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WAVE ready to break As a previous employee of Whistler Transit, my co-workers and I worked hard at providing the best possible service for the Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish communities despite the lack of funds provided and support from both the m

WAVE ready to break

As a previous employee of Whistler Transit, my co-workers and I worked hard at providing the best possible service for the Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish communities despite the lack of funds provided and support from both the municipality and Pacific Western Transportation (PWT), head office to Whistler Transit.

To add insult to injury an RMOW staff member went to pick up our award (for highest ridership totals in all of Western Canada) and didn’t have the decency to come and visit us at Transit to show us our award or to even thank any of us in person. It is rude and obnoxious for RMOW to accept such an award on our behalf given they have not once supported us throughout the winter period (or at all!). Yes, we did have two council members who came to visit our office to determine for themselves the state of our fleet and the trying issues we were faced with. But both Eckhard Zeidler and Nancy Whilhem-Morden only portrayed our mechanics and staff as incompetent by stating, “(the buses) are held together with string, …tape and bubblegum.” I understand the idea behind the statement but how unfortunate it is that not everyone understood it to be directed toward B.C. Transit. It was simply the wrong choice of words to use during such a sensitive time for all employees involved.

I agree with Zeidler that the technology of the fuel cell buses requires further testing as their reliability is unknown. It’s simply a crapshoot. Zeidler then expressed the need for reliable buses to transport visitors and residents. This brings me to my next point.

Staff members at RMOW decided that six new diesel buses being provided by B.C. Transit wouldn’t be good enough for Whistler and therefore dismissed the offer without consulting council members. When council finally knew about this offer they still didn’t take it upon themselves to acquire these buses. These six new buses offered by B.C. Transit would have enabled us to continue our efforts in providing a decent service. Council wants something more environmentally friendly, as they claim we are a sustainable community. Well it will be a long time till that happens. So we are dealing with the same aged buses that continue to puke out black and blue smoke, contributing to smog and allergens, and leaking oil and fuel, causing environmental damage.

One of our inspections by B.C. Transit had seven buses pulled off the road in one day due to safety concerns, five of the buses have been sent to the city for overhauls. That leaves very little for spares. Now this is not to say our mechanics are incompetent, but they have very little to work with as the resources and funding are not there. The repetitive replacing of parts can only work so long before some of the buses give out entirely.

If there is one entity in this fiasco that actually has demonstrated a team effort that would be B.C. Transit. At least they were willing to offer a few new buses to ease our load.

I would like to thank everyone at transit for trying to keep the operation afloat. Thank you to the senior administrator, the mechanics and drivers who diligently worked hard to ensure that service needs were met. You put in tireless hours, supported each other and always pulled through no matter how stressful the situation.

Also a thank you to Scott Pass, who did his best to ensure we were happy at our job. He gave us support in all areas of operations. He was an effective and efficient manager who demonstrated inspiring leadership skills.

For those riders who are concerned about the state of our transit system I encourage you to write to the municipality, to your MLA and to B.C. Transit. This issue is not just local but all over Canada — the dire need to upgrade our transit system is well overdue. However, the situation will continue as is if we do not make our concerns heard. Government has never instituted change by sheer will of its own, it comes from people like ourselves.

Monique Constant

Whistler

Bear deaths frustrating, preventable

Many of us at the Get Bear Smart Society, the Bear Aversion Research Team and Conservation Officer Service are very frustrated by the recent bear deaths. Particularly because all of these conflict incidents are preventable. We absolutely need to do a better job at managing garbage and other attractants. Residents need to understand that every time a bear gets garbage or food from a human source, it adds to that bear’s propensity for conflict. And unfortunately, you can’t unlearn a bear. Once a bear has learned to associate people with the availability of an easy high-calorie meal, it seems their behaviour can’t easily be turned around.

If we leave garbage and food out for bears, we are baiting them to an almost certain death. Outside of mating season, a bear’s life revolves around food. Its entire day is consumed with the search for food. Bears will eat almost anything and do almost anything to get food.

If folks are betting it won’t happen to them, they’re DEAD wrong. Eventually a bear will find their bird feeder or grease can on the barbecue. It’s only a matter of time. They are gambling with the bear’s life. What YOU do really matters! I think you all know how to be bear smart, it’s a matter of making it happen. For those who don’t, please visit www.bearsmart.com.

Two of the bears that were killed this last week died in motor vehicle accidents. People also need to slow down on the road and pay attention to driving. Speed kills! Furthermore, too many folks are multi-tasking while they’re driving and other people and our wildlife pay the price. We often get reports of bears being hit on the highway. Most of the time, they can’t be found because they pull themselves off the road and drag themselves into the woods to die.

Most people still don’t understand why bears can’t just be relocated. Well, in B.C. we deal with thousands of bear complaints every year and approximately 1,000 bears are destroyed annually as a result. There just isn’t enough wilderness to support all of those animals. Where are they all supposed to be moved to? Furthermore, relocation is ineffective for most adult bears, especially if they have a long history of conflict behaviour. Most females come back to their home range and continue to get into trouble if the source of the attractant remains. Adult males almost always come back too. Some are killed on the way back when they are struck by vehicles or trains. Yes, it’s “sometimes” effective to move young adolescent males as they are naturally dispersing from their mother’s natal range anyway — and we do move those bears. But that still doesn’t address the source of the problem: garbage, bird seed, dirty barbecues, pet food etc. It’s guaranteed that another bear will find that source. And worst of all, people leave their doors and windows open. We may as well put out a bear welcome mat. Almost any bear, whether they’ve been involved in conflict before or not, will follow their nose in through an open door or window. Yeah… I’m sorry, it’s not fair, but that’s part of the responsibility we took on when we moved into bear country.

I’ve also heard the argument that you can’t get rid of all the smells and attractants in town, so why do I need to deal with mine? The answer is simple and logical. Everyone living in bear county needs to MINIMIZE the reasons for bears to enter town and STAY here. We haven’t reached that threshold yet. There are still enough scraps and garbage around to make it worth a bear’s while to come into town. Bears will almost always choose a more secure feeding site in the woods if they can get almost the same quality of food there. If there is not enough good quality food in town to make it worth the risk, bears will forage naturally outside of town. And if they pass through town, so be it. The idea is that the community is porous to bear activity, but that bears don’t stop and get into trouble with non-natural attractants.

Yes, of course there will always be bears in Whistler. And thank goodness; that’s one of the reasons most of us live here — the natural beauty of this place with all of its flora and fauna. Living with bears is an integral part of what it means to be a Whistlerite. It’s also part of the Whistler experience for many of our visitors.

So, I’m personally asking for your help. Please do your part to stop the unnecessary killing of our bears. Let’s make this community a model for others to follow. The eyes of the world will soon be upon us. Let’s be proud of our ability to coexist with wildlife.

Sylvia Dolson

Executive Director,

Get Bear Smart Society

Whistler

Where’s the chicken?

 

We’ve lost our chicken…..

Not the Chicken Schnitzel, it’s still the fave,

We’ve plenty of Chicken Cordon Bleu, it’s quite the rave,

Chicken Tandoori Wraps abound,

And many Chicken Samosas can be found,

But our cast iron chicken,

Used to keep our door open, is missin’

If you know the whereabouts of our feathered friend,

Please return it to Ingrid’s Village Café and we’ll all make amends.

 

Distraught with a door that won’t stay open….

All the girls at Ingrid’s Village Cafe

Brilliant support

As a family we have stayed in Whistler for the second year running over the last two weeks, with my teenage children biking.

I would like to write to say a huge thank you to the staff of the bike park and in particular one bike park rider that helped my son when he had a nasty fall in the park. The staff and the guide that my son was with were quick, professional and knowledgeable and ensured that my son received the correct treatment and evacuation off the mountain to the medical centre.

The other rider helped in this process and was first to my son, seeing his fall, and provided reassurance and help. Throughout the day, my other son who stayed on the park, was asked how his brother was and given best wishes to pass on to him.

Following X-rays he was given the all clear and was biking the following day. But despite looking for the rider and the staff that helped him to thank them personally we were unable to locate them. Therefore I would really appreciate it if you could print this to ensure acknowledgement of the brilliant staff and riders is made public.

I would echo the comments of another British rider whose letter was published in Pique Newsmagazine Aug. 2 who also commented on the brilliant support and help she received following a crash, and am too very proud to have my children associated with such a brilliant community.

Thank you to you all and we shall definitely be seeing you again.

The Denholm family

Nottingham, UK

Supporting our athletes

First of all I would like to thank Pique for all their support of local sport, and athletes through their reporting of news in the sport world here in Whistler and abroad. We are a unique Canadian community as our sporting base is very diverse with athletes participating in sport at every level and at every age. It is through the support of a community that athletes not only have the opportunity for excellent training, but also the efficacy that goes with knowing your community supports and believes in your abilities to be the best in world.

The RMOW and Meadow Park Sports Centre has been an integral supporter of athletes and teams who live and train in Whistler for years. They have shown commitment to developing Canadian athletes, by allowing athletes and teams to train in their facilities as a GymWorks partner and a key community partner of PacificSport and Canadian Sport Centre Pacific.

As the 2010 Olympic Games approach the pressure on current facilities is increasing, more teams are making Whistler a training base, in part due to our excellent facilities. In order to ease this pressure and ensure our teams get the training they need to be successful PacificSport and Canadian Sport Centre Pacific, in co-operation with the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, has recently opened Whistler’s first high performance training centre, for all our local athletes and teams, from regional to national.

The PacificSport Performance Centre at the Whistler Mountain Ski Club is meant to supplement the current support provided to local athletes in the community, specifically Meadow Park Sport Centre. Over the years the co-operation and leadership shown by the staff at MPSC has ensured our athletes get the training they need to pursue excellence in sport. This past year this has been an exceptional challenge to the staff as more and more teams are making Whistler their choice for training. Marie-Anne Prevost and her team in the fitness centre have had to balance teams in large groups with locals who train at the centre every day. This balance has been achieved through a tremendous amount of professionalism and co-operation.

Without the continued hard work and support of the staff at MPSC and the RMOW our athletes would be challenged to get the training opportunities they need to win. It is through this support and co-operation that we will host and be a part of an amazing Olympic Games.

Cindy Thomson

PacificSport Performance Centre Manager

Sport Performance Director

Canadian Sport Centre Pacific

Agri-tourism inspires

My hat’s off and thanks to the organizers, participants and avid foodies that made the Feast of Fields and Slow Food Cycle Sunday events one of the great weekends of the year for all of the Sea to Sky region.

The Feast of Fields at Sturdy’s North Arm Farm was a wonderful walk amongst the acres of the family farm sampling the finest local creations of chefs, winemakers, brewmasters and artisans.

Anna Helmer and Lisa Richardson set about creating the Slow Food Cycle Sunday event many years ago and in only its third year has become one of the finest examples of agri-tourism in Canada! Fifty or so farms, chefs, and small businesses showed their wares to 1,000 participants (for free) in the “slowest” of styles as the Pemberton Meadows Valley road became a 26 km bike path last Sunday for feasting, exercising and learning. For those of you that missed it, mark your calendars for Aug. 17th, 2008!

On Saturday night the Helmers’ organic potato farm hosted a beautiful farm experience dinner for 60 locals and not so locals. Thanks to the amazing growers, Helmers’ farm, Pemberton Meadows Natural Beef, Hills foods, Antje Reitler, Shaw Creek Farms, Coffee Paula, and the Blackcomb Liquor store for all the items presented by James Walt of Araxi, Robert Clark of C restaurant, Rosalind Mclean of Rosalind’s desserts and their crews for helping Whistler Cooks Catering staff put this fundraising dinner together with the farm.

Special thanks goes out to EVERY chef, cook, server, dishwasher, manager, restaurant owner that put time, investment or heart into this excellent weekend. We know how very precious your time is so thanks for helping to make our region’s food community great and also better!

Grant Cousar

Whistler Cooks Catering Company

And Slow Food Sea to Sky member

Congratulations team peek a boob!

Kudos to Tanya, Shannon, Bronwen and Janice from Pemberton and the 2,000-plus for completing the walk for breast cancer this past weekend.   Very few of us pry time from our busy lives to make that sort of commitment, thank you on behalf all the women in our family, and the boys who love them.

Mike, Alyssa, and Oliver Richman

Pemberton