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This weeks letters

A disappointing performance To the mayor and all council members: With the election fast approaching, I wish to express my deep disappointment in your failure to ensure that the commitments to the community over the years have not been met in a timel

A disappointing performance

To the mayor and all council members:

With the election fast approaching, I wish to express my deep disappointment in your failure to ensure that the commitments to the community over the years have not been met in a timely fashion. In the past all of you prioritized "sustainability" and as such employee housing was to be a priority. The rhetoric is now the same but your performance speaks to your lack of commitment! You should be ashamed that there are over 500 people on the wait list when the bed units owed exceeds 550, most of which have been outstanding for years. The following is a list of only the ones I know about:

1) Park Georgia/Holborn Group at the Whistler Racquet and Resort — 80 bed units outstanding for 18 years (no time line for completion)

2) Westin Hotel/Cressey Developments — 128 bed units outstanding seven years (no time line but we are being squeezed for higher density at the Boot to accommodate these beds)

3) Nita Lake Lodge development — 250 bed units some of which were to have been occupied this winter but are just being started (the employee beds are to be delivered before hotel occupancy)

4) Intrawest Corporation/Spring Creek 100 beds/26 units (no time line) outstanding three years

During the extended time these units have been owed to the employees, the developers have been able to utilize their funds elsewhere! At the same time, the potential purchasers (employees) have seen the costs escalate to get into the housing market. Units that previously sold for $145 per square foot, are now at $175 and expected to increase to $200 in the near future. How many of our employees can afford to pay upwards of $50,000 more for a 1,000 square foot unit? What really galls me is the developers expecting to benefit a second time by getting an increase in the sale price after they failed to deliver in a timely manner. If anyone should benefit from the delays it should be the Housing Fund.

As our elected body, we have a right to hold you accountable to ensure that community amenities, improvements, housing and contributions or whatever else is negotiated with developers is actually delivered. In the case of Park Georgia/Holborn, the developers have already renegotiated once and now want to renege on that commitment. How many councils and backroom deals will be made before the "summer destination facility" comparable to the golf courses, will be delivered as promised?

Hopefully, all of the 500 younger people on the housing wait list and every other eligible adult will let you know just how they feel regarding your lack of performance on voting day.

RM Koning

Whistler

 

What housing?

Our municipal council did not move forward on the Rainbow project. How can this be? The waiting list for housing is at an all time high. Whistler has a critical shortage of employees, particularly skilled ones. Families are leaving for communities where they can own a home, with a yard. My son is in Grade 1 and his friends keep moving away.

I was at the Rainbow open house this weekend, along with many excited young families and seniors. They were all looking forward to their new homes. Some of my son's friends were there. Now that the Rainbow project is in question, perhaps they will leave Whistler. They are leaving the dream instead of living the dream. Was this done at an in-camera council meeting?

"Trust us."

Was affordable housing the number one election promise during the last election? What housing legacies did this council leave us?

Many members of this council are running for office as champions of housing. What housing?

Jim Watts

Whistler

 

 

Behind the scenes

"Whistler needs strong leadership" — clearly true, but what is "leadership?" While I haven’t followed the details of Whistler’s current political debate, the candidates for mayor compel me to comment. I hope I can contribute a useful perspective.

In the last two years, in Sweden, leading a Master’s program on leadership, among other things, I have had the pleasure of working with extremely successful business and thoughtful leaders who have influenced their respective fields on a global scale. I’ve come to appreciate some subtle but fundamental considerations of leadership. Leaders can communicate a clear and compelling vision. They build trust with their integrity, commitment and empathy for those they work with. They bring out the best in those around them. They don’t suggest that "the ends justify the means" because they know that in the long term, the ends too, will suffer.

In the early 1990s, as a member of the RMOW professional staff, I had the opportunity to observe Mr. Nebbeling’s leadership style first hand. While mayor, Mr. Nebbeling was a strong advocate for several, relatively ad hoc projects – mainly building and land development projects – this dominated any vague sense of community vision he portrayed at that time. In one case, he actively pushed for development of a steep tract of land for very large houses and some employee housing now known as Sunridge Plateau. The developer was the mayor’s former campaign manager. During the development process, Mr. Nebbeling acted ‘behind the scenes’ in setting the direction for RMOW professional staff on how to report to the rest of council. Later in the process, Mr. Nebbeling declared a ‘conflict of interest’ to the citizens of Whistler. By this time, the general development course had been approved and Mr. Nebbeling had set his larger ambitions on Victoria and provincial politics. My impression, from about six years of observation, was that this approach was typical. I see no evidence beyond campaign rhetoric that Mr. Nebbeling has significantly changed his divisive leadership style since then.

I write because I care about Whistler’s future and its potential for further greatness – economically, socially and environmentally. And, I have come to believe strongly that real community leadership has pre-conditions: vision, a steadfast commitment to the community, consistency of voice and deed, and finally, the ability to act as part of a cohesive team. I hope that these qualities are on voters’ minds on election day.

Dave Waldron

Karlskrona, Sweden

 

 

Quizzing the candidates

The all candidates surprise pop-quiz I conducted at WORCA's table 18 consisted of five questions followed by an unverified compilation of the responses from the candidates and myself.

My purpose of this exercise was to evaluate how much the candidates knew about this particular municipal taxation issue, and more importantly, to inform all of the candidates of this issue with a quick pop-quiz. It started with two relatively easy true/false questions that also set up the background for the next three. Next was: Who has to pay? How much? and What have been the effects?

1. For several years, Whistler's five-year financial plan contained a management objective to: "establish a precedent and methodology for increasing revenue sources from recreational users." True.

2. In layman's terms this means that our council has instructed our municipal managers to find a method of increasing municipal revenue (taxes) from recreational participants and to implement an example. True.

3. Since this management objective has been in place since the late ’90s, which recreational participants have been selected for the precedent or example to generate these increased municipal revenues?

• The Alta Lake commercial canoe access agreement and Business Regulation Bylaw 1645, report 03-93 requires canoe and kayak rental companies to pay an environmental levy (head tax) for every boat that paddles down the River of Golden Dreams.

• The X-Country ski trail users are charged a fee for use of the groomed trails around Lost Lake.

• The Meadow Park Recreation Centre charges indoor use, user fees.

• Tourism Whistler charges the golfers using the Tourism Whistler golf facilities.

To the best of my knowledge, no motorized recreation provider, amusement ride operator, downhill rider or slider, nor at least two-thirds of the golfers are required to pay any environmental levies, user fees or participation based taxes to the municipality.

Yet couldn't the same kind of business regulation bylaw be implemented for any Whistler business license?

4. How much additional municipal taxes have these selected participants been required to pay?

The environmental levy in the canoe operator contracts is $1 per canoe per trip. Expressed as a percentage of the cost of participation, last summer the most expensive option for renting a canoe and paddling for two or three hours down the River of Golden Dreams was $49.99 per person, two per canoe plus taxes. This amounts to about a one per cent environmental tax on our community's most expensive canoe rental option. The least expensive option for the above canoe trip is a $20 all morning rental, upon which this bylaw creates a five per cent environmental tax.

5. What has been the effect on the participation rates of the recreation option selected by our municipal managers for the implementation of their precedent?

I estimate the combined commercially rented canoe and kayak participation rate on the River of Golden Dreams has declined by 60 per cent to 80 per cent in the five years since I last operated the Alta Lake concessions. This compares to Tourism Whistler’s 19 per cent decline in room nights. In addition to the environmental levy, this decline results from a number of factors including possibly other pricing decisions made by the concession, non-concession and municipal managers.

Please note the total dollar amount collected from this environmental levy is trivial. My annual sponsorship of a Pitch-In day cleanup by canoe of the lakeshore and river banks costs far more than the total of my currently expected environmental levy. I, and some of my canoe rental competitors, am actively involved in numerous volunteer environmental monitoring and/or restoration projects.

The point is the principle. I wouldn't mind if the municipality increased taxes on all internal combustion motor users, but not on canoeists! I don't believe any natural recreation activity (hiking, biking, or boating) should be selected for the "establishing of a precedent and methodology for increasing revenue sources from recreational users."

All management objectives to increase revenue should have any reference to 'recreation user' deleted and replaced with 'internal combustion motor user.'

Sustainability is as simple as that! A point that I hope all candidates will reiterate this week.

Unfortunately Ken Melamed, your spirited defense of the current situation has cost you my vote for the first time in your political career. As the environmental voice on the council that implemented this ridiculously biased bylaw, I find the hypocrisy of your position inexcusable.

I will continue to recommend your rock work skills as all my guests admire the fireplace, and alas I hope we can still carve the odd turn together in the future.

Chris Manuel

Whistler

 

 

Make your votes count

I think Jamey Kramer’s full-page ad brought up one of the most important points of the election process: You don’t need to vote for six councilors.

With so many candidates on the ballot, it’s easy to add ticks until you have six. But how many of us are intimately familiar with the platforms and personalities of six candidates?

There are three candidates about whom I am certain. If I cast a fourth vote I am jeopardizing the chances of the very candidates I think will represent us best. Why would I give my first choices any competition? So, to paraphrase Jamey Kramer: "Please, please vote (But only for the councillors about whom you are certain)." Democracy works best when the ballots are cast wisely.

Paul Sauve

Whistler

 

Equal access for all

At last weekend's all-candidates meeting, there was a mayoral candidate in a wheelchair. There was no ramp access to get him onto the stage. The other candidates used the stairs to access the stage. Stacy Kohut had to pull himself out of his wheelchair, up onto the stage, then pull his wheelchair up onto the stage and pull himself back into the wheelchair. It is hard to imagine why an issue like access was not properly considered at a candidate event where one of the candidates is in a wheelchair.

I hope that adequate arrangements are made at the remaining candidate events to allow all candidates to participate with equal access.

Kristen Clark

Whistler

 

 

I miss my Grandpa

He died in April of 2004, at the age of 96. This was a man who at the age of 13 took on the financial and paternal duties of his three siblings and mother after his father died in a farming accident.

He put his two sisters and then himself through college, through work, scholarships and the personal backing of a teacher who saw his great potential.

And it was during the war years (WWII) that this potential showed through.

He was a trained mechanical engineer, with a first lieutenants rating from the ROTC program. But the war meant that his brains were more important than his brawn. My Grandpa served for six years in wartime duties, with a trip to Europe immediately after the war to appraise German weapons. During this trip he met and interviewed Mr. Porsche, of Volkswagen and Porsche fame. His remembrance of that encounter is: "One interesting thing happened while we were enjoying a drink with the professor (Mr. Porsche) on the porch of his home in Zell am Zee. He excused himself and went into his house for a few minutes. Soon after he came back, the Russian maid who had been conscripted to work in his home, came out crying her eyes out. We asked the professor ‘What in the world did you do to that poor girl?’ He says, ‘I just told her that the war had now ended and that she was free to go back to Russia.’"

The thing I most remember about my Grandpa is his way of slowing our impetuous actions by saying: "Let’s just think about this for a moment."

On this Remembrance Day "think" about how war affects not just our soldiers.

Also, with our upcoming democratic exercise won by those soldiers, remember that "Let’s just think about this for a moment" is not the same as saying "no". Having someone in charge that slows the unthinking actions of our council is not a bad thing.

Michael Miller

Mount Currie

 

 

 

Support community service clubs

The purpose of this letter is to get voters out on Nov. 19 th to support two very important, long-standing service clubs in the Pemberton Valley, the Royal Canadian Legion, and the Lions Club.

On Nov. 19 th , people across B.C. will have the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to select who will represent them locally for the next three years. At the same time, those that vote will also be asked to decide on a number of very important local issues, including the financial future of two vital public service organizations in the Pemberton Valley.

The Pemberton Lions Club and Royal Canadian Legion have requested that they be forgiven from paying annual taxes in an effort to ensure ongoing delivery of the charitable services they provide to the local community. At a meeting of the Village of Pemberton Council in September, delegates from both organizations addressed council requesting that they be forgiven from paying taxes because of the charitable work they provide in the community, and the increasing impact annual tax payments have on delivering these important community services. The Village of Pemberton Council passed a resolution to refer the question to local residents through a referendum to take place at the same time as local elections on Nov. 19 th .

Both the Royal Canadian Legion and the Lions Club have been a vital part of Pemberton for many years, providing volunteers, fundraising, and other charitable support for a variety of local services. The Pemberton Lions Club is celebrating its 40 th anniversary this year, and it is thanks to the Lions and its sister organization, the Pemberton Lions Activity Society, that the Pemberton Seniors Villa operates, providing the only seniors low-income retirement housing available in Pemberton. The Pemberton Lions Activity Society has also installed and continues to maintain the Pemberton Seniors Activity Centre, which includes exercise equipment, kitchen and meeting facilities for local seniors. Both the Legion and the Lions support local high school graduates by providing bursaries to assist with post secondary education.

The Pemberton Royal Canadian Legion, celebrating its 60 th anniversary next spring, provides a broad range of local charitable services, including in 2004 raising over $10,000 to support sending WWII veteran Jim MacDonald overseas to Europe for the 60 th anniversary of D-Day. A fantastic accomplishment when considering that Pemberton has just over 2,000 residents. The Legion also provides use of its facilities at no charge for other charitable events. Every year, the Pemberton Legion raises over $8,000 which is donated locally to support the elementary school food program, youth sports, Christmas Hampers, and diabetes. The annual Poppy Fund drive, culminating on Remembrance Day every Nov. 11 th , supports Veterans and their dependents, seniors housing and equipment, and medical equipment for the Pemberton Medical Clinic.

On Nov. 19 th , we ask that Pemberton residents please get out and vote to support the continued good work done by the Pemberton Branch — Royal Canadian Legion, and the Pemberton Lions Activity Society by voting YES to waiving annual tax payments for both these important community organizations.

Myron Ayers, President — Pemberton Lions Club

Bruce Carson, President — Pemberton Branch, Royal Canadian Legion

 

Squamish or Florida?

I voted at an advance poll for the Squamish municipal election on Nov. 4, as I will be out of town on Nov. 19. To my surprise, upon entering the room at Squamish Municipal Hall where the voting was taking place, I was greeted by name by Squamish's current mayor, Ian Sutherland, who is also a candidate for mayor of Squamish in this election. I had seen the notice posted outside of the voting place that campaign materials, buttons, etc. are not to be displayed in the voting area, so I found it rather odd that a candidate was allowed to be in the room where the actual voting was taking place. Mr. Sutherland exited the room after greeting me.

I decided that this occurrence warranted some research, and discovered that the Local Government Act, Chapter 323, section 110(4) states ( http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/L/96323_03.htm) : "Other than for the purpose of voting, a candidate must not be present at a voting place or special voting opportunity while voting proceedings are being conducted."

Two questions spring to mind: 1) Was Mr. Sutherland voting, or was he simply greeting voters like myself? and 2) Is this Squamish, or is it Florida?

Ron Enns

Squamish

 

 

Don’t know your teachers

In response to Mr. Jenkins (Pique letters Nov. 3):

Mr. Jenkins either you do not have children or special needs children or you just do not know your teachers!

So actually I should have sent 20 million roses to all the teachers at Spring Creek for your efforts and gains in preventing my sons from falling through the cracks created by the very foundation imposed by the government’s lack of budgeting for special needs.

And Mr. Jenkins, maybe you should take a walk in that garden, maybe smell a rose and not be so bitter about other people’s achievements that actually benefit so many others.

Iona Lake

Whistler

 

Making a real difference

Over the past four weeks, volunteers in the Sea to Sky community proved what it means to be a citizen and make a contribution that makes a real difference. In this case, over 30 volunteers got together over the span of four Sundays to spay and neuter 78 dogs from Mount Currie.

WAG, with the assistance of the Mount Currie Band, organized the spay and neuter program in order to address dog overpopulation issues in the community of Mount Currie. WAG is concerned about the large numbers of dogs that are being received by the shelter each year from the community of Mount Currie. In 2004, 44 per cent of the dogs received by WAG originated from Mount Currie. In 2005, this number has climbed to 60 per cent. WAG and Mount Currie would like to see a reduction in the number of homeless and unwanted animals.

Spaying and neutering is the most humane, effective and cost-efficient method of controlling pet overpopulation. The spay and neuter program aims to make spaying and neutering services more accessible to residents of Mount Currie.

For over a year WAG has been working hard to raise money for the spay and neuter program. Local businesses supported the K9 Wine and Dine, which raised funds for the program. As well, the students of Myrtle Philip Elementary School raised $1,440 for the spay and neuter fund. Local veterinarians Dr. David Lane, Dr. Melanie Armstrong, Dr. Meghan Russell and Dr. Carla Wilkie, each donated their time. (Each performed about 20 surgeries in one day!) Lorraine Petch, our veterinary technician, put forth a superstar effort and gave up four Sundays in a row to volunteer.

There are too many contributors to mention here, but I am overwhelmed by the amount of support and the outstanding team and community effort that made this program possible. I would like to thank every volunteer, business and community member for supporting the spay and neuter program and helping us to achieve our goal of reducing animal suffering.

Carol Coffey

Shelter Director

Whistler Animals Galore Society (WAG)

 

 

A welcoming time

RE: Whistler Welcome Week — A smashing success!

Whistler Community Services Society would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge everyone who participated in the 3 rd annual Welcome Week, helping to make each and every event a great success.

For some, these events were the first opportunity to connect with other newcomers to the resort, as well as long-term locals (Whistler’s best natural resource!), and also be introduced to the Community Services, Programs, and Amenities in Whistler including some WCSS programs: The Re-Use-It Centre, Youth Outreach Workers, The Whistler Employment Resource Centre (WERC, and the Job Fair), as well as others like LUNA, the Whistler Blackcomb House Advisors, Millennium Place, and Meadow Park Sports Centre.

The success of Welcome Week shows in the numbers we saw. Over 1,000 newcomers participated in the events throughout the week, over 450 of them on Saturday night for the Jill Ackhurst Community Welcome Dinner, and over 250 for the WERC Job Fair, just to name a few. Best of all was the over 250 volunteers who turned up to support the events all week long.

On behalf of Whistler Community Services Society, the board of directors, staff, and members, we Thank You for the role you played in impacting the experience these newcomers had in their first weeks in Whistler. Programs like Welcome Week help to show this vital employee group so much more of what the Whistler community has to offer, and maybe through this experience, some will decide to stay for years to come – just like we did!

Hailey Guille

Board Chair

Whistler Community Services Society