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Letters to the Editor for the week of November 13th

In remembrance For almost 20 years, I have had the great honour of helping to facilitate Whistler's Service of Remembrance.
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In remembrance

For almost 20 years, I have had the great honour of helping to facilitate Whistler's Service of Remembrance.

Once again this year, the support, the emotion and the love for our armed services personnel was on display; it is beyond my ability to describe.

On behalf of the Whistler Remembrance Day Committee I want to thank the community of Whistler for its collective demonstration of commitment and understanding to the sacrifice made and the pain endured.

The outpouring of love and respect for those lost, and for our serving military members is beyond measure.

This years' Remembrance truly highlights the depth and power of the Whistler community spirit.

So many contribute so much to make this Remembrance possible.

Jacqui Tyler, Anne Townley, Jack Crompton and Rae McDonald offered such poignant, heartfelt letters from the front to family — thank you all.

Without the hard work and immeasurable support of Louise Buchholz, the service would not be possible.

Merci.

Brian Buchholz

Facilitator, Whistler Service of Remembrance

Whistler economics 101

It's not my intention to insult the readers. For Dummies is a popular book series explaining different subjects and I wish to explain my view of the Whistler's economic model (using this idea).

I cannot claim any special scientific knowledge, but can claim credentials in graduating in macroeconomics and living in Whistler for eight years. This topic is an example what was not, but should have been vigorously discussed in this election.

Whistler's economic model is a monopolistic triumvirate of Whistler Blackcomb (WB) — with its monopoly of the ski hill, owners of the village retail spaces, and the RMOW, which with its restrictive policies protects this setup.

Another element is the semi-competitive, fairly high-priced (except for some off-season deals) tourist lodging capacities, for which it is trumpeted that Whistler has excessive capacity.

The RMOW is preventing full competitiveness with various restrictions on usage and bed limit.

This excessive capacity can be seen from two points. Suppliers and the RMOW maintain that there is too much supply and not enough demand — tourists.

But from the market view it means that prices are too high to find demand.

This does not necessarily mean that only lodging prices are too high. The lack of demand for lodging is caused by prices of WB ski passes, one of the highest in the world. Ski passes/tickets are one of the main components to be included in somebody's ski-vacation budget.

Also, there are no really cheap lodging options in Whistler. Businesses have to operate successfully to create profit. They can do this in two ways: They can maximize total overall profit, or they can maximize the profit rate.

In the first case, due to the force of the market, a business increases supply until the "last" unit sold brings no profit, marginal profit rate is zero but total profit is at maximum. An example could be Walmart.

In the second case, the corporation will only sell if each unit achieves predetermined high marginal profit rate. There is less total profit but higher profit rate. The current Whistler model works well in the "good" times. It fails miserably in more challenging times such as we have had, and we may have for some time to come, despite many years of nearly perfect snow conditions.

So, what does this all mean? It means that Whistler is not maximizing its total potential and benefit from tourism for the general population, and not just for limited elements of the model.

Whistler's is a monopolistic model, yet the global ski vacation market is highly competitive and subject to many risks. That is why taxes are so high, and there are not enough well-paid jobs, and not enough opportunities for small local tourist and retail businesses. These are some of the reasons why most local young people have to leave Whistler.

For this model to change, some drastic changes need to take place. The lift portion of WB should be taken over by the municipality and treated more like lift companies in Europe, as a transportation utility.

Renting to tourists should be totally liberalized; not because it is very offensive to restrict rights to private property, but also because it would provide competition and more tourists could come and the total economic benefit would increase. In Europe, more young people can remain in the community with better chances to earn a living.

Some of the parking lots 1-5 could be developed with covered parking and on the top a new, totally different village with small, cheap retail spaces for many creative Whistler artists and small businesses. I asked our previous mayor, Ken Melamed, in a council meeting if parking lots could be developed, would that be worth a lot of money to the community.

He said they were in the flood plain. At the next meeting I asked the question again, if proper flood remediation was possible, was development feasible then. Grudgingly he agreed. I am encouraged to see that development has already started with the Audain Art Museum. Parking lots are an environmental sore, the lands are enormously valuable and can provide for many of Whistler's needs, provided free parking is maintained.

Lot 5 should be given to First Nations to turn it into a casino. Every little ski town in Europe has a casino. They contribute to the economy and provide good permanent local employment. And, it is First Nations' land anyhow, if we want to be just.

I know all this flies in the face of Whistler's hard-core sustainability and zero-growth dogma.

I outlined this not because I am proponent for any developer or I have my own agenda to benefit, but because in the economics there is an axiom: "Business that does not grow stagnates or dies."

Dead or stagnating business is not sustainable either. I see Whistler as enormously vulnerable.

I also believe that the primary role of the municipality is to ensure the health and safety of the community, provide common services, protect our basic rights and conduct non-coercive economic policies that result in the maximum benefit for the total community, not just for parts of it.

It is not its role to protect profits of selected owners at expense of others.

Drago Arh

Whistler

Sustainability documentary inspires Whistlerites

I would like to thank everyone who came to our screening of the documentary, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret at Whistler Public Library last week.

We had a packed house and it was very inspiring to see that so many people were motivated to come out and learn about such an important issue. As Whistlerites we feel a deep connection with the environment and understand, perhaps more than most, its fragility and the need for us to contribute the best we can to take care of it.

The movie taught us that we can all take a small step that has a significant effect in preserving and healing our environment, and those we share it with.   

I would also like to thank our wonderful speakers: Ken Melamed and Claire Ruddy, and the Whistler Public Library for partnering with us on this event and making it possible.

If anyone missed the screening the DVD is available to rent from the library and there will be another screening hosted by Whistler Jivamukti Yoga School on Dec. 31.

There is a well-known quote by Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

We may be a small town, but we are passionate about the environment, and by living the example we can influence the many international visitors we host.

We have an opportunity to create a ripple effect that is far reaching.

Hayley Ingman

Co-Founder, Earthsave Whistler

Fraser River sockeye salmon are protected

Our government has long recognized the importance of protecting sockeye salmon in the Fraser River. Justice Cohen provided us with valuable information that influences our day-to-day work of protecting salmon. We are responding to his recommendations not by producing another written document, but by taking concrete actions that make a real difference.

First of all, our government committed $54 million over five years that will help bolster environmental protection in the aquaculture sector through science, enhanced regulatory regime and improved reporting. Additionally, as recommended by the report, the moratorium for aquaculture development in the Discovery Islands areas will not be lifted in the foreseeable future.

We also created a new program to support recreational fisheries conservation activities through partnerships with community groups. twenty-eight projects related to Pacific salmon in B.C., totalling up to $1.8 million, received funding under the first round of the program.

In addition, we are dedicating all revenues collected from the Salmon Conservation Stamp to the Pacific Salmon Foundation, which means approximately $1 million more every year to support the Foundation's great work.

Our Government's Salmonid Enhancement Program operates 23 salmon hatcheries and spawning channels, which release hundreds of millions of juvenile salmon every year. I was proud to be in B.C. in October to announce a $34.2 million investment to upgrade and modernize these hatcheries and spawning channels.

All of these initiatives are in addition to our Government's annual investments in Pacific salmon, which total more than $65 million per year, including $20 million directly related to Fraser River sockeye. This funding is focused on priorities such as monitoring projects to understand where mortality is occurring and the causes for the fluctuations and changes in productivity of salmon.

The Fraser River sockeye return in 2014 is estimated to be about 20 million fish, which is very encouraging. Our government will continue to work on enhancing, conserving and rebuilding wild salmon in British Columbia.

The Honourable Gail Shea

Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

Fungus Among Us

Thanks to everyone who helped celebrate our natural world during the 12th annual Fungus Among Us Mushroom Festival.

This year's turnout was the biggest yet. Over 175 keen folks were led into the woods by our 16 fungus gurus. It's taken a couple of weeks to confirm what exactly was found, and we can now report 166 different types mushrooms, of which 15 hadn't been previously recorded in Whistler. The total number of species known in Whistler is now comfortably over 800.

The Whistler Naturalists would thank our key sponsors: the Community Foundation of Whistler, AWARE, RMOW and Nesters Market for donating supplies for the mushroom tasting.

Special thanks also go to:

• Juliet Pendray and the Toadstool Troupe for their highly entertaining performance on fungal speed dating;  

• Andy MacKinnon for his talk and fantastic fungal compilation — the "Fabulous Fungus Film Festival;"

• Kevin Trim for donating his fungus sculptures for our raffle;  

• The fabulous mushroom gurus for leading the walks on Saturday and for the fungus display;

• Gourmet chefs Paul Moran and Stephanie Noel for presenting the hugely popular cooking with mushrooms demonstration and tasting;

• The great group of volunteers who helped out, and all the folks that came out to share their enthusiasm and wonder for all things fungal.

See you next year!

Bob Brett, Kristina Swerhun, Julie Burrows, and Kathy Jenkins

on behalf of the Whistler Naturalists

Get out to vote

When I vote in the upcoming local election, there are some key issues I think need to be addressed.

We have created our physical buildings and infrastructure, but now we have to create a sustainable environment and work to strengthen the heart of our community even more.

Some of the issues I am concerned about include the following: 

1) We have a sewer treatment plant that only cleans the water to a certain standard and it could be improved upon. This sewer system allows pharmaceutical drugs, and other chemicals, to go untreated into our rivers.

Those chemicals/pharmaceuticals go into the rivers and are consumed by the salmon poisoning them, and in turn we eat those salmon and poison ourselves. We could look at putting in a new ecologically friendly system.

We have an opportunity to set a higher standard, and be the first ones to make the change, and act as role models for other communities that live downstream from us.

2) We could partner with the Independent Power Projects (IPP) and put in fish hatcheries, and study the effects of the IPPs to see if they actually harm the fish. The whole valley here has many IPP's and we could get grants to do studies.

3) Let's put some money into an Economic Development Officer to bring longer-term jobs here.  

4) Seventy to a hundred thousand bottles of alcohol are consumed every month here in the valley. I would like to see more energy put into the Winds of Change, such as supporting drug and alcohol counsellors that are free to community members, and advertising for addiction support services like NA an AA.  

5) We need more focus groups to help create healthy community projects.  

6) I would like to also see the welfare office and food bank services improved for locals who are having financial difficulties, so they don't have to travel to Vancouver or Squamish.

To the people of Pemberton please get out and vote. These are some of my ideas, but you have to put it out there, and give the candidates some direction and really listen to the candidates and see if they are even remotely interested in what you think Pemberton should be.

Thanks to all the candidates for wanting to serve your community.

Good luck.

Martin Dahinden

Pemberton

Halloween re-imagined

A huge thank-you once again to the amazing families of Tapley's Farm for another spooktacular Halloween! Nesters went all out with the fireworks display, as always, with Whistler Fire Rescue Services volunteering to make it safe.

The weather also came through, which seemed a little unreal given the forecast and the fact that over 25 centimetres of rain fell over the previous few weeks. Only six days out of the 31 in October were dry.

Of course, this is nothing unusual for this part of the world. There was even snow in the forecast only a few days earlier, and a real chance that the high on Halloween could have been a few degrees below zero.

It's also worth mentioning that the crowds in Tapley's were a little smaller than I remember from past years, and there were fewer homes handing out candy.

The reason is obvious, with other neighbourhoods now hosting Halloween events of their own, and families and kids staying closer to home. As for Tapley's, many of the families that started the Halloween tradition have since left, or their own children have grown up.

Why focus on the weather and the crowds? Because as much as I love Halloween and the tradition of trick or treating, there's no question that the weather is hit or miss. It also gets dark ridiculously early. And with three or four different major Halloween events taking place around Whistler, our kids are now all over the map instead of in one place where they can be together.

What I'd like to see happen is for Whistler to make Halloween a true community event once again.

In places like Victoria, Halloween takes place indoors at the mall, while other towns will hold events at community centres. The benefit of hosting an indoor event is that it's warm and dry, the kids don't have to wear snow suits/rain gear over their costumes, and it's not too dark to see those costumes an hour after they step out the front door.

What if we changed Halloween, and got away from neighbourhood trick-or-treating? What if we held a community event at the conference centre, where weather isn't an issue?

The kids could do a Halloween Parade around the village, or even trick or treat at stores along the Village Stroll. After, the fun could move indoors with pumpkin carving demonstrations, an arts and crafts table, fun Halloween-themed contests, a dance party, a teen dance party, live music and performances, a haunted house by the Whistler Secondary grad class, scary stories, a scary art show, a costume contest, and more.

We could even put the hundreds of Halloween decorations collected by residents over the years to use!

I know there would be a cost attached to hosting an event like this, but there are a lot of kids and families in Whistler, and many would make a donation or pay a small fee to be part of a great, dry and warm community evening.

This is only an idea, of course, and it would take a large community effort to bring it together, but in my mind it's a great way to bring the community together for a celebration that we all seem to enjoy.

Andrew Mitchell

Whistler

Say 'no' to unsightly erection

So now that I have your attention, I am requesting an urgent call to action. An international cell tower landlord to the telcos called SBA has applied to build a 35-metre cell tower on the northwest corner of the village north entry.

It would be steps from the Whistler's Childrens' Center, and rise above the corner of Highway 99 and Lorimer Road as a permanent feature of the valley floor. To put its height into perspective, its top elevation would be similar to the Audain Museum crane, with similar Transport Canada mandated light beacons. Its style would resemble either that of a tortured version of a discount store Christmas tree or a monolithic spatula. We get this false choice.

Why is this site being proposed? It is central. SBA currently has a portable trailered 10-metre tower parked there, so we may presume it is their easier and lowest cost alternative. One can only speculate that SBA will have eager tenants for the newly proposed beacon, given the lucrative roaming charges earned from our out of town guests.

What can you do? As a first step, support The municipality and council in saying "no" to this proposal by attending the council meeting on December 2, and then voice your displeasure to SBA's at their Dec. 10 open house at Myrtle Philip school.

Thankfully, at the end of 2013, previous council and staff installed a protocol to review and approve or decline such proposals. But its voracity relies critically on our involvement. It is unconscionable that we would expand a cell tower facility within a few hundred metres of our daycare.

Further, this artificial monolith would permanently besmirch our recent progress on village beautification. Zoning bylaws, conceived before the advent of cell phone ubiquity, may not provide our anecdote either, and federal jurisdiction comes into play. Do you now recognize the challenge this represents?

Second, assuming SBA is defeated, we cannot just say NIMBY. Cell coverage is a necessary evil. Simplistically, if Whistler was a flat, circular, industrial town, then a high tower in its center would be the preferred solution for us as it would emit less total "signal" for equivalent coverage.

However, we live in a long narrow valley blessed with natural and man-made features (many owned by the municipality) ready made for stealth antennae. Let's support the new council getting in front of this issue by giving the protocol some bite. But if we then don't hash out where the telcos can locate their towers and in what form, the telco landlords will direct us, and we won't like the visual and electronic effluent that follows.

Mark your calendars.

Stan and Lynda Kranjc

Whistler