Making time for darkness and celestial wonders. - By Glen Hvenegaard / The Conversation
06 OPENING REMARKS Seasonal appreciation in Whistler is less about admiring pretty leaves or powder days and more about understanding the bargain, writes editor Braden Dupuis.
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In this week’s letters, a reader makes the case for the implementation of a “Taylor Swift tax” in Whistler.
26 RANGE ROVER These days, whether physiology, systematics, or ecology of one stripe or another, it’s all about conservation, writes Leslie Anthony.
54 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST Resilience can’t be a band-aid or an afterthought, writes Lisa Richardson.
10
BUILDING BLOCKS Developers argue Whistler’s implementation of B.C.’s smallscale housing legislation is too restrictive.
11
COURTING
OPINIONS
The future of the Whistler Racket Club was top of mind at a Beedie Living open house focused on the Northlands rezoning this week.
36 UPHILL BATTLE Teen mountain biker Caileigh Koppang still faces a long road to recovery a year after the crash that nearly killed her.
40 JUKE JOINT
C.R. Avery brings his multi-genre East Van Abbey Cabaret to The Point Artist-Run Centre on Sept. 20.
COVER I was born looking up at Jasper’s night sky! - By Jon Parris - AdobeAI // @jon.parris.art
Publisher SARAH STROTHER - sstrother@piquenewsmagazine.com
Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
The four faces of Whistler
RISING LAST WEEK as we do every Wednesday sometime before 6 a.m. for Pique ’s weekly production day, art director Jon Parris lamented the sudden loss of natural morning light.
“So glad it’s finally wake-up-in-the-dark times again!” he posted sarcastically in the Slack.
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
It’s not an uncommon sentiment in the fall—according to the Canadian Psychological Association, about 15 per cent of Canadians will report at least a mild case of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in their lifetime, while two to three per cent will report serious cases.
Even the best, most brightly optimistic of us can fall victim to the Vitamin-D deficiency that strikes in the deepest dark of winter. But I more often find myself holding a deep appreciation for Whistler’s seasonal shifts as they arrive like annual, familiar houseguests.
Fall, the quiet, brooding philosopher, followed by winter, the hustler. Spring arrives in due time itself, the trickster and the tease, then summer, the adventurer.
THE PHILOSOPHER
Fall in Whistler is easy to overlook, especially for visitors. But locals know it as the most necessary season, the one that saves them from burnout. The Philosopher doesn’t dazzle. It contemplates. Morning fog curls around the peaks, the valley floor glows gold with crunchy, fallen leaves, and the Village Stroll empties out. For the first time in months, it feels like there’s space to breathe.
Businesses tighten belts, workers catch their breath, and long evenings arrive to remind us rest is part of the cycle, too. Hikers swap
high peaks for mushroom hunts in the forest. Conversations drift toward reflection: another season done, another on the horizon, and what kind of snow will the upcoming winter bring? Fall carries no hurry, no spectacle—just the steady reminder stillness has its own value. In its quiet way, fall balances the equation, preparing us for winter’s next storm.
THE HUSTLER
Winter in Whistler doesn’t ask permission. It storms in, loud and busy, and immediately takes over. The mountains light up with groomer headlights overnight, and headlamps on early mornings, skis clicking into bindings before dawn. Restaurants overflow, and bars keep a steady pulse until the small hours. The
THE TRICKSTER
And then, just as winter feels like it might never loosen its grip, spring slips in with a grin. The snow turns slushy, bikes appear on car racks beside skis, and patios fill with people who can’t decide whether they’re sunbathing or freezing. Spring has no patience for certainty. One day it teases with shirtsleeve warmth, the next it pelts Juneuary sleet against the window.
For locals, spring is the season that tests adaptability. Trails are muddy, the mountains shift to shorter schedules, and the town itself seems caught between identities. But there’s magic in the mess. Spring is the alchemist, melting white into green, coaxing streams out of ice, and teaching patience in the in-between. It’s not the most glamorous
But the Adventurer is fleeting. Its reign is short, sometimes only eight or 10 perfect weekends before the nights grow cool again. That brevity sharpens the appetite while locals dash from shift to trail to lake, unwilling to waste a single hour. Tourists who only know Whistler as a winter destination are often startled to discover how alive the place feels in July. But summer doesn’t linger. It arrives with open arms, spends itself quickly, and then is gone.
What makes Whistler unique isn’t just its scenery or its slopes. It’s that the place lives four different lives each year, each with its own demands on the people who call it home.
Tourists often know only one face of Whistler— the bright performer of winter or the sun-soaked adventurer of summer—but locals know all four
Even the best, most brightly optimistic of us can fall victim to the Vitamin-D deficiency that strikes in the deepest dark of winter. But I more often find myself holding a deep appreciation for Whistler’s seasonal shifts as they arrive like annual, familiar houseguests.
energy is contagious—skiers chasing powder lines, families ticking off bucket-list vacations, workers pulling doubles just to keep up with the tide.
But winter is also ruthless. For every perfect powder day, there’s an injury, a burnout, a worker running on fumes behind a bar, a long line of traffic snaking its way south in the afternoon. Winter gives, but it also takes. Its economy is feast and frenzy, and those who endure it do so with the quiet knowledge exhaustion is built into the deal. Still, Whistler thrives on winter’s spotlight. It’s the season of fame, the one that draws the world here—our raison d’être.
character in the cast, but it might be the most honest—life is rarely one thing or the other, but some muddy mix of both. More grey than black and white.
THE ADVENTURER
If winter is Whistler’s claim to fame, summer is its secret heart. When the last of the snow finally retreats, the town throws itself open. Lakes fill with swimmers, bikes rattle across roots and rocks, and music carries from patios and stages. Summer is extroverted, golden, demanding people wring as much as possible out of the long days.
characters intimately. They know the exhaustion of winter shifts, the mud of spring transitions, the fleeting joy of summer afternoons, the grounding silence of fall mornings.
Seasonal appreciation in Whistler is less about admiring pretty leaves or powder days and more about understanding the bargain. To endure here is to adapt. To thrive is to find meaning not just in the glory, full-send moments but in the messy, quiet, and difficult ones, too.
In the end, Whistler isn’t just a mountain town, but a cycle, a story told in four acts, year after year. And like any good story, it only makes sense if you know all the characters. n
Rhode Island recently passed the “Taylor Swift Tax”—a property surcharge on luxury second homes over $1 million that aren’t used as primary residences or rented out at least six months per year. This approach aims to generate state revenue for affordable housing while encouraging property owners to better utilize their investments.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) needs to seriously consider taking similar action to proactively increase municipal revenues while addressing our housing crisis. The reality is that teacher positions can’t be filled due to housing issues, and local businesses regularly lose their top employees simply because they can no longer afford to “live the dream in paradise.”
A couple of ideas:
First, implement a luxury property surcharge on second homes that don’t include rental suites or permanent dwellings when they feasibly could. This surcharge should be appropriately scaled based on property value, ensuring those with the most expensive properties contribute proportionally more. This immediately generates crucial municipal revenue while incentivizing better property utilization.
Second, establish a fast-track building
consent process specifically for second homeowners adding rental units or standalone modular dwellings to their properties. Lessen the bureaucratic barriers for those willing to contribute to our housing supply. The RMOW could go as far as having pre-approved designs and agreements with manufacturers
and construction companies they could get a cut of business from to better fund our amazing public services at their current level.
Owning a luxury second (or third) standalone home in Whistler is a privilege that comes with community responsibility. Property owners should either pay appropriately for
choosing to underutilize their appreciating asset within our housing-starved community, find ways to be part of the solution to this crisis, or sell it to someone else who will.
Our housing emergency demands innovative solutions by our municipal leaders. Rhode Island showed us there is a way—now it’s time for the RMOW to act in our interests and not treat property owners from Seattle, Silicon Valley, or West Van as equals to those of us who live, work, teach, learn, and keep the lights of this little economy and community on 52 weeks a year.
Will Stewart // Coworking Whistler, Whistler Sauna Rentals
Political demonization leads to radicalization
I initially thought Leslie Anthony’s diatribe was parody but I fear he has “gone off his medication” (see Pique, Sept. 12: “Hello, fascism!”) American governance (nor Canadian conservatism) is nowhere near fascism. It isn’t even close to political nationalism. It is a democracy by any definition, and all are flawed. Maybe he believes the “left” is unassailable. There is ample evidence otherwise. Think Marxism to Stalinism.
One may not agree with every government’s performance but demonization leads to radicalization and we know where that goes! Think Charlie Kirk.
Builders say Whistler’s Bill 44 bylaw adds barriers to housing
DEVELOPERS
ARGUE WHISTLER’S IMPLEMENTATION OF B.C.’S SMALL-SCALE HOUSING LEGISLATION IS TOO RESTRICTIVE
BY LIZ MCDONALD
MEMBERS OF WHISTLER’S building and real estate sector say the municipality’s implementation of provincial housing legislation is too restrictive, limiting its potential to create new homes.
Bill 44, the province’s small-scale multiunit housing (SSMUH) initiative, requires municipalities to allow more density in singlefamily zones without rezoning or public hearings. Homeowners can now apply to add secondary suites or multiple units on lots.
But Rod Nadeau, managing partner of Innovation Building Group, said Whistler’s bylaw goes beyond provincial guidelines in ways that make projects financially unfeasible.
“There are many layers to the rules, and each time you add more, you’re adding costs and reducing incentives,” he said. “In Pemberton, we bought a large chunk of land and are building 17 fourplexes. Our goal is to prove we can lower housing costs through quality and design. Pemberton followed the guidelines, and they’re getting housing.”
PEMBERTON VERSUS WHISTLER
Nadeau said the difference lies in Pemberton adopting the province’s guidelines without additional local restrictions.
In Whistler, the bylaw caps building size at 40 per cent of a lot or 511 square metres, whichever is less. Secondary suites can’t exceed 40 per cent of the main home, lot setbacks are set at three metres, and lot
frontage must be at least 18 metres.
On top of that, rental and employee housing requirements apply. A three-unit build requires one rental unit, while four-unit projects must include two rentals. If owners want to strata-title or sell units separately, they must enter into an agreement with the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) guaranteeing one or two units are restricted to employee housing.
Pemberton does not impose employee covenants on rentals and industry members Pique spoke with said that’s the biggest hurdle facing interested developers.
CONCERNS FROM INDUSTRY
“If people don’t have the square footage that’s buildable, they can’t put in a laneway house,” said local realtor Shauna O’Callaghan “The average Whistler home is 3,000 square feet, but under this bylaw, people can’t add a decentsized suite. If the RMOW increased or removed the square-footage cap, it would create supply for locals who need housing.”
She added Whistler’s market lacks “moveup” housing for families with storage needs, which pushes more residents onto Whistler Housing Authority waitlists.
“We have housing that’s residentrestricted, but there’s nothing in between,” O’Callaghan said. “Lacking a diversity of housing puts more pressure on subsidized housing and misses free-market opportunities.”
PROFITABILITY QUESTIONS
A back-of-the-napkin analysis by consulting firm McElhanney supports industry concerns about SSMUH employee restrictions. In a presentation to local realtors, the firm modelled a hypothetical four-unit subdivision under Whistler’s rules. Two market units could potentially sell for $3 million each, while two
employee-restricted units would fetch about $850,000 each (similar to past sales), but the math simply doesn’t pencil out.
“The result is that a builder or homeowner actually loses money if they don’t already own the land outright—so why would anyone build this type of SSMUH? Why would anyone invest?” said Mark Barsevskis, senior planner at McElhanney. He stressed employeerestricted covenants have been an effective way to help locals like himself secure housing in Whistler, yet he also noted that such covenants depress resale values.
“Resident-restricted housing can absolutely be part of the solution,” he added, “but it has to pencil out.”
He went on to say if the goal of the policy is to increase inventory, then the framework should help make it possible—for example, by enabling existing homeowners to act as small-scale developers. In a market with land costs this high, few others can afford to take on the risk.
A DESIGN FEATURE
Mayor Jack Crompton said requiring employeerestricted covenants in the bylaw is designed to ensure housing exists for workers and prevent another round of building solely for people to own second homes.
“Our goal is to ensure that more workers can afford to live in Whistler from the beginning, we’ve been concerned about the idea of creating a whole set of new second homes without housing for people who live here to support that growth in visitation,” he said.
Crompton said SSMUH building permit applications are reviewed in a matter of days, as are applications that target employee housing through council’s G-20 policy. He also highlighted staff are working with the building industry to drive uptake and staff will present bylaw testing findings to council this fall.
“Council’s feedback will inform possible amendments and simplification to drive better uptake,” he said. “We have obviously shortened the turnaround time for employee housing applications and applications across the building department, and we continue to look for other ways to improve the work we do.”
Staff told Pique the RMOW has received five SSMUH applications since passing the bylaw in June 2024.
SSMUH applications received in September are currently under review, whereas residential, multi-family residential and commercial projects receive longer wait times, with applications submitted in July only now receiving review.
Pique inquired with the Village of Pemberton (VOP) to ask if developers are actively applying to SSMUH legislation there.
Since the adoption of the Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing zoning allowance in December 2024, the VOP has issued three building permits for SSMUH projects. The VOP said in an email that they receive frequent inquiries but the Village believes slow implementation is “due to the broader challenges housing development faces across the province.
“Currently, two development applications are active that propose SSMUH housing typologies, which could provide over 100 new ground-oriented dwellings over the coming years. The Village followed technical guidance from the province to ensure that adopting the SSMUH policy would support the development of new housing units, without unintentionally creating barriers,” the VOP said.
As part of implementing SSMUH legislation, the RMOW is in the process of amending its Official Community Plan to align with Bill 44. Council gave first two readings to the amended OCP Sept. 16 at a regular council meeting. A public hearing, which is required for OCP amendments, is tentatively slated for Tuesday, Oct. 28. n
NEWS WHISTLER
Future of Whistler Racket Club top of mind at Northlands open house
BEEDIE’S 4500 NORTHLANDS PROPOSAL DRAWS STRONG TURNOUT AS RESIDENTS PUSH FOR RACKET SPORTS AND RMOW NEGOTIATES MILLIONS IN COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS
BY LIZ MCDONALD
IT WAS A PACKED HOUSE for Beedie Living’s first open house on its proposed development at 4500 Northlands.
All ages and demographics turned out at the Whistler Conference Centre on Sept. 15 to read developer displays and discuss the project with Beedie, Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) staff, council members and each other. A second open house with Beedie took place Sept. 17 at Myrtle Philip Community Centre, with a final municipally led session set for Oct. 2 at the Whistler Conference Centre.
The Northlands is a 5.2-hectare parcel currently zoned for hotel use that could be rezoned to residential and commercial. The land has changed hands among several developers over the years and remains an undeveloped piece of Whistler Village. As part of the rezoning application, the RMOW has added an enhanced planning process to gather community feedback.
Attendees milled about, reading poster boards and asking questions of the RMOW and Beedie. While there were likely residents with broader concerns, those who spoke with Pique were focused on pickleball and tennis.
The Whistler Racket Club (WRC) sits on the land owned by Beedie that could be rezoned. The developer has not committed to rebuilding tennis and pickleball courts or a community facility. Beedie has left it to the RMOW and residents to decide how to use funds provided through community amenity contributions (CACs)—a common requirement for development approvals.
The RMOW and Beedie are still negotiating the CAC amount, which could range between $38.6 million and $47.1 million, according to Beedie, or $57.8 million, according to the RMOW.
Judith Adamick told Pique she attended the meeting because of her passion for the racket club.
“I’m here in order to advocate for the
pickleball and tennis courts and the facility for racquetball to remain open or to be built prior to tearing down, because it is a very important facility for our community,” she said.
She described the WRC as essential to her physical well-being, offering a space to play and engage with friends, youth and families.
“We have people that are playing that are 92 years old, and people that are playing that are five years old. So, it is a well-used facility, and definitely will be very missed by everybody.”
Not everyone sees the project as a zerosum, 40-love game. This spring, a local contractor told council the development would provide essential housing for workers.
Curtis Neeser, executive vice-president of residential development for Beedie, said while most of the 170-plus attendees came out to support the racket club, others were interested in learning more about the project.
“Those people were really interested to hear about the associated proposed amenities and economic benefits for Whistler, and how those can support housing, jobs, and delivering amenities for the entire community,” he said.
“Many didn’t previously know that the CAC could go towards many different needs in the community—for example to support employee housing, all kinds of different sports, a daycare, seniors’ spaces, and other amenities. That news was very well-received and got people excited about the potential for this development.”
Mayor Jack Crompton was in attendance, as well as numerous members of council. Crompton told Pique the evening centred around dialogue.
“A lot of the conversation was about understanding the process, where we are now and where we propose to go in the fall and winter,” he said. “As I’ve said a number of times right now, we’re pre-bylaws, and so we’re on listen mode, and I’ve just been encouraging people to share their views of the project, and then looking forward to seeing that input in a report back to council.”
To read more about the proposed development, visit the RMOW’s website, and to submit feedback, visit 4500northlands.com. n
west viewsona
NET LOSS? Judith Adamick writes on a community survey card Sept. 15. She’s concerned about losing Whistler Racket Club amenities if Beedie Living’s re-zoning application for 4500 Northlands is approved.
PHOTO BY LIZ MCDONALD
Whistler still off track to hit 2030 climate targets, report shows
ANNUAL EMISSIONS ROSE 3% IN 2024, DRIVEN BY CARS, NATURAL GAS USE AND WASTE
BY LIZ MCDONALD
WHISTLER IS STILL FALLING behind on its climate promises, according to a new report that shows greenhouse gas emissions rising instead of shrinking.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) 2024 Annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Action Progress Report, presented to the committee of the whole on Sept. 16, confirms community-wide emissions increased three per cent compared to 2023. That puts Whistler further off pace from its target of cutting emissions in half by 2030, compared to 2007 levels.
“We know that climate change can feel overwhelming, and we understand that it’s not the top priority on many people’s minds,” environmental coordinator Tina Symko said. “Many in our community are currently grappling with economic uncertainty, housing challenges and the rising cost of living, and we know that meeting basic needs feels harder than ever, and yet climate change isn’t waiting. It’s not going to pause or get better on its own.”
Passenger vehicles remain the single biggest source of emissions, accounting for 51 per cent of the community’s carbon footprint. Traffic volumes held steady compared to
2023, while electric vehicle use and transit ridership grew slightly.
Buildings came second, responsible for 36 per cent of emissions, with natural gas consumption rising three per cent last year to its highest levels since 2000. Officials say cold snaps and hot summers explain some of the increase, but the bigger issue is slow uptake of retrofits and heat pumps.
“This is a collective challenge across the province, and the policies and programs in this space are changing rapidly in response to this. This is why we decided to develop a Whistler retrofit strategy,” said Maria Thorlakson, climate action coordinator.
“This work is partially funded by a grant from BC Hydro, and will evaluate the current programs we have in place, as well as promised provincial policies and programs to identify a list of priority actions.” A report on the strategy is expected early next year.
Waste accounted for about three per cent of total emissions, but landfill-related methane rose 23 per cent. Whistler’s garbage is shipped to Cache Creek, where the landfill does not capture methane gas.
The report points to several initiatives in motion: Whistler secured 6,000 additional transit service hours this year, including more frequent buses in Spring Creek, Rainbow Estates and Emerald. The municipality installed new Level 3 fast-charging stations
and supported BC Hydro’s rollout of chargers in Day Lot 3. Homeowners continued to access heat pump rebates through the Retrofit Assist Program, though adoption remains below targets. Council passed a new solid waste bylaw and is backing the launch of ReUse Whistler, a program to cut single-use waste by promoting reusables.
On the adaptation side, Whistler expanded FireSmart work, fuel-thinning around neighbourhoods, and stormwater upgrades to reduce flood risks. New environmental and tree-protection bylaws were also adopted this summer to safeguard ecosystems and manage wildfire hazards.
Council members pressed staff on the gap between current progress and the community’s 2030 goal.
“We have this audacious goal post of reducing our emissions by half in five years,” Councillor Arthur De Jong said. “Looking at what you presented today, those projections, let’s say we nail those. How much of a gap do we still have?”
Thorlakson responded that the RMOW could theoretically get to 70 per cent of its target, but outcomes depend heavily on how quickly Whistler can expand transit, accelerate building retrofits and push adoption of electric vehicles.
Several councillors raised concerns about Whistler’s dependence on senior
government policies, such as the federal zero-emission vehicle mandate, which Ottawa recently paused.
“It seems to me that these targets are based on decisions that will be made at other orders of government,” Mayor Jack Crompton said.
Thorlakson stressed the Sea to Sky is still well-positioned for EV use, and that the province hasn’t paused its program to date. Crompton highlighted his concern that the RMOW climate projections use assumptions grounded in the implementation of climate policy from higher levels of government.
Coun. Jen Ford asked the “elephant-inthe-room” question centred on how much emissions are caused by travel to Whistler by car and by plane, wondering what agency is responsible for monitoring these emissions. Tourism Whistler has done some work on messaging encouraging people to use alternative methods of transportation to get to Whistler, but regional transit is a tool that would reduce vehicle emissions (though it would not tackle emissions from flying).
Despite frustrations, mayor and council stressed the need to keep pushing forward. “I don’t want to slow our ambition,” Crompton said. “I love that the ambition is still there. We’re not hitting our targets, but let’s be honest in our reporting and double down on what we can control.” n
Heated debate: Whistler council questions emissions from private ice rink roof
A VARIANCE REQUEST TO COVER A BACKYARD RINK RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT CLIMATE GOALS, ‘LUXURIOUS’ ENERGY WASTE AND SETTING A SLIPPERY PRECEDENT
BY LIZ MCDONALD
WHAT BEGAN AS a simple setback variance request turned into a debate about greenhouse gas emissions and moral hazards at Whistler’s Sept. 16 council meeting.
The owners of a property in Whistler Cay applied for a development variance permit (DVP) to reduce their setback from 7.6 metres to 5.25 metres, in order to add support posts for an open-air roof over their private ice rink and basketball court.
Council members noted the project was complicated by the fact the rink and court were originally built in 2022 without permits, and that footings were installed in the wrong location the first time around.
As part of the permit, the homeowners agreed to a ban on using fossil fuels to heat the covered space. But councillors questioned how enforceable that condition would be.
Councillor Ralph Forsyth asked staff how they could ensure compliance. Staff replied the build would require a building inspection, which could examine electrical and refrigeration systems. The ban also included space heaters, which Forsyth speculated would be nearly “impossible” to enforce.
Coun. Jen Ford raised concerns about the amount of energy needed to keep an ice rink frozen in Whistler.
“We know how long Green Lake stays frozen all winter. There’s like a two-week window that the ice stays, so I’m concerned,” she said. Since the rink is already in place, council stickhandled the discussion back to the setback request.
During debate, Forsyth said he did not take deviating from staff’s opinion lightly but called approving the DVP a “moral hazard.”
“I’m just not inclined to continue. It’s
a moral hazard where we just continue to approve things like, ‘Oh, sure, OK, go ahead. We don’t feel so bad about you ignoring our rules and requirements for permits.’ Once you make that move, then I have very little faith that there won’t be space heaters with propane tanks attached to it,” he said.
Coun. Arthur De Jong supported the project, saying he hoped the rink would serve as a community amenity for neighbourhood youth.
Coun. Cathy Jewett echoed Forsyth’s concerns, calling the variance a “slippery slope” (pun intended). She compared it to the
growing number of Whistler homeowners with private pools at a time when the community needs more public amenities.
“Especially having had the GHG annual report today and climate action plan and our big moves, I just find this just a profligate use of energy,” she said.
Coun. Jeff Murl supported the variance, noting the property had room for the adjustment and no neighbours had objected. He also commented on the original construction mistake.
“I hope someone buying an ice rink can hire someone who will nail those … this error has probably cost them a lot of money,” he said.
Ford described heated driveways, pools and ice rinks as a “luxurious waste of energy.” She said she didn’t want to make an example of the homeowner but wanted to make her views clear given the municipality’s work to reduce emissions.
Mayor Jack Crompton said the letters of support from neighbours were clear, the setback variance was reasonable, and the rink was not “a hill we need to die on.”
In the end, Ford, Jewett and Forsyth opposed the variance, while the remaining four council members voted in favour. The DVP was approved. n
RAISE THE ROOF? A sketch of a private ice rink in Whistler with a proposed open-air roof.
IMAGE COURTESY OF THE RMOW
Whistler Community Services Society reports record demand ahead of AGM
IMPACT REPORT HIGHLIGHTS RECORD FOOD BANK USE, HOUSING PRESSURES AND EXPANDED OUTREACH SERVICES
BY LIZ MCDONALD
THE WHISTLER COMMUNITY Services
Society (WCSS) hosted its annual general meeting on Sept. 18 at the Maury Young Arts Centre, and according to its 2024 impact report, demand for services continued to rise last year.
WCSS offers a range of social supports, from school nutrition programs and food bank access to financial assistance, mentalhealth resources and outreach services.
“This year, we responded to unprecedented pressures related to affordability, housing insecurity and mental-health crises,” executive director Jackie Dickinson said in the report. “The Emergency Weather Shelter Program, the Food Bank, and our Outreach Services have experienced record demand. In response, we strengthened cross-sector partnerships, expanded service hours, and launched new pilot initiatives designed to reach those most at risk.”
SHELTER AND FOOD BANK USE
During extreme weather events, WCSS provides overnight shelter. Between Oct. 15, 2024, and April 15, 2025, the program recorded 241 overnight stays—a 50-per-cent increase over the previous year.
Food bank demand rose 23 per cent yearover-year, with 21,865 people accessing the service in 2024. While not as steep as the 45-per-cent jump seen in 2023, the increase
reflects an ongoing trend of food insecurity. Among those served were 2,659 youth under 19, a 45-per-cent increase over 202324. Seniors made up 1,402 users. Client data
“This year, we responded to unprecedented pressures...”
- JACKIE DICKINSON
shows 94 per cent of food bank users face unaffordable rents, paying more than 30 per cent of their income on housing.
FUNDRAISING AND REVENUE
Campaigns raised $263,120, while general donations totalled $753,880.
WCSS funds operations partly through its social enterprises, including the Re-Use-It and Re-Build-It Centres, which generate 57 per cent of revenue. Donations make up 27 per cent, grants 13 per cent and other streams three per cent. n
Sea to Sky schools report slightly higher than expected enrolment
THE REPORTS ARE STILL coming in, and the numbers may change, but preliminary reports show a small uptick in enrolment in the Sea to Sky School District.
“This is based on incoming reports, on how enrolment is looking in the opening days of school. These numbers are dynamic,” said assistant superintendent Paul Lorette, while presenting at the school board meeting on Sept. 10.
“So perhaps our projections were a bit less conservative than they have been in the
past … but that could change and that could increase as high school students pick their X block courses.”
From K-12, the reports are showing 5,146 students enrolled—30 more than anticipated. There were increases in every category except for 7-9, which saw 11 fewer students than anticipated.
As for international students, those enrolment numbers dropped from 149 to 135.
“We know as a result of our review last
year, our capacity has gone down slightly because at Howe Sound Secondary, our resident numbers are coming up, so the school doesn’t have as much physical space to accommodate a large number of international students,” he said.
“But we’ve also increased our capacity in Pemberton, which is up nine students this year, which is great and certainly helps.”
See the report on the school district website.
- Will Johnson n
From Squamish to Pemberton: A hiker’s imperfectly perfect adventure
THE SEA TO SKY TRAIL STRETCHES MORE THAN 100 KILOMETRES THROUGH SOME OF B.C.’S MOST BEAUTIFUL TERRAIN
BY JENNIFER THUNCHER
The Squamish Chief
HAVE YOU EVER WANTED to hike the Sea to Sky Trail, from Squamish to Pemberton?
Well, Emma Hull came to town from her home in Sun Peaks to do just that and came out the other side with lessons learned.
She would likely be the first to say the hike didn’t go as planned, but it worked out perfectly-imperfect in the end.
Ultimately, she recommends hiking the trail—which crosses Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton—for anyone who wants a unique, relatively accessible multi-day hike.
“It’s a really great opportunity to do a multi-day hike, but without having to go super hardcore,” she said. “You’ve got the three towns that you get to walk through, there’s loads of exit points because you’re not far from the highway, and you’re in the wilderness, you’re in the backcountry, but it feels very approachable and safe, and it’s really quite flat.”
Hull started her 110-kilometre hike at Sp’akw’us Feather Park at 9:17 a.m. on Sept. 6.
She finished near the Co-op Pemberton Gas Bar (previously Husky), at 8:27 p.m. on Sept. 9.
The first day, however, was tough.
For one thing, Squamish was under a wildfire smoke air quality warning, and it was muggy and hot.
“Heat I struggled with—and that really slowed me down,” she said, adding there was a lot of walking on pavement that first day.
“So, really feeling that, but really I had overestimated my capacity.”
Hull broke her leg in a motorbike accident in 2009 and doesn’t have an ACL—one of the key ligaments that help stabilize the knee joint—and wears a brace.
She did 30 km that first day, making it to Starvation Lake, where she questioned if there would be a Day 2 for her on the trail.
“When I took my brace off, [my leg] was so swollen, and I had heat rash on my legs. I went to bed really worried about myself,” she said. “Then, when I woke up in the morning, I actually had blisters from the heat rash, so I woke up on the second morning thinking, I have to abandon this.”
But, she checked in with herself, ate some breakfast, had a cooling swim in the lake, and was ready to hit the trail again, but with a revised goal.
“Once I started walking again, I actually felt OK. I was really surprised at my resilience to be able to continue with that,” she said.
“What I also did was decide, OK, instead of trying to push myself, I’m going to shorten my days.”
She broke the hike down into sections, psychologically, and gave herself more time to complete the whole thing.
“That really helped. It’s a big mind game this long-distance hiking, definitely, so lots of selftalk to get myself through different sections.”
While Hull saw lots of caterpillars, squirrels and toads, she didn’t have any bear encounters.
She was bear aware along the route, hanging her food when she stopped, for example, and making noise as she hiked.
“On Tuesday evening, it was dark at the end when I was walking through the forest, and so I was singing to myself out loud to discourage any bears or cougars,” she said. “I mean, I did see their scat. They are definitely around, but I didn’t have any encounters with them, which was nice.”
Hull said her concerns as a solo female hiker were more about people than wildlife.
She took precautions, such as being vague about what she was doing, when she spoke to those she ran into along the way.
But in the end, she didn’t have any negative or concerning interactions.
“Honestly, everyone that I spoke to was actually super friendly,” she said.
Though she describes the trail as very long, there was awe and beauty along the way.
“The last section of the trail, north of Whistler to Pemberton, is so beautiful,” she said, adding that, in particular, she enjoyed a seven-kilometre section called Gord’s Garden, which is named for the late Gord McKeever, the Sea to Sky Trail’s original project manager.
“You’re going through an old-growth forest. There are these enormous fir trees, and there’s a lava bed that you cross alongside the Green River, and I wish that I could have lingered there for longer. It is absolutely incredible,” she said.
“They’ve done an amazing job with the trail.”
For Hull, the hike is a great way to explore our own backyard.
“It was really a neat way to slow down... We don’t need to go far away on these crazy, epic journeys. And our hikes don’t have to be crazy hardcore,” she said. “You can do this and get to stop ... I had a steak dinner one night when I was in Whistler, you know, treats like that.”
Reflecting on the hike, Hull said she is proud of herself for the decisions she made along the way.
“I learned a lot about how to take care of myself on the trail, making sure that I was proactively eating and drinking—not waiting until I was hungry or thirsty, which I know sounds silly, but Day 1, I hadn’t done that, and I had it nailed by the last day,” she said. “I stopped and actually took the time to take the breaks and sit in the creeks, realizing that my primary objective had to be taking care of Emma, so that then all the other things flowed through that.
“It just shows how strong and resilient we are. And if you actually take care of yourself and believe in yourself, you can really do incredible things.” n
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FIFTY YEARS OF FREEDOM
AL RAINE
OCT. 22, 1941-DEC. 15, 2024
The Resort Municipality of Whistler from time to time recognizes certain persons in the community who have contributed of themselves to help make Whistler a better place for all to enjoy. The community recognizes these outstanding contributions by declaring them: “Freeman of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.”
BY BOB BARNETT
DETERMINING SOMEONE’S “place” in history is probably best left to historians. But Al Raine’s legacy in the ski business, particularly in B.C., is on par with those of the greatest visionaries and leaders in any realm.
That’s a bold statement, but there is plenty of evidence to support it. Whistler Village and Blackcomb are local examples. Sun Peaks, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Panorama, Fernie… he envisioned mountain resorts thriving across B.C. But it started with Whistler.
Actually, it started in Burnaby in the 1950s when Al discovered skiing through the free lessons the Vancouver Sun offered its paperboys. His passion for the sport led him to Europe in 1962 where he raced, learned languages and absorbed the mountain cultures for three winters. Returning to Canada, he worked and coached in B.C., Quebec and Ontario before being named head coach and program director of the Canadian alpine ski team in 1968. Over his five years in the job Al brought new levels of organization and innovation while delivering a team that could compete with the Europeans.
This was the background, the education that shaped his vision for skiing in B.C.
“I’d travelled extensively in Europe, particularly in Austria and Switzerland, and I was convinced that the mountains and snow of B.C. were vastly superior,” he told Michel Beaudry in Whistler: Against All Odds. “But there was still no heart and soul to our mountain developments. We had no community, no sense of culture. In essence, we didn’t know what a mountain village was all about. And I kept asking myself: Why not?”
Not too long after he left the national ski team in 1973, Al and Nancy Greene Raine submitted a proposal to develop Powder Mountain and test his theories. The provincial government promptly turned him down, with the minister deriding skiing as an “elite” sport. Al responded with a lecture about the benefits of tourism for all British Columbians.
It was the start of a remarkable few years that showcased Al’s political skills and his determination.
Speculation was rampant in Whistler in the early ’70s and development was haphazard. It was anathema to Al. He had
“ [W]hat we badly needed was a people place—a pedestrian village...” - AL RAINE
already recognized Blackcomb’s skiing potential and convinced the province to halt further logging on its slopes.
Bob Williams, the Minister of Lands in B.C.’s first NDP government and a former town planner, recognized the need for order. Williams placed a moratorium on commercial development in Whistler while a study was done. In September 1974
James Gilmour’s report made a number of recommendations—based on considerable input from Al. They included: building one central village at the site that was then the valley’s garbage dump, developing a strong community plan, creating a local government that reflected its tourism base, and development of Blackcomb.
“We had the snow and the mountains,” Al said. “But what we badly needed was a people place—a pedestrian village— within easy walking distance to the lifts. I thought if we could develop that model at Whistler, we would become world leaders in mountain tourism.”
Al wasn’t the only one looking to develop a model. Recognizing there might be something to this ski business—and that the province didn’t have any policies to deal with it—in May 1975, Williams asked Al to become the province’s skiarea coordinator. His first job was
drafting a Commercial Alpine Ski Policy. It included the “land for lifts” formula. He also oversaw the call for development proposals of Blackcomb and advised on legislation for the creation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
In September of 1975, as Whistler was incorporated and the first council elected, Williams appointed Raine as the province’s representative on council. It was, as Jim Moodie said years later, “like letting the fox design the hen house.”
It’s worth noting Al was not yet 35.
Creating a new municipality from scratch was a huge undertaking. Staff had to be hired. There was a sewer to be built, basic bylaws to be passed and an Official Community Plan to be approved. And there was the central village concept—opposed by private developers who thought the village should be on their lands.
While the new council was grappling with these issues the NDP called an election—and lost. The new Social Credit government was free enterprise to the core and opposed to most of the NDP’s socialist policies. Whistler—an NDP creation—was in the Socred’s crosshairs.
For weeks Whistler heard nothing from Victoria. Finally, when it came down to council’s central village plan or the private
developers’ proposal, Municipal Affairs Minister Hugh Curtis supported council.
“I’ve always believed that Hugh Curtis’ decision was one of the more courageous decisions because the pressure was on him to make a decision the other way and I think he had to reach deep inside his conscience and do what was right for Whistler, not what was maybe politically right,” Al said.
With the community plan approved the sausage-making began. Aldermen Raine and Garry Watson and three provincial ministers made up the Town Centre Standing Committee, responsible for the development model and physical plans of the village. The province had development models; Whistler didn’t think any of them fit.
It was moments like this where Al’s coaching background came into play. A coach has to show a skier what to do; he also has to convince the skier they can do it.
With patience, perseverance and input from others in the ski industry, the province was finally convinced a municipal development corporation was the right body to develop the village, and the Whistler Village Land Company was born.
The physical design of the village also bares the hallmarks of Al’s vision. He brought Eldon Beck—considered the architect of Whistler Village—into the process, but Al also insisted on underground parking. Earlier plans showed a pedestrian village with adjacent surface parking.
Meanwhile, in his role as provincial skiarea coordinator, Al urged the Aspen Ski Company to take a second look at developing Blackcomb. They did, and in the fall of 1978 were awarded development rights.
Al Raine served as alderman until December 1981. He received the Freedom of the RMOW in January 1982. After a twoyear sabbatical in Europe, Al and Nancy developed a hotel in Whistler. Al also served as head of the resort association, now Tourism Whistler, several times over the years.
In the mid-’90s the Raines moved to Sun Peaks, where they developed another hotel and were central to that resort’s growth. Al was elected mayor of Sun Peaks when the community was incorporated in 2010. He died last December.
Al Raine’s vision more than 50 years ago is today realized in thriving ski areas across the province. Whistler was the proving ground and as he always said, the others wouldn’t have happened without it.
This is Part 3 in a 16-part series recognizing Whistler’s Freedom of the Municipality holders, in honour of the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s 50th anniversary. Watch for the others in the weeks ahead, and find them all at piquenewsmagazine.com.
Bob Barnett is the founding editor and co-publisher of Pique Newsmagazine. n
PHOTO FROM THE WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION / COURTESY OF THE WHISTLER MUSEUM
Pemberton council passes new short-term rental rules, adds flexibility for operators renting for less than 90 days
FRESH REGULATIONS SET PROOF-OF-USE REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATORS WHILE OPENING STVR NEIGHBOURHOOD CAP EXEMPTIONS FOR OPERATORS RENTING FOR FEWER THAN 90 DAYS, ANNUALLY
BY LUKE FAULKS
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
THE VILLAGE OF Pemberton has approved two new measures reshaping how short-term vacation rentals (STRVs) are regulated, aiming to tighten oversight of existing licences while creating new flexibility for homeowners who rent their properties for limited periods.
The twin changes follow a series of debates over how to encourage STVRs to enter the long-term rental market and help ease the Village’s housing crunch.
RENEWAL RULES
The business licence amendment introduces changes to strengthen oversight of STVRs. Licence holders will now be required to prove their properties are being used as rentals by providing receipts showing at least 12 nights of bookings in the preceding year when applying for renewal.
Council also struck language that would have limited licence renewals to just once, after feedback from STVR operators earlier this year indicated the measure was too restrictive. Instead, renewal rules have been clarified: operators must pay fees on time and comply with licence conditions, with an inspector empowered to request documentation showing that operators are meeting the minimum of 12 nights.
A new definition of “home exchange” was also added, exempting reciprocal house-swap arrangements from the licensing regime.
STVR operators will also be required to post a decal on the premises showing their property is licensed as a short-term rental.
The bylaw amendment passed third reading without debate between councillors or comments from the public.
NEW EXEMPTION POLICY FOR PRINCIPAL RESIDENCES
Alongside the bylaw amendment, council adopted a short-term rental exemption designed to give flexibility to homeowners who occasionally rent their principal residences while away. Before the exemption, the number of STVRs in a neighbourhood are limited to five per cent of lots in the area, prohibiting those shorter-term STVRs.
Planner Erik Morden explained the policy
allows residents to apply for an exemption from the neighbourhood if the property is their principal residence, is rented for fewer than 90 days per year and is rented to just one party at a time.
“This arose from council’s concern that homeowners wishing to rent their homes for less than 90 days would be unable to obtain a business licence because of the neighbourhood cap,” Morden told councillors. The report adds the new rules “would have no impact on the long-term rental market, as the home would not be available for rent longterm, being occupied most of the year by its owners.”
Councillor Laura Ramsden questioned how the 90-day limit would be applied. Morden clarified it was cumulative, not consecutive: “It could be a combination of one week and a month, but in total, it would be no more than 90 days.”
Mayor Mike Richman emphasized the intent was narrow. “The idea was… it would appeal to those that just want to go on holiday,” he said. “It shouldn’t interfere with the [housing] stock.”
PUBLIC DEBATE SHAPED FINAL VERSION
The new measures come after multiple rounds of public engagement and debate.
An earlier draft of the STVR bylaw, which was given first and second reading earlier this year, included a proposed one-time-only renewal limit on the two-year STVR licences. The limit drew pushback from operators. Licence-holders wrote in and showed up to the May 27 council meeting to share concerns that such limits would unfairly penalize them as compliant local business owners.
“A two-year limit on [licences] significantly undermines our ability to operate with any degree of certainty,” one resident wrote in at the time. “Many of us host guests [who] book six to 12 months in advance, and without a guarantee of renewal, we risk losing our ‘Superhost’ or equivalent status, future bookings, and our long-term reputation—all of which we’ve worked extremely hard to build.”
Council ultimately dropped the renewal cap following that feedback.
Village staff and council had argued STVRs, particularly entire homes listed on platforms like Airbnb, contribute to Pemberton’s housing crunch by removing units from the long-term rental pool. Council has sought to balance those concerns with the economic benefits STVRs provide to homeowners and local businesses.
The bylaw amendment will still require adoption at a future meeting following third reading. n
NIGHT CLUB Pemberton’s council gave first and second readings to the STVR bylaw in May, but sent the policy back to staff for revisions after public outcry from licence holders.
PHOTO BY LUKE FAULKS
Pemberton tightens construction noise rules after resident complaint
COUNCIL SHIFTS SATURDAY START TIME, LAUNCHES PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON BROADER CHANGES
BY LUKE FAULKS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
PEMBERTON COUNCIL has amended its noise bylaw, pushing back Saturday morning construction start times following debate over how to balance community livability with the realities of a fast-growing town.
At its Sept. 9 meeting, council adopted a noise regulation amendment bylaw, which reduces permitted construction hours on Saturdays from a 7 a.m. start to 8 a.m.
The review began in May after a Pemberton resident wrote to council expressing frustration with early morning construction activity.
“Five days a week, [incredibly] noisy and massive excavators and drills scrape, explode, drill and drop boulders that shake the literal foundations of my house, starting at 6:30 a.m. and going for the whole day,” one resident wrote in.
During a follow-up committee of the whole meeting on July 15, staff presented a survey of 12 other municipalities’ regulations, noting Pemberton’s quiet hours and construction hours were generally less restrictive than those of its peers.
“We’re somewhat in the middle with most communities,” said Councillor Ted Craddock during the July 15 debate, cautioning that
restricting hours too far could hinder builders.
“For the sake of one hour, we’re telling people, no, you can’t get your normal shift in on Saturday… If we want housing, we want stuff built during a period of time. Is one hour really going to make a difference?”
Other councillors disagreed. Coun. Jennie Helmer argued the community’s small size means construction noise carries farther than in larger centres.
“I think our community [is] not spread out. It’s very small, it’s tight, and construction noise impacts more, I think, than just the immediate neighbours,” she said. “There’s not really a neighbourhood that could undergo significant construction and not impact a
significant number of people.”
Mayor Mike Richman acknowledged council was unlikely to reach consensus on sweeping changes but pointed to Saturdays as a logical place to start.
“Saturday morning is an important one. I would be happy to see this change, and then decide whether or not we want to look at making further changes in an organized way,” he said
Coun. Laura Ramsden supported the shift to 8 a.m., calling it a reasonable compromise.
“Given the level of construction that we are seeing in this community, bumping it up to, let’s say, no construction noise before 8 a.m. on Saturdays—I think that’s
reasonable,” she said. Ramsden also warned against blanket restrictions that might limit residents doing their own home projects outside of work hours.
The motion to move Saturday’s construction start time to 8 a.m. passed, alongside a second motion to seek community input on whether further changes are warranted.
ENGAGING PEMBERTON
At the Sept. 9 meeting, staff confirmed a survey will be live on the Village’s Engage Pemberton platform from Sept. 11 to Sept 25, offering residents, businesses and builders a chance to weigh in on possible additional changes. The results will be presented later this year.
Manager of corporate and legislative services Gwendolyn Kennedy explained the two-pronged approach.
“The amendment bylaw makes shifts to request a change to the Saturday construction hours by one hour, but also to seek input from the community on other possible changes to the bylaw,” she said.
For now, weekday construction remains permitted from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with Sunday hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents can share their views on whether those limits should be tightened before council considers further revisions. n
PHOTO BY LESLIELAUREN / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Catching up on conservation
MOST YEARS, I ATTEND the annual Canadian Herpetological Society conference in mid-September. I do this for three reasons: to keep in touch with friends in the scientific community, to catch up on the latest science that might inform an idea, story or book I’m working on, and because there’s always a field trip that involves finding and learning about local reptiles and amphibians (herpetology
BY LESLIE ANTHONY
being the study of these organisms).
That last is important not only because it’s fun to be in the field, but most especially so when you’re with folks who can both introduce you to unfamiliar environments and deliver an understanding of how local ecosystems work, the important connections within them, the species that occur there, and the issues involved in their conservation. There’s always something to learn because the meeting location varies widely, the formula generally being eastern Canada (the Maritimes) one year, somewhere in central Canada (SK, MB, ON, QC) the next, then in the west (B.C., AB), and back to central again. It’s a lot of hopping around for a smallish group than never breaks 200, and travel can be costly, so when it’s held at one end of the country, fewer from the opposite edge can be expected. Thus, I found
myself one of only two B.C. reps who made it to this year’s iteration at Laval University in Québec City. Plus, I drove the 5,000-plus kilometres, which definitely set me up as a semi-insane tall poppy.
That aside (I’ve written many times in this space of my cross-country driving addiction and will again), I had to skip the post-meeting field trip this year but still got my fill of where the science is at and where it’s going. Interestingly, some of this was delivered in the form of understanding where it has been.
The opening address was by Dr. David
toad in Long Point, Ont.—one of the longestrunning for any species in Canada. There were thus plenty of themes to hit, but since Green has a wry sense of humour (he’s done stand-up comedy at the occasional meeting) it wasn’t dull. What made me laugh hardest, however, had nothing to do with his myriad researches or the animals involved. It was, instead, a group photo he’d thrown in of some 1,500 of us gathered outside the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, in the summer of 1989, at the First World Congress of Herpetology.
This week-long international geekfest
Which threats to these animals are worse and how can we minimize them? What are the best methods for studying the things that will help us conserve them?
Green from the Redpath Museum at McGill University, in whose lab I did a two-year postdoctoral stint in the early 1990s. Officially retired this year, Green’s distinguished career, as his retrospective demonstrated, has more biological touchstones than a Darwin camp. He got his start in cell biology, moved on to electron microscopy of treefrog toepads (at the time, no one really understood how these things actually stuck to smooth surfaces), then chromosome structure, molecular systematics, speciation, population biology, conservation and ecology—which itself fissioned into a half-dozen different research concerns.
Much of the latter was elucidated through a still-ongoing 45-year study of Fowler’s
saw hundreds of presentations in symposia concerning all the hot topics of the day— physiology (how the bodies of these animals work), biogeography (why species are distributed the way they are), molecular systematics (using DNA and other molecules to elucidate how species are related), reproductive ecology (calling, mating, hormones, eggs, tadpoles and stuff), and unisexuality (those rare lizards, frogs and salamanders that reproduced via irregular, kinda-clonal means to yield only female offspring). The latter was my jam, and though only a doctoral student, I’d been invited to present my work to a global audience of my peers. I was stoked—and terrified. But it all went well and the meeting was a scientific and
social success, a watershed in exposing me to so many facets of science—and scientists— and, though I didn’t know it at the time, key to my future career as a science communicator. The photo reminded me not only of this, but the innocence of the time in what was missing from that gathering: conservation.
If there was a conservation paper or two presented I don’t remember, and certainly didn’t attend. Most of us could still find healthy populations of whatever we were studying and had no idea pollution, disease, invasive species and habitat destruction—all accelerated by globalization—comprised a bomb about to detonate on these organisms. By the time the next World Congress took place four years later, that bomb had gone off, most obviously with the global spread of chytrid fungus and the many frog species it had effectively removed from the wild, but also with turtles, snakes and crocodilians, all of which were now among the most threatened vertebrate groups on the planet, a situation that has only worsened since.
These days, as the Québec meeting showed, whether physiology, systematics, or ecology of one stripe or another, it’s all about conservation. Which threats to these animals are worse and how can we minimize them? What are the best methods for studying the things that will help us conserve them? From restoring habitats to understanding distribution and relatedness, to helping animals reproduce both in the wild and with the support of augmented breeding, it has been a total sea change in direction—though not one iota less interesting, as I’ll address in my next column.
Leslie Anthony is a biologist, writer and author of several popular books on environmental science. n
BEING GREEN A young child reaches for a frog in Sproat Lake Provincial Park on Vancouver Island.
PHOTO BY GEA VEENSTRA / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Art lights up our brains and ignites action
WHEN WE THINK OF solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises, we often imagine technologies, government policies or new infrastructure. But sometimes the most powerful tools are far older and more human: stories, songs, images and performances. Art doesn’t just decorate our world; it shapes how we see it.
Neuroscience offers evidence for this. When we encounter art—whether it’s a painting, dance, music or story—our brains engage networks tied to emotion, memory and empathy. Studies have found
change how we perceive the natural world and how we imagine rewilding our communities.
Science backs up what visitors feel. An abundance of research shows nature-themed art and place-based aesthetic experiences can strengthen ecological identity and inspire stewardship. Art grounded in environmental contexts nurtures empathy, deepens our connection with nature and motivates proenvironmental attitudes and behaviours.
In other words, art doesn’t just make us think; it makes us care, and caring leads to action.
BY DAVID SUZUKI
aesthetic experiences activate the brain’s reward system, much like food, exercise, hobbies, spending time in nature and social connection. Experiencing art literally lights up our neural pathways, making us more open to new ideas and more likely to activate them.
That matters when it comes to rewilding— restoring ecosystems and their processes and reconnecting people with the natural world. Too often, conservation discussions rely on numbers and warnings. But facts alone don’t always move people. Art is an affecting way to bridge the gap between data and action.
That’s why the David Suzuki Foundation and Rewilding magazine launched the Rewilding Arts Prize. This national prize celebrates artists in Canada whose work reimagines our relationship with nature and community. The inaugural prize, launched in 2022, drew more than 550 applications.
A 2025 study shows that strengthening human-nature connectedness is essential to addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, and art is uniquely positioned to catalyze that bond. An earlier study, from 2024, notes that environmental professionals often point to artworks that shaped or reinforced their values. Psychologists even describe the “awesome solution”—art that ignites the strongest emotional and cognitive responses, opening people to new perspectives and action. Art doesn’t just reflect our world; it can help us reimagine it and move us to protect it.
The Rewilding Arts Prize was built on this understanding. By elevating artists who draw attention to the fragility and resilience of ecosystems, we’re helping shift culture. And culture change is at the heart of environmental progress. Laws and policies may set the framework, but people need to envision different ways of living. Art opens that door.
This fall, the David Suzuki Foundation is launching the second round of the Rewilding Arts Prize. From Sept. 18 to Nov. 18, artists from throughout Canada can apply. Five winners will each receive $2,000 and join the Rewilding Arts Collective—a growing network
The science is clear: Healthy ecosystems are essential for our survival.
The winners’ work spans textiles, sculpture, installation, photography and sound. It’s on view at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa until October 2025 and is the first major exhibition in Canada devoted entirely to rewilding-themed art.
Walking through the museum, you arrive at Amanda McCavour’s embroidered garden of 500 poppies suspended above, fragile yet immersive, transforming the gallery into a rewilded ecosystem of thread and brilliant colour. Natasha Lavdovsky’s moss and lichen–inspired work blurs the line between art and science, inviting us to see rewilding as a partnership with often overlooked organisms that stitch ecosystems together. Amber Sandy’s birchbark and hide works honour Indigenous knowledge and relationships with the land, rewilding cultural connections alongside ecological ones.
These works aren’t just beautiful; they also
of artists advancing ecological awareness through creative practice. Alongside the prize, there will be a Toronto art show, a panel in Montreal discussing rewilding and art and a national webinar to showcase art’s role in advocacy and community building.
The science is clear: Healthy ecosystems are essential for our survival. But facts and numbers alone can’t tell the whole story. We need artists to spark wonder, shift perspectives and help us envisage a more just, biodiverse future. If we are to rewild our landscapes and communities, we must also rewild our hearts and minds. Science shows us why this matters, and art shows us how.
David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Rewilding Communities Program Manager Jode Roberts. Learn more at davidsuzuki.org. n
On a cold winter night in a rural area, I looked through a scope to see the rings of Saturn for the first time. Connecting grade-school science book descriptions with a real life view amazed me.
Even without a telescope or binoculars, many of us have had similar memorable moments— like watching the Milky Way galaxy, identifying constellations and safely observing a solar eclipse.
Dark skies are places mostly free of light pollution where one can see celestial features easily. Dark skies can be aweinspiring, but they are also vitally important for both animal health, human health and local economies.
Even though our current night skies have become polluted with excessive light, there are ways to promote understanding, reduce light pollution and support local communities. Tourism researchers in Australia have defined dark sky tourism as “tourism based on unpolluted night skies involving observation and appreciation of naturally occurring celestial phenomena.”
My colleague Clark Banack and I have researched factors contributing to the success of the Jasper Dark Sky festival in Alberta. This research was informed by our combined expertise studying protected areas and environmental education (my areas) and sustainable rural communities (Banack’s area).
WILDLIFE, HUMANS NEED NIGHT AND DARKNESS
Dark skies are important because wildlife and humans have evolved to rely on predictable patterns of dark and light. For example, some amphibians plan their breeding rituals around darkness patterns. Hatchling sea turtles use the bright sea horizon to find the sea. Many mammals and birds hunt at night, using natural light from the moon and stars.
In response, some species evade their predators using the cover of darkness. Many birds migrate at night with the help of cues from the dark skies. For humans, past and present travellers have planned navigation using dark skies.
The amazing night sky has inspired many cultures in the realms of science, religion, philosophy, art and literature. Regular schedules of dark and light help us live and sleep well.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF LIGHT POLLUTION
Unfortunately, light pollution can cause negative effects. For example, artificial light confuses migratory species in finding their way, changes the timing of reproduction and reduces concealment for prey animals. Nocturnal predators are less effective in catching prey. Artificial lights attract insects in unnaturally high densities.
Furthermore, humans are affected by light pollution, with impacts on our natural circadian rhythms and sleep patterns, which may lead to other, more serious health problems. Up to 80 per cent of the world’s population can’t see key night sky features.
Aside from the environmental effects, the financial costs are high: in the United States alone, researchers estimate the financial cost of wasted energy from light pollution to be about US$7 billion per year.
DARK SKY TOURISM
Despite the spread and impacts of light pollution, many people actively seek out dark skies. Dark sky tourism (DST) appears to be growing, based on the number of visits to astronomical observatories, development of dark sky preserves, watching auroras, dark sky festivals, solar eclipses, star parties and skywatching domes.
There are no accurate estimates of the size of DST, but many tourism sites indicate significant visitation and economic impact. For example, research published in 2019 found that dark sky enthusiasts spend more than US$500 million each year visiting the Colorado Plateau, creating 10,000 jobs.
Yellowknife has been called the aurora capital of North America with an average of 240 potential nights per year and suitable conditions to view the northern lights. In 2018, about 34,000 visitors spent CAD$57 million in the Northwest Territories capital.
LOCAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS
The large demand for DST and the local economic benefits are strong motivations for maintaining dark skies. Dark sky tourists want reliable opportunities to view the night sky and seek out guided educational programs to support those activities. Communities offering such tourism tend to support these same goals in order to maintain economic impacts.
Some organizations promote efforts to reduce light pollution through advocacy, education, retrofits and the designation of certified dark sky sites.
These night sky advocate groups want to minimize light pollution by limiting brightness on lights, using sensors and timers, changing light hues, minimizing the number of lights and directing lights downwards.
CANADIAN DARK SKY SITES
To certify such efforts, Dark Sky International recognizes more than 200 dark sky places in 22 countries.
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada recognizes 27 dark sky sites across the country, including dark sky preserves, nocturnal preserves and urban star parks, each with unique approaches to reducing lighting.
Canadian sites include Point Pelee National Park, in Ontario (most southerly), Terra Nova National Park in Newfoundland (most easterly) and Cattle Point urban star park in British Columbia (most westerly), as well as Wood Buffalo National Park, which spans the Alberta and Northwest Territories border. These and other dark sky sites are natural attractions for dark sky tourists.
... artificial light confuses migratory species in finding their way, changes the timing of reproduction and reduces concealment for prey animals. Nocturnal predators are less effective in catching prey. Artificial lights attract insects in unnaturally high densities ...
...Furthermore, humans are affected by light pollution, with impacts on our natural
circadian rhythms
and sleep patterns, which may lead to other, more serious health problems.
NORTHERN LIGHTS
FROM PATRICIA LAKE IN JASPER NATIONAL PARK
/ ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
BY
GLEN HVENEGAARD is a professor of environmental science at the University of Alberta. He received support for this project from the University of Alberta’s Augustana Faculty Research Committee through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
This story was published in The Conversation on Aug. 25. Find the original story here: theconversation.com/dark-sky-tourism-offerstime-with-darkness-and-celestial-wonders-259633.
JASPER DARK SKY PRESERVE
Following designation of the Jasper dark sky preserve (11,228 square kilometres) in 2011, the annual Jasper Dark Sky Festival has sought to promote dark skies among the public and policymakers and to reduce artificial light.
The festival is held during the October tourist season. Despite the damage in Jasper from wildfires in 2024, the festival will celebrate its 15-year anniversary this fall.
After a small-scale start (with aspects like nighttime walks and telescope viewing), the festival expanded its offerings with some ticketed events and a range of options, including science education, entertainment and cultural events. People can choose from both free and paid activities.
As our research examined, the success of the festival has depended on the dark sky designation, balance between growth and sustainability, balance between education and entertainment, strong relationships with stakeholders, local champions, community support and a strong reputation. The economic impacts on Jasper have been positive during a season that normally under-utilizes local restaurants and hotels.
Dark sky tourism can help protect dark skies by generating support among educated and satisfied tourists and among communities receiving economic impacts. Such impacts may persuade decision-makers to enact policies to protect dark skies, such as dark sky preserves that have worked well in places like Jasper.
During your next night-time outing, be sure to look upward to appreciate our amazing dark skies, and consider the benefits for tourists and communities alike. n
PHOTO
EYEEMMOBILEGMBH
Notice | Tax SaleProperties
Pursuant to Section645oftheLocalGovernmentAct,thepropertieslistedbelow willbeoffered for sale by publicauctionon Monday,September29,2025at 10:00a.m. intheFluteRoomofMunicipalHall at 4325Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC, unlessdelinquenttaxesplusinterestarepaid. Payment foreitherthe settlement ofoutstandingtaxesprior to tax sale,orpurchaseofproperty at tax salemustbe CASHorCERTIFIEDFUNDS.
Those whowish to bidonpropertiesmust registerbetween9:30a.m.and9:50a.m.on Monday,September29,2025 at MunicipalHall.PhotoIDis required for registration. Please notethatunderSection648oftheLocalGovernmentActapersonauthorized by Council maybid forthemunicipality at thetax saleup to amaximumamount set by Council.Anypersonbeingdeclaredthetax salepurchasermustpaythefull amountofthepurchaseprice by 1:00p.m.the sameday. Failure to paywill resultin thepropertybeingoffered for saleagain.
Propertypurchased at tax saleissubject to redemption by the registeredproperty ownerwithinone yearfromthedaytheannualtax salebegan.Redemptionprice willbetheupsetprice at thetimeoftax sale,plus required maintenance costs,plus anytaxespaid by thepurchaser,plusinterest atratesestablishedunder section11( 3) ofthe TaxationActontheprecedingandanysurplusbid.
‘We’re struggling to no end on every angle’
PARENTS OF 16-YEAR-OLD MOUNTAIN BIKER CAILEIGH KOPPANG SHARE UPDATE ON HER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
BY DAVID SONG
AS OF THIS WRITING, Caileigh Koppang cannot speak. She is incontinent, fed via gastrostomy tube (G-tube) and wheelchair-bound.
The teen’s once-promising mountain bike career was cut short on Oct. 17, 2024 when she rode into a tree at speed. The accident put her into a coma as multiple brain bleeds, a diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and a severed carotid artery threatened to take her life.
Caileigh’s parents, Andy and Ashleigh, rushed to B.C. Children’s Hospital (BCCH) where their daughter had been airlifted 4.5 hours after her crash. Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) staff recommended they withdraw life support, expecting that Caileigh would never walk or talk again.
The Koppangs were unwilling to give up based on a single medical opinion, and sought out another neurosurgeon who told them recovery would be possible.
Since then, they’ve encountered one roadblock after another in the quest for Caileigh’s well-being.
“This is just my opinion, but early on [the BCCH] had the neurosurgeon make a call and I don’t think anyone really wants to challenge what his initial decision was,” Andy said. “The system is very poorly structured for an injury such as this. We’re struggling to no end on every angle and it’s had an enormous amount of stress on our family. It’s an enormous amount of stress on my business.”
Four weeks into the process, Sunny Hill
Health Centre personnel informed Andy and Ashleigh that Caileigh was not eligible for rehabilitation because she remained in a coma and was seemingly “destined for a wheelchair.” Americans with such afflictions may be enrolled in a Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) program, but Canada offers no similar recourse. Doctors also opposed a tracheostomy at first, though the procedure was done successfully.
After Caileigh began progressing, she received just 30 minutes of rehab per day at maximum—which was truncated if her heart rate were to quicken slightly. The Koppangs say they discovered false reports written by her care team, including claims of inpatient stays that never occurred and inaccurate statements about her progress.
Understandably frustrated with these obstacles, Andy and Ashleigh brought their child all the way to Texas.
COSTS OF LIVING
The TIRR Memorial Hermann Neurological Sleep Medicine Center in Houston was meant to unlock a higher quality of treatment for Caileigh. Six weeks at this facility cost the Koppangs nearly CAD$400,000, but it did help their daughter emerge from her coma to an extent Andy believes would be impossible otherwise.
After returning to British Columbia in April, the Koppangs faced more hefty expenses: $150,000 to renovate their home for accessibility and $60,000 for specialized equipment and a wheelchair-accessible van.
Caileigh was formerly enrolled in Sunny Hill’s Specialized Pediatric Rehabilitation OUTpatient (SPROUT) initiative, a program that can be extended beyond its usual six-week runtime to benefit those
who progress. Ashleigh claims that “the physician overseeing Caileigh at the time was downplaying her accomplishments and not charting ethically.” She only received three weeks of treatment after becoming sick, and after decision-makers put the Koppangs on “a time-out” for requesting a different doctor.
At the moment, Caileigh receives medical supplies and one rehab session per discipline per month via the provincial At Home Program (AHP), as well as one weekly session per discipline at the BC Centre for Ability. The latter initiative goes for six months total, with five left as of this writing.
Meanwhile the AHP is meant to supply a standing frame (a piece of equipment physicians in Houston identified as vital to her recovery), but it has yet to arrive.
Furthermore, Caileigh undergoes weekly private physiotherapy at Neuromotion in Vancouver and Vancouver NeuroPhysio to go with biweekly private speech-language pathology and occupational therapy support. These sessions cost the Koppangs approximately $1,000 per week—not including $30 an hour for care aides.
A GoFundMe established for the family has amassed $108,500 and counting.
‘I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE ANY OF US ARE GOING TO BE SIX MONTHS FROM NOW’
Caileigh and her loved ones have been waiting on a key item to materialize since May: referral to a complex care team. There is no professional oversight for her nutrition at the moment—which means if she were to fall ill, her family would wait for hours at an ER to see a doctor who is unequipped to treat someone of Caileigh’s condition.
Ashleigh has not heard from the BCCH since an Aug. 13 email stating her daughter is accepted into complex care, but there “is a wait list and the complex care nurse will reach out to you to schedule a phone call in the next couple of weeks.”
“I don’t understand how children with cancer can be fast-tracked to oncologists when they fall ill, yet Caileigh, who also requires urgent and ongoing specialist care, is left with no medical team at all,” Ashleigh said in an email to Pique. “This situation is unacceptable and puts her health at significant risk. I am urgently asking for guidance and immediate action to ensure Caileigh has the medical support she requires.”
Caileigh turned 16 years old this April. She’s aware of her surroundings and responsive to external stimuli, can express herself using limited facial expressions, kick her left leg and reach for objects with her left arm. Needless to say, she requires around-the-clock supervision and an avenue for immediate medical care should her condition worsen.
Much more rehab will be needed for Caileigh to approach a normal quality of life, but the Koppangs estimate this will cost more than $1 million—and they’ve already exhausted their savings.
“Canada calls itself a leader in healthcare, yet families like ours are left with no real path to recovery,” said Andy. “Instead of being supported, we were told early on that Caileigh ‘would never walk or talk’—without mentioning that this was true only within the limits of what Canada’s system offers, not what is possible with proper care.
“I don’t even know where any of us are going to be six months from now.”
Visit gofundme.com/f/help-caileighkoppang-on-her-road-to-recovery to check out the Koppang family’s GoFundMe page. n
UPHILL BATTLE Downhill mountain bike racer
Caileigh Koppang.
Pemberton’s Charlotte Johnson aims to excel on the pitch and in the air
THE DIVISION 1 SOCCER GOALKEEPER IS WORKING ON HER RECREATIONAL PILOT’S LICENSE AND ASPIRES TO JOIN THE CANADIAN AIR FORCE
BY DAVID SONG
CHARLOTTE JOHNSON has lofty goals in more ways than one.
The 15-year-old plays for the Division 1 North Shore Girls Soccer Club Renegades, where she’s been named starting goalkeeper. Charlotte also trains in a backup role at the North Vancouver Football Club in the BC Soccer Premier League, plays for the Sea to Sky Volleyball Club, and is working on her recreational pilot’s license.
If everything unfolds according to plan, Charlotte envisions herself playing varsity soccer at an Armed Forces institution like the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
Most Pembertonian kids don’t have that particular dream, but Charlotte has been influenced by her uncle: Charles Theodore “Ted” Johnson. Having flown A-4 Skyhawk strike aircraft and S-3 Viking antisubmarine jets under the callsign Cojo, Ted is a 22-year U.S. Navy veteran who spent a decade in active service. He was known for his precision in landing on aircraft carriers like the nowdecommissioned USS Ranger.
Ted gave up Canadian citizenship to become a naval aviator down south, but admits he would fly for the RCAF if given a do-over. He might someday get to live vicariously through his niece.
“From a young age, my uncle has kind of whispered in my ear,” Charlotte said. “It’s definitely an amazing career to be a pilot. I’m so proud to be a Canadian—especially with so much chaos happening in the world right now, I would just love to fight for my country if it came down to it.”
Charlotte also identifies Kaya Shishido— another Pemberton local, current RMC student and qualified pilot—as a mentor. Shishido was a high school senior during Charlotte’s eighth-grade year, but the two discussed their common aspirations at length during an away soccer tournament and remained in touch.
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
Never one to pass too much time on a mountain bike, Charlotte began her athletic journey with the Pemberton Youth Soccer Association (PYSA). After aging out of the U11 bracket, she played in Whistler and thanks local coach Caroline Bagnall for training her well in those formative years.
Charlotte’s mom, Jennifer, is a retired semi-pro volleyball athlete, so naturally she has practiced that sport since childhood as well. Soccer is her priority, but the girl’s 5-11 frame lends itself equally well to hitting balls hard and blocking opponents at the net.
Jennifer effusively praised her daughter’s talent, focus, humility and sportsmanship, remarking that she’s “such a sweet human being.”
“When I made it to the Whistler team, I was so nervous but all the girls welcomed me with open arms and made me feel really at home,” recalled Charlotte. “That sense of community on a team is really important. I do a little bit of coaching, and if I see someone being mean … I try really hard to explain that you have more fun when you’re being nice.
“I’m never mad at soccer. I’m always just happy, and I want to make other people happy. It has never even occurred to me to not be kind to everyone.”
Respectable skills and a mature outlook have gotten Charlotte into the quarterfinals of the 2025 Youth Athlete of the Year contest. She expressed gratitude for the many friends, loved ones and even strangers who voted and donated to her campaign, with all support going towards funding athletic expenses: travel, gear, training, etc. On top of all that, Charlotte is headed to Quebec in February for a two-month academic exchange.
Her inaugural Division 1 season with the Renegades is already underway.
“I love playing at this level of intensity,” Charlotte said. “Being a goalie is quite a stressful position. I was worried that I was going to have a tougher time adjusting to the higher level of play and harder shots, but everything goes up. My defence is better, my strikers are better.
“I’m so grateful to have [Altitude FC semi-pro] Kelsey Fisher coaching me because she’s a goalie. She understands what it takes and she saw some potential in me. Then the head coach, Lindsay Butz, she’s so amazing. The way she coaches really clicks with me. I know that all of the girls on the team, not just me, are going to be a lot better by the end of this season.” n
LOFTY GOALS Pemberton teenager Charlotte Johnson plays Division 1 soccer for the North Shore Girls Soccer Club.
PHOTO BY JENNIFER JOHNSON
Happy Sun Day!
RISE UP, RISE UP SEPT. 21—FOR A TOTALLY DOABLE BRIGHT, SUNNY FUTURE
HERE THEY COME , rolling in as relentlessly as the waves off Tofino—shorter and shorter
SET YOUR HOPES HIGH FOR SUN DAY
BY GLENDA BARTOSH
days, longer and longer nights, lower and lower temperatures.
And it all kicks off with the fall equinox, a moment that often happens Sept. 21, but varies year to year, given those darn planetary bodies never got the memo about following atomic clocks—the most accurate clocks on Earth.
This year fall equinox happens at 11:19 a.m. our time, Monday, Sept. 22. That’s when the sun crosses over the equator then starts heading south, bringing hot, golden summer to our pals Down Under, while sweeping Ullr (whom some call the Norse god of all things snow)—and his supporters into the thrall of our northern winter.
If you’re into snow sports, like most of Whistler is, you’re no doubt chomping at the bit, and who could blame you? So for all you big Ullr buffs who love to ski, ’board, skate, and even for those who don’t, here comes the best reason ever to get your head out of the doom-scrolling gloom and rise up on Sept. 21.
No, it’s not a typo. It really is Sun Day coming up Sept. 21, and I’m bettin’ not many folks this side of the border know about it. But I happened to be living in the States in 1978 when then-President Jimmy Carter declared Sun Day as a day to advocate for all things solar-powered. It was modelled after Earth Day, and we’ve got Denis Hayes to thank for both.
He was the young activist—only 25 at the time—hired in 1970 to be the first coordinator for Earth Day in the U.S. Now CEO of the Bullitt Foundation, an organization helping make major cities in B.C. and the Pacific Northwest into models of urban sustainability, Hayes is also a longtime solar activist. It was he who put the bee into President Carter’s bonnet to create Sun Day, a movement that’s now evolved to celebrate all forms of clean energy, especially solar and wind—anything that gets we insatiable humans off our dangerously hot diet of fossil fuels.
All of which goes to show any bright, hopeful, determined young people reading this that you never know what goodness you can achieve when you’re on the right side of history. It’s also a great reminder that over the years there have been some fine U.S. presidents. So remember—these days, too, shall pass. We just have to pitch in, not curl up in a ball, and ensure they change for the better.
Start on Sept. 21, when scads of Sun Days of Action will be happening around the world from Sweden to Sydney, Australia—all of them positive steps along the road to positive change. Most are in the U.S., but there’s one
in Calgary; another in Juneau, Alaska, and a virtual event hosted by Western Washington University in Bellingham, which is easy for anyone to join.
You can sign up at sunday.earth/getinvolved to take part, like maybe even organize a Sun Day 2026 event. If you scroll down, you’ll see a super list of super organizations involved. From enviro groups, like 350.org, to churches and the Moms Clean Air Force (what a name!), you’ll find lots of resources. One Sun Day supporter is that great advocacy group every skier, boarder and mountain resort (ahem) should support—Protect Our Winters, which is all about just that: ensuring winter stays winter.
A POWERFUL FORCE OF NATURE
Speaking of 350.org, it was one of my heroes, the amazing author, environmentalist and powerful force of nature, Bill McKibben, who co-founded that great grassroots organization along with Jeremy Osborn, and a bunch of university buddies almost 20 years ago. He also wrote the eye-opening classic, The End of Nature back in ’89. (I’m proud to say there’s a tattered first edition on my too-crowded bookshelf.)
So no surprise it was Bill who twigged my memories about the start of Sun Day during an interview he recently did with CBC Radio’s Laura Lynch on her great enviro show, What on Earth.
Bill’s been all over the media lately— good media; reliable, fact-based media, like this local media outlet called Pique—talking about his latest book. It sports a long, half-
hopeful, half-alarming title, the first part of which he plucked from that Beatles’ hit that instantly turns into an ear worm: Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization
If you ever have the chance to hear Bill speak, grab it. He’s so smart and informed and unassuming, you don’t even realize how much good stuff you’ve soaked up until you’re decompressing later with pals.
I love how he laughed at himself in that CBC interview over having some good news to spread for a change. This is the nub of it, excerpted straight from his book, since he says it way better than I can. (Note the two fun references to grocery stores.)
“Sometime in the early part of the 2020s we crossed an invisible line where the cost of producing energy from the sun dropped below the cost of fossil fuel. That’s not yet common knowledge—we still think of photovoltaic panels and wind turbines as ‘alternative energy,’ as if they were the Whole Foods of power, nice but pricey. In fact—and more so with each passing month— they are the Costco of energy, inexpensive and available in bulk. We live on an earth where the cheapest way to produce power is to point a sheet of glass at the sun; the second-cheapest is to let the breeze created by the sun’s heating turn the blade of a wind turbine…”
Now you know what Sun Day’s really about.
See you there!
Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who’s been using em dashes a hundred years before AI ever did. n
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
C.R. Avery brings East Van Abbey Cabaret to Whistler
THE POINT ARTIST-RUN CENTRE WILL HOST THE MULTI-GENRE SHOW ON SEPT. 20
BY DAVID SONG
THE POINT Artist-Run Centre (PARC) will soon welcome its first East Van Abbey Cabaret.
What’s that, you may ask?
It began on a whim, six-odd years ago at the former home of multi-talented artist C.R. Avery just off Commercial Drive in Vancouver. Bored to tears by regular house parties (which he describes as “mofos standing around making small talk nursing a drink”), the man instituted a rule for guests: don’t show up unless you’re willing to play a song, recite a poem, monologue, etc.
The nascent Cabaret picked up steam, even drawing a large house band before Avery got evicted. He figured it was a good run, but then found a nearby warehouse three times the size of his old abode.
Fast forward two years to now, and the Cabaret routinely takes place on the final Saturday of each month. Nearly all of them sell out despite a lack of advertising. Guest lists are kept under wraps beforehand, but there’s always one comedian, one dancer, one poet, one performance artist and one
songwriter.
“It’s just a proper juke joint where things go boom,” quips Avery. “I need to be around other artists to stay inspired, and since no one’s names are used to promote, famous and non-famous folks come out to try their new comedy idea or new song, or pull out an old poem they want to brush off. [Sometimes it’s] rappers busting freestyles and burlesque dancers showing up for a final number after their money gig. It feels like Paris, it feels like East Van’s final stand before she’s gone.
“This is Saturday Night Live: their name
very fresh, showcasing what any number of artists and performers are working on at that moment. There’s something for everybody … and C.R.’s band, the Storm Collective, ties it all together with music and poetry—often backing the other artists so it makes for a really cohesive show.”
CREATIVE CROSSPOLLINATION
Members of the local arts community are familiar with Avery’s name. He’s brought
“It’s just a proper juke joint where things go boom.”
- C.R. AVERY
is announced, and boom! They launch in, no filler. That’s why the shows sell out. Forty minutes, intermission, then another 45 or 50 [minutes], then bows and exit. Everyone leaves inspired.”
PARC artistic director Stephen Vogler says: “The East Van Abbey Cabaret is a really eclectic event, bringing in artists in many different disciplines. That lines up really well with what we do at the Point. It’s also
all manner of entertainment to town in past years: rock ‘n’ roll bands, solo piano acts, beatboxing, rap shows, burlesque and his own unique cinematic opera. Each time he felt the audience was “beautiful,” so naturally the PARC was his preferred destination for the Cabaret’s inaugural foray outside Vancouver.
Avery and Vogler both believe creative minds have a natural tendency towards mutual inspiration across genres.
“I remember Dylan talking about the cool thing growing up watching the Ed Sullivan Show: you might tune in to watch Elvis or The Beatles, but in the process you fall in love with flamenco dancing or an underground Greenwich Village comedian you’d never heard of before,” Avery remarks. “Who wouldn’t like to see Richard Pryor do 10 minutes, followed by John Prine, then Patti Smith reads from her book and the set ends with John Lee Hooker rocking out with his band?
“I get bored standing around in a field watching a band do the same old [expletive], I want a show.”
Vogler has himself performed music and poetry at the Cabaret several times, so he appreciates its ability to unite undiscovered gems and recognizable names beneath the same roof.
“I’ve always felt that the arts are very tied together, that they cross over in different ways, so if you like one art form, you can find some kernel that connects it to another art form,” elaborates Vogler. “The same holds true for artists. There’s an interesting connection that happens between the artists in a night of cabaret like this. It’s a recipe that keeps the local artists’ scene vibrant and the audiences’ getting fresh, vibrant entertainment.”
The East Van Abbey Cabaret debuts at the PARC on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Find tickets and details at thepointartists.com/events/485r75a cl6vv4tx1nreafrjyxgknz2. n
THINGS GO BOOM C.R. Avery at the East Van Abbey Cabaret at Backspace in East Vancouver.
PHOTO COURTESY OF C.R. AVERY
Local CEO Jane Stoller publishes new book on business organization
ORGANIZE YOUR BUSINESS LIKE A BOSS IS MEANT TO HELP ENTREPRENEURS BUILD TIMELY AND EFFICIENT HABITS
BY DAVID SONG
STARTING A BUSINESS is not easy, but let’s say you pull it off. You’ve conceived a product or service and found out people are interested. You make some money, gain a level of initial traction—and then the real work begins.
To-do lists, marketing, cash flow and so on. It’s your business, so you’re responsible for every single aspect of its operation until a suitable partner can be found. Yet even teams can labour beneath the demands of entrepreneurship if they don’t adopt wise habits.
Jane Stoller wants to help people develop time- and sanity-saving practises. Her latest attempt at doing so is a brand-new book that was released on Sept. 4 in partnership with Bloomsbury Academic: Organize Your Business Like a Boss.
Having lived in Whistler since 2017, Stoller is the CEO of Glimmer: a non-alcoholic sparkling wine company. Her resume includes a master’s in International Business from the University of Hertfordshire and an MBA from Vancouver Island University (VIU), as well as stints employed by major corporations like Lafarge (which is now part of the Holcim Group). Her previous two books are called Organizing For Your Lifestyle and Decluttering for Dummies.
All of that experience has allowed Stoller to refine a six-step strategy for organization: master time management, streamline business processes, organize finances, hone human resources, refine marketing and sustain systems. All of these are detailed in her latest work and accompanied by tips, worksheets and templates.
“All businesses are unique in [terms of] what they offer and who their team is, but every business is very similar in its structure,” remarks Stoller. “I cater towards small- to medium-sized businesses. That’s who I like working with and who I’ve been working with lately in my course, but large organizations are run very similarly as well.
“I realized that [big firms] always had the same structure for everything they did and it was very systematic, the way they’d approach a consulting project. Small businesses can really use this approach, but of course they don’t have the big dollars to pay consultants. I wanted to help … time management is where I started because even the big consultants kind of forget about that.”
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
Organization can be a natural talent just like math, sports or visual art. From a young age, Stoller was known to arrange her cats, stuffed animals and her parents’ books based on size, colour and publication date at the family home in Seeley Bay, Ont. Her first clients, in a manner of speaking, were elementary school
LIKE A BOSS Whistler-based entrepreneur, author and consultant Jane Stoller.
PHOTO BY ALLY PINTUCCI
friends who wanted assistance sorting out their belongings.
The Swiss-Canadian still does private consulting, including pro bono for the ONE TO ONE Children’s Literacy Program, and teaches management skills at her alma mater VIU. She wants people to know organization can be an acquired trait even if one’s natural state of being is rather chaotic.
“Research from [the National Library of Medicine] shows that around age six, children begin developing spontaneous organizational strategies—the cognitive basis of ‘being organized’—and their work habits start to stabilize,» Stoller says. «It doesn›t come easily to everybody, but it is possible to change those habits. Go back to the basics: let›s look at where you›re spending your time. Make sure you can still spend 80 per cent on revenuegenerating stuff … then get some [standard operating procedures] in place.
“Reducing friction to the customer, eliminating stuff that could be automated or outsourced, and then financials: those are the top three steps when you’re just starting out as an entrepreneur.”
Stoller feels September is a favourable publishing date because it’s a time when most people are ramping up productivity at work or school—and therefore looking out for tangible solutions to improve their quality of life. Whistlerites get an opportunity to meet Stoller on Oct. 11 at Armchair Books, where she’ll be signing copies of Organize Your Business Like a Boss from 1 to 3 p.m.
She hopes, among other things, that her audience learns not to do too much overthinking whenever they want to launch a company or another kind of project.
“A lot of people, when they start their business, they’re good at something … and then they quickly become overwhelmed with all the details,” says Stoller. “A lot of us don’t start a business because we’re scared the logo is not right. We don’t have the perfect offering. Just get your product out there and refine as you go. You can’t be held back by that kind of perfectionism. Organize for your lifestyle, not for Instagram.”
Visit organizedjane.com to learn more about Stoller’s books and services. n
Applicationsarenowbeingacceptedforour st October 1, 2025FallFundingDeadline.
toresidentsoftheSeatoSkyCorridor in theareasofhealth,humanservices, education,recreation,arts&culture andtheenvironment.Specialemphasis isplacedonchildren,youthandfamilyprograms. Formoreinformation, eligibilityrequirementsandtocompleteanapplication,pleasevisitour websiteatwhistlerblackcombfoundation.com,OrcontactMeiMadden, ExecutiveDirectoratmmadden@whistlerblackcombfoundation.com
PIQUE’S GUIDE TO LOCAL EVENTS & NIGHTLIFE
Here’s a quick look at some events happening in Whistler this week and beyond. FIND MORE LOCAL EVENT LISTINGS (and submit your own for free!) at piquenewsmagazine.com/local-events
GREEN LAKE BIRD WALK
BRANDYWINE BOOGIE TRAIL RUN
Cheer on the athletes or sign up for a stunning 9-kilometre trail run or 7.5 km walk from Cheakamus to Cal-Cheak Campground on the Sea to Sky Trail. The race is point to point, mainly on level gravel tracks with some single track and overall downhill. You will cross a river (on a bridge), run through diverse landscapes and generally be blown away by the natural beauty.
> Sept. 20, 8:30 a.m.
> Bayly Park
ST’ÁT’IMC NORTHERN TRIBEZ POWWOW
The St’át’imc Northern Tribez invite you to gather for an unforgettable powwow experience—an authentic homecoming grounded in protocol, culture, respect, humility, and knowledge-sharing. The mission is to honour and uplift the spirit of Indigenous traditions through the sacred medicines of dancing, drumming, singing and ceremony. Guided by ancestors and rooted in community, come together to observe self, reconnect with culture and unite from all walks of life. All are welcome.
> Sept. 20
> 347 kwetsa7, Mount Currie
GREEN LAKE BIRD WALK
Join the Whistler Naturalists on the third Saturday of the month for a walk to Green Lake and the Fitzsimmons Creek Delta. Open to anyone interested in learning about birds and contributing as a citizen scientist. Connect with experienced birders who are happy to share their knowledge.
> Sept. 20, 8 a.m.
> Parking lot beside River of Golden Dreams
BALANCING POWER AND INCLUSION
This workshop focuses on teaching tools to create strong and adaptive classes. Learn practical strategies that you can use to unleash your creativity and unique teaching voice, while ensuring that you are also creating a mindful teaching space for all practitioners.
> Sept. 20, 1 to 3 p.m.
> Yogacara Whistler
WHISTLER FARMERS’ MARKET
A feast for your senses, the Whistler Farmers’ Market features local produce, tasty food, local artisans, live entertainment and family activities. Markets happen every Sunday until Thanksgiving on Oct. 13, with the addition of a Saturday market on Oct. 11.
> Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
> Upper Village Stroll
ADULT LIFE DRAWING WORKSHOP
Led by artist Shelley Rothenburger, this class is designed to guide students in uncovering their individual artistic voice while developing strong foundational skills. Includes Museum admission and guided tour.
IN MAY 1976, the Alta Lake Community Club (ALCC) announced its first meeting since March 1972 and began recruiting new members. This was not the first time the club had experienced a hiatus, only to re-activate.
In 1923, Grace Archibald suggested forming a social club. She, Lizzie Neiland, Flo Williams and a few other Alta Lake residents and regular summer visitors met at Rainbow Lodge to plan a picnic; from the resulting picnic, the ALCC was created. The ALCC started holding meetings in 1926 but it wasn’t long before the club took a break. In 1933, after almost seven years of inactivity, the ALCC started up again in order to raise money for a community hall, which it accomplished through weekly dances. Over the next few
already had $7,700 in the bank (just over $40,000 today when adjusted for inflation) and members decided to start by sending out a questionnaire to find out what kind of things people wanted to see from the club.
The ALCC hosted a “Soccer Ball” dance fundraiser that August to raise money for soccer balls and uniforms for the Whistler team, followed by an “old fashioned family fun and sports day.” In its first year back, the club hosted Halloween and Christmas parties (including a visit from Santa), supported the local Brownies and Cubs, held an Easter egg hunt, cooked pancakes for Mother’s Day, and even formed a drama club. They had used some of their funds to establish an annual scholarship for a graduating student from the Whistler or Garibaldi area and purchased sound equipment and tables that could be used by other groups. The ALCC had also started sponsoring events such as
Over the next few decades, the ALCC hosted dances, picnics, meetings, car nights, concerts, pot lucks, film nights, children’s parties and more.
decades, the ALCC hosted dances, picnics, meetings, car nights, concerts, pot lucks, film nights, children’s parties and more.
The ALCC became inactive over the summer of 1972 and did not have another meeting until 1976 when a group of Whistler residents decided that, with Myrtle Philip School and its community space scheduled to open soon, it was time to revive the community club. They placed a notice in the recently founded Whistler Question to recruit members stating, “This is not a political or ladies only club. It is for single people and family groups interested in community recreational activities.”
About 35 people attended the ALCC’s first meeting of 1976 at the Mount Whistler Lodge. They elected a new executive and, with Frans Carpay as president, Ruth Howells as vice-president, BJ Godson as secretary, and Pat Beauregard as treasurer, the club was ready to plan new activities and events. Thanks to its previous activity, the ALCC
the annual ski swap and dance workshops because the club had the necessary liability insurance and were trusted renters of the school community space.
According to Ruth Howells, some of the most successful adult events hosted by the club were its suppers. These were so popular they had to limit them to members and guests only and even then often ended up with a waiting list. Ruth summed up the success by saying, “Good food, good company and good music make for very enjoyable evenings.”
The ALCC continued to bring people together through events and fundraisers such as its annual Fall Fair into the 1980s. In 1981 the club began hosting a “Welcome to Whistler” tea and in 1984 donated money to the RMOW for benches along the Valley Trail. As Whistler continued to grow, other clubs formed for different activities and interests and over time the ALCC wound down. n
DANCE PARTY The Myrtle Philip School gym was the setting of the ALCC’s 1920s dinner and dance in June 1981. WHISTLER QUESTION COLLECTION, 1981
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19 BY ROB
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Hindu goddess Durga rides a tiger and carries weapons in her ten hands, including a sword, axe, and thunderbolt. Yet she wears a pleasant smile. Her mandate to aid the triumph of good over evil is not fuelled by hate but by luminous clarity and loving ferocity. I suggest you adopt her attitude, Aries. Can you imagine yourself as a storm of joy and benevolence? Will you work to bring more justice and fairness into the situations you engage with? I imagine you speaking complex and rugged truths with warmth and charm. I see you summoning a generous flair as you help people climb up out of their sadness and suffering. If all goes well, you will magnetize others to participate in shared visions of delight and dignity.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Born under the sign of Taurus, Maya Deren first expressed her extravagant creative urges as a writer, poet, photographer, clothes designer, and dancer. But then she made a radical change, embarking on a new path as experimental filmmaker. She said she had “finally found a glove that fits.” Her movies were highly influential among the avant-garde in the 1940s and 1950s. I bring Deren to your attention, Taurus, because I suspect that in the coming months, you, too, will find a glove that fits. And it all starts soon.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In medieval times, alchemists believed mercury was a sacred substance and divine intermediary. They knew that it’s the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature. This quality, along with its silvery sheen (why it’s called “quicksilver”), made it seem like a bridge between solid and liquid, earth and water, heaven and earth, life and death. I nominate mercury as your power object, Gemini. You’re extra wellsuited to navigate liminal zones and transitional states. You may be the only person in your circle who can navigate paradox and speak in riddles and still make sense. It’s not just cleverness. It’s wisdom wrapped in whimsy. So please offer your in-between insights freely. PS: You have another superpower, too: You can activate dormant understandings in both other people’s hearts and your own.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the western Pacific Ocean, there’s a species of octopus that builds its lair from coconut shells. The creature gathers together husks, dragging them across the seafloor, and fits them together. According to scientists, this use of tools by an invertebrate is unique. Let’s make the coconut octopus your power creature for now, Cancerian. You will have extra power to forge a new sanctuary or renovate an existing one, either metaphorically or literally. You will be wise to draw on what’s nearby and readily available, maybe even using unusual or unexpected building materials.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I invite you to contemplate the meaning of the phrase “invisible architecture.” My dream told me it will be a theme for you in the coming weeks. What does it mean? What does it entail? Here are my thoughts: Structures are taking shape within you that may not yet be visible from the outside. Bridges are forming between once-disconnected parts of your psyche and life. You may not need to do much except consent to the slow emergence of these new semi-amazing expressions of integrity. Be patient and take notes. Intuitions arriving soon may be blueprints for future greatness. Here’s the kicker: You’re not just building for yourself. You’re working on behalf of your soul-kin, too.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A supple clarity is crystallizing within you. Congratulations! It’s not a brittle or rigid certainty, but a knack for limber discernment. I predict you will have an extra potent gift for knowing what truly matters, even amidst chaos or complication. As this superpower reaches full ripeness, you can aid the process by clearing out clutter and refining your foundational values. Make these words your magic spells: quintessence, core, crux, gist, lifeblood, root. PS: Be alert for divine messages in seemingly mundane circumstances.
BREZSNY
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The ancient Mesopotamian goddess Inanna was called “the Queen of Heaven.” Her domains were politics, divine law, love, and fertility. She was a powerhouse. One chapter of her mythic story tells of her descent into the underworld. She was stripped of everything—clothes, titles, weapons—before she could be reborn. Why did she do it? Scholars say she was on a quest for greater knowledge and an expansion of her authority. And she was successful! I propose we make her your guide and companion in the coming weeks, Libra. You are at the tail-end of your own descent. The stripping is almost complete. Soon you will feel the first tremors of return—not loud, not triumphant, but sure. I have faith that your adventures will make you stronger and wiser, as Inanna’s did for her.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In ancient Rome, the dye called Tyrian purple was used exclusively for garments worn by royalty and top officials. It had a humble origin: murex snails. Their glands yielded a pale liquid that darkened into an aristocratic violet only after sun, air, and time worked upon it. I’m predicting you will be the beneficiary of comparable alchemical transformations in the coming weeks. A modest curiosity could lead to a major breakthrough. A passing fancy might ripen into a rich blessing. Seemingly nondescript encounters may evolve into precious connections.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Bees can see ultraviolet patterns in flowers that are invisible to humans. These “nectar guides” direct bees to the flower’s nectar and pollen, functioning like landing strips. Let’s apply these fun facts as metaphors for your life, Sagittarius. I suspect that life is offering you subtle yet radiant cues leading you to sources you will be glad to connect with. To be fully alert for them, you may need to shift and expand the ways you use your five senses. The universe is in a sense flirting with you, sending you clues through dream-logic and nonrational phenomena. Follow the shimmering glimmers.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): At the height of her powers, Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut declared, “I have restored what had been ruined. I have raised up what had dissolved.” You now have a similar gift at your disposal, Capricorn. If you harness it, you will gain an enhanced capacity to unify what has been scattered, to reforge what was broken, and to resurrect neglected dreams. To fulfil this potential, you must believe in your own sovereignty—not as a form of domination, but of devotion. Start with your own world. Make beauty where there was noise. Evoke dignity where there was confusion.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the high Himalayas, there’s a flower called Saussurea obvallata—the Brahma Kamal. It blooms only at night and for a short time, releasing a scent that legend says can heal grief. This will be your flower of power for the coming weeks, Aquarius. It signifies that a rare and time-sensitive gift will be available, and that you must be alert to gather it in. My advice: Don’t schedule every waking hour. Leave space for mystery to arrive unannounced. You could receive a visitation, an inspiration, or a fleeting insight that can change everything. It may assuage and even heal sadness, confusion, aimlessness, or demoralization.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The human heart beats 100,000 times per day, 35 million times per year, and 2.5 billion times in an average lifetime. It’s the most reliable “machine” ever created, working continuously and mostly without special maintenance for decades. Although you Pisceans aren’t renowned for your stability and steadiness, I predict that in the coming weeks, you will be as staunch, constant, and secure as a human heart. What do you plan to do with this grace period? What marvels can you accomplish?
Homework: I dare you to plan a wild and smart adventure. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com.
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates EXPANDED
In-depth weekly forecasts designed to inspire and uplift you. To buy access, phone 1-888-499-4425. Once you’ve chosen the Block of Time you like, call 1-888-682-8777 to hear Rob’s forecasts. www.freewillastrology.com
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JASPER , a year after a wildfire burned a third of the town to the ground, felt cauterized, cut off from its own vitality, as though burns had staunched overt bloodshed but left gnarled scar tissue that was hard to look at. It’s impossible as an outsider to know how the fire actually affected the community, but the week we were there, staying in a campground full of
BY LISA RICHARDSON
culled trees, there was a one-year anniversary gathering downtown, and posters on the wall of the hostel saying effectively: Visitors, we want your business, but we don’t need your morbid curiosity. Please don’t ask locals if we lost something. We all lost something.
Four hundred and ten buildings of 1,040 were destroyed, another 10 were visibly damaged. Mentally wipe out every third home on your next neighbourhood stroll. A year on, the wreckage of burned homes has been removed, apart from the church and a gas station which stand as melted ruins. The scraped-bare lots are surrounded by fencing, awaiting the resolution of insurance claims. Temporary pre-fab housing lines the town’s main street. A survivor’s takeaway in the local paper expressed the strange stasis of loss: “Recovery takes a lot longer than you imagine.
Rebuilding takes longer. I’m realizing that everything is going to take longer than I was prepared for.”
The day, July 22, 2024, the order was made to evacuate Jasper, Beth Sanders had been awaiting a reply to finalize details on a job offer to become Jasper’s first ever in-house planner. Typically, that work fell to Parks Canada staff, and the municipality was trying something new.
A year later, the now-director of urban design and standards for the Municipality of Jasper, Sanders spoke to the Canadian Urban Institute podcast, explaining some of the ways Jasper was trying to be more resilient as it rebuilt, mandating fire-resilient cladding, for example, or enabling new suites to address the resort’s housing crisis.
But amongst the takeaways, Sanders offered
scenarios I first encountered, post-pandemic, at a workshop in 2022. The future scenario that seemed most aligned with the community I dreamed Whistler could be, could only be imagined by the team behind the scenarios if a catastrophic fire burned everything to the ground. Only wiped clean and rebuilt out of the ashes could Whistler be a more considered and ecologically-minded community, rooted in a sense of the land and belonging, able to house local people, liberated of its imbalance of non-resident investors and speculators.
But realistically, even that opportunity of reclaiming a community would be hard to seize. Trauma doesn’t automatically unlock post-traumatic growth. And disaster capitalists, as Naomi Klein has termed them, know there’s a window of opportunity after
“There are people displaced from Jasper who don’t imagine they’ll ever come back.”
- BETH SANDERS
a reminder: “There are people displaced from Jasper who don’t imagine they’ll ever come back. There are people who imagine it’s going to take years to rebuild. Some are rebuilding this summer. But a gem of a community is never going to be the same again.” The physical part of Jasper can be rebuilt, but “the social fabric is ruptured, because people went to the wind, and that same assembly of people is never going to be Jasper again.” Jasper, circa July 2024, no longer exists.
I thought back to the Whistler Sessions
a shock, to move fast and push through agendas. That’s where the big gains are made.
Resilience, then, can’t be a band-aid or an afterthought.
You cultivate it well in advance. Tending to the invisible connective tissues that hold things together. Creating the infrastructure, or the conditions, conducive to what you value now.
After my dad died last year, a month after Jasper burned, I carried this question for a while: How can this be connective?
There’s power in a question. I could have asked: Why? Why me? Why now? Who did something wrong that I can be pissed at? Why didn’t I spend more time with him? But a question is like a magnet—it attracts its own answers. And asking “how can this be connective” lured a thousand little iron filings towards me, all delightfully bristling and aligned.
Grief is universal. Losing a parent is universal. I had connective conversations with people in grocery store aisles, was sent unexpected cards by male friends whose tenderheartedness I had not fully appreciated until that moment, repaired my relationship with my brother and made a connection with a half-aunt I’d only met once, not to mention the way my husband showed up for me, or the support I received from a circle of girlfriends that left me feeling measurably rich, and lucky. It was many things. It was hard. And it was connective.
While the pandemic response may, or may not, have prevented a catastrophic plague, it did damage the connective tissue of community. Recent studies showed it also aged our brains, whether we got COVID or not. We’re brain-shrunk, less shock-proof, and more vulnerable to disaster capitalists in the event of wildfire or other catastrophe. FireSmarting efforts might help… but it’s in re-learning how to gather, talk, laugh, debate, grieve and connect together that we’ll really re-seed our resilience.
Lisa Richardson is a longtime contributor to Pique whose writing, journalling workshops, yoga classes and other random contributions are fuelled by her deep gratitude for place and desire to contribute to greater community resilience. n
SCAR TISSUE The 2024 Jasper wildfire destroyed 410 of 1,040 buildings.
