You recently published a letter to the Editor about proposed huts on the Spearhead traverse. I would like to contribute my own views to the one sided story that was told in that letter last week:
I am strongly opposed to the proposed huts system in Garibaldi Park, well known as the Spearhead ski traverse.
The park is unique because of its ease of approach from the Lower Mainland. The good side of this is that many Canadians and visitors to Canada can experience a unique alpine glaciated environment without having to trudge huge distances or to hire aircraft to access similar terrain further north or inland. The bad side of this is these same people have a huge burden removed by use of Highway 99 and the Whistler Blackcomb lift system to access the terrain. This has inevitably allowed some people access that would not otherwise have been as attractive to them.
Safe travel in this particular alpine glaciated terrain requires physical ability and mountaineering skills. The huts system largely reduces physical ability as the factor it is today, which inevitably draws those without the necessary mountaineering skills. That requirement for physical ability has been a self sustaining safety valve responsible for keeping those out of this terrain that should not be there.
But most important is "The big picture." Much of the wilderness of Canada is under pressure from a lot of different interest groups. Garibaldi Park is only one such wild area. The day trips one can make are nearly endless in the south Coast Mountains. The Spearhead ski traverse is one of only a few opportunities to truly experience what multiday travel in glaciated terrain is like and yet be so close to the Lower Mainland. In that way it is unique. The only other similar ski traverse is the Garibaldi Neve traverse and it is no where near as spectacular or unique in the chain of glaciers at high elevation.
A small but vocal group of supporters are pushing hard to make this system of huts a reality. I anticipate this will destroy the existing wilderness experience. It will also inevitably increase search and rescue calls due to the degradation of a self sustaining safety system (due to lower standards of physical ability being the primary process of accessing the park). There is no doubt in my mind that proponents do not appreciate the wilderness experience. And once gone that experience can never be retrieved.
One doesn't have to look further than the incredible beauty of the European Alps and the lack of wilderness apparent there in the present day. Where in Canada we require ropes to safely mountaineer, in the Alps they have fixed ladders, staircases, cog trains, and mechanical access from almost every valley. We have the beauty of large wild animals such as black and grizzly bears and wolverines, whereas most Europeans have never seen such jewels of the wilderness except on television or the internet.
The proposed huts system in Garibaldi Park is full of good intentions but lacks long sightedness, entertains permanent damage (through irreversible loss of this experience) and reduces personal safety. These all seem to be missing by a recent fire of activity to build, build, build. Buildings already exist throughout the south Coast Mountains! We don't need more at the expense of something so unique.
I suspect my voice will be seen as alone and unreasoned. Some will say I am not allowing others to experience what I have experienced. This is not true. I am trying to express my deep concern that people will be forever throwing away a true Canadian jewel, a birthright with this seemingly innocuous pitch to build real estate and infrastructure where it never was and should never be.
Michael A. Gigliotti
West Vancouver
Support for the teachers
I am an educator who supports our job action for a myriad of reasons, least of all the wage increases the media is continually mentioning as the main strike issue between the BCTF and the government. I think the main issue is the demise of actual support for public education that all citizens of this province should care about. After all, those little kids in my primary class are going to be voting in about 10 years time and will eventually become the ones who govern us. Let's hope their learning needs will be met and they will be making sound decisions in the future.
I think we all knew that not much was going to change on the education front and last Thursday I was back in the classroom educating my students because I am in charge of their future and I will do my best to prop up the disabled system public education has become. I will continue my role as an advocate for my students and their needs.
One issue I'd like to let the public know about — and I'm not sure they are aware of it — is how much of my personal money is spent in the classroom. This is money spent that cannot even be claimed as an expense on my tax returns. Many a cocktail lunch can be claimed by the private sector, but not the hundreds of dollars — spent through five or ten dollar purchases throughout the year — I find myself spending in order to make my lessons relevant. I noticed that the nurses' union placed a notice of support for the teachers in the Vancouver Sun (thank you), yet I doubt many nurses in this province spend their own money to provide bandages for their patients. Educators do (and these bandages are purely metaphoric). Perhaps if we were to strike one day a week the money saved by the government could be funnelled back into the underfunded system and as ludicrous as that may sound, it almost feels as though we're not too far away from such measures.
Carol Siblock
Mount Currie, B.C.
Teachers don't look reasonable
My kids were disappointed not to be in school last week. My daughter loves school and we could not have asked for a more fabulous kindergarten teacher. My son is in second grade and has also had terrific teachers.
It would be nice if my children's teachers — and all other British Columbians — could make more money. The hard reality is that taxpayers can't afford to meet teachers' demands right now. The province is running a deficit, and global economic uncertainty is still a major threat to our economy.
The teachers' demand for a 15-per-cent pay increase over three years doesn't look reasonable next to what is going on in the private or public sectors. Small-business confidence is still shaky. Consumers' continued caution means many business owners are making less than they did a few years ago. Most public-sector unions in the province, recognizing the economic climate, have settled within the government negotiating framework of no-net compensation increases for two years.
A recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business shows that the majority of small business owners (74 per cent) believe B.C. teachers should not be given wage increases in the middle of spending restraint (13 per cent say they should be given an increase and 12 per cent are undecided).
Fortunately, B.C. teachers are already well compensated. Individual teacher salaries in Vancouver range from about $46,000 to $81,000 for the 10-month period they are in the classroom. As a rough point of reference, median household income (which includes many families where both parents work) in Vancouver is roughly $65,000. Another indicator that wages are reasonable: more people want to teach than there are teaching jobs.
During the last negotiation, teachers secured a 16-per-cent pay increase over five years with a $3,700 signing bonus for each teacher. Most in the private sector did not fare as well.
While additional increases are off the table this year, it is worth noting that teachers working for less than 10 years will still get their seniority step increases of around $2,000.
B.C. teachers currently make more than teachers in most other developed countries according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. B.C. Business Council economist Jock Finlayson recently showed that teachers rank fourth in pay within Canada which "closely matches where our province sits in the national pecking order on most economy-wide measures of income."
Teachers also have generous benefits including defined benefit pensions where the employer is contributing more than the employee and much more holiday time than most other jobs.
Like most British Columbians, I have a great deal of respect for our teachers. But wage and benefit settlements need to be reasonable because all hardworking people pay for public-sector compensation through their taxes and in so doing have less to spend on their own families. The leadership of the B.C. Teachers' Federation should follow the lead of other unions in this province and wait for better economic times before asking for increases.
Laura Jones
Sr. Vice-President Research, Economics & Western Canada
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Getting through the busy signal
Just wanted to send a message out to the lady driving the grey Hyundai, as per our discussion in the Nesters parking lot on Mar. 6 at 3:30 p.m.:
As I had parked my vehicle and observed you trying to park your vehicle while trying to turn your wheel without dropping the cell phone out of your ear, a thought occurred to me. Perhaps this lady is not aware of how dangerous and illegal it is in this province to talk on your cell phone while driving.
This is the reason I waited until you and your child had gotten out of your vehicle still talking on your cell phone. My intent at this point was to do you a favour and save you some bank. So in a friendly, "Excuse me, are you aware" voice I asked you if you knew that in this province you can be fined for talking on your cell phone while driving. Your response to me (in a European accent, while still talking on your cell phone) that it is up to the police to do that seemed rather rude. Most people might just say "I'm aware of that but, I'm special and it doesn't apply to me" or "the possibility of me having an accident and killing my child and/or some other poor souls is not a concern to me because I'm a safe driver."
I just want to apologize for my bringing you're poor and illegal driving habit to your attention. My bad for disturbing your incredibly important phone call. Please think of me well when your spending that extra cash you may save if you take my advice. You might want to spend it on a hands-free device for you phone.
Ignorance is not a defense. Happy motoring.
Dave Asher
Whistler
Mercury? Try extinction...
Google it yourself. We have only 10 percent of all large fish — open ocean species including tuna, swordfish, marlin and large groundfish such as cod, halibut, skates and flounder — left in the sea. You can read for yourself the effect we are having on our oceans and thus our environment.
Surely you can responsibly find healthier and more responsible sources of nutrient for brain development for your children.
Not surprisingly the letter in the Pique last week recommending us to eat more fish, specifically tuna, was written by someone from the National Fisheries Institute. The NFI is the United States' industry trade group representing the seafood industry. Its member companies consist of all levels of business involved in seafood, from fishing vessel operators to seafood restaurants.
Of course they want you to eat more tuna.
Question it for yourself.
And try something from this list: sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids include algae, hempseeds and hempseed oil, walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, olive oil, canola (grapeseed) oil, avocado and chia seeds.
Beverly Lucas
Whistler, BC
Just a professional musician trying to join the jam
First of all, I would like to thank the wonderful, kind, and helpful members of your community for making my visit in Whistler such a pleasant experience. I will definitely be recommending Whistler to my friends in Switzerland. The skiing is nothing short of sensational, the slopes well groomed and well designed. My compliments!
However, I just have to share with you the weirdest (non) musical experience I have ever had during my 49 years of playing guitar. I read about the various open mic nights in your newspaper, and decided to check them out although all my equipment is in Europe. Not to worry, said the ad, instruments and amplification will be provided. The customers at the Crystal Lounge may remember me as the lonesome bloke in the red-checkered shirt who got up and played a few very elementary blues licks over a rather boring two-chord Reggae groove on Sunday evening, two weeks ago.
I thought I didn't do too bad, and the host seemed to be quite pleased with me as did pretty much everyone else in the place.
Fast forward to the Monday jam at Dusty's a few weeks ago. I arrived at around 9 p.m. and dutifully went up to the gentleman at the stage who seemed to be running the show, and he scribbled Rich (that's me) on a scrap of paper that seemed to have suddenly become THE LIST. I must have been either the first or second person on this list, and he assured me that after a couple of songs by the house band, Gnawed Beautys (or something like that) I would be called to jam on a song or two.
Goody thought I, and then back home by bedtime. Rubbing my hands in satisfaction at having got there early enough to guarantee a spot on the stage, I returned to my stool. I listened for my name to be called during a succession of performances by the Glory Brutes (or something like that), together with people they obviously already knew, and all the while the MC was dangling carrots in the form of free beer and the chance to win a guitar in front of prospective jammers. Well, I thought to myself, I'm on THE LIST, he's probably saving me for later. Being a true Brit I don't jump queues.
At something like 11:50 p.m., I finally plucked up enough courage to go ask if I was going to be able to play or not as it was actually way past my bedtime, free beer or not. I was treated to a barrage of abuse and insults and crept back to my seat, wishing a hole would open up under my feet. "Attitude" was what I was very loudly being accused of having. Apparently an attribute reserved solely for the star of the evening.
I grew up in the '50s, was turned onto the guitar, played my first gigs after hearing Hank Marvin in the '60s and became a mature performer in the '70s. Attitude didn't really start being a factor until the punk revolution in the mid-'80s, and then it was considered to be a positive attribute among certain rock musicians.
Nevertheless I thought I'd give the poor bloke another chance and after a few minutes and half a beer I ventured back to the side of the stage to ask what one had to do to become part of the cozy little club of cool musicians in Whistler. The poor fellow was obviously overcome by so much civil disobedience and morphed into the little red rooster, assuming an aggressive stance and inquiring whether I would like to f%*& with him — an offer I politely declined.
At this point I considered it wise to beat a hasty retreat before my innards were splattered over the stage upon which I was really planning to offer a humble contribution to the evening's entertainment, and maybe even get a free guitar to add to my extensive collection. The host of the Sunday jam who was onstage at the time, and seemed on Sunday to have become a friend, totally ignored me.
It may be a coincidence, but while retreating to the safety of the outside world I noticed a row of pretty ladies with their backs to the bar and their starry eyes directed towards my "opponent" in this confusing flexing of muscles. I don't doubt the guy is a very good musician, when you can hear what he is playing through the muddy mix. He didn't seem to understand the international sign language for sound engineers and probably misunderstood my attempts to draw his attention to the fact that his guitar could hardly be heard over the mayhem. Perhaps he thought that my pointing at him then the ceiling was an invitation to go to bed with me.
I was never one to brag, but I play enough mid-size venues in Europe not to have to worry about territorial pissings in a mountain village in Canada. But it would really interest me to know the reasoning behind this painful snub.
There are lots and lots of good musicians out there who dream their whole lives of getting the chance to get up and do their own thing. I see them in guitar shops, banished to a little soundproof cage, on the streets of big cities with a few coins in a guitar case at their feet, and drinking endless beers in jam sessions, too shy to get up there and play.
To help them a bit I have compiled a list of recommendations when attempting to jam with the cool guys. (A) Grow dreadlocks and practice some coolspeak, man. If you don't have enough hair left, try wearing a woolly cap, and don't take it off when you are sweating. It's not cool to be hot. (B) Sunglasses are pretty cool but can be hazardous combined with too many beers in a dark environment. (C) Drop the old Christian name and surname thing and use ONE NAME. (D) While waiting for your turn, pay due attention to the antics of the main man. Don't text or make phone calls to your friends and family; this could have been my downfall. (E) If your name is called, approach the stage on hands and knees, don't lose the sunglasses! (F) If your name is not called don't complain, you will get another chance to be ignored next week. (G) Never give up playing, it will become a part of you as it did me, and give you countless hours of pleasure, regardless of your hairstyle (or lack thereof) and whether or not anyone is listening. Except mum who loves what you play anyway, and dad who wants you to turn it down, or off.
Where I come from a jam session is open to anyone, not just a small elite group. If anyone can offer me an explanation of this confusing show of ignorance and bad manners, or has any comments that can help me leave Whistler as happy as I was up to the Monday night jam, please mail me at [email protected] because I won't be showing up at any jam sessions anytime soon. Actually I think the band was called "Ignore Brits." Something like that anyway.
Rich Stubbings
Switzerland
