Pique Newsmagazine 3302

JANUARY 9, 2026 ISSUE 33.02

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LOVING LIFTEES

From the

margins to the mountains Whistler’s Zero Ceiling offers stability through housing, work and a way back into the mountains

12

ASSESS THIS Whistler avoids notable declines in 2026 property assessments

13

LAY OF THE LANDS Council hears summary on Northlands engagement

28

DIAMOND JUBILEE Whistler Blackcomb’s 60th-anniversary party set for Jan. 15

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

24

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From the margins to the mountains Whistler’s Zero Ceiling offers stability through housing, work and a way back into the mountains. - By Liz McDonald

06 OPENING REMARKS The allure of Whistler’s lakes in wintertime is strong, writes

12 ASSESS THIS The Resort Municipality of Whistler is one of just a few jurisdictions to

editor Braden Dupuis—but safety has to come first.

avoid notable declines in 2026 property assessments, according to BC Assessment.

08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter writers share thanks for a suc-

13 LAY OF THE LANDS Whistler’s mayor and council heard a detailed summary

cessful Festival of Trees, and mourn a tragedy at a Swiss ski resort.

outlining community feedback on the Northlands development on Jan. 6.

20 RANGE ROVER Leslie Anthony shares insights gleaned from those lesser-appreciat-

24 PARALYMPIC PRIDE Six-time Paralympics medallist Mollie Jepsen is locked and

ed itinerary items—the stopovers.

loaded for her third appearance at the Games this March.

38 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST As 2026 gets underway, Andrew Mitchell is sorting

28 DIAMOND JUBILEE Whistler Blackcomb is set to mark its 60th anniversary with a

through the confusion of our ever-evolving public health recommendations.

Black Diamond Party on Whistler Mountain Jan. 15.

COVER So glad we get to live in such a welcoming community, with no shortage of helping hands. - By Jon Parris // Adobe AI // @jon.parris.art

Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com Editor BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager KAIJA KNOX - kknox@lodestarmedia.ca Production Manager AMIR SHAHRESTANI - ashahrestani@piquenewsmagazine.com

Reporters LUKE FAULKS - lfaulks@piquenewsmagazine.com DAVID SONG - sports@piquenewsmagazine.com Office Manager HEIDI RODE - hrode@wplpmedia.com Classifieds and Reception - mail@piquenewsmagazine.com

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Advertising Representatives

GLENDA BARTOSH, ANDREW MITCHELL, LISA RICHARDSON,

TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com ANDREW BUDRESKI - abudreski@piquenewsmagazine.com Digital/Sales Coordinator KATIE DOUGLAS - kbechtel@wplpmedia.com

LIZI MCLOUGHLIN, TOBIAS C. VAN VEEN Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com

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4 JANUARY 9, 2026

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OPENING REMARKS

On thin ice IT’S SOMETIMES fascinating, with the benefit of safe and sober hindsight, to consider the absolute smooth-brained folly of youth—the wildly irresponsible actions we undertook without a second thought.

Case in point: many years ago, when I was but a foolish, red-headed child, I attended a family wedding at a Saskatchewan lakeside resort in the springtime.

I don’t remember much about the wedding, aside from it being April, and there being ice still lingering on Waskesiu Lake.

BY BRADEN DUPUIS Standing on the frozen-in breakwater out on the ice one sunny afternoon, two (equally stupid) cousins and I made the only-insane-in-hindsight decision to shuffle across the (presumably quite thin) ice to the nearby boardwalk.

And so we shuffled, the rotten, spring ice creaking and heaving, but not giving way, for 55 or so metres to the boardwalk closer to shore.

No harm, no foul. It wasn’t until one of us casually mentioned our afternoon activity to a parent, saw the colour drain from their face, that we realized it was in any way a dumb move.

Even then, I remember thinking they were overreacting. We made it, didn’t we?

Thinking about it today makes me cringe.

I was reminded of all this somewhat randomly this week while writing a web hit about local firefighters rescuing a dog who had fallen through thin ice on Alta Lake.

According to a Facebook post from the Whistler Fire Fighters IAFF Local #3944, the call came in on Jan. 3.

“Thanks to the quick-thinking owners who immediately called 911 and stayed back (exactly the right thing to do—never risk your own safety on unstable ice!), our crew was able to deploy swiftly, reach the dog safely, and bring this chilly little adventurer back to dry land and his relieved family,” the Whistler Fire Rescue Service shared on Facebook.

The dog is doing great, if a bit cold and shaken, the WFRS shared.

lakes as temperatures fluctuate from warm to freezing and back again.

Because each local lake has unique characteristics, including different freeze and thaw times, the Sea to Sky RCMP urges skaters to be aware of the risk.

“No ice or body of water is ever entirely safe,” said Sea to Sky media relations officer Cst. Antoine Graebling in a statement last winter. “Anyone enjoying recreational activities near a body of water must make their personal safety a top priority.”

The Whistler and Pemberton detachments have a few safety tips to help skaters keep safe out on the ice, including: Knowing the condition of the ice before you go out; considering the impact of recent weather patterns;

Safety Education, which, in addition to many of the tips listed by the RCMP, adds wearing a thermal protection/buoyant suit, checking in with local ice experts (like resorts, police and snowmobile clubs) before setting out and carrying a rope with you.

“Remember to make smart, educated choices about water safety, and it will keep both you and the responding emergency services personnel out of danger,” added Graebling.

By the time you read this, it might be hard to find any ice in the valley—as of this writing, the forecast beyond Friday, Jan. 9 is all above 0 C and rain—but it’s worth keeping in mind for when the temperature inevitably drops.

The Instagram allure of alpine shinny

“A huge shout-out to the owners for doing everything right, and a reminder to everyone: thin ice is no joke.”

- WHISTLER FIRE RESCUE SERVICE

“A huge shout-out to the owners for doing everything right, and a reminder to everyone: thin ice is no joke,” they said. “Keep pets on leash near frozen water and always call us if something goes wrong—we’ve got the training and gear to handle it safely.”

It’s an important and timely reminder to exercise caution on Whistler’s frozen

never going out on the ice alone; telling someone your schedule, including where you’re going and what time you’re expecting to be back; coming prepared with an emergency kit; and referring to the ice thickness card from the Canadian Life Saving Society.

For more information, the RCMP recommends The Lifesaving Society’s Ice

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on Whistler’s many frozen lakes is strong.

And when the ice is good and solid, skating on them is magical—as Canadian an experience as you’ll find anywhere in this great country.

But safety has to come first, always— don’t be the smooth-brained youngster with no sense of self-preservation or capacity for critical thought I once was. n

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MARCH 6 & 7, 2026

School Registration for the 2026/2027 School Year Opens January 20th-23rd, 2026 Kindergarten, French Immersion Programs, and All New Students to the District

WHISTLER’S LEGENDARY FUNDRAISING EVENT! Register a team to take part in the entire action packed weekend, or simply purchase evening event tickets!

School District No.48 (SD48) is welcoming registrations for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year starting January 20th, 2026, at 8:00 am and ending January 23rd, 2026, at 4:00 pm.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6 & SATURDAY, MARCH 7 TWO-DAY QUARTET - $3,200 (4 skiers/snowboarders per team)

There will be two key steps:

Privileges, Ski With a Pro Adventure Day, Après-Ski, the Race Classic, plus

Step One: Parents and Guardians will be asked to fill out an online webform through the school district website. This includes basic contact information such as name, email address, physical address and student name and grade. Parents will register as a new student to the district or a current student registering for French Immersion.

Step Two: Make an appointment to complete your registration at your English catchment school by booking online through the district website or by contacting the school directly.

Note - French Immersion registrations must be completed through your English catchment school, not the French catchment school. For Cultural Journeys and Learning Expeditions, complete your registration directly at St’a7mes School.

Please note the following important information: • A lottery system will be used to determine priority placement order for all pre-registrations on the webform. This will provide a more equitable process where space may be limited.

• Parents and guardians will have 10 days to complete the registration process at their catchment school. After 10 days, the priority placement order obtained from the lottery will be forfeited.

• Parents and guardians who miss the availability of the webform can register by contacting their English catchment school to book an appointment. In this case, a time and date stamp on the registration form will determine priority placement order.

For more detailed information visit: www.sd48seatosky.org or contact your English catchment school principal, or St’a7mes School if you are interested in Cultural Journeys/Learning Expeditions. We encourage parents and guardians to register as soon as possible to help schools plan for September 2026.

Team package includes: Buffet Breakfasts, 2-Day Lift Tickets, Priority Lift Line tickets to the Whistler Winetastic and Mountain Top Gala.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 7 MOUNTAIN TOP GALA PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG Roundhouse Lodge, Whistler Mountain

6:45pm-midnight | $275 Join us for a soiree-of-play on top of Whistler Mountain, where imagination and nostalgia will come to life! Let us ignite your sense of wonder as you enter this immersive and magical world of living toys, games, and gadgets. The Gala has it all – dinner, cocktails, dancing, live entertainment, and an auction hosted by celebrity auctioneer, Jon Montgomery. You don’t want to miss this truly unique and spectacular event!

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7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR environment for all who visited.

We are also deeply grateful to All Time Moving for transporting the trees with such care, and to Whistler Storall for storing them for us—your support behind the scenes made a tremendous difference.

Finally, thank you to all of the visitors to the Conference Centre throughout the holiday season who took the time to enjoy the trees. Your presence, enthusiasm, and support truly brought the festival to life.

We are so grateful to this community for coming together so wholeheartedly for such an important cause. We are already looking forward to next year’s event, and we would love to see even more of our community involved. Please feel free to reach out if you are interested in participating: Jennspeer@yahoo.ca.

Elaine Rempel and Jen Black // BC Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees – Whistler

Festival of Trees organizers share thanks Thank you to everyone who helped make the BC Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees in Whistler such a meaningful and memorable event. This special festival would not have been possible without the incredible generosity, collaboration, and community spirit shown by so many.

Our original goal was to showcase 10 trees, and we were absolutely thrilled to far exceed that goal with a total of 25 beautifully decorated trees. Together, this incredible effort helped raise more than $16,000 for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, making a real impact for children and families across British Columbia. This achievement is a powerful example of how the Whistler community consistently shows up to support important causes.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our sponsors, with special recognition to Sue Eckersley from Watermark for her outstanding support and commitment. A sincere thank you as well to the Whistler Conference Centre for generously allowing us to use its beautiful space, creating a welcoming and festive

“We are so grateful to this community for coming together so wholeheartedly for such an important cause.”

- ELAINE REMPEL AND JEN BLACK

Mourning a New Year’s tragedy at a Swiss ski resort I think back over the years on how and where I have celebrated New Year’s Eve. Whistler held some really wonderful ones during my earlier years that were filled with the party life that is so natural to our youth growing up.

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9145 Wedge Creek Rise WedgeWoods

Backcountry Update AS OF WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7

The start of 2026 kicked winter into high gear. A predominantly westerly flow with cool temperatures has delivered steady snowfall to the Sea to Sky. Whistler Blackcomb has reported upwards of 40 cm of new snow, and the forecast looks juicy with more to come.

Prior to the latest storm cycle, we had a period of clearing and sunshine that formed a crust on south-facing terrain. In sheltered areas, where the snow surface was protected from the wind, surface hoar developed. The storm cycle rushed into the region with strong to extreme winds, leaving exposed alpine terrain wind-pressed and sculpted, and building wind slabs in lee areas. The front-page avalanche problem has been an active and manageable storm slab.

But moving forward, the primary concern is buried surface hoar on north-facing, sheltered terrain, where southwest winds have transported the storm snow. That surface hoar may be lurking under deposits as deep as 100 cm in those spots. It helps to keep a strong “where would it be?” mental model, both when planning your route and during your

travel: sheltered north-facing features, and areas that have been protected from the wind.

The mid and lower snowpack is well settled and consolidated. Deeper down, there’s a melt-freeze from mid-December, found between 50 and 200 cm below the surface depending on elevation. At the moment it’s not a layer of concern, but it could be an issue in areas where the snowpack is shallow. It’s worth keeping in mind as it might become active with a potential warm-up on the horizon.

Looking ahead, avalanche danger ratings may trend lower if precipitation eases, temperatures warm gradually, and the snowpack continues to settle. But shifting weather patterns and the possibility for a bigger warm-up can change the picture quickly.

The best advice is simple: check the latest avalanche forecast before heading into the backcountry. We publish a new forecast every afternoon at 4 p.m., with morning updates when conditions or new information warrant.

As always, ensure you have the training and tools to enjoy the backcountry. n

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR << FROM PAGE 8 This year everyone that shares the love of skiing and alpine communities felt the sorrow of the tragedy that met so many young people in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in which 40 people perished and 119 more were injured in a bar fire at a ski resort. Many of them were under the age of 18. My heart aches for all those that lost their children and friends, for those who lost their lives and for those left burned and injured. Something like this should never happen anywhere!

Where was the adult in the room with the common sense to grab a fire extinguisher and put it out immediately once they saw flames? The adult in the room to shut off the music and tell everyone to immediately vacate in an orderly manner and help one another exit? Two simple actions that could have saved everyone from this catastrophe!

Allowing young teenagers to gather and party up with wine and beer is one thing. Allowing them to do so without adults as guardians and supervision is inviting trouble into a confined space.

Throw in some fire sparklers and away you go into a New Year’s nightmare!

What a waste of life! What a waste of potential! What a way to start out 2026 for every person who loves to ski, knowing those with whom they share this love of the alpine have lost young loved ones. It makes no sense at all!

Now I go to sleep before midnight and wake up fresh on New Year’s Day to go skiing or to walk in the forests filled with snow instead of a hangover. How I wish that would have the same appeal to those in their early years when we all feel so invisible and death seems so far away but can be your next moment in life.

Brian Wolfgang Becker // North Vancouver

Today, you generally don’t hear a lot of positive comments about Vail Resorts when skiing at WB. That’s probably putting it mildly. Any issue on the mountain is a “Vail Fail.” Whether it’s long lift lines, the difficulty of finding a table in one of the lodges to eat lunch, the late lift openings... the list goes on and on as we become more familiar with

“Apparently, they’ve now been instructed to close off the Peak line early on busy days. Aren’t all days on Whistler pretty busy?”

- ANTHONY WERRY

Whistler skiers ‘burned’ by early Peak Chair closure It has been more than nine years now since Vail Resorts bought Whistler Blackcomb (WB), with the deal closing in October, 2016.

these poor guest experiences the longer Vail Resorts owns Whistler. Some believe atmospheric rivers are now in the domain of a Vail Fail!

But what I find astonishing is the new ways Vail Resorts continues to perpetuate

Write to us! Letters to the editor must contain the writer’s name, address and a daytime telephone number.

Maximum length is 450 words. Pique Newsmagazine reserves the right to edit, condense or refrain from publishing any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine. Send them to edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com before 11 a.m. on Tuesday for consideration in that week’s paper.

its reputation as a poor operator.

Besides the obvious issues created by overcrowding in the food lodges, they have now created a logistical problem for those who want a burger and fries.

Two separate lineups are required, one for the burger and one for the fries. I wonder which executive at Vail Resorts is in charge of line logistics? I suspect they may also be responsible for my real beef today, which is why I am writing this letter.

As many skiers of Whistler like to do, we finish our day going up Peak Chair.

We know the lift closes at 2:30 p.m. and you plan accordingly. However, today, Dec. 29, the lift operators shut the line at 2:15 p.m. Apparently, they’ve now been instructed to close off the Peak line early on busy days. Aren’t all days on Whistler pretty busy? Dozens of skiers were forced out of the line, and had to ski down to Red. We felt a double burn, one from having getting turned away from Peak Chair at 2:20 p.m., and secondly from having to line up twice for a burger and fries.

It remains to be seen what other creative ways Vail Resorts will solidify its Vail Fail reputation.

At least they can’t change the shape of the mountain!

Anthony Werry // Vancouver n

Notice of Proposed Zoning Amendment Bylaw - No Public Hearing to be Held Zoning Amendment Bylaw (School Use) No. 2503, 2026 (the “proposed bylaw”) Purpose: The purpose of the proposed bylaw is to add school and auxiliary daycare uses as permitted uses on a portion of land within the existing RS-E2 (Residential Single Estate Two) Zone, and to permit a subdivision to create a separate legal title for the portion of land where only a school and auxiliary daycare would be permitted.

Subject Land: The lands that are the subject of the proposed Bylaw are shown on the map below, and legally described as: Lot 34, District Lot 2246, Group 1, New Westminster District, Plan BCP1933 Bylaw Readings: Consideration of the first, second, and third readings of the proposed Bylaw will be at the Regular Council Meeting on January 20, 2026 To learn more: A copy of the proposed Bylaw will be available for review until January 20, 2026 at: • Municipal Hall at 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, during regular office hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday (statutory holidays excluded) • Online on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) website at: engage. whistler.ca/public-hearings-anddevelopment-notices

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NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler defies regional trend with steady 2026 property assessments MEDIAN SINGLE-FAMILY HOME ASSESSMENTS WERE UNCHANGED IN WHISTLER AND UP 1% IN PEMBERTON, AS VALUES FELL ACROSS MOST LOWER MAINLAND JURISDICTIONS

BY LUKE FAULKS THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler

is one of just a few jurisdictions to avoid notable declines in 2026 property assessments, according to new data released by BC Assessment.

The median assessed value for a single-family home in Whistler ticked up less than one per cent to $2.834 million, while the median value for strata homes dropped just one per cent—from $1.341 million to $1.328 million. Pemberton, meanwhile, saw a one-per-cent increase in single-family home values, to $1.401 million.

“The softening housing market is being reflected in 2026 property assessments,” explained assessor Bryan Murao. “Many homeowners throughout the Lower Mainland can expect some decreases in assessed value with most changes ranging between -10 per cent to zero per cent.”

“What I’m seeing is that for the Sea to Sky in general, there seems to be a trend where things are pretty flat,” added Mauro. “They’ve held their value a little bit more than Metro Vancouver and really the suburbs around Metro Vancouver.”

MARKET FORCES Homeowners who believe their 2026 assessment is inaccurate have until Feb. 2 to file an appeal with BC Assessment.

PHOTO BY MIKE CRANE / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

12 JANUARY 9, 2026

Whistler also saw 15 of the Lower Mainland’s top-100 most valuable residential assessments.

Stonebridge Drive boasts three of the top-five assessed residential properties in Whistler at $32.9 million, $29.3 million and $28.9 million. A property on Sunridge Drive came in fourth at $27.5 million, and a $25-million property on St. Anton Way rounds out the quintet.

The 2026 roll includes 2,233,648 properties assessed across B.C., up about one per cent from the year before. The total value of B.C. real estate dropped by almost 2.5 per cent, from over $2.82 trillion in 2025 to just above $2.75 trillion this year.

UNIQUE MIX OF PROPERTY TYPE

RE/MAX Sea to Sky CEO Stefanie Hostetter explained there’s more movement in Whistler’s market than the median assessed values demonstrate.

“Our market is super fractured,” she said. “We’ve got [Whistler Housing Authority] properties, which have gone up because inflation has increased. We’ve got condo hotels in our Phase 2 properties that you can’t live in. Timeshares have been interestingly moving this year; as long as they’re making a return, that’s what drives those price. And these all count as real estate.”

That heterogeneity means some sectors go up while others decline—but the net result can be overall stability: “We are steady, but the things that drive

our market [are] more global confidence, desire for the lifestyle, that sort of thing,” Hostetter said.

Murao agreed Whistler and the Sea to Sky function differently than more urbanized corners of the Lower Mainland, noting the area’s 2026 assessments match segments of the province outside of its Lower Mainland bracket.

“It’s possible that the bigger trends we’re seeing [in] Metro Vancouver [are] just kind of more similar to the nonLower Mainland urban parts of B.C.,” he said. “What we’re seeing in the Sea to Sky is more similar to what we’re seeing on Vancouver Island [or] the Okanagan.”

The latest BC Assessment data underscores that distinction. Much of the Lower Mainland saw notable declines.

While Whistler’s single-family homes saw zero change and Squamish gained two per cent, Lower Mainland cities like Vancouver (down five per cent), Burnaby (down four per cent), West Vancouver (down five per cent), Richmond (down eight per cent) and Surrey (down six percent) saw steeper declines.

NON-MARKET CHANGE

The province’s total non-market change— which includes new construction, rezonings, and subdivisions—was approximately $34.7 billion, down 9.4 per cent from 2025’s $38.3 billion.

Whistler’s 2026 assessment roll included $188 million in non-market change—an increase over 2025’s $159 million.

Murao said Whistler’s non-market

change was split roughly two-thirds residential to one-third non-residential, but acknowledged small markets like the resort municipality often see larger year-to-year swings depending on just a handful of major developments.

“The non-market change in municipalities like that can actually fluctuate a lot more [compared] to somewhere like Vancouver or Surrey,” he said. “What you’re seeing this year, it could be a continuation still of work from last year.”

ASSESSMENTS ARE LAGGING INDICATORS, BUT STILL MATTER

Both Murao and Hostetter emphasized that property assessments are not a reflection of current market value, but rather a standardized valuation for tax purposes as of July 1, 2025. They encourage all homeowners to review their notices carefully at bcassessment.ca.

“If your property has gone up or down significantly compared to similar properties, homeowners should be aware of this,” Hostetter said. “A property assessed too low [can] affect your borrowing power [or] your ability to leverage your biggest asset. And then on the flip side, [you] don’t want to be overassessed for your property taxes.”

Owners can appeal the assessment by submitting a Notice of Complaint before the Feb. 2 deadline, triggering an independent review by a provincial Property Assessment Review Panel. n

NEWS WHISTLER

Council outlines expectations for Northlands rezoning PROJECT MUST INCLUDE HOUSING, RECREATION AMENITIES

BY LUKE FAULKS AFTER MONTHS of public consultation,

Whistler’s mayor and council have received a detailed engagement summary outlining community feedback on the proposed redevelopment of 4500 Northlands Boulevard.

“The most frequent concerns related to the loss of the on-site racket sports facility without a guarantee of replacement, and also the timing of delivery of amenities, [and the] consideration that the applicant may not wish to provide as many amenities as is desired or considered under the [Resort Municipality of Whistler] staff analysis of [the development’s] value,” planner Megan Mucignat told council during a Jan. 6 meeting.

Council voted to instruct staff that the final phase of the “enhanced rezoning process” will proceed once the developer, Beedie Living, submits a rezoning application package that includes major community amenities like employee housing and recreation facilities.

THREE PHASES OF REZONING

The proposed redevelopment at 4500 Northlands Boulevard and 4711 Settebello Drive would convert two parcels currently zoned for hotel, indoor and outdoor recreation and employee housing into a residential-focused neighbourhood with the potential for employee-restricted housing, townhomes, mid-rise buildings, a public plaza, limited commercial space and a new recreation centre.

To reflect the project’s scale, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) initiated a three-phase rezoning process.

The first phase kicked off in 2021, focused on visioning and developing planning and development principles relating to land use and community amenities. Phase 2, taking place between summer 2022 and fall 2025, included community engagement on development concepts and negotiations around Community Amenity Contributions (CACs).

Phase 3 will begin when council receives Beedie’s full rezoning application, leading to a rezoning review, further community consultation and the drafting of legal agreements and zoning bylaws.

“Once we receive [a formal rezoning application], we would review it, look at it against the criteria that it needs to be assessed on in the [Official Community Plan], as well as the policy context that we’ve created with those guiding principles for the Northlands site, and bring that back to council [to] show how the applicant has addressed and approached the policy framework,” explained planning manager John Chapman.

“Then at that point, with council’s direction, we’d be able to move forward

and prepare the actual zoning bylaw and bring that back for readings.”

COMMUNITY PRIORITIES

Between September and November 2025, the RMOW and the applicant undertook a wide-reaching engagement campaign that included two Beedie-led open houses, the “Add Your Voice” tradeshow booth, an online questionnaire that yielded 309 responses, and multiple stakeholder meetings with housing, tourism and development groups.

Residents and community organizations’ priorities coalesced around a few consistent themes: Desire for an on-site, year-round indoor recreation facility, replacing the racket club currently operating on site; strong support for on-site, affordable employee housing units; a call to consider delivering amenities early on in the project to provide more immediate community benefits; diverse housing to meet the disparate needs of temporary residents, families and seniors; balancing community needs, “ensuring that the CACs address the needs of the whole community,” and; other amenities, like a childcare centre “enabling parents to return to the workforce and strengthening the stability of the economy.”

Asked about feasibility of requiring amenities up front to ensure continuity of play for racket sports, Chapman noted that doing so would likely challenge the project’s viability. “A developer would have to have very deep pockets to be able to contemplate building significant projects like [recreation facilities or housing] prior to being able to receive any revenue,” he said.

BALL IN BEEDIE’S COURT

On Jan. 6, the RMOW voted to receive the engagement summary and approved conditions for Beedie’s official rezoning submission.

Council pared down a list of “community-serving components” they wanted to see in the submission to emphasize providing affordable employee housing and a multi-use recreation facility. Councillors noted the focus on housing and recreation does not preclude the delivery of other amenities like a childcare facility.

The RMOW’s representatives also moved that the application meet the amenities outlined in the engagement report or “equivalent alternatives” that meet council’s goals of managing the development’s expected impact on local infrastructure, neighbourhood character and community services.

Staff stressed the direction to proceed is not equivalent to zoning approval, but provides the RMOW and Beedie a framework to develop a comprehensive rezoning package for further scrutiny. n

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JANUARY 9, 2026

13

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler moves ahead with modernized Public Outdoor Space Regulation bylaw THE EXPANDED REGULATIONS NOW COVER PARKS, TRAILS, BEACHES, FORESHORES AND E-MOBILITY DEVICES

BY LUKE FAULKS THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler

is reimagining how its local parks and public spaces are regulated.

At the Jan. 6 council meeting, Whistler’s mayor and council heard a presentation on a new Public Outdoor Space Regulation (POSR) Bylaw—an overhaul of the resort municipality’s 20-year-old Park Use Bylaw.

The updated regulation broadens the bylaw’s scope beyond parks to all public outdoor spaces, while adding modernized rules around accessibility, operating hours, seasonal closures and the rapid rise of electronic mobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters.

The new framework replaces the 2002 Park Use Bylaw, last amended in 2015. “It needs to better support safe and respectful public spaces,” said manager of parks planning Martin Pardoe during a Dec. 16 Committee of the Whole [COW] meeting.

“How people have used [these spaces] has changed substantially since 2002.”

The new regulation also expands the scope of regulation governing shared outdoor spaces.

In addition to parks and trails, the

POSR bylaw encompasses “municipal roadways, parks, school grounds, playgrounds, beaches, recreational trails, access points, sidewalks, public squares, plazas, rights-of-way within municipal boundaries and areas located outside of the municipal boundaries yet managed by the municipality,” according to a staff report.

The overhaul also transitions the legal framework from the Local Government Act to the Community Charter, introduces delegation of authority, establishes enforceable offences, and sets maximum fines at $50,000.

WHAT’S CHANGING FROM THE 2002 BYLAW?

Staff say the bylaw introduces multiple new definitions and clarifies long-standing ambiguities. It now explicitly regulates drones, personal mobility devices, water vessels, and even foreshores—where mooring or storing watercraft is now explicitly prohibited.

The bylaw also mandates park closures from dusk to dawn, “except for approved events or where extended hours have been authorized by a general manager,” Pardoe explained.

Areas like Lost Lake Park and surrounding golf courses are subject to seasonal closures during Nordic

operations. “Only cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are permitted during that time. Dogs are not permitted,” he said.

Accessibility provisions have also been formalized. “No person may obstruct, interfere with or violate the accessibility standards set out by the municipality,” Pardoe said—a feature entirely absent in the 2002 version.

Other changes include a restriction on commercial filming and activity unless specifically authorized, and a prohibition on organized sports, hammocks, slacklines and snow terrain park construction in public outdoor spaces; Councillor Cathy Jewett asked whether staff had considered designated alcohol consumption areas, as other B.C. municipalities have done. Pardoe said staff had decided against it, citing lack of park space for new designated areas, enforcement challenges and social considerations for those struggling with substance abuse.

“We also have a lot of businesses in town that are still recovering from COVID that serve alcohol,” he added.

Jewett also raised concerns over a ban on umbrellas and pop-up tents.

Pardoe clarified they are technically prohibited but generally enforced only when complaints are received.

E-MOBILITY REGULATIONS GET DETAILED TREATMENT

The updated bylaw contains detailed provisions around e-mobility, acknowledging the growing use and complexity of e-bikes and other personal transport devices. The bylaw aligns Whistler’s rules with B.C.’s Motor Vehicle Act and permits both throttle and nonthrottle e-bikes that qualify as Motor Assisted Cycles (MACs) on the Valley Trail.

“Throttle e-bikes are among the topselling models,” Pardoe said. “They’re essential for cargo bikes and practical for many riders. Not surprisingly, they’re one of the most common e-bike types we see on our Valley Trail network.”

MACs have fully operable pedals or hand cranks, and an electric motor that does not exceed 500 watts and stops providing power at 32 km/h. These are allowed on the asphalt sections of the Valley Trail and most municipal roads, but are prohibited on pedestrian-only and nature trails.

MACs without a throttle are also permitted on select natural-surfaced recreation trails. They’re prohibited wherever e-bikes are currently prohibited by signage, including alpine trails on

SEE PAGE 15 >>

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NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler approves new climate measures; more action needed to hit 2030 targets COUNCIL ENDORSES MULTI-YEAR PLAN TO REDUCE EMISSIONS THROUGH TRANSIT, RETROFITS, AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

BY LUKE FAULKS has endorsed a sweeping list of emissions-reducing actions for 2026 and 2027, after municipal staff warned the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) remains off track to meet its 2030 climate targets.

A Dec. 16 climate action report laid bare the challenge: community-wide emissions have increased by six per WHISTLER COUNCIL

cent compared to 2007 levels. Council heard that without “drastic intervention” beyond current proposals, Whistler is unlikely to meet its goal of cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 50 per cent below 2007 levels by 2030.

That’s not to say it’s all bad news.

The RMOW’s climate action coordinator Maria Thorlakson noted that per-capita emissions—the amount of planetwarming emissions produced by a single resident—are down 30 per cent compared to 2007 levels.

To help drive emissions down, council is set to devote $6.6 million in external and reserve funding towards transit, active transportation, EV charging infrastructure, energy step code increases and building retrofit strategies in 2026 and 2027.

WHISTLER LAGS BEHIND PROVINCIAL PEERS

Whistler’s greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise—placing the municipality behind many of its provincial peers in terms of total reductions—even as its per-capita

emissions wins exceed other municipalities.

Whistler’s six-per-cent communitywide emissions increase is worse than the six-per-cent reduction reported across B.C. as a whole, and well behind jurisdictions like the City of Victoria (-31 per cent), the District of Saanich (-19 per cent), and the City of Vancouver (-18 per cent).

Only a few regions reported similar or worse trajectories: Kelowna saw emissions increase by 4.4 per cent, and Metro

SEE PAGE 16 >>

OUTDOOR SPACES BYLAW FROM PAGE 14 Sproatt and Rainbow Mountains and some trails in Emerald Forest. MACs with a throttle are prohibited on all natural surface recreation trails.

All other motorized devices— undefined e-bikes, e-motorbikes, e-scooters, and motorized skateboards— are explicitly prohibited from the Valley Trail and other public outdoor spaces.

Pardoe noted that encouraging fastermoving cyclists to use municipal roads and Highway 99 would reduce traffic and the potential for conflict on the Valley Trail.

The bylaw does not impose a speed limit, but stipulates users “must not

operate [at] a speed that endangers people or animals, is unsafe for conditions, creates collision risk or unreasonably interferes with others’ enjoyment.”

COUNCIL DEBATES SPEED, ENFORCEMENT AND SHIFTING NORMS

Discussion from councillors during the Dec. 16 COW centred largely on enforcement feasibility and trail etiquette.

Jewett pushed for a Valley Trail equivalent to the Alpine Responsibility Code to prevent careless or intoxicated riding. Pardoe confirmed plans for

a communications campaign in 2026, potentially modelled on that code.

Both Jewett and Coun. Jen Ford questioned enforcement, given many e-mobility devices exceed speed limits or have removed governors (built-in speed limiters).

“Enforcing e-device rules and bylaws is very, very difficult,” Pardoe acknowledged.

“What is easier [is] developing social norms and communication programs and the expectations of how we want people to use the Valley Trail.”

Council heard that nearly 230 new

signs were installed in 2025, with more to come, along with RCMP education programs in schools and selective trail widening where feasible.

Despite the challenges, Coun. Arthur De Jong welcomed the bylaw’s direction.

“This is a good problem,” he said. “We need people out of cars enjoying our natural environment with as many different options possible.”

“Safely,” he added.

On Jan. 6, staff were directed to bring the proposed changes back to council in bylaw form for first, second and third readings. n

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NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 15 Vancouver (which uses a 2010 baseline) reported a 6.8-per-cent increase.

But staff and council noted Whistler’s per-capita emissions tell a slightly more optimistic story.

Like the province overall, Whistler saw a 30-per-cent drop in per-person emissions compared to 2007. That puts it ahead of Metro Vancouver (-16 per cent), Kelowna (-22 per cent) and the Capital Regional District (-25 per cent)—and on par with B.C.’s best-performing regions in per-capita terms.

“It’s certainly an achievement because you want to decouple the growth from your GHG emissions, which clearly we’re showing we’ve been able to do,” Thorlakson told council. “But I think when you focus on those 2030 targets, that requires absolute reduction regardless of what population increase looks like.”

Staff noted GHG emissions are a lagging indicator and encouraged council to also consider more immediate signals of progress like EV adoption, heat pump uptake and building code updates.

The release of B.C.’s CleanBC Independent Review, Rising to the Moment, in November 2025 helped contextualize Whistler’s emissions planning. “There’s a strong sentiment that the focus needs to be on implementing climate solutions, not more planning,” Thorlakson said of the findings.

The review also warned the province,

16 JANUARY 9, 2026

and incorporate those replacements in the 2027 budget. And second, that staff review Whistler’s procurement process to “determine adjustments required to prioritize contractors with low greenhouse gas emissions” and bring policy recommendations to a future council meeting.

like Whistler, is expected to miss its 2030 climate target, even as it maintains a netzero-by-2050 goal.

BIG-TICKET ACTIONS

The RMOW’s climate actions are organized under two plans: the Big Moves Climate Action Implementation Plan, which targets community-wide emissions, and the Corporate GHG Reduction Plan, which focuses on the municipality’s internal operations.

For community-wide reductions, staff presented 16 “priority actions” for 2026 and 2027, backed by a combined budget of more than $4.19 million across two years, with $1.9 million to come from general reserves.

Among the highest-impact proposals: Expanded local transit service by 2027, with annual operating costs jumping by $1.2 million in 2027 and increasing in future years; building Retrofit Strategy implementation, including energy reporting bylaws, incentive programs and planning for high-performance building standards; new EV chargers at the Whistler Conference Centre, fully funded by external sources; Valley Trail upgrades at Alpha Lake and Bayshores; secure bike parking, shelters and valet service by 2027.

Those priority actions could drive community emissions down by four to 10 per cent of 2007 levels by 2030.

The total cost of community-wide actions for 2026 is $962,000, with

HAVE A FIT Energy retrofits at the wastewater treatment plant are one item on the agenda for cutting corporate emissions at the RMOW. FILE PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

$324,000 drawn from general reserves.

That jumps in 2027 to $3.2 million, including $1.58 million from reserves.

On the corporate side, actions include energy retrofits at Meadow Park Sports Centre (MPSC) and the wastewater treatment plant, and a goal of electrifying 43 of 150 municipal fleet vehicles by 2032. Those strategies are anticipated to drive emissions down by 13 to 36 per cent by 2030, and will draw $195,000 in 2026 and $2,250,000 in 2027 from the general reserve—though the report said staff are waiting on the response to two grant applications for the MSPC project.

To help goose emissions wins, council also moved a pair of optional recommendations: First, that staff identify priority vehicles within the municipality’s fleet for replacement with electric vehicles

COUNCIL WEIGHS THE COSTS OF CLIMATE ACTION

Councillors Ralph Forsyth and Jeff Murl expressed concern over investing in climate solutions before understanding the extent of their potential for uptake by residents. Forsyth cited 2007 investment into end-of-trip facilities for cyclists, which went under-used. Murl referenced a fleet of Olympic-era Hydrogen buses, which were sold off after the games wrapped.

Mayor Jack Crompton asked if staff had considered the impact of devoting a significant amount of the resort municipality’s budget for climate action to massively scaling-up local transit. Staff said it could be examined in a hypothetical “climate budget” weighing the emissions impact of every cut and investment.

Several council members noted the limited control municipalities have over some of the biggest levers, like energy prices, building codes and regional and local transit.

Still, Thorlakson stressed the importance of continuing to push forward. “Every ton of carbon pollution reduction matters,” she told council. n

FIFTY YEARS OF FREEDOM

Doug Forseth OCT. 20, 1949-

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 THERE ARE FEW THINGS more fraught with peril in the corporate world than creating one culture from two very different ones. That Whistler and Blackcomb managed, almost seamlessly, to accomplish that feat owes much to the quiet and determined efforts of Doug Forseth, working alongside co-lead Dave Brownlie and president Hugh Smythe.

Doug was born in Kalispell, Montana and attended Washington State University’s four-year program in restaurant and hotel administration.

Graduating in 1971, he was hired by Hyatt Hotels. By age 26, he was the youngest general manager the chain ever had. And in 1985, he was transferred to his ninth hotel... in Vancouver. Thus began an adventure that would culminate in his saying, “I’m American by birth—Canadian by choice.”

The Vancouver Hyatt was, “a mess. There was a lot of work needed to get it ready for Expo ‘86,” Doug recalls. “But I was enthralled with the possibility. I had a year to fix it or Hyatt was going to take their name off it.”

With a limited budget, Doug hired some people and instituted changes he believed were in keeping with the Hyatt brand. The improvements had the desired effect. The hotel started to make money.

With a little free time, he asked some business associates where they skied, they told him about the local mountains and a place up the road called Whistler, suggesting it was, “okay.”

Doug skied Whistler. The hook was set. He had a great day and called his wife, Mary—who’d stayed behind to finish up university after moving all over the country with him for a dozen years—exclaiming, “you’ve got to come see this place, it’s spectacular!” The next season, they’d rented a place in Whistler.

Doug overstayed Vancouver, having no wish to move. Finally, torn between his career and staying in the city and country he’d come to love, he grudgingly took a transfer to San Diego.

Two years later, he was called by a headhunter on behalf of Whistler Mountain.

The Young and Barker families, Whistler’s owners, understood they needed someone with deep hospitality experience to change the culture if they were going to successfully compete with Blackcomb.

Doug’s name kept coming up.

After some preliminaries, he was offered the job. He turned it down. More than once.

“I couldn’t get a financial package that

PHOTO SUBMITTED

worked for me,” he says. “I was going to be taking a significant pay cut.”

But after some give and take, he wound up in Whistler. A key concern Doug had turned out to be prescient. “I asked Charles (Young) what’s the runway here? Is Intrawest going to buy Whistler Mountain?”

Charles assured him the families had no interest in selling.

Arriving late in October, 1994, Doug brought the snow with him. A week into the job, Blackcomb announced it would open early. He thought it was a good idea and proposed it to Charles.

“I told him I’d talked to the team and they thought we could do it. Charles says, ‘how long have you been here? And what the f@&k do you know?’” Point taken. But Doug persisted; Whistler opened early... and that foreshadowed the effectiveness of his unassuming diplomacy and changes to come.

“The talents and possibilities were all there to change the focus toward providing outstanding customer service,” he recalls.

“We just needed to put an additional lens on everyone’s daily look at how they worked.”

Changing any company’s culture is difficult. Changing a family-owned company, doubly so. Key to understanding if his efforts were moving the dial was instituting the Comment Card system.

Key to that was following up, contacting everyone who filled out a card. “We tracked those things religiously,” Doug says. “They provided the information we needed to make changes and continue to improve.”

Things were improving the following season. And then...

Late in the day, two days before Christmas, 1995, with people downloading the Quicksilver chairlift to Creekside late in the afternoon, disaster struck. One of the quad chairs lost its grip on the line above Coach’s Corner, the steepest section, sliding into the chairs in front of it. Four chairs fell off the line. One person died,

many more were injured and a second death followed days later.

Doug, skiing down at the time, was one of the first on the scene. “That was a bleak day, as were the days that followed,” he says. “I spent a lot of time going to hospitals, visiting people who were injured, trying to be there. I felt responsible.”

Whistler limped through the rest of the season with one access out of commission and many who worked there in a state of shock.

The upshot of that tragedy was announced Dec. 15, 1996—Intrawest and Whistler Mountain merged! More accurately, Intrawest bought Whistler.

“Hugh (Smythe) called Dave (Brownlie) and me into his office and said we’re going to finish the year as if nothing had changed,” Doug says. “But I was wondering whether I might be looking for another job.”

By May, Hugh had made up his mind.

Dave and Doug were to be co-leaders of the new operation. He split responsibilities between the two, with Doug managing operations, maintenance, HR, food & beverage and ski school.

Blending senior managers posed a problem. As Doug observed, “We had duplicates of everything! Hugh told us to ‘choose the best people. One plus one equals three.’ That was his math.”

“So, that’s what we did. The idea was Whistler wasn’t going to become Blackcomb. Whistler and Blackcomb were going to become Whistler Blackcomb, something unique and different.”

What it became was a new behemoth in the ski world. It wasn’t too many years later WB hit two million skier visits, something no North American ski resort had ever done.

Running the operational divisions of the mountains and managing the capital improvements was apparently not enough of a challenge for Doug. “Hugh was so funny. He said, ‘you’re going to run this project.’” This project was the Peak 2 Peak

gondola, a record-breaking lift bringing the two mountains together.

And it had to be finished before the Olympics. It was, opening December 2009.

Doug’s efforts were honoured with the a plaque, officially naming the Doug Forseth Peak 2 Peak Whistler Terminal.

It wasn’t as though the Olympics wasn’t already on his mind. Doug had been instrumental in Vancouver’s successful bid in 2003, and for the next seven years was the resort’s chief liaison with VANOC for alpine skiing venues. In that role he convinced them they could save money by using existing talent and infrastructure at WB to design and build additional snowmaking—the expanded system becoming a significant legacy for Whistler Mountain. He coordinated venues, managed accreditation and paved the way for people to be on the mountain, watching the events, something that hadn’t been done for years for security concerns.

But the very long hours took a toll.

Shortly after the Olympics, at age 61, Doug suffered a heart attack and wisely decided to cut back on the insane hours he was working.

Even then, there were things he wanted to finish before calling it a career. Chief among them was updating the mountains’ master plan. “It took a while to get everyone, including the First Nations on board,” Doug recalls. “And will it ever happen? Probably not. But it is a blueprint for the future.”

After changing a corporate culture, being instrumental in synergistically merging two mountains, overseeing major capital improvements, making the mountain Olympic-ready and updating the master plan, Doug retired in 2017.

Predictably, he wasn’t done. Serving on many boards and working in many community groups wasn’t enough. Months ago, he was enlisted onto the board of the Whistler Development Corporation. “They decided they needed someone local who had his finger on the town’s pulse,” he explains.

Doug was probably the person most surprised when notified he was awarded the Freedom of the Municipality. “I was totally surprised and not at all convinced I deserve to be included with this amazing group of Whistler luminaries,” he says.

He was probably surprised, too, when the Whistler Chamber named him Business Person of the Year in 2004, then bestowed the Above and Beyond honour on him in 2020, when the Canada West Ski Area Association gave him the Jim Marshall Award in 2009 and when the Canadian Ski Council presented him their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

He might have been the only one surprised. Those who know him certainly weren’t.

This is Part 19 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

JANUARY 9, 2026

17

NEWS PEMBERTON

Lower Mainland regional rail advocates outline path back to passenger trains in the Sea to Sky THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY INSTITUTE ENVISIONS CONNECTING THE FRASER VALLEY, METRO VANCOUVER AND THE SEA TO SKY WITH 350 KILOMETRES OF PASSENGER RAIL would extend from Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver through the North Shore, Squamish and Whistler, ultimately integrating with other regional rail lines serving the Fraser Valley and North Fraser corridor.

Key proposed stations along the Sea to Sky route include stops in West Vancouver’s Park Royal, Dundarave, and Horseshoe Bay, before travelling up to Squamish and Whistler Village, with travel times estimated at roughly 44 minutes from Vancouver to Squamish and about 90 minutes to Whistler.

New tunnels would be required in Metro Vancouver—particularly under Burrard Inlet and through West Vancouver—but the organization argues these would also support future rapid transit and help distribute costs across multiple projects.

BY LUKE FAULKS Institute (MVI) is urging the province to move quickly to preserve the Sea to Sky rail corridor after Canadian National Railway (CN) announced it would decommission part of its railway line from Squamish to 100 Mile House.

The regional rail research and advocacy non-profit says the move presents both a rare opportunity and a significant risk for the future of passenger rail in the corridor and its proposal for a Lower Mainlandwide regional transit system.

“If the province doesn’t handle this properly, there’s the potential we could lose the corridor forever, which means no possibility of passenger rail returning,” said Lee Haber, a railway engineer and planner with MVI. “That would be a big mistake.”

THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY

ON TIMING AND PLANNING

WHAT IS MVI?

MVI, formerly known as Mountain Valley Express (MVX), is a B.C.-based nonprofit focused on advancing sustainable transportation, with regional rail at the centre of its work. The group is comprised of civil engineers, developers and academics.

The organization emerged from frustration with what members saw as a missing link in the province’s transit network: fast, frequent rail service connecting Metro Vancouver with surrounding regions such as the Fraser Valley and the Sea to Sky. “SkyTrain caps out at about 80 kilometres per hour,” Haber said.

“Regional rail trains can go much faster— typically between 150 and 200 kilometres per hour. If you want to properly serve farflung parts of Metro Vancouver or connect to places like Squamish or Whistler, regional rail is really your best option.”

That distinction is central to MVI’s flagship technical proposal, MVX Nexus, which outlines a 350-kilometre regional rail network linking Whistler, Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Tsawwassen and future Cascadia high-speed rail connections.

The plan estimates daily ridership of roughly 130,000 passengers and capital costs of about $9.6 billion, potentially reduced to $7.8 billion through shared infrastructure and international best practices.

ROCKY ROAD CN Rail relinquished its lease on a stretch of rail from Squamish to 100 Mile House last year, spurring discussions around the future of rail service in the Sea to Sky. FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER

18 JANUARY 9, 2026

SEA TO SKY RAIL: OPPORTUNITY AND CONSTRAINTS

For the Sea to Sky corridor specifically, MVI argues geography is less of a dealbreaker than commonly assumed. Much of the rail infrastructure already exists, Haber said, and the focus would be on upgrading—not rebuilding—the corridor.

“We know the tracks are still there.

Much of the infrastructure is still there,” he said. “To re-establish passenger rail, we don’t have to dig through mountains to make it happen.”

That said, MVI concedes some technical challenges remain.

The corridor is prone to landslides and rockfall, requiring debris detection systems. The track’s current build limits speeds through tight curves, which MVI proposes addressing through tilting trains and track reprofiling (restoring the optimal shape of a rail to provide a safe and stable surface for wheels) rather than extensive new tunnelling. Overspeed protection systems would also be required to safely maximize travel times.

According to Haber, much of the non-track infrastructure—like signalling and safety systems—would need to be rebuilt, but the overall capital cost of a basic short-term passenger service could be relatively modest compared to the nearly $10-billion price tag attached to the whole MVX Nexus proposal.

“Our sense is that putting in a basic

diesel multiple-unit service would likely be less than $100 million—maybe around $50 million,” he said, adding existing facilities like the West Coast Railway Heritage Park could potentially be used for fleet maintenance.

While much of the public discussion has focused on Squamish and Whistler, MVI’s longer-term vision extends further north, with potential service to Pemberton and Lillooet framed as a question of sequencing rather than feasibility.

“If we have electrified passenger rail that goes up to Whistler, it becomes easier to justify extending that to Pemberton or offering a daily service that goes up to Lillooet and beyond,” Haber explained.

He said conversations with First Nations representatives have underscored serious mobility challenges in more remote parts of the corridor, particularly around access to medical services and regional hubs, which passenger rail could help address if service is extended beyond Whistler.

HOW THE SEA TO SKY FITS INTO MVX’S WIDER REGIONAL RAIL VISION

In MVX’s long-term Nexus plan, the Sea to Sky corridor is not a standalone rail line, but one axis within a broader regional rail network designed to connect Metro Vancouver with surrounding regions through fast, frequent, all-day service.

Under their vision, the Sea to Sky axis

While CN’s lease decision has created space for renewed discussion, MVI cautions the window may be narrow. If rail lands are repurposed or sold without preservation conditions, re-establishing passenger service could become prohibitively expensive—or impossible.

To help prevent that outcome, the Institute is calling on the province to establish a formal registry of railadjacent properties and corridors that should be protected for future stations and alignments, a recommendation laid out in its open letter to the Ministry of Transportation and TransLink.

“If development isn’t coordinated with future station design, it’s going to make construction a lot more expensive,” Haber said. “These are relatively simple adjustments that could save huge amounts of money later.”

Twenty groups have co-signed MVI’s open letter, including the Abbotsford and Tri-Cities Chambers of Commerce, Surrey Board of Trade, Ch’íyáqtel First Nation and the cities of Delta, Port Moody and Langley.

In 2026, MVI plans to raise funds for a formal feasibility study examining short-term passenger rail options in the Sea to Sky. “This would be something that could be implemented within two years if everybody gets their act together,” Haber said. “Diesel multiple units, no electrification required initially—but with proper safety systems in place.”

While the long-term vision involves an electrified regional rail network integrated with Metro Vancouver transit, Haber said immediate steps are needed to prevent the corridor from slipping away.

“The most expensive thing in railways is the corridor,” he said. “Once you lose that, you don’t get it back.” n

Public Notice Notice to consider Village of Pemberton Council Procedure Amendment (Funding Requests) Bylaw No. 1004, 2026.

The Council of the Village of Pemberton intends to consider an amendment to Council Procedure Bylaw No. 993, 2025 at the regular meeting to be held at 5:30pm on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The Village of Pemberton Council Procedure Amendment (Funding Requests) Bylaw No. 1004, will incorporate the following changes: 1.The addition of an item titled “Funding Requests” to regular council meeting agendas.

2.The addition of a new section outlining the process of submitting funding requests to council.

Copies of the proposed bylaw and background information may be viewed on the Village website at Pemberton.ca and inspected at the Village of Pemberton office at 7400 Prospect Street during office hours from Friday, January 9th to Tuesday, January 20th.

All persons who consider that they are affected by the proposed bylaw will be provided a reasonable opportunity to make representation to Council in writing prior to the January 20th meeting or by addressing Council at the January 20, 2026 meeting.

Anyone wishing to address Council may join the meeting in Council Chambers at 7400 Prospect Street or may connect via the Zoom webinar (Webinar ID: 840 0997 7920).

Written submissions must be addressed to Mayor and Council and must be received by noon on Monday, January 19, 2026. Submissions may be sent by: Email: corporate@pemberton.ca Mail or delivery: Corporate & Legislative Services, PO Box 100, 7400 Prospect Street, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L1 Written submissions received before noon on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 will be included in the agenda package and will be available on the Village website at pemberton.ca.

Gwendolyn Kennedy Deputy CAO/Corporate Officer

Questions?

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604.894.6135

admin@pemberton.ca

pemberton.ca

WE ARE HIRING! People and Culture Coordinator Join our People & Culture team at Four Seasons Resort Whistler, where worldclass hospitality meets the beauty of the mountains.

As People & Culture Coordinator, you’ll be at the heart of creating an exceptional employee experience— supporting daily operations, managing HR systems, and organizing engagement programs that make our resort an incredible place to work.

From onboarding new team members to planning recognition events and assisting with housing logistics, you’ll help foster a culture of care and connection.

KAREN WILLIAMSON JULY 18, 1958 - DECEMBER 11, 2025

Karen Michele e Williamson (67), an adored resident of Whistler, BC, passed away on Dece ember 11, 2025, at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, following a sudden brain a aneurysm. She was surrounded by her loving family.

In 1982, Karen n embarked on a six-week motorcycle adventure with her partner Dave. Their journey ended on the coast of British Columbia, shaping the life Karen would g go on to build. Karen quickly began her practice of optometry in Delta, while D Delta Dave settled in Whistler. She joined him there in 1984, where she remained deeply committed to eye health in the community. Karen founded the Whistler Eye Clinic in 1988 and was always willing to offer thoughtful advice— professionally, personally, and long past her retirement.

Karen had a remarkable ability to care for others in ways both big and small.

She was a fierce advocate for the people she loved and could often be found waiting on the phone on hold, making plans and ensuring everyone was looked after as her family’s trusted organizer, administrator, and adventure coordinator.

The rest of the time, Karen could be found hiking in the Rockies, skiing in the Alps, bike touring in Europe, stand-up paddle surfing at Middles, and sailing on the West Coast— and this past year, in the South Pacific. Most recently, Karen added wing-foiling to her growing list of passions, especially during time spent at her shoulder-season home on Kauai. She also found great joy in gardening.

While natives and annuals intrigued her in Whistler, the tropical flowers and fruits delighted her in Kauai.

Karen was a great conversationalist and loved being out in her community whenever possible. She loved costumes and especially looked forward to theme night on her annual bike trips with her Whistler girlfriends. Creative and practical, Karen famously sewed fleece dresses during the phase when her daughter, Tori, refused to wear pants, ensuring the family could continue their adventurous Whistler lifestyle. Karen’s dogs Edge, Asia, and Ringo were rarely far from her side; she adored them as much as they did her.

Karen lives on through the love and memories of her husband Dave; her daughter Tori (Keith); her son Graham (Jaclyn); her sister Helen (Chris); her aunt Gill; her extended family in Canada and England; and her many, many dear friends. She was predeceased by her parents, Pamela and Desmond.

She will be remembered for her warmth, generosity of time and spirit, infectious laugh, love of travel and adventure, and for living a truly full and deeply engaged life.

SCAN TO DONATE

A celebration of life is being planned and details will be made available soon. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation in Karen’s memory to the Whistler Community Foundation where she served as a board member.

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JANUARY 9, 2026

19

RANGE ROVER

The Zen of Stopping Over BEING A SKI-TRAVEL writer is often more hectic than one wishes. Because you’re usually travelling on someone else’s dime, the amount of time spent getting someplace typically equates with the least expenditure—i.e., short and swift. While such brutal efficiency makes business

BY LESLIE ANTHONY sense and doesn’t interfere (other than unnecessarily brutal jet lag) with the job you’re intended to do, it causes you to miss out on some of the fun of getting to a destination. And this can be a shame.

Over the decades, I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been whisked to a place in a marathon of urgency that has caused me to overlook what was once a hallmark of the travel trope—the stopover. And it’s often in the stopover, on the way to somewhere else, that you make discoveries. Take the picturesque Swiss city of Martigny; it’s an easy 20 minutes from the ski colossus of Verbier, an hour to Chamonix, Crans Montana and Val D’Anniviers, and a couple hours by train to Zermatt, but it’s also a world of its own worth exploring.

VALLEY OF DREAMS Martigny in the Rhone Valley, Switzerland.

PHOTO BY TATSUO115 / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

20 JANUARY 9, 2026

Hugging the floor of the Rhône Valley, encircled by dramatic wooded ramparts, Martigny’s strategic history as a natural crossroads to France and Italy saw the town first develop as a Roman garrison. A handful of the empire’s ruins and the prestigious Fondation Pierre Gianadda Art Gallery long reigned as a tourism draw for the town—until a highway bypass built in 1993 limited visitor numbers. Things quickly went into decline as everyone skipped over or around Martigny. But as I found out last spring, a new project—Quartier LôDzè— is looking to not only help the town rebound, but become a different kind of base for skiers.

Opened in March 2025, the new quarter occupies old ground, while being rooted in today’s flagship sensibilities of community, creativity and well-being.

The development is anchored by Hotel Borsari, a boutique property with a twist—a subterranean public pool area built around re-created concrete wine silos. You could call them contemporary Roman baths in a more swank, atmospheric hall. The hotel’s modern tone is set by its minimalist façades of wine-red brick and a stained-concrete interior, both of which echo Martigny’s agro-industrial past. Accompanying the baths are Café Alphonse, facing a sunny southwest garden, and restaurant Le Cercle, spinning locally sourced cuisine around a cobblestoned central courtyard shared with Saucithèque, a wine and charcuterie bar. It’s definitely not the Martigny of old, and yet somehow reflects the history through an upscale

eye to the future. Given these ancient overtones, Hotel Borsari isn’t the kind of place you’d necessarily find in a modern ski resort, but it nevertheless has a skier behind it.

Quartier LôDzè is a dream project for one-time financial trader John Cretton, a Brit with a scholarly passion for Roman history and, latterly, a hotelier and nightclub owner in Verbier. Seeking more tranquil environs, he’d been shown the abandoned site of a 19th-century winery run by the Borsari family in Martigny— its underground concrete tanks the first in the world used to ferment and store wine, according to Cretton.

It was to this facility that many of the region’s growers had once delivered their grapes, elevating it to the town’s largest employer by the 1930s. Sensing something romantic in this communal history, Cretton purchased the property and spent 12 years realizing his vision.

With his grandfather born here, it was also a heritage project for Cretton. “The bypass meant people didn’t come here as much as they used to, and Martigny kind of lost its way,” he told me of the realization that whatever he did here could set the tone for the next 20 to 30 years of development. “It was a real opportunity. I mean, the place has good energy and even some mystic qualities.

And the baths gave me a way to say You won’t find this in any ski resort.”

With this project, Cretton and Quartier LôDzè hope to establish Martigny as a cheaper, more convenient base for guides and others priced out of resorts as well as skiers craving a less-

supercharged ambience and looking to explore unique, more-relaxing digs. With cost a major impetus in travel decisions, I can’t see it not succeed.

Indeed, I’ve learned through experience of several other big-town stopovers in the Alps that should be considered for their interest and ease on the pocketbook. Grenoble, France is a great example. Centre of the 1968 Winter Olympic Games and gateway to France’s southern Alps resorts, Grenoble’s attractions include stunning Fort de la Bastille, art in the Museum of Grenoble, charming Vieille Ville (old town) and beautiful parks and gardens. Likewise, the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck, Austria, host to the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympic Games and other events, is winter sports’ best-known metropolis. Sandwiched by big mountains, this cultural crossroads is gateway to several ski regions with no less than nine resorts hovering above its own university-and-industry skyline.

And finally, you may not have heard of Aosta, Italy, but you can easily reach 19 different ski resorts from this old Roman town in the middle of the eponymous valley. Statues, ruins, castles, forts, art and an unmatched food-and-wine heritage (this is really saying something in Italy) make for a relaxed, culture-rich diversion from the likes of busy ski areas like Courmayeur and Cervinia.

Want to stop yourself from hurrying to go skiing? Stopover.

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

SCIENCE MATTERS

The power of awe: How nature can transform our perspective A LARGE SWARM of anchovies recently swam into Semiahmoo Bay near White Rock, British Columbia, staying for about a week. The abundance of tiny fish attracted an explosion of biodiversity. Thousands of gulls, grebes, surf scoters and the occasional sea lion amassed for an anchovy feast.

As many as 100 harbour seals also congregated, seemingly hunting as a pack—an occurrence with little to no documentation in scientific literature.

It was a wildlife spectacle akin to a scene from a David Attenborough documentary, on a scale that many

BY DAVID SUZUKI people today rarely see first-hand.

It’s one thing to learn about predator-prey relationships from a film or textbook, but seeing species interactions so viscerally offers a greater understanding of how everything is connected. In this case, huge numbers of fish resulted in more birds and seals, each with its place in the web of life. Witnessing such an abundance of biodiversity is aweinspiring.

Australian journalist and author Julia Baird describes “awe” as the sensation that makes one feel small but more connected— often found in nature, art or human goodness. “When you see the beauty, vastness and fragility of nature, you want to preserve it. You see what we share, and how we connect. You understand being small,” she wrote in Phosphorescence.

Feeling awe from observing nature is not political. We can find commonality and unity in a shared sense of beauty, curiosity and amazement for the natural world.

If I could, I would roll out this spectacle on a cross-Canada tour to engage more people in the experience.

Such an endeavour doesn’t seem absurd given findings from a recent study that looked at human connectedness to nature. We know this affinity has been declining with each generation— dropping by 60 per cent over 200 years, according to a 2025 study by University of Derby science professor Miles Richardson.

Perhaps even more alarming, a 2025 study by Swedish and Japanese researchers found that a love of nature is not something innate (a longheld assumption called “biophilia,” popularized by the great biologist E.O. Wilson). Rather, the study suggests a growing number of people feel fear, disgust or discomfort toward nature.

These researchers conducted a

systematic global review of scientific articles from different disciplines (environmental sciences, social sciences, psychology). Their findings suggest that human emotions are shaped by our surroundings, including exposure to nature and media narratives.

Media can play a huge role, including vastly overrepresenting the risk wildlife poses to human life—often to the detriment of wilderness. The authors also found a trend of declining human-nature relationships over time. They attributed this to reduced contact with nature and limited knowledge about it reinforcing each other. These findings make sense given our increasingly urbanized and online global population.

How do we begin to build back biophilia? This question is critical to conservation. I’m worried that we’re losing biodiversity at a rate so fast that many of us will never witness a scene like that in Semiahmoo Bay. If people don’t care about the natural environment, and don’t see ourselves as part of it, we won’t fight to preserve it. We’re already seeing this trend in Canada, as federal and provincial politicians push through legislation and projects that harm nature.

One solution is to actively increase our knowledge and contact with nature.

I see some hope with community science (also referred to as “citizen science”). It’s growing in significance every year, with millions of people contributing valuable data—including through the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway Project and work with iNaturalist.

Importantly, much of the data are open and accessible to all. I’ve witnessed people growing more enthusiastic about nature simply through the power of observation and learning.

Equally important for science, advances in computational power allow us to make the most of this huge volume of biodiversity data.

Researchers are analyzing it to look for trends by studying, for example, changes in animal and plant abundance and distribution and gaining an understanding of the importance of species interactions. This is made possible through the simple act of paying attention to the world around us.

Having a sense of awe for nature dwarfs one’s own sense of importance and provides a critical catalyst for acting collectively to preserve something much bigger than ourselves.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Nature Director Erin Roger. Learn more at davidsuzuki.org. n

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JANUARY 9, 2026

21

FEATURE STORY

From the

margins to the mountains Whistler’s Zero Ceiling offers stability through housing, work and a way back into the mountains

By Liz McDonald

On

a winter morning in Whistler, before the gondolas fill and the village hums awake, Jordan Mayert straps in his snowboard boots at the edge of the mountain. The air is sharp and quiet, the kind of cold that clears your head.

Below him, the valley is still half in shadow. Above, the alpine glows.

Eight years ago, this place felt impossibly far away.

“I was in the city trying to find my success, but I wasn’t that successful,” Mayert says. “I had used the programs that were available to me in my circumstance.

I stayed at shelters, I went to drop-in centres.”

Back then, his days were measured in meals and beds—where to eat, where to sleep, what door might open next. Whistler existed as an idea more than a destination, something glimpsed on posters or overheard in conversations about mountains and seasons and work.

Today, Mayert stands on the mountain not as a visitor, but as a program facilitator with Zero Ceiling, a Whistler-based non-profit that supports youth experiencing homelessness through a combination of housing, employment and outdoor access. His role brings him full circle: he now works with young people navigating the same instability he once lived.

“It has me fired up,” he says. “I get to look at myself in the mirror every day and be like, I made it out of this insane ratio that doesn’t have a lot of success stories.”

A national problem, lived locally Across Canada, youth homelessness remains both widespread and misunderstood. According to a 2024 policy brief from Foundry, a provincial network supporting young people’s mental health and wellness, between 35,000 and 40,000 young people experience homelessness in Canada each year, with as many as 7,000 youth without stable housing on any given night. Many of them are not sleeping

22 JANUARY 9, 2026

rough or in shelters, but Seeing the poster cycling through “hidden h o m e l e s s n e s s ” — c o u c h - For Mayert, the first crack in that cycle came not through surfing, temporary policy or research, but a poster on a wall. arrangements, and unstable He was in a crisis program at Covenant House living situations that rarely show when he saw information about Zero Ceiling—an up in official counts. organization that combined housing and work with Research compiled by Homeless outdoor experiences like skiing and snowboarding.

“It explained more of the fun aspect of it,” he says.

Hub, a national homelessness research network, emphasizes “Snowboarding and skiing and Whistler—like, oh yeah. youth homelessness is distinct from Let me see how I can do that.”

At the time, he had no clear plan beyond chasing music adult homelessness in both causes and consequences. Young people experiencing and trying to survive. But the idea of the mountains lodged homelessness are more likely to have been involved itself somewhere deeper. With the help of a caseworker, he in child welfare systems, to have faced family conflict signed up for an adventure session.

That first trip north still lives vividly in his memory. or violence, or to have experienced early disruptions “I remember the gloves I was wearing,” he says, to education. Once homeless, they encounter compounding barriers to employment, health-care and laughing. “Someone working the lift complimented them.”

It was a small moment, but it landed hard. long-term stability.

“A couple weeks before that, I was eating food at a A recent peer-reviewed study by Melanie Doucet, published through ScienceDirect, reinforces this drop-in centre and just wondering what I’m going to do,” he says. “And then I’m up here, and someone notices pattern. Doucet’s research explores how young people exiting systems of care—particularly child welfare— me. I still remember that feeling.” are disproportionately represented among those experiencing homelessness, often without adequate transitional supports. The study underscores what Work, housing, and the long middle many frontline workers already know: homelessness among youth is rarely a single event, but the outcome of Zero Ceiling’s flagship Work-to-Live program is built layered structural failures. around a simple-but-demanding premise: stable housing In resort communities like Whistler, those pressures paired with paid employment and structured support collide with another reality: an extreme housing market can interrupt the churn that keeps young people stuck. where even full-time workers from well-resourced Mayert was accepted into the program in 2017, at a backgrounds struggle to find stable places to live. time when Zero Ceiling’s capacity was far smaller than it is today. Participants shared rooms separated by curtains. Privacy was limited. Resources were stretched.

He started working at Whistler Blackcomb in guest services, doing ticketing and pass validation—early mornings, long lines, cold hands. Eventually, he developed a reputation for spotting fraudulent passes.

“I caught 52 in my first season,” he says. “There was an incentive behind it, so once I figured that

FEATURE STORY

A Zero Ceiling participant during a day on the mountain.

Jordan Mayert catches some air on the mountain.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ZERO CEILING

out, I jumped on it.”

But success on paper didn’t erase the internal challenges. Mayert describes that first year as marked by isolation, conflict with roommates and persistent imposter syndrome. He was on probation during his initial season, carrying the weight of past decisions into a place that, to many, looked like a dream.

“You don’t change overnight,” he says. “You don’t change over six months.”

A program grows up Zero Ceiling has evolved significantly since Mayert’s early days. According to the organization’s co-executive director, Lizi McLoughlin, the past year has been one of its largest and most impactful.

“This has been one of the biggest years we’ve ever had,” she says. “By the time this is published, we’ll have had 19 individuals live in our housing units at some point [in 2025].”

Many of those participants have already graduated and moved on, making space for new youth to enter the program.

“We’ve welcomed so many new youth to our

community,” McLoughlin says.

The growth isn’t limited to housing. Zero Ceiling’s outdoor access programs—day trips and activities for youth who may never otherwise set foot in the mountains—are seeing record demand.

“We’re seeing more uptake than ever, more interest than ever,” McLoughlin says. “For youth who don’t often get to be in the mountains, those opportunities matter.”

This combination—housing, employment and outdoor access—is echoed in the research. Studies summarized by Homeless Hub consistently show that programs addressing only one aspect of homelessness struggle to achieve lasting outcomes. Stable housing improves educational continuity. Employment supports financial independence and identity. Community and recreation reduce isolation and build resilience.

Coming back as a leader Today, Mayert works on the other side of the interview table. As a program facilitator, he connects with youth in shelters and drop-in centres across the Lower Mainland and Sea to Sky corridor—places he once relied on himself.

“I’m now the person that’s leading these groups,” he says.

“I really understand where they’re at.”

That credibility matters. Research by Doucet emphasizes the importance of relational trust and continuity for youth navigating homelessness—particularly for those exiting systems of care without stable adult support.

Snowboarding remains central to Mayert’s work—not as a luxury, but as a tool.

“The barriers are almost endless,” he says, listing transportation, gear, lessons and passes. “Being able to access that as my work now—it never occurred to me I could actually do this.”

The cost of stability

(R to L): Philly, Sean, Lizi and Jordan.

As the calendar flips to a new year, Zero Ceiling faces the same question confronting many non-profits:

how to sustain growth without burning out the people who make it possible.

“The No. 1 thing we’re always looking for is unrestricted donations,” McLoughlin says. “That’s what allows us to support our staff team and meet the biggest needs for youth at the time.”

Unrestricted funding, she explains, is critical not just for day-to-day operations, but for long-term planning—something research consistently identifies as a challenge across the non-profit sector.

This time of year also brings practical needs. Winter gear—ski jackets, snow pants, base layers—can be the difference between participation and exclusion. Local businesses frequently step in, hosting fundraisers or collecting donations on the organization’s behalf.

“It’s about community,” McLoughlin says. “People showing up in ways that make sense for them.”

Choosing a different definition of success Mayert made deliberate choices about work and money.

At one point, he considered taking a higher-paying job away from Whistler. He didn’t.

“You can’t buy this quality of life,” he says. “What I feel on the daily is the definition of gratitude.”

His long-term goal is ambitious: he wants to one day become Zero Ceiling’s executive director.

“It needs to have somebody that has been through it,” he says. “That has put literal blood, sweat and tears into it.”

What comes next Research from Foundry and Homeless Hub is clear: youth homelessness is preventable, but only with sustained, coordinated investment. Early intervention, stable housing, employment pathways and community connection are not luxuries—they are prerequisites for long-term outcomes.

In Whistler, Zero Ceiling represents one localized response to a national challenge. It is imperfect, evolving and deeply human—much like the people it serves.

For Mayert, the measure of success isn’t found in numbers alone.

“Through perseverance and strength,” he says, “you can do anything you set your mind to.”

On the mountain, the sun has climbed higher now.

The valley below is fully awake. Mayert stands on his board and drops in—not away from where he came from, but toward the people still finding their way. n

JANUARY 9, 2026

23

SPORTS THE SCORE

Mollie Jepsen locked and loaded for third Paralympics appearance in March THE SIX-TIME MEDALLIST FROM WHISTLER HAS OVERCOME CROHN’S DISEASE, KNEE INJURIES AND A BROKEN ELBOW DURING HER SKIRACING CAREER

BY DAVID SONG EACH ATHLETE who competes at the Paralympic Games knows how to persevere, but few embody that ideal better than Mollie Jepsen.

The six-time Paralympics medallist was born missing fingers on her left hand, but that didn’t stop her from beginning to ski at just one year old and launching her race career as a preteen. For years she took on able-bodied rivals on the FIS Nor-Am circuit before transitioning fully to para-alpine.

Jepsen was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in September 2018, just months after rising to four podium appearances at the Pyeongchang Games. This chronic inflammatory bowel ailment kept her out of competition until January 2020, but the Whistler Mountain Ski Club (WMSC) alum rebounded with gold and silver in Beijing two years later.

She took a campaign off after that, snowmobiling in the backcountry. Next, an onslaught of knee problems wiped 2023-24 off her competitive schedule.

Less than a week after returning to snow from surgery, she broke her elbow

STYLE POINTS Mollie Jepsen shows off her distinctive skiing style, with just one pole.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOLLIE JEPSEN

24 JANUARY 9, 2026

and wrist in an October 2024 mountain bike accident.

Jepsen’s ability—and desire—to qualify for a third Paralympics was very much in doubt.

“There was definitely a time when I wasn’t sure that [elite sport] was the right thing for me anymore,” she revealed. “I genuinely cared a little bit more about being healthy, having a normal life and not being so injured all the time. I didn’t even like standing in the kitchen to make breakfast because my knee was so sore. At some point, something goes off and you’re like, ‘damn, I really would like to be skiing when I’m 60 or go for a walk with my friends and not be in pain.”

Had Jepsen chosen to retire, there would have been no shame… but her work ethic remained undiminished. She kept hitting the gym twice a day, laserfocused on restoring her body to 100 per cent. Strength and conditioning coaches Kayla Dodson and Laura Strenger made invaluable contributions, just like physiotherapists Andree Lavoie and Maggie Phillips-Scarlett.

The true MVP was Jepsen’s mom, Abbie Milavsky, who drove her to every appointment and provided constant love during the darkest of post-surgery moments. Jepsen’s health began to improve, and as of now she is on track to wear the Maple Leaf at Milano Cortina 2026.

A PARAGON OF PERSEVERANCE

For Jepsen, the mental hurdles on the road to recovery have been as daunting as the physical.

“People are very used to seeing a big old scar on your knee or something like that, so having a bit more of an invisible injury like Crohn’s disease … I think a lot of people who go through [traumatic brain injuries] and concussions can relate, but it was really difficult because I looked healthy,” the 26-year-old said.

“I was in and out of the hospital for three months starting in September of 2018. It was really hard to listen to my body and know that, ‘you might look healthy, but you need to slow down.’

“I had to adjust the way I ate and the way my body got nutrients. I was juggling a whole bunch of different medications with side effects, and again, all of this was invisible to even my coaches. I’ve been very stable since basically 2020, so I’m very grateful for that. Knock on wood.”

In some ways, Jepsen had a more arduous experience conquering her shattered elbow as opposed to her blown knees. A torn ligament like an ACL demands a recovery timetable of nine to 12 months, which can help an athlete distance herself from the initial injury, but not so with broken bones.

She recalled: “I was cleared to ski six weeks after I had reconstructive surgery on my elbow and I was horrified—so

scared to be skiing. The acute pain and memory of what happened is just so fresh at six weeks that you’re like, ‘oh my God, what am I doing skiing right now?’ Last year I struggled a lot coming back … the light would go flat and I’d need to sit down on the ground for a second because I was scared. “[Mentally, the damage] happens almost sneakily, very slowly that you don’t even realize you’re not quite yourself anymore—especially when you’re taken away from all the things you love doing for months and months. Even my most recent knee surgery was on my right leg and I was absolutely non-weight bearing for almost three months, so I wasn’t driving either. There’s so many things you don’t realize [are impacting you].”

What, then, buoys Jepsen on the quest for a third Paralympic outing? It is her competitive nature, but also her excitement to revisit the spectacular Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre with friends and loved ones present: an “extra level of awesome.” It is the pride she feels because the Sea to Sky community respects her, as do Canadian decisionmakers who made her flagbearer for the Beijing 2022 Closing Ceremony.

Jepsen doesn’t just want to win. She hopes to be recognized for who she is and how she gives back to others. A golden opportunity to do both awaits from March 6 to 15 when the upcoming Paralympics kick off. n

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SEND IT Mikey Ciccarelli carves down an Alaskan face during his Natural Selection Tour 2023 quarterfinal in Valdez.

CALL 604 962-0555

PHOTO BY CHAD CHOMLACK / COURTESY OF THE NATURAL SELECTION TOUR

Whistler’s Mikey Ciccarelli reflects on Natural Selection Tour experience THE LOCAL SNOWBOARDER IS EXCITED FOR 2026 AS THE TOUR INTRODUCES A NEW FIRST-ROUND FORMAT

BY DAVID SONG

and understandable … it’s going to tie everything together nicely.”

FOR MIKEY CICCARELLI, the Natural

‘THE FIRST WORD THAT COMES TO MIND IS PATIENCE’

Selection Tour (NST) is the quintessential snowboarder’s contest.

Ciccarelli tasted victory for his first time on April 4, 2024, defeating United States rider Nils Mindnich despite falling behind by 20 points after Run No. 1. Last year he was unable to defend his crown and ended up seventh.

Yet the appeal of NST is not tied to wins and losses. It’s tied to the fact that tour founder Travis Rice genuinely loves snowboarding and wants to showcase the sport in its purest form. That means no artificial features and no external governing bodies—just Earth’s most talented men and women facing some of the most spectacular terrain Mother Nature has to offer.

“It is such a true form of a snowboard event,” Ciccarelli opined. “A lot of snowboarders out there can appreciate riding powder, and they can really appreciate it when you get to watch live in a venue that’s designed to catch air and do some of the coolest riding you can ever do.”

In 2026, the NST is shaking things up: replacing its old Duels format with a sequence of Super Sessions that enable athletes to compete in a more collaborative group setting. The women›s side will be held at evo’s Journeyman Lodge in Callaghan Valley, while men are going to be split across Myōkō, Japan and Powder Mountain, Utah.

Reigning ladies’ champ Spencer O’Brien voiced her support of the new approach, and her fellow Whistlerite Ciccarelli agrees.

“I’ve only had to do Duels once, but it can take up a lot of our time in the sense that we’re filming video parts, YouTubes, all these other projects and it can eat up a little bit of your season,” he said. “I think [Super Sessions] would be cool because there’ll be even more riders for fans who are there. It would just make things a little bit more streamlined

Competitors who make it out of Super Sessions will meet in Revelstoke again from March 10 to 16 for the grand finale.

NST veteran Dustin Craven and his peers are already at work refining the Montana Bowl venue located just outside the boundary of Revelstoke Mountain Resort: a place full of eye-opening cliff bands, boulders, platforms, and tree features.

Expect the usual mix of Olympians, X Games stars and backcountry warriors to drop in. Ciccarrelli has been to all kinds of snowboard events before, but the Montana Bowl stands out in his mind as an “amphitheatre” that delivers unparalleled riding and viewing experiences.

It takes not only skill, but poise to achieve greatness in that kind of setting.

“The first word that comes to mind is patience. You can’t get ahead of yourself and overthink scenarios because you really don’t know what will happen until that day,” explained Ciccarelli. “I’ve snowboarded for 20-plus years and know that all my experience will allow me to perform to the best of abilities on that day, whatever the conditions might be— if it’s only snowed five centimetres or 40.

“If you try to pinpoint … exactly what’s going to happen, it’s never like that. It will never be exactly what you think it is. It’s always going to be ever-changing, and that’s what makes it fun because you have to use your creative skills and your ability to adjust on the fly.”

Above all, Ciccarelli is proud to be part of the NST community in Whistler and beyond. He lauds Craven for giving back to Revelstoke and describes O’Brien’s victory last season as “incredible.” Ciccarelli hopes to hang with athletes of their calibre for as long as he can, boarding to his full potential and showing off his accomplishments no matter the end result.

Visit naturalselectiontour.com for more details about NST. n

JANUARY 9, 2026

25

FORK IN THE ROAD

Fresh year—and fingers crossed it’s a boring one SOME OF THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE LOW KEY GOOD FRIENDS moved to Perth a while back to make fresh connections with family, and they hope for something sweet for us all in 2026—a boring year!

That sure made us smile.

Not that they’re longing for personal boredom. And no way they saw the U.S. invasion of Venezuela coming.

(Anyone in the White House ever hear of

BY GLENDA BARTOSH international law?!) But I think you might be with them—and me—in wishing for a bland New Year.

To that end, let’s see what we can do for ourselves, and our neighbours, to at least try and keep things humdrum, steady-Eddie. With that in mind, here are some “exciting” headlines from the past year, ones that remind us it was anything but boring, along with easy tips that will help calm things down.

MICROPLASTICS ON OUR MINDS—LITERALLY

“Our brains are filling with more and more microplastics, study shows” read the Washington Post headline in February last year. As horrifying as that sounds, it’s true.

PLASTIC ON THE BRAIN Microplastics aren’t just wreaking havoc on our natural environment.

PHOTO BY SVETLOZAR HRISTOV/ ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

26 JANUARY 9, 2026

Citing a study in Nature Medicine, the article went on to summarize how microplastics—you know, those teeny particles of plastic so small some are invisible to the naked eye—aren’t only wreaking havoc in our natural environment. For years, scientists have identified microplastics in blood, liver, testicles—you name it. Now we have proof they cross the blood-brain barrier and literally get inside our minds. And it’s only getting worse.

According to the article, which ran with a photo of colourful plastic bits washed up on a beach, like we’re seeing more and more of on the Wet Coast, the concentration of microplastics in analyzed brains rose a whopping 50 per cent from 2016 to 2024, while the increase in plastic production roughly doubles every 10 to 15 years. The average brain studied contained about five grams of microplastics—a bit more than the weight of a plastic spoon!

Sure, it’s just one study, and not the first researching plastic in our brains, but it also determined that the brains of 12 deceased patients diagnosed with dementia had three to five times as much microplastic as normal brains. Yikes.

Now that ain’t “exciting.” It’s downright scary, especially since microplastics aren’t only coming from all the plastic that sloughs off during processing and all those plastic bottles, bags and bits we mindlessly toss into nature. Believe it or not, they also come from any plastic-y polyester/synthetic clothing etc., especially in the wash. Plus most of the particles found in those brain specimens were nanoparticles, which can be as small as a fraction of a hair’s width—

exactly what sloughs off of polyester.

So let’s get boring here and try a couple of simple things besides making sure our plastic garbage goes into the garbage can. Use glass containers, not plastic, to store food in your fridge, and never heat your food in those plastic containers, even if they’re touted as being save for microwave ovens. And stop buying polyester or synthetic clothing and the like AMAP! (That’s as much as possible.)

Think natural. Cotton, cotton, cotton—and wool, especially for kids and young ‘uns. Ecocult.com is all about sustainable living, and has a great guide for natural clothing, including New Zealand-based, merino-wool Icebreaker, available in shops throughout Metro Vancouver, including North and West Van. I’m wearing some right now, thank you NZ sheep!

There’s something smart about Down Under, and BTW, our pals’ own rejoinder to their wish for a boring year was “fat chance!” We’ll see…

GO VEGAN, OR GO HOME, ROVER!

This Pique headline isn’t from 2025, but it’s based on a council meeting last December: “Whistler approves new climate measures after report warns more action needed to hit 2030 emissions targets.” And while you could say it’s only partially “exciting,” it echoes exactly what world leaders and activists were saying, scary headline after headline all year. Canada won’t meet its 2030 climate target. World’s climate plans fall drastically short of action needed, analysis shows. The list goes on and on in the face of worsening storms, ravaging

wildfires, melting permafrost and glaciers, and 101 other natural disasters caused by us pumping more and more emissions into the air.

So what kind of boring, basic things can we do?

If not going totally vegetarian or vegan, how about just eating less meat, especially beef? I’ve said it before, as have so many others, and I’ll say it again: Cut the meat to beat the heat—and keep the snow falling on ski resorts like Whistler!

And to be kinder to animals, as long-time creative local, Dave Petko, pointed out in that article, above.

So come on, folks, try Meatless Mondays at least for January. It’s way cheaper and better for you. Plus here’s a great concept: vegan pet food! Yeppur, lots of pet owners are turning their cats and dogs into vegans, and science says it’s healthy! Bonus: one of the leading suppliers, Vecado, is Canadian. So go vegan, Rover, or go home!

THE MOST BORING IDEA OF ALL

Finally, lets skip the scary headlines, the social media angst, the attention economy for a sec, and consider this: Let’s simply try for that kinder, gentler, more boring world we once aspired to. Be easy on yourself, and others. Never mind Meatless Mondays, how about Softer Sundays? One day of the week we try, really try to be nicer. Kinder. More generous. It might even soft-start (as opposed to kick-start) a gentler, better year for us all.

Ah, I’m feeling so bored and relaxed now, think I’ll take a nap… Happy New Year!

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who loves quiet times. n

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH OPEN DAILY: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

FITNESS CLASS SCHEDULE JAN 9 FRIDAY

JAN 10 SATURDAY

I Full Body HIIT 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Jess I Functional Strength & Conditioning 9-10 a.m.

Jess

JAN 11 SUNDAY

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R Mountain Lift + Conditioning 6:15-7:15 a.m.

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R Mom & Baby 10:30-11:30 a.m.

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Liz

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I Gentle Fit 12:30-1:30 p.m.

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R Fit 4 Life 12:30-1:30 p.m.

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R Postpartum Core & Glutes 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Sara R Youth on Weights 3:30-4:45 p.m.

Andy R Stride Forward 5:15-6:15 p.m.

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I Torch Tuesday 5:30-6:30 p.m.

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R Enduro Swim 12-1 p.m.

Hector R Lift Club 3:45-4:45 p.m.

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R Youth on Weights 3:30-4:45 p.m.

I Full Body HIIT 5:15-6:15 p.m.

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Pre-registration is required for the entire set of classes.

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POOL HOURS JAN 09 FRIDAY

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6 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. & 6-9 p.m.

6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

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6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

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6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

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9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

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9 a.m. - 12 p.m. & 3:45-7 p.m.

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9 a.m. - 12 p.m. & 3:45-7 p.m.

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6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

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6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

ARENA SCHEDULE Please see whistler.ca/recreation for the daily arena hours or call 604-935- PLAY (7529).

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ARTS SCENE

Whistler Blackcomb to mark 60th anniversary with Black Diamond celebration THE EVENT WILL BE HOSTED JAN. 15 AT ROUNDHOUSE LODGE, FEATURING THE HAIRFARMERS AS A HEADLINE ACT

BY DAVID SONG AS WHISTLER BLACKCOMB (WB) prepares to commemorate its 60th anniversary, one item stands out on the calendar: the Black Diamond Party.

Scheduled for Jan. 15 at the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain, this event boasts a notable lineup of musical talent including the JennaMae Duo, ZADA, DJ Nat Morel and the unrivalled Hairfarmers in a headlining role. Guests are invited to dress however they like to pay tribute to WB’s history: whether that’s classic flannel, retro neon garb or anything in between.

MCing the party is none other than Mike Douglas, who has been voted Whistler’s favourite local eight times by Pique Newsmagazine readership and in 2025 was also the town’s favoured filmmaker.

“I would say: expect a good time, a gathering of community and stories and a celebration of everything that is Whistler,” Douglas says about the Black Diamond Party. “Kristen Robinson always has her finger on the pulse of the community when it comes to music, as she does with the Whistler Summer Concert Series. She knows that this is a very Whistler-centric event, and the people she’s brought together to play

TOP OF THE WORLD The Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW SYLVESTRE / COURTESY OF WHISTLER BLACKCOMB

28 JANUARY 9, 2026

are synonymous with this community. I wish that everybody could go—there’s a certain number of tickets available, but I would encourage everyone to come up.”

Douglas is happy to reminisce about the history of WB, which he feels was built on “an absurd dream” in the mid1960s to establish an Olympic-calibre ski resort. Whistler’s pioneers believed the area was special before any ground had been broken, and dared to believe they could one day host Earth’s largest

of the most awesome ski resort on the planet, is amazing. I’m thrilled that the management of WB have stepped up to do this event and do it right with the community.

“We’ve gone through some ups and downs over the years, and I think we’re on a good upswing right now.”

‘WE ARE LUCKY, LUCKY PEOPLE’

Things certainly have changed over the

“[E]xpect a good time, a gathering of community and stories and a celebration of everything that is Whistler.”

- MIKE DOUGLAS

sporting event. Sea to Sky geography has always been breathtaking, but it was the anything-is-possible outlook of early locals that transformed the area into a world-famous recreation hotspot.

“I moved to Whistler back in 1988. I can’t even count up the number of years [it’s been] ... but I never believed that I would be embraced by this community at this level,” remarks Douglas humbly.

“To have the honour of being MC of an event like this, celebrating 60 years

last half a dozen decades. A healthy rivalry between Whistler and Blackcomb—back when the mountains were run by separate corporations—elevated each resort into the global spotlight. Both merged in 1997, and WB was unveiled as an Olympic host venue six years later.

According to Douglas, locals of that era felt they could achieve things others couldn’t or wouldn’t see. Developments like the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, World Ski and Snowboard Festival and Whistler Mountain

Bike Park happened not by accident, but due to the united efforts of hardworking individuals blessed with creative vision.

Not every change has been positive or unanimously welcomed. Some residents long for bygone places and traditions, while others like retired ski patroller Peter Frinton criticized Vail Resorts for declining to interview Whistler’s remaining trailblazers as part of the Black Diamond festivities. However, Douglas holds another viewpoint.

“I think it’s really easy these days in the age of social media to get hung up on all the negativity,” he opines. “That’s what feeds the algorithms: negativity and outrage. All you have to do is get on a chairlift, go up the mountain and glide down with the fresh air on your face and nice snow under your skis or board … and all that stuff goes away. If you just take a minute, put the phone away and look around: it all gets real clear, real fast. We are lucky, lucky people.

“It’s always the people that put their hearts and souls into whatever they do, whether that’s being the best skier in the world or putting on an arts event that blows [your] mind,” he added. “There’s that drive and belief that you see everywhere … in every non-profit where there’s a volunteer board doing something really great in this town, and Arts Whistler and in people on the mountain.”

The Black Diamond Party will be held on Jan. 15 from 6 to 10 p.m. Visit showpass.com/black-diamond-60thanniversary-celebration for tickets. n

ARTS SCENE

The Zummers return to their roots with new rock single, ‘End of the World’ MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO A FREE JAN. 9 RELEASE PARTY AT RMU WHISTLER

BY DAVID SONG AT THE DAWN of a new year, The Zummers are singing about the “End of the World.”

Such is the name of the Pembertonbased indie rock band’s newest single, to be released Jan. 9. “End of the World” is packed with relatable anecdotes and the kind of humour Zummers fans are already familiar with. Musically, it might remind you of other rockers like Cage The Elephant, Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes as you take in distorted electric guitar riffs and potent, saturated vocals.

While The Zummers’ debut single “Grenoble” adds a touch of funk and disco, and “Pour No More” highlights frontman Tom Csima’s soulful falsetto work, “End of the World” brings the band back to its rock ‘n’ roll roots. It’s a dynamic banger Csima, Mikey Muscat, Alex Drapeau and Jessie Richards use to open their live shows… but the original recorded version in March left something to be desired.

“It was just lacking the energy it needed, especially the vocals,” Csima says in a press release. “It’s hard to recreate the same live experience, especially for an upbeat song like ‘End of the World.’

We tried a few things with the mix, but

BC SNOWBOARD PROVINCIAL SERIES SLOPESTYLE The BC Snowboard Regional Slopestyle is a sanctioned provincial event that includes two slopestyle competitions. All participants must be members of their respective province with an Advanced Competitor or International FIS license. > Jan. 9 to 11 > Whistler Blackcomb

still didn’t hit what we were aiming for so more or less abandoned it.”

The Zummers thrilled audiences at a sold-out Nov. 8 show at the Pemho Pub in their native Pemberton, then considered taking time off. Csima and his bandmates had gotten through a banner year of recording and touring, which fills them with pride to reflect on. They’d earned a break… but there was one more studio session in their calendar.

It turned out to be quite productive.

DREAMING OF CHAOS

Rolling into Holy Cow Studios that midNovember day, The Zummers expediently put four new tracks into the books.

Humming with creative energy, they decided to rework “End of the World” also: overdubbing the previously-flat vocals and speeding up tempo.

It led to an offering The Zummers would consider one of their Greatest Hits: polished, reloaded and finally ready for the spotlight.

“I think the timing of our session was perfect,” Csima remarks. “We had a busy summer, playing lots of shows, but then a couple of month-long gaps where we could write and work on new stuff. This meant we were tight and wellpractised on our staples, but still had the time to get creative and try some new things. When we got to the studio it

ZUMMING ALONG Pemberton indie-rock band The Zummers.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ZUMMERS

was like magic. It’s hard to describe, but everything just clicked. We finished the album, and I can’t wait to release it.”

“End of the World” tells the tale of a vivid dream Csima had one night when living in the same Grenoble apartment referenced by his band’s first single. It felt so real, so bizarre that he put pen to paper the moment he woke up.

“They say that your dreams are a

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

DISCOVER LUGE Children and youth can now try the Olympic winter sport of Luge by sliding down a portion of the track on their own sled. Parents are welcome to spectate, or slide too if space permits. Athletes will receive coaching and be supervised to ensure safety at the venue. Runs rain, snow or shine! No experience required. Youth ages eight to 14. > Jan. 11 > Whistler Sliding Centre

empowers teens to use art as a tool for healing, growth, and self-discovery. > Jan. 11, 3:30 p.m. > Audain Art Museum

GARDEN PARTY - ROUND 3 Prepare yourself for a night like no other. Case of the Mondays is taking over GLC and transforming it into a Tropical-Garden-Themed-Wonderland. The signature blend of House Music and Party Plants just got a facelift, featuring LAAV, Glaes and Headnoise. Grab ya mates, party shirts, and fastest sunnies for the best night of your life! > Jan. 12, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. > Garibaldi Lift Co.

WHISTLER JUNGLISTS PRESENTS YOUNGSTA Dubstep legend Youngsta is coming to Whistler for a once-in-a-lifetime performance. Daniel Lockhart, known professionally as Youngsta, is a pioneering British dubstep DJ and producer from London, U.K., widely regarded as one of the foundational figures in the genre’s development. Youngsta will step outside his dubstep legacy to deliver an exclusive Drum & Bass set—expect deep basslines, razor-sharp rhythms, and the kind of immersive energy only Youngsta can create. > Jan. 9, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. > Après Après

reflection of your subconscious thoughts or fears, and that you can learn a lot from them,” says Csima. “The lines didn’t really rhyme or anything but I liked how simple it was, really just describing the elements and images I saw. I told my partner about the dream and her response was kind of funny, so I included that in the song as well as some of my own commentary. The deeper meaning of the song is that, although you might be terrified or stressed about something, it could end up being nothing to worry about, and to look at the positives in your life instead.”

Eager to get the ball rolling, The Zummers have scheduled a free, allages aprés party on Jan. 9 at 3 p.m. at RMU Whistler. They expressed appreciation for RMU’s atmosphere and look forward to sharing their music with people who can’t make their latenight or 19-plus shows. Csima hinted the band will have multiple new songs to introduce—plus novel merchandise— and hopes many attend what he calls “a celebration and a chance for us to show our gratitude to the community.”

Another track, “Tonight,” is due to be released in February, with a full album poised to come out in April.

Visit artswhistler.com/artists/thezummers/ to learn more about The Zummers. n

SWEDISH AFTERSKI Tuesdays are for the Swedish! Don’t miss out on the ultimate après-ski celebration! A local tradition for 10 years, come and party like the Europeans do. Celebrate a day on the slopes with dancing and singalongs. > Jan. 13, 3 to 7 p.m. > Longhorn Saloon

DISCOVER LUGE FIRE & ICE SHOW Where else but Whistler would performers entertain you with an electric mix of music, dance and spinning fire? Watch world-class athletes flip and twist through a burning ring of fire, then finish the night off with a first-class fireworks display. Please note the Fire & Ice Show is dependent on weather conditions. > Jan. 11, 7:30 p.m. > Skiers’ Plaza

FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KRISTEN/FIL

TEEN ART COLLECTIVE A safe, supportive space for teens to explore their thoughts and emotions through creative expression.

Guided by a trained art therapist, classes encourages self-awareness, emotional growth and personal insight using a variety of art materials and techniques.

Whether coping with anxiety, stress, self-esteem issues, or simply seeking a creative outlet, this class

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL AT WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK Take advantage of discounted tickets and rentals on Wednesday nights until March 4. Spend time on the well-lit trails or light up your journey with a headlamp.

Explore under the beautiful starry skies of the Callaghan Valley and when you need a break, stop by the fully-licensed café in the Day Lodge and indulge in delicious specials. > Jan. 14, 3 to 9 p.m. > Whistler Olympic Park

JANUARY 9, 2026

29

MUSEUM MUSINGS & ASTROLOGY

The original Black Tusk Snowmobile Club

BY BRONWYN PREECE THIS YEAR 60 is a big number.

Whistler Mountain is celebrating its “diamond jubilee.”

Another 60th anniversary of note is the formation of the first local snowmobile club, on the shores of Alta Lake.

The inaugural meet-up and race of the Lower Mainland-based BC Snow Vehicle Association was also held on Alta Lake, at the end of January, 60 years ago. Twenty-three people competed in the event and the winner of the 20-gate, large-machine slalom course was local Dick Fairhurst, who completed the run in a whopping 39.9 seconds.

Dick was one of the “westside gang”—a band of early residents— who called themselves the Black Tusk Snowmobile Club. The club (whose numbers are hard to confirm) would venture out and among the surrounding peaks, including Rainbow, Sproatt and up into the Callaghan.

A logger and trapper of Cypress Lodge fame (now the site of the Point Artist-Run Centre) and creator of the valley’s first ski tow rope in 1960, Dick was one of the three founding members

of the snowmobile club, along with Don Gow and Glen Creelman. Together, the three became the area’s first distributors of Bombardier Ski-Doos.

Don Gow moved here in 1955. He was the station agent at Alta Lake for four years, up until the train’s scheduled stop (in operation since 1914) was demoted to simply a “flagstop” in 1959. However, the area’s appeal and pull was strong, and Don returned to Alta Lake in 1965 (along with his wife, who became the postmaster, and their two children). They lived here until 1975.

Glen Creelman was a microwave technician. In 1957, BC Telephone Co. installed a double copper line around Alta Lake. Glen was responsible for establishing an open circuit/party line—linking lodges and homes with this new thread of communication. One was able to lift the receiver of the old crank telephones and listen in on their neighbour’s conversations.

And surely, at that time, part of the talk of the town was the growing popularity and access to motorized sleds.

Bombardier pioneered the development of the snowmobile. In 1966—the year the Black Tusk club was formed; the year Dick won the inaugural BC Snow Vehicle Association race; and the year Don, Glen and Dick began selling the

SLED SERIOUS Dick Fairhurst with sled-groms on a neighbour’s sled, Ron Dent’s “Dentmobile,” 1965.

FAIRHURST COLLECTION

machines to the Alta Lake Community— the Canadian company released a line of three machines with “new, super slick styling.” The models included the “New

Alpine,” the “Olympique” and the “Super Olympique.” The latter was what Dick won the race on. The 250-lb machine had a roller chain in oil bath drive, the patented Bombardier track and was 2.36 metres in length. It was also bright yellow.

Snowmobiling—or sledding, as it is more colloquially referred—remains as popular as ever as a thrill-seeking, backcountry sport. Handling has been honed and the horsepower hiked… but the same spirit seeking freedom, fast movement and further access prevails.

Not all who sled are members of a club, but other regional groups now exist. The Powder Mountain Snowmobile Club has been operating since 1990. The Pemberton Valley Snowmobile Club was officially incorporated in 2000, but sledding stories in the area far precede that date, too.

As for the Black Tusk Snowmobile Club, it still exists, however its base now operates out of the Brohm Ridge former “Rat-Pack” chalets. This particular incarnation of the club dates their inception to 1971.

Records of how the Alta Lakebased group either entirely dissolved or transitioned to the current location are perhaps best described as being frozen in two-stroke time. n

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF JANUARY 9 BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): The mystics drone on endlessly about letting go. But I’m here now to praise the art of holding on fiercely, tenderly, with full commitment. Some treasures deserve your passionate grip. Some people warrant your loyal devotion. Especially in the coming months, dear Aries, I invite you to devote yourself to your exciting dreams with ardent intensity. No surrender! Relentless perseverance!

Uncompromising faith in the beauty and truth you love! What looks like stubbornness to outsiders will actually be fidelity to a vision others can’t yet see.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As far back as the 19th century, daredevil college students in the U.K. have revelled in the practice of “night climbing.” They clamber up chapels, spires, towers, and bridges under cover of darkness. Why? Mainly for adventure, mischief, and altered perspectives. In the coming months, Taurus, you may be ready for your own symbolic version of night climbing. If that sounds fun, seek out vantage points you’ve never accessed. Experiment with possibilities you’ve dismissed as off-limits or outside your range. Be safe, of course, but also be joyfully exploratory. I bet the view from the frontiers will change you in inspiring ways.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the coming months, I’m confident you will see and understand subtleties most people miss. You’ll be a maestro at tuning in to nuanced subtexts in conversations and hidden openings in stale situations. Everyone else may assume familiar situations will never change, but you will have the power to tease out creative possibilities. You might even decode seemingly contradictory truths with such aplomb that you surprise yourself. Use this superpower with as much kindness as you can, Gemini. Some discoveries may tempt you toward clever mischief, but I hope that instead you will choose inspired guidance. Your expanded spectrum, if spiced with compassion, can consistently reveal your next leap.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The honeyguide bird of

Africa has a lucrative arrangement with humans. It calls out to honey-hunters, leading them through brush to wild beehives built into trees. The people harvest the honey, and the bird eats the leftover wax and larvae. This cooperation is passed down over generations and benefits both species.

Let’s use this as a metaphor for your future in 2026. You will have extra power to notice where mutual benefit is possible, even with unexpected allies. They may be able to guide you toward resources you couldn’t find alone, and you will have value to give in return. Keep an ear out for signals that say, “Come with me, and we’ll both gain.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris took years to build. Work began in 1163 and continued till 1345. Generations of architects, masons, and artisans contributed to the project, and those who began it didn’t live to see it completed. Yet they laboured with devotion, trusting that the holy beauty they facilitated would endure beyond their lifetimes. I hope you’re inspired by this story, Leo. It’s an apt metaphor for you. In the coming months, you could and should lay stones for creations you may not see fully accomplished for months or even years. I encourage you to redefine and refine what faith means to you, and summon it in abundance.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Ready to decommission your inner censor? Interested in dropping the mask, relaxing your guard, and rewilding your gorgeous but slightly inhibited self? That’s what I recommend. Here are ways to fully enjoy the liberating grace period of the coming months: 1. Don’t deny yourself pleasures that would be healthy to indulge. 2.

Shed taboos that were smart safeguards once upon a time but are no longer. 3. Re-evaluate why you treat certain fun activities as questionable. 4. Be brightly compassionate toward aspects of yourself you regard as wounded or inferior. 5. Be receptive to rebellious urges.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1839, French artist Louis Daguerre perfected the daguerreotype, an early type of

photography. The images were so detailed you could count the threads in a subject’s clothing. The only downside: They required minutes of perfect stillness to capture. A slight twitch or squirm could blur the picture. People held their breath and resisted the urge to fidget, hoping to preserve the magic moment. In this spirit, Libra, let’s make the long exposure your power metaphor during the coming months.

The most useful truths will reveal themselves best if you give them time to develop. In conversations, resist filling every silence. In projects, don’t rush the pace. Have patient fun lingering on the threshold as the mysteries coalesce and clarify.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1907, Scorpio artist Pablo Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. It was a work so radically different from his earlier art and from the era’s norms that even his friends were stunned. Some called it ugly; others, incomprehensible. Yet the painting became a foundation of Cubism and reshaped modern art.

Dear Scorpio, I suspect you may be on the verge of your own “Les Demoiselles” phase in 2026: unveiling novel approaches and innovative changes so original they rattle comfortable assumptions. Don’t be discouraged if the initial responses don’t bring you appreciation. The root-shaking breakthroughs you’re consorting with may take others a while to recognize and welcome.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You Sagittarians are often drawn to teaching. You have a predilection and a passion for sharing what you have learned from your adventures and explorations. Many of you also possess a related gift: helping people make the journey to where enlightening lessons can best occur. You have a knack for opening their minds and clearing the way so they can awaken to new ways of seeing and imagining the world. I hope you will provide both of these blessings in abundance during the coming months. Your ability to inspire and educate will be at a peak.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The coming months

are ripe for sacred audacity: boldness with a conscience and courage guided by kindness. Imagine you’re a Benevolent Initiator, whose superpower is to kindle beginnings without causing disruption and unease. Practice brilliant, incremental nudges and tweaks rather than grand interventions. If you’re hesitating to say what needs to be said, deliver a modest version now and a stronger one later.

Make gradual momentum your ally. Homework: Identify a future scene you want to generate and take three elegantly simple steps toward it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Safety isn’t the opposite of adventure. It’s the infrastructure that lets adventure be expansive. Keep that in mind in the coming months, Aquarius. You will be wise to cultivate cosy bravery. You should relax deeply and nurture your strength. Build the support system for your future boldness. Then, in the second half of 2026, you will be well-prepared to launch a phase of experimental fun and exploratory learning.

For best results, surround yourself with love and care.

Decide who best supports you and make it attractive for them to support you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): High in the Andes Mountains, farmers have for centuries made chuño, a freeze-dried potato that can last for years. They leave the potatoes outside overnight to let the freezing temperatures draw out the water. In the daytime, the strong sunlight and dry mountain air evaporate residual moisture. By this process, a perishable food becomes a long-lasting staple.

I propose we make the chuño your symbol of power, Pisces.

The coming months will be an ideal time to build reserves. I hope you will turn what you have grown and developed into resources that will nourish you well into the future.

Homework: I dare you to give yourself a pep talk about a daring possibility. Newsletter.FreeWillAstroloy.com.

IN ADDITION TO THIS COLUMN, ROB BREZSNY CREATES EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com

30 JANUARY 9, 2026

PARTIAL RECALL

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1 RINGING IT IN Whistler celebrated the arrival of 2026 with a dazzling fireworks display high over Whistler Village. PHOTO BY RYAN ROBINSON / COURTESY OF THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER 2 LUCKY PUP The Whistler Fire Rescue Service came to the aid of a pup who fell through thin ice on Alta Lake on Jan. 3 (read more on page 6). PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER FIRE RESCUE SERVICE 3 LIGHT IT UP The third annual Luminosity Parade lit up New Year’s Eve with movement, music, and energy, led by an incredible group of talented local dancers from ALGN Whistler. PHOTO BY RYAN ROBINSON / COURTESY OF THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER 4 NEW YEAR CHEER Jody, Melanie, Heidi, Janet and Lesley enjoyed an amazing night of fireworks and live music from The Hairfarmers at Ken Mason’s beautiful home on Alta Lake. PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHERINE POWER-CHARTRAND 5 DANCE PARTY More scenes from the New Year’s Eve Luminosity Parade in Whistler Village. PHOTO BY RYAN ROBINSON / COURTESY OF THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS! Send your recent snaps to edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

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At SSHS, we work together to ensure program delivery and administration run smoothly by working together to provide essential health and wellness services that nurture the well-being of Stl’atl’imx peoples.

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» piquenewsmagazine.com/jobs JANUARY 9, 2026

33

Child & Family Services • Social Worker ($80,371.20 - $91,673.40 per year) • Transition House Support Worker ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour) Lil’wat Health & Healing + Pqusnalhcw Health Centre • Custodian ($17.40 to $20.90 per hour)

Child & Family Services • Program Manager ($57,330 to $64,610.00 per year)

Come build and grow with the best team.

ÚlÍus Community Centre • Operations Manager ($59,878.00 to $73,564.40 per year) -

• Social Worker ($80,371.20 - $91,673.40 per year) Would you please highlight/emphasize this position?

• Family Mentor ($38,038 to $53,599 per year) - Would you Transition House Support Worker ($20.90 to to $29.45 per hour) •• Title & Rights Coordinator ($38,038.00 please highlight/emphasize this position?

• Early Childhood Educator ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)

Our team of people is what sets us apart from other builders. As we continue to grow as the leader in luxury projects in Whistler, our team needs to expand with us.

We are currently hiring: Labourers ($20 - $30 hourly) Carpenters Helpers/Apprentices 1st to 4th year ($25 - $35 hourly) Experienced Carpenters ($30 - $45 hourly) Carpentry Foremen ($40 - $50 hourly) Site Supervisor Rates vary based on experience and qualifications. Red Seal is a bonus but not required. Crane Operator experience considered an asset.

EVR is committed to the long-term retention and skills development of our team. We are passionate about investing in our team’s future.

WE OFFER: • Top Wages and a Positive Work Environment • Flexible Schedule - Work Life Balance (We get it, we love to ski and bike too.)

• Training & Tuition Reimbursement (Need help getting your Red Seal?)

• Support with work visa and Permanent Residency (We can assist) BENEFITS & PERKS: • Annual Leisure & Tool Benefit – Use toward ski/bike pass, tool purchase, etc. – you choose!

• Extended Health and Dental Benefits for you and your family We promote from within and are looking to strengthen our amazing team. Opportunities for advancement into management positions always exist for the right candidates. Don’t miss out on being able to build with the team that builds the most significant projects in Whistler.

Lil’wat Health per & Healing $53,599.00 year) + Pqusnalhcw Health Centre Xet’òlacw Community School

• Custodian •($17.40 $20.90 Elementary to School Teacher - per Gradehour) 3 ($60,015 to $109,520 per year) Lil’wat Health & Healing + $29.45 Pqusnalhcw Health • Program Manager ($57,330 $64,610.00 per year) • Camp Counsellor ($20.90 toto per hour) • High School English and Humanities

• Operations Teacher Manager ($59,878.00 to $73,564.40 per year) ($60,015 to $109,520 per year) Centre Would you pleaseDevelopment highlight/emphasize this position?

Community • Cultural Camp Supervisor ($46,683.00 to

($38,038 per year)to- Would you •• Family HealingMentor Program Manager ($57,330.00 $63,973.00 per year) to $53,599 Please visit our career page for more information: https://lilwat.ca/careers/ please highlight/emphasize this position?

$64,610.00 per year)

• Early Childhood Educator ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour)

• Community Health Nurse ($41.42 to 52.81 per Xet’òlacw Community School • Elementary School Teacher - Grade 3 ($60,015 to hour ) + $2.15 hourly premium) $109,520 per year)

Community Program • Camp Counsellor ($20.90 to $29.45 per hour) • High School English and Humanities

• Early Childhood Infant Teacher ($60,015 toEducator $109,520 -per year)Toddler ($24.00 - $29.45/hr based on experience + this Community Development • Cultural Camp Supervisor ($46,683.00 to position is eligible for wage top up) $63,973.00 per year)

Please visit our career page for more information: https://lilwat.ca/careers/

Please visit our career page for more information: https://lilwat.ca/careers/

Send your resume to careers@evrfinehomes.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

THE 2025-2026 PEMBERTON GUIDE on stands now!

COORDINATOR, DESTINATION EXPERIENCE Full Time, Year Round Love variety in your work? Thrive on building relationships and bringing ideas to life? Tourism Whistler is looking for someone who’s organised, community-minded, and passionate about creating great experiences in the place they call home.

Tourism Whistler’s Destination Experience team works to enhance the Whistler experience and support the long-term success and sustainability of our resort community. The Coordinator, Destination Experience, plays a hands-on role in supporting events and experiences that shape how people experience Whistler — from festivals and events to seasonal celebrations and visitor programs. This is a dynamic, detail-driven role that suits someone who enjoys coordinating moving pieces, working with different teams, and being a reliable go-to for partners and stakeholders.

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34 JANUARY 9, 2026

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Program Manager - AWARE 9Hiring: Zero Waste 3 Whistler, 6 1 7 5 BC per week, Permanent 2 3 132 or 40Wage: 4hours $35 7 6 9 3 per hour The Association of Whistler Area Residents 7 8Environment 2 for the5 8 7 6 (AWARE) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Zero Waste Program Manager to join our 3 team in8Whistler. This 32 or 40 hour per 3 week 7 8 4 dynamic permanent position will allow you to play a key role in driving AWARE's environmental programs and initiatives. The 2 in Whistler, with occasional 6travel to events 9 role is based and partner meetings in neighbouring communities.

4 9 7Key Responsibilities: 4 2 1 6 Program Management & Coordination & Support of Program Staff 4 2 Management 3 Operations 5 2 4 9 1 Support Qualifications: 5 3 - Education: A Bachelor's 7 1 Studies, 9 8 degree in Environmental Sustainability, Program Management, or a related field is preferred.

Master's degree is a plus.

8 6- Experience: 7 At least 5 A 3-5 6 8 2 3 years of program management experience, ideally within the non-profitV.or environmental # 57 EASY sector. Must have a valid Driver's License to conduct field work as required

How to Apply: Please submit your resume and cover letter in one file explaining why you would be an excellent fit for the Zero Waste Program Manager position at AWARE Whistler.

Apply online at https://awarewhistler.org/join-us/jobopenings/Application

8 5 9

6 2

deadline is: on or before January 16, 2026, at 5 pm PST.

4 6

3

WE’RE 3 5HIRING 7

7 9 Chief Administrative 6 Officer (CAO) 7 1 4 4 9 8 6 8 2 5

3 4 2 8 6 7 1 9 5

# 58

2 8 1 9 6 7 2 7 1 3 9 8 4 5 7 6 1 5 9 7 4 3 8 3 2 8Whistler 5 6 Youth1 Soccer Club Manager The 6 WYSC its 30th year, positioned for growth 4 5 is entering 2 and seeking a Club Manager to help lead the organization, 7 9 8 and manage day to day WYSC operations.

Further information can be found on our website.

Please reach out to hr@whistler.ca to ask for a full position profile.

Apply to the Resort Municipality today: whistler.ca/careers

# 59

V. EASY

# 60

The role is part time (20 hours/week), with work from home flexibility.

Wage band starts at $30 per hour.

• Highly self-motivated, able to work independently • Strong relationship-builder with excellent communication skills • Technically proficient, with the ability to learn and operate multiple

# 58

3 4 2 1 6 8 5 7 9

Answers

6 7 9 3 2 5 8 1 4

1 8 5 9 7 4 2 3 6

4 5 8 7 3 2 6 9 1

7 2 1 6 4 9 3 5 8

9 6 3 8 5 1 4 2 7

5 1 7 4 8 3 9 6 2

2 9 4 5 1 6 7 8 3

systems and platforms 8 3 6 2 9 7 1 4 5

# 59

2 3 4 8 5 6 9 7 1 5 7 8 1 9 2 4 6 3 Looking 6 9 1 to 4 7adopt?

3 5 8 2 9 8 2 6 1 4 3 5 7 For an 4 updated 5 6 2 list 3 7of who 8 1 9 is available, check 3 1 7 5 8 out 9 2our 4 6 website.

8 6 9 7 2 5 1 3 4 7 2 5 3 4 1 6 9 8 www.whistlerwag.com 1 4 3 9 6 8 7 2 5

Page 15 of 25

# 60• Previous 3 2 8 6experience 5 4 7 1 9 in youth sports club administration an asset

4 9 6 7 1 8 2 3 5 • Highly organized and detail-oriented, with strong administrative skills 7 5 1 3 9 2 8 4 6

• Community-minded 5 4 7 8 6 3 1 9 2 and passionate about growing youth sports in 1 8 3 5 2 9 4 6 7

Whistler 2 6 9 1 4 7 3 5 8 9 3 2 4 8 5 6 7 1

We welcome resumes and cover letters to whistlersoccer@hotmail.com.

8 1 4 9 7 6 5 2 3 6 7 5 2 description 3 1 9 8 4 available at www.whistlersoccer.com.

Complete job

4/11/2005

JANUARY 9, 2026

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PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 16 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 34 36 37 39 41 43 44 45 48 50 52 55 57 59 63 64 66 68 69 70 72 73 74 75

Fast In progress Venomous hooded snake Sharp projections Vietnam city Arm nerve WWII vessel (Hyph.)

Bay window Frequently “— porridge hot ...”

Leave in the lurch Marsh plant Flight formation Isaac’s son Be inclined Head over — Deity Makes a miscalculation Charter Sedimentary material Kind of cold case evidence Hardens Amassed Pome fruit Asian nanny Boredom Desire personified Twofold Magician’s word Watchful Wince Game to end a deadlock Fighting club Cleveland’s lake Lummox Takes a chance Notable time Abbr. in a schedule High cards

76 78 79 80 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 93 95 96 100 101 102 104 105 106 107 109 110 111 112 115 117 118 119 121 122 123 125 127 129 132 134 136 137

Erect (2 wds.)

“That’ll be the —!”

Spore-making plant Joy Destiny Flattened, as a building Coup — Chinese “way” Intimidate Enclosure for farm animals NSA relative Fruity drink Imposed a levy on Bounder Goes unsteadily Former student, for short Tavern Competitor Mound By way of Remote button (Abbr.)

Iron Age Europeans Petrol Ride a wave Time of fasting Fading away Wolf-related — macabre Make one’s choice Stead — or swim Like a houseplant Beam along the hull Gasp Easily annoyed Stand wide open Beanie Wound mark Court order Cheese from the Netherlands

141 142 144 146 148 149 151 153 155 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164

Period Hedge plant Bedouin Letter start “... — I saw Elba” Place west of Hong Kong Sketched City in Georgia Ait Get away from German industrial center Seafood item Greek island Transmits High-and-thin-sounding Medicinal plant Duck

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 31

Push Thin cookie Bury Enemy Fork or rake part Child care worker (2 wds.)

Stylized flower used in heraldry (Hyph.)

Stop — — dime Kiln Kilmer poem Held closely — -Wan Kenobi Two together Hurried Greek goddess of wisdom Supervisor Exist Elevated crest Sired Toboggans False

33 35 38 40 42 44 46 47 49 51 52 53 54 56 58 60 61 62 64 65 67 69 71 75 76 77 79 81 82 84 85 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95

Bit to drink Eel-like fish English county Strange Stretched tight — Stadium (The Mets’ former home) Unfashionable Put on Foray God of war Made tractable Gladden Temporary tattoo Pathfinder Heavy and sluggish Trapshooting — firma Praying figure Fingerboard ridge At the drop of a — Nail Repeat Hairy covering Kanten Strength Like some decrees or seals Tricky act Particular Smoked salmon Last letter, British style Pickle flavoring Illegal drug organization Farm denizen Gave in “— — Lucy” Fond — — Soapstone Archaeological site — belli

96 97 98 99 101 103 104 107 108 110 111 113 114 116 117 120 122 124

Detonate Occurrence Wash cycle Filled to the gills Entreat Actor — Kilmer Be stubborn (2 wds.)

Yield Cut Tendon Machine tool that rotates Victory goddess Coffee alternatives Seed Author John — Passos Supernatural Flatbread Room for food storage

126 128 129 130 131 133 135 138 139 140 142 143 145 147 150 152 154 156

Seaman City on the Danube River “The Hunger —” Century plant Nut for pies Pucker Inclined roads Removed, in printing Mountain ridge Length unit Takes legal action Ignoble Naked Paddy plant Do sums Get hitched Is able to —Lanka

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

Enter a digit from 1 through 9 in each cell, in such a way that: • Each horizontal row contains each digit exactly once • Each vertical column contains each digit exactly once • Each 3x3 box contains each digit exactly once Solving a sudoku puzzle does not require any mathematics; simple logic suffices.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: VERY EASY

6 8

9 3 2 3 1 4 4 7 8 4 7 9 3 8 1 2 5 6 4 9 7 4 2 3 2 1 5 3 9 8 6 7 5 V. EASY

1

# 57

6 1 7 5 7 6 9 3 2 5 8 7 6 3 7 8 4 6 9 4 2 1 6 5 2 4 9 1 7 1 9 8 6 8 2 3 V. Solution, EASY # 58 tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

ANSWERS ON PAGE 35

36 JANUARY 9, 2026

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JANUARY 9, 2026

37

PIQUE’N YER INTEREST

New year, confused me…

ONE THING that becomes clear scrolling

social media, watching commercials, reading the news, and talking to people about New Year’s resolutions is that nobody feels good anymore.

Nobody is sleeping enough. Nobody has enough energy or mental focus to get through their day. Nobody wakes up without a stiff neck, a light headache, or a strange taste in their mouth. Nobody is happy with the state of their body

BY ANDREW MITCHELL or the increasing commitment it takes to maintain it as you get older. Almost nobody is getting an hour of light-tomoderate exercise every single day or 10,000 steps.

Nobody is sure what fitness regime to follow—weights or cardio, yoga or coldwater therapy.

Nobody is sure what to eat anymore.

Or drink. Or how much to eat or drink. Or what vitamins and supplements to take out of the hundreds of options lining the shelves at the pharmacy.

There aren’t enough hours in the day or feet in the intestine to consume all of it, or dollars in most of our bank accounts to try every cure, fix or regimen out there.

What does it mean if nobody feels good? What do we need to add? What

VITAL SIGNS One easy resolution for 2026? Put the phone down.

IMAGE BY AMIR SHAHRESTANI / GOOGLE GEMINI

38 JANUARY 9, 2026

should we take away? Is every body truly unique or are there things that everyone should be doing?

Take the once simple act of eating.

There’s the Caveman Diet. The Paleo Diet. Low-carb and high-protein diets.

The Mediterranean diet. A hundred versions of vegetarianism that progress to veganism.

There is eating for your blood type or body type. There’s eating raw foods and whole foods. There’s eating five small meals instead of three squares.

There’s avoiding sugar, dyes, anything processed, and everything fried. There

prevents you from getting your doctorrecommended eight-ish hours of sleep.

Alcohol—small amounts like a glass of wine a day—used to be considered beneficial and now it’s a cancer risk. But one has to wonder if those new alcohol studies take into account the benefits of lower stress, more socializing, or the things that people like me do—i.e. jogging up mountains—so we can enjoy a guilt-free six-pack while we soak our feet in a bucket of ice water. Why is it that every little old lady who lives to 112 drinks a glass of scotch a day?

Once upon a time some people used

Nobody is sure what to eat anymore. Or drink. Or how much to eat or drink. Or what vitamins and supplements to take out of the hundreds of options lining the shelves...

are diabetic/low-insulin diets to regulate blood sugar levels, and probiotic diets rich in fermented and unpasteurized foods.

There’s also not eating, and concepts like intermittent fasting where you only eat from noon to 8 p.m. or whatever.

I’ve been doing this for years, and while I never got the huge boost of energy or mental clarity I was promised it has helped me keep my weight down. Turns out I’d rather eat fewer meals than reduce portions. It’s easier not to eat than to stop after I start.

Now take drinking. Coffee used to be bad and now it’s good—unless it doesn’t agree with you specifically or

to suggest drinking a gallon of water—3.8 litres—every day to be healthy. I actually tried this, and while I did experience a few benefits it was hard to do and I was up every hour. The science is still out on how much water we need to drink beyond what it takes to no longer feel thirsty.

The irony in all of this is that we know more about the human body and brain than ever before but are still making major discoveries.

Ever heard of the interstitium? It’s the largest organ in the human body, a massive network of fluid-filled tubes that coats every bone, muscle, organ and vein in our body—and we only discovered it

eight years ago by accident. I have no idea how to maintain it.

We also recently discovered that our stomach has a “second brain”—a collection of neurons that can produce neurotransmitters like serotonin. This second brain is also hardwired to our “main” brains, suggesting it can influence our behaviours. Our stomachs may literally be calling the shots sometimes, which makes a lot of sense.

We don’t even know how to define health. Is it how you feel? Your Body Mass Index? Your resting heart rate and/ or your blood-oxygen content?

How much cortisol—the stress hormone—is beneficial, and how much will negatively affect your body and brain? How do we achieve a balance between the hundreds of systems at work in our bodies?

Maybe health isn’t a destination but the journey—the gradual piling-up of enough good habits to feel OK most of the time. FDR’s famous strategy for reversing the Great Depression applies: “Do something. If it works, do more of it.

If it doesn’t, do something else.”

My new health kick is neural resetting, which are little hacks to trick your brain into sleeping, relaxing, increasing alertness, overcoming fear, etc. by stimulating the vagus nerve and other systems. For example, by holding ice cubes in my hands for 45 seconds, I can shut off the part of my brain that’s constantly on patrol to get six uninterrupted hours of sleep.

Apparently, we also overeat because our body is starved for nutrients rather than calories. We can eat less and feel full as long as we’re eating the right things.

It’s worth a shot.

Will it work? Check back in a year. n

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