We don’ tjustsellWhistler—we live it .Theearlymorning skintrack s, summerrides ,lakedays, powder days ,and every thinginbetween.It’swhy we’repassionateabout thisplace ,and whymorebuyersand sellers have chosenThe Whistler Real Estate Companythanany otherbrokeragesince 1978.
Work withtheregion’soriginalrealestate brokerage—contactustoday.
Canada’s largesttreeistheCheewhat CedarinthePacificRimNational Park standing182ft tall.
The75km West CoastTrailis considered oneoftheWorld’s best hikes
AlertBayonCormorantIsland,BC, is home to theworld's tallesttotempole, measuring 173ft
BC’s OfficialAnimalistheSpiritBear
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Can licence plates save BC Parks?
Competing interests and a record deficit jeopardize BC Parks funding. - By Steven Threndyle
06 OPENING REMARKS Artificial intelligence has proven a handy tool for humanity so far, writes editor Braden Dupuis—but is it worth it if it makes us all dumber?
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter-writers weigh in on climate forecasts, the Northlands development, and Canada’s energy-producing future.
20 THE OUTSIDER Vince Shuley delves into the world of eMTB, and shares lessons learned from 10 weeks on the trails.
50 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Bring on a Whistler covered in a bit of blood, scraped knees and all, writes tobias c. van Veen.
12 AT THE BOTTOM Could a valley-bottom gondola be the solution to Whistler’s transportation woes? A new pre-feasibility study kick-starts the conversation.
14 OFFICIAL BUSINESS A suite of OCP amendments aims to move Whistler’s housing plan forward, but Cheakamus residents are raising concerns about potential loss of parkland.
30 DIRT DEVILS Crankworx Whistler 2026 is officially underway, with events like the Canadian Open Enduro and Air DH already in the books.
38 FARMERS’
MARKET
BLUES Australian musicians Pete Murray and Kim Churchill join the Whistler Summer Concert Series on Aug. 13.
COVER I’m probably not the only one who takes our parks for granted while enjoying them all regularly. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
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Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
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The dumbening
LAST MONTH, New Brunswick MLA Bill Oliver stood up in front of that province’s legislature, and confidently read a speech into the record.
“Public confidence in the office of an advocate matters,” Oliver said.
Then: “Here’s a more natural, flowing version of that section that reads like a legislative speech rather than a series of short points.”
Oliver didn’t appear to even notice his tragic mistake—reading the window dressing of whatever AI program his staff
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
used to generate his speech—and just
It wasn’t until this week the clip went viral, after getting posted to Reddit. The story quickly went international—and as of this writing Oliver has yet to address the humiliating gaffe.
Oliver is the first, but he won’t be the last—and one suspects he’s far from the only politician (or political staffers) using artificial intelligence to assist with their thinking, or lighten the cognitive load.
And it’s not just politicians.
It seems everyone and their techilliterate mother is now using the robots to gain an edge, perceived or otherwise.
This week, a professor at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, Jason Gibson, posted a video detailing the clever method he used to catch his students cheating on their midterm with AI.
Gibson hid a sentence written in white font (invisible to the untrained eye) in his assignment prompting any AI model fed the assignment to talk nonsense about Madagascar.
The result? Thirty-two out of 35 students failed the hidden test on cheating, simply copying the question into an AI model and copying and pasting the results into the exam’s answer window.
And so Gibson’s exam answers were reportedly littered with phrases like “Madagascar floats sideways through the afternoon” and “Madagascar purple bicycle whispers to the ceiling”—because apparently even proofreading your cheating is too much effort for today’s students.
Funny as these (objectively hilarious) examples are, the stupidity on display is not really the artificial kind.
The AI did exactly what it was asked to do. It was the humans who stopped paying attention.
Oliver seemingly didn’t read his own speech closely enough to recognize an editing instruction when it came out of his mouth. Gibson’s students apparently didn’t read their own exam answers closely enough to wonder why Madagascar was suddenly floating sideways through the afternoon.
That is the unsettling part.
It’s not novel that people are using increasingly powerful tools to help them work. Humans have always invented tools to make difficult tasks easier, from the printing press to the pocket calculator to spellcheck.
new video arriving before we have time to consider the last one.
Now artificial intelligence has come for the thought itself. And we are apparently only too willing to give it away.
Used responsibly, AI can clarify complicated material, identify blind spots, automate repetitive work and help people express ideas they already possess.
But responsibility requires the one thing our entire digital ecosystem has spent years training us to avoid: sustained attention.
Recent research into short-form video use has found an association between heavy consumption and poorer attention and inhibitory control. Other studies have shown how quickly recommendation algorithms learn to reinforce a user’s existing interests while gradually reducing the diversity of what they encounter.
In other words, the machines become better at holding our attention precisely as we become less capable of directing it ourselves.
This is all arriving at a moment when literacy is hardly flourishing. One in five
automatically generated content. That theory was largely conspiratorial when it emerged.
Now it almost seems inevitable. Not necessarily because the humans disappear, but because we remain nominally present while outsourcing more and more of our participation. One machine produces the words. Another decides who sees them. A third summarizes the resulting reaction. Somewhere at the end of the chain sits a human being absorbing the digital residue, increasingly unsure whether anyone involved actually meant, understood or even read any of it.
What happens to public discourse when we can no longer assume a person thought the thought attached to their name?
What happens to education when producing the correct-looking answer matters more than understanding the subject? Or to politics when elected officials become mouthpieces for text neither they nor their staff can be bothered to proofread? What becomes of art, journalism, relationships and culture when human expression is
The problem is that we are increasingly using those tools not to assist the thinking process, but to replace it.
Call it cognitive replacement theory.
For years, our technology has been methodically removing every last trace of friction from our lives. Search engines made knowledge immediately accessible. Socialmedia algorithms relieved us of deciding what we wanted to see next. TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts condensed entertainment into an endless procession of bite-sized stimulation, each
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working-age Canadian adults possesses literacy skills at or below the lowest measured level—able to understand short, simple texts, but increasingly challenged as information becomes longer, denser or more complicated.
And into this environment we have released a machine that will happily read, write, summarize and think on our behalf.
The old “dead internet theory” held that much of the online world had already been overtaken by bots and
indistinguishable from statistically plausible filler?
The greatest threat posed by AI may not be that it will become smarter than humanity.
It may be that humanity will become comfortable being dumber.
The machines aren’t forcing us to surrender our humanity. They are just making it convenient.
And judging by the purple bicycles whispering to the ceiling, plenty of us won’t even proofread the terms. n
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A climate warning is not the same as a winter forecast
As a Whistler resident, I take climate change seriously. Warmer winters, higher freezing levels and more rain are real concerns for our community.
But Pique’s recent article, “‘This will be a doozy’: Researcher warns strong El Niño could bring difficult Whistler winter,” went beyond explaining those risks. It presented a highly uncertain seasonal outlook in a way that made a disastrous winter sound almost inevitable.
El Niño can increase the chances of warmer conditions, but it cannot tell us months in advance exactly where storms will go, how much snow will fall or what the overall ski season will be like. Yet the headline and repeated phrases such as “most dismal,” “really crappy winter” and “rain is going to really screw up the experience” gave the story a level of certainty the evidence did not support.
The article also relied almost entirely on one researcher. His perspective may be informed and worth reporting, but a prediction this strong should have been questioned more carefully. The article itself noted that snowfall at the Roundhouse has
shown no meaningful decline over more than 50 years. That important context received far less attention than the most alarming claims.
The final section made the article’s overall framing even clearer. The story moved from discussing one possible winter to an unchallenged call to move away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. That may be a legitimate climate-policy position, but it is not evidence that the coming Whistler winter will be one of the
worst ever.
Taken together, the dramatic headline, reliance on one source, limited discussion of uncertainty and policy-focused conclusion made the article read more like advocacy than a careful examination of a seasonal forecast.
This is not about denying climate change or asking Pique to manufacture false balance. It is about expecting a clear distinction between long-term climate trends, possible seasonal risks, uncertain
predictions and policy arguments. Climate change is serious enough without overstating what can be predicted.
Jason Drury // Whistler
More from the Whistler Tennis Association on Northlands
In response to your recent article on the Northlands redevelopment (“Racket groups welcome Northlands direction, differ on shape of replacement facility”), I would like to respond to the suggestion that the Whistler Tennis Association (WTA) and the current management of the Whistler Racket Club hold differing visions for a replacement facility.
While we have yet to see Jamie Grant’s formal proposal, his description of a “multi-use facility accommodating tennis, pickleball, children’s programming, events, food-and-beverage service and community groups” sounds largely aligned with our own vision, and we support his efforts to advocate for it.
Furthermore, while the WTA has always maintained an “arms-length” relationship with the WRC and as such has occasionally expressed different opinions from its management, our organization has consistently promoted, supported, and advocated for Mr. Grant’s tenure at the Northlands facility and his ongoing efforts to promote tennis in the Sea to Sky corridor.
As a reminder, the WTA’s vision and advocacy has consistently called for a legacy multi-use racket facility serving the community, regional, and tourism markets— one that delivers tennis and pickleball, includes youth and children’s programming, hosted events, food-and-beverage service, and use by community groups.
We look forward to working alongside the municipality, Mr. Grant and anyone else to ensure Whistler receives a multi-use racket facility that serves all these needs.
Brian Eby // Whistler Tennis Association
There can be no more pipelines on a burning planet
I am writing in response to your recent column Science Matters by David Suzuki.
I live in Pemberton. Last week as the wildfire was creeping over the crest of Signal Hill my wife and I were loading our car with the essentials to be able to evacuate at a moment’s notice. We had our passports, water, blankets and a little food for us and our two dogs ready to go. Now that the immediate danger is over we ask ourselves the bigger questions, beyond who lit the match or whatever caused this fire to ignite.
The science is clear. The more fossil fuels we extract and burn, the hotter and drier the planet will get, including the forests in our neighbourhood. These devastating climate impacts are a product of our dependence
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
on fossil fuels. How do our governments respond? By pouring fuel on the flames with new oil and gas projects.
Instead of expanding oil and gas
“[W]e need nationbuilding projects like an east-westnorth electricity grid...”
- ERICH BAUMANN
infrastructure we need nation-building projects like an east-west-north electricity grid that delivers affordable renewable energy to all. Why should tens of billions of public taxpayer dollars go to building an oil pipeline that will benefit rich shareholders while endangering everyday people?
The safety of future generations and the livability of our planet are at stake. By pushing oil pipelines, gutting environmental laws and subsidizing a volatile and exploitative industry, Prime Minister Mark Carney is doubling down on fossil fuel extraction and expansion when we so deeply cannot afford to.
There can be no more pipelines on a burning planet!
Erich Baumann // Pemberton n
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Whistler council keeps ambitious valley-bottom gondola dream alive
SUPPORTERS ON COUNCIL SAY COMMUNITY NEEDS TO THINK BIG ON TRANSPORTATION, WHILE SKEPTICS QUESTION COST, PRACTICALITY AND PRIVACY
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
A PROPOSED valley-bottom gondola linking Cheakamus Crossing, Creekside and Whistler Village remains a long way from reality, but Whistler council isn’t ready to write the idea off.
Receiving the results of a new prefeasibility study July 28, councillors wrestled with a proposal that could cost between $150 million and $300 million, require up to 2,000 intercept parking spaces in Cheakamus Crossing, and eventually transform how people move through the resort.
Some saw an ambitious response to one of Whistler’s biggest long-term challenges. Others questioned whether the economics, neighbourhood impacts and sheer scale of the project could ever make sense.
In the end, council unanimously received the report, with staff now set to begin discussions with resort partners, transportation agencies and technology providers to gauge interest in a more
detailed feasibility study.
“There is an unlimited number of reasons why this is a really, really bad idea,” Mayor Jack Crompton said near the end of council’s discussion.
“There was an unlimited number of reasons why building a ski resort eight
transportation and climate objectives—but emphasizes repeatedly that the work is only an early planning exercise.
No preferred route has been selected, no environmental assessment has been completed, and no business case or funding model exists.
“There is an unlimited number of reasons why this is a really, really bad idea ... I’m pleased that we have resisted the temptation to let all of those reasons limit our imagination...”
- JACK CROMPTON
hours from Vancouver was a really, really bad idea. I’m pleased that we have resisted the temptation to let all of those reasons limit our imagination—and more importantly, limit our inquiry.”
The study, prepared by McElhanney Ltd. for the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), concludes a gondola running the length of the valley is technically feasible and generally aligns with the municipality’s
Instead, consultants recommend moving to a detailed feasibility study before any decisions are made.
A DIFFERENT WAY TO TACKLE CONGESTION
The proposal is rooted in a familiar problem.
As Whistler has grown, now welcoming on average 3 million visitors per year, while also building more employee housing in
Cheakamus Crossing, Highway 99 has become increasingly congested during peak periods.
Transportation also remains the municipality’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with passenger vehicles accounting for just over half of community emissions.
Consultants examined six possible alignments connecting Cheakamus Crossing with Creekside and Whistler Village, concluding several are technically feasible despite significant engineering challenges.
Among them are the need for a large intercept parking facility in Cheakamus Crossing, costly integration with existing infrastructure, conflicts with BC Hydro transmission corridors and a roughly 300-metre span across Alpha Lake that would require more sophisticated—and expensive—ropeway technology than a conventional monocable gondola.
The study estimates construction would cost between $150 million and $300 million, not including operating subsidies or the intercept parking facility. A staff report noted the costs are comparable to alternatives such as widening Highway 99 or constructing transit-priority lanes, though both of those projects would require provincial funding and involvement.
gondola in Whistler.
Early modelling suggests the system could capture between 10 and 20 per cent of Highway 99 travel demand, though consultants stressed much more detailed modelling would be required before those estimates could be relied upon.
BIG DREAMS MEET BIG QUESTIONS
Among the first questions raised was whether any of the proposed alignments could avoid crossing private property.
“Yes, they all do,” climate and transportation planner Maria Thorlakson said, adding that some alignments minimize private-property impacts more than others.
She also confirmed no decisions have been made about ownership or governance, and that Whistler Blackcomb was not formally involved in the prefeasibility study.
Staff suggested a project of this magnitude would likely require a public-private partnership or another collaborative funding model.
For Councillor Ralph Forsyth, those unknowns were precisely why further study is needed.
“It’s thinking big,” he said.
“I think it moves us in the right direction for all our environmental goals, our congestion goals.”
Forsyth said congestion emerged as the top concern during the municipality’s Smart Tourism consultations and argued a gondola represents one transportation solution the community could potentially pursue without waiting for provincial approval.
“We don’t have to ask the province. We don’t have to beg them for extra lanes,” he said. “We’ll do it ourselves.”
He also pointed to European resort communities where municipalities own lift infrastructure and receive revenue from operations.
“Maybe that’s the business we want to be in,” he said.
Coun. Cathy Jewett similarly urged council to keep an open mind, describing the report as “just scratching the surface.”
She noted the municipality is discussing transportation needs decades into the future.
“We’re talking about something that could be 15 or 20 years in the future,” she said. “I see it as a really great solution. Is it the only solution? Perhaps not.”
Coun. Jen Ford echoed that sentiment.
“What we could find ... is an easier route or a better way or an option that we haven’t currently considered,” she said. “Not [exploring further] is like saying no new ideas, or good ideas come here to die.”
Coun. Jeff Murl compared the proposal to another once-unconventional Whistler idea.
“I’m left thinking of a really crazy idea to spend $50 million connecting two peaks on the mountain,” he said, referring to the Peak 2 Peak Gondola.
“That was a dumb idea. Oh—actually, it worked out OK.”
Murl said council’s responsibility is to explore unconventional ideas before dismissing them.
NEWS WHISTLER
“It just could be a crazy idea that works,” he said.
While several councillors embraced the idea of thinking big, others urged caution.
Coun. Arthur De Jong, an admitted fan of aerial lifts, questioned whether the economics behind the proposal add up.
Comparing the projected carrying capacity of a gondola with the study’s estimated ridership, De Jong argued the system would be significantly underutilized—a major concern given the high operating costs associated with ropeway systems.
“The economic footing on this does not make sense at all,” he said.
He also questioned how residents would respond to gondolas passing over private property.
“We get pushback on FireSmarting,” he said. “I can’t imagine how this will go.”
Still, De Jong stressed he wasn’t ready to dismiss the concept outright.
“I’m very pleased to see that this is being assessed,” he said, adding that local ski-area planning companies should be included in future discussions.
Coun. Jessie Morden, meanwhile, said her concerns went beyond dollars and engineering.
While acknowledging the proposal’s potential environmental benefits, Morden, noting she was born and raised in Whistler, said the concept evoked an image of a very different community.
“This just immediately screams Disneyland to me,” she said. “It’s a slippery slope into that world in my mind.
“I just don’t see myself getting behind this.”
A PROBLEM TO TACKLE
Council was not asked to approve a valley-bottom gondola Tuesday, and no funding has been committed beyond the preliminary work already completed.
Instead, staff will begin discussions with Whistler Blackcomb, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, BC Transit, technology providers and other potential partners to gauge interest in undertaking a combined feasibility study and business case. If there’s sufficient interest, staff expect to bring a proposal back to council as part of the 2027 budget process.
That next phase would attempt to answer many of the questions left open by the pre-feasibility study, including detailed transportation modelling, environmental impacts, governance, operating costs, ridership projections, funding opportunities and whether the project ultimately offers better value than expanding Highway 99 or investing further in transit.
For De Jong, those are questions worth answering—even if he remains unconvinced the gondola itself is the solution.
“It’s a macro question we need to answer,” he said. “It may not be the gondola. But yes, what do we do with transit? What do we do with a third or fourth lane? Because we have a problem we have to tackle.” n
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Cheakamus concerns take centre stage as Whistler advances housing plan
COUNCIL STRESSES NO DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE ON THREE MUNICIPALLY OWNED PARCELS AFTER RESIDENTS RAISE CONCERNS OVER CONFUSING NOTICES
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
A PROPOSAL to redesignate three municipally owned parcels in Cheakamus Crossing for potential future employee housing sparked concern among residents this week, as Whistler council sought to reassure the public no decisions have been made on whether the lands will ever be developed.
The discussion came after property notices posted on three Legacy Way parcels prompted alarm among some residents, many of whom believed the municipality was moving ahead with rezoning parkland for housing.
“I would say there’s been a lot of reaction in the neighbourhood,” Cheakamus Crossing resident Paul van den Berg told council during the public meeting. “It’s kind of a poor rollout.”
van den Berg said the signs suggested the municipality was looking to rezone the properties, creating confusion about council’s intentions.
Staff acknowledged the messaging could have been clearer.
“We do acknowledge that the legislative requirements for our boards can be confusing to the layperson that doesn’t do this on a day-to-day basis,” general manager of climate action, planning and development services Dale Mikkelsen said, later adding that “perhaps the language on those signs could have been better.”
Council nevertheless unanimously supported first reading of three Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment bylaws, emphasizing they represent the beginning of a lengthy planning and consultation process—not approval to build housing.
“This is not a rezoning,” Mikkelsen stressed.
Even if the OCP amendments are ultimately approved, the municipality would still need to dispose of the parkland, undertake subdivision work where necessary and complete separate rezoning processes before any development could proceed.
Councillor Jessie Morden repeatedly sought clarification that Tuesday’s vote would not commit the municipality to building on the sites.
“If we hear strongly that you don’t want commercial services or amenities, and you want to maintain parkland, then I will not support the rezoning of those parcels,” she said.
The proposed amendments form part of a broader effort to address Whistler’s
ongoing employee housing shortage.
One bylaw would increase the municipality’s reserve of employee housing accommodation capacity from 1,000 to 2,500 bed units. Staff say roughly 777 of the original allocation has already been committed through previous employee housing rezonings, leaving insufficient capacity for projects currently under review.
A second amendment would formally incorporate the Whistler Creek West Neighbourhood Plan into the OCP, providing long-term planning direction for redevelopment around Creekside while allocating up to 3,500 additional bed units to support its eventual buildout.
The third—and most contentious— would redesignate three municipally owned parcels at 1001, 1005 and 1010 Legacy Way from park or protected natural area designations to low- and medium-density residential in the OCP.
Staff stressed redesignating the properties would simply allow them to be considered for housing in the future.
The parcels were identified through the municipality’s land inventory and land strategy as among Whistler’s most promising “shovel-ready” employee housing opportunities. They are also the only priority sites identified through that process that require OCP amendments before future development could even be considered.
Several councillors said the controversy highlighted the need for a broader conversation about Cheakamus Crossing’s future.
“Perhaps the language on those signs could have been better.”
- DALE MIKKELSEN
Residents have long argued the neighbourhood lacks amenities such as shops, restaurants and other services despite its rapid residential growth.
“We need comprehensive public engagement,” Morden said. “We want to talk to you. We want to hear from you.”
Coun. Jeff Murl said ending the discussion now would mean losing an opportunity to better understand what residents want.
“I’m looking forward to the pop-ups
Feds announce $416K top-up for Whistler housing fund
NEW FUNDING BRINGS WHISTLER’S HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND TOTAL TO $3M
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
WHISTLER WILL receive an additional $416,000 through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), the government announced in a release on July 24.
The new contribution brings Whistler’s total to about $3 million, following a $2.5 million grant in 2025.
The money will be used to replace Whistler’s zoning and parking bylaw, “which has become increasingly complex and difficult to navigate,” the release said. “The new simplified and more modern bylaw will guide land use and development in Whistler and better reflect community priorities and supports streamlined review and permitting processes.”
The top-up reflects Whistler’s successful implementation of its original HAF agreement, the release said, noting Whistler has leveraged HAF funding to issue nearly 250 building permits and is on pace to exceed its HAF targets.
“Since signing its HAF agreement, Whistler has already implemented a variety of initiatives including undertaking a comprehensive review and implementing changes to development charges and fee schedules, prioritizing workforce housing
permit applications, and improving the efficiency of the building permit process to cut red tape and build more homes faster,” the release said.
MP Patrick Weiler made the announcement in Whistler on July 24.
“Getting more housing built is one of the biggest challenges facing fastgrowing communities like Whistler, where the demand for homes continues to outpace supply,” Weiler said in the release. “Our government is focused on supporting municipalities to take actions within their own authority to remove
barriers, speed up approvals, and enable more housing. This additional funding recognizes Whistler’s progress and will help the community continue making the changes needed to build more homes for the people who live and work here.”
The federal government has estimated the HAF will fast-track at least 112,000 new homes across Canada by 2028, and an estimated 750,000 new homes over the next decade. A report to Whistler council in December 2024 estimated that, based on population trends, Whistler would require 1,572 new
CHEAKAMUS CONCERNS FROM PAGE 14
and those engagements because I’ve had great conversations,” he said. “To end it here would seem like we miss out on a great opportunity to discuss a lot.”
While he initially questioned moving ahead with the proposal, Coun. Ralph Forsyth said he was persuaded by the discussion to support first reading.
“Nothing’s decided,” he said, adding the community could ultimately decide it wants the lands to remain parkland.
Mayor Jack Crompton agreed the signage had contributed to confusion, saying the municipality should consider
improving how it communicates future planning proposals.
“If we’ve learned anything, we’ve learned that we need to not put ‘development’ on something that we are wanting to have a conversation about,” he said.
Crompton said council has repeatedly discussed Cheakamus Crossing’s lack of amenities while considering employee housing elsewhere in the neighbourhood, and sees the consultation process as an opportunity to hear directly from residents.
“The community concerns about managing growth are real,” he said. “This
housing units in the next five years, and 5,639 in the next 20.
“The generous support of the federal government through its Housing Accelerator Fund will help cut unnecessary red tape and get shovels in the ground, ensuring more Whistler locals will get to live, work and play in the community they love for generations to come,” said Mayor Jack Crompton in the release. “Whistler’s council is deeply committed to expediting the delivery of workforce housing, and this investment advances that important mission.” n
is an opportunity for you to get in the ears of local government ... and say, ‘This is what Cheakamus Crossing needs.’” If approved, the consultation process will continue through the fall before the bylaws return to council after the municipal election for further consideration. Public hearings and additional council votes would still be required before any OCP amendments are adopted, and any future housing proposal would require separate approvals.
Find the full story online at piquenewsmagazine.com. n
Finalist nod could help WCSS replace vital outreach vehicle
COMMUNITY
SERVICES ORGANIZATION SAYS DEMAND REMAINS AT RECORD LEVELS AS PUBLIC VOTING OPENS JULY 29 IN DEFENDER SERVICE AWARDS
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
AS DEMAND for its services remains at record highs, the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) is hoping community support can help secure a new outreach vehicle through a North America-wide competition.
WCSS was recently named one of five finalists in the Community Services category of the 2026 Defender Service Awards, presented by Chase, putting the organization in the running to receive a customized Defender 130 vehicle to support its work.
Executive director Jackie Dickinson said the recognition is significant not just for WCSS, but for the community it serves.
“Being selected as one of five finalists across North America is an incredible honour,” she said in an email. “It speaks to the impact of the work happening here in Whistler and recognizes it on a national and international stage.”
Dickinson said the recognition reflects the work of WCSS staff and volunteers while highlighting the important role nonprofits play in supporting community health and well-being.
If WCSS is successful, the new vehicle would replace an aging outreach vehicle that has become a cornerstone of the organization’s operations.
Originally donated by a local family, the vehicle is used to transport clients to medical appointments, deliver food, and support outreach programs throughout
improve delivery of the School Food Program, which provides nutritious snacks to students at all five Whistler schools, while allowing staff to respond more quickly to community needs throughout the Sea to Sky corridor.
Beyond transportation, Dickinson said a new vehicle would strengthen several of
“Food bank and outreach services continue to operate at the same record levels from 2024-25...”
- JACKIE DICKINSON
the shared and unceded territories of the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation.
It also enables staff to deliver mentalhealth supports, harm-reduction services and food-security programs.
“After years of daily use, it requires more frequent repairs,” Dickinson said. “Replacing the vehicle would ensure our team can continue reaching people safely, reliably, and consistently.”
A replacement vehicle would also
the organization’s core services, including outreach, the food bank, financial assistance programs and transportation support.
“It would improve our ability to deliver food to seniors and families, connect people with medical appointments and essential services, expand outreach throughout the Sea to Sky corridor, and support our mental health, food security, and harm reduction programs,” she said.
The need comes as WCSS continues
to see unprecedented demand across multiple programs.
“Food bank and outreach services continue to operate at the same record levels from 2024-25, with families and seniors representing the fastest-growing groups accessing food support,” Dickinson said.
The organization is also seeing record demand for financial assistance programs, including physiotherapy support and subsidies that help children participate in recreation, arts programs and camps.
“These programs help remove financial barriers so children and families can stay healthy, connected, and engaged in the community,” she said.
On the front lines, Dickinson said affordability remains the defining issue facing residents.
“It’s the rising cost of housing—not simply the availability of housing—that is affecting nearly every decision people make,” she said. “Rent is almost always the first bill to be paid, leaving less money for groceries, health-care, transportation, and children’s activities.”
As a result, WCSS is seeing more working families and seniors on fixed
A conservation officer monitors a lost baby bear cub in a Whistler tree on July 22. The cub was eventually
with its mom, the COS said.
Baby bear lost in Whistler reunited with mom, COS says
CUB WAS SPOTTED CROSSING RESORT’S FITZSIMMONS BRIDGE ON JULY 22
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
A BABY BEAR spotted roaming amongst Whistler tourists recently has been reunited with its mom, according to the BC Conservation Officer Service (COS).
The cub is seen crossing the Fitzsimmons Bridge in a video posted to Facebook this week by Whistler resident Zaldy de Guzman, startling tourists and garnering lots of attention.
A spokesperson for the COS said the agency received multiple reports on Wednesday, July 22 “of a possible orphaned cub spotted in high-traffic areas and seen running across roadways, with numerous people nearby. It was not immediately clear if a sow was nearby.”
The COS was able to safely capture and tag the cub, before spending several hours searching for its mom, which they eventually found along the Valley Trail nearby.
“In a quiet area kept clear of passerby,
WCSS OUTREACH VEHICLE
incomes seeking support, along with employed residents who are still struggling to cover basic necessities.
“More and more often, people are choosing between paying for housing and covering other basic necessities,” Dickinson said.
Public voting for the Defender Service Awards opened July 29, with supporters able to cast one vote per day using their email address throughout the campaign. Voting closes Aug. 14, with winners
the cub was released where the sow was last seen. To avoid stressing out the animals further, the bears were given space,” the spokesperson said.
“Conservation officers visually confirmed today the sow and cub had reunited. There have also since been several confirmed sightings of the pair together.”
The COS notes it is seeing “increasing bear activity” in Whistler Village, and reminds the public it takes a community effort to prevent bear conflicts.
“Don’t give bears a chance to linger in communities and create a risk to themselves or people,” the spokesperson said. “This means ensuring attractants, such as garbage, pet food and birdseed, are securely stored. Bears that are conditioned to non-natural food sources or too comfortable around people are not candidates for relocation or rehabilitation. Do your part to keep wildlife wild.”
Find more resources at wildsafebc. com. n
FROM PAGE 16
announced no later than Oct. 1.
“We encourage people to visit our website, follow our social media channels, vote every day, and share the campaign with friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues,” Dickinson said. “Every vote brings us one step closer to replacing our outreach vehicle so we can continue delivering essential services.”
Read more and cast your vote at landrover.ca/en/experiences/sponsorship/ defender-service-awards/index.html. n
Twin Two Creek wildfire grows to more than 2,700 hectares
EVACUATION ORDER IN EFFECT AS CREWS CONTINUE BATTLING BLAZE EAST OF LILLOOET LAKE
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
A LIGHTNING-CAUSED wildfire burning east of Lillooet Lake has grown into the largest active blaze in the Sea to Sky region, expanding rapidly over the past week and prompting evacuation orders for nearby properties.
As of Tuesday, July 28, the Twin Two Creek wildfire was estimated at 2,711.9 hectares and remained out of control, according to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).
The wildfire, burning in steep, remote terrain, was first discovered on July 17 after a series of lightning storms swept across the region.
By July 23, it had grown to 77 hectares before expanding dramatically over the weekend under hot, dry conditions. As of Tuesday, July 28, it was estimated at 2,711.9 hectares.
While cooler, more humid conditions helped moderate fire behaviour, only trace amounts of precipitation fell on the fire itself, BCWS said in an update July 27. Recent fire behaviour was primarily observed at Rank 2 and Rank 3, characterized by low to moderately vigorous surface fire.
“Ground crews continue strengthening containment lines east of Lillooet Lake Estates by connecting existing machine guard to Cataline Creek and extending guard near Twin Two Creek to a pre-existing road above the transmission line. They are utilizing direct attack where possible, supported
by ongoing aviation resources, heavy equipment, and connecting hand and machine guards to natural barriers where possible,” BCWS said.
“Heavy equipment continues to strengthen containment efforts through machine guard construction and the reopening of resource roads for improved access and line extension. Aviation resources remain focused on daytime bucketing operations to support suppression efforts and target hotspots. Structure protection resources continue to work within Twin One community and Lillooet Lake Estates.”
There were 47 BCWS personnel
directed to leave the area immediately. Officials have also urged the public to avoid travelling into the area unless necessary, allowing firefighting crews to work safely.
The SLRD has set up a webpage to provide updates on all fires in the region at slrd.bc.ca/SLRDwildfires2026.
The Lillooet Lake fire’s remote location and rugged terrain have complicated suppression efforts, with crews relying heavily on aircraft and specialized equipment to slow its spread.
Smoke from the wildfire has been visible from parts of Pemberton and, on some days, Whistler. Despite its rapid
“The SLRD Emergency Operations Centre continues to operate at Level 3 in response to multiple wildfires...”
- SQUAMISH-LILLOOET REGIONAL DISTRICT
working on the fire as of press time, assisted by five helicopters, 15 pieces of heavy equipment and 11 structure protection personnel.
The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) first issued an evacuation alert for properties east of Lillooet Lake on July 23 at the recommendation of BCWS. The alert was escalated to an order for some properties as the fire continued to grow. Evacuation alerts remained in effect for neighbouring areas as of Pique’s weekly deadline.
The evacuation order affects recreational properties and cabins accessed by the In-SHUCK-ch Forest Service Road, with residents and visitors
growth, the fire is not considered an immediate threat to either community.
Meanwhile, the Tuwasus Creek wildfire in the Whistler backcountry, southeast of the resort, was listed at about 32.4 hectares in size and burning out of control as of Pique’s deadline.
That fire is also believed to be lightning-caused.
Lastly, the Signal Hill fire just south of Pemberton was still listed as being held at 105.5 hectares as of July 28. The fire was briefly reclassified as out of control on July 23 after strong winds and days of hot weather caused it to spread.
“Crews and aviation resources responded quickly, established a wet line
around the spot fire and continue working to bolster containment. The fire has returned to Being Held,” the BCWS said.
As other fires were contained, Twin Two Creek continued to spread through forested backcountry, becoming the region’s primary wildfire concern. The fire is one of a number of active wildfires burning across British Columbia as the province enters the heart of its wildfire season. As of July 28, there had been 783 wildfires started in B.C. this year (135 actively burning), covering a total 207,814 hectares.
The BC Wildfire Service continues to urge residents and visitors to stay away from active wildfire areas, obey evacuation orders and alerts, and avoid flying drones near suppression operations, as unauthorized aircraft can interfere with firefighting efforts.
People travelling through the backcountry are also encouraged to check for current wildfire activity, road closures and evacuation information before heading out.
While the recent cooler weather has provided a temporary break from the hot, dry conditions, wildfire season is far from over, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) said on July 27.
“The SLRD Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) continues to operate at Level 3 in response to multiple wildfires affecting communities across the region,” the SLRD said. “During periods of lower fire activity, emergency responders use the opportunity to plan ahead, coordinate with partners and prepare for changing conditions. We encourage residents to use this time to prepare as well.”
Find the latest at bcwildfire.ca, and check back with Pique for updates as this story develops
Two Twin Creek fire burning east of Lillooet Lake pictured on the afternoon of July 26.
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eMTBS and the whir of inevitability—Part 1
“You hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability.”
– Agent Smith, The Matrix
I’VE BEEN WRITING about e-bikes for years now, and just like the technology, my opinion has evolved. I’ve always believed e-bikes belonged on our streets and cycle paths as a valid means of reducing short vehicle trips, and I believe that Whistler could still use some sort of express cycle path that caters specifically to motorassisted active transportation. It would be great to ride the length of the Whistler
BY VINCE SHULEY
Valley without the risk of bumping into strollers, dogs, skateboarders or meandering groups of people on the Valley Trail. Despite the safety concerns of helmetless Whistler teenagers running amok on Rad bikes, I think e-bikes have only improved the options for getting around town, in any season.
On e-mountain bikes (eMTB), however, my narrative has been a tad more nuanced. Never one to denounce the arrival of new technology (mountain bike suspension, dropper posts and 29-inch wheels were all derided by purists when they arrived), I was more curious than furious when e-bikes began to show up on local trails. The first eMTBs, of course, had their issues. They were heavy, they handled poorly and didn’t
respond to your own pedalling torque very naturally. That’s the complete opposite of how they are now.
The biggest advances in the last 10 years have been:
1. Batteries. They are lighter, with greater capacity, and on some bikes, even modular.
2. Motor hardware. The power and torque output of eMTB motors increased dramatically just in the last couple of years, all with less noise.
3. System software. What began as simple cadence sensors on cranks is now a series of comprehensive algorithms that deliver torque to your rear wheel in a more natural way. App ecosystems mean you can customize power outputs to your liking and even update motor firmware from your phone.
All this progress happened alongside prices coming down (likely due to the
with the seasons as they are, we’re now riding deeper into the fall, early-winter and even mid-winter in Pemberton and Squamish. When the daylight is short, a boost to the top of the trail opens up a lot more options.
The other reason was good old peer pressure. More of my friends are choosing eMTBs every year, and I don’t want to be literally left behind, or proverbially slow the group down.
I’ve put in a good 10 weeks of riding on my Norco Sight VLT now, and this is what I’ve come away with.
IT DOESN’T REPLACE REGULAR BIKING
My analog trail bike isn’t going anywhere. It’s still the bike I reach for when riding with non-eMTB-equipped friends, when I attend social ride events, or when I’m riding deep in backcountry areas.
More of my friends are choosing eMTBs every year, and I don’t want to be literally left behind, or proverbially slow the group down.
bike industry recalibrating as much as the motor technology becoming more affordable).
So, what was it that made me finally bite the bullet and get an eMTB? I had been touting the benefits of e-bikes to my dad friends who would constantly bemoan that—between family and work commitments—they don’t have as much time to mountain bike anymore. While I don’t have kids, my own time has grown shorter with career responsibilities. Plus,
Charging on a road trip can get tricky, especially if you’re camping or if you’re not allowed to bring your bike into the room of your accommodation.
YOU CAN STILL WORK HARD IF YOU WANT TO
The idea of eMTBs taking all the sweat out of mountain biking is a misnomer. It does make uphill travel a lot easier, but the speed at which you go uphill is still dependent on how much of your own power you put into
your cranks. This is most evident when I climb on shuttle roads. I want to reach my governed speed of 32 km/h, but keeping it at that speed is harder than it sounds, even in full boost. Riding up roads on an e-bike is like riding on a variable resistance trainer. You choose how hard you work, but it doesn’t come free.
YOUR DOWNHILL ENDURANCE IS A FACTOR
I thought my bike park riding would have prepared me better for this, but knocking out a 1,800-metre vertical, 27-kilometre ride in less than four hours is near the limit of how much I can ride without starting to risk mistakes and potential crashes, especially on the steep and intense trails here in the Sea to Sky. But there’s no better way to improve your downhill endurance than by riding your bike downhill, which eMTBs are great at.
THE ATTITUDE IS SHIFTING
One thing you notice riding an eMTB is how many other eMTBs are around. Passing people on wider climb trails used to get met with eye rolling disdain, now it’s more envy that they’re not riding as much as you are today. I try to avoid narrow, high-traffic climb trails so I’m not that obnoxious e-biker zooming past with no regard. When I inevitably do pass people, I slow down, I keep it courteous and don’t wind up my speed until I’m a few metres ahead. The attitude will keep shifting better if all e-bikers do their part. The other part of the conversation of rising eMTB numbers is the impact on trail systems. Stay tuned for that Outsider in the next few weeks.
Vince Shuley is riding more than he ever was. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider, email vince.shuley@gmail.com or Instagram @whis_vince. n
ALL ABOUT EEB eMTBs are quickly becoming the default bike of choice in the Sea to Sky.
PHOTO BY LANDON PINETTE
BC Parks Foundation
Like many British Columbians, a BC Parks plate adorns my vehicle, but I hadn’t really thought much about how my money might be getting spent. What I do know is that the very first email I received as a new member of the BC Parks Lover program was an invitation to purchase specially designed and branded BC Parks merch for a 15-per-cent discount at their new online store. I resisted the opportunity to spend $85 (minus the discount) on a black cotton hoody “KEEP PARKS SEXY” and “NATURE IS MY KINK.”
These rather edgy designs are sold through a registered B.C. non-profit agency known as the BC Parks Foundation, and while money raised from selling patches and hoodies might buy a set of pruning tools for a trail crew, merch sales are hardly its sole focus.
In an emailed statement to Pique, the BC Parks Foundation’s VP of marketing and communications, Ashley Aubrey says, “Our purpose is to help build the greatest system of parks and protected areas in the world, in partnerships with BC Parks.”
“We focus on what philanthropy is well suited to: protecting land for conservation, funding long-term stewardship activities, restoring interpretation and education in parks, and connecting more people to nature through health, learning, and community programs. Core park operations remain the responsibility of BC Parks, funded by the Province.”
“Much of our funding is restricted by the terms of the grants or donations we receive to specific projects and programs, such as land acquisition, education, interpretation, accessibility, or health initiatives. These are committed to defined outcomes and are not general operating or discretionary funds,” Aubrey explains.
“For land acquisition, we assess potential acquisition through a rigorous process, scoring parcels on factors such as biodiversity value, recreational value, cost, community partnerships, and value to the parks system. A recent example is the 64-hectare private inholding within Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park near Kelowna that was protected earlier this year.
One of the first Parks programs that went under the knife of the old Social Credit government of the 1980s was its much-loved interpretive nature programs. These kumbaya memories of wise and somewhat earnest park rangers unlocking the mysteries of the natural world were a staple for an entire generation of baby boomers in the 1960s and ’70s. The BC Parks Foundation stepped in in 2019 to create the Discover Parks Ambassadors program, which now receives the kind of consistent, reliable funding that won’t go under the axe the next time there’s a recession. Over one million park visitors have attended or taken part in an Ambassador event since its inception in 2019.
The Parks Foundation also administers SPARK grants that are distributed to equity-deserving communities whose access to BC Parks has traditionally been diminished by social or economic barriers. These grants cover transportation to remote sites, gear like hiking poles and proper footwear, nourishment for long days outside, and providing gifts of thanks to people who act as guides.
SPARK grants have supported more than 33,000 participants and enabled over 155,000 hours outdoors in BC Parks, with more than $600,000 granted to equitydeserving communities. The program continues to respond to growing demand from groups seeking support to get into parks.
A former Cabinet member under both the Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark Liberal governments, Chilliwack-area MLA Barry Penner served as B.C.’s longest-running environment minister at the time, which included the BC Parks portfolio, from 2005 to 2010. Penner, you might recall, was the minister who worked for BC Parks as a seasonal
ranger while attending Simon Fraser University and later law school at the University of Victoria.
Penner’s seasonal gig wasn’t all kumbaya moments around the campfire.
“By the 1970s and early ’80s, Cultus Lake (south of Chilliwack) had gained a reputation for being a rowdy place with plenty of drinking and partying. However, my boss was a former RCMP officer, and my fellow rangers and I were directed to change that to make families feel safe and welcome,” he recalls. “As a Park Ranger, I’d be out there on Friday and Saturday nights warning noisy campers that they’d be evicted if I had to come back a third time to deal with them. I grew a full beard to look older and, I suppose, to better gain the respect of the campers. I was only 20 and was the youngest of the Park Rangers. Like other BC Park Rangers, we weren’t armed and had limited Peace Officer status. However, Chilliwack RCMP officers operating in our area had radios in their vehicles on our frequency so they could communicate with us directly. This was very useful for quick response and coordination for dealing with tricky situations.”
Other duties had Penner and a partner paired together to patrol and collect camping fees at the more remote Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. One evening while asking a middle-aged man, who was camping and drinking by himself, to turn down his loud music, he found himself suddenly staring down the barrel of a handgun. “Fortunately, Cst. Yves Antaya happened to be with me that evening and, with remarkable coolness, distracted the man by asking to see the cassette case of the music he was listening to,” he says. “The moment the man turned to pick up the cassette case, Yves pounced and handcuffed the soon-to-be-evicted camper.”
The following summer, he was recruited as a backcountry ranger patrolling the ridges, wildflower meadows and lakes of E.C. Manning Provincial Park east of Hope, where he spent a blissful summer before starting law school.
From his previous experience, as minister, Penner was aware of the fragility of Parks’ funding, especially during economic downturns. Still, some of the Ministry’s solutions, like installing parking meters at popular day-use parking lots, turned into an unpopular fiasco.
Upon becoming Minister of Environment, Penner ordered a review and ultimately settled on reducing parking rates and drafting a new policy which clearly stated that all parking revenue collected would stay in the Parks system to help pay for maintenance and improvements.
“And then a few years later, BC Parks was directed to ditch the entire program and take out all of the meters, which by this time were contributing over $1 million per year,” Penner says.
“When times are tough, the government’s budget planners come looking for savings from the resource ministries, looking to keep feeding the more expensive ministries like health, education, and social services. To me, this illustrated the importance of BC Parks developing its own sources of revenue to help insulate it from inevitable competition for tax dollars.”
Penner credits his ministerial assistant Jerry Muir for suggesting the potential income for a commemorative licence plate program.
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“Jerry had taken a camping trip to Oregon, which has one of America’s most wellfunded and respected State Park systems. He noticed many vehicles with specialized license plates, and found this program was helping fund Oregon Parks,” Penner recalls. “He wondered if I would support doing something similar in B.C., which I certainly did. We developed a voluntary program to give drivers an option to help support BC Parks, but it ran into a series of obstacles. We were told ICBC didn’t want to administer yet another specialized licence plate.”
By the fall of 2010, Penner was moved to the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and later became Attorney General, losing track of what had become of the BC Parks plate proposal.
After Penner retired from politics and returned to private practice, Premier Christy Clark appointed him as Chair of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. Ironically, at his first briefing, government officials told him they were ready to implement a specialized BC Parks plate.
Penner recalls a rather funny story just before the launch of the Licence Plate Program.
“At ICBC, we were looking at about 10 different potential images that BC Parks provided which could be placed on the new licence plates,” Penner says. “Everyone agreed to recommend the image of the white Kermode bear as one of the three, and mock-ups were prepared. A short while later, word came back that the photo of the Kermode bear was not acceptable because of a white piece of straw hanging from the side of its mouth which resembled a doobie.
“It was considered politically unacceptable by senior staff in Victoria to have what appeared to be a pot-smoking bear on a provincial licence plate. The decision was made to airbrush the piece of straw out of the original image. I understood the concern, but was disappointed and still think it would be an even better seller if the straw remained. Nevertheless, the modified Kermode bear licence plate was an instant smash hit.”
Since its inception, the Licence Plate Program has been far more profitable than BC Parks ever anticipated, fulfilling Penner’s wish for an additional income stream to help finance creative, community-based projects that augment the parks’ capital expenditures and day-to-day operations. n
Permitsare acriticalstepinthe replacementprocess to ensure that theinstallationmeetsallapplicablesafety codes, minimizingtheriskofaccidentsorpropertydamage. ScantheQRcodeto learnmoreandapply. *Ifapplicationiscompleteand conditionsaremet
Elly Hoskin nets third straight Canadian Open Enduro victory, Elliot Jamieson repeats as men’s winner
JESSE MELAMED, JULIA LONG BOTH ‘SURPRISED’ AT THEIR SILVER MEDALS AS LIEF RODGERS, MADDY BONIKOWSKY ROUND OUT ALLCANADIAN PODIUMS
BY DAVID SONG
AS FAR AS THE Canadian Open Enduro is concerned, it’s rinse and repeat for Elly Hoskin and Elliot Jamieson. Both skilfully navigated persistent rain, 1.2 kilometres of climbing and 1.85 kilometres of descent on Sunday, July 26 to defend their respective titles at the week’s first Crankworx Whistler race.
This breakthrough extends Hoskin’s win streak to three years, and she was fastest on every stage for an aggregate time of 33 minutes and 52.8 seconds: well ahead of runner-up Julia Long (36:20.3) and third-placer Maddy Bonikowsky (36:26.4). Nothing is guaranteed in sport, but it’s not an unexpected showing for the incumbent Enduro World Champion.
“It’s just a pleasure,” remarked Hoskin. “This is one of the few races that both my parents get to see, and to do it with all the Canadians here, on all of our home turf, I think is super special because we all know these tracks. To come back year after year together, I think, is really cool.”
The men’s podium, like the women’s, turned out to be an all-Canadian affair with Jamieson (28:18.8) holding off retired Sea to Sky mountain bike icon and silver medallist Jesse Melamed (28:28.3). Lief Rodgers, who moved atop the Enduro World Cup (EDR) overall on July 19, grabbed his second straight Crankworx bronze (29:00.5).
About his golden result, Jamieson said: “It’s so special, man. I’ve grown up watching this enduro, coming and cheering on guys like Jesse who I was battling with today. There’s such a strong Canadian
‘IT NEVER GETS EASIER WHEN YOU WIN STUFF’
Hoskin revealed that she and other EDR athletes like Jamieson and Rodgers dealt with jet lag after their Wednesday return from Europe. She didn’t use that as an excuse, though, nor was she inclined to back down from the weather. Much the opposite, she felt that Sunday’s conditions were “awesome,” noting some relatively dry stretches in the trees, and did her best to overcome a small but strong field of rivals.
The Squamish native appears to be trending upward, with the Canadian
“[E]veryone’s always learning, and the competition just keeps getting better.”
- ELLY HOSKIN
contingent of enduro racers … we all push each other so much, especially here being Jesse’s backyard and he’s obviously the greatest Canadian enduro racer.
“Lief and I are trying to be at the cutting edge of the younger generation and we’re trying to push each other as much as we can, but at the end of the day we’re just best friends. I’m so happy to come up on top of those guys because they’re such fierce competitors. I had to dig deep.”
Open triumph coming on the heels of her first EDR medal this season in Valais, Switzerland. She is third overall among women with just one more race to go.
“My confidence hasn’t really been shaken at all,” Hoskin insisted. “I think there were just some unfortunate circumstances that prevented the results I’m looking for, and that I think people sometimes expect from me, but it never gets easier when you win stuff.
If anything, it gets exponentially harder. You don’t do this sport to be a master of it, or expect to be any time soon. I think everyone’s always learning, and the competition just keeps getting better.”
One example of that progression might be Long, a born-and-raised Whistlerite and former Enduro World Series contestant at the junior level who nowadays coaches for local team Instinct Development. She admitted she hasn’t been training much, but nonetheless outdueled worthy opposition like Bonikowsky and EDR elite Geza Rodgers, who was fourth.
When told that she’d won silver, Long’s initial reaction was an understated: “OK, cool.”
“I was actually very surprised … I kind of just tried to cruise through the day, keep it smooth, luckily had no crashes so that’s awesome,” she elaborated. “I think I have an advantage, I grew up here and I’ve been riding these trails and racing this race in particular for a couple years. Especially this last stage in the bike park, I felt pretty at home so I was able to keep it flowing. I love Crankworx every year, it’s my favourite week of the year.”
ENDURING GENERATIONS
Melamed bowed out of professional competition last December but just can’t seem to stay away from the Canadian Open Enduro—particularly after a mechanical issue knocked him into 31st last year.
CRUISE CONTROL The 2026 Canadian Open Enduro podium, left to right: Jesse Melamed, Julia Long, Elly Hoskin, Elliot Jamieson, Maddy Bonikowsky and Lief Rodgers.
PHOTO BY NATALIE CARRIERE / COURTESY OF CRANKWORX
Retirement granted the freedom to set his bike up however he wanted this year, and he feels that factor played a key role in his performance. Otherwise, Melamed had no game plan: he just wanted to have fun and take some chances, which he did so fruitfully on “one of the best courses [Crankworx has] ever had.”
The local legend posted the quickest time on Stage No. 4 by just over a second.
“I’m surprised and stoked. It’s nice to know that I haven’t lost it all completely in less than a year, but I’ve been riding my bike a ton,” said Melamed. “So sick to see Elliot win … it is my home race so I would have loved to win, but it was a good battle. He just put down a stellar last stage and not much I could do, but it’s kind of fun to show him I could still be there if I wanted. I just wanted to have a big day with my friends, ride the best trails, and Crankworx is the best place to do that…I’ll be back next year.”
Melamed went on to praise Jamieson, Rodgers and Evan Wall for representing Canada with aplomb on the EDR circuit.
Jamieson feels he had “a pretty insane day” that began with a morning test ride to scope out conditions. He feared a rigid race strategy could hold him back against top opponents and chose instead to take each stage as it came: balancing prudence in rough terrain with all-out attack whenever possible.
The White Rock, B.C. native has bounded back from a May concussion that wiped out part of his EDR campaign and led to a few underwhelming outings before he finished fifth in Valais’ mid-July race. Jamieson is excited for the season finale from Aug. 14 to 16 in Morillon, France because he might get to watch childhood friend Rodgers—whom he is “so unbelievably proud of”—secure the EDR overall crown.
“I’m definitely pretty tired from the whole World Cup season … so I was a little bit off the pace to be honest from where I wanted to be,” Rodgers commented. “Still stoked, still a super fun day out. Standing on a Crankworx podium in front of Whistler Village is always sick.”
Regarding his newfound status as World No. 1, the Port Moody resident added: “Feels crazy, to be honest. I never would have thought that I’d be in this position, but I’ve just put down a really consistent season so far: a couple of podiums and a couple of fourth place. It feels really cool—I mean a lot of pressure comes along with it.
“My confidence has been helping me out a lot this year. I’ve struggled with that a little bit in the past, but just being confident with my speed and confident with my lines and knowing that I have what it takes to be up there—all I have to worry about is executing.”
Visit crankworx.com/results for more Canadian Open Enduro results. n
WINNER’S CIRCLE Elly Hoskin (top) and Elliot Jamieson were all smiles after completing their respective Canadian Open Enduro runs on July 26.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CRANKWORX
10th Air DH gold for Jill Kintner, Ryan Gilchrist opens Whistler campaign with impressive victory
LOCAL FAVOURITES GEORGIA ASTLE, TEGAN CRUZ PLEASED WITH SILVER PERFORMANCES
BY DAVID SONG
FOLKS IN THE mountain bike realm are waiting to see if any woman can vanquish Jill Kintner in a race down A-Line. We’ll all have to wait at least another year.
The Bellingham, Wash. product has been undefeated at Crankworx Whistler’s Air DH since 2013, with Monday, July 27’s four-minute, 35.924-second effort representing her tenth straight triumph despite a weekold hand injury. A crash in practice rendered her unable to compete last year, but 2025 winner Jenna Hastings did not start, leaving the door open for a return to normalcy: death, taxes and Kintner atop this particular podium.
Georgia Astle discovered a measure of redemption as well, clinching silver (4:39.120) after ending up fourth the previous August. Bronze landed around the neck of Julia Lofqvist Traum (4:39.724), whom locals might remember for her emotional A-Line win two years ago as a U19 rider.
Shortly after the elite ladies’ race, top guns in the King of Crankworx battle locked horns with Ryan Gilchrist victorious by way of a scintillatingly fast run (4:02.993). Tegan Cruz was the only other man to break four minutes and 10 seconds (4:08.978) and Tyler Waite did enough for third (4:15.451).
“It means a lot, means my riding
was pretty stoked with a 4:02. In practice, I put in a full run and really sent it for a 4:09 and I was like: ‘whoa, that was a pretty hot lap.’ But then to take seven seconds out of it for the race, it’s one of those runs where I would rip a corner, I’d see the colour red and be like: ‘oh yeah, I’m going to do that on every corner’ and feel all warm inside.”
“[It] means my riding is still good even after all these years...”
- JILL KINTNER
is still good even after all these years and there’s many challengers who are amazing riders,” said Kintner, 44. “My preparation is always [not leaving] anything unturned. So much drama this week around whether I could even put my hand on the bar and I couldn’t ride until [Sunday] … it’s purple and ugly, but it’s good enough to hold on so that’s good enough for me.”
Meanwhile, Gilchrist remarked: “I
‘KEEP EVERYONE HONEST’
Proper equipment setup is vital for the unique challenge that is Air DH: a time trial on a venue built for jumps and steez—not speed. Kintner deployed her Pivot Firebird trail bicycle to navigate wet and relatively slow conditions on an afternoon when many of her peers used downhill bikes.
Astle went for the same tactic as Kintner, but with one key addition: a
chain guide to ensure that a repeat of 2025 (when a dropped chain kept her off the podium) did not occur.
“I’m constantly chasing the top spot, but it’s hard when Jill’s around,” said the Whistlerite. “I’ve known Jill for a long time, since I really started racing and got into the scene, so it’s really special and quite inspiring to see her still doing this, still loving it and absolutely smoking us. That gives me some motivation to keep doing it.”
Nowadays committed to freeride as a two-time Red Bull Rampage medallist, Astle admits she’s further away from her racing era than ever before. Thus she is pleased to best 19 other riders on her favourite trail whilst enjoying the casual familiarity of a hometown event.
Kintner also views Crankworx Whistler as more or less her home race, but knows she doesn’t approach A-Line the way most others do. While they’re hitting jumps and having fun, she’s staying low, cutting edges and seeking out new ways to maximize velocity.
“Crankworx holds a special place in my career,” remarked the fivetime Queen of Crankworx. “I’ve had a
good run at all the events. It’s nice to showcase your sponsors and have good paychecks. They’ve elevated women in the sport. They’ve done a lot for the sport in general…so I feel like being here to support. When I feel like not racing, I won’t, but I still like to race and I still like to be here with everybody and at least keep everyone honest in my category.”
The only woman to progress in this year’s Queen overall from Air DH was Jordy Scott, with eighth place getting her to 223 points. That’s still a ways behind leader Hastings (496) and runner-up Sabina Košárková (450).
‘THERE’S HOLES THAT YOU COULD BURY A SMALL CHILD IN’
Last year’s Air DH champ Richie Rude wasn’t present this time, but Gilchrist missed having his decorated teammate around. Fortunately he still benefited from an excellent training partner in Waite, whose downhill background proved valuable. So too did Gilchrist’s Yeti LT, a trail bike with the size and versatility to handle A-Line’s terrain.
“I think Air DH is my absolute bread and butter because it’s very pumpy, BMX-oriented … but the thing you don’t realize about A-Line is that the track is absolutely hammered,” said Gilchrist. “There’s holes that you could bury a small child in and you can’t just ride a BMX bike down this thing. You’ve got to really balance your effort and balance your setup.”
Gilchrist appears to have found balance on a mental level as well, as displayed by his inaugural Enduro World Cup (EDR) gold on July 19 in Switzerland’s Aletsch Arena: a breakthrough he feels is
“the highlight” of his career to date. To do so, he needed to forget about a series of results that were underwhelming by his lofty standards.
“I went to my teammate Mick Hannah, whose first World Cup was before I was born so he’s got so many fights in the ring and really knows his stuff,” Gilchrist remembered. “I laid it out to him and he gave me some really nice advice and a bit of a game plan, basically told me to ‘ride like Ryan.’ It’s a nice feeling knowing that you’re good enough … so I’m taking that confidence into this week.”
Cruz has also shouldered a heavy load this season, aiming for both the King of Crankworx title and the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series overall. He believes that Air DH silver has set a positive tone for the rest of his week and will give everything to make family and friends proud on home soil. His big brother Lucas, who was eighth on A-Line, is a bonus source of inspiration.
“It hasn’t rained that much in a long time for this race, so it was quite wild and crazy,” said Cruz. “We had a great time. Everyone was pushing hard. Definitely not rolling as fast in the mud, but we sprinted as hard as we could…second was what I had today and congrats to Gilly. It’s impressive how well he performs day in, day out and I have a lot of respect for him, no doubt about it. I’m just continuing to fight and do what I can to be up there with him.”
Gilchrist has extended his lead on the King of Crankworx field (631), but Cruz remains within striking distance (418) as Daniel Butterworth (205) lurks in third. Visit crankworx.com/results for more Air DH results n
AIR DEVIL Ryan Gilchrist competes in the Air DH event at Crankworx on July 27.
PHOTO BY CLINT TRAHAN / COURTESY OF CRANKWORX
‘Somebody noticed and thought enough to nominate us’
WHISTLER SKATING CLUB DIRECTOR MORGAN
BY DAVID SONG
WHISTLER SKATING CLUB (WSC) program director Morgan Wentworth still does not know who nominated her club for the 2026 Skate Canada National Award, but she would like to sincerely thank them for taking notice.
This accolade pitted the WSC against a bevy of clubs throughout British Columbia and the Yukon, including Lower Mainland organizations with far more resources and prominence. For example, the WSC tops out at roughly 200 members each year compared to north of 1,000 for its largest contemporaries.
“I guess we’ve done enough this year across the board that somebody noticed and thought enough to nominate us against all these other clubs … which is huge because we’re such a small club,” Wentworth said. “We really rely on volunteers and things like that. We have such a small draw in our town for skating and also not losing our skaters to things like biking and marathon running and skiing.
“This year has been huge, lots of highs throughout, and this was just icing on the cake at the end of the season. Just knowing
WENTWORTH
REFLECTS ON HER ORGANIZATION WINNING THE SKATE CANADA NATIONAL AWARD
that you’re doing something right for the community and being recognized on a national level was a huge honour to all of our coaches and our board.”
Medal numbers at sanctioned contests are not the only factor in determining who earns a National Award. Instead, Skate Canada gauges clubs holistically based on how well they operate and how they support community members of all backgrounds. The WSC excelled in this regard, boasting the highest per-capita rate of successful assessments for higherlevel skaters in B.C.
These evaluations are conducted by external judges and out of 98 locals tested between August and June, only three needed to retry their exams.
A few graduating Whistler athletes were also invited to be part of Skate Canada’s video library by performing certain skills on-camera. These clips were uploaded to a publicly-available database that skaters, coaches and even judges across the nation reference to maintain the same standards for training and competing.
SHOUT-OUT TO THE COACHES
No club succeeds without a rock-solid core of leaders behind it. Wentworth praised her coaching staff, Dianne Diamond,
Emily Nichols and Katia Barton, for their contributions alongside support personnel like Marie-Anne Prevost and Lyse Prendergast.
As senior coach, Diamond possesses a wealth of experience—she was a twoyear Canadian national team member with a keen mind for skill development. She and Barton are both nationally certified, although Barton and Wentworth herself focus more on dance techniques and free skate.
Barton’s father Ted, a recently retired head of Skating in BC (the provincial section office that gave out the National Award), also provides valuable insight from time to time.
Nichols is a personal trainer and avid long-distance runner who keeps her pupils in shape as well as levelling up their free skate abilities. She is helped in the physical conditioning department by strength coach Prevost, who facilitates in-house training alongside her daughter Liv.
Last but definitely not least, Prendergast has served as a volunteer registrar since 2024 who performs a number of key administrative duties.
“It’s actually quite unheard of to have the class of coaches we have between that all happen to just plunk down in Whistler somehow,” remarked Wentworth. “I
grew up in Squamish representing the Squamish Skating Club … but Dianne, Emily [and Katia] have come from Ontario and we’re so lucky to have them. Emily, we just met in a public skating session one time and it turned out she used to take from the same coach that Dianne did [even though] there’s 25 years between them.”
The aforementioned coaching staff helped Whistler’s test-level athletes participate in nine competitions this year across both the more recreational StarSkate program and the higher-end Podium Pathway. Most WSC members, however, aren’t in it to win medals.
“Once you get on the ice, you realize it’s not just for the competitive, it can be for everybody,” Wentworth said. “I think we have something for everyone and we do try to offer enough flexibility if you can’t commit to a fiveday-a-week schedule. We’re not about winning all the competitions. We just want everyone to come out of the club with a basis for skating, a love of the sport, and to hopefully continue on in their adulthood.
“It’s incredible to know that we were recognized as doing something that other clubs could use as a basis for their own successes.” n
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Savouring the flavours of Honduras with the Whistler Multicultural Kitchen
TALKING PASTELITOS DE PERRO WITH HONDURAN HOME COOK GIANNA SEVILLA
BY BRANDON BARRETT
IF NECESSITY is the mother of invention, Gianna Sevilla has two moms to credit for her education in home-cooking.
After landing in Canada in 2019, Sevilla soon realized she would have to learn how to cook if she wanted to fend for herself so far from her home in coastal Honduras. Naturally, a call to mom was in order.
“Honestly, I didn’t know how to cook until I moved to Canada, because I had no other option but to cook,” she said. “Everything I know is because my mom has taught me through FaceTime.”
On July 30, Sevilla paid it forward, teaching attendees to the Whistler Multicultural Society’s latest Multicultural Community Kitchen how to make pastelitos de perro, the popular Honduran street food, and horchata, the sweet, rice-based drink. Literally translating to “dog pies,” pastelitos
de perro are similar to an empanada, swapping out the pasty dough in favour of a crunchy corn batter and often stuffed with ground beef, the mild cotija cheese—or really anything you have laying around the fridge—and topped with cabbage slaw and drizzled in tomato sauce.
“Inside you can put in whatever leftovers you have, which is usually rice and ground meat, and then you top it with cabbage salad or pickled cabbage, onions, cheese, avocado and tomato
meat into pockets of fried dough. Dumplings, samosas, Jamaican beef patties all differ in their flavours, construction and ingredients—heck, even empanadas vary greatly across Latin America—but still share the basic building blocks that make them so appealing in the first place.
“There’s lots of portability around it. It’s easy to sell as a street food and as a snack and pull leftover ingredients together,” Sevilla said. “It’s economical, practical and tastes good.”
“There is an opportunity to meet new people and to educate yourself about other cultures, what they have to offer and to see outside what is portrayed in the media or news.”
- GIANNA SEVILLA
sauce,” Sevilla said. “You definitely have to get your hands dirty.”
Honduras is of course one of many cuisines that have figured out the simple pleasures of stuffing
Sevilla, who works for the Whistler Multicultural Society as its community engagement and fund development coordinator, said she switched out the beef for a soy-based protein on July 30
because their regular cooking nights have proven so popular with local vegetarians and vegans.
That sense of inclusivity is baked into the ethos of the society’s monthly Multicultural Community Kitchen events, which welcome cooks from a different country each time to showcase a dish from their homeland. Recent editions have seen attendees learn to whip up Filipino favourites, sisig and turon, fufu corn and vegetables from Cameroon, and Turkish dolmas. These events are more than just an opportunity to expand one’s culinary horizons, Sevilla said; they offer a window into unfamiliar cultures that goes beyond the superficial.
“There is an opportunity to meet new people and to educate yourself about other cultures, what they have to offer and to see outside what is portrayed in the media or news,” she said. “It brings the community together as immigrants. Especially when you come from a small country like mine and there aren’t many people from that country here, it instils a sense of belonging. I know other people have experienced the same things I have and they know how it feels to be a newcomer in Whistler.”
Learn more at food.wmsociety.ca. n
HOME-COOKED HONDURAN Gianna Sevilla served up the Honduran street food, pastelitos de perro, at the Whistler Multicultural Society’s latest Multicultural Community Kitchen night.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GIANNA SEVILLA
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH
*some exceptions apply
I INCLUDED FITNESS
classes are included with your price of admission for no extra charge.
Pete Murray and Kim Churchill to play Aug. 13 in Whistler
BOTH ARE DECORATED AUSTRALIAN MUSICIANS, WITH MURRAY HAVING 17 ARIA AWARD NOMINATIONS TO HIS CREDIT
BY DAVID SONG
LOCALS, GET READY for a double dose of authentic Aussie music to liven up the middle of August.
Pete Murray and Kim Churchill, both of whom have played in Whistler before, are teaming up for the first time on Aug. 13 as the ongoing Whistler Summer Concert Series returns in the wake of Crankworx.
Murray is beloved down under, with 17 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Award nominations and four consecutive No. 1 albums on his resume. His most recent studio album, Longing, was his first independent release in over 20 years and debuted late last year on top of ARIA charts: marrying his signature acoustic warmth with gritty, synth-driven textures and hypnotic rhythms while reflecting on the perspective of a life fully lived.
Churchill is also an independent artist whose initial claim to fame was winning the Byron Bluesfest Busking competition and becoming Folk Artist of the Year at Australia’s National Folk Festival shortly after high school. He describes himself as “a psychedelic one-man band singing indie folk and farmers’ market blues.”
How did their paths cross? Well, Churchill views Murray as one of his heroes and listened to the latter’s breakthrough album Feeler (which stayed in the charts for 80 weeks following its July 2003 release) lots as a teenager. The two men encountered one another at the 2010 Byron Bluesfest and again years later at an airport, where they really hit it off.
“The idea of sharing adventures with [Pete] in Canada is surreal and so exciting,” Churchill says.
‘NEVER REALLY THOUGHT AGE WAS A BARRIER IN MUSIC’
Murray’s path into the realm of professional music-making is rather unique. Born in the rural town of Chinchilla, Australia, he grew up an athlete who swam, played rugby and specialized in 400- and 800metre running. His first time picking up a guitar came at 22 years old, when a friend came to his room excited about the prospect of learning an instrument.
As it turns out, Murray (and not his friend) was the one who committed to guitar lessons. Hurting his knee on the rugby pitch gave him time to refine his skills, and he soon began playing covers at home and abroad in London, England.
One night, Murray and his friend Angus McDonald from the Aussie dance group Sneaky Sound System were playing music in their two-bedroom London, England apartment home to a whopping 19 travellers at the time. Someone asked Murray why he didn’t write his own music, and he didn’t have a good answer—but he became willing to try.
Murray prefers not to get political. Inspiration comes from his own life experiences and the attempt to put himself in others’ shoes, and he hopes that others will be positively impacted by his music. One of his more famous songs is called “Opportunity” and it’s about daring to make a change when you’re unhappy in life, while another titled “Better Days” tells a story of persevering through hard times.
“By the time I got signed to a record label, I was 32,” reflects Murray. “A lot of people in their 30s, I gave them a lot of hope that they could have success as well. I mean, I’ve never really thought age was a barrier in music. If you write a good song, you write a good song.”
He’s billed as “Australia’s best-kept secret” but is frustrated by that moniker.
“That’s really come down to the label I was with,” Murray says. “When you do a worldwide deal with a major label, that happens to a lot of artists. I’m not the first one and I probably won’t be the last … they’ll help you in your own country … but other affiliates don’t want to release you [overseas] because they’ve got their own artists and it just becomes, I guess, political.”
Murray feels that his repertoire is well-suited for North American ears, but his former label wanted to send him to the United Kingdom first—which did not make sense to him. Instead, he ended up touring across Canada and the United States in 2014 with Paul Langlois of Tragically Hip fame and looks forward to his next visit.
“He’s such a lovely guy, Kim,” comments Murray. “Really good guy, talented musician and songwriter. It’s going to be really interesting. The first time we play together is actually going to be over in Canada. It was fate, bumping into someone and going from there.”
‘I
DEEPLY FOCUS ON MY PATH FORWARD’
Churchill’s lifestyle is all but guaranteed to resonate with Sea to Sky denizens.
He lives in a camper van and rises before dawn to write music, which is how he produced the albums It’s Lovely to Have You Here and Dawn Sounds
The Merimbula, Australia native has toured across Europe, Canada and the United States more than once, but loves balancing out the social energy of concerts with his regularly-scheduled retreat to nature (think: parking by a river or the ocean to sleep).
Despite playing as a professional for more than 15 years, Churchill feels like he’s still just beginning his journey.
“I deeply focus on my path forward,”
he elaborates. “Whilst I enjoy looking back and reflecting and appreciating where I’ve been and what I’ve done, I’m just incredibly excited about growing and exploring more of myself and the world around me. I also constantly feel that, as a songwriter, I’m just a beginner hearing from the masters and getting inspired. I have a beautiful path ahead of me in terms of learning my craft … this feeling puts me at ease.”
Churchill also believes that managing his own career empowers him to pursue his deepest artistic inclinations.
“When I had management and a major record label behind me, they had lots of ideas and suggestions,” he recalls. “Some of them were great, but some of it really clouded my vision of myself and my art. Since beginning self-management, I’ve created a fleet of camper vans around the world and [revolve my art] completely around this weird and wonderful journey. It all just feels very aligned now.”
Having performed in Whistler multiple times before at venues like Merlin’s and the Garibaldi Lift Co., Churchill fondly remembers lying in “the most beautiful grass of his life” feeling like a part of a Disney movie.
He’ll be ready to open the show on Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Olympic Plaza, with Murray to follow an hour later. Visit whistler.com/events/concerts for more details. n
FARMERS’ MARKET BLUES Seventeen-time ARIA Award nominee Pete Murray. PHOTO BY IAN LAIDLAW
Obituaries in ice…
BY BRONWYN PREECE
“Hope plays a crucial role in how we notice and respond to glacial recession—not as a naïve optimism, but as a motivating force that helps communities stay engaged rather than overwhelmed. But hope reframes that experience. It reminds us that while change is happening, our actions still matter…” - Alison Jenkins, executive director of AWARE
ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA (ACC) member and longtime Whistler resident Doug Wylie has helped monitor two of our local glaciers consistently for the past two decades.
He has been visiting Wedgemount Glacier since 1984.
“I have a nice picture, actually, standing there. And ice was right in the lake. Quite a ways in the lake,” he says.
In 2011, Wylie began active annual monitoring of Wedge, joining Karl Ricker—an honorary member of the ACC, the highest rank bestowed by the esteemed organization, and part of the first team to complete the Spearhead/ Fitzsimmons Traverse in 1964.
“I was really just a chain man. I would hold the end of the tape,” he recalls. “It was all very rudimentary, building with rock cairns and measuring by tape to the edge of the ice ... we had no way to measure the depth and see how it was thinning. That has only happened in recent years with modern instruments.”
The Museum has an extensive collection of photographs and meticulous records gathered over the years from the accumulated observations. Records of loss, reading like obituaries.
“I think the thing that stands out is how [glacier recession has] accelerated,” remarks Wylie.
The Overlord Glacier has been another focus of long-term monitoring. Ricker first measured it in 1986, and Wylie joined him in 2006.
“Every glacier’s different,” notes Wylie, “but ... the amount of recession
and depth loss in the last half a dozen years has been really dramatic.”
Wylie has also photographed Blackcomb’s Horstman Glacier from the same location each September since the 1980s. “I’ve got a series of these,” he says. “It’s just a mess now ... It’s all been happening quicker and quicker. That’s where hope becomes hopeless.”
I am struck hard by his remark. This from a man who continuously has a smile on his face. This from a man I first met in the backcountry, near Russet Lake. This from a man who, at the time of publication, was a week away from his 82nd birthday, and had biked in to meet me, leaving his hybrid vehicle at home: a home designed with a heat exchanger and passive solar system. This from a man who actively practices engaged activism. A man who I suspected, from his actions, was likely motivated by some form of “hope.”
Does he feel hope is hopeless? Is there any way we can reverse this? Or is he just monitoring a downward trajectory? I asked.
“You could be an optimist. You could be a pessimist. Somewhere in there is a realist,” Wylie says. When it comes to global warming and receding glaciers, “I’m a pessimistic realist,” he adds. “Or am I a realistic pessimist? Anyway, take your pick. On a global scale, we’re just not going to fix this. My grandchildren are going to suffer, right? But we still have to behave on a local scale.”
According to Alison Jenkins of AWARE, when people believe their choices can influence outcomes—even in small ways—they’re more likely to participate in climate solutions.
“Hope fuels community behaviours like choosing active transportation, reducing waste, protecting habitats, and advocating for policy change,” she says.
Both AWARE and Wylie point towards the necessity for action and advocacy from the local through to provincial, national and global changemakers. As the ice melts away and river flows dwindle, there is no one glacial recession doesn’t affect. n
ICE OBSERVERS Karl Ricker, Bob Brett and Doug Wylie on Sept. 6, 2020.
WYLIE COLLECTION
ARTS SCENE
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•New VinylDeckInstallation
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•Drywall Repairs
• Gardening&Demolition
•Emergency Roof Leak Repairs
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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
MOVIES AT OLYMPIC PLAZA
CRANKWORX WHISTLER
Crankworx Whistler is the ultimate celebration of mountain biking, featuring world-class competitions, amateur races, Kidsworx events, bike demos, and more. Each year, riders and fans from around the globe gather in Whistler to ride, compete, and celebrate bike culture.
» July 24 to Aug. 2
» Whistler Mountain Bike Park
GORDIE TENTREES LIVE ACOUSTIC BLUES FOLK SHOW
The Pemberton Arts Council invites the community to an intimate solo acoustic evening with two-time award-winning storyteller and songwriter Gordie Tentrees. The night will feature original songs, honest stories, and a relaxed listening experience celebrating Gordie’s forthcoming album, Dandelion Blue, to be released this fall. Tickets are $20 at pembertonartscouncil.com.
» July 31, 7 p.m.
» Pemberton Legion
ALTA LAKE BIRD WALK
Join the Whistler Naturalists on the first Saturday of the month for a walk to Rainbow Park. Open to anyone interested in learning about birds and contributing as a citizen scientist. Connect with experienced birders who are happy to share their knowledge. More information at whistlernaturalists.ca/birding.
» Aug. 1, 7 a.m.
» Meet at the bottom of Lorimer Rd. by the catholic church.
RIDE TO RESILIENCE DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING HOSTED BY CRANKWORX WHISTLER
Ride to Resilience is a raw and real documentary that follows professional mountain biker and North Vancouver firefighter Steve Vanderhoek through two of the most intense years of his life. It’s a story of trauma, PTSD, and depression, but also of friendship, forest therapy, and the power of honest conversation. Steve opens up like never before about the weight first responders carry, how adrenaline can mask pain, and how riding a bike through the woods can sometimes feel like the only way to breathe again.
» Aug. 1, 8 to 10:30 p.m.
» Rainbow Theatre
WHISTLER FARMERS’ MARKET
A feast for your senses, the Whistler Farmers’ Market features local produce, tasty food, local artisans, live entertainment and family activities. Markets happen every Sunday until Thanksgiving on Oct. 11, with the addition of select Saturday markets.
» Aug. 2, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
» Upper Village Stroll
SPO7EZ ARTIST MARKET
The Spo7ez Artist Market celebrates the incredible talents of artisans from the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation. It takes place on the Mezzanine Patio on the first Sunday of each month during summer.
» Aug. 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
» Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
FREE MOVIES AT OLYMPIC PLAZA
Experience a variety of free films, spanning from timeless classics to recent releases, amidst the scenic backdrop of Whistler Olympic Plaza on Wednesday and Saturday nights. All movies begin at 8 PM. Don’t forget to bring blankets or low chairs for a cozy evening under the stars. On Aug. 5, catch A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
» Aug. 5, 8 p.m.
» Whistler Olympic Plaza
MAKING CONNECTIONS DEMENTIA FRIENDLY SOCIAL CLUB
Supported by a federal grant and organized by the Whistler Mature Action Community, this is a weekly program of 45 minutes of gentle fitness followed by stimulating activities such as card games and music therapy, and socializing over a light lunch. The program was designed to improve physical fitness, delay cognitive decline and build friendships and support networks. We provide a welcoming stress-free environment for those whose lives have become isolated by dementia. Join us for fun, fun, fun. There is no fee. Please contact mcp@whistlermac.org if interested in attending. Donations are welcome. Find more info at whistlermac.org/making-connections.
» Aug. 5, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
» Catholic Church of Whistler
FILE PHOTO BY DOUG RYAN
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries artist Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles, France, for 15 months in 1888 and 1889. It was the most prolific time of his career. His buoyant genius overflowed, pouring out more than 200 paintings, including the lavish Sunflowers series. I suspect you will enjoy your own surge of splashy productivity in the coming months. It may not be as manically generative as van Gogh, though. I think your creativity will be rather relaxed and deeply healing. Start planning now for how you want to channel all this imaginative exuberance.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I invite you to clear out every fixed idea your mind carries about where you are “supposed” to be. Once you have made that inner space wide and uncluttered, begin a fresh inquiry into the nature of your real home. Use questions like these to navigate: 1. What’s the first place you think of when you come across the word “sanctuary”? 2. Which environments reliably bring out your brightest, truest qualities? 3. Do you have what you would call power spots? If so, how do they make you feel in your body and psyche? 4. Which locations on Earth fascinate you, even if you have never visited them? 5. Could there be a future dwelling that offers a more peak-level experience of home than the familiar place where tradition now soothes you?
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The brain doesn’t literally multitask. It rapidly shifts attention between tasks, creating the illusion of simultaneity. For many people, each interchange costs mental energy and reduces efficiency. But some brains can switch faster with a lower energy cost, making them better at sustained task-switching. I’m sure you can guess the identity of the zodiac’s No. 1 task-switcher: you, of course! And the good news is that in the coming weeks, you will be even more adept than usual in wielding your superpower. One implication is that you will know when not to overdo it and when not to use it trivially. You will be a master of seamless, effective, and meaningful transitions.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Astronomers know that many stars don’t travel alone. Binary stars orbit each other for eons, their mutual gravity shaping each partner’s destiny. I propose we make this your featured metaphor in the coming months. It will be a favourable time to de-emphasize the notion that strength and creative power require complete autonomy. I suspect that flexible, spirited interdependence will generate far better results than lonely self-sufficiency. Which alliances and relationships will expand your orbit rather than shrink it? Invest in them.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Neurologists say that when you vividly imagine performing an action like shooting a basketball or playing piano, your brain activates many of the same networks it uses in real practice. In other words, mental rehearsal can measurably improve your actual performance. Many athletes use this trick. But here’s an interesting twist: Such visualizations work for emotional and social skills too. We can enhance our resilience and better regulate our moods if we practice doing so in the privacy of our imaginations. I bring this to your attention, Leo, because you’re in a period when your fantasy life has extra-robust practical power. I invite you to rehearse being who you want to be in the theater of your mind.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your assignment: Compose a vigorous prayer in which you ask life for something you fear you don’t deserve or are not supposed to want. What is the blessing, healing, or freedom that feels “too much,” “too selfish,” “too late,” or “too impossible” for you to yearn for? Name this prize and how you imagine it might allow you to give more, love more, or live more honestly. You could begin your appeal with these words: “Dear Great Mystery, I’m nervous about asking for this, but I will ask anyway,” and then let your heart speak without editing. Do this at least once every day for 10 days.
ROB BREZSNY
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1848, a Libra-born carpenter named James Marshall discovered a few glittering flakes of gold floating on the American River in California. His find ignited the Gold Rush, drawing hundreds of thousands of people westward. Alas, Marshall himself never became rich from the discovery, though many other people did. I’m hoping and predicting a different outcome when you locate treasure in the coming weeks, Libra. In this instance, you will share in the spoils.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The lyrebird can imitate almost any sound, including chainsaws, car alarms, camera shutters, and other birds’ songs. But they don’t just mimic sounds randomly. They compose elaborate performances, weaving a variety of imitations into complex acoustic tapestries. In a sense, they are remix artists. During the coming weeks, Scorpio, I hope you give yourself permission to resemble a lyrebird. Sample freely from everything you’ve absorbed. Weave your influences into new configurations. Express your imaginative concoctions of repurposed ideas and enchantments. The voice isn’t less yours because it borrows from other voices. Originality is in part about arrangement, not just source material.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Astronauts who have orbited Earth describe the “overview effect.” Viewing the entire globe from high above triggers rich epiphanies and cognitive shifts, providing a visceral sense of the planet’s fragility and unity. Borders dissolve. Conflicts seem absurd. I surmise you are ripe for a similar blessing, Sagittarius. You’ll be able to see your current dramas from expansive vantage points that make their true scale and significance obvious. Armed with these perspectives, you will naturally clarify your priorities and allow petty concerns to fade away.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are the result of an ancestral crowd: two parents, four grandparents, and eight great-grandparents. Without these 14 lives weaving together in the precise ways they did, your unique destiny would never have taken shape. Their choices and challenges helped sculpt your gifts and your rough edges, your cravings and your turn-offs. The coming weeks will be a ripe astrological moment to get more intimate with this lineage. As you delve into your family’s stories, you may uncover vital clues for refreshing your views on dilemmas that have dragged on for a while. Are you daring enough to let your sense of “where I come from” evolve—and, with it, your sense of what kind of future you want to create?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to my investigations, there’s a place you need to go, but fear or timidity is holding you back. Where is it? Is it a physical location, a creative risk, a complicated conversation, or a spiritual threshold? Visualize it. Who would you be if you appeared there in your full glory? What do you worry might happen if you do? What interesting future might never bloom if you don’t? I hope you formulate a feisty plan. To begin, write these words: “If I decide to go there anyway, acknowledging my fear but not being controlled by it, what first step will I take and what help will I seek?”
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Professional athletes sometimes talk about “winning ugly.” That’s when they achieve a victory even though they haven’t played their very best. I foresee you using that phrase for yourself soon, after you notch a less-than-pretty but undeniably real success. There’s another expression you might also exemplify, too: “ugly ripe.” Officially, it’s the name of luscious heirloom tomatoes whose lumpy, offbeat forms contrast with the smooth, bland specimens stacked in most supermarket bins. In the coming weeks, it will describe the nonstandard yet succulent flavour of your life.
Homework: What was the pain that healed you most? https://tinyurl.com/w3w3w3w
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates
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EVERYONE HAS THEIR story as to how they learned to mountain bike. In the ’90s I took tours down Blackcomb, wearing through entire sets of cantilever brake pads—and my neon spandex. Years later, I asked one of my friends how to ride a rock roll, but that only led to my first fractured wrist. I quickly realized that I needed my own Bike Obi Wan to teach me how not to break myself…
BY TOBIAS C.
MONDAY NIGHT DISCO BOY
The Monday Night Rides were where I began to master the skills required to handle Whistler’s backcountry trails. Run then-as-now by the legendary trio of The Falcon, Mr. Jackson, and Hilary J., the MNRs remain a word-of-mouth gathering of locals new and old. Facing the sign-up sheet, you self-select into a volunteerguided group and bear the brunt of a decision made without knowing quite what you are getting into. Along the way are bumps and bruises, but also serious beta from enthusiastic guides who have already broken (some of) their bones, precisely so you don’t have to.
At the MNRs, I learned that the go-to terrain for training brave new souls was the Zappa Trails—to this day an exquisite network of singletrack winding its way through Lost Lake Park. Built by Eric Barry, each segment is named for some strange song of Frank’s, making for a tour-de-force of Whistler-style “blues,” without having to grind-and-climb up the Valley to fears-and-tears territory.
Up until this year, “the Zappas” have been the perfect proving ground. That’s close to some four decades, making them as much a part of our cultural heritage as, say, the stonered layout of Whistler Village. Zappas’ forested meanderings provide a crash course in the way we ride right here in Whistler—punchy little climbs, volcanic rock rolls, and a decent dose of rolling woodwork. I learned to ride my first rock here; as well as how to balance on bridgework without fear of plunging into the precipice. In particular, Pinnochio’s Furniture pushed my limits as I learned to deal with a bit of blind fear. Its (former) bridges taught me at least three skills—how to maintain line of sight; how to let the bike move under the body; and how to handle sharp corners.
The bridgework is gentle, mostly a mental game, offering challenge without much of the consequence. My most memorable MNR guides would session each section, standing where we should be looking, always reminding us to keep
eyes up and wheels flowing forward. It is thanks to the MNRs that I picked up enough skills to become a volunteer guide myself. For more than 10 years now, I have been leading the Mild-but-Wild crew out to Zappas, teaching them what I was once taught, in the time-honoured tradition of passing along the wisdom—precisely so that my charges don’t have to break as many bones as I have.
Or at least, until this year.
TEMPEST FOR THE TOADS (OF THE SHORTENED FOREST)
I knew things were starting to go a bit awry with the “municipality sanctioned and supported Lost Lake riding area” (as the Resort Municipality of Whistler puts it) when the “Upper Zappas” were constructed a few years back. The trails themselves are sweet—and we are all grateful for them—but the use of concrete on some switchbacks raised some questions as to whether the RMOW knew what the hell they were doing. Those chunks now jut out of the forest floor, hindering rather than helping. A few years later, the short-curve bridge on Pinnochio’s was replaced by a wider ride. I came across the builder at the time, and asked why the geometry was being altered. I was told that “because bikes are bigger now, so must be trail corners,” in a statement that missed the point of having a pedagogical tool for teaching turning tight. I was flabbergasted then as now—the Westside Wheel-Ups are still
FRANKLY DEAR, I DON’T GIVE A—
I have been told multiple reasons from local riders as to why the muni is ripping apart Zappas:
• The muni is making all of its trails “adaptive.” Now I love the adaptive mission and salute it. However Zappas is not listed by the RMOW under the adaptive plan. In any case—why the muni won’t invest in creating new adaptive trails rather than altering existing ones is something to think about.
• To sell more tourism to people from other places, because a Whistler Blue is an Elsewhere Double Black. So, anything Blue is to be flattened into a Dirt Green? Do we need to sink to the standards of elsewhere, rather than embracing the awesome all around?
• This is because of Vail Resorts, where slowly-but-surely all the gnar is being gentrified, all to meet ‘Murican Attitudes of being handed the world on a buffet plate. Perhaps to defend from unending litigation from the Land of the Free, which ironically fails to accept personal responsibility for risk taking (unlike Canada…?).
Whatever the case, Zappas is part of our cultural heritage—an “our” that includes the previous decades of unpaid vagabonds who vested their volunteer time to make this trail (and others) into the mini-epics that they are.
NOW FOR THE FALL
chock-full of sharp-angled turns, pivots, and stalls that require some trials skillz— and not just “Bike Park jumping.” But alas, the tight bridge was removed.
And now this year… it is all gone.
The corner bridge? Gone. Replaced with? Dirt. The rollicking bridge near the bottom of Pinnochio’s? Gone. Replaced with? Rolling piles of dusty dirt that will further erode the forest floor.
The gentle, rolling bridge over the swampy section? First thing to be axed. Replaced with? Guess. Yep, let’s take an area with sensitive flora and fauna, remove the bridge that served double purpose as training tool and swamp cabbage protector and replace it with…
GREEN GENES DIRT BROWN
Crucial here is the question of the RMOW’s role in protecting our cultural heritage. We trusted the Zappas to the muni, and what they’ve done is undone their very character. The Zappas had a bridgework style that made the trail what it is. In other outdoor pursuits, like rock climbing, significant community debate goes into protecting the style of culturallyimportant climbs. This is such a hot topic that if later parties alter the route (say by adding bolts), it is not unheard of for its defenders to return it to its original state. This recently happened in Yosemite with Snake Dike. It gives one pause when thinking how Whistler’s riders might respond to these destructive and drastic changes no one asked for.
So time to throw this down: I will vote for anyone this fall who restores Zappas to its wild condition. (And to be clear: who will build more adaptive trails rather than modify existing singletrack.) As John McBean said in a recent letter to Pique, don’t “‘old fart’ this place.” And not just because we are scaring away the wilder youth—but because we are inviting all the wrong kinds of tourism, too.
We don’t need to sell this place to people who can’t take a whiff of weed (in a country that legalized it!) or who balk at bridgework that I’ve seen eight-year-olds send. We have enough sidewalk tourists as it is. Let’s go for quality, not quantity.
So bring on a Whistler covered in a bit of blood, scraped knees and all. We live the wildstyle life, not some memory trip where “we once did this,” but we still fucking do this, and yes it’s badass.
Like illicit rope swings and outrageous public nudity, it is time to start bringing back a few things that will make the socially conservative run to their rentals and never return.
So those looking to step-up—know that of all the local voters I spoke to at the MNRs, not a single one supported the changes to Zappas, and all were open to countercultural councillors who would speak for the wild souls among us.
tobias c. van Veen still wonders what might have happened had Hunter S. Thompson been elected Sheriff of Aspen on the Freak Power ticket. (MNRs: Mondays, 6 p.m., Arbutus Routes/RMU, bring a Toonie.) n
VAN VEEN
FREAK POWER Who will speak for the wild souls among us?
