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Perceptions of the election campaign. I find it very hard to feel confident about supporting candidates in the upcoming municipal election that already cannot even follow simple instructions and abide by municipal bylaws.

Perceptions of the election campaign.

I find it very hard to feel confident about supporting candidates in the upcoming municipal election that already cannot even follow simple instructions and abide by municipal bylaws. Did they take the time to get informed or did they just not care?

I am embarrassed for those candidates who see fit to mount their election signs to hydro and telephone poles as well as nail them to live trees. In the sign permit application that all candidates were required to complete; it specifies where and how signs can be placed. One mayoral candidate and at least four council candidates saw fit to use hydro-poles for their campaign signs around prominent village roads.

If one wants to use the basic criteria of reading instructions, obeying the rules and abiding by the law, many of the candidates running could be easily eliminated. It's not what candidates promise in elections; it is about how they become informed, how they pay attention to detail, and what they do that counts.

Alison Bernard

Whistler

Whistler-Blackcomb would like to respond to the Oct. 18th Pique article "Four names added to Ballot."

In the article, Rick Andre indicates that his decision to run for council is based on a friend's experience with being asked to leave Whistler-Blackcomb Employee Residence.

We would like to clear up any confusion created by Rick Andre's comments. Whistler-Blackcomb is very committed to providing housing for our seasonal employees; each year we provide over 1,200 beds to first season and returning seasonal employees.

During the spring, summer and fall we welcome any valley employee to live in these facilities. In addition, during the fall recruiting period any individual involved in the recruiting process is welcome to reside in employee residence. Once the recruiting fair has been completed (mid-late November), Whistler-Blackcomb employees are our sole priority.

Kirby Brown,

Director of Employee Experience

Intrawest at Whistler/Blackcomb

Whistler Mountain Ski Club thanks all supporters of this year’s SWAP (Sale With Awesome Prices). THE SWAP combines a consignment sale for quality pre-owned equipment manned by ski club volunteers (alumni members, parents and juvenile racers), and a new merchandise sale that features several well known Whistler retailers. Proceeds from THE SWAP benefit the club’s ski racing programs and contribute to the development of our juvenile athletes and future champions.

Thanks to Wild Willies, Snowcovers, McCoo’s, Mountain Shop, and Helly Hansen who participated again as in recent years. Thank you to all our volunteers and the shopping public who were "intent" (and in the tent), preparing for the upcoming winter sports season.

Special appreciation and thank you to Whistler-Blackcomb’s Retail and Rental Division who, besides participating, promoted and hosted the event again this year in conjunction with the Whistler-Blackcomb Turkey Sale.

Thank you all again for your support!

Ken Chaddock

www.whistlermountainskiclub.com

Director, THE SWAP Y2002

Where is Whistler heading? Your newspaper asks.

Right now it’s boom or bust. It’s doubtful most of the "new" candidates for council can afford to live here. Property taxes and rents are the highest in British Columbia. Our debt load is ballistic: $62 million needed to upgrade the sewer system, a $5 million promise from the municipality for the library/museum, another $1.5 million earmarked for a new firehall at Spring Creek, combined with a $2 million mortgage on Millennium Place and several million owed on existing employee housing.

The debt load carried on the shoulders of Whistlerites is staggering. The purse is empty. Property owners with guile are beginning to take the money and run. They are selling trophy homes for $1 million more than they paid last year. Even the lift company (Whistler-Blackcomb) is selling its employee housing units. The sale will yield millions, while leaving employee housing in Vancouver hands. When you get crown land free, why not join the rush? The skiing part of Whistler-Blackcomb isn't a great business, but real estate is.

Will the bubble ever burst? Every bubble does. The reality is Whistler is becoming a playground for the jet-set, though still not a bad place to raise a family. But unless you ski/board or golf, it offers little, particularly for maturing adults.

We are on the brink. Council hopes to avoid the bust by generating funds through dream world proposals such as supplementary secondary homeowner grants, resort taxes on tourists, and other "It's all About Me" proposals other B.C. cities and towns would demand. Let’s pause. Keep the development cap in place and think it through before asking the province to expand our city limits. Ask instead for province-wide tax reform. Start with a 10 per cent reduction of the assessment value if your property is your permanent residence – for it is that group that makes Whistler work.

Those who think a successful Olympic bid means sustainability are wrong. It means highway upgrades and perhaps some affordable housing. Lake Placid, New York has staged two Winter Olympics. The first was 70 years ago (1932) and the town had a population of 2,937. It held them again in 1980, and ironically the population had decreased by 200. The federal government paid for all of the infrastructure, but instead future employee housing in the Olympic Village, the covenant called for a federal prison. (We haven't quite got to that stage yet).

Squaw Valley, California was the Winter Olympics site in 1960. Its current population is 2,000. What they gained was better highways, some year-round training facilities, and a modicum amount of fame. That is what many of us would like to see in Whistler. Let’s keep our cool; don't panic. Owners can take their capital gains and leave if they wish. Others can stay and wait for solutions to the tax problems, while employees hope their reality dream comes true.

We are ranked Number One, have proven we can stage World Cup events in skiing, boarding, freestyle and biking.

It’s too bad we don't have a population of 2,737. With some determination and foresight we could put on the big event without Vancouver. Maybe next time.

Al Eaton

Whistler

A commentary on the "Hydrogen Age" by Andrew Mitchell, Pique, Oct. 18 th , 2002

Although the article provides useful background information, it suggests that the hydrogen age revolves around one single technology: the fuel cell. When available, hydrogen can be used on fuel cells, conventional power plants, combustion engines, stoves, etc. Ten years ago, at the height of the last hydrogen drive, it looked like the kick-off of the hydrogen era had begun. Both Germany and Japan committed sufficient funding to give the search for hydrogen sources and applications a good shake. In Germany, the hydrogen-fueled airplane was seriously considered. I participated in some of the hydrogen infrastructure studies carried out in Canada. I have also had significant participation in the detail design and testing program for the liquid hydrogen transport modules for the Euro-Quebec project. On the Japan Sunshine hydrogen program, I was the lead engineer for the conceptual design of an advanced liquid hydrogen delivery system. That international effort fizzled out suddenly and quietly, like many of the previous brief romances with hydrogen, typical every 25 years.

The verdict on the hydrogen era is that, it is definitely not a short-term prospect. Barring some new developments, the medium term could be best described as a big "may be." In the long term, nuclear fusion, if developed, could be a potential source of energy for producing hydrogen. The fundamental issue is simple: hydrogen does not exist in free form. Therefore, it requires breaking the molecule of something to get it out. At the present time, water and methane are the common sources of commercial hydrogen. Methane, which is a hydrocarbon, is the cheapest source of hydrogen. Simply stated, the key challenge is: we don’t know how to produce hydrogen cleanly, efficiently, economically and in sufficient quantities to start making a difference. The barriers to the hydrogen era are not technological but infrastructural, although it will take many decades for industry to scale up hydrogen production facilities to the point where it starts having an impact on the environment.

An article published recently in the Vancouver Sun by Mr. Ballard, founder of Ballard Fuel Cells, pleaded the case for society to accept hydrogen production using nuclear power. This is a sad admission of the formidable barriers being faced by those whose business depends on hydrogen fuel, despite massive spending.

Consideration of nuclear power for hydrogen production will, however, most likely be a non-starter because of a well-founded public aversion: risk of accidents, storing and managing nuclear waste over several generations, spread of weapons of mass destruction, decommissioning issues, etc. Just South of the B.C. border, the Hanford nuclear site stands as a monument to man’s abuse of this planet. Large underground plumes of leaked highly toxic nuclear stew are slowly inching their way towards the nearby Columbia River. In the last a few years, the U.S. government spent billions of dollars on this site just shuffling paper.

Presently, natural gas is established as the fuel of choice because of its cleanliness. This is likely to persist for at least the next 50 years. Under this environment, the natural gas fuel cell is at a distinct advantage because it does not require fuel reforming. Despite massive investments, hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles still carry high capital and operating costs. The latter is the reason behind Translink’s decision to remove from service the hydrogen buses.

There are, however, some niche markets for the hydrogen fuel cell. Iceland is a good example due to the abundance of geothermal power, a small population and the will to be proactive. Similarly, hot and desert regions without an indigenous hydrocarbon infrastructure could one day produce hydrogen from solar energy.

No doubt the hydrogen dream will be with us for a long time. In the meantime, however, we have no choice but to embrace all environmental solutions, including public education to change our practices.

Zoher Meratla

Whistler

Dr. Meratla, a Whistlerite, is principal of CDS Research Ltd, based on Howe Street, Vancouver. CDS (

www.cdsresearch.com ) specializes in major LNG and Liquid hydrogen projects. He is a member of ISO Working Group on hydrogen fueling of aircraft.

I am amazed at how little information there has been about the individuals running for the position of school trustee in the upcoming election.

Two school trustees represent Whistler on the board of school trustees for our district, #48, and in that capacity have a great influence on the education of our children who, in my opinion, are where our future lies.

Andree Janyk, the incumbent, is running for her third term, has a child in the system, and is passionate and vocal in her support of public education. She is a committed and proactive community member and a major advocate for our students.

Don Brett is also an active voice for public education and has been the PAC chair at Myrtle Philip and the DPAC representative for the last two years. He has children in the system and a business background that bodes well for the future issues the board has to face.

I know little of either Bea Gonzales’ or Richard Wynne’s involvement in the education arena. It would be nice to know what their platforms are and why they are running so that an informed choice can be made on election day.

Is it too much to ask that the same profiling done on the persons running for council be done for the position of school trustee?

School trustees have a major task ahead of them in the coming years. The serious cut backs in funding will affect all schools and trustees must be willing to move with the times and look at funding in a different light. We must use the tools that the government has given us and enact, not react. No one is going to wave a magic wand and make it all better!

The BCSTA (B.C. School Trustees Association) has informed the government of our concerns about the shortfall in funding for education. At the very least the teacher’s salary increase should have been covered for the next two years. As this is not likely to happen we must look to other sources for support for our schools.

To that end, we need informed, committed and passionate individuals who will commit themselves to ensuring that our children have the best education possible to face the future.

Oh! And please remember to actually get out and vote – if you aren’t at the table you have no part in the discussion!

Alix Nicoll,

School Trustee (not running in election)

Whistler

These comments are addressed to the mayor and council of today.

Public consultation is a must in a democratic society especially with major issues such as the recent topic of the W.E.F, which was almost sneaked by our noses, and now the enormous issue of the Olympics on which there has not been any official public debate in our community either. Could it be you had instructions from the premier?

After our group of 25 Whistlerites requested from council to hold a public referendum on the Olympics in Whistler last year at this time, it was obvious that you had no intention to comply with our wishes. Could it be you had instructions from the premier?

This was later confirmed to me in the spring by councillor Kristi Wells one day at school when I approached her and asked, "What's happening with the referendum?" Her reply: "It's not in the cards." That confirmed to me council’s complete disregard of our opinion, and mayor and council were on a power trip.

We didn't elect you people to be our lord and master and act as lone rangers.

We didn’t elect you to blatantly deprive us of a public hearing on this enormous issue.

We didn’t elect you to blatantly deprive us of a referendum when the wishes of the community were well known.

We didn't elect you to deprive us of our democratic right.

We did, however, elect you with the anticipation that you would listen to us, but that obviously has fallen on deaf ears.

Whether the Olympics are good, bad or indifferent for us is not the issue, the issue is however that it's not your call to decide this without official approval from all the voters and taxpayers of this community. There are over 10,000 of us, you cannot railroad an issue of this scale without putting it to a local plebiscite.

Furthermore, there is a whole lot more to Whistler than the commercial sector and their unrelenting pursuit of the almighty dollar. Only they stand to benefit solely from this proposed event. The majority of Whistler's population, however, merely reside here to enjoy the beauty, the peace and quiet, and have no business here or a monetary interest in the Olympics, like the majority of us here tonight.

If you only had the courtesy and the guts you would have a referendum in the ballots next month. Show us the decency and ask for our decision. Hold a mail in referendum to get a fair reply as only 2,300 or 43 per cent out of 5,625 registered voters had a chance last time to enter a ballot since many taxpayers live away from here and were unable to attend due to distance.

Falling to accommodate us will hopefully cost all of you your job, at least I hope so, except for Kenny Melamed. You have simply become too big for your britches. It's time for a new mayor and council. There are plenty of candidates this time to choose from a representation of us that will listen to us. Be assured I'll leave all of your spaces blank, except Ken, he is my guy. But thank you for your time put in duringthe last three years.

Casey Niewerth

Whistler

I just wanted to clear up a misconception about the ease of voting in Whistler as stated by Bob Barnett in the Oct. 18 Pique Opening Remarks column. He states that "If you're a Canadian citizen and have lived in Whistler for six months you can register on election day, Nov.16, and cast your vote." Actually, you only have to have lived in Whistler for 30 days. The six month requirement refers to British Columbian residency, not necessarily in Whistler itself.

So, my argument is, there is even less of an excuse not to vote. If you got to town as late as Oct. 17th, 2002, started residing in B.C. no later than May 16, 2002, and are a Canadian citizen, then you can register to vote for the Whistler council.

Keep in mind, however, that you do need to register before voting, and registration can only be done if you've been here 30 days. So, if you happened to arrive here on Oct. 17, you can’t actually vote unless you register on election day (Nov. 16) itself. Phone or go to the municipal hall, they'll explain everything.

It doesn't cost anything except the taxes we all pay, directly as homeowners or indirectly as renters, to stage the election. If you’re paying for an election, you might as well go out and exercise the right to do what so many of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents fought for in the World Wars. Don't forget that on Remembrance Day, Nov. 11. Don't let their sacrifices go to waste. Power to the people!

Mo Smith

Whistler

We need some new faces

I believe it is important that we look at this upcoming municipal election in Whistler very seriously.

It is interesting to see that all the present council members and the mayor are running for another term in office. They should all be warmly thanked for their last three years serving our community.

As great as it is to see them all running, I also think it might be time for a number of changes. Is their zest for the position as high as it was when they were first elected? We have only had one new councilor/mayor in the last six years, and it is really time for some new faces. This will bring a renewed enthusiasm, fresh ideas, and I believe a much more effective government to our town.

The key is to really get to know the new people that are running for council and for mayor. There seems to be some excellent choices. Check their Web sites, call them up, have coffee with them, and attend the all candidates’ meeting on Nov. 2. Find out what their issues and passions are. Find out how much of a commitment they are ready to give to the position they are running for. Don’t vote for someone just because they have been in that position for three, six, nine or 12 years. Let’s make sure we keep those who we feel are the best of our present government, but at the same time let’s vote in the best of the best. A certain amount of change is always extremely healthy, both in business and in government.

Ask yourself – what are the three areas that concern you the most about Whistler and how it is being run? Then ask yourself – what is the present council really doing to solve these issues? If you are not 100 per cent happy with the answers that you come up with, then you should be looking at researching the new candidates, and making sure your vote really counts on election day.

Let’s make Whistler an even better place to live and work.

Noel Villard

Whistler

Thank you to all who made the first Harvest Soup Contest such a great success! The competition and the enthusiasm was high from everyone, especially those who got to sample all the delicious soups and vote!

Very special thanks to the chefs from The Wildflower (Shane Robilliard), Monks Grill (Brad Cumming), and Whistler Blackcomb (Tony Wayland and his elves up at the Commisary!). Your generosity in donating so many gallons of soup was outstanding!

An extra-special thank you must go to Shane who personally served each bowl of his amazing soup himself (over 80 litres!). You are a true professional!

Also, thank you to all the parent volunteeers who helped out, it was a real team effort!

Peggy Vogler

The Alta Lake School

PS The official winner was Shane Robilliard's "Roasted Sugar Pumpkin with Asiago Crisp and Balsamic Foam." Very delicious!