So the question is posed—by a reader and friend—what’s with the radio silence from muni hall and Pique on what’s happening in Ukraine and what Whistler might do to provide assistance and/or succour to Ukrainian refugees?
Okay, I’ll bite.
I certainly haven’t gone further than humourously suggesting crowd-sourcing funds to retire Mad Dog Putin, not that I suppose that idea is going anywhere. But it’s one of those philosophical games often played late in the evening after a few drinks when someone poses the question, “If you knew what you know now, and could travel back in time, would you assassinate, say, Hitler, if you had the chance?” I seem to remember that question in my brief, and unwilling, brush with military indoctrination at a university that still had mandatory ROTC decades ago.
I think my answer was no, I wouldn’t kill him. Just a peace-lovin’ guy. But I would feed him a sufficiently massive dose of LSD that his mind would turn to pudding contemplating what a vile piece of dung he was. More or less the same result. Less mess for someone to clean up.
But I digress.
Spurred on by the inquiry, I did my usual half-assed job of research. Sure enough, entering “Ukraine” on the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) website generated zero hits. “Ukrainian refugees?” Zero. “Refugees?” Twenty hits, largely about Syrian refugees, nothing newer than 2021.
A few letters to Pique and a bit of editorial coverage constituted the paper’s contribution. Can’t tell whether there’s anything from the Whistler Multicultural Society since Facebook won’t let me log in anymore, probably because they’re miffed I haven’t logged in in over five years and feel soiled about even trying.
Nothing jumping out from the Whistler Community Services Society but, then, they’ve got their hands full just trying to take care of the manifold local issues. And they’re doing an amazing job of it.
So does Whistler care? Should Whistler care? Is this one of those things we have to do individually after searching our own consciences and contributing to the efforts of, say, the Red Cross? If we lived in the U.S. we could probably buy a rocket launcher and courier it over. But on this side of the border we’re pretty limited to sending money or ferreting out organizations that are doing clothing drives and other helpful things.
I’m both too old and stunningly unqualified to head to Ukraine and fight alongside those brave folks who have joined the Ukrainian forces. Besides, I’m not sure where I’d get that much trustworthy LSD.
But Big John Horgan, leader of all British Columbians, thinks Whistler should step up. He thinks B.C. should accommodate “potentially thousands of Ukrainians.” He’s hedging his bets, thinking quite a few refugees will prefer to stay in European countries to remain close to home. He figures they’ll want to go back after the Russians get their butts kicked. He’s probably right. Ukrainians are justifiably proud of their country.
He wants to be ready though. Housing has been identified as a top issue by local Ukrainian leaders. They think, and Big John agrees, ski hills could house a lot of refugees since they’ll have a lot of off-season vacancies. Maybe. Maybe not.
In the meantime, B.C. has stopped importing Russian alcoholic beverages. Take that, Putin.
I’m sure a well-led, well-meaning effort locally would find Whistleratics rising to the challenge. Seems to have mostly worked in the past.
Not sure about all those unused beds in the offseason though. Part of the problem, a big part, is all those things in town that look like hotels aren’t hotels. They’re condos. Unlike the rooms at the Fairmont, they’re owned by people who live all over the world. They’re not the RMOW’s or the property management company’s to offer.
Rallying enough owners to make a difference is probably possible. Tourism Whistler (TW) knows how to get in touch with them. Since they’re all on resort lands they all pay TW assessments. I don’t know how TW feels about leading the charge. Nothing on their website either.
Spontaneous offers of housing have cropped up here and there. As reported in the Toronto Star, “40 Ukrainian refugees have a home waiting for them in Jasper if they are able to make their way” to that town. The effort was spearheaded by local resident, Nancy Addison. Good onya.
Banff, Orillia, Collingwood and other locations are flying Ukrainian flags and banners in solidarity. Individuals across the country are sporting the country’s flags and blue-over-yellow colours. Not always without risk. Incidents of bullying and property damage have been reported against people showing overt support, likely some pissed off Russians who, like Mad Dog, yearn for the good old days of the Soviet. Obviously from families who weren’t starved or murdered by Uncle Joe Stalin back in the good old days.
Other communities have active fundraising. Lots of ideas out there. Somewhere. Not necessarily here. But no reason not to come to the party a bit late, if not stylishly late.
No judgment. Not on my part. The timing of Putin’s Putsch sucks. The timing of barbaric invasion always does. But this time it particularly sucks. For many people, the well of humanity is damn near dry. Two years and counting of the pandemic blues, inflation bringing flashbacks to times some of us remember and would rather forget, times others have only heard about from their older relatives, the rent in the fabric of social solidarity in Canada and most other countries, an unprecedented year of B.C. wildfires, floods and landslides and other shared woes have left many with little or nothing to draw on to rally for yet another humanitarian disaster.
Fact is, too many people are just hanging on by their fingernails. Broken fingernails at that. I’m sure many will rally but it’ll take a spark of leadership. Someone will have to beat the drum before many find the strength to march.
And quite a few fear Ukraine is just the start. As an increasing number of countries give up on philosophical concepts of liberalism and embrace strongmen marching towards totalitarianism, fascism even, it seems inevitable the generations-long peace hammered together after the Second World War is threatened just like it was in the good old days. When maps of Europe were redrawn more frequently than map makers could keep up with. More frequently than fashions changed.
It’s harder and harder to have faith in what’s to come. Faith has been sideswiped by broken supply chains of hope.
It isn’t much of an answer. Just the best I can come up with. Any drum beaters out there?
