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Slow down and live As I tuck my two children into bed tonight I thank God for them and I am thankful to have them safe and secure in my home. It’s these small blessings in a mother’s day that makes us so grateful for life.

Slow down and live

As I tuck my two children into bed tonight I thank God for them and I am thankful to have them safe and secure in my home. It’s these small blessings in a mother’s day that makes us so grateful for life.

After such a horrific week on the roads out here in Pemberton my heart goes out to the families of the victims, they were someone's children too!

I am infuriated and frustrated by the drivers on the highway, as I am tailgated, passed on double lines and scared out of my mind on a daily basis. My message to you all, is simple, SLOW DOWN! I don't think it’s fair that you are putting my life and that of my innocent children at risk by driving so fast, wild and crazy on OUR roads. Yes, they are OUR roads to share; you don't own them. Is it really worth it, that extra one or two minutes that you'll gain by driving at breakneck speeds? I think not.

Please take a moment to breathe, slow down and live this wonderful life that we have been given. It’s a gift; don't throw it away. Think of all the people that will be affected if you cause a fatal accident!

We are human, not invincible! Take care out there neighbours.

Natalie Klimmer

Birkenhead Lake

Whats happening to Pemberton and Mount Currie? This year alone there have been 11 fatalities on our roads. This has touched so many lives. Mine included. Just can’t understand what is going through people’s heads, drinking, speeding and getting behind the wheel.

Wake up everyone. We all care about one another in this small community. We all have very big hearts. Help those that need it! Give advice to your children. (Don't buy them booze.) Take all your friends’ keys away. Have a designated driver. Don't use excessive speed. Companies, teach your employees.

Everyone needs to help everyone or soon we will be having more deaths from our loving community. Wake up everyone. Life is short as it is.

Kelly Quinn

Pemberton

Notes from the road

To the person who was in Squamish last Monday night around 7, when you are driving the Whistler Smart car at 80 km/h in a construction zone with a posted 50 km/h speed limit, who pays the double speeding fine if you get pulled over?

On a lighter note. Did anyone else notice the sign announcing the new gas station being built in Squamish? Wouldn't it be great to have just two stations here in Whistler? I guess there just isn't enough demand. Just like more staff housing.

Bill Overing

Whistler

Be part of the solution

This letter is in response to last week’s comments about the state of the Rainbow Lake trail.

The Rainbow Lake Trail is not deemed a B.C. Park, so by my definition this backcountry area is “user maintained”. This means if you don’t like what you see, fix it, or keep it to yourself. No one is to blame.

Although the RMOW does their absolute best to upkeep the trails in Whistler, it would be impossible for them to maintain every backcountry trail without the help of its users. They have higher priorities within the valley area that actually pertain to the safety of our residents.

If every user carried a compact bush saw in their day packs, (which should be part of your survival kit anyways) we could all work together to improve the condition of the trails. Even 5-10 minutes of trail work goes a long way.

At the beginning of the summer, an RMOW crew fixed a suspension bridge just below Rainbow Lake. If they hadn’t done this, no one would have ventured as far as Rainbow Lake this year. Let’s observe the positives! It’s not anyone’s intention to let this trail go into disarray. Instead of complaining to the newspaper, contact the Wildlife Committee or AWARE and see if they have any trail building crews, and volunteer to be part of it. It’s great to give feed back, but in a positive way.

I personally enjoy the adventure of occasionally hiking on a trail that isn’t well maintained. It feels like less of a backcountry highway! A trip isn’t complete without a few twigs in my hair from a mild bushwhack…

A final note: Let’s follow the examples of role model teenagers like Matthew and Trevor Van Loon, (ages 14 and 16), and their relatives Carl and Al McEwan. Every year, they volunteer days out of their precious summer to cut brush from the infamous Tenquille Lake Trail in Pemberton, along with pulling bags of garbage out of the Tenquille Cabin. There are many hardworking people like the Van Loons and the McEwans in our community. Let’s spend more time thanking these individuals, and giving gratitude for all the fantastic trails and backcountry huts we have in our region! Take care out there…

Monica Dupas

Pemberton

Government responds to concerns

On Sept. 24, 2007, Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, announced changes in Canadian law that respond directly to a paramount need which was expressed to him by the Sea to Sky corridor. He has dramatically streamlined the process for obtaining a cumbersome “labor market opinion” (LMO), until now the expensive and time-consuming precondition for an employer who sought to bring in a foreign worker to fill a spot in the hospitality industry. These improvements will make it faster for employers to hire foreign workers when there are no Canadian citizens or permanent residents available to fill the position.

Eligible employers needing workers in 12 occupations who agree to meet program requirements will receive LMOs requested within three to five days. This is a significant reduction from the current processing times, which can now take up to five months. The 12 occupations in the pilot project have been identified as being in high demand and include the construction, tourism and hospitality sectors — all key sectors for Whistler and Squamish.

The issue stems from the yawning shortage of workers needed, not only in the run-up to the Olympics, but thereafter. The issue is important for the whole community, including businesspeople, workers, and those who benefit from goods and services delivered in the corridor.

Countless businesspeople and employees had brought the issue to my attention over the past two years; many Canadians, especially those in Alberta and B.C., had approached the government directly. I wrote Minister Solberg about the matter and, in September 2006, had the opportunity to introduce him to Louise Lundy, president of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce, who seized the initiative, inviting Minister Solberg to Whistler shortly thereafter. Minister Solberg then heard about the need directly from people in Whistler and Squamish. Subsequently, Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, accompanied me to Whistler this summer, where people continued to emphasize the importance of this issue.

Minister Solberg’s announcement Monday underlined a theme of this new Conservative government: a government that responds effectively to citizens’ concerns. Indeed, the government is listening and responding to the interests of all Canadians.

John Weston

Conservative Candidate for Member of Parliament

Literate people

We have just completed the sixth annual Whistler Readers and Writers Festival. We read, wrote and had some enlightening discussions. On behalf of the Vicious Circle, I'd like to extend my thanks to the following sponsors for their incredible and steadfast support:

1. The Community Foundation of Whistler

2. The British Columbia Arts Council

3. The Municipality of Whistler (including mayor, councillors and staff members Kevin McFarland and Andy Chalk)

4. The Whistler Arts Council

5. Tourism Whistler

6. The Holiday Inn, specifically Erin Seymour

7. Prairie Naturals

8. The Pique, specifically Bob Barnett

9. The Question, specifically Pina Belperio

10. Dennis, Lynn and the staff of Millennium Place

11. Dan, Bobbie and the staff at Armchair Books

12. Paula Shackleton of Whistler Reads

13. The ladies at the Whistler Bottle Depot for allowing us to run a Fundraising event on their premises

14. The Board of the Vicious Circle for their support and elbow grease in making the festival a reality.

Finally, I would like to thank you, the public for your continued support. Each year we build our program based on your feedback and then let you know what is available. And each year you come to listen, read, discuss and write. Thank you. Without you, there would be no literary event.

See you at the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival in September 2008.

Stella L. Harvey

Founder, The Vicious Circle

Serious lapse of judgement

On Sunday, Sept. 23 at approximately 6:15 p.m. some clients of Whistler Paintball had a serious lapse of judgment and threw paintballs out of our rear bus windows into oncoming traffic on Highway 99. Whistler Paintball deeply regrets this incident and is taking steps to ensure it will not happen again. We kindly ask anyone who was affected by this to contact us at 604-932-3524.

Sid McMillan

Whistler Paintball

A stupid mistake

On Sunday afternoon, after a great day of paintball, me and a couple of my friends made a very stupid mistake. While driving down the highway in the Whistler Paintball bus we threw some paint balls out the window of the bus at the concrete barricades and at some oncoming cars. We are extremely lucky that our actions didn't cause an accident, and only resulted in several extremely frightened and upset motorists.

I take full responsibility for my involvement in this and would like to apologize to all of the people that were affected, especially to any of the affected motorists, but also to Whistler Paintball, their bus driver, and to Elisa DeJong who organized what was supposed to be a fun day for all. I understand how badly this has reflected on them through no fault of their own. I feel terrible for this huge error in judgment and I promise it will never happen again.

I hope I can be forgiven by any of you who may have been affected by my actions, and that I will be given another chance to prove myself to all of you.

Jonas Horvath

Whistler

Sincerely sorry

I am writing this letter to apologize for my actions on the Whistler Paintball bus last Sunday.

After a great day playing paintball, a few kids made a seriously bad choice to throw paintballs out of the window of the bus. I was one of them. Some cars were hit and I am sure the drivers were angry.

I really, really regret my part in this incident. I feel embarrassed and ashamed that I acted inappropriately and without consideration for others. I am really glad that no one got hurt but I understand that I could have caused an accident.

To the motorists that were hit, I would like to tell you that I am sincerely sorry and offer you my time to wash your vehicle.

To Sid at Whistler Paintball, I hope that I have not caused damage to your business. You were nice enough to offer us all a great deal for a fun afternoon and don't deserve to lose business because a few kids acted stupidly.

To Lisa Dejong, the parent who organized the trip, I am sorry that you are so mad at me. I hope that you will see that I made a bad choice but that I am not a bad kid. I know that it was wrong and I wish I could take it back.

To my community, I'm sorry that I didn't show what great youth we have in Whistler. I know that this is a mistake that I won't forget but I have learned my lesson and I believe that it will help me make better choices in the future.

Zeb Fellows

Whistler

B.C. table grapes at Nesters

I am writing to thank Nesters for being a local market with a conscience. For the effort they continue to put forth to get local and fresh produce, meat, dressings and chocolate, just to name a few things. Food is a necessity for life, and good food means a healthier community. I have been a faithful Nesters patron for the 13 years I have lived in Whistler, and my faith was further confirmed this past week when I found out that Nesters produce manager was looking for B.C.-grown grapes.

My family bought a small vineyard in the Interior of B.C., called Blind Bay Vineyard, last summer. Blind Bay is located on the Shuswap Lake near Sorrento, or 20 km west of Salmon Arm. This is the northernmost point of what is still considered the Okanogan Region. Being a 13 year resident of Whistler I wanted to share this unique treasure with my home town, and so I started doing the Farmer’s Market last year, and again this year for the past two weeks.

I never knew there were so many varieties of seedless table grapes, each with their own very unique flavour. And wow, what flavour they do have.   I recommend eating a few varieties together as this way you continue to taste each flavour. For green we had Himrod, Copper Island Selects and Blind Bay Beauty. For reds the Red Flame is done, but there are a small amount of Einset still, and the Queen variety are beautiful and are getting better by the day. For the dark purple grapes there is Coronation, which is sweet and also has big flavour, but is also almost done, and the Simone, which are not quite as sweet, a little milder, but they too are just now getting better and better.

As I have been tending the grapes all summer I can assure you that there have been no sprays, fertilizers, or weed killer used on these table grapes. Because of this you have to excuse the blemishes. It is a battle with nature, once the grapes ripen, to get these grapes to you. The birds pluck off the whole grape, so if half the grapes are gone on a strand you may have an idea who got it. Or it could also have been the family of racoons who liked to do some midnight harvesting. The wasps suck the juice out of the grape, leaving the empty skin behind. They also seem to know which grapes are sweetest, so if you see this type of distinct damage, you can be sure that is a good ripe bunch. Nature knows best.

If you are into eating what is in season, then get your grapes because it is harvest time in B.C. right now. You only have this week, the tail end ripens next week and then it is done in B.C. So get your B.C. grapes now, and now you can get them at Nesters.

Kim McKnight Pedersen

Whistler