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Love means nothing

Members of the Whistler Tennis Association know all too well what it feels like to lose a game at "love," but the owner of Whistler's tennis club is definitely making some bad calls.

Members of the Whistler Tennis Association know all too well what it feels like to lose a game at "love," but the owner of Whistler's tennis club is definitely making some bad calls.

While the Holborn Group lobs various excuses for letting the facility fall into disrepair, members, employees and parents of juniors are watching a once-great club get run into the ground.

Gone are the days of high-level tournaments, and even more sadly we may lose the teaching magic of Marjorie Blackwood and Peter Schelling. Currently the club is being operated admirably by Kirk Paterson and his crew, who have set up a number of excellent, affordable drop-in style clinics, drills and leagues.

Hey all you closet players, let's get the racquets out of the garden shed and start swinging! No partner is no excuse.

While love means nothing, 1,200 bed units granted to a developer means a lot more than the one or two family lots originally zoned for the property.

Our community has paid for this amenity through these increased numbers, so let's make some good returns. We need to pick up the pace of play to keep the existing club open if there is to be any hope of a new facility in the future.

The municipality has to stick to the original game plan set out with the guidance of Tennis BC and keep the pressure on the Holborn Group to fulfill its obligations.

Seems odd that just when Canada is producing a couple of world class competitive players like Milos Raonic (ranked in the top 50) and Vancouver local girl Rebecca Marion, our world class resort can't hold its serve against a company playing with heavy spin. Meet me at the club.

Pat Rowntree

Whistler

 

 

Tennis club vital hub

I am writing in support of John Konig's comments in the recent Pique regarding the demise of the Whistler tennis facility.

We are residents of Pemberton and we drive in weekly to use your tennis courts. We have watched the slow deterioration of this building over the years and we are dismayed by the actions of the developer and owners of this property in their relentless path to renege on their commitment to your community to keep this facility open and maintained.

The tennis club has been, and could once again be, a vital hub for everyone from tots to teens, residents to tourists, if it was properly managed and maintained.

Please, council, do the right thing; make sure this community facility and tourist attraction stays in place, (remember the years of no snow and how hotels pleaded for more activities than just skiing?). Once gone, I fear you will never be able to replace it, but the developers will leave town getting away with promises never kept, huge profits and your community will have more condominiums.

As Joni Mitchell says, "you don't know what you've got till it's gone."

Annie Sanderson

Pemberton

 

 

Tennis anyone?

As a skier and tennis player, former resident of Whistler and continuing visitor to the region, I can avow that the Whistler tennis club contributes to the richness of the Whistler community.

The tennis facilities and community at the Whistler (Racquet) Club provide a key focal point for both local residents and visitors to Whistler.

The deliberate delays by the Holborn Group to provide adequate ongoing maintenance and to pursue future development of the tennis facilities are eroding this valuable asset.

By limiting the hours of operation and charging exorbitant court fees, the Holborn Group seems determined to destroy a crucial part of the Whistler community.

Whistler has been unique in its ability to offer both skiing and tennis during the winter months.

What a positive feature for locals and tourists! If the skiing is not awesome, or a family member does not ski, there is the option to play tennis.

The tennis club also provides a healthy environment for both adults and children to enjoy exercise and competition. The Whistler tennis club deserves respect, care and revitalization. It has provided an enriching element to the entire community throughout the years and has the potential to continue to support both the local population and to draw travellers to the Whistler area. By working together with the Tennis Association to move forward in this development process, the municipality can ensure the continued contribution of this valuable asset to the Whistler community.

Carolyn J. Tanksley

Woodinville, WA

 

 

Tennis needed to be world-class

It is inconceivable that Whistler, which calls itself a world-class winter and summer resort, should not have a proper state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor tennis facility readily available to the local community and visitors.

But that's the situation at the moment.

My husband and I are frequent visitors from Ontario, and in years past we thoroughly enjoyed playing at the Whistler Racquet Club. The facility, though small, was pleasant, court prices reasonable, hours flexible and there seemed a genuinely active and thriving tennis community there. We loved it.

But this winter when we once again came to Whistler we found that all that had changed. We decided to skip skiing on a stormy day and headed over to the courts, but when we called we discovered that the club's hours had been slashed to a mere four hours a day, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (so not available as an alternative to skiing) and prices had skyrocketed to $50 an hour! And then, when I accepted an invitation from some local friends to play a few days later, I discovered that the club's idea of heating its courts is vastly different from that of our local Ontario club - it was so freezing I could see my breath each time I exhaled, and I had to keep my winter jacket on for virtually the entire two hours. At our club in Toronto, even in -22-degree weather, we can play in skirts and T-shirts totally comfortably.

My friends tell me that the developer, Holborn, who undertook to provide a tennis facility and maintain it in exchange for 1,200 bed units, is reneging on their commitment. If true, that is a total travesty. Whistler needs a world-class tennis facility both for its own community, youth and adult, and for its thousands of visitors. It needs to be available rain or shine, from early morning to evening, and at affordable and reasonable prices.

Some of Europe's premier ski resorts, like Zermatt in Switzerland and St. Anton in Austria, pride themselves on having had tennis courts for decades - indeed the official website of Switzerland's St. Moritz, for example, boasts: "Nowhere in Switzerland were the conditions of play as good as at St. Moritz. That's how an English tennis textbook described the 1924 tennis season." Imagine that!

St. Anton's website boasts of world class players like Roger Federer who have played in their annual tennis tournament.

Some enlightened, visionary thinking is required here to ensure that Holborn lives up to its commitment, that in years to come Whistler can boast of a tennis facility that is the home of a vibrant tennis community; a facility that visitors and locals alike will treasure; a facility that someday might see tournaments with the likes of a Roger Federer, a Rafa Nadal, and perhaps our own brand new Canadian champion, Milos Raonic. Imagine that.

Giselle Portenier

Toronto, ON

 

 

Stand up for tennis

I am appalled that the Whistler municipality, mayor and council have allowed the Holborn Group to renege on its obligation to this community. Zoning was changed and bed units were granted on the basis of providing this amenity (Whistler Racquet Club) to our community and now we are told that the developer can keep the bed units and profit from the re-zoning without living up to its end of the deal.

It seems that ever since the Holburn Group purchased the land it has made a concerted effort to destroy the club in order to make a case that tennis is a dwindling sport. Wake up!

A tennis club is a vital component to any village, town or city and certainly fits in with the Whistler 2020 Vision, providing a healthy social and physical component to all ages of this community.

Whistler's junior tennis program is thriving, the B.C. Provincial Junior Champion is a Whistlerite, and there are several young players here who compete at a provincial level and do very well.

At any given time, there are multi generations playing side-by-side on the courts. Local and international tourists plan holidays based on access to organized tennis; I know we do.

Over the years I have met dozens of new Whistler residents through the tennis club, it is one of the first places they come to, to meet the locals, make friends and feel at home in their new community. We need our leaders to stand up to the Holborn Group, to represent the citizens of Whistler and to find a way to ensure that the Holborn Group fulfills its obligations.

Esther Gorman

Whistler

 

 

Tennis club welcomes all

I arrived in Whistler in the early summer of 2001 with the intention of maybe staying for a while and possibly making it my permanent home.

Not knowing too many people I went to a drop in at the tennis club and was welcomed with open arms and had a great evening playing tennis, followed by a few drinks.

A lot of the people I met that night are close friends now 10 years later. To see how its owners are now treating the club is an absolute disgrace.

To consider the possibility of the club being closed would be an absolute travesty. I would urge council and staff to fully support the tennis club and make sure that the owners live up to their responsibilities. Do not let them purposefully close the club down by reducing the services and amenities.

Robin Hayton

Whistler

 

 

French Immersion

We understand that (school trustees) will be discussing the possible implementation of a Grade 5/6 French Immersion class at Signal Hill for the 2011-2012 school year. Before that decision is made, we would like the opportunity to voice our concerns.

Signal Hill is a unique school in this district. We are the only K-7 public school in an area that serves children from several different communities. Our students come from many different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

For many years, the staff of this school has worked tirelessly to create an environment that is inclusive so students from all backgrounds have a sense of belonging and respect for each other. Classes are carefully constructed to balance gender, academic skills, cultural background and leadership potential.

Our fear is that the segregation of a particular group of students will cause irreparable damage to the culture of our school and our communities. Of particular concern would be the marginalization of our First Nation students.

We have already been informed that in intermediate grades, specifically, at this point, Grades 5 and 6 classes, will be heavily weighted with boys, First Nation students and students with learning difficulties.

Research has shown that in classes that are not balanced and do not have strong academic leaders, overall academic performance suffers.

We believe that most parents are unaware of the adverse effects that this program would have at Signal Hill. Should the program be implemented, we are concerned about the perception among students and parents that French Immersion will be seen as the classes where all the "smart" kids are. This could, in turn, cause some parents to feel pressured to put their children in that program so they will not be in with a lower academic group.

The possibility of a French Immersion class in this school is already creating problems.

It is a divisive issue that is affecting morale by pitting staff members against each other, parents against teachers, and parents against parents. It is our fear that this will soon affect students, as well. Discussions with teachers in other schools and in other districts have provided information about how students in regular classes and French Immersion do not socialize with each other, at school or in the community.

We are not opposed to our students learning French. We are not opposed to French Immersion. We are, however, opposed to French Immersion in Signal Hill Elementary. There must be a way to provide interested students with opportunities to learn French in more depth than what the Core French curriculum requires, without destroying the positive learning environment that currently exists in this school.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

T. Beaton, K. Saintsbury, D. Zurcher, J. Reynolds, R. McFadden, M. Hollander, M. Rothwell, B. Dakin, T. Niet

Pemberton

(This is a copy of a letter that was sent to the School Board Trustees. If you have concerns or questions, please contact your Trustees.)

 

Pemberton ready for immersion

One of the common concerns about French Immersion is that it could lead to a two-tier situation in which one group of students has more opportunity or advantage than the other.

Even if you're not too bothered about French Immersion, you will have heard another name for this kind of dilemma: "Canada." For as long as we've been identifiable as a country we've jostled difference and fairness: French - English, Aboriginal - non-, Eastern - Western, Skier - Snowboarder, Hunter - Hiker, Upper-Valley - New-comer... a guy could go on and on.

The differences are everywhere, and everywhere we find them we - as Canadians - try to be fair.

It's a noble goal and we have not always achieved it but neither have we been willing to forego trying. One way to teach students about this quintessential Canadian dilemma and equip them to keep asking and occasionally answering it would be to give them a real-life opportunity to engage it themselves.

As students they would, of course, need guidance from their teachers, and as children they will look to parents and guardians as models. I think Pemberton is ready to rise to this opportunity.

Paul Cumin

Mt. Currie

 

Squamish BIA at risk

The Business Improvement Association (BIA) serving the downtown commercial centre in Squamish is at risk of ceasing to exist.

The BIA organizes popular events in the downtown area, it promotes shopping downtown, it promotes business development, it advocates on behalf of business and it participates in beautification projects.

Similar organizations are successfully doing the same thing all over our province. We are learning that communities with a healthy downtown are communities that thrive.

If you don't have a healthy downtown, how do you build a community?

The Downtown Squamish BIA brings a cohesive voice for the all the downtown business owners to improve the commercial viability and vitality of the downtown. We have seen this over the last five years.

In the short lifetime of the BIA it has done some things that have made a huge difference for the commercial core. Downtown Squamish now has a website and a social media presence that is engaging the community and keeping downtown top of mind.

The Association has also been a leader in beautifying the downtown by creating or supporting projects like community murals, the painting of light posts and the installation of artistic bike racks.

Events like the classic car show during Rumble to the Rock and theatre in the park are high profile public events organized by the BIA or supported by the group.

The BIA sponsors workshops for members and promotes downtown development. The association has also played the role of advocate standing up for the interests of merchants and the community.

We are proud of the work the BIA has done and the difference it makes.

To help us to continue making positive change the BIA has a request of those who see the difference the BIA makes.

Please do something to share your support of the work being done by the BIA. You can let downtown merchants and landowners know of your support. Encouraging downtown landowners to support the BIA will make a huge difference. Or, you could contribute some time between now and March 18 as the BIA endeavours to contact downtown landowners to explain what is happening with the BIA. You can speak to Christine Bennett, the BIA executive director, about how you can help make a difference.

I leave you with this thought: who will be the voice for downtown?

Eric Armour

President, Squamish BIA

 

Max on the mark

Kudos to G. D. Maxwell and his Feb. 17 column entitled "It takes two to tango." He gets it - see the last four paragraphs in his article dealing with what our new government should look like. It's worth re-printing in bold type on the front page of the next edition of Pique !

Barbara Lacey

Whistler

 

Lost sheep

On February 14 - Valentine's Day - of all days, we lost our little mascot, an Aqua-coloured sheep up on Blackcomb Mountain. "Clarrie" is a children's stuffed toy, he has a pale aqua body, a white face with a big smile and two bright black knowing eyes; he has four cute little white marshmallow feet.

This much loved little character measures about seven inches long (18 cm) and stands about six inches high (15 cm), however, when lost, our little champion was inside a small clear plastic bag, compacted into a little ball of aqua and white about the size of a small orange. If he didn't come out of his clear "raincoat - plastic bag" when he slipped out of my backpack, he will be gazing out through the clear little bag with his big black eyes... waiting for you to rescue him.

As my wife, who is from a New Zealand sheep farm, hasn't been able to have children and I lost a son who died in my previous marriage, this little fellow has become a surrogate child, cum son, to us. "Clarrie" was a laugh a minute, an integral part of our wedding service and has been an inseparable companion ever since. When we eventually get old, we hoped to write a really good-fun children's photographic picture book, "The Adventures of Clarrie."

Clarrie still has some more adventures left in him but he is a defenceless little guy who just needs to be found. He needs your help to get him back to us here in Australia. We miss him just so much!

The day we lost him it was just pouring powder, with atrocious visibility, we didn't realize he was gone until the end of the day. Because of high winds, we had been confined to the Wizard, Solar Coaster, Jersey Cream, Crystal and Excelerator lifts and surrounding runs. We believe we lost him on or around the Solar or Jersey Cream area.

For the ensuing three days (before having to return to Australia) while the snow kept bucketing down, we turned our backs on your unbelievable beckoning powder and frantically searched for our little buddy. He'll be lonely out there so please, please, please keep an on-going lookout for him when the powder starts to thaw. There will be a generous reward upon his safe return. There is even free accommodation offered in Melbourne for the finder/s. The paper has our contact details. We implore you to search with your eyes as you enjoy your boarding or skiing; and, if he is still out there when the spring/summer hits, tramp carefully, be watchful, there is a lonely little lost aqua sheep out there in a small plastic bag. We will write to let the paper know when he gets home. Thank you.

Philip & June Stahle

Australia.

 

Let's link to West Van for transit

In 2006, Transit Implementation Guidelines for Small Canadian Municipalities compared the Sea to Sky Corridor with the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado.

Aspen is similar to Whistler, B.C. from the standpoint of having a major ski base in town as well as a second major ski base at Snowmass - some distance from Aspen and two other ski bases nearby at Buttermilk and Highlands.

One of the biggest differences between the Sea to Sky Corridor and the Roaring Fork Valley is the nearly 40-year history of the Roaring Fork Transit Authority. We can learn a lot from it and from Kings Transit, in NS, which has existed since 1981, and Sunshine Coast Transit, which started in 1989. We are not charting unexplored territory.

Until then, we can have inter-community transit by placing the two existing Commuter services under an SLRD umbrella, combining and extending trips and producing and promoting a combined schedule. As the system grows, we can extend service to other parts of the SLRD.

The West Vancouver Transit Authority operates over 110 bus trips to downtown Vancouver every day. The 257 makes 30 trips from Horseshoe Bay along the Upper Levels Highway. The 250, also from Horseshoe Bay, makes 39 trips along Marine Drive. Both routes stop at Park Royal Mall and use dedicated bus lanes to get on and off Lions Gate Bridge.

Perhaps the SLRD should lead negotiations to have West Vancouver Transit operate Route 299 to Squamish and eventually to Whistler. They already have the facilities, infrastructure and experience. During peak times, some buses could operate directly from Squamish to Vancouver, bypassing Horseshoe Bay. Others could connect with the 250 or 257 buses in Horseshoe Bay. Squamish passengers would not have to change buses.

Promotion, advertising, marketing. Since any revenue from fares is applied against the municipal contribution it would seem that the municipal partner would be the one to benefit from promotion, advertising and marketing. A regional approach, promoted by the SLRD would seem to be the most cost effective.

In records kept since early October, over 50 per cent of riders on the 7:45 a.m. bus from Whistler begin their trip from Whistler. On the 9:30 p.m. bus from Squamish, over 30 per cent of riders are returning to Whistler. These levels have been maintained even though there is no promotion of the Squamish Commuter in Whistler. People have learned about the bus by word-of-mouth. This clearly indicates that there is a need for transit within the SLRD.

Until we actually have a regional transit system, combining and extending the existing commuter services and promoting them can provide three northbound and three southbound trips between Squamish and Pemberton every day. This could easily be extended to Mount Currie and Britannia Beach.

These changes would also provide an evening service from Whistler to Pemberton. Changes to existing routes can include communities not currently served and destinations not currently reached. An additional small change would provide evening service within Squamish.

Murray Gamble

Squamish, BC

 

Gap Year thanks

Gap years: right now, just like a lot of people in Whistler, I'm on one. Well, personally this is my second consecutive gap year and I just wanted to say a few things I should have really said before.

Thank you. Thank you for the bus trips - the long, scary, noisy, bumpy bus trips through Asia. Bus trips that beforehand you would try not mention, but somehow once past actually were a big highlight.

Thank you for all the hostels, dank, dingy, broken air conditioning, cold showers, with no frying pans but somehow they would be gladly recommended.

Thank you for all those nights in, around the table, living off nothing but noodles and multi-vitamins and drinking nothing but goon while still happily smiling.

Thank you for the Remarkable Mountains in New Zealand. Giving something for the sun to hide behind, almost waiting for us to finish those long, minimum-paid night shifts before appearing, and so giving us something to admire during the arduous treks home.

Thank you for the wrinkles earned watching the rise and set of many a sun with a VB, Carling, TUI, Beer Loas, Tiger beer, Beer Ha Noi, or Kokanee in hand.

Thank you for all the incredible breath-taking sights I personally have had the honour of seeing, from waterfalls to mountains, to tigers and elephants - there really are too many to mention.

Thank you for the perfect conditions every day. If it were snowboarding, sun bathing or rainy days in with a movie, thank you for making my choices easier.

Thank you for the sleeping drugs I am currently on for my current broken collarbone. Yes it may be 5 in the morning and they have failed miserably, but occasionally they do make not being able to snowboard a little more tolerable.

And last of all... thank you to you guys for travelling alone, or if not alone, with just a couple of friends close. The people of the world just like me love the safety and security of their bubbles, so thank you for leaving yours at home so I could be a part of a new one.

A big reason for me being here right now in Whistler, just like most of us, is for the amazing sights and activities you can do. But I do believe we could all honestly say, in our own way, we all believe in one joint idealization that you are not defined by where you are raised but more by where you choose to raise yourself.

And for me that place is with you like-minded, accepting people around me. So thank you very, very much.

Johnny Evans

Whistler