheakamus Community Forest is moving toward a more climate-driven management strategy following a climate-risk assessment.

14 GROWING PAINS Whistler’s mayor and council is contemplating a $50-million capital plan for 2026 in the face of aging infrastructure and shrinking reserves.

34 STILL COOL Jamaica achieved its first-ever international bobsleigh triumph on Nov. 24 with four-man gold in Whistler.

38 KID

COMMERCE

Long-running fan-favourite local event Bratz Biz returns for its 20th instalment Nov. 29 and 30 at the Westin.

COVER Nothing like a documentary with nude human gyroscoping in it to get a festival off the ground. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art

Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com

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Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, VINCE SHULEY, LESLIE ANTHONY, GLENDA BARTOSH, ANDREW MITCHELL, LISA RICHARDSON, LIZI MCLOUGHLIN, TOBIAS C. VAN VEEN

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com

Source: WLS1988todateNita Lake Lodge,110-2131 Lake Placid Road,Whistler, BC,V8E0B2

The last light in the dark

AS FAR AS movie theatres go, the Whistler Village 8 was, as they say, one of them.

While I probably spent more time and money there than the average Whistlerite, I’d be the first to admit it was far from perfect. The seats creaked, the screens were never going to win awards, and if you went on a Tuesday you’d usually have more room than company. But it played an outsized role here. It was the

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

default answer to the winter question: what do we do tonight? For families, teens, workers, couples, and anyone needing two hours of escape, it was a

It’s been said before, but when the Village 8 shuttered in January 2023, Whistler didn’t just lose a movie theatre— it lost one of the last cheap, communal things to do in town.

Without it, the town feels thinner.

Not quieter—Whistler will always find ways to be loud—but flatter somehow. Fewer low-cost options. Fewer spontaneous nights out. Fewer places where you don’t have to spend a fortune to simply exist.

Into that vacuum comes the Whistler Film Festival’s (WFF) 25th anniversary: a milestone year for an event that has genuinely punched above its weight. WFF has built a profile most small festivals can only dream of—attracting industry, championing Canadian and Indigenous voices, and turning Whistler into a temporary cultural capital every December.

But the anniversary lands with a bit of whiplash. The festival will pack houses for one week, then leave town again with nowhere for film culture to live the other 51.

This isn’t a strictly local problem. The economics of moviegoing have shifted across the board.

Canadian box office revenues have climbed sharply since the pandemic wiped out theatrical attendance in 2020, but they still haven’t returned to preCOVID levels. According to Telefilm Canada’s 2024 exhibition data, national box office reached roughly US$889 million in 2023—up 32.9 per cent from 2022, but still about 12 per cent below 2019. Meanwhile, a 2025 national survey commissioned by Telefilm and the Movie Theatre Association of Canada found Canadians bought an average of 1.6 movie tickets in 2024, down almost 50 per cent from 2019’s per-capita rate.

People haven’t stopped loving movies; they’ve stopped loving the routine of going to see them. Theatres live and die by pattern—weeknights that used to be reliably busy, opening weekends that once followed predictable arcs, late shows that filled because people simply

cinemas, community screenings, one-off events. In Whistler, as in most towns, that means niche venues, or events like Arts Whistler’s The People’s Film.

Meanwhile, streaming has taken its own stranglehold. The pandemic viewing habits formed in 2020 never really left. Viewers learned they could wait a few weeks and watch new releases at home, on their own schedule, at no incremental cost. Even people who want theatres to survive have quietly recalibrated to “couch first, cinema second.”

For a small cinema operating in a high-rent, seasonal resort town, those forces are a death sentence. The margins were never big. Now, they’re likely impossible.

But people underestimate what a cinema contributes to a town like this. It’s really less a business than a piece of social infrastructure.

A theatre is a gathering place that doesn’t revolve around alcohol or sport. It’s a refuge for teens who don’t

If the Village 8 is gone for good—and it’s hard to imagine anyone reviving a traditional multiplex model here—then Whistler has to rethink what movie culture looks like.

WFF offers a blueprint: curation, intentionality, community-building.

What if that weren’t limited to one week in December?

There are workable models that don’t rely on commercial box office math: Popup cinemas in hotel ballrooms, conference rooms, or underused municipal spaces; monthly or biweekly film nights run in partnership with WFF programmers— effectively a year-round festival on a slow burn; seasonal residencies where filmmakers screen work-in-progress cuts and host discussions; a single-screen, partially subsidized venue (like the Rainbow Theatre), treated as cultural infrastructure rather than a profit centre, the same way we subsidize the rink, the pool, the library.

Put a focus on community-oriented

People haven’t stopped loving movies; they’ve stopped loving the routine of going to see them. Theatres live and die by pattern—weeknights that used to be reliably busy, opening weekends that once followed predictable arcs, late shows that filled because people simply went to the movies. Those patterns haven’t come back.

went to the movies. Those patterns haven’t come back.

The new reality is “eventization.” Blockbusters still draw crowds. So do rare breakouts and prestige films at exactly the right moment. But the middle has been hollowed out—the adult dramas, the character pieces and comedies, the mid-budget indies—the films festivals like WFF exist to champion. The truth is many films now rely almost entirely on curated spaces: festivals, art-house

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have anywhere else to hang out. It’s an affordable date night. It’s a way for parents to give their kids a break from smartphones and tablets without hauling them up the mountain or into another expensive activity. It’s one of the few spaces where residents and visitors actually mix without being sorted into roles of worker and customer.

Take that away, and a subtle civic thread snaps.

So what now?

programming that reflects Whistler— Indigenous film nights, mountain culture docs, Canadian features, kids’ matinees, youth-led screenings.

These aren’t silver bullets, but together they might restore the feeling of film as something accessible, and woven into everyday life.

A movie theatre never made or broke a town. But it stitched Whistler together in ways we didn’t appreciate until it vanished. n

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Protecting nature means protecting our economy

Growing up in Calgary near Fish Creek Park, a massive urban provincial park that winds throughout the city’s southwest, I was always encouraged to spend time playing outside. Fast forward to today, in my work at Whistler Blackcomb and with the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association, I see the immense impact outdoor recreation has on people’s lives every day—especially in the winter season when spending intentional time outside can make all the difference to our physical, mental and emotional health.

Protecting these experiences makes sense from an environmental level, but also an economic one. In regions like Whistler and the Sea to Sky corridor, thoughtfully managed nature helps fuel a resilient economy rooted in adventure tourism, outdoor recreation, hospitality and community-based services. A recent Leger analysis highlights adventure tourism and outdoor recreation as major drivers of revenue, to the tune of $17 billion in 2023.

“We’ve long known outdoor recreation supports healthy people and strong communities. Now we know it also drives at least $4.8 billion in economic value,

about 1.5 per cent of B.C.’s GDP, with major benefits for rural regions,” said Louise Pedersen, executive director of the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC. “This study makes it clear: investing in outdoor recreation is a smart, sustainable strategy for economic diversification.”

The health of this sector can’t be taken for granted. Across the province, snowpacks are shrinking, freeze-thaw cycles are becoming more erratic, and the ski season is getting shorter. Our entire region depends on nature not as a backdrop—but as a backbone to our economy.

design and renewable-energy operations. It also means considering modes of transportation to access these places that are lower emission and carbon-friendly, like public transit. Embracing conservation as an investment in both community health and financial sustainability allows B.C. to take a stance for the future we want to see.

As a parent, I’m grateful my kids can still explore wild spaces that offer the same sense of freedom I had. But I also feel the urgency to protect this playground that defines our supernatural province. The next generation deserves to know what it feels like to glide through fresh snow, breathe clean alpine air and call these mountains home.

Omer Dagan // VP of Whistler Off Road Cycling Association and business development at Whistler Blackcomb

When we invest in conservation and sustainable recreation infrastructure, we’re investing in the long-term stability of communities. Outdoor rec and related tourism services create thousands of jobs, draw millions of domestic and international visitors, and contribute billions in municipal and provincial taxes.

So, how do we move forward? By aligning economic development with ecological protection—not as opposing forces, but as partners. That means supporting green infrastructure, creating new protected areas, low-impact trail

Help keep Whistler clean and pristine

Dear staff housing (and Whistler Blackcomb staff housing management),

Please (help us) protect our natural environment, our beautiful mountains and streams. It is great that Village Run is a convenient walk between staff housing and the Village. However, in the morning Village Run is littered with take-out food containers, cans, plastic cups, etc.

Please share this letter with your fellow staff housing occupants and 1. Ask everyone to take their trash to the bottom

of the hill for disposal. 2. On the walk down, pick up any two random trash items and dispose in receptacles at the bottom of the hill.  3. Repeat steps one and two.   Otherwise that trash does end up in Fitz Creek, mangled into micro pieces and eaten by the fish. With everyone’s help, in just a couple of days, we have protected our streams and our beautiful Whistler and cleaned up Village Run.  Sabina Lorion // Whistler

On development approvals,

I would like to offer a constructive and collaborative perspective on provincial Bill M216*. It is important for the public to understand that this bill was introduced as a private members’ bill, which is unusual for legislative changes of this scale. Regardless, it has opened an important conversation about how development approvals function— and where the system is struggling.

We recognize the status quo is not working well for anyone. Bill M216 is not perfect, and we believe the best solution will likely fall somewhere between the current model and the framework proposed in the bill. That said, the bill does introduce two significant concepts that currently do not exist: a formal third-party mechanism to resolve disagreements, and a structure that helps identify and remove professionals who are not meeting required standards.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The BC Building Code is clear that responsibility for code compliance lies with the landowner and their retained professionals. The role of the Authority Having Jurisdiction (the municipality) is to confirm whether that interpretation is correct—not to assume liability for it. Bill M216 reinforces this by clearly removing liability from local governments for permits issued under its framework.

Considering the above, we support this Bill, believing it will help more than it will hinder.

The approval system needs improvement, and Bill M216 has at least prompted that discussion. We need more housing, and simplifying the approval process is essential to delivering it. This is complex work and must be done collaboratively, transparently, and with all parties at the table.

Derek Venter // President, Canadian Home Builders Association - Sea to Sky Corridor Chapter

* Editor’s note: If approved, Bill M 216 – 2025 Professional Reliance Act, would require that: “A local government must accept, as meeting permit or bylaw requirements, any submission certified by a PGA professional acting within their regulated scope of practice, unless (a) the submission is incomplete, or (b) a complaint in respect of the submission has been made to the superintendent.” n

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Cheakamus Community Forest

embraces climate-driven shift toward ‘more complex and resilient’ ecosystems

NEW MODELLING SHOWS RISING WILDFIRE AND DROUGHT STRESS THROUGH 2060, PROMPTING A STRATEGIC OVERHAUL

BY LUKE FAULKS

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

THE CHEAKAMUS Community Forest (CCF) is moving toward a more climatedriven forest management strategy, following a climate-risk assessment that forecasts significantly higher wildfire activity, worsening drought and increasing tree stress across much of the tenure through mid-century.

The findings, prepared by Frontera Forest Solutions, Inc., for a Nov. 19 presentation, mark the beginning of an operational shift for the 33,000-hectare tenure jointly managed by the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Lil’wat Nation and Squamish Nation.

“We completed our climate risk assessment of the Cheakamus Community Forest tenure over last winter and spring,” CCF executive director Heather Beresford said in an interview. “They identified going out to 2060 where the community forest is going to become more at risk due to climate change and from our key risks, which are wildfire and drought. And on

SEVERE SCENARIOS Mapping shows projected wildfire threat to the CCF and Whistler Valley from 2041 to 2060 under current, mid-range (SSP1-2.6) and more severe (SSP3-7.0) climate scenarios.

BY FRONTERA FOREST SOLUTIONS, INC.

the heels of those things, when the forest is stressed, pest infestation comes.”

MODELLING SHOWS RISING WILDFIRE THREAT

The Phase 1 climate-risk assessment relied on local weather-station data, regional climate forcing and climate projections, and wildfire simulations. The modelling compared observed fire weather from 1990 to 2020 with projected scenarios for 2041 to 2060 under more moderate (SSP1-2.6 in the above map) and severe (SSP3-7.0) climate change scenarios.

Across all scenarios, a majority of the forest landscape falls under moderate wildfire threat. Thirty-one per cent of the forest falls under the high-threat category under SSP3-7.0.

Beresford said the CCF now has a window of opportunity to prepare the forest ahead of those projected climate scenarios.

The most vulnerable areas, she explained, are Whistler’s second-growth stands. The dense, relatively even-aged Douglas-fir forests were logged between 50 and 90 years ago.

Climate projections also show rapid ecological change.

Between 2021 and 2040, the presentation notes “Whistler valley is becoming too dry to support western redcedar,” while the more droughttolerant Douglas fir’s “suitability is mostly unchanged” at lower levels. Still, Douglas fir, along with Western hemlock,

are projected to be more suitable at higher elevations.

Over the same time period, subalpine fir may disappear from most parts of the CCF.

Beresford said these findings confirm what CCF managers are already observing on the ground, including expanding Western spruce budworm populations documented in maps from 2022, 2023 and 2024.

“We’re seeing that already with this spruce budworm,” she said. “If the whole forest isn’t Douglas fir, that forest can withstand those kinds of impacts better.”

‘PURPOSEFUL’ OPERATIONS

CCF’s next phase is to translate the risk maps into an operational strategy, one grounded in resistance, resilience and transition principles.

Beresford said this marks a major evolution for the community forest.

“Before we were kind of like, ‘Well we’ll try to find somewhere we can harvest that meets our ecosystem-based management approach,’ but it wasn’t a strategic approach,” Beresford explained.

“Now we can say we’re managing the forest in a way that is purposeful and is actively trying to reduce risks to climate change and to make that forest more complex and resilient over time.”

The plan includes thinning overly dense stands, incorporating deciduous species, improving age-class diversity, and using selective harvests that

simultaneously lower wildfire risk and offset treatment costs.

“We realized that we can’t just rely on the province to fund all of this wildfire work,” Beresford said. “We might go to reducing that risk by 80 per cent, but do it in a way that maybe we can take some merchantable timber off there as well to offset some of the costs.”

Beresford said the approach follows the pioneering work of the HarropProcter Community Forest in the Kootenays, the first community forest in B.C. to directly integrate climate-risk modelling into long-term operations.

“They’re pretty much the first place that has taken this idea and actively … turned it into an assessment and then into a strategic operations plan. Humbly, I would say, the Cheakamus Community Forest is a leader,” she said.

NEXT STEPS

CCF plans to release its 2026 harvest plan by year-end, with draft 2027 plans to follow. The climate resiliency plan will play into the CCF’s harvest plans moving forward.

“From here on out, this is how we’re going to be deciding where to harvest, how to harvest, and why we’re going to go into certain places,” Beresford said.

She added that strengthening partnerships with Lil’wat Nation, Squamish Nation, WORCA, and AWARE remains a priority as CCF’s climateresilient approach moves forward. n

Whistler CAO Ginny Cullen to leave in January

RMOW’S TOP STAFFER TO TAKE NEW ROLE WITH ENGINEERING AND CONSULTING FIRM

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

WHISTLERITES will elect a new mayor and council in October 2026, but the search for new leadership at municipal hall will begin much earlier in the new year.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) chief administrative officer, Virginia (Ginny) Cullen is leaving the municipality in January, the RMOW said in a release on Nov. 24. Cullen will take on the role of VP of cities and communities for engineering and consulting firm McElhanney Ltd., the RMOW said.

“Ginny has led the RMOW with empathy and compassion and has had a powerful impact on how we will work moving forward,” said Mayor Jack Crompton in the release. “She has brought innovation and joy to the work. She has ensured that our municipal operations are integrated and connected across departments. Ginny’s leadership has allowed us to take on some of the tougher challenges of our time—providing homes for workers and turning our minds to tourism that serves and inspires both residents and guests. Our organization is better thanks to her leadership.”

Cullen was announced as the RMOW’s new CAO on March 9, 2020— just two days before the World Health Organization officially declared COVID19 a pandemic. Then, in 2021, while local leaders were still grappling with the impacts of COVID, the municipality was hit with a devastating cyberattack.

“Beginning her tenure in such an unprecedented period was undeniably challenging, yet she guided the organization with clarity, steadiness, and purpose,” the RMOW said. “In a thank you to staff, Cullen noted the real beginnings of her vision as CAO had to wait until 2023, after the urgency of emergencies had passed, and she credited municipal staff’s willingness to experiment and

try different approaches for the many successes that followed.”

The municipality noted Cullen’s commitment to inclusive community engagement, and listed several notable achievements during her five-year tenure at municipal hall, including (but not limited to): Six new housing projects, and about 400 units of affordable housing; a focus on strategic planning and smart tourism; and internal changes at municipal hall.

“After five and a half years as CAO, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have served Whistler through some challenging and defining moments,” Cullen said in the release. “I’m proud of all that staff and council have

“I’m proud of all that staff and council have achieved...”

- GINNY CULLEN

achieved, and I am thankful for the trust that was placed in me. I hope that my work has set the stage for how we need to work together, collaboratively as an organization and as a community, to face the many changes the future holds.”

With Cullen’s departure on Jan. 14, 2026, one of council’s first priorities for the new year will be hiring a new top staffer at municipal hall. General manager of corporate services and public safety Ted Battiston will serve as interim CAO in the meantime.

“The CAO position will be posted in early January, so council can begin a process to find the next administrator who will lead the municipality into the 2026 election and the next council term,” the RMOW said. n

MOVING ON Resort Municipality of Whistler chief administrative officer Ginny Cullen is leaving the RMOW in January. PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH / COURTESY OF THE RMOW

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Whistler council digs into $50M capital plan for 2026 budget

RMOW WEIGHS AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, SHRINKING RESERVES AND RISING UTILITY PRESSURES DURING PROJECTS REVIEW

BY LUKE FAULKS

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

WHISTLER COUNCIL began its review of the municipality’s 2026 capital projects budget on Nov. 18, determining how to manage a growing portfolio of aging infrastructure.

Director of finance Carlee Price opened the Committee of the Whole (COW) session with an overview of long-term reserve trends. She noted since 2015, reserve contributions have not kept pace with the rate of asset aging or the scale of replacement work now required.

“The net result of which is that by 2028, [the] spending in 2028 is forecast to be about in line with what the reserve balance in that year will be,” she explained. “As these lines converge with each other, that’s where the risk to the financial well-being of this community and the financial status of those assets starts to be really at risk.”

Price framed the challenge using what she called the “bathtub” analogy: money flowing in through reserve contributions and flowing out through required renewal, upgrades and new construction.

“These things over time need to be in balance, or it’s quite possible that you’ll find yourself sitting in the tub without any water,” she said, adding that calls for more amenities and “constrained taxes” challenge that balance.

1980S, ’90S INFRASTRUCTURE IS WEARING OUT

General manager of infrastructure services James Hallisey led council through the largest project category: asset maintenance and renewal, which includes work at Meadow Park Sports Centre (MPSC), municipal buildings, Village infrastructure and Whistler’s extensive parks and trail network.

Like Price, he emphasized that Whistler is now coming to terms with aging facilities built during the town’s major growth decades.

replacements—one of the largest single General Fund items this year, reflecting inflation, the cost of electrification and the renewal of large vehicles such as fire trucks; and continued repairs at municipal facilities across the Village.

Councillor Jeff Murl pressed staff on reconciling the road-budget figures and asked whether the increase signals a long-term shift. Hallisey suggested it is a temporary but necessary step to begin improving the overall pavement rating after several tight years.

REFRESH VERSUS REBUILD

The committee spent time on the mounting capital needs in the WVLC parkades. The aging underground structures support much of the original Village and generate significant annual revenue but require ongoing repair.

Coun. Cathy Jewett said the looming repair requirements echo long-held concerns.

“I just think about how important the structure is. It’s basically holding up the legacy part of the village,” she told council. “It was built ’79, ’80, ’81 so it’s also having a big birthday [and] I just hope that we’re able to start getting recovery on the capital cost to keep it up.”

Staff confirmed that while daily operations, insurance, cleaning and basic maintenance are recoverable through existing lease agreements, capital repairs are not, leaving taxpayers to carry roughly $500,000 per year.

General manager of corporate and community services Ted Battiston noted any shift in cost-sharing would require significant renegotiation of decades-old leases. Jewett and Murl both suggested the municipality must find ways to mitigate the long-term burden on taxpayers.

Mayor Jack Crompton raised an infrastructure-philosophy question: whether Whistler should continue spending on aging buildings like Municipal Hall and MPSC, or consider new builds.

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“We were still a relatively new town, [but] we’re getting to that age where many of our assets are degrading,” Hallisey said. “Some of the things that were built in the ‘80s and ‘90s are now starting to come apart a little bit, and we need to spend more money to keep them up.”

Key 2026 renewal projects include: $1.755M to replace MPSC pool-side exterior windows; ongoing repairs to the Whistler Village Land Co. (WVLC) parkades, including concrete, electrical and structural work; $1.7M in road repaving, a significant jump from last year’s $1.1 million; a new roof structure for the Village Square breezeway; $2.38M in Specialized Fire Fleet

Battiston emphasized the steep cost of new construction.

“The numbers are quite stark. [It’s] around $260 million for a Meadow Park-like structure built from new. These investments, though they’re big, certainly are far smaller than they would be if we were replacing all these assets.”

He noted the building condition assessments support continued reinvestment in most facilities, even as some low-value or low-use assets, like the Taluswood tennis courts, are being retired rather than replaced.

The RMOW will continue to discuss the budget during the next COW meeting on Dec. 2. Read the full story at piquenewsmagazine.com. n

Longtime Whistler skier fighting for refund after hunting injury

THE 88-YEAR-OLD SAYS VAIL RESORTS’ REFUND PROCESS IS ‘OUTRAGEOUS’

BY LUKE FAULKS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

AN 88-YEAR-OLD Whistler Blackcomb regular says he is effectively being denied a refund for his 2025-26 ski pass after suffering a brutal leg injury that has left him unable to ski and is calling Vail Resorts’ refund process “outrageous and contrary to good business practice.”

Helmut Wober, who first skied Whistler in 1968 and has held a season pass continuously since 1975, was injured in a fall over a snow-covered log during a hunting expedition in the Hurley Pass last November.

“I severed the tendons above my kneecap,” he said in an interview. “It sounded like a zipper going.”

Unable to walk, Wober spent the night in the snow before being rescued the following day. “I had to wrap myself in my space blanket,” he recalled. “I was wondering if that was to be in my obituary.”

He was treated for frostbite at Vancouver General Hospital and underwent surgery in December 2024. Nearly a year later, his right leg still won’t bend enough for skiing.

“I can walk and use a stationary bike,” he said, “but sanity tells me I should not be skiing.”

After sitting out the 2024-25 season, Wober hoped to recover in time for this winter. When that didn’t happen, he tried to cancel his $200 “Super Senior” pass in September. But his account had already been automatically charged and renewed in April for two Whistler Blackcomb Unlimited passes—one for him and one for his wife—at roughly $98 each. Another instalment was paid in September.

On Sept. 13, Wober visited Whistler’s Guest Relations office seeking a refund.

After an exchange with Vail Resorts pass administration, he said staff directed him to file a claim with Sedgwick, the U.S.-based insurance provider handling Vail’s Epic Coverage program.

Sedgwick followed up days later requesting four separate physician statements confirming Wober’s injury, diagnosis, treatment dates and instructions to refrain from travel or physical activity for at least 30 days.

That demand, Wober said, is where the situation became absurd.

“To fulfil all the listed requirements for signed physicians’ statements, I would have to pay for these statements privately,” he wrote in a subsequent letter. “The B.C. Medical System is not obligated to Epic or myself in this matter, and the physicians would charge me for each of

For years,managing corporatecash was simple. LockinasolidGIC rate,earn steady returnsandmove on.Butwith interest rates fallingagain,thateasy playbooknolonger works.

these statements—which would cost me a multiple of the refund for my pass.”

According to the B.C. Ministry of Health, medical practitioners can charge private fees for administrative paperwork such as insurance forms, medical certificates, and letters, as these services fall outside the scope of the publicly funded Medical Services Plan.

Speaking with Pique , Wober estimated those certificates would cost about $200 each—roughly double the value of his discounted pass.

“Even a single certificate could wipe it out,” he said. “And it’s not really about the $200 I want back. It’s the principle.”

Wober said he has sent multiple followup emails to both Vail Resorts and Sedgwick but has not received a response since Oct. 16. His last correspondence with Sedgwick was another request to send over the medical certificates, adding an additional stipulation that the physician’s instruction to refrain from travel or physical activity for 30 days include “seven days [between] Dec. 7, 2024 and April 17, 2025.”

Wober said his gripe with Vail Resorts is less about the money than it is about ensuring customers are protected.

A spokesperson for Vail Resorts told Pique in an email that guests unable to ski or travel for 30 consecutive days— including the minimum seven days

“Theruleshave changedandsoshouldthestrategiesthatprotectandgrow businesses,”says Tyler Fichtner,CPA,CA,aninvestmentadvisorfromBlueshore Financial—adivisionofBeemCreditUnion.“Formany entrepreneurs,theirbusinessis boththeirlife’s workandtheirlargestasset.If retirementorabusinesssaleis approaching,it’s time to startthinkingabouthow to unlockthe valuethey have built inthemosttax-efficient way. ”

Falling rates reduce business returns

According to findingsfromtheBankofCanada, overthepastfive years,Canadian interest rateshave swungdramatically,frompandemic-era lows of 0. 25%in2020 to apeakof5.0%in2023,before easingback to 2.25% by late 2025.Duringthe rate hike cycle,many business owners parked excess corporatecashinGICs and high-interestsavingsaccounts,enjoying returnsof4–5%insomecases.Butas rates declineagain,those returnsareshrinking,often fallingbelowinflationanderoding purchasingpower. Forabusinesswith$1millionincash,adropfrom5% to 2.5%in GIC rates couldmeanaloss of$25,000inannualinterestincome,asignificanthit to passiveearnings. Thisshiftispromptinga rethinkofcashmanagementstrategiesand new conversationsaboutdiversifyinginvestmentsources. Fichtnersays stocks canbe a goodoption formany butit comesdown to risk to lerance, goalsandtimelines. “Corporateinvestmentaccountsareapowerful wealth-building vehicle,” Fichtner explains.“Theyaretaxableaccounts,soselectingtheoptimalmixofinvestmentsis key to achievinggrowthandtaxefficiencies.Understandingtheoptions availableand thebest way to transitioninvestments to incomeisanimportant conversation.”

during the resort’s core season between Dec. 7, 2025 and April 17, 2026—are indeed eligible for refunds under its Epic Coverage program, provided they supply a doctor’s note confirming the facts of their claim.

“Of course, we ask guests to submit a doctor’s note confirming the facts of their Epic Coverage request, just like other refund programs,” the spokesperson wrote, adding that discharge paperwork or existing medical records are acceptable and that “an additional trip just for a note is not required.”

The company said Epic Passes, unlike single-day lift tickets, are sold ahead of the season at steep discounts and are non-refundable except through the terms of Epic Coverage—a protection program Vail Resorts introduced for the 2020-21 season to cover events such as injury, illness, pregnancy, job loss or military transfer.

“In short, we give the very best deal to our Pass Holders because they purchase a non-refundable Pass ahead of the season,” the spokesperson explained. Wober wrote back to Pique about Vail Resorts’ response.

“It seems pretty hopeless, to get a refund out of them, but all those conditions in the fine print and my experience should be a warning to younger customers who pay over $2,000 for a season’s pass,” he said. n

Preparing forsaleorsuccession

Forthoselooking to sell,talking to aninvestmentadvisorabouthowbest to structuresaleproceedsandotherassetsis recommended, Fichtnersays “Whenit comes to gettingthemoneyoutofabusiness, we need to dothatin atax-efficientmanner. Howbest to dothat reallydependsontheindividual businessandthe owner’s goals.”

Attractingabuyerisalsopart ofthatequation.AstheBoomer generation looks to sellbusinesses, younger generationsaren’tinthesameposition to buy. Withrising costsofliving,access to upfrontcapitalisn’talways possible buttherearecreativesolutions to explore, Fichtnersays Vendortake-back financing,gradual ownershiptransfersandemployeebuy-insand partnershipswith youngerentrepreneursarepotentialsolutionsthatdon’t relyonhighupfrontcapitalandhave taxadvantages fortheseller.

And to be ready forthoseopportunities, forthosejuststartingtheircareersor dreamingof owningabusinessoneday, itisnever tooearly to starteducating yourselfabout corporatefinance,taxationandinvestmentoptions, Fichtner says.Whathas workedhistoricallystillapplies—investearlyandoften over thelong term to createopportunitieslater.

“A smallbusinesscanstartwithjustasmallamountand keepinvestingonan ongoingbasis to get experience andbenefitfrom compound returns,” Fichtner says “A goodstrategyandutilizinglong-termgrowth reallycanmake ahuge difference.It’s okay not to ha ve alltheanswers. That’s what we arehere for.”

Forbusiness owners looking to exitandnewentrepreneurslooking to enter, therightadvice canmake a worldofdifference.

To learnmore aboutsmallbusinessinvestingstrategies,nomatterwhatstageof business youarein,visit beemcreditunion.ca/wealth/advisors

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Whistler Multicultural Society proposes new workplace inclusion charter modelled on Bow Valley program

THE INITIATIVE AIMS TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS AND IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR MIGRANT AND TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS ACROSS THE RESORT COMMUNITY

BY LUKE FAULKS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

WHISTLER COUNCIL has been asked to consider co-signing and helping launch a new workplace inclusion charter aimed at reducing racism, exploitation and other systemic harms facing migrant and temporary foreign workers in the resort community.

The pitch was delivered by representatives from the Whistler Multicultural Society (WMS) during a Nov. 18 meeting. The idea is to develop a community-wide commitment to fair and inclusive employment practices, built with local businesses and the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW).

“Over the past three years, our organization has supported numerous migrant workers,” WMS resilience and migrant worker support coordinator Adam Ravalia told council.

“Many arrive hopeful only to face isolation, racism, exploitation or fear tied to their immigration status. Unfortunately, these aren’t isolated

stories. They’re signs of a system that needs structure, shared standards and accountability.”

Ravalia noted Whistler’s labour market depends heavily on migrant and temporary foreign workers, particularly in tourism and hospitality, and that closed work permits, high housing costs and isolation can leave workers vulnerable to abuse.

He also pointed to 2022 WMS survey data indicating a significant portion of racialized Sea to Sky residents report experiencing racism, including institutional racism in workplaces. Thirtynine per cent of respondents reported having experienced racism during their time in the area. Fifty-five per cent reported experiencing institutional racism—race-based discrimination in schools or at work.

Enter, a workplace inclusion charter.

Ravalia told council similar initiatives in Alberta’s Bow Valley, home to Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Kananaskis, have shown measurable gains.

The Bow Valley Workplace Inclusion Charter (WIC) is run by the Bow Valley

Immigration Partnership (BVIP), a cross-sector non-profit working with municipalities, employers and community agencies. It provides a free toolkit and annual set of inclusion commitments that participating workplaces choose from, with bronze/ silver/gold recognition based on

“[T]hese aren’t isolated stories...”

- ADAM RAVALIA

completed actions.

BVIP’s latest published results show 70 participating workplaces in the Bow Valley and 5,933 employees “positively impacted” in 2024, alongside hundreds of concrete inclusion actions completed by employers. Local employers like Mt. Norquay and HI Banff publicly describe the charter as a practical way to improve onboarding, belonging and retention for internationally recruited staff.

A 2021 study into the pilot program also tied the charter model to better newcomer integration and workplace culture in resort towns with high foreign-born workforces.

Council appeared receptive. Councillor Cathy Jewett asked whether the WIC was rooted in similar resortcommunity conditions.

“It’s predominantly in Banff and Canmore [where] you see a very similar landscape to what we have here in Whistler,” Ravalia said.

Ravalia’s formal ask was for the RMOW to become a co-signatory and early adopter, name a council champion, and help publicly launch the Whistler version of the charter in March 2026 during WMS’ Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination event at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre.

Council voted to refer the proposal to staff. Mayor Jack Crompton noted the idea would have to come back to council at a subsequent meeting.

“It sounds exciting what’s happening in Bow Valley, and I don’t mind learning from Alberta a little bit,” he said. n

Friday nightplans?Sor ted!Enjoyallyou-can-eatribsatPor tobello,paired withlivecomedybyLaughOutLive anddrinkspecials featuringpitchers ofbeerandbottlesof housewine. Scan to learnmore &reser ve

Lethargic Whistler coyote found dead after weeks of sightings, unanswered calls for help

UNDER PROVINCIAL LAW, RESIDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO HANDLE OR TRANSPORT SICK OR INJURED ANIMALS THEMSELVES UNLESS DIRECTED BY A PERMITTED

WILDLIFE PROFESSIONAL

BY LUKE FAULKS

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A LETHARGIC, underweight coyote repeatedly spotted around Alpine Meadows and Rainbow over the past two months was found dead on Nov. 5, after residents reported increasingly troubling behaviour. The animal, described as unusually calm and visibly thin, had been lying for long periods beside the Valley Trail, in driveways, and even in the middle of the road.

Whistler resident Jan Tindle first encountered the coyote near the public access at Alta Lake, where she said the animal appeared unusually comfortable around people.

“This coyote was just lying in the driveway [and] lying in the road at one point, obviously just looking to get some sun,” Tindle said. «She was just lying there and curled up, very tame. She was very comfortable with me getting close and getting some photos, and didn’t mind that there were a lot of people walking, riding bikes [on

the] Valley Trail, people with dogs on leashes. She just lay there, more like a dog than a coyote. And then she must have been there for like three hours at least.”

Tindle said she contacted the provincial Conservation Officer Service (COS) after growing concerned about both the coyote’s health and its lack of fear of people and pets. She said the outfit “kind of blew her off.”

When the coyote was later found dead, wildlife advocate and yoga teacher Tina Pashumati James said she was devastated, particularly because Critter Care Wildlife Society had told her they had room to take the animal if they got provincial permission for intervention.

“And then [Nov. 5] morning, one of my students called me, and she said, ‘Tina, I think someone’s hit him.’ I found out before I got there that he was dead, he’s on the side of the road,” James said.

Other residents confirmed the coyote’s passing to  Pique.

Critter Care founder Gail Martin said

the coyote appeared extremely underweight and suggested it may have been suffering from mange or another debilitating condition, based on photos she’d received from residents.

“He was small, definitely small for what he should be for this time of year,” Martin said. “He looked like he was in really bad condition. Somebody should have picked it up. It should not have been hit by a car.”

WHAT RESIDENTS CAN AND CAN’T LEGALLY DO WHEN WILDLIFE IS IN DISTRESS

Under B.C.’s  Wildlife Act, it is illegal to possess live wildlife without a permit, and residents are instructed not to handle or transport sick or injured animals unless directed by a permitted wildlife professional.

Martin explained that even licensed rehabilitators must obtain COS approval before setting traps for animals.

“We have to get a hold of conservation and get permission [for] these animals,” Martin told  Pique. “Normally it doesn’t

AS EA SO NOFG IVIN G

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take too long, if they’re not on strike.”

The COS, along with other public sector employees in B.C., was on strike from Sept. 2 until Nov. 13.

Provincial guidance states the public should not touch, feed, or move wildlife, and should instead report sightings to the RAPP line (1-877-9527277).

In certain circumstances, rehabbers may request assistance from members of the public with transport or temporary containment, provided they have received explicit instructions.

For residents who encounter potentially injured wildlife, officials recommend: Keeping a safe distance; calling the RAPP line with detailed location information; contacting a licensed wildlife-rehabilitation centre for guidance; and following instructions if asked to help facilitate a safe transfer.

These steps offer the best chance for intervention before an animal’s condition becomes fatal.

The COS did not respond to  Pique’s request for comment by press time. n

Broughttoyouby

YEARS OF FREEDOM

Jim Moodie

MARCH 23, 1947-

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

SOME PEOPLE are fortunate enough to have a dearly departed relative leave them money. Others are fortunate to have a relative who takes them skiing. Jim Moodie had a dear aunt who bought shares in Garibaldi Lifts Ltd. Her investment came with a season pass to the soon-to-be-opened Whistler Mountain. She didn’t ski! Jim did. Fortunate? You bet.

Jim, a first year student at UBC, strapped his 221cm Head Standards to the back of his VW Beetle, shimmied into his Alpine Joe stretch pants and white turtleneck, hung his wine skin around his neck and beat it up to Whistler when it “officially” opened in 1966. A testament to his moderation is he actually attended enough classes to eventually graduate with a fine arts degree and go on to earn a master’s in planning after that.

Between the time he was born in Vancouver and the time he completed his formal education there, the family lived in Vancouver Island’s Pat Bay, Montreal, Tofino, Banff and Calgary. That he made it back to Vancouver was a win for the town and that his aunt got him addicted to Whistler has been a huge win for everyone who enjoys what this resort has become.

Jim took his planning degree and went to work in the city manager’s office in Vancouver. While there he met Doug Sutcliffe and Neil Griggs. They were involved in planning False Creek and Jim had the opportunity to work on the development of Champlain Heights.

About that time he started a “small” consulting business, and about the same time, Garry Watson and Al Raine paid him a visit with “their crazy idea about building a village and wondering if we could maybe help.” The “we” quickly formed Sutcliffe, Griggs and Moodie, hired to be the development consultants on what would become Whistler Village.

So, with a daunting contract and no office in Whistler, they bought an old ski-patrol cabin located in the faraway subdivision of White Gold and set up shop.

“The [Resort Municipality of Whistler] wanted to build a village... on the town dump. They needed someone to manage the process,” Jim reflects. “I had been the development consultant for Champlain Heights... adjacent to the old Vancouver city dump.” That trash-to-treasure experience foreshadowed things to come.

Jim and his partners were charged to hire consultants and figure out the engineering, land planning and marketing. Hiring the firm Waisman, Dewar, Macdonald and Perkins, it was John Perkins and Al Waisman who drew up the initial plan envisioned for the Village.

The plan called for the first phase of development to be broken down into smaller pieces with the Whistler Village Land Company (Land Co) selling development rights to individual contractors. “There was a very structured merchandise mix—this space is a hardware store, this space is a liquor store, this space is a grocery store. We didn’t want everyone coming in and building T-shirt shops,” Jim remembers.

There was just one problem. The plan envisioned surface parking. Al Raine, having seen a better way in Europe, insisted on underground parking. Way more expensive to build. He was supported by Eldon Beck, who’d been brought in to consult on design elements of the plan.

Doug Sutcliffe was aware of some federal programs that might help, so he and Al applied to get some TIDSA (Travel Industry Development Subsidiary Agreement) money. Twenty-five million was allocated to B.C. Whistler received $10.5 million of that. Problem solved. Sort of.

What it didn’t solve was interest rates spiking above 20 per cent after construction commenced. The story has already been told several times in this series. Short version: The province cut a deal to bail out Whistler. It would assume the assets and liabilities of the Land Co and a new entity WLC would proceed with the Village and have development rights over Lands North, what would become Village North.

“The initial thought from the provincial government people was to take Lands North and subdivide it. Sell it off as large

lots for great big houses,” Jim recalls. “Fortunately, Drew Meredith and Eldon Beck were able to convince the province there was a better way—to carry on with the style of development the first phase of the village went through.”

Jim continued to consult as a key member of the planning and development team during the building of Village North, ensuring the Marketplace Hub included accommodation above the storefronts, a key design point and visitor necessity.

While working for the City of Vancouver and again through the rocky road developing the Village, Jim’s path crossed that of a good friend from his Vancouver days, Eric Martin. And it was Eric who drew him into the next phase of his considerable influence over Whistler’s development and gave him a third opportunity to convert a dump into a dream.

At the initial meeting where Bill Barratt and Jim Godfrey enlisted Martin to take on the development of the athletes’ village, Eric said, “I’m in... and I’ll need someone like Jim Moodie.”

Godfrey was happy to enlist Moodie. “We had worked with Jim in the past, respected him, trusted him and knew his contributions would be invaluable,” he recalls. “Lucky for us, he was more than willing to help and share his expertise.”

With his attention shifted from Whistler’s far north development to its far south one, Jim joined the board of the Whistler Development Corporation as vice chair.

“It turned out to be a 14-year volunteer story,” he says of his time at WDC. “The dump was decommissioned—fortunately without having to remove any squatters this time—the Village was designed, services were constructed and the housing was built in time for the 2010 Games. Postgames, all the units were renovated to

remove temporary walls, add kitchens, take bedrooms out of garages and very quickly, Cheakamus became a vibrant community.”

Working with Eric meant working with an old friend. “Jim and I did a whole bunch of work together on major developments when I was working for Nat Bosa,” Eric says. “He was the first person I thought I needed. He has a tremendous background in planning and I thought he’d be a key person to help the cause... and he was.”

While Cheakamus was substantial, Jim’s most visible contribution to Whistler was still to come.

Along with his wife, Doria, Jim had developed a friendship with Michael Audain and Yoshi Karasawa over the years. Michael was looking for a home where he could put his significant art collection permanently on display. Jim suggested Whistler, a place Michael had no connection with and had never considered.

After touring Whistler with Jim, Michael gave it some thought and decided it really wasn’t going to work. A few months later, he decided to give the town another look. Things moved quickly after that.

“After a bit of preparatory work with the RMOW, Michael came up in September 2012, to walk potential sites with the mayor— Nancy Wilhelm-Morden—Councillor Duane Jackson, Drew Meredith and key staff. After lunch at muni hall, the site where the museum stands was chosen,” Jim recalls.

“Nancy asked, ‘what else can we do for you?’ On the drive back to Vancouver, Michael said, ‘You know, I’ve never been asked by a mayor what else she can do for me.’”

Jim suggested that might have something to do with his offer to donate his art, build a museum, and fund it—all he needed was some land to build it on.

A memorandum of understanding was signed two months later and the rezoning and approval process began. Construction began in 2013 and the Audain Art Museum opened in 2016, propelling Whistler’s desire to become a recognized destination for arts and culture as well as outdoor sports.

Since its inception, Jim has served on the Audain board of trustees, including stints as board chair and as vice chair of the Audain Art Museum Foundation, focusing on creating and growing the perpetual endowment to support the museum.

In September 2015, mayor and council awarded Jim the Freedom of the Municipality. When Wilhelm-Morden called to inform him, in typical humble fashion, he thought “something was going wrong, the mayor’s calling.”

“I was stunned. I had no idea that would ever be possible, that I had done enough to deserve that honour.”

Just several times over.

This is Part 13 in a 21-part series recognizing Whistler’s Freedom of the Municipality holders, in honour of the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s 50th anniversary. Watch for the others in the weeks ahead, and find them all at piquenewsmagazine.com.  n

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES / WHISTLER MUSEUM COLLECTION

Pemberton opens 2026 budget talks with slight rise in operating costs, election-year pressures

FIRST DRAFT HIGHLIGHTS HIGHER TRANSIT, SEWER AND RECREATION EXPENSES AS STAFF BEGIN OUTLINING NEXT YEAR’S FINANCIAL PLAN

BY LUKE FAULKS

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

PEMBERTON COUNCIL received its first detailed look at the municipality’s 2026 operating expenditures on Nov. 25, launching this year’s budget cycle with a presentation showing modest overall growth, department-by-department shifts and new financial pressures tied to the 2026 municipal election, utilities, transit and recreation services.

Chief financial officer Yun Ke (David) Ni opened the session by emphasizing that the document is an early-stage projection.

“Today we only talk about non-labour expenditure operating for 2026, because federal government [hasn’t] given us CPP, EI, CPI, all the rates for 2026. So we’re going to leave that for next presentation [on Jan. 20, 2026],” he explained.

“Next session, which is Jan. 20, I’m going to come here to present capital project budget [and] give a first projection about taxation, utilities and what reserves look like for 2026.”

The first-draft projection shows 2026 non-labour operating expenditures rising to $6.83 million, up from $6.59 million budgeted for 2025—a 3.65-percent increase, according to the report.

ELECTION YEAR DRIVES INCREASES

Administrative and Financial Services sees a $10,232 increase (1.5 per cent), largely because 2026 is an election year. The report lists a $29,500 election line item, alongside changes in advertising, training and contract costs.

Ni underlined election-related cost pressures.

“Next year, of course, is election year. We need to have a successful election in 2026,” he said. “We also need to engage more with community, collaborate on a new protocol agreement and consider allocation of community forest funds. These are all important pieces for this department next year.”

Governance Services increases by $19,895, or 115.6 per cent, almost entirely due to onboarding costs for a new council. The department lists IT hardware ($9,500) and training and accommodation ($7,985) as its main increases.

Ni said supporting a new council is a major undertaking.

“With [the] new council, we need to help them and support them to create a strong foundation for the future education, opportunities and development,” he told councillors. “We’re going to do a lot of training for that, and also support current council with suitable education and training opportunities. We want to help council be more engaging with community and with different partners.”

FIRE, WATER AND SEWER

Fire Services increases by $47,964 (6.6 per cent), with higher spending on equipment, rescue communication work with the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and debt tied to the second fire truck.

Ni noted fire-service debt will continue to shape financial planning.

Water Services rises only slightly ($3,232, or 0.6 per cent), with modest adjustments across purchasing, software and contractor lines. Sewer Services rises significantly ($45,389, 8.7 per cent) due to biosolids tipping costs and infrastructure challenges.

PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS AND REC

Public Works and Parks increases $34,871 (4.1 per cent). The department is undergoing a significant restructuring to create a new facilities branch. Rising hydro costs—particularly tied to EV chargers—were a major focus.

Ni told council BC Hydro’s billing method is impacting costs.

“For EV chargers, for some reason, BC Hydro charged us based on demand nowadays and not usage. So that’s caused big increase,” he said. “We need to have communication with BC Hydro… just to try to reduce this cost.”

Councillor Ted Craddock raised sharp concerns.

“It’s a cost to us. That’s just crazy,” he said. “We’re going to pay more. [The] people that are using EVs aren’t paying

road taxes, and now we’re paying more for their electricity? That’s crazy. We’ve got to take a look at this and see if that makes any sense.”

Recreation Services rises $124,070 (14.6 per cent), the largest dollar increase, driven by maintenance, hydro, supplies and new responsibilities resulting from the SLRD recreation transfer.

TRANSIT UP, DEVELOPMENT DOWN

Transit Services shows a $56,922 increase (3.7 per cent), driven by higher operating and lease costs from BC Transit. The report notes $35,960 more for the operating contract and $20,963 more for the lease.

Ni cautioned multiple external pressures are at play, including Whistler potentially cutting off $50,000 in support in its 2026 budget and BC Transit lease increases in spite of lower projected rider revenue.

Development Services is the only department showing a substantial decline: a $102,319 decrease (-12.8 per cent). The largest drop comes from Contractors & Consult ($105,000), while the $25,000 for Sea to Sky Community Services’ Harrow Road Phase 2 project reflects council direction.

Council will receive the labour, utilities, capital and taxation components during the next budget session on Jan. 20, 2026, followed by a public engagement meeting in early March.  n

LONG

Whistler.

What: NoticeofAnnualGeneralMeeting

Who: NoticetoMembers

When: FridayDec12th,2025at11:00am

Where: VirtualviaZoom

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SLRD unveils new agricultural emergency plan

A NEW SUITE OF FARM-FOCUSED CHECKLISTS, RELOCATION TOOLS AND EMERGENCY STEPS WILL HELP PRODUCERS PREPARE

BY LUKE FAULKS

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

THE SQUAMISH-LILLOOET Regional District (SLRD) has adopted a regionwide Agriculture Emergency Plan (AEP), offering a coordinated framework for farmers and ranchers to prepare for and respond to wildfires, floods, landslides and other disasters.

The new plan includes dozens of resources designed for immediate use by producers, from a before/during/ after emergency checklist, to a livestock relocation guide, to printable contact lists and “buddy farm” templates.

SLRD board chair Jen Ford said the new plan arrives at a critical time as climate-driven disasters become more frequent and severe.

“As climate change continues to intensify the frequency and severity of natural disasters, it’s critical that our agricultural communities are equipped with the tools and support they need to plan and respond effectively,” Ford said in a release. “The Agriculture Emergency Plan is a vital step toward building resilience and ensuring the safety of both people and livestock, while protecting food security in the region. The AEP is an important piece of our emergency management framework.”

The plan strengthens readiness in several core areas: A regional framework aligned with provincial emergency systems; a toolkit for the SLRD EOC, including a task list for an Agriculture Emergency Coordinator; a set of public-facing materials for farm-level preparedness; a refreshed Commercial Livestock Relocation Guide outlining qualifications, procedures, and animalwelfare requirements.

Farmers can now access the full suite of resources at slrd.bc.ca/ agriculturepreparedness.

PRACTICAL STEPS FOR FARMERS

The new emergency suite includes several tools producers can act on immediately.

Before an emergency (fire, flood or landslide): Register for SLRD Alert and the BC Premises ID program to ensure emergency notifications and access to relocation assistance; create or update a farm-level emergency plan, including livestock loading points, evacuation routes and who will help move animals; establish a buddy farm agreement, using the template provided, to pre-arrange relocation sites; prepare essential kits with documents, medications, halters, feed, and identification tools (tags, paint, leg bands); review the SLRD’s wildfire and flood preparedness video featuring local farmers.

During an emergency: Follow SLRD alerts closely—especially important for livestock movement, which generally must start early; keep animals identifiable and maintain multiple communication backups.

After an emergency: Document damage immediately for recovery programs; check water, fencing and infrastructure before reintroducing animals; contact the SLRD and Ministry of Agriculture for available recovery supports.

These steps and more can be reviewed on the SLRD’s website, or through the official AEP document.

DIRECTOR PUSHES FOR STRONGER OUTREACH

During a recent board meeting, Area B director Vivian Birch-Jones asked staff about reaching the full breadth of

“[I]t’s critical that our agricultural communities are equipped with the tools and support they need...”

- JEN FORD

operators in the region, including those who have not yet opted into the SLRD’s database or into the provincial Premises ID program.

“Now I’m looking at the 65 farms who volunteered information added to our contact list so far, [but] we have 117 farming operations,” Birch-Jones said. “Is that where we’re at? Is that where we’re just going to sit? Are we doing any more for outreach?”

Emergency program manager Mike Fusca said staff identified 95 farms through public records and obtained voluntary information from 65 of them. Greater awareness of the new tools, he said, should help increase participation.

“Our hope is that as those public education materials become, you know, more widely known throughout the SLRD, [that] will help both us and the province identify more of these 117 that were identified by Stats Canada in 2021.

“The easiest way to help would be to share the link to our agriculture website page. [That’s] how we’re going to make traction on this,” Fusca said.

The AEP was funded largely through a $214,000 grant from the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF). The district spent just over $207,000 of the IAF grant to complete the project. n

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Day One

TUESDAY. I think I’m in the wrong parking lot. Oh, wait—there’s a shuttle!

Right place, wrong idea. Thankfully, we’re being well cared for by the resort.

At the base, a seamless trip to Guest Services to check on pass-related questions. I always have at least one (it’s a way to test the system). Fresh faces from around the world. Five days in and they’re seasoned pros. Good on ya, mate.

BY LESLIE ANTHONY

And outside? No lineup. Smile emoji. Pro tip: waiting was the right call. It’s snowing lightly. Crystalline fractals conjured from the ether. Poetic flakes tumbling in every windless direction, drifting into the gondola to perch briefly on eyelashes (yes, definitely one of My Favourite Things) . . .

Because I always open the window. It’s a ritual, but not the only one. I bend down, do up my boots, snap off the walking mode. Check my neck buff and headphones before I do up my helmet. Zippers. Gloves on. Ready. People around me are talking. A snowboard instructor is asking two teens from Japan what they had for breakfast as he attaches GPS locators to their legs. Fascinating. But mentally, I’m already out in the trees, sussing things out. And,

in the oddly thin winter at this altitude, I still see plenty.

An ambling bear covered in snow.

A bobcat.

And a guy standing in a stream—with his skis on.

It’s all very cinematic. Like a Wes Anderson film. So I say nothing.

I’ve seen this movie a hundred times before.

We chug through mid-station. It’s not open, but bored lifties are framed by ski tracks that end variously in mud and grass and weeds and ditches and roads. A veritable “Death Before Download” photo album that makes me smile.

already clear.

All. Ready. Turning. Just like that. Left and right. Up and down. Faster. Another weird half-second: the same realization you have every year that there’s nothing to remember—it’s all muscle memory. Plus, a little technical help: edges biting effortlessly (remember to buy the tuner another beer).

Skiing is better than I thought. Far better than advertised (this is nothing new—and, of course, I’ve seen far worse). There’s powder everywhere. The piste isn’t icy. Or, when it is, “icy” is contextdependent (I’m from Ontario). A few turns through the confetti-shower of

Another run. Another hundred turns. Another centimetre of snow. Molecules count. Just ask my dinner-platelicking dog.

We’re at the top. I step out and grab my skis all in one motion like I planned it. (Which, of course, I did.) The clunky stride of cinched-down boots is immediately familiar and just-as-immediately annoying; across the deck onto the snow. Heel, toe. Heel, toe. It strains the knees until I adjust to smaller steps. (Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, says pelvis— remember, this is only a test.)

OK, here we go. Drop boards onto snow. Whumpf Whumpf. Click in. Push off. Sliding. Picking up speed. Then that weird half-second where your body wonders: will this still work?

But your mind is one step ahead and you’re already turning and the answer is

arcing snowguns is de rigeur—throwback to my days of skiing Toronto’s high-risehigh river-valley hills. I’ve got this.

Onto Jersey Cream, where peeps seem to have forgotten how to merge onto a six-pack lift the way Calgarians forget how to drive in snow. Whatever. Naturally (and unnaturally), there are tracks under the lift. So. Many. Tracks. Most people I ride up with seem surprised. I am not—albeit mildly amused. The compulsion to go everywhere the minute the mountain opens regardless of conditions is an urge that can never be meliorated. I remind myself that regardless of its underlying psychology, skier compaction on closed

runs is good for the base and may even hasten their opening. (This comes free of charge for the resort and the rest of us, like some kind of snowsports ecosystem service.) And, if a few of these sacrificial lambs end up on crutches? Well, let’s call it a knowledge tax.

Midway up: pillows stuffed with stillvisible black rock and brown root, each a potential twisted limb, yet nevertheless tracked out in a series of halting traverses. The view on the way down, of course, is fluffy white. Perspective matters.

Tiny trees that have usually disappeared into the snowpack by now celebrate these few extra weeks of hanging out with each other before being entombed. Woohoo! I imagine them highfiving with snow-ghost hands.

Near the top, you see the massive rock garden buttressing Jersey Cream Wall; a boneyard even in the best of snow years, now the rocks are ginormous, the cliff bands legion. And people are jumping. Another “of course.”

Folks are also walking uphill. Most head higher on the mountain’s touring route, seeking to be blessed by alpine beneficence—the world beyond 1,800 metres. Others are backtracking after dropping down too far into a close-out line paved in grass (ha ha—it has been 20 years since I did that).

Another run. Another hundred turns. Another centimetre of snow. Molecules count. Just ask my dinnerplate-licking dog.

It doesn’t matter how much snow there is, or how much snow there will eventually be. It’s Day One and it’s frickin’ awesome.

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

BACK AT IT A scene from Whistler Blackcomb’s opening day on Blackcomb Mountain Nov. 21.

PHOTO BY MATT SYLVESTRE / COURTESY OF WHISTLER BLACKCOMB

Canada’s Wildest Film Festival Turns

How the Whistler Film Festival grew from a single screening to a Hollywood magnet and national launching pad for Canadian cinema

By Caroline Egan

When Shauna Hardy answered a newspaper ad in 2001 to help program a series of Canadian films, she had no idea she was about to create one of the country’s most significant film festivals. Twenty-five years later, the Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has screened thousands of films, launched hundreds of filmmaking careers, and generated an estimated $400 million in GDP impact for British Columbia. What began as a single sold-out screening of the documentary Ski Bums has evolved into a five-day celebration of Canadian cinema that draws Hollywood talent, emerging filmmakers, and mountain enthusiasts to one of the country’s most iconic resort towns.

“We didn’t have a sense that it would really last beyond year one,” says Hardy, who co-founded the festival with Kasi Lubin. “Both Kasi and I have programming and event background. We ended up programming Ski Bums, which was about a group of local skiers, and we ended up selling it out. We were like, wow, this is resonating with the locals.”

That first festival in 2001 drew more than 3,600 attendees. By year two the organizers added an industry component. By year four they hired their first professional programmer. Although a pivotal moment came in year three when Vancouver-based director and screenwriter Carl Bessai approached the founders with a prophetic observation.

“He ended up coming up to us and saying, ‘you don’t know what you have going on here. This is a big deal,’” Hardy recalls. “’This really could become something quite significant for British Columbia and for Canada.’”

Bessai joined the festival’s board and helped launch the Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature in 2004, named after late director Phillip Borsos. That competition remains the festival’s highest prize and has become a significant career launching pad for Canadian filmmakers.

Building and harnessing the talent

What truly distinguishes the WFF from other Canadian film festivals is its comprehensive approach to talent development. The festival now runs 13 year-round programs serving approximately 100 Canadian filmmakers annually, covering everything from

screenwriting and producing to Indigenous filmmaking.

“We realized we needed to put talent at the heart of our festival,” says Hardy, who led the organization until 2021 and served on its board until 2024.

Angie Nolan, former WFF industry programming manager who volunteered at the first festival and eventually became a key architect of the talent programs, helped build the infrastructure that would define the festival’s identity. After a car accident forced her to step back from working on film sets, she found herself drawn to Hardy and Lubin’s ambitious vision.

“I just thought I’d rather heal here,” Nolan says of her decision to stay in Whistler. “Shauna and Kasi were pulling together this one. I feel like I’m still involved in the industry in some way.”

What started as volunteering evolved into running the festival’s industry programs, VIP initiatives, and talent development labs—often simultaneously.

“Shauna’s sort of infectious passion, determination, her innate inability to never take no for an answer—I think that’s what really got us our legs in the beginning,” Nolan says. “We all hopped on board with that and got really excited about people getting excited about us.”

The programs have evolved significantly, especially since the pandemic. What were once four-day intensive workshops held during the festival have expanded into seven-month programs that give projects time to develop properly.

“That gives time for a project to gestate. Really, you’re giving birth to something in this whole thing,” says Angela Heck, WFF’s current director of industry programming, who first worked with the festival in 2008. “With that model, that’s where we’re really seeing just an extra lift on the level of depth and breadth that these projects are developed.”

The results speak for themselves. Filmmaker Tim Reidel participated in the Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship last year and went on to pitch at Berlin and Cannes, securing a two-feature deal before completing his first film. Filmmaker ElleMáijá Tailfeathers, who participated in the first cohort of the Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship in 2013, returned this year as a Borsos jury member.

The talent labs emerged from strategic partnerships, including collaborations with the Canadian Film Centre and screenwriting program Praxis. The producers lab launched in 2007, followed by the screenwriters lab and eventually the Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship in 2013.

“Let’s start building our own Canadian content. Let’s see, and let’s be part of it from the beginning, if we can,” Nolan says of the programs’ mandate. “Let’s ignite some creative buyers, if you will. And let’s help start some careers. And we have been a part of that, which has been really, really exciting.”

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Movie magic moments that defined the mission

For Nolan, certain moments crystallized what the festival was trying to achieve. When Oscar-winning actor Michael Shannon attended the festival to receive an honour, he noticed the student showcase on the schedule.

“He asked, ‘Am I able to stay a little bit longer? I want to attend the student showcase tomorrow,’” Nolan recalls. Shannon stayed an extra day, watched all the short films, and spent time giving advice to film students.

“I was like, in that moment, ‘That’s why we do this,’” Nolan says. “How many opportunities are these still-in-film-school students going to have … to talk to somebody who’s so iconic?”

Another pivotal moment came when filmmaker Ingrid Veninger stood up at a festival brunch and called for investment in women’s film projects. Oscar-winner Melissa Leo immediately responded.

“Right in that moment, Melissa Leo stands up, and she goes, ‘I’ll do it. I’ll do it,’” Nolan says. “This is why we do this. It was just a really powerful moment. And they went on to do that.”

Those experiences led to the creation of “Women at the Top,” a program that brings women in the industry together for networking and mentorship. The initiative, which continues this year, was conceived by Hardy, Leo, and Nolan in a Vancouver hotel room.

“We’re like, we need to do this. We need to do this for women,” Nolan says. The program eventually brought Geena Davis to speak about gender diversity, and now includes an annual gathering at the top of Whistler Mountain.

Building inclusive partnerships with Indigenous filmmakers and other underrepresented communities came as a result of listening and learning.

“Really keeping your finger on the pulse of who’s doing really innovative things, who’s really pushing the envelope of elevating voices,” Nolan says. “Pulling them into your circle and really listening to what they have to say, just learning from them, and letting them guide us.”

The Hollywood connection

A watershed moment came in 2010 when Steven Gaydos, then vice president and executive editor of Variety, attended the festival to support a film he had written. He immediately recognized the festival’s potential.

Hardy recalled their conversation: “He said, ‘You know, I’m based in LA. I’m the vice president, executive editor of Variety. I really want to talk to you. I think there’s something here,’” she says.

Four weeks later, Hardy was sitting at the Variety table at the Palm Springs International Film Festival gala, surrounded by Hollywood A-listers. The partnership that emerged brought Variety’s “10 Screenwriters to Watch” program to Whistler, raising the festival’s profile internationally.

you’re at the festival, right?’” she says. “There’s a real centre, a hub, and that kind of energy really makes it unique.”

Evolving with the times

The festival has weathered significant challenges over its 25 years, from the 2008 economic downturn to the COVID-19 pandemic. The landscape of film festivals has changed dramatically as well, with the closure of Whistler’s Village 8 Cinemas after the pandemic symbolizing broader shifts in how audiences consume content.

“Festivals have changed,” Heck notes. “Where festivals were really singularly focused on putting a screen up, getting people to watch in a beautiful communal manner and share the experience of cinema—that remains, the community experience remains. But as the landscape evolves, as there’s more and more filmmakers and interest in creation, film festivals are also doing a lot more panel sessions, discussions, talking about the craft.”

The festival has also made significant strides in accessibility and inclusion. For the past three years, organizers have conducted accessibility audits to improve the experience for disabled and deaf community members. This year, the festival is partnering with the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program and opening with two films that represent the deaf community.

The festival has maintained a strong focus on supporting women and genderdiverse filmmakers since 2016. This year introduces the Haebler Award, further recognizing women directors.

The program brought screenwriters like Jennifer Lee from Frozen, Graham Moore from The Imitation Game, and Taylor Sheridan, who went on to create Yellowstone and its spin-offs, to the mountain resort. The Variety connection helped the festival secure highprofile talent and Academy Award season films, with studios seeing Whistler as an ideal launching pad due to its intimate setting and strategic December timing.

Over the years, the festival has hosted everyone from Donald Sutherland and Norman Jewison to Daniel Radcliffe and Melissa Leo. In 2005, Hardy brought American Express on board as presenting sponsor in a five-year deal that transformed the festival’s capabilities.

“They paid upfront in cash. That never happens,” Hardy says of the sponsorship deal she signed in New York, looking out at the site where the Twin Towers once stood.

Why Whistler?

For emerging filmmakers like Vincent LaPointe, whose documentary Peruvian Ascents premieres at this year’s festival, the networking opportunities are unparalleled.

“The reason I’ve chosen Whistler Film Fest instead of other festivals to do the world premiere is because huge talent is showing up,” says LaPointe, who attended last year’s industry pass sessions and found them invaluable. “Hollywood big shots, producers—that’s the main thing I need to connect with.”

LaPointe, who also works in mountain filmmaking, appreciates that Whistler embraces both mountain films and narrative features, setting it apart from festivals like Banff Mountain Film Festival.

“Whistler is one of the few places that does both. They do mountain film fests or mountain-type films. They also host narrative films,” he says. “I think they’re more, in a sense, artsy and pushing the norm and more open to the narrative form films.”

The festival’s intimate scale creates unexpected connections. LaPointe has already met cooking show host Duran Bodasing at a pre-festival networking event and plans to collaborate with him.

“These are the people I need to connect with to make it,” he says.

Heck emphasized that the festival’s intimacy is central to its appeal.

“Because it’s a small town, really, you’ve got your lanyard on, you’re going to go have a coffee, and there’s going to be three people waiting, and they’re like, ‘Hey,

“We’ve had a strong history of supporting particularly women or people who identify as women,” Heck says. “The thought of the festival has also been to ensure that there’s representation in front of the lens and behind the lens.”

The community behind the curtain

At its core, WFF remains what it has always been: a community event that brings people together through storytelling.

“The biggest throughline is that, partially because it’s a small and intimate festival, people really do have an opportunity to connect,” Heck says. “It really is a community. The tagline used to be ‘it takes a village.’ Right now it’s ‘where creativity meets community.’”

Nolan, who left the festival in 2021 after nearly 18 years to pursue her own filmmaking career, emphasizes the grassroots community support that made the festival possible.

“I feel there’s so much of a festival we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish without community support, community sponsorship, partnerships, and just that belief that we could do it,” she says. “It was a really grassroots community effort.”

For Heck, who had her own documentary In the Shadow of the Chief screen at the festival in 2003 and win the Audience Award, the festival’s impact extends far beyond the screenings themselves.

“When you’re coming to a film festival, you’re seeing something—you’re one of the first people to see it, and the way it ripples out into the world is always astonishing,” she says. “We still see people from that film. It was just such a really interesting fullcircle moment to recognize the impact that a story can have and resonate as it ripples out into the world.”

Nolan reflects on what she learned from her years building the festival in a town that demands resilience.

“Whistler pushes you in that way. Not just in an extreme outdoor way, but as a human being, just survival techniques alone,” she says. “I became more of the human I wanted to become in Whistler.”

Her advice to her younger self? “Just stand back when you’re in the room and go, ‘Yeah, I did this. This is awesome,’” she says. “Enjoy the ride a bit.”

As the festival celebrates its 25th anniversary it continues to serve as both a celebration of Canadian cinema and a launching pad for the next generation of storytellers. With 13 talent programs, partnerships with major industry players, and a reputation for intimate, meaningful connections, the WFF has secured its place as one of Canada’s most important cultural institutions.

Nolan hopes the festival continues to prioritize what made it special from the beginning.

“I love that they really held true to keeping the talent programs,” she says. “Where my heart was was definitely in talent labs. And I love that those are just going strong and that there’s still the love and care going into them that we built them from. That makes me know that they’re in really good hands.”

Twenty-five years on, WFF endures as a testament to what’s possible when passion meets place. In the glow of mountain twilights and the warmth of packed theaters it continues to offer something increasingly rare; genuine connection produced through shared stories. For every filmmaker who has stood nervously before an audience, every mentor who has stayed an extra day to offer advice, and every dreamer who has looked up at those peaks and thought maybe I can do this too, the festival remains what it has always been—a celebration of the courage it takes to tell your truth and the community that makes it possible.

The festival runs Dec. 3 to 7 at venues throughout Whistler Village. n

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL

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Jamaica achieves first-ever international bobsleigh triumph with four-man gold in Whistler

CANADIANS NOTCH GOLD AND SILVER IN TWO-WOMAN EVENT, SILVER AND BRONZE IN FOUR-MAN

BY DAVID SONG

“FEEL THE RHYTHM, feel the rhyme, get on up, it’s bobsled time!”

Perhaps Shane Pitter, Andrae Dacres, Junior Harris and Tyquendo Tracey were telling each other those very words going into Nov. 24’s North American Cup (NAC). Or, perhaps not. In any case, they’ve made history by locking down Jamaica’s first gold medal at any international bobsleigh race.

The quartet rocketed down Whistler’s fast ice in a two-run combined time of one minute and 45.88 seconds. Cyrus Gray, Cesar de Guzman, Kyle Stoob and Chris Ashley secured silver for Canada 24 hours after winning (1:46.18), while their compatriots Jay Dearborn, Keaton Bruggeling, Shane Ohrt and Kenny M’Pindou earned bronze (1:46.37).

“That means I’m a champion, and this is why we train so hard,” said Pitter, the Jamaican driver. “This is why we are together as a team … it means a whole lot for me right now. I’m so emotional about it, but this is what we work for. This is what we reap.”

Canadians kept dominating the twowoman event as Erica Voss and Brynn McNabb prevailed despite nearly crashing out in their second heat (1:50.81). Bianca Ribi and Ariane Chiasson followed up Sunday›s victory with a runner-up effort (1:51.03), leaving Koreans Yooran Kim and Eunji Jeon in third place.

“I had a little bit of a tap going into

the corner we affectionately call 50/50 and I’ve saved it many times,” Voss explained. “I was having a really good run up to that point, so it was going to basically be saving the race. I was like: ‘just please cross the line upright.’ A lot of pretty heavy steers to make it happen and it wasn’t fun, but it was nice to cross the finish line shiny side down.”

‘THIS IS A WIN FOR THE SPORT’

Many people are aware of the Jamaican bobsleigh team due to  Cool Runnings, a fictionalized cinematic portrayal of that nation’s debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Jamaica’s coach, Pat Brown, inspired John Candy’s role of Irving Blitzer in the movie—and

bobsleigh community: racing with Team USA, mentoring Jamaica in 1988, the first American ladies’ squad a decade later and South Korean men at their 2010 Olympic debut. He also worked at the Whistler Sliding Centre (WSC) for four years to establish British Columbia›s developmental pipeline as a viable method of training future generations.

“I love this track,” said Brown. “A lot of the Europeans are a little afraid to come here, but not Jamaica. We’re Jamaica strong. This is a win for the sport, because prior to ‘88 nobody knew what bobsled was.”

Added brakeman Tracey: “It’s been a long time coming where we just need to put things together the right way and show the world that regardless of

“I’m so emotional about it, but this is what we work for.”

- SHANE PITTER

he witnessed first-hand the historic breakthrough from his athletes.

“In 1987 when the team was put together, we literally had four months to get to the Olympic Games,” Brown recalled. “They had never been in the sport. Now we’re building towards it. We’re going to do it right. [This win] is fantastic.

“Especially after the devastation of the hurricane Jamaica just had, this gives hope, and the rebuilding [in our country] is kind of like the rebuilding of our whole program. Our goal is for our people to be on the podium in 2034, and this is certainly a step in the right direction.”

Brown has given his life to the

the sport, regardless of climate, we can always put forward our best foot.”

Gray and Ashley both expressed appreciation for Jamaica’s triumph, noting that Pitter and his group benefited from former Canadian head coach Todd Hays’ expertise. Hays, an Olympic four-man silver medallist from 2002, now works with the Jamaicans and Ashley deemed him to be “one of the best in bobsleigh.”

BUMPS, BRUISES AND MEDALS

Voss has podiumed in each of her four races at this year’s Whistler NAC: gold

and bronze in monobob and the same finishing positions in two-woman. On Sunday she dealt with an untimely steering malfunction, but retained enough time to place third.

As a fledgling brakewoman with a background in track and football, McNabb is thrilled to notch her maiden international victory alongside her new pilot.

“I’ve always wanted to represent my country, and to do it with Erica has been amazing,” she said. “Even after everything we did on that last run. I have a lot of bruises…I was in pain getting up, but so was Erica—we were in it together. My mindset is to take one thing at a time, because I know I have a lot of technique I need to fix. The Canadian team has a great past, so I want to continue that.”

Team Canada is now headed for Park City, Utah as their season rolls on. They’ve trained and raced in Whistler for six weeks: the longest time spent at any individual venue in Voss’ driving career. She loves the WSC, but admits it “really wasn’t loving me back” until the NAC kicked off.

“My first run today was like the types of runs I’m usually capable of producing here,” remarked the Torontonian. “I’ve been really fortunate to have Brynn and Gracie [McAllister] helping me out, and they’ve been a great support system. Brynn’s down for anything, which is honestly the most you could ask for.

“This sport’s honestly nuts sometimes, and [Brynn’s] basically learned how to push at the top of the hill—doing that in Whistler is really hard. It’s been really cool to see her put together the technique of pushing while also sliding on the fastest track in the world.”

Find more NAC coverage at piquenewsmagazine.com.  n

RUNNING STRONG Members of the Jamaican bobsled team celebrate their first-ever international gold medal on Nov. 24 in Whistler.

PHOTO BY DAVID SONG

Josip Brusic earns silver in men’s skeleton, Zander Greco clinches inaugural NAC medal with bronze

LAURA VARGAS WINS LADIES’ RACE IN WHISTLER

BY DAVID SONG

CANADIANS RAKED IN two more pieces of skeleton hardware on Day 3 of this year’s IBSF North American Cup (NAC) in Whistler.

Incumbent national champion Josip Brusic notched his second consecutive silver medal on Nov. 22 with an aggregate time of one minute and 50.40 seconds. Zander Greco wasn’t far behind, rising up for bronze and his first-ever NAC podium appearance (1:50.44).

France’s Lucas Defayet emerged victorious yet again (1:50.06), finding plenty of speed despite soggy ice and rainy conditions.

Meanwhile, Laura Vargas of Colombia prevailed among women (1:55.36) ahead of South African Nicole Burger (1:55.55) and Maltese athlete Shannon Galea (1:56.06) in that order.

At just 18 years old, Greco has been alive for as long as the Whistler Sliding Centre (WSC) has operated. He was ecstatic when asked to reflect on his skeleton experiences to date.

“I think it’s absolutely awesome. I mean, from what was once a dream to now a reality, right?” Greco said. “I’m competing on the world stage, and I’m just so happy and grateful for this opportunity. Been working hard all summer … I’m grateful for the support from all my teammates and coaches. Everything’s been awesome. I’m very fortunate to have the honour to be on the podium today.

“At the end of the day, we’re all Canadian.

We win together, we lose together, and this is a big win for Canada today.”

YOUNG AND CONSISTENT

Micaela Widmer, Canada’s national skeleton development lead coach, has the privilege and the challenge of shepherding a green and talent-filled roster through the current Olympic cycle. Most of her athletes are racing in Park City, Utah after Whistler, with some headed to South Korea for the Asian Cup circuit afterwards.

Widmer deemed the previous two days of competition to be a success, noting that several of the younger Canadians managed personal bests while lauding Brusic and Greco for their efforts.

“Josip has shown up as a leader this week in Whistler. He’s been consistent and a strong force, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the season holds for him,” remarked Widmer. “Zander and a bunch of the second-year athletes are so young, and they’re so excited to be a part of this sport. To see so many of them, including Zander, excelling at the rate that they are is [encouraging].”

Only two Canucks, two-time national ladies’ titleholder Hallie Clarke and Jane Channell, are racing full-time on the World Cup this year, but their presence continues to be felt throughout the program.

“Jane and Hallie have been incredible leaders this summer with our three push camps,” Widmer said. “They asked to be a part of our development team group chat so that they can still be leaders throughout the season, even though we’re not in the same countries. We wouldn’t have the success that we had without Jane and Hallie.” n

NO BONES ABOUT IT The North American Cup men’s skeleton podium from Nov. 22 in Whistler. PHOTO BY DAVID SONG

Once upon a time: Best holiday ever from online shopping

ARTS WHISTLER’S HOLIDAY MARKET—AND BRATZ BIZ—CAPTURE THE MAGIC OF A LONG WHISTLER

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was Christmas… and all kinds of magical, creative Whistlerites popped up in that snowy, in-between shoulder season with their original paintings, wood carvings

BY GLENDA BARTOSH

and sketches; handmade sparkly ornaments; stockings to wear and to hang; knitted stuffed kittens and mittens; and a plethora of other arts and crafts that would make people shop and marvel on their hunt for the perfect gift.

First you’d find them selling their heartfelt creations at the Alta Lake Community Club’s Fall Fair in the Myrtle Philip School gym—that would be the old Myrtle Philip School in the village, to be clear. It was 1977. ABBA and “Dancing Queen” were hot while everybody was Looking for Mr. Goodbar. (It would be four more long years before Jean-Jacques and Simone opened the hoppin’ Club Ten disco downstairs from Stoney’s.)

Ten years later, as the community grew and evolved, as communities tend to do, you’d find all the Fall Fair vendors and their following of eager customers

LIT UP Buyers and sellers alike always light up at Arts Whistler’s annual holiday markets. These delightful women were enjoying the arts council’s Bizarre Bazaar back in the 1990s at Myrtle Philip Community School. More than 100 vendors were expected.

at the newly opened Conference Centre in the heart of the village. This was ages before anyone had even dreamt of a Maury Young Arts Centre, or any number of venues now at Whistler.

Meanwhile, the old school gym wasn’t too lonely or abandoned. For the same year, 1987, Whistler Community Arts Council (now called Arts Whistler), was feeling its chops as a frisky, young five-year-old, and held its first annual Bizarre Bazaar there. It was always a fun and dynamic Christmas craft fair—just check out the vibe in the photo, above. No surprise, given its cheeky name that always made me, and lots of others, light up.

Hundreds of hours of hard work by a core of dedicated volunteers pulled off an event that was—and still is, in its current form—crucial for raising funds for all the amazing events the arts council has hosted over the years. From the everpopular Children’s Festival to the more recently minted Art on the Lake, just think about how much it costs to pay artists and musicians, and rent stages or equipment for events like that.

But don’t think about it too long… Fast forward to the latest iteration of those first holiday/Christmas-y events. This year’s Holiday Market is right around the corner, temporally and physically, so get yourselves set, and don’t buy a single thing on those flat screens you’re joined at the hip with till you’ve checked out the scene in person.

Imagine! You get to touch and feel and smell and taste stuff before you actually decide what to buy! Everything’s original, authentic, imaginative, even mindful. Like Dave Petko’s cool dreamy paintings and wood art. Or Pemberton’s Crowtree Studio’s fine hand-dyed batiks (all natural!). In fact, the whole vibe is positively fab—just what

TRADITION

we crave these days: A blast from the past with a future bent.

Find details galore in the great article by David Song in last week’s Pique, but the basics are this: Head to the main ballroom at Westin Resort and Spa, Saturday, Nov. 29, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Expect tons of Sea to Sky vendors but some from further afield, too.

Tis but a wee five bucks to get yourselves in the door and kids are free. That modest entry fee helps pay for all those above-mentioned events Arts Whistler puts on year-round, and it’s a damn sight less than what most Christmas-y craft markets charge. You’ll find at least 70 talented “makers” plus 40+ young entrepreneurs selling their wares at the fabulous Bratz Biz, now in its 20th year, upstairs on the Westin’s retail level.

And here’s a fun fact—some of those grown-up vendors at the Holiday Market actually started years ago with Bratz Biz, where young artists and entrepreneurs get a golden opportunity to sell their creations plus advice and support that helps them succeed.

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS

The Holiday Market has such depth, it’s hard to highlight only a few of the vendors, but besides the above, here are a couple more favourites.

Andrea Mueller has been bringing her powerful, playful art and photos of Whistler wildlife to audiences for decades. I love her attitude: “Art should make you feel good. Bright, bold, and a little wild—just like life in the mountains.” Yes! And look for another chapter of Whistler’s story in the vibrant,

nearly vibrating paintings by Chili Thom. Chili graced Whistler for years, adding his colourful, peerless personality and work to the community before dying far too young of cancer.

But I couldn’t sign off without tipping my hat to the Whistler Museum. Its great staff members, like collections manager Rebecca MacKay and director Brad Nichols, are instrumental in keeping Whistler’s storied past alive, like the Bizarre Bazaar tale and photo, above. They’ll have a booth in this year’s market featuring the museum’s archival prints and special books—more superb holiday giving with that unique local touch.

Their latest,  The Whistler Poetry and Photo Book: A Collection of Poems and Archival Photographs from Whistler, B.C., is just that. “Through an open call—and with contributions from former Poet’s Pause winners—community members submitted original poems, which were then selected and paired with archival images from the museum collection that speak to the poems,” says Nichols.

You’ll also find the museum’s oneof-a-kind kids’ books— The Whistler Colouring Book and the  Kids Après Activity Book—and more.

Meanwhile, tune in to your own inner artist before the holly-daze hit like a tornado, and check out some of the fun “Paint ‘N’ Sip” or other artist-guided events at The Point Artist-Run Centre at the old Whistler Hostel site on Alta Lake. Thanks to a stalwart group of creative souls, it’s also been keeping local arts and music alive for years!

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who loves art and its energy, so she started Whistler’s art council light years ago. n

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES / WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE

Visit whistler.ca/skating for more information.

F

days that fit your schedule.

R REGISTERED FITNESS Registered

have a separate fee and a defined start and end date. Pre-registration is required for the entire set of classes. I INCLUDED FITNESS These classes are included with your price of admission for no extra charge.

Bratz Biz organizers, alumni reflect on 20 years

THE MARKET RETURNS ON NOV. 29 AND 30 AT THE WESTIN RESORT AND SPA

BY DAVID SONG

BRATZ BIZ is about to return for a 20th kick at the can.

Known as Whistler’s premier youth artisan market, Bratz Biz was founded by Carmen Laslett and Susan Rolands. They stayed at the helm for approximately a decade until encountering Lee Schwartz and Craig Lovell, who voiced interest in taking over. Schwartz and Lovell became the new volunteer organizers by 2017, and they remain passionate about what they do.

“The 20th anniversary is super exciting,” remarks Schwartz. “I think Bratz Biz has made huge effects in a lot of kids’ lives over the years, and I think it’s a real goal to have an organization that’s made 20 years—especially through COVID.”

Craig likewise understands the value of galvanizing kids and teenagers into action because he works as a program manager with Junior Achievement British Columbia (JABC), which focuses on developing financial literacy and workplace readiness in the next generation. JABC helped facilitate preparatory workshops for Bratz Biz participants this year.

Jordan Lovell, Craig’s son, has been a part of the market for half a decade selling upcycled skis and snowboards. Now in his third year of a bachelor’s degree in sustainability at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan, the 20-year-old credits Bratz Biz for helping him gain hands-on skills, money management savvy and an interest in environmental stewardship.

“There’s different motivations for youth getting involved in Bratz Biz, but certainly some are motivated by profit and there’s

absolutely nothing wrong with that,” Craig says. “Jordan made enough money to pay off some expensive mountain bikes and buy a laptop. Succeed or fail, youth gain valuable expertise…communication, work ethic and resilience.”

Bratz Biz 2025 will continue to invite local performers on stage: the Whistler Children’s Chorus and 17-year-old singer/ guitarist Jaxon Mishaw. Arden Thorne, who is also employed by Tourism Whistler, has recently joined Schwartz and Craig as market manager.

IN THEIR WORDS

Perhaps an effective way to describe Bratz Biz’s impact on its community is to hear from some of the young men and women who have experienced it first-hand.

“I think one of the most valuable things I learned was about finances and the economy,” remarked Stella Schwartz, 18, who sold coat hooks and organic peanut butter with her sister Lydia during her decade-long involvement with Bratz Biz.

“I’ve always learned best by diving in and figuring things out as I go, so getting handson experience with things like balancing prices with rising supply costs was both stressful and kind of fun.

“It’s one thing to learn about profit margins in class, but it’s a whole different story when you’re the one trying to sell peanut butter while the cost of peanuts and jars skyrockets. I definitely came out of it with a new appreciation for every small business owner out there, and a much better sense of how money actually moves in the real world.”

Stella’s intrepid nature continues to serve her well as a first-year adventure studies major at Thompson Rivers University.

“Being a part of Bratz Biz meant everything for me,” says Coen Hamm, 17, who primarily sells his organic dried apples online nowadays. “It gave me an early introduction to being an

entrepreneur and gave me the support and guidance to have fun while being successful. I liked being a part of the market because it allowed me to meet new people and step out of my comfort zone at a young age.

“By attending the market I learned planning, budgeting, marketing, organizational skills and how to develop a profitable and sustainable product. My [three-year] Bratz Biz experience was very positive. I can’t say enough great things about the event and opportunity— so much that it has become a big factor in my decision to pursue a degree in business after high school.”

Sophi Lawrence hawked dog bandanas and decorative birch reindeer from nine to 13 years of age before representing Canada at the UCI Downhill World Championships. Now 20, she studies animal biology at UBC and remarks that her favourite part of Bratz Biz was how “grown-up and official” it was: presenting products for approval from the jury, establishing her booth and operating a Square payment device made her feel like “a proper entrepreneur.”

Lauren Hamm, also 20, commented: “Being part of Bratz Biz was such a memorable experience. I really enjoyed the selling aspect: talking to people, sharing my product, and being part of the festive atmosphere. I loved seeing all of the creative products made by other young entrepreneurs. It was inspiring to be surrounded by so many ideas and to feel part of a group that was all working hard to bring their projects to life.

“Through Bratz Biz, I learned about budgeting, marketing, and how to present a product in a way that makes people excited to buy it. Most importantly, I learned how to take an idea and turn it into a business. It meant a lot to be part of something that supports young entrepreneurs in our community. Thank you to everyone who continues to make Bratz Biz possible.”

Lauren sold her own brand of gourmet granola in those days and is currently pursuing a dual degree in management and integrated engineering at UBC.

EMERGING FROM THEIR SHELLS

Schwartz finds it particularly gratifying to see kids blossom in confidence during Bratz Biz. Many are shy and nervous to begin with, but end up confidently greeting potential buyers with smiles and eye contact. Even those with special needs can flourish.

Bratz Biz’s jury process begins in June, giving youth time to refine their stuff. Craig does not recall anyone being turned down outright—those with flawed ideas are invited to return for a second or third bid to get approved. Youngsters thus learn how to innovate, transforming passion projects into marketable wares of a semi-professional quality.

Despite being a separate endeavour from the concurrent Arts Whistler Holiday Market, Bratz Biz enjoys a symbiotic relationship with its counterpart. Tourists attending the former often find unexpected gems at the latter, while Bratz Biz’s tendency to attract families is also helpful when those families meander into the Holiday Market.

“Lee and I have got it dialed in and figured out,” says Craig. “We’ve managed to grow [Bratz Biz] every year. The vendors, the level of sophistication in their crafts … one thing I really get jazzed about is seeing progression in the youth.”

“Bratz Biz is very inclusive and accessible,” Schwartz adds. “We haven’t changed the price in years. It’s a very low price for kids to participate, and we’ve offset the gap by fundraising and by cash donations from our amazing sponsors.”

This month, Bratz Biz runs on Nov. 29 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit bratzbiz. ca to learn more. n

BACK IN BIZ Young entrepreneurs from the 2024 Bratz Biz market.

PHOTO BY JOERN ROHDE / COURTESY OF BRATZ BIZ

‘Landmarks of the Heart’ exhibit at The Point marks Whistler’s 50th anniversary

LIVE MUSIC, COMMUNITY REFLECTION AND 50 YEARS OF WHISTLER CONVERGE AT NOV. 30 OPENING

BY LUKE FAULKS

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

WHEN LONGTIME Whistler artist Charlie Doyle submitted a painting to The Point’s last exhibition, a piece he originally created in 1974 while staying in the lodge above Alta Lake, it didn’t just resonate with viewers; The Point bought it, recognizing it as a rare artifact from the earliest days of a community now marking its 50th anniversary.

That artwork is now featured on the poster for Landmarks of the Heart, the artist-run centre’s upcoming winter exhibition, and its origin story sits at the emotional core of a show dedicated to exploring the “layers of history” that shape Whistler.

The exhibition opens Sunday, Nov. 30, with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. featuring live music by The Pearl Buttons—featuring Cam Salay, Eden, Zeya and Liam—along with light food and an open bar. The show will run for three months, through March 1, 2026, at 5678 Alta Lake Road, and its opening on Nov. 30 will be preceded by The Point’s annual general meeting at 6 p.m.

Artistic director Stephen Vogler said the theme emerged from discussions within The Point’s newly formed visual arts committee.

“Initially, I think it was layers of the heart, and we decided to go with landmarks. really just sort of digging into the layers of this place over the years and asking artists to try to express that

We’ve been getting really good response for our shows lately. So the artists start to look out for it,” he says.

For Vogler, who has lived in Whistler nearly his entire life, the theme is deeply personal.

“Yeah, I’ve been here almost 50 years. I grew up here,” he says. “I’d say there’s way more artists working and living in Whistler and the whole Sea to Sky area than there were, say, 50 years ago. It’s exciting to see a lot of younger people involved now.”

Vogler notes many who arrive in

“Initially, I think it was layers of the heart, and we decided to go with landmarks.”

- STEPHEN VOGLER

through visual art,” he says. “I think it should be really interesting to see what comes forth.”

The show follows on the heels of last season’s $100 and Under Art Show, which drew widespread participation. This season, the curators wanted a concept that tied more directly into Whistler’s semicentennial.

“We were sort of tying that in with the Whistler 50 Years thing, but it was a bit of a loose connection. [We] thought, ‘Let’s do something that’s a bit more tied in with the actual 50-year celebration of Whistler,’” Vogler says.

While final numbers of pieces for display were still being tallied, Vogler said interest from the artistic community has been strong.

“I know there’s quite a few already.

Whistler for sport later rediscover their artistic roots.

Those unseen creative layers mirror the broader shifts in the valley itself.

“You could look at how the valley has changed over those 50 years… There’s a lot more pavement than there used to be. There’s less wetlands and less forests,” Vogler says. “But it’s not all doom and gloom. It’s still a beautiful natural ecology here.”

He hopes Landmarks of the Heart encourages visitors to reflect on their own connections to place.

“I just want [visitors] to get a reflection of the place that they inhabit or visit and to appreciate the artwork that various artists have put into their pieces and the show as a whole,” he says. n

LOCAL LANDMARKS The Point’s imagery for the art show features a cabin on Alta Lake, painted back in 1974.

IMAGE BY CHARLIE DOYLE

Seeking Volunteersfor Advisory Design Panel

JointheAdvisoryDesignPanelinthepositionofamemberatlargeforatwo-yearterm,from January1,2026,throughDecember31,2027.

TheAdvisoryDesignPanelisaCouncil-appointedcommitteethatmeetsmonthlyand providesprofessionaladvicetomunicipalstaffandCouncilrelatedtodevelopment proposalsandpoliciesaffectingWhistler’s builtenvironment.

Beingapanelmemberisagreatopportunitytocontributetothereview offutureprojects andhelpupholdhighstandards.

Thememberatlarge:

• mustresideinWhistleror ownpropertyinWhistler;

• cannotbeanemployeeoftheResort MunicipalityofWhistler,oran electedrepresentative oftheResort MunicipalityofWhistler,Howe SoundSchoolDistrictNo.48,ortheSquamishLillooetRegionalDistrict.

Visitwhistler.ca/committeesorscantheQRcodefor the TermsofReferenceandmoreinformationon howtoapply.

Apply by December8,2025.

ResortMunicipalityofWhistler whistler.ca/committees

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

WHISTLER WINTERLIGHT

2ND ANNUAL GLOW GALA PRESENTED BY WHISTLER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Celebrate an unforgettable evening of community, generosity, and impact. Featuring a cocktail reception, elegant dinner, inspiring stories of local giving, and exciting auctions, all in support of Whistler’s and Pemberton’s Community Funds. By attending and sharing this event, you help grow the community endowment towards the $10M goal by 2026, enabling $500,000 in annual grants to local charities. Don’t miss your chance to make a difference.

> Nov. 28, 6 to 11 p.m.

> Fairmont Chateau Whistler

WHISTLER WINTERLIGHT

If your ideal start to ski season involves a Ferris wheel and a few hundred thousand LED bulbs, Whistler has you covered. The Resort Municipality is bringing back its lightfilled kickoff to winter—and this time, it’s tripling in size. The 2025 edition of Whistler Winterlight will run for three days, from Nov. 27 to 29, transforming Whistler Olympic Plaza and the Village Stroll into a glowing midway of installations, music, markets and rides.

More than 350,000 lights will illuminate the plaza, including two nights of animations and interactive activities. From 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, visitors can expect glowing displays, light installations, the BC Parks Foundation Wishing Tree, live DJ sets from Kookum and Foxy Moron, hands-on circus activities and a pop-up market serving festive food. The outdoor skating rink also opens for the season on Nov. 27. The Ferris wheel returns as the centrepiece, operating from noon to 8 p.m. all three days. Rides cost $5, with proceeds going to Whistler Animals Galore (WAG). Skating admission ranges from $3.50 to $6, with free helmet rentals and $7 skate rentals.

> Nov. 27 to 29

> Whistler Village

THANKSGIVING DINNER AT BRAIDWOOD

Celebrate the season with Braidwood’s Thanksgiving Dinner, a three-course holiday feast crafted with the freshest autumn ingredients and a touch of alpine elegance. From the first comforting bite to the final sweet indulgence, this is a meal designed to bring people together in the warm, welcoming atmosphere of Braidwood Tavern. A truly memorable way to spend Thanksgiving in Whistler.

> Nov. 28, 5:30 to 11 p.m.

> Braidwood Tavern

PASSENGER BOBSLEIGH EXPERIENCE

Try Whistler’s most unique activity and slide like an Olympian! Ride through ten twists and turns at 125+

km/hr speeds in a real bobsleigh, driven by a trained pilot, on Canada’s only active sliding track. Passenger Bobsleigh runs rain, snow or shine! No experience required! Ages 14+.

> Nov. 28 to April 5

> Whistler Sliding Centre

THE COURAGE TO SHOW UP + BE SEEN

This workshop offers a supportive space to explore what holds you back in your work, relationships, and self-expression, and to reconnect with your inner courage. Through reflection, conversation, gentle movement, and grounding breathwork, you’ll learn how vulnerability becomes an act of strength and how joy can help transform fear and doubt. You’ll leave feeling lighter, grounded, and more connected to your authentic voice. All are welcome. No experience required.

> Nov. 30, 1 p.m.

> Whistler Athletes Centre

PAINT & SIP WITH CASSIE DICKINSON

Spend a relaxed evening with friends painting beautiful Whistler landscapes, guided by local artist Cassie Dickinson. For just $42, you’ll receive all the painting supplies you need along with a glass of wine to enjoy as you create. All artistic abilities are welcome.

> Dec. 1, 7 p.m.

> The Point Artist-Run Centre

MINDFULNESS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

The holiday season can be demanding and December often brings both intensity and strong feelings. Rebalance with a replenishing 90-minute holiday meditation experience as you settle into immersive guided meditations, learn bite-sized mindfulness tools to carry through the season, and connect with community. Registration is required.

> Dec. 2, 7 p.m.

> Whistler Public Library

19TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST

Mountain FM and The Westin Resort & Spa are hosting their 19th Annual Christmas Breakfast. Bring a new toy, non-perishable food item or tap your card to make a donation towards local Sea to Sky Corridor Food Banks and enjoy a delicious free breakfast! Free parking available for all guests.

> Dec. 4, 7 to 9 a.m.

> Westin Resort and Spa

PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH / COURTESY OF THE RMOW

JOINUSFOR ALLTHENFLGAMES

onThursdaynight,Sundayall day, andMondaynight Volumeongames!

FoodandDrinkSpecials

FreeparkingandWIFI

Land Act: NoticeofIntention to Apply fora DispositionofCrown Land

Take notice that AlpX ExpeditionsLP of Vancouver, BC has applied to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship(WLRS), Thompson-Okanagan, fora License of Occupation for Commercial Recreation use forthe purpose of Heli-bikingactivities situated on Provincial Crown land locatedin the vicinity of Bralorne, BC.

WLRSinvitescomments on this application. The LandsFile number for this application is 3413695 Comments on this application may be submittedin twoways:

1)Online via the Applications, Comments and Reasons for Decision Database website at: http://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/

2) By mail to Senior Land Officer, Thompson-Okanagan WLRS, at 441 Columbia Street, Kamloops, BC V2C2T3. Comments will be received by WLRSuntil December 24th, 2025. WLRS may not be able to receive comments received after this date

Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be consideredpart of the public record. Access to these records requires the submissionof a Freedom of Information(FOI) request. Visit http://www.gov.bc.ca/freedomofinformation to learn more aboutFOI submissions.”

Time for tea (treats, tales… and a tow rope!)

BY BRONWYN PREECE

ENJOYING A CUP of tea is a sanctified ritual for many… and Whistler’s past is steeped in its own lore and tradition with two pioneering tea houses  (both with a twist!)

Before the advent of Whistler Mountain being developed as a ski destination (officially opened in January 1966), many early residents of the area predominantly lived on the opposite shores of Alta Lake. The Pacific Great Eastern railway line began running lakeside in 1914 and Rainbow Lodge, the first vacation destination, opened in 1915 as a fishing resort.

In the 1920s, Bert Harrop purchased the point of land in the middle of the west side of Alta Lake. He had originally come to the area as a guest of Rainbow Lodge, whereupon his asthma improved greatly during his short stay. Enamoured with the place, he and his wife Agnes first moved into a rented cabin and then into their own home—

1948, when the couple sold the venture and moved on.

Six years later, in 1955, a new tearoom opened in Cypress Lodge (the site of the current Point Artist-Run Centre). The lodge was built by Richard (Dick) Fairhurst, in the late ’40s/early ’50s as a fishing camp. The buildings boasted electricity supplied by a generator and then later were powered by waterwheel, a novelty at the time.

Dick’s mother, Elizabeth Alice, came up from Vancouver to run the tearoom. Noted as being a “colourful character,” Ma Fairhurst was equally famous for her beloved butter tarts. Besides baking, Elizabeth Alice cleaned the cabins, did the laundry and took care of the cooking for guests, while Dick was either tending his traplines in the Spearhead Range or logging with one of the nearby operations.

A trademark of the tearoom was its “Hot Dog Friday Night” which gathered many. Friday was synonymous with the once-weekly delivery of fresh food and meat by refrigerated train car to the community, and the occasion was worthy of celebration.

Guests, made up of visitors and locals alike, would, arguably, come more for the gossip than the tea…

which Bert framed on the shores of Rainbow Lodge (with the help of the proprietor’s father) and floated it on a raft of cedar logs down to his new piece of land. It was secured to the shore and became a floating cottage.

On the water’s edge, Bert built a building with a large porch which was supported by log piles in the lake. Harrop’s Tearoom was born and Agnes went into business.

Guests, made up of visitors and locals alike, would, arguably, come more for the gossip than the tea… and the fortune telling. Agnes had a designated indoor tea-leaf reading room  (the accuracy or aftermath of her predictions remain undocumented!), infusing the experience and take-away of customers. Outside, people would gather on the floating verandah, enjoying afternoon tea amidst expansive views.

Harrop’s Tearoom came to an end in

Cypress Lodge also boasted the first tow-rope in the area. Built in 1960, a Ford V8 motor was used to pull 259 metres worth of rope through four pulleys affixed to four towers. The first downhill-only ski course in Whistler had been created on the slope directly behind the camp of cabins. Guests could come in from skiing for something sweet or grab tea and then go for a tow!

The Cypress Lodge tearoom closed in 1962, seven years after its inception, to make room for more buildings, much to the dismay of the community.

In the still-standing, main building of the original Cypress Lodge, the tradition of meeting over tea and treats is continued by the Point ArtistRun Centre with its weekend Creative Café (thepointartists.com)… where, undoubtedly,  here too, a few gems of local gossip get shared in fine, longstanding community fashion! n

SPILL THE TEA Afternoon tea at Harrop’s Point c. 1930. On the right, Judith Forster-Coull who is J’Anne Greenwood’s great-grandmother and her grandmother, Mabel Cosgrave in the centre. PETERSEN COLLECTION

ASTROLOGY

Free Will Astrology

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 28 BY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Japanese word mushin means “no mind.” In Zen Buddhism, it refers to the state of flow where thinking stops and being takes over. When you are moving along in the groove of mushin, your body knows what to do before your brain catches up. You’re so present you disappear into the action itself. Athletes refer to it as “the zone.” It’s the place where effort becomes effortless, where you stop trying and simply love the doing. In the coming weeks, Aries, you can enjoy this state more than you have in a long time. Ride it with glee!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For the foreseeable future, salmon are your spirit creatures. I’ll remind you about their life cycle. They are born in freshwater, migrate to the ocean, and live there for years. Then they return, moving against river currents, up waterfalls, past bears and eagles. Eventually, they arrive at the exact stream where they were born. How do they do it? They navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field and their sense of smell, remembering chemical signatures from years ago. I think your own calling is as vivid as theirs, dear Taurus. And in the coming weeks, you will be extra attuned to that primal signal. Trust the ancient pull back toward your soul’s home.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): What if procrastination isn’t always a problem? On some occasions, maybe it’s a message from your deeper self. Delay could serve as a form of protection. Avoidance might be a sign of your deep wisdom at work. Consider these possibilities, Gemini. What if your resistance to the “should” is actually your soul’s immune system rejecting a foreign agenda? It might be trying to tell you secrets about what you truly want versus what you think you should want.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’m only slightly joking when I recommend that you practice the art of sacred bitching in the coming days. You are hereby authorized to complain and criticize with creative zeal. But the goal is not to push hard in a quest to solve problems perfectly. Instead, simply give yourself the luxury of processing and metabolizing the complications. Your venting and whining won’t be pathological, but a legitimate way to achieve emotional release. Sometimes, like now, you need acknowledgment more than solutions. Allowing feelings is more crucial than fixing things. The best course of action is saying “this is hard” until it’s slightly less hard.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Chinese concept of yuanfen means that some connections are fated. Certain people were always meant to cross your path. Not soulmates necessarily, but soul-evokers: those who bring transformations that were inscribed on your destiny before you knew they were coming. When you meet a new person and feel instant recognition, that’s yuanfen. When a relationship changes your life, that’s yuanfen. When timing aligns impossibly but wonderfully, that’s yuanfen. According to my analysis, you Leos are due for such phenomena in the coming weeks—at least two, maybe more. Some opportunities appear because you pursue them. Others were always going to arrive simply because you opened your mind and heart.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Let’s talk about a forest’s roots. Mostly hidden from sight, they are the source of all visible life. They are always communicating with each other, sharing nourishment and information. When extra help is needed, they call on fungi networks to support them, distributing their outreach even further. Your own lineage works similarly, Virgo. It’s nutrient-rich and endlessly intertwined with others, some of whom came long before you. You are the flowering tip of an unseen intelligence. Every act of grounding—breathing deeply, resting your feet, returning to gratitude—is your body’s way of remembering its subterranean ancestry. Please keep these meditations at the forefront of your awareness in the coming weeks. I believe you will thrive to the degree that you draw from your extensive roots.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are currently in a phase

ROB BREZSNY

when it’s highly possible to become both smarter and wiser. You have a sixth sense for knowing exactly how to enhance both your intellectual and emotional intelligence. With this happy news in mind, I will remind you that your brain is constantly growing and changing. Every experience carves new neural pathways. Every repeated thought strengthens certain connections and weakens others. You’re not stuck with the brain you have, but are continuously building the brain that’s evolving. The architecture of your consciousness is always under construction. Take full advantage of this resilience and plasticity!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The coming weeks will be a favourable time to stand near what you want to become. I advise you to surround yourself with the energy you want to embody. Position yourself in the organic ecosystem of your aspirations without grasping or forcing. Your secret power is not imitation but osmosis. Not ambition but proximity. The transformations you desire will happen sideways, through exposure and absorption. You won’t become by trying to become; you will become by staying close to what calls you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Some seeds can remain dormant for centuries, waiting for the right conditions to germinate. The oldest successfully germinated seed was a 2,000-year-old date palm seed. I suspect you will experience psychospiritual and metaphorical versions of this marvel in the coming weeks. Certain aspects of you have long been dormant but are about to sprout. Some of your potentials have been waiting for conditions that you haven’t encountered until recently. Is there anything you can do to encourage these wondrous developments? Be alert for subtle magic that needs just a little nudge.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Orb weaver spiders make seven different types of silk, each engineered for different purposes: sticky silk for catching prey, strong silk for the web’s frame, stretchy silk for wrapping food, and soft silk for egg sacs. In other words, they don’t generate a stream of generic resources and decide later what to do with them. Each type of silk is produced by distinct silk glands and spinnerets, and each is carefully tailored for a particular use. I advise you to be like the orb weavers in the coming weeks, Capricorn. Specificity will be your superpower.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Benevolent gossip is the practice of speaking about people not to diminish them but to fondly wonder about them and try to understand them. What if gossip could be generous? What if talking about someone in their absence could be an act of compassionate curiosity rather than judgment? What if you spoke about everyone as if they might overhear you—not from fear but from respect? Your words about others could be spells that shape how they exist in the collective imagination. Here’s another beautiful fact about benevolent gossip: It can win you appreciation and attention that will enhance your ability to attract the kind of help and support you need.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Every 21,000 years, the Sahara Desert transforms into a lush green savanna. It’s due to precession, which is a wobble in the Earth’s axis. The African seasonal monsoon becomes much stronger, bringing increased rainfall to the entire area. The last time this occurred was from about 11,000 to 5,000 years ago. During this era, the Sahara supported lakes, rivers, grasslands, and diverse animal and human populations. I’m predicting a comparable shift for you in the coming months, Pisces. The onset of luxuriant growth is already underway. And right now is an excellent time to encourage and expedite the onset of flourishing abundance. Formulate the plans and leap into action.

Homework: Give yourself a pep talk about how to thrive when other people aren’t at their best. Newsletter. FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

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SOUT HCOA STREGIONFORESTHEALTH PROGR AM PM P: 2025TO2030

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Theuseofpesticidesisintendedwithinthearea to whichthe Pest Management Plan(PMP)applies.The PMPappliestothesurroundingor nearareasofChilliwack ,Squamish, Powell River, Sechelt,Whistler,Hope, Pember ton,andHarrisonHotSprings. ThedurationofthePMPisfrom 2025to2030.Thepesticideproposedto beusedunder the PMPis:

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Theidealcandidatewillhaveaminimumoffive(5)yearsofrecentrelatedexperiencewithpostsecondary educationinBuilding Technologyor arelatedfield,andcertificationfromtheBuildingOfficials’Association ofBC(minimumLevelIIcertification;LevelIIIpreferred).Forfurtherinformation,pleaserefertothefulljob descriptionatwww.slrd.bc.ca/employment.

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SSHSisa non-profitIndigenoushealthorganizationdedicatedtoimproving thehealthandwell-beingofIndigenouscommunities.Ourorganization providesculturally appropriatehealthcareservices,programs,andinitiatives tosupporttheholistichealthofIndigenousindividualsandfamilies.

Seefulljobpostings: sshs.ca/careers/

Lil’watNation DirectorofTitleandRights

Location: MountCurrie,BC.

Status: Full-timeRegular(70hoursbi-weekly)

Reportingto:ChiefAdministrativeOfficer

Salary:$93,475.20-$101,556peryear

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Formoreinformation,ortoapplyforthispositionplease visitourcareerspagelilwatnation.easyapply.co/or emailHR@lilwat.ca

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BLACKCOMB CHIMNEY

Culture is a real-estate problem

KERRY DOREY, JAY MOLLOY and I had this idea.

Officially, we’re the Society of Secret Poetry Appreciators, but you should know that this is a made-up thing. Like, we made it up.

Everything in the whole world started this way, you know… the stock exchange, your favourite restaurant, the TV show you

BY LISA RICHARDSON

and your friends quote endlessly, democracy, white supremacy… it all started as someone’s made-up idea that they acted on and somewhere along the line, others began to treat as real.

Open mic, Jay and Kerry said.

I was skeptical. I have trouble watching stand-up. Too much of an empath. When you’re not funny, I suffer for you. I encouraged my deeply shy best friend to join the debate team in high school and when she gave her first speech, she shook so hard she dropped all her notecards and couldn’t recover her place once she’d picked them all up out of order, and I sat there dying, thinking, I did this to her. She was a perfectly happy and fulfilled person until I forced her to stand up in front of people.

My 2025 creative collaborators were enthusiastic, however, about standing up in front of people. In April, they had backed me

when I said, “I think we should invite people to a night where we all sit in a circle and read our favourite poems out loud to each other.” So it was my turn to say, YES. And so we continued the merry adventure of making it up as we went along, because that is how new things come into the world.

Jay went scouting for locations. She met with Charmaine at the Pemberton Museum and explained the vision and also, that while we had applied for some money from the Pemberton Literacy Table, we didn’t have funding yet. We were really just exploring our options.

“Don’t let that stop you,” Charmaine said. “Just pay the $10 event insurance and we’re happy to have you.” Suddenly, we were a go.

Before we knew what was happening, 50 people had registered online and suddenly people were getting a “sold out” message on our Eventbrite listing. Undeterred by

with the generosity and talent of the audience and participants, Saadia emailed us to say “thank you for such a warm welcome. We were in Pemberton as a family on our first trip away from home, after my husband died in January, at just 58 years old. He was the most wonderful kind human and we are heartbroken. The love and support from family and friends is helping us to carry on, but there is something about the kindness of strangers that is particularly touching.”

She referenced poems and songs shared during the open mic that spoke directly, unexpectedly, to them. “I assure we were not the only ones who were moved to tears. My husband would have loved the evening. It seems we were exactly where we were supposed to be.”

Somewhere along the way, made up things become actual medicine. So go ahead and make something up. Our communities

If the Museum hadn’t offered their space, (edit: their utterly perfect tailor-made for community events and open mics and grassroots-vibing things space), our idea would have died before it got up and dancing.

this roadblock, a stalwart mysterious poetry appreciator named Saadia messaged the Museum asking how she could get in, and Charmaine dutifully forwarded the request to us. How on Earth a tourist visiting Pemberton had heard of our little grassroots made-up thing was another mystery, but Jay emailed her a welcome, and HERE’S THE POINT OF THE STORY, a week after the open mic actually happened, blowing all our minds

are so hungry for it. If you’re sitting around waiting for an official person or an official group to do it, you might be waiting a long time, because a lot of their time gets spent in meetings, doing official things. (Go join their official group. They’re usually all eager for new people.) Or find a couple of friends, have a meeting powered by tea and brownies, book a venue, speak your vision out loud, send out the invitations. I suspect you will be

as gobsmacked and delighted as we were by who shows up. (Shout out here to Angie Wilde and Quentin de Lorenzis who also showed up as fellow organizers in the most perfect and magical way.)

But here is the catch. Culture needs real estate.

If the Museum hadn’t offered their space, (edit: their utterly perfect tailor-made for community events and open mics and grassroots-vibing things space), our idea would have died before it got up and dancing.

Humans need third spaces in which to gather.

And culture needs outlets. Actual real estate. In which to take place.

And our communities, here in Whistler and Pemberton, need people and officials and organizations, to lobby for it, protect it, envision it, fundraise for it, fund it, value it. Not the culture alone, but the real estate dedicated to it.

If you’d asked me when I was younger if poetry could ease grief or if communities needed cultural spaces or if anyone other than artists and rich people needed art, I would have said, I dunno, probably not. And most of us, now, have an endless personalized download of culture and content in our hands, on our devices. Who needs to do “content” in public? But I didn’t know what grief was. I didn’t know that sharing made it lighter. I didn’t know how relentlessly complicated and heavy and lonely and confusing life can sometimes feel. And how ineffable. And how the effort to turn that into a song or a joke or poem or a painting, and to share that, and to witness and be witnessed in the wrangling and wrestling of it, is, quite possibly, the whole point.

And definitely the way through.

And it takes space. Actual physical meat/ meet-space.

Let’s make it so. n

MAKE IT SO Thomas Sloss takes the stage at the Oct. 10 open mic at the Pemberton & District Museum.

PHOTO BY LISA RICHARDSON

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