A frustrating wait
I'm not one for writing letters, whether that be to newspapers
or friends and family or Santa Claus. But this time I have both the time and
the motivation!
I have been following the numerous articles and letters over
recent years with regard to the challenges employers face recruiting sufficient
numbers of skilled workers, not only in Whistler but more recently in the Lower
Mainland in general. Having first come to Whistler five winters ago I fell for
the place almost immediately... I knew within my first week that somehow I
would find a way to make this my home, whatever it took. In the 3.5 years since
I applied for residency under the Skilled Worker scheme I have only become more
passionate about fulfilling this goal.
I have probably been as determined as anyone, having bought a
house in Squamish, where I now live, before even securing a job here. Some
would say that is reckless, but in the current property market I would argue
it's a good investment whatever happens. It has definitely been a stressful and
frustrating tactic though... not that I expected such a lengthy process when I
set out.
Anyway, I was one of the lucky few who managed to secure a
sponsored work permit through a company in Vancouver where I have been working
for the last year. I guess I should be thankful that it only took three years
to make the right contact... and on a chairlift at Cypress as it happens!
So you may think the moral is to be extra determined (and carry
your resume when skiing) and then it will all work out happily (eventually)...
but it doesn't seem to be that easy.
My work permit has just ran out as, contrary to the Canadian
High Commission info, they have not finalized my residency within six months of
securing employment in Canada. As a good boy I anticipated this and started the
process for an extension of my existing one year visa. Unfortunately the
company did not supply the correct paperwork for the extension, as even their
immigration expert didn't understand the process... so the extension was rejected.
However my residency application is at the stage where I have
had to send off my passport to the UK so they can issue the visa... so here I
am not able to work (ie. zero income), not able to travel but told by
Immigration that I must leave Canada (ie. can't return to UK and work without
my passport) and have nothing but time while I wait and wait and wait.
Perhaps I've just been super unlucky and I realize much of this
is to do with timing that sucks, but if this skills shortage issue B.C. is
facing is ever to be resolved then for one thing the authorities need to
consider how many educated, experienced candidates they think they will attract
with a four- year wait time during which you are not permitted to ask for an
update. It's not as if the salary is enough to attract many applicants from
UK/Europe so you better hope the lifestyle remains the determining factor, as
it was for me.
If anyone from back in UK was to ask me if I would recommend
applying for residency I honestly don't know what I would say... I love this
place more than ever (especially since discovering the biking trails), but I
wouldn't wish the frustrations and stress involved on anyone.
(PS: Barry Thomson received his papers giving him landed
immigrant status on June 29.)
Barry Thomson
Garibaldi Highlands
Sounds and smells of summer
Summer is at last here, but along Alta Lake Road this brings the persistent sounds and smells of environmental pollution. Carney’s diesel trucks coming along the road to pump out the holding tank at Rainbow Park — at a cost to us, the tax payers, of well over $8,000 for the summer period.
Carney’s are also at the International Hostel daily — sometimes twice daily — at an estimated cost of well over $40,000 annually, and so the air is constantly full of diesel fumes together with the unpleasant odour of raw sewage which fills the air when the tanks are being pumped out.
With still no sewer hook up being provided along Alta Lake Road, not only is the lake being polluted with effluent leaching from old septic systems — which many of the homes have — but the atmosphere is also being polluted.
Installation of a sewer line along Alta Lake Road was recently estimated to cost $3 million, so please could the municipality spend some of their $59 million reserves as of January 2006 (as reported by Alison Taylor in Pique Newsmagazine of June 21st, 2007) on providing this long overdue and worthwhile facility to the original Whistler subdivision and adhere to the much-flaunted sustainability concept.
Gay Cluer
Whistler
Science behind TNS
Re: Explain the science of TNS (Pique letters June 21)
Thanks to Judi Kryzanowski for her letter two weeks ago
requesting an explanation of the science that forms the foundation of the
Natural Step framework. The framework is based on the scientific laws of
Thermodynamics underlying natural systems that are well known and accepted by
scientists. It can’t be explained in less than 300 words, so for more
information, visit www.naturalstep.ca/basic-science.html.
Dozens of scientific journal articles have been written on
sustainability and TNS, some of which can be found on this same site under
“Publications & Resources.” As many people know, it is inherent in the
scientific process to always question and try to disprove established
knowledge. In fact, the TNS framework has grown stronger over the years through
ongoing scientific scrutiny and peer review.
So how are we using TNS in Whistler to save our snow and the
planet — all while creating local long-term economic viability? The TNS
framework is embedded into Whistler’s sustainability plan (Whistler2020) and is
our compass for decision-making and action execution throughout the community.
It has resulted in on-the-ground actions such as: the decision to use a
district energy system for the athletes’ village and legacy neighbourhood,
where the primary energy source will be waste heat from the sewage treatment
plant; temporary flaring of the gas from our landfill (projected to reduce GHG emissions
by 15,000 tonnes per year); and the True Local merchandising program that will
sell more sustainable Whistler-branded products, promote Whistler and generate
revenues for our sustainability education programs. Among other non-municipal
applications, the TNS framework helps to guide Whistler-Blackcomb’s programs,
it is the foundation of the sustainability education component of Ziptrek
Ecotour’s very successful adventures, and it helped guide the design of
Whistler’s community greenhouse project.
We’re starting to move Whistler in the right direction, but we
have such a long way to go and need everyone to take action. Through science,
community involvement and deliberate action, we can accelerate this journey
toward sustainability and success together. Whistler2020 and TNS can be used to
guide the everyday actions of individuals, businesses and organizations. Please
visit whistler2020.ca to learn more about sustainability and how you can
contribute. Go to “Sustainability” and “What is Sustainability?”
Shannon Gordon,
Whistler2020 Community Engagement Manager
Resort Municipality of Whistler
Foolish moments
To the person who walked away with my bike and corresponding
bag from in front of La Rua on Tuesday night (June26th), you got away with one
of the easiest capers in town. The bike was easy pickings but that does not
mean it deserved to be taken.
The monetary value of the bike was not as important as the
sentimental ones. The bike was given to my wife for raising money to support
the Canadian Breast Cancer foundation, in turn, was given to me for Fathers
Day.
The bag that was on the back, as you may have found out, was
quite the score. I was on my way home from work and it contained a lot of my
personal belongings. The two items that are most important are my five-year-old
son’s eyeglasses and my birth certificate. If you don’t know, the birth
certificate is a pain to replace. I can only hope that the person who did this
is still in town and has a heart to know what’s best.
The bike was a seven-speed Schwinn, gray with pink pin
striping, gray fenders, black tires and rims. If you are so inclined you could
leave my son’s glasses and the birth certificate at Behind the Grind
(discreetly) or call 604-905-6632. The bike would be nice as well.
Chris Susko
Whistler
Summer without wheels
To the people who took our bikes,
We woke up on July 2
nd
to find that you had borrowed
our mountain bikes that were on our back deck. Maybe you were at the super loud
Canada Day party somewhere in our neighborhood of White Gold Estates and you
needed some transportation home after the party. Could you please return them
to us? We won’t ask any questions.
We just started our summer break and would love to ride our
bikes. We are certain that you won’t want to keep them as they must be too
small for you to ride.
Please return them to 7321 Toni Sailor Way, we would be
extremely grateful.
Bronwen age 11
Red Norco Mountain Bike
Amanda age 12
Silver Mountain Bike
As a mother of St’at’imc children
I pray for
a
proud and
healthy future
for
our children everywhere.
I pray for the health and well being of our family and our
communit
ies
.
I pray
for
courage, strength, and wisdom to carry on forward one day at a time
t
owards rea
ching
our dreams
,
visions
, and our highest potential as
people
.
As a mother of St’at’imc children, I pray daily that
o
ur words and actions be truthful and
bring no harm to self, others or
to
the
land.
I s
ay
to the
children
that the Earth is our Mother
and that we are all
‘
Children of
Earth
’
.
How all living things,
the animals, birds, and fish, are
indeed
our brothers and sisters.
T
h
e Earth
brings food and
She
feeds
us so we can live to be strong in mind, body and spirit.
When we harm or forget to show respect to the Earth and all of
the living things, we in turn, hurt ourselves. I tell our children
that is why we have the responsibility to be
good caretakers of this Earth.
O
ur forefathers
paved
the
way for us
t
hrough m
any
sacrifices and hard work
s
o
we can live to breathe and enjoy life
and
prosper in our communities
today
.
I
say to the children
that
their ancestors are watching over them
,
protecting them
all the time.
T
hat
is what my
Buddhist
grandmother
taught me when I was
little
.
Our three-year-old
son
said
the other day: “When we pick up garbage, we are looking after Mother Earth
right Mommy?
S
o we can make
H
er happy.”
I told him that his ancestors will be very proud of him, and he
gave me a big smile.
This may seem like an exaggeration but is it really?
There is a
n old
saying in Japanese:
“Chirimo tsumoreba
yamato naru.”
Even a mere trash will eventually pile up to form a
mountain
.
I believe a child can feel a highest honour when they can know
that
t
heir actions and what they
pay attention to will make a difference in this world
a
nd
for
the next seven
generations.
Last year, the father of our children
s
pent many
days and
overnights
b
y the Sacred Fire in peaceful protest
. His family members and relations
were
served court papers for sitting on the road.
My
children
and I
were
proud of their dad
and kin
for
taking a stand
against resource
extraction, for defending the St’at’imc Declaration of 1911 and what it stands
for,
to protect the
old growth
trees and
homes of the mule deer
that cannot speak.
Children understand that
their brother
deer
gives his life
to us, to
provide food for
us.
A
t pre
-
school, the children learn to make traditional drums from scratch
with deer hide.
Uncle Gerald shares his
dances with real cedar costume and carved animal masks
i
n our little Blackwater Creek
Elementary School.
Us
ing the drums
made from the deer
, o
ur neighbour
Uncle Marty comes to teach and lead the St’at’imc songs and dances.
Many of our
children
are already blessed to “live by
experience”
this connection
and
one day, they can l
earn
from their
fathers, uncles, cousins, how
to hunt
the right way.
We
have the
duty to
guide all our
children
everywhere how to share and care, t
o
look after
all our natural resources in a
responsible, selective, and sustainable way.
Let us not depend blindly
on schools to teach our youth or depend on television to influence them. Let us
bring spiritual education back in our homes and in our communities. Let us
visit and invite our Elders to our homes so they can tell stories to our
children.
Let us not forget to
support the good work that is already being done by teachers, elders, uncles
and aunties in our communities who share work and knowledge, who honour and
value education and tradition, strive to live by example, and seek harmony with
nature.
Otherwise, 50 years from
now, when the old forests are gone and the animals are gone, and no more drums
or regalia are to be made, no more hunting, no more deer meat for the St’at’imc
people, what will our youth have to tell their children and their
grandchildren?
Mariko Kage
Raising children in N’Quatqua
Art thief strikes again
The Whistler Arts Council would like to thank all the artists
and venues taking part in ArtWalk 2007. Also, thank you to all the participants
who took the tour and enjoyed the opening receptions last Friday.
Unfortunately, on the evening of Monday, July 2, a piece of
artwork was stolen from the Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa. The artist is
Lawrence Hislop of Lions Bay, and his piece, named “Nexem Beach Pier”, is worth
$2,000. When a theft like this occurs it is the artist and the Arts Council
that pay the price.
If anyone has any information concerning the theft, please
contact the RCMP, file #JH-07-02-07, or the Whistler Arts Council.
Ali Richmond for
Whistler Arts Council