Support Movember
Hey folks. Movember is darn near done and that means you'll soon see an end to your favourite fellow's questionable facial hair.
The moustache-of-mixed-appeal is being grown by more and more dudes every November and, while it's primary goal seems to be the repulsion of the opposite sex, the actual reason for it is far more altruistic.The moustache is a conversation starter, or an appetizer, if you will, with the main course being men's health.
The three dishes the Movember Foundation is trying to strike from the menu are testicular and prostate cancer as well as mental health issues. The cancers are bad, obviously, but mental health is no joke either. One in 10 Canadian men will experience major depression during the course of their lives and three out of four suicides are men.
Sip on that sorry statistic!So yes, women please talk to your men. And yes, men please talk to your men. And yes, Boyz II Men? Keep singing, the world needs you now, more than ever.
But another thing you can do before this Movember comes to a close is find a local fuzzy fellow who's part of a Movember Team and contribute to the cause. The Movember Foundation is a world-wide phenomenon for good, with just under five and a half million members, whose efforts have funded over 1,200 men's health projects since 2003.
The MoFo is ranked 49 out of the top 500 non-governmental organizations around the world.
There are many local businesses and individuals who have joined forces and are looking for your donations. Me personally? Yes, I'm part of a Movember team: the A-Frame Brewing Company in Squamish. So yes, you could absolutely donate to our team. But really, it doesn't matter who you donate to, as long as you do.
The Movember Foundation's motto is, "Stop Men Dying Too Young" and together we can help. That's it. Oh, by the way, does anybody know where I can get some moustache wax?
Malcolm Yates
Brackendale
Merci, Whistler!
The snow falling outside the Whistler Conference Centre on Wednesday, Nov. 15 added to the warm and festive atmosphere inside the third successful French Rendezvous fundraiser in support of Ecole La Passerelle.
The delicious food, joyous French music and amazing silent auction made for a great event for friends and strangers alike to come together in celebration of French culture.
The event successfully raised more than $10,000 in support of the education of the 60 students at Whistler's francophone school.
A very heartfelt thanks to D'arcy Demoe of Harvest Catering, Tightrope Winery, Whistler Brewing Co., Watermark, Sea to Sky Celebrations and the staff at the Whistler Conference Centre for their significant support of this event. We would not have been able to do it without you.
To the 37 generous businesses and individuals who donated amazing works of art, gift certificates and unique experiences to the silent auction, thank you — you are incredible.
And to each of you who helped in ways that to us, were both enormous and unexpected, merci beaucoup. On behalf of the eager students who will benefit from the evening, thank you and merci for being a supportive, thoughtful and generous community.
Adrienne Bouris
On behalf of the Ecole La Passerelle Parent Advisory Committee
Whistler
Federal Liberals' worst nightmare — themselves
The only thing the Liberals of 2015 would have hated more than the Tories at that time would most definitely be the Liberals of 2017.
Climate failure, transparency failure, pipeline promotion, $200,000 budget covers, billionaires taxing the middle class, electoral deform, parachute candidates, failed Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, UN mission mess, jet purchase insanity, offshore tax shelters for BFF buddies and so on.
They could have run a great campaign against their present form. It would be a rout.
Perri Domm
Whistler
World Record set
Remember, three years ago, I was just starting the fundraiser called: "Remember, I ski for Alzheimer's."
Today, I am proud to claim my ultimate prize for all the effort that I put into that event.
I have received my certificate from Guinness World Records. I skied 6,050,000 vertical feet in 122 days. That makes me the actual Guinness World Record holder for the most vertical feet skied in one year.
Best of all, I did all that to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer's cause.
As the news of this accomplishment spreads, more money will be forwarded towards the Alzheimer's cause. And for that reason alone, I can say mission accomplished.Thank you to everyone who was there for the right reasons.
Pierre Jette
Whistler
Remembrance day changes
As a citizen of Whistler and a proud Canadian, there are certain things I hold dear to my heart. One of these things is Canada's military heritage and making sure our veterans and military personal are honoured for everything they have sacrificed.
For a while now I have been biting my tongue about certain things regarding remembrance here in Whistler. After this past Remembrance Day ceremony, I can no longer hold in my frustration.
(However), the purpose of this letter is not attack or offend anyone but, simply to express some frustration and to educate.
To start, O Canada was never announced and therefore many people in attendance did not take their hats off during our national anthem. Then there was a completely ambiguous moment of silence during which most people did not know it was happening.
There were also historical inaccuracies. On the program for the ceremony and during the ceremony itself, John McCrae is referred to as "Captain" John McCrae — in fact, his rank at the time of his death was Lieutenant Colonel.
There was also the mistake of saying there was four years of combat in the First World War when in fact there was more than four years of combat over the span of five years. Finally, when mentioning the 100-year anniversary of the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendale the battle of Hill 70, which took place in August 1917 (one of the most important battles in Canada's First World War as it was the first time Canadians were commanded by a Canadian) was completely omitted.
Also, the new cenotaph is not a cenotaph — it is a war memorial. The word cenotaph comes from Greek words Kenos meaning empty and Taphos meaning tomb. Therefore, in order for our war memorial to be a cenotaph it must have an empty tomb built into it, which as far as I can tell it does not.
Written on our war memorial is "World War I" and "World War II," but these are American terms, in Canada and the rest of the British Commonwealth they are officially referred to as the First World War and the Second World War.
Finally, the South African War of 1899 to 1902 in which 280 Canadians gave their lives has been completely left off of the war memorial.
To many, all of the things I have mentioned in this letter may seem petty and irrelevant and by themselves, they may be, but all together, they combined in my mind to create a serious unintentional lack of respect to our glorious war dead and veterans.
If it is our job to hold the torch high, then I believe it is a job we must take seriously and do to the best of our ability, and hold each other to the highest standards.
If anyone finds any mistakes or inaccuracies in this letter, I take full responsibility for they are mine and mine alone.
As well, I will have no problem providing sources for my information to anyone who may ask.
Myles Blaser
Whistler
