Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Whistler helipad to close for two months

Search and rescue manager likes upgrades, but wants to see H3 status

Critically ill patients will not be able to land at the health centre's helipad for two months this spring as final upgrades get underway.

The helipad will be closed for six to eight weeks from April to June, as the ski season winds down and before the bike park season really ramps up.

Patients will be sent to the municipal helipad north of Emerald in the interim.

The ultimate goal is to officially become H1 and H2 daytime and nighttime certified by Transport Canada by June.

That's still not enough, said Brad Sills, manager of Whistler Search and Rescue.

"It only goes half way to restoring what we had previously and what we truly need in the town where there is so much trauma," said Sills, explaining that Whistler needs H3 status to allow single engine helicopters to land.

Brett Crawley, project manager for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, explained to council Tuesday that the upgrades are essential to complete, as the current H1 and H2 certification will expire in June 2011.

While the extensive tree removal portion of the project has already taken place, work still needs to be done primarily on the helipad surface itself. Among other things, it will be resurfaced and a new heating pad installed to deal with snow.

Re-vegetation plans have been developed for the nearby area and work will be done when the spring weather arrives. As well, VCH is looking to control traffic and pedestrians at points and address issues of overhead lighting.

"I applaud the changes," said Sills. "But it's still not enough."

 

Whistler issues friendly wager

 

Council is confident that Whistlerites can rise to the Earth Hour challenge this year and beat their neighbours to the north and south.

"The gauntlet has been dropped," said Mayor Ken Melamed as he made the friendly wager to see which community could reduce its energy the most during Earth Hour 2011.

The challenge is to see a five per cent reduction.

"We ate crow last year," said the mayor. "We're not going to do it again."

Last year Whistler council had to wear I "Heart" Pemberton T-shirts during a meeting for losing to the village in Earth Hour 2010.

This year the winner will host the other two communities in a workshop to talk about ways the corridor can reduce its energy.

Earth Hour will take place on Saturday, March 26 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

 

Trail ride organizers ask for school camping

 

Organizers of the Sea to Sky Trail Ride have asked council for the use of Myrtle Philip school for overnight camping for the Whistler stop of its weekend-long ride.

The request came to council after organizers were stymied at the staff level.

Staff explained to council that in past years there have been conflicts with campers and the promised donations to the trail program never materialized.

Councillor Grant Lamont said he is putting on the final stages of the BC Bike Ride on the same weekend and its participants are paying to stay at Riverside Campground and other resort hotels.

"It's about making claims and then substantiating those claims," said Lamont.

"There's been a lot of hot air and not a lot of lift."

Council has asked staff to develop a term sheet outlining the conditions of overnight camping at the school in an effort to deal with some of the issues.

The Sea to Sky Trail Ride will take place on the weekend of July 8-10 from D'Arcy to Squamish. Generally 150 to 200 riders take part in the annual event.

 

Parkhurst rezoning stopped

 

With no discussion Monday night council put the brakes on a residential rezoning for the Parkhurst property.

Owners were looking to have the land rezoned to allow 10 homes on the 200-acre property located on the eastern shores of Green Lake. Only three residences are allowed in the current zoning.

The property needs 60 bed units but has just 18.

In the staff report to council it states:

"The proposed development does not provide clear and substantial benefits to the community and the resort."

The rezoning process was stopped with no further discussions.

 

Liquor extension grants for TWSSF

 

The municipality is relaxing the liquor laws during the ski and snowboard festival to allow a late night DJ Experience event.

The event is slated for Saturday, April 23 at the conference centre and Tourism Whistler has asked for an extension of its liquor license from 1:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. for that night

The DJ Experience is expected to be a major event of the festival, held on the final weekend. More than 1,400 guests are expected to attend.

The extension falls in line with the past three years where council supported the 4 a.m. closings for the DJ Experience events.