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Council preview for Tuesday, Jan. 22

First look: Geopark, WHA build on the agenda
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ON THE AGENDA Whistler council's next meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Maury Young Arts Centre. File photo by Braden Dupuis

Here's a quick look at what to expect at Tuesday's council meeting, kicking off at 5:30 p.m. at the Maury Young Arts Centre.

GEOPARK GRANT APPLICATION

Work is underway at the Resort Municipality of Whistler to develop a Fire and Ice Geopark in Whistler.

"A geopark is an area containing sites of geological importance to foster conservation and public awareness," an RMOW spokesperson explained.

"The Sea to Sky landscape has unique landforms and features found in few places on Earth as a result of the interplay of glaciation, volcanism and plate tectonics. The establishment of a geopark in Whistler would include locations in close proximity to the Sea to Sky Trail and Highway 99."

On Tuesday, council will vote to approve a grant application for $962,336 to the Canada-British Columbia Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help pay for geopark infrastructure.

PERMIT FOR WHA BUILDING

A new Whistler Housing Authority building in Cheakamus Crossing is also working its way through the permit process.

The project at 1330 Cloudburst Drive will come back to council on Tuesday for approval of setback variations following a review by the municipal Advisory Design Panel.

A public hearing held on Dec. 18 in relation to the project garnered no written or verbal submissions.

The building will house 103 employee beds in 45 units, and is expected to be open in 2020.

Two other WHA builds—1020 Legacy Way (53 beds, 24 units) and 8350 Bear Paw Trail (39 beds, 20 units)—will be ready in summer 2019.

CLIMATE LETTER

Whistler's now-infamous letter to oil companies demanding they pay their fair share for climate-related impacts is still drawing attention at municipal hall.

Following up the Jan. 8 council package, which included 35 pieces of correspondence about the letter (all voicing their complete displeasure), at the Jan. 22 meeting council will receive eight pieces of correspondence thanking it for the letter (along with one more expressing dismay).

With slight variations, the thank-you letters are all identical.

"As long as the fossil fuel industry makes billions of dollars on the assumption that we alone will pay for the costs of climate change, big oil companies like Chevron and Exxon Mobil will have every incentive to continue to stand in the way of real action on climate change," the letters read, in part.

"I encourage you to continue to work to demand climate accountability, and ensure that oil companies pay their fair share of climate change costs."

Pick up Thursday's Pique for more from the council meeting.