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Whistler’s hiking has withered

I have been a regular visitor to Whistler for more than three decades. During that time, I have seen Whistler become the world's premier outdoor recreation destination.

I have been a regular visitor to Whistler for more than three decades. During that time, I have seen Whistler become the world's premier outdoor recreation destination. Sadly, however, one aspect of the region's recreational life has steadily deteriorated rather than improved - the hiking and backpacking trails.

During that time, despite the extraordinary growth in population and other recreational opportunities in the region, I can only think of a single new major alpine hiking trail constructed - the Stoltmann route from Elaho to Meager Creek which, while an amazing route, is difficult to access at both ends.

Garibaldi Park, which has long drawn the vast majority of hikers, has not had one new trail built in all those years. Even worse, some of the trails that used to exist are no longer accessible. Singing Pass was long one of the park's best hikes, but the closure of the 5 km access road has turned a pleasant day hike into an arduous slog (serving the interests of Intrawest, which charges hikers to ride the Whistler gondola to the alternative "Musical Bumps" trail).

The Brew Lake trail was cut off some years ago because it requires a short walk along the B.C. Rail line from Brandywine, which is now prohibited. And this summer we noticed that the access road to the beautiful Brandywine Meadows trail has been blocked, an enormous loss for hikers.

Perhaps the provincial government would argue there is no demand for new hiking trails and therefore it's not worth the expense to build new ones or maintain the existing ones. But tell that to the nearly 200 people my family and I greeted on a Sunday last month who were hiking up Paul Ridge as we hiked down from two nights at Elfin Lakes!

Along with downhill skiing, hiking and backpacking were the original activities that made Whistler one of the world's truly special places. It is a tragedy to reflect how, even as one has flourished, the other has been allowed to wither. The people of Whistler, and its many faithful visitors, deserve better.

Ted Alden

Washington, D.C.

Encore, please

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending both productions in Whistler's first Blank Slate festival at the Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Centre. Firstly, I want to commend the cast and crew for their excellent work; I thoroughly enjoyed both plays. Each of them made me just slightly uncomfortable, which only enhanced their ability to provoke thought long after the play was finished.

The only real disappointment for me was that I was among such a very small group of people in attendance. I know there is a significant and vocal segment of our community who often lament the limited cultural events in Whistler, citing live theatre in particular. Where, I wondered, were all of these people last weekend. Interesting and edgy theatre in a beautiful venue at a reasonable price, and still such limited attendance.

I hope that there will be a second annual Blank Slate theatre festival and that the cultural movers and shakers and just ordinary folks who want to be moved by innovative and imaginative theatre will come out for it.

Finally, to the cast, crew and sponsors, I say "Bravo" for staging some really fine entertainment. I hope you'll have the courage to do it again and I hope that when you do, you'll get the support you so deserve.

Marlene Siemens

Whistler

Kudos to volunteers

This town relies on vollies to support all our teams, associations and social events we put on every week! And without the kind hearts and generous nature of volunteers, organizations such as WORCA couldn't operate. This past weekend WORCA shared their 20th anniversary with the public and their members and it was a huge success! There were bike races for all ages, dunk tanks, helmet decorating, great food, a large beer garden and a lot more. All this organized by people volunteering their time.

I would like to take a moment to reflect on the past summer as well as over the years and thank all the vollies who take time out of their busy schedules to help out and make grand events happen. Also, the sponsors of the Toonie Rides! Business owners dole out money, time and a lot of effort to put on Toonie Rides each week. If you have not sponsored a ride you don't realize how much preparation there is to licence the area, get permits, plan trails long enough to get our top riders/ heart rates up for at least 30 minutes and clean up.

So again, a big happy 20th anniversary to WORCA, a big thank you to the board of directors (all vollie positions), the sponsors, the riders and a huge thanks and a lot of appreciation to the volunteers.

Christine Cuthbert

Whistler

Apathy wins again

Thank you to the organizers of the Mountain West Music Festival. The lineup was great, the location was great - nice to have easy access to the village - and of course the weather was great.

I'm surprised to hear that anyone thought that the prices were too high. Where else can you see a multitude of bands for just $100? And beer for just $4.25 - perhaps that fact should have been better advertised to the apathetic locals.

I hope you reconsider and put it on again. Maybe just one day with a big name finale band?

Sarah Bourne

Whistler

We're all friendly here

Disabled friendly, gay friendly, dog friendly, Whistler. I whole-heartedly support each of these initiatives, even though I am an able-bodied, heterosexual cat lover. I also am quite fond of wearing clothes, however I think I might be naked curious.

Why not extend Whistler's liberal culture to embrace something every person can share in: being naked?

Being gay friendly doesn't make you gay, it just means you're not a redneck. By the same token, being naked friendly doesn't make you a nympho, just open to alternative ideas. Something I'm sure the pioneers of this town would lament to see disappear.

Nick Vaughan

Whistler

Let's get naked more often

Bravo Claire Piech, bravo Pique !

Most likely you will get an earful from those stuck up moral advocates for printing "Naked History," but I thank you from my heart for running this well written and researched article about a piece of Whistler's history and reality. Thank you for taking the freedom to tell the story of people who choose to be free, leftovers from the hippie culture that still lives on in this town. May there be more!

Andy Dittrich

Whistler

Those who truly believe

On the past weekend after attending Ted Kennedy's funeral, which was significantly more modest than that of Michael Jackson's, President Clinton, the $175,000 a speech man from the land of "free" enterprise and home of entrenched entitlement, asked followers at the Canadian National Exhibition to help President Obama and "all conscious Americans" persuade presumably unconscious Americans to accept health care reform.

If Max returned home I think he would simultaneously greatly diminish the small percentage of conscious Canadians and greatly increase the smaller percentage of conscious Americans. Still I feel he unfairly categorized Gordon Campbell and by extension all politicians as liars. I believe they should be extended the same courtesy as religious leaders for they both operate under the same guiding principle. If they believe what they say then it is not a lie.

If we believe what they say, we deserve what we get, for without followers, leaders would be lost.

Doug Barr

Whistler B.C

www.thelastwhy.ca

Little notice, no process

Re: Notice of Intention to Issue Temporary Use Permit 009

The notice published in both the local newspapers, Thursday, Aug. 20 th , 2009, states that a copy of the documents pertaining to the TUP Permit 009 for the Mons lands which will be considered by the General Manager may be inspected at municipal hall.

One map, which had been so greatly reduced in size and scale as to make it illegible was there on Friday. No application, none of the submittal requirements shown under the Application Process. This absence of any documentation as a basis for consideration and for examination from Aug. 20-28 is a clear violation of due process - even though council amended Bylaw 1821 in February, delegating the authority to issue Temporary Use Permits (TUP) to the General Manager (or his duly appointed deputy) allowing issuance of temporary uses anywhere in the municipality without any accountability or anyone to oversee whether due process is served, with whatever requirements in place necessary for the benefit of the residents.

In particular, this Notice states that the General Manager "intends to issue" Permit 009 on "September 3, 2009 at 4:00 p.m." (The guidelines state that the estimated processing time is 6 to 10 weeks.) Any comments must be delivered by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 - which is after council and mayor met this week. Of the council members I was able to reach, not one had seen any of these pertinent documents and all expected to see the application put to council for decision, which, of course, is not required. It was not in their package.

The "temporary" uses being applied for allow parking and maintenance facilities (although three councillors thought no buildings were to be constructed) for automobiles, trucks, buses, snow clearing equipment and specialized motor vehicles. In addition, the land may be used for the impounding of vehicles and storage of shipping containers. There is no mention of quantities of vehicles or how the shipping containers may be used. Nor have any numbers been given to the municipal authorities.

Surely the storage, parking and maintenance facilities for vehicles with their combustible fuels and contaminants would require an environmental assessment as well as a requirement for fire hydrants and service connections and containment and emergency access. To my knowledge there are no site services on this property (sanitary and sewer, gas lines, electricity). Does this mean the area will be serviced by a number of generators running 24/7? What about vehicle idling? Refueling?

Further, in consideration that if this area is to be used for parking of Olympic related vehicles including buses, an updated Traffic Impact Analysis reflecting this increase of vehicular traffic must be required and completed for the as yet unmentioned number of vehicles using the site. This would severely inhibit not only the already restricted local traffic but also the 135 municipal buses entering and exiting the neighbouring property - aside from the impact to emergency vehicles on this narrow stretch of highway. Locals expect impediments to mobility and may have been pacified by the last open house in the Westin - but this TUP application in the centre of Whistler was submitted after these studies.

I also discovered that there are at least three other potentially suitable sites south of Function Junction which all have applications in process for consideration - likely after Sept. 3.

I comprehend the need for enticing visitors to the village but believe these vehicles should be looping south to be parked and serviced to alleviate additional pressure on residents travelling in the confines of the village on their daily business without an additional 150+ buses getting in and out on a two-lane highway.

The map in the application I examined also includes 9,500 square metres of building envelopes, which is before any examination or new recommendations to the OCP have been fully explored and any new zoning application has been submitted for public input. This should not form part of the basis on which this TUP is being considered.

I understand at the time of submitting this letter that this issuance of TUP 009 would be postponed one week to Sept. 9 so that some semblance of due process is achieved. There are to be updated maps and information included in the examination package at the municipal hall on Sept. 1.

There is less than a week to study this issue, examine the submissions and make our comments and concerns known to BBrown@whistler.ca and your mayor and council. 

Milo Rusimovich

Whistler

The best place on earth?

Re: B.C. Liberal government's throne speech

Sure the B.C. Liberals lied to us before the election about the looming deficit. Sure they lied about plans for the HST. Sure there will be cuts to government grants, more unemployment, a public-sector wage freeze, fewer surgeries, less money for student bursaries and operational cuts to the many boards and authorities that deliver services to B.C residents.

But this government tells us to look beyond. The Olympics and planned northern corridors for energy and transportation will constitute our economic launching pad. The world will come and experience "the majesty of the Peace, the grandeur of the Kootenays, the rugged beauty of the Northwest, the intimacy of our Islands, the vast sweep of the Cariboo Chilcotin, the richness of the Thompson Okanagan." But they will hear this important message - that B.C. welcomes investment, and that the rivers, mountains and lakes of B.C. are open for profitable exploitation and destruction.

The future of British Columbia is indeed green, as green as the colour of money.

Larry Kazdan

Vancouver