Nordic centre rezoning clarrified
VANOC wishes to correct information that appeared in the April 14, 2005 edition of your paper. The president of AWARE, Brad Kasselman, wrote a letter regarding VANOC's rezoning application with the SLRD for the Whistler Nordic facilities. Mr. Kasselman states that Amendment Bylaw No. 913 has been submitted to the SLRD by VANOC. This information is incorrect. In addition, Mr. Kasselman states that the new zoning would apply to Callaghan Lake Provincial Park. This information is also incorrect, and misleading to the public.
To clarify:
• VANOC's rezoning application resulted in Bylaw Zoning Amendment 908 which applies to the Whistler Nordic facilities footprint of approximately 262 hectares. This area does not include Callaghan Provincial Park, and no zoning change is being proposed to the park.
• The SLRD determined that they required an Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment (SLRD Bylaw 913) additional to our rezoning request – it is not a VANOC request or requirement.
• The SLRD determined the extent of the amendment area and created the maps included in Bylaw 913. The uses associated with the Whistler Nordic Centre are only permitted within the 262 hectare footprint.
• Bylaw 913 requires Development Permits for any future development within the overall Callaghan Valley. The text of Bylaw 913 specifically excludes provincial parks from the Development Permit requirements.
• VANOC is the proponent on the rezoning amendment Bylaw 908 and as such we are participants in these land use planning processes, not the decision maker.
• Bylaws 908 and 913 do not in any way affect the Provincial Park or the Protected Area Strategy.
Any concerns about the wording and mapping for Bylaw 913 should be directed to the SLRD.
In addition, the environmental and wildlife concerns that Mr. Kasselman raises in his letter were recently examined through the rigorous B.C. Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) certification process. The review involved consultation with the public, stakeholder groups and First Nations. The B.C. Environmental Assessment Office and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency both deemed that the project presents no significant adverse environmental, social, economic, heritage and health effects and the project was recently awarded environmental certification. The full EAO report can be found online at www.eao.gov.bc.ca
Maureen Douglas
Director, Operation and Community Relations
Whistler and Sea to Sky Corridor
Green Games require leadership
On that July day in 2003 when we won the bid for the 2010 Olympics most would have assessed that there was overwhelming support within the Whistler corridor. For many, that support came naturally to a cause they believed in. For some others, who were cautious about over development and unnecessary destruction of the environment, their support was won over by good leadership and negotiation of the bid committee and the RMOW. In part this was reinforced by the RMOW, having adopted The Natural Step, and made a huge commitment to the CSP process. Within one year after winning the bid we as a whole community had rejected the idea of having a large development in the Callaghan, At that point the group that had been won over felt reinforced in the idea that 2010 would bring an opportunity to "show the world" the greenest Games that have been held to date – not in words, but in actions taken in making the games happen.
Since those headier times, VANOC has been named, has hired on good people, and has been advancing its ideas. Now we get to assess whether these ideas are consistent with those ideals that were hammered out in negotiations to build the bid document, and those ideas that brought the cautious group on side.
We now have had two strong indicators. Both are seen as strikes against VANOC, by that group that needed to be won over in the first place, and I think by many other supporters. Both show that VANOC does not have an "ear to the community" and that we have little representation.
The first strike, made several weeks ago, was the complete lack of any due consideration, and then of support, to the idea of an Olympic Wildlife Refuge. This parcel of land was envisioned as a way to mitigate those damages that even the most minimal Nordic events in the Callaghan would bring. The development of the idea of an Olympic Wildlife Refuge brought many Olympic doubters on side. It was a well thought out plan, as can be born out by the fact that it was shepherded through two years of the LRMP process and made it into the final negotiated document.
VANOC, on the other hand, not only declined its support but declared that the proponents for the OWL could not use the word Olympic, and thus dismissed the idea of mitigating damages to the Callaghan as easily as they did the idea of selling pizzas under that name. There seemed to be no recognition among the VANOC board that that this idea had resonated with a significant portion of the Whistler community.
The second strike occurred on Monday evening as the SLRD met with the public to discuss the bylaw that would let VANOC develop the Callaghan. Of course some bylaw will eventually be passed, but ideally not this one. Encompassing 260 ha of wilderness, the footprint proposes to have a 100-unit hotel, a 100-unit campground, a four lane paved road, paved parking lot, skating rinks, snow parks (undefined) and more. VANOC admits to wanting to remove 25 ha of old growth forest, when it is quite possible to keep the trails in second growth. They do have an Environmental Permit in hand. Neither VANOC nor the Ministry of the Environment have openly stated that many of the concerns raised in the environmental assessment they paid for (prepared by ENKON Environmental Ltd) were not addressed in the permit. Finally, some 90 per cent of the footprint for the centre seems to be in the commercial recreation lease area of Callaghan Country. The president of Callaghan Country, who once saw himself as a willing partner of the Bid Committee and VANOC, gave an impassioned plea to the SLRD to reject the proposed amendment because of its neglect of the consultative process and the environment. Members of the community might well ask just why was it that we pulled away from development in the Callaghan during the CSP process? VANOC seems to want to do it over our heads.
For this community to pull together and bring to the world the best Games that we can make happen we need leadership that will do, or at least seriously consider, what was negotiated at the outset. We need representation on VANOC that has assessed the grass root ideals of what that will take. Critical analysis and conscious seeking out of these ideals, and then implementing those that pass the tests must replace the cheerleading that was part of the bid and has moved on to VANOC. Cheerleading is not leadership. We need to have a clear demonstration that VANOC plans to "see that the staging of the Games does not have a negative impact on the environment, but also helps improve the environment and leaves a green legacy." (Quote from the IOC’s report on Environment and Development)
The enthusiasm that this community can bring forth, will be missing if the ideals behind a truly green Olympics are subverted into a sham. What happened in Denver (rejection of an already won bid) was raised on Monday night. What happened there should not happen here. But VANOC needs to know that it can have a far more positive Games with energies this community can bring to the plate, than if those same energies are on the opposing side.
These opinions are my responsibility alone and should not be taken as the opinions of any of the organizations below. I attach membership to certain groups only to show that these are opinions that I have debated with others over time.
Al Whitney
Whistler
Chairman of the Forest and Wildlands Advisory Committee to the RMOW
Board Member of AWARE
Member Sea to Sky Park Watch
Past Ambassador for the Vancouver Bid for 2010
Member of several Race Organizing Committees of WMSC, and as such an Olympic Supporter.
Priorities in an election year
Now that the government report regarding the Fitzsimmons land slip is finished I hope the municipal council will stop downplaying this issue and take appropriate action.
The report concluded that there is a real threat that the slide could dam Fitzsimmons Creek resulting in a breach of the dam creating a debris flow that would have a severe impact on Whistler. This debris flow could cause massive property damage and possibly loss of life.
Reading the council's strategy for 2005, I couldn't help but notice their top three priorities (Whistler 2020/sustainability, 2010 Olympics and Affordability/Housing) are the same tired issues they try and deal with every day, month and year. I would think that another report warning that a failure to act on a potential slide would fail to reduce the risk of loss of life or property due to a known hazard, increasing the resort’s liability and creating negative publicity in the pre-Olympic period, might prompt council to list this issue as a top priority.
While the addition of a new Municipal Administrator may breathe new life into this stagnant council, I feel the council itself is in dire need of a major shake-up. With the province gearing up for the 38th Provincial General Election, current council should recognize that it's the public that decides who gains office. The public makes these selections based on each candidate’s ability to make timely and effective decisions. It's important that we all take advantage of this valuable right to vote in all elections. We can all write letters and argue about different issues but if we don't get involved by running ourselves, backing others or making informed voting decisions our letters and arguments won't make a difference.
Kudos to Andrew Mitchell and Pique for their informative article on the upcoming Provincial Election in last week’s edition. Now there is no excuse for anyone not to vote.… Please vote.
Tim Gorgichuk
Whistler
The slump in context
The municipality is concerned about the continued spread of misinformation on the Fitzsimmons Creek slump and on the hazard assessment report commissioned by the provincial government.
Media reports continually downplay the point that that the likelihood of a high-risk event is low. This fact is lost among the more melodramatic media accounts of an imminent disaster. The EBA report clearly states that the slide itself poses little threat to life or property. The slump has the potential to partially or fully block the creek with debris; however, the report states, the majority of this debris would likely erode over years.
The authors of the EBA report provide this comment: "The EBA report provides a good overview of the Fitzsimmons Slide, and the potential hazards that it represents. These hazards range from smaller slide movements that result in the requirements to dredge Fitzsimmons Creek in Whistler Village, to the postulated major failure event. The report addresses the level of risk associated with each of these, and the options available to address the risks. While we consider that the major failure event does not have a high probability of occurrence, we are continuing to work with the provincial government, the RMOW, and RMOW’s consultant to further reduce risks to the public."
The municipality has been working closely with the Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) on this issue. The director of PEP, Mr. Bob Bugslag states: "The Provincial Emergency Program supports the position and the actions the municipality of Whistler is taking, and is working in partnership with the municipality in implementing the recommendations of the report, using the mitigation funding as a vehicle.
"The report by EBA validates the municipality’s consultants report that the slump is not a high risk hazard."
The full report and further information is posted to the PEP website, pep.bc.ca. The full report is also posted to our website, whistler.ca. We urge interested citizens to read it for themselves.
The municipality does not take this situation lightly. Public safety and the protection of property and the environment are top priorities. Comments suggesting otherwise are irresponsible. We will continue to follow the recommendations and advice of our consultants and work with the provincial government in managing the entire Fitzsimmons Creek system.
Diana Waltmann
Information Officer
Resort Municipality of Whistler
The price of progress
The beginning of April has brought new frustration to residents of the Village of Pemberton.
Many of us have been struggling simply to survive this winter of decreased business in Pemberton (and Whistler, where many of us hold jobs) and now bam! – we get hit hard again. To be served with an increase in water and sewer bills of 65 per cent is devastating. No wonder the phones at the Village Office are ringing and people dropping by to see if (no such luck) it's a mistake.
Bad timing to say the least. And the 10 per cent discount (if you can call it that) offered to those who pay up before May 1st won't help most people – one month's notice is really very little time to come up with the increased fee.
While a few residents will be little affected, many will be forced to scrap the family summer vacation or cut out lunch. You can bet that everyone will be looking at the high cost of living and doing business in Pemberton. Each year there's an increase in something, whether it's business licenses, dyking fees, property taxes, house insurance etc. Yet business is not improving; wages aren't going up. We have to work twice as hard to live here and have less time to live. When is it going to stop?
Margit de Haan,
Pemberton
We need a vote
This question of community centre or ice arena – both? – has to be answered.
The information has been put together for both facilities and it has to get out there, be properly discussed, and put to a vote.
Then Pemberton can move on.
Deb Esseltine
Pemberton
Constable Cool
So I’m at Citta’s on Thursday evening toasting to Seppo with my free beer courtesy of Mike Varrin and the story he told at Millennium Place on Sunday. I’m watching the skateboarders in the Telus tent convincing a cop to hold the "No Skateboarding in Village" sign up as they film their video.
Sure, it’s Whistler and Constable Cool agrees. He looks pretty comfortable and we all have a giggle.
Next thing you know Constable Cool asks for a skateboard himself and he hucks himself off the mini half pipe.
Full gear, determination and a thunderous cheer from the crowd. *%$# ing awesome!!!
Not only did he amuse the bystanders but he also set an amazing example. The cops in Whistler are here to enforce what’s important (safety of the community) and support what’s positive (genuine community and laughter).
Constable Cool, you rule!
Joanne Van Engelsdorp
Whistler
Thanks for another fantastic festival
What an awesome end to an otherwise difficult ski season! The large crowds and busy village were a testament to the amazing work of Doug Perry, Sue Eckersly, Derek Arrowsmith and the hundreds of volunteers who orchestrated 10 days of diverse and top level events. The response from locals and visitors was fantastic and I spoke with many people who said when they visit Whistler again, it will definitely be during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival. The organizers and sponsors deserve great appreciation for executing a world class festival and continuously building on past successes. I'm already looking forward to next year!
Mike Mills
Whistler
Collective novelists put pens down
Props to the crew at W1 for another great World Ski & Snowboard Festival. The 24 writers and one visual artist who collaborated on the Collective Novel Experiment signed on for something out of the ordinary, with no idea what they were getting into. So, too, did the crew at W1, when they agreed to host the event, and provide the logistic and technical support. To Doug, Nathalie, Megan, Carlee, Sue, Jen, Mark, Blake, and the rest of the team at W1, a big thank-you. You were the mid-wives of our little bastard creation. Without your sleepless nights, technical savvy and support, we wouldn’t have been able to focus our energies on writing.
Thanks also to Kerry Clark and the Whistler Museum and Archives for loaning us the gondola. And no, Seppo’s ashes are not hidden in that tin-can.
Congratulations to GD Maxwell, Kim Thompson, Rebecca Wood Barrett, Garry Eschuk, Feet Banks, Stella Harvey, Leslie Anthony, Nicole Fitzgerald, Stephen Vogler, David Burke, Sara Leach, Brandi Higgins, Adam Daff, Shelley Arnusch, Mike Leyne, John Moore, Shelley Donald, Bronwen Foster-Butler, Pina Belperio, Kevin Damaskie, Alex Sellers, Michele Bush and Christina Nick for taking it out of the closet and for being incredibly talented writers, in or out of the spotlight.
Lisa Richardson
Pemberton
