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A SOS for Street to Peak

The morning I arrived in Whistler I bought breakfast and a hot chocolate at Peaks and the old guy with the mustache said, "Did you see the snow on Wedge?" That was my first weekend, Labour Day 1997.

The morning I arrived in Whistler I bought breakfast and a hot chocolate at Peaks and the old guy with the mustache said, "Did you see the snow on Wedge?" That was my first weekend, Labour Day 1997. The truth is I didn't know what "Wedge" was but as a kid who grew up just over there on the other side of these peaks I knew I was home and there was no place I'd rather be.

Fast forward 14 years and Peaks is long gone. So is Wild Willies where Bill Overing (RIP) sold me a mismatched pair of Volkl Explosiv III's some staffer had on hold too long. So is the Mountain Shop but my buddy Warren and I still laugh about how we all had matching Jeff Holden Valid jackets. So is Behind the Grind where Chris Quinlan took that picture with all the moms and their strollers when our son Jack was born. So are the great steak sandwiches and awful frozen fries at Quinny's. So is Jeff Blair and the Patagonia Shop. So is the Creekside Uli's and before Uli's Las Margarita's. So is that skate shop in Creekside, and a long list (insert your favourites here) of other independents who shared this home and the dream that landed me right here right now.

"I have an idea," my wife said sitting at the other end of the couch. "I don't know if you would do it...it's out of the box."

(FYI - that's my saying whenever I have a crazy idea).

"What if you ask people for help? Sell cookies, bring in some music, have a save our store event. Write to the paper, call the radio station, and tell them not to let another local business disappear."

Raise a barn, in other words.

The truth is, I did know. I knew like the last days at the old Dusty's and all of the last days at The Boot, and yes, even the "Save Citta" days. I knew like the time I saw Rabbit (RIP) tending to a fire at the end of my driveway on Needles (great long story). I knew she was right.

I woke up where I fell asleep next to my son and my daughter that night after watching my old home team lose the last game of a losing season in OT (to what has reluctantly become my new home team, the Canucks no less) and I knew I wasn't so proud I would not have to ask for help.

"I believe in defining moments in life," someone said (ask me the story one day) and Whistler, this is mine. This is our story, but this chapter in my book is about to turn in one of two directions. Nearly four years ago now with a ton of support from my best friends and my family I built Street To Peak, Street, Surf and Snow from the ground up, with the dream of sharing my home, our home, with locals and visitors from around the world. Local brands, west coast favorites, local artists, photographers, writers, books, movies, clothing brands, accessories... everything you need from the street to the peak to be authentic, to be at home at work, right here in Whistler. An industry insider once introduced the store as, "Whistler's premier lifestyle retailer," and I smiled. Unfortunately, in the meantime, the dreams and compliments and all the friends, neighbors and visitors who have supported us to this point have been no match for the tide of events that have leveled us both locally and globally the last two years.

I wrote to one of the authors of Whistler sustainability recently and asked a simple question, and since I haven't heard back yet I would like to ask all of you reading the same;

"If the face of the local community doesn't continue to exist here, did your work really help?"

Of course, what I am really asking is, who are we promoting sustainability for? Isn't it for the sake of sustaining the community? Maybe survival is the new sustainability.

As you read this I'm sure you all have your own list of questions... did we really need to raise property taxes for resident owners in WHA 40 per cent in three years? (That's how much mine increased 2007-2010.) Do we really have to pave all the lots? Do we have to produce asphalt here? Do we have to cut down all the trees? Do we have to buy carbon credits somewhere else with our tax increases so we can say we are carbon neutral on some immeasurable global scale? Why is pay parking more affordable than a bus ride for a couple? Why have pay parking at all? Can we really take our garbage from Alpine to Nesters, get my daughter to daycare, my son to elementary school, get two working parents to their jobs on time on bicycle paths that aren't even cleared six months a year and do the reverse in the dark after school with bags full of groceries groceries? Do we really want Whistler to be a village of branded chain stores and name brand fast food and coffee joints?

There is room for all of us, isn't there? Isn't that what the Whistler experience is all about?

We need your help to rewrite this story, Whistler. I don't want to write another, "Thank you for your support, but we're closing," letter. We need your help. We need you to do what you can, what we all do every day and make choices that directly affect our community and our neighbors and shop locally at home. We own our home in Whistler (WHA) and we live in it. We bought our car with the "Made in Canada" sticker from Todd at Greg Gardner in Squamish. (Sorry, had to trade in the truck with the reindeer antlers to save on gas... but pretty sure the antlers will still fit on the new Chevy.)

We have bought all of our bikes in Whistler and yes, they are all Made in Canada (current collection courtesy of Fanatyk Co., Fine Line and Snowcovers... even picked up my son's little bike from Matt at Arbutus Routes). I don't drink coffee but I pick up my hot chocolate or chai tea and cinnamon buns at Ciao Thyme Bistro and even my wife has mostly switched to Blenz (did you know they are a B.C. company?) and I respect that being who I am, living where I do, I am more likely than most to go out of my way to find what I need in a shop or a restaurant owned by someone just like me... or you, who might walk in my door one day.

Street To Peak is a little out of the way but parking on the street in the upper village is free and I guarantee you it's worth the trip (and if the street is full I can usually lend you a spot while you shop). The store is stocked with local brands, the big screen is always on, the art pieces are second to none, and the conversation is always entertaining, if not provoking. Need some laces for your snowboard boots, yep. A new Sitka tank or hood? A signed copy of Leslie Anthony's 'White Planet' book? A trip to Indo in a Taylor Steele surf flick? Some Christy Feaver jewellery? A Chili Thom card or limited edition print? A Hippy Tree T-shirt? Some RVCA board shorts? A copy of Clark Little's amazing coffee table book of shore-break wave photos? A Brian Finestone bike guide? OluKai sandals or shoes? Some socks? A belt? You get the picture. Stop by Street To Peak. And please shop local.

Hi Brooks

Whistler

 

The election issue that matters most...

Thank you for publishing Mr. Barnett's enlightened Opening Remarks. It is an eye-opening synopsis of things to come in Whistler, for those who deeply care about Whistler's present and future. Chastising voters long before they cast their ballots and telling them "Whistler is not well served by candidates or voters who focus only on one issue" will be well remembered in November. I respectfully disagree.

There is one and only one issue, at least in the eyes of this taxpayer. My decision is based not on who is friends with whom, how many free pancake breakfasts someone has attended or how often one tried his best to offend, even humiliate fellow council members and taxpayers asking questions at council meetings. My decision is based not on how someone staked his entire reputation on a legal opinion no one has seen.

When voting, my focus will be on one, yes only one issue and will go to candidates who have served this community with honesty, dignity, but most of all, honour.

Joseph Farsang

Whistler

 

Smart meters are kind of dumb

Dr. Kendall is doing a grave disservice by minimizing the importance of the classification of the classification of this microwave radiation as a 2b carcinogen. The WHO panel reviewed 100s of studies and concluded that there is a real possibility that prolonged exposure to this type of radiation can cause cancer.

Dr. Kendall fails to advise that there are thousands of studies showing that this radiation also has been shown to cause DNA damage, blood brain barrier damage and other health effects. And homes will be receiving this 24/7 not just from one meter but from their neighbours'. Health is only one problem -- privacy is another major one. These gather personal usage patterns -- when you are home, when you are sleeping, when you are using a hair dryer, everything and can give this info. to anyone without your knowledge or permission. An illegal invasion of privacy. No cost or energy savings result, as Ontario's premier admits. Moving the meter away from your home will not prevent these problems. Only you can. Refuse wireless smart meters and demand that information be used only for billing purposes

Sharon Noble

Victoria