OCTOBER 2, 2026 ISSUE 30.40
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YOUR TOLERANCE, COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING
‘IT’S TAKEN YEARS TO BUILD THIS ’ Sea to Sky families raise concerns over autism funding changes
10
HAVE A GAS Whistler’s emissions levelling off, but 2030 target still out of reach
11
TO THE POLLS B.C.’s provincial election set for Oct. 24
36
WRITE ON Whistler Writers Festival returns Nov. 5 to 8
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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE
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30
36
‘It’s taken years to build this’ Sea to Sky families raise concerns over autism funding changes. - By Luke Faulks
06 OPENING REMARKS B.C.’s duelling elections run a very real risk of simply
10 HAVE A GAS Whistler’s emissions have stopped climbing, but reaching its 2030
confusing the absolute hell out of voters, writes editor Braden Dupuis.
climate target will require far more aggressive action.
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In this week’s letters, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural 11 TO THE POLLS B.C.’s provincial election candidates will soon be off and running. Centre shares a message of hope.
Here’s what we know so far about the race for the Sea to Sky ahead of election day on Oct. 24.
28 RANGE ROVER Leslie Anthony recalls a trek to Nepal’s Annapurna Sanctuary, where
32 WORLD BEATERS Asa Vermette wins Whistler’s landmark World Cup downhill,
mountaineering dreams met the absurdities of mass tourism.
while Squamish’s Jakob Jewett earns a career-best fifth.
46 MAXED OUT G.D. Maxwell returns to the back page with a reminder that shaping
36 WRITE ON The Whistler Writers Festival returns for its 25th-anniversary instalment
Whistler’s future starts with getting informed and showing up to vote.
from Nov. 5 to 8 with another jam-packed lineup of events.
COVER This is the closest I’ve come to a self-portrait in a little while. It took me close to four decades to unmask. Even just a little. It’s hard for me not to imagine what might’ve been with some nuanced funding and support. I would’ve probably settled for more general awareness. - By Jon Parris // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com Editor BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager KAIJA KNOX - kknox@lodestarmedia.ca
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OPENING REMARKS
Two elections is not better than one WHEN THE PROVINCIAL NDP put out a press release announcing the upcoming provincial election on Tuesday, Sept 22, they made absolutely sure nobody could forget about the orange boogeyman down south. U.S. President Donald Trump’s name
BY BRADEN DUPUIS appeared eight times in the release, which topped out at 377 words in total. Not included was any sort of acknowledgement that British Columbians are already in the midst of important municipal elections. Here at Pique, our candidate spreadsheet for the local elections includes more than 30 names, spanning Whistler, Pemberton and the SquamishLillooet Regional District. For a newsroom of three, covering them all adequately is a monumental task. That’s to say nothing of the predicament our colleagues on the North Shore find themselves in, with more than 90(!) candidates seeking municipal council seats. And now, just as we started to feel like we might have a grip on things, an untimely, unnecessary early provincial election call, landing one week after the municipal vote (Oct. 17 and 24, respectively). Putting aside the (cynical, opportunistic) reasons for the provincial writ drop, and the (exhausting, infuriating) added workload, the nowduelling elections run a very real risk of simply confusing the absolute hell out of voters.
Many will just tune out. Can you blame them? Working in a newsroom, you come to realize some inconvenient truths about the general public. The main one being the average person is, for the most part, not paying any attention at all to anything outside of their orbit. They have jobs to work, bills to pay, kids to feed and clothe and raise. Friendships and relationships to manage, community responsibilities like coaching and volunteering. It’s hard to fault people for not being as plugged in to local, provincial and federal politics as your local journalists. In the newsroom, election dates are circled months, if not years in advance. We contemplate the issues, and how to best explore and explain them for voters, long before any official announcements
along the lines of, “Oh, I think I’ve seen that one around town.” Like I said. Humbling. We here in the newsroom live and breathe this work every single day. So it can come as a shock to the system when we discover not everybody is hanging on our every word. But it’s a necessary reminder that most people are not really paying that much attention to the news unfolding around them. They’re not plugged in to the issues, and they’re not circling the next municipal, provincial and federal election dates on their calendars. They are informed by their increasingly isolating algorithms—(or more accurately, distracted, entertained and blinded). And so the provincial NDP dropping this snap election in the middle of a municipal campaign is indeed “bad
adding municipal candidates also rely on many of the same resources as provincial parties, such as volunteers, to run their campaigns. “So this may make it more difficult for candidates in municipal races to run effective campaigns,” he said. Whistler’s voter turnout for the 2022 municipal election was a pitiful 35.23 per cent—prompting the Resort Municipality of Whistler to set a target of reaching at least 40-per-cent turnout for the 2026 election. With a second election campaign now clogging the informational runway, competing for attention, that modest target may now be out of reach. So voters, readers, casual observers— everyone and their grandmother—take note: we are now having TWO election campaigns.
Putting aside the (cynical, opportunistic) reasons for the provincial writ drop, and the (exhausting, infuriating) added workload, the nowduelling elections run a very real risk of simply confusing the absolute hell out of voters.
are made. And so it’s always incredibly humbling when you’re carrying the stress of an election campaign for weeks, only to run into someone on the street who has no idea there’s an election even happening. And it happens more often than you’d think. I’m reminded of an instance some years back, when I matched with a woman on a dating app. When I told her I was editor of Pique, she said something
for democracy,” as Vancouver Island University professor Michael MacKenzie put it last week. In an interview with the Victoria Times-Colonist, MacKenzie referred to the provincial election call as “disrespectful” to municipal candidates. Voter turnout in municipal elections is already traditionally low, “so anything that might decrease voter turnout or attention further is a potential problem for our democracy,” MacKenzie said,
We will elect our new mayors and councils on Saturday, Oct. 17. And one week later, we will elect an MLA, on Saturday, Oct. 24. It’s confusing and annoying, even for those of us who are paid to pay attention. But it’s important not to tune out, and to make sure you cast an informed vote in both elections. Two elections in two weeks is a lot to ask of voters. Unfortunately, both still count. n
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Let’s start with connection and a shared display of what community looks like—for all of us. We welcome everyone to join in cultural sharing with our Nations at this weekend’s Wisdom of the Animal People at the SLCC Oct. 2 and 3. It will see animal spirits coming alive through music, dance,
The power of allyship The cowardice and intimidation tactics shown by masked men at the former Residential School site, on the lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc have shaken us deeply. We stand with the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. This was an overt and vile example of the hurtful swell of racism and marginalization we have all seen and heard—at dinner tables, and snaking through our algorithms and social media. “But not here,” I have heard said, in our dear mountain towns, ones with so much reverence for the land, its stewardship and its first people. This week a cultural kiosk built by the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in partnership with the Nations and lining the Sea to Sky highway was vandalized. Deep cuts carved through glass, racist rhetoric left behind, baked in denialism. Disheartening to know that individuals targeted these educational storyboards that frame the rich history and stories of both the Squamish Nation and the Lil’wat Nation to deface it, and to choose hate— this happened here. Collectively marginalized communities often bear the brunt of societal fear and stress, particularly when it is politicized. Still, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) is hopeful and believes in the
“Our doors are open for connection and togetherness.” - LIZA WALLI
power of allyship; we are grateful for our friends and community partners who show up consistently to listen and learn with us. We ask that together, from our local government, to our business community and residents that we all speak firmly and clearly to denounce when hate enters the chat… and our communities. I have been reflecting on the SLCC hosting Jody Wilson Raybould, former Attorney General of Canada last September. She spoke to the important and often
uncomfortable work of the “inbetweener.” I share her words again here with her blessing. “An inbetweener is someone who walks between divides—a bridge-builder who navigates the spaces created by colonial and cultural silos, linking Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. It requires courage and discomfort, because it means stepping beyond familiar roles and relationships to act in service of reconciliation and connection.”
storytelling and food to share. In lieu of sending a set of SLCC mission-aligned questions to our Whistler mayoral and council candidates, we have instead warmly welcomed them with free tickets to our Cultural Sharing events. Being in a building with two distinct Nations that are so open to each other’s unique culture sets a beautiful example for all of us. Our team uses these teachings to promote strong roots for change, and a better way for all of us to grow together. To our community and candidates—we ask you to be “inbetweeners.” Our doors are open for connection and togetherness. Listening and continually learning, Liza Walli // Executive Director of the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre n
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9
NEWS WHISTLER
Whistler emissions level off, but 2030 climate target remains far out of reach COUNCIL POINTED TO SIGNS OF PROGRESS WHILE AWARE URGED THE RESORT TO ACCELERATE ACTION ON TRANSPORTATION, BUILDINGS AND OTHER MAJOR SOURCES OF EMISSIONS
BY LUKE FAULKS WHISTLER’S CHANGING climate
is becoming harder to treat as an abstract problem. Wildfire remains the community’s most significant climate-related hazard, with longer, hotter and drier summers expected to keep that risk elevated. At the same time, local monitoring is detecting warmer streams and an ice season on Alta Lake that is now a month shorter than it was in the mid-1990s. Against that backdrop, Whistler’s latest greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory offers a mixed picture: emissions have stopped climbing, but the resort remains nowhere near the target it set for the end of the decade. Community-wide GHG emissions totalled an estimated 139,676 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) in 2025, essentially unchanged from 2024. It’s the first year since 2021 that emissions have not increased, but the total remains five per cent above the 2007 baseline of 133,019 tCO2e—and more than double Whistler’s 2030 target. Councillor Arthur De Jong summed up the scale of the challenge during council’s Sept. 22 discussion. “I find this daunting,” he said. “This is 139,000 tonnes of carbon, and in 3.4 years, [we] have to get it down to half.” Nearly half of Whistler’s community emissions—49 per cent—came from
GAS BACKWARDS Community greenhouse gas emissions held steady in 2025 for the first time since 2021. PHOTO BY MADSCI / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
10 OCTOBER 2, 2026
passenger vehicles in 2025, while commercial and residential natural gas use accounted for another 33 per cent combined. Fleets, landfill waste, propane, electricity and transit made up the remainder. Passenger-vehicle emissions fell despite the number of vehicle trips increasing three per cent from 2024. Staff attributed that largely to lower emissions from diesel under provincial low-carbon fuel requirements, along with an increase in hybrid-electric vehicles on the road. Building emissions also declined as natural gas consumption dropped
enough to see a decrease.” Staff said Whistler is unlikely to meet its 50-per-cent reduction target by 2030 without “drastic intervention” beyond those measures, along with further action from senior governments and the private sector. That conclusion was also flagged by the municipality last December, when staff outlined measures including regional and expanded local transit, active-transportation infrastructure, more EV charging and building retrofits. Staff’s modelling suggests those priorities could reduce community
“The times we now live in surely call for that sort of creative leadership ... to accelerate the hard work required...” - JOHN RASMUSSEN
slightly in milder winter weather, while FortisBC increased the renewable natural gas content of its standard blend. Those changes helped keep the overall emissions profile flat, but climate and transportation planner Maria Thorlakson cautioned council against reading that as the beginning of a guaranteed downward trend. “There’s a number of policies and mechanisms in place that will lead to decreases,” she said, but population growth and other pressures could offset them. What 2025 demonstrated, she added, was that existing policies were enough to prevent an increase—but “not sufficient
emissions by about four to 10 per cent, depending on their degree of implementation. AWARE president John Rasmussen told council incremental progress should not obscure the gap between Whistler’s results and its stated goals. “The actions already undertaken or envisaged are not going to achieve the required significant step down,” he said. Rasmussen argued climate needs to be integrated more directly into decisions around housing, transportation and other community priorities rather than treated as a separate environmental file. “We need a convincing story to tell,”
he said. “The times we now live in surely call for that sort of creative leadership ... to accelerate the hard work required of meeting much-needed and ambitious targets.” Council’s questions largely focused on where the municipality still has room to move. De Jong pressed staff on whether a major shift away from private vehicle trips by 2030 remains realistic, given cars account for roughly half of community emissions. Thorlakson pointed to continued investment in local transit, regional transit and active transportation as some of the RMOW’s strongest available levers. Coun. Cathy Jewett, meanwhile, asked whether the municipality could factor contractors’ GHG performance into procurement decisions. Staff said other municipalities have incorporated emissions considerations into contractor evaluations, though Whistler has not formally changed its procurement process. Jewett also pointed to Whistler’s growth since 2007 as evidence that some of the municipality’s climate measures are having an effect, even if overall emissions remain above target. “We’ve had a 65-per-cent increase in the people that are producing the GHGs, and yet we’re starting to see some results even with that increase in population,” she said. For Rasmussen, the question now is whether Whistler is prepared to match its ambitions with measurable results. “Each of us in this community has a role,” he said, “that, if we act in alignment, can lead to a report more worthy of the word progress.” n
NEWS WHISTLER
Four candidates announced in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky provincial race PROVINCIAL VOTING DAY IS OCT. 24, WITH ADVANCE POLLS OPEN OCT. 16 TO 21
BY PIQUE STAFF VOTERS IN WEST Vancouver-Sea to Sky have four announced candidates to choose from in B.C.’s upcoming provincial election. Incumbent Jeremy Valeriote is seeking re-election for the BC Greens, alongside challengers Ayla Dumais of the BC Conservatives, Michelle Livaja of the BC NDP and Dan Wood of CentreBC. Election day is Saturday, Oct. 24, one week after B.C.’s municipal elections. Candidate nominations close at 1 p.m. on Oct. 3, meaning the field may still change. Valeriote won the riding in 2024, becoming the first BC Green MLA elected on the mainland, after coming within a hair of victory in the 2020 election. A former Gibsons councillor with a background in environmental consulting, he has made regional transportation and housing affordability key priorities. According to his campaign biography, Valeriote advocates for expanded transit connecting communities from Vancouver to Lil’wat, non-market housing and additional long-term care beds. He has also opposed fossil fuel expansion and public subsidies for projects such as Woodfibre LNG. Find more info at bcgreens.ca/mlas/ jeremy-valeriote-mla. Dumais grew up in Squamish and is a member of Prophet River First Nation. She currently works as a policy and stakeholder relations adviser in the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition, according to her party biography. Her work has included Indigenous relations, natural resources, the environment and economic development. Before entering public policy, she worked in community relations for Woodfibre LNG in Squamish. The Conservatives identify property rights, affordability, healthcare and education as her campaign priorities. Read more at conservativebc. ca/candidate/ayla-dumais. Livaja was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and has lived on Bowen Island for 26 years. She previously ran in the riding in the 2017 election, finishing third. According to a biography provided by the NDP, she works in the Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Infrastructure, following four years as a constituency assistant in North Vancouver-Lonsdale, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her leadership experience includes serving on her union’s executive council, as a delegate to the local labour council and as a board member for Metro Vancouver Alliance. The NDP says her priorities include strengthening healthcare, reducing costs and responding to the trade war.
THANKSGIVING BRUNCH at the
CHATEAU A Thanksgiving tradition, elevated.
TO THE POLLS The B.C. Legislature building in Victoria. PHOTO BY MOTIMEIRI / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Wood is a real estate and leasing professional with experience in publicsector housing, commercial real estate, facilities management and business continuity, according to CentreBC. His background also includes occupational health and safety and emergency planning. He holds a master’s degree from the University of British Columbia, and his party biography identifies affordability as an area of focus. Read more at centrebc.ca/candidates/ dan-wood.
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HOW TO VOTE
Advance voting runs Oct. 16 to 21, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can cast a ballot at any advance voting location, which were still being confirmed at press time. Check elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/ where-to-vote for updates. On Oct. 24, polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eligible voters must be Canadian citizens, at least 18 years old on Oct. 24, and have lived in B.C. since April 23. Elections BC recommends registering or updating voter information by Oct. 1 to ensure a Where to Vote card arrives in the mail. Mail-in ballot packages can be requested online or by phone until Oct. 18. Completed packages must reach Elections BC by 8 p.m. on Oct. 24. For voting locations, registration information and the official candidate list, visit elections.bc.ca, and check back with Pique for more provincial (and municipal) election coverage in the weeks ahead. n
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11
NEWS WHISTLER
Nicole Baudisch aims to balance growth with prudent development in firsttime council bid THE CHEAKAMUS RESIDENT HAS SPENT MOST OF HER CAREER WORKING FOR WHISTLER BLACKCOMB
BY DAVID SONG NICOLE BAUDISCH has witnessed an uptick in political engagement around her neighbourhood of Cheakamus. She does not recall there having previously been a councillor elected from that area, and hopes to be the first. The 48-year-old wants to deliver a fresh new perspective on familiar hot-button issues: namely housing, redevelopment and growth, as well as transparency. Despite the Whistler Housing Authority’s (WHA) efforts to put roofs over heads, Baudisch feels more can be done to address the needs of various demographics. She’s heard local seniors question if they can age in place sustainably, while young singles and families need different things. To lower costs, she would also like to see the WHA rethink its policy of setting rent at 30 per cent of a tenant’s gross (rather than net) income. Baudisch also takes note of unintentional consequences to decisions about Whistler’s growth. More housing is needed, but she finds the lack of parking and congestion in
Cheakamus to be problematic—as is the neighbourhood’s dearth of restaurants and grocery stores. In her view, future rezoning ought to be done with a balanced appraisal of how development may impact existing transportation, infrastructure and the environment. Local recreational facilities could also struggle to keep up with demand if nothing changes. “Facilities need to be expanded upon,” Baudisch said. “Meadow Park was built in the 1980s and hasn’t been expanded on since. Lots of things have changed and the demand for recreation is not getting smaller. We need to make sure that we have the right mix of recreation for everyone: from young kids to families to youth and seniors.” Regarding transparency, the first-time municipal hall candidate mentioned that Cheakamus denizens felt blindsided by recent signage about potential Official Community Plan (OCP) updates and changes to development permits. According to her, some people think they’re being underinformed about key issues—and only at the last minute. After earning a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Toronto Metropolitan
IN THE RUNNING Nicole Baudisch. PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE BAUDISCH
University, Baudisch has worked since 2002 for Whistler Blackcomb (WB). Currently the senior manager of executive housekeeping at Lodging Ovations, she spent 16 years managing employee housing at Glacier, Brio, Westside and other locations. During that time, she dealt with challenging situations like tight budgets, construction projects and social hurdles for residents. Then Baudisch moved into operations, where she established safety procedures for guests and employees while contributing to WB’s response to critical on-mountain incidents. “I’ve worked with all sorts of people,” she
A TRUE SECOND
said. “I saw all sorts of needs and demands from our employees as they worked through the system of being a first-year employee to a tenured employee—understanding those challenges that they go through. I’ve worked with Whistler Blackcomb a really long time, but I think also the key part of a vibrant and successful community is volunteerism.” Baudisch puts her money where her mouth is in that regard: serving as chair of the Whistler Community Foundation board of directors, sitting on the board of EnviroFund, coaching and managing for Whistler Youth Soccer. She previously spent a decade as chair and board member for Zero Ceiling and wants to make it feasible for others to get involved as well. “There’s lots of people in town who are working two or three jobs,” acknowledged Baudisch. “They’re working 50, 60 hours to pay for their basics. If things were more affordable, if they were in housing that they were able to afford, they would have more time to give back and be a stronger community member through volunteering.” Reach Baudisch at nbaudisch@ outlook.com and learn more about her at vote-nicole.ca. n
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NEWS WHISTLER
Dawn Titus centres long local history, ‘heart of Whistler’ in council bid THE LONGTIME EDUCATOR IS MAKING HER FOURTH RUN FOR COUNCIL AFTER MORE THAN FOUR DECADES IN WHISTLER
BY LUKE FAULKS DAWN TITUS has seen Whistler from a
lot of different angles over the past four decades. She spent more than 30 years teaching in the Sea to Sky school district, represented Canada in triathlon, served on a municipal recreation committee, and volunteered as a museum guide and adaptive ski instructor. Now, after three previous campaigns for council, she is once again asking voters for a seat at the table. Titus said she was genuinely undecided about making another run this year. She knew from experience how much work a campaign takes—and that holding office is not the only way to influence decisions. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this again or needed to,” she said. “You can be limited at the table, [so] I was on the proverbial fence. “But I have the community in my heart,” Titus said. “I’ve lived here through many changes and improvements, but ultimately, if we do not support the community that is here now, [the] heart of Whistler is going to change dramatically.” Her fourth campaign is centred on
affordability, housing, wildfire and public safety, seniors, managing growth and finding a resolution to the longrunning Northlands redevelopment. She previously ran in the 2017 council byelection and the 2018 and 2022 general elections. Those campaigns have also shaped how she approaches this one. “I have learned that you need to present yourself as someone who [can] work with others in a collaborative way,” Titus said. “Just because we don’t agree doesn’t mean we need to be disagreeable. “You need to know your facts, and when you go forward to ask a question, you literally need to know what the factual answer is, [but] perhaps you can dig a little deeper. And we need to do that with respect for one another.” Titus worked as an educator in the Sea to Sky school district from 1984 to 2015. She holds science and education degrees from Queen’s University and represented Canada in triathlon at world championships in Australia and Portugal, as well as competing at Ironman Hawaii. Her community involvement has ranged widely. Titus served a term on the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s former Recreation and Leisure Advisory Committee and is a member of
Mandy Rousseau for Whistler Council on October 17, 2026
Mandy offers fresh energy and perspective, collaboration, creative problem-solving and responsible governance to Whistler Council. mandyrousseau.ca
14 OCTOBER 2, 2026
Authorized by Mandy Rousseau - mandyforoffice@gmail.com
VOTE! OTE
IN THE RUNNING Dawn Titus. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAWN TITUS
AWARE and Whistler’s Mature Action Community. She’s volunteered as a Whistler Museum guide, taught adaptive skiing, and yoga at the Four Seasons. That history has left her particularly concerned with preserving a community where longtime residents, workers and volunteers can still afford to stay. “If we do not support the community that is here now, that keep this place ticking, volunteer for all of our events—if we continue to lose those individuals, we lose the core of what Whistler actually is,” she said. Titus describes affordability as the central issue in her campaign. On municipal finances, she wants council to scrutinize spending and look for efficiencies before continuing to raise property taxes.
Housing forms the other half of that argument. Titus credits the current council with overseeing the addition of significant WHA rental housing in Cheakamus Crossing, but wants another look at how rents are set and a greater emphasis on ownership opportunities. She is also skeptical of adding density simply because senior governments are pressing municipalities to build more housing, arguing Whistler needs to weigh new development against infrastructure, congestion, parkland and the community’s long-standing growthmanagement framework. That includes opposition to recently proposed OCP changes affecting Cheakamus Crossing and Creekside. “We live in a valley that has constraints, physical constraints,” she said, arguing housing decisions should remain tied to the broader impacts of growth. But beyond the individual files, Titus said the job comes back to listening closely enough to know which ones residents truly want council to prioritize. “You have to have your pulse on the heart of what’s going on in the community,” Titus said. “And I feel like I have that heart of Whistler.” Find the full story online. n
VOTE
John Blok
Running for Council
YOU’VE SEEN AND TRAINED WITH ME TO RUN FAST, BUT, NOW I WOULD LIKE TO WALK & TALK WITH YOU! Get to know me, update me as to what’s important to you in our community and maybe meet neighours you didn’t know. All adults and children are welcome. Don’t worry, I’ll walk slowly. Take a walk with me at one of these times and places: OCTOBER 3 10AM OLYMPIC PLAZA AT STAGE OCTOBER 3 12PM SPRUCE GROVE PARK AT FIELDHOUSE OCTOBER 3 3AM NICK NORTH SEAPLANE DOCK
JOHN'S TOP TEN
Audit for unnecessary use of taxes Streamline permit processing for new businesses Streamline permit processing for building, development and renovations 60 kms on Hwy 99 starting at Function Approve Northlands development Start relocation work for new racket sports facility Pilot project to provide for organized space for vehicle dwellers Make the “environment” a partner in everything we do Create a “must get through” exemption for highway closures Start conversations for a Senior Center and a Cheakamus Community Center
What’s important to you? bloks@telus.net This ad is authorized by John Blok, Financial Agent - bloks@telus.net
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NEWS WHISTLER
Claire Ruddy flexes policy chops, governance experience in bid for Whistler council THE FORMER AWARE EXEC SAYS NEARLY TWO DECADES ON COMMITTEES AND BOARDS HAVE PREPARED HER FOR THE COUNCIL TABLE
BY LUKE FAULKS FOR CLAIRE RUDDY, this municipal election comes with a change of perspective. Since arriving in Whistler in 2007, Ruddy has helped organize an allcandidates meeting for every local election. This year, however, she’ll be sitting on the other side of the table. After nearly two decades working with local government through advisory committees, policy development and Whistler’s non-profit sector, the former Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) executive director is now running for one of six council seats in the Oct. 17 municipal election. She believes her timing matters. “It feels like Whistler’s at an inflection point,” Ruddy said, pointing to COVID19, cyberattacks, business recovery and hiring challenges. “It feels like it’s time to get back to having a shared long-term vision that we collectively, through all of our community partners and residents, are working towards with momentum and purpose.” Her pitch centres heavily on
experience navigating the machinery behind municipal decisions. Ruddy has served on multiple RMOW and regional committees and working groups, including bodies dealing with climate action, zero waste, wildfire, trails, tourism and food security. She has also sat on the boards of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce and Arts Whistler. Her campaign website lists training in public-policy analysis, innovation and economics alongside a master’s degree in environment and business. At AWARE, she said that work extended beyond environmental advocacy. Ruddy contributed to Whistler’s Official Community Plan, the Big Moves Climate Action Strategy and Habitat Protection Strategy. “You get asked to put the environmental lens on anything and everything that might touch the environment, which happens to be most other files,” she said. “Environment touches our housing, it touches transportation, it touches our social sector.” Ruddy said working on both policy development and implementation taught her to follow decisions from community input through to goals, measurement and, where necessary, enforcement. “Good policy is what brought me
IN THE RUNNING Claire Ruddy. PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAIRE RUDDY
here,” she said. Ruddy’s platform groups many of her priorities around resilience—economic, climate and wildfire. She wants Whistler to do more to help local businesses diversify and tap outside funding, pointing to other communities using senior-government grants to support programs around circular economies, procurement and business resilience. That does not mean moving away from tourism, she said, but asking how the resort’s costs should be shared as infrastructure faces increasing pressure. “We’ve done a lot of work with our
carrying-capacity assessments [and] our balance model, looking at how many people our infrastructure can support,” Ruddy said, pointing to eventual needs for upgrades to systems ranging from roads to water and wastewater. Her platform calls for a more strategic approach to grants, partnerships and senior-government funding, alongside greater use of user-pay and “true-cost” budgeting principles. Ruddy said she has followed municipal budgets closely for more than a decade and cautioned against promising an arbitrary ceiling on property-tax increases when costs for labour, policing and aging infrastructure continue climbing. “The overall goal is always to try to control expenses, be fiscally prudent and transparent,” she said. “Coming from the non-profit sector, that is a way of working that I’m deeply familiar with.” On housing, Ruddy said the current council has built a strong foundation she wants to continue. Asked how she would want residents to describe her after a term on council, she settled on three words: “Impactful, strategic and courageous.” Learn more at claireruddy.ca, and find the full story online. n
Community Consultation Collaboration Cathy will continue to use her passion, energy and extensive community knowledge as a member of the RMOW Council to ensure Whistler continues to be a great place to live, work and do business. Chair - Whistler Valley Housing Society, Whistler’s first social housing Chair - RMOW HR Committee Member - RMOW Governance Committee, RMOW Smart Tourism Committee, Audain Art Museum Board 2016 Whistler’s Citizen of the Year - in recognition of many years of volunteer service in Whistler
Vote Claire Ruddy for Whistler Council
Re-elect Cathy Jewett
Oct. 7 / 10 / 17
Advance Voting: October 7 & 10 at Whistler Public Library
Find out why @
Voting Day: October 17 at Myrtle Philip Community School Polls open 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
claireruddy.ca
For Council in the RMOW Municipal Election
Authorized by Cathy Jewett, Financial Agent - cojewett@gmail.com
16 OCTOBER 2, 2026
Authorized by Claire Ruddy - financial agent claireruddyforwhistler@gmail.com
2026 General Local Elections
Notice of Election by Voting for SLRD Electoral Area A & D An election by voting will be held to elect two Directors of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (“SLRD”). The candidates for each office are: SLRD Electoral Area A - One (1) to be Elected
SLRD Electoral Area D - One (1) to be Elected
COURCHESNE
John
Gold Bridge, BC
BELL
Cameron
Furry Creek, BC
GETAZ
Simon
Pemberton, BC
DE JONG
Paula
Upper Squamish, BC
Voting Dates and Places
Elector Registration
Advance and General Voting Opportunities: Qualified electors of the SLRD may vote at the following locations between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted:
There is no pre-registration process. Qualified electors must register at the time of voting by completing an application form available at the voting place and making a declaration that you meet the following requirements:
SLRD Electoral Area A
All Electors Must: be 18 years of age or older on general voting day, October 17, 2026; and be a Canadian citizen; and a resident of BC for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration; and not be disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election and not otherwise disqualified by law.
Wednesday, October 7 (Advance Voting) Monday, October 12 (Advance Voting) Saturday, October 17 (General Voting)
Gold Bridge Community Club 699 Gun Lake Rd., Gold Bridge, BC District of Lillooet REC Centre 930 Main St., Lillooet, BC Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Office 1350 Aster St., Pemberton, BC Gold Bridge Community Club 699 Gun Lake Rd., Gold Bridge, BC District of Lillooet REC Centre 930 Main St., Lillooet, BC
SLRD Electoral Area D Wednesday, October 7 (Advance Voting)
Saturday, October 10 (Advance Voting) Tuesday, October 13 (Special Voting) 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Saturday, October 17 (General Voting)
Britannia Beach Fire Hall 360 Copper Dr., Britannia Beach, BC Whistler Public Library 4329 Main St., Whistler, BC Garibaldi Fire Hall 192 Retta Lake Rd., Whistler, BC Totem Hall 1380 Stawamus Rd., Squamish, BC Squamish General Hospital 38140 Behrner Dr., Squamish, BC (for eligible patients & staff) Britannia Beach Fire Hall 360 Copper Dr., Britannia Beach, BC Myrtle Philip Community School 6195 Lorimer Rd., Whistler, BC Brennan Park 1009 Centennial Way, Squamish, BC
Mail Ballot Voting: Qualified electors wishing to vote by mail may apply online at SLRD.bc.ca/voter-information or, contact the SLRD Election Office at election@slrd.bc.ca or 604-894-6371. Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Completed mail ballot packages must be received by the Chief Election Officer by the applicable deadline in order to be counted. Return instructions and deadlines are included with each mail ballot package. Learn more and apply online, visit SLRD.bc.ca/voter-information.
Resident Electors Must Also: be a resident of the electoral area on the day of registration. Non-Resident Property Electors Must Also: be a registered owner of real property in the electoral area for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration. Additional Rules for Non-Resident Property Electors: Property owners must be individuals and not hold the property on behalf of a corporation or trust. Where property has more than one owner, only one owner may register as the Non-Resident Property Elector, with written consent of the majority of owners. (Please contact the SLRD in advance to obtain the required consent form. The form must be signed by a majority of the property owners. Unsigned or incomplete consent forms cannot be accepted). In addition, in order to register at time of voting: Resident Electors must produce two (2) pieces of identification (at least one with a signature). The identification must prove both residency and identity. Non-Resident Property Electors must produce two (2) pieces of identification (at least one with a signature) to prove identity, proof that they are entitled to register in relation to the property, and, if there is more than one owner of the property, written consent from the majority of the property owners. Types of Documents that will be accepted as identification: For identification, the following classes of documents will be accepted: Driver’s Licence or BC identification card; BC Services card (with or without photo); a document, issued by the government of Canada, that certifies that the applicant is registered as an Indian under the Indian Act (Canada); Citizenship or membership card issued by a first nation; Citizenship card issued by Métis Nation British Columbia; Owner’s Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence issued by ICBC; BC CareCard or BC Gold CareCard; Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security Request for Continued Assistance Form SDES8; Social Insurance Number card; Citizenship Card issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada; property tax notice; credit card or debit card; or utility bill (electricity, natural gas, water, telephone, cable). Election officials must accept the listed identification documents and may also accept other forms of documents that provide evidence satisfactory to them (such as valid current passport).
For more information Angela Belsham, Chief Election Officer Phone: 604-894-6371 | Toll-free: 1-800-298-7753 Email: election@SLRD.bc.ca
SLRD.bc.ca/2026elections
NEWS WHISTLER
Arthur De Jong seeks third term with climate resilience, growth limits in focus THE TWO-TERM COUNCILLOR SAYS WILDFIRE REMAINS HIS OVERRIDING CONCERN AS WHISTLER CONFRONTS A CHANGING CLIMATE
BY LUKE FAULKS LONG BEFORE Arthur De Jong was thinking about Whistler’s carrying capacity—how much growth a place can absorb before its land and services are pushed beyond their limits—he was learning about it on a dairy farm in the Fraser Valley. His father had only so much land, barn space and feed to support a herd, De Jong recalled. When lower-producing cows were sent away to make room for new animals, a young De Jong struggled with the decision. “My father would explain that new cattle are coming in—we need to keep it balanced,” he said. “As a kid, I was already hardwired on balancing carrying capacities.” Decades later, the concept followed him into mountain planning at Whistler Blackcomb, where everything from parking and washrooms to lift capacity and skier terrain had to be planned around physical limits. Now, after two terms on Whistler council, De Jong says he is applying the same lens to the community as a whole. The longtime Whistler Blackcomb planner and environmental advocate
is seeking a third consecutive term on council, after first being elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. While climate action drove his first campaign, De Jong said eight years in local government have broadened his view of the job. “The tip of my spear is still all about the environment,” he said. “But my job as a councillor, I believe, has become much broader.” De Jong joined Blackcomb’s professional ski patrol at 19, the season the mountain opened, and went on to serve as a ski patrol director, mountain operations manager and senior manager of planning and environment. He’s also the longest-serving volunteer member of the Vancouver crisis line. Those experiences informed De Jong’s first run for council in 2018, when his campaign emphasized what he called Whistler’s environmental “five Ws”: water, weather, wildfire, wilderness and waste. Eight years later, wildfire remains the issue he says weighs most heavily on him. “The thing that still keeps me up at night more than anything is a major fire through this town,” he said. “My conscience is: I need to do everything possible to help make it more resilient and potentially avert that catastrophic outcome.”
4350 Blackcomb Way Whistler, BC
IN THE RUNNING Arthur De Jong. PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTHUR DE JONG
Climate change, however, is no longer only an environmental file for De Jong. He said Whistler must also prepare economically for less-reliable winters by expanding weather-independent recreation and strengthening shoulderseason visitation. He supports pursuing a multipurpose indoor recreation facility incorporating racket sports as one component of that effort. “What if it’s January and there’s no snow and there’s 20,000 people in the village?” he said. “We don’t have near enough weatherproof indoor experiences.” For De Jong, mitigation—reducing Whistler’s greenhouse-gas emissions—
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18 OCTOBER 2, 2026
must continue alongside adaptation to the changes already underway. That same planning background is shaping De Jong’s approach to another defining issue of the election: growth. He opposed the province prescribing additional density for Whistler through recent housing legislation, arguing decisions about the resort’s ultimate size should remain with the community. “Our community decides how much we grow, not the province,” he said. De Jong supports additional employee housing, which he called “foundational,” but said Whistler needs a clearer understanding of its ultimate carrying capacity before continuing to add unrestricted bed units. He points to Cheakamus Crossing as an example of the planning questions he wants the municipality to confront: how large a neighbourhood should ultimately become, what services that population requires and what infrastructure is necessary to support it. “If you don’t know where your buildout number is, how do you make the right decisions?” he said. “I think we are at critical carrying capacities, but how do we optimize what we do have? How do we do a better job of filling in the shoulder seasons?” Find the full story online. n
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NEWS WHISTLER
Permitting, housing and wildfire dominate Whistler all-candidates meeting COUNCIL AND MAYORAL HOPEFULS OUTLINE APPROACHES TO MUNICIPAL SERVICES, GROWTH AND COMMUNITY NEEDS
BY LUKE FAULKS WHISTLER’S MUNICIPAL election candidates faced questions on everything from building permits and housing to wildfire, municipal spending and community facilities at a largely cordial all-candidates meeting Sept. 24. Roughly 150 people filled much of the Maury Young Arts Centre for the event, hosted by Arts Whistler, the Whistler Chamber of Commerce and Pique Newsmagazine. Seventeen council hopefuls took the stage before the four mayoral candidates: incumbent Jack Crompton and challengers Marco Zunino, Lance Bright and Brandon Smith. It was the campaign’s first all-topics debate following an earlier meeting focused on the Northlands redevelopment.
PRESSURE ON MUNICIPAL HALL
Permitting frustrations emerged as one of the evening’s clearest themes. Asked what would make doing business easier, Eduardo Vazquez-Vela called for streamlined processes and less red tape. Robin Brown urged “a change in
attitude” toward business, while Michael Burnett questioned unpredictable bylaw requirements. Nicole Baudisch acknowledged building and planning could operate more efficiently, while emphasizing their responsibility to ensure safety and building-code compliance. Arthur De Jong called for a more serviceoriented municipality with fewer organizational silos. Candidates agreed permitting needed attention, though they differed over a resident’s proposed “shot clock” requiring applications to be approved or denied within a set period. The mayoral candidates picked up the discussion. Crompton acknowledged the problem, pointing to plans for a development desk bringing building, planning and engineering together to help applicants navigate municipal processes. “We should be really excited when a developer comes in and says they’re going to build employee housing,” he said. Bright described frustration with municipal hall from his own business experience. “I don’t know whether to call a lawyer or a therapist,” he said. “That has to stop.” Smith called for a “culture of yes,”
THANKSGIVING TURKEY
with staff and council focused on finding ways to advance projects. Zunino proposed seeking provincial authority for an empty-commercialproperty tax, alongside pop-up shops and temporary uses to activate vacant storefronts. All four showed some openness to vacancy taxes targeting commercial properties and secondary homes, though Crompton cautioned taxation powers are not solely municipal decisions. Spending also drew scrutiny. Brown questioned council’s accountability around taxation, while Cathy Jewett challenged a proposal to cut municipal payroll by 20 per cent, pointing to necessary spending on fire services, transit and policing. Jen Ford defended recent tax increases as necessary to prepare for major infrastructure costs, arguing earlier decisions to hold taxes flat left future councils facing difficult reservefunding choices.
HOUSING AND THE LIMITS OF GROWTH
Housing discussions ranged from the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) to vehicle dwellers and how much growth the community can accommodate. Ivan Otto supported adding an elected
WHA homeowners’ representative to its board. Brown suggested future municipal housing sites should include rental and ownership options depending on the property, while Raul Bautista emphasized improving Whistler’s existing housing model. Jessie Morden acknowledged the need for housing alongside pressures on transportation, infrastructure, neighbourhoods and the environment. “The goal isn’t growth at any cost, nor is it stopping growth altogether,” she said. “It’s finding the balance that allows Whistler to remain both livable and inclusive.” Dawn Titus and John Blok also raised concerns about future development in Cheakamus Crossing. Asked about providing a serviced, fourseason place for workers living in vehicles, Blok proposed a pilot with washrooms, water and garbage collection. Jeff Murl argued Whistler’s housing construction puts it in a stronger position to press the province to address vehicle dwelling on forest service roads. Among the mayoral candidates, Crompton said the WHA should keep evolving, potentially through more
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NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 20 ownership housing, better movement within its inventory and a stronger resident voice. Zunino, a WHA renter, called for better tenant communication and greater involvement from non-profit housing providers. Smith suggested diversifying housing options, including exploring managed RV or camping spaces. Crompton said the best response to vehicle dwelling is to build more housing quickly. Bright emphasized provincial responsibility and suggested regular welfare checks to discourage long-term camping on forest service roads. Community facilities were closely connected to the housing debate. Zunino proposed a six-month co-design process examining recreation, childcare, seniors’ facilities and other community-space needs before major Northlands decisions are finalized. Crompton supported WHA housing as the strongest fit for non-market housing at Northlands, alongside more market downsizing opportunities for seniors near the village. Smith backed retaining racket-sport opportunities. Bright said he valued the existing facility but was less definitive when pressed on its future.
WILDFIRE AND A CHANGING CLIMATE
Wildfire produced some of the clearest
differences in approach. Asked about trees damaged by Western spruce budworm, Claire Ruddy suggested identifying which can recover and seeking provincial support for the regional problem. Burnett urged decisions informed by peer-reviewed research and local knowledge. De Jong warned a catastrophic wildfire is a question of “not if but when,” calling for accelerated FireSmart work and fuel reduction. Bright, who has made wildfire central to his mayoral campaign, advocated a valley-wide strategy involving the province, First Nations, Whistler Blackcomb and other major land managers. He called for collaboration to “fireproof this valley,” arguing prevention would be cheaper than responding after a disaster.
Crompton stressed expert guidance on evacuation, cautioning against answering an audience proposal for alternative routes with a simple yes or no. Zunino said worsening conditions may eventually require discussion of another road connection, following a forest service road from north of Pemberton to Harrison. Smith proposed investigating largescale water infrastructure around the resort as another layer of wildfire defence. Climate questions also extended to recreation. Asked what Whistler could look like with less reliable snowfall, Tina Pashumati James pointed to indoor recreation and better use of existing developed spaces. In response to a question from the public, Mandy Rousseau said council should work with local non-profits
addressing gender-based violence to identify practical municipal actions. Experience and turnover also surfaced, with challengers making the case for different perspectives and incumbents emphasizing continuity. Rousseau framed change as an opportunity rather than an indictment of the current council. “It’s not that we can do the job better; it’s just that we bring a different approach,” she said. Crompton welcomed the energy new voices can bring while defending council’s record. “But I believe strongly that these people who have sat for the last four years have served you very well,” he said. Read fuller accounts of both debates at piquenewsmagazine.com. A full recording of the meeting is available on YouTube. n
Two men convicted of murder in 2022 Whistler Village shooting TWO MEN HAVE BEEN convicted of firstdegree murder in the 2022 shooting death of Meninder Dhaliwal in Whistler Village, while one of them was also convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Satindera Gill. A B.C. Supreme Court jury found Gursimran Sahota, 29, and Tanvir Khakh, 25, guilty of first-degree murder in Dhaliwal’s death on Sept. 25, following a four-week trial in Vancouver. The jury also found Sahota guilty of second-degree murder in Gill’s
death. Before deliberations began, Justice J. Miriam Gropper directed an acquittal for Khakh on the charge relating to Gill. Dhaliwal, 28, and Gill, 36, were shot in front of the Sundial Hotel in Whistler Village shortly after noon on July 24, 2022. One died at the scene and the other died after being taken to hospital. Investigators determined the shooting was targeted and connected to an ongoing gang conflict. Police arrested multiple people shortly after the shooting and found a
burning vehicle linked to the incident on Ptarmigan Place in Blueberry. Sahota and Khakh were charged the following day and have remained in custody since. First-degree murder carries a life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. Second-degree murder also carries a life sentence; the jury recommended Sahota be ineligible for parole for 20 years on that conviction. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled. - Braden Dupuis n
2026 General Local Election Vote Early or On Election Day
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Have questions? Learn more at pemberton.ca/elections
NEWS PEMBERTON
Mike Richman seeks another term as Pemberton mayor, promising a ‘strong voice at the right tables’ PEMBERTON RESIDENTS HEAD TO THE POLLS ON OCT. 17 kind of tourism that does represent the values of this beautiful place,” he said. He also supports Tourism Pemberton’s proposed municipal and regional district tax. Protecting Pemberton’s small-town character while accommodating growth is not a new challenge, Richman added. When he arrived in 1990, the community had about 500 residents, he recalled. “That is a tug of war. That’s a tightrope,” he said. “We’ve been walking [it] for years.”
BY LUKE FAULKS AFTER MORE than a decade in the
mayor’s chair, Mike Richman says he asked himself a basic question before deciding to seek another four years: “I had to do a gut check,” he told Pique. “I wanted to make sure that I’m still doing this for all the right reasons and I still bring the same energy and open mind. “But my enjoyment of the job and doing the work and desire to keep being part of the work—that hasn’t flagged. My passion for it hasn’t flagged.” Richman is seeking a fourth term as Pemberton’s mayor after first winning the job in 2014. He was acclaimed in 2018 before winning a contested election in 2022, and previously served as a Village councillor from 2011 to 2014. His roots in the community stretch further back. Originally from Montreal, Richman arrived in Pemberton in 1990 as a cook. He went on to own and operate The Pony Espresso for 14 years, later worked in general contracting and now co-owns Town Square Restaurant. He is running against former councillor David MacKenzie for mayor in the Oct. 17 municipal election.
EXPERIENCE AND THE ‘RIGHT TABLES’
Richman’s pitch for another term centres heavily on experience and relationships— not simply as time served, but as institutional knowledge and connections he says can help Pemberton secure outside funding and advance major projects. Richman estimated nearly $20 million worth of projects have been completed or are nearing completion during the current term, with about three-quarters coming from grants or other sources rather than borrowing and taxation. That work includes the Village’s water-treatment plant, water-metering work, One Mile Lake boardwalk
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TRANSIT, RECREATION AND RESILIENCE
IN THE RUNNING Mike Richman PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE RICHMAN
replacement, multimodal transportation hub and Den Duyf park amenity building. Getting that money requires municipalities to do the less visible work first, Richman argued. “You need a strong voice at the right tables,” he explained. “And that’s how you’re able to access this sort of funding.” Richman also pointed to partnerships behind the daycare, community garden and Harrow Road project, as well as his regional health-care work.
GROWTH, AFFORDABILITY AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY
One of Richman’s first priorities in a new term would be restarting the Village’s official community plan review, which he sees as an opportunity to re-engage residents and establish a clearer vision for Pemberton as it grows. He wants more workforce, seniors and dedicated rental housing, along with additional downtown density, while concentrating growth downtown and in the Hillside area. “I don’t want to see sprawl,” he said. “You have to have enough [housing]
supply to keep the demand under control and to keep the prices under control, but the supply has to meet the distinct needs of the community.” Affordability extends beyond housing, Richman acknowledged, and many of the pressures residents face fall outside municipal control. He pointed to Pemberton’s gas prices, saying the Village has asked the B.C. Utilities Commission to examine why local prices are higher than in some other communities. At the municipal level, he said council can keep a close eye on taxes while trying to broaden Pemberton’s commercial base. Richman also wants more attention paid to the industrial park, including discussions with businesses and landowners about their needs and whether other industrial lands could relieve pressure there. Richman wants tourism marketed and managed, with more shoulderseason visitation and less pressure on trails and the backcountry. “We want to market it, but we want to manage it and make sure it’s the right
Regional transit is another unfinished priority. Richman pointed to the recent memorandum of understanding with the province as an important step forward. “It’s not buses on the road yet, but I’m very positive about it,” he said. “It’s a huge stride.” He also wants to get a new fire hall built and revisit Pemberton’s arts and recreation planning. Richman said the Village should reopen and review its arts and recreation master plan to expand indoor recreation and arts offerings. His goal, he said, would be to give residents a clearer roadmap showing what additional services are possible, what they would cost and what the community ultimately wants to pursue. Emergency preparedness is another priority following the Signal Hill wildfire. “A lot of great work was done during the fire, and a lot was learned, and we need to apply that learning,” he said. “That’s something [that] has to be top of mind.” If returned to office, Richman said he wants residents four years from now to feel they were heard and included in decisions, that infrastructure and services kept pace with growth, and that Pemberton remained affordable, inclusive and able to stand on its own rather than becoming a bedroom community. Pemberton will elect a mayor and four councillors on Oct. 17. n
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24 OCTOBER 2, 2026
NEWS PEMBERTON
Pemberton council candidate Laresa Czervenatis brings focus on foresight, wildfires and responsible growth MOTHER OF TWO AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNER CALLS FOR MORE LONG-TERM CONSIDERATION FOR COMMUNITY DECISION MAKING
BY CAROLINE EGAN LARESA CZERVENATIS submitted her
nomination papers for Pemberton council with just eight minutes to spare. A mother of two, local business owner, landlord and registered massage therapist who has lived in Pemberton since 2017; Czervenatis also works part-time in guest services for Whistler Blackcomb to afford ski passes for her family. Driven by a desire for greater demographic representation and foresight from local government, Czervenatis places a heavy emphasis on community emergency preparedness. Her focus is shaped by deep personal ties to local first responders; her husband has served on the Pemberton and Whistler fire departments for 16 years. Calling this past summer’s Signal Hill wildfire a “dress rehearsal,” Czervenatis praised the quick action of local BC Wildfire crews and Pemberton’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Johnny Cox. However, she warned that a fire occurring later in the season or concurrently with one in Whistler could severely strain regional resources. “We need to be continually reviewing... how can we do better and make sure that, as a community, that we’re prepared for an evacuation,” she said. Czervenatis highlighted ongoing emergency preparedness events at the downtown barn, hosted by the fire department and RCMP, as key to keeping residents informed. Her
“You can’t complain if you’re not gonna get out there and vote. - LARESA CZERVENATIS
priorities align with the newly updated Pemberton Valley Evacuation Route Plan, developed by Calian Group to manage Highway 99 choke points during phased evacuations. Long-term foresight in municipal spending is another core pillar of her platform. Czervenatis pointed to the village’s decision to install grass turf instead of artificial turf on local soccer fields, arguing that ongoing maintenance, water usage, and weather limitations outweigh the higher initial cost of synthetic turf. Her focus on fiscal responsibility coincides with
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IN THE RUNNING Laresa Czervenatis. PHOTO COURTESY OF LARESA CZERVENATIS
the village’s Budget 2027 Check-In surveys, which gather public feedback ahead of council deliberations in November. Housing affordability remains a primary concern. Czervenatis moved to Pemberton after struggling to upsize through the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) and now sees local families leaving Pemberton due to limited housing mobility. She advocates exploring WHAstyle models and collaborating creatively with developers. Despite a recent drop in growth, Pemberton’s population is still expected to grow. Czervenatis urged careful growth management and raised safety concerns over the proposed Nkwúkwma development, which could add 500 homes above downtown Pemberton at full buildout. Specifically regarding increased traffic through a school zone and a lack of viable emergency exit routes. On transit, Czervenatis welcomed recent federal funding for Pemberton’s multimodal transportation hub, but stressed the urgent need to increase regional bus frequency. She also aims to strengthen ties between the village, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and the Líl’wat Nation through shared community events and joint emergency training. Though new to municipal politics, Czervenatis said she is prepared to overcome the learning curve by reviewing past council decisions and actively listening to all community perspectives. Ahead of the election, she encourages residents to utilize advance voting days. “You can’t complain if you’re not gonna get out there and vote,” she said. Election day is Oct. 17. n
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OCTOBER 2, 2026 25
NEWS PEMBERTON
Ted Craddock brings decades of elected experience to another Pemberton council run THE LONGTIME COUNCILLOR POINTS TO HOUSING, INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL TRANSIT AS PRIORITIES
BY LUKE FAULKS TED CRADDOCK doesn’t need much convincing to put his name on a ballot. After decades in elected office, the longtime Pemberton councillor still describes council meetings as somewhere he is happy to spend his time. “I like to help the community. I like making decisions, and most of all, I listen to what people have to say,” Craddock told Pique. “It makes me happy to sit at a council meeting and help decide the direction the community is going in.” That willingness to keep serving has put Craddock back on the ballot in Pemberton’s Oct. 17 municipal election, where five candidates are competing for four council seats. Craddock brings one of the longest political résumés in the race. The Village of Pemberton credits him with 29 years of elected service across three communities, alongside 36 years as a licensed professional in the real-estate industry. He was elected to Pemberton council in 2008 and again in 2011,
returned to the table in 2018, and won another term in 2022. For Craddock, another run is partly about having the time and experience to take on a job he believes can be difficult for younger residents juggling work and family. “I look at Pemberton and the growth, the way the community is going, our young population,” he said. “A lot of those people are really busy just making life decisions come to reality, and sometimes it’s pretty hard for them to find that day a week to take off. “So, if the community will support me, yes, I’m looking for another four years.” Asked what stands out from the current term, Craddock first points to projects years in the making. At the top of the list is Sea to Sky Community Services’ Harrow Road development, which is set to open later this year with 63 affordable rental homes alongside a community-services hub. “We’ve been fighting for that for 10 or 12 years, to get something going on, so that people that have had to leave the community because of the cost will be able to return,” Craddock said.
IN THE RUNNING Ted Craddock. FILE PHOTO
“It’s going to bring people into the community and [give] those that live here now an opportunity to live in a really nice building at a reasonable rent.” He also points to the Village’s multimodal transportation hub, which began construction in 2024. A second phase, announced in September 2026, will support transit infrastructure including shelters, sidewalks, bike storage and other amenities. If re-elected, Craddock expects one of council’s biggest jobs to be restarting work on Pemberton’s Official Community Plan (OCP).
That process has been on pause while the Village works toward a protocol agreement with the Lil’wat Nation. Once that work is complete, Craddock wants residents heavily involved in shaping the OCP, which will guide decisions around land use, density and future growth. “We want to make decisions based on public input,” he said. “It’s going to be huge to get that back to the table and have the community sitting around the table, making decisions on what they want to see for the future of Pemberton.” Housing will form a major part of that conversation. Craddock said he supports adding different forms of housing as Pemberton grows, while acknowledging large developments— including the proposed Hillside neighbourhood—may unfold more slowly in a difficult financing environment. “I really look forward to young people being able to actually own their own homes and have a place that they can call home,” he said. Find the full story online. n
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NEWS PEMBERTON
Simon Getaz brings forestry, backcountry recreation focus to SLRD Area A race
EVENT DATE CHANGE
GENERAL LOCAL ELECTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE OCT. 17
BY LUKE FAULKS PRESENTED BY:
FIVE YEARS AGO, Simon Getaz got the
chance to buy a piece of bush property in the mountains above Bralorne. “I’ve been going there steadily ever since,” he told Pique. “It truly is my authentic Canadian dream property.” The Pemberton resident had already been travelling into the Bridge River Valley for work and recreation for years, including hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. Now the longtime tree faller is asking Area A voters to send him to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) board. Getaz, a first-time candidate, said he entered the race out of a “love for the area” and a belief rural communities need a stronger voice when infrastructure and access decisions are made elsewhere. “I basically want to advocate for an area that seems that it has been left behind a little bit,” he said, pointing to renewed interest in the valley after the boom-andbust history of its mining industry. Getaz is one of two candidates seeking the Area A director’s seat in the Oct. 17 municipal election, alongside one-time director John Courchesne. Incumbent director Sal DeMare is not seeking another term. Getaz has worked as a tree faller for roughly 15 years in Coastal and Interior B.C., runs Swiss Falling LTD and has worked as a danger-tree faller on wildfires. He also operates snowcats for a snowmobile-tour company during the winter. That background informs one of his main concerns: maintaining backcountry access as industrial forestry activity declines. Getaz said forestry companies have historically helped forest service roads (FSRs) while operating in an area. When that activity disappears, he worries roads used by residents and recreationists can receive less maintenance or be deactivated due to the province’s limited funding for FSR maintenance. “The backbone of recreation in B.C. is FSRs,” he said. “We can’t have them being deactivated [because] the community can be like, ‘No, we love this road’—recreation, hunting, you name it, access to the area. “And it’s for wildfires, to fight wildfires,” he added. “What if you’re trying to reach a wildfire and there’s no bridge to get back there anymore?” Getaz said he wants the Area A director to stay in contact with the province about planned road work and advocate for consultation when access could be lost. He also wants better maintenance of the seasonal Hurley Forest Service Road linking the Bridge River Valley and Pemberton.
IN THE RUNNING Simon Getaz. PHOTO COURTESY OF SIMON GETAZ
Getaz sees renewed industrial activity as a potential opportunity for infrastructure investment. Talisker Resources is producing gold from its Bralorne project and pursuing permits to increase its mining rate, while BC Hydro is preparing for work on its Bridge River Transmission Project and planning the larger La Joie Dam Improvement Project. “Right now we see BC Hydro ramping up activity with the renewal of the dams and power lines, and the mine is ramping up again,” he said. “With those big projects comes big money, and hopefully there are opportunities [that] return to the community.” Beyond roads, Getaz said his priorities include emergency services and wildfire preparedness. Drawing on his forestry and wildfire experience, he said communities should reduce fuels around developed areas and strengthen local training and initial wildfire response. “Either we let it burn, because it will happen—wildfires are a natural cycle—or we intervene in some ways and mitigate the wildfire intensity around the community,” he said, adding selective thinning and other treatments can reduce fuels near homes and infrastructure. He also expects visitation to the valley to grow and said Area A should prepare for it without relying solely on tourism. By the end of a four-year term, Getaz said he would want residents to judge him on whether basic assets were maintained, communities were more wildfire resilient and the valley was better prepared for growing visitation. “I would want to have accomplished basically maintaining assets and renewing assets—for example, the roads, the water systems and all that,” he said. “I would like to have communities that have become more fire resilient through training and awareness … and I would like by then to have a tourism welcome structure in place that can channel the visitation that will come to the valley.” Area A encompasses the Upper Bridge River Valley, including Gold Bridge, Bralorne and Gun Lake. It spans about 3,715 square kilometres and had a population of 305 in the 2021 census. Election day is Oct. 17. n
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Holly Brady
It is with great regret that I announce the passing of Holly Christine Brady on September 13, a victim of cancer . She was born in Maryfield Saskatchewan, a long term resident of Whistler and more recently from Nanoose Bay . She is survived by her mother Inez, her brother Gord, niece Jessica, her nephews Joe and Owen and was the better half of a loving relationship that lasted more than forty years .
Holly will be well remembered after decades of service in the Fortress, Whistler, Blackcomb and Vail family and by those she played golf, hockey, slo-pitch and skied with . She was a dedicated cat lover and enjoyed gardening, reading, camping, travel and a glass of wine with friends . She will be truly missed . I love you my sweetie To make a donation in Holly’s memory , please consider these two options : The Oceanside Hospice at Trillium Lodge ( Parksville BC ) at oceansidehospice.com/donate ( Please be sure to dedicate your donation to Holly Brady to ensure distribution to the correct facility ) Nanaimo Regional Hospital building fund – cancer unit https://bccancerfoundation.com/in-your-region/vancouver-island/bc-cancer-centre-in-nanaimo/ ( click on “ donate now “ to ensure correct distribution )
OCTOBER 2, 2026 27
RANGE ROVER
The tourist route IT’S AUTUMN, officially book season. It’s
also officially trekking season in Nepal. So, in a nod to that country, beleaguered by the recent and ongoing impacts of anthropogenic climate change, I’m thinking about how one brought me to the other. It started in a used bookstore with a tattered copy of Maurice Herzog’s Annapurna, an epic account of conquering the first 8,000-metre
BY LESLIE ANTHONY peak by a Herzog-led French team in 1950. One of the most searing pieces of mountaineering literature ever, it is also one of the most enduring. Despite repudiation of its veracity (see the deeply researched True Summit, by David Roberts), Annapurna has sold more copies than any subsequent climbing volume—including John Hunt’s classic The Ascent of Everest (1954), Joe Simpson’s haunting Touching the Void (1988), and even Jon Krakauer’s wildly successful Into Thin Air (1997). For climbers, Everest will always occupy the mind, while Annapurna, it seems, may always hold the heart. In Herzog’s day, Annapurna was accessed from the north, via a network of trails that could also steer you to Dhaulagiri (Herzog’s team, in fact, hadn’t decided which of the two great peaks they would climb until they arrived). The carefully figured fold-out map contained in the first
ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT Like Everest, Annapurna is one of the most accessible high-alpine treks in the world. PHOTO BY ANIL ACHARYA / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
28 OCTOBER 2, 2026
printing of Annapurna stops on the main ridge, where the detailed relief turns to simple shading with an explanation that “nothing is known of the south side of Annapurna, and thus, the shading serves simply to emphasize the relief…” In subsequent years, explorers would work their way up the tortured valley of the Modi Khola to the south, establishing major climbing routes on the various peaks of the Annapurna massif from the spectacular amphitheatre known as the Annapurna Sanctuary. Here, a structurally permanent “base camp” arose that makes Everest’s use of that term seem like the occasionally utilized garbage dump it resembles. Like Everest, however, Annapurna is also one of the most accessible high-alpine treks in the world, cutting into the heart of
through the book when I decided I needed to see it for myself. In late November 1999, I joined a friend in Kathmandu to do just that. Though it turned out to be more comic than karmic, it was still one of the great adventures of my life. It began with the search for a porter/ guide in Kathmandu. We hired a young gun to pack our main load while we carried daypacks through a company run by an expat British army officer. A doppelganger of John Cleese’s infamous stiff-upper-lip Monty Python caricature, it was hard to refrain from laughing out loud as we processed the transaction. The bus ride to the trailhead was the scariest of a lifetime of scary bus rides, with over-the-cliff carnage of previous tragedies visible at every corner. The
The bus ride to the trailhead was the scariest of a lifetime of scary bus rides...
the Himalaya and ending at a point where you’re virtually surrounded by 6,000- to 8,000-metre peaks. At one time—with the trail frequently blocked by avalanches— this required a real expedition into uninhabited wilderness, but a string of teahouses now operates during the trekking season. A return trip from Pokhara (160 km west of Kathmandu) averages 12 to 14 days but can be done in eight if you’re willing to forgo acclimatization (not recommended). Located in Hindi western Nepal, it may lack the Buddhist monasteries of the Everest trek, but you still walk back in time through Gurung villages, terraced barley and millet steppes, dense leech-infested rhododendron forests, and the mists of whitewater canyons to arrive amidst the scarified hummocks of glaciated alpine. I was probably on my third turn
trail itself was like the Tower of Babel— hundreds of hikers, dozens of languages, many misunderstandings. At about 2,500 metres, our porter’s shoes fell apart and I had to duct-tape them back together each morning. On the day I ran out of tape, my boots began to delaminate. I wore cheap socks over them to keep the soles from peeling off, burning through two pairs a day for a week. Despite herds of humans to choose from, a stray dog chose to follow me exclusively. An old man wouldn’t leave us alone until we paid him to tell our fortunes. These were not good. Our map showed places that didn’t exist, while existing places weren’t marked. Teahouses, advertising “Film and Yak Cheese,” had equally humorous menus filled with English-adjacent items like Kitchep,
Spagitty and Mass potatoes. Teenage porters in bare feet hauling 50-kilo loads made us feel like the wimps we were. And everywhere we were reminded that Maoist guerrillas, whose blockades had tanked Nepal’s economy, started their campaign by occasionally shutting down this route. At one teahouse, a young porter pulled a knife on his client, and ours joined several others in wrestling him to the ground. As we reached the alpine, altitude began to take its toll. Like most other hikers, we foolishly pressed on. At 3,700 metres we reached Machapuchare base camp—a paradoxical name for a collection of teahouses situated below the sacred 7,000-metre peak that no one has ever been allowed to climb. When we finally broke over the final headwall to the 4,100-metre Sanctuary, we were stunned into silence: in front of us rose the imposing 4,000metre wall of Annapurna’s 8,100-metre south face. A massive bronze stupa in memory of Anatoli Boukreev (variously hailed as hero/villain of the 1996 Everest debacle documented by Krakauer) stood below the savage peak on which he’d died during a December 1997 attempt. But the thrill of being there lasted all of a minute. Through the haze of kerosenestove poisoning and altitude sickness I saw the dog that had followed me for a week, ready to feast on my carcass should I fail to retreat to lower climes immediately, and the fortune-telling man (how did he leapfrog past us?) still begging for money. And what was this? People playing volleyball on a dirt court in the centre of a cluster of four muddy bunkhouses. No ode to the glories of mountaineering’s past, we had discovered that tracking history and realizing a dream was often now just a tourist route. Leslie Anthony is a Whistler-based author, editor, biologist and bon vivant who has never met a mountain he didn’t like. n
Notice
PERMISSIVE TAX EXEMPTION BYLAW
Pursuant to Section 224(2) of the Community Charter , the Council of the Resort Municipality of Whistler will consider adoption of Permissive Tax Exemption Amendment Bylaw (2027) No. 2539, 2026 at a Special Council Meeting on Monday, October 5th, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. via an online meeting. Visit whistler.ca/council to find the link to watch the meeting. Permissive Tax Exemption Amendment Bylaw (2027) No. 2539, 2026 exempts the following land and/or improvements from property taxes in 2027 through 2029. Exemptions for 2028 and subsequent years will be dependent on approval by Council, and are subject to change. Permissive tax exemptions for other properties were previously approved by Council through Permissive Tax Exemption Bylaw No. 2368, 2022, as amended. Estimated Municipal Tax Folio
Address
Proposed Exemption
Statuatory Authority
Term
2027
2028
2029
40,570
43,820
46,890
Promises Made... Promises Kept!
009814.700
4335 Blackcomb Way
Whistler Arts Council
Sec. 224(2)(a)
3 Year
005423.000
5302 Alta Lake Rd
Tyrol Ski and Mountain Club
Sec. 224(2)(a)
1 Year
53,582
-
-
Total
94,153
43,820
46,890
Deliver Employee Housing 386 new units built and 533 under development or approval
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FEATURE STORY
‘IT’S TAKEN YEARS TO BUILD THIS ’ Sea to Sky families raise concerns over autism funding changes
F
BY LUKE FAULKS or Jill Brooksbank, the biggest question hanging over B.C.’s overhaul of supports for children with disabilities is what happens to the team her daughter has spent years learning to trust. The Pemberton-area family currently receives autism funding that has allowed them to seek out therapies and supports tailored to their daughter’s needs. “Without the funding, I feel like we would still be back where we were two and a half years ago, where she couldn’t go to school,” Brooksbank said. “Because the funding allowed us the flexibility to test and trial different therapies without financial impacts, we were able to put together a team for her that suited her needs and supported her. “It’s literally taken us two years. But it brought her to a place where she’s able to go to school and function socially and begin to trust again.” That program ends March 31, 2027, replaced by a system that will direct funding primarily according to a child’s support needs rather than an autism diagnosis alone. The province says the shift will extend funding to children with disabilities who receive little or no direct financial support under the current diagnosis-based model, while concentrating the largest benefit on children with the highest support needs. “From extensive engagement with families with lived experience and leaders in the sector, we heard clearly there are too many children with diverse needs who are not well served by the current system,” Children and Family Development Minister Jodie Wickens said when the changes were announced. “This investment is about significantly expanding both financial supports and services for children and youth with a range of disabilities, through a new approach that is fair and that provides the greatest support to the most vulnerable.” Brooksbank—along with other parents Pique spoke to—supports the province’s goal of opening funding to children with other disabilities who have historically gone without it. But she’s concerned that expansion could mean less direct support for some autistic children who rely on the existing program but may not qualify under the new regime. “My daughter is 13. She’s entering a really important stage of her life where the focus is shifting towards independence, life skills and preparing for adulthood,” Brooksbank said. “This is really not the time when we need uncertainty about whether the supports we’ve carefully put into place will still be available.” Those concerns are echoed by other Sea to Sky parents and providers: Whether their children will qualify for funding under the new system, whether progress under the current model could count against them and whether community services in smaller towns can replace the flexibility of direct funding.
Beginning next spring, an autism diagnosis alone will no longer determine access to individualized provincial funding. The province announced $475 million in new spending over three years for two direct-funding programs and expanded community services, alongside $289 million redirected over three years from the existing autism program. The Children and Youth Disability Benefit will provide $6,500 or $17,000 a year for children with complex, long-term disabilities that require significant support. Eligibility is based on the child’s level of need rather than family income. Families who qualify for the new Disability Benefit will still be able to choose and hire eligible private services. A second program, the Children and Youth Disability Supplement, begins payments in July 2027. Families whose child qualifies for the federal Disability Tax Credit can receive up to $6,000 annually, with payments decreasing as adjusted family income rises. The province expects the Disability Benefit to serve 12,000 to 15,000 children overall—including about 9,000 autistic children—and says most autistic children are expected to receive either the benefit, supplement or both. The announcement drew support from advocates for disability groups largely excluded from the autism-specific funding model. “Expanded funding is welcome and long overdue, and it has the potential to make a real difference for children and families across the province,” said Down Syndrome BC president and parent advocate Tamara Taggart.
“It’s literally taken us two years. But it brought her to a place where she’s able to go to school and function socially and begin to trust again.” - Jill Brooksbank
A wider system with a different threshold The distinction between the current and incoming systems starts with eligibility. B.C.’s Autism Funding Program dates to 2002. To apply, families currently need an autism assessment and diagnosis; the model provides up to $22,000 annually for children under six and up to $6,000 for those aged six to 18, which can be directed toward eligible interventions, therapies and other supports.
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Wickens told the legislature in March that most autistic children currently receiving autism funding would continue receiving direct funding under the new system, while about one-third would receive more. The province says school-system funding and inclusive-education supports are not being reduced by the changes.
‘Some of the reason they’re at the place they are is because of the funding’ The province illustrates the changing threshold through hypothetical children like “Ollie.” Ollie is a highly verbal autistic child without an intellectual disability who nevertheless requires intensive social-skills development and modifications to remain regulated. He receives autism funding under the current model, but does not qualify for the new Disability Benefit because his needs fall below its threshold. If his family qualifies for the federal Disability Tax Credit, however, it can receive the income-tested supplement and access expanded community programming. In the province’s example, Ollie’s family earns $120,000 and receives $3,200 annually under
FEATURE STORY the supplement. Pemberton parent Niki Vankerk sees parallels with her own teenage son. For roughly five years, her family has used the existing autism funding for speech and occupational therapy, specialized programs and camps. She said those supports have helped him develop skills and social connections while giving the family flexibility to seek out programs that work for him. “It’s been great for us because we’ve been able to send him to summer camps,” she said. “It’s really more than just getting speech therapy and getting occupational therapy. It’s being around other neurodiverse kids that is just so healthy for them and so great. “I really feel like being able to take advantage of those services has really helped my son to progress as much as he has.” That progress is precisely what worries Vankerk about a system assessing children according to their present support needs. “Some of the reason that they’re at the positive place they are is because of [the]
In the corridor, Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCS) will add a behavioural specialist to its Child Development team, initially focused on children up to five. Director of service delivery Chelsie Brubacher expects greater investment in schoolaged services to follow. “We have a pretty good early intervention variety of services for those zero-tofive early intervention services,” Brubacher said. “But it really does get pretty slim pickings once your child turns five, and so that’s part of the province’s new vision, is that they’ll be investing more in the school-age supports.” How much additional capacity that ultimately creates remains unresolved. “That’s the big question for us, certainly, because we don’t know what the new funding amount is going to be for the province and how many new staff we’re going to be able to bring in based on that funding,” she said. Brubacher said typical local waits are around three months—better than in some other parts of B.C.—and SSCS is working with the ministry to demonstrate the corridor’s needs. For Vankerk, the question is whether expanded services can replace individualized funding’s flexibility in Pemberton. “A family in Vancouver may have 10 providers to choose from,” she said. “With this in-community program, a family in a rural community may have one or none. For rural families, it’s a very different story than if we were, say, in the city.” The uncertainty is also reaching private providers. Sharee Dubowits runs Soul Outdoor Learning in Squamish, where some families combine education funding with Autism Funding Program dollars to access small learning pods and other programming for neurodivergent students. “They’ll say, ‘I have funding for you until March,’ right? And then after that, it’s a huge question mark,” Dubowits said, recounting what some of her parents have told her. “Some of them are like, ‘I rely 100-percent on this funding.’ And then there are others that are like, ‘Yeah, we could supplement with out-of-pocket, but we’re pretty stretched, so we might have to severely reduce.’ “I think it’s not realistic for the majority of the families that I work with to start paying out-of-pocket.” Expanded behavioural services, she added, do not necessarily replace specialized education some families currently purchase privately.
“So if you’re a family that can’t afford to continue that without the funding, then, boom, that goes away and what happens now? Does your child stay flat, or do they start to regress? - Niki Vankerk stuff that we’ve been able to do with the funding that we received,” she said. “That’s what’s helping them to be successful. “So if you’re a family that can’t afford to continue that without the funding, then, boom, that goes away and what happens now? Does your child stay flat, or do they start to regress? “And then if they slide, and they’re into the, ‘I’m bad enough,’ and so they get the funding. But did we have to make them go down there just to get money?” Those concerns are shared by Bohdanna Popowycz, a board-certified behaviour analyst and member of the BC Coalition of Autism Service Providers. The coalition, which represents more than 200 professionals, supports extending individualized funding to children with other disabilities but argues the threshold puts too much emphasis on visible functional dependence and too little on preventive intervention. Popowycz offered the example of an 11-year-old client she has worked with since she was a toddler. The girl now reads, writes, attends school and makes friends. Less obvious, Popowycz said, are continuing challenges interpreting social situations, danger and other people’s intentions. “The needs-based assessment can be very difficult to assess who’s going to get funding or not if we don’t see those nuanced things that are the pinnacle sometimes for many autistic learners,” Popowycz said. “It took me a year to come to her house where she wasn’t throwing shoes at me, hitting me, running [away],” she said. “And now she’s in school with her peers, somewhat undistinguishable. “Those nuanced things people with autism or autistic learners don’t learn just navigationally. They have to be taught. So by removing funds, especially when a child’s at a pinnacle of learning those social etiquette skills, they’re not going to go, ‘Oh wow, [Bohdanna’s] not coming, so I guess I’ve got to figure this out.’”
‘For rural families, it’s a very different story’ The other side of the province’s plan is a phased expansion of free community services. The government is also putting $80 million over three years toward expanding community services by more than 40 per cent, including behavioural and mentalhealth supports, navigation, pediatric therapies and programming for children aged six to 18. Behavioural and early-intervention supports are among the first areas being expanded, with additional behavioural, mental-health, navigation and school-age programming scheduled over the next two years.
‘The jury’s still out’ West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jeremy Valeriote sees merit in the program, but is waiting to see how it works in practice. “There’s some good intentions here in terms of bringing some equity to the system, and people—youth and families—who have gone without support are finally going to be able to access some support,” Valeriote said. “But without a large increase in funding, there will be families that see their supports decreasing. The jury’s still out on the overall impact.” Valeriote said his office forwarded roughly 10 families with questions to the Ministry of Children and Family Development and ministry staff agreed to work through their circumstances individually. “Until the rubber really hits the road, we won’t know,” he said. “We’ll be advocating for adjustments when we get to see a trend on who’s potentially being left out or not getting what they need.” Families with questions can contact CYSN workers, the Autism Funding team or Autism Information Services for help understanding the transition and preparing Disability Tax Credit materials. Current autism-funding recipients can also use up to $300 of their Travel, Training and Equipment allocation toward an eligible practitioner’s fee for completing the federal form. Locally, Brubacher encouraged families to contact SSCS even if they have never accessed its services before. “We don’t have all of the answers,” she said, “but sometimes it’s just helpful to have someone to chat through your questions with.” For Brooksbank, the fundamental question remains how to widen the system without losing sight of children whose existing supports are working. “How do we expand this program so more children have access, but also not leave those kids behind who have really relied on this funding to get to where they are today?” she said. “I don’t really have a clear understanding of why kids like my daughter are losing the funding. I don’t understand it.” n
OCTOBER 2, 2026
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SPORTS THE SCORE
Asa Vermette triumphs at landmark Whistler World Cup downhill SQUAMISH’S JAKOB JEWETT HOLDS ONTO FIFTH, CAMDEN RUTHERFURD STRIKES JUNIOR MEN’S GOLD
BY DAVID SONG ROUGHLY 24 HOURS after qualifying in first place, Asa Vermette showed the mountain biking realm that such an effort was no fluke. Granted, anybody who pays attention would have known as much. Vermette was second in the elite men’s World Cup downhill overall going into Sunday’s historic event and has now overtaken Jordan Williams atop that ranking with 1347 points. His victorious race run happened in a brisk three minutes and 23.930 seconds. Even two of France’s greatest speed demons could not equal Vermette’s velocity. Max Alran settled for runner-up position (3:28.295) and Amaury Pierron rounded out the top three (3:30.962). “Like I dreamed of it: first in qualifying, dropping last, I was like ‘let’s just put it down for the fans,’ they were insane,” Vermette said in a press release. “I did the run that I wanted to. [My team] told me that Jordan [Williams] didn’t have the best run, so I was just like: ‘let’s put a good one down’ and we got it. [Lake Placid] is not very close to home, but it’s in America so I’m stoked to lay it down.” Jakob Jewett pushed out of the gate early, but despite being bested by Luke Wayman—the ninth athlete to drop—he spent more than 90 minutes in podium
TOP OF THE WORLD American athlete Asa Vermette won the first elite men’s World Cup downhill race in Whistler on Sept. 27. PHOTO COURTESY OF UCI
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position. Unfortunately the Squamolian’s luck ran out when the medallists took over, relegating him to fifth. “A podium would have been a dream, but honestly a top five is still very much a dream,” Jewett said about his bestever World Cup finish. “Today ended up working out. It’s amazing. I’ve had some qualifying results in the top 10 before, but never managed to do it in the finals. This track, you definitely can’t fight it, so just tried to hit my marks and especially from the rock garden down, I was feeling pretty good this week.”
(and disqualified) because replay cameras showed him veering out of bounds. Jewett remained in medal contention throughout all the chaos, dodging metaphorical bullets like Neo from The Matrix. He ultimately outperformed much more highly-ranked contenders like Andreas Kolb (sixth), Till Alran (seventh), Richie Rude (11th), Luke MeierSmith (12th) and Henri Kiefer (23rd). “Like I said to Dane this morning, I’d be stoked just on basis of how my year has gone with a top 20, a top 15, I’d be happy,” said Jewett. “Once I just started slowly
“A podium would have been a dream, but honestly a top five is still very much a dream.” - JAKOB JEWETT
CRASHES AND UPSETS AND DISQUALIFICATIONS, OH MY
Blue skies and abundant sunshine greeted the riders, but such pleasant weather did not reflect the havoc on track as a passionate crowd marveled at all kinds of drama. Jackson Connelly opened the race by eating dirt moments into his attempt. Dane Jewett failed to replicate his Q2 heroics from Saturday and crashed twice, well back of his elder brother Jakob. Williams couldn’t meet his own high standards and reached the line in a pedestrian 21st place. For a moment, it appeared that Lachlan Stevens-McNab would produce an upset with his blazing-fast run. Alas it was the Kiwi who departed Whistler upset
chipping away at the top 10, I got really nervous. I was like: ‘holy crap, I could get a top 10’ and ended up fifth, which is crazy.” Kiefer, meanwhile, delivered the day’s most spectacular scare. With just one jump to go during an effort that could have gotten him onto the podium, he broke his chain, unclipped right before takeoff and was halfway off his bike before crashing down. Fortunately the German walked away under his own power. Eventually Vermette put pedal to metal, not only winning but coming within seven-tenths of the fastest possible combined split times. “I love a physical track and a long hard track, so I knew I was good at it. I just had
to have a smooth run down,” he said. “This is my third time here in Whistler … it’s the craziest. Everybody rides bikes. The lines for the parks are insane. There’s so many little rippers and I mean, it’s just a dream to live and grow up here. I’m stoked that I was able to be part of it.” With one World Cup round to go in Lake Placid from Oct. 2 to 4, Williams (1251) will have to erase a 96-point deficit and then some to overtake Vermette for the season crown. Pierron is now third overall (1173), Max Alran fourth (1025) and Finn Iles’ inability to get out of qualifying in Whistler has him down in fifth (985).
‘JUST LIKE 50 TRAIN HORNS’
Two years ago, Camden Rutherfurd gave Whistlerites a memorable moment where he narrowly avoided colliding with a downed opponent to win his U17 Crankworx race. Rutherfurd is still a junior, and he delivered once again to realize his inaugural World Cup triumph by over 5.5 seconds (3:35.004). Lois Eller (3:40.692) edged out Boston Bryant (3:41.559) for silver. “I’m so stoked, it’s crazy to me,” Rutherfurd said in a release. “I was so nervous all day because I knew I could do something good here. I was really wanting a podium but always had the win in the back of my mind. I messed up the top, like three mistakes in the first 50 metres and then just tried to lock in. It felt smooth, pretty sketchy in some bits but I just tried to keep riding. The rock garden was insane, just like 50 train horns all of a sudden.” Visit ucimtbworldseries.com/ results/2026/whistler-2026 for more results from Whistler. n
SPORTS THE SCORE
Gracey Hemstreet earns hard-fought silver at inaugural Whistler World Cup VALENTINA HÖLL CLINCHES SIXTH WIN OF THE SEASON, ALETHA OSTGAARD NOTCHES FASTEST OVERALL WOMEN’S TIME AS A JUNIOR
BY DAVID SONG
‘IT WAS A GOOD BATTLE’
Gloria Scarsi eked ahead of early benchmark-setter Tahnée Seagrave midway through proceedings, but her stint on top wouldn’t last as Höll put forth a dominant run. Hemstreet was nearly three seconds behind the five-time Austrian world champ at the penultimate split but mounted a valiant last-ditch attack, coming up just short of what would have been an idyllic victory on home turf.
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Höll drink “shoeys” after placing second and first respectively at Whistler’s inaugural downhill mountain bike World Cup on Sept. 27. PHOTO COURTESY OF UCI
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“I don’t think I could have done much better,” Hemstreet remarked. “I feel there definitely was 0.3 [seconds] somewhere on that track, but it is what it is. Vali did awesome as well, so yeah—it was a good battle. It was actually crazy, the fans were nuts on practice day and everything, and yeah, it was just unreal.” Then came Eliana Hulsebosch, who on Saturday had managed her best qualifying result to date (second) and beat Höll at Split No. 1. Unfortunately the Kiwi rider toppled off her bike in a hazardous muddy root section and wound up fourth. Finally, Bouladou dropped in last and put herself on the podium. Second overall in the elite women’s category remains up for grabs, with Scarsi (1053) just a tad in front of Harriet Harnden, who was sixth in Whistler (1045). Hemstreet is ever so slightly behind the British athlete (1040), while Höll for reference is miles ahead (2010). Meanwhile in the junior division, eventual fourth-placer Tayte ProulxRoyds spent some time in the hot seat—which she described as an “unbelievable” experience—before being knocked out of medal contention. Lina Frener went down after a stylish but perhaps ill-advised whip attempt off the last jump, delivering Ostgaard an overall crown. “I’m so excited,” said Ostgaard. “Actually in the start gate, I was like: ‘if I can keep this together, there’s a possibility for me to win the overall’ so I was telling myself every second: ‘have fun, have fun.’” Podium finishers each received a cedar trophy featuring work by Lil’wat Nation artist Levi Nelson to honour the late Canadian downhill athlete Stevie Smith, for whom the 1199 venue is named. Visit ucimtbworldseries.com/ results/2026/whistler-2026 for more World Cup results from Whistler. n
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Gracey Hemstreet did the best she could on a beautiful Sunday of World Cup downhill racing as she strove to become the first elite female victor ever coronated in Whistler. The 21-year-old Squamish resident fell approximately three-tenths of a second shy of that ambitious goal, but her time (4:13.739) was quick enough for silver. Gold went to Valentina Höll (4:13.405), who is now the fourth woman in history to top half a dozen World Cup podiums in a single season. No. 1 qualifier Lisa Bouladou wasn’t able to keep up, but held onto bronze in a gutsy effort (4:16.087). “It’s pretty unreal,” said Hemstreet. “The week was just awesome, had so much fun. The nerves were pretty high yesterday [in qualifying] but yeah, that was awesome. I mean: the goal is to win, but second is always a good confidence booster before the last race of the season [in Lake Placid].” Austria’s Höll, who locked up the fifth overall title of her illustrious career last month in Les Gets, France, spoke in a press release: “I came to Whistler for the first time when I was 14, it was always my biggest dream growing up. And now to be racing the World Cups here is pretty insane. I can feel the legacy of all the B.C. racers, it’s an honour to be here. “Also big up to Gracey. I know how hard it is to do your home race, it’s not easy but the crowd is really insane and yeah, win No. 6 this season feels unreal. I don’t know why it keeps happening but obviously I’ll take it.” Yet not even Höll could match an exceptional performance by Aletha Ostgaard, the junior ladies’ winner who conquered the 1199 track faster than any other woman (4:09.23). Cassandre Peizerat finished second behind the American (4:18.441) and junior world champion Tilly Boadle clocked in third (4:28.578). “Today I got absolutely junior-ed, big up to Aletha,” Höll quipped. “She smoked me properly and I can’t wait to race with her next year. She’s a massive motivation.” BY HER OWN ADMISSION,
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FORK IN THE ROAD
In praise of Thanksgiving and other food sharings THE SCIENCE IS IN—EATING WITH OTHERS IS GOOD FOR US IN SO MANY WAYS BRRRR… The distinct chill of winter is suddenly in the air—along with brilliant fresh snow high on the mountaintops, golden leaves at our feet, and that most sprightly of fall feasts to share with family and friends: Thanksgiving. Probably most of us have known forever that it’s good to share food, as in it’s not just something ancient humans learned to help keep each other alive. (Would-be Whistler food bank donors,
BY GLENDA BARTOSH take note.) More, I think we recognize deep down inside it’s good for us because we literally grew up associating food with others. From Day One, if we were lucky enough, there was always mom or some other caring soul making sure we were fed. Then there’re all the other cool benefits that come with sharing food. It’s often cheaper, and easier—like, you make the mashed potatoes and I’ll do the salad. And don’t forget the plain old-fashioned fun factor, as in sharing conversation and laughter or, maybe even better, eating in easy, companionable silence. Sure, sharing food can also be fraught, like, god forbid, those awkward
DOESN’T HAVE TO BE POSH Never mind the “perfect” turkey. Sharing food with friends in whatever form it takes benefits our emotional and nutritional well-being. PHOTO BY SVETIKD / E+ / GETTY IMAGES
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scenes where you’re splitting up with your partner and all you can manage is a mumbled “pass the salt.” But for the most part, we’ve known for millennia that humans sharing food with humans is usually a very good thing. Now science backs it all up—and in some unexpected ways.
DON’T GET STRESSED. SHARE A MEAL!
What with all kinds of factors—COVID, social media isolation, and just plain busy-ness—impacting meal sharing negatively, researchers from top campuses like Harvard and Cambridge recently investigated just how that’s affecting us all. Sure, we know it’s way better for us to put down our phones and connect with people in real time, anytime. But now those researchers have confirmed in the scientific journal Nature it’s a fact: When it comes to food, eating with others really does make us happier. The report is based on two studies. One used data from Gallup surveys in 142 countries and territories to measure meal sharing as a measure of social connections, and its relationship to “subjective well-being.” The conclusion: There’s a “significant, positive relationship in almost all world regions.” The second study used data from the American Time Use Survey to document changes in meal sharing in the U.S. over time. The evidence clearly showed Americans are dining alone more and more often, especially younger generations. No surprise there, and I bet that’s happening in Canada, too. But here’s the real surprise: The people who ate at least one meal with someone reported feeling more happiness and less
stress, pain and sadness that day as well. Wow! So don’t wait for Thanksgiving. Text your buddy and tell them to meet you right now for a happy meal at your place or your favourite resto, especially since so many eateries have been facing financial difficulties since the pandemic.
MEET AND GREET FOR YOUR HEALTH
Now here’s even better news, and I tip my journo’s hat to scientist Torah Kuchar for her recent segment on CBC’s On the Coast regarding the “social physiology” of food and sharing it. According to The Times of Israel, peer-reviewed research led by professor Shir Atzil at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Sheba Medical Center found that eating the same carb-heavy meal leads to different metabolic outcomes, depending on whether you eat alone or with someone. In a nutshell, your blood glucose levels are lower when you eat with loved ones. You get smaller glucose spikes; your blood glucose returns to healthy baseline levels much quicker than when you eat by yourself; plus your body manages its energy partitioning and temperature regulation more efficiently. So like I said, grab some pals and go eat—out or in, or maybe a little potluck, however you interpret that.
GO SIMPLE OR GO HOME!
Here’s the thing. Even at Thanksgiving you don’t have to go turkey or go home. A simple meal—a favourite family recipe, an ad hoc mac and cheese lunch, or a lovely warm pot of soup will do nicely, thank you very much. After all, it’s the thought and connections, not the elaborate dishes, that count.
One of the absolute best “dinner” parties we’ve ever thrown was a “soup kitchen” for hubbie’s 60th. I think I’d been looking at Margaret Bourke-White’s classic black and white images of the Great Depression when the idea struck. Either that or I’d been thumbing through all the excellent recipes I’ve collected from friends and family over the years. So soup kitchen it was, with nary an aspersion cast on the poor souls who literally wouldn’t have survived the Dirty Thirties Depression without the thousands of soup kitchens set up by local governments, community centres, churches, and countless volunteers and donors across North America. But back to our little version of it… We whipped up three big batches of soup—minestrone, double corn chowder and my famous vegetable lentil—then left them warming in big pots on the stove the whole time. With a line-up of soup mugs on the counter so you could help yourself to whatever you wanted and eat anywhere, standing or sitting, and crackers, good bread and plates of cheese and goodies to round things out, it was every man—and woman—for himor herself. Yum! We all loved it! Everyone could mix and mingle, with the simple act of serving ourselves the best connector and conversation starter on Earth. So enjoy your Thanksgiving, however you spend it, whether it means carrying a mug of hot soup across your living room to eat with loved ones, or over to that new neighbour you’ve never met, just so you can share it. Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who loves the fun of sharing a meal, the simpler the better. n
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OCT 3 SATURDAY
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OCT 5 MONDAY
OCT 6 TUESDAY
OCT 7 WEDNESDAY
R Elevate Training - Strength and Performance 6:15-7:15 a.m. Steve
I Functional Strength & Conditioning 7:30-8:30 a.m. Francesca
I Kettlebell Functional Fit 9-10 a.m. Kelsey
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OCT 8 THURSDAY
R Elevate Training - Strength and Performance 6:15-7:15 a.m. Steve
R Small Group Training 7:30-8:15 a.m. Co-Ed – Steve
R Small Group Training 7:30-8:15 a.m. Co-Ed – Julia
R Small Group Training 7:30-8:15 a.m. Co-Ed – Steve
I Box HIIT 7:30-8:30 a.m. Kelsey
I Strength & Cardio 7:30-8:30 a.m. Sylvie
I Strength & Stability 7:30-8:30 a.m. Andy
I Aqua Fit Deep End 8:45-9:45 a.m. Marie-Anne
R Small Group Training 8:30-9:15 a.m. Co-Ed – Julia
I Aqua Fit Shallow End 8:45-9:45 a.m. Marie-Anne
I Step & Strength 9-10 a.m. Liz
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I Low Impact Strength 9-10 a.m. Andy
R Mom & Baby Fitness 10:15-11:15 a.m. Sara F Power Yoga 12:15-1 p.m. Francesca
I Gentle Fit 12:30-1:30 p.m. Melanie
R Youth on Weights Group Training 3:30-4:45 p.m.
R Fit 4 Life 12:30-1:30 p.m. Steve R Prenatal Fitness 5:15-6:15 p.m. Sara
I Winter Strength & Conditioning 5:15-6:15 p.m. Robbie
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I Full Body HIIT 5:30-6:30 p.m. Andy
R Small Group Training – Women’s only 5:30-6:15 p.m. Julia
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ARTS SCENE
Whistler Writers Festival unveils 25th-anniversary lineup THE EVENT WILL BE HELD FROM NOV. 5 TO 8 AT VENUES ACROSS WHISTLER
BY DAVID SONG Festival (WWF) is preparing to mark 25 years of bringing readers, writers and audiences together for literary conversations, cultural storytelling, book launches and creative writing workshops. This 2026 anniversary lineup will feature 14 reading events and 10 workshops along with a few festive additions including bookish trivia, word games, a Mystery Book fundraiser, themed buttons, door prizes, a photo booth and treats. “We’re celebrating connections we’ve made between storytellers, authors and audiences for the last 25 years, and we’re looking forward to another 25 years of storytelling gatherings,” says WWF artistic director Rebecca Wood Barrett in a press release. “This year, we’ve curated a festival that brings people together to enjoy intimate conversations in the mountains, with an extra bit of sparkle. Look out for Canada Reads winner Loghan Paylor, sixtime Olympian Clara Hughes, Governor General’s Award winner Michelle Good and thriller writer Robyn Harding.” The reading program opens Thursday, Nov. 5 with Three Generations, a THE WHISTLER WRITERS
BOOK IT Last year’s Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast event featured moderator Rachel Bergquist engaging three award-winning Canadian authors: Antonio Michael Downing, Evelyn Lau and Sarah Leavitt. PHOTO BY JOERN ROHDE / COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER WRITERS FEST
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conversation between bestselling and award-winning author Michelle Good and debut novelist Zak Jones, moderated by Brandon Barrett. Hosted at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, the event will explore family dynamics, inherited secrets and the forces that shape generations. Later that evening, Celebrating Sea to Sky Storytellers will showcase local authors Heather Hendrie, Bronwyn Preece and
Spirituality and Healing); poet Lasänmą (author of Spruce to Cedar); and Squamish Nation cultural storyteller Tsawaysia Spukwus (Dominique Nahanee). Friday evening has two items in store. Canada’s Best Indies 2026 will showcase finalists for the Whistler Independent Book Awards in children’s literature, fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Finalists will give short readings
“This year, we’ve curated a festival that brings people together to enjoy intimate conversations in the mountains, with an extra bit of sparkle.” - REBECCA WOOD BARRETT
Brad Sills at the Whistler Public Library. Readings, local literary trivia, door prizes and refreshments are available at no cost.
INDIGENOUS STORIES AND MULTI-GENRE OFFERINGS
Nov. 6 delivers a picture-book reading of Springtime in Kitkatla with awardwinning author Kim Spencer at the Whistler Public Library, ideal for young readers and families. Later that Friday, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre will host Cultural & Spiritual Care: Healing through Stories with Indigenous artists SÍK SÍK (powerful ground) Josh Anderson of Lil’wat Nation (co-author of Útszan ti Smáwal’a (Healing the Spirit): An Introduction to Ceremony, Traditional
from their work before the winners are announced later that evening. Next, check out Characters on the Edge: Analyzing Psychological Thrillers with internationally bestselling author Robyn Harding and Nebula Award winner A.D. Sui in conversation with moderator Amber Cowie. Saturday, Nov. 7’s program begins with Tectonic Shifts: A Conversation with Writers of Fiction featuring Tara Gereaux, Brian Kaufman and the 2026 Whistler Independent Book Award winner for fiction. Next will come Glorious, Disrupting Dystopia: a chat between Anakana Schofield and Glenn Dixon exploring technology, human connection and the future of meaningful work.
Non-fiction takes centre stage in The Trek to Know Thyself helmed by memoirists Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho and Clara Hughes. Saturday afternoon will also bring about the launch of Disruption, a new dystopian novel by 2026 WWF Writer-in-Residence (and WWF founder) Stella Leventoyannis Harvey. Saturday evening features a bookclub-style literary salon starring Loghan Paylor, winner of the 2026 Canada Reads competition, discussing The Cure for Drowning. Moderated by Kate Heskett, the event invites audience members to discuss the novel at their tables before joining an extended conversation with Paylor. Harpist Alison Hunter will provide themed music throughout the evening. Lastly on Nov. 8, the festival returns the popular morning outdoor walk (Being Forest: A Salish Stroll), and annual Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast involving Eve Joseph, Yasuko Thanh, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas and moderator Jeanette Bruce. “The festival is a place where audiences have a chance to encounter powerful stories in the voices of the people who wrote them, people who draw from their own lived experiences and imagination,” Wood Barrett says. “I’m proud we have an all-Canadian lineup, and that the stories and illustrations are human-created. Our program reflects the breadth and depth of our literary community, including local talent, featuring authors, Indigenous storytellers, moderators and musicians. I can’t wait for audiences to join us.” Visit whistlerwritersfest.com for tickets. n
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CAST AWAY Residents casting their vote at Myrtle Philip Community School. Turnout was down 35 per cent. WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION, BONNY MAKAREWICZ.
Bob the Dog and the municipal election of 1993 BY REBECCA MACKAY OVER THE LAST 50 years, the Resort
Municipality of Whistler has seen nine mayors across 19 elections. With the election coming up on Oct. 17, we thought we would reflect on the 1993 municipal election, where one particular (unofficial) candidate stole people’s hearts. Incumbent Mayor Ted Nebbeling was set to run uncontested until Bill Duff stepped in to give people a choice. “Having someone win by acclamation is not democracy. It’s a joke,” Duff said at the time. Previous councillors Bill Murray, Gordon Tomalty, Dave Kirk, Hugh O’Reilly and Thelma Johnstone sought re-election, while Paul Fournier, Ken Melamed, Grant Lamont, Kristi Wells, Max Kirkpatrick and Ted Ralfe also entered the race. Candidates had their takes on school taxes, health-care, seniors and youth, roadworks, crime and more; however, a running theme for this election was transparency. Council needed to make the public more aware of major projects, ask for their input, and listen to their concerns. One example Duff brought up was the Village Gate Boulevard realignment. Though he agreed it was a good idea, he thought the results were inadequate for a $2.5 million-plus project. Council candidate Melamed felt Whistler needed to cool down its development a bit and think more strategically and sustainably. Ultimately, Nebbeling was re-elected, along with councillors Murray, Kirk, O’Reilly and Johnstone. New to council was Wells and Kirkpatrick. Duff was not expecting to win, but the results were not ideal for the other losing candidates. Lamont told the Question, “if that is who they are choosing to represent them over the next three years, it’s going to be pretty dull. It’s going to be another three years of dictatorship.” Ralfe called for someone on council to act as an inquisitor.
However, this was considered a “sleepy” election, which led to arguably Whistler’s fluffiest mayoral candidate, Bob the Dog. What started off as a joke became the highlight of the election period. So, who was Bob the Dog? In about 1990 Jorge Alvarez—owner of Toad Hall Studios—was walking past Citta’ when he saw mix-breed puppies up for adoption. He was told that these dogs were half-coyote, which you could not tell from their appearance. Alvarez quickly learned Bob “had a wild streak on him because he would wander, [but] he would always come back.” Alvarez’s original design studio was in trailers at the Rainbow subdivision. Bob would hang out and go everywhere with Alvarez, but never on a leash. Alvarez moved his studio to its second location in Function Junction, where Forecast Coffee is today. Bob made this neighbourhood his pack. “He became like a rock star because he would come and visit, hang out, and then he’d leave. Kind of like The Littlest Hobo, but he wouldn’t fix anything,” Alvarez recalled. “He would just hang out. And he made a lot of friends, especially in all the catering kitchens.” And that’s how he met his second family, the Grabowieki’s. They had only been in Whistler a couple years and were still getting to know the community; Bob made sure he got to know his new neighbours. As T.J. Grabowieki recalls, Bob would come with his own ball and play with him. Despite having a community, Bob desired to get to know new people. In the summer of 1992 he found himself hiking in Garibaldi Park. He joined some hikers who started on the highway across from Function Junction, went up to Black Tusk and Panorama Ridge, then back down to Squamish. These antics would become a point of controversy as the campaign heated up. Check back next week for more details about Bob the Dog’s adventures in the 1993 election. n
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1 ON POINT Whistler’s very own Zada played to a sold-out crowd with special guests Solomon Marley-Spence (King Cruff) and Teon Gibbs at The Point on Saturday, Sept. 26. Find info on upcoming events at thepointartists.com. PHOTO BY STEPHEN LIT ME UP Rick Walczyk was in the right place at the right time to capture this photo of the sun setting over Whistler—and lighting up a gondola cabin. PHOTO BY RICK WALCZYK 3 CROWD CONTROL Thousands turned out to bear witness to the inaugural UCI World Cup in Whistler last weekend. Read more on page 32. PHOTO BY DOUG RYAN 4 DROP TO IT A rider catches some air at the UCI World Cup in Whistler. PHOTO COURTESY OF WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES | UCI 5 PARK PATROL A momma bear and her cub seen happily grazing in a Whistler park this week. As winter approaches and bears enter hyperphagia, residents and guests are reminded to be extra vigilant with attractants. PHOTO BY CLARE OGILVIE 6 DOOLIE NOTED At 12.5 years old, Doolie is still going strong. “Last December he got really, really sick and they didn’t know if he’d live, let alone walk again. But now he’s crushing hikes and jumping over logs like he’s a (very short) Olympian,” says Suzie Dundas. “The best adventure buddy anyone could ask for.” PHOTO BY SUZIE DUNDAS
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ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS & ASTROLOGY WISDOM OF THE ANIMAL PEOPLE: CULTURAL SHARING Song Catchers, Alex Wells Native Thunder, Proud Little Warriors, Yex_wela7 Cht, Spo7ez Cultural Sharing, Welhtima Kexwusem, storytelling from Holly Bikadi, Welwál’tnaat Myia Antone, Tsitsáyxemaat Rebecca Duncan, Sík Sík Josh Anderson, Tsámam Rilla Sampson, and more! » Oct. 2 and 3, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 8 p.m. » Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events
Through painting, sculpture and photography, the Audain Art Museum explores winter as a season of reflection, resilience and transformation. Inspired by winter’s atmosphere, the exhibition examines how stillness, isolation and change shape emotional landscapes. » Oct. 3 to Dec. 31 » Audain Art Museum
ALTA LAKE BIRD WALK
WHISTLER WINE 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. » Oct. 3 at 8:30 am » Meet at the bottom of Lorimer Rd. by the Catholic Church
The Whistler Wine Walk returns this fall with guided tours through Whistler’s vibrant art gallery scene. Discover local, regional and international artists, enjoy interactive art experiences, and sip BC wine at each stop along the way. » Oct. 2, 6 to 8:15 p.m. » Various locations
UPPER VILLAGE OKTOBERFEST Celebrate the final weekend of Oktoberfest with the Sea to Sky’s best craft beer. RMU, HandleBar and Fitzsimmons Pub bring the festivities to the Upper Village with curated local pours, tap takeovers and tasty food pairings, celebrating the region’s vibrant brewing culture. » Oct. 2 to 4, 3 p.m. » Whistler Village
HAVOC HENDRICKS EXHIBITION & ARTIST RECEPTION Experience the unveiling of contemporary artist Havoc Hendricks’ new collection, featuring an engaging artist talk, insights into his creative process, and a meetand-greet. Enjoy drinks and light refreshments while
SOLSTICE: THROUGH STORM & STILLNESS
WHISTLER 50 RELAY AND ULTRA exploring the latest chapter in Havoc’s artistic journey. » Oct. 3, 4 to 6 p.m. » Whistler Contemporary Gallery
WHISTLER 50 RELAY & ULTRA Participate or cheer on runners at this exciting trail event with distances from 10 km to 50 km. From first-time relay teams to experienced ultramarathoners, there’s a race for every ability, with scenic courses winding through Lost Lake trails and Whistler Olympic Plaza. » Oct. 3 » Various locations
FILE PHOTO
BUTTERFLY RUN WHISTLER The Butterfly Run returns to Whistler with a meaningful walk and run supporting those affected by infertility, pregnancy loss, and infant loss. Join the community to honour loved ones, raise awareness, and support the Butterfly Support Network and BC Women’s Health Foundation. » Oct. 3, 9 a.m. to noon » Myrtle Phillip School
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 October 11, with the addition of select Saturday markets. » Oct. 4, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. » Upper Village Stroll
VIMFF WORLD TOUR - ALL AGES The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) World Tour returns to Arts Whistler for two unforgettable evenings of outdoor adventure and mountain culture films on the big screen. » Oct. 8, 7 p.m. » Maury Young Arts Centre
Free Will Astrology WEEK OF OCTOBER 2 BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Orchids may lure pollinating
insects with ingenious illusions rather than nectar. Some mimic the look or fragrance of other flowers. Others resemble female insects so convincingly that hopeful males unknowingly assist with pollination. From this, we might conclude that nature can be as duplicitous as humans. But rather than being bummed out by the facts of life, let’s use this as a lesson for you to wield in the coming days. Appearances can be deceiving—for both better and worse. If a situation initially seems disappointing or confusing, linger before drawing conclusions. Likewise, if something looks irresistibly attractive at first glance, investigate further. I predict your intuition will be extra skilled at distinguishing authentic richness from glamorous distraction. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I propose we make 93-yearold Taurus musician Willie Nelson your patron saint and role model for the foreseeable future. Earthy, unflappable and unhurried, he has kept making his distinctive, soulful music for more than 70 years, devoted all the while to the land and the people who work it. He has never pushed to sound like anyone else; he has patiently, inexorably become more fully himself. It’s your birthright to live like Nelson, Taurus, with a steady, sensual, enduring devotion to what you love. In the coming weeks, I invite you to tend to your deepest roots. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I may be preaching to the choir here, but there’s a fun kind of magic that thrives when you decline to be consistent. You Geminis are least likely, of all the signs, to exhaust yourself in trying to maintain a unified self-presentation. Like the Gemini poet Walt Whitman, you’re often pleased with the fact that you contain multitudes. It’s a potential superpower! The you who loves solitude and the you who craves connection can both be true. The skeptic and the mystic can coexist in the same nervous system. Your assignment: Honour three contradictory impulses without trying to make them coherent. You’re boisterously excused
from having to make too much sense.
time to wield your superpower to the hilt, please!
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In certain caves, like the
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let’s make Libran writer Ursula
Cave of the Crystals in Naica, Mexico, crystals grow to astonishing sizes. Why? Because the environment remains stable for thousands of years, with steady temperatures, minimal disturbances, and slow mineral flow. Under these stable conditions, ordinary molecules assemble into lavish structures. I believe you’re cultivating a similar sanctuary, Cancerian, as you invoke the powers of steadiness and devoted dedication. Even if progress appears slow, the underlying process is gradually generating a beautiful strength and/or lasting treasure. Now’s a good time to redouble your faith in your good work. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The cosmic powers have granted you a license to be magnificent. Not arrogant, please note, but majestic, resplendent, and marvellous. You know the difference, right? Arrogance is parasitic, demanding that everyone reflects your glory back at you. Magnificence is expansive, making everyone feel more vital and attuned to their own splendour. The second option is far more nutritious and delicious for you in the long run. In the coming eons, and especially now, I hope you’ll be lavish with your praise and generous with your attention. Glow and dazzle in ways that inspire others to glow and dazzle. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A Zen teaching says, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” But being the post-Zen teacher I am, I protest and say, “No, the chopping and the carrying ARE the enlightenment. There is no separate ‘after.’” The sacred is ALWAYS lurking in the mundane, disguised as ordinary tasks. And you Virgos are potentially the zodiac’s supreme master of this controversial truth. Others may chase after astral bling and transcendent glitter, but you know that divinity lives in the earthy details that are right in front of you. That’s how you transmute seemingly unremarkable stuff into the sublime. It’s
K. Le Guin your patron saint. She believed that any human arrangement, however permanent it seems, was made by people and can therefore be unmade and remade by people. The divine right of kings once seemed eternal and inevitable, she liked to remind us. Be like her in the coming weeks, Libra. Refuse to accept that the way things are is the way they must continue to be. Imagine more beautiful, more just, and more loving arrangements in every area of your life, including your relationships, your work, and your inner life. Then take three steps toward making it so. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Volcanologists distinguish between two different eruptions. In the effusive type, lava flows slowly and steadily, while the explosive eruptions eject material fast and hard. What does this have to do with you? In my astrological estimation, you currently contain building pressures that need release. Here’s the good news: You can manoeuvre yourself in the direction of effusive expression and thereby make the explosive kind unnecessary. So my advice is to find small, controllable outlets for what’s gathering inside you. Don’t wait until the only option is a massive, sudden discharge. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll flourish in the coming years if you ask daring questions and befriend sweet ambivalence and welcome adorable uncertainty. You’ll stumble upon weird but interesting success and project potent authenticity if you let your curiosity lead you to situations outside of your cosy bubbles and velvet ruts. On the other hand, you’ll flounder if you cling to folk wisdom foisted on you by the algorithms, treat all your opinions as facts, or pretend you always know what the f*ck is going on in this dazzling mess of a world. Keep it generous and exploratory, Sagittarius. Seek out wide-ranging conversationalists and playful skeptics.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A river delta is where a river finally meets the sea. Instead of arriving as one bold channel, it fans out into dozens of branching streams, depositing the rich silt it has carried for many miles. Deltas are fertile places because of everything the river gathered along the way and finally lays down. You’re approaching a metaphorical delta, Capricorn. All the experiences, emotions, and impressions you’ve been carrying are ready to be released and turned into fertile ground. Abundance wants to grow from all you’ve gathered. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the 17th century, Aquarian astronomer Johannes Hevelius mapped the moon with surprising accuracy. Yet he worked with funky homemade telescopes perched on a homemade observatory that he built on the rooftops of his three connected houses. I recommend you borrow his approach, Aquarius. You might feel tempted to postpone action until conditions are ideal, but I hope you’ll begin with what you already possess. Prediction: As you proceed, your tools and strategies will evolve. Momentum will become one of your key resources. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In traditional Chinese medicine, wei qi is a protective energy that circulates beneath the skin, forming a shield against harmful influences. To nourish it, you revel in sleeping and eating well. You work diligently, with tender discernment, to maintain healthy boundaries. How are you doing with that, Pisces? Is it possible you’ve been working so hard on your deep transformations that you’ve semi-neglected this outer layer of strength? I hope that in the coming weeks, you’ll nurture the subtle shields that prevent you from absorbing every stray particle of psychic weirdness in your environment. Think of this task not as building walls, but tending to your garden’s edges. Homework: What’s a great thing about you that no one knows? https://tinyurl.com/b7b7b7b
IN ADDITION TO THIS COLUMN, ROB BREZSNY CREATES EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com
40 OCTOBER 2, 2026
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Think you might be a good fit? WAG is always looking for committed foster homes. Check out our website to learn more! www.whistlerwag.com
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We are hiring: Massage Practitioner Join our lodge team for an unforgettable winter in the mountains! The Massage Practitioner provides morning stretch classes and massage services for our guests after a day of heli skiing. You’ll also assist with lodge upkeep and housekeeping as part of the lodge team.
BENEFITS:
Full-time seasonal position Winter 2026/2027 Apply with your resume: lodge@neheliskiing.com
• Competitive salary + tips • Massage commission • Heli skiing • Corporate ski pass • Staff housing & meals • Travel provided
• • • •
Lil’wat Nation
Employment Opportunities General Manager, Community Services ($127,440.00 to $183,195.00 per year) Community Safety Officer ($67,040.00 to $92,180.00 per year) Senior Human Resources Generalist ($76,560.00 to $105,270.00 per year) Human Resources Generalist ($67,040.00 to $92,180.00 per year)
Governance
Winter 2026-2027
Ts’zil, Language & Culture •
Employment Placement Specialist – WorkBC ($47,120.00 to $61,845.00 per year)
Health & Healing + Pqusnalhcw Health Centre • • • •
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Assistant Director – Health ($80,160.00 to $115,230.00 per year) Community Health Nurse ($41.42 to $52.81 per hour) + $2.15 hourly premium) Peer Support Worker ($47,120.00 to $61,845.00 per year) Bus Driver ($22.86 to $30.00 per hour)
Child & Family Services •
Transition House Support Worker ($25.89 to $33.98 per hour)
Community Programs
OFFICE/RETAIL
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Youth Centre Worker ($41,600.00 to $54,600.00 per year) Bus Driver ($22.86 to $30.00 per hour)
Community Development Must have 1+ years of experience in a Farm Worker position. Responsibilities include: weeding, seeding, transplanting, harvesting, washing produce, mowing grass, tending to animals, washing machinery, and using farm equipment. Must be able to lift 50lbs and work outside in all conditions
North Arm Farm 1888 Hwy 99 Pemberton, BC
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35-65hrs/week $18.25-$20.00/hr Start Date: March 2027
We’re Hiring!
EMPLOYMENT
Sales Manager
SALES MANAGER
FT Permanent, salary starting $65,000 + 10% sales incentive, based on experience
Weddings and Corporate
Build relationships. Drive sales. Create memorable experiences. Help grow our group and corporate business while connecting clients with the unique culture and experiences of the SLCC. Offers: Extended Health Benefits, RRSP Matching, housing available, $1200 wellness allowance, $1200 training allowance, food + retail discounts, WB season pass All are welcome to apply. pp y Learn more and apply at
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Lil'wat Business Group is growing! • Financial Systems & Accounting Analyst • Food & Beverage Manager • GM, Land Development & Capital Assets
Apply at lilwatbusiness.ca/careers
42 OCTOBER 2, 2026
High School Teacher - Special Education ($63,670.00 to $116,19.00 per year) Education Assistant ($47,120.00 to $61,845.00 per year) Custodian ($22.86 to $30.00 per hour) Bus Driver ($22.86 to $30.00 per hour)
Please visit our career page for more information: https://lilwat.ca/careers/
Email emma@northarmfarm.com with resume and references to apply.
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Join Our Team at WorldMark by Wyndham – Cascade Lodge & Sundance We’re looking for motivated and reliable team members to join our Housekeeping team at our vacation ownership properties in Creekside and Whistler Village. Housekeeping Wage: $26.75 to $28.00 Based on Experience Hours: 37.5 hours per week Seasonal Employment: • Hiring Bonus: + 6 month bonus for successful full-time hires Full time Permanent Employment: • 12 vacation days after 12 months of employment • 6 paid sick days per year • Extended medical/dental benefits. • WB Season Pass every November Apply by Email Housekeeping: David david.thomson@travelandleisure.com
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3 4 8 2 7 5 1 9 6 9 7 6 8 3 1 4 5 2 Looking 2 1 5 to 9 4adopt? 6 7 8 3 5 2 9 4 8 7 6 3 1 For an 1 updated 6 4 5 list 9 of 3 who 2 7 8 is available, 7 8 3 check 6 1 out 2 9our4 5 website. 6 5 7 3 2 4 8 1 9 8 3 1 7 6 9 5 2 4 www.whistlerwag.com 4 9 2 1 5 8 3 6 7
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Our Team enjoys:
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43
PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 10 15 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 33 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 44 45 47 51 52 53 55 56 57 58 60 62 63 65
Wizened woman Tableland Snapshot Crusty confection Long-legged bird Air Force mission Refuge Gasp Pertaining to sheep Courtroom events Laughing Humdinger Actress -- McClanahan Expanse of land Mother-of- -Transported Remove Paints in tubes Domineering With saw-toothed edge “Revenge of the --” Fry -- Minor Opulent home Thick D.C. park Walk with difficulty Clumsy Gamut Night flight (Hyph.) Life story, in brief Develop Becomes more solid Stage plays Follows Editor’s “never mind” Port city in Italy On
66 67 68 69 71 73 75 76 77 78 81 83 84 85 87 90 92 94 95 96 98 99 100 101 103 105 106 108 109 110 111 113 114 115 118 119 120
Day’s end -- Aviv Grand Ole -Guitar clamp Implied Banned bug killer A letter Dead language Fuss Doctrine Grasses found in marshes Toward shelter Commotion Male cat Laid-back Flavoring plant Allotted amount Statistical info Different Two-footed creatures Thailand neighbor Gown material Pigeon sound Jalousie part Linked series Endeavor From the U.S. War god Norwegian coastal feature (Var.) Spirit summoning Behaves Singer -- Wynette Mournful song Guard Bandleader -- Shaw -- cherry Skillful
124 125 126 127 128 129 131 133 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142
Spektor or Hall Make welcome Actress -- Ladd Statute Dismounted Where Seoul is Suitable for growing crops Soap plant Musician -- Grohl Oust Salon item Slip Affirmative answer Soft drinks Pest plant Liberated
DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 22
Three notes at once Variety show Bay window -- sequitur Compass pt. Ethics Idle and Stoltz Right away Trouble Expression Hirsute Racetrack shape Half a score In secret (3 wds.) Singer -- Abdul Passage Composition for piano Long step Promoted More than one
28 30 32 34 36 37 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 57 59 61 63 64 66 70 72 74 76 79 80 82 84 86 87 88 89 91
Flambeau Punta del -Onassis, familiarly Join up Explosive sound Auctions Relaxation Become aware of Left Far from home Waste time Office note Movie based on a book Leggy bird “The Green --” Pillar Kiln Authoritarian Boca -Small case Stood wide open Sword One opposed New Climbed Treat with derision Ended a fast “So long, amigo!” Faithful Brewed beverage Unchanging Reason Nobleman Steady and sober Horse’s hair -- -Cola Particle Brake part Simian animals
93 94 96 97 99 102 104 105 107 109 110 112 113 114 115 116
117 118 119 121 122 123 125
Of wings Mended Explode Curved sword Male deer Flapjack relatives Headquarters Worsted cloth Flightless bird Destiny Penitent one 100 yrs. Handles Used a phone Name in fashion Send along
126 130 132 133 134
Pointed arch Betel palm Holy book Run off to wed Counterfeit Wool fabric Pattern of crisscross lines Valley Ab -- (from the beginning) Quarrel Gordon Shumway’s nickname Damage
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
7
8 1
9 3 6 2 9
2
5 8 7
1 4 7 9
9
5
1 6 3 5
MEDIUM
5 9 3
4 3
7 #9
Enter a digit from 1 through 9 in each cell, in such a way that: • Each horizontal row contains each digit exactly once • Each vertical column contains each digit exactly once • Each 3x3 box contains each digit exactly once Solving a sudoku puzzle does not require any mathematics; simple logic suffices.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM
8 7 4
2
7 6 1
3
8 3
9 4 1
1 2 8
4 7 9 9 2 5 8 5 3 4
MEDIUM # 11 Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com
ANSWERS ON PAGE 43
44 OCTOBER 2, 2026
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OCTOBER 2, 2026
45
MAXED OUT
The election you can actually influence HEY, IT'S ME. Yeah, that guy. To
paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of my retirement have been somewhat exaggerated. The reality is this: writing is a powerful addiction, one I've suffered from my whole life. There is no 12-step program, no Writers Anonymous, no cure. So you can either blame or thank Braden for seeing my byline this week, and next week, and the one after that. There is, in case you haven't been paying attention, an election happening. A municipal election. That one. Mayor, council, school board trustee, though that doesn't really count since the two Whistler trustees have been acclaimed, given no one else has sought the positions.
BY G.D. MAXWELL There is also, as a result of a serious miscalculation—or maybe brain fart is a better way to describe it—a provincial election. Premature election you may say. Any number of pundits and distracters have suggested it shouldn't be happening because it will distract voters. Ignore that. If the provincial election distracts you you're not paying attention. Oh look, a squirrel! If you really want to be distracted you might ponder the mid-term elections in the U.S. Just kidding, wouldn't you really rather stream reruns of... anything? So, municipal election. Why bother? No. 1 reason—because you live here. If you don't care about having a voice in electing the people who make the decisions that touch your lives every single day of the year, then just crawl back in your hole and stop reading now... assuming you've gotten this far. No. 2 reason—this is the only election and the only level of government where your vote, your voice, your involvement can and will make a difference. This very young town was built by people like you. People like you continue to influence and shape the way this place runs, the way it builds and, most importantly, the kind of town it will be in the future. You need a magnifying glass to see your chances of moving the needle provincially. Make that an electron microscope if you're looking federally. But locally, you can influence policy decisions every time you bump into a councillor at the grocery store, on the slopes, Valley Trail or bike path. You may not believe that but I've seen it done over and over again since I began to call this place home. Okay, I understand. You shake your
DON’T FORGET TO VOTE Still plenty of time to tune your skis. ILLUSTRATION BY JON PARRIS // GETTY IMAGES
46 OCTOBER 2, 2026
head at some of the decisions they make. Join the club... it's a big one. But you also enjoy the benefits of other decisions. Yeah, there ought to be a serious locals' discount on things like parking. You shouldn't feel dinged every time you turn around. You shouldn't have to pay half of what you make at your Joe jobs to your landlord. But here's the kicker. None of that is going to change by you not taking part, not voting, not giving a damn, not tearing your eyes away from your phone long enough to get involved in something bigger than yourself. And let's be honest. Voter turnout in
embarrassment. That's an insult. It says there aren't even two out of five people living here who give a damn who runs the town they live in. We're better than that. Or at least we complain about things better than that. Maybe one of these days when we can vote on TikTok we'll crack 50 per cent. Maybe not. By the time this comes out on Friday, you will have either attended or missed the first three all-candidates meetings. You've got one shot left and that's WORCA's speed-dating Meet the Candidates night Tuesday, Oct. 6,
I sincerely hope you choose to exercise your right to vote. It’s not a waste of time and energy.
Whistler puts the pathetic in apathetic. In the last municipal election, 3,224 of us voted. Depending on whose estimate you believe about the overall number of eligible voters, that was a turnout of 34.98 per cent or 35.23 per cent, just over one-third. Two-thirds of you couldn't be bothered. There is a growing number of people living here who aren't eligible to vote because they're not Canadian citizens. Many of them would kick your butt for the opportunity to vote. Sadly, pathetically, the municipality's web page about the upcoming election says, in bold letters, "Let's hit 40-per-cent voter turnout in the 2026 election!" Forty per cent? That's not a challenge. That's an indictment. That's an
in the multipurpose room at Whistler Secondary School. That's the high school across from Alpine Cafe and it's the best chance you have to directly ask a question of each and every candidate. And here's the handy list of how, where and when you can vote. Don't like crowds? You can register to vote by mail. That's old-fashioned mail, not email, although you can get an Application to Vote by Mail online. Really, voting by mail is a pain. But if you're agoraphobic or not going to be in town, here's a link that'll explain the whole process to you: whistler.ca/ mayor-council/municipal-election/ election-information/#mail-in-voting. Far easier, and a chance to mingle with your fellow Whistleratics, are any
of these options. You can vote before the actual election day—advance voting—on Wednesday, Oct. 7, or Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Whistler Public Library. I know you know where that is. It happens all day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It generally takes less than 10 minutes. Easy. The big party is on election day. That's Saturday, Oct. 17. For that, you have to make your way to Myrtle Philip School down on Lorimer Road. It also runs 8 to 8. You get to vote for one of the four people running for mayor. You also get to cast six votes for the six council seats. You don't have to vote for six people if you prefer not to but you don't get to vote for seven and you don't get to vote for the same person six times. Yeah, life's unfair. Needless to say, if you forget any of this you can get all this info and more on the municipal website at whistler. ca/mayor-council/municipal-election/ election-information. I sincerely hope you choose to exercise your right to vote. It's not a waste of time or energy. I also hope if you're going to vote you dig into the information about the people running. Seven of them will be calling the shots for the next four years. Unlike many people pushing for greater turnout, I'd really prefer you don't bother to vote if you're not willing to put in a little time to think about the issues important to you and know what the candidates say they stand for. Uninformed voting is more dangerous than not voting. It turns the whole democratic process into a popularity contest, a fashion show. Not good. Lookin' at you, USA. I'll touch on some of those issues next week. Unless Pique decides I should be retired. n
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