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SLRD doing waste-diversion study One man’s waste is another’s man’s treasure.

SLRD doing waste-diversion study

One man’s waste is another’s man’s treasure. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is conducting a Construction and Demolition Waste Management Study, which will examine the amount of C&D waste heading to Whistler’s landfill.

By working with local builders, contractors and developers, the study will look at opportunities for diverting C&D waste on its way to the dump. Some of those opportunities include reusing, recycling and composting a portion of the C&D waste.

"The study will focus on practical, sustainable, cost-effective solutions that provide benefit to the region’s environment and economy," said David Allen, SLRD manager of utilities and community services.

C&D waste makes up 30 per cent by weight of the total waste entering the Whistler landfill and over 50 per cent of the total volume.

Yoga for the whole family

Mind-Body Fitness is offering a yoga course geared for the family. The two-hour workshop will be held on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Tantalus Lodge and children can come too.

Yoga instructor Roxanne Chappell says the course will start with basic breathing techniques that can help you relax at school, home, the office or even standing in a long line at the bank. She will explore some of yoga’s history and how it affects the mind and body. Next she will focus on yoga’s strengthening and stretching postures. The session ends with a guided visualization.

The family workshop is $35 for one adult and one teen/child ($45 at the door space permitting). Each additional teen/child is $10. For more information call 604-905-4777.

Artists participating in First Night

First Night may be a dry event but it’s certainly not boring. There’s a wide-range of acts booked this year to help ring in the New Year in Whistler. Among the musical acts are the Hairfarmers, the Gordo Trio, the Tragically Hick and new up-and-coming local vocalist, 12-year-old Ali Milner.

The entertainment doesn’t stop with the musical acts. There will be also be 12 hands-on art events like the Global Village mural, where you can pin a flag on the place you call home. Or the Flag Project where you can design and paint your own flag. Or the Lids and Lanterns, where you can create party hat to wear or a tea light lantern. If none of those tickles your fancy you can always get your face painted, freak out parents with a temporary tattoo or visit one of the psychics on hand who will be making predictions about what’s to come in 2003.

Tickets for First Night are $15 for adults and $4 for kids 12 and under and are available at Municipal Hall, Myrtle Philip Community Centre and Meadow Park.

A program guide for the night will be inserted in next week’s edition of Pique.

Whistler traffic lights all ‘green’

Whistler is supporting B.C. Hydro’s new energy saving traffic light program by replacing its old traffic light bulbs. The new bulbs, which will replace the red, green and don’t walk incandescent bulbs, are light-emitting diode (LED) traffic lights. LED lights last six to ten times longer than the old bulbs and they consume 90 per cent less energy

The bulbs will go in the three traffic lights that the municipality owns, namely the lights at Village Gate Boulevard and Northlands Boulevard, Lorimer Road and Blackcomb Way and Sundial Crescent and Blackcomb Way.

The upgrade is expected to save taxpayers $1,800 per year in energy costs alone. The conversion to LED lights in Whistler will save the same amount of electricity, which is used to power almost three homes.

"We are pleased to be bringing this new technology to Whistler," said Brian Barnett, general manager of engineering and public works.

"The initial costs are more expensive than the old technology, but this incentive from B.C. Hydro enables us to introduce a more energy efficient product and helps us meet our energy consumption targets.

The municipality will pay back B.C. Hydro 50 per cent of the costs over a period of five years, without interest, from the money saved through the Power Smart program.