Opinion

The World Alpine Ski Championships wrapped up last weekend in Vail, and by Vail’s account they were a huge success. The Austrians and Norwegians, who collected 22 out of 30 medals, would also give glowing reviews of Vail 99.

Skier visits are up 18 per cent over the same time last year, and last year was a record winter for Whistler-Blackcomb. An all-time record of 100,000 room nights was set in the month of January.

If anyone ever needed an example of why the old adage "don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today" should be followed they need look no further than the chalet and villa issue now before Whistler council.

Rumours — unconfirmed as of our press time on Wednesday — suggest Joe Sturich’s review of provincial liquor laws may hold some interest for Whistler.

In most towns, the intent of a neighbourhood block watch is to make the neighbourhood safer. In Whistler, a neighbourhood block watch means making sure your neighbour hasn’t filed a rezoning application.

If they ever decide to rank the all-time greatest Olympians the IOC’s Marc Hodler should get a gold medal, in hypocrisy.

Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. Suck it up. That was the province’s message to municipalities exactly one week before Christmas when it announced another round of cuts in transfer payments to local governments.

The NDP government updated its plan for British Columbia’s struggling economy this week, but like so many previous governments’ plans for the provincial economy, there was no vision of the future.

As long-time locals — those who remember the garbage dump where the village now stands — can tell you, Whistler isn’t what it used to be. But what it used to be and what it is now is not so easy to define. T.S.

"Decades of following laissez-faire housing policies are catching up with Vail as about 2,500 jobs may go begging this winter." – New York Times, Nov. 5, 1998 The Whistler Housing Authority celebrated its first year in business last week.