Affordability at the top of Amar Varma’s concerns
Amar Varma has been living in Whistler for a year and a half and already he’s had to say good-bye to friends who can no longer afford to live here.
This has prompted him to enter into the political arena and run for a council seat in the upcoming municipal elections.
"I was seeing too many of my old friends that have had houses here... (realize) that there was no way that they could stay here because the costs were going so high," he said.
They have had to cash-out and leave, he said, because they can’t afford to live in Whistler anymore.
"They love the place... but prices are so high that it’s hard for them to make ends meet.
"That’s why I want to be on council."
If elected Varma would like to work on a plan to keep the people who made Whistler here.
"(I want) to make sure that there is a plan set up so people who built this place to be as beautiful as it is, are able to enjoy it," he said.
Varma is a contract accountant who works out of his home.
He moved to Whistler last year but has been coming here frequently since the early ’90s when he lived in Vancouver. He has many friends who are Whistlerites.
Originally he is from New Brunswick and has spent time in Toronto and Edmonton.
When asked why he decided to settle in Whistler he said: "The snow. The people. The atmosphere. It’s a big city in a small town, all in one."
Whistler’s abundant offerings of outdoor activities were also a big draw, fuelling his passion for skiing, hiking, boating and canoeing.
He said hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics would be good for the municipality, enhancing Whistler’s place on the world stage.
