Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, will be in Whistler for a town hall event on Thursday, Aug. 30, and Whistlerites are encouraged to come out and make their voices heard.
Top of mind with the business community is the resort's ongoing staffing struggles.
On Aug. 22, Whistler Chamber CEO Melissa Pace wrote to federal employment minister Patty Hajdu to highlight the issue.
"It's not good," Pace told Pique.
"When business owners come to us at the chamber emotionally distraught about the possibility of closing their doors, their staff being completely burned out, and no 'bodies' lining up for work, it's a really stressful situation."
In her letter to Hajdu, Pace highlighted two simple solutions the Chamber sees that could ease the pain: extending the duration of Temporary Foreign Workers and reviewing the program and application approvals by employment rates.
"Temporary Foreign Workers is one solution. There's many other solutions or potential solutions that we need to work on as a chamber, but also as a community," Pace said.
"I would encourage everyone—those that are naysayers, those that are supportive of TFWs, or have issues with the labour problems, or housing—that they come to see Pamela on Aug. 30, because at least your voice is being heard."
The town hall runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Maury Young Arts Centre.
The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to register beforehand as space is limited.
Find more info at www.whistlerchamber.com.
