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Our responsibilities This letter is written in response to the loss of life which occurred on Highway 99 the evening of Wednesday, Oct.

Our responsibilities

This letter is written in response to the loss of life which occurred on Highway 99 the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 5, within the boundary of the District of Squamish, to remind us of the ephemeral nature of life and of our responsibilities to respect life and each other.

Could it have been you who killed her? Was it you who crossed the yellow line, out of control, on a slick fall evening?

Could it have been you who initiated a mother’s flight of 5,000 miles to harvest her daughter on Thanksgiving weekend?

Could it have been you who drew us to a social milieu to celebrate her life? As we listened to those who soliloquized her life our hearts ached and we offered the gift of tears for a life dedicated to nurturing the children of those in our close knit communities. We mourned the children she will never bear. We grieved alongside those who would have shared in the creation and culmination of her dreams and goals.

Could it have been you who injured those left behind? Their fellowship and destiny forever altered. The impact to their hearts will never completely heal. The brave invincibility of like-minded souls forever shattered by dominion and metal.

Could it have been you? We become distracted, we become impatient, we build faster, instead of better, safer. We fashion a domain for external gratification while leaving the armour of a life by the side of a road. The machines of man have no soul – metal implements driven astray.

Could it have been you? Our devotion to the speed of technology will never transcend human essence. Live in harmony, construct for life, influence for a symbiotic domain.

Could it have been you? Learn, respond, transcend.

Could it have been you who pulled out to pass?

Jeannine Bradshaw

Brackendale

 

Sarah will be remembered

In our small Sea to Sky Corridor, we have loved and lost many precious souls over the years. On Oct. 5, 2005, we lost Sarah McSeveney in a tragic and unnecessary car accident and again the communities of Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton are left to grieve, along with Sarah’s beloved family and friends back East. In the words of the Irish we are reminded, "Death leaves a heartache that no one can heal, love leaves a memory that no one can steal."

Sarah was a beautiful person, a daughter, a sister, a teacher and a friend and she will be forever remembered in our hearts. I know that at the Whistler Children’s Centre and Spring Creek Children’s Centre, we will miss Sarah’s laughter, her cheeriness and her amazing ability to warm an entire room with just one smile. For the past four years, Sarah has been a teacher at the Spring Creek Children’s Centre running our Daisies Infant program and she has been the first teacher to many little members of our community, soothing tears, creating laughter and forming partnerships with families to ensure the best for the children, she loved as if her own.

I will think of Sarah each time I see a baby learning to crawl or taking their first awkward steps, although I know her laughter will echo in our classrooms and our hearts as time goes on.

KJ Johnson

Whistler

 

What price do we put on life?

Once again we must ask ourselves what price we put on life. The Sea to Sky Highway has claimed another young life. Over the past quarter century that I have lived in the Whistler valley I’ve seen the highway go through changes from a dirt road with countless switchbacks to a somewhat straightened speedway. Yet again we are faced with saying goodbye to a beautiful young life that leaves us asking ourselves what could have been done to prevent this. The answer has always come back to how we can get to the destination faster, instead of how to get there safer.

My thoughts are, divide the highway! Put a cement barrier down the middle of the road from Vancouver to Whistler. I know it’s not possible for every kilometre of the highway, but the majority of the distance is feasible. How many more funerals for friends and families must we attend before something is done?

My thoughts and condolences go out to the Archer family, truly a great loss.

Brian Stoddart

Pemberton

 

Whistler’s ‘locals’ deserve a vote

I have been working in Whistler for three years, my career and interests are firmly embedded in this community. The direction this community takes directly affects my life and my family’s future. Unfortunately, I will not be able to vote in the next municipal election. Like so many "Whistler locals," I live in Squamish. I came to a point in my life where I was ready to own a home, with a yard, and unfortunately, Whistler is not a feasible option.

Both my husband and I work in Whistler, our son is in daycare in Whistler, we bank in Whistler, we follow local politics and community issues, we support Whistler businesses and our interests are vested in this community. Other groups with equal (or perhaps lesser) interests in Whistler are permitted to vote, such as: second-home owners and transient workers who have been living in Whistler for at least 30 days.

Many long-time Whistler employees have been forced to move to neighbouring communities (Pemberton and Squamish) due to housing affordability. Upon leaving the community, we lost the privilege of participating in the election process. Due to our exclusion, I fear that our interests and opinions are overlooked. Perhaps if all Whistler "locals" were given an opportunity to participate in elections, the interests of the lower and middle class people of this corridor would be represented.

Too many people have been forced to leave the corridor due to affordability concerns. Wages do not match living expenses and as a result, Whistler is losing creative and talented resources on a daily basis. The newspapers are full of career ads and turnover is extreme. These problems coupled with declining visitor numbers are certainly not key elements of a sustainable resort community. Enabling "locals" to have a voice in the municipal election will ensure that our interests are represented and perhaps some new and creative solutions to some of Whistler’s key problems could be generated.

I don’t think that every resident of Pemberton and Squamish should have the right to vote in a Whistler election; however, if a resident of a neighbouring community works in Whistler has an interest in voting, he/she should not be excluded. I urge the "locals" of this community to lobby council and the provincial government for a more inclusive election policy.

Margaret St-Germain

Squamish

 

Democracy can be expensive

Earlier this year we had a discussion about the inadequate pay we give to our council members. Now that we are in election mode many candidates are spending money out of their own pockets to run a campaign. An election campaign is a very important part of our democracy. It is also rather expensive. If you believe in the cause a candidate stands for you might consider making a small contribution to their campaign efforts.

Jim Watts

Whistler

 

A teacher’s perspective

Your children deserve my attention! With large numbers of children in a class, in a 40-minute lesson I can spend approximately 1 minute with each child in a class of 30 (let's assume they can walk into the classroom, settle down and I can present the pertinent information within 10 minutes). Much, much less if my time is demanded by children with special needs or emotional and behavioural difficulties who do not have a teaching assistant to keep them on task.

I WANT to teach, and I WANT to do a great job! By standing firm in our positions (on the picket lines) we are trying to prevent any more children from 'slipping through the cracks'. Many thanks to the support from parents who already believe that their children deserve that.

Helen Pearson

Pemberton

 

What’s in it for the skiers?

I can only drool at the thought of what $50 million worth of real ski upgrades would do for the Whistler ski experience. I think this project epitomizes all that true skiers have expressed is becoming wrong with Whistler over the past years. While I'm sure that the mink-coat-wearing, Prada-handbag-toting patrons inject more money into the economy than the true skiers, the backbone of any ski town will always be the skiers. The fashonistas will move on to Cannes eventually.

Brian Deane

St. Albert, Alta.

 

Arts could help Whistler economy

Given some of the concerns outlined in your editorial, perhaps an additive option to consider for the Whistler economy is the addition of an Art and Music School similar to the one at Banff with its international reputation and clientele.

Another example of a resort community with an international arts focus is San Miguel de Allende in northern Mexico. Many well known American, European as well as Mexican artists are located there in studios, as well as teaching an international student clientele in an art academy there.

Such a venture seems a natural fit for Whistler in its present state of development.

Perhaps Emily Carr could see a "branch" art school in Whistler as part of its programming. Perhaps a private venture could do this.

Once a certain critical mass of art-related activity becomes associated with Whister, more artists drawn from international realms will find reason to locate in this new Whistler venue. Once this happens, more people, internationally, will begin to also see Whistler as an international art venue to visit for the art, as well as the recreation, similar to Spain and Mexico today.

An international art and music academy is a good start because it offers artists teaching venues along with their studio activities.

Whistler's proximity to the coast makes it easy for artists located there to come to give workshops once a facility dedicated to art teaching is in place.

E. H. Millyard

Lillooet

Not a pretty site

As any bike-commuter will tell you, the ditches along Highway 99 are not always a pretty sight. A staggering array of discarded items, as varied as the people that live and visit here, can be found on the shoulder of pretty much any stretch of our highway. So a few weeks ago, the Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium decided to do something about it. We grabbed our gloves and hit the road, determined to leave at least a section of it a little cleaner.

The results were astounding. We chose the area between the Blueberry lights and the Tantalus turnoff, and in that not-quite-a-kilometre stretch, we removed over a pickup-truckload of trash from the sides of the road and the Valley Trail. Among the items recovered were a good-condition toolbelt, several small carpets, and a hubcap that was in such good condition it was on a car within an hour.

I would like, at this point, to salute the hardworking men and women who maintain the greenery and landscaping of Whistler. Our town's many flowers and plants, the acres and acres of grass, and the amenities such as the Valley Trail itself are always beautiful and picturesque.

I wonder, however, if the roadsides are under their jurisdiction; we found items during our cleanup that dated back to 1988. Who is tasked with the removal of debris from the shoulders and ditches of Whistler? Is there some way that the authority, if there is one, can work in partnership with local service groups such as our own? We're all familiar with Adopt-a-Highway; could concerned local citizens adopt a side road?

We look forward to our next cleanup day, and would welcome participation from any interested or concerned individual or group.

Jeff Maskell,

President

Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium

Steamroller blows tire

The Olympic VANOC steamroller blew its first tire this week when news leaked out that VANOC chairman Jack Poole also just happened to be chairman of Concert Properties, a company hoping to build the $50 million athletes village in Vancouver.

The conflict of interest came to light when some investigative reporters from the Vancouver Sun and CTV picked up on a news release from the city of Vancouver that Poole's company was one of five planning to bid on the project.

Poole said there was no conflict but promised Concert would withdraw or he would resign if Vancouver city officials deem the relationship improper. (He did not state whether he would resign as chairman of VANOC or as chairman of Concert.)

VANOC President John Furlong has attempted to smooth the waters by telling Vancouver officials that procedures had been established to avoid a conflict. A system of procedures were introduced after VANOC's ethics commissioner, retired B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Allen McEachern, determined that a perception of conflict of interest could exist.

Readers of this newspaper might recall a letter to the editor, which I wrote two weeks ago, warning of hidden agendas and conflicts. I didn't realize at the time so much more of the iceberg would surface so soon.

With another five years to go, it will make for good "steamrolling." Whistler councillors Kristi Wells and Caroline Lamont have indicated Whistler is being kept in the dark about what has been going on to date.

Wells told a community member at a recent council meeting she didn't know where to turn to find out "how much the Olympics have cost Whistler already, and how much they are expected to cost in the future?"

Lamont said she has repeatedly sought written reports on the same subject. "This is really important, I need to understand it." She also wanted to ensure that key decisions are not made before community consultation begins.

Don't despair; Furlong has already given a reasonable explanation why he wanted to shut down a momma-poppa pizza operation that had been using the word "Olympic" in its name for decades. And Poole said he will resign. He just didn't say from what or when and under what terms and conditions.

Allan Eaton

Whistler

 

Artistic licence?

And in the beginning there was… a Vancouver-Based Whistler Theatre Project?

I am crestfallen. I had just took a break from my full-time tech job at the Muni and my part-time volunteer work Directing and Producing Whistler’s annual pantomime, sat down to my morning coffee and Pique – when my heart broke.

Zaib Shaikh was quoted in last week’s Pique as saying that they hope to start a cultural evolution in Whistler: "We are keen on establishing the first theatre company in Whistler."

I was a deer in headlights; re-reading the quote five times before my stomach stopped churning. I went to The Whistler Theatre Project’s website, and did some research. A Vancouver phone number and address, two auditions in Vancouver, and one in Whistler… hmmm.

I made four calls. They were all local numbers.

I needed to remind myself, as well as Mr. Shaikh, where the roots of Whistler Theatre began. It was not I. And it will not be The Whistler Theatre Project.

I started by calling Linda Marshall. In 1988 she and Lauren Kyle-Boyle started Whistler Players. This non-profit theatre company can proudly boast 10 years of countless productions. Linda had read the same article that I speak of and was equally surprised. She asked that in my letter I remember Robert Rosen. In the ’90s Robert Rosen opened up a summer theatre company with a tent at the base of Blackcomb and the generous support of Blackcomb Mountain and The Chateau Whistler. With Robert Rosen’s passion for Whistler and theatre at the helm, the summer hosted four years of musical theatre, including Godspell and Little shop of Horrors.

Linda, Lauren and Robert paved the way for my next phone call, Whistler Players veteran Michelle Bush. Michelle started Bushwoman Productions four years ago. Along with her legendary roaming characters, interactive comical farces of high school reunions, and evenings of murder-mystery, Michelle put together a cast of Whistler locals and staged the Absolutely Fabulous comedies to sell-out crowds in the Millennium Place Theatre. Michelle continues to conjure up new ideas for the Millennium Place stage, and will be returning with her own flavour of Situation Comedy Monologues.

My next call was a little conversation with myself (I’m a quasi-artist, it’s acceptable that I do things like that). I was reminded of why Susan Hutchinson, Gillie Easdon and I (again, all veterans of Whistler Players) started the not-for-profit community project Short Skirt Theatre Company —because we could! It had been our dream, and only in Whistler, with the strong support of Whistler residents, the limitless talent of the people, and businesses such as The Pique, The Four Seasons, and Nesters, could we make it happen so easily.

Short Skirt Theatre Company exists today because of our mentor in Squamish – the award-winning Between Shifts Theatre, who have themselves continued to cast Whistler locals and perform in Whistler venues. Short Skirt has staged two pantomimes, teamed up with Between Shifts for The Love and Lust Movie Monologues (where I wasn’t the only one rendered speechless by the corridor talent that stepped onto the stage), and the actors are hard at work preparing for Peter Pan this November. Each one of these productions has performed to sell-out crowds at Millennium Place.

There is also the Whistler High School Students Drama Club which, with the support of PAC and WSS, was erected by Whistler student and native Lauren Collins. After Lauren graduated, the company of student players continued with Karen, Brooke and Raine Playfair’s unbounded work and energy. After another sell-out performance last year of Anything Goes, it was undeniable to the teachers, parents and audience that theatre in Whistler has been sealed in our past and our future.

My last phone call went to Angie Nolan. Angie, among her other credits of filmmaker and Hollywood movie crewmember, is a veteran performer and director with Short Skirt. She and Katie Schaitel (yet another veteran with a long list of credits to her name), started the local production company named Swift Rock, which is debuting in December with Art-Drenalin, a melting pot of all things theatre, dance and visual art.

I know there are other people reading this letter who have also had a hand in Whistler’s theatre scene, and I hesitate to submit my opinion because I have missed you in the credits. Please know that your hard work and talent are just as important and appreciated as the phone calls I made this Thanksgiving weekend. I don’t know when theatre in Whistler began, because I believe it has always been here. Whistler Theatre is a family tree – its branches are the children of past theatre companies, and its roots are the people – the local talent that feeds us with inspiration, creativity, and a reason to be.

I welcome and encourage all theatre in Whistler and we know there is plenty of room on our tree for this new summer endeavour. But please do your research, please make the phone calls, and please don’t say you are the first. Many of us are not on the official Canadian roster of theatre companies, but we are here, we breathe deep, and you can find us.

I hope I’ve done my research right. Now, Whistler Theatre Project, it’s your turn.

Heather Paul

Short Skirt Theatre Company

Whistler

 

A happy ending

We have a happy ending to our search for Nukka the dog. We're so happy to have her home. She was on holidays in Skatin', which is a small reserve at the end of Lillooet Lake. She is in good shape and was well looked after. The dog lover that took her home would only take half of the reward money, the rest was donated to the Head of the Lake School as per his wishes.

Thank you to everyone that helped search for our dog... she was dearly missed.

The Townleys

Pemberton