B.C. cities left confused as province quietly abandons Bear Smart oversight. - By Stefan Labbé
06 OPENING REMARKS Is the B.C. budget good for Whistler? Not especially. But it’s not bad, either, writes editor Braden Dupuis.
08 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR This week’s letter-writers call for tough questions for election candidates, and offer thanks to the team at Whistler Olympic Park.
18 RANGE ROVER In which columnist Leslie Anthony reflects on good times with good friends in the mountains.
38 PIQUE’N YER INTEREST When we resist the urge to fill every moment of boredom or discomfort with online noise, we create the space we’ve been looking for, writes Lizi McLoughlin.
10 EMISSION MISSION Sea to Sky MP Patrick Weiler says Canada must “speed up” its climate action efforts after a new report highlighted lagging emissions reduction.
11 ROAD TO RECOVERY A Whistler Blackcomb liftie is on the road to recovery with the help of the Whistler community.
22 FUN AND GAMES Recapping the efforts of Sea to Sky Olympians after the second week of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
26 COMEDY QUEENS The award-winning Queens of Comedy head to the Sea to Sky for a pair of shows on March 6 and 8.
COVER How come there are so many people who don’t know what garbage cans are? - By Jon Parris // Adobe AI // @jon.parris.art
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Founding Publishers KATHY & BOB BARNETT www.piquenewsmagazine.com
What’s in the provincial budget for Whistler?
MONITORING THE INBOX on budget day—provincial or federal—is always an exercise in being told what to think.
Like clockwork, the budget drops, and the special-interest groups unload.
The NDP’s budget, released Feb. 17, is an “assault on seniors, working families and small businesses,” says the BC Conservative Party, and a budget “made
BY BRADEN DUPUIS
for industry, not British Columbians,” according to the Green Party.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, meanwhile, sees a budget that raises taxes for everyone, making B.C. a “less competitive place to do business”; the Wilderness Federation bemoans a budget that “passes the buck on protecting biodiversity and fighting climate change”; and the BC Chamber of Commerce sees a “sober economic outlook” ahead in light of the budget.
“Today’s budget offers little in the way of the needed economic incentives, programs or policy shifts required to kick-start our economy, and which we have been advocating for, to grow the economy and generate prosperity for British Columbian citizens and businesses,” said chamber president and CEO Jen Riley in a release.
“Particularly alarming is the increase in the deficit to $13.3 billion next fiscal year, once again a record amount. The total provincial debt is going to rise from $154 billion to $235 billion by the end of the three-year fiscal plan.”
Come budget day, it seems there is nary a special interest group around that doesn’t have something to say. Is anyone actually happy with what’s in this year’s
provincial budget?
The Hospital Employees’ Union noted the budget “protects frontline health-care services,” while the BC Nurses Union said it reflects the importance of health-care, though it’s lacking in specifics.
“While this budget acknowledges the value of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, today’s announcement to pause the delivery of phase two of Burnaby Hospital and Cancer Care and a number of long-term care facilities leaves a series of unanswered questions,” said union president Adriane Gear, in a release. “B.C.’s health-care system is under incredible strain, and an acute care setting is not the place for those requiring long-term care.”
Budget day is less about clarity than cacophony. Everyone scans the same document and finds their grievance reflected back at them. Everyone is disappointed in different ways, and everyone is right, at least a little.
Which brings us to Whistler, and the question locals actually care about: is this budget good for us?
The unsatisfying answer is: not especially. But it’s not bad either.
There are no big, bold Whistlerspecific announcements tucked into the fine print. Instead, this is a budget built to maintain, not transform—and Whistler is largely treated accordingly.
The most important thing for Whistler in this year’s budget is likely what didn’t change.
The Resort Municipality Initiative, or RMI, continues, which is a big deal here in town. RMI funding quietly underwrites a huge amount of what keeps Whistler functional as a global destination: trails, village infrastructure, transportation improvements, visitor management, and yes, even things like wildlife-conflict mitigation. Without it, local taxpayers would be picking up far more of the tab for services and infrastructure that exist largely because of tourism.
But RMI isn’t growth funding. It’s compensation. It exists because resort municipalities shoulder provincial-scale tourism impacts with municipal-scale tax bases. Its continuation keeps Whistler from slipping backward—but it doesn’t move us forward.
Beyond that, tourism barely registers as a headline priority in this year’s budget. There is some money aimed at streamlining permitting in the tourism and natural-resource sectors, which could help shave time off approvals for future projects. Destination marketing and event funding programs continue. None of that is unwelcome, but none of it reflects the scale of pressure resort communities are under.
And then there’s the environment— the thing Whistler is built on, branded by, and increasingly threatened by.
If you were hoping this budget would mark a turning point on parks funding, conservation, outdoor recreation infrastructure or ecosystem stewardship, you’ll come away disappointed. There’s no meaningful reinvestment in BC Parks operations. No major new funding for trails or recreation sites, despite record usage. No clear signal that biodiversity protection or long-term land stewardship are rising priorities.
For Whistler, that’s not an abstract concern. Our economy depends on healthy forests, functioning watersheds and accessible public land. Chronic underfunding doesn’t show up immediately, but it always shows up eventually—in closures, degradation, user conflict and rising maintenance costs pushed down to local governments.
Wildfire prevention is one of the few areas where the budget does include something tangible. The province has topped up FireSmart funding for communities, which is welcome. Any investment in wildfire risk reduction is better than none.
But it’s targeted and limited, not the kind of sustained, landscape-scale commitment communities like Whistler need as fire seasons get longer, hotter and more unpredictable. FireSmart helps around the edges. It doesn’t solve the bigger structural problems of forest health, land-use planning and emergency response capacity.
On wildlife, the silence is notable.
There’s no dedicated funding spelled out for Bear Smart programs or broader human-wildlife conflict prevention, even as communities across the province— Whistler included—grapple with increasing encounters. Those programs may continue through existing ministry budgets or partnerships, but there’s no sense of expansion or urgency.
In a place where bears are a daily reality, that absence is hard to ignore. What this budget really does is underline how much Whistler is being asked to manage locally.
Whistler’s own municipal budget this year includes a significant property tax increase, driven by rising RCMP costs, expanded fire protection, transit demands and the basic reality of servicing a town that punches far above its population weight. Provincial funding helps at the margins, but it doesn’t keep pace with the demands of being one of B.C.’s economic engines.
The message from Victoria isn’t hostile. It’s just restrained.
Keep doing what you’re doing. Manage growth. Manage visitors. Manage risk. Manage climate impacts. Just don’t expect much new help beyond what already exists.
This year’s budget won’t save Whistler. It won’t sink us either. As several special-interest groups pointed out in their budget-day news release, it’s a budget that maintains the status quo— and for a province facing record deficits and economic uncertainty, that may be the best it was ever going to offer. n
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When everything is in a crisis, accountability disappears
On the late evening of Sunday, Dec. 8, 1998, I was having a glass of champagne with a little-known singer at the Nelson Hotel in Vancouver. That singer is now famous. The bartender, who was a friend, came over and told us an infamous gangster had been gunned down at a nearby nightclub. ”This means the ’90s Lower Mainland gang war is over,” I thought to myself. “Great.”
But no. The ongoing gang war crisis continues.
We now have a housing crisis, mentalhealth crisis, homeless crisis, health-care crisis, opioid crisis, climate crisis, affordability crisis, tariff crisis, landacknowledgement crisis, and now the extortion crisis. Did I miss any? Maybe the ostrich crisis? And we are about to be hit by a budget crisis. At all levels of government.
We live in a state that is governed by the ever-present possibility of conflict. How has this become normal? When does it end?
A society that learns to live permanently in crisis has quietly given up on solving anything at all. Crisis has become our governing strategy. Each new emergency is announced with urgency, met with temporary funding,
press conferences, committees, studies, consultants, and promises. And then it is quietly absorbed into the background chatter of reality television. Don’t believe me? How is a hospital ER closure the new norm?
At some point we must stop treating permanent crises as an unfortunate backdrop to modern life. These are the predictable results of political choices, institutionalized by elected officials who are more worried about re-election than making tough choices. The electorate has a tolerance
BIRTE’S
for failure that should never be accepted.
We are told to be patient, to accept complexity, to lower our expectations. But a society that can normalize endless emergencies is a society that has forgotten what government is for.
When everything is in a crisis, accountability disappears. That is the real danger.
Come election time, ask your candidate the difficult questions. Ask for solutions. Not plans.
Patrick
Smyth // Whistler
Thank you to Whistler Olympic Park and Whistler Adaptive
I am writing to express thanks to Kirk, sports supervisor, and the whole team at Whistler Olympic Park for providing an outstanding cross-country ski field trip.
On the field trip, students had the opportunity to experience cross-country skiing in a welcoming, supportive, and well-organized environment. As part of the program, each student received an I Am a Nordic Skier pass, allowing them to return to Whistler Olympic Park to ski again with their families. This opportunity helps extend the learning beyond the field trip and encourages families to enjoy outdoor recreation together.
I would also like to recognize Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP) for their incredible support in providing a sit ski for one of our students. WASP’s commitment to accessibility ensured every child was able to fully participate, reflecting the strong spirit of inclusion within our community.
Thank you again to Kirk, Whistler Olympic Park, and Whistler Adaptive Sports Program for their dedication to youth, outdoor education, and inclusive sport. Experiences like this leave a lasting impact on students and strengthen the connection between our schools and the wider Whistler community.
Sophie Babiuk // Teacher, Myrtle Philip Community School n
Backcountry Update
AS OF WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18
This weekend has shaped up much like the last, presenting an inviting opportunity to get out for some travel and riding in the mountains. Light snowfall combined with moderate to strong wind is expected throughout. However, visibility may be more limited this weekend compared to last, which could make terrain assessment and navigation a little more challenging.
This pattern of light new snow and continued wind transport should keep the wind slab problem front of mind for anyone heading into alpine or treeline terrain. Even so, taken as a whole, the forecast still points toward a worthwhile window for enjoyable riding conditions in carefully chosen terrain features.
Wind slabs remain the primary concern, especially near ridge crests in the alpine and treeline, where ridertriggerable slabs are likely to form. In areas where the new snow doesn’t form a slab, loose avalanches may be
possible. While typically small, these could become consequential in steep or extreme terrain where even a minor slide has the potential to sweep a rider off their feet or carry them into hazardous features. Cornices also deserve attention in the alpine; they could weaken further as additional snow accumulates or winds continue to redistribute it.
For groups with a keen eye for where these problems are most likely to exist, it shouldn’t be too hard to find good, safe riding. Careful route planning, appropriate terrain selection, and thoughtful group management will go a long way toward finding dry powder snow while keeping exposure to avalanche hazard in check.
Be sure to check the avalanche forecast daily at avalanche.ca or on the AvCan app. The next day’s forecast is published every day at at 4 p.m. And as always, make sure your whole group is carrying the essential avalanche equipment and knows how to use it. n
CONDITIONS MAY VARY AND CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY Check for the most current conditions before heading out into the backcountry. Daily updates for the areas adjacent to Whistler Blackcomb are available at 604-938-7676, or surf to www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountain-info/ snow-report#backcountry or go to www.avalanche.ca.
NickDavies, Whistlerlocal andexperiencedfamilylawyer practisingacrossBCandYukon. Callat 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca
MP Weiler says Canada must ‘speed up’ climate action as new report shows country off track on emissions goals
THE CANADIAN CLIMATE INSTITUTE ARGUES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SLOWING DOWN PROGRAMS IS CONTRIBUTING TO A GAP BETWEEN CLIMATE GOALS AND REALITY
BY LUKE FAULKS
A WINTER DEFINED by thin snowpack and delayed openings across Whistler has underscored the growing economic risks climate change poses to the Sea to Sky corridor.
Industry analysts and meteorological reporting tied the slow start to persistent warm conditions across Western Canada, continuing a trend scientists say is shrinking snow seasons at lower elevations and increasing volatility for mountain resorts.
That reality is reflected in a new independent assessment of Canada’s federal climate plan, released Feb. 13 by the Canadian Climate Institute (CCI). The report finds Canada is falling far short of its emissions targets—and warns the consequences could extend to economic mainstays like winter tourism.
“The data leaves no doubt that Canada’s climate progress is off track,” said Dave Sawyer, principal economist at the CCI. “Fortunately, governments have options to put well-designed climate policy in place that can reduce emissions, make life more affordable, and unleash economic growth.”
CANADA PROJECTED TO REACH HALF 2030
TARGET
Canada has committed to reducing emissions by 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, and reaching netzero emissions by 2050. But independent modelling conducted for the CCI projects
the country’s emissions will fall only 18 to 22 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030—far short of the federally mandated target of roughly 440 megatonnes.
The Institute’s analysis concludes plainly that “Canada is not on track to achieve any of its climate goals,” despite some progress reducing emissions over the past two decades.
National emissions fell roughly nine per cent between 2005 and 2024, but the pace of reductions has slowed significantly in recent years. At the same time, emissions from oil and gas production continue to rise, partially offsetting gains in sectors like electricity generation.
POLICY ROLLBACKS HAVE WEAKENED TRAJECTORY
The report attributes much of Canada’s slowdown to weakened climate policies across multiple levels of government.
Recent changes include the cancellation of consumer carbon pricing (colloquially known as the carbon tax), the expiration of electric vehicle sales mandate and home retrofit programs, and weakened industrial carbon pricing systems in provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The Institute found these rollbacks have eroded momentum and increased uncertainty for investors, even as emissions reductions need to accelerate sharply to meet Canada’s targets.
Sea to Sky MP Patrick Weiler acknowledged those policy reversals have had real consequences.
“I don’t think there’s any other way to look at policy changes last year, other than being a step back in terms of our progress and meeting those targets,” Weiler said.
Still, he said the report highlights where federal efforts must now focus.
“It shows me that there’s a lot more
work that needs to be done to reach those targets, particularly in areas like the fossil fuel sector and transportation especially,” he said.
Emissions reductions hinge on carbon pricing, industrial regulations
One of the report’s central findings is that, after rollbacks last year, Canada’s climate plan now relies heavily on a smaller number of high-impact policies—especially industrial carbon pricing, methane regulations and electricity decarbonization.
Still, Weiler suggested Canadian climate policy shouldn’t be judged on the number of emissions-reductions strategies, but rather each policy’s effectiveness.
“There’s a very strong argument to be made that the most effective tool for reducing emissions is effective carbon pricing, especially at the industrial level, and that’s something that we’ve been working on, particularly with the province of Alberta [to] make sure that those measures are going to be effective at driving emission reduction, and that the effective carbon price is much higher than it is right now,” he said.
Industrial carbon pricing alone is expected to account for a significant share of emissions reductions by 2030, provided provincial systems are strengthened and enforced. Weiler pointed to ongoing negotiations aimed at strengthening provincial carbon pricing systems and raising credit prices to levels that would incentivize emissions reductions.
NEW ELECTRICITY, TRANSPORTATION POLICIES
Weiler said federal climate efforts in the coming year will focus heavily on electrification and industrial emissions reductions. He also pointed to work underway on a national electricity
strategy to expand Canada’s clean grid and enable broader emissions reductions across the economy.
On Feb. 5, the federal government announced a new auto strategy applying more stringent tailpipe emissions standards and rolling out a $2.3-billion EV rebate program, which the government projects will help incentivize the uptake of EVs to 75 per cent of new car purchases in 2035.
Weiler added public funding alone cannot finance the fight against climate change.
“That’s what we need more than anything else in Canada right now, because so much of the investment in climate actions come from the federal government, and it’s come from the public sector,” he said. “We really need to see that investment from the private sector, and that is going to be a critical component of it.”
CLIMATE PROGRESS CRITICAL FOR SEA TO SKY
For communities like Whistler, where winter tourism underpins much of the local economy, the report’s findings highlight the growing economic stakes of climate change.
Weiler said he remains confident Canada can meet its long-term goals— but only if governments act decisively.
“We’ve already bent the curve. We’re going in the right direction,” he said. “We just need to speed up our policies in this space.”
Weiler is expected to discuss the findings further at an upcoming Canadian Climate Institute panel later this month in Ottawa, where researchers and policymakers will explore next steps to close Canada’s emissions gap and strengthen climate policy. n
PUSHING FOR PROGRESS Sea to Sky MP Patrick Weiler.
PHOTO BY PAUL MCGRATH / NORTH SHORE NEWS
Injured Whistler liftie begins long recovery buoyed by community support
FAMILY
IN WALES SAYS OUTPOURING OF KINDNESS AND PROFESSIONALISM HAS HELPED TURN FRIGHTENING ACCIDENT INTO STORY OF GRATITUDE
BY LUKE FAULKS
A WHISTLER LIFT operator injured in a serious skiing accident earlier this month has returned to the resort and begun his recovery. His parents, located thousands of kilometres away in Wales, say they’ve been overwhelmed by the support of friends, coworkers and strangers in the resort community.
“They were skiing and hit a rock that was covered in snow,” his mother, Jane Woodhall, recalled. “His skis came off and he went up in the air and landed, obviously awkwardly. He was unconscious for about 15 to 20 seconds, and then that’s when he had a seizure.”
Jamie, a Whistler Blackcomb lift operator spending one of his first winters in Canada, was part of a group of about 10 friends skiing together on Feb. 9 when the accident happened. Ski patrol quickly reached him and coordinated an emergency helicopter evacuation to Vancouver General Hospital.
Despite the frightening circumstances, Woodhall said her son was struck by the speed and professionalism of the rescue.
“He was very impressed,” she said.
The injuries were severe: a shattered tibia requiring surgery, with eight screws and a plate inserted into his leg, along with a partially torn rotator cuff, concussion and widespread bruising.
In a Facebook post that quickly spread among Whistler’s tight-knit community of seasonal workers, Woodhall publicly thanked the responders who helped save her son.
“The care received from the mountain rescue patrol, staff at the medical hut, the helicopter medics, ambulance and hospital staff has all been amazing and he felt so looked after, reassured and safe,” she wrote.
What followed was something she never expected: hundreds of comments, private messages, and offers of help from strangers, coworkers, and fellow travellers.
“I was amazed how big it’s got, actually—the number of responses,” she said. “Loads of people were messaging me privately, offering help and support, offering accommodation, offering to take stuff into hospital for him. Everyone has just been really kind.”
The response helped ease the emotional burden of watching her son recover from across an ocean.
Jamie has since been discharged from hospital and returned to his staff accommodation in Whistler, where he is resting with his leg elevated and focusing
on healing. His sister, who is also living and working in Whistler, has been helping him navigate early recovery— ordering mobility aids and making sure he has what he needs.
“He’s decided that while he’s just recuperating, and got his leg elevated, to just take it easy,” Woodhall said. “He’s got his sister, he’s got a really good network of support of friends out there.”
For Woodhall, the accident has also offered reassurance about the community her son chose to join. People who recognized Jamie as a lift operator reached out to share their support.
“People who saw that post were like, ‘Oh yeah, I recognize your son,’” she said. “It’s really nice that people have acknowledged that and just know that we’re thankful [and] full of gratitude for all the help and support he’s had.”
Now, sidelined from the slopes, Jamie is eager to regain some normalcy.
“He can’t wait to get back into work,” Woodhall explained. “Apparently it’s a regular occurrence, seeing lifties sat on stools with broken arms and legs scanning ski passes.”
Though his recovery will take time, Woodhall said the experience has revealed something lasting—not just the fragility of life on the mountain, but the strength of the people around him.
“Thank you so very much everyone for all the lovely messages of support, advice and offers of help,” she wrote in a follow-up comment on Facebook. “We are literally blown away by your kindness. [I] am deeply grateful and truly humbled.” n
RESORT DENIES LIABILITY, CITES WAIVER AND ARGUES PLAINTIFF ASSUMED RISKS UNDER RELEASE AGREEMENT
BY LUKE FAULKS
A WHISTLER SNOWBOARDER is suing Vail Resorts and Whistler Blackcomb, alleging negligence after he collided with a snow-covered concrete barrier at the ski resort and suffered serious leg injuries.
Whistler resident Eric Weber filed civil claim in B.C. Supreme Court on July 15, 2025, alleging he was injured while snowboarding at the ski resort on or about March 1, 2024.
The claim was later amended to add Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. as an additional defendant, following a Dec. 4, 2025 application and a Dec. 19, 2025 court order granting that amendment by consent.
He alleges that while a guest at the resort, he “suffered personal injury when he collided at speed [with] a snow-covered concrete barrier [while] snowboarding at the premises.”
The lawsuit states that the object “constituted a hazard in that the barrier was covered by snow and not visible to him. Therefore, the premises were in an inherently dangerous condition at the
time of the accident.”
Weber claims the defendants— Whistler & Blackcomb Mountain Resorts Limited, Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. and Vail Resorts Inc.—were responsible for maintaining the resort and ensuring visitor safety. The suit alleges the companies failed in several
“[T]he barrier was covered by snow and not visible to him.”
ways, including “failing to ensure that runs at the premises were kept free of hazards” and “failing to give the plaintiff adequate, or any, warning of the presence of the barrier.”
The claim further alleges Weber sustained “injuries to the tibia and fibula of his left leg,” resulting in ongoing pain, disability and losses.
He seeks damages including “the costs of his past and future health-care services,” general damages for “pain,
suffering and disability,” and other expenses such as therapy, transportation and care costs.
Weber’s legal claim relies in part on B.C.’s Occupiers Liability Act and Negligence Act, arguing the resort operators owed him a duty of care and breached that duty.
VAIL RESORTS RESPONDS
In their response filed Dec. 23, 2025, and stamped Jan. 8, 2026, the defendants deny key allegations about liability and injury.
The defendants’ central argument relies on a release agreement Weber allegedly signed on May 23, 2023, before using the resort. According to their filing, the agreement states participants acknowledge that ski resort activities “can be hazardous and involve the risk of physical injury and/or death.”
The waiver also includes language in which participants agree “to the greatest extent permitted by law, to waive any and all claims against and to hold harmless, release, and indemnify” Vail Resorts and related entities for injuries arising from participation in activities at the resort.
Based on that agreement, the defendants argue Weber is “precluded
by reason of the terms and conditions of the release agreement from recovering [for] any injury, loss, damage, or expense alleged to have been sustained as a result of his snowboarding activities.”
They also argue Weber assumed the risks of snowboarding and that the resort met its legal obligations, stating it “was in a reasonable state of repair and condition and was reasonably safe for use by all persons exercising a reasonable degree of care.”
Additionally, the defendants allege Weber may have contributed to his own injuries through negligence, including “failing to remain aware or keep a proper lookout while snowboarding,” “failing to conduct himself in a reasonable manner,” and “failing to snowboard in a manner that was reasonable in the circumstances.”
The companies also deny Weber suffered the injuries to the extent claimed and assert any medical conditions may have pre-dated the incident or arisen afterward.
In their filing, the defendants state they oppose Weber’s claims and seek dismissal of the lawsuit with costs.
The case remains before the B.C. Supreme Court. None of the allegations have been proven in court. n
‘Go to the bar with your friends’: Strong local connections could help curb impact of AI misinformation
NEW STUDY SUGGESTS COORDINATED AI ‘SWARMS’ COULD MIMIC HUMAN BEHAVIOUR ONLINE, DISTORTING DISCOURSE IN FUTURE ELECTIONS
BY LUKE FAULKS
A NEW INTERNATIONAL research paper warns coordinated “AI swarms” could one day manipulate public opinion at unprecedented speed and scale—though experts say smaller, locally rooted elections like Whistler’s upcoming municipal vote are unlikely to be immediate targets.
Published last month in Science, the paper describes how advances in autonomous large language models (LLMs) and multi-agent systems could allow operators to deploy thousands of AI-controlled personas that coordinate messaging, mimic real people and subtly steer online discourse.
“These systems are capable of coordinating autonomously, infiltrating communities and fabricating consensus efficiently,” the authors wrote, warning they could exploit vulnerabilities in democratic systems that are already strained by declining trust.
Unlike earlier botnets, which often relied on repetitive scripts, AI swarms could generate unique, tailored posts and adapt in real time to public reaction— potentially creating the illusion of widespread grassroots support where none exists.
STATE OF PLAY
While the technology remains largely experimental, its building blocks are already visible.
During B.C.’s 2025 wildfire season, officials warned AI-generated images falsely depicting firefighting scenes were circulating online, creating confusion during emergency response. And researchers studying Canada’s most recent federal election found a small but measurable presence of AI-manipulated political images in online discourse, underscoring how synthetic media is beginning to enter democratic debate.
University of British Columbia computer scientist Kevin Leyton-Brown, a co-author on the paper, said the threat remains largely theoretical for now.
“We don’t think this is a huge-scale thing that is happening in the world today,” Leyton-Brown said in an interview with Pique. “I wouldn’t say that I would be enormously worried that this is even happening in a Canadian election federally today.”
Instead, he expects major geopolitical contests—such as U.S. congressional elections—to be the first proving grounds. The new research cites 2024 elections in India, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the United States as already having hosted deepfakes.
Municipal elections, particularly in smaller communities, may be less attractive targets for both practical and social reasons. Local issues tend to be less polarized, and in-person relationships often carry more weight than online rhetoric.
Still, he noted municipal politics aren’t immune everywhere—and could become more culture-war-driven if social media becomes central to how opinions form.
“This is going to be a new technology that hasn’t really existed, or it exists in sort of prototype forms today,” he said. “I don’t think [Whistler] is where they’re going to cut their teeth on it… but I do think in the longer term, it’s coming.”
BUILDING TRUST
The research warns AI swarms could gradually shape broader narratives, poison online information sources and erode trust in institutions—even if their effects remain subtle. As a result, LeytonBrown said the most immediate impact may not be successful manipulation, but rising skepticism.
“Maybe this just emphasizes the importance of connections with physical people...”
- KEVIN LEYTON-BROWN
“I think the bigger thing is that it changes the extent to which we believe anything,” he said. “We’re going to end up in a world where we don’t listen online to random people we don’t know, because we don’t believe that they’re people.”
That shift could elevate the importance of trusted information sources, particularly at the community level.
“I think unbiased, trusted sources of information are going to be yet more important as we go forward,” he said. “Those reliable kind of watchdogs at the municipal level are really critical.”
For now, he added, communities like Whistler may benefit from a simple advantage: familiarity. LeytonBrown suggested everyday habits like relying on trusted local newspapers and maintaining real-world connections may be a safeguard.
“It’s a small mountain town of people who mostly know each other. Maybe go to the bar with your friends and talk to them in the real world,” he said. “Maybe this just emphasizes the importance of connections with physical people in the world.” n
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Whistler Institute Speaker Series event delves into anxiety in youth
DR. KIMBERLEY DA SILVA AND DR. JULIANA NEGREIROS WILL SPEAK MARCH 5 AT THE MAURY YOUNG ARTS CENTRE
BY DAVID SONG
ANXIETY IS sometimes a normal part of life, but sometimes it’s not. When kids and teenagers become overwhelmed, it can be difficult for their parents and teachers to figure out proper support.
That’s why the Whistler Institute has invited Dr. Kimberley Da Silva and Dr. Juliana Negreiros for a session dubbed “When Worry Becomes More.” Both Metro Vancouver-based professionals are hoping to enlighten people regarding anxiety in today’s youth.
Da Silva, a registered psychologist of 20 years who specializes in working with children and their families, will begin by exploring the difference between normal stress and an anxiety disorder.
“One of the big goals of my talk is really to help people differentiate between what I would call a typical anxiety experience and what we would call a clinical anxiety experience,” Da Silva explained. “Anxiety actually means fear or worry or nervousness about a particular outcome. However, it’s often used to describe any sort of feeling of discomfort or perhaps what we call nervous energy.
“Unfortunately what happens is the
term ‘anxiety’ becomes so overused that we’re not always able to understand whether someone’s actually dealing with a clinical issue that needs professional support versus [someone who] would benefit from strategies to deal with stress and what we would call typical nerves.”
The largest factor in diagnosing mental illness, according to Da Silva, is the extent to which a given condition hinders one in routine life. If a child’s anxious behaviour holds them back from engaging in school or at home, more assistance might be needed. Other notable factors are frequency (are these episodes occurring more frequently than what we would expect for an individual’s age and life circumstances?) and intensity (is the response more intense than what is expected?).
Da Silva believes it is vital for people to build up resilience to uncomfortable feelings rather than fleeing hard situations by default. This is true both for anxious youngsters and parents who struggle to watch their child in distress.
“For the kind of kids who fall in that milder spectrum of being temperamentally anxious, or they’re dealing with a very specific one-off situation—maybe there’s a big upsurge in anxiety around an upcoming test—
then absolutely, [school resources] are useful. However, for more serious clinical disorders like obsessive compulsive disorder, selective mutism and even some severe kinds of generalizing anxiety
“[T]here are lots of students with needs...”
- JULIANA NEGREIROS
where a child may not be able to function the way they should, I do think that professional intervention is required. I love when the school and the clinician work together.”
AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
For a more in-depth look at how British Columbia schools presently aid anxious youth, enter Negreiros: founder of Beacon Psychology Clinic in Port Moody and a nearly 10-year veteran of B.C. Children’s Hospital Provincial OCD Program. When a student’s behavioural symptoms begin to interfere with their academic or social well-being, they are often connected with a school counsellor or
case manager. An R designation is granted to kids who gain support at the school level only, while those who need outside help are flagged with an H designation and receive an individual education plan that is formulated collaboratively.
Negreiros doesn’t intend to criticize any particular agent in this system, but does believe it has flaws.
“One of the limitations is that there are lots of students with needs and not enough professionals with time available,” she opined. “School is the best place for these kids to get support because there are no transportation problems. It’s public so they don’t need to pay out of pocket. Educators spend most of their waking hours at school.
“There are so many benefits of the service being delivered at school, but it [doesn’t] necessarily happen to the degree that many students need. I feel like professionals are doing the best they can with the time that they have, but definitely that could be an area of improvement.”
“When Worry Becomes More” is taking place March 5 at the Maury Young Arts Centre. Visit eventbrite. ca/e/when-worry-becomes-moreunderstanding-anxiety-in-todays-youthtickets-1645322898079 for tickets. n
B.C. judge rejects class action over deadly Duffey Lake landslide
THE JUDGE FOUND THE CASE WAS ‘BOUND TO FAIL’ DUE TO A LEGAL EXEMPTION THAT PROTECTED THE B.C. MINISTRY OF FORESTS
BY STEFAN LABBÉ
A JUDGE HAS struck down an attempt to launch a class-action lawsuit against the B.C. government for its alleged role in a deadly landslide that killed five people on a highway northeast of Whistler.
The case was filed by Shyama Devi Minhas on behalf of her granddaughter, identified as Z.H., who was orphaned when her parents Mirsad and Anita Hadsic were swept off Duffey Lake Road in a Nov. 15, 2021 landslide. Three other motorists—Steven Taylor, Brett Diederichs and Kevin Heffner—were also killed in the slide.
At the time, a powerful atmospheric river had dumped vast amounts of rain across southern B.C. The resulting floods and landslides knocked out roads, rail lines and bridges, and led to the evacuation of thousands of people.
Duffey Lake Road was left open, creating a funnelling effect for anyone looking to get back to Metro Vancouver from the province’s Interior, argued lawyers for the plaintiffs.
That day, dozens of vehicles queued along the road after a mudslide blocked their path. Some waited in their vehicles. Others got out to see what was happening.
Above them, the hillside filled with water, teetered and failed. A second slurry of mud, stones, trees and rocks rushed across Highway 99, sweeping away people and their vehicles.
ACT FOUND TO PROVIDE MINISTRY WITH LEGAL EXEMPTION
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Michael Thomas would later grapple with B.C.’s “no-fault” insurance laws, which generally prohibit lawsuits for bodily injuries arising from the use of a motor vehicle.
But the core of the case hinged on an old forest service road that had never been deactivated.
The plaintiff’s lawyer Robert Gibbens argued that the road triggered the deadly slide. He claimed the province had known about it for 15 to 20 years but failed to ensure it was properly decommissioned.
“The evidence seemed to be relatively clear: there was a failure to deactivate, and in our submissions, we argued that contributed to the landslide,” Gibbens said in an interview.
The lawyer argued that the Ministry of Transportation owed a duty of care to motorists to ensure the road was safe. Gibbens leaned on a number of past cases where governments were found responsible for maintaining highways in reasonably safe conditions.
But in his decision, Thomas found that while the Ministry of Transportation manages highways, the statutory authority to deactivate service roads lies with the Ministry of Forests.
When the judge examined that ministry’s responsibilities, he found an exemption in the Forest and Range Practices Act that provided decisionmakers with legal immunity from damages.
Thomas ruled the class-action suit was “bound to fail” and therefore declined to certify it.
Gibbens said the ruling has been difficult for Z.H. and her grandmother, and that it is “unlikely” they will pursue an appeal or file further legal action.
“It’s a such a tragic case. It’s very difficult for the family,” said Gibbens. “[Minhas] not only lost her daughter, she lost her son-in-law too.”
A LINGERING RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY
As part of his arguments to the court, Gibbens submitted multiple reports going back to the 1980s that warned of a growing network of forest service roads that have yet to be decommissioned.
“In southeastern B.C., landslide frequencies increased by 10 times in areas with forest harvesting and 95 per cent of those landslides were associated with roads,” noted a 2015 investigation by the Forest Practices Board.
The report found at least 34,000 kilometres of road were built on slopes that made them more prone to landslides. It called on the province to carry out an inventory to assess risk and rehabilitate old roads.
Another report released by B.C.’s Auditor General only 10 months before the Duffey Lake Road tragedy, found the ministry did not manage safety and environmental risks on forest service roads as required by its policies.
“The shortcomings in maintenance work and lack of reliable information increase risks to road users and to the environment,” it concluded.
Gibbens, who engaged with a number of experts in preparing the case, said the risks forest service roads pose to the public is no secret.
“Everybody in the industry is very concerned about the interrelationship between these logging roads and communities that lie below them,” he said. “It’s not new and if you talk to any of these engineers involved in this area, they’ll say everybody knows about it.”
That includes Carie-Ann Hancock, who for years gathered data on more than 1,300 debris flows and landslides across 70,000 square kilometres of mountainous area flooded in 2021.
Find the full story online at piquenewsmagazine.com. n
We rememberJan,wholoved,cared,andpresentedherselfwith positiveenergytoeveryoneshemet.Shewasalwayswillingto share herknowledgeandlaughter.Shewilllightthestarsabove. Evenasonechaptercloses,thespiritofadventurecontinuesinthe memorieswekeep.
Pemberton council moves to become a certified living-wage employer
FULL-TIME POSITIONS WITH THE VILLAGE ALREADY MEET THE $25.90 PER HOUR LIVING WAGE, BUT ARE NOT WRITTEN INTO POLICY
BY HILARY ANGUS
THE VILLAGE of Pemberton is moving towards formalizing its livingwage employer standards, although it currently meets the $25.90 per hour local requirement for full-time employees.
Pemberton’s living wage was calculated for the first time in 2025 by Living Wage BC. The figure represents the lowest hourly wage a full-time, yearround employee would need to meet their basic living expenses without chronic financial stress.
Living Wage BC calculates living wage requirements for communities across B.C., certifies employers who commit to paying a living wage, and advocates for policies that lower the cost of living.
When the organization published the Living Wage Report in November 2025, they reached out to each municipality with their findings to encourage them to become living-wage employers.
“We have nine municipalities and a couple of school boards that are living-wage employers in B.C.,” said Anastasia French, managing director for Living Wage BC.
“We were really delighted when [Pemberton] council wrote back and asked us to present,” French said, “They seemed both passionate and interested.”
In her presentation to council on Feb. 10, French said 98 per cent of certified living-wage employers have reported benefits from being part of the program.
“It helps them live their values and help set an example to others of how they want the world to be,” French said.
In last week’s meeting, Pemberton’s chief administrative officer Elizabeth Tracy clarified the Village does already
meet the $25.90 threshold for its permanent, full-time positions.
Mayor Mike Richman asked council whether they’d like to proceed with a formal certification process despite already meeting its requirements, and it was agreed with minimal discussion that it was worth pursuing.
Councillor Katrina Nightingale acknowledged staff resources are already stretched, but nonetheless moved the motion for staff to bring an analysis of certification’s potential impacts and benefits back to council at an unspecified later date.
The living wage is calculated by analyzing basic costs such as shelter, transportation, child care, food, healthcare, phone and internet, clothing, adult education and other incidentals.
It does not include savings, debt repayment, chronic illness or disability, or caring for an elderly dependent.
It is calculated by weighting the average
of the lowest hourly wage needed by three different demographic categories: a family of four, a single parent, and a single adult with no children.
In 2025, Whistler had the highest living wage in B.C., at $29.60 per hour, due largely to housing costs French referred to as “extortionate.”
French said she has had productive conversations with Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton about what they can do to reduce housing costs to bring the wage down to a more accessible figure, as the resort municipality can’t currently afford the $29.60 wage for all employees.
Beyond the municipalities, there are three businesses in Pemberton who have certified as living-wage employers: Bandit Farms Property Services, Coast Mountain Accounting Ltd., and Stay Wild Natural Health.
Leah Langlois, owner of Stay Wild, became a certified Living Wage employer in 2022 after five years in business.
“I really struggled with the fact of what I was paying my employees, having lived here for 26 years and knowing full right how much it costs to live here,” Langlois said.
In 2022, the gap between the living wage and the wages she had already been paying was much smaller, so when Langlois heard about the program, she said it was a no-brainer to join.
Three years later, though the living wage has increased dramatically due to a skyrocketing cost of living, Langlois said she remains fully committed to the program.
She said the benefits of paying higher wages were immediate, including better staff retention, a larger hiring pool, and the ability to take vacations and have complete trust that her employees are doing a good job in her absence.
“I just feel good about it. I have a lot of respect for my staff, and I think that because of that, they have a lot of respect for me, and it just creates a better work environment for everybody,” Langlois said. n
WE CELEBRATED Ben’s mid-February birthday somewhere in the alpine netherworld of Austria. We’d also done so in Italy, Norway, Russia and other far-flung places. It helped us remember where we’d been. When your original plan starts in one country before suddenly detouring to another—or several—it’s
BY LESLIE ANTHONY
surprisingly easy to lose track. But Ben’s birthday grounded us and, after several years celebrating together (and not ever remembering how old he was), we labelled ourselves the Good Times Crew.
This was, of course, serious sarcasm aimed at our relative lameness. As creators of ski film, webisode and magazine content, we worked long, tiring hours in the mountains; no one was a partier by nature, and many of us had families back home. Thus, what should have been classic ragers in exotic locales to see Ben into another annum were most often sips of wine with dinner before an early wake-up call. In reality, as opposed to what the name implied, the Good Times Crew had bonded over situations both comical and hairy—like
the time Ben and I shit ourselves for days with food poisoning in France or when I dug him out of an avalanche in Japan minus his scalp.
The Austrian fête was typically tame. In a small, wooden hut high above town we ate trout fished from a pond on the property, had some decent wine, finished with strudel and walked out into the night to an unexpected birthday cake—enormous candles seemingly aflame in all directions. In
our 15 years of travel together. In Japan’s Nozawa Onsen, we were almost trampled by a surging, Saki-fuelled crowd as we tried to film the town’s annual Fire Festival. We ran petrified from cherry-bombs thrown by a hallucinatory band wearing demon costumes during Fasnacht in Switzerland. We drove a pair of dilapidated RVs all night to catch up to a storm in the southern Alps of France only to be buried in a resort parking lot for days by an unskiable two metres of sagging elephant snot. Stuck on
The real Good Times were having each other’s backs, skiing together, and the making of lifelong friends who still keep in touch to this day.
every village constellating the hills, massive fires roared into the darkness from tree-high wooden structures, many of them shaped like humans. The ethereal illuminations reflecting back and forth off the snow on a moonlit night created a barbershop-mirror effect of infinite fire along the mountainsides. Think Burning Man times a hundred. Gobsmacked, our host explained that this was perfectly normal: these pyres were a longstanding tradition, built and ignited annually to chase evil winter spirits and hasten the advent of spring. Just another strange advent added to our litany of alpine discovery.
This kind of thing happened a lot during
a broken tram for hours with a hundred people in Italy, we crawled out onto the roof for air. If the weather didn’t cooperate and we were skunked in the mountains, our retreats often saw us land up in even crazier scenarios—eating whale hotdogs on the docks of Reykjavik, attending an opera in Venice, picking lemons in Monaco.
In each of these places, whether upland or lowland, seaside or snowside, wild—or at least interesting—happenings were so frequent that it seemed only logical to post them on social media for our families to enjoy; unfortunately, none of us noticed that the hashtag #goodtimescrew could also be read as “good time screw.”
But of course, no one following along seemed to notice. After all, what we were doing was in service of serious ski business: capturing the goods on spines, ridges and huge swathes of untouched snow. In Japan, we skied overhead pow in a forest at night wearing headlamps. In Iceland, we crawled on hands and knees through a storm so intense we couldn’t stand up and spent days digging out of. Beneath our skis passed all the classic real estate and cultural cachet of the Alps, experiences for which we would be forever grateful—Davos-Klosters, Lenzerheide, Andermatt, Engelberg, Zermatt, La Grave, Chamonix, Gressoney, Algana, Montgeneve, Tignes, Courmayeur, Cortina and more. It added up to a half-dozen movies, scores of webisodes, and more magazine articles than I can remember, all of which offered proof, if anyone had cared, that we had, in fact, been working hard and not screwing around.
Sure, there was a number of bigname skiers in the group whose names would be familiar to anyone who follows ski media or seeks autographs, but our trips were ultimately little different than any other ski-buddy scene: the real Good Times were having each other’s backs, skiing together, and the making of lifelong friends who still keep in touch to this day.
And who will always remember Ben’s birthday.
Leslie Anthony is a Whistler-based author, editor, biologist and bon vivant who has never met a mountain he didn’t like. n
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Left in limbo
B.C. cities left confused as province quietly abandons Bear Smart oversight
By Ste f an L ab bé
In Whistler, it’s used to help promote high-altitude safaris, where tourists catch glimpses of bears foraging in alpine meadows.
In Naramata, the community uses it to advertise the wine region’s “proven record of safe coexistence.”
And in Tofino, it has become the difference between regular calls to the Conservation Officer Service and the necessity of management by bullet.
For 15 years, B.C.’s Bear Smart Community Program has been the province’s blueprint for reducing urban bear deaths. By transforming bears from a liability into a symbol of an authentic, wild B.C., it has also boosted a nearly $5-billion outdoor tourism sector.
The program’s success has attracted worldwide interest, from the Italian Alps to Florida’s wetlands.
But behind the scenes, the program’s oversight mechanisms and capacity to grow have stalled. Internal documents reveal that the very province that invented the Bear Smart model has quietly let it fall into a bureaucratic void, with lead roles unstaffed and applications piling up.
Experts inside and outside the government worry the situation has left B.C.’s premier wildlife safety initiative in a state of limbo—leaving municipalities to navigate a “cycle of killing” alone.
Ellie Lamb, dubbed by some the “Bear Whisperer,” has spent nearly three decades working as a bear-viewing guide while serving on a number of non-profit boards aimed at reducing humanbear conflict in places like Bella Coola, Whistler and Vancouver’s North Shore.
She said failing to staff the Bear Smart program at the provincial level threatens its expansion and weakens the legitimacy of the communities that have already signed up.
“That’s supposed to be our gold standard,” said Lamb. “But if there’s nobody overseeing it… then it would be kind of a farce.”
A PROVEN TRACK RECORD AND MARKETING BOON
First rolled out 15 years ago in Kamloops, the Bear Smart program has been approved in a dozen B.C. municipalities.
To get certified, a community must meet six criteria, including a hazard assessment of conflict areas, a community education program, and
bylaws that fine residents for leaving attractants unsecured.
The combination has proven extremely effective.
In Naramata, six to eight bears were killed every year before the municipality took action in 2012.
The small Okanagan municipality, which is known for its wineries, provided bear-proof containers, banned residents from putting out their garbage before 5:30 a.m., and changed the day waste was picked up to better align with people’s schedules.
Education programs were introduced at local schools, and garbage audits ensured residents remained compliant with the new measures.
Within a year, the number of calls to the Conservation Officer Service dropped to 12 from 100, and in 2014, the community became the sixth in B.C. to be awarded official Bear Smart status.
A decade later, Port Moody, Tofino and the District of North Vancouver were announced as the latest Bear Smart communities—joining Kamloops and Naramata, as well as Coquitlam, Lions Bay, New Denver, Castlegar, Port Hardy, Port Alberni and Whistler.
Before it was certified, Tofino saw about 10 bears killed every year. In the past two years, that number has dropped to zero, said Tofino Mayor Dan Law.
“We had a problem we wanted to solve. And we did that,” he said. “Without it, wildlife and people suffer.”
The program has also had some obvious benefits for tourism.
“If you’re at a campsite at any town in B.C. and a conservation officer has to shoot a bear in front of 20 kids, that’s not a great marketing ploy,” said Law.
The mayor said many people these days take ethical considerations into account in deciding where they go.
In 2022, tourism added $9.7 billion to B.C.’s GDP. The next year, nearly half of that figure came from outdoor and adventure tourism.
The Bear Smart program plays a part in that growth, and in places like Whistler, it has been extensively used to promote tourism, according to Coun. Arthur De Jong.
He said it’s clear the resort municipality has benefited from tourists who come to see bears—either dangling their feet over the bruins from ski lifts or peeking at them from a distance while on official tours.
“It has a powerful, albeit subjective, presence if you’re trying to build a
nature-based program like we are [with] Whistler Blackcomb,” said De Jong. “It’s kind of like seeing a lion in Africa.”
Law said Tofino didn’t embark on the Bear Smart program for marketing reasons. But the mayor said getting the designation has had an economic spinoff for Tofino, just as it has in Whistler.
“The best tourism policy is to be authentic, to be caring, to embrace stewarding our region,” he said. “It has been so successful.”
MADE-IN-B.C. SOLUTION GOES INTERNATIONAL
Between 1992 and 1996, B.C. residents reported more than 41,000 cases of human-black bear conflicts. The result: Authorities killed nearly 4,250 bears.
At the time, “problem bears” were managed by shooting them, said Lana Ciarniello, a research scientist and principal at Aklak Wildlife Consulting in Campbell River.
“They were managed by a bullet,” she said. “So the numbers of bears we were killing each year was extremely high.”
In 1997, Ciarniello wrote a landmark study that would change the way governments approached conflict between humans and bears.
A few years later, the B.C. government approached the researcher with a contract to develop a new community program.
She was busy with a PhD, so her colleagues ended up taking the contract, with Ciarniello’s research forming the bedrock of a new approach that attempted to see the world through ursine eyes.
The approach shifted blame away from the bear and focused on how communities failed to manage attractants like garbage or local apple trees—food sources that could put the animals in direct conflict with people.
“It’s from the bear’s perspective. It’s what is the probability that this area will turn a good bear into a problem bear? And how do we manage that?” Ciarniello said.
After Kamloops became the first Bear Smart community in 2011, the idea quickly spread beyond B.C.’s borders. Today, some version of the program can be found in communities in Alberta, Ontario, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Virginia, Washington, North Carolina and Florida.
“All the researchers are looking at it,” Ciarniello said. “It’s becoming huge.”
Outside North America, Italy and Greece have looked to emulate the Bear Smart model after conservation efforts
brought back the two countries’ bear population from the brink of extinction.
In 2021, a Marsican brown bear walked into a ski resort town in Italy’s Abruzzo region, entered a bakery and ate a batch of biscuits. The case gained widespread media attention. Two years later, the beloved bear was hit by a car and died.
Ciarniello said a group of Italian researchers recently visited B.C. to learn how to better avoid conflict.
Ciarniello took them to Pemberton Meadows north of Whistler, where she is helping to develop solutions for farmers, including the installation of 30 electric fences around 40 acres of land.
“In some areas, you’re going to build fences. In some areas, you’re going to remove trees, open up lines of sight. It’s a site-specific solution,” said Ciarniello. Whatever the measures, the desired outcomes remain the same: Reduce conflicts and make people feel more secure and less “bearanoid,” as the researcher put it.
Ciarniello said the province’s oversight role in the program is “critical” to ensure cities are properly deploying deterrence and educating residents.
It’s an auditing role that requires staff, something that appears to have been missing for some time now.
BEAR SMART PROGRAM GOES DARK
In 2023, the head of the B.C. Bear Smart program was reassigned.
The lack of staffing came amid a backlog of scheduled community audits, and immediately raised concerns over who would run the program, according to documents obtained in a freedom of information request by The Furbearers wildlife conservation group and shared with Business in Vancouver. Provincial staff were temporarily assigned to oversee the program.
After finishing several community audits in 2024, the province notified Kamloops and Port Alberni they had failed to meet the minimum standards, documents show.
Both cities were given until March 2026 to make changes or face potential ejection from the Bear Smart program.
Long before that could happen, however, the entire B.C. government program appears to have been left in limbo.
Government worker Joe Caravetta was the last to staff the program, internal correspondence suggests. When he left his position around April 2024, he
recommended audits be carried out every year to ensure compliance.
The province did not confirm if Caravetta was the last to oversee the program. But by the winter and spring of 2025, several government staff repeatedly sent emails to one another asking who was in charge.
In a Feb. 25, 2025, email, West Kootenay conservation officer Ben Bettlestone said he had “no idea who is running the Bear Smart portfolio at this time.”
A few months later, a government biologist working in the East Kootenay told colleagues in an email that the province had sold the Bear Smart program to municipalities in the Elk Valley as “a real milestone to strive toward”—going so far as to contract out a bear hazard assessment in Fernie and Elkford.
Provincial large carnivore specialist Garth Mowatt said he started getting calls about the status of the Bear Smart program after other bear biologists left the B.C. government.
“Everybody is phoning me, including MLAs,” he told BIV. “My answer is I don’t know. I don’t even totally know how it works.”
‘JUST DON’T BOTHER’
In early 2025, Christine Vales began working as a program coordinator at WildSafeBC, a Kamloops-based charity partnered with the government to deliver programs to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
When she began, Vales said Bear Smart was not operating at the provincial level, and nobody appeared to know who was at its helm.
At the time, Naramata had been trying to contact the government and renew its status, which had been up for review since June 2024.
Vale told staff at the regional district to stop trying, and passed on the same message to West Kelowna, Kaslo, Elkford and Fernie, all of whom were trying to get into the program.
“A lot of communities were really close to achieving status,” she said. “I’ve been trying to tell people: Just don’t bother.”
Nicole Brown, manager of legislative services at the City of Castlegar, contacted the provincial government in February 2025, asking who she should contact to renew the city’s Bear Smart status, due in May 2026.
“I really didn’t know who to reach out to. Nobody has notified me,” she said in an interview.
Other communities only learned the program was not accepting new applications after they spent significant time and resources trying to get certified.
City of Mission environmental coordinator Kyle D’Appolonia said the municipality has worked hard to become a Bear Smart community after its application was rejected in 2024 for failing to provide “any details” in its bear hazard assessment.
About a decade ago, up to seven bears per year were killed in the community. Over the past three years, that number has dropped to zero.
In December 2025, Mission
resubmitted its application. Not long after, D’Appolonia said he was told the Bear Smart program was “unadministered.”
An emailed statement attributed to two B.C. ministries—Environment and Parks as well as Water, Land and Resource Stewardship—acknowledged the program had helped communities reduce conflicts with bears.
“Unfortunately, the province is not in a position to expand the program at this time, and we have been openly communicating this information,” the statement said.
That admission contradicts staff and elected officials in several B.C. communities, who say they have been left in a state of confusion as the government’s own public website still promotes the program.
The ministries also did not address questions from BIV over how a failure to staff the Bear Smart program could lead to an apparent lack of oversight in communities due for an audit.
Tofino’s mayor warned that if pending audits in communities like Port Alberni and Kamloops aren’t carried out, it could undermine the legitimacy of the entire Bear Smart program.
“When it gets to the point when a community isn’t meeting the standards, it really is an alarm bell that something is wrong,” Law said.
CALLS FOR EXPANDED BEAR HUNT
The province’s move to cease operation of its Bear Smart program comes as it considers opening a summer bearhunting season in the Lower Mainland after lobbying from berry farmers.
“Fencing of large agricultural fields is very expensive, difficult to maintain and must be electrified to deter bears,” a government spokesperson told BIV last month.
Ciarniello said real-world experiences show large swaths of farmland can “absolutely” be protected by electric fencing. “It should be the cost of doing business,” she said.
If it goes ahead, Ciarniello said the government’s hunting proposal will aggravate a Catch 22 scenario: Shoot a bear and another one will simply take its place because the attractants—in this case, berries—are still there.
“You haven’t addressed the root cause of the problem,” she said. “You’re just in a cycle of killing.”
De Jong worries communities with few resources will now be left out of the program.
Others who have already spent vast amounts of time and money on becoming Bear Smart communities said that whatever happens, they wouldn’t stop adhering to its standards.
The province’s failure to expand the program is of “no practical concern” for Mission, because the city has already adopted the program’s principles, said D’Appolonia.
“We haven’t done this to be able to pat ourselves on the back,” added Port Moody Mayor Meghan Lahti. “We do it because it’s the right thing to do.” n
In Person: Corporate& LegislativeServices,7400 ProspectStreet,PembertonBC
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Schwinghammer, Linton eliminated in 1/8 final of watershed Olympic dual moguls event
JOE DAVIES SKIS TO 12TH IN OLYMPIC 10K INTERVAL START
BY DAVID SONG
ANOTHER WEEK of Olympic action is in the books in Italy, with Whistler and Sea to Sky athletes well-represented at the Games.
Check back next week for a full roundup of local results from the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
SCHWINGHAMMER, LINTON ELIMINATED
Maia Schwinghammer and Jessica Linton’s Olympic debuts ended on Feb. 14 as both failed to crack the top 10 in women’s dual moguls. Schwinghammer placed 11th and her old running mate Linton was 15th.
Instead Jakara Anthony became the first female dual moguls champ in Winter Games history, forcing Jaelin Kauf to settle for silver. Australia’s Anthony redeemed herself days after an underwhelming eighth-place result in single moguls.
Newly-minted singles gold medallist Elizabeth Lemley clinched bronze for her native United States by defeating Perrine Laffont in the small final.
“I was happy to stay on my feet,” Schwinghammer said in a press release. “Conditions are tough. It’s definitely not ideal out there [on Saturday] and it just wasn’t my day, but I’m motivated for the future. I can really pick that apart and know exactly what I need to work on and consider me extremely motivated to go to another Olympics because this is awesome and the energy of the Games has just been
overwhelmingly incredible.”
At the Cortina Sliding Centre, Jane Channell (3:52.96) and Hallie Clarke (3:53.02) wound up 18th and 19th respectively in ladies’ skeleton. Janine Flock triumphed for Austria (3:49.02), but Susanne Kreher filled the runner-up hole (3:49.32) and her fellow German Jacqueline Pfeifer came third (3:49.46).
Clarke told the media: “Obviously, I was a bit disappointed. I am really proud of how I picked it up … I had a huge [personal best] on the last run so if there is a way to finish my first Olympics, it is on that.”
Benita Peiffer ranked 56th among all participants in the women’s 7.5-kilometre biathlon sprint. Maren Kirkeeide of Norway (20:40.80) won, and
win it, that you don’t always want more,” Channell said in a release. “Overall, it was a fantastic Olympics. To have our family and friends back here watching and the setting in the Dolomites can’t get any better.”
Brusic revealed that he entered the Games in “a development mindset” and intends to use everything he’s learned to fuel himself going into the 2030 Olympics.
Mark McMorris and Juliette Pelchat both qualified for their respective snowboard slopestyle finals. McMorris put himself into third and Pelchat squeaked into 12th among ladies.
Peiffer again saw action, this time in the 10km pursuit where she ended up 58th. Kirkeeide notched silver (30:40.60), with Lisa Vittozzi earning gold on her
“I wasn’t sure what was possible after being sick for a week ... I’m really proud of myself.”
- BENITA PEIFFER
Frenchwomen rounded out the top three: Oceane Michelon (20:44.60) followed by Lou Jeanmonnot (21:04.50).
Feb. 15 brought a new slate of local performances.
Channell united with Josip Brusic to get Canada into 15th at mixed team skeleton, another brand-new Olympic event for Milano Cortina. Great Britain’s Matt Weston and Tabitha Stoecker emerged victorious in a track record of 1:59.36 as Germany filled the rest of the podium: Axel Jungk and Kreher second (1:59.53) while Christopher Grotheer and Pfeifer were third (1:59.54).
“There is never a race, unless you
home snow (30:11.80) and Finland’s Suvi Minkkinen grabbing bronze (30:46.10).
“It is a bit crazy to have my best result at the Olympics and make the pursuit [by finishing top 60 in sprint],” said Peiffer, who admitted in a release that she’d been battling illness since the Games began. “I wasn’t sure what was possible after being sick for a week in an endurance sport, but I’m really proud of myself. I think sometimes when there is less pressure on your ski speed you are able to hone in on the shooting. It is cool to have so many Canadian fans out here. It kind of feels like a regular World Cup but when you see the Olympic rings everywhere, it is pretty special.”
JOE DAVIES SKIS TO 12TH IN OLYMPIC 10K INTERVAL START
Friday saw another decent result for Pemberton’s Joe Davies at Milano Cortina 2026. Davies punched into 12th at the 10-kilometre interval start free with a time of 21 minutes and 40.20 seconds, days after finishing 16th at the 10km + 10km skiathlon.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo continued his assault on the record books, equalling the Olympic precedent for men in cross-country skiing with his eighth career gold and third at this Winter Games (20:36.20). Mathis Desloges brought silver home to France (20:41.10) and Einar Hedegart joined his fellow Norwegian Klaebo on the podium with bronze (20:50.20).
Davies wrote on social media: “Happy with this one, even though we’re always left wanting a little bit more. Still a 50km to go, why not make it the best one?”
Over in men’s skeleton, Canada’s lone representative Josip Brusic ended up 24th as Davies’ British compatriot Matt Weston dominated with a track record over four runs (3:43.33). Germans Axel Jungk (3:44.21) and Christopher Grotheer (3:44.40) rounded out the top three.
Jasper Fleming laboured to 80th in the 10km biathlon sprint. Frenchman Quentin Fillon Maillet took victory (22:53.10) ahead of Norway’s Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen in second (23:06.80) and third-placer Sturla Holm Laegreid (23:09.00).
Laegreid is now rather infamous for admitting he cheated on his girlfriend after earning bronze in the 20km individual biathlon earlier this week. Norwegian tabloid VG quotes the athlete’s ex-partner saying: “I did not choose to be put in this position, and it hurts to have to be in it. We have had contact, and he is aware of my opinions on this.” n
UPSIDE DOWN Whistler-based moguls skier Jessie Linton performs a backflip.
PHOTO BY CHAD HURRY
Wayne Wong to star in new crowdfunded film, Ski the Wong Way
DOCUMENTARIAN DANIEL BERISH TO EXPLORE WONG’S LIFE
BY DAVID SONG
NOT MANY PEOPLE can say they are honoured in both the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame, but Wayne Wong can.
Wong hails from a bygone era of mavericks and hot doggers who did not conform to a winter sports mainstream that entrenched alpine skiing at centre stage. He and his peers blazed their own trail in the early 1970s, jumping, flipping and experimenting with new tricks. Eventually people began to recognize the appeal and legitimacy of freestyle skiing, which proceeded to infiltrate major contests like the X Games and Winter Olympics to roaring success.
One of the Top 50 Influential Skiers of the 20th Century, according to both SKI and Powder magazines, Wong’s life is both unique and surprisingly unheralded. Filmmaker Daniel Berish and his peers at Black Rhino Creative hope to change that with a new project titled Ski the Wong Way.
“We’re making a feature documentary to bring it forward by unlocking archival footage, travelling with Wayne, and speaking with the people who shaped and were shaped by this movement,” Berish explained on the film’s Kickstarter page. “Now in his 65th ski season, Wayne remains an ambassador for the sport, raising money for charity and sharing a philosophy rooted in joy, generosity, and freedom.”
For his part, Wong reflected that each and every one of his accolades verify he’s made an indelible mark on the skiing world.
“Years and years ago, before [two-time Olympic medallist] Stein Eriksen passed, he was a ski god and one of my childhood heroes,” Wong said. “I was able to do ski promotions with him … I ran into him in Deer Valley and before he said ‘hi, Wayne’ or anything, he approached me and said, ‘do you know what you and I have done for the ski industry here in North America?’ I was astonished. That is real confirmation of what I’ve done.”
Wong considers himself fortunate the
North American ski industry embraced him without prejudice, breaking the mould for others like him to thrive. Various Asian communities have expressed their gratitude for his efforts, including in Whistler as more Chinese folks from Vancouver began to take up skiing in the Sea to Sky.
Wong’s relationship to Whistler dates to 1965, when the resort first opened. Suddenly, Lower Mainlanders including himself had a big-time hotspot in their backyard to rival Sun Valley, Aspen and Vail. In 1972, he began coaching at Toni Sailer’s Summer Ski Camp.
A myriad of memories were formed during Wong’s 27 seasons in that role, brushing shoulders with elite athletes like Dave “The Philosopher” Murray, Nancy Greene, “Jungle” Jim Hunter and Sailer himself. One summer, a 14-year-old boy arrived from Nevada to receive tutelage.
The youngster asked what he should do to cross-train in the offseason, and Wong recommended bike riding.
“My real claim to fame was Greg LeMond, the three-time Tour de France winner,” quipped Wong. “He got into cycling because of me. I run into people all the time that say, ‘oh my God, I had your poster when I was a kid,’ or, ‘I was at your summer camp at Whistler.’ I get that a lot, especially on my Facebook page: lots of people said the best time of their lives was when they were at summer camp.
“It was a great opportunity to see Whistler become what it has become: a true international destination ski resort. I remember going there in the early days: we had the Cheakamus Inn and the Delta Hotel. It was built on top of where the dump was, and we would take kids there to look at bears at night. I’m actually thinking of coming to Whistler in early May—they’re putting together the 60th anniversary of Toni Sailer’s camp.”
Details for that aforementioned event are yet to materialize, but until then Berish and company are looking for donations to fund Ski the Wong Way so they can introduce new audiences to Wong’s story. Visit kickstarter.com/ projects/1992988540/ski-the-wong-way to learn more. n
THE WONG WAY Canadian and U.S. Ski Hall of Famer Wayne Wong clad in colourful garb.
PHOTO BY ERIC SCHRAMM
End of another golden era
FROZEN OJ EXITS STAGE LEFT, JOINING A HOST OF OTHER CANADIAN FAVES
OUR FAMILY GREW up on it. So did the family of the much, much younger cashier at the Safeway where I was lucky enough to find some of the few remaining tins of frozen, concentrated orange juice. Minute Maid to be exact—the last brand standing in Canada.
Frozen OJ used to be as Canadian as, well, any number of discontinued products: Stoned Wheat Thins (loved their heft and flavour). Neilson’s Crispy Crunch chocolate bars (boo-hoo). Even Yve’s Cuisine—those tasty, handydandy, plant-based meat substitutes that started in Vancouver and were sadly discontinued last year. All products I still miss today. (BTW, Yves Cuisine veggie dogs were the only hot dogs Paul
BY GLENDA BARTOSH
McCartney allowed at his vegan-oriented concert venues due to his concerns about animal cruelty and our climate disaster.)
Long before any McCartney concerts, frozen OJ made its Canadian debut. In our neck of the woods, it was the rock ‘n’ rollin’ ’50s when my mom and dad, and a lot of others, started buying it.
What a rare, exotic—and super convenient—treat it was to all of us northern Albertans. Otherwise it was peeling the thick, tough navel oranges, some of the rare citrus fruits available during winter, and hard as nails. Nobody had the time, or the money to buy
enough of them to squeeze fresh juice for the hordes of thirsty kids filling most prairie homes. We were a ripe market for the frozen stuff.
According to Coca-Cola, which still owns the Minute Maid brand, it was originally developed in 1945 as a powdered orange juice mix by the Boston-based National Research Corporation to help Second World War U.S. troops avoid scurvy—a nasty disease causing bleeding gums and loose teeth that’s due to severe Vitamin C deficiencies from a lack of fresh fruit and veg. Eventually, it was developed as a frozen concentrate that was easier to mix—and promoted by Bing Crosby.
While scurvy is something few of us in this part of the world have to worry about, it’s still a huge concern anywhere people are malnourished. That includes Gaza, where it has reared its ugly head due to Israel’s blockade of fresh produce.
The “Minute Maid” name, which also branded other now discontinued frozen drinks, like lemonade and Five Alive, was inspired by New England’s famous Minutemen militia, key to winning the American Revolution. It also referenced how quickly you could mix things up.
Never mind the whole war effort, the frozen juice thing has been declining for a while, partly because people are getting savvy about not giving their kids sugar, even in real juice. But also younger generations simply didn’t know what to do with the frozen stuff.
So let me be a cheerleader for a sec… If you can find a tin or two still clinging to their cardboard flats in grocery store freezers, and a good sturdy juice container, you, too, can join the last Canadian legions who grew up on frozen OJ and love it still.
MAKING THINGS “GO FURTHER”
That lovely young Safeway cashier I mentioned earlier confessed quite emotionally to me, as I bought nine tins of it, how he’s going to miss the ritual of mixing it up on mornings. Personally, can’t say I’ll miss that as much as I will the frozen juice itself. Here’s why.
I loved the fact we could add more
ANOTHER ONE BIT THE DUST
Old South frozen OJ was developed in Florida, natch, then sold in Canada starting in 1939. New Brunswick-based McCain Foods, which was started in 1957 by two brothers whose dad was a third-generation farmer, was largely based on their frozen food technology for those famous frozen French fries. McCain bought the Old South brand in 2000. They carried it on until 2013, when they sold the brand to a giant multi-national corporation, which subsequently killed Old South last year. At one time, McCain also had its own branded frozen OJ that was popular across Canada. Sadly, it, too, is no longer with us.
ANY FAVOURITES OF YOURS M.I.A.?
Do you have a favourite food you grew up with in Canada that’s M.I.A.? If so, please email me, with any backstory you like, at gbartosh@telus.net. I’ll round up your tales for a future tribute.
(or less) water as we liked. In our house, more tins of water than the usual three gave us a lighter but still yummy juice at less than half the cost of Simply Orange Juice or a similar product.
Talk about “making things go further”—you know, that wise Canadian mantra that has stood the test of time. You stretch out or substitute more expensive or hard-to-find ingredients with cheaper, easier-to-get ones when no one can taste the difference—or maybe you even prefer it that way. It’s as relevant and useful today as it was 100 years ago.
Another great frozen OJ perk was being able to add a spoonful or two of the tasty, potent concentrate into all kinds of things—sauces; casseroles; baking; my own idea for a punch or drink mix. So easy, and no muss or fuss. I even hear Newfies are more choked than most Canucks about frozen OJ’s demise, for it’s a key ingredient in their famous slushes.
The other bit I loved was the minimal packaging and weight.
Admittedly, I don’t know the science on this (please email me at the address, below, if you do), but seems to me those tiny cardboard containers with ends of recyclable tin are more sustainable than the giant plastic bottles made from materials from fossil fuels that most “fresh” OJ now comes in. Plus shipping those little frozen OJ containers might not be as bad as shipping the heavier giant bottles of juice. Either way, they’re sure easier to carry home.
Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who just might start her own frozen juice company. n
GIMPED BUT STILL GOOD This bunged-up tin of frozen OJ was one of the last I could find on store shelves. It still made a fine jug of orange juice.
PHOTO BY GLENDA BARTOSH
MEADOW PARK SPORTS CENTRE
SWIM • SKATE • SWEAT • SQUASH
OPEN DAILY: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. *some exceptions apply
Queens of Comedy visit Whistler on March 6, Squamish show to follow March 8
THE AWARD-WINNING GROUP IS HEADLINED BY
JANE STANTON,
WITH
NIKI MOHRDAR,
CASSIDY FURMAN AND SOPHIA JOHNSON CO-STARRING
BY DAVID SONG
WHO ARE THE Queens of Comedy?
Jane Stanton, Niki Mohrdar, Cassidy Furman and Sophia Johnson. Between them lies a wealth of performing experience on stages like Netflix, CBC, Just for Laughs and more. They’re headed to Whistler and Squamish in time for a series of shows around International Women’s Day.
Stanton, who headlines and produces the Queens, is encouraged by the proliferation of female talent in the comedic industry and wishes to share that with each audience.
“Things have changed, thank God, since I started stand-up,” she remarks. “When I started, [I’d pitch myself and organizers would be like]: ‘we have one female already on the show.’ I’m like, ‘why does it matter?’ Everyone has a different point of view. None of our stuff [as the Queens of Comedy] has any overlap, which is great for even just the
four of us.”
Johnson usually focuses on themes of marriage, family as well as similarities and differences between Canada and her home country of New Zealand. Mohrdar and Furman are already well-versed in collaborating: they host a show called “Pillow Talk,” which is marketed as Vancouver’s only slumber party-themed stand-up program.
growing up with my British mom and my dad, but he’s East Coast, New Brunswick,” Stanton explains. “And ADHD brain and going in the world that way. I don’t do political comments … I want to have a good time and not think that the world’s on fire.”
A NIGHT OUT
Stanton describes Whistler as a fun and
“I don’t do political comments ... I want to have a good time and not think that the world’s on fire.”
- JANE STANTON
Meanwhile Stanton, the youngest in a family of six, spent her youth “trawling [her] way up for attention.” She has been a comedian for more than 20 years with appearances in Seattle, Halifax, Winnipeg, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. She’s also an actress with credits in Disney shows like The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, When We Rise and The Twilight Zone
“What I talk about is just stories:
vibrant community. Having thoroughly enjoyed previous shows in town, she pushed to include Whistler in the Queens’ upcoming tour that also features stops in Port Moody and Hope.
She feels drawn both to the Maury Young Arts Centre and Squamish’s Brackendale Art Gallery, describing the latter as having “a weird church vibe” because of its pews and memorable architecture.
“I think sometimes Squamish is kind of overlooked and people are like, ‘we’ll stop there on the way to Whistler or on the way back.’ They’ve grown so much and have their own vibe,” Stanton says. “Whistler has its own identity.”
As for what Sea to Sky guests can expect from the Queens at their upcoming shows, Stanton elaborated: “It’s a night out. It’s always that for me. If there’s 30 people, or there’s 200 and it’s sold out, [comedy] is a night out for those people and they’re there to have a good time. All the comedians are professional and we want to give them what they came for.
“If people are there for the night, they’re going to come on a ride with all four of us. We’re not all on stage at one time, but everyone has a snippet of what their perspective in life is.”
The Queens of Comedy grace Whistler’s Maury Young on March 6 at 7 p.m., followed by the Brackendale Art Gallery on March 8 at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Visit eventbrite.ca/e/whistler-queensof-comedy-at-maury-young-arts-centremarch-6th-tickets-1981836980759 for Whistler tickets. Residents can enter the code WHISTLERLOCAL to unlock a 15-per-cent discount.
Squamish tickets can be found at eventbrite.ca/o/janestanton-28659432477. n
QUEEN FOR A DAY Vancouver-based comedian Jane Stanton on stage.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JANE STANTON
Jane and Jonah Waterous returning to Whistler for meet-and-greet
THE EVENT TAKES PLACE FEB. 21 AND IS FACILITATED BY WHISTLER CONTEMPORARY GALLERY
BY DAVID SONG
A FEW THINGS have changed in Jane and Jonah Waterous’ lives since early 2024, when they last spoke with Pique Newsmagazine.
The duo have always enjoyed a very close relationship as mother and son, but now Jonah has become a father himself: making Jane a grandmother. According to both, welcoming a new family member has been “a beautiful change” while themes of love and family have taken centre stage over the past six months.
Jane’s work as a professional artist is evolving in harmony with this new chapter. She has focused on transforming her Gatherings Series into a bevy of sculptural wall installations. Gatherings pieces have traditionally been made on flat canvases, but Jane began introducing dimensional forms to the canvas itself.
The Canadian expatriate living in the Bahamas elaborates: “When people gather, the environment is always changing and shapes how those interactions unfold. By adding physical depth to the canvas, I aim to explore not only the emotional experience of gathering, but also the role that place plays in shaping our shared moments.”
Positive change is also afoot for Jonah’s older brother Noah.
“One of the most exciting new developments from our family’s studio is the launch of my son Noah’s Sand and Snow Series,” Jane reveals. “Noah explores the idea of preserving messages we have all written in sand or snow; whether it is a name, a declaration, or a passing thought. He sculpts with natural materials that are constantly shifting and dissolving in nature, transforming what
would normally erode or vanish into forms that are solid and enduring.
“There is a natural continuity between all three of our practices, yet each of our voices and techniques remains distinctly our own.”
Locals and Sea to Sky visitors hoping to learn more about the Waterous family and their recent exploits are invited to the Four Seasons Resort on Feb. 21, where Whistler Contemporary Gallery (WCG) is hosting a meet-and-greet from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Jane, Noah and Jonah are scheduled to attend, connecting personally with guests over cocktails in a laid-back environment.
“There is a natural continuity between all three of our practices...”
- JANE WATEROUS
“The meet-and-greet will be a relaxed chance to connect, see the work, and talk about our process,” Jane says. “We are super excited to spend time with the team at Whistler Contemporary, who always bring the energy and expertise to these events. What makes this event especially meaningful for me is that my whole family will be there. Having both of my sons working as artists and sharing this experience together is something very special.”
This event is free, but reservations are required.
Visit whistlerart.com/show/ whistler-contemporary-gallery-jane-andjonah-waterous-in-whistler-i for details. n
IMAGINAR Y LA ND SCAPES
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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
COMMUNITY DINNER
THE PEOPLE’S FILM PRESENTS BEST IN SHOW: A TRIBUTE TO CATHERINE O’HARA
Few performers have brought as much joy, heart, and fearless humour to the screen as Catherine O’Hara. A true Canadian original, she had a once-in-ageneration ability to disappear into characters that were outrageous, tender, and instantly unforgettable. This film showcases Catherine O’Hara at her best, and celebrates the lasting impact she’s had on film, comedy, and Canadian culture. Raise a glass with the signature cocktail, O’Hara of the Dog.
> Feb. 20, 7 p.m.
> Maury Young Arts Centre
LAUGH OUT LIVE! PRESENTS: A WHISTLER WEDDING
It’s a Whistler Wedding, and you’re invited! Join Shazza-Lee and Doyle Sullivan’s wedding celebration, a fully interactive 3-course dinner theatre experience in the style of a Whistler-themed wedding reception! You’ll eat, drink, mingle, and get swept into the drama as the night unfolds around you. What could possibly go wrong? Everything!
> Feb. 21, 7 p.m.
> Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa
INTRO TO KUMIKO WOODWORKING
Discover the beauty of precision and pattern in this hands-on workshop focusing on the traditional Japanese woodworking technique Kumiko, led by local carpenter and artist Rob LeBlanc. Set in the Gallery and surrounded by artwork from the Wood Work exhibition, this fun and approachable four-hour workshop invites you to slow down, work with your hands and try something new. All tools and materials are provided.
> Feb. 22, 1 p.m.
> Maury Young Arts Centre
WHISTLER ROCKS COMMUNITY DINNER
Join us for a community meal of spaghetti bolognese. We have two seating times at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Visit our website at whistler-rocks.ca to reserve. Free to those who need, or by donation to those who can.
> Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
> 2028 Rob Boyd Way
DANCE AFROFUSION
Submissiondeadline:March13,2026at11:59p.m. We’ve got you covered. Pick up the latest issue of your favourite read in Whistler.
Move to the rhythm of two vibrant cultures! This fun and inclusive dance class blends African and Polynesian styles, that connects with the elements of nature. Beginners to seasoned dancers can learn and celebrate with no skills necessary. For ages 18-plus.
> Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
> Maury Young Arts Centre
LAUGHT OUT LIVE! PRESENTS: THE STAND-UP STANDOFF
Welcome to Whistler’s Ultimate Stand-Up Comedy Competition & Show! The night kicks off with a standup comedy showdown like no other, as the finalists hit the stage, each delivering their tightest six-minute sets in pursuit of cold hard cash and a coveted spot on the Laugh Out LIVE! main stage. Once the dust settles and the standoff is done, the headlining act steps up to close out the night with a knockout set. It’s a bareknuckle comedy brawl where the only thing hitting harder than the competition… are the punchlines!
> Feb. 25, 8 p.m..
> Dusty’s Bar & Grill
Boarder Bob: The Whistler-based 1990’s comic strip
BY BRONWYN PREECE
OLIVIER (OLI) ROY is “an artist snowboarder” who first came to Whistler “right after high school in 1990” to attend a Craig Kelly Camp. He moved here, three years later, after art college.
Now, with a career of more than 30 years of ongoing coaching and creating under his belt, he holds a lifetime Whistler Blackcomb pass in one hand, a paintbrush in the other and continues to ride the endless canvas offered up by the mountain: artistically and athletically.
The early/mid-’90s has been referred to as the “golden age of snowboarding.” It was fresh, edgy and still relegated to counter-culture status. In Whistler, it was synonymous with a lifestyle and a community.
more the artist and inker.” He would receive the script and then sketch it, all by hand, on an 11x17 piece of cardboard:
During this era, the Ontario-based Snowboard Canada Magazine was born. Broadening their output, the editorial team enlisted Roy—a “cool artist,” as he described.
Thus, Boarder Bob—the character and comic strip—were born. Boarder Bob “moves to Whistler to pursue [his] dream of being a pro snowboarder, but he’s very delusional … he thinks he’s a big shot,” Roy said. But, he’s not. After a season or two, “he gets a sidekick, Jed Shred.”
Jed is a devoted fan: “he’s all like, ‘Oh, Boarder Bob, you’re so epic.’” But, as is proven—through Bob’s trials, tribulations and failed attempts at ease and epicness— he is anything and everything but.
Roy collaborated with local Glenn Rogers—known for his comic panels in The Whistler Question (a former, local publication started in 1976)—to produce the strip. The two worked together for eight years (“if I remember correctly,” Roy said), producing the eight-panel, two-row, halfpage “Boarder Bob” strip. Published four times a year, “we had a lot of fun” poking fun at the “life of snowboarding in Whistler and on the West Coast.”
The stresses of balancing the desire to shred while staying fed, being able to board while needing to find literal board-ing, and trying to be the baller at the bar were all fodder for the two creative duos: Roy and Rogers, Bob and Jed. Moral quandaries were occasionally tackled through the ink of these stories: “should we risk everything to be in the shot?!” Arguably, Boarder Bob was 90 per cent total fun, 10 per cent tackling that “the stakes are real.”
The comic ran from about 1995 to 2002, or thereabouts. The pinpointing of specifics is about as precise as Bob’s technique, working more with the “ish” verb. However, when it comes to the technical hows of developing the strip, the collaborative process between Roy and Rogers was fine-tuned.
Rogers would usually come up with the story. Admittedly, Roy stated, “I was never good at writing the stories, I was
“I would pencil it and then use China ink [for] the black and white and use markers, like alcohol markers and a bit of watercolour,” he said. It was all hand-lettered. “And then I would send it by FedEx back to Snowboard Canada Magazine. And I remember a few times where the FedEx guy would ring the bell and I would still be finishing … after an all-nighter.” Each strip took between 10 and 20 hours. “It was a labour of love,” Roy reminisced. “I loved it.”
Boarder Bob eventually got abducted by aliens (I mean, why not?)—or this is insinuated, but never confirmed for the reader. “There’s a UFO and he disappears,” Roy said.
Boarder Bob carved out a seminal space in the culture and history of snowboarding art, taking its place in the local legacy of slope-inspired comic strips. The Peak Bros ran from 1979 to 1992 (in The Whistler Answer and Whistler Review), poking fun at ’80s ski culture, whereas Boarder Bob tackled the snowboarding shenanigans of the ’90s. Roy continued, and continues, to flourish on and off the slopes: the line between his art and sport overlapping.
He has illustrated for Snowboarder Magazine (the prominent U.S. publication), been Whistler Blackcomb’s online illustrator, designed top sheets for such companies as Prior, Luxury and Option Snowboards; been sent to Ottawa as a Whistler Art Ambassador in 2010 for Canada Day and continues to regularly produce art that showcases the mountains and its vibrant culture.
The born-in-Montréal skateboarding kid who first came out to join Craig Kelly’s summer camps on the glacier, to then gain accolades as a competitive snowboarder in “half pipe contests, some slopestyle, some boardercross,” to now working for Whistler Blackcomb’s Alpine Program and holding the title of being Whistler Valley Snowboard Club’s longest-running coach, working with the program since its inception almost 30 years ago—has literally drawn together the lines of on- and off-mountain creativity. n
DRAWN TOGETHER Boarder Bob. ROY COLLECTION
ASTROLOGY
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Saturn has entered Aries. I see this landmark shift as being potentially very good news for you. Between now and April 2028, you will have enhanced powers to channel your restless heart in constructive directions. I predict you will narrow down your multiple interests and devote yourself to a few resonant paths rather than scattering your intense energy. More than ever before, you can summon the determination to follow through on what you initiate. My Saturn-in-Aries prayer: May you be bold, even brazen, in identifying where you truly belong, and never settle for a half-certain fit.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I am issuing a Wow Advisory. Consider this your high-voltage wonder alert. Your future may offer you thrilling quests and epic exploits that could be unnerving to people who want you to remain the same as you have been. You will have a knack for stirring up liberating encounters with lavish pleasures and rich feelings that transform your brain chemistry. The rousing mysteries you attract into your sphere may send provocative ripples through your own imagination as well as your web of allies. Expect juicy plot twists. Be alert for portals opening in the middle of nowhere.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, you find anatomical drawings next to flying machine designs, mathematical calculations alongside water flow observations, and philosophical musings interrupted by grocery lists. He moved from painting to engineering to scientific observation as curiosity led him. Let’s make him your inspirational role model for now, Gemini. Disobey categories! Merge categories! Mix and match categories! Let’s assume that your eager mind will create expanded knowledge networks that prove valuable in unexpected ways. Let’s hypothesize that your cheerful rebellion against conventional ways of organizing reality will spawn energizing innovations in your beautiful, mysterious life.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In falconry, there’s a practice called “weathering.” It involves regularly exposing trained birds to the wild elements so they don’t become too domesticated and lose their wildness. The falconer needs a partner, not a pet. Does that theme resonate, Cancerian? Is it possible that you have been too sheltered lately? Either by your own caution or by well-meaning people who think they’re protecting you? Let’s make sure you stay in touch with the fervent, untamed sides of your nature. How? You could expose yourself to an experience that scares you a little. Take a fun risk you’ve been rationalizing away. Invite touches of rowdiness into your life.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The loudest noise in history? It was the 1883 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia, heard thousands of miles away. The pressure wave circled the Earth multiple times. I am predicting a benevolent version of a Krakatoa event for you in the coming months. Not literal loudness, but a shiny bright expression of such magnitude that it redefines your world and what people thought was possible from you. Can you be prepared for it? A little. You’ll be wise to cultivate visionary equanimity: a calm willingness to stay focused on the big picture. I predict your big boom will be challenging but ultimately magnificent and empowering.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Buddhism teaches about “near enemies”: qualities that may appear to be virtues but aren’t. For example, pity masquerades as compassion. Clingy attachment pretends to be love. Apathy and indifference pose as equanimity. In the coming weeks, Virgo, I hope you won’t get distracted by near enemies. Your assignment: Investigate whether any of your supposed virtues are actually near enemies. After you’ve done that, find out if any of your so-called negative emotions might harbour interesting powers you could tap into.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many intelligent people think astrology is dangerous nonsense perpetrated by quacks. For any horoscope writer with an ego, this affront
ROB BREZSNY
tends to be deflating. Like everyone else, we want to be appreciated. On the other hand, I have found that practicing an art that gets so much disdain has been mostly liberating. It’s impossible for me to get bloated with excess pride. I practice astrology for the joy it affords me, not to garner recognition. So in a backhanded way, a seemingly disheartening drawback serves as an energizing boon. My prediction is that you, Libra, will soon harvest an analogous turnabout. You will draw strength, even inspiration, from what may ostensibly appear to be a liability.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Mycologist Paul Stamets claims mushrooms taught him to think in networks rather than hierarchies. He sees how everything feeds everything else through vast webs of underground filaments. This is Scorpio wisdom at its most scintillating: homing in on the hidden circuitry working below the surface; gauging the way nourishment is distributed incrementally through many collaborative interconnections; seeing the synergy between seemingly separate sources. I hope you will accentuate this mode of understanding in the coming weeks. The key to your soulful success and happiness will be in how well you map the mycelial-like networks, both in the world around you and in your inner depths. PS: For extra credit, study the invisible threads that link your obsessions to each other, your wounds to your gifts, and your rage to your tenderness.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The peregrine falcon dives at speeds exceeding 386 kilometres per hour, making it the fastest animal on Earth. But before the dive, there’s often a period of circling, scanning, and waiting. The spectacular descent is set up by the patient reconnaissance that precedes it. I believe you’re now in a phase similar to the falcon’s preparatory reconnaissance, Sagittarius. The quality of your eventual plunge will depend on how well you’re tracking your target now. Use this time to gather intelligence, not to second-guess your readiness. You’ll know when your aim is true.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): There’s a certain miracle you could really use right now, Capricorn. But to attract it into your life would require a subtle and simple shift. In a related development, the revelation you need most is concealed in plain sight. To get these two goodies into your life, you shouldn’t make the error of seeking them in exotic locales. Ordinary events in the daily routine will bring you what you need: the miracle and the revelation that will change everything for the better.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Over the last 4,000 years, a host of things have been used as money in addition to precious metals and paper currency. Among them have been cows, seashells, cheese, tobacco, velvet, tulips, elephant tusks, and huge stone wheels. I hope this poetic fact will inspire your imagination about financial matters. In the coming weeks, I expect you’ll be extra creative in drumming up new approaches to getting the cash you need. Here are questions to guide you. Which of your underused talents might be ready to boost your income? What undervalued gifts could you be more aggressive about giving? What neglected treasures or underutilized assets could you use to generate money?
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Big bright transitions are at hand: from thrashing around in the educational mire to celebrating your sweet escape; from wrangling with shadows and ghosts to greeting new allies; from messing around with interesting but confounding chaos to seizing fresh opportunities to shine and thrive. Hallelujah! What explains this exhilarating shift? The Season of Dazzling Self-Adoration is dawning for you Pisceans. In the weeks ahead, you will be inspired to embark on bold experiments in loving yourself with extra fervour and ingenuity. Homework: What imperfect but pretty good part of your life deserves more of your love? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology. com.
In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny creates
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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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IF YOU’RE LUCKY enough to spend more than a few years in the Sea to Sky, you start to tune into its rhythms. You know which way the wind blows the storm clouds over the mountains, and how the light falls through the lichen on a late April evening. You know how the moss smells after a downpour, and the certain chill in the air
BY LIZI MCLOUGHLIN
that tells you the first snow has dusted the
It’s harder to feel those rhythms in a city, when they’re buried beneath the incessant buzz of our man-made world. In a past life, in London, the quiet patterns of natural life rarely penetrated the fog of my daily routine. I used to commute for hours every day on the train and the tube, cramped up against strangers, isolating ourselves from the suffocating closeness of each other as best we could.
Even 10 years ago, it was easy to distract ourselves from each other, our phones and devices erecting tiny walls around us so we didn’t have to be seen. Perhaps it makes sense in a crowded city, our best attempt at carving out some
much-needed space. But in the process, the harsh blue glow of our screens became another layer of insulation against the natural world.
Now, my commute is the 40-minute drive between Squamish and Whistler, alone in the comfort of my beaten-up Subie, Taylor Swift blaring, winding past the peaks of the Tantalus and sometimes, if I’m lucky, catching a glimpse of the sunset over the ocean.
And yet, more often than not, when I pull into my parking spot and kill the engine, I still instinctively reach for my phone. I swipe listlessly between apps, searching for something, distracting myself not from other people or the sensory onslaught of city life, but from myself and the natural world I came here for. Somewhere along the way, I associated safety, rest, and relaxation with the tiny handheld void in my pocket.
in the face of the forces shaping our lives and homes and communities. As we’ve tried desperately to keep up with the dizzying pace of change and chaos, we’ve started to believe that what is inside our screens is what’s real: that the noise and the anxiety is the truth of life.
And if that’s what is real, we think, then we must pay attention: anything else is a distraction from what really matters. So we keep looking for answers from influencers and in the dark recesses of internet forums, from AI-assisted therapy and podcasters with rage-baiting political analyses, hoping that someone, somewhere can make it all make sense.
Along the way, the things that make up life—a home-cooked meal, a walk in the woods, a meandering conversation with a friend—have been downgraded to the status of “self-care,” a moment of respite from the directionless
As we’ve tried desperately to keep up with the dizzying pace of change and chaos, we’ve started to believe that what is inside our screens is what’s real.
It’s easier than ever to erect those walls around myself, but I can’t remember what I’m supposed to be keeping out? Life itself? Sometimes it feels that way.
The nauseating pace of news over the last decade has left us feeling like we have no control: that we are powerless
momentum of our exhausting, everconnected modern existence. And even then, we struggle to convince ourselves we deserve it, cramming in connection to the real world between items on our frantic to-do lists, apologizing profusely for putting ourselves first.
But being present in the real world
isn’t a purely selfish endeavour, and it’s a telling symptom of our culture that we perceive it that way. If you’ve ever sat around a fire on a long summer evening with your friends, breathing in the smell of smouldering cedar, listening to the cicadas’ chorus, you know instinctively why it matters to get some distance from the digital world.
When we lift our heads up and redirect our attention to what’s real, we notice—and start to care about—what’s directly in front of us. We feel those natural rhythms of the land around us, and we understand why we must protect them.
And we also tune in more acutely to the people directly in front of us. When we resist the urge to fill every moment of boredom or discomfort with online noise, we create the space we’ve been so desperately looking for, and the need to keep ourselves at a distance retreats. We discover we can smile at a stranger, strike up a conversation on a chairlift, or organize that dinner party we’ve been meaning to host for months.
Not all knowledge can be downloaded straight into our psyche: most true wisdom we have to live for ourselves. And in those little moments of connection to what’s real, we discover we still have power: power to affect the people and the places around us. We realize that perhaps we’ll find the answers we’ve been looking for—to disconnection, loneliness, and anger—out here.
Lizi McLoughlin is a local non-profit leader, an average-but-enthusiastic mountain athlete, and an eternal optimist. n
