Pique thanks you.
Reading our feature this week warms my heart. So many of Whistler’s leaders that I admire, sharing what Pique means to them, and (largely) noting Pique’s central place in the community.
We couldn’t ask for a greater compliment than event maven Sue Eckersley’s comment--—when asked by the Resort Municipality of Whistler what business/event/person reflected Whistler the best, she said it was Pique. Really? Aww shucks.
In more business terms, Mayor Jack Crompton’s statement, “Pique truly is Whistler’s paper of record,” is the best job reference we could ask for at this stage in Pique’s career. It’s what every community news outlet strives for.
And thank goodness for Jack’s position, taking his predecessor Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden’s advice to keep reading us. According to Nancy, “One of the first things a local politician does when they’re on a downward slide is to say they have stopped reading Pique. This is a surefire indicator they’re losing touch with the community and their days as an elected official are numbered.”
That gave me a chuckle. And what a compliment, especially when I reflect on the sometimes challenged and adversarial relationship Pique has had with local government (as it should be, for any news outlet worth its salt) over the past decade.
I guess Pique is doing its job, and old enough to have learned how to navigate its relationships. And dare I say it—gained a bit of wisdom.
Hearing these praises from people I consider Whistler’s standard bearers fills me with confidence that Pique must be doing something right, and yet so much room for growth, at the young age of 30, still to come.
But just as important—perhaps more essential—is the feedback we get in the coffee shops and chairlifts, grocery store aisles and trails, from the seasonal workers just arrived, the 20-somethings eking out a life and living, kids who’ve just won a bike race or the starving artists.
There’s nothing better than hearing “you work at the Pique? That’s awesome, I LOVE the Pique! I can’t wait to pick it up on Fridays (the covers are so cool!) and read it every week.”
I guess I’m bragging. But it actually happens a lot, both for me and my colleagues.
And it fills us with pride, guiding our sense of purpose when we’re feeling the weight of the challenges in the news media business, of which there are many. Pique has a life of its own, and it’s our responsibility to keep nurturing it along with you, our readers.
So on behalf of those of us behind the pages, thank you for that support. It drives us to continue delivering on Pique’s promise for the next 30 years: to share Whistler’s stories, tell your stories, and reflect life here in the best place on Earth.
Sarah Strother // Publisher
On Nov. 25, 1994, a strange-looking publication with a blurry cover photo landed in various locations around town. Smart money assumed whatever it was wouldn’t live to see the end of the ski season. As an aside, two weeks before that publication came out we were skiing top to bottom of both mountains.
But it was a paper. It was free—said so right on the cover. It wasn’t great, but it was a nice alternative to the other paper in town. Gore-Tex as opposed to K-Way.
On Nov. 25, 2024, the funny-looking paper, Pique Newsmagazine, turns 30.
Happy Birthday, Pique. Many happy returns?
Rather than once again rehash the first two decades of Pique, maybe it’d be easier to track down some previous anniversary features if you’d like to read about that history (find this feature online for the hot links). Or, if you’re really interested, every single issue is bound and available at the library. Like a time machine... except housing was always the most pressing local topic.
Pique’s third decade actually began a year early, with founding publisher Bob Barnett’s decision to sell the paper to Glacier Media in July 2013. Credit where credit is due, notwithstanding some concern about corporate ownership, the Glacier brass recognized they’d purchased Pique because it was a different sort of publication than their other community papers. While by no means hands-off, Glacier was supportive of Pique’s founding principle of turning out a quality publication centred by good reporting and lively writing.
Hands-off or on, the third decade was tumultuous. Horrifying, even. What had started as a rent in the fabric of profitability became a black hole as social media and marketplace sites absorbed virtually all classified ads other than employment opportunities. It’s hard to stress what a significant source of revenue classifieds were. Think cake with no icing... and half-eaten.
Some of that loss was slowly but surely replaced by revenue generated by online ads on Pique’s website. Still, circulation remained robust; it was still a must-read for locals and tourists who wanted to know what was going down in Tiny Town. It was still an unbiased source of local and regional news. It was still a strong supporter of sports and the arts. And things were about to get worse.
A rumour coming out of China, a murmur in cosmopolitan centres. No one seemed too worked up about some blah-blah virus. People continued to jet off for winter holidays. Some governments grumbled about limiting or banning Chinese visitors. Nothing to see here, folks.
Until March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization declared COVID a global pandemic. If you’ve ever had the misfortune to unknowingly run an engine dry of oil—don’t ask—that sudden, shattering stop was not unlike the world abruptly coming to a standstill. In several blinks of an eye, normal became anything but. Businesses shuttered, stumbled, searched for and in some cases found new ways to do business. But with nothing on the horizon except uncertainty, there was little need to advertise.
Pique went into survival mode. There was no Pandemic Survival for Dummies book. Businesses everywhere made it up as they went along. Some didn’t get very far. None thrived. Every expense was pared. With few exceptions, Pique’s contributors became a volunteer labour force. Or were forced to look for something, anything that still paid. The paper began to look like the “After” images for a successful crash diet, shedding pages and pages.
Funny though, in some ways it got better. Everyone still writing had a renewed sense of how important what they were doing was to the community. Pique was a touchstone. A small island of sanity in a world gone insane. A familiar friend. A favourite blanky.
It’s a testament to human nature and the power of both denial and repression that so many of us have forgotten how tenuous everything was until the great social divide around approved vaccines became available in December 2020. It would be another half-year before things slowly began to find their new normal. The fallout lingers still on this 30th anniversary.
In many ways, Pique’s story parallels Whistler’s story. It was a crazy idea to start a paper in the early days of post-literate society 30 years ago. It was a crazy dream to start a ski resort in a place few had heard about, that was arduous to get to and was way too close to the fickle weather of the Pacific Ocean. Both crazy ideas persevered and grew.
The upstart Blackcomb eventually surpassed Whistler and wound up with common ownership. Pique outdistanced the Question and both ended up in the same corporate empire. Pique and Whistler both faced existential threats and both are still around to tell the stories.
But what about the future? Across Canada and around the world, newspapers, local newspapers especially, are vanishing. It’s a tough and getting-tougher business. And with so many channels of information and disinformation, is Pique still relevant? Does it play an important role in Whistler? Will there be a 40th anniversary and will it be printed on paper or solely online? What still resonates with readers within the pages of the paper?
I’m too close to the subject to answer those questions. So in what can only be considered a totally unscientific poll, I asked some folks those questions. I’ll let them provide the answers. And I apologize to all for editing—or not including—your comments, but Braden wouldn’t let me write a 6,000-word feature and more of you answered my email than I expected. Thank you.
Freedom Holders
Part of the team who originally designed Whistler Village, Jim Moodie commented, “Newspapers in general and community newspapers in particular are critically important to the health of a community. An informed community is a healthy community and Pique does the informing well, covering a wide array of topics of interest to residents and visitors alike. I still find something satisfying about having tangible news … I get to read a paper, I get to turn the pages.”
Former Resort Municipality of Whistler CAO and key negotiator with VANOC, Jim Godfrey: “Pique serves a number of important roles: an information source on a wide variety of community issues, news, activities, business awareness and community input. Barb and I think Pique is part of the fabric of the community. Online access will only increase but there’s something tangible and enjoyable about picking up a paper.”
Nancy Wilhelm-Morden served Whistler for many years in many capacities. “I think Pique plays an important role in the life of Whistler. There really is no other source of consistent, reliable, unbiased news. One of the first things a local politician does when they’re on a downward slide is to say they have stopped reading Pique. This is a surefire indicator they’re losing touch with the community and their days as an elected official are numbered.”
Hugh Smythe built Blackcomb and changed the face of skiing in North America. “Pique plays a role in the life of residents and people vacationing in Whistler. It provides unbiased, relevant local news that takes into account what’s going on outside the bubble. We still want to be reading Pique in 10 years, starting at the back, next the editorial, letters, Museum Musings, features, entertainment and the restaurant and retail ads about special deals.”
Artsy People
Mo Douglas is the executive director of Arts Whistler and a delightfully immoderate moderator. Here’s what she had to say: “Pique has always been a great source of local news, a way to connect to the community and stay up to date on Whistler’s vibrant event scene. I hope it’s around in 10 years, a vital part of community life, especially in small towns. Local news, editorials, letters to the editor and the arts section get most of my attention but I also peruse the sports section and many of the columnists.”
Sue Eckersley has been entertaining us for years with the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Cornucopia and New Year’s extravaganzas. “The Resort Municipality of Whistler asked me, and others, if there was one business/event/person that reflected Whistler. Most said WSSF. I said no, it’s actually Pique. I don’t know a single entity that’s been better at being where the community is. I hope it’s still in print in 10 years. There’s something special about sitting in a local coffee shop reading Pique—the editorials and that back-page guy.”
Stella Harvey breathed life into the Whistler Writers Festival and spawned untold writers’ groups around town. “Pique is where I found my community when I first moved here. There was and is information about who is doing what, community resources and events and opportunities to submit articles. I like the feel and accessibility of print. I hope the commitment to print continues.”
The Whistler Pulse, Laura Hanlon’s podcast, is, for many, a must-listen affair. For her, so is Pique. “Pique plays an important role, informing and representing locals as well as visitors. I feel its influence is lessening though, likely due to a massive increase in digital information and a decrease in attention span for print media. Jobs and housing posts were a critical resource for me but that is no longer the case due to digital resources. I still read it but don’t think we’ll see hard copy in 10 years. People want immediacy, not once a week.”
Builders
Steve Bayly has a park named after him. He didn’t build it, but he built a lot of other things, including the Whistler Valley Housing Society. “While perhaps lesser today, as is the case with a lot of print media, Pique has played and continues to play a huge role in the life of Whistler. Beyond letting us know what’s about around town, Pique has been a huge influencer in the provision of resident employee housing. As well, it is often the lead on keeping local government in check.”
Running Whistler Blackcomb through some of its most prosperous years, Dave Brownlie continues to leave his mark on Whistler and beyond. “Wow, I’ve been here all those 30 years. Pique has and continues to play an important role in the community. It ensures key issues, concerns and positive contributions by individuals and organizations are made public. It’s unlikely print will remain... unless they go back to printing on Thursdays. I love the spring and fall restaurant specials!”
Much of Blackcomb would look a lot different if Paul Mathews hadn’t had a strong hand in its design. Same with a number of mountain resorts around the world. “Pique is very important. It’s my only way to keep abreast of happenings and events in town. I like print; Pique’s one of the few things I get to read and hold in my hands. Good firestarter, too.”
Claire Mozes knows a thing or two about community. As CEO of the Whistler Community Foundation, she oversees many and varied community-building efforts. “Pique plays the role it should—it provides an opportunity for people living and visiting to find out what’s happening, both day-to-day events and deeper checks on the ups and downs of Whistler. The artistic covers are always a favourite of mine so I hope it continues in print.”
Skiers
Always pay attention to people who are known by a single name. Toulouse (Terry Spence) has been around forever. He still looks like he did in the Toad Hall poster. Seriously. “Pique keeps Whistler informed about politics, local events, policy changes and local sports achievements. It’ll be around in print for many years—who likes doing crosswords online? Great features, editorials, back page and good firestarter.”
I could’ve put Jack Christie in arts. Hiking guide writer, Pique contributor, former Georgia Straight mainstay, but more important, ski buddy. “For 30 years, Pique’s functioned exactly as Bob and Kathy had in mind: the weekly lens through which locals and visitors could understand and appreciate what a vibrant, ever-evolving community Whistler has become in 60 short years. Staffed by some of the brightest reporters, Pique annually harvests awards in provincial and national competitions. Keep the print: subscribe!”
Bob Calladine’s been skiing here since before there was snow. Teacher, coach and citizen of the year, he’ll probably ski here when the snow’s gone. “Newspapers in general are an important contribution to open government and helps keep them in check through questioning. Example: that frivolous lawsuit the RMOW brought against Pique. Pique provides succour to locals and visitors alike: news, arts, opinions, sports, entertainment, events. I hope print continues; I’ll need the exercise picking it up at the mailboxes.”
Takin’ Care of Business
Rick Clare’s a crossover, too—businessperson in so many ways, but also an original investor in Pique and therefore a builder. “Pique does play an important role by supplying us with well-researched articles and letting the municipality know someone is monitoring their actions. I enjoy holding a newspaper. With support, it’ll be here in print in the future. It would be great if more businesses supported local journalism. Letters, editorial and columnists, local news, and since real estate ads contribute to Pique’s success, I read them too.”
Barrett Fisher has been running Tourism Whistler for so long I can’t remember whether there was anyone doing that before her. Musta been. “Pique plays a critically important role representing local issues and events. It shares current news, politics, sports, entertainment and opinions on the challenges facing our community. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, opinion pieces promote dialogue and challenge us to consider our positions and provide a forum for diverse perspectives via online comments and letters.”
It’s only because he’s a retired politician I include John Grills in this grouping. Once a businessman, always a businessman. “Pique performs a valuable role in our community; I hope it’s around for years to come. Local and corridor news, local artists, performers and athletes, young and old, it’s the first choice to learn what’s going on and it’s a great resource for newcomers. If Pique disappears we’re left with big corporate news feeds and social media. Thirty years = 1,560 unique covers? Amazing!”
Politicians
Hizzoner, Happy Jack Crompton, had some thoughts on Pique’s relevance. “Whistler is extremely fortunate to have a vibrant print news source in an era where newspapers are shutting down. Pique plays a crucial role in our community, providing local news and fostering civic engagement. I’m incredibly grateful for the effort Pique puts into covering local government. It enhances civic literacy and strengthens democracy and civil society. It’s often the source and impetus for our public discussion.
“If Pique can adapt while maintaining what made it great, it will celebrate its 40th in print and digital. Pique truly is Whistler’s paper of record.”
Back from campaigning, Jen Ford had time to weigh in. “When I arrived in town, Pique was the first place to check to find a room to rent. Now, I think it might be the only reliable way to know what’s happening around town, fall restaurant specials and the latest gripes. Letters and opinions catch my attention ... even when they’re dead wrong!
Editor Emeritus
For as long as she was editor, Clare Ogilvie always got the last word on whatever I wrote. Some things never change.
“Did you see what just happened in the U.S. election? That result is one of the reasons why communities need trusted news sources like Pique, accessible across every platform whether printed, online or through social media.
“Pique is where Whistler finds out about news and information impacting our lives, municipal, provincial, national. We see ourselves reflected in the challenges we face, our successes and the stories that friends and strangers alike share. Pique is Whistler’s lifeline to information, as well as being integral to the support and sustainability of local businesses.
“Pique’s news team has always worked to build relationships with community members, organizations and businesses, so when news needs to be told reporters have access to accurate and timely information. Because information is useless, dangerous even, when sources are unreliable.
“I am an admitted news junkie seeking information all the time from different sources and across every platform. But to me, nothing beats the feel of newsprint in your hands. With the turn of every page a new story catches your eye, piquing curiosity, compelling you to keep going until the publication lies closed and wrinkled beside you.
“I’m not alone. Nearly half of Canadians read print newspapers. Eighty-three per cent read newspapers weekly across different platforms—phones, computers and tablets. Most Canadians read newspapers on more than one platform. So I believe Pique will always be in print, as well as online.”
“I love the letters to the editor and tend to read the Opening Remarks, Maxed Out first. Then it’s straight to the news, followed by columns—love Leslie Anthony, Vince Shuley and Glenda Bartosh—sports and the Arts Scene to see what events not to miss.
“My reading also has a bias—I love the reporters and Pique’s editor. I am not sure most Pique readers understand the quality of journalism they are offered every week. The multi-award winning reporters are likely the most recognized at the community level in Canada. Pique is unrivalled in the number of the journalism awards it has been honoured with.
“While awards in and of themselves are not that important, they speak to the deep passion Pique’s news team has for its craft. The journalists show grit in the face of difficult stories and share joy in the stories that uplift us. Sometimes they bring me to tears.
“And, yes, I still miss my Pique family and the rollercoaster ride of news at Pique every single day.”
It’s never been easy to produce a newspaper. Well, maybe a week or two in 2010. As a business model, print media is being assaulted by every advance in digital communication. News itself, the edited, relatively unbiased reporting on the day’s events, is under attack by people who would rather get their “information” from unreliable sources unknown.
But for now, Pique abides.
