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Letters to the editor for the week of November 7th

Thoughts from Afghanistan
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Thoughts from Afghanistan

I think the letter below from our coordinator in Kabul is fitting for our reflections on November 11. For security reasons the coordinator is best left nameless — submitted by Keith Reynolds of Playground Builders. 

(Why is there cruelty) from everywhere to Afghanistan, why? We are also human, we also have hearts, we also have feelings, and we also have rights. We wish peace, we want happiness, we want stability, we want to have freedom, we want to be friendly with friends. We want to welcome our guests and be so hospitable for them — this is our culture and this is our Islam. But why do people not let us be so and to do so?

Taliban kills us, Russian kills us, Pakistan kills us, Iran kills us and even American troops kill us. Why?

We cannot live freely, we cannot wander freely, we cannot love, we cannot want something, and we cannot wish something. Why? Our children cannot go to schools freely, no one is (sure) that their children, their father, their mother, their brothers, their sisters and their others will come back from their schools from their work or from market alive or safely.

There is a (scarcity)... there is instability, there is no satisfaction, and there is no freedom. There is always (fear) of explosion, kidnapping, killing, bombardment and harassments. Why?

We are human. We need freedom, we need love, we want friendship, and we want to live. Our children want to be happy, be free, be healthy, and be normal.

I am thankful to the world community, but they are also not so honest to the people of Afghanistan. They all are playing just games. But I am so proud and thankful to Canadians and Indians. They always have been honest to Afghanistan. They always help us without any their own interest. For example, Playground Builders of Canada always spread the happiness among the children and people of Afghanistan. The people and communities always thank these humanitarian efforts. We accept that world community has helped us a lot, but... with force and by military actions, which killed thousands and thousands and at the result is still no peace, no stability and no women empowerment and no children's happiness.

But with the special projects of Playground Builders of Canada, they have spread much, much happiness among the children and among the people.

Why I am writing this email with so (much passion)? Because last week when we were smoothening the ground for the football ground at school...the (parent) committee came to the school and thanked me a lot.

To be honest, the Mulla Imam wept and thanked me a lot (because) we are the only people who are going to bring happiness to the children, to the girls and to the people. I also became so impressed. These are the feelings of our Mulla.

There is no terrorism in our Islam, there is no terrorism in our culture, there is no terrorisms in the people of Afghanistan. Taliban are not Muslims. They kill us too, they kill our children, they prevent us from happiness, they prevent us from living and they prevent us from work.

anonymous

Plenty of sizzle

I'd like to respond to GD Maxwell's Oct. 31 (Pique) column regarding Whistler International Campus' (WIC) efforts to get our rezoning application into process.

We understand that RMOW council will make a decision about moving WIC forward to an official rezoning process at the Nov.19 council meeting. And, like many of the community, we hope that they say "yes."

Simply put, this is a good project — one that deserves to be brought before municipal staff, council and the community. The rezoning process allows us to share more about the WIC plan, receive the community's input and work with the RMOW on revisions that may be requested or required. At the end of that process, after comprehensive staff and community input, council can then make an informed decision. And we will respect the outcome.

Max conjectures that WIC is "all sizzle and no steak." Well, fire up the BBQ because we've got plenty of steak to serve at our information session on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at Millennium Place (*Metaphor — vegetarians are welcome).

In the meantime, here's an appetizer based on the three points in Max's column:

Sizzle #1: WIC won't cost taxpayers of Whistler a cent

True. WIC is privately funded, period. And while WIC will add users to municipal infrastructure, we will also benefit Whistler by significantly contributing to municipal tax revenue.

Sizzle #2: Jobs, jobs, jobs

WIC does create jobs — 407 of them — including instructors, teaching assistants, administrators and maintenance staff. We know that many of these positions can be filled by current Whistler and Sea to Sky residents, including some who have already submitted their resumes.

Sizzle #3: What can go wrong?

Max claims that WIC has many unanswered questions and that our business plan is skimpy. We disagree. Our business plan, as well as requested follow-up materials, has been submitted to RMOW staff. That information, as well as reports and research data, can be found at www.whistlerinternationalcampus.com/resources/.

While the WIC campus is privately owned, our education partners consist of four public post-secondary education providers that offer technical and trades education in addition to academics.

As for Max's concerns about rising student debt, WIC offers the opportunity to keep costs down. Sea to Sky residents can get the education they need in academic, trade and technical programs, with cost savings to families if they live at home.

We've done the due diligence required to move forward to a formal rezoning process — the process that provides us with the opportunity to deliver the dialogue that Max is asking for.

All of Whistler has a stake in this project. We invite the community to learn more at the WIC Community Information Session, Wednesday, Nov.13 at 7 p.m. at Millennium Place.

Roger Zen

Project Principal

Whistler International Campus

More info needed from WIC

I've read the Pique back page quite a few times over the years and have often wondered what the G.D. in GD Maxwell stood for. Once I found out he is/was a lawyer, I thought I knew, but good ol' GD has done a good deed recently pulling the sheets back on some issues in the community where angels have feared to tread (I presume he isn't tremendously angelic).

The recent opinion on Whistler International Campus is timely, as they are going to host an information session at Millennium Place mid-month and have been plugging their cause in the Pique with full-page adverts recently. Had GD not done his piece, I already had pen-in-hand to splash your pages with my thoughts on the matter because the Zen proposal does not appear to pass the smell test. 

If we look at what has been released for public consumption, I cannot possibly understand why council hasn't slam-dunked this one for the community. Though GD is concerned about (1) eliminating the bed cap and (2) bringing in smart people to fill good jobs, I believe he may have (for once) missed the real issue.

In a resort community where everyone would like to see higher property values, filling the bed-cap isn't a bad thing. I'd rather have a smaller, richer resort than a bigger, more average one so developing a vision to get us there is wise.

A university isn't a bad idea. Considering it could attract those foreign student types I see in West Vancouver driving Lamborghini Gallardo's with learner's stickers, I smell money. I don't believe they live eight-to-a-house and eat K-D.

Furthermore, bringing instructors and support staff to our community seems like a very good subset of society. I can't see them causing trouble at 2 a.m. outside Tommy Africa's. Maybe GD is concerned because someone of equal intellect may usurp his back-paged "dictatorial!"

Regardless, no reasonable person would question bringing degree holders with secure jobs into Whistler because the result I see is caring citizens, higher property values and a larger tax base — nothing negative. 

What is unknown at this point is how the "Zen University" can magically be fully funded and sustainable. As GD points out, degrees and Cracker Jack boxes have come closer together over the past 20 years, however, you can't be a nobody and attract high tuition.

Arguably, the WIC partner institutions are tertiary players and are not appealing to international students. Universities are hugely expensive to create and run, so if the money isn't coming from tuition and it isn't coming from government, WIC needs to demonstrate where it is coming from. Exacerbating this nagging question is how the WIC folks have justified leading their project with a 5,000 sq ft chancellor's house. I question the altruism of their motives. If the Zen proposal is as good as they purport it to be, we do need to act on this opportunity now, but I suspect the smell problem may have something to do with B.S.. 

They'll be handing out light refreshments on Nov. 13 — without a clear economic model for us to look at, maybe they should be offering something a little stronger. 

Robert Mitchell

Whistler

WIC is good for Whistler

It was disappointing to read GD Maxwell's cynical attempt to disinform Whistler residents in his article on Whistler International Campus (WIC) last week (Pique Oct.31). In his article, he proclaimed the WIC proposal to be nothing more than a slick sales pitch with no real business plan behind it, and doomed to fail.

I would suggest that Mr. Maxwell, as well as any other Whistler residents who aren't yet familiar with the details of the WIC proposal, attend the information session on Wednesday Nov. 13 at Millennium Place. If approved by council, this project would be one of the best things to happen to Whistler in years. A world-class higher education campus is one of the best economic and social projects this town could ask for.

I encourage everyone to get to know the WIC team and proposal. Despite what GD Maxwell asserts, they are actually very down-to-earth and have a great business plan with the support of many other major universities from B.C. and around the world.

For the record, I am not in any way involved with WIC — I just want to see this great project go ahead because it is good for Whistler. Join me and voice your support of this by visiting WIC's website and signing their petition.

Peter Gorski

Whistler

Tapleys Farm Halloween a Spooky Success! 

A big thank you to everyone who took part in the 30th annual Tapleys' Farm Halloween. With perfect weather (finally!), the neighbourhood was inundated with over 1,000 kids and their families. Sixty neighbourhood residents once again pulled out all the stops to create a spooky and festive atmosphere complete with decorations, lights, music, hot adult drinks and of course copious supplies of candy, with an estimated 50,000 pieces handed out. 

Huge thanks to Nesters Market for sponsoring the spectacular fireworks display and hot chocolate and to the Whistler Fire Department for safely setting them off! Also thanks to BC Transit, Whistler Marketplace, Fastpark and the RMOW for organizing the free "Park and Spook" shuttle and free parking at Marketplace; to the Waldorf School kids for their creative decorations and to the RCMP for its ongoing support. Here's to Shaw for turning on our entrance power and being present!

Special thanks to Nesters Market, IGA Marketplace and The Grocery Store for their generous candy contributions, as well as to local families who contributed to our various locations. 

A big thanks to Whistler High School volunteers lead by Alex Mann, Mitch McCullough, Charlotte Jauvin and Chantelle Dean for manning the front entrance and for their "We Scare Hunger" drive for Food Bank donations. Five huge bins were filled with food and $330 cash was raised. We love your enthusiasm.

There was fierce competition for the best decorated house — many thanks to our dedicated judges Whistler Chamber CEO Val Litwin, Councillor John Grills and RCMP Constable Sam Polspoel. The competition was fierce for round 30 houses. 

"Spookiest House" went to the Smart family for never keeping it dull in their maze of craze. "Best Special Effects" went to the Munster family which have a three-decade track record of participation and for pulling out the scary movie scene and witches brew, and to local DJ and man about town, Paul Fournier, for keeping the neighbourhood hopping. "Best Pumpkin Carving" went to the Tyler family, which remain the neighbourhood champs, with great effort noted by the Udow residence that spelled out Happy Halloween in pumpkins and were likely a hit at the pumpkin drop. "Best Kid Friendly" scene went to the Cairns who took pictures of trick or treaters in their garage and posted them online at tinyurl.com/tapleys, and to the Shellbornes for their Halloween cave. Honourable mentions go out to the Metza, Sproule, Gardener and O'Heany families for their great efforts. "Best Costume" went to Oscar who wore a costume with his head in his hand. Very creative! Call us for your prize. 

And finally, thanks to the local companies who donated prizes and services to support this annual community event including Mountain FM, the Whistler Question, Pique, Momentum Camps, Zip Trek, Dupps, Summit Ski, TAG Cycling, Arbonne, Green Earth Organics and the Whistler Film Festival. 

Here's to keeping this free, family-friendly tradition alive and well in true Whistler spirit!

Shauna Hardy-Mishaw, Kasi Lubin, Julia Smart, Nancy Knapton, Julie Edwards, Anna Fraser-Sproule, Tim Regan, Erin Reid, Stephanie Worts and all our Tapleys neighbours.

In the dark about highway safety

To all the dark-clothed pedestrians and cyclists on the highway in the pitch dark I say this: a headlamp and a visi-vest is a much better look than a body bag.

anonymous

Sarah Bourne

Whistler

Time to save the grizzly

The killing of Jewel, the collared grizzly from the threatened Stein-Nahatlatch bear population is a tragedy (Pique Oct.31). But if her death results in positive actions for the beleaguered grizzlies across southwest B.C., it will not have been in vain.

Since 2006, three female grizzly bears from the 24 animal Stein-Nahatlatch population were killed by people, including Jinx, Jewel's cub. Three others died of natural causes.

Losing so many female bears unnaturally in such a small population is the quickest path to the demise of such small groups of grizzly bears whose reproductive rates are among the slowest of all North American mammals.

But there are cost-effective solutions. Recovery must start with the stabilization of the patient. We've got to stop human-caused deaths of grizzly bears before we can hope to restore their populations to healthy numbers. 

That means more Conservation Officer Service boots on the ground, not fewer, to discourage illegal activities that negatively impact all wildlife, respond to potential conflict situations between people and bears and to investigate and prosecute poaching and other crimes swiftly and effectively.

Comprehensive outreach and education to eliminate sources of human-bear conflict are also fundamental to grizzly bear and human security. These include eliminating human attractants that bring bears in contact with people that almost always result in the bear's death.

We must implement bear-friendly resource sector practices for livestock grazing, forestry, energy, mining, and recreation that eliminate and reduce negative impacts to grizzly bear security and habitat.

The consensus based 2008 Sea to Sky Land & Resource Management Plan (LRMP) clearly expresses the desire of local communities to recover the seriously threatened grizzly bears of the Stein and three other grizzly populations that surround it. The provincial government must follow through on these management plans that have science and community driven objectives and strategies, including safeguarding habitats that grizzly bears need to find food and mates and raise young.

Grizzly bears are deeply embedded in the fabric of B.C. and the culture of First Nations people who have lived here for thousands of years. Surely we can afford the small investment that it would take to protect and recover these magnificent animals so that they remain deeply embedded for our grandchildren.

Kyle Empringham, Community Engagement Organizer, Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative

Until we meet again

I left Whistler rather suddenly without saying goodbye. As some of you may know, due to illness I was off work for an extended period of time. I received many get-well wishes and cards, some of which were handmade. The greetings are all dear to my heart, and helped greatly when I wasn't feeling so well. I've never liked goodbyes so thank you, and "until we meet again."

Gil Pinette, formerly of the Whistler Eye Clinic

Kelowna