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I am writing this letter to air my concerns over the municipality’s plan of developing Crown land that lies between Alpine (North) and Emerald sub-divisions. It may serve as a warning for the rest of the valley’s subdivisions.

I am writing this letter to air my concerns over the municipality’s plan of developing Crown land that lies between Alpine (North) and Emerald sub-divisions. It may serve as a warning for the rest of the valley’s subdivisions.

The general area between the two subdivisions has been under pressure before from various real estate-related interests, only to be thwarted by residents. Whistler residents and tourists appreciate this area because it is readily accessible and ideal for walking their dogs, hiking, and mountain biking.

It appears that another assault is in the works under Whistler’s Five Futures campaign. This campaign employs a kind of Trojan horse-like strategy where the prize horse consists of several thousand employee housing units marketed as part of the "sustainable development" plan for Whistler. This kind of development is promoted as socially responsible and unavoidable to prepare for 2010 and beyond.

I am not advocating a not-in-my-backyard argument. I am urging that Whistlerites should question the municipality’s assumptions on which all these additional bed unit requirements were calculated. This is crucial because other forms of development will be rationalized with support from a municipal sustainability plan that is loosely defined.

Possibly, the municipality might be cavalier with its assumptions because of a windfall gain of "cheap" Crown land made available by the provincial government. Since, the negative optics of development can be assuaged through the sustainable development plan, the municipality is drawn to residential infill because Crown land makes it cost effective. We have all heard this story before where the environment loses out to the economic argument.

If most Whistlerites associate the environment as the most desirable element in the sustainable part of sustainable development, then they should be wary that development will not stop at Crown land limits. Private developers stand ready to take their cue from the municipality and will increase the pressure for more urbanization. Furthermore, Whistlerites should recall that all this was set into motion by a "vision" formulated by a mere 800 respondents in the Whistler’s Five Futures initiative. Clearly, insufficient consensus to make permanent changes to the valley's environment.

Unquestioned, the municipal plan can only mean sustained development at the expense of natural habitat, but every five years or so the Trojan horse will receive a makeover for another subdivision in the valley.

Manjeet Thind

Whistler

 

Kudos to the RMOW, council and Mike Vance and his team to post all the comments that were gathered during the Community Sustainability Plan public input phase (www.whistlerfuture.com). Every word, no editing (and no spelling korrections!). The future is changed by those who show up and the 79 pages of comments show a cross section of a caring community that really want to get the future right. Way to go.

The final Future will of course be a blending of all the ideas put forward, but for those keeping score Future 2 (housing in the existing corridor) looks like the winner and this led me to ponder what our community might look like in Future 2.

Taking data from the current resident restricted housing inventory and four of five CSP Futures and considering only the four Futures that create a community where over 70 per cent of residents live here and do not commute from Squamish or Pemberton or beyond (scenario 1 – no new development – leaves us with only 48 per cent resident employees) the number of resident restricted bed units that would be added by 2020 averages out to 6,825. Divided by unit type, apartments utilize 40 per cent or 2,730 beds, townhouses another 40 per cent or 2,730 beds and single family another 20 per cent or 1,365 beds.

An example of an existing apartment complex is Beaver Flats, it's directly across Highway 99 from the PetroCanada station. It contains 86 beds. To create 2,730 apartment beds would require the equivalent of 32 more Beaver Flat apartment complexes.

For townhouses, the Spruce Grove townhouses example across from the ball field at the entrance to Spruce Grove contains 105 beds. To create 2,730 townhouse beds would require the equivalent of 26 additional Spruce Grove townhouse complexes.

For a single family example, Barnfield Farms contains 138 beds. To create 1,365 single family beds would require the equivalent of another 10 new Barnfield subdivisions.

That totals 32 new Beaver Flats apartment buildings plus 26 new Spruce Grove Townhouse complexes plus 10 new Barnfield Farms single family subdivisions. All of it infill or adjacent to existing neighbourhoods. What does this mean for the future of our enviable network of protected habitat, greenways, forests, wetlands, wildlife migration corridors and uncrowded(?) trails and parks in and surrounding our existing neighbourhoods? Staff at the Whistler Housing Authority have partially answered this question for me with the information that most if not all sites under consideration currently are already disturbed or impacted by development, so there will be little or no loss of green space. I'm not sure how this fits with filling in the area between Alpine and Emerald with housing as put forward in Future 2 (Housing in existing corridor – infill) as an example, but let's hope that the WHA and Whistler. It's Our Future are on the same page here. Additionally, resident housing is to be denser and more compact so it will not take up as much space as current resident/staff housing.

Most of the objections to Future 3 (Neighbourhood in the Callaghan) concern Whistler going the same way as so much of North America – urban sprawl as dictated by the motor vehicle. Cheaper land further out. But Whistler's urban sprawl is already well underway to Squamish and, sadly, on valuable agricultural land in Pemberton. If we fail to meet the housing needs of our residents here in Whistler then that trend to long commutes (or totally leaving Whistler) will only intensify.

Perhaps we will succeed in changing behaviours sufficiently to get people into ever more dense and compact housing but I'll guess that housing model will be most suitable to single workers, perhaps couples, but young and maturing families like to have a little dirt around them if they can manage it. They'll either commute from Squamish, or Britannia, or Pemberton or D’Arcy or Birken, or they'll leave entirely. So that leaves an aging resident population in market houses whose kids may not be able to buy Mom and Dad out of their nest-egg, so those families will leave and sell out to investors or the wealthy; it leaves the trophy homes, and it leaves the tourists and it leaves the housed workers who service the needs of the visitors and owners. I'm concerned that at some point we may begin to resemble a packaged product rather than a vibrant and dynamic community filled with opportunities and people of all ages. All that's missing from this depressing picture are the Mickey Mouse ears and "workers" in Goofy and Daffy Duck costumes.

We've got a couple of clear-cuts in the Callaghan that could go a long way to creating real affordable housing solutions for real people while at the same time keeping the character of Whistler pretty much as it is – our existing residential neighbourhoods surrounded by green space, and not too crowded. I hope the idea doesn't disappear entirely as the CSP moves into the final stages.

Eckhard Zeidler

Whistler

 

Re: G.D. Maxwell’s Jan. 2 column, No more Mr. Nice Guy.

I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Caro, a regular visitor from Australia. Someone should be exercising some editorial control over G.D. Maxwell’s twisted ranting. First, he threatens assault with a weapon (ski pole) if someone should collide with him on the slopes. He acts like it’s a regular occurrence with him. I’ve skied in Whistler a long time, long before Mr. Maxwell arrived in town, and I’ve never had an on slope collision. Maybe G.D. is part of the problem.

Then he goes on to make a veiled threat of vandalism and theft if people building new homes don’t include a suite in their plans. Mr. Maxwell says, "the incidence of monkey wrenching is going to escalate dramatically. The single best way to protect your property is to have a resident caretaker." To publish Mr. Maxwell’s threats and incitement to criminal action is totally irresponsible.

His Jan. 9 column on provincial politics is almost as bad with two gratuitous references to "kiddy porn", claiming, as a joke, that it is British Columbia’s second largest industry. Child pornography is not a laughing matter. Mr. Maxwell says, "money is no indication of taste". G.D. proves that not having money is also no indication of taste. G.D. Maxwell is not funny or clever, he is just bitterly sarcastic and often an embarrassment to the community.

John Konig

Whistler

 

Mr. Barnett, I must agree with last week’s editorial regarding small business and sustainability. Living in Whistler and wanting to support locally owned business is becoming increasingly difficult. In the last few years I can think of several places I used to do some of my shopping that have now been taken over by larger chains or that have been forced to close down. If it weren't for the Re-Use It centre I would have to forgo my principles and shop at stores whose ethics differ greatly from my own and whose main offices are run from distant cities.

Many people who support franchises such as Wal-Mart coming to town quote the lower prices and state that by purchasing items that cost less they are able to have a higher quality of life. I tell these people that I refuse to buy an item at a lower price to support my standard of living if I know that by doing so I am supporting a company that decreases the quality of life for so many others.

Whose quality of life am I talking about? The workers, who are poorly paid, the manufacturers in far off countries getting paid terrible wages and possibly asked to work incredibly long hours away from their families, and the local Squamish business owners who will indeed be hurt, just to name a few of the persons who suffer at the hands of North American shoppers looking for low prices so they can afford the latest high-tech gadget, huge mansion, and gas-guzzling SUV. Live simple, support the local economy, and help out your neighbours.

Sara Jennings

Whistler

 

Re: Taxation war on homeowners or property assessment battle

I hope Clive Nylander’s letter is a wake-up call, especially to Pemberton property owners. Get to your mailbox and send your tax protest assessment before Jan. 31, 2004.

Last year the tax assessments came out at an average increase of 30-50 per cent of value. Some of us protested but most didn’t. It has given the assessor the arrogance to think he can increase evaluations by 50-100 per cent of previous value. This year my tax assessment increased by 72 per cent on a piece of bare land in the agricultural land reserve. This will almost double taxes, plus diking taxes – don’t forget those – while our amenities and services erode.

Considering the few sales in the valley this summer and the flood, to be taxed on "pie in the sky" market values is ridiculous. The only way to deal with it is a mass protest. No matter how much or how little your evaluation has increased, protest it. You can’t go back so stop it now. Otherwise you won’t be able to afford to live in your own home long enough to raise your family.

Marilyn Berthoud

Pemberton

 

Locals and visitors alike may at times ponder how a person with no means of paying for anything can make out in Whistler. Pretty well, I’m happy to report.

Over the holidays I was staying with friends and got locked out of the house wallet-less. No money, credit cards, bank cards – nuthin’. I had all my snowboard gear and my dog, though, so I figured I’d try to make the best of it.

After dropping my pooch off at the Puppy Zone, I went to Blackcomb to renew my Gold card. Upon explaining the one little hitch – no way of paying for it – the Guest Services agent just smiled and said "no problem!" I was given a complimentary day pass and told to come back when I had my wallet.

It was freezing that day, and my board was sporting warm-weather wax. Couldn’t slide. I went to the rental hut at the top of Solar Coaster and asked for their mercy: could they get me sliding again, despite my lack of funds? No problem! One free wax and tune-up later and I was sliding smoothly.

Finally it was back to the Puppy Zone. Same problem as before, no loot. Would they accept my snowboard as collateral until I got my wallet back? "Nah, we don’t want your board. Just come back later and pay, we trust you. Here’s your dog."

How about that! Every time I needed a favour, the Whistlerite in a position to help trusted me and didn’t sweat my predicament. Even better, they didn’t make me feel even remotely like an idiot (which certainly would have been their privilege).

I don’t recommend trying this yourself, but it was sure nice to find out what kind of a place Whistler really is first-hand. It may not be just about the loot after all.

Kurt Mang

North Vancouver

 

I wish to relay my concerns and those of others to the civic and business leaders of our community regarding the absence of a safe pedestrian access on Glacier Drive to its intersection at Blackcomb Way. The need for a dedicated, year-round pedestrian route has been overlooked since the area’s original development and has become more acute as the resident population and vehicular traffic have increased.

I believe a dialogue initiated by the RMOW and including Whistler-Blackcomb, local residents and employees should commence to consider the options of a pedestrian route in the area before a fatality forces the issue. Surely there have been too many close calls and near misses over the years to ignore this problem any longer.

Despite regular bus service (justifiably subsidized for W-B employees) on Glacier Drive, many staff, residents and guests choose to walk to their destinations by way of Glacier Drive due to the absence of a dedicated path. Recently our community has witnessed the construction of clever pedestrian-friendly designs connecting Bayshores to Creekside and Alpine to Emerald. Whistler’s existing Valley Trail system demonstrates a commitment to safe pedestrian routes from Function Junction to Emerald and this infrastructure is arguably one of the greatest amenities we have.

I believe in 2004 there will be much public debate on our community’s needs leading up to 2010 and I urge those who will have a say in what our future legacies might be, to not overlook this further.

R. Reed

Whistler

 

I’d like to thank Tommy Africa’s staff for believing in me during my recent effort to achieve a utopian work environment. I’ll also thank Warren and "the Tischuk" for providing me with the opportunity to realize what really matters to me. I’m talking about doing what is right in this world. We call it integrity.

Thanks to my new family at Garfinkel’s for welcoming me with open arms.

See you all there.

Scott Musgrave

Whistler

 

As teachers and students settle into their classrooms, the parents of the Alta Lake School would like to take the time to thank Bruce Stewart of Nesters Market for his continued support of our Children’s Craft Fairs. Our 4th annual Christmas Fair was a tremendous success; the children buzzed with holiday spirit as they made festive crafts, visited the Cookie Fairy and enjoyed puppet shows and a Christmas concert.

A heartfelt thank you also goes out to Mountain FM for helping us spread the word.

See you all at the May Fair!

Jennifer Raffler for

The parents of the Alta Lake School

 

It takes a village to raise a school!

We have a great many people to thank as Spring Creek Community School opened its doors this past week.

Whistler has seen many changes throughout the last 10 years, and one notable element is the growth of our families. It is because of this growth, parents and school trustees started lobbying the Ministry of Education for a second elementary school.

Four years ago when the decision to build was made, Alison Hunter, Jane Reid and Libby McKeever approached the Myrtle Philip PAC to ask for permission to start fundraising for a new school library. These three women have held six very successful used book sales, which have placed over 2,000 books directly into the library, as well as over $11,000 to purchase new books.

They didn’t stop there. As Myrtle Philip’s play structures were being installed, they also applied to the Whistler-Blackcomb Foundation for funding on behalf of Spring Creek. With assistance from Kevin McFarland of Park Planning at the RMOW, they also secured funding from Intrawest to enable our school to have a complete set of play structures, something rarely done when a new school is built.

The Whistler-Blackcomb Foundation was approached again last year by the SCPAC to assist with funding for the Spring Creek computer lab. They have presented us with $25,000. This is part of the $275,000 given to School District 48 to upgrade technology in all of our schools. All we can say is: Thank you from the bottom of our little fingers!

The Festival of Lights has also been extremely supportive to our needs. In 2002 they assisted us with a cheque for $10,000 to purchase the library resources and equipment. In 2004 they are purchasing a complete starter set of Orff instruments for our new music curriculum.

The NSCU Foundation has funded $2,500 to assist in purchasing library furnishings.

Nesters Customer Appreciation Day in September 2002 brought in $1,500 of which Bruce Stewart gave $1,000 to the Spring Creek Library and $500 to Whistler Secondary Library.

We compiled and sent out a wish list of furniture items needed, to the hotels and realtors in Whistler. We filled a storage locker in Function Junction thanks to the Delta Whistler Resort and Ken Cretney and Cliff Bell. We also filled two garages in Whistler thanks to Next Level Media and Ann Chiasson; the Westbrook and David Demers; Resort Quest and Stephanie Couture. The Squamish office of Race and Co. provided a boardroom table complete with 13 chairs through Ian Davis and Melanie Hurlburt.

Whistler-Blackcomb helped out tremendously this past summer with moving some of the furniture from the hotels into the storage locker.

Cardinal Concrete and Bob Fast have also assisted us with providing gravel for our play structures at a reduced cost.

A special thank you to Nelson Winterburn of Whistler Storeall for making a donation to Spring Creek after we had delay after delay and ended up renting longer than anticipated, and to the Whistler Book club for a donation to our library.

We have also had numerous people donate items such as couches, dishes, VCR’s, all which have helped reduce our equipment budget immensely.

There have also been so many people who have volunteered on a moment’s notice. Bob Baker and his team helped on a couple of occasions with moving items into storage then into the school. John Champion helped as well. Heidi MacPherson’s expertise in landscape design helped with our playground. Nancy and Ron Norman and Lily Antunes kindly donated their garages for what we thought would be one month and ended up to be three.

Thank you to all of the teachers and staff of Spring Creek who have also worked tirelessly over the holidays to ensure that the school would be ready for the students come Jan. 5, 2004. We are also extremely grateful to Robyn Edgar, Secretary at Myrtle Philip who always made life easy for us while chaos ran through the halls. Thanks to Alex Kleinman for pulling out all the stops and arranging tents to cover the installer while our play structures were being welded in the snow.

What is a school without a playground? We are so unbelievably fortunate that the RMOW completely understands that a playground is just as important as the school itself. Needless to say, the delays have put undue stress and strain on all of us. The RMOW, thanks to Keith Bennett and Kevin McFarland, not only supplied the borders for both playgrounds; they installed them under the care of Dave Patterson and his crew. This all should have been done in October under sunny skies. It was not to be, but that has not deterred Dave and his crew. After removing the snow (I’ve lost track how many times now!) they installed the borders and have spread the gravel so that we now have two complete playgrounds ready for 300 kids to play their hearts out. Community Schools is a concept the Resort Municipality of Whistler has perfected. You will not find another community in this province where each one of the public schools is partnered with their local government.

The Spring Creek Parent Advisory Council close with thanks to all of you who have proven the restatement of the saying: "It takes a village to raise a School!"

Barb Leigh

Chair, Spring Creek PAC