Pique Newsmagazine 2751

DECEMBER 17, 2020 ISSUE 27.51

WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM

FREE MONTAGE

WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

14

BLAME GAME

Vail Resorts’ CEO takes

blame for sub-standard service

16

TAXING TIMES

The municipality has

changed course on a proposed tax hike

52

ON A MISSION

Paralympic champ

named chef de mission for 2022 Games

604 932 5538 WHISTLERREALESTATE.CA *Personal Real Estate Corporation

WHISTLER

s g n i t e e r G s ’ n o Seas t e k r a M s r e t es N t a s u f o l l From a e r t n e C s s e n l l & The We

Holiday Hours December 23

8am-10pm

Christmas Eve 8am-7pm Christmas Day 10am-5pm

We’re Open

2019

Christmas!

Boxing Day

8am-10pm

December 27

8am-10pm

December 28

8am-10pm

it Let it Snow, Let

Snow,

Let it Snow!

Nesters Market 604.932.3545 Pharmacy 604.905.0429 nestersmarket.com

7019 Nesters Road (Just 1 km north of Whistler Village)

THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

32

56

46 Slow ascent Decimated by COVID-19, B.C.’s tourism industry clings to long-term hope. - By Braden Dupuis

14

BLAME GAME

Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz takes

32

GORD’S GARDEN

A new section of the Sea

blame for customers’ long wait times saying that higher-than-expected

to Sky Trail now bears the name of one of its biggest boosters, Gord

call volumes led to “unacceptable” waits.

McKeever.

16

BUDGET GUIDELINES

Whistler council

52

MISSION CONTROL

Retired para-alpine skier

changed course on a proposed 4.89-per-cent tax increase on Dec. 15,

Josh Dueck has been named Team Canada’s chef de mission for the 2022

opting for a 1.08-per-cent increase instead—but larger increases loom.

Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.

24

56

REMOTELY POSSIBLE

The coronavirus

BIG BIRTHDAY

Pique takes a look back at the

pandemic offered a chance for people to experience working remotely, and

last 20 years of the Whistler Film Festival, as the event makes a pandemic

many have found it entirely possible to operate this way long tem.

pivot to online this year.

COVER Like many around here, the movie Ski Bums had a significant influence on me and shaped me into the man I am today! Congrats to the Whistler Film Festival for making it to the first 20 years! - By Jon Parris 4 DECEMBER 17, 2020

Me rrya s!

C h ri s tm

SHOP ONLINE

GROCERY PICKUP & DELIVERY AVAILABLE NOW!

OUR REFRIGERATED LOCKERS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE STORE ENSURE THAT YOUR PICK-UP IS LIMITED FROM PHYSICAL CONTACT.

SHOP.FRESHSTMARKET.COM

PR ICES E FFECT I V E F R I DAY, DECEMBER 18 – T HUR SDAY, DECEMBER 24 Montellier

5 $ 5 MINERAL WATER NATURAL

for

$2.69

carbonated 1 L

plus deposit & recycle fee

2 $ 7 NUT-THINS

Cook's

HAM lb shank or butt portion

5.93/kg

Blue Diamond

for

120 g

$2.99

Earthbound Farm

FROZEN 2 $ 6 ORGANIC VEGETABLES

for

BOOM CHICKA POP

/100g

ea gluten-free popcorn 125 g – 198 g

10%

Dreamfarm

$12.99

KITCHEN GADGETS

off regular price

355mL

plus deposit & recycle fee

Armstrong

CHEESE 600 g – 700 g PastaCo

FRESH PASTA 500 g Walter

CRAFT CAESAR MIX 946mL

plus deposit & recycle fee

Magnum

ICE CREAM BARS or non-dairy frozen dessert 3's – 4's

2 $4

for

$7.99 $7.99 $5.99 $5.99

Pure Leaf

ICED TEA 547 mL plus deposit & recycle fee

The Funk y Gourmet

ea

CRANBERRY SAUCE 375 mL Pacific Foods

ea

ORGANIC BROTH 946mL – 1 L Tree Island

ea

GOURMET YOGURT selected 1.5 kg XO Baking Co.

GLUTEN FREE GOURMET BAKING ea MIXES 292 g – 552 g

The Shed Café • 8am - 8pm

better together

regular coffee + peak donut

$4.99

Ocean Wise

$2.99

Angie's

up to

Shang

lb

FRESH GREEN SEEDLESS GRAPES 6.59/kg

selected 300 g – 350 g

$3.99

SPARKLING HERBAL TEA

Imported

FRESH STEELHEAD TROUT FILLETS

Fresh St Baked Fresh In-Store

APPLE PIE 9"

ea whole 1.1 kg

or half 550g 6.79 ea

2 $4

for

$3.99 $3.99 $8.99 $7.99

ea

ea

ea

$4.49

Woolwich ea

SOFT FRESH GOAT CHEESE 113 g

SEE IN-STORE FOR HUNDREDS OF MORE SPECIALS

FRESHSTMARKET.COM • 8 AM – 9 PM DAILY ea

* Promotional voucher must be

presented at time of purchase.

Excludes applicable taxes, bottle deposits, tobacco, eco-fees & gift cards. This voucher has no cash value so we cannot give cash back. One voucher per person, per household, per purchase, per day. promotional voucher valid for in-store purchases only. This voucher is only valid at Fresh St. Market in Whistler.

4330 Northlands Blvd Whistler, BC V8E 1C2 Expires DECEMBER 24, 2020

LOCATED IN WHISTLER MARKETPLACE VILLAGE NORTH

THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS As the first COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Canada, we need to think about

#202 -1390 ALPHA LAKE RD., FUNCTION JUNCTION, WHISTLER, B.C. V8E 0H9.

PH: (604) 938-0202 FAX: (604) 938-0201 www.piquenewsmagazine.com

putting the safety of our friends, neighbours, community and country first—and get immunized when it is our turn.

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter writers this week ask people to get informed about the

Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com

importance of getting vaccinated against COVID, and give a shout-out to local Whistler Blackcomb staff.

Editor CLARE OGILVIE - edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Megan Lalonde writes this week that rescuers are the real-life

Assistant Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@wplpmedia.com

heroes, as they volunteer to take on an unimaginably immense responsibility for little to no reward.

Production Manager KARL PARTINGTON - kpartington@wplpmedia.com

74 MAXED OUT Max pens a letter to Santa, and while his requests are pretty humble, his most ardent

Art Director JON PARRIS - jparris@wplpmedia.com Advertising Representatives

ask is for people to put those most at need at the front of the line for the COVID-19 vaccine.

AMY ALLEN - aallen@wplpmedia.com TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com

Environment & Adventure

Digital/Sales Coordinator AMELA DIZDARIC - traffic@wplpmedia.com Production production@piquenewsmagazine.com LOU O’BRIEN - lstevens@wplpmedia.com Arts & Entertainment Editor ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com

38 RANGE ROVER Writer Leslie Anthony has spent part of his pandemic lockdown exploring books.

Sports Editor DAN FALLOON - sports@piquenewsmagazine.com

This week he shares some of his favourite finds from the outdoorsy world—just in time for Christmas.

Features Editor BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com Reporters

Lifestyle & Arts

BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@wplpmedia.com

54 FORK IN THE ROAD Glenda Bartosh shares a family recipe that is over 100 years old, and

Classifieds and Reception mail@piquenewsmagazine.com

encourages everyone to get baking and share the fruits of their labour.

Office and Accounts Manager HEIDI RODE - hrode@wplpmedia.com

64 MUSEUM MUSINGS Land of Thundering Snow opens this week, the first travelling exhibit that

I.T. and Webmaster KARL PARTINGTON Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, MICHAEL ALLEN, FEET BANKS, LESLIE ANTHONY, ALLEN BEST, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY, LISA RICHARDSON

the Whistler Museum has hosted since moving into its current building in 2009.

President, Whistler Publishing LP SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of Whistler Publishing Limited Partnership, a division of Glacier Media) distributed to over 130 locations in Whistler and to over 200 locations from Vancouver to D’arcy.

The entire contents of Pique Newsmagazine are copyright 2019 by Pique Newsmagazine (a publication of WPLP, a division of Glacier Media). No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the Publisher.

In no event shall unsolicited material subject this publication to any claim or fees. Copyright in letters and other (unsolicited) materials submitted and accepted for publication remains with the author but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms.

Letters to the Editor must contain the author’s name, address and daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 250 words. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine.

Pique Newsmagazine is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact (edit@ piquenewsmagazine.com). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil. ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.

This organization replaces the BC Press council (and any mention of it).

38

ISSN #1206-2022 Subscriptions: $76.70/yr. within Canada, $136.60/yr. courier within Canada. $605.80/ yr. courier to USA. GST included. GST Reg. #R139517908.

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #40016549.

54

WHISTLERS FAVOURITE CLOTHING STORE

Located near the Olympic Rings on the Village Stroll. Follow us on Instagram @thebeachwhistler

6 DECEMBER 17, 2020

2019

Get the Perfect Gift, Available In-Store and Online OPEN DAILY 10AM-6PM

OR

VISIT THEBEACHWHISTLER.COM

604-932-7505

BC TRANSIT

Creekside Village has

PASSES AVAILABLE!

DAY I L HO URS: HO

100s of FREE DAY PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE! Feeding the Spirit of Whistler Since 1988

DEC 24 DEC 25 DEC 26-30 DEC 31 JAN 1 JAN 2 ONWARD

7AM-8PM 10AM-7PM 7AM-10PM 7AM-9PM 9AM-10PM 7AM-10PM

WE ARE OPEN DAILY, 7AM-10PM Tuesday & Thursday are Senior/Compromised only 7-8AM

"Be calm, be kind and be safe" - DR. BONNIE HENRY

RESERVE YOUR FRESH

FREE-RANGE TURKEY TODAY!

ANTIBIOTIC & HORMONE FREE NO FROZEN BIRDS SOLD HERE! Call the market and speak to Dan or Chewy 604-938-9301

creeksidemarket.com

PRODUCE

DELI

BAKERY

GROCERY

DAIRY/FROZEN

MEAT/SEAFOOD

PEMBERTON GROWN

LESLEY STOWE'S

CANYON BAKE HOUSE

STOVE TOP

LIBERTÉ

CREEKSIDE'S OWN

9 Flavours to Choose From

Made Fresh Instore Daily from Paradise Valley Free Range Canadian Pork

SWEET NANTE CARROTS

89

/LB

1.96/KG

CHINESE

ORGANIC MANDARIN ORANGES

4.99 3LB BOX

$

For delivery or pick-up visit:

SPECIALS: DECEMBER 17-23

ORDER ONLINE!

RAINCOAST CRISP CRACKERS Original, Fig & Olive, Cranberry, Rosemary or Salty Date

5

$

.99

150G

MASTRO

CHARCUTERIE TRIOS

GLUTEN FREE BREADS Mountain White or 7 Grain

7

$ .99

8.99 150G

$

TARTS Pecan or Raisin

4.99 510G

$

LOCATED IN

Turkey, Chicken or Cornbread

2 FOR 120G

510G

THE WORTHY CRUMB PASTRY CO.

Italian or Mediterranean

STUFFING

3

$

MÉDITERRANÉE YOGURTS

3.69 500G

$

SAGE SAUSAGE MEAT

1

$ .69

/100G

PERFECT FOR STUFFING!

CAMPBELLS

BROTHS

Chicken, Beef, Vegetable, Beef & Red Wine, Roasted Garlic Chicken, Pho, Thai Chicken or Seafood

2.99 900ML

$

RICO N LALOS

PARADISE VALLEY

Lime, Mango, Raspberry or Watermelon

Free Range Candian Pork Antibiotic & Hormone Free

FROZEN FRUIT BARS

4.99 4x80ML

$

CREEKSIDE VILLAGE - 604.938.9301

PORK TENDERLOIN

7

$ .99

17.61/KG

OPENING REMARKS

For all our sakes, get vaccinated against COVID-19 IT IS WITH GREAT RELIEF that Canada is starting to receive a vaccine for COVID-19.

While the doses landing this past weekend are just a start, and will only be given to those who are most at risk, you can feel people sigh with relief—cautious optimism firmly in place nonetheless.

You would have to be a hermit not to understand the impact the pandemic lockdowns have had on the medical system,

BY CLARE OGILVIE edit@piquenewsmagazine.com

the economy, the mental health of all Canadians—just about every facet of our lives. And so seeing a light at the end of this tunnel is welcome indeed.

Both the provincial and federal governments are working on the plans for public distribution, and with vaccines on the horizon needing specific rollout protocols all of us will need to be ready to follow them.

One thing is clear; the majority of Canadians will need to be vaccinated (you get two doses) before this version of a

Then in 2009 H1N1 hit the headlines.

Again, nationally there was real concern, and this time it filtered down in the population and thousands lined up outside vaccine injection sites to get immunized when it became available.

I well remember the sense of urgency as my family drove down to Vancouver to get immunized. We all felt stressed. Our kids absorbed this from us and by the time we were sitting with a public health nurse our youngest, then nine years old, wasn’t remotely feeling like rolling up his shirtsleeve.

I wouldn’t say we were feeling panicked, and I remember the long, long, long lineup outside the school building that was being used as the vaccine centre being very quiet and solemn. But there were a lot more smiles on the faces of those leaving the building than going in (there was not a mask in sight as I recall). By December of 2009 there had been 42 deaths in B.C. from H1N1.

As I write this there have been 668 deaths from COVID-19 in our province and 13,744 nationally.

This coronavirus is part of the family that has spawned both SARS and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)—they are a species of coronavirus that infects

Today, it feels like we are on the edge of our start toward a recovery, but this will not happen if people do not get vaccinated. coronavirus can be considered no longer a threat. And mask-wearing will need to continue for many months to come until our infection rates are way down.

I think we have seen that COVID-19 is not like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed 44 Canadians in Eastern Canada in 2003. While it did make many of us sit up, take notice and consider what this pathogen meant for us, in the end perhaps a false sense of security was imagined, as SARS didn’t transmit as easily as we have found COVID-19 does.

humans, bats, and camels. Though long on the watch list of international virologists, no coronavirus vaccine had been developed for the most part by the time COVID-19 hit us because pharmaceutical companies did not see how to make money off of it. Both SARS and MERS are deadly, but not contagious enough to warrant the investment.

With COVID-19, however, many people are transmitting the virus before symptoms appear, making it far more dangerous, a more widespread pathogen, and therefore worth the investment into vaccine development.

That’s not to say research hasn’t continued on coronaviruses since 2003 (and earlier)—it has, but mostly in academic settings with nearly all of them underfunded.

On Dec. 14, the latest Angus Reid poll found an eight-per-cent rise in the number of people who want to get vaccinated immediately (up to 48 per cent), with 61 per cent of those 65 and over eager to be immunized. The percentage of those not wanting to be vaccinated remained static at seven per cent.

Today, it feels like we are on the edge of our start toward a recovery, but this will not happen if people do not get vaccinated.

B.C.’s Dr. Bonnie Henry tells us this, Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam tells us this and we hear the same thing from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease specialist in the United States.

Interviewed on CBC this weekend he said: “We’ve got to convince as many people as possible in this country and worldwide to get vaccinated when it becomes available.

“Because … if we get the overwhelming majority of the population vaccinated, we can actually get a degree of herd immunity in this country and elsewhere that could actually crush this epidemic.

“When you get a veil of immunity among the population, to a high degree, the virus has no place to go and cannot spread readily.”

Some people may feel a hesitancy about getting the vaccine given its short development period, but, said Fauci: “It’s not reckless speed, and it doesn’t compromise safety, and it doesn’t compromise scientific integrity.

“I believe, when the people who are skeptical about getting vaccinated appreciate the independence and the transparency of the process, as well as the high degree of efficacy of the vaccine, I hope that that skepticism that we see will disappear and a lot more people will get vaccinated.”

Please, let science and those who are informed on this topic guide you, and get vaccinated. n

Rarely available 3 bedroom top floor ski in/ski out!

Slopeside 3 bedroom/2 bathroom Legends quarter-share.

Enjoy 1 week of use a month or earn rental income.

Live the Whistler lifestyle for a fraction of the cost!

532B- 2036 London Lane Asking Price $319,000

Dave Brown

Personal Real Estate Corporation

davebrown@wrec.com www.davesellswhistler.com Cell: 604 905 8438 / Toll Free: 1 800 667 2993 ext. 805

8 DECEMBER 17, 2020

FULLY FURNISHED 1/4 OWNERSHIP CONDO/HOTELS IN WHISTLER CREEKSIDE

CONTACT JAMES FOR AVAILABILITY THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING? CALL JAMES FOR MORE INFORMATION.

JAMES COLLINGRIDGE

CALL JAMES, THE LEGENDS & EVOLUTION SPECIALIST Direct: 604-902-0132 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0070 james@whistlerrealestate.net www.whistlerrealestate.net

RESERVATIONS NOW AVAILABLE 604-935-3400

NOW OPEN

4591 BLACKCOMB WAY fourseasons.com/whistler

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR decision-making process based upon informed and trusted advice.

Dale Tiessen // Whistler

Will you get the vaccine when it becomes available?

In response to the Pique’s online poll [this week] “Health Canada has officially authorized a COVID-19 vaccine. Will you get the vaccine when it becomes available?” I am writing this letter.

The poll’s intention, I surmise, is simple.

Pique is wishing to understand in a non-rigorous fashion what are the thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine in terms of safety and efficacy at the individual level. Underlying the question is the assumption that a significant proportion of the poll responses may indicate hesitancy in receiving the vaccine.

Vaccine hesitancy has grown in recent years, perhaps anecdotally driven by vast and easily attainable information on the internet and social media, amongst other factors. It has been studied extensively to better understand root causes and also methodologies to overcome. Certainly coercion of any kind is neither warmly received nor effective. So let’s not shame people or try to argue with them to change their mind.

My writing this letter is a simple request of everyone, including the Pique, to suggest to people to get advice from someone informed and trusted.

Both of those descriptors are important.

Informed is someone with verifiable expert knowledge: A scientist, healthcare practitioner, researcher, etc. Trusted is likely someone with

WB in-person staff saves the day

whom you have a personal relationship or otherwise have a firm belief in their reliability and truth: A friend, family member, doctor, etc. This narrows the potential list of people from which to accept advice greatly.

Together let’s eliminate the obvious ones— politicians, big pharma, leftist media, social media, friends, co-workers, family—oh, and certainly the author of this letter. (Note, this letter is to suggest how to get good counsel, not whether you should get the vaccine.)

Perhaps this informed and trusted person is your family doctor. This makes sense to me as it checks both boxes. I know they are informed,

having completed medical school and ongoing professional development. And I inherently trust them with my overall health based upon personal history with them.

Over the coming weeks and months, there is likely to be significant societal debate about the COVID-19 vaccine. We are all going to be sick of hearing about it, regardless of your personal vaccine advocacy or hesitancy.

It will be interesting to see how governments and the healthcare sector approach the task of advocating for all to receive the vaccine. Let’s hope it is not a heavy-handed approach. Good luck to each reader in their own personal

Steve,

Like many passholders, I was disappointed when Whistler Blackcomb (WB) sold to Vail Resorts.

The frustration grew as we watched [Vail Resorts] make multiple decisions that basically told the existing skiers to piss off. All they wanted was an additional destination for Epic passholders in other regions. And the switch over was pathetic as we learned they would be replacing the well-run WB computer system with their severely antiquated system.

This year, I had a challenge. They charged my credit card twice for a pass. I tried calling customer service twice … on hold for 3-plus hours and gave up.

Then I decided to try [online] chat. The message back was that I was 1,736th in line and the wait time would be 638 minutes. It was such a joke that I took a screen shot.

Finally, I showed up at the customer service windows in person. I was greeted by this positiveenergy person who immediately made my day (wish I had noticed her name). She said that I would need to talk with her manager Mark. He was dealing with another customer and five minutes later came over.

He was amazing… In spite of the continued issue of the Vail Resorts 286 computer driven system, he was able to find the file and issue a credit.

So THANKS Mark. I could tell that there is

Just a note to say what a mensch you have been. Got to the house and am so impressed at how fast you got the work done and how clean they left it all.

You have taken realty to a whole new level!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for all your help.

Karin & Erle

Steve Shuster

t: 604.698.7347 | e: steve@steveshusterrealestate.com www.steveshusterrealestate.com 10 DECEMBER 17, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR a lot of stress on those needing to work with substandard technology. But, the true, positive spirit shone through and I am so grateful to have you and the team there to help us create that positive spirit that is WB. Michael Hagerman // Whistler

Whistler should consider affordability for visitors On Nov. 28, 2020, Pique’s Alyssa Noel highlighted the many challenges Whistler businesses and the Whistler Chamber of Commerce can expect to face in the coming weeks and months ahead to keep the “doors open” until defeating the pandemic is achieved (Pique, Nov. 28, “Whistler businesses forge ahead under new COVID-19 travel restrictions”).

As a former long-time resident and annual visitor, I have witnessed Whistler facing its share of global events that at a local level can have a great impact on travel to the resort.

There’s little doubt that the current pandemic has had the greatest and most-prolonged negative impact to business in Whistler’s history.

I first visited the resort nearly 30 years ago, at the time walking through Village Square reminded me of a great, outdoor mall with its sprawling anchor featured at the base of Whistler Mountain.

Since, Whistler Blackcomb has cemented its status as a truly world-class destination.

Annually my family will come to Whistler for one week in March. Due to the pandemic we have decided to delay the planning of this trip until perhaps February when we might know more about how the mountains are operating in this new environment.

We were also curious to understand what one week in March will cost for five days skiing purchasing lift tickets for two adults and one teenager. After choosing our dates and the three lift ticket products in our shopping cart the total came to just under $2,200. Add airfare, transfers, accommodations, F&B, and it seems extraordinary that the domestic-destination market will be looking at Whistler Blackcomb given the current economic environment in Canada.

During a season in which annual skier visits could be at an unprecedented low due to travel restrictions beyond the resort’s control, would this not be the year for Whistler Blackcomb to make a

34 RED SKY Experience contemporary mountain architecture in this stunning 3.5 bedroom townhome in Red Sky.

great appeal to the Canadian market, an appeal to [incentivize] Canadians who are not restricted from domestic travel to choose Whistler Blackcomb?

Likely the resort’s anchor tenant can get past the economic impact of the pandemic, but the small businesses must too survive, these business owners are local homeowners and taxpayers.

Vaccines are on the way, hopefully one year from now the holiday season will feature a packed village, 35,000 daily skier visits and the vibe we all know. In the meantime, what can the local business leadership do to help those who can visit make the choice to do so in 2021, at a time when the resort needs support like never before?

Rob Reed // Ontario

Ol’ skeptical me I was skeptical in 1966 when my father tossed us into the back of his 1964 Plymouth Fury station wagon (no seatbelts) to rumble up a gravel road for hours to scope out a planned ski resort: so-called “Whistler.”

I was skeptical again when Blackcomb Mountain opened in 1980, but my heart was immediately won over and it has been my favourite slope ever since.

But I was again skeptical and saddened when Vail Resorts took ownership. On many fronts I remain so. Coming into this season I remained skeptical and waited until the last possible moment to purchase my pass.

However, I now have to admit that my expectations have been exceeded in many ways.

I feel Vail Resorts has made the right moves regarding COVID-19. We’re still out skiing, lifties seem to be upbeat and happy, grooming is still happening, and most of all, we get to point our skis (boards) downhill and enjoy what we have here. For that, I am thankful, and a bit less skeptical.

Dave Milligan // Whistler

$2,399,000 WH IS TLER’S #1 RE/MAX AGENT

sally@sallywarner.ca

106-7015 Nesters Rd, Whistler

604-932-7741

propertiesinwhistler.com

Marshall Viner Register atWhistler’s marshallviner.com receive weekly real estate updates PremieretoLifestyle Neighbourhood

LD O S

8624 Forest Ridge Dr • Stunning Chalet; reno’d, 3,500sf retreat with spectacular mountain and golf course views • 5 bdrms + loft, 5 full bathrooms • Spacious living room windows all around, high-end kitchen, recreation loft area • Large 2 car garage, large lot on a quiet street

$2,999,000 T 604.935.2287 E marshall@marshallviner.com

marshallviner.com

Whistler Blackcomb lot parking should be for paying guests On Sunday [Dec. 13] a couple of things happened.

First, on the way up to Lot 8 to park at Blackcomb (since we didn’t want to take a chance on no parking at Lot 6 due to house parking taking out about 60 skier parking spots—see below) we were diverted to park in Lot 7.

Write to us! Letters to the editor must contain the writer’s name, address and a daytime telephone number. Maximum length is 450 words. Pique Newsmagazine reserves the right to edit, condense or refrain from publishing any contribution. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer and not that of Pique Newsmagazine.

Specializing in accounting and tax services for corporations and their shareholders.

Please contact me for an initial no-charge confidential consultation.

www.gskllp.ca

Navi Grewal, CPA, CA / navi@gskllp.ca / 604-892-9100

Engel & Völkers Whistler

DECEMBER 17, 2020

11

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LD SO

BEAUTIFULLY RENOVAT ED 2 BEDROOM AT ALTA VISTA POINTE Over 1080 sq.ft., with an open floor plan fantastic for entertaining. Ground floor end unit backs on to private greenbelt allowing easy access for children and pets. Residential zoning, low fees, two parking stalls, and super location adjacent to Lakeside Park.

Offered for $1,0 75,000

Laura Wetaski

Engel & Völkers Whistler

Phone: 604-938-3798 Email: laura@wetaski.com

LAURA WETASKI

Nick Davies, Whistler local and experienced family lawyer practising across BC andYukon.

Call at 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca Maclean Law is headquartered in Vancouver with offices across British Columbia.

First off—again there was no “lot full” sign put out at Lot 6 at that time, but I’m pretty sure it was full.

We didn’t want to park in Lot 7 and this has never been a problem before this early in the morning (8:15 a.m.). I asked the parking attendant why all cars were being diverted to Lot 7 and not allowed to park in Lot 8. I was told, “It’s to help with social distancing at the gondola. To make sure that not too many people are showing up there at once…”

This of course makes no sense. In fact you would think that it would be better for social distancing to have day skiers parking at multiple lots in the morning, so they aren’t all crammed together in the same lot. So yes, I’m pissed off that [Vail Resorts is] not allowing us to park at Lot 8 early on the weekend mornings.

A quick poll of the other day skiers and boarders revealed the same frustration. In fact I heard others, unsolicited asking the same attendant the same question.

Request: Allow day skiers to park at lots 6, 7 or 8 in the morning or provide a good explanation as to why not.

Second—I got new, unverified information about the house-parking-only situation at Lot 6 taking out about 60 spots.

I was informed that house parking is actually staff parking for employee-housing residents. So Vail Resorts, which prides itself on an unmatched guest experience, has given priority for parking to its staff over its paying customers? Seems a bit of an inconsistency to me.

I get it, Vail Resorts has extra Canadian staff this year that need a place to put their cars since they drove to Whistler from wherever they are from, but why would [Vail Resorts] give them parking in the lot where their cars appear to just be collecting snow and not going anywhere, taking spots from paying customers with their families?

This is one more straw that further angers season passholders from around the Sea to Sky community who already have trouble with Vail Resorts on a number of levels.

Vail Resorts’ management should realize that this kind of poor decision making will not help endear Sea to Ski passholders to its brand or leadership team. It does the opposite.

Request: Move your staff parking to another location in the valley that is accessible by bus since [staff] do not need their cars in Whistler anyway if they are living in staff housing and working at Whistler Blackcomb.

Ken Bell // Whistler

Welcoming our growing diversity Our thanks to the Whistler Community Foundation for highlighting our growing diversity through community demographics (“Vital Exploration offers pre-pandemic snapshot of Whistler,” Pique, Dec. 10, 2020).

Since April 2020, the Whistler Welcome Centre has supported individuals living and working in Whistler who speak 21 mother languages, the top three being Arabic, Japanese and Spanish, and we will certainly see this reflected in the 2021 census.

The statistics presented for mother tongues spoken in Whistler from census 2016 lose some depth in the regional consolidation, and include some inaccuracies. Actual mother tongue statistics for Whistler from the 2016 census reflecting the larger demographic resident groups were: • 82-per-cent English • 5-per-cent French • 2-per-cent German • 2-per-cent Tagalog and other Filipino dialects • 2-per-cent Japanese • 2-per-cent Spanish • 2.5-per-cent Slavic languages (Czech and Slovak representing 62 per cent of those) These [statistics] show how diverse our community is, and especially reflect the vibrant Japanese, Filipino, Czech, Slovak and Spanish speaking communities that we have been seeing grow locally over the last few years, through immigration and expanding multicultural families.

Carole Stretch // Whistler Multicultural Society ■

Backcountry Advisory

Mountain Psychology and Neurofeedback Centre

Stephen L. Milstein, Ph.D., R. Psych. BC #765 -604.938.3511 Dawna Dixx Milstein, OT. COTBC # AA0201 - 604.938.3523 Whistler: #107 - 4368 Main St, Whistler, B.C. V0N 1B4 Squamish: 38077 2nd Ave, Squamish, B.C. // 604.848.9273

Serving sea to sky for 18 years

12 DECEMBER 17, 2020

AS OF WEDNESDAY, DEC 16 A parade of storms has passed through the Whistler area this week, steadily adding new snow to the winter snowpack. The weather gods have saved the juiciest storm for the weekend, but this might be a mixed blessing as we anticipate warm temperatures to accompany the heavy precipitation.

Luckily, things aren’t too complicated in the snowpack at this time, so as long as you heed a few simple pieces of advice, it should be fairly easy to have a good time in the backcountry and avoid being caught in an avalanche.

Avoid avalanche terrain when avalanche danger is high.

Under high danger, why leave the ski-area boundary? Make the most of the great powder on your favourite inbound runs. If you do head into the backcountry, stick to the trees or lowerangled slopes.

Avoid wind-loaded slopes.

Wind-transported snow will be deposited onto lee, or downwind, slopes. It forms into stiffer pillows that create the perfect slab part of a slab avalanche. If you can see snow being blown around, or there’s more than just a light puff of air, there’s a good chance wind loading is going on. Back off onto shallower angled slopes or choose a more-sheltered location to ride.

Manage your sluff.

On steep slopes in fresh powder, it’s common to set off really small, loose snow avalanches called sluffs. Keeping sluffs small and manageable is the key. You can do that by pulling out of your line every two or three turns to let the snow run by. Sluffs are most dangerous where there are terrain traps such as cliffs or gullies that increase the consequence of losing your balance.

At this time more than ever, please use the backcountry responsibly. Visit avalanche.ca for the latest conditions before you go. ■

CONDITIONS MAY VARY AND CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY Check for the most current conditions before heading out into the backcountry. Daily updates for the areas adjacent to Whistler Blackcomb are available at 604-938-7676, or surf to www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountaininfo/snow-report#backcountry or go to www.avalanche.ca.

PIQUE N’ YER INTEREST

Easing the burden on search and rescue superheroes BEFORE LEAVING for a hike, I always make sure my phone is charged. That’s not necessarily motivated by the fact that I’d need it to call for help, in the event I or a friend needed it, but so I can snap as many photos as I want without having to worry about my battery running out.

BY MEGAN LALONDE That’s the thing: No one ever heads into the backcountry expecting for something bad to happen.

Even so, I tell someone where I’m going, pack double the amount of snacks I need, keep a whistle on my keychain and toss an extra layer or two into my backpack. I have a weird habit of hoarding water until I arrive back at the car, just in case something went wrong and I had to survive off whatever was left in my Nalgene.

None of these things would realistically prevent me from needing help if I fell and broke a leg, but hopefully it would help rescuers find me sooner or keep me more comfortable, or alive longer, if they couldn’t get to me right away. It’s literally the least I can do, especially when you compare my heading out for a day trip to the kind of

tasks B.C.’s SAR volunteers sign up for.

Lately, I’ve been hooked on a new five– episode documentary series called Search and Rescue: North Shore. It follows the incredibly skilled volunteers of North Shore Rescue, and gives an inside look at the kind of calls they respond to on a regular basis.

It’s currently available to stream for free on B.C.’s Knowledge Network.

During some calls featured in this series, it’s easy to see where the search subjects went wrong. You see team members rescue

extended long after it becomes apparent that search efforts won’t end in a rescue.

In the series, you see team members trudging through rugged terrain, looking for remains of search subjects who were never found, solely to help bring closure to those individuals’ families.

Just consider that for a moment. These volunteers donate immense amounts of time for training, to do things like hang underneath helicopters and extract injured or lost climbers from cliff faces. Their families

I still can’t fully wrap my head around the 24/7 responsibility these individuals take on, on a volunteer-only basis, or how taxing it must be ...

two women who left for a hike in tennis shoes, with no extra food or gear, save for an umbrella. But callouts aren’t always the result of a lack of preparedness. Even the most experienced professionals can find themselves injured, lost or otherwise in need of help—again, no one’s plans include getting rescued.

In this province, we’re exceptionally lucky to have the resources that will provide that help, whenever and to whomever requires it.

Sometimes, that help continues to be

make comparable sacrifices, but without any public gratitude or accolades. B.C.’s SAR volunteers slog up mountains in the dark, in the rain to find people in peril, or to recover a body when the worst does occur.

And they aren’t paid for any of it.

I still can’t fully wrap my head around the 24/7 responsibility these individuals take on, on a volunteer-only basis, or how taxing it must be (despite the internal rewards I’d imagine come with saving someone’s life).

This winter, BC SAR’s services are likely going to be needed more than ever as COVID-19 pushes more people into remote areas. Crews in Squamish have already experienced the busiest year on record. As Whistler Search and Rescue manager Brad Sills told me recently, crew members are bracing for “an onslaught” of calls.

When I asked Sills how his team plans to take care of themselves while they’re so busy taking care of everyone else, he responded with a good five seconds of laughter.

“I wish we were, but I don’t have an answer for you there,” he said. “I think we’re just sort of resigned to the fact that it’s going to happen.”

He added, “So much of this is understanding the personal responsibility that everybody has to accept when they go into the backcountry. There’s a growing sentiment, sometimes I feel, that [people think] ‘Well, we have all these services in place that will take care of me if I err.’

And I think every SAR volunteer’s biggest nightmare is not being able to help somebody when they really need it.”

So here’s to our local SAR volunteers, and the difficult responsibility they shoulder so willingly. This winter, it’s up to us to take whatever load off of those shoulders that we can, and to help our local volunteers avoid that nightmare if at all possible. ■

DECEMBER 17, 2020

13

NEWS WHISTLER

Vail Resorts CEO takes blame for customers’ long wait times HIGHER-THAN-EXPECTED CALL VOLUME LED TO ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ WAITS, SAID ROB KATZ

BY BRANDON BARRETT AS A FORMER Whistler Blackcomb (WB) guest services and sales agent who has skied Whistler every winter since 1969, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger supporter of the resort than Brian Buchholz.

So he wants to be clear that voicing his recent concerns with WB’s customer service comes not only from a place of understanding, but admiration for the resort he has skied at 51 winters in a row.

“There is no one who is more of an enthusiast for Whistler Blackcomb.

Anywhere I go in the world, or when I’m meeting people on the street or strangers on the hill from Texas, I am a rah-rah guy,” he said.

Buchholz’s frustrations began on Friday, Dec. 4, when he phoned Guest Services to secure his credit from last season ahead of the Dec. 6 pass purchase

BLAME GAME Rob Katz with Pique editorial staff in a 2018 sit-down. The CEO of Vail Resorts took personal responsibility last week for what he called ‘unacceptable’ wait times for customers seeking assistance by phone.

FILE PHOTO BY JOEL BARDE

14 DECEMBER 17, 2020

deadline. After sitting on hold for an hour and a half, a WB employee told him the credit was no longer valid. Asking him to double-check, the employee quickly returned saying that the credit was still available, and guaranteed that he would be able to use it before the deadline.

The following day, Buchholz decided to visit Guest Services in person to make

that ACM Claims is contracted by Vail Resorts to process insurance claims and refunds under its Epic Coverage program.)

Speaking with another supervisor, he was finally given the OK to use his credit towards a season pass.

“So in the course of three conversations I got a yes, no, yes—and I want to go skiing!”

Buchholz recounted.

“Weighing heavily on my mind is the frustration I have heard from too many pass holders...”

- ROB KATZ

sure, and was once again told that the credit wasn’t valid, with a supervisor adding that the directive from Vail Resorts’ headquarters came down that morning.

Eventually, he was given the number of a third-party arbitrator to settle the dispute.

Then, on Monday, Dec. 6, he called Guest Services again and was informed that the arbitrator was not meant to deal with pass credits. (A WB spokesperson confirmed

“It’s not just one person that got it wrong.

It was a team effort that got it wrong.”

A WB spokesperson, while unfamiliar with this particular situation, said he didn’t know why there was confusion among staff about the pass credit deadline.

What is clear, however, is that Buchholz isn’t alone in his concerns with WB’s— and by extension, Vail Resorts’—customer service in this atypical ski season.

On Friday, Dec. 11, Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz sent an email to pass holders apologizing personally for the “unacceptable” wait times for customers seeking help.

“Weighing heavily on my mind is the frustration I have heard from too many pass holders and guests regarding their customer service experience with our call centres,” Katz wrote. “If you are included amongst those who have been unable to reach a customer service agent for help, or encountered long call centre or chat wait times, I want you to know we have heard you loud and clear. And we agree. It is unacceptable, and I personally apologize to you for your experience.”

Despite doubling staffing and introducing a new online chat function, Katz went on to say that Vail Resorts’ call centre was ill equipped to handle the more than fourfold increase in the number of guests seeking assistance.

“It is a huge miss on our part, especially for a company that tries to be an out-front leader within our industry,” he wrote. “This is certainly not the fault of our call centre agents, who have tried their best to provide great service under difficult circumstances. It is my fault for not ensuring we were better prepared.”

NEWS WHISTLER Adding to the confusion for many are the differing automated responses customers can hear when calling WB’s reservation centre. In some instances, callers will be placed on hold, often for extended periods, while at other times they are asked to join a queue so an agent can return their call at a later time. Others still got a recording explaining that the company has “taken steps to create peace of mind that will ensure your enquiry will be actioned,” but offers no avenue to leave a number to be reached at. This, according to a spokesperson, is linked to a systems issue that apparently predates Vail Resorts’ acquisition of WB and defaults from one automated response to another based on the volume of calls.

VAIL RESORTS’ Q1 NET REVENUE DOWN $132M FROM LAST YEAR Meanwhile, Vail Resorts posted its firstquarter financials on Thursday, Dec. 10, and they show the continued strain from COVID19 on the Colorado ski giant.

For the three months ending Oct. 31, 2020, Whistler Blackcomb’s parent company’s net revenue was down USD$131.5 million compared to the same period in 2019, while net loss was $153.8 million for the quarter, primarily as a result of the pandemic.

pass sales dollars stayed flat for the quarter due to redeeming credits to 2019/2020 pass holders whose season was cut short by the pandemic. Without deducting the value of the credits, pass sales dollars rose approximately 19 per cent compared to last year.

“We are very pleased with the growth in our season pass program, particularly given the challenging circumstances surrounding the impacts of COVID19. We expect that the total number of guests on all advanced purchase passes this year will exceed 1.4 million including all passes for our North American and Australian resorts, demonstrating the significant loyalty of our guest base and the strong demand for our mountain resorts,” Katz said. “Since September, pass sales exceeded our expectations primarily driven by continued strong demand from destination guests and significant growth in pass sales to guests who were not previously in our database, particularly in lower frequency Epic Day Pass products.”

In North America, the company said its U.S. resorts “experienced improved demand from leisure travellers throughout the quarter relative to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020,” but summer visitation stayed “well below historical levels.” Unsurprisingly, demand at Whistler Blackcomb for the quarter was “significantly below prior year levels due

“Our first quarter historically operates at a loss, given that our North American mountain resorts are generally not open for ski season operations...”

The Right Advice for Your Whistler Property

OFFERED AT: $125,000

1

1

596sqft

- ROB KATZ

105D 2020 LONDON LANE “Our first fiscal quarter historically operates at a loss, given that our North American mountain resorts are generally not open for ski season operations during the period,” said CEO Rob Katz in an earnings call (Dec. 10), adding that the first quarter’s results are largely driven by winter operations from its Australian resorts as well as summer activities at its North American properties. “Our results for the first quarter continued to be negatively impacted by COVID-19.”

Resort reported EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) loss for the period was $94.8 million, compared to $76.7 million for the same quarter last year, primarily as a result of the negative impacts of COVID-19 and “partially offset by disciplined cost management and $15.4 million of lift revenue” associated with the expiration of credit offers to 2019/2020 pass holders.

On that front, Vail Resorts has seen some positive movement. Season pass sales through Dec. 6 had increased approximately 20 per cent in units, while

in part to travel restrictions” and the border remaining closed to international guests, the company reported.

Reopening its North American resorts with strict health and safety protocols in place, Katz said, “the safety of our guests, employees and communities continues to be our top priority.

“Currently, the reservation system, which opened to pass holders on Nov. 6, 2020 and lift ticket purchasers on Dec. 8, 2020, continues to have available capacity for almost all days during the core season across our resorts. The reservation systems and our contingency planning around our operations has positioned us to react quickly to the changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19 restrictions across our resort jurisdictions, which we expect will continue throughout the season.”

The company also said it has “significant liquidity,” with $614 million in cash on hand as of Nov. 30, and $587 million of availability under its U.S. and Whistler Blackcomb revolving credit facilities.

To read the full quarterly report, visit investors.vailresorts.com. n

QUARTER SHARE in Evolution. Enjoy all of the benefits of luxury condo ownership at the base of Whistler Mountain for a fraction of the cost.

Offers custom finishing, contemporary design & fully equipped. Building amenities include: outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room, games room, exercise room & media room. Enjoy 13 weeks per year of personal use and/or rental income. Steps away from the ski lifts, shops & restaurants.

DECEMBER 17, 2020

15

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler council opts for lower tax increase RMOW ‘STEPPING UP’ IN 2021, BUT LARGER TAX INCREASES LOOM

BY BRADEN DUPUIS THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of

A further $856,000 in savings was found by deferring some projects (like $140,000 for kennel upgrades at Whistler Animals Galore) and reducing the scope of others (like spending $75,000 less on community wildfire protection).

“Without that own-source funding

“They need to go up, and they need to go up by a fair amount.”

- CARLEE PRICE

through higher taxes, this program does draw exclusively on operating reserves, and spending from reserves, which are under significant pressure,” Price said.

The 1.08 per cent increase will equate to an increase of about $16.81 on a property assessed at $1 million, Price said, though she added that one per cent tax increases are not sustainable in the long run.

RMOW property taxes went up an average of 2.13 per cent from 2010 to 2019, Price noted, compared to an average of just

over three per cent for other communities in the Lower Mainland.

Further, in the last five years, the RMOW’s share of taxes has gone up an average of 1.7 per cent, Price said, while the province’s share of taxes has grown 4.58 per cent each year.

It’s the second time the 2021 budget has had to be re-imagined, after COVID blew a hole in the original plans back in March (see Pique, May 7: Whistler council stays the course on 2.8% tax increase”).

Council was enthusiastic about the re-revamped budget, and the savings found

by Price.

“Ms. Price captured our community message very well when she said this is a year to focus on recovery, and a reserve drawdown is understandable,” said Mayor Jack Crompton.

“I feel good about this budget being referred to as a recovery budget, and I acknowledge that there is work to do in the future, and municipal reserves will require contribution moving forward for the RMOW to retain financial health.”

There are no changes to sewer, solid waste or water fees.

The five-year financial plan bylaw is scheduled for first readings on January 5, followed by the tax rate bylaw in April. n

7233 FITZSIMMONS ROAD SOUTH, WHITE GOLD

E

W

LI

ST

IN

G

!

Whistler (RMOW) is reversing course on a proposed 4.89-per-cent tax increase, opting instead for an increase of 1.08 per cent in 2021—but the move will have significant tax implications down the line.

The change is made possible by higher-than-expected revenues, cuts to expenditures and more than $3 million in COVID-related restart funds from the provincial and federal governments, said director of finance Carlee Price in a presentation to council on Dec. 15.

But it will require a draw on reserves—a move overwhelmingly supported by the community during budget consultations this year—to make it happen.

The RMOW’s general reserves funded by taxes have been flat for six years, Price said, while the value of community assets— all of which will eventually need to be replaced—has continued to grow.

“So we’re losing some of our ability to properly appropriately care for these assets,” Price said.

“That can feel less urgent for the individual than facing a $50 tax increase in

any given year, but we can’t lose sight of it.

Our fiscal responsibilities as a community always relate to existing economic realities; in this year those realities are overwhelmingly influenced by COVID.” Concerns about declining household income and businesses on the brink are real, and the RMOW has been asked to help support the community, Price added.

“We believe we’ve done that,” she said.

“However, the costs associated with that approach are real and enduring.”

The RMOW’s consolidated debt balance is forecasted to increase to somewhere between $55 million and $93 million by 2023 (from a starting point of $40 million in 2019), Price added.

What’s not clear is exactly how big future tax increases might be.

Asked about the damage at the Dec. 15 meeting, Price stopped short of offering numbers, but did invoke Whistler’s infamous financial struggles c. 2009, when the council of the day was forced to raise taxes 20 per cent over three years.

RMOW staff is working on a comprehensive asset management plan that will help with specific forecasts, but in the absence of a more detailed answer, “they need to go up, and they need to go up by a fair amount,” Price said of reserve balances.

N

DEVELOPMEN T OPPORTUNITY • VACANT LOT • 7500 SQFT

$3,499,000 Upper Village

Whistler Village

Walk to the Village and crawl back home A moose lived here briefly Rare development opportunity. One of the last remaining vacant lots backing onto Fitzsimmons Creek in White Gold. This south west facing lot is a blank canvas for you to build your very own Whistler bunker. White Gold is a personal favourite and arguably Whistler’s most desirable neighbourhood. Walk to everything - Blackcomb Gondola, Upper and Whistler Village, Lost Lake, bike and cross country ski trails to name a few. Your slice of paradise is waiting.

604.902.6106 josh@joshcrane.ca Sign up for a free weekly sales report of new and sold listings in Whistler and Pemberton at whistlerrealestatemarket.com

16 DECEMBER 17, 2020

208-1420 Alpha Lake Rd. Whistler, BC, V8E 0R8

Photo credit: Morgan Walter, Sun Peaks, BC

NEW SKI IN, SKI OUT, 2 & 3 BEDROOM ALPINE TOWNHOMES & CONDOS AT SUN PEAKS RESORT, BC Sun Peaks is the second-largest ski resort in Canada offering four-seasons of activities just 2 hours from the Okanagan, less than 5 hours from Vancouver and under 1 hour from Kamloops. With more than 4,000 acres of ski terrain and 40 kms of Nordic ski and snowshoe trails, Sun Peaks is a snow lovers paradise. In summer, the Resort transitions to an alpine playground with more than 2000 vertical feet of downhill biking, 16 hiking trails, an 18-hole championship golf course and numerous paddling options at nearby lakes.

Artist Representation Only

Artist Representation Only

ALTITUDE – Access Every Run From Your Door A collection of alpine homes designed to make mountain living affordable and flexible.

AWARD WINNING DEVELOPER

With multiple size floorplans, large modern open kitchens, gas fireplaces and room

28 years of success within Sun Peaks and communities throughout BC.

home, a primary residence or an income property, ALTITUDE is how you access

Visit aandt.ca

for all your gear, ALTITUDE Sun Peaks offers the social spaces and sleeping places that you will want to come home to again and again. As either a home away from

EVERY RUN. EVERY SUNSET. FREEDOM!

Register Today For Access To Pre-Sales Opportunities

P R E V I E W. A LT I T U D E S U N P E A K S . C O M

Offered Exclusively by Gianpiero Furfaro

#9 – 3250 Village Way, Sun Peaks, BC V0E 5N0

Email: Sunpeaks@sothebysrealty.ca Phone: 250-578-7773 Toll-free: 1-877-578-5774

CB

NEWS WHISTLER

Cheakamus housing rezoning gets first readings COUNCIL BRIEFS: SOLID WASTE TIPPING FEE INCREASES COMING JAN. 1; ALPINE CAFÉ REZONING ADOPTED

BY BRADEN DUPUIS THE STEADY MARCH to building more employee housing in Cheakamus Crossing continues.

After weighing the financial risks and approving a $10-million line of credit for the Whistler 2020 Development Corp. to start developing the land on Dec. 1, council officially gave first readings to a related rezoning bylaw on Dec. 15.

A public hearing will follow in the new year.

Once adopted, the bylaw will allocate existing permitted housing uses and development density under the current UR1 zoning to individual parcel areas for future development.

While a pair of apartment buildings containing 100 housing units are first to be built (on what’s known as Parcel A, south of the existing Cheakamus neighbourhood), the rezoning clears a path for other future development as well, said director of planning Mike Kirkegaard, in a presentation to council.

Looking beyond Parcel A, the total development potential of the RMOW’s remaining land in Cheakamus is estimated

PARCEL PLAN The Resort Municipality of Whistler has big plans for its remaining land in Cheakamus Crossing, with potential for close to 300 units of employee housing to be developed in the coming years.

PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS at about 295 units (not counting Parcel E), Kirkegaard said: 100 apartment units in two buildings on Parcel A; 54 apartment units in two buildings on Parcel B/C; 74 apartment units in two connected buildings on D1; 44

Pettit and Company Civil Litigation, Family and Estate Law

Pettit and Company is proud to announce that George Hall has joined the firm as an Associate Lawyer. He practices commercial litigation, real estate litigation, construction litigation, and strata litigation. The team could not be more excited to be bringing this spoke-tacular associate along for the ride.

SQUAMISH OFFICE

Suite 100-41105 Tantalus Road, Squamish, BC V8B-0N3 • Phone 604-998-0901

NORTH VANCOUVER OFFICE

Suite 301-2609 Westview Drive, North Vancouver, BC V7N-4M2 • Phone 604-998-0901

18 DECEMBER 17, 2020

townhouses on D2; and 23 single family and duplex units on D3.

For comparison, the existing Cheakamus neighbourhood contains 573 units of housing.

“Overall, the development parcels provide for a diversity of housing forms with a mix of apartments, townhouses,

SEE PAGE 20

>>

YOUR SEA-TO-SKY SPECIALISTS ST I LH AV N .COM

NEW LISTING

37-40653 Tantalus Road, Squamish

329B-2036 London Lane, Whistler

H101-1400 Alta Lake Road, Whistler

8510 Buckhorn Drive, Whistler

$719,900

$193,000

$569,000

$2,589,000

• 3 Bedroom / 2 bathroom • Generous garage • Backs onto greenspace • New carpet & paint throughout

• Spectacular Views • Ski in ski out • Walking distance to shops and dining • Amenities include pool & 2 hot tubs

• Alpha Lake 1BR/1BA • 650sf plus 130 sq ft balcony • Fully renovated • Gas fireplace

• 4 bedroom House completely rebuilt in 2015 • Passive house energy efficient house and office/shed

KRISTEN DILLON

DANA FRIESEN SMITH, PREC*

PETER CUDMORE

HANNAH GARCIA, PREC*

778.266.0150

604.902.3878

604.902.1858

604.966.8941

kristen@seatoskydreamteam.com

dana@seatoskydreamteam.com

peter@petercudmore.com

hannah@hannahgarcia.com

SOLD

4416-4299 Blackcomb Way, Whistler

102-2556 Highbury St, Vancouver

NEW LISTING

89-1821 Willow Cres., Squamish

7233 South Fitzsimmons, Whistler

$824,999

$1,089,000

$709,000

$3,499,000

• Pan Pacific Village Center • Luxury Hotel and Amenities • Profitable Investment Property • Fully Equipped

• 2 Bed | 1.5 Bath | 1155 SF • Quiet Point Grey neighbourhood • Three Large Patios • 1 Parking | 1 Locker

• Record sale for complex • 3 bedroom 2 bathroom • Double car garage • Fully renovated

• Rare Vacant Lot • Build your Whistler Bunker • On Fitzsimmons Creek • Walk to everything

SARAH MORPHY, PREC*

IAN TANG, PREC*

JENNA FRANZE

JOSH CRANE

604.906.1940

604.839.7347

604.345.5415

604.902.6106

sarah@sarahmorphy.com

ian@iantangrealestate.com

jenna@jennafranze.com

josh@joshcrane.ca

W HISTL E R | SQ UA M I S H | P E M BE RTO N | VANCO UVER | N ORTH SHOR E This communication is not intended to cause or induce the breach of an existing agency relationship

*Personal Real Estate Corporation

NEWS WHISTLER << FROM PAGE 18 and duplex and detached dwellings, with opportunities for both ownership and rental housing,” Kirkegaard said. “A variety of unit sizes, and number of bedrooms, for a diversity of household sizes and living arrangements is also accommodated.”

All told, 92 per cent of all new units created will be committed to employeerestricted rental and ownership, with just 18 lots on Parcel D3 going to market, Kirkegaard said.

The WDC expects it can use sales of the market lots to repay the $10-million line of credit, along with some of its other outstanding debt to the RMOW (see Pique, Nov. 19: “Demand for Whistler housing strong heading into winter.”)

The Dec. 15 council resolution comes with a number of conditions that must be met prior to adoption, including dedication of park and open space, trail improvements, bus shelters and an extension of Mount Fee Road.

One important objective was to “preserve the character and quality of the Cheakamus River corridor,” according to a report to council, and an environmental review conducted by Cascade Environmental has delineated a 30-metre setback from the Cheakamus River.

All future developments will be subject to development permit requirements, as well as guidelines for protection of riparian and sensitive ecosystems, Kirkegaard added.

The project will necessitate the rerouting of the westside Cheakamus Lake Forest Service Road, noted Councillor Cathy Jewett, who wondered if an environmental impact study may be in order.

“If that FSR is rerouted through the Basalt Valley Spur and into the quarry area, and Jane Lakes, we’re reopening a habitat

“[W]e’re reopening a habitat and terrain that has been great for wildlife and also for Whistler life, so I do have an issue with that.”

- CATHY JEWETT

and terrain that has been great for wildlife and also for Whistler life,” Jewett said. “So I do have an issue with that.”

SOLID WASTE TIPPING FEE INCREASES GET FIRST READINGS Tipping fees at the Whistler Transfer Station are set to increase in 2021.

On Dec 15, council gave first three readings to a bylaw that will increase fees for disposing of select items at the facility

Après All the Way HY'S HAPPY HOUR daily 3-5pm Delicious bites, cool cocktails, warm hospitality Join us for Whistler's best Happy Hour, off the mountain

HOUSE DJ Saturday & Sunday

HY’S STEAKHOUSE WHISTLER 4 3 0 8 M A I N S T ( I N T H E D E LTA H OT E L ) | 6 0 4 .9 0 5 .5 5 5 5 WWW.HYSSTEAKHOUSE.COM

20 DECEMBER 17, 2020

in the Callaghan Valley starting Jan. 1: $185/ tonne for biosolids (up from $150); $100 for clean land clearing wood waste (up from $80); $150 for dirty wood waste (up from $135); $190 for bulky items and landfill waste (up from $170); $425 for mixed waste (up from $375) and $310 for gypsum board (up from $290).

Increasing the fees incentivizes waste reduction, and keeps the municipality in line with the landfill in Squamish, said manager of transportation and waste management Andrew Tucker in a presentation to council.

“Tipping fees are used as an incentive, particularly if you have a differential tip fee so that landfill waste, or hard-to-recycle materials or materials that aren’t recycled whatsoever, those tip fees remain high, and then the recyclable products, they have tip fees that are low,” Tucker said.

“So it creates an incentive for people to think about, ‘OK, well if I start planning and start separating my waste out, maybe there’s some opportunities here where I’m not needing to pay the same amount of money.’”

ALPINE CAFÉ REZONING ADOPTED A rezoning bylaw to allow the popular Alpine Café in Alpine Meadows more restaurant space was adopted by council on Dec. 15.

The amendment will alter the site’s density requirements to increase space for the restaurant/café while reducing space for convenience retail.

The new bylaw requires 25 square metres of gross floor area be kept for retail to ensure residents of Alpine Meadows don’t have to travel outside their neighbourhood for essentials.

“The existing building on the site was originally built in 1986, and contained retail use on the main floor and a two-bedroom suite on the second floor,” said planner Clancy Sloan in a presentation to council on Oct. 20, adding that the site (located at 8104 McKeevers Place) was renovated in 2002 to add the café and market.

A public hearing for the rezoning held on Nov. 17 drew no public comments.

“This is exciting,” said Mayor Jack Crompton. “It’s been something that’s been talked about for a long time, so congratulations.”n

OUTERWEAR AND SPORTSWEAR

SALES EVENT

ON SELECT STYLES

FIND GREAT DEALS AT ALL OF OUR CAN SKI LOCATIONS VILLAGE | PERFORMANCE | BLACKCOMB | WESTIN | HILTON | CREEKSIDE

NEWS WHISTLER

COVID vaccines offer ‘light at the end of the tunnel,’ Weiler says MP UPDATES WHISTLER’S COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

BY BRADEN DUPUIS WHILE THERE IS much happening at the federal level in Canada, the question on everyone’s minds these days is about vaccines—and the news on that front is positive, according to West VancouverSunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country MP Patrick Weiler.

“There’s been an unprecedented effort in procurement for the federal government to ensure that we have access to vaccines, and a broad diversity of vaccines,” Weiler said in an update to Whistler’s municipal Committee of the Whole on Dec. 15, adding that Canada has contracted the most vaccines per capita of any country in the world.

“We have a very diverse portfolio of seven vaccine candidates right now, actually,” he said.

“The plan is we’re going to have about a quarter million of [Pfizer vaccine] doses before the end of the year in Canada, and I know they’re already arriving in B.C. right now as well.”

A further 168,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, which is going through the regulatory process, will also arrive before year’s end.

“So the light is at the end of the tunnel, the vaccines are getting here, and that’s really what we’re going to need to move past this [pandemic],” Weiler said.

The federal government’s role in terms of the COVID-19 vaccine is to procure it and regulate it before getting it to the provinces, Weiler added.

“I know that the province here is on top of that, and already there’s a plan to roll it out,” he said.

During his roughly 20-minute update held over Zoom, Weiler touched on the many COVID-19 support programs rolled out by the federal government since March, noting that roughly $9.7 billion has been floated to businesses in the tourism sector through those programs alone.

The federal government is also working with financial institutions on the new Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) for the sectors hardesthit by COVID, like tourism and hospitality, hotels, arts and entertainment, Weiler said.

The program will offer 100-per-cent government-guaranteed financing for heavily impacted businesses, and provide low-interest loans of up to $1 million over extended terms, up to 10 years.

Government programs like the rent and wage subsidies have been helpful for many Whistler businesses, but recent public health orders limiting movement and gatherings—just before Christmas, Whistler’s busiest time of year—present a real challenge, said Councillor John Grills.

“They’re sort of hanging on, so [it would be great] if there’s a bit of cash on the other side of Christmas to get them to April, May,” Grills said, adding that the resort had a decent summer this year, all things considered.

“So once people are allowed to be outside more, and more and more of our citizens have the vaccine, that may be a better time for the local businesses, but surely the next few months could be challenging, so any assistance will be appreciated.”

Other current priorities at the federal level include more funding for affordable housing (through the Rental Construction Finance Initiative announced this summer, which provides low-cost loans to build

rental apartment buildings) and early childhood education ($420 million to attract and retain workers in key positions), Weiler added.

Then there’s the government’s updated climate plan announced on Dec. 11, which includes dozens of new measures and investment to the tune of $15 billion, along with increases to the federal carbon tax.

The feds plan to increase the carbon tax from $30 a tonne to $170 a tonne by 2030, which will have a dramatic impact on the price of gas.

While Weiler noted B.C. has its own carbon tax, exempting it from federal carbon pricing, the new federal increases will force B.C.’s provincial government to eventually follow suit.

“This is going to allow us to exceed our 2030 targets,” Weiler said.

“We really look at this as not just a plan on the environment, but also a plan for the economy, in that this plan is going to help create the conditions for more innovation, and more companies that are going to help lead in the clean tech economy, which is estimated at about $2.6 trillion economic opportunity, per year.” n

We’ve got you covered.

Pick up the latest issue of your favourite read in Whistler.

22 DECEMBER 17, 2020

LeGENDARY eGE IS lOCAL IT’S TIME TO SUPPORT WHISTLER BUSINESSES SHOPPING LOCAL Our local shops make gift-giving a delight. With all of the variety and choice of the big city, your holiday shopping is made easy right here at home.

REDISCOVER WHISTLER What local adventure have you always wanted to try?

With travel restrictions in place, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of Whistler’s endless backyard and tick off activities close to home.

TEMPT YOUR TASTEBUDS Here, no craving goes unsatisfied. From elegant cuisine to casual fare, our food scene can please any palate.

On the move? Grab incredible take-out options to make sure you’re ready for your next adventure.

$25 SHOPPING VOUCHER FOR $20 $100 ADVENTURE VOUCHER FOR $80

P: Coast Mountain Photography

Valid at participating local businesses.

Purchase at whistler.com/support-local.

WHISTLER.COM | 1.800.944.7853 WHISTLER.COM | 1.800.944.7853

Merry Christmas From all of us at the Rimrock

HO. HO. HO.

Space still available for our 4 course Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. $145 Adults $95 Children 13 and under

604.932.5565

CALL FOR RESERVATIONS www.rimrockwhistler.com THANKS FOR VOTING US # 2 IN CANADA TRIP ADVISOR RESTAURANT AWARDS

24 DECEMBER 17, 2020

NEWS WHISTLER

Is Whistler primed for an influx of remote workers?

WITH MILLIONS OF CANADIANS STUCK AT HOME, OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS BECOMING ATTRACTIVE FOR WORKING HOLIDAYS

BY BRANDON BARRETT WHETHER SHE’S catching a lap at Whistler Blackcomb or enjoying a bluebird day in Niseko, Japan, Rebecca Mason never hits the slopes without her laptop. It may sound like a risky proposition, but as one of a growing legion of so-called digital nomads, she’s used to working in unusual settings.

“Glacier Creek Lodge has the best Wi-Fi, if you ask me. I’ve taken Zoom meetings with 30 people on them in Glacier Creek Lodge and it was flawless,” she said with a laugh.

The founder of Wanderlust VA, an online mentorship program that helps women start their own virtual-assistant businesses, Mason was willing to sacrifice a traditional workplace to carve out a life in Whistler—and she’s not alone.

“I’m amazed in Whistler at how many women are getting more curious about it. I get it. I get it more than anyone,” she said.

“My story was that I wanted to live in Whistler and I had to figure out how to be able to do that by creating a remote business. I had no idea how the hell I was going to do that, and all these pieces just fell into place.”

In the era of COVID, working from home has become a reality for millions of Canadians now juggling careers, personal and family obligations from their living rooms. According to a recent study commissioned by Expedia, as of November, exactly half of the Canadians polled reported working from home 100-percent of the time, with 64 per cent wishing they could work from a new location or a holiday spot for a few weeks. And as travel restrictions begin to lift and wanderlust sets in, outdoor destinations like Whistler could see an influx of remote workers looking to escape the confines of city life.

“I do believe that when the travel situation clears up and people feel more comfortable with being at airports and on airplanes, travel and tourism will see a massive resurgence and remote workers will be at the front of this surge as their employers adapt to this better way of working and begin to encourage and even incentivize this kind of situation for its workers,” Jamie Lauder, owner of Space Coworking in Function Junction, wrote in an email.

Anecdotally at least, Tourism Whistler has seen an uptick in demand throughout the pandemic for what it terms “work-and-play” vacations, and for the first time this summer, marketed the resort as an ideal landing spot for short-term working holidays.

“Tourism Whistler specifically saw it as more of an opportunity, with borders closed and our inability to host conferences and with this new trend of digital nomads, to invite people to come for a four-week or a six-week or an eight-week stay just to get out of the city,” Tourism Whistler president Barrett Fisher said. “But we’re doing so as a tourism visitor opportunity rather than a long-term resident opportunity.”

As was increasingly the case in the years leading up to COVID, TW has had to strike a delicate balance between promoting the resort and protecting it from the effects of overtourism.

“One of the caveats for Whistler is that when times are more buoyant, we don’t want to undermine the employee housing base that we have here because we know that in more buoyant times we have had limited employee accommodation,” Fisher noted. “So we don’t necessarily want to displace the beds that are housing the employees to support our tourism economy with necessarily other diverse sectors. It’s really a balancing act.”

Tourism hotspots such as Bermuda and Bali, Indonesia have positioned themselves as havens for digital nomads, in large part because of the spending windfall that segment of traveller brings with them. A 2018 FlexJobs survey of more than 500 remote workers found that 18 per cent of them made more than US$100,000 a year, and 22 per cent between $50,000 and $99,999.

“Attracting remote workers benefits this community on so many levels and the trickle-down is enormous—many of these remote workers bring their families with them, have high incomes and spend considerable amounts within the community, supporting countless local business more long term,” said Lauder, who is hopeful the municipality will do more to support remote-working initiatives.

But you don’t have to be in a higher tax bracket to make remote work, well, work in Whistler, Mason said, as the freedom these untraditional careers afford can help offset the high cost of living here.

“Separate from a salary where you can look 20 years down the road and project what you can make, when you have more control over the money you can bring in and the fluctuations and flexibility of it, you realize you can absolutely build a business that would give you enough income to buy or rent a house in Whistler. It’s a lot less limiting,” she said. “I think that’s one of the biggest breakthroughs that I see people have when they shift into working for themselves and working online: It’s not just a [corporate] ladder anymore. It’s not just a conveyor belt.” n

JUST SOLD THE WHISTLER REAL ESTATE COMPANY 17-4308 MAIN STREET, WHISTLER VILLAGE Type: Local Business

Established: 1978

OďŹ&#x192;ce Spaces: Plenty

Bathrooms: 3

Getting to work with great people, in a beautiful place:

PRICELESS

The Whistler Real Estate Co. Ltd. would like to announce that Pat Kelly has sold the company to one of his agents, Wendi Warm and her son, Phelan Regan. After 40 years with the company, and the past 21 years as the Owner, Pat has always ensured that The Whistler Real Estate Company is the #1 Brokerage in Whistler & Pemberton.

Having been with Whistler Real Estate since 1994, Wendi and her family are Whistler locals and will continue to support local charities and traditions that the company has upheld as an important member of the community.

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler adopts new GHG emissions targets CLIMATE ACTION BIG MOVES STRATEGY ADOPTED

BY BRADEN DUPUIS THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY of Whistler (RMOW) has a new climate target in sight.

On Dec. 15, Whistler council officially adopted a new greenhouse-gas emission reduction target of 50 per cent below 2007 levels.

“This basically means that we have to cut our emissions in half in the next 10 years,” said climate action coordinator Luisa Burhenne, in a presentation to council.

“That is very, very ambitious, and that means we have to act strongly, now.”

As it stands, Whistler is well off track in meeting its current goals.

Emissions rose four per cent in 2019, council heard on Sept. 1, with corporate and community emissions totalling 131,166 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Passenger vehicle emissions continue to be the worst polluter, accounting for 54 per cent of Whistler’s GHG emissions, followed by natural gas at 35 per cent.

Community energy consumption was also up three per cent year over year.

All the more reason for the RMOW to be aggressive with its new target, Burhenne said.

To that end, council also formally adopted the Climate Action Big Moves Strategy on Dec. 15, which was first presented July 7 (see Pique, July 9, “RMOW banks on ‘big moves’ to reverse course on greenhouse-gas emissions”).

The RMOW’s 2021 budget includes $203,700 to help implement the Big Moves Strategy, Burhenne said in a report to council, noting that the money will be drawn from the RMOW’s provincial Climate Action Rebate Incentive Program reserve.

The strategy aims to zero in on transportation, buildings and waste, which together account for more than 90 per cent of Whistler’s greenhouse gas emissions, and outlines six “big moves” for the next decade: Move beyond the car (by 2030, 50 per cent of all trips in Whistler are by transit or active transport); decarbonize passenger and commercial transport (by 2030, 50 per cent of all vehicle kilometres travelled are from zero-emission vehicles); reduce visitor travel emissions (by 2030, Whistler demonstrates leadership in redefining tourism in a low-carbon world); build zero-emission buildings (by 2030, all new buildings achieve the top step in B.C.’s Energy Step Code, use only low carbon heating systems, and embodied carbon emissions drop by 40 per cent);

make existing buildings better (by 2030, reduce emissions from residential buildings by 20 per cent and from large commercial buildings by 40 per cent); and close the loop and shift toward lower-carbon consumption (by 2030, reduce waste-sector emissions by 95 per cent and reduce embodied emissions from products and services).

But in the view of Councillor Duane

“I’m very encouraged.”

- ARTHUR DE JONG

Jackson, the math behind the new targets doesn’t quite add up.

Canada’s new climate plan is encouraging, “but I’m still struggling with how we actually achieve our goal,” Jackson said.

“I’m not saying we’re not going to try, but we’ve never achieved our goals before.”

As it relates to the Big Moves Strategy, it would be helpful for the public if the RMOW set achievable goals to ensure people don’t get discouraged, he added.

“So if there’s any way, when we start getting to the next stage, that the numbers and the economics are easily shared with participants, I’d find that really helpful,” he said.

Regardless of its per capita carbon footprint, Whistler has an obligation to do its part, said Coun. Arthur De Jong.

“Whatever we have in our means to help lower greenhouse gas emissions, we need to go at it with everything we can, within the economic realities,” he said. “I’m very encouraged.”

Since September, Burhenne has undertaken broad community engagement on the Big Moves Strategy, consulting with various municipal committees, the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment, the Canadian Home Builders Association and the general public through an online survey.

With the strategy officially adopted, the RMOW can start thinking next steps—first and foremost a five-year, multi-departmental implementation and financial plan for the proposed Big Moves and related key initiatives.

The plan will be finalized by summer 2021, and presented to council with the annual energy and greenhouse gas performance report. n

piquenewsmagazine.com/whistlertakeout

PRESENTS

Whistler Takeout, Pick up and Delivery

Weekly Specials!

Dinner • Superfood Smoothies Butcher • Party Platters

We are a popular brand of locally owned and operated quick service Japanese restaurants.

All of our locations feature fast, consistent service with a focus on giving our community quality meals at very affordable prices.

Samurai Sushi 210-7015 Nesters Rd, 604 935 0006

“By the locals, for the locals”

Samurai Bowl 2011 Innsbruck Dr 604 935 0055

PASTA LUPINO

Dine In from 11:00 am - 9:00 pm • 7 days a week Pasta Lupino focuses on freshly-made pasta, sauces, bread and gourmet Italian groceries. Since opening the doors in May 2000, they have created a niche market supplying Whistler locals and visitors alike with fresh pasta.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11 AM - 9 PM Takeout options still available

We are located at 121 – 4368 Main Street, Whistler

Contact us 604.905.0400 restaurant@pastalupino.com

26 DECEMBER 17, 2020

Local Produce Sourced

Prepared Packaged Delivered

PREPARED MEALS FOR THE FAMILY!

VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE www.achefslife.ca

604-905-9065

Bearfoot Bistro | TURKEY TO-GO

78

$

COMPLETE READY-TO-HEAT & SERVE ORGANIC TURKEY DINNER

PER PERSON

INCLUDES HOLIDAY PARTY CRACKERS AND HEATING INSTRUCTIONS.

+ tax and 10% service charge

48-HOUR NOTICE REQUIRED.

AVAILABLE DECEMBER 24, 25 & 26

AVAILABLE FOR PICK-UP OR CAN BE DELIVERED WITHIN WHISTLER FOR A $50 DELIVERY FEE.

SI PER X MIN SON IMU M

ANGUS ROAST BEEF DINNER OPTION ALSO AVAILABLE ORDER ONLINE AT BEARFOOTBISTRO.COM/TAKEHOME For more information or for any other catering options, please contact Anne-Catherine Béland 604 932 3433 ext. 3 annecatherine@bearfootbistro.com NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH STARTING DECEMBER 19

DECEMBER 17, 2020

27

NEWS WHISTLER

Ford elected SLRD chair REGIONAL TRANSIT, ENHANCING CELLULAR SERVICE AMONG PRIORITIES

BY BRADEN DUPUIS THE SQUAMISH-LILLOOET Regional District (SLRD) board of directors has a new chair.

Whistler Councillor Jen Ford was elected to the role on Nov. 25.

“It’s exciting. I am honoured by the trust of the board, and I am appreciative of the opportunity to work with the whole region,” Ford said.

“It’s something that I’ve been really interested in for a long time. It’s certainly interesting and uncertain times to be stepping into the chair role, for sure, but hopefully we can continue the work of the board … to weather this storm for however long it continues.”

First elected to Whistler council in 2014, Ford has previously served as chair of the Whistler Housing Authority, and joined the SLRD board in January 2018.

At the regional district level, it’s important to work with each member towards their individual goals, Ford said, adding that in the SLRD, those goals can

fluctuate wildly.

“The interests of an Area A director compared with a municipal director are vastly different,” Ford said.

“I think it’s really a matter of hearing what everyone’s intention is and really trying to meet those needs, and recognizing that those needs are going to be very, very different.”

Like all other governments, the SLRD has been challenged by the COVID19 pandemic, Ford said—a challenge bolstered by the departure of former chief administrative officer Lynda Flynn just before the pandemic hit B.C. “But our staff are professionals, and they handled it with grace,” Ford said.

“It’s been a year.”

Mandate letters for new provincial ministers outline “some pretty exciting stuff for us,” and with new funding streams coming from both the province and the federal government, “we have some opportunities that we wouldn’t have had a year ago, which is kind of a silver lining, if you will,” Ford said.

Funding for enhancing cellular service and capital funding for provincial parks and rec sites are two areas the SLRD is watching,

REGIONAL ROLE Whistler Councillor Jen Ford is the new chair of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s board of directors.

FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER

“and then the big one, the behemoth, is the regional transit,” Ford said, adding that new CAO Melanie Helmer has a “solid history” of working on transit.

“So we’re really hopeful,” she said.

“Not to put it all on her shoulders, but we definitely brought in some A-game to help us move that file along if the province is going to come to the table.”

Other projects in the works at the SLRD include a sewer upgrade in Bralorne and a new transfer station in Pemberton, Ford added.

“I’m excited and very enthusiastic to

work with partners, stakeholders, [and] regional community groups,” Ford said.

“All through COVID, we’ve been working with non-profits and social services throughout the corridor with the response to the pandemic … It’s been really rewarding to work with those groups, and [I’m really excited] to continue that work.”

The SLRD elects its chair and vice chair annually. Ford replaces outgoing chair Tony Rainbow (also Area D director).

Area B director Vivian Birch-Jones will serve as vice chair.

Read more at slrd.bc.ca. n

40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION IS HERE! IN PRINT AND ONLINE! Covid ’19’ Things To Do Comfort food Long-term locals Backcountry Bounty The Evolution of Ski Style Whistler Classic Homes And much more!

9214 Wedgemount Plateau Drive | $2,790,000 Nature is your backyard with this stunning contemporary WedgeWoods home

Look for it in select hotel rooms, on stands, in shops… or call us if you would like copies delivered. cpower@whistlermagazine.com | 604-932-1672

28 DECEMBER 17, 2020

• Home Warranty

• Energy Efficient

• 2 bedroom Suite

• Amazing Views

• 10-14ft Ceilings

• 3,456 sq ft

• Fully Landscaped 1 Acre Lot

• Tilt/Turn Windows

E: rob@wrec.com W: robpalm.com T: 604-905-8833 TF: 1-800-667-2993

Whistler’s premier visitor magazine since 1980 whistlermagazine.com

• 4.5 bedrooms

/whistlermagazine

Pemberton, BC

Featured Home Plan B3 2 Bedrooms + 2.5 Bathrooms + Den 1,370 sq. ft. Interior Living Space 566 sq. ft. Garage 112 sq. ft. Decks

Choose from 12 unique floor plans and two designer colour schemes (Dusk & Dawn), artfully curated by i3 Design.

Play outside in your front yard or on one of your two large decks. Store all of your gear in your two car garage with an over-sized garage door. There’s so much to love about these modern farmhouse townhomes.

Garage

Main Floor

Bedrooms

30 Townhomes Coming Soon To Pemberton.

Pricing released soon. Visit us online for more info.

30 modern farmhouse designed townhomes by Formwerks Architecture offering a collection of 2 to 4 bedroom residences ranging in size from 1,098 sq. ft. to 1,528 sq. ft. All homes are equipped with high efficiency zone controlled heating and air conditioning, 2.5 bathrooms, master ensuite with heated floors and resilient wide plank flooring throughout the main floor living area.

Register Now.

mountainsidepemberton.ca This is not an offering for sale. Any offering can only be made with a disclosure statement. Prices are subject to change without notice and are subject to availability. E.& O.E.

NEWS WHISTLER

Naturespeak: Record count on fall feathered friends

BY KARL RICKER AND KRISTINA SWERHUN AUTUMN: As Johanna Wagstaffe said on her CBC weather report, meteorological autumn ends on Nov. 30 and we see most of our migratory birds by this date. Worth mentioning is that our mid-November snowstorm caused birds to stop over in Whistler two weeks early. The number of birds seen this autumn was low, so it was surprising to see that a record number of species was recorded. Between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, 125 species were observed, which was 11 more than the previous record (in 2006).

Why the increase in species despite the low number of birds seen? Certainly, COVID19 has kept us home with our time taken up with more daily bird walks—that means far more hours on the job! Another factor is the observers: Liz Barrett with her kayak and long lens camera has seen at least a dozen species that are hard to find; and a newcomer in our fold, Dea Lloyd, has added a few as well.

Species highlights this fall include the flocks of pine siskins, which have returned after a one-year absence. Hopefully, they will hang around over the winter—look for sawdust under alder trees generated by siskins that chew catkins. Of note, five of the seven North American species of grebes have passed through: Pied-billed (most prevalent), red-necked (several days on both big lakes), horned (a few), eared (a few) and western (very few). We also snagged a few canvasback ducks on Alta Lake and a single long-tailed duck on Green Lake on another day.

Over the year, what were the rest of the highlights?

Winter 2019-2020: The birding year began at the 2019 Christmas Bird Count with the rare sighting of a marine surf scoter at the Fitzsimmons Creek outflow into Green Lake. The Christmas count recorded 44 species, but the winter season was slow thereafter and finished the season at 53 species, eight below average.

Spring: In March, the beginning of spring season saw the welcomed return

FEATHERED FRIENDS Flocks of pine siskins chew catkins and create sawdust under alder trees. The number of birds seen this autumn was low, so it was surprising to see that a record number of species was recorded.

PHOTO BY LIZ BARRETT

of trumpeter swans in several good-sized flocks. Their stay here ended in early April after about 350 of those elegant creatures had passed through. Another highlight was the arrival of several flocks of goldencrowned sparrows, a secretive species not usually seen in robust numbers. The surprise for the season, however, was a marine rock reef inhabitant: A way-out-ofplace black turnstone on the float-plane wharf. The spring season ended on May 31 with 134 species, which was average.

Summer: The June to August count was none too shabby with a second highest seasonal count of 133 species. Summer highlights were the well-camouflaged

American bittern (a heron), a very seldom seen house wren, and get this—a barn owl seen by the Schwartz family near the birdviewing stand on Alta Lake. That was the second-ever seen barn owl in Whistler over 98 years of observations!

Thus, at avian year-end, 182 species were seen over 12 months, which is the third highest count over the 16 years of tallying.

We now look forward to a successful but COVID-19 restricted Christmas Bird Count to kick off the winter season of 2021.

Naturespeak is prepared by the Whistler Naturalists. To learn more about Whistler’s natural world, go to Whistlernaturalists.ca. n

■ ■ ■ ■

Meet with us via videoconference, telephone, and email.

Resort Municipality of Whistler

It’s winter which means the inevitable task of snow clearing your property is here...

We thank you for keeping strata and private driveways clear of snow. Please remember that all cleared snow must be stored in designated areas on your own property.

Dumping snow on municipal roads, parks and creeks is never allowed. Please note that a municipal road allowance is typically 20 meters wide and is not just considered the travelled portion of the roadway and sidewalk. Should you have any questions or comments please email engineers@whistler.ca

Estate Planning Real Estate Family Law Business Law

604.932.3211 332-4370 Lorimer Road

TRACEY CRUZ MAKING YOUR DREAMS A REALITY

RACEANDCOMPANY.COM

experience makes the difference. #322 Glacier Lodge

Location is key in this fabulous updated 1 bedroom and loft home situated at the Base of Blackcomb just steps from the Gondola, restaurants and the free shuttle. You will love the vaulted ceilings with huge windows capturing the mountain views from the open living space or from the spacious deck. Glacier Lodge is a sought after property that has Phase 1 zoning, a year-round saltwater heated pool and hot tub along with an exercise room, ski and bike storage, plus secure underground parking.

OFFERED AT $1,195,000

T: 604-905-2853 | TF: 1-800-667-2993 | E: tracey@wrec.com

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/roads

30 DECEMBER 17, 2020

www.traceycruz.com

Seasons Greetings and Merry Christmas! gershoncpa.com

WE ARE HIRING BEEKEEPER & GROWING / FARM MANAGER Apply by Email: careers@pemcap.ca

DECEMBER 17, 2020

31

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

A new section of S2S Trail now bears name of its biggest booster GORD’S GARDEN BETWEEN WHISTLER AND PEMBERTON IS NAMED AFTER TRAIL’S ORIGINAL PROJECT MANAGER, GORD MCKEEVER

BY BRANDON BARRETT IF YOU WANTED to see Gord McKeever light up, all you had to do was mention the Sea to Sky Trail, a project that was near and dear to his heart until his passing in 2016.

“He just loved it. The idea of a linear park was just delightful to him. Seriously,” said McKeever’s wife, Libby. “He talked about it wherever we went.”

Now, a section of the trail will bear the name of one of its biggest boosters. The recently completed Gord’s Garden is a seven-kilometre stretch between Whistler and Pemberton that follows the Green River and passes through the site of a prehistoric rockslide.

Also known as Rock Garden, it was one of McKeever’s favourite sections of the unfinished Sea to Sky Trail.

“It was a particularly troublesome bit,” said Libby. “He loved the idea that it was an impenetrable barrier, this puzzle, and he wanted to figure out how to get through it.”

GARDEN STATE Gord’s Garden is a sevenkilometre stretch of the Sea to Sky Trail named after its original project manager, Gord McKeever.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SLRD

32 DECEMBER 17, 2020

The Sea to Sky Trail’s original project manager, McKeever was a fierce advocate for the route, and, with his experience as the former board chair of the Whistler Housing Authority and a dogged Whistler councillor from 2002 to 2008, he was uniquely positioned to navigate the various

for sure, he was the right person at the right time for the project.”

Funded with a grant from the SLRD and Trans Canada Trail, this latest addition means there are now 126 km of the Sea to Sky Trail completed between Squamish and D’Arcy.

“[Gord] had the most unique set of skills that I think fostered a forward movement with the trail, but he wasn’t alone.”

- LIBBY MCKEEVER

interests at play—from the province to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) and local First Nations—to make such an ambitious vision come to life.

“He could be in any of those rooms,” said Allison Macdonald, the SLRD’s parks and trails coordinator, who worked closely with McKeever over the years. “He wanted to be comfortable with the people he was working with in any of those situations, so,

Once completed, the trail, which also encompasses the Sea to Sky Marine Trail and connects to the Great Trail, will span 180 km, linking the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Coast Mountains to the north.

“I think it shows the original connectedness of this region,” said SLRD board chair Jen Ford. “We call it the Sea to Sky corridor, and yet it’s fragmented. So the effort being put here is to really connect that

‘sea’ and ‘sky’ meaning in the corridor.”

First envisioned in 1991, the Sea to Sky Trail has been decades in the making—and, while a project of this magnitude requires multiple hands at the table, it was McKeever’s tireless advocacy and fundraising that propelled the concept forward.

“He had the most unique set of skills that I think fostered a forward movement with the trail, but he wasn’t alone,” said Libby.

“The fact that we have this beautiful environment right at our doorstep, and the fact that he was able to make that accessible was very important to him.”

Asked what he’d think of having a section of trail named after him, Libby said, “He’d be totally chucked. He’d be embarrassed but so thankful. Apart from the Marine Trail, this was something he really wanted to get done. It was difficult and he really wanted to do it. It was that extra link between Whistler and Pemberton.”

An opening ceremony dedicating Gord’s Garden will be held in the spring.

The non-motorized, multi-use Sea to Sky Trail is open year-round for walking, hiking or biking in the summer, and crosscountry skiing in the winter.

For more information, visit slrd.bc.ca/ services/recreation-culture/parks-trails/ sea-sky-trail. n

NOTICE OF PROPOSED DISPOSITION

Pursuant to section 286 of the Local Government Act, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (“SLRD”) hereby gives notice that the SLRD intends to dispose of land to the Village of Pemberton by way of sale, of an interest held in fee simple over Lot 11 District Lot 210 Lillooet District Plan KAP74191, PID 025-764-675, having a civic address of 1950 Venture Place in Pemberton BC (“Venture Property”). The consideration for such fee simple interest is the Statutory Right of Way to be granted by the Village of Pemberton to the SLRD shown as the unregistered SRW Plan EPP89904 over that portion of Lot 5 District Lot 210 Lillooet District Plan KAP72481 shown as Lot “A” on the proposed Subdivision Plan set out below and $678,000 which will be applied towards the proceeds needed for the SLRD’s purchase of a certain subdivided portion of parent parcel 1929 Stonecutter Place in Pemberton BC, known as Lot “B” (see below).

WE KNOW PEMBERTON INSIDE & OUT

KATELYN SPINK

B

katelyn@wrec.com 604 786 1903 A

NOTICE OF PROPOSED DISPOSITION

Pursuant to section 286 of the Local Government Act, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (“SLRD”) hereby gives notice that the SLRD intends to dispose of land by way of a Statutory Right of Way in favour of the SLRD for a recreation trail. The consideration for the proposed Statutory Right of Way is nominal. The proposed Statutory Right of Way is shown on Plan EPP96799 set out below as the unregistered SRW Plan KAP74190 in respect of Lot 11, District Lot 210 Lillooet District Plan KAP74191, PID 025-764-675, having a civic address of 1950 Venture Place in Pemberton BC. BOOK

OF

REFERENCE

DESCRIPTION

AREA

LOT 8 DISTRICT LOT 210 LILLOOET DISTRICT PLAN KAP74191

21.4 m²

LOT 9 DISTRICT LOT 210 LILLOOET DISTRICT PLAN KAP74191

315.0 m²

LOT 10 DISTRICT LOT 210 LILLOOET DISTRICT PLAN KAP74191

165.6 m²

LOT 11 DISTRICT LOT 210 LILLOOET DISTRICT PLAN KAP74191

Lot 4 Plan KAP74191

LISA AMES

121.7 m² TOTAL

623.7 m²

Lot 6 Plan KAP74191

Lot 5 Plan KAP74191

lisaa@wrec.com 604 849 4663

Lot 7 Plan KAP74191

Lot 2

DL 210

Lot 11 Plan KAP74191

a= 2.576

Lot 10 Plan KAP74191

67.334

0°09'57"

Lot 8 Plan KAP74191 0° 10' 57" 41.918

INDUSTRIAL WAY

Plan KAP74191

VENTURE PLACE

Lot 9 Plan KAP74191

a = 2 5. 4 4 3

" .893 18 37 52' ° 68

27.357 90° 09' 17"

a= 4.532 90° 09' 17" 26.892

0°10'22" 4.500

0°12'07" 4.500

36.796 90° 09' 17"

SRW

67.944 90° 09' 17"

4.500

57"

90° 10' 07"

4.50

° 24 33

.265 00 .0

22

" ' 38

182.516 79° 56' 32"

6.811 90° 09' 17"

17

r=

a=

27

"

0°

' 59

14

09

' 03

"

7°

14 78° 21'

180.452 89° 37' 56" BEARING DERIVATION

SRW KAP74190

90° 09' 17" 36.794

90° 09' 17" 72.050

137° 48' 08" 6.089

2.708 90° 09' 17"

NOTICE OF PROPOSED DISPOSITION

Pursuant to section 26 of the Community Charter, the Village of Pemberton hereby gives notice that the Village of Pemberton intends to dispose of a certain fifty percent (50%) subdivided portion of land, known as Lot “B” as shown on the proposed subdivision plan set out below, to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (“SLRD”) by way of sale of an interest held in fee simple over the Lot “B” portion of the parent parcel Lot 5 District Lot 210 Lillooet District Plan KAP72481, PID 025-569-724, having a civic address of 1929 Stonecutter Place in Pemberton BC. The consideration to be received by the Village of Pemberton from the SLRD for such fee simple interest consists of $340,000 plus the value of the Venture Property (being $678,000 as noted above) for total consideration of $1,018,000.

Lot Size:

120 Acres

LISA HILTON* lisah@wrec.com 604 902 4589

NOTICE OF PROPOSED DISPOSITION

Pursuant to section 26 of the Community Charter, the Village of Pemberton hereby gives notice that the Village of Pemberton intends to dispose of land by way of a Statutory Right of Way (“SRW”) in favour of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District for a recreation trail. Since the Village of Pemberton is to grant the SRW as part of the consideration to purchase the Venture Property, the consideration for the SRW is nominal. The proposed Statutory Right of Way is shown on the proposed subdivision plan set out below as the unregistered SRW Plan EPP89904 in respect of a certain subdivided lot known as Lot “A”, on a portion of parent parcel Lot 5 District Lot 210 Lillooet District Plan KAP72481, PID 025-569-724, having a civic address of 1929 Stonecutter Place in Pemberton BC.

Lot Size:

7,577 sqft

DAN SCARRATT* dan@wrec.com 604 938 4444

B

A

* Denotes Personal Real Estate Corporation

604 894 5166 | WHISTLERREALESTATE.CA DECEMBER 17, 2020

33

NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

B.C. expects a busy winter in provincial parks: CPAWS survey SURVEY FINDS 58% OF THOSE POLLED EXPECT INFLUX OF BACKCOUNTRY USERS

BY ALYSSA NOEL A NEW SURVEY conducted by the B.C. chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) has found that most people are expecting parks to remain busy this winter—and they worry about how prepared people are.

The survey, conducted between Dec. 2 and 6 with 1,058 people responding from across the province, found that 58 per cent of people anticipate parks to be busier this season.

“We started to see some anecdotal evidence of this from some of the online forums and people’s firsthand experience going to parks,” said Tori Ball, terrestrial campaigner with CPAWS B.C. “We wanted to get a sense of if it was a trend beyond that small sample size—if it was going on across the province.”

Twenty four per cent of respondents said that travel restrictions would prompt

them to try a new winter activity this season.

The most popular new activities listed were cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

“The results show people are looking at taking up new activities,” Ball said. “I was in Source for Sports in Squamish [recently] and they had almost no cross-country skis left in their entire inventory—which was [due to] interest and shipping delays spurred by COVID.” To that end, 70 per cent of people who answered the survey also said they were concerned about other park visitors being underprepared for winter conditions.

“Likely that number is so high based on how many search-and-rescue stories we saw covered in the media over the summer,” Ball said. “It’s still on people’s minds.”

The other major findings were 64 per cent of people were concerned about limited enforcement of public health and park rules and 60 per cent were worried about searchand-rescue teams becoming too busy.

Did You Know

admin@ pemberton.ca

www.pemberton.ca

GETTY IMAGES

“What was surprising is how many solutions people have in mind for being more safe and welcoming, whether that’s education for people on how to be more prepared themselves or more staff, better signage, and [information on] the risks people are taking and how to minimize those risks,” she added.

While the summer might have seen a massive spike in backcountry use—with plenty of people getting into trouble and having to call search and rescue—there is concern the stakes can be higher in winter.

“The shorter days, the weather can change at any time, it’s more severe with dropping temperatures … We want to make sure everyone has the knowledge to get outside,” Ball said.

CPAWS is calling on more funding for

B.C.’s parks system to better handle the influx of visitors—who, even before COVID19, were heading into BC Parks in steadily increasing numbers.

“BC Parks’ budget is way behind in the resources that are needed to keep up the infrastructure and properly staff these areas,” Ball said. “We’re hoping when the next budget is released, it will have an increase in the funding to BC Parks to allow it to hire more rangers and year-round and seasonal staff—and look to expand in areas.”

There is reason to be hopeful that the situation could improve, she said.

“We see that’s been part of the mandate handed to the Ministry of Environment from [B.C.] Premier [John] Horgan,” she said. “We are excited to see that and work with them to make it happen.” n

Reminder Winter Parking Regulations

Question?

We’re Listening 604.894.6135

BUSY WINTER The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, BC Chapter found in a study that 58 per cent of respondents were expecting B.C. parks to be busier this winter.

To facilitate snow clearing, residents are reminded that as of November 15th, parking is not permitted on the even side of the street or in Village public parking lots between 9pm and 9am, 7 days a week.

Vehicles parked in contravention of the posted parking regulation will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner's expense. Winter Parking Regulations are in effect until March 31st.

You can help to ensure quick and efficient snow clearing by: • Keeping cul-de-sacs clear of vehicles; • Parking the entire vehicle in your drive way and off the roadways; • Yielding to the snow plow; • Not pushing snow onto the Village streets; and • By familiarizing yourself with the Village of Pemberton Snow Clearing and related Boulevard Maintenance Bylaws available at www.pemberton.ca.

Parking is not permitted on both sides of Dogwood St between Aster & Greenwood Streets.

Parking for 72 hours or more on Village streets is not permitted.

Unregistered and uninsured vehicles may not be parked on Village Streets or property.

Vehicles must be parked in the same direction as the flow of traffic.

For the safety of children, please ensure they refrain from playing on and around snowbanks. Snowbanks will be dumped on or moved, posing a serious threat to children playing in close proximity.

VillageOfPemberton 34 DECEMBER 17, 2020

www.pemberton.ca

Happy Holidays from Council & Staff

Have a safe & wonderful holiday season Village Office Holiday Hours Thursday, December 24th - CLOSED Friday, December 25th - CLOSED Monday, December 28th - CLOSED Tuesday, December 29th - CLOSED Wednesday, December 30th - CLOSED Thursday, December 31st - CLOSED Friday, January 1st - CLOSED Monday, January 4th - OPEN

SCIENCE MATTERS

EST.2006

We have the power to create a brighter future AS IF THINGS weren’t bad enough on

Immigrating great people to a great country Our team of Canadian immigration experts will help you understand the immigration system and processes to give you a clear understanding of how to achieve your immigration goals.

Book a Roadmap Consultation to develop a detailed strategy tailored to your unique situation based on an in-depth analysis and discussion of your situation as student, worker, visitor, family sponsor, employer, or entrepreneur.

the environmental front—record-breaking global temperature increases, the U.S. backtracking on ecological protections and policies and pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, a worsening biodiversity crisis and more—the world was hit with a devastating pandemic. We’ve been brought to a tipping point.

A common thread through it all is the dangerous politicization, and often outright dismissal, of science.

Those who reject and protest the simple steps needed to stem the spread of COVD-19 have contributed to ensuring those measures

BY DAVID SUZUKI

Our full-service representation will manage each stage of the application process for you to achieve results faster, with less stress and higher likelihood of success.

Contact Us E: info@whistlerimmigration.com W: whistlerimmigration.com P: 1-888-266-1161 A: 201-4230 Gateway Drive (above the Visitor Center & beside the Whistler Chamber) We are members in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) Managing Partner and Director Brooke Finlay (R514337), Barbara Kolvek (R531141) and Caitlin Thomas (RCIC R530663).

must be strengthened and kept in place longer than they might have—just as those who have cast doubt on climate science have ensured that resolving that crisis will be costlier and more painful than it could have been had we acted quickly and decisively.

Although the forces of ignorance, fear and greed enjoy support in powerful places, from governments to wealthy corporate interests, our hope lies in the fact that they are a minority—a noisy one, but a minority nonetheless. Most people want to do what’s right for their families, neighbours, communities and themselves. Most in government and business want to do their best to ensure we get through the multiple crises.

Our COVID-19 response proves we’re capable of making rapid, decisive progress.

don’t need to earn enough to survive or to buy more stuff they’ve been convinced will bring meaning or happiness to their lives.

It’s an economy where the world’s richest one per cent own almost half of global wealth and account for more than twice the global emissions of the poorest 50 per cent. Where, in the U.S., government policy has helped some 600 billionaires grow their wealth by US$931 billion during the pandemic. Those few hundred people now hold US$4 trillion in wealth, more than double that of the 165 million people in the bottom half of the population. It’s not much different elsewhere.

The United Nations Environmental Program just released its “Emissions Gap Report 2020.” It shows that if the world doesn’t step up efforts to bring emissions under control, we will overheat by three degrees Celsius by century’s end. We’re already experiencing major effects of climate disruption, from increased extreme weather events to sea level rise to growing refugee crises. An increase over two degrees C, or even 1.5, would be catastrophic.

It’s not sustainable.

But according to the UN, “A green pandemic recovery could cut up to 25 per cent off predicted 2030 greenhouse gas emissions and bring the world closer to meeting the 2°C goal of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.” Stronger action would get us near the 1.5-degree goal.

Governments are supposed to serve us, the people, not just corporate interests. We must demand they do, just as young people and Indigenous peoples have been demanding over the past few years. Many of our problems— from inequity to the pandemic to the climate

Those who reject and protest the simple steps needed to stem the spread of COVID-19 have contributed to ensuring those measures must be strengthened and kept in place longer than they might have—just as those who have cast doubt on climate science ...

Although the pandemic is still spreading in some places, jurisdictions that acted quickly have slowed it or brought it under control. Our understanding of the disease is advancing rapidly and we’ve created vaccines in record time.

But we must start thinking longerterm. We still face worsening climate and biodiversity crises, and new pandemics could emerge if we don’t address their mainly environmental causes.

It bears repeating that getting back to “normal” isn’t good enough. “Normal” means a global economy fuelled by overconsumption. A “healthy” economy in this context is one in which people continue to purchase and drive more cars and SUVs, fly more, buy more, waste more. It’s one in which people work long hours producing stuff we

36 DECEMBER 17, 2020

and biodiversity crises—are related, stemming from a lack of understanding about humanity’s place in the world, and the interconnectedness of existence.

It’s time for a paradigm shift. Let’s take this time to reflect on what really matters— time with friends and family, our connection with nature, and the need to hold to account those we elect to represent our interests.

As we in the Northern hemisphere head into the darkest time of year, we know light will return. Let’s all keep ours shining today for a brighter tomorrow.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington. ■

LET 21 STEPS COOK YOUR CHRISTMAS DINNER THIS YEAR!

A D E E P E R U N D E R S TA N D I N G GEODIVERSITY

Includes turkey, herbed stuffing, mashed potato and veg with cranberry

W ATC H N O W

sauce and gravy.

$

BIODIVERSITY

01.06.2021

30

per person

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

01.13.2021

Please email info@21steps.ca before the 25th to order

H I S TO R Y & H E R I TA G E

01.20.2021 THE ARTS

01.27.2021

WHISTLER 101

A new online series to inspire a deeper understanding of Whistler ABOUT THE COMMUNITY

FOR THE COMMUNITY

BY THE COMMUNITY

WATCH EACH EPISODE FREE AT:

WHISTLER.CA/101

The Resort Municipality of Whistler gratefully acknowledges the ďŹ nancial support of the Province of British Columbia.

#WHISTLER101

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/101

NEED A GREAT GIFT IDEA THIS HOLIDAY SEASON? A gift card to one of your favorite local restaurants Go to 21steps.ca for online gift cards or call 604.966.2121

RESERVATIONS 604.966.2121 w w w. 2 1 s t e p s . c a DECEMBER 17, 2020

37

RANGE ROVER

Books galore AS IF YOU HAVEN’T already read enough during the pandemic, I offer my annual pre-holiday roundup of outdoorsy books. This lot also happens to come with the bonus that they might help

BY LESLIE ANTHONY re-energize sedentary and mouldering brains (looking your way Covidiots, antimaskers, anti-vaxxers, dog-poop-bag-tossers and supporters of Calgary MP Michelle Rempel). Regardless, they’re all well-written, enjoyable reads.

In Praise of Walking: A New Scientific Exploration, by Shane O’Mara, 2019, Norton Of those who might pen a tome to walking—monks, religious pilgrims, through-hikers—you probably wouldn’t have picked a neuroscientist. But such is the case, and, as the subtitle suggests, what we discover about this simple act is far more than we expect. As one reviewer couches it: “a backstage tour of what happens in our brains while we perambulate.”

Shane O’Mara believes regular walking unlocks our cognitive powers like nothing else. But it’s not just him: reams of data support the notion that walking makes us healthier, happier—and smarter. And

BOOKWORM Writer Leslie Anthony offers up his annual list of outdoorsy books to get on your shelves this year. Perhaps a great Christmas gift or two?

PHOTO BY ANDREA HELLEMAN

38 DECEMBER 17, 2020

well it should given that Homo sapiens evolved for, and by, walking. To reverse engineer this trajectory, you have but to watch a toddler’s engagement with the world expand in a fledgling Big Bang after it takes its first steps; the young brain literally re-wires itself before your eyes.

In non-technical prose, O’Mara details how our sensory systems function optimally when moving through the world.

In a 2018 study that tracked participants’ activity levels and personality traits over two decades, those who moved least showed the most-malign personality changes.

Substantial data also show walkers have lower rates of depression, and that their physical activity has a powerful influence on creative outcomes. With this in mind— pun not intended—O’Mara practices what he preaches, aiming to log an empirically optimal 14,000 steps a day.

This book suffers from only one thing: the paradox of being hard to put down while making you want to ditch it and go for a walk.

Emilio Comici: Angel of the Dolomites, by David Smart, 2020, Rocky Mountain Books Like his previous book Paul Preuss: Lord of the Abyss, climbing scribe David Smart brings a long-forgotten titan of climbing lore to startling life in one of the most impressive biographies of an early figure in the sport to be found. Meticulously researched and contextualized with both the historic political and climbing practices of the day and their connections to today’s climbing milieu, this book literally breathes the same air as Comici on the soaring walls and high aeries where he preached aesthetic gospels

and practised ground-breaking rock craft.

Not only an enjoyable read about an obscure but important figure in climbing, but, as respected climbing author David Roberts avers, “a dazzling achievement.”

Underland: A Deep Time Journey, by Robert Macfarlane, 2019, Hamish Hamilton Robert Macfarlane (The Old Ways) thinks a lot about time. But in this ode to all things out of sight and beneath our feet, he thinks of it in ways new to both himself and readers.

Fastening itself to the dizzying expanses of “deep time,” and broken into three parts—Seeing (Britain), Hiding (Europe) and Haunting (the north)—Underland offers an epic exploration of Earth’s underworlds as they exist in myth, literature, memory and the land itself. If you’ve never thought about the underground world (and unless you’re a caver why would you?), Macfarlane offers an extraordinary trip into our relationships with darkness, burial and the planet’s past and future.

Blue Sky Kingdom: An Epic Family Journey to the Heart of the Himalaya, by Bruce Kirkby, 2020, Douglas & McIntyre Ever thought of changing paths after finding yourself staring into your own dystopian future? For Bruce Kirkby the portal to that moment was scrolling through his cellphone one morning around the breakfast table while his children tried to get his attention.

They did—and in a way that launched an epiphany: a growing subjugation to email and social media was the opposite of living, dragging him away from his true self—along with everything and everyone he loved.

In response, Kirkby and family hatched a

plan: without setting foot on an airplane they would disconnect completely and make their way to the Himalaya, there to spend three months reflecting, meditating and helping out in a Buddhist monastery in India’s remote Zanskar Valley. By turns funny, insightful, heartwarming, and sad, this slow-travelmeets-high-altitude family sojourn is by far the most daring and unflinching adventure undertaken by an author known for his audacious explorations.

Digging into themes of modern distraction, loss of ancient wisdom, and Kirkby’s personal coming-to-terms with a son’s recent diagnosis on the autism spectrum, Blue Sky Kingdom is the remarkable and readable tale of a family that fled distraction to find connection— both with themselves and the ancient traditions of a disappearing culture.

Horizon, by Barry Lopez. 2020, Vintage Canada From pole to pole and across decades of lived experience, award-winning author Barry Lopez (Arctic Dreams) delivers his most farranging yet personal work to date. Horizon moves deeply through the author’s travels to six key regions: western Oregon, the high Arctic, the Galápagos Islands, the deserts of Kenya, Australia’s Botany Bay, and Antarctica.

In his inimitably introspective prose, Lopez probes the long history of humanity’s thirst for exploration and, as always, he searches— beautifully and skilfully—for meaning and purpose in a fraught world.

Leslie Anthony is a biologist, writer and author of several popular books on environmental science. ■

P: Andrew Strain

CLASSIC CANADIAN HELI-SKIING

VISIT US AT THE CARLETON LODGE IN WHISTLER VILLAGE

SKI IN YOUR OWN BUBBLE TERRAIN

EXCLUSIVE

EXPERTISE

432,000 acres & 173 glaciers with exclusive rights to most of the glacial terrain in the region.

Semi private and private packages for small group heli skiing (4-5 guests).

Our guides are fully certified with decades of experience in B.C.’s coastal mountains.

NOW OPEN

604.905.DEEP (3337) whistlerheliskiing.com

OVER 50 TIMES THE AREA OF WHISTLER BLACKCOMB

A SEASON OF GIVING

Support your local community.

.

There are a number of reasons to refocus your gifting habits this year.

Whether you’re concerned about the environment, not sure what to purchase or looking for more far-reaching presents, take a look at the community around you. In Whistler, we’re lucky to have a very caring community. From environmental to health to homelessness, there are many worthwhile causes to consider supporting this Christmas.

Especially in such difficult times, it is more important than ever to provide assistance if we can. Please consider making a donation to one of these worthy local causes.

To donate, please visit the following link to find the charity that best suits you: https://tinyurl.com/piquegivingseason DECEMBER 17, 2020

39

As Pique columnist Glenda Bartosh wrote two weeks ago, “Restaurants, cafes, shops, and dozens of suppliers, community organizations and at-home entrepreneurs throughout Sea to Sky are more than willing and able to help you with your Santa shopping during these special times.

Remember, you truly spread the love when you eat local, shop local, spend local—especially with those who support our local community.”

Avalanche Safety Sets in STOCK! Ski Touring Gear still AVAILABLE! 2021 BIKES ARRIVING DAILY. Stocking Stuffers!

PEMBERTON BIKE CO 1-1392 PORTAGE RD // 604.894.6625 GIANT WHISTLER STORE MARKETPLACE // 604.938.9511 40 DECEMBER 17, 2020

Ski Service OPEN in Pemberton store.

THE CHALET IS NOW OPEN FOR FOR ANOTHER ANOTHER MAGICAL MAGICAL SEASON! SEASON!

37th Annual

FOR RESERVATIONS VISIT OPENTABLE.CA OR CALL (604) 938-8000

ur pics o y e r a h S with us

e #mypiqu

F

S @M Y O L LO W U

PIQUE

DECEMBER 20 - JANUARY 24

Thanks to a partnership in Truthh & Reconciiliatiion with the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

For hours of operation visit:

SL LCC.ca

Steps from the base off Blackcomb Gondola

4584 Blackc Blackcomb Way, Whistler @SLCCWhistler #SLCCWhistler

December 24 4 pm onwards at whistlerchorus.org

DECEMBER 17, 2020

41

Planning your perfect Whistler wedding?

P I C K U P Y O U R C O P Y T O D AY !

COFFEE IN CREE KSI DE

GEAR UP FOR WINTER SKI GEAR • OUTERWEAR MIDLAYERS • BASE LAYERS KIDS’ APPAREL • ACCESSORIES

Without our community's support, Amos & Andes wouldn’t have survived 2020. We are proud to call Whistler our home.

HELLY HANSEN WESTIN RESORT 4090 WHISTLER WAY 604-932-0142 HELLY HANSEN WHISTLER VILLAGE 4295 BLACKCOMB WAY 604-932-0143 42 DECEMBER 17, 2020

Your Whistler Sweater Shop Open every day from 10-6

On the Village Stroll - Close to the Visitor Centre

604-932-7202

www.whistlersweatershop.com

DECEMBER 17, 2020

43

Whistler’s Candy Shop Stocking Stuffer Central!

Great Secret Santa Gifts!

Gift Certificates & Christmas Cards too

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL THE STAFF & MANAGEMENT! A FAVOURED STORE TO SHOP IN WHISTLER SINCE 1994.

In Whistler’s Marketplace (604) 935-1076

GreatGlassElevatorCandyShop.com

44 DECEMBER 17, 2020

Visit us for: Decor, Cookware, Dining Ware, Bake Ware & so much more to celebrate the holidays in style with family & friends!

LOCATED IN WHISTLER’S MARKETPLACE

604.938.1110

Festive Feast To-Go!

A scrumptious holiday feast for 6 - 8.

It’s a holiday dream come true! Portobello in Whistler’s Upper Village is preparing festive to-go dinners that serve 6 - 8 people. Choose from either slow-roasted turkey or prime rib, served with all the trimmings, and a holiday yule log for dessert!

299 $399 $

*

TURKEY TO-GO

*

PRIME RIB TO-GO

AVAILABLE DECEMBER 20, 2020  JANUARY 1, 2021 TO PLACE YOUR ORDER PLEASE CALL 6049382018 AT LEAST 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE.

Located at the base of the Whistler Village Gondola | 604.932.4100

CHATEAUWHISTLER.COM

4599 CHATEAU BOULEVARD

*Applicable taxes and service charge extra. Subject to availability. A minimum of 72 hours notice and a full, non-refundable pre-payment required at time of booking. Pick up Festive Feast To-Go orders at Portobello.

Give the Gift of Art This Holiday Season The Museum Shop exclusively features creators from BC

Open Thursday to Sunday 11am – 6pm shop.audainartmuseum.com

DECEMBER 17, 2020

45

FEATURE STORY

46 DECEMBER 17, 2020

WWW.GETTYIMAGES.CA

ASCENT

SLOW

FEATURE STORY

DECIMATED BY COVID, B.C.’S TOURISM INDUSTRY CLINGS TO LONG-TERM HOPE

BY BRADEN DUPUIS

It’s a beautiful sunny day in late November, 2020,

and I’m standing outside the TOTA & CCCTA Tourism Institute, steeling my nerves to enter.

People walk slowly back and forth in front of the building, though they don’t appear to be going anywhere in particular.

I take a deep breath and head inside.

More nondescript conference attendees are milling about the main lobby, emanating the same aimless-yet-purposeful vibe as their peers outside.

They don’t seem to notice me—might even be actively ignoring me, in fact—but I’m OK with that.

I’ve never been a very social person.

Though I have a vast collection of nametags and lanyards from conferences near and far, the thought of heading into large conference centres or hotels filled with hundreds of networking, mingling, war-story-swapping professionals always gives me anxiety.

So in a way, this particular tourism summit—held entirely online—is perfectly suited for people like myself (that is to say, reporters interested less in the schmoozing and more in the learning).

Hosted by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association (CCCTA) on Nov. 25 and 26, the Summit was touted as an “invitation to build a better tourism industry, regionally, nationally and globally, by learning together,” with a theme of “Moving Forward Better—Recovery, Resiliency and Regeneration.”

DECEMBER 17, 2020

47

FEATURE STORY Attendees of the virtual summit were invited to click their way through the aforementioned virtual conference hall (complete with vendor booths, an auditorium and even a “networking couch”) to access panel discussions and Zoom lectures from dozens of industry insiders.

To fully replicate the experience of attending a real live conference, I click around the edges of the virtual lobby in my browser—completely skipping over the networking couch and vendor booths— hoping nobody will notice me.

When I inadvertently click on an auditorium session that is both painfully dry and completely irrelevant to anything I’m writing about, I simply close the meeting, free from committing the cardinal conference sin of the awkward, mid-presentation goodbye.

The next talk I enter is much more engaging, and (having yet to shower, or advance beyond my sweatpants, keep in mind) I crank the volume, fire up my recorder and wander into the kitchen to make coffee and a snack while I learn about the concept of regenerative tourism.

While many will no doubt prefer in-person conferences, there are clear benefits to living in the future, I decide.

CONFERENCE CALL Destinations like Whistler had best hope virtual conferences don’t become the norm as they forge their post-pandemic recovery— prior to COVID-19, conference business made up about 20 per cent of all winter room nights, rising to 30 per cent in the spring, summer and fall, according to Tourism Whistler president and CEO Barrett Fisher.

The format of the virtual Summit was innovative and creative, Fisher said, but she doesn’t see it replacing destination conference business anytime soon.

“I think it was incredibly successful, but then when we look to the long-term of meetings and meeting in person, I would argue that those kinds of formats will likely not replace that human engagement,” Fisher says.

There are a few factors at play though, she reasons: while platforms like Zoom offer efficiency and reduced costs, nine months into the pandemic, the burnout is real.

“How many people do you talk to that say, ‘Oh, I was in back-to-back Zoom meetings?”

Fisher says.

“So I think that everything is about

balance. I think what technology will do is it will increase the expedience of information sharing, but I don’t believe it will replace the benefit of networking and human interaction.”

In fact, Tourism Whistler is seeing more growth in future conference business, with contracts being signed “as we speak,” she says—enthusiasm spurred on by encouraging news about vaccines.

“Our conference sales team is in discussions with hundreds of meeting planners,” Fisher says, adding that while there has been some “preliminary interest” over the last six months, there had been no confirmed bookings—until the vaccine was announced.

“We’ve recently booked approximately half a dozen very large conferences that we’re looking at for 2022,” she says, adding that all of them are new clients rather than returning.

THE ‘REAL’ STATE OF THE INDUSTRY Clearly, there is optimism for the future—a proverbial light in a metaphorical tunnel of tourism revenue.

And let’s face it: People will always want to come to Whistler, once they’re allowed.

But for the operators on the ground, locally and across the province, the urgency is real, said Destination Canada president and CEO Marsha Walden, in a presentation at the Summit.

“I try my best to make sure we’re getting a dose of reality, and frankly, there’s just no sugarcoating the situation: the picture, as you all know, is shocking,” Walden said.

“Our sector is in very dire straits. And for much of our industry, it’s not only dire now, but it’s continuing to deteriorate.”

Canada is at risk of losing almost half of all its tourism jobs in 2020, Walden said.

Of about 748,000 jobs directly attributable to tourism, up to 549,000 could be lost, she said—a drop of up to 2.9 per cent to Canada’s total employment.

“And these are direct jobs; they’re specifically tourism jobs,” she said. “It does not include all the indirect jobs that the tourism supply chain also helps support.”

Further, every quarter that the border remains closed adds another year to the

MORE FOSSIL FUELS EXCESS CONSUMPTION TOXINS DISEASE EXTREME WEATHER INSTABILITY DRUGS

DEGENERATING RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

Here to help answer your financial questions in uncertain times It is always emotional to see markets drop significantly. But depending on your personal situation, it may be beneficial to stay invested. Here’s why: Historically, markets have recovered from downturns and produced gains.

Those who stay invested have realized these gains in the long term. Many can benefit from staying invested and sticking to their long-term plan – and we can all benefit from focusing on our health and the health of those around us.

Ultimately, your most important asset is your health. Be safe, stay well and show compassion for those around you.

If you’d like assistance with questions or financial uncertainty, please don’t hesitate to contact me for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation.

Don Brett, MBA, CIM, CFP Wealth Advisor 1-888-612-9566 | don.brett@rbc.com www.donbrett.com

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2020 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 20_90892_SEU_001

48 DECEMBER 17, 2020

FEATURE STORY WWW.GETTYIMAGES.CA

industry’s recovery time (back to 2019 levels) Walden said.

While the tourism industry has done an outstanding job of adapting to COVID-19 safety protocols—perhaps naturally suited for it, given the guided and structured nature of the work—there is still work to do to build confidence in the public.

“When the borders reopen and when mobility is once again encouraged, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for all of us in the industry to be very clear about the safety protocols we have in place,” Walden said.

“There’s still a great deal of uncertainty among Canadians and other travellers around the world. We need to continue to hammer home that message [that] we’ve made significant investments and we are ready to host.”

Some pockets of the province—such as the Okanagan and Tofino—have done reasonably well in spite of things, said Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of BC. But certain sectors—large urban areas,

or tour bus companies, for example—have suffered greatly.

While both the federal and provincial governments have offered support for businesses throughout the pandemic, keeping entrepreneurs solvent remains a dire concern.

“We just cannot get to the other side of COVID-19 and start to see the tourism sector recover without businesses actually remaining solvent,” Judas said.

“Many of them have already closed shop—some permanently, some on a temporary basis—some are really on the brink of folding.

“So how do we ensure we give them the help they need?”

In the weeks following the conference, a provincial Tourism Task Force (of which Judas is a member) submitted its final report to the government.

Around the same time, the federal government announced the new Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP)—a new program for the sectors

hardest-hit by COVID, like tourism and hospitality, hotels, arts and entertainment.

On Dec. 8, new provincial tourism minister Melanie Mark announced how $53 million earmarked for tourism recovery will be spent: $19.4 million to support tourismdependent municipalities to build, adapt and diversify their tourism infrastructure; $13.6 million for all six B.C. tourism regions to work with government to identify projects to create jobs and attract new businesses; and $20 million to develop local tourism experiences, infrastructure and services.

But for many tourism operators in B.C., the relief simply won’t be enough.

In late November, longtime Whistler locals’ haunt Three Below closed its doors due to COVID. “Certainly it was a little bit too late,” owner Priyanka Lewis told Pique, of changes to the federal commercial rent subsidy

program that might have saved the business.

“Obviously now the rent subsidy has moved into the hands of the tenants, and I think if that was the case from the beginning, we would have made it at Three Below.”

REGENERATION-X A year ago, the big, troubling topic amongst tourism types was “overtourism”—the swarming of our precious and priceless outdoor amenities to the point that they’re destroyed, or otherwise unable to be enjoyed.

“This year it’s undertourism,” said Anna Pollock, author and industry researcher, at the Summit.

MORE BALANCE CARING COMPLEXITY BEAUTY LONGEVITY HEALTH PERFORMANCE JOY YIELD

REGENERATING We’ve got you covered.

COMMERCIAL LEASING AND OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY VISTA PLACE - PEMBERTON

- 1,150 sq.ft. bay spaces with 18’6” ceilings - 40% mezzanines available in bay spaces - barn doors, concrete and steel construction - 1,360 sq.ft. second-floor open space.

- mixed-use, residential-commercial building

Pick up the latest issue of your favourite read in Whistler.

VISTAPLACEPEMBERTON.COM Dave@davebeattie.com; 604-905-8855 DECEMBER 17, 2020

49

FEATURE STORY “And who would have imagined that in the space of a few weeks, all the growth that international tourism has enjoyed since 2003 would literally be wiped off the map?”

The devastation is enormous, and can’t be understated, Pollock said—and all caused by a tiny, invisible microbe.

But what can we learn from it?

“I believe the answer to that question, actually, lies in how we see it; how we frame this event,” Pollock said.

“Do we see COVID-19 as an enemy, a pathogen that has to be eliminated at any cost? Or do we see it as an opportunity just to stop, slow down and reflect and, more importantly, notice how quickly nature can repair itself when we humans stop our frenetic activity and give it a little space?”

The concept of regenerative tourism envisions a shift away from “death, draining and extraction” to “life, vitality and thriving”—in other words, away from conventional “extractors” like fossil fuels, excess consumption and drugs to “stewards” like sustainability.

The key takeaway, in Pollock’s view, is this: “If sustainability is doing less harm, then regeneration is about developing the innate capability of a system to self-organize, thrive and evolve,” she said.

It’s about creating the conditions for life to flourish, in the broadest sense of the word: individually, as well as in communities and businesses.

VIRTUAL ANXIETY Virtual conferences like the tourism summit hosted by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association in November are unique and innovative, but unlikely to fully replace the real deal once COVID-19 is behind us. Screenshot.

Key to it all is to change how you see a destination, “to begin to see it as a living system, and all of the interpretive dimensions within it,” she says.

The concept isn’t new to Whistler— many of its key fundamentals can be found in Tourism Whistler’s recent place-branding exercise, Fisher says.

That work, which culminated in the new Thrill Runs Deep campaign launched

in October, “was really our foray into not only sustainable and responsible tourism, but then also looking to the future for regenerative tourism, so all of those topics are super interesting to us,” she says.

When it comes to Whistler’s own COVIDrecovery, the long, slow ascent back to the top of the tourism mountain is just beginning.

“We’ve got a long ways to go still, and our business community is having a tough go of

it right now, but I think we recognize that there is hope on the horizon with vaccines and rapid testing,” Fisher says.

“And so really it’s about how we maximize the opportunities as they arise, and how we welcome visitors back in a safe manner to ensure that it keeps our community and our visitors safe, and I think all of our businesses are doing a phenomenal job with that.” n

CURRENT OPPORTUNITY BOARD OF VARIANCE

The Resort Municipality of Whistler is seeking to fill ONE (1) vacancy on the Board of Variance effective January, 2021.

Operating under the authority of the Local Government Act, the Board rules on applications where compliance with any of the following would cause a person undue hardship: • Zoning bylaw regulations respecting the siting, dimensions or size of a building or structure • Subdivision servicing requirements (other than highways and roadworks) in areas zoned for agricultural or industrial use • The prohibition of a structural alteration or addition to a building or structure containing a non-conforming use • Tree protection bylaw The Board also rules on applications respecting: • Extent of damage to a non-conforming use • Exemption to relieve hardship from early termination of a land use contract Board of Variance Guidelines: • The Board consists of three (3) members appointed by Council • Regular meetings of the Board are held on the last Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m.

• Members of the Board serve without remuneration for a three (3) year term • Officers or employees of the Resort Municipality of Whistler are not eligible to be appointed to the Board of Variance.

Preferred Experience/Skills: • Experience in construction, development, design, planning or architecture • Ability to assess case-specific information and to visit sites under consideration • Ability to read architectural plans • Must be objective and exercise sound judgment Applicants should submit a resume and a brief statement indicating their interest to: planning@whistler.ca Attention: Karen Olineck Deadline: January 4, 2021 at 4:30p.m.

For more information, visit whistler.ca/committees to view the Board of Variance.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca

50 DECEMBER 17, 2020

“We keep you playing” Physiology, Sports, Spinal & Hand Physio, Concussion Rehab, Braces, Orthotics, IMS, Book online at backinactionphysiotherapy backinactionphysiotherapy.com com or call 604 962 0555 for an appointment appointment.

SPORTS THE SCORE

Paralympic champ Dueck named chef de mission for 2022 Games ‘I FEEL LIKE IT’S MY DUTY TO GIVE BACK TO SPORT,’ HE SAYS

BY MEGAN LALONDE WHEN PARA-ALPINE skier Josh Dueck arrived to compete at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, he wasn’t exactly feeling the unbridled excitement one might expect.

In what Dueck called “a major hiccup,” the entire team’s bags and gear were left on the tarmac when a chartered flight took off to bring the athletes from Munich to Russia.

“We arrived at the Games, the biggest moment of our career, and none of us have underwear [or] toothpaste, never mind skis or our specialized sit-skis,” he recalled, over the phone from his home in Vernon.

In that case, it was Team Canada’s chef de mission at the time, Ozzie Sawicki, who diffused the situation.

Sawicki greeted the team at the airport, immediately assured the athletes that their gear was secure and on the next flight to Sochi,

MISSION CONTROL

Retired para-alpine skier Josh Dueck already has a long list of accolades to his name, from Paralympic champion to the first athlete to ever land a backflip on a sit-ski.

Now, he’s adding a new title: The 39-year-old Vernon resident has been named Team Canada’s chef de mission for the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE

52 DECEMBER 17, 2020

and that they weren’t missing out on valuable training time due to shoddy conditions at the time. He promised the skiers specifically that the conditions weren’t unlike those Whistler sees each spring, promising that their abundance of West Coast training would translate into a distinct advantage once the competition began.

“Rather than holding stress about all the things that we couldn’t control, he gave us direction on what we could,” Dueck said.

“He pivoted the situation, really. He took it from what was potentially quite disastrous into, ‘Here, this is our advantage.’

And he actually meant it, and he convinced us of it, and our team went on to find great success in Sochi.”

Dueck is remembering that experience as he prepares to follow in Sawicki’s footsteps. He is taking on the role of chef de mission for the upcoming 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, China, the Canadian Paralympic Committee announced earlier this week.

The chef de mission effectively works alongside mission staff to serve as the “team captain,” Dueck explained. With the title comes a set of responsibilities that include acting as the spokesperson for the whole of Team Canada leading up to and during the Games, as well as mentoring, supporting and motivating each of the approximately 55 athletes competing across six different sports.

Dueck admitted he’s “a little bit overwhelmed; a little bit shocked,” but

nonetheless “really excited to have this opportunity to work with the team.”

He added, “As we move into the Games I’m sure there’s going to be many challenging situations that we face as a team, or some athletes face individually. And my role then would be to be the firewall or to be the armour of the team and just allow them to focus on the purity of sport.”

The 39-year-old retired Paralympic champion is a natural fit for the role, considering just how well regarded he already is as a leader among Canada’s high performance athletes.

After suffering a life-altering injury in a skiing accident, the Kimberley, B.C.-born athlete went on to make his Paralympic debut in his backyard during the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games, where he won a silver medal in the men’s sitting slalom race.

Four years later in Sochi, he landed on the podium again, but this time earned a gold medal in the super combined. He also added another silver medal in the downhill and was subsequently named Canada’s Closing Ceremony flag bearer. He was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

Since retiring from Paralympic competition, Dueck also became the first person to successfully perform a backflip on a sit ski. He currently serves as the executive director of Freestyle BC, a post he plans to keep in addition to his newest gig.

While these experiences have all undoubtedly prepared Dueck for the role

of chef, “the job description doesn’t really exist” as it once did, he said.

“Everybody’s playbooks have gotten thrown out, in terms of ‘How do you operate in a pandemic?’ Nothing is going to be traditional for the Paralympic winter team going to Beijing.”

Even with the good news of a vaccine on the horizon, COVID-19 will continue to pose additional challenges for members of Team Canada, ranging from heightened health risks for the Paralympic athletes who may be dealing with autoimmune issues, to a lack of test events at the Olympic venues.

But Dueck said he took on the role because he is up for the challenge.

“I think my whole life has prepared me for this opportunity,” he said. “Canada, and sport, has provided me a life worth living 10 times over, over the last 25 years, and I don’t know where I’d be without it. And so I feel like this role for me is going to test every bit of my ability, but at the same time—duty is a strong word—but I feel like it’s my duty to give back to sport and make sure that these meaningful opportunities exist for the next generation, because somebody did that for me and inevitably somebody has to do that today and hopefully somebody will pick up the torch to do that tomorrow.”

Dueck added: “Sport has the ability to transform and change and transcend who we are. Life is short and life is sweet so we might as well get the most out of it.” n

FORK IN THE ROAD

Back to bake-ics THERE’S A HOT BAKING MOVEMENT ABLAZE FOR THIS YEAR’S HOLLY-DAZE IT’S A WINTER wonderland up there on the mountains, luring snow buffs young and old out into that healthy mountain air.

Otherwise, if you’re pretty much stuck inside for these unique holly-daze, when normally you’d be out and about making the rounds —with family, friends, workmates, buddies, you name it (maybe even getting “baked” in the latest sense of the word)—take comfort: You’re just like millions of others on the planet right now, with mountains of time on our hands.

So whaddaya do when life gives you time? Bake, bake, bake.

BY GLENDA BARTOSH Most of us, at least those of us working, seldom took the time to bake homemade goodies until the pandemic hit. But now, it’s a baking bonanza! There’s Twitter a-glitter with #baking featuring recipes galore for everything from ginger cookies to biscuits (there’s even some “baking shaming” going on, if you can believe it!).

The “Baking” subreddit features things like a cute reindeer macaron, complete with mask since the maker messed up its mouth. Even a pandemic-conscious New York Times features 20 easy sweet treats, ready in one hour or less.

And that’s where my heart lies. Easy, yummy, ready in an hour.

“We do have all this time on our hands,”

BAKE SALE Glenda Bartosh unveils her nan’s century-old recipe for an unusual holiday treat: Chinese Chews.

GETTYIMAGES.CA

54 DECEMBER 17, 2020

says my mom, who just whipped up a batch of her delectable shortbread, which my dad ate so much of one Christmas he actually got sick! She also made Chinese Chews, which her mom made since the 1930s, and a pan of brownies covered in yummy icing. After all, it’s the holidays, right? Icing? Bring it on!

Probably the biggest Canadian Christmas baked classics over the years were shortbread, mince tarts and Christmas cake. But as a kid I always went for those Chinese Chews, maybe because nan’s were shaped like balls, and what kid can resist balls?

So here’s my holiday gift to you: Our nan’s Chinese Chews recipe that’s nearly 100 years old. It’s fun to make and bake, especially if you’ve got youngins around.

We have no idea where the name “Chinese Chews” came from, and we aren’t the only ones. It’s a common, catch-

NAN’S UNUSUAL CHINESE CHEWS Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Beat well: 2 eggs and 1 C. white sugar. (we cut the sugar back to 2/3 C.) Add 3 TBSP. melted butter.

Combine. Add: 1 C. chopped dates (press them down in the cup) 3/4 C. chopped walnuts or almonds (almonds taste better with the ginger, if you use it) 1/4 C. dried cherries and 1/4 c. dried pineapple (if these are hard to find, use 1/2 c. of deluxe fruit mix, which comes in a small round plastic container and has candied citrus peel; or 1/2 C. chopped candied cherries; all found in the baking department)

all name for a variety of simple recipes generations have used way beyond our family. Some speculate it could be due to the dates and other “exotic” ingredients like pecans added to the otherwise simple ingredients you’d typically find on a plain, farm-kitchen shelf or during rationing.

One Chinese Chews recipe I found online was from the Westinghouse Healthfor-Victory recipe book published during the Second World War, when governments restricted domestic food supplies to “feed the war effort.” Old Canadian classics, like the Blue Ribbon Cook Book, first published in 1905, and cookbooks from Alberta’s famed “Blue Flame” natural gas kitchen, also feature Chinese Chews recipes, especially those from the Dirty Thirties — the Depression Years, when “thrift” was key.

Mom wonders if the name came from the mixture of “chopped” ingredients, since

3-4 TBSP. finely chopped fresh ginger (optional) Mix. In a separate bowl, add 1 tsp. baking powder and 2/3 tsp. salt to 3/4 c. flour. Mix well. Add to the egg/fruit mixture. Combine everything thoroughly.

Turn into a well-greased 8-inch square pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Don’t dry it out. Cut into 3/4-inch squares and roll into balls when warm, as noted above. Do the outer edges first.

If your hands get hot, just drop the balls onto the counter and squeeze them tight later. You can roll them in sugar, too, for a snowy effect.

the turn-of-last-century Chinese cafes that dotted tiny towns across Canada wherever the rail lines ran—including Wimborne, Alta, (current population: 20, living in 14 houses), where she partially grew up—mostly served mixtures of chopped ingredients in sauces on top of rice.

It could also be a case of simple onomatopoeia—the lovely way the two “ch” sounds roll off your tongue.

Today, you can find dozens of Chinese Chews recipes online, but none I saw makes balls. One uses nothing but crispy chow mein noodles with chocolate and butterscotch chips you sprinkle overtop and melt in the microwave. I bet they’re good, but I also bet they aren’t really chewy.

But this recipe is. The secret is those balls. When you take them out of the oven, you cut them into squares and roll them into balls when they’re as warm as possible so they don’t get crusty. Be careful you don’t burn your hands, of course, especially when working with little ones. You can also simply cut them into squares and serve them. Or what the heck—just squish them into some weird shapes. But if you roll them into little balls before they cool, they’ll be at their chewiest best.

We call them nan’s unusual Chinese Chews, because they are. Perfect for holiday giving, since “balls” and “Christmas” go hand in glove, or is that mitten? Plus they’re durable so they’re easy to share, safely of course—you don’t need a plate or box.

Have fun. Enjoy! And stay merry and safe this unusual holiday season.

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who actually stopped and made Chinese Chews last Christmas. n

MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH

OPEN DAILY: 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Entry by reservation only; book early to avoid disappointment.

Book your timeslot up to 72 hours in advance for each separate activity online – whistler.ca/mpsc or by phone – 604-935-PLAY (7529) GROUP FITNESS SCHEDULE DECEMBER 17

DECEMBER 18

DECEMBER 19 DECEMBER 20

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

I Sweat it Out - Louise 7:30-8:30 am ONLINE

I Low Impact Endurance Beth 7:30-8:30 am ONLINE

I Body Pump Boot Camp - Jess 7:45-8:45 am ONLINE

I Low Impact Strength Louise 9-10 am ONLINE

I Sweat Effect - Beth 9-10 am ONLINE

I Low Impact Strength - Jess 9:15-10:15 am ONLINE

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

DECEMBER 21

DECEMBER 22

DECEMBER 23

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

I Sweat Effect - Beth 7:30-8:30 am ONLINE

I Low Impact Endurance Andy 7:30-8:30 am ONLINE

R Gentle Fit I Low Impact I High Impact Strength - Beth - Andy for Seniors Online - Marie- 9-10 am 9-10 am ONLINE ONLINE Anne 9-10 am ONLINE

R Gentle Fit for Seniors - Marie-Anne 1-2 pm ONLINE

R Gentle Fit for Seniors Diana 11-12pm ONLINE F FLEXIBLE REGISTRATION Flex-reg’ classes have a separate fee and allow you to register for classes on the days that fit your schedule.

R REGISTERED FITNESS Registered fitness classes have a separate fee and a defined start and end date.

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

I Body Pump Boot Camp - Jess 5:15-6:15 pm ONLINE

I Mountain Ready Fitness Steve 5:15-6:15 pm.

ONLINE

I INCLUDED FITNESS These classes are included with your price of admission for no extra charge.

See exact schedule of classes at the sports centre or online at: whistler.ca/recreation

ARENA PUBLIC SKATE SCHEDULE DECEMBER 17 DECEMBER 18 DECEMBER 19 DECEMBER 20 DECEMBER 21 THURSDAY

FRIDAY

12:15-1:15 p.m 1:45-2:45 p.m.

1:45-2:45 p.m.

DECEMBER 23

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

12:15-1:15 p.m.

12:15-1:15 p.m.

12:15-1:15 p.m.

12:15-1:15 p.m.

12:15-1:15 p.m.

1:45-2:45 p.m.

1:45-2:45 p.m.

1:45-2:45 p.m.

3:15-4:15 p.m.

6:30-7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 22

6:30-7:30 p.m.

3:15-4:15 p.m.

3:15-4:15 p.m.

6:30-7:30 p.m.

ARENA STICK AND PUCK SCHEDULE MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

10:45-11:45 a.m. (Adult)

5-6 p.m. (Family)

10:45-11:45 a.m. (Adult)

POOL SCHEDULE

Lap swim and family swim times available daily by reservation only at whistler.ca/swim.

whistler.ca/recreation | whistler.ca/notices | 604-935-7529 @RMWhistler |

@rmwhistler |

@rmowhistler

Leisure Pool

Opening December 19 for family swim Pre-book your 60-minute timeslot online up to 72 hours in advance whistler.ca/swim

ARTS SCENE

The Whistler Film Festival marks 20 years of movie magic REFLECTING ON TWO DECADES OF FILMS, INDUSTRY PROGRAMMING, AND, OF COURSE, PARTIES

BY ALYSSA NOEL BACK IN 2000, Shauna Hardy Mishaw answered a newspaper ad looking for someone to produce a national film series in Whistler.

As part of the job, she (with help from local Kasi Lubin) selected 12 films from a list of pre-curated Canadian offerings, including, most notably—and infamously— John Zaritsky’s Ski Bums.

“It featured a cast of characters which, at the time, were all the friends we were skiing with,” Hardy Mishaw remembers.

“They were the ‘ski bums.’”

While the exact details of that night are still shrouded in a bit of mystery, Hardy Mishaw hints heavily at a wild and raucous event.

“There were 1,000 people involved,” adds Angela Heck, who was a publicist for that film, but is now the managing director of the Whistler Film Festival (WFF).

“The energy in the room was electric. You can imagine if you get that many people together recognizing their friends and really wanting to have a big party—Whistler style—you don’t have to describe it in too much detail.”

FEST FUN (From left) Paul Gratton, director of programming for the Whistler Film Festival, writer/ director Sophie Deraspe, and Shauna Hardy Mishaw, former executive director of the festival, pose for a photo at the 2019 festival.

PHOTO BY ERIC BECKSTEAD

56 DECEMBER 17, 2020

The enduring element of that night, though, was not the party, but the fact that it became the kick off to the first-ever Whistler Film Festival.

“It was this one moment where, honestly, everyone turned up,” Hardy Mishaw, WFF founder, development director, and former executive director, says. “It was crazy. It was a real spark for us.

It marked this moment where we went, ‘I

split half the proceeds with filmmakers or rights holders to the films.

“It’s been interesting because we’re essentially a month-long festival at this point,” Heck says. “We’re also national.

The audience is primarily from B.C. and the Lower Mainland, but we’re seeing a lot of pick up in Ontario and Quebec. It does take some time for that message to trickle out.”

This year might be unique, but WFF is no

“ ... one of the proudest outcomes for me is being able to help support these diverse artists to tell their stories, and to provide a platform for them and resources for them and support and mentorship.”

- SHAUNA HARDY MISHAW

think we’re onto something.’”

When the WFF kicked off on Dec. 1 this year, it officially marked the festival’s 20th anniversary.

Of course, in 2020, it has been a festival like no other. While they were able to host a small number of premieres in theatre, the majority of this year’s 97 films—including 30 features and 67 shorts—have made their debut online. The festival is rolling out new films through Dec. 20, but people from across Canada will able to stream them from home until the end of the month. In this challenging year, they also decided to

stranger to adapting to the changing times.

Over the years, it’s increased its selection of Canadian films, showcased more and more female directors, and diversified its industry offerings with programs like the Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship, and the Women in Focus series.

A.W. Hopkins, whose film Indian Road Trip, premiered at the festival this year, went through both the Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship program and the Screenwriters Lab to bring the production from a short script to a feature film.

“It is 100 per cent spawned by Whistler,”

Hopkins says of his film. “When I first got the notice, I didn’t know about the existence of the Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship. The deadline was a week away and I needed a short film to enter. I had been writing high-concept stuff for the last couple years hoping to get attention, which I didn’t. I had this personal story kicking around in the back of my mind and that was Indian Road Trip. I had a 30-page script I cut down to 10 pages and I got into the fellowship. It was fantastic.”

For Hardy Mishaw, who stepped down from her role as executive director earlier this year, the industry side of the festival— in particular, watching how it has helped bolster new talent and turn ideas into real films—has been the most fulfilling part of the last two decades of work.

“That’s been one of the coolest parts for me as the founder and someone involved with this cultural enterprise for the past 20 years—that’s one of the proudest outcomes for me is being able to help support these diverse artists to tell their stories, and to provide a platform for them and resources for them and support and mentorship,” she says.

Even in this strange year where industry meetings moved online, the festival supported 357 one-on-one business meetings, Hardy Mishaw says.

However, the one aspect of the festival that can’t be replicated online is its intimate nature that so many say make it unique. Stories of chance meetings around the village that turned into fruitful relationships—or just memorable

ARTS SCENE

WHISTLER MUSEUM SPECIAL EXHIBITION

GET TOGETHER In most years, the Whistler Conference Centre is a hub of activity during the Whistler Film Festival.

PHOTO BY MIKE CRANE/ TOURISM WHISTLER

encounters—abound.

Steven Gaydos, executive editor and senior VP of global content with Variety, has one such tale.

“I have one special memory above all others that really made me feel great about Whistler,” he says. “I remember showing our film Road to Nowhere in December 2010, and Atom Egoyan, the Canadian director, genius, coming over and having a filmmaker chat with me. He really appreciated the film a lot. But suddenly I was talking to one of the world’s great filmmakers about our film.

It was so organic. It was so natural. It just felt like the way the movie-making process is supposed to work. You make something, you show it to people who are smart and creative and have high standards, then you get to talk and share.”

Immediately after that festival 10 years ago, Gaydos put on his Variety hat. “[I said,] ‘Wow, I wonder if we can connect Hollywood to this? Raise the profile a bit and make this a little more of a destination, a part of the awards season, a place where people can come and have fun and meet and you don’t have to fly across the country if you’re based in Hollywood, you don’t have to fly across the world. You fly up the coast,’” he says.

To that end, in 2011, Variety brought its Screenwriters to Watch program up to Whistler, honouring up-and-coming screenwriters, and kept coming back as part of the festival for seven years.

“We brought some fun people,” Gaydos says. “Variety brought Rashida Jones and Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Melissa Leo. We brought Academy Award winners and great new talent … The majority of the people from big, big films in Hollywood and every single person we brought here—I’m telling you—made a point of writing us a note and saying, ‘This was so beautiful. I’m going

back. I’m taking my family. I’m telling my friends.’ Ninety per cent of them have never been to Whistler.”

In that way, he sees the festival as raising the profile of the resort.

Mayor Jack Crompton says WFF plays an important role in Whistler’s overall arts and culture scene.

“It’s a diversifier of our tourism economy,” he says. “Whistler was born as a tourism town with a focus on recreation.

The Whistler Film Festival has been part of bringing arts, culture, heritage to the table in a very serious way. Logistically, it comes at a great time of year. It sets the tone for the festival season, which kicks off our winter season.”

Looking ahead to the next decade—or at least next year, which will hopefully be post-COVID-19—Heck sees the festival adapting once again to the altered climate, likely offering some online element along with what could be a return to normal.

While the online iteration has had its perks—namely a national audience— there’s still something irreplaceable about having people gather in a room to watch a movie together.

“If there’s one challenge it’s that we haven’t been able to celebrate in person,” she says. “It’s hard for everybody. It’s a long road getting a film made and when you get to premiere it at a film festival, there’s a sense of ceremony and being able to celebrate with the people who made it possible … That celebration is muted.”

“Ultimately, we want to welcome everyone back to Whistler in 2021.”

Documented snow avalanches have affected Canadians for more than a century. Land of Thundering Snow, Canada’s first virtual avalanche exhibit, has been adapted to travel across Canada to more widely spread the story of avalanches in Canada, past and present. The Whistler Museum is the first stop for this traveling exhibit on avalanche history and safety from the Revelstoke Museum and Archives.

The Whistler Film Festival will be screening films online until Dec. 31. Like many arts organization, it has also been affected by the pandemic. If you would like to donate—or purchase tickets—visit whistlerfilmfestival.com. n

DECEMBER 17, 2020

57

ARTS SCENE

CHRISTMAS CAROLS Members of the Whistler Singers gathered in choir director Alison Hunter’s backyard to record this year’s Christmas Eve Carol Service.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

DIT

The show goes on for the 37th annual Christmas Eve Carol Service VIDEO OF READINGS AND SINGING SET TO BE POSTED ON DEC. 24

BY ALYSSA NOEL

Book your family Christmas and New Years Eve Dinner with us this year!

Pick up your perfect gift certificate stocking stuffer DINNER NIGHTLY from 5 pm Reservations recommended 604-932-2223 Located above the Hilton retail shops overlooking the Village stroll

58 DECEMBER 17, 2020

ALISON HUNTER and Jeanette Bruce were determined to make sure Year 37 of Whistler’s Christmas Eve Carol Service happened—pandemic and all.

“This is the longest-running Whistler tradition,” Hunter says. “How could we give it a miss?”

Arguably, this year more than ever people need the comfort of such a longstanding holiday tradition. So, way back in July, under the semblance of normalcy compared to December’s lockdown standards, they set to work.

“Pretty early on we connected with Hailey Elise and Ollie Jones, because they did a video for Barbed Choir [Whistler’s rock ‘n’ roll choir], and they did quite a good job for us. Their bread and butter is more like action sports videography, so we figured they could definitely handle us,” Bruce, director of the Whistler Children’s Chorus, says with a laugh.

Hunter, who directs the Whistler Singers, set to work recruiting her readers, community members who take turns reading during the event. This year, they include Janet Hamer, Nancy WilhelmMorden, Jessie Morden, Jim Moodie, Olivia Rodig, Jack Crompton, Teresa Klassen, Sally Gabriel, and Patricia Dagg.

“We were able to record the readers at the library in front of the fireplace in the Fireplace Lounge,” Bruce says. “But we had them come in in small groups, so everything was very safe … We got that all done and dusted in October and that included Alison and I recording our intro and outro.”

But, of course, the other major element of the service—which, in a typical year, attracts 2,000 people—is the carols. During this topsy-turvy year where singing has been deemed dangerous, Hunter had to figure out how to organize a safe singing session.

“There was a choir in the Skagit south of the border that made everybody realize

how dangerous singing was,” Hunter says.

“None of us want to be that choir. So in the summer we had a bit of a test run where about six, seven choir members came to my backyard. I have a really big garden. We did a couple outdoor practices where everybody sang in masks.”

The B.C. Choral Federation had also put together a how-to manual for safely singing in person during COVID-19, which was helpful in navigating the next steps.

To that end, they approached the Fairmont Chateau Whistler about using one of their massive ballrooms for hybrid rehearsals in which some people were in person and others on Zoom.

“We were going to record the carols in the ballroom, but then the next phase of the pandemic came in,” Hunter says. “How many plans did we have? Probably up to Plan W. So we recorded some of the songs in my back garden, in the dark, in the snow. We lit up the yard and there were 18 choir members here, all socially distanced, all masked—we have learned you can sing in masks—so we recorded some of the songs that way.”

Bruce, who has been part of the Hunter family bubble, came over to their home to sing the rest around the piano with Hunter’s three daughters.

“I think it’s pretty great,” Bruce says.

“I think the combination of the Fireplace Lounge with the speakers, the backyard with the singers and then around the piano with a small ensemble, I think it all works together. It’s kind of wintery, kind of cozy, it’s got a good feeling to it.”

The final video will be posted in several places on Dec. 24 at 4 p.m., including the Whistler Singers Facebook page, the Whistler Children’s Chorus Facebook page, and the Whistler Singers YouTube channel.

“Then that will be available to watch any time after that,” says Bruce. “We’ll leave it up through the whole holiday season.”

The event is free, but if you wish to donate to help offset some of the costs (usually covered by in-person donations at the event), email whistlerchorus@gmail.com. n

ARTS SCENE

Whistler skier wins international GoPro Challenge EVAN MACALISTER’S BACKFLIP IS FEATURED IN NEW VIDEO— TO THE TUNE OF $20,000

BY ALYSSA NOEL EVAN MACALISTER woke up on Tuesday morning, had breakfast, discovered he won $20,000 through the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge and headed out on his commute to work.

“I watched the video, saw my clip and was like, ‘Whoa, that’s pretty wild. I guess I’ll head off to work now,’” he says. “I was trying to process it myself the whole day.”

Earlier in the season, he purchased the newly released HERO9 Black, in part with the goal of entering the third year of the contest. GoPro launched the new product and then kicked off the challenge in September, encouraging people from around the world to share their best clips in 80 days.

The only parameter was it needed to be shot on a HERO9 Black.

For its part, GoPro is interested in seeing what customers can do with the new cameras, GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman said, in a release.

“It’s also our chance to give back to the

GoPro community in a big way,” he says.

“Our community powers our brand and we love celebrating their creativity with the Million Dollar Challenge video and the significant cash prizes that help them pursue their passions even further.”

Having grown up in Whistler, Macalister knew exactly what he wanted to do for his submission.

“Mine was taken of me skiing up on Whistler Blackcomb in the Terrain Park,” he says. “I was able to mount the GoPro camera to my pole and I went off the jump and did a backflip. What made it stand out was one of the new functions of the GoPro is this horizon-levelling feature which keeps the camera shooting at the same angle. When you flip, it doesn’t flip at all. So everything else flips instead.”

After a full day filming laps at the park, he went home and submitted three of the best shots. “On a follow-up email they wanted me to send everything I had from that day,” he says.

To that end, GoPro says it went through 29,000 submissions from over 125 countries—that’s 250 hours of videos to

BIG WIN Evan Macalister in the midst of a flip, captured by his GoPro HERO9 Black.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

review. Then they picked 56 people to share a USD$1 million purse evenly.

That equals USD$17,857, or close to CDN$20,000.

What is Macalister going to do with his prize money? “There’s ideas running through my head, but I can’t really pinpoint anything at the moment,” he says.

The final video is comprised of splitsecond clips of everything from action sports like sky diving, skateboarding, waterskiing, biking, and surfing to everyday

scenes like a jubilant little girl and a liveaction painting of mountains.

“I watched it multiple times today,” Macalister says. “It’s so wild. I almost feel like my clip doesn’t stand up to some of the stuff in there. It’s unreal. Some of the angles and whatever they strap the GoPro to to get those shots, it’s otherworldly for sure.”

To see the video, search GoPro Awards: Million Dollar Challenge Highlight in 4K HERO9 Black on YouTube. Macalister’s Instagram is @kevv.macc. n

Double Your Impact This giving season, our Board of Directors has teamed up to match every dollar gifted to the Community Fund up to $4275.

By contributing a gift to the Community Fund today, you are making a long-term investment in the community of tomorrow.

Investing in a thriving community, together.

whistlerfoundation.com/give

Did you miss us around town?

Get your free facemask at Municipal Hall — Customer Service desk (while supplies last) when you buy your December transit pass or show us your current transit pass.

Courtesy of the Resort Municipality of Whistler and BC Transit.

See whistler.ca/transit for December giveaway locations & times.

Resort Municipality of Whistler Whistler.ca/transit

60 DECEMBER 17, 2020

RESERVOIR

BY REBECCA BELMORE

NOW OPEN

SEEKING APPLICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is seeking qualified applicants to serve in a voluntary capacity on the Transportation Advisory Group (TAG).

The purpose of the Transportation Advisory Group is to identify transportation related issues and opportunities to, from, and within Whistler. Using a social, environmental and economic lens, the TAG provides Council with strategic advice and recommendations regarding the assessment of, planning for, and implementation of transportation initiatives for the Resort Community.

Four Citizens-at-Large are appointed to TAG by Council for a two year term and typically meet quarterlyfor 3 hours during business hours.

Download the TAG Terms of Reference at: whistler.ca/committees.

To apply, submit a resume and brief statement highlighting relevant experience and interest in participating on this committee by email to edalsanto@whistler.ca or mail: Transportation Advisory Group c/o Emma DalSanto Resort Municipality of Whistler 4325 Blackcomb Way Whistler, BC V8E 0X5 Application deadline: December 23, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/committees

First Nations Woodland Licence #N2V Forest Stewardship Plan Notice of Public Viewing The Lil’wat Nation / Lil’wat Forestry Ventures LP have applied to the Province of British Columbia for a First Nations Woodland Licence (FNWL). The N2V FNWL licence will grant the holders an area-based forest tenure within the traditional territory of the Lil’wat Nation. The FNWL has a proposed harvest volume of approximately 79,380m3 annually.

The N2V FNWL is submitting for approval, a Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP).

The FSP is proposed for a term of 5 years, and when approved, will form the basis of forest management planning within the FNWL. An approved FSP is required to allow for the issuance of permits authorizing road construction, harvesting and other forest development activities. The FSP has been prepared to conform and comply with applicable Higher-Level Plans, the Forest and Range Practices Act and the associated regulatory framework.

As per Section 20 of the Forest Planning and Practices Regulation, notice is hereby given to all First Nations, Guides, Outfitters, Trappers, Private Land Owners, Tenure Holders, Water Users and the general public that submission of the FSP for approval is proceeding and your input is requested so that any concerns or comments can be addressed.

The proposed FSP and mapping information is available for viewing during the 60-day public review and comment period commencing December 17, 2020 through February 19, 2021.

The draft FSP will be available for on-line / digital viewing by request. To receive a digital PDF version of the draft FSP document via email, please email or contact by phone: Adrian Litz, RPF Hedberg Associates Consulting Ltd 604 815 4555 ext 228 alitz@hedbergassocates.com A hardcopy version of the draft FSP and associated maps will also be available for viewing during the 60-day public review and comment period during posted operating hours at the: Pemberton Public Library 7390 Cottonwood Street Pemberton, BC In order to be considered, comments regarding this plan must be in writing, and received no later than February 19, 2021. Comments should be addressed to: Adrian Litz, RPF Hedberg Associates Consulting Ltd. 205-1121 Commercial Place Squamish B.C. V8B 0S5 (604) 815-4555 ext. 228 alitz@hedbergassociates.com

62 DECEMBER 17, 2020

ARTS SCENE

Vancouver filmmakers find hope on the Downtown Eastside in new documentary, premiering at the Whistler Film Festival THE DECLINE, DIRECTED BY SEAN PATRICK SHAUL AND KAYVON SAREMI, IS AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING UNTIL DEC. 31

BY MEGAN LALONDE VANCOUVER FILMMAKERS Sean Patrick Shaul and Kayvon Saremi admit they were a little reluctant to get involved in a second project with Uwe Boll, the controversial filmmaker behind films like Alone in the Dark and the Rampage series.

Boll himself was the subject of a documentary the pair released in 2018, called F*ck You All: The Uwe Boll Story. The film centred “on what an intense, kind of crazy dude he is,” explains Shaul with a laugh.

Shaul, Saremi and Boll were at a showing of that film in Edmonton, talking about potential next projects when Boll came up with an idea for the pair to shine a spotlight on Vancouver’s troubled Downtown Eastside (DTES). “As a former restaurant owner in Gastown—he had a restaurant called Bauhaus—he was seeing it every single day,” tells Saremi.

That film turned into The Decline, a new documentary co-directed by Shaul and Saremi and produced by Boll, that premiered as part of the Whistler Film Festival. The festival has gone virtual amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with all films available for streaming across Canada until the end of December.

“We were a little hesitant to get into this subject matter with him,” tells Shaul. “But after speaking with him and realizing that he and his wife have done a lot of work for the Downtown Eastside, and that his heart was in the right place, we embarked on it.”

According to the BC Coroners Service, the number of overdose deaths in B.C. reached 1,386 between January and October of this year. It’s the lethal amounts of fentanyl that continue to show up in street drugs across the province that’s leading to the skyrocketing numbers of overdoses, the filmmakers explain in the documentary.

Filming for the project began in August 2019, and wrapped up at the beginning of 2020. The Decline’s directors interviewed a wide array of subjects for the film, ranging from drug users to activists to officials, in an effort to gain insight into the opioid crisis ravaging the city and what can be done to stop it. It also examines some strategies employed by other countries—like Portugal, for instance—that have found success in decriminalizing some substances.

At one point, the filmmakers sit down with a drug user name Derek, whose story Shaul says resonated deeply with him.

Firstly, “It was really surprising how strong of a guy he was and how level-headed he was,” says Shaul, “But I’m 38, he was 37, and we both moved from Edmonton [to

Vancouver] around the same time. It was weird to see those parallels in our lives and how I easily could have been that guy with a couple different decisions in life.”

The film’s heavy topic proved to be draining for the filmmakers, says Shaul.

“Obviously people experiencing [life on the Downtown Eastside] are faced with it daily, but just being involved with it for a few months was pretty taxing on your day-to-day mental health,” he says.

The film attempts to find a way through the ongoing issues plaguing the East Vancouver neighbourhood, but doesn’t spell out one be-all, end-all solution.

“We’re just asking more questions,” says Shaul. “Not that I thought we’d solve the whole problem.”

That kind of a resolution would be impossible due to the complexity of the issue, a factor that Shaul says he found surprising during the filming process.

“Not that I thought it was a completely black-and-white [issue], but just the layers to it—it’s homelessness, it’s mental illness, it’s politics, it’s housing,” tells Shaul. “It’s city planning, it’s residents—users, drug dealers.”

But despite the challenging circumstances that both the filmmakers and the film’s subjects faced, Shaul and Saremi managed to find pockets of hope throughout the process.

In addition to local, safeconsumption sites that Saremi says are “actually quite helpful,” the co-director had enormous amounts of praise for DTES workers like Sarah Blyth from Vancouver’s Overdose Prevention Society, whose perspective is included in the film. “She’s literally saving lives day in and day out and doing her damnedest to help the people down there get by,” says Saremi.

“It’s impressive to see the resilience of people in the Downtown Eastside—the people who work down there.”

The co-directors were also struck by the immense sense of community between residents of the Downtown Eastside, Saremi explains. “Relationships are quite strong down there,” he says. “They have each other’s backs on a daily basis.”

Adds Shaul: “With so much despair on the surface, it was, I guess, hopeful to find that sort of community there in the face of such problems.”

The Decline will be available for viewing for anyone in Canada until Dec. 31. Once a film is ordered, viewers will have 24 hours to finish watching it.

Head to the Whistler Film Festival’s website for tickets, available for individual films or in packages. n

Socially distanced photos with Santa Claus at Blackcomb Springs Suites $25 for one pose & $30 for two Digital copies only

portion of your purchase will be donated to the Whistler Food Bank In adherence to the PHO orders, masks are required, max. 6 people from the same household or core bubble

Blackcomb Springs Suites @ 4899 Painted Cliff Road 3:30 to 7:30 pm SATURDAY, DEC. 19TH â&#x20AC;¢ SUNDAY, DEC. 20TH Complimentary parking and hot chocolate available We will appreciate to refrain from attending if you have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus or if you feel ill

LOCAL EXPERTS GLOBAL REACH The same team that you trust with your print advertising can assist in creating your digital footprint Glacier Digital Services in partnership with Pique Newsmagazine offers solutions in website design, SEM, SEO, social media and so much more.

Call your sales representative today for a free digital consultation!

604 938 0202

PATRICK WEILER MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR WEST VANCOUVER-SUNSHINE COAST-SEA TO SKY COUNTRY

@PatrickBWeiler

Wishing you a safe & joyous holiday season

patrick.weiler@parl.gc.ca Tel.: 604-913-2660 Fax.: 604-913-2664 DECEMBER 17, 2020

63

MUSEUM MUSINGS

JOIN OIN N US SF FOR FO O R! FIESTA HOUR Margarita and Beer Spec Specials!

Seven days a week | 3:00 to 4:30 pm

STORIES TO TELL Come by the Whistler Museum to discover how an entire exhibit fits in just one box!

PHOTO COURTESY OF WHISTLER MUSEUM COLLECTION.

OPEN HOURS Monday to Sunday 3pm to close At the Base of Whistler Mountain in the Sundial Hotel 604.962.4450 www.themexicancorner.ca

Follow us on @themexicancorner

Land of Thundering Snow

BY ALLYN PRINGLE TODAY (THURSDAY, DEC. 17) we are very excited to be opening Land of Thundering Snow, the first travelling exhibit that the Whistler Museum has hosted since moving into our current building in 2009.

While Whistler will be the first museum to host the physical exhibit, Land of Thundering Snow began as a virtual exhibit launched by the Revelstoke Museum and Archives in partnership with Parks Canada and Avalanche Canada in 2015. The exhibit explores the history of snow research and avalanche safety in Canada, from a fatal avalanche in 1910 that took the lives of 58 rail workers in Rogers Pass to the creation of Avalanche Canada in 2004. The virtual exhibit was reportedly the first time that the history of Canadian avalanches had been gathered together in one place. The content for both the virtual and physical exhibit was developed by retired Parks Canada biologist and naturalist Dr. John Woods.

In preparation for hosting the exhibit, we’ve taken a look at what we have in our own collections related to avalanches and avalanche safety, from photographs to films to oral histories. We also invited anyone with their own avalanche story from the area to share it with us. We ended up learning quite a lot about one specific avalanche that took place on Whistler Mountain in 1978.

On March 6 that year, a storm system brought significant snowfall on the mountain. Two days later, patrollers headed out to do avalanche control on Whistler’s peak—at the time, two of those patrollers were from Snowbird in Utah and were visiting Whistler as part of a training exchange.

64 DECEMBER 17, 2020

While the morning had started out clear, by the time the patrollers were out, visibility had become quite limited. A shot from an avalauncher was fired into the Whistler Peak North Face but, due to the lack of visibility, it was unclear what the result of the shot was.

Over the course of controlling that morning, an avalanche began on the North Face and caught two patrollers who were traversing below, Bruce Watt of Whistler and Rick Mandahl of Snowbird.

Watt was recovered almost immediately as he had managed to get a hand above the snow, but it took seven minutes to locate and recover Mandahl using transceivers.

Luckily, both were relatively unharmed.

The avalanche and recoveries made the front page of the Whistler Question on March 15 and were later included in a larger report on avalanche accidents by Chris Stethem, providing a lot of factual information about the incident but not including the personal accounts of the patrollers.

If you have been following the Whistler Museum’s social media over the past week, however, you might have seen two accounts of this avalanche from patrollers who were involved: Bruce Watt and John Hetherington. Their personal accounts of the avalanche provide information that neither the newspaper nor an official report would include, such as what was going through Watt’s head as he was caught or how Hetherington had to turn off his radio in order to hear the transceiver while searching for Mandahl.

If you have an avalanche story from the area that you would like to share with the museum, we will be continuing to gather and share more local information about avalanches while Land of Thundering Snow is exhibited through March 31, 2021. We would love to hear from you, or see you at the exhibit! n

PARTIAL RECALL

2

1

3

4

5

IT’S LIT Whistler’s Olympic Plaza is aglow with Christmas lights this holiday season, while the ice rink is open to skaters. PHOTO BY MEGAN LALONDE. 2 SIX FEET OF SNOW Skiers generally obeyed physical distancing protocols while in line for Whistler Blackcomb’s Harmony Chair on Thursday, Dec. 10. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 3 HEAR AND NOW Here’s a sneak peek of Whistler band Red Chair taping Arts Whistler’s Hear and Now Festival session on Friday, Dec. 11. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 4 EAGLE EYE Representatives from GFL present a cheque to the Whistler Fire Rescue Service that went towards the purchase of an AquaEye, a sonar device used for underwater rescue and recovery. PHOTO BY BRANDON BARRETT. 5 ’TIS THE SEASON Chilko and his human, Darren, pick out the perfect West Coast Christmas tree. PHOTO BY ALYSSA NOEL. 1

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

Recycle? Yes or no?

Get the BC RECYCLEPEDIA App

STINKY'S LOUNGERS OF THE WEEK! Check out the Whistler Pulse Podcast!

We are open daily 12 am - 10 pm Go Sports!!!

Stay Stinky!

21-4314 Main Street

www.rcbc.ca RECYCLING COUNCIL OF B.C. MEMBER DECEMBER 17, 2020

65

ASTROLOGY School Registration for the 2021/2022 School Year Opens January 19th-22nd, 2021 Kindergarten, French Immersion Programs, and All New Students to the District School District No.48 (SD48) is welcoming registrations for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year starting January 19th, 2021 at 8:00am and ending January 22nd, 2021 at 4:00pm.

Due to COVID-19, there will be changes to this year's registration process. There will be two key steps: Step One: Parents and Guardians will be asked to fill out an online webform through the school district website. This will include basic contact information such as name, email address, physical address and student name and grade.

Parents will be walked through the process within the webform to either register as a new student to the district, or a current student registering for French Immersion.

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

Note - French Immersion registrations must be completed through your English catchment school, not the French catchment school.

Please Note the Following Important Information: The order in which registrations and/or transfer requests are received have implications for placement in a program or school where space and seats may be limited.

A time and date stamp will be provided for your registration with the completion of the webform. This time and date stamp will be valid for 10 business days and will be confirmed at the completion of your registration during your school appointment.

Parents and guardians who miss the availability of the webform can register by contacting their English catchment school to book an appointment. The completion of the registration during this appointment will serve as the time and date stamp.

More detailed information on this new registration process and SD48 program information can be found on our District Website: www.sd48seatosky.org or contact your English catchment school principal for further assistance. We encourage parents and guardians to register as soon as possible to help schools plan for September, 2021.

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF DECEMBER 17 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Temporary gods are deities who come alive and become available for particular functions, and are not otherwise necessary or called upon. For instance, in ancient Greece, the god Myiagros showed up when humans made sacrifices to the goddess Athena. His task was to shoo away flies. I encourage you to invent or invoke such a spirit for the work you have ahead of you. And what’s that work? 1. To translate your recent discoveries into practical plans. 2.

To channel your new-found freedom into strategies that will ensure freedom will last. 3. To infuse the details of daily life with the big visions you’ve harvested recently.

What will you name your temporary god?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Virginia Woolf said that we don’t wholly experience the unique feelings that arise in any particular moment. They take a while to completely settle in, unfold, and expand. From her perspective, then, we rarely “have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.” With that as your starting point, Taurus, I invite you to take a journey through the last 11 months and thoroughly evolve all the emotions that weren’t entirely ripe when they originally appeared. Now is an excellent time to deepen your experience of what has already happened; to fully bloom the seeds that have been planted.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Wonder is a bulky emotion,” writes author Diane Ackerman. “When you let it fill your heart and mind, there isn’t room for anxiety, distress, or anything else.” I’d love for you to use her observation as a prescription in 2021, Gemini. According to my understanding of the coming year’s astrological portents, you will have more natural access to wonder and amazement and awe than you’ve had in a long time.

And it would make me happy to see you rouse those primal emotions with vigour—so much so that you drive away at least some of the flabby emotions like anxiety, which are often more neurotic than real.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’ll use the words of Cancerian painter Frida Kahlo to tell you the kind of intimate ally you deserve. If for some inexplicable reason you have not enjoyed a relationship like this before now, I urge you to make 2021 the year that you finally do. And if you HAVE indeed been lucky in this regard, I bet you’ll be even luckier in 2021. Here’s Frida: “You deserve a lover who wants you dishevelled... who makes you feel safe... who wants to dance with you... who never gets tired of studying your expressions... who listens when you sing, who supports you when you feel shame and respects your freedom... who takes away the lies and brings you hope.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 2019, singer Ariana Grande got Japanese characters tattooed on her palm. She believed them to be a translation of the English phrase “7 Rings,” which was the title of a song she had released. But knowledgeable observers later informed her that the tattoo’s real meaning was “small charcoal grill.” She arranged to have alterations made, but the new version was worse: “Japanese barbecue grill finger.”

I offer you this story for two reasons, Leo. First, I applaud the creativity and innovative spirit that have been flowing through you. Second, I want to make sure that you keep them on the right track—that they continue to express what you want them to express. With proper planning and discernment, they will.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): While sleeping, most of us have over a thousand dreams every year. Many are hard to remember and not worth remembering. But a beloved few can be life-changers. They have the potential to trigger epiphanies that transform our destinies for the better. In my astrological opinion, you are now in a phase when such dreams are more likely than usual. That’s why I invite you to keep a recorder or a pen and notebook by your bed so as to capture them. For inspiration, read this testimony from Jasper Johns, whom some call America’s “foremost living artist”: “One night I dreamed that I

painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and bought the materials to begin it.” Painting flags ultimately became one of Johns’ specialties.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I composed a prayer that’s in alignment with your current astrological omens. If it feels right, say it daily for the next ten days. Here it is: “Dear Higher Self, Guardian Angel, and Future Me: Please show me how to find or create the key to the part of my own heart that’s locked up. Reveal the secret to dissolving any inhibitions that interfere with my ability to feel all I need to feel. Make it possible for me to get brilliant insights into truths that will enable me to lift my intimate alliances to the next level.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author Herman Hesse observed, “Whoever wants music instead of noise, joy instead of pleasure, soul instead of gold, creative work instead of business, passion instead of foolery, finds no home in this trivial world.” I hope you will prove him wrong in 2021, Scorpio. According to my reading of astrological omens, the rhythms of life will be in alignment with yours if you do indeed make bold attempts to favour music over noise, joy over pleasure, soul over gold, creative work over business, passion over foolery. Moreover, I think this will be your perfect formula for success—a strategy that will guarantee you’ll feel at home in the world more than ever before.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to researcher Nick Watts and his documentary film The Human Footprint, the average person speaks more than 13 million words in a lifetime, or about 4,300 per day.

But I suspect and hope that your output will increase in 2021. I think you’ll have more to say than usual—more truths to articulate, more observations to express, more experiences to describe. So please raise your daily quota of self-expression to account for your expanded capacity to share your intelligence with the world.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Our thinking should have a vigorous fragrance, like a wheat field on a summer’s night,” wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

I encourage you to adopt that joyful mandate as your own. It’s a perfect time to throw out stale opinions and mouldy ideas as you make room for an aromatic array of fresh, spicy notions. To add to your bliss, get rid of musty old feelings and decaying dreams and stinky judgments.

That brave cleansing will make room for the arrival of crisp insights that smell really good.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Have you heard the term “catastrophize”? It refers to when people experience a small setback or minor problem but interpret it as being a major misfortune. It’s very important that you not engage in catastrophizing during the coming weeks. I urge you to prevent your imagination from jumping to awful conclusions that aren’t warranted. Use deep breathing and logical thinking to coax yourself into responding calmly. Bonus tip: In my view, the small “setback” you experience could lead to an unexpected opportunity—especially if you resist the temptation to catastrophize.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): My Buddhist friend Marcia says the ultimate goal of her meditation practise is to know that the material world is an illusion and that there is no such thing “I” or “you,” no past or future.

There is only the quality-less ground of being. My Sufi friend Roanne, on the other hand, is a devotee of the poet Rumi. The ultimate goal of her meditation practice is to be in intimate contact, in tender loving communion, with the Divine Friend, the personal face of the Cosmic Intelligence. Given your astrological omens, Pisces, I’d say you’re in a prime position to experience the raw truth of both Marcia’s and Roanne’s ideals. The coming days could bring you amazing spiritual breakthroughs!

Homework: Carry out an act of love that’s unique in your history. Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates

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

66 DECEMBER 17, 2020

IN WHISTLER,

WE WEAR MASKS

40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION IS HERE! IN PRINT AND ONLINE! Covid ’19’ Things To Do Comfort food Long-term locals Backcountry Bounty The Evolution of Ski Style Whistler Classic Homes And much more!

Look for it in select hotel rooms, on stands, in shops… or call us if you would like copies delivered. cpower@whistlermagazine.com

|

604-932-1672

Whistler’s premier visitor magazine since 1980 whistlermagazine.com

/whistlermagazine

Planning your perfect Whistler wedding?

P I C K U P Y O U R C O P Y T O D AY !

“... so that we can ski and ride this winter.”

Geoff Buchheister, COO, Whistler Blackcomb

#WhistlerWearsMasks www.whistler.ca/wewearmasks DECEMBER 17, 2020

67

classifieds.piquenewsmagazine.com

RENT SELL HIRE Classifi eds

Where locals look CALL OR PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED WITH OUR ONLINE SERVICE FOR EITHER PRINT OR ONLINE...OR BOTH!

D E A D L I N E

FOR PRINT ADS

      

Secure & scamless Fully searchable Targeted online community Categorised listings No reposting Trusted by locals Make your listing stand out with featured locations

Accommodation

LONG-TERM RENTALS

MARKETPLACE

HOME SERVICES

HOME SERVICES

WHISTLER

FURNITURE

BUILDING AND RENOVATIONS

FLOORING

WHISTLER FURNITURE CO

Wiebe Construction Services

SHAW

BEDS IN STOCK! SAME DAY DELIVERY! MATTRESSES-BUNK BEDSSOFA BEDS-CUSTOM SOFAS

ACCOMMODATION LISTINGS, DEFINED: Long Term Rentals

Monthly rental accommodation that is available to local renters for a minimum of 12 months.

Short Term Rentals

Monthly or seasonal rental accommodation that is available to local renters for less than 12 months, or where the rental price varies throughout the year.

Nightly and/or weekly rental accommodation, available to visitors over a short period of time.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

Sell your stuff online print only & online



$11*

per week



 

Packages start with 4 lines of text.

Additional text .....$1/line Add one image in print and up to three online as per package level.

Bolding .............50¢/word Border .......................... $2

* Rates are based on using Pique’s self-serve online application at classifieds. piquenewsmagazine.com

Get the added punch to make your business ad standout with a classified display ad.

whistlerfurniture.ca 2-1020 Millar Creek Road

604.938.4285

Specializing in Real Estate Sales & Long-Term Rental Management Services Investors seeking to purchase a Rental Property & Owners seeking Long-Term Rental Management Services please phone 604-932-7849 or email info@whistlerproperty.com to discuss services & fees

piquenewsmagazine.com

68 DECEMBER 17, 2020

• Kitchen and Bath • Renovations & Repairs • Drywall • Painting • Finishing • Minor Electrical & Plumbing

Open Monday through Friday 8:30 - 4:30 Saturday 10:00 -4:00 Sundays and Evenings by appointment only.

Ray Wiebe 604.935.2432 Pat Wiebe 604.902.9300 raymondo99.69@gmail.com

3-1365 Alpha Lake Road Whistler, B.C, V0N1B1 Phone 604-938-1126 email shawcarpet@shaw.ca

MOVING AND STORAGE

PRE-LOVED RE-LOVED = COMMUNITY LOVE

Come visit our showroom for all your renovation and supply needs For Free consults and Quotes call 604-935-8825 Located in function junction mariomarble@shawbiz.ca Showroom #103-1010 Alpha Lake Rd.

RE-BUILD-IT CENTRE Donations daily 10 am to 6 pm Accepting pre-loved furniture, tools and building supplies Shopping daily 10 am to 6 pm 1003 Lynham Road 604-932-1125 Visit mywcss.org and our social channels for updates.

REAL ESTATE

one month *

free

OPEN / 7 DAYS WEEK

* PREPAY 3 MONTHS GET 4TH FREE

604.932.1948

1209 Alpha Lake Rd., Function Junction

www.a1ulock.com

Call 604-902-MOVE www.alltimemoving.ca

HANDYPERSON

COMMERCIAL AND HOME REPAIR, RENOVATION AND RESTORATION. 1550 Celina Road, St. Marys HANDYMAN SERVICES. 419-394-4015 www.pantrypridemkt.com PH:Facebook Like Us On 604-203-7542

View Rental Listings at:

BEST STORAGE

big or small we do it all!

IM CONTRACTING

LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENTS: Duane Kercher • 604-932-7849 duane@whistlerproperty.com Forrest Chittick • 604-902-7178 forrest@whistlerproperty.com

WHISTLER’S

NORTHLANDS

STORAGE STORAGE SPACE AVAILABLE

BEST PRICES IN WHISTLER FURNITURE, CARS, BOATS & MOTORCYCLES ETC STORAGE AVAILABLE

BEST

PRICES

IN WHISTLER

EMAIL: IANMACALISTERCONTRACTING@GMAIL.COM

REAL ESTATE SERVICES For a weekly sales report of new and sold listings in Whistler & Pemberton, please go to whistlerrealestatemarket.com or contact josh@joshcrane.ca

piquenewsmagazine.com/events

piquenewsmagazine.com/ local-events/

LOCAL SINCE 1996

604-938-0202

Family owned & operated

@piquenews

Free ad design, colour options, incentives for ad frequency.

Contact a sales rep today.

CARPET & FLOOR CENTRE

FOR SALE - MISC

RE-USE-IT CENTRE Donations daily 10 am to 3 pm Accepting pre-loved clothing, gear and household items.

Shopping daily 11 am to 6 pm 8000 Nesters Road 604-932-1121

$5

Advertising Options

NOW OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Vacation Rentals

List your accommodation rental in print & online * a week from only

* Free for 30 days

Queen mattresses from $289.99 Bunk Beds from $699.99 Sofa beds from $1099.99

Serving Whistler for over 25 years

DISPLAY ADS

CLASSIFIEDS.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM

PRINT & ONLINE SELF-SERVE

Tuesday 4pm

Book your classified ad online by 3pm Tuesday

604.932.1968

classifieds.piquenewsmagazine.com

BUY

Services

Community

HOME SERVICES

HEALTH & WELLBEING

NOTICES

MOVING AND STORAGE

COUNSELLING

LEGAL/PUBLIC NOTICES

RENT

PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

WALSH

1 9 8We Added 2 More Containers!

5 WALSH

6 1 8 2 4 9 6 1 6 5 3 4 8SPORTS & ACTIVITIES4 7 9

7 8 STORAGE Pemberton Industrial Park 1944 Stone Cutter Place 4 Owner 1Residence 8 On-Site 8 X9 10 CONTAINERS 2 MONTH $ TIME 100 +2 HRSTAX7FREEPER TRUCK 6 5 8 X 20 CONTAINERS 2 8+ TAX3PER MONTH $ 5 160 4 HRS FREE TRUCK TIME

Emotional distress can be difficult to manage on your own. The goal of Ashlin Tipper Counselling is to promote health and happiness by providing welcoming, kind, supportive, non-judgmental, goal-oriented, practical, clinically-based emotional support.

Website: ashlintippercounselling.com Email: ashlintippercounselling@gmail.com Phone: (604) 916 8979

Call Mike Walsh

# 450054 604 698

4 7

1 5

Dec 26, 9am-8:30pm

7 6 1 8 5 6 7 3 8 6 3 9 4 5 6 HEALTH 2 Services & WELLBEING PHYSICAL 3 6 THERAPY

6

Jan 01, closed all day

CUSTOM-MADE ORTHOTICS at competitive prices for ski boots # 47 6 7 &1shoes, 8 2including 5 4 9training 3 shoes.

2 5 1 9 4 3 8 7

4 178 years 1 9of making 3 6 5orthotics 7 3 9 6 4 7 1 2 8 6 2‘Sally 5 7 4 Physiotherapy’ 8 3 9 John 5 7 3 8 1 2 4 6 8 3 2 6 9 7 1 5 2997 Alpine Cresent (Alta Vista) 2 4 7 5 8 9 6 1 9(604) 5 4 698-6661 1 6 3 7 2 1www.sallyjohnphysiotherapy.com 6 9 3 2 5 8 4

4

8

Whistler Construction Company is Looking for F/T Hardworking, Reliable, Motivated team players. Note what position you’re applying for & include resume.

5 1 3 9

9 7

*Foreman or Lead Carpenters (Room for growth ) *Carpenters (Room for growth ) *Helpers (Apprenticeships available) * Labourers 604-902-0956 office@modernc onceptcontracting.com

Whistler Personnel Solutions Career & temp opportunities available. Start work right away. 604905-4194 www.whistler-jobs.com

Club Thursdays at 12:15.

Contact us at info@Whistler-rotary.org for log in info. All welcome.

here?# 48

The Millennium V. EASY

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS TAKEN PRIOR TO APPOINTMENT

# 46

Maternity leave 1 year may be extended to full time position

5 4 2 4 Community 1 NOTICES 1 9 2 GENERAL NOTICES 3 5 8 6 ROTARY CLUBS 3 OF WHISTLER 8 2 7 5 The7 Rotary Clubs9 of Whistler 1 3 are now meeting virtually.

WANT TO ADVERTISE The Whistler 2 Club6 8 9 job your Tuesdays at 3.

# 47 Sally John Physiotherapy

IN HOME PHYSIOTHERAPY AVAILABLE

8

www.whistler.ca/fitness 604-935-PLAY (7529)

778-952-5988 call or text seatoskyoddjobs@gmail.com www.seatoskyoddjobs.com

REGISTERED PHYSIOTHERAPIST

3 1

Dec 31, 6am-4 pm

4 1 5

MCC Modern Concept Contracting Looking for key people to join our team.

Not happy with your current employer & looking for a change?

New in Town & looking for a job?

Moving to Whistler?

Dec 25, closed all day

Snow clearing Moving services General maintenance and repair Painting, sanding, drywall and staining Strata jobs Garbage removal Yard work and basic landscaping

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR AND/ OR ABORIGINAL SUPPORTED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT WORKER

***Local Automotive*** # 46 Automotive technician for year round position in Whistler. 604-905-9109 steve@localautomotive.com

Dec 24, 6am-4pm

Call Pique at (604) 938-0202, or email sales@piquenewsmagazine.com

5 1 6 4 7 3 9 2 8 VOLUNTEERS 2 4 7 9 6 8 5 1 3 Big Brothers, Big Sisters Sea to Sky 3 6 1 8 2 9 4 5 7 Volunteer to Mentor- just 1hr/week - and 9 7a 8difference 5 4 6in 2 3 1 life. Call make a child's 4 2 5 7 3 1 8 6 9 604-892-3125.

Page 12 of 25

9 6 8 4 5 2 3 7 1

Answers 3 7 5 8 1 9 6 4 2

1 2 4 6 7 3 8 9 5

7 3 2 1 4 5 9 8 6

5 8 6 2 9 7 4 1 3

4 1 9 3 6 8 2 5 7

6 5 1 9 3 4 7 2 8

8 4 3 7 2 1 5 6 9

The N’Quatqua First Nation is seeking a qualified Early Childhood Educator and/or Aboriginal Supported Child Development Support Worker to fill a full-time position at N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre. The successful candidate will join our NCFDC team, the function of the Early Childhood Educator and/or Aboriginal Supported Child Development Support Worker is to provide the extra staffing support to a child care center in order for children with extra support needs to fully participate in the child care settings chosen by their families. The Early Childhood and/or Support Worker works as a team member with child care setting staff and with all the children and families providing general support to the whole program to ensure effective inclusion of the children.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated ability in: • Ability to develop and maintain a warm, caring, responsive relationship with the child.

• Ability to establish and maintain supportive, collaborative relationships with families and staff.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality, positive, professional, nonjudgmental attitude.

• Physically ability to carry out the duties of the position.

• Planning and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum that supports community, inclusion and is culturally significant for young Aboriginal children • Understanding and working knowledge of Child Care Licensing regulations • Interpersonal, written, oral communication skills and maintaining positive communication with parents • Collaborating with community service providers, Self-directed and able to initiate and complete projects In addition, the Early Childhood Educator and/or Aboriginal Supported Child Development Support Worker will have: • A minimum of 2 years work experience in a child care setting • Valid Early Childhood Education Certificate, Special Needs License to Practice or going to school to take Early Childhood Educator and/ or special needs.

• Special Needs certificate or relevant experience preferred • Clear Criminal Records Check & Current First Aid • Food Safe, or willingness to obtain • Some knowledge of curriculum and philosophies in First Nations Early Childhood settings Terms of Employment: • Full-time Permanent, Monday to Friday hours to be determined • Start Date: As soon as possible • Wage: (negotiable depending on experience)

MEETING PLACE Welcome Centre at Whistler Public Library - Information, support, community connections and ESL practice groups for newcomers and immigrants. Meet people, make connections, volunteer, build your skills # 48 7 8communication 9 6 1 5 3 4 in 2 English.

Multicultural Meet Up every Friday 9.301 5 2 3 8 4 7 9 6 12pm.604-698-5960 6 3 4 2 9 7 1 8 5 info@welcomewhistler.com FB: 8 WhistlerWelcomeCentre 9 3 1 5 2 6 7 4

FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

JOB POSTING

2EMPLOYMENT 5 OPPORTUNITIES 4

Holiday Hours at MPSC:

SELL

88/64 CASPER CHARLIE PLACE, DARCY BC V0N 1L0

7 2 EMPLOYMENT

mike.walsh@walshrestoration.ca

Let Sea to Sky Odd Jobs take care of some of that ever growing to do list.

1 8

DRIVE

N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre PO BOX

3 7

6 5 8 9

V. EASY

Sea to Sky Odd Jobs Reliable. Trustworthy. Efficient.

5 3

FIX

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

RESTORATION USE A WALSH CUBE TRUCK FOR FREE TO MOVE YOUR POSSESSIONS TO WALSH STORAGE

WORK

2 9 7 5 8 6 1 3 4

4/11/2005

Cover Letter & Resume to: Title: Lisa Sambo, Manager Agency: N’Quatqua Child and Family Development Centre Email: lisa.sambo@nquatqua.ca Fax: 604-452-3295/3280 Deadline: until position is filled We thank all those who apply. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

DECEMBER 17, 2020

69

classifieds.piquenewsmagazine.com

Book your classified ad online by 3pm Tuesday

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

We offer competitive wages, a unique environment, seasonal bonuses, staff discounts and benefits.

Ask about accommodation.

Come Grow Sport with us at our Whistler Olympic Legacy Venues

Whistler Athletes’ Centre (High-Performance Training and Accommodation) Positions for this venue are currently filled

We are the Spa for you

Whistler Sliding Centre (Bobsleigh, Luge & Skeleton) Positions for this venue are currently filled Whistler Olympic Park (Nordic Skiing, Snowshoeing and outdoor activities) Nordic Sport Instructor Guest Activity Rep

Visit our website to view current postings and to apply: www.whistlersportlegacies.com/careers

Whistler’s only dedicated wedding magazine.

AVAILABLE ON STANDS IN THE SEA TO SKY

If you are looking for a new place to call home: • We manifest positive energy • We have a long term and loyal team • We treat you fairly and look out for your wellness • You are listened to • We give you proper breaks and time to set up between services • We offer extended medical benefits • We have potential staff housing at affordable rates • You can enjoy $5.00 cafeteria meals • You have the opportunity to work for other Vida locations in slow season We are here for you.

Vida Spa at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler is currently recruiting: RMT Spa practitioners and esthetician’s To join our unique Vida family, email Bonnie@vidaspas.com Vida Spas - Vancouver & Whistler Live well. Live long. vidaspas.com Thank You for applying Only those considered will be contacted.

PLAY HERE

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Employment Opportunities • Utilities Group Manager • Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

» piquenewsmagazine.com/jobs

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers

Career Opportunities at the District of Squamish

Delta by Marriott Whistler Village Suites

Engineering Services Assistant (Clerk 4) Regular Full-Time

Is currently recruiting for the following Positions are:

Recreation Facility Attendant 1 Casual/On-Call

- Mechanical Maintenance Associate

Recreation Facility Attendant 2 Casual/On-Call

Start your journey today with: competitive wages, growth opportunities, a positive team environment, medical benefits, play money (ski pass, etc), travel benefits to over 7,000 hotels world wide!

To Apply: either submit an application online at Marriott.com/careers or send your resume to barbara.fraser@deltahotels.com

70 DECEMBER 17, 2020

Building Inspector Casual/On-Call To find out more, please visit: squamish.ca/careers

classifieds.piquenewsmagazine.com

BUY

RENT

WORK

FIX

DRIVE

SELL

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Accountant (Permanent, F/T)

The Sea to Sky corridor’s top civil construction company.

We are currently recruiting professionally minded people to join our team.

Required: Heavy Duty Red Seal or Commercial Vehicle Technician Please send resume to: Email: info@whistlerexcavations.com

We are currently interviewing for Red Seal Carpenters (or equivalent experience) Please submit resume to: info@evrfinehomes

Whistler’s Premier Estate Builder

Coastal Mountain Excavations (est. 1975) is a Civil Construction and Snow Services company serving the Sea to Sky Corridor and beyond.

We are currently recruiting:

ACCOUNTING CLERK

The SLRD is seeking an experienced individual to perform asset management duties, grant administration duties and other intermediate level accounting duties in support of and under the direction of the Director of Finance. This is a new permanent, full-time position with diverse responsibilities. At this time, it is anticipated that this position will initially be remote due to the COVID pandemic but will, in accordance with the SLRD reopening plan, eventually be located at the SLRD office in Pemberton.

The ideal candidate will have a Professional Accounting Designation, or be enrolled in such a program, with a minimum of 4 years accounting experience with a focus on and extensive experience with managing tangible capital assets. Candidates must have excellent Excel skills, experience using large data sets and superior communication skills with the ability to work within deadlines.

The successful candidate will be responsible for: •

Building, maintaining, improving and communicating the SLRD’s asset registry and asset management plans and strategies.

•

Developing annual and long-term capital budgets and performing capital budget variance reviews & remediation strategies.

•

Assisting with capital projects as they relate to infrastructure asset management.

•

Assisting with capital project planning and procurement.

•

Reviewing various grant funding opportunities, compiling information and writing grant applications in coordination with the applicable SLRD department.

•

Reviewing and reconciling project financial records for completeness and for any grant eligibility requirements, ensuring the project stays within any respective grant requirements.

•

Completing grant funding reporting requirements.

•

Cross-training in all facets of the finance department to assist as needed.

•

Tracking financial funding resolutions of the Board, preparing funding letters to the recipients and completing cheque requisitions for funding disbursements.

•

Performing other related work as required.

For further information, please see the full job description at www.slrd.bc.ca/employment Compensation will be determined commensurate with knowledge, skills and ability, includes a comprehensive benefit package and Municipal Pension Plan and offers the ability to work a compressed work week (nine-day fortnight).

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume with a covering letter by email, no later than January 8, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. to: Suzanne Lafrance, Director of Finance Squamish-Lillooet Regional District slafrance@slrd.bc.ca We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

Glacier Media Group is growing. Check our job board regularly for the latest openings: www.glaciermedia.ca/careers

R001408475

www.whistlerexcavations.com

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is located in southwestern BC and consists of 4 member municipalities (Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet) and 4 electoral areas. The region contains some of the most spectacular forests, waterways, and mountains in the province and affords an endless range of opportunities for outdoor adventure. Headquartered in Pemberton, which is the approximate geographic centre of the region, the SLRD delivers a wide range of regional, sub-regional and local services to its residents. Services include land use planning, solid waste management, building inspection, fire protection, emergency preparedness, 911 services, recreation, water and sewer utilities, regional transit, trails and open spaces as well as financial support for various community services.

Email resume to careers@coastalmountain.ca

DECEMBER 17, 2020

71

CALL THE EXPERTS

Want to advertise your service on this page?

BLINDS ETC.

Call Pique at (604) 938-0202, or email sales@piquenewsmagazine.com

BLINDS ETC.

BLINDS ETC.

SUNCREST WINDOW COVERINGS

WINDOW COVERINGS Whistler’s Source for Blinds since 1989

Custom Blinds • Shades • Draperies

• BLINDS • SHADES

• SHUTTERS • DRAPERY

Connie Griffiths Tel: 604-935-2101 Email: windowcov@shaw.ca www.whistlerwindowcoverings.ca

Custom Window Treatments Contact us today for a free quote or consultation info@suncrestwindowcoverings.com

CARPET CLEANING

604.698.8406

CLEANING

BLACK BEAR CARPET CLEANING LTD. • CARPETS • UPHOLSTERY

• TILES • CAR INTERIORS

Coast Mountain Cleaning • Full service cleaning • Residential & Commercial • Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning • Property Maintenance • Established 2011 Insured & Bondable • Criminal background checks on all staff

www.blackbearcarpetcleaning.ca • 604 698 6610

604-966-1437

coastmountaincleaning@gmail.com

FURNITURE

• • • •

Wood blinds Sunscreens Shades Motorization

www.summersnow.ca

Summer Snow Finishings Limited

CHIMNEY

We follow all VCH, Min of Health and WHO Covid 19 protocols

100% ECO FRIENDLY CERTIFIED

David Weldon david@summersnow.ca 604-938-3521

We use tea tree oil based cleaning products.

GLASS

BLACKCOMB CHIMNEY PATROL LTD. Serving Whistler since 1986

Specialized in cleaning Chimneys, Furnace & Airducts, Dryer vents.

Wood Energy Technology Transfer Inc.

604.932.5775 / 1.877.932.5775 blackcombchimney@yahoo.ca

GLASS

WINDOW REPLACEMENT

TIRED OF THOSE OLD CONDENSATED, MOLDY WINDOWS AND DOORS?

MODERN DESIGNS.

Take advantage of the benefits and savings you will receive from new windows and doors.

Call Whistler Glass for your onsite consultation

604.932.1132

...Furniture that won’t go out of style

AUTO GLASS SPECIALISTS · Frameless Shower Enclosures · Complete Window/Door Packages · Custom Railing Glass Systems · Fogged/Failed Window Replacements

mountainglass.ca | info@mountainglass.ca

604-932-7288

whistlerglass.com

THE COMPLETE GLASS CENTRE

PAINT

HANDYMAN FOR ALL YOUR HOUSEHOLD & COMMERCIAL NEEDS

WANT TO ADVERTISE

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

• Carpentry • Tiling • Drywall Repairs • Texture Finishing • Renovations • Installation • Painting • Plumbing • Snow Removal • Appliance Repairs Ask Us About • Mine Sweeping Your Home ROB PIDGEON • 604-932-7707 • Bonded & Insured

your service here?

Call Pique at (604) 938-0202, or email sales@piquenewsmagazine.com

find us on

www.birdhouseservices.com BirdhouseServices@gmail.com

SURVEYING

SURVEYING

BUNBURY & ASSOCIA BC LAND SURVEYORS

WHISTLER PROPERTY SERVICES

Serving the Sea to Sky Corridor Since 1963

604-962-0050

Pressure Washing Window Cleaning

High Dusting

Handyman Services

Junk Removal

72 DECEMBER 17, 2020

Book your in-home leen Consultation with Col today!

604-894-6240 7426 Prospect St, Pemberton

PROPERTY SERVICES

info@50north.ca

Our paint team has over 25 years combined paint sales experience, and we can help you get things right the first time. Now offering In Home Paint Consultations! Pemberton Valley Rona.

Let us help you love where you live.

▪ ▪ ▪

Phone: 604-932-3770

Surveys Surveys

▪ ▪ ▪

North Vancouver to Lillooet

Surveys Plans

Surveys

www.bunbury-surveys.com SQUAMISH OFFICE #207 - 38026 Second Avenue Phone: 604-892-3090 email: squamish@bunbury-surveys.com

DOUG BUSH SURVEY SERVICES LTD DOUGLAS J BUSH AScT, RSIS p: 604-932-3314 c: 604-935-9515 Engineering & construction layout Topographic & site improvement surveys Municipal, volumetric & hydrographic surveys GPS - global positioning systems www.dbss.ca // dougb@dbss.ca

PUZZLES ACROSS 1 6 11 16 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 33 35 36 38 39 41 43 45 47 49 53 54 55 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 68

Gray-barked tree Illinois town Dais VIP Prickle Drive out Traveler -- Polo Heaped up Gainsay Toxic emanation Touche provokers Habituate Excludes Hidden valley Motorist’s no.

Gnawed away “Oui” opposite Old pro Fling Perfect for NASA (hyph.)

Welsh dog Playground period Chip in Grads Indifferent Grove Miffed, plus Work a cure Sheik’s cartel Add oxygen Illegal payment Gallivants Thai neighbor Romantic poet Joins together Tenet Overcharge Id --

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

8

69 70 71 73 75 76 78 79 81 82 84 87 89 90 94 96 97 98 99 100 102 103 105 106 107 108 109 111 112 113 114 116 117 118 121 123 124 129 130

6 4 7

4 9

Vatican heads Gyro pocket Shut noisily Scholarship basis Felt grateful A Ryder Proprietors Loose-limbed Scholarly article Tough fabric Flower part Situated Competed for Aussie rockers Instants Hearty laughs Chomps down Shogun’s yes Computer command Not straight Out loud Change a bill Blond shade Obsession Seltzers Raw wool Santa --, California Skater -- Heiden Spud Sunnier “Haystacks” artist Cried like a kitten Fly upward Beach near Los Angeles Walked softly Briefcase item Type of pool “The Greatest” That, in Acapulco

5 3

1 8

6 5 8 9

132 134 135 136 138 140 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

3 7

4 1 5

7 2 2 5 4

V. EASY

Ralph -- Emerson 18-wheeler Double agent Quail family Glisten German white wine Derek and the Dominos tune Take -- --!

Indiana NBAer Green fruits Eyed impolitely Forded the river Discards Fermenting agent They’re almost grown, briefly

Broken-off glaciers Put on a pedestal Type of duck Genetic copy Domestic bird Prized gem Portable computer Athens resident Decorate cupcakes Proboscis Typical example Claim workers Stuck to Always, to Whitman TV genie portrayer Juicy steaks (hyph.)

Do a sewing chore Dark complexion Ceremonies Snug retreats

32 34 37 40 42 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 56 57 58 60 61 64 65 66 67 69 70 72 74 76 77 80 81 83 84 85 86 88 89

Urgent Paperless exams “-- up?”

Girder (2 wds.)

Corp. biggie Previously Zodiac sign Science rooms Prayer-wheel turners Like some chests Della or Pee Wee Egg protector Derby or pillbox Ticked off Navajo dwelling Showy feather Psyched up “Here Come the --” She lost her sheep (2 wds.)

Turbine part Wail Enjoyed a banquet Stare at “-- vincit amor” Needle end Ducts Large quantities Knights’ wives Zany Japanese dogs It may be spliced Abdul or Zahn Low-down guy Besmirch Body trunk Delhi nannies Type of poem Goldsmith’s Wakefield cleric

91 92 93 95 97 101 102 103 104 106 107 108 110 112 113 115 116

Shout hurrah Rumba or tango Kind of vinegar Frighten Foreshadowed Platoons Cast a ballot Caution “Give -- -- break” Bills of fare Cut timber Spring training loc.

Jacques’ pal Bank clerks Overcrowd Followed orders Uttered loud

117 118 119 120 122 123 125 126 127 128 131 133 137 139 141 142

lamentations Fishing nets Colorful parrot Island greeting Incredibly angry Again -- donna Snapshot Arthur Conan -Ethan or Woody Shows the way Venomous snakes Paris hub Make do with Nasty laugh Get a move on Fortune

LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

# 46

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

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: VERY EASY

6

3 1

8

4

5 1 3 9

8

9 7

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

V. EASY Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com# 48

ANSWERS ON PAGE 69

DECEMBER 17, 2020

73

MAXED OUT

All I want for Christmas …

DEAR SANTA: Yo, ol’ jolly one. I’d generally apologize for adding to your seasonal burdens but I’m thinking you received a pandemic gift this year, what with everyone sending their money to Jeff Bezos and jacking up Amazon stock like it was Tesla. Still, I’m old enough to know better but fickle enough to go through the motions of writing you, assuming you always have room in your sack and enough elf power to churn out a few last-minute presents.

I’ll understand if you can’t manage it this time. Hell, I’ll understand if you get

BY G.D. MAXWELL caught in the crossfire of the culture wars waging all over the world and decide to give 2020 a pass. If I were you I’d be leaving the reindeer to the elves and setting my sights on a deserted South Seas island for the duration. But I know that’s not your style.

Can’t let the true believers down, can you?

I know I’ve left this kinda late but if you’ve been paying attention to what’s been going on down here you probably understand. I’d have gotten around to this earlier but it’s been hard to get motivated and there have been, how shall I put this, a few distractions.

So let’s get right to the point. My personal Christmas list is small. I’d like more snow, please. Since the ski season started, everything has been much brighter in Tiny Town. True, I’m still riding rock skis and they’re ready for a little p-tex lovin’ but that’s not a complaint. Almost everyone I know feels the same way. Even the most weenie green runs, the ones festooned with SLOW signs everyone ignores, are lifeaffirming after the semi-shut-in existence of the past nine months. It’d be like the rapture if we had a couple of 20-centimetre days between now and your visit.

If at all possible, I’d like that snow to be followed by, well, more snow… or sunshine, or howling winds, or a plague of locusts. Anything but rain, which seems to be far too common what with global weirding and all. Leave the pineapples in Hawaii. That’s it for me, thanks.

These next two asks are going to sound a bit at odds with each other. Sorry ‘bout that.

How about packing a big bag of patience and self-control in the sleigh? Being a town that lives and dies on tourism, we’d like to see the place packed. But not just now, thank you. Patience and self-control would be a welcome, albeit scarce, asset for all those folks we see every weekend, and a lot of weekdays, who drive up from the Lower Mainland to play here. I’m not sure why they all believe they’re invincible but their visits threaten our very livelihood. And I’m sure the local Vancouver mountains would appreciate their business almost as much as the struggling businesses here would.

If it doesn’t seem too incongruous or pie-in-the-sky, how about a renaissance

74 DECEMBER 17, 2020

GETTYIMAGES.CA

in skiing’s popularity? I don’t understand why every Canadian who can walk and chew gum at the same time doesn’t ski.

On the other hand, sometimes I can hardly understand why anyone skis. Especially when I consider the cost of the sport in time, pain and dollars.

But Canadians, in particular, should embrace all things winter much as is done in other European and Scandinavian countries. It’s in our DNA. We’ve got the

weeks of winter would seem like nothing except perhaps a chance to squeeze in one or two more ski trips. Make it so, Santa.

If you can find it, Santa—I’m guessing it’s still in print—could you toss a copy of Henry Mintzberg’s 1979 book, The Structuring of Organizations, into your bag for the braintrust down in Colorado’s Field of Brooms? Henry had some insight into the debate over centralization and decentralization I believe the Vailites could

If I were you I’d be leaving the reindeer to the elves and setting my sights on a deserted South Seas island for the duration.

wardrobe, we’ve got the snow, we’ve got the mountains and hills. Still, so many Canadians look forward each year to flocking south to warmer climes, beaches, sunburns, all-inclusive drunkfests. I don’t understand. How can any Canadian want to parade their pasty, white flesh on a beach in deepest February? Ugh. And the shock to their systems when they return home! If they came skiing, they’d feel as though they’d spent their holiday in happy physical exertion. The remaining

profit from. I love the biblical reference to the age-old question.

While you’re at it, a smidgen of wisdom and humility would help. I mean, enlightened managers don’t borrow the best ideas from their employees, make it a showcase for their environmental enlightenment and then get rid of them like some mafia family. Jeez.

And while you’re loading up your bag with humility, maybe add a bit more for all those groups who are storming the federal

government to push their way to the front of the second-priority line for COVID vaccines.

Hockey players? Really?

It’s often said the priority items for survival are shelter, water, food and, at least in Canada, fire. I’m pretty sure you have to get way, way far down the list to consider hockey important. Ditto theatre actors, as some wag recently suggested.

I’m personally OK with waiting, my age notwithstanding. But I know how weird things would get if, for example, no one were producing, distributing and selling food, picking up garbage, keeping the water and sewage flowing, warming my house, things like that. And it goes without saying snowplow drivers, ski patrol, lifties and others working for the man every night and day are way higher on my list than hockey players, politicians, actors and influencers, whatever they are.

I’m going to leave it there, Santa. I don’t believe there’s anything you could deliver that would mitigate the destructive effects of culture wars, social media, climate change, accelerating extinction or Trump, although some strong-armed movers and a strong case of laryngitis would help for that final item.

The world’s a mess, no doubt about it. But thus, it was ever so. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. I think it was a 19th-century French influencer who said that.

Merry Christmas, Santa. We’re short on dairy in the house this year so I’ll leave a bit of scotch with the cookies. Enjoy. n

SEASONS GREETINGS E N J OY T H E H O L I DAY S S A F E LY !

NEW TO MARKET

SOLD

NORDIC 1-2100 Eva Lake Road 3 Bed/2.5 Bath Townhome.Bright end unit in Lupin Rock with nature at the door. Views from the private deck. Short walk to Creekside. Upgraded bathrooms, appliances, windows, carpets and more. Plenty of storage and plans available for a dream kitchen. $1,239,000

Janet Robson

NEW TO MARKET

NORDIC 18-2110 Whistler Road Spacious updated townhome featuring 3 beds, 3.5 baths, steam shower, wood burning fireplace and more! Walking distance to the Creekside Gondola and shops. Available for quick possession. $999,000

604-938-2468 Kerry Batt

WHITE GOLD 41-7124 Nancy Greene Drive Fitzsimmons Walk offers quality, size and location. 5 B.R/4.5 Baths/2 car garage/ large storage room. Phase One Zoning. $3,788,000

604-902-5422 Bob Daniels

604-932-7997

SOLD

ALTA VISTA 101-3050 Hillcrest Drive Attention to detail is how this Seller achieved a sale in less than 30 days. This 2 bdrm at Alta Vista Pointe, in an outstanding location, was beautifully renovated. Call me anytime for more details. $1,075,000

Laura Wetaski

604-938-3798 Allyson Sutton

CREEKSIDE 1351 Alta Lake Road The Cedarstone Lodge - a hidden gem just 2km from Creekside yet a world away. 5.7 acres, landscaping, pristine forests, magnificent yellow cedar log home with 4br, 5.5ba, spa area, wrap around decks and two massive fireplaces. An incredible family sanctuary! $7,799,000

Rob Boyd

BENCHLANDS 413-4800 Spearhead Drive Top floor ski-in/ski-out 1 bedroom suite. Forest views and all day sun. Enjoy full time personal use of your suite and the availability to rent. The complex offers outdoor hot tubs, an outdoor pool & a gym.

Strata fees include utilities. $868,000

604-932-7609 Nick Swinburne *PREC

EMERALD ESTATES 9508 Emerald Drive Welcome to “Raven-Hut” the epitome of mountain modern design. Interior living spaces flow seamlessly with the outdoor living spaces. 3 bedrooms & 2 bathroom house with a lovely 2 bedroom & 1 bathroom suite $3,995,000

604-935-9172 Maggi Thornhill *PREC

BENCHLANDS 445-4800 Spearhead Drive Amazing slopeside location in this 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom Aspens apartment.

Unrestricted owner use & nightly rental. HOA includes hot water, heat, internet & cable. Outdoor pool, hot tubs, gym and storage. $849,000

604-932-8899

PEMBERTON MEADOWS 8354 Pemberton Meadows Road Imagine a 3.5 bdrm/2 bath country home with a wrap around deck on a 3 acre piece of paradise with mature trees, flowers, veggie garden and picture postcard views including Mt. Currie! $1,399,000

604-905-8199 Brigitta Fuess

Whistler Village Shop

Whistler Creekside Shop

Squamish Station Shop

36-4314 Main Street · Whistler BC V8E 1A8 · Phone +1 604-932-1875

325-2063 Lake Placid Road · Whistler BC V8E 0B6 · Phone +1 604-932-1875

150-1200 Hunter Place · Squamish BC V8B 0G8 · Phone +1 778-733-0611

whistler.evrealestate.com

whistler.evrealestate.com

whistler.evrealestate.com

Engel & Völkers Whistler *PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION ©2019 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

604-932-0751

3D Tour - rem.ax/107woodrun

#101 - 4220 Gateway Drive

$280,000

A renovated 635 sq ft studio right in the heart of Whistler Village and within a 2 minute walk to the ski lifts. These fully furnished properties include a fully equipped kitchen and sleep 6. Blackcomb Lodge has undergone extensive renovations and upgrades to the indoor swimming pool, hot tub and other Common Area facilities.

Michael d’Artois

1

604.905.9337

#107 - 4910 Spearhead Drive

$1,799,000

The Woodrun is one of the few concrete buildings in Whistler and #107 is conveniently located on the ground floor facing the green belt. The unit features a boot heater, huge owner locker, Washer, and Dryer in suite and the gym and pool access is just across the hallway.

Richard Christiansen

2

604.907.2717

7201 Fitzsimmons Road S.

$4,788,000

Walk to the Village from this completely renovated 4 bedroom and den home in White Gold. The den could easily be used as a 5th bedroom for extended family groups. This spacious home is located on a large, flat 12,159 square foot corner lot, right on the Fitzsimmons Creek.

Sally Warner*

604.905.6326

4.5

3D Tour - rem.ax/3282arbutus

3282 Arbutus Drive

$2,499,000

Bright family home within walking distance to Whistler Village with beautiful Blackcomb Mountain views. Open concept floor plan is perfect for entertaining.

Flex room could be used for an office or bedroom plus master bedroom are situated on the main level. The upper level showcases 3 bedrooms with a loft.

Ursula Morel*

7

604.932.8629

9377 Flicker Way

$6,200,000

5.5

604.905.0737

Ann Chiasson

Bob Cameron*

604.932.7651

7115 Nesters Road

Dave Beattie*

604.905.88 55

$3,788,000

8.5

#312 - 3317 Ptarmigan Place

$1,200,000

This unit has had a wonderful renovation that is clean bright and modern. Wide plank wire brushed engineered oak floors run through out the home and both bathrooms are finished with heavy glass doors,recessed tile walls and heated floors. This is a truly turn key luxury apartment with a south facing deck with all day sun.

Dave Sharpe

604.902.2779

2

3D Tour - rem.ax/8349needles

$179,000

8349 Needles Drive

$2,699,000

Fourth Floor large 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom 952 sf ¼ share condo in the slopeside Legends at Whistler Creek. #424C has a large balcony that overlooks Whistler Creek, the Whistler Ski Club Cabin and the forest. The architecture of Legends is classic Whistler: part cabin, part lodge, rock and timber. Sophisticated with a hint of eclectic.

Situated on over 12,000 sq. ft. lot, the Main house includes 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and a spacious 1 bedroom suite with separate entry. The property also boasts a 400 sq.ft stand-alone commercial kitchen, leased through May 2022.

Denise Brown*

Doug Treleaven

604.902.203

1

604.935.2214

3D Tour - rem.ax/312greyhawk

Thisisanamazing,wellmaintainedpropertywithbeautifullandscaping,plentyofparking andoutdoordeckspacewithalargecoveredhottubforguests.Arareopportunitytoown anaccommodationbusinessofthissize,locationandqualitywithsubstantialpotentialfor growth.Aseparatecaretakersuiteoffersprivacyforthemanagerorowner/operator.

3D Tour - rem.ax/424CLB

#424C - 2036 London Lane

$125,000

This 1 bed/1 bath QUARTER OWNERSHIP property in Evolution offers custom finishings, contemporary design & comes fully equipped. Building amenities include: outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room, games room, exercise room & media room. Enjoy 13 weeks per year of personal use and/or rental income.

3D Tour - rem.ax/7115nesters

The3440squarefoot,fivebedroomplusden,4.5bathroomhomeisveryversatile.Zoned fornightlyrentalyoucanseparatetheincomewitha2bedroom,2bathsuiteandora3 bedroomplusdenhome.EquippedwithanoutdoorHotTub,viewsofWhistlerPeak, WhistlerCreekandtheDaveMurrayDownhillrun,willroundoutthemountainexperience.

Bruce Watt

#105D - 2020 London Lane

WedgeWoods is a private 108 lot community with unique privacy. You can build a family home as well as an auxiliary building of 2150 sq. ft. Perfect for a workshop, studio or guest suite with extra garage. A select group of properties located in The Highlands at WedgeWoods have just been launched and offer beautiful views.

3D Tour - rem.ax/2578snowridge

2578 Snowridge Crescent

$675,000

2

WHISTLER OFFICE 106 - 7015 Nesters Road, Whistler, BC V8E 0X1 604.932.2300 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070 *PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION

If you are a home owner, buyer, tenant, landlord, or small business in need of help during this time, please see our updated list of resources at: remax-whistler.com/resources

604.905.8626

2 Garibaldi Drive

$625,000

Have your housing needs changed – are you able to work from home? Consider the purchase of this 7535 sq.ft. flat lot and plan your home build for Spring. Black Tusk, located just 15 minutes from Whistler Resort is the perfect spot to social distance, create a sustainable vegetable garden and enjoy a less hurried lifestyle.

6

Laura Barkman

604.905.8777

PEMBERTON OFFICE 1411 Portage Road, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L1 604.894.6616 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070