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Letters to the Editor for the week of January 12th

A helping hand (Last week), while travelling home to West Vancouver, I stopped at (my Whistler) mailbox to pick up my mail. My car wouldn't start. A young girl came up and fortunately had booster cables and patiently got my car restarted.
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A helping hand

(Last week), while travelling home to West Vancouver, I stopped at (my Whistler) mailbox to pick up my mail.

My car wouldn't start. A young girl came up and fortunately had booster cables and patiently got my car restarted. She refused any payment.

A big thank you to Emma for helping a stranded senior. And, yes, I did get home OK.

Judy Nylander

Whistler/West Vancouver

Sunshine, lollipops and Rainbow Electric

A week or so ago, I stood outside Nesters with a cart full of groceries trying to wrangle (my) three-year-old so we could cross the slushy parking lot to our car.

I dropped my glove and I may or may not have sworn (what can I say, it happens).

A man appeared beside me. He picked up my glove then offered to push our groceries to the car, which happened to be parked next to his Rainbow Electric van.

Thank you to Rainbow Electric for some truly off-the-grid support!      

Desiree Mou

Whistler

Giving thanks

Good point and great attitude in your column ("It wasn't a holiday for everyone," Pique, Dec. 29, 2016) about those working over the holidays to get us home safe an accommodate our plans (airline staff, lifties and so on).

I'd add hydro crews to your list. They are out in pretty nasty conditions to get our lights back on. At times, I'm sure they'd also like to be at home with their families and friends.

Some humans like to moan about minor discomforts and aggravations when they should think about the bigger picture.

When I was shovelling out our home recently, I even heard a neighbour in our complex complain that we had a foot of unplowed snow in our driveway (because the bobcat truck got stuck).

I had to say, "Uh, dude, we just got a foot of fresh powder. We like snowstorms here."  

Keep up the positive attitude. We have it pretty good here in the frozen north.

Jeff Morgan

Whistler

The highway and all its faults

The only reason we are having issues with the highway is because the mayor and council (in place) during the Olympics were unwilling to expand the lanes from two to four between Function and the village.

It is simple! We don't need any surveys spending more tax dollars trying to get locals to leave their cars at home on Saturdays or Sundays.

To even think that that is an issue is a joke!

Widen the highway. Simple! Stop the conversations and just do what the Olympic council and mayor did not do.

Oh, and please fix the bus schedule. I have seen third-world countries with a more efficient bus service.

Stop holding the locals and tourists hostages for council's lack of progress!

Arne Gutmann

Whistler

Act on housing

The irony of Erna Gray's letter to the editor on housing is laughable (Pique, Jan. 5). Here's someone who complains about those living in campers then readily admits they no longer rent out their suite due to potential hassles.

She also questions councils past and present when apparently our mayor was once a squatter herself. Living in a camper can be a lifestyle choice, but I'm sure many of them would prefer a cabin with a wood stove these past few chilly weeks.

I personally know of dozens of long-time and now successful, stable locals with families who started out in campers and squats (myself included).

Had they gone the acceptable route of paying high rent and someone else's mortgage first, they may have just left town.

Most of us came here with a small budget but big dreams. These people with these dreams are the true heart and soul of the community. I would rather have a population of hard-working, modest individuals with a vested interest in the community than a bunch of rich, spoiled brats in big empty houses.

I say to council: accommodate these people with Porta-Potties and free passes to the community centre for showers until real affordable housing is available.

Our future mayor may be living in Lot 4.

Mike Roger

Birken/Whistler

Thanks for support

Friends and customers, thank you for your patience and support as we work toward being fully operational again.

Many of you already know a large fire at our Burnaby warehouse destroyed nearly our whole fleet of five-ton trucks along with our van and several trailers on the night of Jan. 2.

Watching the video surveillance of our vehicles burning one by one was heartbreaking, but also brought us some peace since we know the fire started as an electrical fire and was not an act of vandalism or arson.

As things are settling down and the shock of the situation is wearing off, we want you all to know we appreciate your support in this situation and to let you know how much it has helped us through this tough time.

Our first priority always has been and always will be meeting the needs of our customers. We know this affects all of you, too!

Heather Ray

Pemberton Transport Co. Ltd

Heating the environment

It may be that Whistler's stores are finally getting the message. On Saturday (Jan. 7), I walked the Village Stroll between Comor Sports and Starbucks and there was only one store with an open door — Activity Central.

Maybe next week all of the doors will be closed.

Gary McDonnell

Whistler

PM no crybaby

As a longtime visitor and vacation homeowner in Whistler, I have always enjoyed reading Pique as a means of getting in touch with the goings-on in the Whistler community.

However, I was shocked and disgusted by the overt and completely inappropriate political commentary entitled "Kleenex, please" by Lynn Mitges in the Jan. 5 issue.

Ms. Mitges attempts to make a case that our prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is a crybaby who needs to harden up emotionally. A political leader, in my opinion should demonstrate emotions, which are appropriate to the occasion.

Anyone who feels that it's inappropriate to shed a few tears at the funeral of their father or during a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp clearly lacks compassion for family or humanity.

If the best she can do is conjure up scenarios of Donald Trump getting his way with Trudeau by pulling pictures of dead kittens from his wallet — an offensive graphic image mentioned three times in her article — then I suggest we send Ms. Mitges back to journalism school without the benefit of a box of Kleenex of her own.

Dr. Alvin Nirenberg

North Vancouver