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Letter to the editor

Whistler wetlands need respect As a member of the River of Golden Dreams Watershed Management Committee, I feel that the time is now to preserve and enhance the natural diversity of the River of Golden Dreams watershed.

Whistler wetlands need respect

As a member of the River of Golden Dreams Watershed Management Committee, I feel that the time is now to preserve and enhance the natural diversity of the River of Golden Dreams watershed. Considering that only 3 per cent of British Columbia’s land mass was ever wetland, much of which is gone, the wetland portion of this management area should be protected and allowed to become wet once again. By creating mitigating initiatives to address flood proofing issues, the water levels in the River of Golden Dreams can be allowed to rise back to historic levels once again. Beavers, blue heron, fish, trumpeter swans, winnowing snipe; all of these wetland creatures will surely be grateful.

I offer the following suggestions and ideas in order to help develop a solution to the many challenges facing the enhancement of this wetland area.

Firstly I believe the simplest means of enhancing this area is to allow the beavers to re-establish themselves. It appears that beavers don’t seem to mind living in close proximity to humans and if allowed and with the absence of canoeists, they will probably do very well at backing up the waters, allowing the wetland areas surrounding the River of Golden Dreams to return to being wet again. I am sure the beavers could possibly go overboard but with some simple monitoring and pruning measures we can keep water levels contained if needed.

The next and most pressing issue is of course flood proofing. My first suggestion would be to look at building two high water spillways. These spillways will allow flood waters from the river and surrounding wetlands to pass more efficiently out to the Green River.

One spillway would be located at the north end of Green Lake where a channel structure can be installed and at a level to be determined above the mean average lake level. It would be built to accommodate flood waters only.

The second and possibly more importantly would be at highway 99 where a man-made dry river bed of a certain size and at an elevation to be determined would be installed. The purpose of this would be to allow flood waters only to pass under the highway more efficiently.

My final suggestion would be to redirect a portion of 21 Mile Creek via another spillway, creating a fork in the creek prior to passing under the train tracks at the foot of Lorimer Road. One fork would not pass under the bridges but remain on the west side of the tracks until it passed the bridges then reconnect to the river, allowing flood waters easier passage out to Green lake and beyond. The other fork would remain as is. This will of course require another bridge over the Valley Trail.

With regards to canoeing, after consultation with other long-term residents I believe that commercial canoe operations and possibly all canoes should be restricted from using the river. The main reason is that there is very little wetland habitat left in British Columbia and canoeing down the river upsets what little nesting wildlife we have and should be deemed unacceptable. Other less invasive forms of human use for this area can be looked at, ie: designating and creating some small trails leading to viewing platforms off the valley trail.

I feel that human impact in Whistler has taken pretty much everything that was of value to other forms of life here before we came, especially when it comes to those creatures who depend on wetlands. Giving back a little quality space to the wetland environment within the River of Golden Dreams Management Area would be the right thing to do.

I can’t help but think that the River of Golden Dreams wetland area is the last place in this valley where we have the ability to enhance and designate a small but important wildlife preserve. I think we will all be very grateful for it.

It is far less than that now.

Scott Fennell

Whistler

Mr. Dan Jepsen’s letter in last week’s Pique (Don’t lose the Whistler Magic) was an insightful and thought-provoking letter. He raised some questions about the status of "locals" and the way Whistler used to be. While we may not agree with everything he has to say, capturing local interest and support are always a high priority for Whistler/Blackcomb.

We are extremely conscious of our roots in the community of Whistler, and equally conscious of how important locals are to the total Whistler experience. Let’s face it – Whistler has grown; it has become successful and is a world renowned mountain resort community. We’re proud to have been part of creating one of the best – if not the best – ski and snowboard experiences in the world. Where else can you get 33 lifts (15 high speed), over 200 runs and a 7-month winter ski season? And, where else can you get the hospitality we have here at Whistler? We are not just a local mountain anymore.

Our customer surveys, which include locals, show a high degree of customer satisfaction. More than 90 per cent of our season pass holders intend on renewing their passes next year. In terms of value for money, our pass structure is such that there are good deals for locals. For example, skiers can take advantage of our many special offers that are designed for locals and regional guests. We have a Spirit Pass for those who live and work in our community, family pass holder discounts, Gold and Express Cards, and 7-Eleven tickets that provide skiing and riding at significant discounts. Also, all children under six ski and ride for free.

However, above all else, we believe the one thing we should never lose sight of is our roots and our original values. Dusty’s – who can forget that? We considered our roots when we built the new and very successful Dusty’s.

Many of us at Whistler/Blackcomb are long time residents. We have raised families here. We remember the lower prices, the small town and the family atmosphere. Whistler still has character, although it is different from what it once was. This is not a bad thing. We have much to be proud of in Whistler. The community is as important to us now, as it was when we first started here. We try to give back to the community. Our Whistler/Blackcomb Foundation is one of our ways of doing that. So are our special programs for volunteers and the elementary schools through the corridor.

We want to assure you, Mr. Jepsen, and the people of Whistler who have been with us for so long, that we have not forgotten our roots and your support. Obviously, we need to continue to earn your support. Whistler has been good to us, and we've always strived to be good for Whistler.

While Whistler can never be the small town it once was, we believe the "Whistler Magic" you speak of can certainly be more of a reality. We don’t think the Whistler magic ever left – it is in each of us who care about this community.

Thanks for taking the time to give us your thoughts, Mr. Jepsen. We care too.

Doug Forseth

Senior Vice President, Operations

Dave Brownlie

Senior Vice President, Finance

Whistler/Blackcomb

I sincerely wish to apologize to the Whistler Housing Authority, Stacey Royal, and all owners of employee housing. Before Stacey's letter was printed, I realized those were the only three owners of employee housing I had ever met, which I cited in my example, therefore my missive was poorly substantiated, hastily written, and unjustly harsh. I am glad to hear that the WHA has had such a profoundly positive impact on so many people’s lives. I regret any angst I may have caused these people.

Too bad e-mail programs don’t have a "retract" as well as a "send" button.

Bruce MacDonald

Whistler

Recent coverage in local media regarding the opening of Millennium Place (MY Place) has been positive, well written and most welcome. However coverage of the religious aspect of the building invariably is not quite correct in one detail or another, and I find there is still some confusion at large about this. I feel it is important to correct any mistaken impressions, so here are the facts.

MY Place is shared by two faiths, not four, and these are Christian and Jewish.

Of the Christian element, three mainstream denominations are combining strengths to form one, ecumenical ministry under the umbrella title "Whistler Village Church."

These denominations are Anglican, Lutheran and United (not Unitarian as one report mistakenly said).

Whistler Village Church holds a Sunday service each week at 9 a.m. in the theatre at MY Place.

Aside from the obvious and personal aspects of belonging to a Christian, spiritual Church family, particularly for Anglicans and Lutherans who may have felt "homeless" in Whistler up to now, the Village Church offers other enriching benefits to locals and visitors; we are blessed with the well-known musical talents of Cameron Chu, whose accompaniment helps us raise our voices in joyful praise each week. We offer Sunday School during the service for children age three to seven, and do ask for these younger ones that parents are in attendance at the service. Also a Bible Club for ages eight to 12 where we welcome unaccompanied children who must be dropped off before 9 a.m. and picked up at 10 a.m.

With its central and accessible location in Whistler we hope that the Village Church will be welcomed by visitors who prefer not to drive out of the town to Sunday service.

The Village Church welcomes families, couples, singles, young and not-so-young, locals, weekenders and destination visitors. Each may be searching for something different, but all will find a warm welcome.

Linda McGaw

Whistler

I understand that recognition will be given to all of the Sponsors who participated in this past weekends Fishing Derby, however, I wish to make special reference to the generosity of the four independent grocery stores.

For an event that came together with expectations of 25-30 participants, the clear sunny morning brought out over 80 participants to the first annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby.

As I was responsible for organizing the food for the day, I quickly realized that I would not have enough food for all of the participants, so was forced to go back to the sponsors Sunday morning who had already donated food and product.

I was overwhelmed with the commitment from each of the owners, especially on this short notice in ensuring this event was successful, well aware of the fact that these groups must be faced with similar requests on an almost daily basis from other organizations.

A very special Thank-You to the IGA, Nesters Market, Food Plus and the Grocery Store for making last Sunday a very special Father’s Day for all those who attended, and hopefully an annual event in the future.

Greg Newton

Whistler Angling Club