I feel like there hasn’t been much time for relaxing or finding the Christmas spirit so far this season.
We’ve had to make sure we got our tree really early, or risk not getting one, as happened to several friends of mine (fortunately for us in the Sea to Sky we can get a permit and go out into the woods and cut one). The same is true for turkeys for Christmas dinner, and so many items we wanted to get for loved ones for presents.
The bonus of being forced to get on everything early, though, might be that, as the holiday week is upon us, we can actually just sit and enjoy the eggnog—at least those lucky enough not be working throughout the holidays.
Whistler, being a mountain ski resort, is full-steam-ahead right now with many residents working every single day of the season. They are working to make sure that the people visiting us and supporting our tourism infrastructure have the best possible experience while here. We need them to tell their friends how awesome we are and to come back again in the future.
Part of this experience now has to include following COVID-19 safety protocols laid out by the public health office of B.C. This includes wearing masks in confined spaces such as gondolas, and when moving about restaurants and so on.
It is distressing to read over and over in Pique’s Letters to the Editor and on social media that many are not following the guidance on masks on the mountain. While it is true Vail Resorts has said skiers and riders do not need to wear masks in the line-up, you do need a proper face covering in the gondolas or in indoor spaces. The masks need to cover your mouth and nose snuggly. (An epidemiologist told CBC that those blue, flappy, surgical-cloth masks everyone is wearing are not going to cut it against the new Omicron variant.)
The point of the mask really is to prevent you from spreading any viral infections you might have. So not wearing one really is a clear statement that you simply don’t care about the others around you who are trying to enjoy the magic around them this season.
As pretty well the only ski resort that doesn’t require skiers and riders to be fully vaccinated to get up the mountains, it is even more important that mountain users at least get their masking protocol right in the gondolas. Come on people—do we really want to run the risk of Whistler Blackcomb being shut down again during the season? It’s already true that COVID-19 is sweeping through the resort, hammering our already stressed staff.
Sporting a properly fitting mask should be the minimum for mountain staff, too. Why not set an example for people?
Many of us were feeling pretty upbeat heading into this winter season, until the province handed down its latest restrictions. While obviously staffing remains a huge concern and is limiting what businesses can offer, the fact that people could travel here, and we have great snow, meant we were feeling optimistic.
But now that the federal government has again said that only essential travel should be undertaken, we are left wondering if this will mean that holidayers who had booked their Christmas season with us will now cancel. We don’t know yet. It is likely that some will cancel and some will still come.
International travellers, as of Dec. 21, will have to have a negative PCR test to land—that’s good for Whistler, and for keeping our COVID-19 numbers down. But these travellers also now have to complete another test upon arrival, and must isolate until that test is negative. I guess hotel room service will be hopping!
Interprovincial travellers to B.C. so far just need to show proof of being fully vaccinated to come here.
So, as we head into another pandemic Christmas season in Whistler let’s do our best to stay positive, help the guests we have find the break they need here in our wonderland, and let’s also remember to be kind to all the workers who are helping make the season special for all of us.
Happy holidays everyone.
