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See and be seen

Winter driving is once again just around the corner with many new arrivals coming to Whistler for the 2011/2012 Ski Season. Last year we lost a wonderful young traveller who was hit by a vehicle on our local highway.

Winter driving is once again just around the corner with many new arrivals coming to Whistler for the 2011/2012 Ski Season. Last year we lost a wonderful young traveller who was hit by a vehicle on our local highway. Days are getting shorter again and driving conditions will soon become much more challenging.

It's a good time to remind all of the need to be visible while out and about. Reflective strips, bright coloured outer wear or illumination devices are all extremely beneficial and help drivers to notice your presence during variable weather, driving and road conditions.

Wearing dark or neutral clothing only helps to make you less visible at night or during stormy weather when a driver is mostly focused on the road conditions, traction and maintaining vehicle control.

Even with our outstanding snow clearing and removal services, Hwy 99 and Whistler valley can have extremely challenging driving conditions where vehicles have less capacity to make successful emergency manoeuvres. We have some very steep roadways and some of the most variable weather and driving conditions in B.C. between Vancouver and Whistler. Our altitude varies and the freeze-thaw cycles are many from November to April.

Commercial vehicles, buses, taxis, trucks and emergency vehicles in addition to driving may also be looking for street names, addresses and/or in radio contact with dispatchers or other drivers while in motion adding to their difficulties.

"See and be seen" are two ways pedestrians can help avoid accidents and tragedy in the months ahead. If you must walk on highways or roadways during winter, please walk against traffic so that you can see the vehicle and wear "Be Seen" clothing so that drivers can see you.

Brian Wolfgang Becker

Whistler

Where are all the new Canadians?

I heartily agree with your October 13 editorial on "Where are all the women?" In my seven years in the Alberta Legislature I learned more about public service from my seatmate Marie Laing than from the many alpha males in all three parties.

But to push our local version of representative democracy even further we need to ask "Where are all the New Canadians," those emerging leaders from our ethnic and multicultural diversity?

Canada welcomed the world in 2010. But in looking around it seems that in our councils and decision-making bodies we are governed by a stale homogeneity. Some may try to survive with the older status quo, but the future is for those who thrive in diversity.

We saw a glimpse of this at last June's Multicultural Celebration on Main Street where with 30 eager volunteers and a measly $10,000 budget we were able to host 25 different cultural activities and had close to 3,000 locals and visitors revel in the diversity.

We hear about it from the BC Hotel Association's James Chase, who in commenting on declining occupancy was quoted in the Pique saying "we're in the process of changing the image of Canada from moose, Mounties and mountains to a more diverse, attractive multicultural experience".

And in following the research of Harvard Business School's Roy Chua I am fascinated by his claims that those leaders with linguistic, multicultural and diverse networks are more creative, innovative and better problem-solvers.

In Canada and Whistler we can even go "beyond multiculturalism" and harness our rich diversity of cultures and peoples for new creative fusions and convergences. This would clearly set us apart from the homogenous melting pot of the U.S. and the racist backlashes in Europe. We would attract sophisticated world travellers who want to ski, golf and cycle as well as learn, experiment and innovate with others.

The Whistler Forum is planning for next June's Multicultural Forum and Festival. But first we are hosting a meeting with all candidates to hear and see the stories of those who are new to Canada, to Whistler and who come with different languages, cultures and networks. It will be at the Summit Lodge on Main Street, Monday November 14 from 7 to 9 pm. All are welcome.

It was challenging to welcome the world in 2010. It will be even more challenging to truly reflect the world in this international resort community. But every incentive is here for us to develop more diverse, attractive, multicultural experiences and to thrive in diversity.

William Roberts

President, The Whistler Forum

 

The 2011 Readers and Writers Festival has been put to bed for another year.

Our 10th anniversary was the celebration of perseverance, entitled Lit Grit.

As Chip Heath and Dan Heath wrote: "Grit is tough, because you don't get the psychic payoffs that come with an exciting discovery or a shift in direction. You rarely get big wins to celebrate. In fact, you may never truly win... But slow, inch-by-inch, progress? It's called winning."

This year saw our largest line-up to date with 10 workshops, six reading events, three panel discussions, a tribute breakfast and a spoken performance at Creative 5 Eclectic - as well as the return of PechaKucha night. And people came.

We enjoyed a 16 per cent increase in attendance. Step by step, year by year we have built this festival into a much admired, much loved event. As one of our guest authors wrote: "I've told my students if they're thinking of one writing festival to attend next year, make it Whistler's."

We could not succeed without the support of our many sponsors, including:

The Canada Council for the Arts, The British Columbia Arts Council, the

Resort Municipality of Whistler, The Writers Union of Canada, the Whistler

Arts Council, the Aava Hotel (special thanks to Karen Phillips, Kate

Dickson, Shelly and Mike), Armchair Books (special thanks to Dan Ellis), the Whistler Public Library, Pasta Lupino, Burnt Stew, Tourism Whistler, Wilson Sports, Goodwin Studios, the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Center (special thanks to Gwen and Sara), Alta Bistro (special thanks to Edward

Dangerfield), Maxx Fish (special thanks to Aki Kaltenbach) and Creekbread (special thanks to Nicole Thomas and staff). Thank you for your generosity.

Without your continued enthusiasm, this festival would not be possible.

The team within the Vicious Circle that plans and executes this festival each year is a volunteer organization.

An incredible amount of time and effort is donated to ensure our Readers and Writers Festival brings high calibre authors to events that you, the public, want to see. We do it because of our passion for the literary arts.

I want to take this opportunity to thank: Lisa Richardson, Penny Buswell, Nancy Routley, Mary MacDonald, Rebecca Wood Barrett, Sara Leach, Libby McKeever, Katherine Fawcett, Sue Oakey, and Stephen Vogler. I will be forever grateful for their support, their friendship and the fact they not only put up with all my crazy ideas, but they stand shoulder to shoulder and make them happen.

The festival was and is a result of one of those crazy ideas.

Finally, I want to thank you for attending our event each year. As I said earlier, we do it because of our passion for the literary arts and for people who share in that passion. You. Again, many thanks.

Stella Harvey,

Whistler Readers and Writers Festival Director

Founder, The Vicious Circle

 

Lego my brick!

The Whistler Museum and Whistlerisawesome.com would like to thank everyone who contributed to our 1st annual Big Kids LEGO Competition. We were thrilled with the turn out and blown away by the designs!

Building upon fifteen years of our children-only competition, we decided Whistler's big kids deserved a turn at the LEGO table. Last Thursday a pack of grown-up LEGO enthusiasts filled the Museum, confirming that the colourful Danish bricks are truly the world's greatest all-ages toy.

Sixteen entrants faced off in an intense battle, building according to the chosen theme of "Offseason? What offseason!?!" Creativity abounded, but competitive tactics were equally important. Those with headlamps and a willingness to crawl under the building tables for that one crucial, missing block gained a clear advantage.

In the end Keith and Jessica Reed took home top honours in the audience-decided vote. Their "Who Needs Snow" was an impressively intricate model of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, complete with the GLC, the Whistler Gondola, the Peak 2 Peak, even a mountain biker descending a wooden ladder. Other entries included an attempt to resurrect "Dead Season," a well-attended "3am Pizza Party," and a beautiful retro-homage to everyone's favourite "Rainy Day Classic," Super Mario.

Big thanks to our sponsors Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Scandinave Spa, the Dubh Linn Gate, Rocky Mountain Soap Co., Whistler-Blackcomb, Prior Snowboards, Purebread Bakery, and Vincor for helping make our inaugural event a huge success. Plans are already underway to make next year bigger and better!

With the success of Big Kids LEGO, we are doubly excited about the rest of our fall programming! Check out whistlermuseum.org to find out more.

Jeff Slack, Program Coordinator

Whistler Museum & Archives

 

 

Habitat improvements welcome

I would like to thank the RMOW for the significant habitat improvements made this year on the Cheakamus Lake Road wildlife corridor. In no particular order thank you Mayor and Council for directing staff to act, Andrew Tucker at the WWTP and James Hallisay, engineering, for greatly reducing outdoor lighting at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tim Brooksbank and his roads' crew for restoring the riparian berm and removing part of the road divider making it more deer friendly, Dave Patterson and his parks' crew for creating a window of darkness for wildlife crossing the valley trail and tree planting, as well as Heather Beresford for coordinating the efforts.

After all the talking and plans on how Whistler values the environment it's great to see such positive action.

Lyall Fetherstonhaugh

Whistler

Fungus festivities

Just wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Whistler Naturalists, for hosting a fascinating lecture and tour into the world of Whistler fungi, and especially to chef Owen Foster of the Aura Restaurant at Nita Lake Lodge. Paul Kroeger is a down to earth talented and passionate mycologist at UBC and he imparted many important and interesting facts regarding our local fungi forest friends, from the most deadly to avoid to the ones we can leave alone to benefit the sustainability of forest environment. He's not so much in to the "eating" as he is into the supporting and protecting the fungi kingdom.

Chef Owen, on the other hand, is all about the eating ... and preparing.  This chef is one of the most inspired and passionately innovative I have ever met. He is a master of creating exquisite flavours from the most organic, clean and simple ingredients we have... but he takes these ingredients so much further. He prepared seven dishes and instructed us on ways to prepare and cook these wonderful foods, and also provided recipes and, ultimately, inspiration.

All in all, an incredible, informative and inspiring way to spend my money. Thank you.

John C. Weisner

Whistler

 

Clarification needed

We are writing to address the letter by Mr. Lennox McNeely in last week's Pique , entitled, "How Sustainable is the Centre for Sustainability?" ( Pique Oct.13, 2011). Partial facts and speculation were published which unjustly cast the Centre in an unfavourable light.

Mr. McNeely estimated the Centre's contract work from other municipalities to be under $200,000 to the end of 2010, which led him to wonder how the Centre could pay its staff. In fact, total contract work for 2010 alone was almost $500,000, and 2010/2011 will reach almost $1,000,000. The majority of this $1,000,000 is from clients outside of Whistler.

Speaking of paying staff, Mr. McNeely also published an incorrectly high number for the Executive Director's compensation. The number he described as salary actually included a range of the Centre's operating costs, which have nothing to do with pay.

It might be germane to mention that the executive director voluntarily reduced her own pay early on for the sake of the Centre - and she has never asked for it to return to its original level. It is exceptionally rare to see such an act of altruism and generosity in a salaried employee, so it seems to us to be particularly egregious and potentially libellous for Mr. McNeely to be flinging about accusations of inventive accounting when nothing could be further from the truth.

The Centre has met its budgets every single year, despite challenging economic conditions, and 2012 will dawn with it firmly established as a fully independent organization fulfilling its intended role and function on all fronts.

Charles Steele, Doug Forseth

Directors, Whistler Centre for Sustainability

(Editor's Note: The executive director for the Whistler Centre for Sustainability's salary, as noted in Lennox McNeely's letter, was listed at $129,543.64 in the Resort Municipality of Whistler's 2009 Statement of Financial Information. There is no figure for 2010 as the Centre now works independently from the RMOW and, also for that reason, its contract payments are not public information. )

 

Leaf Blower Angst Not Just A Whistler Phenomenon

With Apologies:

Beware the ides of leaf blowers (Shakespeare.  Soothsayer to Julius Caesar)

Give me leaf blower or give me death (Patrick Henry)

The only way you'll take away my leaf blower is when you pry it from my cold dead hands. (Charlton Heston)

The government has no business in the tool sheds of Canadians (P.E. Trudeau)

It's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside a leaf blower (Winston Churchill)

The conquest of Canada is only a matter of leaf blowing (Thomas Jefferson)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of leaf blowing...(Charles Dickens)

Call me leaf blower (Hermann Melville)

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who use leaf blowers (Robert Service)

"J'acuse!" (French writer Emile Zola on the armies attempt to ban leaf blowers)

Brian Keith Buchholz (leaf blowing since 1999)

Whistler

 

 

 

Cops for Cancer says thanks

Canadian Cancer Society and Cops for Cancer would like to give a big thank-you to local volunteers!

As you may know, the Canadian Cancer Society's Cops for Cancer Tour de Coast rode into town a couple of weeks ago, stopping in Village Square to end off a long ride on a beautiful day. Local riders, Jeff Krauss and Katherine Reid were present, and honourary rider and local, Phil Chew, led the procession into Village Square.

Every year, the riders are tasked with raising $6,000 each. The funds are then invested into life-saving childhood cancer research and caring support services, including the acclaimed summer recreation program, Camp Goodtimes, a camp dedicated to putting a smile on the faces of children living with cancer.

This year, Jeff Krauss and Katherine Reid exceeded their combined goal of $12,000 (final total not yet in), thanks largely in part to the many local volunteers who willingly gave their time for the cause.

Of particular note was the participation of local firefighters Ken Roberts, Craig McDonald, Tony Graebling, Seamus Frew, Matt Radyonski, KC Anderson, Luke Peterson, and Jeff Drummond.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, these very generous men gave their time and ample energy to participate in our car wash held in Market Square, raising over $2,000 in four hours!! They arrived early with their fire truck for water (and play for the kids!), and washed cars until the very end. We wouldn't have been the success we were without their contribution and we're very grateful to all of them for their support!

Among the many who gave their time, two dedicated volunteers stood out: Linda Godin and Susie Frank pitched in and worked on both events tirelessly. Thank you to both of you for all of your efforts!

As always, it is the local businesses which help make these events the success they are. This year, we would especially like to thank Nita Lake Lodge, Scandinave Spa, Telus, CN, Pique , the Question , and last but not least, Sabre Rentals.

This year was a very successful year for Whistler's Cops for Cancer riders because Whistlerites are leaders in the art of giving. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Jude Allen

Volunteer Engagement Leader

Canadian Cancer Society