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University controversey, London Drugs says thanks, Tourism Whistler shifts gears, thanks from the Soul, Pemberton kudos, and RCMP praised and

University a phenomenal opportunity Re: University proposal under the radar (Pique, Feb. 15) I can’t think of a more exciting addition to Whistler than a university.

University a phenomenal opportunity

Re: University proposal under the radar (Pique, Feb. 15)

I can’t think of a more exciting addition to Whistler than a university. Not only would it constitute a superb cultural and social asset, but also an important element of economic diversification in a valley still precariously dependent on winter recreation, an industry whose long-term future faces a real threat from climate change.

On the subject of environmental considerations, I hope AWARE relents in its opposition to the construction of the facility on the Alpha Creek lands. Over the years we’ve already sacrificed hundreds of hectares of swamp, marsh and riparian habitat for the sake of golf courses, ball fields, residential developments and parking lots. We’ve also allowed Kadenwood and Stonebridge (whose full-page ads were also featured in last week’s Pique) to sprawl way upslope: extravagant, unsustainably car-dependent residences.

In contrast, a small university community north of Function Junction would be conveniently accessible by bicycle and transit. With imaginative design and emphasis on minimal accommodation for automobiles, I’m sure a compact campus could be built with an acceptable footprint, a showcase for the type of efficient land use that has become essential in the 21 st century. Some loss of natural habitat would be inevitable, but in the long run the net ecological impact of such an institution would likely be positive, especially if University of Canada West offers a curriculum that includes courses on outdoor education, climatology and environmental studies.

Whistler already lost one opportunity to host a university when Quest was rejected over a bed cap issue. We mustn’t blow a second chance over another minor obstacle. As a life member of AWARE, I suggest we give up one more little swamp in order to take advantage of a phenomenal opportunity to improve life in this valley.

Tom DeMarco

Whistler

 

Thanks from London Drugs

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of the residents and business leaders who encouraged us to locate a London Drugs store in Whistler Village.

While we are disappointed we respect the decision of the Whistler Council.   We understand the RMOW is doing what it believes is best for Whistler.

Of utmost importance to London Drugs is for Whistler residents to know we have sincerely appreciated your encouragement and efforts on our behalf. Rest assured that if the RMOW were to revisit its decision in the future, London Drugs would be pleased to consider the business case for a Whistler store.

As a family-owned B.C. based business, we greatly appreciate your patronage and continued support of London Drugs. We look forward to serving you at our Greater Vancouver locations with an ongoing commitment to provide you with a unique shopping experience with innovative products and first-rate personal care and customer service.

We wish Whistler, its residents and businesses much success as you move toward an economically viable and harmonious future. Most of all, we wish Whistler the very best of luck during this exciting time of organizing and hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, and welcoming the world to your community.

Wynne Powell, President

London Drugs

 

Going back to the basics

On a very low-key announcement, Tourism Whistler is now well under way with its nomination process of its new board members. This nomination process will be closed on March 7, 2007 and in turn, it will be followed by online and paper voting process before the AGM on May 17, 2007. I, for one, expect this process to be more widely announced and made aware to the public because arguably, the next two years of this new board’s tenure will be the most crucial time in the life of this resort. Not only because of the Olympic preparation, but our tourism industry is also undergoing a “new redefinition” process. So the board of Tourism Whistler’s decision on the direction of this industry in Whistler will have wider and deeper consequences in our community than ever before.

Whatever the new definition/direction will be, many businesses will feel the changes and will be forced to cope with them. Our pressing problem, though, is that we have greater supply than demand for in-resort activities or even beds. Having more activity operators or accommodation providers in the resort means that everybody will demand more guests to the resort and one sector simply can not continue to supply the number of visitors we all need to sustain a profitable business. In order to achieve a sustainable growth and maintain a healthy business all year round, not just for hotels, but also for spas, restaurants and other activities, Tourism Whistler will need to make sure we all achieve a long-lasting balance for this resort.

Many local businesses will look to Tourism Whistler for leadership in an effort to achieve this balance. Many in the community will also be wondering what the main tasks of this organization should be in the process. It is nice that Tourism Whistler is now not only the operator of Whistler Golf course, the Telus Conference Centre, the Visitor Information Centre, but also part owner of Whistler.com, the supposedly main reservation agent for the resort and producer of various events in the resort. But, we should not forget the three basic reasons of why Tourism Whistler exists in the first place: to promote its members’ businesses, to help diversify the Resort’s product offerings, and to connect with its members by trying to understand their challenges and opportunities.

Therefore, it is crucial for whoever sits on the new board to reinforce the basic functions of this organization. After all of those efforts in the past to look for sophisticated answers by forming various sub-committees and hiring outside consultants, we probably just forget to do the basic things. And maybe, just maybe, the answer is as simple as going back to our basics.

Jay Wahono

Whistler

 

Lessons learned on a journey

I would like to deeply thank everyone who has supported Soul Funktion since its beginning, but especially over the past few months during my mother’s cancer fight!

When you’re a teacher, you are a pillar of strength and it is your job to be a role model. However, you don’t feel very strong when you cannot help someone you love survive. So, what do you do?

Deciding to create a dance performance just for my mom I felt was the only way I could focus and go to work. As she helped so much to get Soul Funktion started and is its biggest supporter. I ran the thought by Heather Stremlaw, Soul Funktion’s competitive instructor/choreographer and then we asked the Soul Funktion 2006-07 Competitive Team to perform on one condition. They would accompany me and dance from their hearts, sharing their joy and their pain with the audience. I hoped that this performance would be a place that I could focus and transmute many of the painful emotions I was feeling into something special for not only my mom and I, but also everyone else in the audience who has felt life’s ups and downs. I thank all the dancers who shared something of themselves with the audience, and experienced what it really feels like to perform with every ounce of your body. You all discovered the truth behind performance, to touch the audience with your soul. Heather Stremlaw deserves a huge thank you! Her artistic direction, choreography and support made this experience so memorable!

Out of this experience came an opportunity to make a larger difference. Thank you to all who volunteered and attended “Time After Time.” The net proceeds, approximating $1,400, were divided in half and donated to the B.C. Cancer Society and the Vancouver Centre for Integrated Healing. We have requested the funds be used for alternative cancer research.

This past week I was presented with a card that read thank you for all you do, from the Soul Funktion parents and a cheque for $1,000. Pulling together such a large donation to help replace the studio computer brings tears to my eyes. Thank you all for being so kind. (My car was broken into in a Whistler underground parking lot while I was saying one of the last goodbyes to my mom and the computer was taken.)

My hopes for Soul Funktion have always been to spread the love of dance, the meaning of dance, the discipline of dance to this community. A studio needs a core, a heart that makes it tick. I am committed to making the studio work with all my heart. Striving to make every year better and stronger!

Through this journey my greatest lesson has been, there will always be a way to turn life’s strife into a memorable positive experience.

Thank you.

Codi Dalen

Soul Funktion Dance Studio

 

Signs of a healthy community

A number of things happened to me this week that made me think very positively (as usual) of the Pemberton Valley community.

Thursday night I was up at the Xit’olacw Community School for a meeting. What a hive of activity! In the gym the high school girls from Pemberton were playing the high school girls from Mount Currie. It looked like a great game and there were probably 80 people in the stands cheering on their favorite team. In the cafeteria there was a martial arts class for children. When I walked by they were doing competitive challenges and the children were obviously having a great time. Then, on top of all that, the home-ec room was full of people hard at work. One woman I talked to was making a buckskin vest to give away as a birthday gift. The whole thing together was a snapshot of an active and engaged community.

The next day I went down to the Pemberton Valley Supermarket to pick up a few groceries. At the check out they were selling re-usable grocery bags. A good thing unto itself. To boot, the bags are stylish — all black with design — and at $2 a great price. I was even more surprised (pleasantly!) when I saw that displayed prominently under the store logo is the logo of the Winds of Change with the caption “supporting the Winds of Change”. It is great to see this kind of social participation coming from the business community in Pemberton. Thank-you.

On my way out of the supermarket I picked up a copy of the newspaper. In it I read about how the Pemberton Hotel had been closed down for liquor license infractions: specifically “the flagrant over service of liquor to patrons”. This is certainly the darker side of business practice in Pemberton. But I was encouraged that the enforcement was a result of complaints from the public. Collectively we need to identify unhealthy practices and refuse to sanction them as if they are normal.

Finally, on Saturday night my boys wanted to go to the community centre to see the film being shown in the gym. It was packed. Every time I have gone to see a film at the community centre it has been like that — children and parents out together for some good fun. Meanwhile, down at the other end of the community centre there was a presentation by a woman that had cycled from Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina to Quito in Ecuador. It was a night of fun and learning — for all ages.

Promoting healthy lifestyle choices through positive social activities, awareness, and enforcement are all important aspects of reducing the harm associated with drug and alcohol misuse. These are the principles underlying the recommendations of the Winds of Change strategy. Although it would be incorrect to say that these activities I’ve described are happening because of Winds of Change, they certainly do reflect signs of a vibrant, healthy community. Without a doubt there is so much more that can be done — but it certainly is worth acknowledging all the positive things about our community. I believe the winds of change are blowing through the valley. It is refreshing and I’m thankful for everyone’s contribution.

Sheldon Tetreault

Pemberton

 

What Pemberton has to offer

Pemberton does have a lot to offer. It brings together many generations and distinct peoples. It combines agriculture and the quaint atmosphere of a rural village. All of these features attract young and old active people. However both of these groups have very different requirements and in order to meet both needs compromises must be made.

All of us moving into or growing up in this community are making an investment. Whether it is in real estate or business, perhaps both. No one wants to lose. This is why I see that we must build on all that is so special within Pemberton. Local businesses must continue to grow and prosper because they are in business to make a return on their investment. In order to do that the town MUST attract new residents. The needs of these people will change over the years — perhaps it will mean an ice rink or swimming pool, perhaps it will require indoor facilities for recreational use for the very young or seniors.

It would be wonderful to have a choice of household items other than Sears. I also realized when I moved into this town that “choice” would not be an option unless I drove outside of the community. Moving the recycling out to the industrial park is great — if you can get there when they are open. For some without their own transportation it becomes a challenge with the very poor bus scheduling, or none at all.

And yes, Pemberton does have volunteers, a Winterfest celebration, local businesses well supported by us all, great trails, etc. etc. Yes, Pemberton does include fourth generation Pembertonians. But in order for us all to continue to watch our community survive we must look for ways to continue to bring our community into this century. To become stagnant does not create a pretty picture in my mind.

I do not profess to have answers but I do have an open mind. I certainly hope that our current council keeps compromise, unbiased minds and conflict of interests foremost in thought when making the decisions that affect all of our lives within this community

Cynthia Hood

Pemberton

 

Eyes on the road appreciated

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to Inspector Norm McPhail, Officer in Charge, RCMP Sea to Sky Regional Police Services, for the several occasions during snowstorms in January when police officers were checking for adequate winter tires on vehicles travelling north of Squamish on Highway 99, and turning back at Alice Lake those vehicles not properly equipped.

Yes, this may result in some delays that inconvenience us, but nothing like the delays and inconvenience that result from numerous "incidents" caused by ill-equipped vehicles, never mind the greater consequences of injuries and property damage. And no doubt there have been people who were planning to visit Whistler who were massively disappointed and angry at being turned back — for those that should know better, I'm sorry, but tough tiddlywinks. For visitors coming from afar and having to rent cars that don't come with winter tires or chains, I'm sorry about the situation you find yourselves in, but I hope you understand why this course of action is necessary.

Our highway is so vitally important to our businesses, residents, and those that come to visit. We cannot control the weather (nor do we want to!) but we can do a lot to control how users of Highway 99 are impacted by snowstorms, as well as how perceptions about the highway evolve — it is only as dangerous as drivers make it, and inadequate tires in a snowstorm are an unacceptable danger.

We need solutions that ensure all vehicles, private and commercial, are properly equipped. Let's get whatever legislation is needed to require that all vehicles travelling to Whistler at any time during winter months have the right tires, and/or carry and use chains.

Checking vehicles driving north during a snowstorm is a great start, but what about those heading south? Even if someone drives up in fair weather, they still need to be equipped for snow. For those that are caught up by a snowstorm, we urgently need somewhere they can conveniently buy chains at any hour, such as at the gas station. Or with RMOW's support an enterprising resident could establish a mobile roadside business. And we need to better inform people driving to Whistler — they know it snows here — they also need to know that they must be prepared!

Thank you again to our police officers for the start that has been made to ensure that more people get to and from Whistler in a safer manner, and thank you also to the members of Whistler's municipal council who made a lot of noise after the Dec. 14th nightmare night. Please keep it up.

Shayne le Poer Trench

Whistler

 

Second to none

Whistler’s residents and business owners are second to none in getting involved and helping wherever possible. With this in mind I would like to thank the community for helping the cast and crew of ‘Whistler – the series’ while we were here over the past week filming.

We were able to use parts of our town that do not often see episodic film crews and thus show the world more of Whistler. Alpha Lake Park, the Lost Lake trails, Village Stroll, Rainbow Park and of course on the mountains.

Particular thanks to Ryan in Communications, Sue in Parking at Whistler-Blackcomb, the staff at the Muni and the Works Yard, Bob Andrea, Diana Waltmann,   Lawrence at Black’s Restaurant, the ski patrol, the by-law folks, Adrian, Blayne and Matt at Dusty’s, the Four Seasons, the Westin, the Delta Village Suites, everyone at Hoz’s, MY Millennium Place, Esquires Coffee Shop, the Village and Mountain Hosts, Canadian Snowmobile Adventures, and Affinity Sports (Clocktower and Le Chamois).

The series is shown on CTV in Canada, the ‘N’ channel in the US and will begin airing in the UK next season on Trouble TV.

And also a big thanks to all of our visitors for helping to keep our town vibrant and fun.

Carson

Location Manager in and for Whistler