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Letters to the editor

We write to commend the editor of The Pique for suggesting that the village golf course be transplanted to the Callaghan and the present site used bit by bit for housing.

We write to commend the editor of The Pique for suggesting that the village golf course be transplanted to the Callaghan and the present site used bit by bit for housing. We do not know the cost or magnitude of such an action but the idea is original and stimulating, and loaded with environmental advantages; moreover, the thought of residents driving home at night to the Callaghan Valley against a stream of northbound traffic frightens and dismays us. We think the suggestion deserves much consideration.

Bridget Duckworth

David Jones

Whistler

Re: Parking in Paradise, Pique Sept. 26

I'm not opposed to paying for parking in provincial parks if I receive a service in return. I just hope we're not only supporting the contractors who collect the fees and the companies who maintain the credit card machines. Enjoy our parks!

Jay MacArthur

Vancouver

A funky time was had by all at the Whistler Museum’s wine and sushi launch for its newest exhibit, The Evolution of Mountain Wear. Jazz and blues duo, Greasy Jack ’n’ Juice laid down suave and snappy tunes and Kris Shoup was without a doubt the "best-dressed" in her ’70s pink and burgundy Sun-Ice combo. Tuque of Good Karma prize winners were Carleen Leidal and Stephanie Matches.

Special thanks to Sachi Sushi, St. Hubertus Estate Winery in Kelowna, the Re-Use It Centre, Rental Network Ltd. in Squamish, swanky Danielle Hall, and groovy Lisa Richardson.

The exhibit is open for viewing until February 2004 from Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Karen Overgaard for

The Whistler Museum and Archives Board and Staff

A Heartfelt thank-you to the entire Canadian Snowmobile Adventure team!

Since 1998 during the summer months Whistler-Blackcomb has been hosting kids from the most economically challenged communities within the City of Vancouver. Many of these kids rarely leave the city and most have never been to Whistler. Our social position at Whistler-Blackcomb is that no youth within the Sea to Sky Corridor or City of Vancouver should be economically denied access to the world’s greatest mountain playground – Whistler. Kids need exposure to as many positive physical activities as possible and Whistler offers so much in this regard.

This is why we run the Whistler-Blackcomb Vancouver Inner City Youth Outreach program. Part of the program involves taking the kids for a walk in the alpine via our lifts where they gain spectacular visual impressions of the mountains. However, it's in the valley where their fun meters get cranked!

This program would not have the success it has without the full commitment and passion which the entire team at Canadian Snowmobile Adventures demonstrates with the kids. The fun meter breaks thru the stratosphere when the kids engage into a frenzy of Zip lines, ATVs and Hummer rides at the base of Blackcomb, all kindly donated by the CSA team. Thanks from a big kid for being such a great community partner.

Arthur DeJong

Mountain Planning and Environmental Resource Mgr.

Whistler-Blackcomb

Your musings on the whys and wherefores of the recent poll of front runners for the Vancouver 2010 Mascot – Killer whale vs. Kermode Bear (sounds like a WWF Matchup) will be decided by the appropriate committee of experts soon enough. Just pray that the "Atlanta Whoozzil," (sic) or whatever that thing was, doesn't make a return appearance. All in good time!

However, why you deemed it neccessary to take an unprovoked swipe at the great game of Rugby and those who play it is beyond the pale!

Rugby's done nothing to you Bob. With your ill conceived and throw-away remarks you've besmerched the good name of Rugby, the players who play it and the coaches and administrators who provide a great life long sport for youth around the world. Rugby players, as much or more than any athletes, 'would' make excellent symbols of sportsmanship and fairplay.

Each year here in Whistler, dozens of rugby exiles from around the world get together for a few short months to share in the game, share in the camaraderie, and yes – share a pint. No other game that I have ever played succeeds in building life-long friendships while providing life's lessons, through cold rainy Thursday night training sessions to 'mud bowls' and rock hard fields, the way rugby does.

In 13 years of rugby with the Hoary Marmots (the first people I met here was Don Pashleigh and the Newf) I've played with Brits and Kiwis, Aussies and South Africans, Zimbawans, Americans, Japanese, Croats, Serbs, Samoans, French, Chileans, Argentinians, Germans and more. All of whom came to Whistler and found a shared passion for rugby.

More university graduates and post-graduates have played rugby at some level in Canada than any other sport. Rugby teaches that while you may not always win, the shared sacrifice of trying together with your teammates, makes the trying worth while.

Rugby does not permit fighting or backtalking to the referree and after knocking each other around the pitch for 80 minutes we always – and I mean always – shake hands and have a cold one with our opposite number.

Take your shots elsewhere. Chose another sport or group to pick on. Rugby and the Whistler Hoary Marmots don't deserve it.

And by the way, it's never too late – practices start in May, see you there.

Brian Buchholz

Whistler

Respect your elders

When a senior gets mugged, the community newspapers will write the story on or near the front page of the paper. When 2,500 seniors compete in the annual B.C. Seniors Games, a four-day event, there is hardly a mention of the Games or of the impressive results of local seniors in their community newspapers. All of the results and information about the Games and the B.C. Seniors Games Society is available and posted to the B.C. Seniors Games Society Web site – www.bcseniorsgames.org – for every community in each of the 12 Zones throughout the Province of B.C. Information about the Chilliwack 2003 B.C. Seniors Games was on the Internet for all of the community newspapers to see if they were interested in reporting about the Games and events leading up to the Games.

I was wondering if your paper has already mentioned or is planning to mention the achievements of the local senior athletes in your community anytime soon. To date, I have found that many community papers do not give much attention or support to the B.C. Seniors Games or to those seniors who train regularly and hard, and compete actively. Seldom do the community papers answer the call for volunteers for zone programs, or to publicize the zone tryout dates or playoffs to determine the seniors who qualify for any one of the 20-plus sports/events played at the Games each year.

Even Premier Gordon Campbell is recognizing that the B.C. Seniors Games are worthy of support, because, when seniors are physically active and engaged in sport and fitness, healthcare costs are substantially reduced. Physically active seniors can and do act as superb role models for people of all generations, especially the young. Mr. Campbell is the first Premier to attend the Opening Ceremonies in the 16-year history of the Games. He was present and spoke at the opening of the very successful Chilliwack 2003 B.C. Seniors Games held Sept. 3-6.

The seniors at the Games are not just doddering old amateurs. Many have competed in their earlier years in everything from high school and university events to provincial and national championships as well as the Commonwealth Games and Olympics. On the international Masters circuit, B.C. senior swimmers and track and field athletes are regularly in the top 10.

It is really time for the community newspapers throughout the province to get behind the physically active and competitive seniors, and the B.C. Seniors Games themselves!

The Chilliwack 2003 B.C. Seniors Games were very well done. The theme of this year’s Games was "Seniors – Our Inspiration" and inspire they did, as many seniors set Canadian records and many more achieved their personal best results.

The Penticton 2004 B.C. Seniors Games will be held Sept. 1-4. Over 3,000 athletes are expected to compete in the Games next September. Over the next five or six years the senior population in the Province of B.C. is expected to increase by up to 30 per cent. By 2009 the Games attendance could total as many as 5,000 athletes competing in up to 25 different sports/events.

No one is limited by age, as the age categories start at 55 and go to 100! It is a great way for seniors to keep healthy and fit, meet people, have fun, compete, and even win medals. I hope that we will find more support in the future for the B.C. Seniors Games and encouragement for our province’s senior athletes by having more community newspapers report on the B.C. Seniors Games, both during the training months leading up to the Games, during the Games and at the conclusion of the Games.

I thank those community newspapers that have reported on the B.C. Seniors Games. The seniors who read your papers really appreciate it!

John Bishop,

President

B.C. Seniors Games Society

Re: Parking fees in provincial parks

Many of the sentiments expressed by park visitors in your story around user parking fees in Parks (Pique, Sept. 26, 2003) are shared by us all. Yes, we need to support provincial parks, and yes we realize they do cost money to provide services.

Those who are in support of parking fees take comfort in assuming that the money goes to supporting the Parks system. What gets overlooked is the government shell game where the revenue from parking fees replaces funding cut by the government earlier, which does not provide any new funding to parks as the Recreation Panel envisioned, but only increases the general revenue account.

M. Bailey

Squamish