Pique Newsmagazine 2910

MARCH 10, 2022 ISSUE 29.10

WWW.PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM

FREE BUS FARE

What if riding the bus were

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SAYING ‘NO FARES’ COULD MAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT BETTER AND STREETS SAFER, WHILE SPEEDING UP CLIMATE AND JUSTICE PROGRESS. WHO’S ON BOARD?

14

LONG ROAD transit strike

No end in sight for

16

CIVIL SUIT

Whistler Blackcomb

vaccine policy leads to lawsuit

48

LIVING LANGUAGE

SLCC exhibit highlights First Nations languages

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

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Free for all Saying “no fares” could make public transit better and streets safer, while speeding up climate and justice progress. - By andrea bennett / The Tyee

14

LONG ROAD

Six weeks into a Sea to Sky transit

strike, the parties don’t appear to be close to a resolution—and they

28

TAX TIME

Pemberton residents can expect a five-per-

cent tax increase in 2022 as council looks to insulate against rising costs.

haven’t met with a mediator in weeks.

16

CIVIL SUIT

Four former Whistler Blackcomb

employees are suing the company in a dispute over its vaccine policy.

44

NATIONAL STAGE

Local biathletes will be

front and centre at the National Championships in Prince George from March 11 to 17.

22

ROUND 2

A controversial development will get

48

LIVING LANGUAGE

A new exhibit at the

a second public hearing after a Resort Municipality of Whistler

Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre details efforts to preserve and nurture

procedural error.

B.C.’s 34 Indigenous languages.

COVER Sooner or later we’re all going to realize that owning a car is becoming a novelty unless it’s being used for work. - By Jon Parris 4 MARCH 10, 2022

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THIS WEEK IN PIQUE

Opinion & Columns 08 OPENING REMARKS Editor Braden Dupuis channels the spirit of an Olympian at the Telus

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

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

Winter Classic, in the process becoming a role model for the next generation of Bradens.

Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT

10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letter writers this week welcome the return of live music,

Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com Editor BRADEN DUPUIS - bdupuis@piquenewsmagazine.com Assistant Editor ALYSSA NOEL - arts@piquenewsmagazine.com Sales Manager SUSAN HUTCHINSON - shutchinson@wplpmedia.com Production Manager AMIR SHAHRESTANI - ashahrestani@wplpmedia.com Art Director JON PARRIS - jparris@wplpmedia.com Advertising Representatives TESSA SWEENEY - tsweeney@wplpmedia.com GEORGIA BUTLER - gbutler@wplpmedia.com Digital/Sales Coordinator AMELA DIZDARIC - traffic@wplpmedia.com Production production@piquenewsmagazine.com

bemoan the RMOW’s vaccine policy and plead for affordable housing solutions.

13 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST In these times of tightening purse strings, columnist Andrew Mitchell outlines his hard-earned method of budgeting.

70 MAXED OUT The race for the federal Conservative Party leadership is the best show in town, writes G.D. Maxwell this week.

Environment & Adventure

Arts & Entertainment/Features Editor BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com

37 RANGE ROVER Attempts to paint Canada’s Freedom Convoy as anything beyond a misguided,

Social Media Editor MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@piquenewsmagazine.com

moronic, malice-driven display fly in the face of facts, writes Leslie Anthony.

Reporters BRANDON BARRETT - bbarrett@piquenewsmagazine.com MEGAN LALONDE - mlalonde@piquenewsmagazine.com ALYSSA NOEL arts@piquenewsmagazine.com HARRISON BROOKS - sports@piquenewsmagazine.com

Lifestyle & Arts

Classifieds and Reception mail@piquenewsmagazine.com

46 FORK IN THE ROAD Columnist Glenda Bartosh offers up a comforting Ukrainian recipe

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

(courtesy of Feet Banks) for trying times.

Contributors G.D. MAXWELL, GLENDA BARTOSH, FEET BANKS, LESLIE ANTHONY, ANDREW MITCHELL, ALISON TAYLOR, VINCE SHULEY, LISA RICHARDSON

50 MUSEUM MUSINGS How did a Whistler squirrel come to be named Rigor Mortis? The answer

President, Whistler Publishing LP SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@wplpmedia.com

might lie in biology.

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.

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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.

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OPENING REMARKS

Instant classic AS I SLIDE INTO the starting gates, I shoot a sideways glance at my competitor.

I can’t allow her to see the pre-race anxiety and dread building behind my goggles as the race announcer winds us up, I know. I must be one with the slalom.

The announcer says the course is almost ready for us now, and there’s no turning back. I point my skis downhill and take a deep breath.

Having just spent two weeks watching Whistler’s Olympic athletes shine in Beijing, I recognize all the signs of the starting gate jitters.

Only now it’s my turn. Now I‘m exactly like them.

BY BRADEN DUPUIS I am speed personified; a man built of grace and effortless flow, with precise and immaculate poise and an unimpeachable centre of gravity.

I am, for all intents and purposes, an Olympian, I tell myself.

Only this isn’t the Olympics—it’s the 2022 Telus Winter Classic, annual fundraiser for the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation (WBF)—and no amount of internal pep talk will change the undeniable fact that I am a god-awful skier.

not see, you may have been fooled into thinking this was an exciting display to watch. It was not.

As I plow across the finish line I collapse in a triumphant spray of snow and ice, dislodging a single ski in the process to the delight of my Pique teammates watching on.

If there was ever any lingering hope of denying it, it’s gone—Jack Crawford I am not.

But I survived, and with minimal injury or embarrassment, which is sometimes all a man can ask for.

At the bottom of the course is a small celebration, boosted by the legendary Ace Mackay-Smith on the turntables and a Garibaldi Volunteer Fire Department (GFVD) cheering crew.

I spend a few minutes chatting with some of the firefighters, who give me an update on their search for a new rapid response wildland fire truck—a purchase made possible by the WBF in last year’s round of funding.

With COVID throwing a wrench in the fundraising gears, they are extra grateful for the WBF’s grant money. They’re not alone.

Since 1992, the foundation has doled out more than $17 million to community groups in the Sea to Sky—and seeing the real impact the foundation has means the world to executive director Mei Madden.

“I always say I have the best job in Whistler,” she says. “I think more than the

I am speed personified; a man built of grace and effortless flow, with precise and immaculate poise and an unimpeachable centre of gravity.

But it can’t hurt to try.

The announcer sets us off, and I force myself to move. Gingerly I make my way down the hill, plotting a mediocre pace between slalom gates as the hype man at the bottom does his best to make me sound legit in his play-by-play.

I am eternally grateful for his feigned excitement and generosity in calling my race. If you were close enough to hear but

actual number, it’s the benefit of seeing in person what we have been able to accomplish and also knowing that we can be of help to all of the amazing non-profits and charities who do such great work in the corridor.”

Though this year’s Winter Classic—the 29th annual—didn’t feature the full slate of evening activities that occurred prepandemic, it was just nice to see so many come together again for the on-mountain

events, Madden says.

“The vibe was fantastic and the atmosphere was so fun. It was also so heartwarming to have some of our regular volunteers back again,” she says. “We feel so fortunate to have the support of so many amazing people in our local communities and beyond.”

While donations were still being tallied at Pique’s press time, this year’s event raised more than $300,000 for Sea to Sky charities, and potential recipients have until April 1 to get an application in, Madden says.

On my way back up the mountain after my race, a ski school instructor asks if I can take one of his kids up the chair with me. His name is also Braden, and we bond over our shared name on the ride up. While Braden says he knows a lot of Bradens, I am the first adult Braden he’s ever met.

I tell him that’s because I am in fact the first Braden, from which all other Bradens originated. Braden accepts this without question and we continue our ride.

Braden tells me about how one time he and his dad got stuck in the snow, and had to paddle themselves out as if in a canoe.

Then he tells me about how his old house had a fire in it, and he hopes his family installs a jungle gym in the new home.

That would be fun, I say, and I hope so too.

Not wanting to let Braden carry the conversation, I tell him about my big race today, leaving out some unimportant specifics, and he looks at me in a new light.

Awe and admiration fill his six-year-old eyes, and suddenly I know exactly what it feels like to be Jack Crawford.

I may have had the third-slowest time out of every competitor, and tumbled across the finish line like a newborn baby giraffe.

But Braden didn’t know that.

To Braden, I am the fastest skier alive—a Braden worth looking up to.

I like to think I have the Telus Winter Classic to thank for that.

Even if you missed out on the fun, it’s not too late to donate. Telus is matching all donations up to $25,000, and donations over $25 are entered to win a Whistler Blackcomb season pass for 2022-23. Head to whistlerblackcombfoundation.com for more info. ■

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8 MARCH 10, 2022

WWW.WHISTLERLAWYER.CA adam@whistlerlawyer.ca | 604.905.5180

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Whistler Chamber Music Society welcomes return of live music [The editorial in Pique’s Feb. 24 issue], “Reanimating Whistler,” about how lifting restrictions has allowed fun to slowly return to bars and restaurants, reminded us how much we miss gathering with likeminded souls to share in the listening experience of live performances as often as we did before.

Yes, we’re talking about LIVE music performances, one of the most impacted industries of the pandemic. The livelihood of many professional musicians has been severely affected during the past two years. Opportunities to listen to live music have been [more rare], with many performances going online.

Well, for the Whistler Chamber Music Society, a small non-profit organization made up of local classical music lovers, live music is back! We have been busy planning and are excited to present our first two concerts for 2022.

The Canadian Guitar Quartet, on a West Coast tour, will be stopping in Whistler on March 20 for an exciting performance at the Maury Young Arts Centre theatre. And on May 15, the Dulu Quintet, featuring piano with wind players from the Vancouver Symphony will be performing at MYAC in a concert of beautiful classical music. (See our website at whistlerchambermusic.ca for details.)

As the editorial reminded us, the coronavirus

firefighters’ vax pass before you trusted them to help you, save the life of your offspring or retrieve your precious art before it burned? We are not in a position to lose any firefighters on the force in this town. Why is no one reporting on this dangerous policy approach?

Jessica Robinson // Whistler

Affordable housing solutions needed now

still lives among us, but, with precautions like masks, hand sanitizing and vaccines, the fun is coming back! “Festivals, events, conferences, slowly but surely they are coming back...”

Well, we are back!

Jonathan Knopp, Laurie Van Leeuwen, Jane Reid, Gail Rybar // Directors of the Whistler Chamber Music Society

Council lacks accountability on COVID vaccine mandate As of March 9, 12 Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) employees are on unpaid

leave for not disclosing their personal health information [in regards to their COVID-19 vaccination status, which the RMOW required as of March 1]. This is a policy that was made behind closed doors in a supposed democracy in an election year. This is not democracy.

The community and its citizens have a right to know which elected officials chose to support such a policy. How else we will hold them accountable in October for this behaviour?

Some of those now on leave are firefighters— is this rational or effective public policy? If your house was on fire or your daughter was drowning in the lake, would you want to see the

This letter was sent to MLA Jordan Sturdy and Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman and shared with Pique.

My family and I moved to the Pemberton Valley in 2016 and have settled into one of the most friendly, welcoming and beautiful villages in British Columbia. Despite having two incomes, my husband and I are priced out of the real estate market in our province. Home ownership is simply not in the cards for us, and we understand as renters we do not have the same level of home security a homeowner would.

We have been informed the current owners of the home we rent are interested in selling the home this spring or early summer. With the lack of properties on the market, this sale will likely occur faster than we can find new accommodation. We are faced with the stark reality that we may have to relocate due to a lack of rental housing. This is heartbreaking for us and our six-year-old daughter, and we are only one of dozens of families in the same situation.

I respectfully request you take a few minutes to search “Rentals in Pemberton” on the internet. There are currently only two

#5 8022 Timber Lane 2 Bedroom Plus Den 2 Full Bathrooms and a Powder Bathroom End Unit Townhouse

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Steve Shuster

t: 604.698.7347 | e: steve@steveshusterrealestate.com www.steveshusterrealestate.com 10 MARCH 10, 2022

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Ne listings on Craigslist, one that has been flagged for potential fraud in the Elements building, and another for a one-bedroom suite for $1,950/month. Now I’d like you to search “Pemberton” on Airbnb. You will see almost 300 properties available, including areas north of Pemberton and south to Whistler.

The appeal of Airbnb for a homeowner looking to make a good income by renting their suites nightly is understandable. There is less wear and tear on their units, they get to host visitors to our region and share what makes this valley so special. However, the amount of rental stock that has been removed from our region is astonishing.

People want to move here, raise their families, be solid members of the community, work in our businesses and support our local economy. But the lack of rental housing is restricting our local businesses’ ability to recruit and retain staff. Without people to work in our insurance agency, drugstore, and other local [shops]; our village will continue to see service reduced and businesses close.

I applaud the Village of Pemberton for bringing in a short-term rental business license requirement but suggest more could be done to reward homeowners that choose to make their suites available to long-term tenants. A reduction in their annual property

tax would be a great financial incentive for those choosing to be part of the solution to our lack of rental housing.

The rising cost of available rental units in our village has risen dramatically over the last five years. When we first arrived, twobedroom suites could be rented for $1,500/ month. The cost of a two-bedroom suite has risen to $2,000 to $2,500/month on the low end of the scale, increasing substantially to an eye-watering $5,000/month or higher if you include Whistler in your search for a new home. There is no provincial cap on what landlords are permitted to charge for rent, and I respectfully suggest this is something that can be explored by both municipal and provincial levels of government. If there was a cap on the dollar amount of rent that was permitted to be charged by a landlord, the result would be a fair and competitive market. This cap could be based on each bedroom per suite, to a maximum of $1,000/ bedroom. This would immediately alleviate the grossly inflated rents seen in parts of our region.

The Harrow Road affordable housing project is an exciting future prospect for families like mine, and kudos to both levels of government for working together to make affordable rentals a priority for Pemberton. I respectfully and

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. Got good vibes to share? Send them to goodnews@piquenewsmagazine.com

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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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

strongly urge you to take my recommendations of: a decrease in annual property taxes for homeowners renting to long-term tenants, and a cap on the amount of rent that a landlord is permitted to charge, to your council and legislature for debate. It is time to implement new measures to begin to solve our housing crisis. These suggestions may be unpopular with a large portion of those who elected you to office. It is my hope that you see the need for change and bravely make a stand for the future of our community. It may be too little, too late for me and my family but I remain hopeful for our future here.

Tania Chiasson // Pemberton

COVID vaccine should be a choice at RMOW

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.

I sent a letter to Whistler’s mayor and council on Feb 17, 2022, asking them to reconsider the COVID vaccine mandate at the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW).

I received a reply stating “Council passed a resolution that your correspondence be referred to staff for further consideration. It has been referred to the Chief Administrative Officer.”

But it was to no effect—as of March 9, 2022, 12 of our neighbours and friends have now lost their good jobs with the RMOW because, at this ending stage of the pandemic, they are asking for the right to choose to take a vaccine or not.

To me, this policy makes the RMOW way too authoritarian on staff health policy.

I say to Whistler mayor, council and staff “How about you take a more appropriately targeted heavy-handed approach to ending the shameful bus strike?”

The bus strike is disruptive to our whole corridor and most definitely badly affecting our “guest and resident experience.” This is the type of issue I think our mayor, councillors and chief administrative officer should be spending their valuable time on— not pushing good staff out of jobs that they have devoted years of their lives to.

In Canada and around the world, mandates are being dropped on a daily basis and we have

the information that vaccination does not stop transmission.

With this and other emerging information, it seems that we are moving into a time when adults can make their own COVID-19 risk assessment.

Forcing hardworking RMOW employees, who kept the show on the road through the dark days of the pandemic, to take this vaccine now or lose their jobs is in my opinion heavyhanded and too late.

The making of good relationships is based on: 1) Appreciating our similarities and 2) Respecting our differences.

Please make this vaccine a health choice for RMOW employees—this, I feel, is the most responsible and unifying path forward.

Many thanks to all at the RMOW for your work to make Whistler such a great place to live now and in the future.

Angela Mellor // Whistler

Thanks to the Pemberton Valley Supermarket Thank you to the Pemberton Valley Supermarket (PVS) for generously donating 10 per cent of the value of PVS gift cards sold in December to the Grade 7 class of Signal Hill Elementary. All 48 Grade 7 students are now in possession of a cosy and unique grad class hoodie, and there are funds remaining for a year-end celebration, COVID permitting. Thanks also to all parents and community members for purchasing the gift cards and supporting the Grade 7 class.

Erica Osburn // Pemberton ■

FOR THE RECORD An image included with a story about an affordable housing project in Pemberton in Pique’s March 3 print edition (“Affordable housing project in Pemberton moves one step closer to development”) highlighted the wrong corner of Highway 99 and Harrow Road.

The project lands are in fact on the opposite side of Harrow Road. ■

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 MARCH 10, 2022

AS OF WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 I imagine most of us are happy to hear that snow is in the forecast for the weekend. We’ve been in a fairly dry weather pattern for some weeks now, with periodic storms to freshen up the riding conditions. Unfortunately, the dry conditions have promoted the growth of weak layers in the snowpack, which may result in an upward trend for the avalanche hazard going forward.

The most notable weakness is buried around 50 to 100 centimetres below the snow surface and has resulted in some large and scary avalanches over the past week and a half. The trend we’ve noticed is the avalanches are generally occurring on shaded slopes (west, north, and east aspects) around treeline and alpine elevations. The weak layer is capable

of propagating a great distance; some reported avalanches were remotely triggered from several hundred metres away and some avalanches were hundreds of metres wide.

The weekend’s snow will be great to freshen up the surface, but it may increase the likelihood of triggering this buried weakness.

The new snow may also not bond well to the previous snow surfaces, increasing the likelihood of shallower avalanches. Dialing back your terrain choices will be key for a safe weekend. Consistently assess the snowpack and look for clues of instability, such as whumpfing, shooting cracks, and recent avalanche activity. Be sure to track the danger and travel advice at avalanche.ca to get the most up-to-date information. ■

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

The lean year I’VE ALWAYS had a complicated relationship with money, best described by the fact that I will happily eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches for lunch every day to economize and then spend hundreds of dollars on a new gadget I will never have time to learn, much less enjoy.

BY ANDREW MITCHELL I won’t replace a 15-year-old puffy coat that blizzards goose down everywhere I go but will happily blow $12/month on Disney+ to watch reruns of Scrubs. I know enough math to calculate how much my savings are losing value relative to inflation but will also buy lottery tickets with odds of 33 million to one.

I know the value of a dollar. But I also kind of don’t.

I grew up in a middle-class family where money wasn’t an issue—we didn’t waste it, but we also didn’t worry. Then my father lost his job, one of the many neighbourhood dads laid off in the deep recession that hit Toronto particularly badly in the early ’90s. Men who wore tailored suits and carried briefcases to their executive jobs on Bay Street found

new careers in the dairy section or mixing paint at the local hardware store—and those were the lucky ones.

Suddenly money became a lot more important, and the stress of not having any eventually led to the separation of my parents, the sale of our house, and years of poverty.

I spent my college years, and years after, in a perpetual state of boom and bust, feast and famine, splurge and purge. I earned money at various jobs, but never enough, and gradually sank into debt—student loan and credit cards mostly—that stressed me out if I slowed down enough to think about it. It’s hard to know what the low point was; I’ve slept in cars and the floor of my grandmother’s pad in the seniors’ home; lived off onions and bouillon cubes for a week; made use of food banks; sold some of my dad’s antique duck decoys to pay debt collectors; and once used a borrowed car to round up bottles from year-end parties around campus so I could afford a train ticket home. It wasn’t fun.

I mention all of this because we’re entering a period of extreme inflation.

Mortgage rates, food, gas and everything else is going up with inflation, which has doubled. Some 53 per cent of Canadians are nervous they aren’t going to be able to pay their bills and put food on the table.

Ordinarily I’d be panicked, but through my trials and tribulations I actually learned how to keep to a budget, coming up with an easy and realistic system that has worked for me and may work for you as well.

I call it Threshold Budgeting, and it’s even less exciting than it sounds.

First, you need to know what your income works out to on a daily basis.

If you’re on salary, multiply your aftertax pay by your 24 or 26 pay periods, then divide that number by 365. If you’re hourly, average out your pay for the last 10 or so paydays to estimate your annual and daily earnings.

Next, you need to add up your fixed costs—mortgage, rent, loan payments, phone and internet plans, insurance premiums, utilities (get on an equal payment plan), subscriptions, prescriptions, memberships, savings programs, ski passes, etc. All the expenses you can predict.

Multiply the total to get to one year and then divide by 365.

Use a spreadsheet so you can adjust these numbers as they change over time.

Free versions of Excel, Google and Numbers will work.

The final step is to subtract your daily fixed costs from your daily fixed income to find out your “threshold.” That represents all the money you have for all

the other less predictable and sometimes optional expenses in your life—groceries, restaurants, gas, entertainment, clothes, sporting goods, you name it.

Let’s say you come up with a daily threshold of $60. That’s not a lot and it’s a safe bet you’re going to go over on the days you buy gas or go grocery shopping.

Let’s say on day one you spend $130, so right away you know you’re heading into day two over budget by $70. The next day you buy a sandwich and a beer for $20, which means after two days you’ve earned $120, spent $150, and are now $30 in the hole. The next day you spend nothing so you end day three with a positive balance of $30. When you wake up on day four you’ll have $90 available.

This system works for me because I can track the numbers in my head.

I don’t need to keep receipts or check my credit card statement, or even know where my money is going—I just need to know if I’m up or down so I can make better decisions. Other budgets never worked for me because I never really knew where I stood until it was the end of the month and it was already too late to cut back. Most of us get paid two or three times a month but we spend money almost every day.

I used to be afraid to check my bank account. Now I’m just afraid of Putin. ■

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NEWS WHISTLER

Parties in Sea to Sky transit strike haven’t met with mediator in weeks WITH VANCOUVER TRANSIT WORKERS VOTING TO RATIFY DEAL THIS WEEK, WAGE GAP WITH LOCAL TRANSIT WORKERS WIDENS EVEN FURTHER

BY BRANDON BARRETT THE PARTIES INVOLVED in stalled Sea to Sky transit talks haven’t engaged a mediator brought in by B.C.’s Labour Relations Board in weeks, confirmed the provincial labour ministry.

Earlier this week, CBC reported that B.C. labour minister Harry Bains had appointed a mediator in the ongoing dispute, but a ministry spokesperson confirmed mediator Dave Schaub was first brought in back in September. While employer Pacific Western Transportation (PWT), which is contracted by BC Transit to deliver transit in the corridor, said it has been in contact with Schaub regularly throughout the negotiations, including as recently as this week, neither party has met with him since Jan. 11. Bains also contacted both parties this week to encourage them to get back to the bargaining table.

But the reality is the province has

LONG HAUL Sea to Sky transit workers at a rally in Whistler Village on Feb. 18.

PHOTO BY BRADEN DUPUIS

14 MARCH 10, 2022

few mechanisms to force the issue at this point, said Liberal MLA for the Sea to Sky Jordan Sturdy.

“He doesn’t have the levers to force them to a mediator,” Sturdy said of the labour minister. “He can’t force them to meet. He can’t force them to agree.”

employees. Unifor did not put the offer to its membership for a vote, nor did it present a counter proposal.

“We remain committed to achieving a fair and reasonable agreement,” said a spokesperson for PWT in an email this week.

“We encourage the Union to reconsider their

“[The labour minister] doesn’t have the levers to force them to a mediator.”

- JORDAN STURDY

Negotiations between Unifor, the union representing striking transit workers in Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish, and PWT sputtered to a halt Feb. 25 just one day after talks resumed for the first time since the job action began Jan. 29.

The day prior, PWT had proposed a settlement offer that included a wage increase for all employees in each year of the agreement and retroactive pay increases back to 2020, as well as full benefits for all

position and return to the table, where we can have an earnest discussion that will bring employees back to work and resume transit operations for the Sea-to-Sky communities.”

The union said it was “disappointed” with PWT’s offer, contending the proposed wage increase did not cover the rising cost of inflation and the proposed benefit package “didn’t reach what we needed to see in terms of getting benefits for employees in a fair manner,” Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s

western regional director, told Pique last month, declining to get into specifics.

STICKING POINTS The main sticking points for the union concern wages, benefits and job security, particularly in light of the high cost of living in the corridor. Unifor has continually said that drivers make anywhere from $3 to $5 less than their counterparts in Vancouver and Victoria, although PWT has pushed back on that point, noting the high variability in wage scale depending on experience. PWT has also taken issue with the union’s claims that 38 per cent of the bargaining unit are currently without benefits. Although it wouldn’t say what percentage of employees aren’t currently covered, PWT told Pique it offers a group RRSP pension plan and full extended health and disability benefits to all year-round, unionized employees, in addition to a “good portion” of seasonal staff.

Unifor has consistently called for wage parity with transit workers in the Lower Mainland, and with a vote this week to ratify a one-year contract extension for Coast Mountain Bus Company workers in Vancouver that included a three-per-cent

NEWS WHISTLER wage hike for all operators and a five-percent hike for skilled tradespeople, the gap has been widened even further.

“The settlement has gotten farther away because this employer will just not acknowledge that this is a very tough market to hire operators, to hire skilled trades, and when you’re talking about regional transit, finding a roadmap to get some parity of conditions between here and just down the road is not an unreasonable request,” McGarrigle said.

Now Unifor is calling for PWT to step aside so the union can negotiate directly with BC Transit, as it does in Victoria, where the Crown agency employs roughly 700 staff to operate the provincial capital’s transit system itself. Part of the motivation for that, McGarrigle said, is it would give a clearer window into the corridor transit system’s funding breakdown.

“Pacific Western Transportation isn’t

money for transit in the Sea to Sky over and above its existing service, which doesn’t bode well for regional transit service, obviously,” he said. “But it also creates a real squeeze on what BC Transit and their contractor is able to offer in a wage settlement going forward.”

There is an estimated $178 million earmarked in this year’s budget for BC Transit. The provincial agency is responsible for 47 per cent of the cost of transit in communities where it operates, with local governments covering the remainder.

In Whistler, the RMOW is saving an estimated $2,000 a day in transit expenses every day of the strike, but it is anticipating “a significant loss against the forecasted revenue for transit this year,” according to a municipal spokesperson. “This is due to pass refunds that will need to be provided as well as reduced ridership as a result of the strike. It should be noted that February and March are normally two of the highest

“Transit is critical to this community’s health and safety and it is unacceptable to me that the parties aren’t talking to each other.”

- JACK CROMPTON

on the stock market anywhere; they don’t have to file public reports, so we don’t know how much they are taking out of dollars that have already been allocated [by BC Transit],” he said. “We just simply don’t know if it’s the contractor that is taking its slice of the profit or is it underfunded by BC Transit? I’ve said this from Day 1 of the dispute that it is a question for BC Transit to solve and a question for these mayors to solve as to who’s on first here.”

A representative for BC Transit declined to comment, other than to issue the same statement it had previously during negotiations saying it is hopeful the parties will resume talks in the near future.

BUDGETARY BLOCKS With a number of public-sector labour contracts up for renewal in B.C. this year, you can be sure the NDP is keeping a close eye on how negotiations play out in the Sea to Sky. Considering the rising cost of living in the corridor, escalating fuel prices and Consumer Price Index (CPI) rates, Sturdy believes the kind of wage bump local transit workers are looking for—and in the MLA’s opinion, deserve—could be difficult to achieve.

“It feeds into the future. You give people [a five-per-cent wage increase]; well, I tell you: that’s going to hurt a lot of people, not the least of which is the public purse,” he said.

Sturdy also pointed to this year’s provincial budget as another potential barrier to funding. It’s his understanding that much of the funding allocated to BC Transit specifically for operational increases in the Sea to Sky are for increases that have already taken place.

“So that money is already spoken for.

That means the NDP has not budgeted any

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months for transit revenue as they are among the highest transit ridership months in Whistler.”

The RMOW is also anticipating commuting patterns could change coming out of the strike, said Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton, with more members of the public opting to walk or bike after growing accustomed to a prolonged transit shutdown.

A ‘DANGEROUS’ SITUATION Now more than 40 days into the job action, Whistler’s mayor is fed up.

“I’m frustrated. I’m upset,” Crompton said.

But beyond the obvious impacts of a transit strike on a community so reliant on a young, seasonal workforce is a couple of troubling knock-on effects: more pedestrians on the highway and more drunk drivers on the road, according to the RCMP. “This is a dangerous situation for our residents,” Crompton added. “Transit is critical to this community’s health and safety and it is unacceptable to me that the parties aren’t talking to each other.”

With the parties not likely to close the gap anytime soon, there is one idea that has been floated as an absolute last resort: legislating striking transit staff back to work, a move you can assume the labourfriendly NDP would be reluctant to make.

“It’s a pretty big hammer. It’s a last resort.

It was implied that we are not near that spot yet,” Sturdy said following his discussions with the labour minister this week.

“This is a critical service for all four communities, when you add Mount Currie to it. We need to be back up and running as soon as possible and in a fair and equitable way.” n

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NEWS WHISTLER

Fired Whistler Blackcomb employees suing company in vaccine policy dispute IN LIGHT OF HIGH VAX RATES AND LESS-SEVERE OMICRON VARIANT, MANDATES MAY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD, VCH SAYS

BY BRANDON BARRETT FOUR FORMER Whistler Blackcomb (WB) employees have filed civil suit against the company after they claim they were wrongfully terminated from their positions without notice for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccine policy.

Sebastien Fremont, 47, a WB employee of 25 years who worked as the company’s senior manager of race services and recreation; Kevin Phelps, 49, a WB employee of 25 years who worked as a full-time millwright in the snowmaking department; Christian Staehli, 48, a WB employee of 29 years who worked as a fleet maintenance supervisor; and Robert Williams, 54, a WB employee of 14 years who worked as an electrician, all filed separate suits in the B.C. Supreme Court on Feb. 16.

Each is represented by the same lawyer, and the suits are nearly identical in their legal basis and relief sought.

According to the court filings, the employees were allegedly terminated without notice on Nov. 19, 2021 for failing to comply with WB’s new vaccination

CIVIL SUITS Four former longtime Whistler Blackcomb staff have filed separate civil suits against the company after they said they were fired in November for failing to comply with its new COVID-19 vaccine policy.

PHOTO BY MIKE CRANE / GETTY IMAGES

policy, which they claim was not a precondition of their employment.

“As the [employee’s] continued employment was not contingent upon a government mandate, the Defendant was not legally entitled to terminate his employment without notice. It could only terminate him by providing him with the correct amount of notice or pay in lieu of same,” each suit alleged.

The employees allege WB did not provide just cause for termination nor a termination letter. Ending their employment without providing reasonable notice and without just cause “constitutes a breach of the Plaintiff’s employment contract,” the suits said.

The plaintiffs say they have all suffered and continue to suffer mental distress as a result of the company’s failure to provide notice of termination. All are seeking

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LOCAL LAWYER WEIGHS IN In an email, lawyer Greg Diamond from Whistler firm Double Diamond Law said, “it

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damages related to the loss of employment and job benefits such as equipment allowances and ski passes, legal costs, special damages for out-of-pocket expenses, as well as punitive and aggravated damages.

B.C. employment law is unclear when it comes to employers mandating COVID-19 vaccines for their staff. Workers in the health-care sector are required by the provincial government to be fully vaccinated, but for sectors where no public health order is in place, “vaccination policies and how they are appropriately implemented in the workplace is new legal territory,” says WorkSafeBC on its website. “These types of policies raise some potential employment law issues.

Every workplace is different, so individual employers should seek legal advice when considering whether to develop a mandatory vaccination policy.”

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“Ultimately, the courts are trying to decide what an appropriate amount of time is for this worker to find a new job,” Diamond noted. “To illustrate, older, long-term, senior employees get more notice/severance.”

Numerous public bodies in B.C. have instituted vaccine requirements for their workers, including the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), which set a March 1 deadline for municipal staff, contractors and volunteers to submit proof they’ve received at least two doses of a COVID19 vaccine or be placed on unpaid leave.

The RMOW confirmed 12 employees in all—six permanent and six casual— have been placed on unpaid leave. The requirement applies to all of the RMOW’s 619 employees, in addition to its roster of contractors and volunteers.

looks like these employees were terminated with cause because they refused to be vaccinated. If that is correct, then the success of the claim will likely turn on whether the vaccine requirement was mandated by government, and/or was reasonable and necessary, and/or how fundamental vaccine status was to the performance of their job.”

Employers are entitled to make rules with respect to health and safety in order to protect their staff, clients and general public, even if, say, WorkSafeBC directives do not specifically apply. “The question would be whether they are reasonable and necessary,” explained Diamond.

But, if an employer can’t justify to the court that vaccination status strikes at the heart of the employment relationship, then it could be deemed a wrongful dismissal, Diamond added.

“Whether the employee can be accommodated (e.g. offered alternative ways to perform their duties that do not put others at risk of transmission), will be a critical feature of the analysis,” he said.

Employers in B.C. are also legally allowed to terminate employees at any time, without reason, so long as they offer reasonable notice, or severance pay in lieu. However, what is considered “reasonable” in common law hinges on a number of factors, including an employee’s position, age, salary, years of service, skill set, and other criteria related to the nature of their work.

WHISTLER

|

“Ultimately, the courts are trying to decide what an appropriate amount of time is for this worker to find a new job.”

VACCINE MANDATES MAY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD, STUDY FINDS

- GREG DIAMOND

But prevailing opinion on vaccine mandates appears to be shifting in B.C. in light of high vaccination rates and the less-severe nature of the Omicron variant.

As of March 1, the University of British Columbia no longer requires students to declare their vaccine status, nor will unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or undeclared students be subject to rapid antigen testing. The school’s Senate adopted the policy in December in the face of the surging Omicron variant, but with

“Universities are low-risk settings for COVID-19 and, as incidence has declined and there is now evidence of the endemic nature of the virus, they should have minimal restrictions in place at this stage of the pandemic,” a Feb. 16 letter from VCH to UBC president and vice-chancellor Santa Ono read. “Based on the totality of public health evidence, it’s now appropriate to discontinue the testing program for unvaccinated students, staff and faculty; and further, we urge you not [to] proceed

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with plans to de-register students who have not declare their vaccination status. Such measures may result in profound negative harms on their future health and wellbeing, by impacting future educational and career opportunities, and their mental health.”

The VCH letter also references a new study on the Social Science Research Network online repository that looks at “the harms of mandatory vaccine policies,” particularly in the context of the less-severe Omicron variant.

“The authors conclude that such policies ‘may lead to detrimental longterm impacts on uptake of future public health measures, including COVID-19 vaccines themselves as well as routine immunizations,’” the letter stated. “‘Restricting people’s access to work, education, public transport, and social life based on COVID-19 vaccination status impinges on human rights, promotes stigma and social polarization, and adversely affects health and wellbeing.’”

A representative for WB declined comment on the civil suits with the cases ongoing. The lawyer representing the four employees, Dan Balkaran of Vancouver firm Samfiru Tumarkin, did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

WB has 21 days to respond to the civil claims if the company was served noticed in Canada, or 35 days if it was served in the U.S. None of the above claims have been proven in court. n

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a school-wide vaccination rate over 97 per cent, coupled with advice from Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), it was deemed the strategy was no longer necessary. Under that policy, students who failed to declare their vaccination status or attend weekly rapid testing appointments faced the risk of being placed on academic hold. If students still did not comply, they would be deregistered.

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NEWS WHISTLER

‘We will never carry Russian vodka again’ A WHISTLER LIQUOR STORE IS CONDEMNING RUSSIA’S ATTACK ON UKRAINE BY TURNING VODKA PROFITS INTO AID

BY MEGAN LALONDE IN THE PAST FEW DAYS, Whistler’s Nesters Liquor Store has been selling more Russian vodka than usual.

But that’s not because its customers support Russian president Vladimir Putin’s ongoing military invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

In an Instagram post earlier this week, the independent seller announced its decision to no longer order products from Russia. Nesters’ owners Karen and Andrew Ellott also committed to donating proceeds from all Russian-owned vodka remaining on the store’s shelves to Ukrainian aid relief funds. The move was praised by more than a few of the store’s followers in the comment section.

“Instead of buying one bottle of the Russian Standard, [customers] will probably buy two, because they feel that they’re contributing and making an impact and that’s really quite interesting,” explained Karen. “Any way we can help, we will do it, without question.”

Karen estimates the revenue from discounted, leftover stock will amount to about $2,000 to $3,000.

Additionally, Nesters customers looking to purchase a bottle of vodka will now see a small national flag accompanying each spirit’s label on Nesters’ shelves. That’s because there’s often a misconception about where many vodka brands originate from, said Andrew. Among popular brands, Absolut is produced in Sweden, while Smirnoff (though founded in Moscow) is today owned and produced by British corporation Diageo, for example.

“For all [non-Russian] vodkas, it’ll be much clearer whether they’re from Sweden, or from Latvia or from France, so people will know where they’re buying their vodka from,” he said. “It’s not a hugely impactful thing, but the important thing to us is that it’s symbolic, and it shows that if everyone around the world does a tiny bit, it will hurt the Putin regime.”

The decision is a permanent one, said Karen. “We will never carry Russian vodka again—ever,” she said.

“This is something we really thought that we need to do. We feel very strongly about it. I think as a small business in Whistler, if we can sort of start this going, then hopefully people will follow suit, because I think it’s something that’s very easily done.”

The local store’s decision falls in line

PROHIBITION Nesters Liqour Store is donating proceeds from its remaining Russian vodka stock to Ukrainian aid funds.

SCREENSHOT / @NESTERSLIQUORWHISTLER

with Canada’s provincial governments, including British Columbia’s, that have decided to boycott Russian products in a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

In British Columbia, deputy premier Mike Farnworth announced that the

province was immediately halting the import and sale of Russian liquor products from BC Liquor Stores and its liquor distribution centres.

In addition, B.C. is contributing $1 million to the Red Cross to support Ukrainians who are affected by the war, Farnworth said, calling the attack an “illegal act of war.”

“Our province stands with those who understand Europe’s peace following two world wars depends on respecting international law,” he said in a statement.

Ontario’s Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said on Feb. 25 he was directing the Liquor Control Board of Ontario—one of the world’s largest alcohol buyers and retailers—to withdraw products produced in Russia from nearly 700 stores, the same day the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. moved to pull Russia-produced products off its shelves.

Since then, all provinces and territories have taken similar action.

The largely symbolic decision comes following a series of increasingly tough economic sanctions placed on Russia by the federal government and its allies, including freezing international assets of both its central bank and a list of high-ranking individuals.

- With files from the Canadian Press ■

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NEWS WHISTLER

Procedural oversight means RMOW has to hold another public hearing for polarizing development STAFF FAILED TO NOTIFY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR 5298 ALTA LAKE ROAD

BY BRANDON BARRETT IF YOU’RE A FAN of marathon public hearings, boy, have I got good news for you.

Whether a hardcore politico or nearby resident, you will have a second chance for input into a housing development slated for 5298 Alta Lake Road after a procedural oversight by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) triggered a redo on a public hearing that was held almost exactly one year ago to the day.

“Staff really want to acknowledge the huge setback this is in terms of the processing trajectory for this rezoning application and staff really want to reach out and say thank you to the applicant for being so very understanding,” said planning manager Melissa Laidlaw at the regular meeting of council on Tuesday, March 8.

If approved, the project proposed by Empire Club Development would add 21 employee-restricted units, 11 touristaccommodation units, and 11 market residential units to the 1.93-hectare parcel on the shores of Nita Lake. Because the development necessitates an amendment to

Whistler’s Official Community Plan (OCP) bylaw, the RMOW had a statutory obligation to consult with several public bodies prior to first reading. One of those is School District 48, which was not notified in time. The school board has since responded, indicating the project would result in a potential increase to the Kindergarten-to-Grade-12 population of about 10 children, and “further noted that with the way their schools are operating at capacity, any potential increase in student population will have an impact on our schools,” Laidlaw said.

Council voted to rescind third reading of that bylaw, along with a zoning amendment bylaw that, while not triggering the same consultation requirements, will still be considered at a future public hearing alongside the OCP amendment, “as the two bylaws are so intrinsically connected,” noted Laidlaw.

The Empire Club project was first proposed in 2018, one of the first to be considered under the RMOW’s private developer guidelines for employee housing.

General manager of resort experience Jessie Gresley-Jones said in an interview following the March 8 meeting that staff were so focused on getting Whistler’s updated

BUILDING THIS YEAR?

OCP adopted in 2020 that they missed an important procedural step.

“I think we’ve been in a mindset of trying to get the OCP approved for many years and not in the process of amending,” he said.

“So, yeah, it was a step missed and really unfortunate. I think the positive in this is that there are many conditions to be met prior

“Staff really want to acknowledge the huge setback this is...

- MELISSA LAIDLAW

to adoption and so the work on those has continued to occur in the background while we’re making this corrective action.”

The project garnered swift and significant backlash after it was put forth, and has been amended multiple times to better accommodate both staff and residents’ concerns. Although opinion in the community seemed to sway against the

development in its early incarnations, a lengthy public hearing held over Zoom last March was fairly evenly divided between backers and critics.

The proponent has a long list of conditions to meet for the project to move forward, including the transfer of 1.44 ha. for a nature conservation area and community park, 0.5 ha. of land dedicated to future employee housing, the restoration of two heritage buildings on the site, and an extension to the Valley Trail.

Gresley-Jones did not know off the top of his head the additional staff time and costs that will be dedicated to arranging a second public hearing, but said the extra staff time “wasn’t substantive.”

Notably, this is not the first OCP-related snafu to hit municipal hall. In 2014, a B.C. Supreme Court judge quashed adoption of Whistler’s OCP from a year prior—forcing it to revert back to an older OCP from 1993—after it ruled the province had not adequately consulted with the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations as required. It wasn’t until June of 2020 that Whistler’s new OCP was finally adopted, nearly a decade after the RMOW first set out to update its foundational planning document. n

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22 MARCH 10, 2022

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Heartfelt thanks

to all of our sponsors, teams, donors, and the amazing volunteers that participated in our event.

This year’s TELUS Winter Classic raised over $300,000 for our community!

Special mention goes to our extraordinary emcees Mercedes Nicoll, Robert Crowder, Joel Chevalier and Geoff Buchheister. This event would not happen without the dedication of some phenomenal people – Lindsay Cathcart, Wendy Dawson, Rob Madden, Dean Feser, Rob Olive, Lesley Byford, Stephanie Spence, Mitch Collins, Jaimee Yates, Courtney Fox, Aikiko Takeuchi, Anton Taylor, Gabbi Buchanan, Sophia Perry, Ella Southam, Lenka Pro, Tyece Fairweather, Sheryl Beadle, Cynthia Buck, Ellody Spike-Porter, Nikki Dickinson, Janalee Budge, Jackie Dickinson, Richard Potter, Mike Varrin and the Garibaldi Fire Department. A huge thank you to our Ski Pros who gave up their day for charity! And thank you to TELUS for donating an extra $25,000 to the Foundation for our Double Up Campaign and helping us make such a significant difference for our local Sea to Sky community.

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS 21 Steps Kitchen + Bar, Adele Campbell Art Gallery, Airhouse Squamish, Alli van Gruen, Alpine Stitch It, Amos & Andes, Ann Chiasson, Arc’teryx, Armchair Books, Arterra Brands, Arts Whistler, Audain Art Museum, Basecamp Fitness, Be Beauty, Bernard Leroux, Best Coast Styling, Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, Blackcomb Helicopters, Blackcomb Springs Suites, Blacktusk Fire and Security, Blazing Saddles Adventures, Bogner of Canada, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, Burton, Canadian Outback Rafting Company, Canadian Wilderness Adventures, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Caramba Restaurant, Chromag, CIBC, Coast Mountain Brewing, Coast Mountain Veterinary Services, Coastal Mountain Excavations, Cranked Espresso Bar, Creekside Dental, Crepe Montagne, Crystal Lodge, Cutting Edge Signs, Delta Whistler Village Suites, Donnelly Hospitality Management, Dub Tubs, Earls Whistler, Embarc, Escape! Whistler, Everything Wine, F45 Training Squamish, Four Seasons Whistler, Functional Pie Pizzeria, FYidoctors Whistler, GoPro, Great Glass Elevator Candy Shop, Ground Up Climbing Centre, Haakon, Harbour Air Seaplanes, Harmony Massage Therapy, Hatley/Little Blue House, Hawksworth Restaurant, Hunter Gather, Hy’s Steakhouse Whistler, Icebreaker, Imagine Cinemas Village 8, In Sport Fashions /Toni Sailer, Joe Fortes Whistler, Julie Nash, Kabn, Kiki’s Lashes, Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel, Malvados Lifestyle, Maples’ Sugar Shack, McCoo’s Whistler, Momentum Distribution, Monster Energy, Mount Currie Coffee Co., Mountain Skills Academy, Nesters Market Whistler, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Nintendo, Nita Lake Lodge, Nonna Pia’s, Nootka & Sea, Norrona, O&R Restaurants, Oakley, Obermeyer, Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre, Pasta Lupino, Peak Performance Physio Therapy, Picnic Whistler, Purebread, Quattro Restaurant, RE/MAX Sea to Sky, Rimrock Cafe, RMU Blackcomb, Rocky Mtn Chocolate, Ruby Tuesday Accessories, Ryders, Salomon, Samsung, Sass Designs, Scandinave Spa Whistler, Scandinavia Wolf Designs, Sea to Sky Gondola, Senka Florist, Sewak’s Your Independent Grocer, Slope Side Supply, Soles Nail Lounge + Footwear, Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Squamish Valley Golf Club, Stoko, Suco’s Beauty, Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel, Sushi Village, TaG Cycling, Taracrylics

By Tara Ryan, Teag + Gray, Ten4Tec, The Circle/The Circle Kids, The Sutton Place Hotel Company, The Westin Resort & Spa Whistler, The Whistler Film Festival, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Toptable Group, Treeline Collective, Valley Fishing Guides, Vessi, Vida Spa -Fairmont Chateau, Whistler Brewing Company, Whistler Bungee, Whistler Chocolate, Whistler Day Spa, Whistler Dental, Whistler Kitchen Works, Whistler Knife Sharpening, Whistler Liquor Store, Whistler Smiles, Whistler Taekwondo, Whistler Tasting Tours, Whistler Wine Merchants, Yvonne’s Spa Whistler, Ziptrek Ecotours

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS

A Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Charity Fundraiser whistlerblackcombfoundation.com

race photos: Coast Mountain Photography

NEWS WHISTLER

Three suspects arrested following home invasion, assault in Pemberton POLICE BRIEFS: LAPTOP AND CASH STOLEN FROM WHISTLER BUSINESS IN BREAK-AND-ENTER; VEHICLE SUSPECTED STOLEN FROM SHOULDER OF HIGHWAY 99

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24 MARCH 10, 2022

BY MEGAN LALONDE THREE LOCAL MEN were arrested last week after forcing their way into a Pemberton home and assaulting its occupant, according to Sea to Sky RCMP. In a release, police said Pemberton RCMP were called to respond to a report of a home invasion in the 8500 block of Pemberton Meadows Road at about 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1.

According to police, three middle-aged men, all from the Sea to Sky corridor, broke in and assaulted the victim, who reportedly suffered minor injuries in the attack.

While the suspects fled the scene in a pickup truck prior to police’s arrival, RCMP managed to locate the truck and the three suspects in Pemberton “a short time later” and subsequently arrested all three men.

The trio was held in custody for a bail hearing and later released on court documents, police said. Pemberton RCMP will be forwarding evidence to the Crown and recommending a series of charges including uttering threats, assault, and breaking and entering.

The empty, stolen cash register was later located on Highway 99 at approximately 2 p.m. RCMP attended the scene and seized the register for forensic examination.

Whistler RCMP asks anyone with information about this incident to call the detachment’s non-emergency line at 604-932-3044 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

CCTV SHOWS MAN STEALING FROM BUSINESS’ TIP JAR Another local business suffered a recent theft, but this pilfering didn’t necessitate a forced entry.

Whistler RCMP responded to the complaint from a business located in the 4000 block of Whistler Way at about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2. Police learned the theft took place the previous Sunday, Feb. 27, when CCTV cameras caught the man with his hands in the tip jar.

According to a release, footage shows an approximately six-foot-tall Caucasian man in his mid-20’s enter the store, snatch money from the tip jar, and immediately leave the premises. The man was wearing

“This incident was not a random act ... This was a targeted event...”

- NATHAN MILLER

“This incident was not a random act, the victim and the suspect males know each other,” explained RCMP Cpl. Nathan Miller in a follow-up email to Pique. “This was a targeted event and the Pemberton community does not need to be concerned for their safety.”

POLICE INVESTIGATE AFTER LAPTOP, CASH STOLEN FROM FUNCTION BUSINESS Whistler RCMP were called on Monday, March 7 to respond to a reported break-andenter at a business located in the 1100 block of Millar Creek Rd. in Function Junction.

A laptop and a cash register containing $200 were both stolen, after the unit’s glass front door was smashed in order to gain entry.

The break-in occurred between 3 and 7 a.m.

Monday morning, police said in the release.

a black and red patterned jacket, beige baseball cap and a blue cloth mask at the time.

RCMP SEEK PUBLIC’S HELP FOLLOWING VEHICLE THEFT A missing vehicle necessitated a call to Whistler RCMP for help earlier this week.

Police responded to a reported vehicle theft on Saturday, March 5 after the car disappeared from the spot alongside Highway 99 between Wedge Creek Forest Service Road and Whistler Heliport Rd., where it had been parked.

Whistler RCMP said they are looking for the public’s assistance. Anyone with information about a vehicle spotted in the area mentioned above is asked to call local police’s non-emergency line at 604-9323044 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. n

P: Paul Morrison

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25

NEWS WHISTLER

Whistler Search and Rescue responds to seven calls in busy four-day period VOLUNTEER CREWS RESPONDED TO TWO AVALANCHE CALLS AND A HANDFUL OF INJURIES IN THE BACKCOUNTRY BETWEEN MARCH 3 AND 6

BY MEGAN LALONDE SUNNY SKIES and considerable avalanche conditions contributed to a busy weekend for Whistler Search and Rescue (Whistler SAR), with volunteers responding to a total of seven calls in the four-day period spanning from Thursday, March 3 to Sunday, March 6.

Crews attended one incident on both Thursday and Friday, plus two on Saturday and three on Sunday, explained Whistler SAR president Brad Sills. “I don’t know if that’s a record, but it was definitely busy,” he said.

Two of those were avalanche calls that luckily did not result in any injuries to those involved, Sills explained.

The first occurred on Cowboy Ridge on Friday afternoon, when a father and son out for a tour triggered a Size 2.5 slide.

“They were very lucky; they took a big ride and … lost all their equipment,” said Sills. Though the pair were reportedly carrying a tent and were prepared to spend the night in the backcountry if necessary, Whistler SAR volunteers managed to extricate the duo by helicopter just before nightfall. “An end-of-day call makes it very difficult to attend,” noted Sills.

The second avalanche call came in on

Sunday afternoon. A lone skier was caught after initiating a Size 1-to-1.5 avalanche on the north face of Mount Fitzsimmons—which is “certainly right up there with the most complex alpine terrain in the Spearhead Range, if not the entire Coast Range,” explained Sills. “It’s definitely serious terrain—by himself, on a 55-degree slope.”

The slide, luckily, was “almost more like a very large slough,” said Sills. While the slide carried the skier “some distance,” Sills said the avalanche failed to propagate and did not step down into lower, weaker levels of the slope’s snowpack.

Those incidents came following several slides reported in the Whistler area on Wednesday, including a natural Size 3 avalanche. Most recent avalanche activity in the corridor can be attributed to a persistent weak layer of facets on crust, buried under 30 to 60 centimetres of storm snow that fell at the end of February, though storm slabs were also posing a problem. Avalanche Canada received several reports of remotely triggered slides across the corridor that ran on this weak interface.

On all four days, the Sea to Sky’s avalanche danger was rated as “considerable” for terrain in the alpine and at the treeline, and moderate below the treeline.

In Tuesday, March 8’s public bulletin,

Avalanche Canada forecasters said the organization continues to receive reports of persistent slab avalanches releasing on the weak layer. Most slides have occurred on northwest to northeast aspects at treeline and alpine terrain, and have been triggered by riders, naturally and remotely. “Some of the avalanches propagated far, around 200 to 300 [metres],” the bulletin reads.

“Looking forward, it remains possible that

“[P]ersistent slab avalanches could be triggered.”

- AVALANCHE CANADA PUBLIC BULLETIN

persistent slab avalanches could be triggered.

Naturally triggered avalanches may be on the decrease during this cool weather period, but human triggering is possible.”

Whistler SAR is also aware of four other recreationalist-initiated avalanches in recent days that did not require assistance, Sills said, adding that he has recently noticed “a large amount of underreporting” when it comes to avalanches in the area.

Failing to report slides can “lead

people to believe that there aren’t a lot of incidences out there when, in fact, this past week, the contrary was true,” he said.

The other five callouts Whistler SAR responded to in recent days included an injured snowboarder stuck in Wedge Creek, a pair of serious knee injuries (one at Circle Lake under Blackcomb peak and another on the Iago Glacier), a snowmobiler with a dislocated shoulder on Powder Mountain and a missing hiker at Garibaldi Lake.

“Big packs, spring condition and knees are not a good combination,” said Sills.

In the case of the missing hiker, the search subject returned to the trailhead on their own “right at nightfall,” after crews were previously notified by another hiker that they had seen the man sitting by the lake, “and had cautioned him that he better get going,” explained Sills.

Sills encouraged anyone heading into the backcountry to read not only Avalanche Canada’s public bulletins before heading out, but to look through the Mountain Information Network (MIN) and understand the information relayed in recent reports.

Planning an adventure? To brush up on outdoor skills or for help creating a trip plan, head to adventuresmart.ca. n

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NEWS PEMBERTON & THE VALLEY

Pemberton residents to see a five-per-cent tax increase in 2022 INCREASE NECESSARY TO KEEP PACE WITH RISING COSTS, COUNCIL DECIDES

BY HARRISON BROOKS PEMBERTON RESIDENTS will see a five-per-cent tax increase in 2022.

On Tuesday, March 8, Village of Pemberton (VOP) manager of finance Thomas Sikora presented the VOP’s final 2022 budget with tax implications to the Committee of the Whole.

At its last budget session on Tuesday, Feb. 22, council directed staff to return with projections of how the budget would look with tax increases ranging from four to seven per cent before making a final decision.

Due to the pressures of the ongoing pandemic, the VOP hasn’t had significant tax increases for the last two calendar years.

However, combined with the current Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase of 3.9 per cent, the lower increases of recent years mean the village risks falling behind on its finances. To keep up with rising prices, a growing community and the infrastructure costs that come with it, the VOP needs a tax increase that at least matches the CPI, and maybe even slightly more to continue to build the village’s reserves, Sikora said in a report to the Committee of the Whole (COW).

TAX TIME On Tuesday, March 8, the Village of Pemberton’s Committee of the Whole made its final deliberations on 2022 tax increases.

FILE PHOTO BY HARRISON BROOKS

28 MARCH 10, 2022

“Nobody likes to raise taxes. It’s not a popular thing, especially under circumstances now where we’re seeing gas prices over $2. Everything is costing more, so I know we’re all cognizant of the financial burdens that are on our residents, and we want to definitely keep that in mind,” said Mayor Mike Richman.

“I would, however, point to the fact that we are seeing our operating expenses grow, and if we don’t start to incorporate

be the most responsible and prudent option for the committee to consider a six-per-cent tax increase, which would mean an $82.46 increase for that same $1.056-million-dollar home.

“Just to be clear on my comments, do I like [a six-per-cent increase]? No. It’s more of what I see coming and what I’ve seen happen, and I know we’re all trying to protect our residents and that’s one of the things we set out to do,” said Richman.

“[I]f we don’t start to incorporate some reasonable tax increases now, our residents are going to be wholly unprepared for a big hit in the next few years...”

- MIKE RICHMAN

some reasonable tax increases now, our residents are going to be wholly unprepared for a big hit in the next few years as we continue to grow.”

In the scenarios laid out in Sikora’s report, a four-per-cent tax increase would equate to a $54.90 increase to a $1.056-million-dollar home, while a sevenper-cent increase for the same home would be $96.21.

Richman said his belief is that it would

“As Councillor [Ted] Craddock can attest, when we were on council years ago, we started talking about the need to build reserves, and I don’t think we’ve met the targets that were discussed back then in terms of building reserves.

“I’m just trying to be prudent looking to the future. So that’s why I’m suggesting six.”

However, none of the other councillors felt comfortable committing to the six-

per-cent increase suggested by Richman, though they also agreed that a significant increase was necessary to continue building reserves. Ultimately, council opted to settle for a five-per-cent tax increase for 2022, which would equate to a $68.72 increase on a home worth $1.056 million.

“I had hoped not to stretch beyond four per cent, but looking at a five per cent and my particular property here, if we go five per cent, I’m looking at just over $5 a month increase,” said Coun. Craddock.

“I think I can handle that even though [I’m a] senior, very low income, but I think we have to take the opportunity to move forward in our community and make sure we have reserves available for things like the new fire truck that’s coming up, [and] a new dump truck for public works. There’s a lot of things we have to do on water and sewer still to make sure we’re ready and prepared for that in the future.”

Some of the major projects in the works this year that tax dollars will go towards include the completion of the soccer field and amenity building at Den Duyf Park, the building of the new Bike Skills Park, a new fire sprinkler and protection unit for Pemberton Fire Rescue and multiple water and sewer infrastructure upgrades.

VOP staff will now work to finalize the 2022 budget and five-year financial plan to be reviewed by the COW on March 29, before being presented to regular council for bylaw readings and adoptions on April 5, with the fourth and final reading taking place on April 26. n

MARCH 10, 2022

29

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

SPONSORED FEATURE

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Immigrating to Canada is an ever-changing experience and finding a strategy and timeline to suit your needs can help you move through the process with ease. Barbara Kolvekova, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant and case manager at Whistler Immigration, shares six tips to prepare your pathway to permanent residence.

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30 MARCH 10, 2022

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

SPONSORED FEATURE

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Emma Goodman

info@harmonywhistler.com

You should constantly be adjusting your rates based on local vacancy levels, demand, and how much lead time to maximize your revenue. The more often you do this, the higher the chances are of receiving bookings. And, your property may also rank higher in search engines.

Keep high cleaning and maintenance standards “It’s never been more important to ensure everything is immaculate,” Goodman says.

Rental properties need to be kept at a hotel standard. This ensures keeping on top of any required maintenance before a guest complains.

Don’t rely on your cleaner to stage the property for you. Ensure you or a representative goes through the property before each rental to ensure everything is perfect (wifi set up, working fireplace, extra sofa bed sheets etc.).

Ensure your listing has professional photos

Provide local knowledge

First impressions are everything. Professional photos and virtual tours will entice guests to look further at your listing and help convert leads to bookings.

“Guests want a personable experience, including tips on how to get around, where to eat and more,” Goodman says.

While Airbnb certainly is popular, it’s important to list on lots of platforms for maximum exposure and revenue. For example, many European guests prefer to use VRBO, especially for higherend homes.

harmonywhistler.com

Adjust pricing regularly

Little gestures such as firewood, shampoo and coffee go a long way. Throw pillows, blankets and art make the space feel cozy and inviting.

List on multiple platforms

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really impact a guest, and you never know what might come up— expect the unexpected.

Make sure you respond to guests

A benefit provided by Harmony is that all its staff live and work in Whistler and can provide excellent local recommendations and connections for everything guests may need.

Stay innovative Harmony Whistler is always seeking new ways to improve operations guest and owner experience.

Always respond to guests as quickly as possible, whether through phone, email or in person.

“Each home has a digital guest book with everything and anything they need, and we provide a bottle of wine and a handwritten card to our guests,” Goodman adds.

“When guests are looking to book, if you don’t respond right away, they’re likely going to book somewhere else,” Goodman says. “If they are locked out in the middle of the night, they need you (or the manager) to answer that phone.” Lack of communication can

Work with Harmony Whistler today to get the most out of your income property. Visit www.harmonywhistler.com to learn more.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Hannah Edleston Hannah Edleston’s fitness challenge is raising money for the Youth in Sport Foundation

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annah Edleston had nothing but a snowboard, a “soccer mom van,” and $1,000 to her name when she was given the opportunity to buy Whistler Creek Athletic Club in 2015.

“It was a really steep learning curve because I’ve never owned a business before,” Edleston says.

“I had no experience in business or gyms. I figured it out as I went along.”

Edleston and her business partner jumped at the opportunity to buy the gym and transform it into their vision. Building on their success, they also acquired two more Whistler businesses.

Along the way, Edleston had some incredible business mentors who inspired her to pay it forward by helping other local businesses.

604-932-1984 whistlergym.com info@whistlergym.com

“I teach people that yes, you can do it, and this is how you can do it,” Edleston says. “Let me help you because so many people have helped me.”

That same spirit of comradery and cooperation inspires the philosophy of Whistler Creek Athletic Club.

“Because I haven’t had any training in business, I went with instincts for how I wanted the gym to be,” Edleston says.

“I made the gym into what I would want to go to. The gym is built around community. People come to the gym not necessarily to look a certain way, but to improve their athletic abilities and get up the mountain. It’s full of incredibly interesting people who are trying to better themselves and enjoy the mountain to the best of their ability.”

Part of that sense of community includes raising funds for the non-profit Edleston started, the Youth in Sport Foundation, which provides opportunities for local Whisler youth to overcome financial barriers to participating in sports.

“Whistler is seen as an affluent town, but it’s not completely true. A lot of people are living paycheque to paycheque,” Edleston says.

“Some of the kids are being forgotten.”

To benefit the Youth in Sport Foundation, the Whistler Creek Athletic Club is holding the 5 x 5 Fitness Challenge, a five-day virtual fundraiser that pushes participants to take on different fitness activities for five days.

This year’s focus will be on Indigenous Youth, who will receive the proceeds of the fundraiser For more information about the Whistler Creek Athletic Club and the 5x5 Fitness Challenge, visit www.whistlergym.com/5-x-5-fitness-challenge

SPONSORED CONTENT

MARCH 10, 2022

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS

SPONSORED FEATURE

Cheximiya Allison Burns Joseph Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre’s Cheximiya leads youth with pride

artform,” and she is committed to seeing that doesn’t happen.

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Joseph says that taking the program herself in her youth, “made a huge shift in my life and I knew I needed to be connected with our culture, and here I am thirteen years later, managing and working my way up.” Once connected to the SLCC, Joseph was mentored

by Chepximiya Siyam’ Chief Janice George and her husband, both credited for “bringing back the artform of weaving for our Squamish people.”

s Manager of the Indigenous Youth Ambassadors Program at the SLCC, Cheximiya Allison Burns Joseph has much to be proud of. Joseph took the program herself in 2006, joined the team of staff in 2008 when the Centre opened, and now leads the program.

Photo credit: Logan Swayze

“I’m the lead contact for the program, I facilitate training, the hiring, co-manage the cultural team and communications,” she says. “My job is amazing to tell you the truth.”

The Indigenous Youth Ambassadors Program was created for youth aged 16-30 and is open to “all Indigenous people living in our Territories, the Sea-toSky corridor, and the Lower Mainland,” Joseph says. “I am so excited each and every morning to wake up and go to work,” she says, adding “right now our program is funded by Service Canada, and we do two cohorts per year until 2023.”

1-888-441-7522 slcc.ca allison.burnsjoseph@slcc.ca

When asked what her take is on being a woman in the business she’s chosen, Joseph tells us that “Indigenous communities revere women, they tend to look at women as teachers, our artforms and other traditions get passed on through our knowledge keepers, who are women.”

At the SLCC, the youth ambassadors are in fourteenweek programs, where Joseph’s passion for weaving is proudly shared and taught. “It was almost a loss

“It was amazing to have her as such a role model in my life, as she is so powerful, not just as a leader but as a knowledge keeper for our people,” Joseph says.

“Chief Janice George is the only female chief I’ve been connected with, and as we are a patrilineal community I gravitated to her, since she was thriving in an area that was dominated by men.”

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) embodies the spirit of partnership between two unique Nations who wish to preserve, grow, and share their traditional cultures. Located on six forested acres along Fitzsimmons Creek in Whistler’s Upper Village, the SLCC provides visitors with the opportunity to explore the heritage and living culture of the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations.

Visit slcc.ca for more information.

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Dani Duncan Treeline Aerial is the Sea to Sky hub for alternative fitness

D

ani Duncan had a one-way ticket to Vancouver, a suitcase full of aerial silks, and a place to stay for three weeks when she first decided to come to Whistler from her home in Northern Ireland.

“I had no intention of starting a business here. I thought I would do one season,” the owner of Treeline Aerial, a circus skills and alternate fitness community hub in Whistler, says.

“All that went out the window. I fell in love with Whistler.”

Duncan was introduced to circus when she was hired as a dance instructor for a children’s camp in Pennsylvania.

When she arrived, she was unexpectedly transferred to the flying trapeze discipline and never looked back.

Duncan then discovered aerial silks, a type of circus performance in which artists perform acrobatics while hanging from suspended fabric.

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32 MARCH 10, 2022

“For me it’s been really motivating to see how many people have jumped on this journey with me,” Duncan says.

“Our clients love the community here. We really like to think we’re creating a safe space and environment where people can challenge themselves physically and creatively.”

Getting started with aerial silks requires no previous experience or physical abilities. In addition to aerial classes, Treeline also offers aerial yoga, pole, and hoop classes as well as bachelorettes and parties.

Duncan took the plunge in 2020 and signed a five-year lease to create her own space for Treeline Aerial tucked away in Function Junction.

“I really wanted to create a fun and unique space where people could come together and challenge themselves in a variety of ways,” Duncan says.

As pandemic restrictions continue to loosen, Duncan is encouraging people to come back to pursue their fitness goals.

“It’s a really physical activity but it’s not technically a sport. It’s a performance art that originates from the circus,” Duncan says.

“It doesn’t matter how long you haven’t exercised for or if you feel like you’re out of shape,” Duncan says.

“A lot of people are attracted to having a creative outlet that keeps them in shape.”

“We want people to come back and we’ll support them in whatever they need.”

Missing her silks while in Whistler, Duncan pursued an opportunity to teach a class at Whistler Gymnastics and Treeline Aerial was born.

To learn more, visit www.treelineaerialbc.com.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

SPONSORED FEATURE

T’ec Georgina Dan The SLCC has a responsibility to elevate and educate around the Sk _wx_wú7mesh and Lil’wat7úl ways, which involves the entire team, including T’ec Georgina Dan

T

wenty-four years old and a proud ambassador of the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) for five years, T’ec Georgina Dan is the Cultural Leader of the Spo7ez Performance team, co-facilitator of the Indigenous Youth Ambassador Program, and has held the position of Cultural Administration Coordinator for the past two years.

Dan is inspired by her work, and not one day can be considered typical, saying “every day looks different. I collaborate on the scheduling for our cultural growth and sharing department, our performance scheduling and programming, and with our welcomings and blessings throughout Whistler.”

slcc.ca

Dan is from the Lil’wat Nation and works alongside ambassadors at the SLCC, proudly “sharing my culture and representing myself here in Whistler. I lead guided tours, performances and cultural programming, crafts, workshops, either in person or virtual. There has been plenty of interest in online classes and workshops,” she says, adding “it opened up more availability for people to experience the Centre.”

georgina.dan@slcc.ca

As a young Indigenous woman, she has found inspiration from the women she has the privilege of

1-888-441-7522

working alongside and learning from, saying, “I feel that my true business role models are the women in this organization, as they have really set a good example of being great leaders while bringing representation into this workforce.”

The SLCC has a responsibility to elevate and educate around the Sk_wx_wú7mesh and Lil’wat7úl ways, which involves the entire team, including Dan. Reflecting on the past couple of years, in particular, Dan says, “I think with a lot of reconciliation coming into the forefront of media, and being the only Indigenous organization in Whistler, a lot of heads were turned. People look toward us to lead the way with that.”

I am happy to take on the challenge, very much so. The timing is right.”

In December 2021, Dan was invited to Ottawa (Algonquin Anishnaabeg territory) to accept a prestigious award on behalf of the SLCC. “We received the 2021 National Indigenous Tourism Award from the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, and that was very exciting,” she says with such humility and pride in her voice. “That is something that I will be talking about forever because so many people recognized us for what we’ve been doing.”

Visit slcc.ca for more information.

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Heather Paul The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre’s priority is sharing, growing, reconciling, and reclaiming—and Heather Paul has high hopes for 2022.

H

eather Paul started the role of Executive Director at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler on Mar. 9 of 2020, days before world borders closed.

“There was no playbook for this. I had to stick to my instincts and remember that even the most seasoned leaders didn’t know what tomorrow looked like.”

Photo credit: Logan Swayze

1-888-441-7522 slcc.ca heather.paul@slcc.ca

By day four at her new position, Paul was faced with shutting down the business, “this is a charitable organization and we were preparing to lose millions in sales, deeply affecting the mission of providing meaningful employment, a daily connection to uplifting and sharing their cultural ways.” The SLCC’s major revenue source disappeared as travel trade and events were no more.

Most SLCC staff are Indigenous, travelling up to four hours a day from Squamish and Lil’wat territories between Mount Seymour and Mount Currie. When the building opened up again in June 2020, drums came back to life and Cultural Ambassadors were singing and dancing, waking up their Whistler home. “We took the time during the pandemic to look at how we could build back stronger,” Paul says.

The emotional health of staff became a priority for the SLCC leadership team during COVID-19. “We leaned into our values, looked at how to empower Indigenous youth into everything the business offers, and worked hard to get counselling and Indigenous-led cultural

tools and connections for our staff.” Paul witnesses the Ambassador’s work as “a calling, not a job. They are the voice of their ancestors. I may be the woman at the top, but they have guided my hand, changing how I move around the world and work as a leader.”

“Before the pandemic, Whistler had 3 million visitors annually, and 90,000 came to the SLCC. My dream would be to see a bigger part of that visitation walk through our doors,” Paul says, targeting every traveller coming to experience this territory. “The conscious person who seeks a deeper connection to the beauty around them. Learning about the original stewards of this land, their culture, history, and language. I want that dream to expand outside of our building, hearing Ucwalmícwts (Lil’wat) and Sk _wx_wú7mesh sníchim (Squamish) words coming from workers in line at the local coffee shop or ancient stories like the great thunderbird on top of Black Tusk being shared by everyone.”

With the SLCC’s priority in sharing, celebrating, reconciling, and reclaiming, Paul has high hopes for 2022. Two years into the role, as the world hints at normalizing, she can finally focus less on crisis management and more on continuing to lead empowered growth, with the passion and authenticity of the Ambassadors, traits she so wholeheartedly learns from. She laughs, “I think I am about to start the job I was hired for.”

Visit slcc.ca for more information.

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS

SPONSORED FEATURE

Lindsay Graham Local realtor shows there’s much more to do in Whistler away from the slopes

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indsay Graham knows well the lure of snow-covered slopes.

Growing up in the great outdoor playground of Claremont, Ontario, she spent a great deal of time shredding the powder on her snowboard.

That’s why she decided an alpine environment would be her long-term destination.

And close to a couple of decades ago, that led her to Whistler, where she now spends much of her time letting prospective homebuyers know how much there is to do away from the ski and snowboard runs.

“The alpine sports have made our town what it is. But there’s so much more to the picture now,” says Graham, who runs Lindsay Graham Whistler Real Estate.

604-935-9533

“From a real estate perspective over the last 18 years in the business, people were predominantly buying property so they could ski. Then mountain biking increased in popularity, along with other summer activities.

lgwhistlerrealestate.com

“Now, we are seeing buyers of all sorts coming to Whistler for other aspects, such as the incredible culinary experiences we have in our fabulous restaurants.

lindsay@wrec.com

“There’s also the live music venues, including the

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra playing at the (Olympic) Celebration Plaza, and local bands such as Big Love Band, Marble Canyon, and Red Chair, which all provide a different night life experience.”

Then there are the arts.

“We have the Whistler Film Festival, the Audain Art Museum, and the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre - all of these have brought not only a whole different flavour to our community but a different approach from homebuyers who appreciate a wider range of pursuits.”

The turning point for her came several years ago when a client asked her, “Which one (mountain) is Whistler, and which one is Blackcomb?”

“Here was a client who was willing to invest in the community, and their main interests had nothing to do with the outdoors,” she says.

“And while I still love getting up on the mountains, it’s the other components in the community that have kept me here,” she adds.

“There’s so much the community has matured and evolved into as a well-rounded, cultural place to be over the last couple of decades,” Graham says.

For more about how you can discover how much Whistler has to offer, visit Graham’s website at lgwhistlerrealestate.com.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Emily Kane Local yoga studio owner offers tips from her own practice.

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mily Kane, the owner of Whistler Village yoga studio, Yogacara, says there are small things we can do in the course of a day to stay in the moment.

“Especially right now when anxiety is high, there are tools we can use to be fully present,” she says.

Kane opened Yogacara in 2012 after graduating with a kinesiology degree from the University of British Columbia and completing her yoga teacher training.

tough day in the office, focusing on how your breath moves in your body, what parts of your body move when you inhale and relax as you exhale can help you stay focused.

Meditate on the spot. You don’t have to be sitting quietly with your eyes closed to meditate. If you find yourself standing in line, take the time to practice grounding by taking your feet hip distance apart, finding an even weight distribution, feeling the length through your spine, relaxing your shoulders, and focusing on deep breathing.

Yogacara was built on the idea of smaller classes, capping them at 19 students. Though that number has been reduced even further in light of COVID-19.

“There are moments when you might feel frustrated and irritated, but you can turn it around and create some presence in your body and breath. What was previously an inconvenience holds the potential to be blissful with the right mindset,” Kane says.

“I love smaller classes where you can get to know your teacher and get personalized attention,” Kane says.

Do yoga in spurts. “You don’t have to practice three or four hours a day to get the benefits of yoga,” Kane says.

“You’re not just a number in a sea of faces.”

You can take a pause to try a position or two for 10 or 15 minutes at a time.

Can’t make it out to a class? Kane offers these tips to increase mindfulness in your daily life.

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Focus on breathing. “Breath is a tool that can bring us into the present,” Kane says.

whistleryogacara.com

“When we become aware of our breathing, we’re less likely to get caught up in what’s happening in our minds and emotions.

Whether you’re in the mountains or you’re having a

“Start small and work your way up,” Kane says. “Classes have numerous benefits, including commitment and direction, but don’t feel discouraged if you can’t make it work right now. Starting small can make a big impact.”

To learn more about the classes offered by Yogacara inperson and online, visit whistleryogacara.com

SPONSORED CONTENT

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS

SPONSORED FEATURE

Karen Roland Roland’s Creekside Pub and Red Door Bistro remains committed to the local community

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aren Roland is a Whistler local, and very proud of it. It shows. The owner of Roland’s Creekside Pub and Red Door Bistro has been serving local customers since her arrival in the resort town in 1988 and has always put them first.

She began working in local restaurants after moving from Richmond and ultimately went to work for the legendary Ron “Hoz” Hosner in 1993 at his restaurant and pub. Eventually, she took over the operation - pub, bistro and liquor store - in 2008, and subsequently renamed it Roland’s.

“I’d worked in banking right out of high school and wanted to experience something different and not be locked into one line of work right away,” Roland says.

“But taking over the business from ‘Hoz’ was no small task,” she says. “I got some help from my dad, and it was a unique opportunity to acquire a pub, restaurant and liquor store in one transaction. “But it felt like a natural transition,” Roland adds. “I had worked for ‘Hoz’ for 14 and-a-half years, starting as a hostess in the restaurant, worked my way up to a waitress, moved over to the pub as a waitress and bartender, then took on managerial duties and bookkeeping.

604-932-5940 rolandswhistler.com

“I did pretty much everything but cook in that place.

And I knew the good, the bad and ugly about the business.” Most of all, she understood the importance of remaining committed to local customers.

info@rolandswhistler.com

“Looking after the locals, they are my number one priority 365 days a year, because when the tourists are gone, the locals remain and they come and support us.”

A prime example of Roland’s commitment came ahead of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games hosted in Vancouver and Whistler when she was approached to have her establishment turned into a host destination by some of the national teams competing at the games.

“They said they’d like to buy us out for the Olympics, and asked how much do you want? I said no to all of them because I wanted to serve the needs of the locals who knew they could come here and watch the hockey games and everything else.”

She also adds a personal thanks to her local customers each Christmas. “I bake for them,” she says. “They get bags of goodies at Christmas time. “I’ve been doing that since the 1990’s.” Roland, her mom and sister-in-law, bake more than 1,000 shortbread cookies, butter tarts and other assorted cookies to fill more than 200 goodie bags they give out to staff and customers to show their appreciation.

“A lot of them ask me, ‘Are you baking again this year?’” she laughs.

“They know I will because I am very lucky to be where I am, with loyal customers and staff.”

For more information about Roland’s Creekside Pub, check out their website at rolandswhistler.com.

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Adele Campbell Fine Art Hard work and serendipity fueled gallerist’s journey to ownership

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dele Campbell Fine Art has decades-long ties with artists and buyers

A chance meeting on a ski lift set Elizabeth Harris on the path to art gallery ownership.

Harris had studied art history at Queen’s University and was in Whistler for what she thought would be a season when she started chatting with a woman on the chairlift when she was skiing one day.

Photo credit: David Buzzard Photgraphy

“We were chatting about life in Whistler and the woman happened to ask, ‘If you could do anything in the world, what would it be?’ I said, I’d love to work in an art gallery,” Harris explains.

“She said, ‘I’m a curator.’ It was very serendipitous.”

Harris started working in the Whistler art world, including for the previous owners of Adele Campbell Fine Art. Eventually, assumed ownership of the gallery, which she has run for the last seven years.

604-938-0887

“The previous owners, who had been incredible mentors to me, presented this opportunity of taking over one day, and it worked out,” Harris says.

adelecampbell.com

“It’s been a long process but definitely one where I’ve worked my way up and have had the opportunity to be mentored by fascinating women along the way.”

art@adelecampbell.com

Harris has always been drawn to the business world, growing up in a family of car dealers.

“There was always a part of me that wanted my own business, but I wasn’t sure what that business was going to be,” Harris says.

Harris credits her wonderful staff with contributing to the success of the gallery.

“We would not have gotten through the last couple of years so successfully without our devoted staff, and I’m immensely grateful to them,” Harris explains.

She is also proud of the decades-long relationship the gallery has had with its clientele, as well as its artists, whose careers she has had the pleasure of watching develop.

Some of those artists include Laura Harris, a critically acclaimed Vancouver Island artist, who recently had a show at the gallery, and Kerry Langlois, whose previous exhibit at the gallery completely sold out.

This year, the gallery looks forward to an equally successful exhibition presented March 4th to 12th by Kerry Langlois.

Harris also commends the Whistler community for her success.

“I’ve lived in Whistler for 25 years. We lean so heavily on each other in this town,” Harris says.

“I truly owe my success to hard work and the many other people in my life” To learn more about Adele Campbell Fine Art and the upcoming exhibits, visit adelecampbell.com.

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MARCH 10, 2022

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SCIENCE MATTERS Five-Year Financial Plan Invitation for Public Consultation Regional Districts are required to adopt a five-year financial plan, setting out the proposed expenditures and funding sources for each service. The financial plan is to be made available for public consultation.

Accordingly, members of the public are encouraged to provide written submissions and comments on the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s 2022-2026 Draft Financial Plan. Submissions and comments should be forwarded to the SquamishLillooet Regional District by one of the following means: Mail: Box 219, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L0 Email: info@slrd.bc.ca The 2022-2026 Draft Financial Plan is available for review on the SLRD website at: www.slrd.bc.ca.

Fuelling a climate of uncertainty in a time of war IT’S A TRAGIC TRUTH that some people are willing to inflict unfathomable suffering and death for the sake of power and wealth. From Russia’s aggression in Ukraine to the push for continued climate-altering fossil fuel expansion, selfish gain means more to some than the health and well-being of our children and grandchildren and those yet to be born.

Take the decades-spanning efforts to downplay and deny the evidence of human-caused climate disruption—efforts that have accelerated in recent days, as the fossil-fuel industry and its political

BY DAVID SUZUKI

RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER

Notice Of Disposition Of Land Pursuant to Section 26 of the Community Charter and in accordance with section 94, notice is hereby given that the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) intends to dispose, by way of sale, 100 strata lot units to be in two buildings located at 1340 and 1360 Mount Fee Road in the Lower Cheakamus Valley within the RMOW. Proposed Building A, under construction, is picture above. The strata lots will be subdivided from a parent parcel legally described as Parcel Identifier: 031-508-502, Lot 1 District Lot 8073 Group 1 New Westminster District Plan EPP111931 - generally known as Cheakamus Crossing, Phase 2.

The nature of the disposition is the irrevocable transfer of ownership of each strata lot. The RMOW as vendor is holding and transferring these affordable employee housing lots, and other lands in Cheakamus Crossing, as nominee, agent and bare trustee for its subsidiary beneficial owner Whistler 2020 Development Corp in relation to the RMOW employee housing strategies and policies.

Each lot will be subject to an employee housing restrictive housing agreement and covenant limiting the price and prescribing owner qualifications.

The purchase process to acquire strata lots is to visit www. cheakamuscrossing.com and click on the links to 1340 and 1360 Mount Fee Road. The purchasers of these homes are restricted to qualified registrants on the Whistler Housing Authority Housing Waitlist who meet the eligibility criteria of the Housing Covenant that will be registered on title. Eligible buyers are contacted in their priority position on the Housing Waitlist by our sales team from The Whistler Real Estate Company (Ray Longmuir and Victoria Cole).

This is NOT an offering for sale or a disclosure statement, but merely a municipal statutory notice.

This is the second of two notices respecting this matter.

Dated the 10th day of March 2022.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca

36 MARCH 10, 2022

and media allies cynically use the RussiaUkraine crisis to advocate for increased development and expansion of the products and infrastructure they tout.

Alberta’s premier tweeted, “Now if Canada really wants to help defang Putin, then let’s get some pipelines built.” He fails to acknowledge that the pipes are largely being made by a company 60-percent owned by Russian oligarchs—one with close ties to Putin—and that the Alberta Investment Management Corporation owns half a million shares of a Russian investment fund whose largest holdings are in Russian fossil-fuel companies Gazprom, Sberbank and Lukoil.

He did halt Russian alcohol sales, though (which is mostly just Russian Standard vodka, not really popular in Alberta).

UN secretary-general António Guterres had a more rational take, tweeting: “As current events make all too clear, our reliance on fossil fuels makes the global economy and our energy security vulnerable to geopolitical crises. Instead of slowing down decarbonization, now is the time to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy future.”

The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, explains the dangers of deception: “Rhetoric and misinformation on climate change and the deliberate undermining of science have contributed to misperceptions of the scientific consensus, uncertainty, disregarded risk and urgency, and dissent.”

It adds that “strong party affiliation and partisan opinion polarization contribute to delayed mitigation and adaptation action, most notably in the U.S. but with similar patterns in Canada” and that “Vested economic and political interests have organized and financed misinformation and ‘contrarian’ climate change communication.”

It’s not that everyone who denies or downplays climate science is uncaring, or worse, sociopathic. Those with power often exploit the uneducated and uninformed

to further their own ends—and in many cases work to degrade education systems to prevent people from acquiring critical thinking and logic skills.

The excuse that the world will need fossil fuels for years to come so it’s better to support our own industries wasn’t a great argument even 34 years ago when the IPCC was established—and fossil-fuel development and use have accelerated since then. Failure to heed the evidence has propelled humanity into a climate emergency.

Those who know better have no excuse. The fossil-fuel industry’s own scientists accurately warned about the climate consequences of profligate fossilfuel burning 45 years ago. Most opinion writers who sow doubt, confusion and misinformation about climate disruption aren’t ignorant enough to outright reject mountains of accumulating evidence— including what people everywhere are plainly experiencing!

So, why do they so strenuously oppose what is clearly necessary, especially knowing that many measures to shift to cleaner energy, reduce consumption and protect carbon sinks like forests, wetlands, kelp forests and more will also lead to less pollution, improved public health and better, more equitable economic outcomes?

Part of it may be fear—fear of change, of losing illusory power and wealth, of having to think differently. Much of it is rooted

Those with power often exploit the uneducated and uninformed... in selfishness, of taking what they can while they can, under the assumption that negative consequences won’t affect them, either because their wealth and power will insulate them, or because impacts won’t kick in until after they’re gone. Some of it is ego. It has been surmised the Putin is only wreaking such horrible destruction because he wants to cement his imaginary legacy as a great leader who helped restore a failing empire to its former glory.

It is profoundly sad that we’re being led by so many short-sighted, narrowminded people. It’s sad that children have to march in the streets and protest for something as basic as survivable conditions. It’s sad that young people are being sacrificed—sent to kill and be killed to protect billionaires’ interests.

It’s time for a radical shift.

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. ■

RANGE ROVER

Carnival of cowardice AS THE BOMBS rain upon Ukraine and citizens bravely block Russian military convoys, putting their lives on the line to resist a hostile invasion, undisguised imperialism and aggressive bullying on behalf of a de facto dictator’s bruised ego, I’m reminded of two things from very recent Canadian history.

BY LESLIE ANTHONY First is a vignette of drunken “freedom convoy” louts bobbing in inflatable hot tubs on Ottawa’s Wellington Street, sputtering incoherently to anyone who’ll listen (insert breathless reporters from Canada’s conservative-controlled mainstream media here) about the tyranny they’re suffering under, their First Amendment [sic] rights being trampled, and how, since science is a liberal conspiracy, they shouldn’t need to adhere to carbon levies or epidemiologybased public-health policies with implications for the general populace and economy ’cause they know better—even if they never made it out of high school.

Contrasting this surreal tableau is an image of peaceful cyclists effectively repelling truckers and asking them to remove offensive symbols in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa—in the latter case citizens whose rights actually were being trampled by a sonorous trucker encampment no one else seemed inclined to do anything about.

You don’t need a lesson in civics to

FAUX FREEDOM The #FreedomConvoy2022 was anything but an expression of freedom, writes columnist Leslie Anthony.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

identify the real heroes here, and attempts to paint the #FluTruxKlan as anything beyond a misguided, moronic, malice-driven display of redneck hubris and hillbilly insurrection flies in the face of facts—reinforcements for which emerge daily. Simply put, the convoy— or at least its organizers—are “people contemptibly lacking in the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things” (as the Oxford definition goes). Like pulling together to deal with a two-year pandemic… or acting on climate change… or mounting a transparently funded legal protest with an actual point (vax mandates were only an excuse) that doesn’t involve demonstrably toxic Trojan-horse elements of, in no particular order, white nationalism, Yellow Vestism, Western separatism, MAGAtism, QAnon cultism, fundamentalist Christianity and government takeover. Since they also

police presence at the Fairy Creek logging and Wet’suwet’en pipeline blockades with the back-slapping, money-donating Billybobs refusing to do anything about the far more illegal and disruptive occupation of Ottawa by right-wing good ol’ boys until the Emergencies Act forced their hand.

But the worst cowards of all—no surprise here—were conservative politicians. The always flip-floppy and now jobless Erin O’Toole attempted to salve the convoy (and his party) with I-feel-your-pain bromides. He did so at the behest of his ersatz replacement, the raving MAGAt interim leader Candice Bergen, whose leaked emails show attempts to politicize the convoy from the outset and “make it Trudeau’s problem”—while actively encouraging illegal occupation and virtual imprisonment of Ottawa citizens. Ditto rabid-dog HarperCon Pierre Poilievre, self-

Since they also shamefully employed children as shields, it’s hard not to see #FreedomConvoy2022 as a veritable parade of cowards. shamefully employed children as shields, it’s hard not to see #FreedomConvoy2022 as a veritable parade of cowards. But they weren’t the only ones.

The police were cowards, too. Perhaps worse. Recall that we citizens pay police to enforce the law and keep us safe. To serve and protect. However, these past two years we’ve learned that both police and their political puppet masters make constant ad hoc decisions about which laws to enforce, where to enforce them, and, most appallingly, on whom. Contrast the multimillion-dollar, jackbooted, militarized

proclaimed “next Prime Minister of Canada” (note to Pierre: you don’t get to say that, you have to be elected), who shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near that office after his craven attempt to score political points by delivering coffee and donuts to racist insurrectionists whose rank and file flew swastikas and Confederate flags. And where was Ontario premier Doug Ford? With an election upcoming, his political calculus was clearly to abdicate responsibility—until, again, the Feds forced his hammy hand. Don’t even get me started on the absurdities that are still emanating from Alberta’s Napoleonic weasel,

premier Jason Kenney.

While all players portrayed themselves as individuals rising up to take on (manufactured and non-existent) oppression, all have equally refused to rise to a true challenge: too cowardly to join with the >80 per cent of Canadians doing their part to end the pandemic; too cowardly to confront the undeniable reality of climate change and its effect on future generations; too cowardly to question the misinformation that drives their risible rage.

Selfish and entitled in the extreme, exposed as patsy MAGA operatives funded by dark disruption money that might even include a few rubles, they have no “we’re just regular Canadians” excuse to fall back on.

Canada’s erudite UN Ambassador, Bob Rae, who delivered the most stirring speech on Ukraine to that assembly (youtube.com/ watch?v=Lfum9XNhCdA), also pointedly summarized the Ottawa circus: “A truck is not a speech. A horn is not a voice. An occupation is not a protest. A blockade is not freedom, it blocks the liberty of all. A demand to overthrow a government is not a dialogue. The expression of hatred is not a difference of opinion. A lie is not the truth.”

We must see all of these actions for what they really were: acts of supreme and pathetic cowardice by a tiny minority of whiny, uninformed, mostly-white fools who selfishly emitted tons of carbon in order to throw a childish hissy fit on someone else’s dime, lacking the empathy or bravery to educate themselves on how to do what’s right for their fellow citizens.

Meanwhile, a real #FreedomConvoy arrived in Ukraine on Saturday—dozens of trucks hauling medical supplies and humanitarian relief from the European Union.

Leslie Anthony is a science/environment writer and author who holds a doctorate in reversing political spin. ■

MARCH 10, 2022

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FEATURE STORY

? e e r f

e r e w s u b e h t g n i i d r if t a Wh

38 MARCH 10, 2022

FEATURE STORY

Saying ‘no fares’ could make public transit better and streets safer, while speeding up climate and justice progress.

Who’s on board?

We’re now in Pemberton.

For all your hearing needs.

By andrea bennett [Editor’s note: With the Sea to Sky transit strike dragging into its sixth week, and not even a whiff of funding for corridor-wide regional transit in this year’s provincial budget, Pique has chosen to republish this feature from The Tyee, with the author’s permission, exploring the possibility of free transit for the end user, a system that close to 100 cities and towns around the world have adopted.]

NEW LOCATION

PEMBERTON 604.815.0808

3–7438 Prospect Street Tuesdays: 9 am to 5 pm

In May 2019, Winnipeg public transit drivers held a fare strike. Members

of ATU Local 1505 had been working without a contract since that January, and they decided to make a point. On a Monday, they left leaflets at bus stops and advertised the strike on social media. That Tuesday they let people ride for free.

The fare strike created a new and “visceral experience” for public transit users, says James Wilt, author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Cars? “Even just the ease of getting on board and not having to rummage for change. The feeling of being able to get on and off the bus at any point.”

So: what if transit was always free of charge? What if it was fully accessible?

What if it properly served rural, remote and suburban riders? What if we had free, public, intercity transit, making it possible to get from Nelson to Victoria without owning a car? Would the benefits of all that be worth shifting the cost completely from riders to the public purse?

In 2007, Dave Olsen wrote a Tyee reader-funded series called “No Fares!” Among the reasons he gave for not charging riders: offering “a barrier-free transportation option to every member of the community,” making service faster and more efficient, and ending the criminalization of citizens who for whatever reason duck paying fares. And he found other places in our region and the world already experimenting with letting people ride free.

Over a decade later, everything Olsen wrote is still true—free transit is a poverty justice issue, a disability justice issue and a racial justice issue. It’s also a climate issue—well-functioning, affordable transit empowers more people to shift from relying on private, polluting vehicles to get around.

And global fare-free experiments are gathering size and speed. Kansas City eliminated fares for all bus and light rail riders in 2019. In 2020, Luxembourg became the first country to make public transit—buses, trams and trains—free countrywide. Malta is set to be next and Germany is giving it a serious look.

Which is why it was time to revisit a cluster of questions related to making public transit fare-free in British Columbia. Interested? Hop in and ride along.

nexgenhearing.com

WorkSafeBC and other Provincial WCB Networks, VAC, BCEA and NIHB accepted Registered under the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC

WHY FREE FOR EVERYONE? While programs exist to make transit more affordable, these programs provide imperfect solutions. Winnipeg, for example, recently began to offer a low-income monthly bus pass for $62.40. But the cost was still too steep. Only 1,017 people applied for the low-income pass the first year it was launched—“about 15 per cent of the predicted demand,” according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

Heather McCain, the executive director of Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods and a former member of the Access Transit Users’ Advisory Committee, says recent changes to the B.C. bus pass program, which used to make bus passes available for $45 per year to British Columbians on income support for disability, have made it more difficult for these transit users to access passes.

“Within the last five years, it was changed to where it’s $45 a year for the administration fee, and now $52 per month for the pass,” McCain tells The Tyee.

“The province did give us this transportation subsidy, which was meant to cover the cost of the bus pass,” they add. “But that’s not how poverty works. People don’t

MARCH 10, 2022

39

r e a o h w e e p p l o d b s a le a i d h t t k in t h I “While o s l a I , s t i n ra t e e r a f e d v h l u o h s ty in pover ld ou h s y t r e o v p n i e r a ho w t s n think immigra e l p o e p o h ed u s n d u t a n , si n ra t e e e r hav f - heather mccain should have free transit.” use it for transportation because they need medication more or they need therapy more, or they need clothing for their children more.”

B.C. provides up to $1,358.50 per month to a single person on disability assistance. This falls far short of the $2,000 a month the federal government provided as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, commonly referred to as CERB, for workers affected by COVID. Keeping disabled people in poverty, McCain says, effectively removes the “choice” offered by the current transit subsidy program.

Moreover, McCain adds, getting on disability support in the first place presents another barrier. Many people are rejected on their first try and may not have the energy, time or wherewithal to reapply, even if they are eligible.

This is part of the reason McCain joined the #AllOnBoard campaign, which advocates for affordable and accessible transit across the province.

“While I think that disabled people who are in poverty should have free transit,” McCain adds, “I also think immigrants who are in poverty should have free transit, and unhoused people should have free transit.”

Wilt points out that free transit is a racial justice issue, too— transit and fare enforcement disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous people. An independent review of 121,819 Toronto Transit Commission fare enforcement incidents spanning a decade in Toronto, for example, found that Black and Indigenous riders were both more likely to be involved in fare enforcement incidents, and faced harsher consequences resulting from these incidents.

In some horrific cases, fare enforcement incidents have even led to the deaths of transit riders.

BUT HOW WOULD WE PAY FOR IT? The same way we pay for roads and other public infrastructure: gathering taxes and investing that money in a social good. Offloading the costs from riders to the public purse also could change the tendency of transit to become progressively worse.

Most public transit is set up to collect somewhere

between one- to two-thirds of its revenue from fares, Wilt says. He points to several examples in his book where budgetary shortfalls have led to worsening service, leading to fewer regular riders—a “vicious cycle” where transit becomes less and less viable as a transportation option.

“Over time, as transit service becomes less reliable, less affordable and even just less dignified,” he says, “people will often, if they can afford to, move away to other modes of transportation, including private automobiles, ride-hailing services, cabs and sometimes bikes and being a pedestrian.”

As ridership falls further, the budget crunch gets worse, and so does service.

In contrast, Wilt points to the idea of a “virtuous cycle”: when transit is well-funded and can be relied on to get people where they need to go on time, conveniently and affordably, ridership goes up. This has been the case in Vancouver, Seattle, Phoenix and Montreal.

Increasing access for people of all income levels could mean introducing sliding-scale bus passes where costs are tied to income level. But means testing tends to bog people down in bureaucracy and paperwork, and presents particular challenges for English language learners and anyone who struggles with literacy issues.

Free transit for everyone, by contrast, would ensure access for everyone without bureaucratic hoops and hassles.

SO HOW MUCH WOULD THAT COST THE GOVERNMENT? Public transit is already subsidized, of course. In Metro Vancouver, for example, TransLink’s forecasted expenditures for 2021 total more than $1.95 billion, more than $400 million of which comes from fares. In previous years, this amount was higher—TransLink expected to receive $700 million in fares in 2020 before COVID hit.

Removing fares would require drumming up revenue from other sources—taxation, or funding from the province or federal government, or both.

But as Olsen wrote in 2007, Vancouver wouldn’t need to replace the entire amount—the transit police expenditure for 2021 was forecasted at $44 million per

year, and eliminating the need to enforce fare collection and police fare evasion could significantly reduce that budget line. And traffic congestion is estimated to cost somewhere between $500 million and $1.2 billion in Metro Vancouver; if the majority of people who drive were able to switch to taking transit, it’s possible the switch could pay for itself in congestion reduction alone.

But, yeah, $700 million can seem a big number. For reference, though, the Province of B.C. spends at least that on fossil fuel subsidies and $700 million is about one per cent of the total provincial budget.

To be clear, what we’ve been discussing is just the operating budget for transit for B.C.’s most populous region. The price tags for building top-of-the-line public transit infrastructure can be eye-popping. The bill for the 5.7 kilometres of underground subway extending the Millennium Line from VCC-Clark to Broadway and Arbutus is currently estimated at $2.83 billion, which, if it’s like most other infrastructure projects, will almost certainly rise.

Still, such infrastructure triggers development that generates new tax revenue, and UBC sees so much benefit to its own future that the university is exploring the prospect of offering financial and land contributions to help make the project happen.

WHO IS PRESSING FOR FARE-FREE TRANSIT? In 2018, a group of organizations, community groups, advocates, unions and other stakeholders, including the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods, came together to create the #AllOnBoard campaign.

The campaign’s province-wide demands included free transit for all youth 18 and under, an income-based sliding scale fare system for adults, the end of ticketing of minors for fare evasion and the implementation of community service as an alternative to fare evasion fines for lowincome adults. #AllOnBoard also wants to see a shift in provincial, regional and municipal transportation planning that would ensure public transportation is affordable, accessible and safe.

We’ve got you covered.

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

40 MARCH 10, 2022

FEATURE STORY Viveca Ellis, a current provincial organizer with the Single Mothers’ Alliance for Gender & Economic Justice and former community organizer for the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, says the campaign worked closely and tirelessly with municipalities, city councillors and a variety of other stakeholders to pass advocacy motions supporting campaign demands. This resulted in municipalities sending letters of support to different provincial ministers.

Which in turn resulted in a big win: on Sept. 1, 2021, children 12 and under began to ride public transit for free in municipalities across the province.

TransLink is also reviewing its fare evasion ticketing policy as a result of #AllOnBoard’s advocacy.

WHY NOT RUN A SMALL EXPERIMENT AND SEE HOW FAREFREE TRANSIT GOES? That’s happening. Also in September, Ellis says, the city began an affordable pilot program that will gather data on the impacts of free access to transit for low-income families in Vancouver.

The pilot is offering free transit passes to 100 people and is being administered by four different groups: the Single Mother’s Alliance (SMA), South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, Urban Native Youth Association and Eastside Works.

Ellis and the SMA are administering the passes for 30 participants. Their group chose to give transit passes to each member of a household; Ellis says many of the multigenerational family households she’s worked with have often been able to afford a single shared transit pass, if they’re able to afford one at all.

“So one day, mom gets on the bus, but the next day she doesn’t, and then her teen is able to take it,” Ellis says. “And then grandma, who’s also living there, gets it on certain days or at certain times.”

Austin Lui, a social planner with the City of Vancouver who was formerly with the low-barrier employment resource centre Eastside Works, says that while the pilot project is, at its core, about transit, it’s also about much more. “When we talk about work, food security, family, education, this is a key factor that comes up,” he says. “‘I don’t have money for transit, so I can’t access these opportunities,’ or, ‘if I did have a transit pass, it would be so much easier for me to access these opportunities.’”

Giving each member of the family transit passes, Ellis says, will allow for an understanding of how proper access to transit impacts a whole family’s health and well-being.

“What do they do together that they didn’t do before?

What kind of savings does that mean for the total household?” she asks.

In the case of a teen playing organized sports, she says by way of example, transit passes for everyone may mean that their loved ones can come and see them play for the first time.

The other group the SMA recruited from, Ellis says, is women living in transitional shelters, who have escaped

gender-based violence.

“Their mobility is fundamentally a matter of safety, and often life-or-death,” says Ellis. “How does unrestricted transit mobility impact them and their ability to accomplish what they need to accomplish in terms of getting on their feet with their children?”

The pilot is already beginning to glean anecdotes from participants, Lui says. A single parent needed to go to the food bank monthly, for example, but the time slot they were allotted lined up with school pickups. Before receiving the transit pass, they had to choose to be late to pickup, risking a call to the Ministry of Children and Family Development, or skip the food bank. Their free transit pass gives them more flexibility: they can now reach more affordable grocery stores on their own schedule, allowing them to rely less on the food bank and make sure they arrive in time for school pickup.

The pilot is employing peer researchers who have lived experience with poverty and transit access to gather data for the pilot. This means the people gathering the data have a lived, on-the-ground experience that informs the kinds of questions and followup questions they’ll ask, Ellis says.

“We’re getting some more nuanced information that we wouldn’t have gotten if a bureaucrat like me went in and

asked these questions,” Lui says.

The pilot project ran for six months, until March of this year. The final report is expected to be delivered to Vancouver City Council in May. The next conversation, Lui says, will be how to turn the pilot’s findings into policies.

WHY NOT ELECTRIC CARS INSTEAD? One of the planks of B.C.’s recently released new climate plan is, alongside encouraging public transit use, “accelerating the adoption of zero-emissions vehicles.”

But you don’t have to be a hater to tweet #BanCars.

It’s enough to dislike the fact that you’ve been struck by one. (Full disclosure, the writer has, while following the rules of the road, several times.) It stands to reason that if more people ride transit, and car use falls accordingly, there will be fewer car crashes, which kill about 2,000 people and seriously injure about 9,000 people in Canada every year.

If transit use becomes more widespread, and car use declines, that could open up more room on our paved landscapes for cyclists, pedestrians and other sidewalk users. Buses, too.

Street space is a “zero-sum game,” notes Wilt. “In the

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MARCH 10, 2022

41

FEATURE STORY

Striking Sea to Sky transit workers rallying in Whistler on Feb. 18.

PHOTO BY OISIN MCHUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

cases of buses and streetcars, we’ve seen that dedicated street space, whether it’s a lane or an entire street, results in massive increases in efficiency.

“What that means is, over time, people can rely on the bus to get them where they need to go on a scheduled time, and it shows up when they expect it to. It can create the virtuous cycle I was talking about, in which people want to use transit, because it’s more convenient, and hopefully more affordable, and it comes with many different benefits in terms of climate.”

IF WHAT WE REALLY WANT ARE FEWER CARS, AREN’T THERE BETTER APPROACHES? Neoliberal solutions to reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions related to cars are not working, Wilt asserts. HOV lanes have not worked; ride-sharing apps have not worked.

Congestion pricing, which uses tariffs, tolls or other fee structures to charge drivers for entering and staying in high-traffic areas, sometimes just during peak times, is a mixed bag. Victor Couture, an assistant professor in the Vancouver School of Economics at UBC, is in favour of congestion pricing in dense areas, like Vancouver, but doesn’t think it would be a “game changer” in B.C. in terms of encouraging transit use and lowering emissions.

Wilt is more critical, writing in Do Androids Dream of Electric Cars? that riding transit is already much more affordable than owning and using a car, so simply making driving more expensive won’t solve the problem. “The impediment to [transit] usage is overwhelming poor service,” he writes, “not the price of driving.”

Electric vehicles, while they offer some benefits, tend to be too expensive for most people—even with large government subsidies (up to $3,000 in B.C.)—and ultimately, won’t be environmentally satisfactory because they do not reduce traffic congestion, require resources to

42 MARCH 10, 2022

build and maintain, and take up as much parking space as standard cars. (Sidenote: if you trade in your car, you can also get up to a $1,050 rebate on an e-bike in B.C.) UBC’s Couture, who moved to downtown Vancouver during the pandemic, has so far mostly commuted the 10 or so kilometres to the university by car. If you want get more people out of cars and riding buses or bikes or walking instead, he says, increasing housing density will probably have a bigger impact than further subsidizing transit.

Couture is not quick to embrace the freefor-all approach. Making transit fare-free for low-income users could be beneficial from an equity standpoint, Couture says, if the money wouldn’t be better used elsewhere.

But “removing the fare for people who take the SkyTrain to the airport and are already wealthy, it’s not clear that it’s a good use of provincial resources.”

Still, Couture acknowledges that he would likely take transit to UBC instead of driving if the SkyTrain extension went ahead, or if there were a well-maintained bus moving in a dedicated bus lane.

to include information about whether the SkyTrain doors would be opening on the left or right for any given stop—a key detail for anyone attempting to get off a crowded SkyTrain using a mobility device.

In rural and suburban areas, sidewalk and crosswalk infrastructure will need to be greatly improved, routes will need to be significantly augmented, and stops will need to be frequent enough as well as physically accessible, to make transit viable as a transportation option. (Before you balk at the cost of installing extra kilometres of sidewalks with curb cuts, compare what your city spends on this infrastructure in comparison to road maintenance.)

WHAT ABOUT INTERCITY TRANSIT?

What if rural and intercity bus services were affordable, reliable and ran frequently? What if they were public services, rather than private enterprises—and what if, as public services, their funding model followed a virtuous cycle, rather than a vicious one?

In 2018, Greyhound announced it would cut all services in Western Canada other than its Vancouver–Seattle route. It has since announced a permanent shutdown across Canada. While smaller private services still operate in parts of B.C., notably in high-tourist-traffic routes, many parts of northern and rural B.C. are extremely difficult to access or leave Good point. McCain says that while transit in without a car.

Metro Vancouver has done a relatively good Wilt points out that lack of reliable job addressing certain physical accessibility intercity transit tends to hit Indigenous and issues, there is still a long way to go. rural communities hardest, particularly For example, not all bus stops are targeting residents of these communities accessible. And it’s not always easy to who are older, and who are disabled. tell. Bus stops are supposed to have signs “It also is a major safety issue,” he adds. saying whether or not they are accessible, “As we saw on Highway 16, the Highway of according to McCain, but people with vision Tears, people who don’t have a means of issues may have a hard time reading them. transportation will resort to hitchhiking or The Access Transit Committee succeeded travelling with people who they don’t know, in convincing TransLink to include audible which can be extremely dangerous.” stop announcements on transit, McCain In June 2017, the province launched bus adds, but didn’t manage to convince them services running along Highway 16,

BUT FOR PEOPLE WITH ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES, AREN’T THERE BARRIERS TO USING TRANSIT BEYOND FARES?

connecting Smithers to Witset and Burns Lake, Burns Lake and Prince George, and Terrace and the Hazeltons. Last year, the routes saw a ridership of about 1,500 people a month.

In September of that year, the CBC spoke with riders who were using the new routes to visit family and go to medical clinics. While everyone they spoke with appreciated the routes, one man who’d bussed to his medical appointment was later seen trying to hitch a ride—the route’s service frequency meant he’d need to wait a few hours to catch the bus, and he wanted to get home faster if he could.

In short, even this welcome new service could better service its riders.

Speaking from experience as a car-less and able-bodied and middle-class person who lives on the northern Sunshine Coast, figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B is often a confusing puzzle, involving ferries and a bike, or ferries and a taxi and a bus, or ferries and a five-kilometre walk or two. If you’re living in poverty, have a physical disability, or face any other similar barriers, what I find challenging could make leaving your town—or even your home—next to impossible.

It’s here where disability justice, poverty justice, racial justice and climate justice intersect.

It’s all well and good to say that more people in B.C. should choose greener options over driving personal vehicles and flying—but if transit routes are inconvenient, unreliable and confusing for trip-planning, most people with the ability to drive or fly will choose to drive or fly instead. This leaves everyone who can’t make those choices out in the cold.

Well-funded public transit and intercity transit that is accessible and free to users at their point of service and that runs on a convenient schedule would, with some patience, fundamentally change riders’ relationships to transit. This would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve access to ferries during the busy summer months (if more people opted for transit over personal vehicles), and, most importantly, allow people who currently face significant barriers leaving their home communities for medical appointments, family visits and other things, like vacations, that improve quality of life, more freedom and mobility.

We won’t arrive at that destination without fundamental changes to the way many of us conceive of public transit.

Getting there will require significant investment. Transit advocates like Viveca Ellis believe the time has come.

“We would like to shift from this notion of a transit user as a consumer and a customer, to a citizen that has a right to access mobility within their city, or town, or region,” she says. “Transit should not be commodified. Mobility is a universal need.”

This feature originally appeared in The Tyee on Nov. 29, 2021. andrea bennett is an editor with The Tyee and the author of Like a Boy but Not a Boy, a CBC Books’ pick for the top Canadian non-fiction of the year and one of Autostraddle’s best queer books of 2020. n

Notice of Public Hearing

LAND USE CONTRACT TERMINATION BYLAW (1400 ALTA LAKE ROAD) NO. 2340, 2022 Tuesday, March 15, 2022 @ 5:30 p.m.

Via Zoom Online/ Telephone

Purpose: In general terms, the purpose of the proposed Bylaw is to terminate the Tamarisk Land Use Contract (LUC) from the subject lands and apply a new RM73 Zone (Residential Multiple Seventy-Three) to the subject lands. The RM73 Zone accommodates the existing apartments, an auxiliary residential dwelling unit and other auxiliary uses.

Subject Lands: The lands that are the subject of the proposed Bylaw are located at 1400 Alta Lake Road, and are identified as “subject lands” on the map attached to this notice. The existing development on these lands is known as “Tamarisk”.

To learn more: A copy of the proposed Bylaw, background documentation and written comments received from the public regarding Public Hearing for LUC00021 are available for review from March 3, 2022 to March 15, 2022 at: •

Municipal Hall at 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, during regular office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (statutory holidays excluded)

•

Online on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) website at: whistler.ca/LUC00021

How to provide input: All persons who believe that their interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaw will be given an opportunity to provide written and verbal comments that will be considered by Council as follows: 1.

Submit written comments to Council via email: corporate@whistler.ca (must be received by 3:30 p.m. on March 15, 2022) (include “Public Hearing for LUC00021” in the subject line, address the comments to “Mayor and Council”, and include your name and mailing address in the email); and/or

2. Submit written comments to Council via mail/hand delivery: Resort Municipality of Whistler, Legislative Services Department, 4325 Blackcomb Way, Whistler BC V8E 0X5 (must be received by 3:30 p.m. on March 15, 2022) (include “Public Hearing for LUC00021” in the subject line, address the comments to “Mayor and Council”, and include your name and mailing address in the letter); and/or oatt Sp r e e k Cr

3. Provide verbal comments at the Public Hearing via online video or phone conferencing. Visit whistler.ca/LUC00021 or scan the QR code below for instructions on how to access and participate in the Public Hearing. The Public Hearing link and phone numbers are also below.

Alpha Lake

After the conclusion of this Public Hearing, Council cannot receive further input from the public on the proposed Bylaw.

For more information visit: whistler.ca/LUC00021 1400

!

Public Hearing link: https://whistler.zoom.us/j/62989235357 Public Hearing phone numbers: +1-778-907-2071 or +1-647-374-4685 Webinar ID: 629 8923 5357

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ONLINE

ALTA

Subject Lands Parcels

KE

LA

RD

HWY 99

¯

0

15 30 Meters

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/LUC00021 MARCH 10, 2022

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SPORTS THE SCORE

Local biathletes shoot for the podium at Nationals THE WNDC WILL BE WELL REPRESENTED AT THE BIATHLON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PRINCE GEORGE NEXT WEEK

BY HARRISON BROOKS COMING OFF his best international finish at the 2022 IBU Youth & Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Utah last week, the Whistler Nordic Development Centre’s (WNDC) Logan Pletz looks to continue his momentum at the National Championships in Prince George from March 11 to 17.

“I’m pretty stoked. I’m definitely pretty burnt out; I’ve been racing like twice, three times a week for two and a half months so I’m feeling it. I’m trying to rest up now to get there,” said Pletz.

“Those of us that went to World Juniors will be the four favourites for nationals this year, but it will definitely be a battle … with the four of us, some people are ahead some weeks and others are ahead on other weeks, so I think that it’s going to be a good competition and a lot of fun.”

Pletz, who finished 14th in the Junior Men’s 15-kilometre individual competition on Feb. 24, was one of three WNDC biathletes—along with Lucas Smith and Zach Connelly—to attend the Junior World Championships.

And while Pletz’s top-15 finish was the high mark for the Canadians in the individual events, the three WNDC products, as well as Canmore’s Reid Lovstrom, combined for a sixth-place finish in the 4x7.5 km relay event—the best finish for a Canadian team in about 10 years, according to Pletz.

Overall, the performance by each of the WNDC’s racers was something head

CHASING PODIUMS Three Whistler Nordic Development Centre athletes represented Canada at the 2022 IBU Youth & Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow, Utah in February.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WNDC

44 MARCH 10, 2022

coach Etienne Letondeur was proud of and represents some major progress for Canadian biathletes over the last few years.

“I think the main thing is we are now filling the gap that we had on the ski speed.

Europeans used to be a lot faster than us, and the gap is filling. I think what’s showing this the most is the performance from Zach, who had the third and seventh best ski time in two of the competitions,” said Letondeur.

“And that just means that we are now able to compete with the best nations in the world on the ski speed, which was our main goal, to improve that. We’ve been working hard on it for the last three years and now the hard work is starting to pay off and that’s a very positive thing, because that means now when we can put things together on the shooting range, we’ll be close to the podium.

“Before that we didn’t have the ski speed to dream about that.”

When the National Championships get underway, Letondeur is hoping his

what he’s got after narrowly missing out on qualifying for the Junior Worlds, also set to compete.

Despite finishing the Junior World qualifying event at Sovereign Lake, B.C. with two third-place and one fifth-place finish, Fleming wasn’t selected for the team.

While he describes missing out on the Junior Worlds as a “massive bummer” and is using that disappointment as motivation for nationals, he said it’s not coming from a place of anger, but instead from a place of

“There’s going to be some pretty strong competition ... but I’m very excited to go up against them...”

- JANICE GRUNDAHL

team can sweep the podium at the junior level, but on top of that, he said he just wants the whole team to end the season on a high note and prove once again that the WNDC is one of the best biathlon programs in the country.

And while all eyes will be on Pletz, Smith and Connelly to snag some podium finishes, they aren’t the only names to watch, with some high-level youth athletes like 16-yearold Jasper Fleming, who is hungry to prove

learning what he can do better in the future.

“It motivates me a lot. But instead of turning it into some super crazy motivation, I kind of took a different approach where I was like, ‘OK, so I know my mistakes I did at trials, I know what to improve on for nationals, so I’m going to work on those,’” he said. “So instead of turning it into this rage and anger that I think some people would because it’s obviously very upsetting and very justified, I try to make it more of a

learning opportunity for me.”

While some WNDC athletes have been back and forth to competitions all year long, others, like 21-year-old Janice Grundahl, has just one competition under her belt so far this year when she competed at the same Sovereign Lake qualifiers.

Like Fleming, Grundahl also just missed out on a berth to the Junior Worlds, and with many of the other competitions this year being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and flooding in certain areas, she could not be more excited to get back to competing and hopes to show what she can do on the national stage.

“I’m very excited. I’ve been training hard—I’ve actually gone harder than I’ve trained the past few years, so I think I am ready for this one. My goals for it are to ski as hard as I can, finish off the season on a good note and shoot as many targets down [as I can],” said Grundahl, who considers her shooting to be her biggest strength.

“There’s going to be some pretty strong competition. A few of the girls are definitely really fast this year as we’ve seen at World Juniors, but I’m very excited to go up against them again and I’m hoping to kind of redeem myself in a way. I’m hoping for a top-five performance, for myself, and hopefully a podium, but those are just results-based goals. I’m more trying to focus on the process of it all instead of a finishing place.”

Follow the action at pgnationals2022.ca. n

SPORTS THE SCORE

Red Devils punch their ticket to provincial tournament PEMBERTON BASKETBALL TEAM RELISHING THE UNDERDOG ROLE IN PROVINCIAL SHOWDOWN

Specialized Sports Physiotherapists Advanced Manual Therapy • IMS and Dry Needling Concussion Treatment and Rehabilitation • Osteopathy Custom Orthotics • Custom Splinting g Certified Hand Therapy 604 962 0555

BY HARRISON BROOKS AFTER BEING robbed of a season last year and losing most of its scheduled tournaments this year due to the province’s COVID-19 health mandates, the Pemberton Secondary Red Devils boys basketball team relied on an impromptu schedule of exhibition games to get in the necessary game action needed to compete in the Zone tournament earlier this month.

Coming into the tournament ranked fifth out of seven, the team relied on its defensive play to upset three of the four higher-ranked squads to punch its ticket to the Single-A provincial tournament, being held at the Langley Events Centre starting March 9.

After opening the tournament with a tight win over the fourth-ranked team, the Red Devils dropped a close one to the top seed, setting up a pressure-packed finish in which the team needed to win each of its remaining games.

“We went on to beat the No. 3 and the No. 2 seeds by five and two points, respectively. So all really close games, all really hard fought,” said coach Mike Richman. “We walked in the underdogs, and we fought really hard. The boys played with a ton of intensity and a ton of energy and gave it everything they had as a team and it was really exciting to watch.

“I can’t even put it into words. It’s been so exciting to watch them come together and develop. I knew that there was a lot of skill on this team, and I knew there was a lot of heart and they pulled it all together at the right time … it was so fun and so satisfying to watch it happen.”

Being an undersized team with no players over 6-1, it was a combination of determination, gritty playing style and a commitment to team defence that helped the boys overcome the challenging season this year, said point guard (and Mike’s son) Oliver Richman.

Being able to end his high school basketball career with a provincial tournament is something he and all the other Grade 12s on the team are stoked for, Oliver said.

“Having overnight trips and going to different cities and towns across B.C. for tournaments is definitely one of the more fun parts of high school basketball, so that definitely did suck a lot to lose that,” he said.

“But we’re very excited. Especially for the Grade 12s after we all missed last year due to COVID and this being our last chance to make it. Entering high school that’s what

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DEVILISH DEFENCE The Pemberton Secondary Red Devils hope their defence will be enough to pull off some upsets at provincials in Langley starting March 9.

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everyone wants to do, is go to provincials, so it’s been a long five years and it’s nice to finally make it.”

The Langley tournament will feature the top-16 Single-A teams in the province, and will consist of each team playing a four-game round robin to sort out the seeding before a single elimination bracket to decide the provincial champions.

And while Oliver believes the key to the Red Devils’ success is to keep an open mind, staying confident that they deserve to be there and can match up with any of the teams they might be facing, the team is still going to use its underdog status to its advantage.

“We’ve played against bigger and better teams before and we’ve come close … if we play high-level intensity defence we know that we can match the level of the other teams. But we are expecting to win games as we know we are better than some of the teams there,” he said. “[It] happened for the Zone tournament, and the same thing will happen for the provincials. We are coming in as, most likely, one of the lower seeds. People might come into our games a little more relaxed and not expect us to come out with that level of intensity, and I think we’ll catch people off guard and punish them with our offence and defence.”

As the team prepared to head out to Langley, coach Richman wanted to send a heartfelt thank you to the community of Pemberton for showing its support and helping the team raise $10,000 in just 36 hours to cover travel and hotel costs for the tournament.

“That’s how the community came together behind this team,” he said. “I want to thank everybody for stepping up like that. That’s just incredible … the boys feel it and it’s amazing.” n

In loving memory of Bill Deeks • 1933-2022

A�er a long and even�ul life, Bill at 89, leaves behind his best friend Julie, the love of his life of 63 years. Bill was ever so proud of his five children: Bob (Marie-Anne), Liz (David), Jamie, Adie (Greg), and Douglas (Melanie).

Bill adored watching his 12 grandchildren grow: Taylor (Kathryn), Douglas, Ashley, Alex, Hunter, Jake, Annie, Russell, Jillian, Heidi, Liv and Bill and was entranced by new beginnings with the birth of his first great grandchild, Becke�. He taught them all what uncondi�onal love looks, feels, and sounds like.

Bill was born and educated in Toronto and as a perennial engineer was always building, fixing motors, and planning construc�on projects. He embraced opportunity wherever he saw it and was highly successful at Proctor and Gamble, Canada Wire, Noranda, Charles Tenant, rounding out an excep�onal career with roles including EVP, President, Execu�ve Chair and Board member.

When Bill and Julie married, they agreed that skiing was where it was at and became founding members of Craigleith ski club near Collingwood Ontario.

They put their 5 children into racing programs where Bill volunteered as a team manager, hosted team par�es and waxed and sharpened skis.

Bill and Julie moved to Whistler in 2000 where they immediately involved themselves with the Whistler Mountain Ski Club. They became famous for their auc�oned dinner par�es in support of the WMSC and the Whistler Cup athlete dinners where Julie shone as a master chef. Bill was ever present at the head of the table, in a snappy 3-piece, tweed suit, ou�i�ed with a bow �e and would regale with (somewhat long winded) entertaining stories, insights and experiences. They also joined the Senior ski team at Whistler where they enjoyed years of comradery and guided skiing.

Although it is unthinkable to say goodbye to such an incredible man, the life that he led, and the legacy that he leaves behind are remarkable. We should all be so lucky to have had him in our lives. We are forever richer.

He will be missed but never forgo�en!

MARCH 10, 2022

45

FORK IN THE ROAD

The beets and beats go on...

FOOD AS COMFORT AND SYMBOL AFTER RUSSIA’S BRUTAL ATTACK ON UKRAINE THE PANDEMIC. Tragedy in Afghanistan. Crazy “freedom” convoy bullies who apparently don’t recognize freedom even when it bites them in the butt. Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, the free world is teetering on the brink of all-out war with an authoritarian regime led by a Kremlin madman who rose to power by protecting Russian oligarchs and billionaires.

Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine is so horrifying ordinary Canadians are doing what we can in solidarity since almost everyone has a connection to Ukraine, or to someone

BY GLENDA BARTOSH who has collided with Russian oppression.

Concerned calls, volunteer efforts, donations, protests, hugs, even a dish of perogies that evokes Ukrainian grandmas, or unforgettable friends and neighbours, can offer a kind of balm for anxiety and dread. It can also help raise funds.

It’s hell over there, and the fallout has just begun here. Not to freak you out more, but if you think $2+ a litre for gas is something, or notice a few holes on grocery shelves now, just wait. Sanction impacts have long, wiggly tentacles.

Ukraine and Russia are two of the world’s biggest suppliers of food and agricultural products, especially wheat.

ALL TIED IN KNOTS Food in its many forms can be alternatively comforting, symbolic, or even a further source of worry for Canadians horrified by Russia’s war on Ukraine. This photo was shot in Kyiv.

PHOTO BY OLENA GORBENKO / GETTY IMAGES

46 MARCH 10, 2022

Russia is also a top producer of key nutrients in fertilizers, which can boost crop production up to 50 per cent. Plus escalating oil prices are already impacting world supply chains, causing soaring prices.

Here comes a shockwave for the global food supply, especially for Asia, Africa and Europe. Stand by…

Some pretty bizarre fallout is also happening. In misguided protests, people are vandalizing Russian community centres and churches across Canada, not understanding that most Russians here are ordinary people who’ve fled Russian authoritarianism and are as disgusted by the invasion as you and I. Others are boycotting shops, cafés, anything with “Russian” in its name or they mistakenly think is tied to Putin. (Poutine?!

Come on!) The legendary Russian Tea Room in New York, with its gorgeous art and jewel-toned walls, is nearly empty. Again, come on! It was started in 1927 by members of the Russian Imperial Ballet who defected and White Russians—a loose coalition of liberals, social democrats and loyalists to the assassinated czar who fought the “Reds” in the Russian civil war.

My uncle Nick’s family were White Russians who found a home in Alberta’s Peace River country and homesteaded a huge swath of land. It’s a story familiar to thousands of Russian and Ukrainian migrant families who were lucky enough to find a new life in Canada, especially on the prairies.

In the meantime, bar owners around the world are dumping Russian vodka down the drain. Stolichnaya Vodka has even changed its name to “Stoli” for markets outside Russia. Good luck with that rebranding: Stoli vodka sold outside of Russia is made by the Luxembourg-

based Stoli Group, controlled by exiled Russian billionaire, Yuri Shefler, who apparently had to flee Russia after he misappropriated the Stolichnaya brand. It’s actually produced in Latvia, home to my husband’s dad’s family and another nation that has suffered Russian aggression.

Feet Banks—ex-hay farmer, longtime local, one of my favourite film reviewers and writers, and creator of Pie Quarterly—totally gets the implications of such aggression.

His grandma Carolyn (née Marchinko), or baba Carol, was Ukrainian. She was born in Mikado, population 56, which, along with two other Saskatchewan villages, was named after Japanese victories over Russia in the 1903 Russo-Japanese War. His reaction when the news first broke about Russia’s attack on Ukraine was vintage Feet: “I felt two things: Are you fucking kidding me? We live in a world where people still do this kind of shit?” he said.

“So, disappointment and disbelief. But I’m also just so glad my grandma is not alive to see this bullshit because it would break her heart.”

Shortly after, he cooked up baba Carol’s recipe for beetniks, below. (“It smelled just like my grandma’s kitchen!”) Think 1950s beatniks, those leftie artist-rebels who challenged authority. Think drumbeats of war, and your own heartbeat. Think of the humble-but-noble beet, which has nourished so many new Canadians.

Once your tummy is full, please consider donating to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress/ Foundation. It’s been active in Ukraine for decades, setting up education and medical systems based on ours. Or the Canadian Red Cross’s Ukraine appeal. Or the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ Ukraine Humanitarian Fund—the quickest, most effective way to directly support urgent

humanitarian relief on the ground. Volunteer for Ukraine is also good, and can help you match your Air Miles with volunteers.

Dyakuyu. Thank you.

Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who figures paying more at the gas pump is a small price to pay for putting the squeeze on Putin. n

FEET’S BABA CAROL’S BEETNIKS Use bread dough, fresh or frozen, or fresh pizza dough, available at Squamish’s Sunflower Bakery Cafe or Pasta Lupino in Whistler. Cut about 24 small chunks, approximately the size of your thumb, and roll them with your hands into small “logs.” Wash beet leaves, cut in half or as needed. Remove the hard stems.

Wrap the leaves around the dough logs so the dough sticks out either end. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Place your logs, seams down, on it and let rise in oven with just the oven light on for about 45 min. or until the dough rises.

(It can double in size, depending on the dough.) Preheat oven to 350 F and bake until dough is lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. While the dough logs are baking, cook about 1/2 cup diced onion and 12 or so mushrooms, sliced, with butter in a frying pan on low heat.

Stir for a few minutes, then add baked beetniks and stir in a cup or more of cream (any kind you like). Add half a bunch of fresh dill, chopped. Stir gently until most of the cream is absorbed and serve, adding more chopped dill on top.

Great as a meal or hearty side dish to roast pork. n

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

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FITNESS CLASS SCHEDULE MARCH 10

MARCH 11

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THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

I Full Body HIIT 7:45-8:45 a.m.

Anna

I Low Impact I Strong Glutes & Strength Core 7:45-8:45 a.m.

Beth 7:45-8:45 a.m.

Jess

I Mountain Ready Conditioning 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Steve

I Full Body Boost 7:45-8:45 a.m.

Lou

I Strength & Stretch 7:45-8:45 a.m.

Lou

I Aqua Fit Shallow 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Marie-Anne

I Full Body HIIT 9-10 a.m.

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I Yin & Yang Yoga 9-10 a.m.

Heidi

I Aqua Fit Deep 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Marie-Anne

I Full Body Boost 9-10 a.m.

Lou

I Low Impact Strength 9-10 a.m.

Anna

I Low Impact Strength 9-10 a.m.

Jess I Zumba 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Susie

SPRING/SUMMER PROGRAM REGISTRATION

I Strength & Stretch 9-10 a.m.

Lou

I Zumba

Resident registration: Online – Saturday, March 12 at 11 a.m.

Phone – Sunday, March 13 at 9 a.m.

I Zumba

12:15-1:15 p.m.

Carmen

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m Susie

I Gentle Fit for Seniors 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Diana

I Gentle Fit for Seniors 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Diana 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 Prenatal Fitness 6:15-7:15 p.m.

Sara

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 Roll & Release 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Laura

I Zumba 5:45-6:45 p.m.

Carmen

I Mountain Ready Conditioning 5:45-6:45 p.m.

Steve

I Functional Conditioning 5-6 p.m.

Anna

F Spin 5:45-6:45 p.m.

Courtney

F Spin 5:45-6:45 p.m.

Alex

I TRX Mixer 6:15-7:15 p.m.

Courtney

I Slow Flow Yoga 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Laura

F Classic Spin 7:30-8:15 p.m.

Courtney

TUE 15

WED 16

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

Non-resident registration: Online – Saturday, March 19 at 11 a.m.

Phone – Sunday, March 20 at 9 a.m. whistler.ca/register

ARENA SCHEDULE THU 10 Drop-In Hockey 8:15-9:45 a.m.

FRI 11

SAT 12

SUN 13

Drop-In Hockey 8:15-9:45 a.m.

Women & 50+ Drop-In Hockey 10-11:30 a.m.

Public Skate 12-2 p.m.

MON 14 Women & Oldtimers DIH 8:15-9:45 a.m.

Family Stick & Puck 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Drop-In Hockey 10-11:30 a.m.

Drop-In Hockey 10-11:30 a.m.

Public Skate

Public Skate

Public Skate

Public Skate

Public Skate

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12-3 p.m.

12-3 p.m.

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12-4 p.m.

12-4 p.m.

12-4 p.m.

Public Skate

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6:30-8 p.m.

6:30-8 p.m.

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Joyous reclamation: New SLCC exhibit details efforts to preserve and nurture B.C.’s 34 Indigenous languages ‘IT’S SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE WORKING AT GETTING BACK OUR LANGUAGE—AND NOT JUST WORKING AT IT, BUT BEING SUCCESSFUL AT IT’

BY BRANDON BARRETT SO MANY OF the stories non-Indigenous Canadians hear about its First Peoples are couched in trauma. Anytime we talk of Truth and Reconciliation, troubling tales of racism, violence and systematic oppression are usually never far behind. Of course, these are stories that need to be told and heard, and last summer’s discovery of the remains of 215 children in Kamloops that finally opened many Canadians’ eyes to the horrific legacy of residential schools in this country is all the proof you need of that point.

But in Indigenous Canadians’ fight to reclaim and preserve the culture and traditions that were so callously ripped away from them, there are also stories of perseverance, pride—even joy—that are just as important, if not more, to share with the world.

That’s the main thing Squamish Nation Chief Chepximiya Siyam Janice George hopes guests take away from a new exhibit at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) celebrating the vitality and diversity of First Nations’ languages across B.C. “It’s so important for people to understand how we are working at getting back our language—and not just working at it, but being successful at it,” she says. “It’s not just a sad story. It’s an amazing, happy story that we are positively moving forward and taking everything back that our ancestors lost. We have to remember that.”

LIVING LANGUAGE Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre curator Mixalhítsa7 Alison Pascal, left, and Squamish Nation Chief Chepximia Siyam Janice George.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

48 MARCH 10, 2022

“Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC” is a travelling exhibit from the Royal BC Museum, in partnership with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, that showcases how Indigenous communities across the province are working to ensure their respective languages survive and flourish. All 34 of B.C.’s distinct Indigenous languages are featured—including Ucwalmícwts, spoken by the Lil’wat, and Sk_wx _wú7mesh snichim, spoken by the Squamish—and visitors will encounter interactive stations, video and audio that guides them through the history of disrupted languages in B.C., teaches them about the nuances and complexities of the respective languages, and captures the efforts being made to document and revitalize them.

“A lot of Indigenous languages have different punctuation or different [alphabets], and it explains what those different [alphabets] are and just gives one example of what it sounds like,” explains SLCC curator and Lil’wat Nation member Mixalhítsa7 Alison Pascal.

One of the most frequent questions staff at the SLCC get asked is about the “7” used in both Ucwalmícwts and Sk_wx _wú7mesh snichim, which the exhibit explains in detail. (For the record: the 7 indicates a brief pause, technically known as a “glottal stop,” between syllables. Elder speakers developed the character with linguists in the late ’60s as the oral languages were being translated into written form.)

“It relies heavily on listening stations to really bring the language alive,” Pascal adds.

In many ways, the Lil’wat are ahead of the curve when it comes to preserving and nurturing its language. For years, the Xet’ólacw Community School has offered Ucwalmícwts as a second language class to young learners, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Lil’wat linguist and professor Dr. Wanost’sa7 Lorna Williams,

who helped establish the Mount Currie school—only Canada’s second band-run school—in 1973. Considered one of the world’s leading experts in Indigenous language revitalization, the Order of Canada recipient often holds up the Lil’wat’s tireless efforts over the years as an example to other Indigenous communities looking to preserve their own native tongue.

“I had the privilege of being immersed in my culture, so I use it as an example to help people look at their own. For example, at UVIC, I developed a course called ‘Learning and Teaching in an Indigenous World,’ and I used the concepts of teaching and learning from Lil’wat,” Williams told Pique in an interview last summer. “It was to encourage people in other languages to look inside their own language for those concepts. It’s really been an anchor for me, so I share it in that way.”

Partly an effort to have more adult speakers for young Lil’wat to practise the language with, at the Ts’zil Learning Centre in Mount Currie, Ucwalmícwts classes have begun being offered for adults as well in recent years.

The Squamish Nation has also made significant progress in preserving and nurturing its language, but without its own school like the Lil’wat, the Nation has had to partner with educational facilities outside its territory. Squamish Nation Councillor Khelsilem has been instrumental to the work that has been done; in 2016, he partnered with Simon Fraser University to found a Sk_wx _wú7mesh snichim immersion program that has since taught the language to dozens of Squamish Nation members— including two SLCC staff who are hoping to join the course this spring.

“It’s a huge benefit to have more of those young people, who work with other young people, speak the language and encourage

their peers to join in,” Pascal says.

Just like the Living Languages exhibit itself, technology has been a vital tool in teaching and expanding Indigenous languages throughout B.C., particularly for the young speakers of tomorrow.

“I look at my grandsons and they are always on their phone or computer or playing games. Having more would be even better, if we had more virtual language games and things like that,” says George.

“We have to do it. It’s important and that’s the language of our kids now.”

Online tools have also helped facilitate broader access to remote learning, a crucial lifeline for the thousands of Indigenous British Columbians who have been squeezed out of their communities.

“Most Indigenous communities, the amount of land that they have was drastically reduced when Canada was a new country.

The government, as a rule of thumb, only gave Nations something like 15 per cent or less of what they originally had,” Pascal explains.

Reserve land was carved out to only accommodate what were already dwindling population numbers in many Indigenous communities of the day, ravaged by disease and conflict brought in by settlers, leaving little room for population growth. On top of that, oppressive restrictions put in place meant expanding that land was (and, in many ways, still is) virtually impossible.

“So having the ability to provide this learning is really important because in our own community, we can’t house everybody.

It’s just not possible with the population boom,” Pascal says. “Once you leave the reserve, the ability to connect with language teachers is really difficult. So being able to go online and [learn] it is so crucial.”

“Our Living Languages” is on now at the SLCC until May 23. Learn more at slcc.ca/ exhibits/our-living-languages. n

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SO WE BEAT ON Edie Hampton, left, and Aurora Carson star in Whistler Secondary School’s stage adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary classic, The Great Gatsby.

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Boats against the current: Whistler Secondary brings The Great Gatsby to the stage

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BY BRANDON BARRETT WHEN SEARCHING for actorly inspiration, one can certainly do worse than Leonardo DiCaprio.

That’s who Grade 9 student Aurora Carson looked to as she got set to play the lead role in Whistler Secondary School’s (WSS) adaptation of The Great Gatsby, the timeless literary classic. In inhabiting the enigmatic, titular Jay Gatsby, she watched and rewatched DiCaprio’s portrayal in Baz Luhrmann’s sumptuous film version from 2013.

“It’s quite different because, first of all, back then, Gatsby walked different, he stands different. I had to learn to be a guy,” says Carson.

Taking on the role of Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby’s long-lost lover, is Grade 11 student Edie Hampton, who knew she wanted to portray the elegant socialite from the moment she first read her lines.

“Everyone else is also very talented so I thought I would get another character I didn’t enjoy as much. So I really lucked out in being Daisy. [Performing arts teacher Johanne] Nielsen’s really helped me to learn her character a bit better. She’s very feminine and really outgoing, bubbly and happy all the time.”

Throughout the story, Daisy often finds herself beholden to the various men in her life, being pulled this way and that, so those few rare moments when she does exercise her own agency are all the more important to get right, according to Hampton.

“There’s definitely some themes where you have to put a lot more emotion to it because it’s her only moment of really opening up to the audience,” she explains.

“A lot of her life has been decided for her, or they’re talking about, ‘I want Daisy. No, I want Daisy,’ so she doesn’t really have a say in it except for those few moments. Ms. Nielsen helped me to put a lot of emotion into those scenes.”

Nielsen decided on the classic Jazz Age

novel for this year’s spring play primarily for two reasons: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic 1925 book is now officially in the public domain, and the related fact it has been a staple of high-school curricula for decades now.

“It’s a play that most high school students, be they currently in school or graduated, might be familiar with because it’s a common book that gets tossed around for their English classes,” Nielsen says.

Two separate casts, featuring 30 students in all, take on the play this year, so you’re likely to catch a different performance depending on which show you attend. A small-but-mighty production crew also dazzled Nielsen with a particular set piece they designed that should be familiar to readers of the book as the Rolls Royce that lent a tragic coda to the novel’s final chapter. (When I let slip the ending of the book in our interview, Hampton jokingly yelled “No spoilers!” for what is a century-old novel.)

“We have a car, a really amazing car that our stage crew has put together from nothing to be this absolutely beautiful piece that moves and lights up,” Nielsen says.

The live audience is a marked departure from the past two years of school plays at WSS. Last year, the cast—Carson and Hampton included—pre-recorded their scenes on video to an empty room. Although nerves are definitely a factor in returning to the live stage, that is also coupled with the crackling excitement that always precedes opening night.

“I’m personally very looking forward to putting these students in front of real people,” Nielsen says.

The Great Gatsby opens at the Maury Young Arts Centre on Friday, March 11 at 5:30 p.m., followed by an evening show at 8 p.m. The play stages at the same times the following day, with doors for all shows opening a half hour before curtains. Any attendees over the age of 12 are required to show proof of full vaccination and ID. Tickets are $25, available at showpass.com/ greatgatsby. n

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49

MUSEUM MUSINGS

FREEZE FRAME A Douglas Squirrel in Florence Petersen Park.

PHOTO BY JILLIAN ROBERTS

A squirrel named Rigor Mortis

BY JILLIAN ROBERTS YOU MAY HAVE heard of Teddy, the

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50 MARCH 10, 2022

orphaned bear cub raised by Myrtle Philip in 1926, but have you heard of Rigor Mortis the squirrel? In an oral history from 1989 about growing up in Alta Lake, later known as Whistler, Louise (Betts) Smith was asked about local character Charlie Chandler, who passed away peacefully on his porch the winter of 1946. Charlie was found frozen and carried to Alta Lake station for a raucous celebration of life, before being taken away by train for burial.

Being a child at the time, Louise remembered this event vividly. “Some of the men got concerned about him, so they hiked back in there and he had just had a heart attack and died in his chair and he was all stiffened up.”

You can read more about Charlie Chandler’s wake on the Whistler Museum blog. Today’s musing centres around what Louise said next. “I knew at that age that it was called rigor mortis because somebody had a squirrel named ‘Rigor Mortis’ and my mother had explained to me what rigor mortis was, and it really wasn’t a nice name for a squirrel.”

How had a squirrel become known as Rigor Mortis, you might ask? We do not know for sure, however the biology of squirrels may give us a clue.

The squirrel commonly seen scampering up and down trees, or making mischief during the day in Whistler, is the Douglas squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii).

Whistler’s other local, the northern flying squirrel, is nocturnal.

Similar to beavers, rats, and other rodents, the squirrel’s front teeth never stop growing. Douglas squirrels primarily feed on conifer seeds, peeling off the scales of the pine cones to get at the seeds.

Douglas squirrels have also been known to eat fungi, fruit, nuts, insects, and other plant material. (Oh, and they love dinosaur candy. I have a vivid childhood memory of watching a Douglas squirrel run out of the house with my hard-earned bag of gummy dinosaurs. The candy was never seen again; the squirrel continued to visit often.)

The saying “to squirrel away” refers to the fact that squirrels are larder hoarders. In mid-to-late summer Douglas squirrels begin stockpiling cones, conifer seeds, and fungi in one or more middens located within their territory. Middens may contain enough food for one or more seasons and squirrels will defend them against competition and theft.

The genus name Tamiasciurus references this behaviour, being derived from the Greek work Tamias, meaning animal that hoards food. Additionally, skia means shadow, and oura refers to tail, so this is the genus of tailed shadows that hoard food.

Predators of the Douglas squirrel include pine martens, bobcats, raptors and owls.

They can also become prey to domestic cats and dogs. In response to stimuli, such as predation, we often hear about the “fight or flight” mechanism. However, this could be more completely described as “fight, flight or freeze,” bringing us back to Rigor Mortis. Like other squirrels, the Douglas squirrel may have a freeze response when alarmed. For example, if a squirrel has been caught by a predator it may respond by freezing up, becoming completely rigid.

Douglas squirrels that have been caught for relocation have exhibited this behaviour.

The freeze response is physiologically much different to rigor mortis—freezing is a mechanism to assist and ensure survival, for one thing. However, it could be perceived as similar to what happens during rigor mortis, where the body becomes rigid. The freeze response in Douglas squirrels may have been how the pet squirrel Rigor Mortis got its name. n

PARTIAL RECALL

1

2

3

4 1

5

STARRY NIGHT The walls were aglow during closing night at Whistler painter Dave Petko’s Starry Nights art exhibit at the Maury Young Arts Centre last week. PHOTO BY GEORGIA BUTLER.

6 STAR ATHLETES Team Pique (a.k.a. Susan ROCK ‘N’ ROLL Highway ICE QUEENS Whistler’s U13 C female hockey team 2

Hutchinson, Catherine Power-Chartrand, Georgia Butler and Braden Dupuis) put their ski skills to the test during the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation’s Telus Cup charity race on Saturday, March 5. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 3

99 remained closed between Mount Currie and Lillooet on Wednesday afternoon after a large rock slide closed the route on Sunday, March 6. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION. 4 beat the North Shore Winter Club to win the playoff banner on Wednesday, March 2. It was a hard-fought battle in front of a huge home crowd, ending in a shootout—“An amazing cap to a great season,” noted one parent. PHOTO SUBMITTED. 5 BANNER YEAR The Whistler Winterhawks took home the U18 ‘C’ banner after winning the championship game 8-1 against North Vancouver—at home with a massive crowd in attendance—on Thursday, March 3. PHOTO SUBMITTED. FEELING FRESH Matthew Corrin, founder and CEO of Freshii, snaps a photo with Freshii Whistler owner Varinder Sardana, right, during a visit to the new franchise in Whistler Village late last month. PHOTO SUBMITTED.

6

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51

ASTROLOGY

RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER

NOTICE OF DISPOSITION Pursuant to Section 26 of the Community Charter and in accordance with section 94, notice is hereby given that the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) intends to dispose, by way of sale,the bare land strata lots located at 1700 Mount Fee Road in the Lower Cheakamus Valley in the RMOW. The parent parcel is legally described as Parcel Identifier: 031-508-537 Lot 4 District Lot 8073 Group 1 New Westminster District Plan EPP111931, the project is generally described as “River Run at Cheakamus Crossing” and the description of each lot is set out in the table below.

The nature of the disposition is the irrevocable transfer of ownership of each strata lot. The RMOW as vendor is holding and transferring these lots, and other lands in Cheakamus Crossing, as nominee, agent and bare trustee for its subsidiary beneficial owner Whistler 2020 Development Corporation (WDC) in relation to the RMOW employee housing strategies and policies. The proceeds of the sale of these lots goes to the costs of the construction of employee housing units in Cheakamus Crossing.

The persons who are to acquire the property under the disposition are as follows for the consideration set out in relation to each lot: Legal descriptions for Strata Lots District Lot 8073, Group 1 NWD Strata Plan EPS7860: Strata Lot 1 Strata Lot 2 Strata Lot 3 Strata Lot 4 Strata Lot 5 Strata Lot 6 Strata Lot 8 Strata Lot 9 Strata Lot 11 Strata Lot 12 Strata Lot 13 Strata Lot 14 Strata Lot 15 Strata Lot 16 Strata Lot 17 Strata Lot 18 Strata Lot 19 Strata Lot 20 Strata Lot 21 Strata Lot 22 Strata Lot 23

PID

Transferee

Purchase Price

031-616-810 031-616-828 031-616-836 031-616-844 031-616-852 031-616-861 031-616-887 031-616-895 031-616-917 031-616-925 031-616-933 031-616-941 031-616-950 031-616-968 031-616-976 031-616-984 031-616-992 031-617-000 031-617-018 031-617-026 031-617-034

D. Solloway C. Hamm P. McGowan & J. Scott P. McGowan & J. Scott S. Ghuman Pembina Builders Ltd. T. Mitzel & K. Hodgson A. Morris & D. Schuman N. Nauss N. Nauss J. Harbut Law Corporation J. Harbut Law Corporation 1331486 BC Ltd. 1331486 BC Ltd. S. Bird A. Dianne, B. Clark & J. Clark J. Khind L. Revell& C. Kelly K. Moen I. Doddington I. Doddington

$1,505,000 $1,281,100 $748,000 $928,000 $1,649,000 $1,650,000 $1,806,000 $1,825,000 $875,000 $1,075,000 $1,749,000 $1,595,000 $800,000 $850,000 $1,430,000 $1,330,002 $1,349,000 $718,000 $718,000 $710,000 $790,001

To find more information and contact details to purchase (irrevocable transfer of ownership)anunsoldlot(StrataLots7and10),pleasegotowww.cheakamuscrossing.com and click on the links to RiverRun lots. The Whistler Real Estate Company and their agents Ray Longmuir (604-905-8464) and Victoria Cole (604-907-0157) have been engaged by WDC for this project. This is the same disposition process WDC employed for disposition of the strata lots described in the above table. This is the second of two notices respecting this matter. Dated the 10th day of March 2022.

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca

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PIQUE

Free Will Astrology WEEK OF MARCH 10 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Isak Dinesen defined “true piety” as “loving one’s destiny unconditionally.” That’s a worthy goal for you to aspire to in the coming weeks. I hope you will summon your deepest reserves of ingenuity and imagination as you cultivate a state of mind in which you adore your life just as it is. You won’t compare it negatively to anyone else’s fate, and you won’t wish it were different from what it actually is. Instead, you will be pleased and at peace with the truth of exactly who you are right now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As author Mary Ruefle points out, “In the beginning, William Shakespeare was a baby, and knew absolutely nothing. He couldn’t even speak.” And yet eventually, he became a literary superstar—among history’s greatest authors. What happened in between? I’m not exaggerating when I attribute part of the transformation to magic. Vast amounts of hard work and help and luck were involved, too. But to change from a wordless, uncoordinated sprout to a potent, influential maestro, Taurus-born Shakespeare had to be the beneficiary of mysterious powers. I bring this up, Taurus, because I think you will have access to comparable mojo during the next four weeks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As talented and financially successful as Kanye West is, the Gemini singersongwriter experiences a lot of emotional suffering. But no one lives an ideal life, right? And we can learn from everyone. In any case, I’ve chosen quotes by Kanye that are in rapt alignment with your astrological omens. Here they are: 1. “I’m in pursuit of awesomeness; excellence is the bare minimum.” 2. “You’re not perfect, but you’re not your mistakes.” 3. “I’m not comfortable with comfort.

I’m only comfortable when I’m in a place where I’m constantly learning and growing.” 4. “Everything I’m not makes me everything I am.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Any real ecstasy is a sign you are moving in the right direction,” wrote philosopher Saint Teresa of Avila, who was renowned for her euphoric spiritual experiences. So is there any such thing as “fake ecstasy,” as she implies? Maybe fake ecstasy would be perverse bliss at the misfortune of an enemy, or the trivial joy that comes from realizing your house keys aren’t missing. Real ecstasy, on the other hand, might arise from a visceral sense of the presence of God, or the rapture that emerges as you make love with a person you care for, or the elation you feel when you commune with your favourite animal. Anyway, Cancerian, I predict that in the coming days, you will have an extra rich potential for the real kinds of rhapsodic delight and enchantment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo actor Jennifer Lawrence portrayed a rugged, fierce, resourceful champion in The Hunger Games film trilogy. In real life, however, she has few resemblances to that stalwart hero. “I have the street smarts and survival skills of a poodle,” she has confessed. But I’ve got potentially good news for her and all the rest of you Leos. The coming months will be a favourable time for you to cultivate the qualities of a rugged, fierce, resourceful champion. And right now would be an excellent time to launch your efforts.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Each of us periodically has to deal with conflict. There come times when we must face the fact that a specific situation in our lives isn’t working well and needs to be adjusted, fixed, or transformed. We might prefer to pretend the problem doesn’t exist. We may be inclined to endure the stressful discomfort rather than engage with its causes. But such an approach won’t be right for you in the coming days, dear Virgo. For the sake of your mental and spiritual health, you have a sacred duty to bravely risk a struggle to improve things. I’ll provide you with advice from novelist John Fowles. He said, “I must fight with my weapons. Not his. Not selfishness and brutality and shame and resentment.” Fowles goes on to say that he will offer generosity and gentleness and no-shame and forgiveness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A blogger named MysteryOfWhat expressed appreciation for her errors and wrong turns. “I love all my mistakes!” she exclaimed.

“I had fun!” She has a theory that she would not have been able to completely fulfil her interesting destiny without her blunders and her brilliant adjustments to those blunders. I won’t encourage you to be quite so boisterously unconditional in celebrating your fumbles and miscues, Libra. My inclination is to urge you to honour them and feel grateful for them, but I’m not sure I should advise you to shout out, “I love all my mistakes!

I had fun!” But what do you think?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio poet Norman MacCaig wrote, “Ask me, go on, ask me to do something impossible, something freakishly useless, something unimaginable and inimitable like making a finger break into blossom or walking for half an hour in 20 minutes or remembering tomorrow.” I hope people say things like that to you soon, Scorpio. I hope allies playfully nudge you to stretch your limits, expand your consciousness, and experiment on the frontier. To encourage such a development, you could do the same for your beloved allies: nudge them to stretch their limits, expand their consciousness, and experiment on the frontier.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Look at your body not as a source of physical attraction but as a shrine,” wrote teacher Sobonfu Somé. Personally, I have no problem if you regard your body as a source of physical attraction—as a gorgeous, radiant expression of your life energy, worthy of inspiring the appreciation of others. But I agree with Somé that you should also treat your body as a sacred sanctuary deserving of your reverence— especially now. Please boost your intention to provide your beloved organism with all the tender care it needs and warrants.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “It’s surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time,” writes author Barbara Kingsolver. Yes! I agree.

And by providing you with this heads-up from her, I’m hoping that the subtly potent events unfolding for you in the coming weeks will not go unnoticed. I’m hoping you will be alert for seemingly small but in fact crucial developments—and thereby give them all the focus and intelligence they deserve. Later, you’ll remember this delicately pivotal time with amazed gratitude.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What’s more important: to learn or to unlearn? The answer, of course, is they are equally important. But sometimes, the most crucial preparation for a new learning phase is to initiate a surge of unlearning. That’s what I’m recommending for you right now. I foresee you embarking on a series of extravagant educational experiences in a couple of weeks. And the best way to ensure you take maximum advantage of the available lessons is by dumping useless knowledge and irrelevant information and numbing habits.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Singer-songwriter Jill Scott has earned one platinum and two gold records. She approaches her craft with diligence and intensity. On one occasion, she was frying a burger at her boyfriend’s house when she sensed a new song forming in her imagination. Abandoning the stove, she ran into the next room to grab pen and paper. Soon she had transcribed the beginning of a melody and lyrics. In the meantime, though, the kitchen caught on fire. Luckily, she doused it. Later Jill testified, “His cabinets were charred, and he was furious. But it was worth it for a song.” I don’t think you’ll have to make as big a sacrifice as hers in the coming days, Pisces. But you should respond robustly whenever inspiration arrives.

Homework: Every day for three days, seek out three experiences that will make you laugh a lot. Report results: Newsletter.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

52 MARCH 10, 2022

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Glacier Media Group is growing. Check our job board regularly for the latest openings: We are currently hiring a Sales Associate Please stop by our Whistler Village location with your resume to fill out an application and say Hi to Michelle and Sheila.

We've Got You Covered

(4154 Village Green) | 604 938 3307 whistler@rocksandgemscanada.com

Looking for a dog to adopt?

VISITORS’ GUIDE 2017-2018 FREE

Look for WAG’s bright orange bandanas on dogs being walked by volunteers! These dogs are looking for their forever home.

604.935.8364 www.whistlerwag.com

56 MARCH 10, 2022

WIDE OPEN WELDING IS LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED STEEL ERECTOR/WELDER. *Housing options are available for the right candidate.

Renumeration is based on experience.

Please forward your resume to contactus@wideopenwelding.com

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EXCITING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, APPLY TODAY!

JOIN OUR TEAM

Experienced Service Plumbers / Gas Fitters Required

Full Time - Long Term - Immediate start Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton

Diamond Resorts Canada Ltd., Whistler, BC

Competitive Wage Package + Incentives Company Vehicle, Phone + Uniforms Provided

SIGNING BONUS Send resume in confidence to: Dough@spearheadsph.com SPEARHEAD PLUMBING AND HEATING LTD. WWW.SPEARHEADPLUMBING.COM We pride ourselves with having a long term team of employees, and helping you reach your fullest potential.

Full Time Maintenance Manager Eligible successful candidates may receive* • Extensive benefits package which may include; ski pass or wellness allowance, disability coverage, travel insurance and extended health and dental.

• Travel Allowance and discounted employee rates at any Diamond Resort International resort.

HIRING

Class One Truck DRIVER KEN HARRIS & SONS CRANE TRANSPORT Flat Deck Experience would be an asset.

Resume and driver’s abstract can be emailed to: ken-harris@hotmail.com

• Full-time work year round and a FUN work environment. *eligibility and conditions based on DRCL policies and practices set out in general terms and conditions of employment. Please note that Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) acquired Diamond Resorts International (DRI) as of August 02, 2021. If you apply to work at a Diamond Resorts company you will be an applicant of a subsidiary of HGV. A transition to HGV will occur as we integrate technology, systems and branding but it will take time until our separate operating systems, employment policies and benefits are fully integrated. As a result, for a period of time, employees will receive correspondence and messaging from Diamond Resorts as well as from HGV and related entities.

For more information on this position or to submit your resume, please email: embarc_hr@hgv.com

PLAY HERE

» piquenewsmagazine.com/jobs

EXCITING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, APPLY TODAY! Diamond Resorts Canada Ltd., Whistler, BC

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Employment Opportunities ·· Legislative and Privacy Coordinator Lifeguard/Swim Instructor

•·· Program Administrative Assistant, Legislative Services Leader Skate Host

·· Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Supervisor · Labourer I – Village Maintenance · Accountant Public Services Specialist •· Youth Capitaland Projects Supervisor, Facility Construction Management •· Solid BylawWaste Parks and Trails Ambassador Technician

•Resort CapitalMunicipality Projects Coordinator, Facility Construction Management of Whistler

whistler.ca/careers

• Custodial Guard

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Full Time Front Desk Agent Full Time & Part Time Housekeepers Full Time Night Auditor Eligible successful candidates may receive* • $750.00 Hiring Bonus for successful full time candidates; $375.00 Hiring Bonus for successful part time candidates! (if hired between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022)

• Human Resources Assistant

• Potential staff accommodation available.

•· Legislative Insurance, Litigation and Risk Coordinator and Privacy Coordinator

• Extensive benefits package which may include; ski pass or wellness allowance, disability coverage, travel insurance and extended health and dental.

Employment Opportunities

· Lifeguard/Swim Instructor ·· Program Leader Skate Host •· Lifeguard/Swim Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Instructor · Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Supervisor ·· Solid Waste Technician Labourer I – Village Maintenance • Program Leader - Myrtle Philip Community Centre ·· Accountant Youth and Public Services Specialist

• Travel Allowance and discounted employee rates at any Diamond Resort International resort.

• Full-time work year round and a FUN work environment. *eligibility and conditions based on DRCL policies and practices set out in general terms and conditions of employment. Please note that Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) acquired Diamond Resorts International (DRI) as of August 02, 2021. If you apply to work at a Diamond Resorts company you will be an applicant of a subsidiary of HGV. A transition to HGV will occur as we integrate technology, systems and branding but it will take time until our separate operating systems, employment policies and benefits are fully integrated. As a result, for a period of time, employees will receive

Resort Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca/careers

correspondence and messaging from Diamond Resorts as well as from HGV and related entities.

Email your resume with the position you wish to apply for to: embarc_hr@hgv.com

MARCH 10, 2022

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS WE AR

E

We're hiring in Whistler and Squamish

HIRING

Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic Civil Construction Labourer/Pipe Layer Gravel Truck Driver Heavy Equipment Operator Site Superintendent Welder APPLY

NOW HIRING THE FOLLOWING FULL TIME POSITION: CRYSTAL HUT FONDUE - COOK/KITCHEN HELPER

WHAT YOU BRING:

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• Some previous experience • Food Safe Certification • Flexible Schedule • Free Activities • Friends and Family Discounts

PERKS INCLUDE: TOP INDUSTRY PAY SPIRIT PASS PROGRAM FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE FREE ACTIVITIES FRIENDS & FAMILY DISCOUNTS

Visit canadianwilderness.com/employment for full job description and how to apply.

APPLY TODAY! We've Got You Covered VISITORS’ GUIDE 2017-2018 FREE

Now Hiring for the Following Positions:

MAINTENANCE HOUSEKEEPERS – CASUAL TECHNICIAN – CASUAL • Competitive Wages - $25/HR • Competitive Wages - $30/HR • Associate Housing • Discounted Food • Discounted Food • Flexible Schedule • Flexible Schedule • Spa Discounts • Spa Discounts

**Must have hotel / pool maintenance experience**

Reach Your Full Potential

Discover and embark embark on on aa career career in in Discover new new opportunities opportunities and Hospitality Pacific Whistler Whistler Hospitality with with Pan Pan Pacific To your cover cover letter letter and and To apply, apply, please please submit submit your resume c.com resume to to careers.ppwhi@panpacifi careers.ppwhi@panpacific.com

At The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, discover a place where you’re given the choice to not just get up and go to work, but to rise. Join a team that works together to enhance well-being for our guests, our employees, and the community. Discover what it means to rise.

FOOD & BEVERAGE SUPERVISOR

HOUSEKEEPING FLOOR SUPERVISOR

BANQUET CAPTAIN

ROOM/HOUSE ATTENDANTS

LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER

SHIPPER/RECEIVER

SALES COORDINATOR PERKS AND BENEFITS • SUBSIDIZED STAFF ACCOMMODATION

• COMPLIMENTARY STAFF MEALS

• FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES

• TRAVEL PERKS & BENEFITS

• MARRIOTT HOTEL DISCOUNTS

• GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

Email your resume to work@westinwhistler.com or visit Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm

58 MARCH 10, 2022

Hiring - Construction Workers Corona Excavations Ltd is looking for Construction Workers for the upcoming construction season. We are a civil based construction company with a professional and enjoyable working environment working in the sea to sky corridor from Pemberton to Squamish.

We are offering full-time hours with wages dependant on experience.

If you are interested or have any questions please call 604-966-4856 or email me with your CV at Dale@coronaexcavations.com.

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Sea to Sky McDonald’s Hiring Fair Now Hiring for the Following Positions:

HOUSEKEEPERS – CASUAL • Competitive Wages Wages --$25/HR • Competitive $25/HR • Associate Housing • Discounted Food • Discounted Food • Flexible Schedule • Flexible Schedule • Spa Discounts • Spa Discounts

Discover new opportunities and embark on a career in Hospitality with Pan Discover new opportunities andPacific embark Whistler on a career in with Panyour Pacificcover Whistler To apply,Hospitality please submit letter and To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to careers.ppwhi@panpacific.com resume to careers.ppwhi@panpacific.com

¾ÌÝÎÓ ^b _]__ ÑÝÚØ ^^ÌØ ßÚ bÛØ Ìß `eab^ ´×ÐáÐ×ÌÙÏ ²áÐ (ÄÜàÌØÔÞÓ ¾ÎµÚÙÌ×Ï Þ) Hiring for all positions, part-time or full-time: F On-the-spot interviews F ÀÙ#ßÓÐ#ÞÛÚß ÕÚÍ ÚõÐÝÞ F Competitive starting wage F b]­ Úõ ¾ÐÌ×Þ µÔÞÎÚàÙß F ·×ÐãÔÍ×Ð ÄÎÓÐÏà×ÐÞ Hiring for all locations: Squamish, Whistler, & Pemberton ©2022 McDonald’s

OR SCAN HERE

Do what you love.

We’re hiring.

JOIN OUR TEAM! Encore

is currently hiring the following positions for Whistler!

We also offer amazing health benefits!

Event Audio Visual Technician Part and Full Time

For more information, please search our Encore Job Opportunities page at the below link. https://jobs.encoreglobal.com/search-jobs/Whistler

MARCH 10, 2022

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6 7

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8 2 5 3

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THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

6

WE ARE HIRING

2

7 2 3 9 9 5 6 1 4 3 CURRENTLY SEEKING 9 3 9 7 6 CURATOR/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 6 4 1 8 5 SYNOPSIS: Your leadership and organizational skills and stewardship 8 artifacts, archives, exhibits, 8 programs 4 and budgets 1 will2ensure of our Pemberton Museum continues to provide excellent service to 2the 9 4of the Pemberton 3 5 7 and our stakeholders. As a representative Museum Archives society you will steward, promote, and manage curatorial 5 8 5 7 6 and collections services that define the Pemberton Museum’s mandate to detail and service oriented 4and 1themes. Your attention 3 6 approach4 will serve you well as you keep our community and the visitors to our #5 V. EASY #6 community, involved and excited about the people, places, traditions and stories that illustrate Pemberton.

The Curator will be accountable to the Board of Directors.

See posting here: www.pembertonmuseum.org Consults with: Board of Directors Term of employment: (Full time, $30/hr., 42 weeks, 1680 hours) April 01, 2022 – Dec 19, 2022.

9 7

1 4

#7

V. EASY

• Great working atmosphere with a fun crew operating in the Sea to Sky corridor • Competitive wage negotiable based on experience • Experience preferred but not mandatory for Labourer position • Internal paid training • Physical ability to complete the tasks; heavy lifting, bending, reaching etc. is required on a daily basis

will be accepted until Mon, March 21, 2022 at 4:00 pm.

8 6Resumes 4 5 2 3 7 We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only individuals 3 short-listed 8 for interviews will2 be contacted. Please1forward resumes 8 with cover letters to: Board of Directors info@pembertonmuseum.org.

2 7 6 1 7 4 4 1 1 8 4 3 Employment Opportunities: 1 4 8 6 7 9 9 2 5 Services Agents 3 –9Part time 2 or Full 5 Guest Time Hours, Health Benefits, Casual 5 Flexible 8 2 9 Environment 5 1 3 9 Apply to: jobs@pembertonvalleylodge.com 7 8 4 7 9 6 4 3 2

5

Part-time Labourers and Full-time Scaffolder/Carpenter

#8

• Schedule is typically Monday – Friday 7am-3pm

Send cover letter and resume to admin@alpinescaffolding.com

GENERAL LABOURER REQUIRED: • General clean up and organize site materials, tools etc.

• Organize deliveries at arrival • Must be hardworking and enthusiastic • Complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner

Looking to adopt?

www.whistlerwag.com

• Physically fit, mobile and able to work outdoors • Friendly, hard-working and happy to pitch in • Must have STEEL TOED BOOTS.

#6

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60 MARCH 10, 2022Page 2 of 25

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Answers 8 9 6 1 4 3 2 7 5

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WDC offers competitive wages and this is a long term 7 3 5 6 9 1 8 4 2

4/11/2005

position with room for growth and for the right candidate training to use site equipment such as Telehandler, Forklift and Bobcat.

Immediate Start Email your resume to: projects@WDC2020corp.com

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are hiring an

Overnight Support Worker to help us end youth homelessness

Become part of a creative team and surround yourself with art The Audain Art Museum is currently seeking:

Guards part-time, prominently weekends

Provide security for the art and educate visitors to ensure safety protocols are upheld.

Prior experience an asset, but not required.

Paid training is provided.

For complete job descriptions and to apply visit audainartmuseum.com/employment or email bbeacom@audainartmuseum.com

CHEF WANTED

JOIN OUR TEAM – The Chef is responsible for showcasing fresh, Indigenous inspired cuisine to our guests. With your expertise in menu planning and experience in event style food production, your passion for food is evident. As the Chef, you provide consistently high quality food offerings that are a natural extension of our unique cultural guest experience.

The Chef will strengthen the skills of the kitchen and café team and continue to mentor team members who are enrolled in the Red Seal certification program. The Chef will work closely with our leadership team to plan and execute menu tastings, menu pairings and banquet style food for our events. Your critical thinking, organization and excellent communication skills elevate those around you; you lead by example.

This position is hands on and focuses on the kitchen and café with some administrative tasks familiar to a leadership role.

We offer a flexible schedule, benefits package, wellness benefit, training and education allowance, great wages and a supportive workplace.

If you are interested in this position, we would love to hear from you.

Please send your cover letter and resume to human.resources@slcc.ca by Sunday, March 20th, 2022.

For a full job description, please visit our website at slcc.ca/careers.

We’re Hiring!

Carpenters, Foreman, Project Managers

$1000 SIGNING BONUS BENEFITS, FULL TIME WORK ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION? WANT TO COME AND WORK FOR A GREAT TEAM WITH LOTS OF ROOM FOR CAREER GROWTH? APPLY TO CONNECT@TMBUILDERS.CA

Employment Opportunities: Night Audit – Part Time or Full Time Flexible Hours, Health Benefits, Casual Environment

Apply to: jobs@pembertonvalleylodge.com MARCH 10, 2022

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES We are a collaborative team with a passion for where we live and what we do. If you love Whistler’s unique mountain culture and want to join an innovative and supportive team, we are now hiring for the following full time opportunities:

EVR Fine Homes is looking for exceptional people to join our team.

We are a proven leader in residential home and estate building in Whistler. We partner with the best architects, designers and trades in the industry. World class, custom projects require commitment and dedication from our partners and our team of craftspeople.

We have several significant projects currently in progress across Whistler and we are looking for individuals who are keen to build a rewarding career with a company that values quality workmanship.

• Supervisor, Building Operations

We are currently hiring for Finish Carpenters, Carpenters, Apprentices, and Labourers.

• Maintenance Technician/Cleaner

EVR is committed to the long-term retention and skills development of our employees - we are only as good as our team. We are passionate about investing in the future of our workforce, and offer: • • • • • •

• Coordinator, Destination Development • Specialist, Research (Contract)

Competitive Wages Annual Tool Allowance Apprenticeship Training & Tuition Reimbursement On-site Mentoring and Skills Development Extended Health and Dental Benefits Positive Work Environment

• Visitor Centre Agent • Travel Consultant What we offer: a flexible schedule offering work-life balance, excellent compensation and benefits package, and a great team environment.

If you love what you do and have a desire to work on architecturally-beautiful and sophisticated custom homes while growing your career with a renowned Whistler builder, please get in touch.

TO VIEW OUR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO APPLY, VISIT US ONLINE AT WHISTLER.COM/CAREERS.

You can send your resume to info@evrfinehomes.com and can view our work at www.evrfinehomes.com.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Lil’wat Nation

Employment Opportunities

NOW HIRING! Hosts, Server Assistants, Cooks, Dishwashers, Food Expeditors we provide our staff with: Competitive Wages, Health Benefits, Gratuities, Employee Discounts and Sta�f Housing

Submit your resume to: CAREERS@araxi.com 62 MARCH 10, 2022

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Accounting Assistant Worker - Finance Administrative Assistant to Health Director Career Development Practitioner Casual - Ts’zil Learning Centre Early Childhood Educator and/or Assistant - Daycare Early Childhood Educator Infant Toddler - Daycare Education Jurisdiction Coordinator - Xet’olacw Community School Elementary On-Call Teacher - Xet’olacw Community School Family Enhancement Worker Home Care Nurse Homemaker - Lil’wat Health and Healing IT Co-ordinator Kindergarten Teacher - Xet’olacw Community School Project Coordinator - Social Services Project Coordinator - Xet’olacw Community School Project Manager for Health Retail Accountant and Business Analyst - Lil’wat Business Group Store Operations Manager - Tsi’pun Supermarket Transfer Station Operator

Benefits Pension Plan Employee Assistance Program Extended Health Benefits Professional Development Gym facility Please visit our career page for more information: lilwat.ca/careers/career-opportunities-2/

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DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH

PIQUENEWSMAGAZINE.COM/JOBS

WE ARE

HIRING

Lotus Spa & Lounge We are looking for friendly & professional candidates to join us!

Director of Public Safety Regular Full-Time Human Resources Advisor Regular Full-Time Municipal Engineer 1, Development Regular Full-Time Recreation Program Leader, Biking Casual General Manager of Community Services Regular Full-Time Chief Operator Waste Water Treatment Plant Regular Full-Time Casual Clerical and Administrative Support – Clerk 2, Customer Service Clerk

squamish.ca/careers

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Masseuse, RMTs, Front Desk Agent (FT or PT) • • • •

Duties

Offer a warm welcome to guests Provide Thorough, timely service Maintain high levels of cleanliness Be on time for your shift, prompt with each appointment and perform services within the appropriate time allotted for the task

We are looking for organized, experienced individuals to join our fantastic team!

Located in the Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel 4356 Main Street, Whistler Contact us on the info below or apply in person info@lotuswhistler.ca • lotuswhistler.ca • 604-938-8882

NOW HIRING! Cooks, Dishwashers, Expeditors, Hosts, Server Assistants we provide our staff with: Competitive Wages, Health Benefits, Gratuities, Employee Discounts and Staff Housing

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR RESUME TO: CAREERS@ILCAMINETTO.CA

MARCH 10, 2022

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NOW HIRING THE WILD BLUE TEAM IS ACTIVELY RECRUITING CULINARY AND SERVICE TEAM MEMBERS IN READINESS FOR A LATE SPRING OPENING.

This is a rare opportunity to be part of a new and very unique venue in Whistler Village. We are attracting the most passionate individuals who are keen to work hard and succeed, that play well with others, and enjoy life.

THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Vacasa's forward-thinking approach and industry-leading technology help set us apart as the largest full-service vacation rental company in North America.

We are seeking individuals with a passion for providing exceptional vacation experiences for our Owners and Guests.

We offer competitive remuneration and benefits: Travel allowance for Squamish and Pemberton-based employees OR Ski Pass/activity allowance, Extended Medical, RRSP match, Retention bonus, Recognition Program, Fun & Safe Work Environment-Great Team, opportunities to grow and more.

Vacasa Whistler is currently hiring:

Assistant Housekeeping Manager $55,000 per Year Apply online today! https://www.vacasa.com/careers/positions or email: paul.globisch@vacasa.com

Visit wildbluerestaurant.com or email careers@wildbluerestaurant.com to apply.

We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

OUT NOW!

4005 Whistler Way, Whistler, B.C.

www.glaciermedia.ca/careers

R001408475

Glacier Media Group is growing. Check our job board regularly for the latest openings:

Whistler’s only dedicated wedding magazine.

AVAILABLE ON STANDS IN THE SEA TO SKY

DO YOU WANT T O GET DIR T Y THIS SUMMER?

WE ARE HIRING 2022 SEASON ALL POSITIONS Full-time and Part-time

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE GARDEN SHOP CONSTRUCTION Competitive wages and seasonal perks Email resume and cover letter to highcountrylandscape@telus.net | Call us at 604.932.3654

64 MARCH 10, 2022

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Interested in the Cannabis industry?

– Aurora Cannabis (WMMC) is hiring!

Whistler Medical Marijuana Corporation is Canada’s leading producer of Organic Cannabis.

We provide simple, honest products that are grown and harvested the old-fashioned way - that means we do things by hand, using real people.

If you’re interested in joining a fun and dynamic group of professionals where you can elevate your career, our team is the perfect fit for you!

We are looking for ambitious and hard-working professionals, to join our Pemberton facility in any of the following divisions:

Cultivation team

You will work directly with our plants and help to maintain the health of our growing rooms as a: Trimmer or Plant Work Technician

Harvest team

You will be a part of the team that is responsible for processing our plants into finished products as a: Post-Harvest Team Member

Cleaning and Sanitation team

You will be an integral member of our team that helps to maintain the quality and safety of our facility in the role of an: Industrial Cleaner

Experience in the industry is not required as we will invest in your professional development and help build your career at Aurora!

What’s in it for you?

Here are some of the benefits you can look forward to when you’re a member of our team: Full-time and part-time work options year round, compressed work weeks and annual vacation entitlements Competitive hourly wages (starting at $22 / hr), annual bonuses, an RSP Program and a health and personal spending account for you to use on ski passes, gym memberships and more!

Employer-paid health and dentalcare premiums and a medical cannabis coverage program that will provide you with $3,000 of coverage each year Professional development opportunities, annual performance reviews and access to a tuition assistance program

Think you have what it takes to join our team? – so do we!

Apply or learn more by visiting our Aurora Careers Page today (Jobs at Aurora (auroramj.com) – we can’t wait to meet you!

Get noticed!

• • • • • •

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Glacier Media Digital experts help businesses succeed online.

Contact your Sales representative at Pique Newsmagazine today for a free digital audit

Relax, we have the perfect job

WE ARE LOOKING FOR WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Marketing and Digital Platforms Advisor Barista Team Leader Maintenance Helper Reservation Agent Outdoor Spa Experience Attendant Night Cleaner Barista Guest Services Agent

WHAT WE OFFER

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Relax, we have the perfect job

Baths membership for you and a friend Staff housing upon availability Free massage after 3 months Work/life balance and more

APPLY AT hr.whistler@scandinave.com

Massage Technicians Registered Massage Therapists

WHAT WE OFFER Baths membership for you and a friend Staff housing upon availability Flexible schedule Competitive wage

APPLY AT hr.whistler@scandinave.com MARCH 10, 2022

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THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK FOR LOCAL JOB OPENINGS

Career Opportunities with the SLRD Looking to contribute to your local community?

Consider a career in local government. Join the SLRD’s team of dedicated staff who work together to make a difference in the region.

Headquartered in Pemberton, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) delivers a wide range of regional, sub-regional and local services to its residents.

The SLRD is a BC Regional District consisting of four member municipalities (Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet) and four electoral areas. 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.

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, making it an exceptional place to live, work and play.

The SLRD is currently hiring for the following positions: • Administrative Clerk (Regular, Full-time) • Planning Assistant (Graphics) (Temporary, Full-time) • Legislative Coordinator (Regular, Full-time) The SLRD offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, participation in the Municipal Pension Plan, a compressed work week (nine-day fortnight), and learning and career development opportunities.

For more information on these career opportunities, please visit www.slrd.bc.ca/employment. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume (preferably in pdf format) by email to careers@slrd.bc.ca

We are currently hiring for the following positions

Project Manager/Coordinator Lead Carpenter • Carpenter Skilled Labourer Admin Assistant Send your resume to connect@peakventures.ca

Whistler Premier Resorts, Whistler’s leading property management firm is currently recruiting!

What We Offer You:

• Full Time Positions • Competitive Wages • • Discounted Ski Pass • Discounted Employee Rates • • Supportive Team Environment • Staff Housing • • Opportunities for growth & more • • Signing Bonus •

The current career opportunities are:

ROOM ATTENDANT GUEST SERVICE AGENT ROOM •ATTENDANT NIGHT AUDIT HOUSEMAN/INSPECTOR GUEST• SERVICE AGENT GUEST SERVICE NIGHT AUDIT • SUPERVISOR HOUSEMAN APPLY TODAY AT PEOPLE@WHISTLERPREMIER.COM

DOUG BUSH

SURVEY SERVICES LTD.

is looking for a

OFFICE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR Part time Flexible hours. The applicant should have data entry experience and be detail oriented. Knowledge of Sage/Simply accounting, proficiency in Excel and Payroll experience an asset.

Whistler’s premier visitor magazine is on stands now!

Look for our Winter 2022 Issue!

Find it on select stands and in Whistler hotel rooms.

66 MARCH 10, 2022

SURVEY FIELD TECHNICIAN:

with a two or three year college or technical school program in geomatics. Three years’ experience and Proficient in the use of robotic survey instruments and GPS equipment for engineering and building construction layout, topographic site surveys, site improvement surveys and precise monitoring.

Experience with AutoCAD Civil 3D also an asset to assist in office with computations and drawing preparation.

Please call Ian @ 604-932-3314 or email @ ian@dbss.ca #18-1370 Alpha Lake Rd. Whistler BC V0N 1B1 Serving Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton

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Join our team.

OUTPOST

Maintenance Manager | Maintenance Operator Property Inspector

What Outpost can offer you: • Family run business with small, awesome team.

• Flexible working hours for more time on the mountain.

• Opportunity to grow within our company.

• Competitive wage/salary!

• Ski pass (full-time positions).

• Extended medical benefits.

Fast-paced, problem solver, and creative thinker. Sound like you?

Shoot us an email: careers@outpostwhistler.com Full job ads - outpostwhistler.com/careers • +1 (604) 932-3252

Sales Associates Positions Available!

At the Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) our vision of ‘Service. Relationships. Results.’ is all about providing a valued service, building strong relationships with our stakeholders, and achieving greater results for the province.

The LDB is one of two branches of government responsible for the cannabis and liquor industry of B.C. We operate the wholesale distribution of beverage alcohol within the province, as well as the household retail brand of BC Liquor Stores.

We employ nearly 5,000 people in over 200 communities and have been named one of BC’s Top Employers 13 times over for offering exceptional places to work rooted in values of fairness and respect, work-life balance, and inclusion and diversity. We believe that our people are our greatest asset. Being a reputable employer with programs of skills training and professional development are what attract candidates to BC Liquor Stores, while our progressive, forward-thinking culture is why employees with a growth mindset thrive.

Grow.

Contribute.

Explore.

HERE

Auxiliary positions are on-call, meaning hours of work are not guaranteed and subject to availability. Some auxiliary employees may not initially work a full 35-hour week, but with more hours worked and more seniority gained, more opportunities for more hours of work will follow.

Auxiliary positions are not permanent full-time but can lead to permanent full-time opportunities with a very competitive total compensation package, including a comprehensive pension plan, medical and dental coverage (including massage and physiotherapy), tuition reimbursement and scholarship programs, and access to public service employee benefits including career support services, financial and legal services, and employee and family counselling.

We are dedicated to the highest quality of customer service, delivered with friendliness, individual pride, initiative, and retail passion! If you fit this description and you are prepared to work in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply to become a part of the Whistler area BC Liquor Stores.

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following qualification requirements: • • • • •

Be at least 19 years of age Be able to legally work in Canada Be able to provide excellent customer service Be able to communicate effectively and professionally with the public Be able to demonstrate aptitude for cashier and related duties, including calculations • Be able to perform physically demanding work, including lifting 20-25 kg boxes • Have a valid Serving It Right Certificate™ • A Criminal Record Check is required.

BC Liquor Store Sales Associates may be required to operate a variety of mechanical and hand-operated equipment, in addition to handling large volumes of bottles as part of the LDB’s recycling program.

Ziptrek Ecotours is now hiring:

Zipline Tour Guides Positions starting in April Staff Housing Available Apply online on: whistler.ziptrek.com/careers/

Rate of Pay (as of April 11, 2021): Auxiliary Sales Associate - $19.45 per hour For exciting and challenging retail opportunities, please apply online at: http://bcliquorstores.prevueaps.ca/pages/openings/ Or apply in person at: Whistler Marketplace 101-4360 Lorimer Rd, Whistler On November 1, 2021 the BC Public Service announced the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy that defines the conditions and expectations for BC Public Service employees regarding vaccination against COVID-19. Among other possible measures, proof of vaccination will be required by November 22, 2021. It is a term of acceptance of employment that you agree to comply with all vaccination requirements that apply to the public service. More information can be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/careers-myhr/all-employees/safety-health-well-being/health/ covid-19/covid-19-vaccination-policy-for-bc-public-service-employees

MARCH 10, 2022

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CALL THE EXPERTS

Want to advertise your service on this page?

Call Pique at (604) 938-0202, or email sales@piquenewsmagazine.com

BLINDS ETC.

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WINDOW COVERINGS

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Custom Blinds • Shades • Draperies

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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

604.698.8406

CARPET CLEANING

CHIMNEY

BLACK BEAR CARPET CLEANING LTD.

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• Carpets • Upholstery • Tiles • Car Interiors

• Furnace • Airducts • Dryer vents

www.blackbearcarpetcleaning.ca • 604 698 6610

S

• • • •

Wood blinds Sunscreens Shades Motorization

www.summersnow.ca

ummer

Snow Finishings Limited

CLEANING

Specialized in cleaning

Chimneys, Furnace & Airducts, Dryer vents.

100% ECO FRIENDLY CERTIFIED

David Weldon david@summersnow.ca 604-938-3521

Coast Mountain Cleaning • Full service cleaning • Residential & Commercial • Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning • Property Maintenance • Established 2011 We follow all VCH, Min of Health and WHO Covid 19 protocols

Insured & Bondable • Criminal background checks on all staff

604.932.1388 / 1.877.932.5775 blackcombchimney@yahoo.ca

604-966-1437

coastmountaincleaning@gmail.com

We use tea tree oil based cleaning products.

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Call Pique at (604) 938-0202, or email sales@piquenewsmagazine.com Available for private viewings. Tel: 604-868-0117 7322 Old Mill rd, Pemberton,bc

GLASS

HEATING AND COOLING

HOME SERVICES

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HVAC/R AUTO GLASS SPECIALISTS · Frameless Shower Enclosures · Complete Window/Door Packages · Custom Railing Glass Systems · Fogged/Failed Window Replacements

mountainglass.ca | info@mountainglass.ca

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THE COMPLETE GLASS CENTRE

FOR ALL YOUR HOUSEHOLD & COMMERCIAL NEEDS

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

• Carpentry • Tiling • Drywall Repairs • Texture Finishing • Renovations • Installation • Painting • Plumbing • Snow Removal • Appliance Repairs Ask Us About • Mine Sweeping Your Home

Residential/Commercial Heat Pumps Boilers-Furnaces-Chillers Design Build Call us today! 778-994-3159 www.westerntechnical.net

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SURVEYING

SURVEYING

BUNBURY & ASSOCIA BC LAND SURVEYORS

Serving the Sea to Sky Corridor Since 1963 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.

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68 MARCH 10, 2022

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Phone: 604-932-3770

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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

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LAST WEEKS’ ANSWERS

4

V. EASY

#6

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

4 2

5 2

3 1

7

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

V. EASY Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com # 8

ANSWERS ON PAGE 60

MARCH 10, 2022

69

MAXED OUT

Conservative leadership race the best show in town WAR’S STILL ON. Gas prices are way up. So is the price of everything else. Covid’s down. Spring’s springing. Skiing’s pretty great, considering lack of new snow. But the mood’s ugly. Everyone is either pissed off, victimized, or scared silly. What to do?

John Prine once suggested we should blow up our TVs, throw away our papers, move to the country, build us a home. But we’re hooked on streaming, a comforting escape. There’s a whole generation or two who aren’t really certain what newspapers are. Much of the country is as expensive as the cities. And even if we knew how

BY G.D. MAXWELL to build a home, supply-chain problems would probably mean we were building sod houses.

Whatever solace we collectively found in sourdough bread, fiction, crafts and whatever else got us through lockdowns the past two years have lost their attraction.

Well, maybe not sourdough bread. What to do?

Fortunately, if you have even the remotest interest in politics—way more exciting than many Olympic™ sports— the federal Conservative Party’s Quest for Leadership is shaping up as the best entertainment going for the next six months.

And if you are even slightly liberal, small or capital ‘l’, it’ll be the best entertainment going.

The Conservatives, as you may recall, have lost/won three elections in a row. The first, in 2015, excised Stephen Harper from the body politic, delivering the country from his ham-fisted attempt to take Canada back to a time existing only in his—and much of Western Canada’s—mind. Thus was the beginning of the reign of Trudeau 2.0.

In 2019 Trudeau lost the popular vote to Andrew Scheer, who forgot to stand in line when they were handing out charisma, but won enough seats to form a minority government. Once again, the West— Alberta, eastern B.C., Saskatchewan—voted en masse for the Conservatives, to no avail except to throw a couple of hundred thousand votes to Maxime Bernier’s far right People’s Party.

The election in 2021 was a rerun of the last paragraph. Except the Conservative leader, Erin O’Toole, couldn’t decide which planks in his party’s platform to waffle on quickest and the People’s Party pulled more than twice as many votes away. Its shining moment was the inability of Maxime Bernier to once again win his own riding.

After three elections lost despite having more votes cast for Conservative candidates than Liberal candidates, the party fully

70 MARCH 10, 2022

GETTYIMAGES.CA

grasped its problem. Members lynched the Leader of the Day, Mr. O’Toole, thus setting the table for the fun just beginning.

Just kidding. Actually, the Conservatives completely fail to grasp their problem.

What’s their problem? They’re trying to sell something the Canadian population isn’t interested in buying. What’s that? A meanspirited brand of populist conservatism anathema to the 60 per cent or so of Canadians who vote for left-of-centre candidates.

Which brings us to right now. Sort of.

And why this is a time to rejoice if your politics lean even slightly liberal.

The Conservative Party is leaderless.

Nothing new, you say? Try to restrain your cynicism. There is an interim leader, Candice Bergen—not to be confused with the American actor of the same name— from Manitoba, the former deputy party leader. Her job is to try and keep the party from self-destructing. Her politics are considerably right of whatever Mr. O’Toole

U.S. constitution’s Bill of Rights and the Canadian constitution’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is very likely that his party’s vote will increase whenever the next election comes around, siphoning more votes from the Conservative Party.

It’s an even money bet whether the Conservative Party will be one party or two before or after the next election. Probably after but that’s why the next six months are going to be interesting.

Leading the charge to pull the party back into the Reform/Alliance model is Pierre Poilievre, also known in some circles as Pierre Potty-Mouth. He’s been knocking around Parliament since 2004, hectoring anyone he disagrees with. He is the candidate of the social conservative (socon) wing of the party. He was against same-sex marriage, supporting a motion to introduce legislation rolling the clock back to opposite sex-only marriage. He later recanted his opposition, calling same-sex marriage a success. He favoured suspending

Actually, the Conservatives completely fail to grasp their problem.

claimed to believe in at any moment. She actively supported the Freedumb Convoy, leans populist, and likely falls into the stillsmouldering Harper camp. She isn’t that important.

The big winner coming out of the Trucker’s Party in Ottawa is likely to be Mr. Bernier. His brand of pitchfork-andtorch populism appeals to the yabbos who fail to grasp the difference between the

funding for sex reassignment surgery for transgender people. And he argued Canada wasn’t getting value for the money it spent compensating residential school survivors, arguing the need to “engender the values of hard work and independence and selfreliance...” presumably on their lazy, shiftless behalf.

He is the darling of party members not crazy enough to support Mr. Bernier’s

crusade but socially conservative enough to be wistful for the days when queers, transsexuals, Indigenous people and socialists were subject to discriminatory laws and social ostracism.

That leaves old-school conservatives, formerly members of the Progressive Conservative Party before Peter “The Weasel” MacKay sold them down the river to the Canadian Alliance, née Reform Party, in the uncomfortable position of not being pure enough for the socons but too wistfully conservative for the Liberals.

Enter Jean Charest. Who? Jean Charest was a star of the Progressive Conservative Party. He rose through the ranks faster than anyone. When Brian Mulroney—seeing a future of abject defeat—retired and Kim Campbell became Prime Minister for a Day, Jean was her deputy. He was one of only two PCs to survive the slaughter of the 1993 election, heralding the era of Chrétien the Mighty.

A longtime opponent of Quebec separation, in 1998 he left the moribund PC party to lead the Quebec Liberal Party.

He became premier of Quebec in 2003 and served until 2012. He is the hope of the moderate wing of the Conservative Party going into this leadership contest.

In some ways, he’s also the hope of the Liberal party. With any luck, his rise and the machinations playing out until September’s leadership vote will once again divide the “united” right.

An argument could be made this would only level the playing field. The left-of-centre vote has been split three ways—Liberal, NDP, Green—since, well, forever. Three right-of-centre parties splitting the remaining 40 per cent of the vote only seems fair, eh?

Whatever. It’s going to be a lot more fun than focusing on Putine’s war... or Covid... or... ■

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, HOME G L O B A L R E AC H , L O C A L K N O W L E D G E SOLD

VILLAGE NORTH 402-4369 Main Street Alpenglow Lodge at Whistler Village North. Phase II property. This top floor studio has a full kitchen, dinning area, one muffphy bed and one queen size bed. Facing quiet direction. $480,000

Ruby Jiang

BENCHLANDS 131-4800 Spearhead Drive The ASPENS is a SKI/IN SKI/ OUT property on Blackcomb. Fully furnished One Bedroom corner unit. Cosy up by the gas fireplace, relax on the private balcony & enjoy the outdoor pool & hot tubs. Phase 1 zoning.

Includes ski valet, bike storage & parking. $1,069,000

778-834-2002 Rachel Allen

604-966-4200 Allyson Sutton

NEW PRICE

RAINBOW 8428 Ski Jump Rise Set against a hillside that truly emphasizes the mountain experience with breathtaking mountain views & incredible light. $2,100,000

Maggi Thornhill *PREC

BENCHLANDS 416–4369 Main Street Bright, spacious studio with mountain views & all day sun. Enjoy amazing revenues or limited personal use. Outdoor hot tub, outdoor pool, gym, sauna & front desk. Located in the heart of the Village Strata fees include utilities. $445,000

604-932-7609

NEW TO MARKET

WEDGEWOODS 9201 Wedgemount Plateau Drive Custom timber frame home available for the first time ever! Stunning mountain/ modern design, panoramic views, vaulted ceilings, high-end appliances, 5 bedrooms + bunkhouse/cabin for guests, 3 balconies, wrap-around stone deck, 3 car garage.$4,175,000

604-905-8199 Kerry Batt *PREC

CREEKSIDE CP2 - 1400 Alta Lake Rd Lakeside living! Spacious 1 bed/1 bath penthouse in Tamarisk, on the shores of Alpha Lake.

All day sun, cozy wood fireplace and sauna! Canoe/kayak & bike storage, and large personal storage locker. No short term rentals, and no GST. $789,000

604-902-5422 Janet Brown

604-935-0700

SOLD

WHISTLER CAY HEIGHTS 6361 Fairway Drive Western Red Cedar - Craftsman Log Home. Approx. 3,200 sq.ft. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms.

Media room, office/den, garage & sports room. Elegant home design with peaceful ambiance. Mountain & Forest views from the home & sunny patio decks. $5,100,000

Kathy White

GREEN LAKE ESTATES 8437 Golden Bear Place On the edge of Green Lake/River of Golden Dreams. Highly coveted cul-de-sac. Architectural masterpiece. 5Bed/4Bath, open-concept living, chef’s kitchen, wet bar, billiards/rec room, 5 fireplaces, hot tub, and unobstructed VIEWS! $10,799,000

604-616-6933 Gina Daggett

NORTH VANCOUVER 112-649 East 3rd Street This is 1405 sq.ft. of LEED Gold certified luxury living. Open concept design. Gourmet kitchen with high-end Bosch appliances. 2 BR, 1.5 bath, 3 decks, AC, UG parking, close to everything. Full site: http://1.digitalopenhou.se $1,225,000

778-998-2357 Ken Achenbach

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.

604-966-7640

3D Tour - rem.ax/4644montebello

4644 Montebello Place

$2,975,000

Conveniently located a short stroll from Whistler Village, this 3 bedroom/3 bath townhome is ideally situated on a quiet street providing a private and tranquil setting. With a beautifully renovated kitchen, wood floors, updated entry, exposed wood beams, vaulted ceilings, and a wood-burning fireplace.

Sally Warner*

3

604.905.6326

3D Tour - rem.ax/1433poplar

1433 Poplar Street - Pemberton

$1,399,000

This amazing family home has so much to offer with its wonderful floor plan, spacious rooms, heated floors, fully landscaped irrigated yard + raised garden boxes and so much more. The new deck overlooking the gardens will have you resting peacefully in the warm sun while watching the kids play in the fully fenced back yard.

Sherry Baker

604.932.1315

5

#338 - 4800 Spearhead Drive

$1,199,000

TRUE SKI IN/OUT on Blackcomb! Spacious 1 bedroom unit with tasteful kitchen and bathroom updates with mountain views. Turnkey opportunity for your rentals and or personal usage. Open house Sat & Sun 1-3

Ursula Morel*

1

604.932.8629

3D Tour - rem.ax/208horstman

#602 - 4050 Whistler Way

$314,000

This is one of the best hotels for accessing both mountains and Whistler Village. Enjoy everything this award winning Hilton Resort & Spa hotel has to offer: heated outdoor pool/ hot tub, spa, 24hr fitness centre, tennis courts, parking, pub, dine in service and more! Unlimited owner usage (19% fee applies), or rent through The Hilton and collect consistent revenue.

Anastasia Skryabina

604.902.3292

.5

9333 Warbler Way

$1,275,000

$4,999,000

$905,000

Welcome to Wedgewoods, a master planned community of 108 beautiful properties. Phase Six includes the final 19 estate lots which allow for luxury homes plus a carriage house. Stunning mountain views and sunshine make Phase 6 a very special offering.

This professionally managed 1 bedroom sleeps four and offers a full kitchen, quartz counter top, gas fireplace, upgraded lighting, Smart TV, private outdoor deck, ensuite washer/dryer and ensuite lockers. The building offers hot tub, heated pool, outdoor barbeque, exercise room, pool table, kid’s play area, adult games room/TV and 4 ski lockers.

Ann Chiasson

Bruce Watt

604.932.7651

1

604.905.0737

3D Tour - rem.ax/325springs

3D Tour - rem.ax/1577tynebridge

1577 Tynebridge Lane

#208 - 4653 Blackcomb Way

#201 - 4910 Spearhead Place

$88,500

#325 - 4899 Painted Cliff Rd.

$465,000

Located in exclusive, Spring Creek there are 4 bedrooms plus media room/gym with open living on the top floor to take advantage of beautiful views out generous windows all around. The Bone Structure, premium steel framed, home makes for extra energy efficiency, incredible design options and healthy living environment.

Ski in ski out at Woodrun offers the best of shared ownership that has long since been SOLD OUT. Rarely are ski season shares found,but here they are! Enjoy the BEST of winter during the first 3 weeks of the New Year. Week 1 Week 2 and Week 3 are available to purchase.

NEW PRICE. A popular winter and summer location slopeside to Blackcomb Mountain. #325 Blackcomb Springs Suites is an extra large 485 sf studio suite that also has an oversized balcony. Fully equipped for your personal use or nightly rental through a fairly recent takeover with Clique Hotels.

Dave Beattie*

Dave Sharpe

Denise Brown*

5

604.905.8855

604.902.2779

2.5

.5

604.902.2033

3D Tour - rem.ax/31twinlakes

#101 - 4338 Main Street

$499,000

#205 - 4111 Golfer’s Approach

$965,000

This is a “Business Only Purchase”. Extensive renovations in 2017, the latest in equipment upgrades, all inventory included, makes this transition into one of the top franchises in Canada seamless for the right owner. The Blenz Coffee shop location is a No Brainer, established here 25 years ago at what is the Coffee Corner of Whistler!

LOCATION, LOCATION! Phase 1 apartments don’t pop up very often within VILLAGE CENTRE, and this gem is certainly dressed to impress and ready to go for its new owner. With custom tile work throughout, super functional layout, even a king size bedroom - you’ll be amazed at the overall presentation.

Doug Treleaven

Laura Barkman

604.905.8626

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

604.905.8777

1

#31 - 1200 Alta Lake Road

$2,099,000

Twin Lakes 31 is nestled on the shore of Alpha Lake. This property offers beautiful views and easy access to the water. With 3 bedrooms & 2 full baths, you’ll have plenty of room for family & friends. The spacious main living area features a vaulted ceiling and a wood-burning fireplace to cozy up after a day on the slopes.

Madison Perry

778.919.7653

3

PEMBERTON OFFICE 1411 Portage Road, Pemberton, BC V0N 2L1 604.894.6616 or Toll Free 1.888.689.0070