The paving of the Lost Lake portion of the Valley Trail has been halted. Public opposition to the plan was nearly unanimous among people who showed up for a public information meeting last weekend. But there was also an alternative, suggested by Stephen Vogler: find a route on the east side of the highway from the Nicklaus North Golf Course back to the village that bypasses Lost Lake Park. Councillors and members of the public agreed it was a good compromise. The new route, which will create a paved northern loop to the Valley Trail system, is not expected to be completed before September. It will mean acquiring rights of way through the stables, campground lands and White Gold. On Monday council rescinded an earlier resolution to transfer funds for the paving of the Lost Lake loop. The Whistler Fire Department’s emergency extrication team won the Western Canadian championships for the second time in three years, but they don’t have the trophy to show for it. The Whistler volunteer team beat last year’s champions, a team of professional fire fighters from Calgary, at the recent competition in Calgary. However, on the drive home from Alberta the team was forced to use their extrication skills for real. A car carrying a pregnant woman and a child rolled on the Coquihalla Highway in front of the Whistler team’s van. When emergency equipment arrived on the scene the Whistler team helped safely extricate the woman and child from the car. In the process, however, the trophy from the Calgary competition fell onto the highway and was destroyed. Paving in Alpine Meadows this summer will be done in conjunction with the realignment of two intersections. The Alpine Way-Rainbow Drive intersection, which is currently a Y-configuration, will become a T-intersection with stop signs on Rainbow Drive and on Alpine Way for vehicles heading east, towards Highway 99. The intersection of Matterhorn, Rainbow Drive and Camino Drive will be re-configured to a normal four-way stop "cross" intersection. Vehicles heading south on Rainbow will also be able to turn on to Matterhorn through a "yield" lane, similar to what now exists. Come out, come out, wherever you are Local residents Bruce Harrott and Jennifer Kidd have formed the Whistler Gay and Lesbian Support Group. The two met while doing volunteer work in the community and discovered they had something in common: they needed support and wanted to provide support to others. The group meets every Monday at 7 p.m. Call 938-0597 for the location.
