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Letters to the editor for the week of April 18th

Keep on running The Boston marathon — a dream for so many runners, including myself. Any marathon, really, requires a degree of dedication and sacrifice and preparation that is hard to fathom even when setting out to undertake it.
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http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-192436p1.html?cr=00&pl=edit-00 ">Marcio Jose Bastos Silva / http://www.shutterstock.com/?cr=00&pl=edit-00 ">Shutterstock.com

Keep on running

The Boston marathon — a dream for so many runners, including myself. Any marathon, really, requires a degree of dedication and sacrifice and preparation that is hard to fathom even when setting out to undertake it. The three-and-a-half-hour training runs, the 50-plus miles-a-week schedules, parties missed, early nights and the week leading up to the race when you put yourself on virtual lockdown for fear of stubbing a toe, or catching a bug or anything that would put your months of hard work at risk.

Any marathon starts out as a dream, becomes a series of sacrifices, and finally a rigorous and unyielding test.

But, Boston is unique in its stringent qualification requirements — you can't just enter. Your participation in Boston is the direct result of putting out an exemplary effort in a previous marathon. A test within a test; simply getting to the starting line is an accomplishment.

Who knew that getting safely to the finish line would be another completely separate feat, one where the margin would be utterly random, and of a terrifyingly slim dimension.

Authorities are hard at work to determine who was behind Monday's bombings, and what their motivations were. We will hopefully know shortly. For those directly affected, even this may be of limited comfort. No one set out that day expecting to come out the other side missing a limb or worse. It's unthinkable. And like any random act of violence, painfully unfair.

The running community is tight. I've been a runner for 20 years. The sense of camaraderie at the start line of a race is like nothing I've experienced anywhere else. In Boston, the feeling is magnified. "Where are you from?", "This your first trip to Boston?", "What was your qualifying race?" Everybody at the start line is excited, and thrilled to be together, having all arrived along a similar tough road with similar lofty ambitions. On the bus to the start I met a hilarious group of women from Philadelphia who've run 25 marathons together, including nine at Boston. And I met a decorated Paralympian, a below-the knee amputee at Boston for the first time. I really hope and wish that they all got home safely that day.

But I can't know for sure. Ultimately the information will become available about who was hurt and who was killed, bringing the tragedy into sharper focus. But for a hair it could have been anyone — runners, people who support runners, fans, people who support the sport, or were perhaps just doing their jobs. I had five people who I love dearly with me in Boston. Each of them had travelled many miles to support me, and knew how meaningful this was. The idea that a hair on any one of their heads might have been harmed that day enrages me. My parents were both in the grandstand to watch me cross the finish line at my qualifying race (New York 2011).

We all came out all right and were safely back at our hotel before the explosions happened. Rumours of other incendiary devices in the downtown Boston area turned out to be false. We all finally made our way back home in a timely, and safe, fashion.

But the broader implications of Monday will take a while for me, at least, to process. It was simply too close and the day already charged with too much emotion to be able to walk away with a clear sense of implications and scale.

I can, however, say that I will always be a runner. Running is at its heart about solitude, but it is also about community; wearing the gear and buying the magazines and talking the talk and ultimately putting on the bib and testing yourself, surrounded by others with like-minded ambitions. Train for a marathon and you necessarily add to that equation a healthy dose of optimism, and foresight and investing in something far down the road.

Whoever planted and exploded those bombs and brought tragedy to an otherwise celebratory day, should not and cannot take from us our willingness to look down that road. They can't take it from us as runners, or take it from the city of Boston, or the BAA or from the running community at large.

My next scheduled race is the Whistler Half Marathon in June. You can bet I will continue to prepare and will see many of you at the start line; I look forward to it. I may even return to Boston to run again next year.

In both cases, I will be extra mindful to share a kind word with the people around me at the start line; to hold close the people who support me in my running, on that day and others; and especially to thank the volunteers, race organizers and city employees and emergency workers who support us all on race day. They are the real champions at Boston and on any other race.

Without ambitions for a medal, or a finishing time or any other recognition they stand at the ready to step in when things go (sometimes horribly) wrong. Please, next time you race, take a moment to thank your course marshall or the nearest EMT.

Then keep on running.

Carlee Price

Whistler

Boston tragedy

God bless the people of Boston, those lost and those recovering.

Brian Buchholz

Whistler

Time for Whistler to stop resting on its laurels

Thank you Whistler for another fun-filled season on the mountain. Although it did not quite match up to the two previous years in terms of the powder, it was still great by eastern standards of cold and ice we suffer out here.

Although any time on a ski hill beats time in the office, I do have one beef: it was frustrating to have to travel by bus from Alpine Meadows, where I stay throughout the season, and have nowhere to store my equipment. Doubly frustrating since I have been (or thought I was) on a waiting list for a locker at the Carleton Lodge for the past four years, only to be told this year that my name was nowhere to be found and would be now added in at the end of the list, to start the wait all over again.

This has led me to think about the chronic shortage of locker space in the village and how this fits in with the overall urban planning of Whistler. As I see it, there are two major segments of the skier population that are affected here. There is the wintering crowd of retirees, who stay for the entire season (which is where I now fit in after some 20 years of coming here for short stays). There is also the tourist population, staying for short periods mostly in the hotels and B&Bs.

As someone coming from away, I have been happy to not have to rely on a car to get around. Although there have been some past issues with the bus service, I do find it more than meets my expectations.

The only downside is having to lug all of my equipment back and forth on a daily basis. In fact, that is the number one question that I am asked by tourists in the village and on the slopes: where is there a place to leave skis and boots overnight at a reasonable charge?

Unfortunately, there really is very little available in terms of adequate storage space right in the village. It may be found at Creekside or Blackcomb but not in the village where the majority of the population begins or ends their ski day.

How does this serve anyone's purpose — the skiers, the merchants, the bus system, or even car travellers?

For example, I now take the bus, but without having adequate storage facilities, I am considering buying a car and leaving it at Whistler over the summer. This kind of decision would lead to more traffic congestion, more demand for parking, as well as another car, truck, camper or snowmobile parked in the dump heap alongside those nice million-dollar homes throughout Whistler. In addition, there is the loss of ridership on the buses, which is something Whistler is actually trying to encourage.

Next, think about how the lack of storage affects tourists. Without storage facilities to serve them adequately, what do these skiers generally do?

They take their skis and gear and simply hop on one of the shuttle buses after their ski day, heading back to their hotels or condos to have an après libation at home and a leisurely hot tub before dinner.

They are not stopping at the bars or restaurants, and they are not wandering through the village shopping along the way, something any good shopping-mall manager would insist on. This is certainly a source of untapped revenue that merchants are losing out on.

While I do love Whistler and my ski days here along with the many friends I have made, there are other places to go. I can now ski Colorado for the grand sum of $689 for the season or go to the B.C. interior and enjoy some of their champagne powder.

Whistler must stop resting on its laurels and start doing a better job.

R. Westler

Ottawa

Plastic bag solution

There really is a simple solution to this problem — set a date and end all plastic bag use in the village!

Educate and encourage our visitors by providing at the beginning of their stay a reusable bag in their hotel room, condo or rental home. We could call it the "Whistler-Baggie" with a "green" note to say, "Welcome to the most Beautiful Place on Earth, please use this bag for all your shopping needs." Once their vacation is over they can take it home with them.

Reusable bags like this cost one to two dollars with the cost being recouped within their hotel/condo/rental home cost.

For us locals it's simple — use your reusable bags, lead by example and every time you use a reusable bag you receive a 10-cent reward for each bag – something like what Starbucks does for using your own cup.

Gillian Rowan

Whistler

Celebrating Earth Day with Friends

We wanted to write a short letter to wish everyone and Happy Earth Day for April 22nd. Of course many of us recognize that really every day is an Earth Day as without a healthy environment everything becomes totally "not so awesome!"

So as AWARE (The Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment) started thinking of ideas to celebrate Earth Day we decided not to worry so much about the specific date but more creating fun sessions for people to come to. As we reached out to people we were amazed by the support that was offered. As a result there is now an extensive program to celebrate many things environmental.

Whether you want to: make an Earth Day pledge to reduce your environmental footprint; learn how to grow your own food (despite a lack of space, time or sunshine); reduce the impacts of your diet through considering veganism; or just get outside and help clean up during Pitch-In- Day, there is something to suit everyone.

Sunday April 28 is our Free Kids Nature Club, this month's topic is plastics. These interactive and fun learning workshops are held on the last Sunday of each month, covering a different topic each time. The kids club is run entirely by volunteers and we are hoping to increase attendance to justify the continued investment of their time and efforts. Please come and support this FREE family-focused club!

As we put together all the pieces to our 10-day Earth Day celebration puzzle there were partners and supporters who we could not have managed without: Whistler Library, Whistler Museum and Regional Recycling for their on-going Kids Club and Green Talks support; Earthsave for partnership on their Vegucated movie screening and potluck; the RMOW and WSSF for getting us on the stroll for our Earth Day Pledge booth. We thank you all and fingers crossed people like what we are offering!

Full details of all events are available on the Aware Whistler Facebook page or at www.awarewhistler.org.

Happy Earth Day Everyone

Claire Ruddy

AWARE

Seeing the forest and the trees

Surely we cannot be celebrating that we are increasing the amount of cutting in our forests this year!

The central motivation behind the negotiations for a "Community Forest" was to get control over what and when we would log. Many hours of the discussions that took place concerned how we could find alternatives to logging, and particularly to logging old growth. Now it appears that the management of the community forest has conceded control to the Ministry of Forests, and look just like another logging company hiding behind the directive of a mandatory Annual Allowable Cut, albeit one also hiding behind the banner of "Eco based Management." Even better or best logging practices, when applied to a badly chosen place, are still wrong headed, or even wrong. 

It distresses many of us that we are using the Ministry's definition of old growth, and thus that much of what will be logged this year are clearings in beautiful forests that are younger than 250 years because they are growing on land that was burned probably in the 1800's, long before there was any logging.  

There is no fiscal return to logging the CCF, the logs sell for less than they cost to cut and remove. This is not sustainable economics.

There are far fewer jobs at stake in the forestry sector than in the ecotourism sector, even though the forestry jobs at this point pay more. But even if log prices were high, it is counter productive for our community to see itself as a logging company and a resort community. We have partners in the CCF yes, but they are two Band Councils openly committed to an environmental ethic. Does anyone truly believe that any future government in Victoria could take back the Community Forest and return it to private logging because we did not log a significant proportion of what is an unsustainable amount?

I encourage Whistlerites to walk the areas designated for logging this summer, and see if they want to see the bad "haircuts" of patch clear cut logging, instead of old growth.

And most of all, I hope that we all encourage our council and mayor to gain the backbone necessary to move much more slowly than the Ministry of Forests directs us to. The AAC idea was formulated long before anyone thought of recreational tourism on the scale of today. I suggest that it is a bankrupt notion. What if we had an "Annual Allowable Coal production" that encouraged more coal mining?

There will come a time when society sees more in forests than lumber, and a Community Forest in a resort community as a source of inspiration rather than logs. The Whistler corridor can lead the way.

Al Whitney, former chairman of the Forest and Wildland Advisory Committee

Whistler

We like our rivers wild

According to Innergex's Management Discussion and Analysis and Consolidated Statements for the Year Ending December 31, 2012 (released on March 14, 2013), Innergex's current activities related to its Upper Lillooet River Hydro Project include "ongoing consultation with stakeholders."

I guess the stakeholders do not include the residents of Pemberton whose valley will be turned into an industrialized zone if the project proceeds. We were not informed that Innergex reportedly intends to divert even more water so that the power produced by the Upper Lillooet River (a.k.a. the iconic Key Hole Falls) increases from 74.0 MW to 81.4 MW and the power from Boulder Creek increases from 23.0 MW to 25.3 MW to make up for cancelling the third hydroelectric facility at North Creek.

What impacts do you think diverting more water will have on the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems?

Innergex does not care as long as its shareholders, including the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, can keep lining its pockets off the backs of B.C. taxpayers.

The real stakeholders have this message for Innergex, its partner, Ledcor, and its shareholders: we do not want your project to ruin our valley: we like our rivers wild. B.C. does not need your power, which is not green: BC Hydro has a ten-year surplus. We do not want BC Hydro to go bankrupt thanks to the $53 billion worth of electricity purchase agreements it has with independent power producers, like Innergex.

Louise Ludlam Taylor

Pemberton

Bird House

I'm writing in response to Karl Ricker's article "Rare owls highlight sparse birding winter season" (Pique, April 11). If you were hoping to see some jays or grosbeaks, I may be to blame.

It started innocently enough, feeding a jay or two each morning in November. Before I knew it, the cat, er, the bird had been let out of the bag. I could see them flying across the valley in the morning for their breakfast of mixed nuts.

By mid December I had at least twenty waiting for me in the morning, surely to the vexation of my neighbours, with their squawks and machine-gun-rattle cry.

In mid January, I saw two shy yellow birds, which I identified as evening grosbeaks. They, of course, told all their friends and shed of shyness, they wait for me (usually eight to twenty, but as many as fifty have shown up), chirping for their breakfast of sunflower seeds as early as 6:30 a.m.

My winter has been anything but quiet. The latest I've slept in is 8:30 a.m. (even on weekends), as the jays will come up to my bedroom window to ensure I haven't snuck off in the middle of the night.

Scattered throughout, I've had spotted towhees, varied thrush, red breasted nuthatch, song and white crowned sparrows, one shy flicker and four adorable whisky jacks (I've logged nearly all of my sightings on to eBird.org).

Late winter, with the above, I now have a handful of chestnut backed chickadees and a dozen to twenty juncos that are standard for the after-work snack of chopped nuts (much to the amusement of my two indoor cats). Late last week, I was visited by a stunningly beautiful raven who politely ate some suet, as well as the darting orange ball that is the Rufous humming bird.

This was my first winter in this house, so I wasn't set up with different feeders. I hope to start a collection of feeders for next winter (surely to the vexation of my boyfriend who enjoys sleeping in). So, if you were wondering where the loud birds were this winter, they were at my house, early each morning, in Bayshores. You're more than welcome to come and give your ears a workout next winter.

Kalee Eder

Whistler

Poo parade, Part II

My dog Coho and I love walking the valley trails in search of adventure and fun. Last year we decided to put a positive spin on the unfortunate situation of the inevitable dog leavings that surface at this time of year.

Rather than writing a frustrated letter, Coho and I will be doing our duty (heehee) walking the valley trail systems from Alpine to Creekside on Saturday, April 20th with a wheelbarrow and shovel picking up any doggie poo that is neglected.

Last year we recovered over 300 piles that went to the proper landfill, rather than our creeks, streams and lakes.

I invite anyone who is interested in supporting/sponsoring this to contact me at geoffolsson@hotmail.com. My hope is that an individual or organization will put a 1$ per scoop towards a donation to WAG.

I would like to thank Geoff Garhart and Whistler Blackcomb for assisting with this cause last year by donating time and resources to aid in the cleanup.

Happy Trails.

Geoff Olsson

Whistler

Preserving our 'gem'

"You don't know what you've got 'til its gone," as the song goes... the old trail winds up above the Pemberton Creek... sun shining on the moss-covered rock and then the impressive waterfall appears through the woods... still the same feelings tho' its been a while since this "old timer" has been there.

It only took a little over half-an-hour to get there from the gate... plenty of time to sit on a log to contemplate the lovely surroundings ... lots of trails now in the area being enjoyed by hikers and bikers alike and we also ran into a local family with young kids... it's so close to home, just above the Village and no railroad tracks to cross either.

Come out to the meeting on April 25 (Pemberton Creek Water License and Community Power Project info Session at Signal Hill School at 7 p.m.) and make your views known if you want to preserve this "gem" for our future enjoyment...the power will still be there if we really need it in five or 10 years, or whatever.

Jan Naylor

Pemberton

Opposed to river diversion

I live in Pemberton, B.C. and oppose Creek Power Inc.'s proposed UpperLillooet River diversion project. This joint venture between Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. and Ledcor involves building two hydroelectric facilities, including one at our iconic Key Hole Falls, and a 72-km transmission line along Pemberton Valley.

I was one of the 200 locals who attended the March 18 public meeting on river diversion projects, which was organized by local residents. Gwen Barlee, Policy Director of the Wilderness Committee, and Dr. Craig Orr, Executive Director of Watershed Watch Salmon Society, provided detailed information about the environmental and financial impacts of river diversion projects.

Gwen Barlee highlighted the negative impacts these projects have on fish, wildlife and the often-pristine wilderness areas where these Independent Power Producers (IPPs) construct river diversion projects.

She mentioned the river diversion project on Kokish River, Vancouver Island, which was allowed to be built even though Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) biologists were opposed to the project because Kokish River is home to five species of wild salmon, two endangered runs of steelhead, cutthroat trout and eulachon.

Thanks to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Gwen Barlee discovered why the project was approved and I quote: "The process was rejected by all the scientists, marine biologists, forestry experts... as being an ecological disaster." The message presented to higher ups in the DFO had been massaged over and over, watering down the research showing the negative impacts on fish and their habitat, which enabled the project to be approved.

I think the same thing may have happened with Creek Power Inc.'s Upper Lillooet River Hydro project because government biologists reviewing this project as part of the environmental assessment process stated that the project's impacts on grizzly bears could not be "meaningfully mitigated." The provincial government has, however, issued a conditional environmental assessment certificate.

How can we as Canadians trust our municipal, provincial and federal governments when we know they often compromise the health of our public lands, forests and rivers for short-term economic gain? Why are taxpayers paying the salaries of government biologists whose expert opinions are ignored by their higher ups?

Do we live in a democracy or in a corporatocracy, which is an economic and political system controlled by corporations <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation> or corporate interests benefiting only the one per cent sitting on the thrones?

I am against change for the WORST (destruction of our eco system) but not against change for the better.

Readers should also note that in addition to our environment, IPPs will ruin BC Hydro, a Crown corporation that used to provide millions of dollars to the public coffers and hence to B.C. residents. Thanks to Liberal government policy and legislation, BC Hydro is forced to buy power from IPPs at a higher rate than it can produce and sell power. BC Hydro has signed over $50 billion worth of electricity purchase agreements with IPPs, which means B.C. taxpayers are on the hook for this amount. IPPs are still greasing politicians' pockets to allow them to destroy our rivers and to bankrupt BC Hydro so that they can control the power and water. In addition to being unethical, BC Hydro has a ten-year energy surplus so there is no need to ruin our rivers and backcountry.

IPPs only offer us limited benefits in terms of very short-term construction jobs but the harmful impacts on our environment and wildlife will have long-term repercussions. Do we wait until it is too late and regret not having stood up against the project when I had the chance? Or do we stand up NOW as communities across B.C. to ensure our rivers and backyard is protected from corporate greed and political folly?

I believe we live in Canada, where the people have democratic rights where we can stand up for what we want. Let us unite and put an end to Creek Power Inc.'s Upper Lillooet River Hydro project and other river diversion projects. Yes to promoting green alternative renewable energy, such as solar, and educating the public about energy conservation.

No to "corporatocracy." Yes to intelligent democracy. Wake up Pemberton and B.C. residents; let our voices be heard before it is too late.

Marwan Abouhalka

Pemberton

Fire destroys extended family's home

(Lil'wat territory — Mount Currie) This past Good Friday (March 29th), four generations of the Williams family (including 13 people, four cats, four dogs and a brood of chickens) lost everything but one trailer and their lives to a fire. Their clothes and personal possessions, their extensive documentation of their history, their regalia, their tools, their appliances, their outdoor kitchen and their preserved food burnt to the ground in less than 15 minutes.

Often when disaster strikes, people can find temporary shelter with their relatives. But in this case, almost the whole extended family lived under one roof. The very next day, a bingo was held to help out, someone donated tent, a friend drove up from Vancouver to lend them her RV, and donation boxes are scattered throughout the community. But unfortunately, none of this will be enough to rebuild the Williams' family home.

In the 1960s John Williams (now 73) and his helpers built their house. His wife Mary is an expert organic farmer and for decades the whole family (as well as the many friends who passed through or stayed) lived on the produce of their garden and the fish they canned.

Mary and John live outside the system. They prefer to continue their independent lifestyle and pay for everything that needs money with their own earnings. Whatever funds they have needed they earned by teaching, or by selling hand-made items and wild crafted resources from their territory. They are adamant in staying true to their principled belief in being self-sustaining, free and independent in order to assert their right to sovereignty with dignity.

John and Mary are currently staying in a borrowed RV while they clean up debris from the fire. They were given a temporary place to cook and shower. Many more friends are ready to lend a hand, but an estimated $50,000 dollars would still be needed to buy the minimum in construction materials, tools and supplies to build a basic cabin. They have approximately five months before winter sets in to make a new roof over their heads. To help, please donate to: The Scotia Bank, Account # 01800 00392-84.

Silvaine Zimmermann

Pemberton