Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA, Pique

Whistler Chamber of Commerce’s Spirit Pass expanded to the summer season

Cathryn Atkinson — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:30:00 -0700

Customer service program will also be offered online by Cathryn Atkinson Providing topnotch customer service to Whistler's visitors may soon lead to play time on the links, or a spa day out for employees around the resort. The Whistler Chamber of Commerce's popular winter Spirit Pass program has been expanded to the summer season, giving employees the chance to take part in warm-weather activities.…

Province makes funds available to Whistler and others to boost electric car use

Cathryn Atkinson — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:30:00 -0700

Millions available in grants to install charging stations by Cathryn Atkinson Whistler and other communities in the Sea to Sky region have been invited to apply for $2.74 million in provincial grants for the building of electric vehicle charging stations. Marion Town of the Fraser Basin Council told delegates at the Lower Mainland Local Government Association (LMLGA) on Thursday (May 10) that the B.C. government wants to build a province-wide network of 570 electric charging stations.…

Squamish Youth Triathlon sells out

John French — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:20:00 -0700

Perfect weather for kids six to 15 years by John French More than 230 kids swam, cycled and ran their way through the Squamish Triathlon. The sell out field of boys and girls did an indoor swim then hopped onto bicycles for a ride in the sunshine in warm May temperatures between 25 and 27 Celsius on Sunday, May 13.…

Seattle man rescued from crevasse

John French — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:30:00 -0700

Search and Rescue in Squamish called to rescued BASE Jumper by John French Nikolai Popov from Seattle is thankful that someone saw him plunge into a crevasse near Decker Mountain in the Spearhead Range on Friday, May 11. According to news reports, the University of Washington professor skied up to a crack in the snow and he was probing the crack when it opened up and swallowed him.…

Neal Kindree takes 2012 Orecrusher title

John French — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:00:00 -0700

Melamed wins first in 20 to 29 age group by John French For Neal Kindree the start of the 2012 mountain bike race season is looking much like the start of the 2011 season. The Squamish elite rider completed the slightly revised course in one hour, 51 minutes and 34 seconds.…

LMLGA passes Whistler resolution on easing liquor-licensing restrictions

Cathryn Atkinson — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:15:00 -0700

Resolution now goes to provincial local government meeting in fall by Cathryn Atkinson The Lower Mainland Local Government Association (LMLGA) has voted to support a Sea to Sky corridor-wide resolution to ease restrictions on liquor licensing for events in unlicensed venues. Whistler Council (RMOW), the Village of Pemberton, Squamish Council and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) brought forward the motion at the LMLGA 2012 conference at the Hilton Whistler Resort on Thursday (May 10).…

Whistler Air purchased by largest all-seaplane airline, Harbour Air

John French — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:03:00 -0700

Former owner planning new aviation venture by John French The company that bills itself as the largest all-seaplane airline in the world just got a bit bigger. Harbour Air has purchased Whistler Air.…

RMOW ordered to pay $1.5 million for Rainbow Park expropriation

Clare Ogilvie — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:02:00 -0700

Mayor says judgment is 'fair' by Clare Ogilvie The Resort Municipality of Whistler has been ordered to pay $1.507 million in interest to the Vancouver-based Saxton family for the 1987 expropriation of 44 hectares of land that is now Rainbow Park. That brings the total paid to the Saxtons over the 20 years the case has been going on to $2.4 million.…

Hunt is on for WSSF sponsorship money

Alison Taylor — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:01:00 -0700

Organizers scramble to fill void left by Telus by Alison Taylor Without the deep pockets of Telus backing up Whistler's signature winter festival, organizers are now looking elsewhere for hundreds of thousands in sponsorship dollars for the 2013 event. Just how easy that is in today's economic climate and what it means for the arts, music and sports of the World Ski and Snowboard Festival if they fall short remains to be seen, particularly as the push is on to raise the online and broadcast profile of the festival next year.…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Week of May 10th

Rob Brezsny — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): In one of your past lives, I think you must have periodically done something like stick your tongue out or thumb your nose at pretentious tyrants — and gotten away with it. At least that's one explanation for how confident you often are about speaking up when everyone else seems unwilling to point out that the emperor is in fact wearing no clothes.…

Asphalt plant negotiations quietly continue

Alison Taylor — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

Cheakamus residents brace for plant activity by Alison Taylor As the summer asphalt production gears up in Whistler, behind the scenes negotiations are continuing. Less than two weeks ago Whistler Aggregates owner Frank Silveri and the municipality's representative Eric Martin met to discuss the details of a general Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).…

Walking her talk — Sara Jennings takes the path less travelled

Michel Beaudry — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

by Michel Beaudry "It is only by risking our persons from one hour to another that we live at all. And often enough our faith beforehand in an uncertified result is the only thing that makes the result come true."…

United Church and Sea to Sky Community Services aim to build 'Caring Place' together

Cathryn Atkinson — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

The 15,000 sq. ft., $2 million Downtown Squamish complex will have new church, offices, housing by Cathryn Atkinson A proposed office-church-supported housing complex to be shared jointly by Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCC) and Squamish United Church promises to transform social services in the Sea to Sky corridor. "The Caring Place project", as it is currently known, is expected to cost in excess of $2 million once construction costs are factored in.…

How bad are those bananas, anyway?

Glenda Bartosh — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

A look at the carbon you're eating, and more by Glenda Bartosh Any author cheeky enough to sub-title his book "The Carbon Footprint of Everything" is all right by me. But the coolest thing about Mike Berners-Lee's book How Bad are Bananas?…

Full Nelson opening draws hundreds in Squamish

John French — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

Corporate sponsors help promote bike trail grand opening by John French It isn't very often that a new trail gets the kind of attention Full Nelson got this past weekend with its grand opening. A company called Dream Wizards built the trail just outside of Garibaldi Provincial Park over the course of a seven-month period.…

Copper thefts in Squamish on the rise

Dawn Green — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

RCMP works closely with agencies to catch thieves by Dawn Green Copper and salvage metal thefts are rampant in the Sea to Sky corridor, said Sgt. Wayne Pride of the Squamish RCMP, despite recent provincial government legislation to target scrap metal and copper transactions. The law targeting metal thieves — a first in Canada — passed last November and requires dealers to record details of every transaction and then report them to police.…

God Bless Bobcat Goldthwait

Feet Banks — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

by Feet Banks Maybe it's because crackheads broke into my truck last night (and stole nothing) or maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety, but if you ask me there is a large percentage of today's society who could use a stern talking to. And by "talking to" I mean a bullet to the head.…

Loving our mother

Dawn Green — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

Sea to Sky mums celebrate Mother's Day and Mother Earth with their children by Dawn Green Ashleigh Woodruff is no stranger to the natural world surrounding her home in Pemberton. In fact, the active three-year-old recently celebrated her birthday in the forest, squatting down and crawling through the underbrush.…

Family Day date not set in stone, WB asks community to speak out

Alison Taylor — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

Province wants feedback on new stat holiday by Alison Taylor Whistler Blackcomb is calling on the community to campaign to change the date of Family Day, specifically to move the date of B.C.'s new statutory holiday away from one of the busiest weekends in the resort. It's a multi-million dollar decision with big ramifications not just in Whistler but throughout the province.…

Adventures in banking

Andrew Mitchell — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

by Andrew Mitchell The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) recently lobbed a grenade at the Canadian government and banking industry after uncovering some $114 billion in cash-and-loan support to prop our vaunted national banks, a bailout of sorts that everybody in banking insists was not a bailout. Does it matter?…

Shopping our way to something better

Glenda Bartosh — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

by Glenda Bartosh Angela Griffiths, executive director of the EcoLogo program Cheeying Ho, executive director of the Whistler Centre for Sustainability…

Tourism Whistler prepares for challenges

John French — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

Faced with funding cuts marketing organization restructures by John French Tourism Whistler is looking to the future and it sees reductions and challenges. "Looking to the future, funding is certainly going to be a challenge when you see reductions in corporate sponsorship, when you see reductions in tourism funding, when you see reductions in general revenues," said TW's president and CEO, Barrett Fisher.…

Whistler runners conquer marathon course

John French — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

Ashley McMillan finishes 35th overall in a field of 2,396 competitors on new Vancouver marathon route by John French Most people would consider a 35th place marathon finish a great accomplishment, but Ashley McMillan of Whistler had greater expectations for his marathon run last weekend. More than 15,000 people participated in the BMO Vancouver Marathon Sunday on a brand new course that received mostly good reviews.…

Twelve banned in one week after entering closed section on Blackcomb Mountain

Cathryn Atkinson — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

by Cathryn Atkinson A short trip into a closed section on Blackcomb Mountain has led to a year-long ban for one backcountry ski trekker. Bridget Daley decided to "skin up" with a friend on April 26, after having checked conditions and access with a ski patroller friend a few days prior.…

Come to WAC AGM and enjoy some cake

Stephen Smysnuik — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 -0700

by Stephen Smysnuik The Whistler Arts Council will hold its annual general meeting on Wednesday, May 30. Yes, there will be cake.…