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Business person of the year to be announced Tuesday

The Whistler Chamber of Commerce will announce the winner of the 20 th annual Business Person of the Year award at its Dec. 16 luncheon, which is also the organization’s annual general meeting.

As well, the chamber will announce its new board of directors at the Tuesday meeting, which takes place at the Nita Lake Lodge. This is the second year that the chamber has elected board members in an online vote. A total of 122 businesses — 15 per cent of total membership — voted this year. Last year 112 businesses voted.

Maureen Douglas, director of community relations for VANOC, will be the guest speaker at the luncheon. She will provide an update on current VANOC activities and an overview of some of the events happening in 2009, including Olympic test events.

The luncheon is sponsored by Ronald McDonald House Charities. To register call Jaime at 604-932-5922 or visit www.whistlerchamber.com

 

Mix and match

The Whistler Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Whistler have lifted the velvet rope on the Commercial Space Matching Program, which previously only served the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Anyone who wants to rent commercial space during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games can now sign up to the program, which matches people looking for commercial space with people who can provide it.

Until recently VANOC, as well as National Olympic Committees, International Sport Federations and sponsors and partners, were the only ones who could access it. Lately, there’s been a lot of interest from out-of-town groups to get space during the Games, so the chamber has opened it up.

Anyone interested in renting space can look at the possibilities on whistlerchamber.com.

 

Avalanche hits Creekside

Whistler’s Avalanche Pizza Company, famous for its organic dough, will soon be opening at the old Nick and Willy’s Pizza location in Whistler Creekside.

Avalanche co-owner Gurmeet Waraich confirmed to Pique on Dec. 8 that the company has already taken over the location and will be opening up shop in Creekside next week.

“We decided to move over there and maybe do more business,” he said.

Waraich added that Avalanche will remain in its current location in Whistler Village, in a courtyard in Whistler Village Centre, behind Village 8 Cinemas.

Avalanche Pizza has been flinging pizza pies to Whistlerites since 2000. Since then Avalanche has twice won Pique ’s Best of Whistler award for best pizza.

With Nick and Willy’s gone it may seem like a less-crowded field for best pizza in town, but that may not be the case. Avalanche still has at least seven places to contend with, including Panoli’s Pizzeria, which just opened on Main Street this year.

 

A Revolution ends

Whistlerites will need to find a new place to get their hair and nails done, as Revolution Salon and Spa has officially closed its doors.

Fiona Famulak, president of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce, confirmed in an interview with Pique that the chamber learned of its closing last week, but she could not provide any further information.

A call to Revolution Salon and Spa turned up a dead phone line, and calls to Mimi Morris, the salon’s proprietor, went unreturned.

A former stylist with Revolution said Morris called all her employees recently and told them the business was closing. She said “tough times” and the departure of two key staff members forced the closure, but that Morris did “everything she could” to keep it afloat.

Former stylists and estheticians have posted their names and phone numbers on the front door of Revolution’s former space.

 

Conde Nast loves Whistler!

You know you’re cool if the publishers of Vanity Fair like you.

Whistler Blackcomb has been named North America’s best ski resort town in Conde Nast Traveller, a magazine published by the same people behind Vanity Fair, Vogue, the New Yorker and GQ.

Whistler Blackcomb came first in top-10 rankings that also included Telluride, Aspen, Jackson Hole and Park City. Sun Peaks, another British Columbia resort, came 10 th .

Whistler also won the contest for best “après-ski” activities and best local dining. Big White beat Whistler-Blackcomb for top terrain and Deer Valley won for best lifts and lines.