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This letter was addressed to mayor and council.

This letter was addressed to mayor and council.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you in advance for your acceptance of this addition to the petition which continues to express the convictions of the residents of Whistler in regards to the capital expenditure of $1.04 million on the municipal "portal".

I would also like to reiterate the point of my previous letter. It would be a shame if you only grasped the intention of the correspondence for a fleeting moment and then lost it.

The petition I am presenting and the concerns relayed to you in my previous letter are about a basic responsibility you, as an elected body, have to us as an electorate. That is to communicate the issues that are of substantial regard to the community in relation to spending and impact on quality of life to us in an honest and integral manner.

The last council meeting was rife with references to telephone surveys, which were conducted to quantify the views of the electorate on a variety of issues. I submit that the questions that were posed were extremely vague in both wording and intent. I make the observation because I was a participant in a survey that asked for opinions on municipal services and Internet services were discussed in this survey. At no point in the survey was the subject of budget or scope of the project discussed.

I can understand that the survey which was conducted in regards to the WEF could not specifically refer to the WEF itself, however I question whether the issues of the high security and the timing of the conference were presented to the participants in a manner that would allow them to make a valid answer to a posed question. This brings the integrity of the survey into question.

There have been comments made in letters to the editor and by council members referring to those who question the issues before us as nay sayers, fear mongers and Nimbyists. The reality is we are simply questioning issues that we have not been given any real information on. It is ignorance of the facts that creates and allows for fear and distrust. As councillor Wells stated in her comments, you have failed to communicate the facts with the people of Whistler. It is unfortunate that the motion to get input from the public via a public meeting was defeated immediately following this comment. If you give the people the information they need to make informed opinions then you will receive positive and constructive feedback from them.

Mayor O’Reilly had an excellent dissertation on the WEF conference in New York and the case for inviting the conference to Whistler. If this information had been available as soon as possible, instead of as a reaction to the letters and articles of opposition and a perceived preamble to the motion for an official invitation, the reaction to the news, and the motion, would have been much more informed.

I would, in closing, challenge you to step up to the plate, or in the words of councilor Kirk "get back behind the cash register and listen to what the people have to say," and get the facts out to them. It was, as I recall, a campaign based on a more open government that got you elected.

Christopher Quinlan

Whistler

 

I have been a resident of Whistler for 13 years, and a local business owner for the last seven years. I am writing this letter to express my opinion of the proposed World Economic Forum in Whistler.

I believe that our hosting this event sets us in a direction that is not consistent with the image that we are successful by. In hosting this forum we take a stance that is biased and controversial to many. We also displace the market that regularly sustains us. I understand that in order to be a great and successful community we need to look in many directions for opportunity and growth, however this opportunity is one that we should pass on. Surely there are many other possible events that Whistler could pursue (like a mountain bike World Cup) to bring business and attention to our town.

It is important to remember that we are offering a product that appeals to a wide range of people. In doing this we create a dynamic culture that is rich in sport, arts, communication, and spirit. I believe that we should continue to encourage and market the variety that makes us unique. Unique to regular people, like skiers, snowboarders, cyclists, golfers, shoppers. I don't see these people relating to Whistler because it hosts an economic forum. What does Davos mean to them?

If we strive to make Whistler elite and prestigious then we will likely lose the cultural vibrancy that made us great in the first place.

Ian Ritz

Whistler

 

This letter was addressed to mayor and council.

As a taxpayer in Whistler, I want to voice my opinion in regards to the WEF and the Olympics.

I am NOT in favour of either. I think it is terrible that you and your council feel you can arbitrarily make decisions of such magnitude and not involve the people that you are representing. You are not Whistler!

Whistler doesn't need anything else to put it in the news or to bring it to the forefront. We already are a tourist town and are doing quite well. Or were, until this council started making decisions to throw away millions of dollars on Web sites and a firehall that costs $1.5 million. Hello? We aren't that crazy.

My husband was one of the people polled in regards to the WEF. He found it to be very misleading. They led him to believe that it would be a small meeting with a few protesters. They certainly didn't explain the magnitude nor the amount of security that would be brought in for such delegates.

To my husband and I, living in Whistler has always meant easy accessibility to things. Being able to get to where we want to go in good time. If we were to get such high profile events, that require such stringent security, it would disrupt everything that we have come to love about Whistler. Trips to the bank, Nesters, etc. would be impossible.

We went to Vancouver today and encountered three separate delays. Can you imagine the delays we will encounter if the Olympic bid were successful? Our Health Care Centre is unable to provide overnight care and or perform surgery. I shudder to think if I ever had to be rushed to Vancouver.

In closing, I ask that you please involve your constituents prior to making decisions that affect us and the town we live and work in.

Bobbi Sandkuhl

Whistler

 

The meek shall inherit the Earth

As a resident of this community for over seven years, I felt an obligation as a concerned Whistlerite to become educated on the Natural Step initiatives that the municipality is now starting to embrace.

After listening to Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert speak on the framework that must be in place for sustainability to occur, I felt that although the principles were ethically correct in their development, many of these objectives are abstract and long range in their thinking, and very hard to grasp for the average taxpayer. Yes, sure I can turn the water off when I'm brushing my teeth and use environmentally safe household cleaning products, but in essence we're talking about much bigger objectives – like having a community that does not depend on fossil fuels for its energy, but rather renewable energy sources such as hydro, wind and solar. This is big money to convert a community to this kind of change. Who exactly is going to pay for these kind of projects? The locals who are slowly moving to Pemberton and Squamish as the price of real estate becomes so completely out of grasp for the average family income, or the people building all the trophy homes that are only occupied 1-2 months out of the year?

Who do you honestly think is more conscious about their environment – people that don't have a lot of money, that turn down their heat to save money on their power bills, that dry their clothes on dry racks, that are water consumption conscious to keep water bills down (do to their upbringing), that cook from scratch and eat leftovers so that they can make it to the next paycheque,, or the rich tourists and outsiders that use Whistler as their playground, that order $150 worth of Chinese takeout that comes delivered to their multi-million dollar home with a heated driveway, and then throw all their Styrofoam containers out on to their decks for bears to go through because they’re too lazy to take their excessive waste to the garbage room?

Mr. Mayor, let's be honest here, if the supporters of the Olympic bid were really interested in sustainable communities, they would be promoting the Games be held in Calgary where the facilities already exist, instead of creating more development in a community that already has such a fragile ecosystem. That would be the true essence of "green" games. I'm pretty sure they would be financially feasible. As Dr. Robert stated, you have to look at the sum of the whole, which is not just environmentally, but socially and economically as well.

Melissa McKay

Via e-mail

 

To suggest that Whistler has a moral obligation to host the WEF is a blatant attempt to play the guilt card. While most people try to contribute to the betterment of society in a variety of ways, we all make choices on how best do that within out limited resources. Whistler council too makes these choices when deciding which public services to fund, and which to regretfully decline. We can’t do it all.

It is possible the WEF may be slightly interested in their host’s ideas on sustainability, but the forum has its own agenda that will not be greatly influenced by Whistler’s enthusiasm for this issue. It’s not as if sustainability is our invention, or that millions of other people world-wide have not been addressing it. Sustainability is not a wonderful new idea the WEF members are ignorant of.

Whistler has unlimited opportunities to work towards sustainability here in our resort and to contribute to that discussion elsewhere. The WEF is not the best venue for promoting sustainability, in fact it is an inefficient arena for that promotion.

The WEF will go forward elsewhere without Whistler’s help. Other towns will be swayed by the glamour and power of the WEF participants and will accept the disruptions caused by the armed riot police confronting professional activists. Whistler has other ways to help the world and I urge council to choose those rather than the WEF.

Pam Barnsley

Whistler

 

The following is a copy of a letter sent to the Honorable Stan Hagen, Minister of Sustainable Resource Management, cc to the Honorable Joyce Murray, Minister Responsible for Parks, regarding the upcoming decision of whether or not to retain the South Chilcotin Mountains Park.

Dear Mr. Hagen (and Ms. Murray)

I just attended an AWARE presentation on the dismantling of the Lillooet Preservation Plan, specifically the proposal to "de-park" the South Chilcotin. When one government takes over from another they could build upon the hours and money already spent on a project instead of wastefully tearing it all down and starting from scratch. The B.C. Liberal government must think we're all too rich and stupid to care about how our money and resources are being wasted.

According to the statistics presented it's actually costing B.C. taxpayers to destroy our unique wilderness resources. Please tell me, Mr. Hagen, how we are benefiting from this. Can you imagine how frustrating it is for the people who have worked so hard to get this far to see you turn a blind eye to the fact that it is not only essential but economically sound to preserve all the Rainshadow Wilderness areas? In the long run, who could possibly gain from your potential decision to "de-park" the South Chilcotin?

Please, I urge you to stop wasting time and money on a decision that has already been made. Do not destroy what so many have fought so hard for so long to preserve. Reconsider picking up where the NDP left off and build on all the hard work. Show us all that you can do something intelligent.

This is not about politics and selfish local business interests, this is about a global responsibility. As Canadians we have a responsibility to preserve a shrinking global wilderness, we are stewards of what little is left. The rest of the world is relying on us to be smart about this and see the big picture. Please don't disappoint them or us.

Leanne Lamour'

Whistler

 

On Jan. 16, 2002, I had a serious skiing accident in the Jersey Cream Bowl area of Blackcomb Mountain. After falling 500 feet, I suffered a compressed spinal disc, 3 other spinal fractures, a dislocated elbow, various lacerations, and 20 facial fractures, resulting in surgery to replace the eye sockets with plastic ones and cheek bone area with titanium plates.

Luckily I fell into good hands that day. Tim Sjogren, Rob Skerry and Greg Stratton, who were participating in a ski school session, saw me fall and took the initiative to stop me sliding any further and keep me stable with my airway open until ski patrol arrived.

Within seconds seven patrollers were on the scene and a helicopter on its way. The speed and skill of these people saved my life. They deserve enormous praise. Patrollers definitely have their work cut out for them and I can’t explain enough how well they do their job.

The amount of support I received from Whistler-Blackcomb was also remarkable. A huge thank you to Kirby Brown (director of Employee Experience), who provided kind-hearted and generous support to my family and myself during and after the hospital period.

Thanks also to my cousin Kate Crossing for her care and help in keeping the family informed.

Thank you to Dave McPeake and his band, Big Up, for their contribution from their performance.

Cathy and Mike Dempsey provided fantastic support in many ways. Thanks for your contribution to the fund-raiser and all your kindness during our short stay at Whistler before returning home.

I’d also like to say thank you to everybody who came to visit the hospital and who sent their best wishes, and everyone who came to send their love on my short return to Whistler before returning home.

A huge thanks must be given to Pierre Ringuette (head instructor of Dempsey Tours) for his care and for initiating the fund-raising, which has made a vast contribution to my uninsured hospital and surgeon bills.

Thank you to Julie Waterhouse and Megan Riganesi for their help in organizing the raffle and also for their support to my family on returning home.

Kate Crossing, Danni Bear and Tracey Dunlop also deserve great thanks for their ticket sales and support before and during the raffle.

Also I must send out thanks to Dusty’s and their staff for holding the event and Matt Fraser for his MC’ing;, I hear he did a great job – wish I’d been there.

I really can’t express enough thanks and gratitude for everyone’s help and support. I really appreciate the amount of hard work Whistler-Blackcomb put in to supporting myself and my family, as guests and as an employee.

Although I cannot name everyone here who helped I would like to say that the care, kindness and compassionate support that my family and I received turned a near tragedy into an enlightening experience.

I’d like to wish everyone an enjoyable end of season and a successful year to come. I’ll be seeing you on the mountain next year.

Kristy Shelley

Employee and guest of Whistler-Blackcomb

 

This letter was addressed to MLA Ted Nebbeling

The introduction of new taxes by your current party are not in keeping with the promises made in order to get elected. Nor has your party succeeded in balancing our budget, as promised.

Your party has removed watchdogs and safeguards that protect our system from abuse by all parties, including your own and your opposition.

Your party has sold out our environment, allowing toxic waste to be dumped in our province, setting a precedent that jeopardizes the health of your constituents.

Your party has betrayed its forest industry constituents in Squamish and throughout the province by raising the quotas for the sale of raw logs, allowing timber rights to be auctioned and tariffs to stand without a strong challenge.

Your party would sell out one of our most valuable assets, our publicly-owned power company, without consulting the shareholders (the citizens), at a time when electricity is key to maintaining the health of our economy through the reliable operation of our computer networks.

Your Whistler and West Vancouver constituents, while well off and supporting the elimination of the corporate capital tax (a good move), nevertheless will not long stand unaffected by the treasonous way in which this government is being run.

One thinks that Mr Collins is there only to allow the crimes to be committed unfettered by the intelligence of a licensed accountant.

Mr. Nebbeling, if you are the first to cross the floor, you will have the right to call yourself the leader of the new party. I hope that you are one of the honest ones who will cross. If not, I expect that you will not be elected next time.

Please. Cross the floor.

Tom Dowad

Brackendale