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They're back....the Maxies for 2013

The corks have popped, the bottles are empty and today's the day we wish was tomorrow because we'll all be feelin' better by then. When I was in school, my strategy was always to start strong in case I finished weak. That pretty much describes 2013.
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The corks have popped, the bottles are empty and today's the day we wish was tomorrow because we'll all be feelin' better by then. When I was in school, my strategy was always to start strong in case I finished weak. That pretty much describes 2013. Great start, disappointing finish.

But there were accomplishments to celebrate and lesser accomplishments to scratch our collective head about. Here were a few out of many in the running for the 2013 Maxies.

The Mountains

Best Improvement, Mountain Division:

$18 million for the Harmony 6 Express and Crystal Ridge Express? I don't think so. $18 million, not a single square metre of new terrain, more crowding in a formerly less crowded zone? Sorry. The best thing out of WB this year came from the marketing department. No, really. The Most Confident Man in the World ad, featuring Duke Dufour as a goggle-tanned ladies man? Priceless.

Best Performance, Mountain Division:

I don't think any of the snowmakers slept during the last -15° Cold snap. Because of their heroic efforts, we're not downloading. Whatever you're getting paid, it ain't enough.

Mom Always Liked You Best:

BC Parks gave WB, and only WB, a look-see, chance to comment on the master plan for Garibaldi park because, well, because they can and because they apparently have no concept of fair play. Unfortunately, while it's not likely to significantly change any decisions, it makes both parties look bad. Rule #1: If you're going to do something to make yourself look unethical, make sure it comes with a big payoff.

I Get High With a Little Help From My Friends:

Yeah, it's another marketing thing but so what? WB joins forces with Aspen, Squaw Valley, Snowbird and Mammoth as part of the Mountain Borg, er, Collective. We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, a Mountain Collective pass, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses. Time for a road trip.

Politics — Local

Allow Me to Clarify:

Just in case the proponents of Whistler International Campus failed to get the gist of the six councillors who spoke against their rezoning application, Mayor Nancy, in a classic the-sun-rises-in-the-east moment, tapped the final nail in the coffin, saying, "This is not a proposal to build a university. This is a proposal to build a large commercial development and perhaps rent out some of it to people putting on courses."

It's Not That We Don't Like You:

But it's beginning to feel that way. Muni council scored a big success with their Education Task Force. It was comprised of members of the community Mayor Nancy called "big brains." Unfortunately, the lesson didn't stick. Liquor policy committee: Zero members from the everyday community. EPI task force:

Zero members from the everyday community at large. May Long Weekend task force: The usual suspects. What do we have to do, divorce you to get your attention?

Quick, Before the Sun Comes Up:

Vampires and the FE&A task force both love the dark. Laying waste to the promise of openness and transparency for yet another year, the task force's Star Chamber antics in doling out RMI money can only leave us wondering... because no one's talking.

Politics — Other

Alchemy Revealed:

He didn't turn water into wine or lead into gold but by the time he's finally booted — or otherwise — out of office, Stephen Harper will have turned Canada into something no one will recognize and none of us thought we'd live to see. Don't yet know what it will be but it's becoming uglier by the day.

Words Fail Me:

Rob Ford makes me nostalgic for a time when disgraced public figures would walk dejectedly back to their office and blow their brains out or commit ritual seppuku. Since he won't do either, I'd like to suggest Stephen Harper forego sending homosexual athletes to Sochi and instead send Rob Ford — the freakin' Russians will think Boris Yeltsin is back from the grave — and the entire Canadian senate. Maybe Putin will do us a favour and disappear the lot of them.

A Hat Trick Like No Other:

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all three levels of government in the United States for making me feel very, very good about my decision to become a Canadian. If I still felt any affinity, I'd be ashamed. As it is, I just feel sorry for those I left behind.

They Walk Among Us:

Zombies are alive and well in B.C. First Christy Clark's Liberals — what was left of them — rise from the dead to win the provincial election. Then it turns out one of the main reasons was because the provincial NDP were being led by a dead man walking, Adrian Dix.

With a Little Help From Their Friends, er, Enemies:

Provincial Greens, both candidates and voters, decide to help the environment by enabling Christy "Pipe Queen" Clark to eke out an election victory by siphoning enough votes away from the NDP in enough ridings to set the stage for the Clark/Redford, Northern Gateway love-in. It's hard being green; harder still living with them.

Around Town

Shooting Fish in a Barrel:

Over the May long weekend, the RCMP issued 229 traffic violations on the Sea to Sky highway, including 175 speeding violations along with 17 impounds. What better way to say, "Welcome." Safety or revenue generation? You decide.

Congratulations! Where'd You Go:

Rtown Communications starts the year as one of the top 10 finalists for Best Company in B.C., after being nominated for a Successful You award from Small Business BC. They celebrate by declaring bankruptcy in August.

OK, So Maybe it Looks Like a Shoebox; So What:

The architectural plans for the Audain Museum are greeted with derision and praise. They're architectural plans, what did you expect? Hey, I know; let's add an iconic — overused, meaningless word alert — bridge... or maybe a circus tent.

Favourite Whistlerite:

Sorry Mike, I'm talking about the non-human category. Swamp Moose captured everyone's attention, which is not a good thing when you're a moose in a resort more used to seeing bears. She was literally loved to death by humans who just couldn't control themselves. Next time, let's relocate them instead.

Best New Restaurant:

La Rua... no wait, the Red Door Bistro. With R.D. Stewart at the helm and many familiar faces at the front of the house, Creekside's been blessed with another intimate, warm room with amazing food.

It Takes A Resort Community:

Almost without fanfare, this community came together again and again in the past year to raise funds for friends in need. And not just nickels and dimes. $20k, $25K, $30K was raised over and over from small contributions made by many community members. For those of us who couldn't imagine living anywhere else, it reinforces what we already know. Whistler rocks.