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Away with the manger The manger in Pemberton provided quite the topic for discussion in December.

Away with the manger

The manger in Pemberton provided quite the topic for discussion in December. Was it festive? Representative? Offensive? Assumptive? What was wrong with a little festive Christmas scene?

The manger was erected in Pemberton, at about 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6th, on school district property without the consent of SD #48, without permission from the Village of Pemberton (it is not up to the VOP as to what is put on school property), and without permission from Signal Hill Elementary School (all offices were contacted).

Although there was quite a bit of support for the manger as far as I know, no person or group of people have claimed responsibility for putting it there.

I am not a religious person but I believe that church and state should be separate. A nativity scene on school property is not representative of the community of students at Signal Hill. If anything it shows the minority of kids who are practicing other religions that they live in a community that does not recognize them.

I do not believe the answer is to celebrate all religious holidays at school (to counter the “then they could put a menorah or other religious symbol” argument).

This year Whistler decided to move the menorah that is usually lit in Village Square to Millennium Place so that it did not seem to be endorsing one religion over another. Entirely appropriate as MY Place is a multi-faith facility. Businesses were offered, and some chose to have, an electric menorah displayed in their store window.

This year in Pemberton some people decided it was okay to endorse one religion over all others. Not appropriate.

The trees, lights and decorations in school and around town could be seen as representative of Christian celebration, however their origins are not all based on religious practices and they really do help with the dark of winter. If a person or group would like to erect a manger on private property or church property I'd have no problem with that. But the nativity scene in front of a school, on school property, is not representative of the population and is assumptive even though to some it may be festive.

Shaina Tancher

Pemberton

p class=Style1>Keep the religious aspect out

This letter is in response to an observation by Margit de Haan in the last issue (Is our country really free?, Pique letters Dec. 27), and before you read any further I want you to know that I certainly respect your point of view, but due to my beliefs, I can not agree.

As a member of the wonderful community of Pemberton and citizen of Canada, I fully embrace our wide range of freedoms that some people presently take for granted, freedom of religion included. I was not one of the individuals that complained about the manger displayed on public property, but on the day that I realized what the small building was, I was tempted to be the first.

I realize that on the whole the major religions of the world are based on peace and the majority of Canadians that do attend their chosen services for prayer are well meaning people and a great asset to any community, but the extreme amounts of wealth collected and held by these powerful establishments, and the millions of innocents who have been killed, all in the name of religion, leave a sick taste in my mouth.

I understand that we're only talking about a small manger on the front lawn of the elementary school, but what that small building represents to me is a much larger picture of being the worst aspect of mans' struggles throughout history. I hope the people that took the time to build the small structure can respect what I believe, just as I respect their beliefs, but public property is no place to display — again, only what I believe — is the main flaw of human society. I celebrate Christmas as a time of family, not the birth of Jesus, and keep the religious aspect totally out of it.

Use your unprecedented freedoms to display whatever it is you wish to share with your neighbours on your own property; please don't use public property for something that does not sit comfortably with all.

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and best wishes to people of all faiths!

Andrew Watt

Pemberton

Faith renewed

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, several hundred people, both locals and visitors, enjoyed the profoundly moving experience of the “true meaning of Christmas” thanks to a small but incredibly dedicated band of volunteers and staff at the Whistler Village Church at Millennium Place.

What is it about young children dressed as angels and shepherds in a Nativity tableau? This sight is guaranteed to revive or renew anyone's faith in the Christmas story, but it would not be possible without the help and time of many people.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Susan Shrimpton, for producing incredibly moving powerpoint images to illustrate the story, and for making and coordinating the costumes that brought the characters of Mary, Joseph, angels and shepherds vividly to life.

Thank you to Peter Shrimpton and the Mountain Law Corporation for their assistance in bringing the “jazz priest” Gord Turner and his wife Linda to Whistler to oversee these three wonderful Christmas services, and to Bill and Heather Riedl for providing accommodation in their own home.

Thank you to Karen Wootton for her many, many hours in the church office that went way and above “beyond the call”.

Thank you to Rachel Thom, guest soloist, for singing like an angel and adding so much to so many for their Christmas experience.

Thank you to Rachael Lythe, church pianist, for a professional mastery of no less than 25 carols and songs!

A huge thank you to Shirley and Michael Thompson, whose dedicated time and efforts do not go unnoticed.

Finally, thank you to all of the small but loyal bands who continue to lovingly devote their faith and time to our “little church that welcomes the world”... you made the true Christmas experience a reality for hundreds. And to Kiara Shrimpton, who did a perfect impersonation of the baby Jesus... thank you for sleeping through the whole experience!

Linda McGaw

Whistler

Lights out

Normally, Christmas makes us good and generous. But I was very disappointed this Christmas's eve afternoon, seeing that some evil spirit smashed down the nice Christmas lights installed on the "Pemberton Town Centre" sign on Highway 99. And this being not enough, they also broke both of the halogen lights.

Bored kid? Drunk fellow? Anger or just disrespect? Who knows? C'est complètement débile! That's really the most stupid and useless thing I've seen this year.

The sign looked really great with all the colors and bright light, giving a warm glow for all the people cruising along the highway or stopping at the Pioneer Junction lights. Now it's ruined (and not to mention the money wasted by this action). I don't know why human nature always needs to destroy what others do, but hats off to "stupid dude".

Anyway, happy new year to everybody (except "tweezot"), and thanks for doing your best to make Pemberton the best place to live!

Pearl Winchester

Pemberton

Thank you Whistler

The generosity of Whistler people is truly amazing! The number of people who volunteer and donate in our community throughout the year is commendable. The Salvation Army rang it’s bells for only eight days this year and collected almost $10,000. Funds collected are used throughout the Sea to Sky corridor, from Pemberton to North Vancouver, to aid those less fortunate and to help in emergencies.

Thank you to the almost 50 volunteers who manned the kettles, to Nesters, IGA, Trilogy, and the Whistler Municipality who allowed us use of your venues, and to the residents and visitors of Whistler, for your generous donations.

Jill Jacques

Whistler

What would the OCP do?

Recently, Councillor Wilhelm-Morden put forward a cautionary tale for council and the community as concerns a new re-zoning application. She raised concerns that should give council and the community pause.

Though a neat argument for re-zoning was presented, there is concern in moving it forward in this format.

1) The application (or council's decision to move it forward) brushes aside the public's commitment to that blood, sweat and tear soaked document — the Official Community Plan (OCP). The OCP has been Whistler's long defended road map (the unseen hand) that, though it has lost some currency, is a document and a process “locals” feel proud of and mighty committed to.

2) Ignoring the OCP for re-zoning is a challenge to process. Council is now legislating towards the anathema that is "spot re-zoning". This practice is an inherently precipitous one that can undermine identified community goals and direction. That is what the OCP is for; it provides protection against short term (sighted) gain for long term pain!

"Fools rush in where brave men fear to tread"... especially when the OCP is in play!

And what does council's current research generally show in regard to supply and demand for “light industrial lands”? Couldn't say...

For a couple of decades now, the OCP has been Whistler's foundation planning document, much as the vaunted 2020 process strives for today. The OCP has served as the bedrock upon which citizens believed they actually have a respected voice in the process of making our resort a liveable community. It has been an excellent, flexible, living document.

Any bypassing of the OCP is an affront to the many Whistlerites, past councils and staff who have invested tremendous time and energy to the OCP process. Such a decision should raise red flags for those who optimistically believe their current contribution to the 2020, or other RMOW initiatives, will make a real and respected difference. Others have recently voiced concern of council's "consult and ignore" record. There is no apparent urgent imperative for fast track action on this application.

Wilhelm-Morden made a telling point in highlighting that as few as four current councillors could undo a decision and process that hundreds of locals, several past councils and thousands of staff hours had determined was kind'a, sort'a important to our community.

Oddly, passing references to the current "Twighlight Zone" zoning along Mons Road (dating to the 1930s?) is to remain a mystery shrouded enigma for the foreseeable future...

B.K. Buchholz

Whistler

Cold turkey

I've never been fat, so I don't know how tough going on a diet is. I have quit smoking though, so I know how easy that can be.

These days it kind of seems that Whistler's municipal government is being prodded to admit it has a problem like the two listed above, and it's not sure what to do.  A little bit of history.  Over the past 20 years or so the RMOW has gotten fat. Fat off the land so to speak. After years of gorging on development money, hanging out with the who's who of this and that as well as being extremely world classy, spending vast sums of other people’s money has just become second nature to some of the folk who work at muni hall. It's not really their fault, it's an addiction, sort of like a drug addiction. Most of us have or have had an addiction of some kind, be it mental or physical, that’s life in the modern western world. But being one of those funding the addiction, I would like to see it stop. The RMOW needs help. Not by consultants though, because they are a really big part of the addiction problem.

For the muni it started slowly. A proclamation in Victoria kicked it off. The Resort Municipality of Whistler was created and it would become a bureaucrat’s dream come true. Some could see that there was gold in them thar hills, others saw a job for life and then a big pension.

A trailer and a “Municipal Hall” sign on the main drag of the newly created village gave it a sense of importance. Then the old Keg restaurant was trucked up the hill to its present location on Blackcomb Way and the new municipal bureaucratic headquarters had arrived. The fledgling resort, while still a ski bum at heart, soon took to the new life. When it got dressed up, it was out hob-knobbing with all sorts. That first taste of world classiness got it hooked. It wasn't just the cheap stuff either. No way, it was going to be only the best for Whistler.

The RMOW was riding high on development fees and government largesse. On top of the world and loving it. The cash was rolling in so fast it was hard to spend quickly. The folks at the hall were fast learners though, and within a few years, with new bylaws in place and a shopping list a mile high the pile got whittled down in no time. A million here, a million there, millions and millions everywhere. Of course it was not only the hall spending money by the ton. The new bylaws forced all those wanting a piece of the village to be as world classy as the hall and its tarted-up sibling the Whistler Resort Association (a.k.a. Tourism Whistler) desired to be. That was not going to be cheap because there was to be no cheap stuff in the Whistler Village.

The bigger building budgets then brought even more money into the muni coffers and the viscous cycle was on. Of course the folks at the hall didn't always know what to do. So public forums were held and expensive consultants hired. Time and time again. Soon it seemed the whole world wanted a piece of Whistler.

Some of those wanting in haven't always had enough cash though, but if you know who to lobby then even a Millennium Place can get built and bailed out with a few million of public money (world classy enough to be the new hall). Now what we have bellying up to the trough is the new world class LEED awarded super green library at $11 million, but I won't go there because that could be a whole other story.

So as you can tell by now Whistler has been living the high life, compliments of other people’s money, which is now starting to dry up. Hence the problem now being faced by the RMOW. Do they bump taxes way up to cover the addiction, do they go on a diet or go cold turkey? Having done the cold turkey thing, I would have to say, in my narrow view, it is the preferred option. Short term pain for long term gain. The diet thing could also work, but there is always the ingrained desire to just have a little extra. The problem with a little extra in the eyes of the RMOW is it is a few million dollars, give or take a hundred thousand or so.

The property taxpayers and the business taxpayers and the tourists just cannot keep digging deeper into their pockets to pay for this addiction. Sadly the RMOW is full on caught up in the VANOC Olympic frenzy, with millions and millions destined to be squandered leading up to the big TV show. You can bet that the villages will get a little primping to look their world classy best for the world's press.

I could go on and on but the year is almost over and like many others my head is sore from beating it against the local bureaucratic brick wall. Perhaps if enough taxpayers keep pushing we may get the RMOW into rehab yet.

Don Goodall

Blackcomb

Rough riding in winter

This letter is directed to all drivers of vehicles, not excluding snowplows or taxis. I am a concerned cyclist, who commutes daily in Whistler between Brio and the village as well as other locations around Whistler. We are a small minority who choose to continue riding our bikes instead of driving a gas-guzzling vehicle. Any day that it snows we have to deal with: unplowed roads, highways, and shoulders; erratic drivers; pedestrians on the road; and no respect from anyone. On any given day of snow in the valley it can take upwards of three or more days for roads and highways to be plowed properly, so all snow is off the roadway. It is a common occurrence to be on my way home from work after 10 o'clock at night, and I am lucky enough to get to ride through six inches of snow and I get to ride through someone else’s tire tracks. If I am lucky I also won’t get any drivers who will honk their horns at me or be driving on the shoulder (which is quite wide in some places, thankfully), where I ride my bike.

From now on as a token of my appreciation that all the drivers get a plowed road to drive on I will no longer be riding on the shoulder if the road is clear of all snow and slush.

Us cyclists would like to be extended the same courtesy as other vehicles on the road: no high beams when oncoming, no flashing high beams when oncoming, no swerving in our direction, no honking of horns and that drivers recognize our bikes tend to slip and slide much like any four-wheel vehicle does.

Thank you, and Happy Driving.

Iain Warren