Tourism Whistler appreciates the insights provided by Stephen Smysnuik in the "Pique'n Your Interest" column in the July 12, 2012 edition of Pique Newsmagazine.
Regarding the Canada Day long-weekend concerts, we agree with Mr. Smysnuik that the last-minute programming and promotion were not ideal.
Mr. Smysnuik addressed in his column the programming constraints due to the timing of the provincial funding, however, he fails to understand other constraints regarding the promotion of these concerts.
Due to contractual obligations, including a radius clause protecting regional venues where these performers were already booked, Tourism Whistler was prohibited from announcing the concert performers prior to June 25, and prohibited from naming them within any print advertising.
After the June 25 deadline, however, Tourism Whistler did in fact promote the Canada Day weekend concerts and activities through social media channels:
• 33 Tweets (with 12 specific concert mentions) through our Twitter account
• seven posts (with four specific concert mentions) on our Facebook Page
• Concerts were featured within Tourism Whistler's blog, The Whistler Insider, posted online June 25
• Tourism Whistler distributed a media release June 25 to radio, television, newspaper and magazine outlets, highlighting the concert lineup.
• An email promoting Canada Day long weekend activities was sent to B.C. consumers and was included in Tourism Whistlers' regional newsletter June 27
Prior to June 25, overall Canada Day activities were advertised in newspapers, radio and online channels locally and regionally, and while we were not specifically able to name the concerts, all advertising directed readers to the events landing page on www.whistler.com, where concert details were available.
All in, we recognize that the tight deadlines and narrow promotional channels we were required to work within were not ideal.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler, in collaboration with its resort stakeholders, is therefore working on solutions to improve this in years two and three. Long-term planning has been identified as a priority, and municipal council will consider a recommendation endorsed by the Festivals, Events & Animation (FE&A) Oversight Committee this week that outlines a request to invest RMI reserve funds in order to move up the planning cycle of the program.
Barrett FisherPresident & CEO,
Tourism Whistler
A love story that gives back
Hundreds of people came streaming into Dusty's last week to celebrate a couple's love for each other and to help them give back to the community they have called home for so many years.
If you have been in Whistler for a while — you probably know Lil Goldsmid. She is often best known as Nana G. And she loves playing the grandmotherly role, in fact she is a natural at it. Lil volunteers at the local schools reading to young children, then spends a few days volunteering at the Food Bank each month catching up with old friends and making new ones. If you are meeting Lil for the first time, she will want to know your story — she cares about people, and she cares about Whistler. Of course Lil is no fool — 65 years ago she married Howard Goldsmid, another caring individual who insists on giving back as much as he can. Howard is the 90+ year old you might see out riding his bike — nothing slows him down. Together Lil and Howard make an amazing team.
On the occasion of their 65th wedding anniversary Howard wasn't too keen on a party, but knew that Lil would enjoy one so he gave in on one condition — that it be a fundraiser. Now, given the years that Lil has dedicated to helping others at the Food Bank they quickly picked it as the charity of choice.
Whistler Community Services was overjoyed to hear about the fundraiser. As the 65th wedding anniversary party approached Howard started to get a little overwhelmed with the response. "I think we are going to have quite a few people there deary," he told me over the phone a couple of days before.
Friends were also telling Howard to raise his expectations for how much the couple might raise for the Food Bank. Howard's first goal was $5,000 and that would have been amazing — but then cheques started showing up before the event had even begun.
As people streamed into the anniversary party, as Howard, Lil and their friends shared some stories, and as people caught up on each other's lives — the people and the money kept coming.
The amount raised continues to increase as people drop cheques in the mail or at Howard and Lil's doorstep, but so far we have reached $11,405.
The Food Bank has a yearly budget of $73,000 so this money will help Whistler Community Services a lot.
The Food Bank is focusing a lot more this year on purchasing fresh food to help people who use the Food Bank eat healthy and these funds will be put towards that effort. For more information about the Food Bank, visit www.mywcss.org.
This is the biggest personal event fundraiser the Food Bank has ever been the recipient of, but perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that a couple that gives so much would inspire others to do the same.
Sara Jennings
Whistler Community Services SocietyFood Bank Coordinator
The river of broken dreams
The other day I was journeying down the River of Golden Dreams to do what most Whistler locals love to do on a sunny day: float down a river without a care in the world, and slightly wet my whistle while my bum gets extremely numb in the icy cold water.
Then we ran into a cop at the end of the river at Meadow Park. Standing there, arms crossed with aviators looking like nature's bouncer.
Has Whistler really grown so lame that we need to police a lazy river!?
Their job is to serve and protect yes? Who in the world are the police protecting from a bunch of people floating down a five foot-deep river having a couple of beers?
What are we going to do? Jump out of our boats and start a fight in water so cold it would make any naked man look like a girl?
Tourists or locals, we're all there to have a good time and enjoy ourselves. Unless there's a history of drowning, violence, or murder on the river, which there is not, let us have our fun and leave us alone.
Maybe some tourists will be "upset" about taking their children down in a canoe if they run into 30 drunken Aussies on a bright orange floating city. I don't want to sound mean, but if you don't like it that's too damn bad. We live here, you don't. Deal with it.
Nobody owns the river. Dishing out stupid fines so the police make their quota, or to deter locals from causing a ruckus is the most useless policing I've ever seen. You are helping absolutely nobody. I'm sure there are more important things to do than wander through a lazy river, or a disk golf course for that matter, and wreck everyone's beautiful day.
Jonny Fleet
Whistler
First Nations people vs. my ignorance
I have lived in Canada for about five years, mostly in Whistler, and up until recently knew little about the First Nations people.
My knowledge was constructed from pieced together conversations and passing encounters that read something like this: The native people of this land are a lost and hopeless people who lack leadership, motivation, respect and are clinging to the last shreds of their dying culture. They live on things called reservations where substance abuse, sexual and physical abuse and blatant misuse of hardworking Canadians'‚ tax dollars are prevalent.
Wow, now I knew that wasn't a well-informed view, but without actively seeking out factual information in this society, it was what I had.
On June 24th I attended the 4th International Indigenous Leadership Gathering in Lillooet. All people from across the globe are welcome, it is free, meals are included. For four days I experienced overwhelming hospitality and good will from a group of people I had never met and who knew nothing of me. I was welcomed warmly by breathtaking ceremonies from Mexican, Nigerian, Peruvian and Canadian peoples. And witnessed and participated in First Nations dance and ceremonies.
I listened to an array of intelligent and passionate speakers with diverse backgrounds including:
• The Lt. Governor who spoke of letting go of the hurtful parts of our past and moving forward.
• A peace healer from Nigeria who encouraged the audience to be at peace with everything we do.
• A spiritual leader from Peru, who asked for our prayers for his fellow villagers who are being killed by the government, under the rouge of terrorists‚ so international corporations can use the natural resources.
• Environmental and First Nations lawyers, scientists, chiefs, visitors from the Earth Summit in Rio and more.
I learned much from the individuals that I spoke to and was amazed by their openness and warmth. An elder spoke with me about letting go of the horrors of Vietnam and residential schools. A four-year-old boy told me about the passion he has for the spirit of the trees, and taught me that problems cannot be truly solved with anger and hate.
Many people helped me to construct a better understanding of the First Nations culture that now reads like this: The First Nations people of Canada have a rich culture and spirituality that is as diverse as the land. Although recent history and politics have presented some unique social situations, there are many strong leaders in the community that are actively working to create a bright future that will incorporate cultural values of community, family and respect.
Working on my ignorance.
Pip Bennett
Whistler/ New Zealand
Water water everywhere
I read with interest the column written by John French that appeared in the most recent edition of Pique Newsmagazine entitled, "Water origin a matter of economics and the environment" (Pique July 5, 2012).
In the piece, Mr. French does a very good job of detailing the history of the bottled water industry both domestically and internationally — until the last few paragraphs.
There, he indicates a trend in the Canadian restaurant industry towards serving patrons municipal tap water that has been filtered on the premises rather than imported bottled waters that have been a staple of fine dining in Canada since the early 20th Century.
While serving — and charging — restaurant-goers for filtered and carbonated tap water was a trend almost four years ago at some eateries in New York, San Francisco, Toronto and, yes, Whistler, it began a quick descent in popularity when some participating restaurateurs were publicly criticized by their patrons for serving — and charging for — tap water to complement their fine dining experiences rather than offering imported flat and naturally carbonated spring waters from Italy and France.
Other restaurateurs returned to imported bottled waters when the economic promise of filtration systems failed to materialize because sales volumes never surpassed the initial infrastructure or follow-on operating costs associated with them.
Beyond the unrivalled aromatic and oral experience afforded by a bottle of imported water is the fact that, with an 80 per cent recycling rate in British Columbia and a 70 per cent diversion rate nationally, these beverage containers also boast a far lower carbon footprint than filtration systems, largely because most of them can't be recycled.
John B. Challinor
Director of Corporate Affairs Nestlé Waters Canada
Please return our wagon
A couple of weeks ago we had a few bikes stolen from our play yard at Marmots along with our green wagon.
The RCMP found our bikes and they were returned a couple of days after the bikes were taken.
Our wagon had been seen on Balsam Way where the bridge is that some people put in to float down the River of Golden Dreams. By the time we were able to go and find the wagon, it was gone again.
It is a green plastic Step 2 wagon with a small green trailer attached. It's easy to identify because one of our friends had left pink chalk in the wagon.
We are hoping that the wagon and trailer could be returned, no questions asked. Thank you in advance to the person who returns our wagon! Good Karma comes to those who return stolen things taken from children
Tess Evans for The Whistler Children's Centre
Giant Garage Sale a Huge Success
On Saturday, July 14, the Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium held our third annual Giant Garage Sale in Creekside, along with a pancake breakfast on both Saturday and Sunday.
With over 20 tables of garage sale wares to browse through and delicious breakfast offerings for families on their way to the Whistler Arts Council's Children's Art Festival, the event was extremely successful and helped to raise funds that will be used for both community and international projects.
We would like to give a huge "thank-you" to the following organizations and individuals: Whistler Blackcomb, Centerplate, Tourism Whistler, the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Arts Council, Dave Brown of Whistler Real Estate, R.B. Brown Land Surveying Ltd., fellow Rotarians, and garage sale participants.
We look forward to seeing you at next year's sale, which will once again be held on the Saturday of the Whistler Arts Council's Children's Art Festival — rain or shine!
Jen Hames
Whistler
Local Girl Guides Head To Europe
Over a year ago we were selected to represent Whistler Trex on a journey to Europe. After a year of fundraising, we have finally reached our goal thanks to the help of many locals.
First and foremost, Karen Garrett of Sea to Sky Mortgages, along with Cathy and Paul at Splitz Grill and many of the realtors at Remax. We would also like to thank all the teams from the Whistler Slow-Pitch league for all the bottles and cans and the cookies they bought last summer.
Thank you all so much for your support. July 19 is our departure day. See you in few weeks!
Makenna Bailey and Nicole Deally
1st Whistler Trex
Survey SNAP
As the Senior Needs Action Planner (SNAP) with Whistler Community Services Society, I'm always interested in hearing what Whistler's aging population has to say. I'd like to request the input of those 55+ to fill out a short survey.
The purpose is to gather information that will result in programs, activities and services in Whistler.
Please go online and complete this 10-question survey and make your voice heard — http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XR9VCBJ.
For anyone who would like help or needs access to a computer please contact me (604-902-0865 or find it on our website www.mywcss.org) and I can assist you.
Melissa Deller, SNAP
Sailing Championships held in Whistler for the first time
Whistler Sailing Association hosted the first ever BC Sailing sanctioned race event to be held in Whistler, this past weekend.
On gusty Alta Lake, under the supervision of Head Coach/Race Director Francois Hebert over 40 young athletes from across Canada and Washington State, accompanied by their coaches, competed in the Optimist Class (15 years and under) and "420 class" (18 years and under) at the 2012 B.C. Championships.
Seven Whistler sailors, Ren, Leo & Neo Bennett, Cody Flann, Nicola McDonald, Benita Pfeifer and Collin Faiella, competed in the championships for the first time.
The Saturday evening lakeside dinner was also a huge success, with approximately 100 guests.
Without enormous involvement from the community and the volunteer brigade an event of this calibre could not take place. Generous corporate support was provided by Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, American friends of Whistler, Resort Municipality of Whistler (Dave Patterson & Roger Weetman), Crepe Montagne, C Escape sails, Backroads Whistler, Whistler Tax Solutions, Run With it, Sidorov Advanced Driver Training, The Nature of Real Estate, Nesters Market, Saturday at the Point (Stephen Vogler), and the Hilton Hotel.
Volunteer support came from all around the lake and the community with special thanks to Doug for the barge, and all the regatta vollies — Alan, Suze, John D, Nicola, David, Shane, Mark, Jay, Wayne, Shira, Boyd, Lorraine, Sally, Craig, Lennox, Dimitri, Sarah, Chris, and others.
We were blown away by all the help from Mother Nature, local businesses and enthusiastic vollies. Many thanks,
Patrick McCurdy, Commodore,
Whistler Sailing Association
