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I am writing to say that contrary to your article two weeks ago and subsequent letters on the matter, I think it is a very good thing that the Whistler Health Care Centre did not get the $1 million donation from the Nita Lake Lodge Corporation, as it

I am writing to say that contrary to your article two weeks ago and subsequent letters on the matter, I think it is a very good thing that the Whistler Health Care Centre did not get the $1 million donation from the Nita Lake Lodge Corporation, as it would have set a very dangerous precedent.

It is the provincial government’s constitutional and moral duty to provide the health care we require and accepting donations of this size would encourage them to shirk this responsibility.

Not only do we as Canadian citizens pay huge taxes to fund our health care but the clinic in Whistler provides enormous revenue, especially during the winter. Might I suggest that the writers of the article and letters re-direct their rhetoric to the provincial government, if they so desperately need this apparently essential piece of equipment, rather than use it as a political guilt trip.

My husband and I used to visit Whistler on a regular basis, loving the genuine outdoor wilderness experience. Sadly due to the increase in traffic, unrelenting urban sprawl and Disneyfication we no longer care to do so, preferring to find more genuine eco- and environmentally-friendly places who truly care about protecting the surrounding green space.

Perhaps if someone like Mr. Lambert had been around 10 years ago Whistler would be a greener and better place.

E. Shaw

West Vancouver

 

Since the last provincial election the local papers have been filled with news of Independent Power Projects. While I have not attended any information sessions on these IPPs, I have been receiving information on them. A while back I was given a list of creeks that had proposed IPPs in the Sea to Sky corridor. I don't think any were missed.

I am actually surprised no one has tried to suck the money from the rain gutters on the house I reside in. Of course we would need some precipitation to make that venture economically viable.

I liken the term "green energy" to "light cigarettes". Currently lawyers are making a lot of money from the phrase "light cigarettes". Everyone knows that creating electricity from large rivers causes large amounts of environmental damage. Doesn't anyone stop to think what the combined environmental impact of messing with all the small ones is?

Bjorn Gimse

Whistler

 

Parts of Eastern Canada and the U.S. are hit by rolling black outs. Europe and Western Canada experience record high temperatures and droughts. People die in France from the heat. England has the hottest, driest summer since weather was first recorded 300 years ago. Forest fires rage out of control across parts of Europe and Western Canada. Vancouver's reservoir reaches perilously low levels and threatens to run dry if rain does not come in the next few months. Meantime Las Vegas has flash floods.

These are some of the effects of an escalating global warming cycle, where the burning of fossil fuels causes changes in the atmosphere, which cause temperatures to rise, which cause heat waves and droughts, which precipitate forest fires, water shortages, famines and… increased energy consumption. Since the initiating factor is the burning of fossil fuels the obvious and most effective solution is to reduce energy consumption on all levels. But the fact that virtually every auto maker in the world is now offering bigger vehicles with bigger more powerful energy-hungry engines in response to strong North American demand serves as a clear indicator that this will not happen any time soon. So we can expect current trends to continue and the effects of global warming to get worse.

Even in the unlikely event that emissions from the burning of fossil fuels were to be reduced immediately the effects of global warming would still continue to escalate for some time. But any form of long term voluntary reduction is unlikely in the near future, even with the adoption of the Kyoto accord. Why? Because our society is addicted to energy consumption and obsessed with big. Change of the magnitude required to reduce emissions is deemed "too inconvenient". And too many interests profit from the current addiction. So society will simply continue down the current path on the unshakeable belief that we can, based on the tenuous assumption that solutions to the effects of global warming will be found that do not require any reduction in energy consumption.

David MacPhail

Whistler

 

As the entire country listened and watched with concern the recent power blackouts that occurred in many parts of Eastern Canada and the United States, I felt reassured by the actions this government has taken to ensure a secure reliable supply of low cost energy for British Columbia.

Under the leadership of our Premier Gordon Campbell, B.C. released an Energy Policy with four cornerstones committing to public ownership and low rates, reliable energy supply, increased private sector opportunities and environmental responsibility.

Unlike California, Alberta and Ontario, British Columbia is not moving to a market-based pricing system. Through the Energy Policy, Energy for our Future — A Plan for BC, the B.C. Utilities Commission has been strengthened to regulate B.C. Hydro to ensure it acquires electricity on a least-cost basis.

Recently, the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) was created with a specific mandate to plan, manage and operate B.C. Hydro's publicly owned transmission system. With a focus on transmission, BCTC will provide its customers superior levels of service and will facilitate new sources of power generation in the province. The formation of BCTC will also help ensure continued access to export markets. Electricity trade helps ensure low power rates and reliability for domestic consumers.

As we witnessed this summer, no grid system is without risk of a blackout in extreme circumstances such as high demand, weather events and fire situations. However, British Columbia's flexible hydroelectric power would allow us to recover more quickly than in areas that rely primarily on nuclear, coal and natural gas generation. Furthermore, since the early ’90s, B.C. Hydro has participated in discussions with utilities in the Northwest United States, B.C. and Alberta to ensure a continued well-functioning interconnected power grid. British Columbia will continue to have input into these discussions with a commitment to maintain a secure reliable supply of energy for the province and access to U.S. and other Canadian markets.

Clearly, the Energy Plan reflects the desire of British Columbians to retain public ownership of B.C. Hydro's core assets and the benefits they provide in securing a reliable low-cost source of energy for the province.

Richard Neufeld

Minister of Energy and Mines

 

Thank you for the thought-provoking article on energy in your column last week. I just want to attempt to clarify some of your comments.

It's not that there is no money to made from energy conservation. In fact many organizations across the world, Canada, B.C. and Whistler are saving plenty of money by conserving energy. These organizations are saving, and the energy efficiency companies they are employing are making money. Perhaps the money is not being made by the big energy supply companies, but it is still being made.

Maybe the provincial government could also allow equal tax write offs for energy conserving actions as opposed to just granting write offs to increase the so called "green" energy run of the river projects? This move would actually level the playing field between these two options for meeting our energy needs. While they are at it they could also reduce the write offs and subsidies for other more polluting energy supplies so that all are on equal footing. Perhaps removing all the subsidies would reveal opportunities for conservation as well.

Remember the greenest form of energy is reducing "non-value" added energy use. That's the energy that is adding no benefit or value to anyone. For example heat tracing in driveways that just happened to be left on during the summer, or the lights left on in a home during the day when no one is around.

Dan Wilson

On a "Learning Vacation" in Sweden

 

Shelter from the storm

In the past few weeks a great number of us have been mountain biking in the South Chilcotin Spruce Lake area. As anyone who has been there can attest this is one of the most amazing places to ride your bike in the world. It has it all: kilometre after kilometre of amazing singletrack, high mountain passes, beautiful lakes, alpine flowers and abundant wildlife. It is a true paradise. An area that we as mountain bikers must share with different user groups, most notably hikers and commercial horse-trip operators.

It is also serious backcountry, a wild place with unpredictable weather, where one must be prepared for everything and anything at all times.

It is on this note that we, the WORCA board of directors, must inform the community of an unfortunate incident that happened in the area recently. A cabin operated by Spruce Lake Wilderness Adventures in the upper Tyaughton Creek drainage was broken into, most likely by mountain bikers. We must assume that this incident occurred due to an emergency involving inclement weather and/or injury. However no note or contact has been made with the cabin operators to explain this trespass and obviously the cabin operators are upset by this.

The golden rule of travelling on your own in the wilderness is to be self-sufficient. If you're not, get a guide. But situations occur sometimes beyond anyone's control, no matter how prepared you are. And sometimes you have to do things you normally wouldn't for survival.

Breaking into a cabin in a true emergency situation is a valid course of action. The owners of the cabin realize this. But not letting them know and having them find out about the incident randomly is unacceptable behaviour. A note, a new lock or a token of gratitude is all that is required to rectify such actions.

On behalf of the mountain biking community, WORCA would like to extend a sincere apology to Warren and Barry of Spruce Lake Wilderness Adventures. We would hate for the actions of a few to tarnish the reputation of a group as a whole.

Tony Horn for

The WORCA Board of Directors

 

I wanted to thank the Pique for a fair and accurate report on council’s recent decision to provide assistance to MY Place. One article reports that while revenues increased by 35 per cent from prior year, expenses also increased to $535,000. To clarify, we have actually decreased our expenses by approximately $60,000, representing an approximate $120,000 swing in a positive direction in a one-year period.

As we continue to leverage ourselves through sound partnerships and marketing, the staff and board of Millennium Place are committed to fiscal responsibility. For this upcoming season we will be offering a variety of local ticket pricing options and even more great productions. We thank the RMOW council and staff for believing in the programming, the many community groups that hold events and fundraiser’s here, local newspapers that help to publicize and review our events, and lastly the community of Whistler in general for supporting our many concerts, plays, and programs. We hope to see many of you at our current professional theatre offering of Lips Together Teeth Apart, a wonderful comedy written by Terrence McNally!

Rob Schwartz

General Manager, MY Place