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Whistler keeps on truckin’ in economic meltdown

I am extremely concerned that our mayor is not taking the global economic meltdown anywhere near seriously enough. When I see the Muni spending $1.

I am extremely concerned that our mayor is not taking the global economic meltdown anywhere near seriously enough. When I see the Muni spending $1.5 million on two new fire trucks with the poor excuse that we must be prepared for the 3 billion eyeballs watching us, I see us going into 20 years of debt for a 17 day event. VANOC is cutting back, Fortress is jumping ship but our muni presses on.

January has been a bath for the economy. The New York stock exchange has had its worst January ever, North Americans are losing jobs at the rate of 600,000 a month and the major banks' toxic loans have doubled again and now stand at $2.5 trillion.

Not only this, but a severe drop in the U.K. pound, the Australian and the New Zealand dollar has raised the costs of visiting here of some of our most important customers by a wide margin. For example the day-ski ticket for a Kiwi has risen from $110 to $159 in their currency in the last 12 months.


So with a poor snow season compounded by an economic catastrophe, council should be getting ahead of the game by freezing salaries, reducing staff at least by attrition, cutting back on landscaping (will the lost dogs at WAG miss their expensively maintained garden?) and freezing capital expenditures. The consequence, if we don't move aggressively on this, will be at the very least a $4 million deficit and a huge tax increase - my guess 10 per cent-plus.

A thought on raising revenue would be to impose a two per cent tax on all rides sold in the municipality which use fuel to get their customers around - hitting Hummers, ATVs, snowmobiles, heli and cat skiing and the mountains' lifts. This would at least re-capture the tax break we gave the scoundrels at Fortress and move us to promoting more eco-friendly activities. It would also move a majority of the burden to our visitors rather than locals. We are a municipality which provides much more than the average muni for the visitor.

And finally, before I leave off on my tirade, it would make a lot of sense to me to stretch out the life of fire trucks just on an environmental basis. Creating a vehicle out of 40,000 pounds of steel, aluminium, rubber and paint must be one of the worst forms of pollution. Certainly something which must dwarf the 45 minutes we wouldn't let the fire trucks run in the Canada Day Parade.

Also we should note that no jobs in Canada or the valley were created from making this capital expenditure.

Lennox McNeely
Whistler

Resort turning back on tourism
I'm a little confused.

In the article titled "New revenue sources...," while addressing the forecasted shortfall in hotel room taxes, and where the municipality is going to make up the difference, the mayor is stated as saying, "We are trying... to take the burden off our residents and businesses."

The municipal "plan" must be a mistake.

The mayor can't possibly think that it will be tourists paying the lion's share of day skier parking fees, and compost usage fees... if they even know we have a municipal composter! "Honey, don't forget to collect the pizza crusts! We need to stop at the compost station on our way out of Whistler, I'll cover the fees with my extra savings from our trip!"

And, with most accommodation located within walking distance of the lifts, and the free village shuttle bus service, it is the working locals that are filling most of the day skier lot. Whether they be from Bayshores or Squamish.

What if we were to take a forward-thinking approach to day skier parking fees and offer a true alternative for working staff in the resort: anyone with a pay stub from a business in Whistler can register for the "Free" day skier parking pass, available once a year, valid for that year, and costing a little more than the administration fees it would take to process. This would actually put the discount where the mayor's mouth is.

The compost station is still a cost in progress. Because it is optional, if you charge the businesses that place the most waste in the system, you are potentially penalizing the businesses that recycle most. But if you charge the ones with the least waste, then the smallest businesses are taking the hit for the bigger players.

One final note: What would a Resort Municipality turn to if it needed to rely on something other than tourism? Is there gold in them thar hills?
Let's concentrate on trying to get the Olympic patrons walking through Whistler Village, or our multi-million dollar Celebration Plaza, before we talk about any other industry potential in this small, small town of ours. Have we already forgotten the expenses the municipality is on the hook for because of the Olympics? We cut the trees, let's get those full seats down into the village.

Brenton Smith
Whistler

What 'disaster'?
I feel compelled to respond to the complaints about the parking "disaster" at the Whistler Olympic Park during the ski jumping event two weekends ago.

I could not be there that weekend, but was at the previous weekend's cross-country events, where parking was not a problem on either day. From the Pooched Loop the courteous, happy parking attendants directed us to walk 30 metres to the waiting clean new bus which then shuttled us up the unblocked road to the turnaround at the beautiful snow sculptures. We were extremely impressed by how smoothly the people moving progressed. The events went very, very well. We were so proud to be Canadian those days in the sun, with perfect conditions, great performances by our own athletes, right in front of us! All the while I was thinking we'll never get a front row seat like this again, and for free.

My only problem with the otherwise absolutely perfect events was the lack of local support. Where was everybody when our own were on the podium, being broadcast around the world to millions who do care?

So there was a better, much better turnout for the jumping. Well, that's a really good thing. I guess the traffic controllers were expecting a lame turnout like the previous weekend. Or maybe they expected more people to use the shuttle busses, which were available from Whistler. Please keep in mind that a lot of these people are volunteers, doing what they do because they have a belief and passion for the Nordic Sports.

Not to worry about next year, as this is the year to iron out all the glitches, but the parking is not one of them, as the almost 4 km Pooched Loop itself will be the main parking for the busses-only traffic during the Olympics.

They could have used it this year, but with such embarrassingly poor turnout to previous events, and such high demand for the loop to be groomed for skiing, you have your answer.

Hopefully, after all the "mayhem" you experienced, you will take another look at the maps, which are plentiful, and go out for an uncrowded ski on any day of the week, stop and listen to the silence deep in the forest, as your pounding heart slows, and feel as if you're almost too far from home....Then return to the beautiful day lodge and realize what the true legacy will be. We are so fortunate to have all this. And it's all "free" this year only.

I hope there will be bigger crowds of shuttlers or carpoolers  for the action-packed biathlon events coming soon, all for free in your own back yard.

Lisa Taylor
Whistler

A piece of paradise
Every time I drive to the Callaghan I can't help but be in awe with this great facility we got right outside our back door. We truly have a piece of paradise in the Callaghan and an amazing Olympic legacy for years to come.

Yet over the last few weeks every time I open the Pique there is someone complaining about the facilities, signage, volunteers or employees. I wonder if they have forgotten that it is now more than ever that the venue is being noticed by the public and media and people come flocking from all over the world to check it out? Do people not know that with a new venue comes "bumps in the road"? I am sure the folks running this fabulous place are learning something new every day that can improve or needs changing. I wonder what people expect when you combine a World Cup event, world class athletes, free admittance on a sunny weekend?

I was fortunate to be able to attend the World Cup events on both weekends. I had no traffic problems, no parking problems, friendly volunteers and staff. We got there early (9 a.m.) and after the event we did some cross-country skiing and headed out after the crowds. A great day witnessing amazing sporting events (free of charge I may add!)

I would like to thank all the organizers, staff and volunteers for the great events they have pulled off the last two weekends. I can't wait to come back for more!

This is the year where we are able to check out our facilities and see our athletes compete, so be a little prepared and you will no doubt have a great day! Come early, wear your walking shoes, bring a little patience and enjoy what lies right out of our doorstep!

Gabi Moeller
Whistler

Isn't it ironic?
With apologies to Alanis Morrisette

Irony n. expression of meaning by use of words normally conveying the opposite; apparent perversity of fate or circumstances. (Oxford)

With a smile on his face my landlord tells me that he read my 'Silly Tempest in a TCUP' letter in local papers that, among other things, described long-term locals being evicted from their apartments in advance of the Olympics.

With his next breath I'm told I've got six months to find some other bachelor suite to live and write about the Whistler experience in.

He inherited me when the house was recently purchased, it is his house, I would defend that he can do what he wants with it.

Then I read in the paper that our council, which unanimously rejected Temporary Commercial Use Permits only a couple of weeks ago because VANOC has decided not to award medals in the Celebration Plaza, did a complete 180 on the issue and unanimously approved it.

Whistler merchants are being told by council member Eckhard Zeidler to "have at" whatever VANOC will grant them and simply "get over" the fact that no medals will be awarded in Whistler Village. Wasn't this the Whistler Olympics at one time? Isn't he living in Lillooet?

Apparently VANOC boss John Furlong showed up in town, there was no press release or statement to confirm the fact, held a (secret) morning in camera meeting with council where he showed them his alien belt buckle and then swore everyone to secrecy. Mayor Ken said it was for legal reasons.

I've always thought that aliens ran all layers of government, but never thought they were lawyers too. It's now all making sense.

So right at the time where I have to find a new place to live our council is set to release 411 bedrooms for media and another 906 essential workers bedrooms for VANOC's use.

I had to consult my Oxford dictionary to determine if I was indeed living in an ironical moment.

It's a free country, people can do whatever they want as long as they don't hurt anyone. I respect anyone's right to do as they like with their property.

Just like they should respect my method of looking for a new place to rest my weary head in an overly compromised Olympic venue that has been completely snowed under by VANOC and lost its way.

Brian Walker
Whistler

A slap in the face
Shame on municipal council for slapping the faces of our struggling merchants and restaurateurs. Their earlier vote to halt the passing of TCUPS was praised by many local citizens. What a letdown.

Betty McWhinnie
Whistler

Ants and a Dragon
When the ants write the final chapter of human history, and if we leave them any environment they will survive us because they know how to co-operate, they will make three observations. They will note that after a miraculous beginning as a single cell and a billion year evolutionary journey through the successive "Ages", the process came to an end in the "Age of Mindless Entertainment". Their evidence will be billions of wide screen TVs all playing the same episode of the CBC's award-winning show "Dragon's Den."

They will further observe that our journey came to an end under the influence of the evolutionary principle "survival of the financially fittest." The ants will conclude the actual cause of our extinction was an economic asteroid, possibly around the year 2009.

In their museum they will place the last in a line of human fossils. They will call it "homo sapiens sapiens materialisticus." By coincidence it will be the skeletal remains of the bald guy on the "Dragon's Den." In the accompanying description they will draw attention to the skull and note that while all previous skulls in the line of evolution had some cranial cavity, this one is solid bone.

Doug Barr
Whistler
www.thelastwhy.ca

Take the time to separate waste
Dear Fellow Recyclers in Whistler,

I was elated when I heard about the compost facility starting up, and even more impressed when the list on the outside of the bin said it would take bones. I have been saving all organic compost in my freezer until periodically dropping it off in the garbage anyways, so I was happy to transfer that lovely mess to the compost bin. Both doors state: "NO PLASTIC" quite clearly.

On Sunday, Feb. 1, I was horrified to look in and see many clear plastic bags encompassing basketball-sized portions of frozen material. I understand how distasteful and disgusting it is to try to separate the frozen food from the bags. I have done this with my own organics at the bin. What I am puzzled over is why people would deliberately disobey the signs on both the doors and the front of the bin...

This could put the whole program in jeopardy, as plastic does not decompose and will have to be picked out by hand.

I was also furious when I opened the door of the huge garbage compactor and saw a clear plastic bag filled with what looked like jars and bottles from one completely full fridge - enough to fill a tall metal garbage can like the one Oscar lives in.

I recycle as much as I can and I cannot understand why some people don't take the time to, especially when we have such a great facility here compared to other towns and cities in North America, such as Kelowna, B.C. and Taos, New Mexico.

Please help the Earth. She didn't ask for this garbage!

Angela Prettie
Whistler

Deepest gratitude
On Thursday, Jan. 29th at 8:30 p.m., our house in Alpine suddenly set on fire.

At first it was devastating as we felt we were all on our own after losing nearly everything. But we soon felt the warmth and support of the incredible locals of Whistler who have helped us to start piecing our lives back together! We would like to send out a huge thank you to the Whistler fire department, Wayne Katz and everyone at Gone Bakery, Christine Young, Joey Houssein and everyone at Outdoor Adventures, the whole crew at the Spaghetti Factory, municipal hall, and Whistler Blackcomb for providing accommodation. Our wicked neighbours, John, Lisa and Mike Vance, and all of our fantastic friends for providing bedding and clothing! And finally to Dallas and her husband, two wonderful, patient volunteers from social services for taking time out of their lives to help us! You have all amazed us with you generosity!

Our deepest gratitude and thanks goes out to you all!

Ami Morrison, Hannah, Matty, Alex, Mike, and Ben
Whistler