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Letter to the Editor: Are we turning on each other as Whistler grows?

'When Beedie breaks dirt, we can be sure a locals’ tennis/pickleball/axe throwing/live music joint will be pushed out to make room for something a little more to the taste of the beast'
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"When Beedie breaks dirt, we can be sure a locals’ tennis/pickleball/axe throwing/live music joint will be pushed out to make room for something a little more to the taste of the beast," writes a letter writer.

A recent article in Pique highlighting the complaints of Montebello residents against the racket being created by the Whistler Racket Club inspired a rash of social media comments that left me wondering: When did we become so cynical?

Commenters called the Montebello owners idiots and admonished them for being spoiled, intolerant and worse. They unleashed all the frustrations Whistler residents seem to have these days against rich “outsiders” taking over “our” town. They congratulated themselves for being fun-loving, community-oriented locals defending their right to a “good time.” 

They suggested residents of Montebello who want a little quiet time on their patios should “move on” and make room for someone who wants to enjoy the ruckus of pickleball, axe throwing, and live music all squeezed into a temporary location.

The thing is, they will move on—the Montebello residents, that is. And it’s a shame because these “outsiders” we are so willing to turn on are a mix of seniors, young families, local business owners, monthly renters and permanent residents—all of them contributing to the kind of community that seems to be on the way out of Whistler.

This all reminded me of a young father from Vail I met on vacation once. He said he moved his family as far from the town of Vail as possible so they couldn’t hear the corporation “eating at night.”

It seems Whistler has jumped the road (Lorimer) now. Almost overnight, the neighbourhoods north of Marketplace have become part of the “fun zone” and up for grabs in the challenging balance of growth and community in the municipality. Is creating Village North-North and chasing out long-time locals the kind of growth we want? Does anyone remember the pandemic?

My turn to be cynical. The Whistler machine is hungry, and she’s coming for your neighbourhood, your school, your family, and yes, even your tennis club.

When Beedie breaks dirt, we can be sure a locals’ tennis/pickleball/axe throwing/live music joint will be pushed out to make room for something a little more to the taste of the beast. 

And just when a community of neighbours would be helpful to support community interests, they will be gone—and all because we’re a community that doesn’t turn the music down for each other anymore.

One commenter on the article asked: “What’s next? Lawn bowling?” What a great idea. Let’s also consider a curling rink and seniors’ facilities. Ah, but that’s not on the menu! What’s next is more extravagant housing for absentee owners and more restaurants and bars because tennis doesn’t pay the rent in Whistler. 

Nothing new to see here, except for the fact that we’ve turned on each other.

Christine Keuling // Whistler