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A change of season, and attitudes

In spring it’s not just the valley that’s transformed, it’s the people too

May 1 marks the beginning of a seasonal phenomenon in Whistler, as a glamourous, bustling ski resort of about 14,000 workers and uncountable visitors is humbly reduced to perhaps half that number, with tourists replaced by tumble weeds. The shoulder season.

My first such experience was five years ago. Wide-eyed and fresh from Onterrible, I became part of a group of 10 tightly knit friends, of which only three were Canadians. Mother Nature wasn’t particularly kind that winter, but still I recall a blur of snowy mornings and intoxicated apres afternoons. However, when the haze lifted five months later, 10 friends had turned to three, and I found myself with a lot of solitary afternoons watching the spring crocuses and construction crews.

On one hand, there was a sense of relief and recuperation after too many months of working hard and playing harder. But at the same time, I wondered if I was going to make the rent next month as I had just become the latest waitress to be handed her seasonal walking papers.

On a brighter note, this would leave me more time to spend with my three friends. But what would we do? Obviously, we had no money to throw around. Every establishment in town reduces its hours anyway, with some bars and restaurants closing completely rather than risking a loss. Instead, I settled down in front of the television for a few months, contemplating a town that revolves around non-residents.

"I just take it easy and watch TV," agrees Gord McArthur, a local of five years. "I’ve been liking it so far this year though because of the weather. We’re getting snow on top of the hill and everyone is gone. So the locals can go play in the snow without lifts lines and without silly confrontations with tourists."

"I have some co-workers who have just left, but I wasn’t very close to them," says waitress Jenny Carmichael. "It’s really tiring making friends every six months. I kinda stick to my circle of friends that live here permanently."

It seems not everyone is disappointed to see the caravans of Australians headed south on Highway 99. NOT that we dislike or don’t appreciate our co-workers and friends from Down Under, or from the various other parts of the world. In fact, the end of April is usually just one big going away party as our seasonal friends prepare to depart. But there does seem to be a sense of relief in having a few more open spaces and more the recognizable faces of year-round residents.

But what if you’re on the other end of the cycle? A working holiday-er who now continues on their journey or returns from whence they came – whether they want to leave or not.

"I’ve been here six months, and I have a boyfriend, but I don’t have a job now," says Brenda Tobin, a visitor from England. "I’ve been trying to find a way to stay. But nothing has come up that starts before the middle of June. It’s too bad because I really love Whistler and I can see why so many locals like it here in May."

"For sure we’re gonna stay in touch," says boyfriend Steve Armstrong. "I really wanted her to stay too. But I’m hoping this time next year to go travelling in England. I’m getting pretty tired of doing the shuffle each year. You know, looking for a new job each season and new roommates and stuff."

Armstrong points out another sure sign that the shoulder season is upon us. Take a look at the classified section in the local papers. It’s one of the largest listings of the year as employers, roommates and landlords scramble to fill vacancies.

Compared to five years ago, however, strategies and attitudes seem to be changing.

"We actually do all of our rehiring before the shoulder season," says Bonnie Casavant. She and husband Bernard own and operate three local businesses that employ about 30 people in the high season. Like most businesses in the resort, a certain number of seasonal employees are required to fill the needs of winter, knowing they will voluntarily leave as business drops off in the spring. The Casavants, however, make an effort to keep the majority of their employees year-round and, when needed, have started hiring before the May/June summer hiring spree.

"Typically everyone does their hiring now, so we try to grab people during the busy season and if they show us the commitment, we’ll carry them through the slow season and give then as many hours as possible," says Bonnie.

"That’s the name of the game," agrees Karen Wilhelm, Director of Human Resources for the Westin Resort and Spa. "We are trying to create all-year-round employment. We’re trying to keep people on board so we don’t have to constantly retrain. Right now we actually have high quality people applying for jobs…

"The bigger challenge these days is in the winter when one of these jobs comes free, and everyone else also has positions available, but no one has staff accommodation for these potential employees."

Accommodation in the spring isn’t what you could call plentiful, but certainly it is the time when locals can make their move if needed. This time of year is traditionally a headache for landlords who find their rental units empty, sometimes with little or no notice. In high season, landlords hold all the power in a community that doesn’t possess enough housing for its necessary employees. Over the last two springs, the accommodation sections in papers remained relatively small, as a growing number of year-round residents made the jump out of staff or over-crowded housing and into their own suites. This year, however, Pique has received several calls from concerned landlords, wondering why they have received little or no immediate response to their ads. One can only speculate on two possibilities: (1) Due to the shorter winter season, many employees have already left the resort and hence the apartment shuffle took place a little earlier than usual; and/or (2) Due to the sky high rent many landlords are trying to impose, people are just staying put.

Jacquelyn Roussin has been renting out her one bedroom loft condo in Gondola Village for about four years. She admits to having felt the pressure of filling the suite in the slow times and has ended up with less than desirable tenants. Now, however, she keeps her rent reasonable with the hopes of drawing reliable, year-round tenants.

"I think that landlords are getting very wise very quickly. I’ve made two mistakes and I’m not going to make a third," laughs Roussin. "I would rather leave it empty for a month and wait to get someone nice."

Many a renter in this town wishes all landlords would follow Roussin’s lead.

"I watch the classifieds each week to see what’s out there, but so far I haven’t found anything less expensive than where I already am," says Janine Turner. She pays $550 a month for her own bedroom in a three bedroom townhome. "It’s pretty steep compared to what I make just working here in a shop, but I don’t want to have to move into a place where I would share a bedroom… I would rather pay a little more in rent and have a little less spending money."

If you’re lucky enough to have a happy home and spending money at this time of the year, what do you do for evening on the town? Many clubs and restaurants still find May and June too quiet to remain open seven days a week. That too is changing.

Since opening in 1997, Dubh Linn Gate has been trying to find ways to lure locals out of spring hibernation. The Gate’s kitchen has to remain open all year to service the food needs of The Pan Pacific Lodge. However, they’re also finding ways to service the needs of the community.

"We’re running fund-raisers to try and thank Whistler. We’re offering our food and drink for those nights at cost as an incentive," says owner Ken Boyer. "We’ve got live entertainment right through May, five days a week. And we’re trying to promote local entertainers. It gives them some work during this slower time and they’re really popular and well known with the locals. And of course we have our Irish Ambassador Card which offers locals 20 per cent off food."

Boyer says even though Blackcomb Mountain closed early this year, The Gate has seen an increase in business these past two weeks, and he’s confident the majority of the clientele has been local.

Other establishments too are beginning to market themselves to the year-round customer. The Crab Shack has been taking the initiative for the past five years with their annual Spring Music Festival. The week-long event runs from May 21— 27 with entertainment, theme nights and contests to kick off spring.

"It’s really a locals’ event. It’s not based on the tourists at all," says Shack bartender Brent Peppiatt. "Attendance has always been great and we’re finding a lot of the same people come back every year."

Free pool, ping pong and foosball is also a big draw Sundays at the Longhorn. Hoz’s Pub has a weekly euchre tournament in the works.

"I want to attract the Whistlerites who won’t go near the village in winter because it’s full of tourists in ski boots and it’s not everyone’s idea of fun," says Boyer. "I hope that they’ll come back now and remember that the village can be fun."

If the local powers-that-be have their way, Whistler will in fact turn into a four season resort. Gone will be the days of quiet rides on the valley trail after the snow melts and the few months where you can actually get into Sushi Village without reservations. Before that 12-month-a-year stream of tourists and subsequent year-round employment finds its way into the mountains, one can only hope that we’ll follow these changing attitudes to become more than a vacation destination. For just a few months, we can be a community.



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