Pique Newsmagazine | Whistler, CANADA, Pique

Day 13: Deserved Relaxation

Kerry Dennehy — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:48:01 -0700

I will try to catch you up on our ride to date. Actually, you catch us on Day 13, spending two days off in Banff, because we are two days ahead of schedule.…

Task force formed to address long weekend mayhem

Andrew Mitchell — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:05:00 -0700

Locals frustrated by damage to village; police log 17 cases of mischief over one night by Andrew Mitchell Whistler Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden has asked municipal staff to form a task force to battle the on-going mayhem the resort faces each Victoria Day long weekend. "I met with the administrator this morning about it... and asked him to form a task force," she said, adding that the task force would meet with stakeholders including property managers, representatives of the bar and restaurant industry, police and Tourism Whistler to discuss the weekend and look at ways to prevent a repeat of this year.…

Tourism Whistler holds board of director elections

Pique Staff — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:00:00 -0700

Eight candidates were nominated for three positions on the Board by Pique Staff Tourism Whistler members have elected two incumbents and a newcomer to the organization's board of directors. Eight candidates were nominated for three positions on the Tourism Whistler Board of Directors this year, with voting taking place online and at yesterday's annual general meeting.…

Crud 2 Mud kicks off Bike Park event season

Andrew Mitchell — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:00:00 -0700

Course to be announced at mandatory athlete meeting Sat. 6 p.m. at the GLC by Andrew Mitchell The Whistler Mountain Bike Park opened on May 17 with huge crowds from Friday to Monday, but the transition from ski to bike season is not yet complete — Blackcomb Mountain is open to the public until Monday, May 27, and Whistler is reopening to skiers and boarders for a annual event that transitions between snow and dirt: the Crud 2 Mud. The Crud 2 Mud, taking place this Sunday, May 26, is a two-part race that includes a giant slalom course for skiers and snowboarders and a rip through the bike park.…

Women's events see huge growth in a decade

Alison Taylor — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:00:00 -0700

TW and CTC don't market to women specifically by Alison Taylor Former competitive gymnast Kerri Carlson and mountain bike coach Candace Shadley know what women want. How else to explain why Carlson's every WOMAN conference and Shadley's Trek Dirt Series mountain bike camps have snowballed in the past decade?…

Jumbo-skiers' dream or B.C. taxpayer's sinkhole?

Lynn Martel — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:00 -0700

As Jumbo gets set for summer operations Pique looks at the future of new 'resort' by Lynn Martel Pushing my skis along the skin track third in our group of four, I shuffled my way up the slope. Passing winter-naked larches standing tall and majestic, I remembered how their golden needles glistened against a powder blue autumn sky on my only previous visit to Jumbo Pass.…

Council to review pay parking

Alison Taylor — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:01:00 -0700

Task handed to EPI Committee for attention by Alison Taylor After seemingly putting the issue of paid parking to rest on its first day in office, council is now reopening that controversial can of worms. Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden floated the idea to her team at Tuesday's regular council meeting after receiving an updated report on the revenues and expenses for the day lots in 2012.…

Budget for municipal hall renos up $200K

Alison Taylor — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:00:00 -0700

Work to begin this summer in an effort to update hall, improve customer service by Alison Taylor Whistler's municipal hall needs a facelift: "I don't think this current configuration gives a sense of the success that we're achieving," said municipal CAO Mike Furey in a media briefing on the proposed renovations to the hall and the need to increase the budget by $200,000. On Tuesday night council approved the increase The budget has risen from $275,000 to $475,000.…

Local shoemakers bid farewell to Whistler

Alyssa Noel — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

The couple behind Love Jules Leather has grown too big for their Alpine garage studio by Alyssa Noel Three years ago Whistler residents Josh Blodans and Jules Vagelatos decided to take a leap. Blodans, trained as an accountant, had just finished a contract for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Vagelatos had just run out of funding for self-employment training.…

SLCC proposes $6M bridge

Alyssa Noel — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

by Alyssa Noel and Alison Taylor The Squamish Cultural Lil'wat Centre announced last week it's proposing to build a pedestrian bridge over the Fitzsimmons Creek to connect the centre with the Audain Art Museum. The proposal is part of SLCC's Cultural District Completion Plan to create a cultural district with other arts institutions in the village.…

Of culture and consumerism — developing an artistic hub at Whistler

Michel Beaudry — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

by Michel Beaudry "You have to create culture... create your own roadshow.... If you're worrying about (celebrities and media personalities), then you are disempowered; you're giving it all away to icons, icons that are maintained solely for...(commercial gain).…

Don Schwartz returns to the Spartan Death Race

Andrew Mitchell — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Whistler athlete looking to win battle of physical and mental endurance by Andrew Mitchell Don Schwartz is going back to The Death Race. Even stranger, he's actually looking forward to it.…

Whistler asked to answer questions over "unfair tendering"

Alison Taylor — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Asphalt trucked from Squamish to pave courts at Cheakamus by Alison Taylor The president of the B.C. Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association said Whistler could be engaging in unfair tendering practices when it comes to its municipal roadwork contracts. After a complaint by one of its members — Frank Silveri of Alpine Paving, based in Whistler — president Jack Davidson wrote to the mayor and council last week asking for clarification on the matter.…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Week of May 23rd

Rob Brezsny — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

by Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): "I'm still learning," said Michelangelo when he was 87 years old. For now, he's your patron saint.…

Signal Hill pupils ask for $10,000 for new playground

Cathryn Atkinson — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Youngsters make presentation to Pemberton Council by Cathryn Atkinson Signal Hill pupils may be too young to vote but they now know how to tell politicians about what they want. The 28 Grade 4 and 5 elementary school students presented their case for a new $60,000 playground and outdoor classroom for their school, and requested $10,000 from the Village of Pemberton at its council meeting on May 21.…

Whistler Outdoor Photo Summit returns this fall

Alyssa Noel — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Also in arts news: art at the Squamish Adventure Centre, apply for the Creekside Artisan Market by Alyssa Noel The Whistler Outdoor Photography Summit will return for a fourth year this fall. Workshops will run from Sept. 26 to 29 in conjunction with the Out of Bounds backcountry photo contest.…

Police highway crackdown: 229 tickets, 17 impounds

Andrew Mitchell — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

by Andrew Mitchell The West Vancouver Police teamed up with the Integrated Road Safety Unit, Lower Mainland RCMP Traffic Services, Lower Mainland Traffic Safety Helicopter and Sea to Sky RCMP to target aggressive, high-risk drivers on Highway 99 over the Victoria Day long weekend. Throughout the Sea to Sky corridor police handed out a total of 229 violation tickets with 175 of them for speeding.…

Admissions of a (possible) dog thief

Alyssa Noel — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

by Alyssa Noel A couple of months ago I was running down the Valley Trail when, out of nowhere, a large black dog bounded out of Nita Lake and began to keep pace with me. As a dogless dog lover who dreams, pines and talks constantly about wanting a pup, I was pretty excited to have gained this temporary running partner.…

Supersuckers return to Whistler

Alyssa Noel — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Hold onto your pants, frontman Eddie Spaghetti says, because they plan to rock them off by Alyssa Noel Eddie Spaghetti is not happy about the current state of rock 'n' roll. "Nothing has floated my boat in a while," the Supersuckers' frontman says from Seattle, ahead of an extensive tour.…

Betties host 'One Night Standoff'

Andrew Mitchell — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Roller Derby returns to Whistler with bout at Meadow Park by Andrew Mitchell Whistler's Black Diamond Betties roller derby team made an impressive home debut during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, winning a sold-out bout against the Squamish Sea to Sky Sirens in the Whistler Conference Centre. The team trailed for most of the game, but came out strong in the last few minutes to scratch out its first ever victory.…

Howe Sound Brewing scoops more awards

John French — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Four medals in four different categories for Squamish brewer by John French Winning a national brewing award is a big deal and for one Sea to Sky brewer it is a really big deal four times over. The Howe Sound Brewing Co. entered the annual Canadian Brewing Awards on May 11 and came out of the event with two gold medals, a silver medal and a bronze medal.…

Do the math...win an election?

G. D. Maxwell — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

by G. D. Maxwell I used to have this political science professor who, notwithstanding his long tenure and distinguished scholarship, insisted on teaching the Intro to Poli Sci course to new freshmen every autumn. Other than that, his course load consisted exclusively of senior-level and graduate seminars.…

Lil'wat Nation gains greater control over reserve lands after signing federal act

Cathryn Atkinson — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

Chief Lucinda Phillips flies to Ottawa to sign First Nations Land Management Regime by Cathryn Atkinson The Lil'wat Nation has become a signatory to the federal government's First Nations Land Management Regime (FNLM), a process that will allow it to make decisions on the use of its reserve lands without the need for input from the ministry of aboriginal affairs. Chief Lucinda Phillips flew to Ottawa and signed the framework agreement on March 25 after the Lil'wat was invited to become a signatory in January.…

Olympic season alpine team unveiled

Andrew Mitchell — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

by Andrew Mitchell The 2013-2014 season is a big one for the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, which is arguably coming off its worse season in recent history with just three medals — and none of those at the crucial FIS World Ski Championships. The main focus next season will be the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and the opportunity for the alpine team to win Canada's first Olympic medal since Ed Podivinsky took bronze in the downhill at Alberville in 1994.…

Big turnout for recreation plan open house

Andrew Mitchell — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0700

by Andrew Mitchell Whistler is in the process of developing its first Recreation and Leisure Master Plan to determine future priorities for the resort, and as part of the planning process they opened up the floor to the public last Wednesday, May 15 at an open house. The format was simple: maps were positioned around the room detailing different aspects of recreation, such as indoor recreation opportunities, outdoor recreation opportunities and the trail network.…