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Letters to the editor for the week of August 29th

Extraordinary Ironman My wife, Dr. Jen Law, and I were participants in the recent Ironman event and had the privilege of cycling through your beautiful town and valley.
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Extraordinary Ironman

My wife, Dr. Jen Law, and I were participants in the recent Ironman event and had the privilege of cycling through your beautiful town and valley.

The support and encouragement from the volunteers and community was extraordinary and made the event particularly special.

However, special mention and thanks to "Rob" who gave me half his tuna salad sandwich at an aid station in the valley.

Frankly, I reckon that got me up those hills back to Whistler!

Thanks, Pemberton and thanks, Rob.

Dr. Bill Lancashire

Port Macquarie, NSW Australia

Can't wait until next year

Together we did it! By all accounts, Ironman Canada's first year in the Sea to Sky was a success and we have so many people to thank for it. Our deepest thanks go out to Pemberton and Whistler residents; our 2,600 volunteers from Sea to Sky and beyond; our 2,600 athletes; our local event and operations partners; and our thousands of enthusiastic, off-the-chart awesome spectators. 

Thank you to everyone, and we mean everyone, for your patience during race-day traffic interruptions and to the many people who jumped in and helped out wherever they saw we could use a hand.

The passion and generosity of the Pemberton and Whistler communities made a huge impression on our athletes. And none of them can stop talking about the beauty of this region — thanks for sharing it with us.

The first year of staging an Ironman event in any venue has its challenges, but with your tremendous help and support, Ironman Canada 2013 is already legend in Ironman circles. We can't wait to return for Ironman Canada 2014, on July 27, 2014. Many of you have offered great suggestions for next year and we welcome your feedback at canada@ironman.com.

Looking forward to Ironman Canada 2014 and sharing another stunning weekend with you.

Keats McGonigal, Evan Taylor, Donna Savage, Maureen Douglas

Ironman Canada 2013 Local Event Team

Wow and thank you

Whistler and Pemberton you pulled off an amazing Ironman race and helped fulfill the athletic dreams of 2,500 athletes!

The energy from the volunteers and spectators was incredible.

Thanks to Donna Savage for pulling together the best volunteer captains and their teams. They volunteered days before the event then started at 4 a.m. on Sunday and didn't finishing until after midnight. Some woke up the next morning to help out again! The volunteers welcomed us to Whistler, checked us in, wrote numbers on our legs, pulled off our wetsuits, guided us in and out of transition, cheered for us, fed us, supported us and then at the end caught us in their arms, placed medals around our chest and congratulated us.

You volunteers are the true champions on race day and we the athletes are grateful!

Thanks to the people of Pemberton for coming out and making each athlete's day a success and cheering on the streets encouraging us along.

Thank you to the Resort Municipality of Whistler for hosting and embracing such a great event.

And last, thank you to all of the people who helped support me and my fundraising efforts to reach my goal, who cheered me on, yelled out my name, wrote my name on a sign, passed me a water, powerade, coke, banana and ice — you all inspired me to keep on moving forward, dig a little deeper and to keep smiling!

You all made me feel so special to be a Whistler local!!

Christine Suter

Whistler

Thanks from the Flag Stop Festival!

Thank you to everyone who came out to The Point Artist-Run Centre for the second-annual Flag Stop Theatre & Arts Festival on Aug. 16-17. The weather wasn't stellar on Friday night, but the children's theatre and music performances got things off to a great start inside the lodge to an appreciative audience of parents and general public. Rachel Thom entertained the dinner crowd with beautiful piano and vocals, followed by Mind of a Snail Shadow Puppet Theatre's mind-bending Inside Outlet show. Then Kalan Wi of Mt. Currie/Vancouver filled the dance floor from the first song to the last with their Lil'wat-style roots reggae.

Face painting, lantern making, and live music by Michael Faiella carried on Saturday afternoon despite the clouds. Then the sky broke open for the evening events as Bocephus King performed an acoustic set for the dinner crowd, the Script-Tease Improv troupe took to the floating stage, The Auditor saw its premiere performance to a packed house inside the lodge, and Bocephus King took it away from there to once again fill the dance floor. By the time the lantern boat procession got underway, the lake was calm and the sky perfectly clear.

Thanks also to the generous team of volunteers at The Point who made it all happen, to the RMOW for helping to nurture local culture, and to the many local businesses whose support allows us to properly remunerate the talented artists at the heart of the festival. The contributing artists from Whistler to Vancouver to Mt. Currie make this grassroots festival a truly unique and authentic cultural offering in the Sea to Sky area. We hope it continues to grow and evolve for many years to come.

The 2nd Annual Flag Stop Theatre & Arts Festival was sponsored by Tapley's Pub, Nesters Market, Local Automotive, Parallel 49 Brewing Company, Nita Lake Lodge, Pique Newsmagazine, Mountain FM, Pasta Lupino, Burntstew Computers, Whistler Foto Source, Southside Diner, Armchair Books, Bearfoot Bistro, Dubh Linn Gate, Pure Bread, Whistler Roasting Company, Whistler Clearance Centre and Whistler Film Festival. Special thanks to Marnie Gibson for help with Saturday's accommodations.

Stephen Vogler

Artistic director, The Point Artist-Run Centre

A heartfelt thanks from Skiis and Biikes

I had the opportunity last week to be part of, and witness, the amazing support we have here in Whistler when it comes to requiring a helping hand.

Skiis and Biikes was the main sponsor for last week's Toonie Race, which was Tunnel Vision bound with a Creekside after-party, till a fairly large monkey-wrench was thrown in the works and a new locale for Apres was needed. This led to a new course and special events license and, and, and... well the list grew longer and longer — but then people started to jump in the pool with me, helping me keep my head afloat.

I could throw a blanket thank you out there, but hope you can bear with me for a list of those that saved my bacon.

First and foremost Christine Cuthbert, secretary of Worca extraordinaire who repeatedly reminded me of the million small things that go into a Toonie Race, kept laughing hysterically at my blundering, and pretty much laid out the race course (with me nodding absentmindedly) while getting the word out to everyone and anyone of importance to get it approved.

Suki Cheyne for her cartography skills on the computer, patience with me in my hour of need and getting it to Jen Caroll at the Muni who then gladly approved my crazy plan the morning of race day.

A sigh of relief and thanks to Guy Auger of Riverside Campground for providing a great relaxed space in which to eat drink and be merry after the race.

Rob Knapton for his day-off heroics and pretty much insuring that a good time could be had by all in post race libations without breaking the law and that being said, Colin from Whistler Brewing for the always delicious kegs of cold frosty ales!!! Trevor Hopkins from IGA for the pop and chips without which any good BBQ burger or dog is not complete.

To my staff and all their boyfriends/girlfriends and just friends that helped to set up, tear down and marshal the course with great enthusiasm (thank you Mike and David for the great course marking). I can't say thanks enough, stressed as I was you just kept asking what else needed to be done.

Lastly, but most importantly, thanks to my always-supportive wife Melanie who on our only day off together let me go to my workplace and drive to Squamish for provisions so the race could be a success.

I hope I got everyone and just wait till next year when I have more time and more resources... it's gonna be a doozy of a race I promise you.

Erin Keam, General Manager

Skiis and Biikes, Whistler

Where's the beef? It's in Pemberton

I couldn't help but respond to Mr. Doug Garnett's colourful synopsis of his Slow Food Cycle experience (Pique, Aug.22). Everybody is entitled to their opinion, in fact I encourage this, it only allows growth.

However, when opinion starts to overshadow fact, well that's inappropriate.

First off, I want to applaud the Slow Food Cycle vendors that stepped up with their time, energy, reputation, and dollars — it's no easy task to set-up an off-site venue and deliver a product that would, in many cases, not regularly be served from a farm yard, especially to an unknown volume of people. Your efforts are a huge part of this event!

I hope we can all take in the feedback both constructive and positive and apply it to the future. You are all a special part of this event.

I am the guy responsible for bringing the 700 burgers to the Pemberton Meadows Natural Beef Farm. Mr. Garnett's comments: "I doubt whether the beef was locally produced, and I suspect it came frozen from a huge processing plant somewhere thousands of kilometers from Pemberton," couldn't be further from fact.

Comments like this without any fact checking are plain reckless, I am proud to say that, "I know where my meat comes from" proudly Pemberton!

Myself, and the team, were proud to be on the Mitchell Farm showcasing a great beef product that is being raised here in the Pemberton Valley.

Randy Jones

Mile One Eating House

Pemberton

More to 'local fare' than meets the eye

This letter is in response to last week's letter to the editor entitled, "Where was the local fare?" Pique Aug 22.

Eating local comes in many potato shapes and cookie forms. Sometimes local means brushing off the dirt of a locally grown carrot before crunching in, other times it's licking the last sweet morsels of a homemade pie from your fingertips.

That pie may not be made from hand-ground flour and sugar harvested by a neighbouring sugar cane plantation, but it is local. A local has put their heart and soul into preparing it, every dime a buyer spends goes directly into that local's pocket (not some corporate food giant) and a face-to-face connection is made between the farmer/food artisan and the buyer; an opportunity for conversation.

Eating local is more than just ingredients. It's about supporting your community, contributing to the local economy, encouraging farmers and food artisans to continue on their hard-working plights, and educating yourself about what it is being put into your body. This is what Slow Food Cycle Sunday is all about. And this is what they achieve year after year.

A huge thank you to the organizers, volunteers, farmers and food artisans who make this one of the most looked forward to events of the year by many. I lift my bike helmet off to you all.

Even at eight months pregnant, there was no keeping my husband and I from this magical event, which had me glowing ear to ear — and no it wasn't my pregnancy.

It was bumping into everyone I know, feasting on the awe-inspiring views of the Pemberton Valley while pedalling along a mercifully flat road, and most importantly, it was the food.

Glorious food I wouldn't waste a smear on a napkin on. There were Sugar Momma Pastries butterfly fondant cookies so beautiful they almost flew away — almost. And then we had the Frostbite Snow Cones (OK, maybe two). Icy peaks were doused in homemade syrups of roasted plum lemongrass, peach pie, strawberry basil and blackberry ginger. We also discovered the Half Baked Cookie Company shortbread for the first time. The cardamom ginger was my favourite, but I "settled" for my husband's pick of a package of coconut shortbread. We had every intention of not opening the bag until we were home.

My sweet tooth was satiated with the savoury as well. We caught up with Araxi's executive chef James Walt to devour a golden fish taco with relish – technically coleslaw.

Pemberton farms are showcased year round on the Araxi menu thanks to Walt's diligent dedication to freezing, pickling and preserving local pulled-from-the-ground eats.

You can learn a lot from any one of the Slow Food Cycle hosts — this is where the "slow" part of the title comes in. It's about taking the time to stop and pedal your curiosity and learn more — like where you can find local finds outside of the event like Pemberton Meadows Beef at Nesters and the transported-me-back to Spain gazpacho soup from Alta Bistro. And then to top it all off, we left with my bike basket overflowing with veggies from Root Down Organics — I would drive all the way to Pemberton and back just for their heirloom tomatoes. The filet mignon of the veggie world. We again feasted like queens and princes that night.

A food writer for many years, a culinary traveller and passionate cook/baker, as well as an active member of the Sea to Sky community and avid cyclist (more cruiser than mountain bike these days), Slow Food Cycle Sunday puts everything I love about my home into one basket, into one day and then to top it all of this year, the weather gods were merciful with only a smattering of sun among the clouds to keep this pregnant lady riding cool for the morning/afternoon.

Just another incredible experience that makes the Sea to Sky so unique, and so proud.

Thank you again to organizers and see you next year with my chariot in tow — which will technically be my baby's second event. Start them young, I say.

Nicole Fitzgerald

Whistler

Missing the point of Slow Food

I'm sending this letter to Doug Garnett after his letter last week in Pique (Aug 22): I thought my three-year-old nephew had first prize for the whining trophy.  Maybe Mr. Garnett should have just stayed in Whistler and cycled to the McDonalds for his one-minute hamburger and power-packed Starbucks coffee?

And, oh yes, the weather was cloudy and cool — sorry. It is beyond any mortal's power (even the Slow Food Cycle organizers) to do something about that. But heck, that's something else to add to his hysterical whine.

I have done the Slow Food Cycle every year since it started. Every year it has improved due to the hard work and planning put into it by the organizers.  Maybe Mr. Garnett should read up on the concept of "slow food," it might enlighten him.

I always enjoy visiting the farms, seeing where and how our food is grown, tasting the delicious samples of food prepared by the visiting chefs and meeting the farmers who grow this healthy food for us.

I also enjoyed the gelato made in Whistler, and coffee that is roasted locally but grown elsewhere. The local music was great too, but according to Mr. Garnett's criteria none of them should have been there.

A big thank you to all the people who worked so hard to put this event together.  It was a great success and 4,000 of us — minus one — enjoyed the experience.

Sharon Tschopp

Pemberton

Perhaps we should impound bicycles?

In regards to Peter Wortman's letter (Pique, Aug.22) about cyclists needing to share the road I have to say I agree with every word of it — although I have a few things to add.

First of all where are the helmets? Where is the common sense at all out there? Since helmets are the law, why are so many taking part in an event that don't have them, and why are they even allowed?

The Slow Food Cycle should be called "slow-anything-goes-that-I-feel-like doing" cycle. Single file has gone out the window.

There has been suggestions about closing the road, well just forget it. We already getting our constitutional rights trod on by the Ironman event telling us we can't leave our homes all day on an only-access road. Does this strike anyone else as being dumber than a bag of nails? 

Come on, the Slow Food Cycle isn't really about food and farms. That's a farce. All it is, is a gigantic pain-in-the-you-know-what social.

It's needlessly chaotic and lawless, simply because there are just too many people. Sending 4,000 people down a long, windy only-access road is quite simply dumb.

It's not even just the Slow Food Cycle (needless to mention my alternate names for it). It's every day. Cyclists are not heeding the rules of the road. OK some are, but have you every seen a bicycle rider actually stop at a stop sign? Personally, I never have.

A lot of them are riding down the wrong side of the road constantly, and as for single file, forget that. 

Why on earth don't we just impound their bikes, like what would be done with cars during lawless times? That might just level the playing field.

Well, I feel amazingly well after I've had my say, but just one more thing — living here is like paradise lost when it gets invaded and disrespected. Try to imagine what it's like in your backyard then start telling other people to shut up and put up.

Rhonda Gilmore

Pemberton Meadows

Share the trails

The letter to the editor "Valley Trail courtesy" written by Samantha Royle, published Aug. 8, 2013, is confirmation of my article submitted to the Pique over 15 years ago relating to exactly the same subject.

At that time I was visiting Whistler and had taken some time to explore the valley trails of Whistler. In this case, the mountain biker ran my dog off the trail and into the bushes.

Was the mountain biker rude? No, he came up behind us and yelled "behind you!" However, he came up so fast that when we turned around we didn't have time to react to where he was.

I dropped the leash on the ground, I went one way, the dog went the other way into the bushes and the biker proceeded off. He did apologize while cycling away, but it really didn't help much since I was wrestling the dog out of the blackberry bushes.

I grew up skiing Whistler and one of the things pounded into me was that when you ski up behind someone and want to pass them you call "on your left/right." Common logic dictates that this should apply to, well, any situation. 

As Royle states: "please remember these valley trails are shared." Also remember to look at who is in front of you. Mountain bikers are a great group of people but bikes can come up really fast on people.

The same goes for everyone using the trails whether they are on foot, bikes, rollerblades etc. The person in front will move out of your way if you tell them which way to go in a respectful manner. 

I just recently ran a 50km ultra marathon in Squamish where the majority of the race utilizes mountain biking trails.

The trail was not closed off to the public and we did encounter bikers on the trail. The bikers were all awesome and very courteous of the runners.

I realize that in my case, runners can be a pain on a trail for mountain bikers because we are slower but it goes back to courtesy. The person in front may not realize you are there. 

We all share the trails. Let's all be able to enjoy them.

Erika Higgins

Campbell River

Return to normal madness

Hopefully now that the Ironman is over we can get back to the normal stress of travelling along Highway 99. This last month has seen an increase of idiots on the road between Pemberton and Whistler, both two-wheeled and four-wheeled.

The definition of "highway" is a paved road, used between towns to transport people and goods, not as your own personal training track. I especially like that I have to stop at "red" lights but you don't, and you can cycle two abreast and cross over the fog line without looking or indicating and then give me the finger!

I didn't realize "spandex" made you invincible and above the rules of the road.

As for the drivers, if you can't safely pass the cyclists then slow down and wait until it's safe to pass.

Don't do as some of these idiots are and cross the centre line, forcing oncoming traffic to move over the fog line to stop being hit by you.

Back to cyclists, if they are road bikers, then are they insured through ICBC and why don't they have number plates, the same as the rest of us?

Jim Clark

Pemberton