I am very sad and angry to learn that, barely two years later another member of our Pemberton, Mount Currie communities has been murdered. What makes this even more disturbing is that this occurred close to the same place as the first murder: right behind our Elementary school and next to the village.
It seems as though attempts to discourage the drinking in and around our schools and communities has failed once again. The removal of trees in the area has done little if anything to discourage the consumption of alcohol.
As I watched my children playing in the school playground, possibly on the same day as this murder, I noticed three inebriated adults stumble into the woods beside and behind the school. I now wonder if one of these people was Matthew Pierre, the man who was murdered.
Could myself or anyone else have done something to prevent this tragedy? No. Probably not. We have become so accustomed and accepting of open alcohol and public drunkenness in our community that most of us have turned a blind eye. All I know at this time is that a soft spoken, gentle man with whom I worked with for six years at the Chateau Whistler Resort is gone. Murdered. His family and friends will never see him again. My heart goes out to them all.
As a 10-year resident of Pemberton I understand that there is no short term solution to the issue of alcoholism in our community, or any other community for that matter, but clearly something is not being done. This has been going on for years, except now two people are dead. We watch as people walk in and out of our liquor establishments and into the surrounding parks and forest to get "loaded". I personally have been harassed at the recycling depot on occasions for my returnable bottles and cans, and watch open alcohol being consumed outside our stores.
In light of the recent event that occurred at the dental clinic, it's obvious that our police are being stretched to the limit. With more demand for police presence on our highway, and the large area they patrol, could our community be suffering? Are people paying with their lives? The incident at the dental clinic could have easily turned into an emergency, a 45-minute response time is unacceptable.
In my experience, and what we have just seen happen, drunk people can be very unreasonable, anger easily and become violent very quickly. Also, are there enough resources in our communities for people to turn to when they are desperate and in need of help? Maybe a walk-in clinic for alcoholics is the answer, somewhere for them to drink, and receive counselling. Hey, they do it for heroine addicts in East Vancouver, and their drug is illegal!
It sure beats the alternative, ending up murdered behind our schools. a tragedy that as a society we are all responsible for.
Christina Benson
Pemberton
Re: Approval of Segway pilot project
It is with profound disappointment that I read that the Segway Pilot Project has been allowed to go ahead. After spending considerable time with two levels of RMOW staff, having written a letter to mayor and council about the downside of allowing this project to begin, and having endured 20 minutes on the phone with the operator trying to change my mind about it, I was convinced (naively so) that council would use common sense and not allow this project a foot in the door.
I started to worry however, when, in the most recent article Councillor Wells stated that she was "encouraged" to find out that there would be only five Segways. Now when in Whistler does anything happen in moderation? You can bet that this amount will increase exponentially.
Councillor Davies thought it might be a "good thing" due to the "Olympics coming." Huh? Does everything have to be tied to the Olympics? Please… I highly doubt that a disabled visitor will choose to ride a Segway in the cold of winter, to an Olympic venue.
The Valley Trail is an extraordinary Whistler feature used by hundreds of locals and visitors. Since its creation, it has been a wonderful refuge from the road to all who use it. On that trail, we are forced to use our own motors, which is what Whistler is renowned for; being an active community which promotes lots of exercise and activity for guests and locals alike. Granted, skateboards and bikes go fast on the trail, but they are still powered by the riders’ own engines.
Well, thanks to council that has all changed. The Pandora’s box has been opened. Somehow, the operator bypassed the No Motorized Vehicle bylaw preventing anything but human power on the Valley Trail. And council let it happen even though many of them are regular users of the Valley Trail, and should understand what they have taken away from us.
Council has allowed yet another unnecessary "urban toy" into our midst. They could have stopped it. But no, instead of taking a stand, having a backbone, and not trying to be all things to all people, they let the genie of motorized transport out of the bottle and onto our Valley Trail. How dare they.
Regarding the "guided only access" aspect, the operator told me that once the rider has been on a guided ride, and signs a Valley Trail Code of Conduct form (?) they will be free to take a Segway for a ride on their own. We can all imagine what will happen after that. She also tried to convince me that the Segway is not "motorized". It is "battery operated". Now we are splitting hairs.
Bob Kusch thinks bylaw officers will be able to stop any other Segway users from being on the Valley Trail by simply asking them to "please don't use the trail." That doesn't work in the winter with walkers on the XC Ski Trails, even with bylaw-department support, patrol, signs and peer pressure! Council (and Bob Kusch) owes the hundreds, no thousands, of regular users of the Valley Trail an explanation and an apology. They have allowed a new user group (one never intended to be there) access to the trail, all for the sake of the almighty dollar.
So, on the ever-eroding list of reasons to stay in Whistler, the Valley Trail status is now in question. Council has contributed to corrupting the integrity of it. Be ashamed.
Cheryl Morningstar
Whistler
This letter was addressed to the mayor and council.
Re: Delta Whistler Resort
You may recall that I wrote to you some weeks ago concerning the Delta Hotel's application to add 40,000 square feet to its development. I asked you to rescind your decision allowing your planning staff to continue processing that application. I understand that you have not taken that step and the application is alive in the depths of municipal hall.
Since that time, I have reviewed a copy of the restrictive covenant registered on title to the Delta. It specifically sets out how many guest bedrooms there can be in the development, the number of parking stalls, etc. This covenant is enough in itself for you to have refused the Delta's request for additional development. The municipality will have to agree to amend it if you intend to approve this project.
It is my recollection that, in the past, if a restrictive covenant in the village was to be amended the policy of council was to treat that amendment as if it were a rezoning. In other words, a public hearing would be held. The rationale for this policy was that the restrictive covenants were integral to the plan and design of the village as a whole, and should not be changed without significant community input.
That policy seems to have been forgotten, or perhaps ignored. At least as far as reported in the newspaper. A recent article in the local newspapers indicated that construction work on the new addition to the Delta is scheduled to begin on May 15. Not only does that not give time for any meaningful public input, it implies that any criticism of adding such a huge mass of building to the end of the village will not stand in the way of the approval process.
I can only reiterate that in my opinion, and in the views of quite a number of people who spoke to me about my letter, planning staff time would be better spent concentrating on addressing the perceived loopholes in the CC 1 zoning rather than processing the Delta's application. The present village design is an integral element of Whistler's success. A sunny, pedestrian-oriented town with preserved view corridors and buildings consistent with an alpine experience is worth fighting for. Turning it into Manhattan north is just plain wrong.
Nancy Wilhelm-Morden
Whistler
I have spent 35 years of my life as a police officer, administering and directing police programs aimed at maintaining peace and good order in communities. It was therefore natural that I would look at the environment I presently live in to see if there are issues I could identify that may affect my family and the property I own here in Whistler.
As most citizens know, we are being told that the world's mean temperature is increasing. If this "global warming" trend becomes extreme, one of the things that could result is that there will be an increase in forest fires, especially in heavily forested areas such as we live in. We only have to remember last year's fires in the Okanagan area and those now taking place in California to realize that a forest fire in the Whistler area would not only be a threat to the public and property but to the very existence of our community as a world wide tourist resort. Just picture Whistler and Blackcomb covered with black charcoal sticks! Who would want to come to such an environment, either winter or summer?
Due to this threat I felt compelled to pay a visit to RCMP Staff Sergeant Hilton Haider, who is responsible for peace and good order in our community. When discussing my concerns about the threat of fires, I found that he agreed with me and that he felt this was the major threat to the resort of Whistler. He had recently held discussions with the Whistler fire chief who confirmed our concerns. In any wild fire, early detection is one of the best ways to prevent a major disaster.
As a result of our discussion, Staff Sergeant Haider and I concluded that the policing of Whistler could be greatly assisted if a program could be set up whereby the citizens of Whistler could get a hands-on involvement in maintaining the security of our community. We thought that citizens could volunteer to assist the police by doing "ride-alongs" or even creating teams of volunteers who would be given specific tasks to undertake under the supervision of the RCMP management. One idea that comes to mind was that patrols made up of volunteers could be used during "high fire threat" periods to watch for the signs of fire that could turn into a major catastrophe.
To structure and administer such a program will take a great deal of organization and work for the citizens of Whistler. However, once this group of volunteers is set up and have a chance to work together, they would be a very valuable asset in any major occurrence. Staff Sergeant Haider also noted that during the Olympics in 2010, the police will need hundreds, if not more, volunteers, and he thinks this volunteer group would already be trained and experienced and the ideal type of people to assist.
Both Staff Sergeant Haider and I are members of the Whistler Rotary Clubs. As a result of this we thought the Rotary Club members were a good group to present our idea to and to see how the reaction would be. Staff Sergeant Haider presented the idea to his morning Rotary Club, and he and I did the same to my Millenium Club with a good show of interest from the members. Some have already asked to have their name put on a volunteer list.
This program will not be limited to Rotary members. Therefore we have decided to write this memo to the local media and to municipal council.
Retired RCMP C/Supt Gordon L Tomalty
Staff Sergeant Hilton Haider- N.C.O.ic RCMP Whistler
A few days ago, on my drive from Whistler to Pemberton, I noticed a man picking up stuff from the ditch and putting it in a plastic bag. I was wondering what he was doing here, half way between two towns, all alone. Then I passed a shiny minivan with a fair size trailer behind it and assumed that there was a connection; perhaps someone collecting recyclables. I slowed down wondering if I would notice any litter on the side of the road, and sure enough while driving much slower I could see something reflecting in the sun every few metres among other, not so bright things.
The next day on the same stretch I saw the minivan again and I slowed down, as I was hoping to ask the owner of it some questions. He came right away across the street with his plastic bag of cans. I asked him if he’d been hired by the government or municipality to clean up the ditches. Oh no, he said, my wife died about 12 years ago and I just need something to do.
He went on and told me that he comes from Sayward on Vancouver Island and that he just finished cleaning up all the ditches over there. When I asked if he has done this here before, he answered that he comes over here every year and that so far, on his second day, he collected 2,500 beer cans. Last year he collected 7,200 beer cans between Whistler and Pemberton in five days.
Wait a minute, I said, this means that every day on this road 20 beer cans get thrown out the window.
Sad but true, according to George Primrose. It doesn't take much to figure out that most of these cans are being discarded by Northbound traffic and shows that drinking and driving is an important issue our communities have to face.
After this conversation I spent quite a bit of time to think about George and the littering issue in our country. At 5 cents for each beer can, George made $360 in five days bending over and picking up after others. He probably spent $150 on ferry transportation for this minivan and the trailer, never mind the gas and living expenses while he is here. I'm sure it actually costs him money to do this and wouldn't be surprised if he gave the proceeds to charity.
So what are we going to do when George Primrose gets too old or too tired of cleaning up after us?
I’d suggest that now is the time to increase the deposit on recyclables. George Primrose though, would rather see the following: Anyone caught throwing trash from their car should see their vehicle confiscated, sold and the proceeds donated to cancer research.
While I doubt his recommendations will be considered seriously, increased fines for littering along with more enforcement is certainly needed.
It would also help if local businesses and corporations would offer incentives to their employees to recycle instead of to litter.
Thanks to George for setting a great example.
Margit de Haan
Pemberton
I have never responded to a letter in Pique Newsmagazine before. However, after recently reading a letter (Where are the women? Pique, April 30) that was questioning Intrawest's lack of responsibility to promote female managers I felt it was time.
I guess to start off I should tell you that I am a male. No doubt this letter would carry more weight were I a female. Still, it does not take away from my message.
I started working for Intrawest at a very young age; in fact as I was growing up in Pemberton I believe that I was the youngest employee ever hired as a busser. Over the following six years I worked in numerous positions on both mountains, in the end managing one of the small food and beverage outlets on Blackcomb Mountain. Over these years I was fortunate enough to have several managers take the role as my mentor, both male and female, helping me develop. Through all the work with Intrawest I never felt that I was in a better position to advance given my sex, nor hindered. Rather, I only experienced advancement based on both education and theoretical knowledge. This is not to say that I have ever been considered for an executive position, rather I do not feel that we truly understand how much experience and time those newly appointed executives have gained over the years. Many have worked with the company since its inception and seen it through many milestones. To state that not enough female executives have been hired is implying that these men did not deserve their new roles. Without fully knowing each person's resume, I feel such a rash judgement is wrong and far too simple to be the truth.
I sometimes find myself defending Intrawest in friendly group banters. Some have more relevance on fact and others are discussions based on emotions. The point that I wish to make is that through my jobs with this great multi-nation corporation I experienced nothing that would indicate one sex is given preferential treatment over another.
If the writer of this letter that I am responding to had actually researched the management structure of Blackcomb and Whistler Mountain they would have been surprised to learn, for example, that the manager of the Chick Pea is a woman, the manager of Whistler's coffee bar is a woman, the manager of Rendezvous is a woman, the head chef of Rendezvous is a woman, the director of food and beverage is a woman, as are many supervisors and lead hands throughout all the outlets on both mountains. This is not to say that there is not a great representation of male managers, however when you consider all the managers, supervisors, and lead hands that are female (far more than I just mentioned) as well as the director of food and beverage, I honestly believe that one cannot claim that top level executive positions were out of the reach of woman. Rather, due diligence was conducted by this company and the most experienced and educated professionals have been chosen to head many of the new divisions.
Roland Kym
Whistler
Thank you so much for your recent article on the need to create awareness for providing transportation for cancer patients in Whistler and Pemberton.
I’ve had numerous positive comments from friends and acquaintances on your article about the situation. The more we can get the message out, the better it is for all cancer patients.
However, one issue that has surfaced from the article is the impression that my husband’s employer might not have been supportive or accommodating.
This could not be further from the truth. Eric’s employer gave him as much time off as he needed to help and support me and they still provide us unconditional support as I continue to undergo intensive quarterly evaluations.
I believe the misunderstanding might come from my discussion of the time I took the Greyhound bus with our son Noah, and had such difficulty. Eric was actually out of the province at the time and I stubbornly thought I could handle the situation on my own.
I appreciate the opportunity to rectify any comments of mine that might have been misunderstood. Thank you again for all the support and encouragement.
Devon Brusse
Whistler
On behalf of the Whistler Arbor Day committee I would like to say "Thank you to the community!"
An amazing turnout by dozens of volunteers ensured Saturday’s Arbor Day was a huge success. Volunteers representing many community groups planted up the North Gravel Pit in record time. Approximately 2,400 trees went into the ground in a few hours. Over 1,800 trees were given away at the Nesters Market Booth.
Thanks to AWARE, the Whistler Naturalists, Whistler Fisheries Stewardship Group, Whistler Angling Club, The Land Conservancy, Whistler Rotarians and many other volunteers for their contributions. Particular recognition goes to our sponsors, BC Hydro, Western Forest Products, The Whistler Grocery Store, Nesters Market and Cutting Edge Signs for their contributions to the day. Whistler Outdoor Experience was again generous with their facilities.
And thanks to the Whistler Question for your coverage, too.
Paul Beswetherick
Landscape Supervisor
Resort Municipality of Whistler
It’s all about the love
Huge Thanks to all the restaurant and bar staffers who entered, supported, cheered and cajoled at the inaugural Giant Love Cup & the Thrilla on the Hilla restaurant and bar ski/snowboard race.
Kudo's to Cate and the entire events crew who "herded the cats", Canadian Snowmobile Adventures for bringing the battered and bruised warriors back up to the start after each run, Dale Schweighardt and Chris Quinlan for their amazing on the spot colour commentary, Johnny Thrash and his unrelenting spirit, Guitar Doug and Grateful Greg for a true Whistler style spring après party, Rob Banks for just being so cool, Pete at Toad Hall for the legendary logo and design, and Maurice Lavoie for making the coolest trophy I have ever seen.
It was my pleasure to award the first ever Giant Love Cup to the timeless champions of the Rim Rock, with everybody's favourite team name: "Tell the chef my snapper is delicious".
I'm already looking forward to next year’s event with anticipation and hope that we as an industry will continue to hold and support restaurant and bar events like this one for many years to come.
Rev. J. Michael Varrin, Esq.
Whistler
