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This Weeks Letters

Re: Whistler Must get a Grip When I read Teresa deSousa’s letter to the editor last week, I couldn’t help but feel that her comments were somewhat misconstrued.

Re: Whistler Must get a Grip

When I read Teresa deSousa’s letter to the editor last week, I couldn’t help but feel that her comments were somewhat misconstrued. It is most unfortunate that deSousa and her family were subjected to "open drinking in public, profanities, young people going nuts" and general inappropriate behaviour – something that nobody in Whistler should experience whether local or visiting.

However, I believe that her criticism is misdirected. Clearly, the local police force, security companies and the RMOW are aware of the troubles that long weekends bring. Perhaps deSousa’s criticism might be better directed at communities in the Lower Mainland, including her own community of Surrey, where most of these youth are from. Rather than turning our mountain home into a police state, I would like to see resources directed at discouraging such troublemakers from using Whistler as an outlet for their negative energy in the first place.

Kerry Clark

Whistler

 

We had paying guests on the Victoria Day weekend and unfortunately they were amazed and disappointed how whistler has changed since they were here five years ago. They found that the resort looked very clean and manicured and lovely, but why was the Whistler Resort management catering to and attracting so many young people. These groups were boozing and cursing and making people feel very uncomfortable.

I replied, "I stay away from the village on a long weekend." But should this be an answer?

They also felt that the former Mayor Ted Nebbeling had better control of the village Was the no spitting no cursing bylaw still in affect.? I wondered about this myself.

Where were the concerts in the mountains we once had?

They suggested to play classical music in the village to re-route the non-desirables, and I agree.

Economically, kids don't spend much and they litter and do a lot of damage to our resort and look how much disturbance they caused on Victoria Day.

Thank you RCMP for doing your best.

Everyone is trying to do an excellent job for the community The arts council, the Millennium Place, AWARE and now the green house project for

locals.

Let's have a safe enjoyable place for all.

H. Ruiterman

Whistler

 

This letter is in response to Ms. Hutchinson’s advice to our potentially displaced teenagers, that they should appreciate what they have and move on, live elsewhere and make room for the rich. Really, just because you grew up somewhere doesn’t mean you have any right to live there the rest of your life in that community.

People all over the world are displaced for war, economics, and natural disaster, the youth of Whistler should count their blessings and move on. They don’t have enough money for their home town and therefore they are not wanted. Move to Pemberton, or move to Squamish, so that you can commute to your home town for work (good for the environment). As an added bonus you can help displace and change the marketplace for your former school mates because everyone is moving to those communities, Whistler is too expensive.

I just love it when those who have migrated to the valley know what’s best for those of us who grew up in the valley. Thanks for driving up the price of real estate, and telling us how to feel. What can I say, I am attached to my little mountain town, we have grown up together. It is my HOME, every major event in my life has happened to me here.

I have travelled all over the world for work and when I see the first glimpse of Whistler Mountain as I drive into town I feel pure joy, I am home again. I wouldn’t know where else to call home. I wouldn’t expect anything less of others who grew up here. There is no "bandwagon" only people who love where they grew up, enough to speak up. It means they care and they are attached to where they live, leaving is often a painful and difficult decision. I would have a hole in my heart if I had to live elsewhere, I would deal with it, my life would be good, but my roots would be bruised forever.

I cannot explain the sense of sadness I feel in knowing that in our community money matters more than people. I love my town, but it hurts many people for the love money. Those are facts in our community and we are just a reflection of society, it isn’t necessarily right. Change only happens when we speak out and choose to make change happen.

So the suck it up and deal approach, while good advice in difficult uncontrollable situations just doesn’t sit well with me. If we really care about community we will want to keep those who care about it a part of it. There is no good reason why we can’t; it is about the choices our community makes. My advice to the youth of Whistler, is to have your voice heard, vote, run for council and get other youth to vote, get your voice heard. Forget the "bandwangon", drive for change.

Cindy Thomson

Myrtle Phillip Elementary Alumni

Pemberton Secondary Alumni

Whistler

 

Re: Our future environmentalists (Pique letters May 28)

I was also in attendance the night Dr. David Suzuki spoke and brought along my two young sons so that they could embrace the important message he had to deliver. While I commend Ms. Raabis’ intentions for bringing all of her children to see Suzuki speak, I think she has missed the point. I don't think anyone who heard Suzuki speak that night was against having children present. Who ever is? I am not sure where this idea came from and I failed to see anything that would have indicated this.

Like Ms. Raabis, I also believe that we need to expose young minds early on to environmental thought so that the upcoming generation is an improvement upon past. It was great to see my sons come away from that night inspired, but then again, they were seated up front. I gave up my seat with them so that a young girl could sit and chose to stand at the back (remember that the event was standing room only). People had to stand wherever they could in order to hear, at the back and even spilling over into the lobby, where there happened to be a few parents with children.

According to Ms. Raabis, she missed much of Suzuki's talk because of her obligations to her child. Well, so did a number of people near the lobby who were unable to find a seat closer up. I was one of them. The issue at hand is not about people frowning upon children coming to a public event. The issue is that the actions of a few interfered with the ability of others to enjoy all of what Suzuki had to offer. The situation is comparable to someone openly conversing, talking on their cell phone, or causing any other sort of distraction at a public event. The issue is that some people, who just happened to be parents, were being disruptive in the lobby and that was interfering with other attendees ability to hear a fabulous speaker. The noise in the lobby may have seemed "muffled" to some, it wasn't to those at the back of the room trying to take it all in.

It was wrong for Ms. Raabis to make so many cruel accusations based on one statement made in an earlier letter to the editor. In the future, we should continue to bring our children to these events, yes, and attempt to positively influence them. I certainly will with my sons. However, with everything, as individuals and especially parents we must always remember to step back and examine if what we are doing is negatively affecting others around us. This is about respect and courtesy to others, that is all and nothing more.

Margaret Lewis

Squamish

 

Re: Ashlu River and Sigurd Creek Power Projects

We are a group of people from the Upper Squamish Valley raising the alarm. This past Sunday we called a meeting where these two projects are scheduled to be built. The area is in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Area D. We all agreed we are working with misinformation and so we are calling for an immediate stop to the process.

The Ashlu River is a world class whitewater river, and many of its feeder waterways are about to be changed forever and we have no information as to what this kind of change will do to our environment.

The Ashlu River drains the glaciers of the southeast end of the Tantalus Mountain Range. It's massive white glacier is visible from the top of Hydro Hill when going south from Function Junction. The water enters the Squamish River at Mile 20 of the Squamish Valley Road through Madden Falls, Crooked Falls, Sigurd Creek and the Ashlu River. This is the last large fresh water supply to enter the Squamish River before Howe Sound. Some waterfalls will be diverted and the river will run underground through turbines and kilometres of pipe. The environmental impact of turning off this natural air conditioner in the Squamish Valley has not even been mentioned. We need a full environmental review of the impact of the loss of many kilometres of the Ashlu River.

The electrical power project is moving quickly forward. The contractor and now the provincial government are calling the Ashlu River "Ashlu Creek." This project is slated to be three times the size of the Rutherford Creek project.

We want the project stopped immediately. We are calling upon everyone to attend the second of our meetings at 20 Mile Ranch, Sunday June 6 th at 2 p.m.

Tom Rankin

Squamish

 

I would like to thank John French for finally tearing the lid off the issue of the proposed gondola on the Squamish chief (The Chief, editorial, May 28). It’s about time this issue became a public debate.

There are a few issues surrounding this proposal which I find disturbing, not the least of which is the fact that once again a B.C. Parks asset is being considered for commercial development. I am personally in favour of encouraging economic development in our district and I am certainly not an entrenched idealogue when considering all the options.

However there appears to be something just a bit sinister in the provincial government’s tendency to place such a low value on our unique cultural and spiritual values that our B.C. Park land provides us, in order to generate cash flow.

The idea of a gondola is brilliant. Such an amenity would act as a huge tourism draw and anchor with a great economic spin off. If one follows that line of thought exclusively then the Squamish chief would be an outstanding location. The views would be brilliant and the restaurant and retail facilities at the top and bottom would no doubt be packed to the rafters with cash-spending tourists. The money would flow like milk and honey. But at what cost? Do we as a society hold any values other than what I just described? Just what are the existing values of the Squamish Chief anyway? Exactly why was it chosen for B.C. Park status in the first place?

The Squamish chief is a highly valued public amenity as it currently exists. The value it holds is as a very accessible little chunk of wilderness offering very unique and much utilized recreation, contributing hugely to Squamish's claim to being the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada. People come from all over the Lower Mainland and indeed the world to enjoy the chief and although one may argue that the benefits to themselves have largely to do with the spirit, their economic impact is not to be sniffed at, as our economic development officer Lee Malleau has most recently pointed out. I don't doubt that the economics provided by a gondola may match or even exceed that but again, are we really so willing to sell off our existing values to get it?

More to the point isn't there somewhere else it could go, where there is less significant an existing cultural footprint?

I can think of a few, such as the granite ridge of Mount Lapworth, on the other side of the Squamish River. Of course the devil is in the details and I hardly present myself as an expert in suggesting anything along these lines. However the point here is there's a lot of Crown land out there and I see no sense in stomping all over pre-existing values in the pursuit of the almighty dollar. And don't get me wrong, I like the almighty dollar as much as the next guy.

I suggest that the gondola proponents think again about how they wish to contribute to this town and province. Like I said, the concept is brilliant but why pave paradise in order to achieve it? I hope that our provincial and municipal governments will endeavour to facilitate a well reasoned and principled solution to this issue.

Bruce Kay

Squamish

 

On Saturday evening the graduating class at Whistler Secondary held their grad dinner and dance at the Westin Hotel. For the first time, a community reception was held for an hour at the Westin in advance of the dinner. It was an absolutely fabulous event.

Most of us who have raised our families here in Whistler have done so without the benefit of our extended families close by. So our friends, our kids’ babysitters, sports coaches, teachers, librarians, etc fill that gap. They provide the role models and the love and affection, that aunties and uncles in other more traditional communities do.

These were the people who came to the community reception and the pride everyone felt for the grads was palpable. It was one of those Whistler events that remind us again why we are so privileged to live in this town.

Thanks aren't enough for Debbie Smythe, for her instrumental role in organizing the entire evening, and of course, to Dick and Colleen Gibbons for hosting the first part of the evening. The kids on the prom committee did their part as did the parent volunteers. And, as usual, in Whistler, various businesses stepped up to the plate.

A remarkable evening, and hopefully the beginning of a new tradition.

Nancy Wilhelm-Morden

Whistler

 

The Whistler Blackcomb Foundation would like to sincerely thank Paul Vacirca, Declan Wolfe, Gary Baker and Diana Rochon for organizing the Whistler Valley Trail Run held on Sunday and for so graciously choosing us as the beneficiary. Their hard work and dedication to the event raised $2,280 for local charities.

We also thank all the runners and volunteers who came out to contribute to this very worthy event. Thanks again so much for your support!

Dave Brownlie, President

Louise Lundy, Executive Director

Whistler Blackcomb Foundation

 

I walk on crutches since I was injured on the mountain. Every time I take the bus, drivers help me. I would like to tell them of my gratitude.

I am going to back to Japan soon for the surgery. I really enjoyed the rest of my Whistler life, even though I am injured.

Thank you everyone!

Special thanks to my roommates (Maya, Nami, Jeff, Darin), The KEGgers, Love Condo, and all of my friends.

Airgatou! Daisuki! See you.

Makiko Maekawa

Whistler