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Mount Currie elections deserve more attention

What's the biggest thing going on in the corridor (last) week? The Mount Currie Band/Lil'wat Nation Chief and Council elections. How much coverage did either (newspaper) give to it (the week of Feb.

What's the biggest thing going on in the corridor (last) week? The Mount Currie Band/Lil'wat Nation Chief and Council elections.

How much coverage did either (newspaper) give to it (the week of Feb.28)? ZERO!

It is amazing to me that you did not even profile any of the candidates or consider the impact the election could have on the region.

The 13-person Council has significant (and growing) influence. This government has an annual budget of approximately $15-$20 million.

(It) employs over 100 people. (It) owns large private land holdings in the Pemberton Valley and RMOW. (It is) part-owner of the biggest new cultural tourism attraction in Whistler.

(It) provide(s) water for the Pemberton industrial park. (It's) an equal partner in the Winds of Change. (It's) creating new parks and protected areas in the region. (Its) support or non-support can be the deciding factor in a run-of-river project or WB tenure renewal. These are just a few examples.

If you purport to cover issues of importance to residents in the corridor then start covering the politics in Mount Currie as you would other local governments.

Sheldon Tetreault

Pemberton

 

Should locals runs transit?

There are more intersections with traffic lights within the District of Squamish than there are in the City of West Vancouver. They are both about the same size but West Vancouver has three times as many people.

There are many ways a municipality can deal with traffic congestion. Two of them are public transit and denial. Transit service between Squamish and Whistler ends on March 31.

West Vancouver's Blue Bus Transit system began in 1912 and is the oldest continuously-operated, municipal system in North America. Blue buses move people around West Vancouver and to North Vancouver. They travel across the Lions Gate Bridge more than 100 times in each direction every day.

The Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado has transit. The 120 km stretch of State Highway 82 is home to Aspen, Snowmass and several other busy small towns. They began offering transit within four counties, connecting eight small towns, in the early 1970s.

In 1980, the population of the Roaring Fork Valley was less than 20,000. The highway has been widened and improved over the years. By increasing transit, traffic volume has been maintained at 1993 levels. Construction has begun for a new bus rapid transit service.

The main operation of Kings Transit, in Nova Scotia, is hourly service along the 60 km corridor between Greenwood and Wolfville. The service on Highway 1 also offers transit service within the towns of Berwick, Kentville and Wolfville.

The population of Kings County is over 60,000 but due to the spread-out nature of the county, only about 15,000 live within the service area. More than 25,000 people in the Sea to Sky Corridor live near Highway 99.

Last year the Squamish Commuter operated four daily trips between Squamish and Whistler. It cost over $1 million.

Last year, hourly service within Kings County, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., cost just over $1.3 million.

There are many differences between Kings Transit and the Squamish Commuter. Kings Transit does not have a provincial partner providing nearly 47 per cent of its funding. Most of its funding comes from fare revenue. It spends $10,000 in advertising. It takes in $25,000 from selling advertising on the buses.

Kings Transit has a single manager and a board of directors. It does not have a mix of provincial, municipal and private partners, each with different responsibilities, with no central authority. Kings Transit also conducts regular customer surveys to actually know what customers need.

Transit in the Sea to Sky Corridor, between Mount Currie and Britannia Beach, is possible. Municipal leaders need to take greater responsibility for transit within the district, rather than relying on people in Victoria and Prince George.

BC Transit does not have the largest fleet in the corridor. Carney's Waste Management has a larger fleet and has been operating in the corridor longer than BC Transit. They probably don't spend $350 to send a vehicle from Squamish to Whistler.

Perhaps we should have a local, experienced transportation company running transit in the Sea to Sky Corridor.

Murray Gamble

Squamish

Locals' Test

Yeah yeah yeah ...we are always navel gazing about who is actually a local.

Well if you score 50 or more points in this test then you're a local and you can claim it to people on the chairlift without a hint of guilt in your voice. If you score 60 or more points then it's time to check into rehab.

1. If you had a beer with Seppo - 2 points (if you went to one of his parties 1 point, if you know where his house was - 1 point)

2. If you could never really understand Rabbit, especially when he was drunk, give yourself 2 points. (If you know where he worked 1 point)

3. If you know where the Keg lot was 2 points (if you got laid in your car in the Keg lot after partying at Club 10 - 5 points.)

4. If you can say hi to Charlie Doyle in town 2 points (if you know the name of the newspaper he started 2 points)

5. If you know where the Blue Chair lift line is 2 points (if you know where the old Poma lift line is 5 points)

6. If you still refer to the ski run as Gandhi Dancer and NOT Ross' Gold then 2 points.

7. If you can name all the restaurants that have inhabited the Whistler Creek Lodge, 2 points. (Four of them at least gets you 1 point...)

8. If you got drunk in the old Dusty's after a big powder day- 2 points. (if you got drunk in the New Dusty's and picked up a 40-something cougar - 10 points. Substitute The Boot/hippie girl for 10 points)

9. If you have had a cold John Labatts Classic at Brandy's after skiing all day - 2 points. (Substitute Citta's/Spring Pale Ale for 1 point)

10. Know any of the following characters- Ray from The Husky. Mr. Coffee. Franco the guitar impressario. Buzz and Lucy from the Village Gondola. Jim "Mogul" Monaghan. Binty - 2 points each.

11. If you know where these spots are: The Chicken Coops, The Mine

Shafts, Mushroom House, Parkhurst, The A Frames: 2 points each. The Dog House - 5 points.

12.If you remember the op-ed column "Burrowings" and it still gives you the shivers - 10 points.

Good luck.

Bjorn Naylor

Whistler

 

 

Pay parking again

Of course we should all follow Tom DeMarco's example and get out of our cars, but our tourist town relies on tourist traffic and employees who already cannot afford to live here and they all have to get here somehow.

On a recent road trip to several ski resorts south of the border we were never "welcomed" by pay parking. In Winter Park and Steamboat Springs an extensive public transit system was even thrown in for free.

Whistler's empty pay parking lots and increased transit fares are looking like a poorly disguised money grab instead of an environmental statement. Let's hurry up and provide some viable and affordable alternatives for locals and visitors alike.

Janet and Joris Moschard

Whistler

 

Responsible reporting needed

Firstly, my thoughts go out to all those who were affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

As a Hawaii local, born and bred, I stayed awake all night, monitoring the tsunami warning with my friends and family online.

With the estimated arrival time of the first tsunami waves drawing near, social media was exploding with commentary and local news outlets tried to keep everyone informed as quickly and as best as possible. Footage of the aftermath in Japan looped on screen, showing overwhelming scenes of chaos, fire, disaster, and the sheer power of Mother Nature's will.

Local news channels filmed people in Hawaii who where storming the gas stations and quickie marts, trying to stock up on whatever they could get their hands on.

They showed people seeking refuge in their cars along highways, away from the coast. For those of us who were still awake, we were all watching and waiting, waiting for the tsunami to reach Hawaii's shores.

The problem here is that in this day and age, the speed of information is continually sky rocketing and news outlets pride themselves on being the "first" to report any news.

With social media, even those with no cable or television can be kept in the loop within minutes, even seconds notice. As I sat at home watching the local news footage of webcams at beaches, reporters stationed around the islands at strategic vantage points, and Pacific Tsunami Warning Center officials, the Associated Press had already released an article that reported on the tsunami, which hadn't arrived yet.

Headlines read, "Tsunami strikes Hawaii," and the author went on to say that our shores were being "Swamped by monster waves.

But where were these waves? They certainly weren't anywhere near Hawaii when that was released.

Articles began popping up worldwide and social media began buzzing with the news, striking fear into the hearts of anyone with friends or family in the islands.

Eventually, we did see some major ebb and flow of the water around certain shores, followed by reports of surges sometime later.

Luckily, Hawaii managed to dodge a potentially lethal bullet and no major damage occurred.

However, immediate reports had already done millions of dollars worth of public relations damage, as fear-mongering stories surfaced prematurely, conjuring images of what we saw in Japan.

Hawaii, like Whistler, relies heavily on tourism as a major economic factor, and who knows what effect that had on a misinformed public.

That being said, I think it is very important that we, as people of intelligence, remember to separate fact from alarmist conjecture, and hope that responsible journalism prevails.

Jodi Mari

Whistler

 

Wild Wood open at tennis club

I just want to assure everyone that the Wild Wood Pacific Bistro (in the tennis club) continues to be open 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. for breakfast daily (Tuesdays 9 a.m.) and 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. for dinner service. We also continue to invest in our business to provide our guests with the service and food quality they have come to expect from us.

Brian Dixon

General Manager Wild Wood Pacific Bistro

 

Leash your dogs

Whistler, like most every area in our country, has a leash law for dogs. Why I see so many people in this town walking their dogs off-leash baffles my mind.

It has nothing to do with how "good" your dog is. As I'm sure most everyone who partakes in this irresponsible behaviour believes their dog is gods gift from heaven.

We live in a town where large dogs, such as rottweilers, huskies, and wolf-crosses are very common.

That's not to say all these dogs are inherently dangerous, not by any means. However, all these dogs are large, and ANY dog when it feels threatened, or uncomfortable has a tendency to try and defend itself.

I have seen on far too many occasions an unleashed dog run up and, surely with every playful intention jump onto a leashed dog, only to be bit, and in some instances injured.

Why so many dog owners have not realized the danger not only from other dogs but also from vehicles is something I can't quite wrap my head around.

I sincerely hope to see a change around this area as it's only a matter of time before a "friendly" and much loved, but never leashed dog, runs up on the wrong leashed dog and suffers a serious, possibly life threatening injury in the process. Leash your dogs. Please.

Colin Kennedy

Whistler

 

The 2011 Budget and the RMOW's Labour Costs

In an effort to address the 2011 budget situation, the muni has announced that it will be eliminating the equivalent of 13.58 full-time positions, thus rolling back the total number of muni employees to 2007-2008 levels.

While a step in the right direction, unless the upcoming rollback happens to include elimination of the muni's highest paid administrative positions (which isn't likely), it won't make much of a dent in the 2011 RMOW budget shortfall.

However, an accompanying rollback to 2007 payroll levels would definitely create light at the end of the budget tunnel.

Over the four-year period from 2005 to 2009 (the last year for which audited financial statements are currently available), the RMOW's payroll expense increased by a whopping 45 per cent.

In 2007, total staff remuneration costs (salaries, overtime and vacation benefits) were $17.5 million.

As things now stand, in 2011, total staff remuneration costs (for basically the same number of employees as the muni had four years earlier) will probably exceed $22 million.

Thus, the increased expense in 2011 for the same staffing level that Whistler had in 2007 will be at least $4.5 million. In 2011, the average muni employee will be paid at least 25 per cent more than he/she was paid four years earlier. How many Whistler taxpayers expect to earn 25 per cent more in 2011 than they earned in 2007 (before the recession hit)?

When it comes to identifying ways to trim the current budget deficit, muni staff has scrambled to come up with all sorts of program cuts, deferments and savings. Yet none of those cuts, etc., involves the one big ticket item in the muni budget (employee remuneration costs), which has somehow attained "sacred cow" status.

While many programs and services are being cut to the bone, the muni refuses to scrutinize the one budget item which is by far and away the largest (more than 40 per cent of the proposed budget) and which is arguably the most bloated (but perhaps that's to be expected in a system where those responsible for finding ways to control costs are the same ones who benefit the most from not controlling the single largest cost).

It's crazy that 40 per cent of the proposed 2011 budget has been immune from scrutiny. Eliminating 13 to 14 positions, while a positive development, does nothing to address the root of the much bigger problem (the muni's escalating payroll driven largely by yearly automatic across-the-board pay increases).

Claiming that its hands are tied due to a "binding contract" which prohibits any wage freezes or reductions, the muni has steadfastly refused to address the wage entitlement issue. The hand-tying "contract" in question is supposedly the RMOW Employee Handbook. Reliance on the Handbook as justification for the muni's refusal to act on runaway payroll costs is a real head scratcher.

As one might expect, the Handbook details a number of fairly standard employment practices and procedures (all of which are subject to change at the Muni's discretion).

The Handbook contains no guarantees of continued employment, no discussion of wages, no expressions of entitlement to any particular wage levels and nothing related to automatic wage increases.

Just as the Handbook doesn't prevent the muni from eliminating 13.58 job positions, nothing in the Handbook prohibits the muni from freezing or even reducing wage levels. In short, the contents of the Handbook simply don't support the Muni's "binding contract" claim.

It goes without saying that, from top to bottom, the muni has many hard working and dedicated employees. They are important to the community, and their efforts are greatly appreciated.

At the same time, however, they are already well compensated for their services.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, B.C.'s municipal workers already earn an average of 34 per cent more in salary and benefits than they would earn in comparable employment in the private sector. While the lingering effects of the current economic recession continue to impact many Whistler employers and employees, perhaps the only sector of the Whistler economy which hasn't been hurt by the recession is the muni staff.

The unfortunate reality is that Whistler's current financial predicament might not be improving anytime soon. In addition to the well-publicized public transit and pay parking revenue shortfalls, there now looms a multi-million dollar judgment against the muni in connection with the 1987 expropriation of the Rainbow Beach lands.

When final, that judgment will presumably have to be funded from muni general reserves (reserves which might then have to be replenished with taxpayer dollars).

Especially given the current budget situation, Whistler simply doesn't have the luxury of allowing the RMOW payroll to keep increasing at a rate faster than the taxpayers' ability to pay.

Whistler's elected leaders need to focus on reining in the muni's runaway labour costs.

If they won't, then Whistler's voters need to focus on finding someone who will.

Steve MacDonald

Whistler

 

(Editor's Note: In previous Pique stories we have reported that this year's four per cent increase, which applies to all municipal staff and managers, will cost about $800,000. In 2007 council agreed to the increases for four years, based on the CUPE contract negotiations. The salary increases will end in 2011, after a cumulative 17.5 per cent increase that applies to both managers and staff.)